Monday Morning Rundown: Ten Reasons Why You Don't Need a PlayStation 3

[dinther]

ITS...A....CONSOLE!!! PC has already gone through this phase. Why are we going back to the past?

I think the fact that it is a console is a good thing for a lot of people. Not you obviously but most people don't care about tinkering in the registry, messing about with the applets in the control panel or installing yet another driver upgrade. Given a common platform (Any console not just PS3) they can automate most of those hassles and even avoid them. Not sure why you are saying "back to the past". I don't recall home computers capable of word processing ever being as friendly as today's game consoles are.

how you gonna browse the web with a controller? then you all say "uhhh...what about the keyboard and mouse

Indeed, keyboard and mouse port. Simple. I recon every game console should have those anyway because I hate playing FPS games with a gamepad.

can you play YOUR music while you play a game on a console? can you do 3d applications on a console?

I suppose not but maybe only computer geeks like to run a plethora of programs, task switching as they go. I would imagine the PS3 is more than capable to run multiple processes at once. And yes you are right. I can't see anyone runing specialised software like 3D Studio and AutoCAD on a PS3 although real-time 3D level editors may well be on the cards.

Most of you are like $600 is not bad...? I live in Australia! thats almost 1000$ I can upgrade my computer with that. HDTV?? the newest graphics cards support HD, so then you buy a LCD monitor....and there you go your HDTV.

That is rubbbish. I live in New Zealand and I agree with you that $600 US is way too much for a game machine but if it could do basic home PC tasks like web browsing, email (I'd use GMail in that case) and basic office tasks then it would be a pretty damn good choice over a PC for a lot of people. The HDTV you are talking about probably won't have the right drivers and be incompatible with your TV tuner card. Hardware in a console can be designed to match.

i tell you right now sell your PC's and use the ps3...no? hmmm...i wondar why is that?

No bloody way, I like tinkering, I like programming and I use lot's of weird stuff because I'm a "geek". Point is, most people are not.

oh and btw you cant upgrade/fix a console...so when its broken you cant open it up and "replace" that broken part, if you find what is broken in the first place. So good luck to those who buy a ps3 but it ends up overheating and dying...

You are reaching mate, the inability to "upgrade" a console is a good thing. The whole point of a console common hardware. I don't see why repair should not be possible. No different to any other electronic applicance.

I recon PC's had their day, they stay around but you must have noticed the ever reducing shelf space in the stores. I don't like it because I am like you, I like PC's, on a PC I can download shareware games, write my own and basically be my own boss (If Bill let's me). But that does not make Sony's statement nonsense. Most people are not like you and I. They want email without the PC hassles. They want the web without the viruses. I know so many PC users that struggle to keep their access to email going because they don't know how to deal with configuration problems. you can't tell me you don't know those kind of people. They will buy a PS3 for $600 no worries.

 

[buckiller]

Halo 3 looked good but, just like the Killzone trailer, I want in game footage.

Oh baby you know those guys at bungie wont disappoint with that kind of thing!!! (only with their gay ass updates and changes they did to halo2 on Live....the new maps and changed gametypes!!)

 

[r0x0r]

can you play YOUR music while you play a game on a console?

You can with every single 360 game.

Most of you are like $600 is not bad...? I live in Australia! thats almost 1000$ I can upgrade my computer with that. HDTV?? the newest graphics cards support HD, so then you buy a LCD monitor....and there you go your HDTV.

Except that not all LCD monitors are suitable for television. LCD's also can't go as large as other types of displays.

PC gamers are true gamers.

Huh? Aren't true gamers people who accept a great game, no matter what the genre or format? Don't true gamers help n00bs because they know that they were once a n00b as well?

huggy_bear, with that narrow-mindedness you are missing out on quality games. Go and play ICO (PS2), Panzer Dragoon Otra (XBOX) and P.N.03 (GCN), all classics worthy of play.

If any of you didnt realize but PC has the best line up of games out of the 3 consoles.

Especially fighting games... oops, I forgot, fighting games are unplayable on a keyboard. Damn it must suck to miss out on Soul Calibur (still the best fighting game in my opinion).

oh and btw you cant upgrade/fix a console...so when its broken you cant open it up and "replace" that broken part, if you find what is broken in the first place. So good luck to those who buy a ps3 but it ends up overheating and dying

But for the price it will cost to replace your PC part you would probably be able to buy a new console anyway. Your point is moot.


I enjoy all types of gaming but it just so happens that I can't afford to be a PC gamer at the moment so most of my time is spent on a console. I wish I could be gaming on a PC (ah mods, how I love thee), but it's not the total gaming solution you claim it to be because of the hardware expense and bullshit involved with driver/patch update/installation, not to mention that I can't be 100% certain that my PC will run the game anyway (and even though my XBOX is older than my PC I can still run new games on my XBOX but I can't them on my PC. Longer lifespan for a console).

By the way everyone, HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray? Whichever format the porn industry chooses will win. Remember BETA and VHS?

 

[Haluk]

Ok, first of all. Even if it's an column and not an article, this is not a column fit for THG for the following reasons:

-You might personally like XBox better, and even write about it. It's ok up to this point. What does not fit with THG is the quality of the column itself. I'm not a writer, and english isn't even my native language. But from what I've seen with "Ten reasons" columns, every single reason has to add up to form the ten reasons. Your #1 reason makes most of the other reasons obsolete.

- The column title shouldn't be "Why you don't need a PS3". It's should be "Why you don't have to rush to buy a PS3". Numbers 3, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 are issues that will disappear with time ( maybe the online game thing won't, but we're talking about a company who houses some of the best game servers in PC world).

-You should base your comments on all the facts, not ones that suit you. PS3 might have only a few games announced for the following year, but how many does PS2 have for second half of 2007 compared to PS3? Unless you're making a game that will get a significant gameplay improvement with the new hardware, of course people are going to make games for a console that has 90+ million users, vs a console that expects to sell 2-6 million in the same period. Not to mention, a lot of developers don't make a habit of announcing titles a year and a half prior unless it's a major IP. We can add backwards-compatibility into this mix as well.

And finally a personal opinion: XBox360... ah, it could have been a great success, had Microsoft learned from past mistakes. You don't get exclusive game rights to a console, just to release those "exclusive" games on a better platform (PC). A lot of people simply wait for those games to come out in PC and play with better technology, higher resolutions ( yeah, X360 has 720p, but I can buy two Dell FPW2407's for the price of a good 720p TV), faster load times etc. All you have to do is wait a few months, and frankly, I can totally survive with the amount of great titles that release on PS and PC.

And XBoxLive might be really popular with people who have no friends in RL, but I prefer winning sports games against people I have already competed with (my rl friends), over numerous platforms for the past 20 years. Rest of the online gaming (fps, rpg, strategy) is better on PC anyway.

This is getting really long, but I hope I am wrong about XBox. I love gaming, and more consoles out there with decent first party game support, the more quality titles I get to play. I don't really care about who wins the piss race as long as the big three stay in business.

 

[BigMac]

Well, Rob, you did it again. How is it that every time you post an article a huge load of newcomers register to the forums, just to take a shot at you?

I guess that's why they hired you? 8O :lol:

I salute you, and I'm looking forward to your next article.


O, just to add some content to this discussion, someone mentioned the cell architecture being designed for gaming? That is nonsense, or at least a way too generic statement. The Cell architecture has been designed for an efficient implementation of multi-threaded applications. It uses an asymmetric design pattern (one master core, and a number of "slave" cores), as opposed to dual or multi-core processor solutions from Intel or AMD that are much more if not completely symmetric.

The Xbox360 also has a more symmetric approach.

Btw, the real battle behind all of this? It's IBM against Intel, and AMD to a lesser extend (just because they're smaller). It's IBM cpu technology in both the Xbox360 and the PS3, and Microsoft is playing both ways..they can't loose. Well, they can but not in terms of technology choices. We'll have to see how the Japanese (not just Sony) will hold up against Microsoft.

 

[Marauder]

This whole shit box of comments trying to deface the last guy is a huge waste of time. We all have our own opinions on what is better for games, PC or Console. We all have our loyalties to a certain consolle (to some degree) whether its because we owned that console first or they just put out more of the genre we like to play.

In the end, its not us the small number of people who decide to educate themselfs on what is the actual "better choice" based simply on the hard facts and not a bias opinion, but the tens of millions of people who do not read technical and unbiased articles. (Not including this one, it did seem pretty biased.)

The average Joe goes to the local grocery store, walks by the magazine isle, picks up the gaming magazine and reads about how great a console is. Then thinks about the great times he's had with his pervious one, and then goes out and buys one. And not for a second realizing that, for instance, the 360 will not play your PC media files unless you have a Windows Media computer, and convert the files into a specific format. Or that the cheaper PC3 will not have HDMI, which in a few years, will be REQUIRED the play the HD Movies which is why the Blueray technology is such a big deal.

You can mull over the finer parts of each console, and then the let downs of each console. But in the end, no matter what industry you look in, each company offers something that the other does not. And yet both companies continue to sell their products, and the average Jo doesn't make a connection between the two.

 

[Marauder]

Though of some more points so I might as well post them while the ball is rolling....

About the web browsing feature with the PS3. Do you really think it is going to be THAT succesful? Have you ever heard of Web TV and how quickly that bit the dust? You can say that a $600 dollar PS3 coupled with the ability to surf the web will make people gravitate towards gettings a PS3, but with somethine like 75% (not sure if thats right, but its close) of house holds having a PC, what makes you believe they'll abandon they're PC to surf the net. Especially when you can surf the net on your PC, while playing a game on your console or simply watching TV. a PC just makes more sense when it comes to internet based activities other than simply gaming.

I like XboxLive (yes I am a 360 owner, and no I dont support the bandwagon lifestyle/mentality) and sorry but I have plenty of RL friends. I too enjoy playing some one who is right next to me. But lets face it, playing with millions of people from across the world with varied skill levels can also be just as exciting as playing your same friend of 20 years, and in some cases more so. I doubt that your friend varies his gameplay and tactics much in the same game each time you play.

The fact that you cannot upgrade a console, as mentioned before, is what makes a console do great. You dont have to worry about buying a game that is too advanced, or runs with errors because you decided to get an ATI instead of nVidia. Plus you may think that the graphics of the 360 and PS3 dont look that impressive. But yet with the PS2 they are still pushing the lmits of the system and making games that look even better. So to say the PS3 doesnt look that impressive, before it is even released, is just an arrogant and un-backed observation which has no basis for the future.

I also dont see how the Sony will live true to it's word with the "free" online gaming service. Sounds like another hyped and over promised feature of yet another Sony product. They have a habbit of making claims on they're products, then never coming through on those promises. Have you ever stopped to think about the cost of running the number of servers and bandwidth it takes to host a massive online service like that of Live? With Sony already losing money (Billions upon billions) with the advent of the PS3, they're just digging they're own grave if they plan to make the service free. The $50 price tag for one year's service to Live! is more than acceptable. Sure it adds up, but who really counts pennies down to the yearly basis?




This was just my 5c, well seems more like 15c. Sorry about the length... If you agree with me great, if not thats also great. Its what makes being a human all the more spectacular. At any rate, LONG LIVE GAMING!

 

[rbrtchng]

10. This only means that the PS2 isn't dead. Just like PS games were made well into the first year of the PS2 cycle. I would much rather have them do this than what MS pulled when they completely dropped XBOX, leaving millions of gamers behind, forcing them to pay more.

9. Remember too, a lot of 360 games are on PS3. And PS3 exclusives are not also on the PC

8. If anyone is interested in a PS3, having a 360 wouldn't really matter.

7. a combination of motion sensor and traditional control scheme? Great. Is the author suggesting that having less technology is better than having more?

6. How is Sony's online vapor? Free online gaming alone own'd Live. Btw, online gaming is areally old

5. It's not too expensive. I mean it is expensive for a console, but as a BR player, its kinda cheap

4. that's what next-gen mean. Every gen jump, the price goes up. Get with the program.

3. We do know what BR is. And HD tv's are much cheaper now. I have two and all of my friends have at least one. Dont be stereotyping, its dumb to use this for an argument.

2. Who hates linux? And who is gonna make a game on the PS3? I buy it to play it, not to be creative. And you dont have to make your own content.

1. If i am a PC gamer, why would i read that article?

 

[Ralyon]

I personally was interested in the PS3 about a year and a half ago when I first heard it was going to be linux friendly. Heck, I bought an XBox with the intention of running linux to have PC functionality in my living room without bringing half the office to do it. That worked for all of 3 months until I plugged a new game in which locked out the security hole that my linux loader took advantage of.

I don't know what kind of geek wouldn't like to check his e-mails, chat or browse thg during the commercials (they sure ain't worth watching). Not to mention streaming audio and video from my main desktop, playing games (a lot of PC games run under linux using wine) opening attachments seeing my digital photos and maybe even adding in some dvr capabilities on my 75" surround sound system. All of this without having to change the OS or reencode all of my files on my PC and in a unit thats not an eyesore in the living room and cuts down on devices and therefor the amount of cables as well, sounds great to me.

Several other things I've noted. No, the cell processor was not designed specifically for gaming. I think IBM's new line of servers with the cell processor (running linux I might add) are proof enough of that. And by the time the PS3 finally is released linux will have been running on this processor for almost half a year on servers where there is less tolerence for bugs then PCs. As far as a keyboard, did I hear 6 USB ports? And 1 other thing, my XBox has an LG 16x DVDRom in it as the ones that shipped with the XBox were mostly CRAP, so who says you "can't" do part swapping.

Judging from the other posts I have read in this thread, I am probably one of few if not the only one with these opinions. Just thought I would add anouther voice to the mayhem.

 

[Caboose-1]

I agree with everything, Rob. Then again my comment cannot be taken seriously because I am an avid XBOX fan 😛 .

 

[taikamya]

LoL!

a reason? :~

simply... what PC did you buy with $600 ?

a Sempron 3400+ with 512mb DDR400, a X800PRO and HD 120GB ?


so... a PS3...

for $600 you'll buying...

a Cell processor with 8 SPEs @ 3.2ghz, that mades 256Gflops/s is like 5x MORE then a K8L is expected to do(50Gflops/s)

an RSX graphics processor with "ONLY" 136 Pixel Shaders

an XDR 256MB RAM at 3.2Ghz(against todays 1.066mhz TOPS DDR2)

Blu-Ray Discs compatibility!

Run PS2(90% compatibility) and PSX(80% compatibility)

okay! you can emulate the PSX as easy as take a shower, BUT you dont emule it in like 40% or PS2 in 10%...
____________________________________________________________

Only the hardware you bought would be a $4.000 new system with Quad-Core CPU's at next year AND Quad-SLI GPU's...
____________________________________________________________

okay! a Quad-Sli System knocksout the RSX! i Agreed, BUT, RSX consumes 55W and 45W of Cell...

a Pentium D Extreme Edition 840 "drink" 130W... only the processor...
____________________________________________________________

so, FREE ONLINE GAMEPLAY... !?!?!?!?!?

GAMES AT XHD !!!!!!!!!(of course, 'll need a f**cking powerful TV)
......

for me thats reason ENOUGH to buy a $600 "computer"

And remember that the xbox is not that successful in Europe.

And in Japan... well you know the story

i live in Europe, Spain more exactly...

Xbox really sux... no matter how Halo gets hot...

i mean, Xbox is the funny system ever...

he cannot do graphics betters then PS2 or GC, and has a hardware to it...

Xbox sells NOTHING here... and as we all know, Japanese and Korean market only 2 countrys, is like "all the world" market, i mean, they really love console games...

Xbox 360 sold LESS then the DREAMCAST with the DOUBLE OF THE TIME...

i dont know why "Mr.Gates" still having the console in market.... how stupid... hahahaha...[/quote]

 

[r0x0r]

simply... what PC did you buy with $600 ?

He bought my piece of shit :lol:

Xbox sells NOTHING here... and as we all know, Japanese and Korean market only 2 countrys, is like "all the world" market, i mean, they really love console games...

Koreans love Starcraft, which is a PC game. It's a national sport over there. (What a dreadful generalization that was. Apologies to any Koreans offended).

 

[aabbccdd1234]

#1 from "10 reasons why you don't need a PS3", I must say, definitely deserves to be at the 1st spot.

 

[Grinch123456]

Screw the PS3, I'm going to play my Dreamcast? Anyone up for some single analog-stick shooting games and dial-up internet?

Seriously, I'm going to play my Dreamcast.

 

[infornography42]

What many people in this forum see when they see the PS3.

Powerful processing technology.
Adequate memory at extremely high speeds
Linux
Powerful video card technology
1080p video
Blue ray player.


What I (and probably the majority of consumers) see.
A video game console.
Potentially a next gen movie player that requires a TV that costs more than I'll likely be able to afford for a long time but may end up losing to HDDVD so its not even a safe bet.
$600


I still havn't bought an XBox 360. Why? $500. Thats why.

I will most likely be buying a Nintendo Wii. Why?
Real innovation.
$250


I do not really care nearly as much about graphics as some of you do. I just want to play the games.

I do not have $600 or even $500 to throw away at a console to enable me to pay $60 to play a game. In fact, $350 is about my limit and even that I feel is a bit high for a dedicated video game console.

That is how I look at it and that is how many others will as well. Especially parents who are looking for christmas gifts. If it comes down in price to something reasonable, or if Blue ray ends up winning the war and 1080p TVs get cheaper, maybe. But as it is now.... NO.

 

[jason6789]

Im 26 years old.In the last year ive spent..

$120 for a case
$100 for a power supply
$520 for A video card
$200 for a motherboard
$530 for a processor
$110 for memory
$420 for a new monitor
$50 for a new dvd burner

When i look at the ps3 i see the words "keyboard and mouse support" and im sold.Im tired of spending ungodly amounts of money to keep up with the latest game.I just want something that kicks ass sitting next to my pc hooked right to my LCD and know whatever game for it i insert 2 years from now will play at a steady 30+fps.If you slap the cost of a HD-dvd drive and a wireless network adapter to the xbox360 the ps3 becomes the better deal from a tech standpoint at 600 dollars.

I havent got a xbox or xbox360 yet "if M$ anounced full keyboard and mouse support id get one tommmarow" but i might with gears of war or halo3.As far as the wii goes nintendo already got me with the power glove i dont need a system that is mostly based around a one trick pony.

 

[taikamya]

Koreans love Starcraft, which is a PC game. It's a national sport over there.

Starcraft is 1 game, i mean overall... not a single 😛

I will most likely be buying a Nintendo Wii. Why?
Real innovation.
$250

really? are u sure? i think the same way but... that dirty hardware and graphics, means pay $250 in a console? ..... nah... i'll not buy a CONSOLE for $250, i'll buy a PAD, SIMPLY, a GAMEPAD... or WiiMote, as you wish...

so, a PAD worth this much? :O

or... look to the Wii Dance... and see what im telling you...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_drrgyeA5U

hahhahha ,its a lot funny... xD

 

[infornography42]

heh, I enjoy playing Dance Dance Revolution.

If I minded looking like a buffoon you wouldn't catch me dead on that game.

Honestly I'm kind of excited about it.

 

[chuckshissle]

Im still buying PS3 just to play a couple of games and replace my DVD player. 😀

 

[Grinch123456]

The PS3 looks like the shoddiest piece of equipment ever. Half-assed motion sensing capabilites ripped from Wii? 600 bucks? Another Sony standard (who's up for watching some Betamax tapes, or some UMD movies?) that will be driven into the ground, who the heck needs that? Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it, and that is my vision of it. Consoles are consoles. HTPCs are HTPCs. Consoles and HTPCs don't mix.

 

[p05esto]

I liked the article. An enjoyable read and I agree for the most part. Although I've went from hating MS to accepting and actually liking them. I run W2K and think it's very stable. I have yet to look at XP and dread Vista. An OS should be a solid base for running applications and be lean and mean. Vista and XP are turning the OS into a big piece of bloated crap. 3D windows? Cmon now, I don't like the direction MS is headed....

But they are not going away anytime soon! They OWN the computer industry like it or not.

 

[Ralyon]

An OS should be a solid base for running applications and be lean and mean.

Funny, thats why a lot of people switch to linux.

But they are not going away anytime soon! They OWN the computer industry like it or not.

I would have to disagree with that. As an OS, they have about as much chance as the imperial measuring system, imho. TG is reporting on how linux is spreading. http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/06/07/a_continuing_work_in_progress/ Even Dell is offering desktops geared towards linux (N series). If you look around a little bit you'll notice ms is loosing all over the place.

 

[Panzerzero]

PC gamers can care less about PS3 or Xbox 360 only reason anyone cares here is because Xbox 360 seems to delay PC release dates. Microsoft wants to bring the PC gamer to the 360 but I wont go. I like what sony did they removed the OS limiter by moving to Linux that was a bold move. Cell was also a bold move. The only reason to stay away from PS3 would be based on all you fav games are on PC.

 

[Nikolam]

Why PS3 is not at the market right now?
It was too expensive to produce PS3 in the end of 2005,
it was too expensive in the begining of 2006.
The main reason is Blu-Ray reader.

HDTV?
I reely dont care about HDTV TV sets.
I bought 19" CRT monitor that can do 1280X1024@85Hz in 2000.
It is good enought HDTV for me (and better).
You can buy used professional 21" 1600X1200@85 CRT VGA monitor
for around 150$ theese days. HDTV? I have a better picture.
Or 4ns TFT monitor.
For larger- SVGA projectors are here.

So, I might say,
after you played all new shiny games for PS3
and games for PS2 that look better on PS3,
without need to spend 400$ only for a graphic card for PC,

You nave a need to surf internet a little, send some e-mails,
chat with your friends over MSN, Yim, IRC, ICQ and Jabber/Google,
Write some documents/spreadsheets in OpenOffice.org 2.0 ,
Download/buy some new music for your portable player
and edit some digital photos in Gimp.
And crunch some 3D scenes you modeled on PS3 ,day before.

At the end of the day with PS3 you get the best from the both worlds:
Best console games and Great operating system such as GNU/Linux
with all the bunch of great applications with open source.

And you know what: Without viruses, without spamware
all the Windows/IE/OE users suffer from.
(Linux doesnt have tis problems. Well at least most linux boxes dont)

The reason why PS3 concept is SO refreshing is that
it will offer both security as network computer and
network terminal and great games in one machine at afforable price.

Try to manage that on PC Games, hungry for administrator rights..


What you loose: Well, you cant upgrade your CPU and memory that easy
-(I wonder if it would be possible to expand PS3`s memory
from 512MB to 1GB od 2/4 GB in the near future.?)

And you need to buy external enclosure for you Hard Discs
and SATA2.5"->SATA3.5" or eSATA HDD`s adapter
- if 60GB is not enought for you.
Also, you have USB 2.0, so you can put
new shiny 500GB HD`s there, anyway. DVD/Blu-Ray recorder, too.

I dont upgrade my machine every year or two. So it is good enought for me.
When I decide that my Business applications and databases on linux
are too big for PS3 512MB capacities,
I will sell my PS3 for a good price and go to PC, effortlessly,
beacouse GNU/Linux is everywhere.

But what is the future?
Pc is on the throne, beacouse PC is democratic and free of restrains.
It make all the real home power users dreams came true.
You can assamble you own machine in a metter of hours
and it could be the best possible solution for you.
And it can grow as you grow.
But Intel isnt the only boss around, anymore..

PC is at the throne , but
Game consoles are becoming smarter theese days.
They can do a lot of things that was the entry-level PC`s job
at home before. And that is true for many home users.

PC` are used in datacentres as well as at John Doe`s kitchen.
The main paradigm shift is that you dont need to be restraind to Wintel

platform anymore, if you choose GNU/Linux. You can surf from PS3.

And there you are: The Network Console is born!
Dont be supprised to see them in your local bank or restaurant
or in your job site working as the low cost network workstation.
It can do the job as weel as the entry-level PC,
But with amazing processing power,RT-3D and Blu-ray as a plus.

Currently, I am thinking between PS3 at the end of the year
and the new Dual-core PC, as a replacement for my current home system.

Only thing that will put me eather way
is the memory expendability problem on PS3.
If I could put 2GB of RAM in the PS3, I wouldn`t think about
PC for the next 3-4 years. (And played PS3 games with hapy face)
Till then, Graphic cards might not be as expensive as the whole PS3 )
It is pretty good value/performace for me.

 

[hark659]

I personally love all console I don't mind playing any of them but PC is number one console and it always has been 😛


About the PS3 free online, could be true but we should search. Would there be charge from other company. For example the PS3 online is free but what if EA going to charge you for using Madden 2006 on online, that would not be free. Here's another example, if you want to download maps, download demos or/and play mmorpg(FFXI) would they cost you as well?

See xbox 360 does charge yearly fees, but man you get shitload of stuff. Like Prey demo, update patch so you can play the original xbox games, new maps without paying extra.

I have xbox 360 and I'm loving it. I may buy ps3 depend how good it is, I will wait for 2-4 months to see the result. We'll see how the online goes for ps3 once they're release or I may buy a new pc system instead with conroe because they simply own it all

So what I'm saying, try to have some common sense..... is the PS3 really free? Would it cost us more than live because you have to pay online fees on specific games? Suppose you want to play final fantasy online, will you have to pay monthly?