PS3 Insanity

Another console launch has come and gone (actually 2) and what a site to behold.  There has to be a better way.  At least nobody has been shot trying to purchase a Wii!

The idea of getting your console on day one is intriguing, and I'll admit, I had a 360 pre-ordered and was playing on launch day last year.  What did it teach me?  I'll never care again.  Now, I thoroughly enjoy my 360 and had a blast playing around with live (I'm still impressed with the job Microsoft has done with it) and playing PGR 3 with a relatively small audience.  But is it worth "camping" for"? Heck no. 

Let's face it, the launch titles for any of these consoles leave something to be desired.  The 360 is just coming into it's own with GoW - a year later.  Looking back on the past year, I would have to say that waiting six months would have been fine.  My 360 experience leads me to my PS3 thoughts....

I had planned on purchasing a PS3.  I wouldn't wait in line, but if I could get one in the next couple of months without much hassle, I would have gone for it.  I've changed my mind barring some unforeseen circumstance.  There are a few reasons for my change of heart:

• The PS3 launch lineup is IMHO weak, just as weak as the 360's was.  There is one major difference, it's one year later.  Resistance looks good, but not better than GoW, and my preference is for GoW, it's just personal.  Should I wait a year for the PS3 to "get up to speed?"  Personally, four to six months minimum.
  
• X-Box Live - I'm an adult and a dad so let's face it, gaming time is at a premium.  Microsoft has put some really entertaining games on the live service, and when I have a few minutes to relax I can just plunk down and play.  No huge learning curve, no in-depth adventure, just several minutes of fun.  I've watched Sony bungle so much in the past few years that I want to see some proof of their competence before I spend money with them.  Live is well developed and Sony will need time to catch up.
  
• The developers need time to utilize the power of the console.  See my first point.  Let's see what you've got.
• Sony's launch has been a mess.  Sony's misteps over the last few years don't inspire confidence.  I was a diehard Sony TV fan, but it is no secret their customer service and quality went through a dismal period and they just started to recover about a year ago (of course many will disagree with me).  It makes me question just why were there so few launch consoles?  Is there a problem we should know about?  Is it just a shortage of Blu-Ray players or something else? 
  
• Blu-Ray and the format war.  I have a 50" Samsung DLP so I am looking forward to some hi-def DVD's.  The PS3's built in Blu-Ray is a significant selling point to me.  But now the reviews are starting to come in about the add-on HD-DVD drive for the 360 and they're good.  The add-on player is now an option I'm considering.

With that in mind I'll just sit back and see how this all works out. In the meantime I'll be playing a little NHL 07 and GoW.....