Last Saturday I ordered a 60GB PlayStation 3 from Amazon.com, and I feel like that is something I need to keep between me and my God. You may be asking yourself, "why did you buy a PS3," "why are you ashamed," or "why do you buy so many damn toys?" Well, I've been asking myself the first two questions since last Saturday, and as for the third question, I'm the Toyman. Go figure.
In pondering the first question, why did I buy a PlayStation 3, the answer is actually pretty simple. During last week's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Sony announced that they were dropping the price of the PS3 to $499. I can hear you now, "$499? What a bargain!" While that may not be a "bargain" in the truest sense of the word, it peeked my interest.
After catching my attention with a price drop, Sony showed off a few exclusive games that I must play. That's right, I don't just "want" to play them, I "must" play them. Games like Super Stardust HD, Killzone 2, Metal Gear, and Little Big Planet. The last game on the list is probably the most revolutionary. Little Big Planet puts the power of game design into the hands of the user. Yes, I know that game mods, that's geek for game modifications, have been around for years, but it's never been this easy before. Imagine sitting on your couch and creating unique characters, objects and puzzles in a matter of minutes, and then sharing them with friends and family. It also doesn't hurt that the game is super pretty.
So why am I ashamed? Imagine that Sony is Darth Vader and that the Toyman is Luke Skywalker. I feel like I just sold out my twin sister, joined the dark side and am going to get my kicks by forcing Jawas to dance in midair. Sony hasn't helped themselves by pricing a console out of reach for most consumers and then declaring that the next generation console war doesn't start until they say it does. Announcing that they are dropping the price of the 60GB PS3 in the US, only to have the head of Sony Europe come out and say, "what they actually mean is that they're trying to clear the channel of the now defunct 60GB unit." That's right, Sony is not making the 60GB unit anymore and wants to sell them off. Now, I don't blame them for this strategy, but they probably could have made that clear with the announcement.
The biggest reason I bought a PS3 is that I love videogames. I don't care who's winning or losing the console war, even though Sony seems to be running full steam at the latter. With the huge Xbox 360 catalogue, Nintendo Wii capturing the hearts and minds of the world, and the PS3 "dropping the price," it's a great time to be a videogame fan.
