Gone With The Spin: Sony’s Shell Game

You spin me right round Sony .. or at least you’d like to.

Sony sent out an interesting release about its holiday sales that did not actually address coming in dead last in Dec. , but rather how great the PS3 is as a full-featured Blu-ray enabled entertainment and gaming device. The chart above compares the big three (the lowest entry points from each manufacturer — PS3 80GB - $399, Xbox 360 Arcade - $199, Wii - $249) based on space, Blu-ray, support, Wi-fi support out of the box, the cost of online gaming and HDMI cable support. Here’s some finely craft, grade A spin from Sony to set the mood:

 

The PS3 is the perfect example of a product featuring superior technology and a sophisticated design creating an ideal all-in-one entertainment product. The Xbox 360 requires additional money, multiple upgrades and additional external devices, putting a burden on the wallet and adds clutter to the entertainment center. And the Wii’s lack of enhanced features comes at the expense of a comprehensive entertainment solution. So as PS3 continues to evolve without the need for additional parts or expenses, expect the competition to continue peddling add-ons in an effort to keep up with the Jones’.

Too bad the Jones’ are probably broke, just like the Smiths’, and the Washingtons’. It is hard to deny that much of what Sony says is true, but a lot of the argument is irrelevant. The question the company really needs to address is how do they get consumers to purchase a game system that is $200 more than the Xbox 360 and $150 more than the Wii when the economy will continue to be in the shit for at least the next six months - if not longer. My advice? A price cut.