Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2007/03/13/why_buy_a_ps3/
Ten reasons why you should buy a PlayStation 3
£450 well spent?
Posted in Personal Tech, 13th March 2007 11:16 GMT
Tech Digest Is that the wind of changed opinions blowing? Since last week's Games Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, the buzz about Sony's PlayStation 3 has taken a turn for the better.
The keynote presentation from Sony's Phil Harrison had a lot to do with it: he announced two separate PS3 virtual worlds - Home and LittleBigPlanet - and demo'd some key new games.
Of course, this won't make a jot of difference if you're a hardcore Xbox 360 or Wii fanboy. But for the floating voters who've yet to decide on a next-gen console - or who've got a Wii and are wondering whether to become a two-console household - Harrison's keynote has spurred some serious pondering on whether to pre-order a PS3.
If you're in that situation, here are ten ways to rationalise shelling out £425...
1. Home and LittleBigPlanet
The PS3's two virtual worlds are intriguing, exciting and full of potential. Yes, they won't make up for a lack of triple-A games, but they'll offer something that's not available (yet) on any rival console. Plus, if you're interested in this virtual life lark, a £425 PS3 looks like a bargain compared to what you'd spend on a PC capable of running Second Life properly.
2. It'll probably be easier to get hold of a PS3 than a Wii come 23 March
Slightly facetious point, but still true.
3. It's another reason to buy an HD TV
Admittedly, if you've got a partner who's resisting, spending £425 on a console purely to convince them to spend even more on a new flat-screen telly is possibly doomed to failure. But seriously, the one thing nobody's criticised PS3 for is its high-definition goodness, supporting numerous resolutions, connectivity options and audio formats.
4. MotorStorm really does look rather good
Race a bunch of vehicles through the desert, crashing into stuff. Hmmm - it's just Burnout with extra mirages, right? Well, yes. But of the PS3's launch games, MotorStorm looks the most accessible and plain fun - certainly in terms of giving you something to show off your shiny new console. Here's video of it in action.
5. Affordable games
Sony is pricing PS3 games at £40, which is the same as Wii titles, and a tenner less than Xbox 360 games. You could still argue the games should be cheaper if you're a cash-starved teenager who sold his granny to buy the actual console, but for next-gen games 40 quid isn't bad - not to mention the fact that PS3 titles will invariably be available for less in the cutthroat world of games retail.
6. It's a good-value Blu-ray player
This is an old argument, but that doesn't make it wrong. When most Blu-ray players cost more than a PS3, you can convince yourself you're getting a bargain. Mainly because you are. Well, assuming you've already convinced yourself that re-buying all the films you already re-bought on DVD is the way forward, of course.
7. SingStar and online content
Whether you croon like Sinatra or honk like a mid-clubbing seal pup, SingStar is a powerful argument for the PS3's potential. Think downloadable content - in this case, new songs to import and then sing along to. This sort of stuff isn't unique to the PS3 of course - the Xbox 360 is just as capable of it. But SingStar suggests Sony's approach looks like being a major feather in the PS3's bow.
8. The PS3 controller might get its rumble back
The PS3 Sixaxis controller does have motion-sensing technology inside, but it doesn't have a rumble function. Sony blames the situation on technical reasons, cynics suggest the company's lawsuit with vibration firm Immersion is the real reason. If so, the fact that the two companies recently settled their case and said they plan to work together on "future PlayStation products" could see a revamped, rumbly Sixaxis.
9. Your old PS2 games will work on it - almost
A reason to shun the PS3 is the understandable concern over whether it'll run existing PS2 games, especially since news broke that Sony wasn't including the Emotion Engine in the European PS3. So what's the actual state of affairs? According to Sony, more than 1,000 PS2 games will work on PS3 at launch here, and the company plans to set up a website telling gamers exactly which ones they'll be. Again, this isn't a reason to buy a PS3, but if you've taken the plunge, you'll turn it into a positive.
10. Resistance: Fall of Man
The other essential PS3 launch title. Is it sci-fi? Alternate history? Alternate historical sci-fi? Who cares, there's loads of shooting in it... R:FoM is a first-person shooter with a bunch of ace multiplayer modes - which in the age of Halo and Gears of War is an essential game for PS3 to have, especially if you're turning your back on those Microsoft exclusives to jump into Sony's next-gen boat. Here's a video of it in action.
