This.

On the fence?  Can’t decide which next-gen video game console to buy?  Well, now, more than ever, is the time to pick up a PlayStation 3 from the local Walmart.  “For the first time since the console launched, I really think there’s more reason to buy a PS3 than the 360” Signal Hill Capital Group analyst Todd Greenwald told Bloomberg.  Here’s why: software, hardware, and price.

A well known fact among the gaming community is that the PS3 dominates as far as the hardware aspect goes, but up until recently has struggled against the other top competitors, the Wii and Xbox 360, in the software department.  Although it’s servers are often plagued with lag and its “hardcore” fan base primarily is made up of 8 year-olds playing Super Mario Kart, the Wii has lead in the console wars since this past December, with a whopping total around 50 million units sold world-wide. Despite many of its games being revivals of past franchises, long-time Nintendo fanatics refuse to let their Wiis go by the waste side, and continue to support it.

The Xbox 360 on the other hand, has been home to blockbuster exclusives including the Halo franchise, Gears of War, and Mass Effect to name a few, giving people a legitimate reason to purchase and use the console.  Furthermore, Xbox Live has  experienced huge success over the past few years since being revamped for the 360.  Constant firmware updates and content additions to the store on a regular basis, partnered with the new Xbox Live “Experience” implemented last year, have kept the service fresh and appealing to its wide range of users.

But, the tide is shifting.  Last year was an abysmal reck for the Xbox 360 when it came to actual video games.  Few exclusives were released, and those that were made few ripples in the gaming community, compared to the PlayStation 3 which was overwhelmed with hit titles.  Metal Gear Solid 4, Gran Turismo 5: Prologue, Little Big Planet, SOCOM: Confrontation, and Resistance 2 which all received critics’ acclaim, and boosted the  system to an all new level.  This year so far has continued the trend, seeing the release of Killzone 2 and InFamous, recipient of IGN’s Editor’s Choice Award and numerous other awards.  It is also clear the game developers have become more ambitious while producing their games for the PS3.  256-player online games crafted for MAG and the massive processing power needed by the Konami team to run their MGS4, have developers flocking to the PS3 with hopes of creating the games they always envisioned.

The PlayStation 3, in addition to offering an unmatched lineup of exclusive titles, provides users with massive amounts of storage with up to a 160 GB hard drive and a Blu-ray player, two features consumers now-a-days crave.  The Wii, incapable of running games in 720 or 1080p, is blown away by the stunning graphics output by the PS3, and Microsoft’s support for HD DVDs put the 360 year‘s behind the PS3‘s disk player.  Sony’s reputation for manufacturing reliable products adds momentum to the console, that unlike the 360, does not risk facing the all-too-common “Red Ring of Death”.

Likely most important to consumers during these times, are the prices, though.  At $399, the PlayStation 3 about doubles the price of either of the two other next-gen consoles.  But there is hope.  The Blu-ray player inside of the device is the most cost-effective form of purchasing a Blu-ray player, and Taiwan-based optical disk drive (ODD) makers believe the price to produce it will even drop from $100 now, to $50 by the year 2010.  That prediction also supports  GameStop execs‘, who during a recent meeting with analyst Arvind Bhatia of Sterne Agee, forecasted a $100 price-cut to the machine around the Madden NFL 2010 launch this fall.  This meeting came on the heels of Activision CEO Bobby Kotick’s threat to end his company’s support for the PS3, if such a cut was not made in due time.

Nevertheless, the PlayStation 3 is the console to buy.  Its remarkable lineup of games matched with its unparalleled hardware specs, prove it to be the dark horse in the current console war.  In the coming months as the holiday season draws near and the global economy heals, buyers around the world will be seeking a device capable of meeting their multimedia needs, ones that only the PlayStation 3 can handle.

The Xbox 360 is soo 2006, and the Nintendo Wii is soo 2008, now is the time for PS3.

Original Article: http://p8i.com/time-buy-ps3/

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