Play Station 3 Product Evaluation, Essay Example

Like most intense conflicts, a gamer’s purchasing decision is a matter of mind versus heart. It is a battle with as many complexities as the games that come after the console itself. The PlayStation 3 can boast that it is “a gamer’s dream”, utilizes “next-generation technology”, and that it has a remarkably affordable Blu-ray disc player (PS3 1). In fact, the reviews have consistently been good. The debate has been over whether it is worth the “lofty price tags”, especially in light of the nearly-concurrent release of the less-expensive Xbox 360 (Wildstrom 1).

The technology is unparalleled, but, as is the case with new technology in general, there are a few bugs. The wireless connectivity, which so many avid gamers prize, does “next to nothing” on the PlayStation 3 console. Consumers considering the PlayStation 3 primarily as a multipurpose personal entertainment center should reconsider. In addition to the poor connectivity, the console does not play music or display network photos (Wildstrom 1). Sony lost a significant portion of customer good will when they experienced a shortage of supplies which caused the prices to skyrocket after they had pushed the projected release date back time and again (Ryan 1).

The cause of the distribution shortage, the delayed arrival of the new technology that we mentioned earlier, consists of two different, innovative gaming gambles: Blu-ray disc storage and the Cell Broadband Engine. The Blu-ray disc storage accounts for most of the monetary wallop that the PlayStation 3 packs. On the other hand, these discs can handle about five times as much as a Xbox 360 disc and so far has no competition in gaming memory capacity. The tiny new Cell chip was a joint effort of Toshiba, Sony, and IBM and consumes little power with little sound output. Consequently the PlayStation 3 is sleek and understated in appearance and does not have the mechanical hum or whir of various game systems. What’s more, the Cell Broadband Engine allows for a previously-unheard-of amount of detail (Wildstrom 1).

The graphics are phenomenal. Even one sourpuss critic wrote of the graphics of the newly-released and much-anticipated God of War III: “Marvelous though the models, textures and effects are from a distance, they are even more marvelous at proximity” (Evans-Thirlwell 2). This game’s success story has countered the assertion that the games for PlayStation 3 could not compete with those of the Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii.

Altogether the PlayStation 3 is a failure as a personal entertainment device. However, video game enthusiasts will not be disappointed by the graphics, speed, memory, or appearance of the up-and-coming console. It comes down to head or heart. A standard-only PlayStation 3 console costs twice what a comparable Xbox 360 does, so the choice is a personal and financial decision (Ryan 1). For those who are strapped for cash it would be prudent to wait until Sony decided to expand on “the potential” of the Play Station 3… if the suspense does not kill you (Wildstrom 1). As for me, the PlayStation 3 will top my Christmas list.

Works Cited

Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin. “How Big is Big Enough?.” Video Games Daily 08 Mar. 2010: 1-3. Web. 15 May 2010. <http://videogamesdaily.com/reviews/201003/god-of-war-3- review/>.

“PS3: Not Just Playing Around.” TWICE: This Week in Consumer Electronics 23.2 (2008): 7. Computers & Applied Sciences Complete. EBSCO. Web. 15 May 2010.

Ryan, Oliver, and Nicholas Varchaver. “Xbox vs. PlayStation: Playing Hard to Get.” Fortune 153.2 (2006): 26. Business Source Complete. EBSCO. Web. 14 May 2010.

Wildstrom, Steve. “PlayStation 3: it is Got Game.” BusinessWeek 4012 (2006): 22. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 13 May 2010.