Sony finally caught on

Well, it has been three months since I bought the PS3 and it has grown on me.  There is still the whole can’t-do-jack-squat-while downloading fiasco (come on, Sony!  Microsoft found a way around it!) and the Internet browser is complete rubbish for most sites (luckliy not Wikipedia, which I seem to go to a lot these days…) but I got two new games, Virtua Fighter 5 and Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection (a download, and a half gig download at that!  Took all day…) which are great and gives me hope that there is some good games coming out.  I still like the 360 better, and Xbox Live ARcade downloads like the original TMNT arcade game keeps me loyal.   Come on Sony!  Persuade me.

 

The end of the month should be big for Sony as the European release happens and they promise a download to address some of the XMB problems (like the downloads?).  They also announced something called Playstation Home, which seems to be the bastard love child of The Sims Online and Myspace with a dash of Xbox Live Arcade for pedigree.  Imagine, a virtual you going around a virtual  place playing games with virtual avatars of online friends.  You can take them to a virtual arcade. play virtual games and then go back to your virtual house you decorate with virtual furniture that you buy…with real money.  Excuse me?  An online dollhouse?  Is that what it is?  It would be better if you got virtual money through playing games, community contest but not actually buyign a couch with real money!  Again the thing that I fear is coming: virtual reality extortion.  Need an item for you game?  It is here, but pay up five bucks.  Use it up?  Costs another five to get it back.  I am seriously ready to quit gaming if it comes to this.  EA is already nickel and diming us with it’s pay-for-cheats.

 

Another thing about money.  In Canada, the PS3 price went up to $699.00.  Before, it was around $659.99 Cdn for a PS3.  Either Sony thought our dollar would go higher or it was bad math, but we were paying $20 US less than in the States.  We had the fourth lowest price for the 60 GB, after Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan.  The Looney stands right now at $.85 US and I don’t think it went higher that $.87 in the last 6 months, let alone 30 years.  So the prices are now $599.00 for 20 GB and $699 for 60 GB (the 20 GB never inceased in price).  You now only save about 5 bucks over the States.  We now have the fifth cheapest price, but only because Singapore started selling them on 7 March.

 

So at least I saved money.  And Casino Royale looks awesome on Blu-Ray!