I can see this happening, too. The XBox 360 doesn't have any big name exclusives left to play and I think gamers are getting sick of the shooting games.
The PS3, like the PS2, has all of its big guns coming out after a while. As of now the PS3 has no games worth playing, but that looks to be changing in 2008.
Once Seagal's movies get reproduced in Blu-Ray format, the war will be over between the 360 and PS3.

Of Course the numbers are wrong. It's an inferior product, with inferior games, and an inferior hierarchy of executives. The PS3 is doomed to fail, you have to be a fool to buy one. HD-DVD will be back. You can take it to the bank.

Its going to be awhile for GT5 to be out...I can see it coming out in 2009. But in March or April, GT5: Prologue will be out (its basically a large demo). But for now, I am looking forward for GTA: IV in a few months (even if its not a Playstation Exslusive anymore)...if it stops getting pushed back.

Sony has definitly hurt its self in the race of the consoles. The price is just way too exceptionally high. Almost ridiculous at times, as I pass by a Wal Mart or a Best Buy and veer upon the price tag.

The Video game Originality factor is dying. Final Fantasy, by rights should belong to nintendo. And not to mention you can get the Final Fantasy games for the PC aswell. Gran Turismo maybe a gem for most of us wanting to drive our dream car, but I think the Need for Speed series has cleaned up the competition. Metal Gear Solid was an amazing series when it first starred on the PSX. I was blown away by the graphics and the detail of it that I knew it was going to be simply breathtaking. Now the series is being dragged out a little too far, as is Gran Turismo, Ratchet and Clank, Jak and Daxter, etc etc etc... There are certain games that you could do it with, but some, you should ask yourself ' why bother?'

Sony's online capabilities is also going to take a hurt, as it tries to compete with the Xbox 360's 'Xboxlive'. Only one problem; fan base. Same with the 'Mii' feature on the Wii. The Wii and Xboxlive have a huge following of online features, where you can customize or participate in major tournements with celeberities, artists, musicians, etc etc etc...

The Blu-ray reader seems to be a wasted space. Maybe if they concentrated on the console itself. Yes it is nice to watch Movies and the such, I think going this far is a little extreme. It is only a video game console.

Overall, like many others, i see the PS3 as a flop. A free falling, open belly drop flop. Unless they pull a miracalous turn in the Video selection and video game production, I just see the PS3 as a Blu Ray player/ DVD player.

"HD-DVD will be back. You can take it to the bank."

i lold

Sony has dropped the ball. Years ago at E3 they showed a "Technical Demo" of what a re-mastered remake of Final Fantasy 7 would look like on the PS3. If they made the full game and had it as a launch title or on it's release schedule PS3's would fly off the shelf. The classic games PSX is known for are not there...Ace Combat 6 fell to Xbox, there's been no mention of a new WIPEOUT game. Square Enix does have the Final Fantasy 13 games coming, will it be enough to ignite PS3 sales? We'll just have to wait and see. I'm not getting my hopes up. I'll stick with my Wii and wait for the next game in the Chrono Trigger series from Square Enix. It will come, oh yes, it will come.

i agree, the only advantage the ps3 has is the fact it is a moderately priced blu-ray player. in fact one of the cheapest on the market and i think that that was it's major selling point until now. but that will change this year because a couple of manufacturers are releasing hybrid machines capable of playing both blu-ray and hd-dvd.

Steph - I can't tell if you're joking or not...?

At any rate, it seems to me that every recent console gets criticized far too soon without looking to the future. Sony said from day 1 that they would take the slow and steady approach rather than Microsoft's strategy to rush and release a year earlier. I bought both systems on their respective launch dates and both needed several months before there was a reason to be a proud owner.

I'm also reading some strange arguments:
1) Price is too high - This was true last year when the system launched but now it's the same in Canada. Unless you want to save $100 and get the stripped Arcade version (you'll likely purchase some extras to make up that difference though)
2) Blu-ray reader - it's not just a movie format, just as DVD isn't just for movies (they can store all kinds of data). i.e. if the 360 had a built-in Blu-ray or HDDVD drive from the start, "Lost Odyssey" would still look the same, but it be on one disc instead of 4.

Both consoles have their pros and cons. Anyone who states that one is 100% better than the other is running their own agenda. Sorry if this comes across as snobbish, but it's likely someone who can't afford both. If I could, I would force MS and Sony to work together and put XBox live into the PS3 - then add the 360 controller (best of both worlds!).

Although you bring up some valid points, some are still not quite 'up to par'. PS3 is still very expensive. Too pricey for me. I also dispise the only system I own. Xbox 360 has way too pricy ganmes and accessories. The only system I see perfect in value and for the fun factor is the Wii. But hey, thats my opinnion.

Steve from Ottawa made the most logical post,

Both machines have pros and cons, there are still some great exclusives coming to sony eg:
Final Fantasy, Gran Turismo, God of War 3.

Although I do have to concede that the Xboxlive service, even with a yearly fee, is years ahead of the ps3 network. I own all three new-gen consoles by the way.

A few examples:

You cannot create custom chats when being anywhere else then your dashboard on the ps3, which is simply ridiculous. And once created you have to remain in the dashboard, you cannot go and play a game, it terminates the chat.

You cannot access a quick tab for your dashboard to Invite/ join and check up on friends status.

You cannot play music of your liking, saved on the HD, during gaming sessions while the 360 actually supplements the games music by your selection.

The Xbox 360 ;

Is close to perfect, for gaming purposes, especialy with the newer models able to output 1080p through an HDMI cable. Xboxlive works like a charm, you can chat with a friend while being in different games or even if youre watching a movie. You can create custom soundtrack to implement in your games.

All in all, as it stands right now, for someone who's main intention is the games themselves and only want to buy one console. My recommandation would be the Xbox 360.

If you're looking for a good High def player and some games as well, then the only choice is the ps3.

Dont worry, you gloom and doom prophets, the market is gigantic enough to support three console at a time.

They will all thrive and profit in the coming years.

Xboxlive is the deal breaker in my opinion, right now it is an impeccable service which works better then any other such service.

My 2 cents anyways.

I think the unstated final factor is pricing. The PS3 has already seen a few price drops with undoubtedly more on the way. If it can come closer to parity with the other consoles, it will certainly fare better.

Strongest amongst the reasons stated in justifying PS3's future success is the better line-up of games of 08. The line-up this year looks much better for the PS3 than it ever has, and as we all know, content sells consoles.

That said, the justification that PS3 will do better due to Blu-ray is dubious. Yes, it would appear that Blu-ray will emerge the next-gen video format winner. But by that time, it's reasonable to assume there will be a plethora of stand-alone and cheaper Blu-ray players on the market. You have to ask yourself then why the average consumer would be a PS3 just to watch Blu-ray movies. In other words, the average consumer is going to buy the PS3 for gaming first and foremost.

So, we go back to the usual determinants for console success: pricing and games. In this regard, the PS3's future is looking brighter.

But how bright? At this point, can the PS3 overcome the Xbox 360 which is excellent in its own right?

I cant understand how people say the PS3 is too expensive. Sure last year that may have been true. I bought a PS3 with a 60 GB drive for $550. Now you can get a 40 GB version for $399, which compared to a very base XBOX 360 at $299, isn't too unreasonable. At $399 this makes it the most affordable Blu-ray player on the market, which will prevail as the winner of HD media. I'm not the only one who believes that the war is all but over. Read what analysts said at the CES and you can find out for yourself that HD-DVD will soon be dead.

Pricing is still too high. I just actually went through some newspapers to find some fliers. Most places, for here in Nova Scotia, the PS3 is still hovering above the 500$. Not to mention, not everybody can afford to spend 600+ on a PS3. I have an X box 360 that I bought close to 400$, through much negotiating, but I was unable to persuade the sales rep to sell the PS3 for a lower price, and I really had my eyes set on it, because Sony kicks @$$.

It lacks of users on the PSN is taking a toll. Sony's lack of originality and 'slow' video game antics are killing it right now. It is a very intelligent strategy, just not for this generation, as its main philosophy appears to be, "we want change, we want it now". Ive always been a die-hard fan of Sony. I loved every FF game, and those zombie killing Shooter/adventure games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil. Another downer too, like the X Box 360, the PS3 is the game pricing, as Wiis right now stand the cheapest.

The 40GB HD is truly lower in price wise but how many accessories do you need to enjoy it? Are the included? But, for say, if you were to copy games onto the hard drive, and since they use Blu-ray, it would be taken up more room? So in the end it wouldnt be better, would it? Also, it doesn't stay on the shelf. As some do say, Blu-ray is going to win the wars. I think not. Blu-ray, when I first heard of it, thought it was going to be the best since sliced bread. I was wrong. Scratches and dampness are definitely going to be a major factor. One little scratch is going to screw up so much, or dampness can build up in between the layers of plastic, which in Nova Scotia can be sometimes hard to avoid. But over all this HD DVD Vs Blu-ray war is going to become a matter of preference and popularity.

To some people the PS3 is for the extreme gamer who makes a load of money.

I believe Sony should concentrate on closing the gap as opposed to "winning" the war for this generation of consoles. Xbox360 has taken a substantial lead but Sony does have the time to salvage the PS3. Lets' face it, Sony may have taken a few lumps and may be down, but they are far from being out.

Sony should be able to make at least a partial comeback this year mainly because the two things that really hurt the PS3, in my opinion, have finally been addressed. First, the hardware was way too expensive in the early going for the average gamer. As Patty points out, this has since been remedied as the PS3 is now competitively priced with the Xbox360. The second thing was the lack of big name titles that could drive console sales. Again, this year looks to bring some of those franchises that the early adopters bought the PS3 for in the first place. This coupled with the lower price tag, make for a much more attractive proposition for those of us who are still on the fence.

Now if Sony can deliver an online service that mirrors Xboxlive it would surely be a bonus, but not absolutely necessary. There are a great many people that do not play games online for various reasons (cost, lack of internet, aggressive gamers, etc.). Not everyone is drawn to online gaming, but I'm pretty sure nobody would mind paying less and being able to play more top-tier games.

Sony should take a page from Nintendo's book, "How to Perform Miracles and Tell Everyone I Told You So" (..please, don't bother trying to google that...). Things might not have gone the way they expected this time, but they will definitely get the chance to come back with a vengeance, if not in this generation, then in the next.

I disagree with Mark's comment that no one will buy a PS3 primarily to watch Blu-Rays. After purchasing a new HDTV, it seemed logical to get a high-def player, and now that HD-DVD is obsolete, that put us in the market for a Blu-Ray machine.

There are marginally less expensive Blu-Ray players than the PS3 out there, but they are the entry-level models. Contrast this with the PS3, which looks and feels like a high-end piece of A/V equipment, and actually contains high-end, robust components. (The XBox360, by the way, has some great games and, apparently, a brilliant on-line service but is hamstrung by a 30%+ failure rate.)

So even though I have only moderate interest in its gaming capabilities, the PS3 was the clear choice for a Blu-Ray player. Do some Googling on A/V forums, and you'll see I'm not alone.

The bonus for Sony is that now that I have the PS3, I'm likely to pick up a game every now and then.

All consoles have there pros and cons.
I for one, was never really into my PS2, I did not really like the games for it, I tried Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, and a bunch of others, but when I played Halo 2 on the original xbox I was blown away.
I think I am just more of a FPS type of guy.
I am also a big fan of great online play, and xbox live is online compared to Sony's is a lot better even though it cost $50.
The Gamecube was what many believed a flop, I thought it was a decent system, the only thing that saved it was the first party nintendo games like mario and zelda.
As for the current systems: see my below post. I have reached the character limit of 2000.

I think the winner will be the Wii, Nintendo did there research on this one. They have really brought out next gen, it isnt all about HD and graphics, it is about GAMEPLAY. They just need some more mature titles, and some more 3rd party support.
The PS3 is a good system in some aspects as well, but I really perfer my 360 over it, just because of the game selection, online play. If your looking for a console with a blu ray player, with a decent selection of games and your willing to dish out maybe an extra $100 or so compared to other consoles.
Then for sure, this system is yours.
If your a hardcore gamer, or even just looking for a system besides the Wii, with a great game selection, good online play, and dont care so much about the blue ray.
Then go for a 360.
See, I honestly think Nintendo did something truly spectacular, it is not just miles ahead of everyone currently in sales (over 20 million units sold). It is not competing against the PS3 and 360, its just brought a brand new sort of system, its thought outside of the box.
While the 360 and PS3, are fighting for who has the most GB capacity, and better graphics, and wasting there time and money with HD-DVD players and Blu-ray players, Nintendo is learning how to master technology.
Thats my thoughts.
By the way,
Im only 14 sorry for the grammer mistakes, spelling errors, I did not have time to edit.

The HD debate reminds me of the VHS vs Beta war. Beta was like Blu-ray, it was smaller and better than VHS and took a similar strangle hold on the industry. But VHS came back and we all know who won in the end.

However the PS3 is not impressive. I owned the original PS, PS2 and loved them. However, the PS3 with the crazy starting price, the lack of any real solid titles, the joke of a wii-rip-off controller, just seemed lame. I've jumped ship to Xbox and don't regret it.

Sony can definitely make a comeback or at the very least close the considerable gap between the PS3 and Xbox360 in terms of sales.

Firstly, the price tag of the PS3 in the early going was much too high for the average gamer and was, in my opinion, the biggest stumbling block for the console. As Patty points out, this has recently been remedied and the PS3 is now priced competitively with the Xbox360.

Another problem the PS3 faced was a relative lack of top-tier games that could have driven console sales. Again, this year the PS3 will be getting some of those franchises that the early adopters bought the console for in the first place. This coupled with a more affordable PS3 should be much more appealing to those of us who are still on the fence.

Although online gaming is tremendously appealing for me, I know many gamers who do not play online for a variety of reasons (cost, lack of internet, aggressive gamers, etc.). While I think Sony can definitely benefit from mirroring the xboxlive service, I don't believe it is absolutely necessary. What Sony offers now is good enough, for the time being, at least.

Sony should take a page form Nintendo's book, "How to Perform Miracles and Tell Everyone I Told You So". Sony's taken some lumps but is far from being out of the race. Sony can still come back with a vengeance, if not in this generation, then in the next.

Good thing it's a Blu Ray player, since it doesn't have anything worth playing right now.

From gav.log2n.ca : Proof included in pudding with statistics and facts about the 360 vs PS3 debate.

"Closing this section, if you are buying a console to play games and want to play the best there is to offer on the next gen system then as of right now, the clear choice the 360. The argument comes down to quality and quantity. The 360 simply has more higher quality games and it has more games... period. The PS3 will have a strong line-up in 2008 with exclusives coming from very successful lineage on the PS2(Metal Gear Solid, ect), however we can only they do better the Rachet and Clank! After all."

In XBox360 favor is also the fact that it is a Media Extender. I bought three Xbox360s for the only purpose of using them as Windows Media Centre Extenders. I don't play any games on them. I have a central Windows Vista Ultimate Media Centre computer in my home that records TV and stores my music, photos and videos. I use the XBox360s to stream this to various locations in my home. It's an awesome system.

PS3 dashboard isn't as great and almighty as the X box 360's dashboard. Xbox 360 acts as an extender like Peter said, so you can watch the media on your computer on the safety of your TV. Xbox Live and messenger live compatabilities.

The one thing I felt the Xbox 360 lacked was something all gamers appreciated, game depth. Halo 3 for example. It's story line was rather...short lived. When I made it to the last level I wasn't expecting it to be the end of the game. Even my girlfreind, who does play video games but has never touched a Halo series game but has understands the story line felt Halo 3 was a huge disappointment. There was no game 'depth'.

PS3 maybe just a Blu-ray player, but when it's games finally become availbale, and I mean it's amazing titles like FF7 remake and other PS2 recognizable titles, it will possibly overcome X Box.

I agree with Garet, PS3 = NO GAMES.

I'm sure Sony will regain footing, but it might take a bit. I can't wait to get a PS3, myself. Just... Not right now. It took the PSP three years to get some decent games before I got one.

To be honest, it will probably be that long with the PS3 as well for me.

The 360 will never fall to the PS3 based entirely on online capabilities. MS figured it out big time. For eveyone who says online is not a big deal to everyone, hasen't tried it. It is a huge deal! xbox live is basically perfect. It's everything you could ask for in online gaming.

As for the PS3, Sony still hasen't figured out the human hand and where to comfortably place joysticks and such. Again xbox wins in that department too.

To be entirely honest, the PS3 can slash its price in half and I wont own one because of the controller. I had a good time with GT3, I don't need to play GT4/5. Plus Need for Speed and Burnout I find more enjoyable. Even Forza 2 is great if you want a real-life car experience.

As for the whole Blu-ray deal, Blu-ray players prices are on the verge of dropping significantly, so if you are about to buy either the 360 or the PS3, without question, go with the better gaming console which includes the better beyond its years, xbox live.

By the way, Nintendo's Wii is super fun, so if you still want to spend $600 for a console, buy the 360 and Wii. Wii is worth Mario Galaxy alone!

How's it going Hobbles and W-W?

It looks like PS3 will finally come into its own this year. Blu-Ray finally beat HD-DVD and it looks like some decent games are going to be released. PS3 will make a comeback, it will not however overthrow the Wii or 360. Wii will be bought by everybody, gamer or not. And the 360 is still the dominant console for online play and will remain so.

The reason Sony didn't do all that well in 2007 was because they stalled on their release date. XBOX beat them to the date with a fully developed gaming system, whereas Sony didn't want to risk a release with a faulty system.

In 2007 they did just that, released a pretty expensive, over heating, system, that came across as rushed, judgeing from the collection of 8 or 9 games that were available come the release date.

360, became big so fast because SONY PS2 had exhausted all of their titles, and graphics. My have the tables turned, with the 360 exhausting all of their titles, and have pushed their graphics to their limits.

The blue ray is what sold me on the PS3. I didn't care who came out on top, blue ray or HDDVD, I just wanted a gaming system that satisfies more then just your gaming urges.
Although the PS3 over heats from time to time, omitting a faint hum, thats about the extent of the cons.

I've owned a PS2 a 360 and now a PS3. The PS3 never siezes to amaze me, everyday finding new uses, more downloads, and exceptional gaming.

Someone commented on how they hate the ps3 controllers. Although I find the 360 controller a little more comfortable, the 6 axis, wireless, and r2 triggers are next to perfect additions. Clearly you haven't giving the 2 systems equal playing time to be aware of each systems pros and cons.

This is no longer an XBOX 360 fanclub vs. SOny Playstation Fan club. The better system will prevail, and as far as Im concerned, Sony has done everything right to be the winner in 2008.

p.s. the nintendo wii shouldnt even be compared to the box and ps3. Its like compareing a marbels to bowling balls. And my idea of fun isnt having my 7 and 8 year old cousins dumby me in virtual boxing. Like seriously, if you want realism, ditch the wii and get the 3!!!

fr3tburner;
Yes, the Wii can very well be comparable to the X-box 360 and PS3. It is practically one step away from creating its own virtual reality, to create a sensor motioned controlled and have it be successful? That's a feat alone that graphics can't beat. But, most young adults/ kids/ teens rather play something 'less active'. I own a PS3 and X-Box 360 and Wii. Wii is my favourite because of the active-ness it brings to the gamer. To be honest PS3 and XBox 360; they both suck. PC gaming is where its at. Nothing can compare to it, and you can use the Wii-mote for most games. Sorry but Wii is very much in this race. No one can touch it or compare to it, whether people think so or not. Graphics ARE not everything in a game. Give Wii some time and they will show Sony and Microsoft that theyre not weak. Wii isnt designed for young kids. It was made to get a lot of people (mainly 12-27 year olds) off their @$$e$ and become active. And to think about it, there are just as many teen and mature games as E games. Just open your eyes. I was disappointed when I played Halo 3 and beat it in less then a week, and Unreal Tourney is looking like a let down. These games shouldve ONLY remained on the PC bringing to the consoles has killed them.

Blu-ray Vs HD-DVD. Who cares? Such a biased and over-rated question. Nothing beats a hard drive and a company that will supply your gaming needs, for a requested price. I do believe neither is as efficient as they say they are. Both have pros and cons, and the choice is simply preference.

Although I hated these games all my life, as my two younger brothers played them all day as it seemed, I think PS3 should be continuing on there PSX titles, and the two that I'm talking about is Spyro and Crash Bandicoot. These games where just.... brillant. I would actually buy a PS3 if a game came for PS3 and it stared Spyro and/or Crash, even though he's defected to Microsoft. ACtually, now that I mention it, I think later on tonight I will take out the dusty PSX and plugin Spyro and Crash Bandicoot.
Please Sony, continue to revamp PSX oldies. You will over so many people.

A couple things grab me about the above comments. One, HD-DVD is NOT coming back and that is a guarantee. Two, Microsoft thinks that all moves will be downloades in the next 2 years...I doubt this as well. Three, Sony most definitely has exclusive games worth playing 1)Ratchet 2)MLB08 is the best BBall game out there 3)Uncharted 4)MotorStorm 5)and definitely Warhawk ....just to name a few. Four, I've had two XBOX 360's and both overheated and died, but that's old news. Five, it's true the PS3 isn't just a gaming system it's a media experience that allows you to install Linux, stream moves, Blu-ray player, and solid gaming console with a far superior CPU.

I think the above article was right on the money. Wii will dominate again because of it's low price and superior marketing. The PS3 will start passing the XBOX 360 in sales as games start pucking the envelope

I originally started out with an XBOX 360 but after two overheated I came to the realization that the hardware is indeed flawed. Plus, the PS3 is much more of a multimedia experience 1) you can install linux 2) you can stream movies 3) Blu-ray 4) it's a great gaming console. I disagree about games on the PS3. For example,

1. Warhawk
2. MLB 08 the show
3. Ratchet
4. Resistance
5. Motostorm
6. Drakes

and that just names a few. Moving forward I believe the above article is bang on...PS3 will surpass XBOX as the games become to much for the poor system to handle. I couldn't be happier with my decision to buy the PS3.

Oh and the network is 'free' and improving every day.

Although many people will say it, unfortunalty, there isn't a baseball game that is authentic or realistic as other sports games yet. The closest I would hope be close would be the wii.although I have one of the original Xbox 360 Pre-made Halo edition version (Came out before the release of Halo 3), It still runs perfect as ever. people Need to stop over using them, thats the problem, but I also remember the that 1/3 Xbox 360's will expirence the system failure or the 'red ring of death'. Although people saythe Xbox 360 sucks, I'd have to disagree; its the gaming titles that killing the system ( they still don't beleive that the consumers are more then just FPS addicts). HD-DVD players may be out of production, but that isn't going to stop Microsoft. Not by a long shot. I'd perfer PS3 ONLY because it still has old titles that I used to play years back, Ex: Devil May Cry, Gran Turismo (If it comes out), GTA, FF series, etc...