Sony's Neat Idea

Sony Australia has an offer going at the moment where you get a "free" PS3 if you buy a HD Bravia LCD TV set. Now, I've been holding out on getting a PS3* because:

1. At AUD $699 the thing is waaaaay to expensive for the average consumer,
   
2. There haven't been any games that I've had to play on the system, and
   
3. I have a standard def set and I'd have to upgrade to really appreciate the "power of the PS3".

Well, I got sucked in with this offer and will soon be the owner of a brand new 1080p TV and a PS3. And I'm not the only one. Each store we went to said they've sold out and Sony had to extend the offer from January to March.

It's strange, the PS3 just doesn't shift units because (I'm assuming) people think it's too expensive. But throw it in for "free" with a hi-def set that costs a few thousand bucks and suddenly it's a bargain! Funny how things work. I wonder if they'll do a similar deal in the US?

As for reason 2 - why I didn't get a PS3 sooner (ie. the games), there are now a bunch that I'd like to play - Uncharted, Ratchet, Burnout Paradise (not an exclusive, I know, but the PS3 has the best version). And Little Big Planet looks like fun.

I'll let you know what I think when I get everything set up.

In other news, Ron Gilbert of Monkey Island fame has joined Hothead Games where he is working on his new title - DeathSpank - an episodic game described as "Monkey Island meets Diablo".

Good stuff Ron, glad to see you back in the game!

www.passfieldgames.com

* I've been holding out on getting an Xbox360 for a number of reasons too, mainly:

1. A huuuuge amount of people I know who bought 360s have had them break. In all my years playing games I've never experienced a dud console - and I don't want to now.
2. Not convinced by the lineup of games - they seem to be focused on the hardcore shooter market and their family friendly games just keep missing the mark - they're a poor second to the Wii's lineup and the Sony brands like SingStar, Buzz, EyeToy, etc.
3. You have to pay extra for hi-def playback and wifi? My freakin' DS comes with wifi built in! What's up with that????