110°

The True Cost of Console Ownership in 2009

Adam Frucci at Gizmodo writes:

"With the price of Wii Motion Plus bringing the cost of a full Wiimote to a whopping $80, we thought we'd reexamine the true cost of buying a console today. Which is truly the cheapest?

We're going to pretend we're either a family of four or an apartment that wants a system loaded up with four controllers. We'll assume you want to be able to recharge your controllers rather than wasting money on disposable batteries, and we'll pick the model of each console that we'd recommend to a family member asking us for advice. We'll also factor in the cost of 2 games, because nobody buys a console without a game..."

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i.gizmodo.com
Silellak5911d ago (Edited 5911d ago )

Unsurprisingly, it is clear that if you want all of the features the PS3 has to offer, it is the best deal. Especially considering that both the PS3 and the Wii have built-in WiFi, but the cost of the 360's wireless adapter is not included in the total. Which is fair - especially since it's mentioned towards the end - but still a bit sketchy.

It's a shame about the price of the Wii Motion plus - a great accessory, to be sure, but all it really does is make the Wii behave like it should've behaved in the first place. Asking $20 for it is $10 more than it should be, at most. Only Nintendo can get away with charging $40 + $20 + $20 to get a fully functional controller. Why not give everyone who owns a Wii one for free? Talk about a way to stand yourself out from the crowd and at the same time get a reputation for great customer service.

Nintendo, Apple, and Microsoft are all pretty bad about having overpriced accessories for their fancy toys. Sony isn't perfect in that regard either, but they've certainly been much more flexible in allowing third-party accessories for their devices. Having to buy proprietary gear for an already-expensive toy is getting old at this point.

Regardless, ranting aside, the message I really took from this article is that, all things considered, all of the consoles can be the "cheap" or "expensive" option depending on what you want from it, and that all that really matters are which system has the games you most want to play - and that's ALL that SHOULD really matter when you're deciding on what is primarily a gaming console.

XxSpiiKeZxX5911d ago (Edited 5911d ago )

if you want to know the true price for everything wouldnt ps3 be the cheapest
i mean for 360 they left out wi-fi which is 80$ and also they talked bout the 60gb version so if one person wants to ipgrade hardrive to the max which is 120 would cost 100$ or above while in ps3 case u can spend 60$ on a 320 gb hardrive so really this article went 'easy' on 360

Ps3 has Internet browser, Blu-ray, etc. so if you wanted to add a external bluray player for 360 that just keeps adding up
so the true question is, "What console is truly the more bang for your buck?"

OH and they forgot one thing
RROD- priceless

Kushan5911d ago

Yeah, but what if you just want to play some games?

Just sayin'.

Skyyo5911d ago (Edited 5911d ago )

1.2

I agree with you. This article is about games not about other features.

Jinxstar5911d ago

"that's ALL that SHOULD really matter when you're deciding on what is primarily a gaming console."

I disagree on the premise that if all your friends have a 360 and there area a few PS3 games you want you should probably play with your buddies. Simply because you'll have more fun. That should at least be factored into a purchase and not just "Games" I got a PS3 because my brother had one and I wanted to play games with him. Little did i know how much I would love the system in the end though =D Made a ton of great friends and even gotten a few to buy them as well. good times.

Head Shot King5911d ago

I am selling my PS3 8O GB that i had since january 09 for $350 one remote,killzone 2 and Resistance 2 included is that a good deal or should I ask for more?

pain777pas5910d ago

What is the charging station for the PS3? I've never used it I use the USB ports.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 5910d ago
drewsny5911d ago

i think its fair that they didn't use wifi as a thing against the xbox. It would have only added an extra 30 bucks anyway if you get the third party wifi device that i got. Which we already know they are using third party devices because sony doesn't sell a HDMI cable for 3 dollars.

Real Gambler5910d ago

As far as I know, the 60gig 360 now come with a HDMI port too....

Not sure why you would want a charger for the PS3 either. Sure, there's a few third party making one, but that is absolutely not needed. Probably 99% of the PS3 owners use the USB cable provided. (I use my PVR USB port which is always live...)

And they should specify the cost is only for one year. (there's a recuring cost for the xbox, which after 5 years, would mean the cost of buying another console by itself!)

ActionBastard5911d ago (Edited 5911d ago )

The 360 DVD player and all it's BS accessories is fail. A PS3 and $12 Walmart HDMI is all you need.

Beast_Master5911d ago (Edited 5911d ago )

An HDMI cable is not proprietary, the Wi Fi adapter is and last I checked the cheapest one you can find is 80 bucks. Plus I don't know why they would only include a one year membership to live isn't that something a 360 owner would renew every year they plan to own the console? I would suggest a minimum of 3 years.

And the sadest part about the Wi motion plus is, it will be bundled with Wii Sports Resort, which means it will be the best selling game of 2009 and 2010, just like Wii Play and Wii Fit. So real gamers will never really know what the true top ten is in the VG world, because all we will see is 5 games that are not, Wii Fit, Wii Play, Wii Sports, Mario Cart and Wii Sports resort. And all the fanboys will say big game X isn't even #1 game in sales.

XxSpiiKeZxX5911d ago

and teh article specifically says "Fully-Loaded" meaning that a 360 is really not since it doesnt have Wi-fi which is 80$ and even if they left that out they included 1 year of online service
So then you could only have a "Fully-Loaded" 360 for one year while ps3 and wii has it forever

and if you really check all they ever added to the ps3 was wat? controllers and CHARGING STATIONS??
since wen do u need charging station when you could clearly charge it with the ps3
its clear that with a ps3 u dnt have to worry bout a thing 400$ is all you need

mobwolf5911d ago

this person has founded some good sales...LOL...don't forget your headset so you can talk while online...

Show all comments (34)
70°

Interview: Plants vs. Zombies Composer Talks Charm, Humor, and Musical Mayhem

Game Rant interviews Plants vs. Zombies composer Peter McConnell about honoring the series’ quirky roots, adapting its themes, and now going vinyl.

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gamerant.com
VenomUK2d ago

The score for the first Plants Vs Zombies is such great, iconic music that it has a timeless quality. Not quite the level of Minecraft, but wonderful in its own right.

100°

More Final Fantasy IX 25th Anniversary Merch Has Been Revealed

Celebrate Final Fantasy IX's 25th anniversary with the latest merchandise, including figurines of Zidane and Vivi, and a range of t-shirts.

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gamersocialclub.ca
CrimsonWing691d 15h ago

What a great anniversary, nothing but merch revealed!

80°

The Cardinal Sins of the Mass Effect Trilogy Explained

The Mass Effect series is all about freedom and making the right choices for a given playthrough, but there are still some guidelines worth following.

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gamerant.com