(At least not yet).
I got a PS One when they first came out – although I must admit I did win it. When the PS2 was released I’d reserved one at HMV and duly trooped down there on day of release to pick it up. I was very excited, and like my PS One, it still works to this day.
But Sony must be having a laugh with the PS 3. £425! We get it months after everybody else and it’s so expensive? No thanks. Still the retailers seem to think that whatever limited quantity they are going to get are going to sell out, because they’ve been busy as usual ensuring that you won’t just be able to buy the machine, but will be forced into picking up a “package” including their selection of accessories and games.
The most notorious of these was HMV’s attempt to get you to buy a PSP as well in a package that cost well over £600. This brought them lots of bad PR all over the place, and now they’re offering the machine on its own to people who pre-order.
Meanwhile Comet today emails me with details of how I can pre-order with them. I click through and read this:
“As soon we have confirmation from Sony of console, games and accessories allocations we will put together a number of great value launch packages. Please note that Playstation® 3 consoles that have been pre-ordered will only be supplied in packages and not stand-alone.”
Great. Thanks, but no thanks. Even if I was willing to spend quite so much money on a system, I’ll choose my own games thanks.
What I don’t understand is why the stores feel they need to do this. It’s not as though I’m going to walk into a shop, pick up a PS3 on its own and then wander home to look at its black shininess. I have to buy at least one game to have anything to do with it. I mean let’s face it, I wouldn’t just be buying it as a cheap way to get a Blu-Ray player.
Anyway, the bottom line is that you’re going to need to spend well over £500 to get up and running, and that’s a ridiculous amount of cash. It’s also well over what other countries are paying, so as they say in Dragon’s Den, “I’m out.”
I am umming and ahing over getting a Wii I must admit, but then I remember both my PSP and DS Lite gathering dust at home, and I think better of it all.