adam

I personally bought a 160gb portable HDD for $80 4 months ago. It was a Western Digital drive and I bought it at Circuit City. It connects beautifully to my 360, and I can watch any high def videos I've got stored on it on my 360. It only cost me Eighty damn dollars. What MS is trying to charge is disgusting.
I'm an early adopter of the 360, and as I see what MS has done to their customers makes me sick. A 360 Core owner wanting the 120gb HDD will end up paying $600, the same price as a PS3, for essentially less technology. Sony's price on the PS3 makes so much more sense than what they are given credit for. Microsoft has been riding this wave of success since launch, and I'm glad I've woken up. This new "Elite" SKU is bullshit. The PS3 is actually starting to look like a better value. I never thought I'd say that.
Unless, of course, MS offers a trade in program. "Give us your $100 20GB HDD, and we'll give you the 120gb one in exchange. Sorry about the mixup. We originally thought 8gb would be enough. Our mistake."

I won't hold my breath.

I'm a sony fanboy, honestly. But when I got my ps3 and wii on the same day, the first thing I wanted to do was play FFXII on ps3. When I got it up and running with my HDMI cables on my highdef tv, I seriously thought I had done something wrong. I switched to component cables, and it didn't get better. I spent a few hours with the PS3, trying different features I was originally excited about. I tried using my PSP as a remote player... didn't seem to work. I plugged my portable hard drive to listen to my music... no dice. I hooked my jump drive up with some videos... nope. I tried connecting to my wireless network, but even that continued to fail. Downloading demos took several hours, and I ended up disappointed with Resistance (the game I was looking forward to most).
I think it's a beautiful piece of technology. I really do. And I think the resolution issue is a price to pay for totaly back-compat. But I don't feel like the $600 i paid for it is worth "potential." I sold it on ebay and it kinda helped pay for the Wii I picked up the same day.
I am not Sony bashing. I really honestly hope and I have faith that they can clean up the mess that has come out of the ps3 launch, and I look forward to picking one up after the holidays. I just needed to express my frustration, and this video is evidence of the straw that broke the camel's back for me.

I like this comment from Miyamoto. I recall back when the PS2 was on the way, and Kutaragi was interviewed regarding the upcoming Xbox. He said if Microsoft considered Sony it's "competitor," the Kutaragi said he was honored. Now, it seems Miyamoto is taking the same stance, because, like Kutaragi, I think he is quite sure his company will be taking the biggest share of the market this upcoming generation, like ps2 did last.
It is better to show humility, rather than arrogance, when you are assured victory. Sony, sadly, has lost sight of this. They are very very proud of what they have done. Bling pride. And this is coming from a Sony fanboy. I own a silver ps2 and a HDD. I'm the last guy who would want to bash the company that has given me so much entertainment the past 10 years. I'm just shocked at how quickly Sony has destroyed public faith in their upcoming system. Broken promises, ridiculous price point... It's just depressing.

Maybe the high price will make it easier for early adopters like me to get one without having to pay an arm and a leg on the net! Brilliant! Price the system so high that no one will buy it!

Seriously though, John Scalzi made a good point about the 2 skus Sony has announced. The 360's core system was essentially crippled. You simply could not get the complete functionality the 360 offered with the core system. Anyone who actually wanted the full system bought the Pro. The core was referred to as the "tard pack." Now Sony is actually offering every single thing you need to enjoy the system to it's fullest in its core pack. The PS3 pro pack is actually for the HD gaming enthusiast (definitely not the main stream) and we may find the most popular SKU will be the core pack. High Def gaming is great, but still has not reached massmarket penetration. The PS3 pro is for the hardcore. That's all.

Now when it comes to the price, I have to say "ouch."
Yes, the price point is very hard to swallow. That's not to say it isn't completely justified. They really are giving us quite a deal on the stuff they have packed into it. Built in wireless, HDMI, Blue-ray, etc... However, it is still very very hard to swallow that price when the 360 and Wii will be so much cheaper.
The price may be the biggest blow Sony has ever taken. I hope it doesn't destroy their chances this generation. They found a special place in my heart long ago, and I would hate to see the playstation line fall.

Not sure if its clear or not, but I'm a bit of a Sony fanboy, but I am not afraid to admit defeat. Nintendo is going to revitalize gaming innovation, and that makes me extremely happy. I also love XboxLive with a passion and hope similar services become the new standard with the upcoming consoles. It's the primary reason I bought a 360. I just really like seeing Sony on top of the pile, that's all.

I'm torn between Sony and Nintendo here. Sony should finally put down what their online strategy will be along with playable games with the new controller, but then there is Nintendo, who will be allowing people to finally play with their Wiis in public. (yeah, bad pun. i know) Out of all E3s, this is the one I wish I could attend the most.
I don't really think MS is bringing much to the table here. I've got a 360. What could they possibly show me to blow me away? Halo? Yeah. I think I'll pass.