Julio Nobrega

They make more money with the PS3 components... the rest is PR fluff.

"Which of the two devices would a rational consumer choose, all else equal?"

Apparently, the one that they want.

Your black Mac example only proves my point. Or are you calling black Mac owners irrational beings? I think you're calling yourself a "rational" person, able to make better judgments than the others, while at the same time implying that whoever disagree with you is not a "rational" person.

Your lack of economics knowledge amuses me.

"shouldn't a rational consumer choose the console with the largest built-in subsidy?"

This makes no sense. Here's a nice proposition for you: IBM's Blue Gene for one million dollars. That's a US$ 289 million subsidy, I doubt you'll find any better offfer. Wrote my check already?

Speaking Latin doesn't make your ideas smarter. All things *are not* equal, because if they were, there would make no sense to ask questions (which the article does, and a lot) or to make choices. Either way would be fine. Alas, the whole point of a free market, competition, and value proposition is that all thing are NOT equal.

Free hardware? What kinda of crap is that? They recoup their losses on games, subscriptions and micro-transactions. Do you honestly think MS and Sony is giving away hardware, no strings attached? You WILL pay for that hardware, sooner or later, otherwise the company goes bankrupt.

With the fiasco about the midnight exclusive megaton news and this article, Joystiq has lost major points with me. I don't know what's happening behind the screens of this website administrators, but something is clearly wrong. This post makes no sense. If it was written specifically to attract comments and generate a discussion, well, seems like the objective has been achieved.

But if any of this is true, either that this was constructed to generate a flame war, or the poster really believe what he said, gone are my views that any journalistic material can be found on Joystiq. Shame.

@21, and others

You can also play paintball instead of FPS, but why do we sit down and play games?

Because there's always something different, a different experience, and we shouldn't forget about time constraints.

My dad and his brother are 200km apart. They can't play tennis together! So, is Wii tennis, over the internet, the same thing? Of course not, but it's what they can do. 30 minutes before dinner, turn on the console, grab a beer and curse each other.

*And* if it comes with ranks, titles, animated victory moves... it's a bonus.

People don't always do the "real stuff" because it's either impossible or very difficult.