PS3 beats XBox 360 in the Battle For My Wallet

I was sure I was going to get an XBox 360. So sure, in fact, that I bought a controller for it during a giant sale at some game site. It was less than half price, and I knew I would need a second one. Sometimes, I shouldn’t be so sure of things. I’ve decided to get a PS3.

Why would I make this change?

First off, we have the reliability factor. There are just too many stories about the Red Ring of Death, and although Microsoft is happy to replace those consoles, I don’t want to be in the middle of a game and have to wait a week to keep playing it. When game addiction sets in, I want my console to work! This was a big strike against Microsoft.

Secondly, there is the Blu Ray thing. I have a wee little HDTV, but this may not always be the case. It seems silly to not get Blu Ray discs once their price gets close to that of DVD. It may take a while, but I should be protecting myself against future obsolescence.

Then we have the games. Oh, the XBox 360 definitely has the better exclusives right now. Mass Effect and Bioshock come to mind. But here’s the thing: both of these are available on the PC, and I now have a PC that can play these things! I have a fancy shmancy 22″ monitor and a high-end video card. Why shouldn’t I play those on the PC then? Seems simple.

The online thing was a big plus for XBox 360, but I can skip that whole point collection thing knowing that I can get Super Puzzle Fighter for the PS3. However, it turns out that the majority of my friends who have a console have the PS3, so if I want to play online with them, I will need to have the same console. Plus, since it does not have as big of an install base, used games tend to fall in value a lot quicker.

So now that I’ve made this choice, and am ready to make the plunge, I wonder when my wallet will be ready.