Sony: PS3 Has The Most Features and Functionality Out of the Box

Now this is corporate chest-beating at it's finest. Today Sony Computer Entertainment Canada sent out a media release with the very blunt claim that PS3 features superior technology and a sophisticated design that creates the ideal all-in-one entertainment product. To illustrate their point, Sony included that chart above showing that the PS3 offers the most features and functionality, at the best price, out of the box. All revenue figures are in Canadian dollars.

The differentiators raised by Sony ought to be well known to the core gaming community, such as PSN's free access, no built-in Wi-Fi on the Xbox 360, and no hard drive included with the Wii.

While it's hard to dispute Sony's claims, I'm still surprised that they are focusing on the console's robust feature and functionality set instead of what gamers want most - games. Considering Sony has juggernauts such as Killzone 2, Uncharted 2, Infamous and God of War 3 currently slated for 2009 you'd think they'd be pushing that angle. Well, what am I saying, it's only the second week of January. I'm sure we'll have plenty more corporate gloating in the weeks and months ahead, yippee!

Here's the full press release:

Keeping Gaming and Entertainment Simple

The 2008 holiday season was an exciting time for video gaming and the Blu-ray side of the interactive entertainment industry, and 2009 promises to follow suit. As consumers continue to invest in their entertainment needs this new year, the feature sets of the three multi-functional gaming systems -- PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360 and Wii -- become that much more important to consider.

PLAYSTATION 3 has always been about streamlining the gaming and entertainment experience by giving consumers the most features and functionality out of the box, there is no immediate need to upgrade anything to get a rich entertainment experience, as the console comes standard with:

* Built in Blu-ray drive for HD movies and mind-blowing games
* Built in Wi-Fi for wireless gaming and Internet access
* Huge hard drives for storing games, movies, music photos and more
* Free online gaming and entertainment access through PSN
* Ten year's of value with a future-proof system via firmware updates that offer new services and features

The Xbox 360 and Wii offer a set of features in their own right. However, when you take a look at the feature offerings side by side, there is only one true winner in delivering total value and price.

We’ve compared the lowest entry points from each manufacturer -- PS3 80GB - $399, Xbox 360 Arcade - $199, Wii - $279. All prices listed are Canadian.

[The chart above goes here]

The PS3 is the perfect example of a product featuring superior technology and a sophisticated design creating an ideal all-in-one entertainment product. The Xbox 360 requires additional money, multiple upgrades and additional external devices, putting a burden on the wallet and adds clutter to the entertainment center. And the Wii’s lack of enhanced features comes at the expense of a comprehensive entertainment solution. So as PS3 continues to evolve without the need for additional parts or expenses, expect the competition to continue peddling add-ons in an effort to keep up with the Jones’.