PS3, Wii out of price range of most students

    Whether a PlayStation lover or a Nintendo fanatic, gamers will soon be able to take their pick from the latest and greatest of gaming brainwork.  With the release of Sony’s PlayStation 3 on Nov. 17, followed by Nintendo’s Wii on Nov. 19, gaming is about to take on a whole new scope. 
    For a price of $499, PlayStation fans can finally enjoy the third wonder Sony has created for their enjoyment.  The less thrifty consumer may enjoy their upgraded PS3 at a price of $599.  This configuration comes complete with memory stick/SD/compact flash slots, Wi-Fi, and a 60 gigabyte hard disk drive, all of which the $499 version lack.
    As far as prices for the highly anticipated PS3 go, many students do not think it is worth it. 
    “It’s pretty outrageous for a lot of people, you know college students, we don’t have a lot of money,” sophomore Rory Schussler said.
    Others agree that the prices are steep.
    “That’s too much cash to shell out,” sophomore Lashaundra Pierce simply said.
    Senior Palmer Wallace described himself as a moderate gamer. 
    “PlayStation has released it as a home entertainment system, so the price kind of makes sense,” Wallace said. He plans to buy the PS3, but not on release day. 
    “I’m excited, but I can wait,” Wallace said.  “Unless I can somehow miraculously find one on release day, I’m waiting until the re-release in March.” 
    Nintendo has yet to confirm a set price on the Wii, but estimated costs lie between $200 and $300. The console can operate with Nintendo Game Cube controllers, includes memory cards, USB devices, and can connect to the wireless network.
    As far as freshman Cory Olesen is concerned, Wii is the way to go. 
    “The Wii is the only good thing,” Olesen said.
    Wii is not out to compete technologically with PlayStation, but will attempt to give gamers the same kind of fun presented in a new way.  Nintendo hopes to achieve this with its revolutionary new controller. 
    The Wii controller, which resembles a typical television remote, may look like it’s missing some pretty crucial controls. 
    “At first I was skeptical about it because it looked weird,” Schussler said.
    It does look a little strange, but the Wii controller has atypical motion and radar detection.  Simply wave the remote and watch the desired image on screen obey its command. 
    “When it comes down to it, it’s just ‘to each his own.’  You’ll have people debate about it all day long,”  Wallace said, comparing PlayStation and Nintendo.
    Wallace is sticking with what suits him best. 
    “You shop somewhere enough and you get comfortable with a name and logo.  PlayStation hasn’t disappointed me yet,” Wallace said.
    Schussler’s opinion differs. He plans on buying the Wii on release day, or soon after.
    “I’m going to trust Nintendo on this one.  It looks awesome,” Schussler said.
    Olesen also lacks interest in the PS3. 
    “Until they remake Final Fantasy Seven, definitely not,” Olesen said. 
    For Pierce, her main concern is the games themselves. 
    “Games are a big portion of it,” Pierce said.  “I’m not overly excited.  I can wait.  I’m happy with my Xbox.”  
    Schussler does not plan on buying a PS3.
    “It really depends on if PlayStation comes out with anything I have to have, otherwise there’s no reason for me to get it,” Schussler said.
    Rhino Games located on Highway 441 declined to comment on the PS3 or the Wii due to confidentiality issues.  With release dates only two days apart, stores can expect mayhem. 
    “It’s going to be a mad house,” said Wallace.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Nov 10 2006. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry