Who are Sony kidding?

Sony have finally unveiled the full details of their PlayStation 3 (PS3) console to much fanfare but is it going to be a hit or a disaster? I think Sony have taken a huge gamble and I think they have made it clear where they are focusing their market. Forget the PS3 being the must have Christmas present for all but the most spoilt children. The initial price is going to be eye watering $499 for the cut down model and $599 for the standard model, that's over £400! You can buy a PC for that which is arguably a more useful purchase.

The PS3 does come stuffed full of technology and for anyone needing a multi functional media box this could be a good buy even at this initial price as it offers High Definition Blu-ray playback as well as DVD, CD and even SACD (that's the high definition audio successor to the CD if you didn't know). It also has a multi-format memory card reader which I assume will let you view and maybe manage your digital photos. The Bluetooth facilities may allow some form of interaction with your mobile phone and the wireless networking should allow you to access services like Sony Connect for music/video (I assume).

OK so Sony have made a well specified device that should tick all the boxes for the young male market especially the computer and home cinema geeks. However unless my observations are the exception then the games market is still largely dominated by children and adults under the age of 25 who are those most unlikely to have £400 to stump up for the PS3 and it's a very tall order to expect it as a present either. Therefore Sony must either be prepared to drop the price noticeably and risk some serious money loss or they need to convince the buyer that the PS3 is a valuable asset to their home entertainment setup for the media features as well as the games. I think they may just about convince male buyers that it's worth the investment but as for women and those on low incomes I think this will be a very hard sell especially considering the asking price. My personal belief is the majority of population would not buy a console that cost over £200 and at £400 it's unlikely to attract many new players to the platform because of the initial investment. This initial investment will require the purchase of at least one or two games which could add another £80-100 on to the initial cost.

I think by contrast Nintendo's aim to hit a much lower price point will be far more attractive to everyone especially families. The added bonus of the controller encouraging more active participation especially in games such as tennis will further encourage parents and non-gamers that it's a more worthwhile purchase over the traditional button bashing controllers used at present.