By Mitchell Rukat

Nearly everyone has either played or heard about video games. Many gaming councils have been released in the past decade, with PlayStation 3 being one of the most recent. In this article, I will discuss the PlayStation 3 and its future within the gaming industry.

PlayStation 3 is currently the most advanced video game system available on the market. Unfortunately, few people are fond of this new system. When the console was first released, many rejected it due to its price. Sony initially released two different versions of the system; a basic version for 500 dollars, and a fully featured version for 600 dollars. This pricing scheme did not last long, as Sony’s sales were not as high as expected. For the 2007 Christmas season, Sony dropped the price of the fully featured version to 500 dollars. Price wasn’t the only thing that was altered; Sony also changed what was included the box.

Currently, Sony has two different versions of the PlayStation 3 available for purchase: a 400 dollar 60 gigabyte version, and a 500 dollar 80 gigabyte version. What exactly are the primary differences between the two systems? In addition to a larger hard drive, the 500 dollar version also contains 4 USB ports, and is able to play all PS1 and PS2 games. The 400 dollar package, on the other hand, contains a smaller hard drive and only 2 USB ports. Moreover, this version cannot play old PS1 or PS2 games.

Sony plans to make additional changes to the PlayStation 3 soon. Currently, many websites are reporting that Sony will soon to discontinue the 60 and 80 gigabyte PlayStation 3s and replace them with 120 gigabyte and 160 gigabyte versions. In addition, these new packages will also include Sony’s Dual Shock Analog 3 controller, which will be available separately for those who did not purchase a 120 or 160 gigabyte system. In an effort to bolster the sales of PS3, Sony appears to have adopted a sales plan that is similar to the one used by Apple for their iPods. Unfortunately, despite these efforts, the future of the PlayStation 3 still remains unclear.