As the new year begins, Sony Computer Entertainment America's public relations department has issued a newly-formulated feature run-down that favorably compares the PS3's value to that of Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, directly calling out competitors who have fewer included features.
In a Wednesday press release headlined "Keeping Gaming and Entertainment Simple," the company emphasized out-of-the-box PS3 features such as Blu-ray functionality, built-in Wi-Fi, "huge hard drives," free online gaming and "Ten years of value with a future-proof system via firmware updates that offer new services and features."
A price and feature breakdown by the lowest entry points for each console claimed that the standard 80GB $399 PS3 gets more entertainment bang for the buck than a souped-up Xbox 360 Arcade and a Nintendo Wii.
Driving the point home, the statement read, "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’." [Sony's emphasis.]
With the Consumer Electronics Show kicking off this week in Las Vegas, and both Sony and Microsoft presenting keynotes, the statement may be a precursor to some gaming news.
Asked about the reasoning and timing behind the e-mail blitz, an external SCEA rep from PR firm Porter Novelli told Edge over the phone, "We're entering CES, and gaming systems are certainly something that people take a hard look at there.
That was the motivation. I'm sure you'll be seeing announcements from Sony and all of the gaming systems. We thought it would be a good time just to remind everyone of our strong offerings."
In the past, Microsoft has held fast to its decision not to include certain features with Xbox 360, saying the a la carte method gives consumers more choice.
And with over 2 million Nintendo Wiis sold in the U.S. in November alone, it's fairly clear there is a certain large audience that doesn't care too much about the entertainment offerings of a PS3 or Xbox 360.
In a Wednesday press release headlined "Keeping Gaming and Entertainment Simple," the company emphasized out-of-the-box PS3 features such as Blu-ray functionality, built-in Wi-Fi, "huge hard drives," free online gaming and "Ten years of value with a future-proof system via firmware updates that offer new services and features."
A price and feature breakdown by the lowest entry points for each console claimed that the standard 80GB $399 PS3 gets more entertainment bang for the buck than a souped-up Xbox 360 Arcade and a Nintendo Wii.
Driving the point home, the statement read, "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’." [Sony's emphasis.]
With the Consumer Electronics Show kicking off this week in Las Vegas, and both Sony and Microsoft presenting keynotes, the statement may be a precursor to some gaming news.
Asked about the reasoning and timing behind the e-mail blitz, an external SCEA rep from PR firm Porter Novelli told Edge over the phone, "We're entering CES, and gaming systems are certainly something that people take a hard look at there.
That was the motivation. I'm sure you'll be seeing announcements from Sony and all of the gaming systems. We thought it would be a good time just to remind everyone of our strong offerings."
In the past, Microsoft has held fast to its decision not to include certain features with Xbox 360, saying the a la carte method gives consumers more choice.
And with over 2 million Nintendo Wiis sold in the U.S. in November alone, it's fairly clear there is a certain large audience that doesn't care too much about the entertainment offerings of a PS3 or Xbox 360.