In anticipation of this launch, but mostly to clear current inventory, fat PS3 models have been discounted by $100. The 80GB model, for instance, will begin to sell for $299, the same price as the new PS3 slim. According to Sony, these price updates should be effective immediately but most retailers are still reflecting the old prices. Prior to launch, Sony began clearing inventory which makes sense because this price drop doesn’t make me want to run out and purchase an old PS3. I mean, the 80GB model is the same price as the upcoming, improved 120GB slim PS3. 80GB today or 120GB, in a smaller form factor, tomorrow: what would you choose?

It’s about time Sony released this update. The original PS3 was way too big and bulky. It’s almost as if they launch consoles bigger than they need to be just so they can sell a slim version down the road. So far, Sony has done that with their entire PlayStation line and it’s really quite frustrating. Is this an improvement? Sure. Is it worth the upgrade? Maybe. Is Sony benefiting more than the consumer? Definitely.

Starting on September 5th, 2008 Microsoft will officially start selling their xbox 360 consoles at a $50 price decrease. The prices are as follows:

Xbox 360 Arcade $199
Xbox 360 Pro (60gb HD) $299
Xbox 360 Elite (120gb HD, Black) $399

What does this really mean? Well, the console with the largest gaming selection and best online play is now also the cheapest. (The Arcade’s $199 price point compared to the $250 Nintendo Wii) At these lower prices, more people have an opportunity to jump in and play. I think this move is perfect for Microsoft. They now have the opportunity to draw in casual gamers and sell consoles to people upgrading from the previous generation. Even hard-core gamers who can’t afford a $400 system or don’t want to play party games all day, now have an option to frag their friends in halo 3 or slice them in half with gears of war all that a reasonable price.

This move is really tough on Nintendo. No longer is their console the cheapest and therefore casual gamers now have another option. When those people walk into a gaming store or their local big-box chain, they have the choice for a more powerful and cheaper console with a larger gaming selection to boot. People are still flocking to the Wii so it’s not a huge threat at this time, but it is something Nintendo needs to keep their eyes on.

As for the prices of the other consoles, I don’t foresee an immediate response. The Nintendo Wii, which is still in high-demand, is consistently outselling the competition. The PlayStation 3 is also selling well and has some great exclusives in the works. However, I think by the holiday season both companies will bight the bullet and lower their prices too. Honestly, this is great for the consumer whether you want a 360 or not.

Source

Activision has formally announced Guitar Hero World Tour (GH4) this past week (Press release quoted bellow) and pricing was also confirmed thanks to gamestop. The game will sell in several varieties for the xbox 360, nintendo wii, playstation 3 and playstation 2.These include just the game for $60 , the game and guitar controller for $100 and the entire package (drum kit, microphone, guitar and game) for $190. (The game will sell for the PS2 $10 cheaper than the other systems)
The release date is Oct. 27, 2008.

Getting past the rock band like controllers World Tour does offer one feature that, to me, stands out from the rest: studio. Giving you complete controller over the game, studio mode allows the user to create your own music which can be played in the game. (no lyrics can be added for obvious reasons) Not only can you create your own tracks but you can then upload your creation and allow other users from around the world to enjoy them.

Overall, this new version of Guitar Hero really bugs me. Activsion sees the success rock band had and selflessly copies their ideas of having an entire band with multiple instruments. It’s basically letting Harmonix (the makers of rock band) test the idea and when it succeeded decided to release there own product eliminating the problems Harmonix had. As an owner of rock band myself, I truly hate Activision for this product and will never endorsee it to friends, family, or my viewers. Studio mode is great but other than that, it’s a blatant copy of rock band.

Press Release:

ACTIVISION UNVEILS GUITAR HERO® WORLD TOUR – THE DEFINITIVE ROCK & ROLL MUSIC VIDEOGAMING EXPERIENCE

New State of the Art Wireless Instruments

Innovative Music Studio Lets Players Compose, Record, Edit and Share Music

Biggest Selection of On-Disc Music with All Master Tracks

Robust New Eight-Player “Battle of the Bands” Mode

First Game Ever in the Guitar Hero® Franchise to Allow In-Game Downloadable Content on Wii

Santa Monica, CA – May 22, 2008 – When the house lights go down this fall, a new generation of axe shredders, drummers and fearless frontmen will come together and rock with Activision, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero® World Tour. The latest installment from the #1 best-selling video game franchise of 2007, Guitar Hero World Tour will transform music gaming by marrying Guitar Hero’s® exhilarating guitar gameplay, with a cooperative band experience that combines the most advanced wireless instruments with revolutionary new online and offline gameplay modes. The game will feature a slick newly redesigned guitar, a genuine electronic drum kit and a microphone, as well as an innovative Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock and roll anthems, along with online Band Career and 8-player “Battle of the Bands.”

Delivering the largest on-disc set list in a music-rhythm game to-date, Guitar Hero World Tour is comprised entirely of master recordings from some of the greatest classic and modern rock bands of all-time including Van Halen, Linkin Park, The Eagles, Sublime and many more. Additionally, the game will offer significantly more localized downloadable music than ever before on all of the next-generation consoles. Budding rock stars will also be given creative license to fully customize everything from their characters’ appearance and instruments to their band’s logo and album covers.

In addition to a newly designed more responsive guitar controller and microphone, Guitar Hero World Tour will deliver the most realistic drum experience ever in a video game with an authentic electronic drum kit. Featuring three drum pads, two raised cymbals and a bass kick pedal, the drum controller combines larger and quieter, velocity-sensitive drum heads with soft rubber construction to deliver authentic bounce back and is easy to set up, move, break down and store.

“Guitar Hero has set the standard for music-based gaming and with Guitar Hero World Tour and the game’s groundbreaking Music Studio, we are once again delivering unprecedented innovation that has the potential to revolutionize consumer generated music, much in the same way that video sharing hubs have driven user generated video,” said Dusty Welch, Head of Publishing for RedOctane. “With the introduction of our advanced high-quality new wireless instruments, in-depth customization options and advanced online functionality, the game enables music fans and gamers globally to share in the most social and expressive music experience ever.”

Guitar Hero World Tour delivers more ways to play than ever before. Virtual musicians can live out their rock and roll fantasies by playing either a single instrument, or any combination of instruments, in addition to the full band experience. In addition to all of the online gameplay modes from Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock, Guitar Hero World Tour introduces Battle of the Bands mode which allows eight players to join online and challenge each other band-to-band to determine who is the best of the best. In the Band modes, up to four players can jam together, online or off, as they progress through the game, and in single-player Career Mode, players can jam on any of the instruments in branching venue progression enabling them to rock out in the order of their choice.

The game’s innovative new Music Studio lets players express their musical creativity by giving them access to a full compliment of tools to create digital music from scratch, utilizing all of the instruments, and then play their compositions in the game. Music creators will also be able to share their recordings with their friends online through GHTunes™ where other gamers can download their unique compositions and play them.

Guitar Hero World Tour is being developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. The Wii™ version is being developed by Vicarious Visions. The PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system version is being developed by Budcat. The game is not yet rated by the ESRB.

With high prices and a standard that is yet to be finalized I’m blown away by the cult that is surrounding blu-ray. I’m not even trying to bash this format but it’s unfortunate how mislead some consumers are. It’s clear the next physical media platform will be blu-ray but it’s in the consumer’s best interest to wait. Wait until the format is finalized and all players meet this standard, and wait until prices are reasonable.

What the consumer should do now is to stick to the format they currently have, DVD. Bloggers are quick to attack DVD but DVD can still produce a good looking picture. Depending on your HD monitor and your up-converting player, if you have one, DVD can still shine. Have you ever seen a 1080P up-converted dvd? If you have not, they look great and in some cases the line between DVD and blu-ray is blurred.

In conclusion, the time to buy a blu-ray player is not yet among us but should be once blu-ray is affordable for the average joe. If you need to be on the cutting edge than go ahead and buy your player but for everyone else sticking to what you have should be fine. To make your current system shine however I would recommend looking into an up-converting DVD player that can maximize your TV and your DVD’s at an affordable price point.