Aussie PS3 boss: Don't compare systems ... but if you do, PS3 is better
You may remember Sony Computer Entertainment Australia Managing Director Michael Ephraim for his interesting assertion that the Wii is "a bit pricey.". Well, he's back and swinging against the competition ahead of the system's March 23 release in the island continent.
In an interview with The Age's Screen Play blog, Ephraim said that the Wii wasn't even worthy of comparison to the amazing power of the PS3. "We think PS3 is not a product to be compared with Wii, it is a completely different product," he said. "This is a digital hub, that is a games console." Never mind that the Wii also has a web browser, photo viewer, e-mail capabilities, etc. ... it's just a "games console" in Ephraim's mind
As for the Xbox 360, Ephraim trots out the tired old canard about the Microsoft system costing quite a lot if you maximize its potential with an HD-DVD drive, wireless adapter and Media Center PC. This might be technically true, but a large portion of consumers aren't going to want or need these things in the first place. Spun another way, splitting the wireless adapter into an optional accessory actually represents a substantial savings for someone with a wired 'net connection.
In the final analysis, Ephraim says that the PS3's vast array of features makes the system's price not exactly cheap, but at least "an insignificant factor." Sorry, but $1000 Australian (Roughly $788 U.S.) doesn't sound insignificant to us, no matter what you get out of it.
