Sony criticizes Xbox 360 movie and TV downloads

Sony criticized Microsoft's HD movie and TV downloads announcement late yesterday reminding 360 Core owners of their inability to benefit from the additional content because they have no hard drive. Said a Sony spokesperson: "PlayStation 3's content is designed for everyone to enjoy right out of the box, no matter which configuration you purchase. We would never segregate or shut out any of our consumers from our entertainment experience because they didn't buy the top of the line system."

Notable ways in which Sony "segregates" the consumer entertainment experience on the PS3:

• A $600 PS3 gets you 60GB to store entertainment. A $500 PS3 only gets you 20GB.

• A $600 PS3 supports additional memory slots. A $500 PS3 doesn't.

• A $600 PS3 supports Wi-Fi networking. A $500 PS3 doesn't.

Granted, all PS3s ship with at least some type of hard drive. We like that. But the Sony statement reads as if Xbox 360 Core owners don't have a choice to pony up $100 bones for an added hard drive. On top of that, criticizing your competitor's two SKU offering while offering two SKUs yourself seems a little backwards. Not "creepy" backwards, just regular type.