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I got to thinking today about a reasonable scenario for a total cost of ownership (TCO) for the current generation of consoles, the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii.
Before I start with this article I want to explain that I am fairly hardcore gamer and I own, enjoy, and understand the merits of all three consoles. I wanted to write this article as a guide to those considering purchasing a new console or those who are interested in an overview of the money they are likely to spend on their consoles over a reasonable amount of time.
Right, with that let me introduce the scenario:
I’ve tried to keep the scenario fairly simple, it assumes you are a gamer who wants to play the console online with friends, offline with another friend or partner and you require wireless access. I figure this is a fairly common scenario for most people wanting to get the most out of a games console, which after all, is an expensive purchase. Additionally, since the cost of games is fairly universal, game purchases are not directly considered and do not factor into the monetary values.
Detailed ScenarioNote: Subscription costs for required network services (Xbox Live) are added each year.
Year 1:
Console is purchased. Wii + Wii Sports Console, Xbox Standard (Not Arcade), Playstation 3 Slim.
WiFi peripherals are purchased.
Year 2:
An extra controller is purchased.
Year 3:
Play and Charge kits are purchased for all controllers.
Year 4:
Video remotes are purchased for consoles with built in video playback.
Year 5:
Here we’ll assume the Wii has run out of memory, since it is the only console with very limited internal memory, and a few of the bigger purchases at the store can result in rapid reduction in space. A 2GB card is purchased.
The ResultsFirst of all, the results in pounds sterling, I'll post US charts later. Most of the individual item prices used in the amounts given on the chart are sourced from Argos and Play in the UK and were correct as of writing.
I actually think the results pretty shocking, and not what I initially expected.
Over a five year period you can observe the cost of Xbox Live really hit home. This is obviously where Microsoft are going to be making the majority of their money back on the Xbox over its lifespan.
Anyway, if you are in the market for a new console, maybe this chart is something you should think about before purchasing, will you still be playing it in 5 years time? Will you want to play games on your console online against other people? I can’t answer those questions, but if you do fall into (or close to) the scenario you can expect to pay something at least fairly close to the amount given in the chart irrespective of where you buy your console bits.
Also you probably aren’t going to purchase a console entirely based on its cost. I personally prefer the Xbox, I’m a XNA developer and would cite it as console of choice for many reasons. However, for me personally, the major pros and cons are as follows:
Xbox: CON: Most likely to fail - PRO: Best overall online experience.
PS3: CON: Limited online services, slower downloads - PRO: Bluray player.
Wii: CON: Standard Definition (No HD) - PRO: “Unique” controls (although also sometimes a con).
If you want to see a list of the item breakdown for the UK charts you can view that here.
Rob Hutchinson (Null City Dev and Admin)
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