THIS COMING Christmas is looking likely to be a good one for shoppers looking to buy console paraphernalia. First of all there’s the massive competition between handhelds that has been so vicious as to see one maker go bust, and then there’s the competition to get new generation consoles on the market. Despite the fact that the PlayStation 3 is not due until 2006 Sony still has a few tricks up their sleeves to help spoil Microsoft’s big day. As well as aiming to release some big PS2 titles around the same time as the Xbox 360, they are also looking to sell the slim line version of the console at knockdown prices of around £60 - £70 this Christmas, according to Spong. Sony desperately needs to hold the line against the Xbox 360 in the time between its launch and their next-gen console hitting the market, and the only way they can do this is to throw in as many goodies as possible for the last mile of the PS2’s long walk to obsolescence. The real winners this Christmas season it would seem are going to be the consumers for whom price wars and excellent games are going to be coming in thick. Source: The Inquirer
