Sony went on the offensive today – a day after Microsoft announced that they would start offering downloadable movies and television shows via the Xbox Live Network. According to Next-Generation, a Sony spokesperson said the following:

“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. Both PlayStation 3 versions available on November 17 include hard drives for downloading content.”

What’s the basis for their argument? Well it boils down to the fact that Microsoft sells two versions of the Xbox 360. A core model without a hard drive and a premium model with a hard drive.

However, Sony’s arguments are on shaky waters at best. Why?

1. The core systems are designed to offer the bare minimum for someone to get up and running with the Xbox 360. It caters to people who don’t care about online content but just want to play video games. It doesn’t shove all these features down at a consumer  and force them to pay an arm and a leg for it as a result

2. If you should want the same capbilities as a premium model of the Xbxo 360, just go ahead and buy the hard drive which is available separately from Microsoft. They’re certainly not shutting anyone out here. They’re simply saying – when you want to upgrade, go ahead and do so..but do so at YOUR convenience.

3. A core system + a purchased hard drive is STILL cheaper than a PS3. Yes it doesn’t have a Blu-ray drive but big whoop there. There isn’t much of ANY content out there for Blu-ray (nor for HD DVD) and quite frankly – how many folks have 1080p displays these days anyhow? I just want a game system.. and I want it for a decent price.

Instead of criticizing Microsoft, it might be better for Sony to just say – “Hey good job – we plan on offering content too!”. Sony should just rest on the laurels of what the PS3 COULD be – NOT what Microsoft is supposedly doing wrong.

The more I think about Sony’s arguments, the more pathetic Sony sounds. Gee Microsoft – you’re offering a service that only a few can download. Umm not really? The price to pay to get to that kind of an Xbox is still cheaper than the lowest version of the PS3. So who’s pricing out the poor now?

[Check it out via TechReport]

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