My brother has a PS3 and but I don't actually play it on a regular basis, but here's what I can tell you.

- Graphics and framerate are pretty solid. I was actually very impressed with how Killzone 3 looks.

- LittleBigPlanet is an amazing platformer and great to play with others. Haven't gotten to try LBP2 yet, but I hear it is just as great if not better. I don't think you can regret playing it.

- I think the PS3 is still one of the cheapest Blu-ray players. This is what /I/ mostly use it for.

- It looks like Steam will be going to the platform with the Portal 2 release so there's potential there of playing previously purchased Steam games on your PS3.

- I can't really tell you what the game library is like. My brother is really into first person shooters and fighting games so that's all I'm familiar with. It does seem like most games these days are cross platform though, so it may not matter much.

- Installing new games and downloading updates takes a while, so don't expect to be able to play a new game as soon as you put the disc in.

- Playstation 2 is still my all time favorite console, so it's a bummer that there isn't any backwards compatibility anymore, so I have to buy them again in the marketplace thing.

- We have yet to have any technical issues with it. The only reason we had to buy another one was because our first one got stolen. :T

All in all, My brother and I really aren't disappointed with the console at all. If you've got the cash to spare, I'd say go for it.

Internet connectivity is a big plus and if you have, say, Netflix, you can do instant-stream on it (and watch things on the TV instead of your computer).

The lack of backwards compatibility is pretty much its only glaring flaw that I'm aware of.

I managed to get lucky and get one passed on to me from my parents, so I can't really say whether it's worth the investment or not. It is a very sexy console though and I enjoy it. So, like Kilo said, if you've got the funds for it, go ahead. It's not a disappointing platform as long as you know about its one big limitation, see above.

I personally love my PS3. Mine is a 1st Gen. 40gb from the first release I bought second-hand from my roommate who didn't need it anymore, and I've been happy with it ever since (well, despite the last of storage that newer PS3s have, but right now it's not really a big issue for me since I tend to play the same 2 or 3 games at a time).

You can use it as a BLU-Ray player. I only had one BLU-Ray movie, "Terminator 2", and it looks magnificent in HD. Otherwise I also use it as my regular DVD player since it's too much of a hassle for me to switch out cables every time I want to use my DVD player.

I have no complaints about the graphics. If you have an HD tv with an HDMI cable hook-up, use it for the PS3. Everything kind of looks amazing that way.

Internet connection is a must. I know I had issues connecting wirelessly to the PS3 but later found out that it's primarily the way my internet router was set up, not any fault with the console itself. Saying that, I do find it easier to just have it hooked up to the Internet because it's faster that way.

You do have to install games before you play them, but I find that it's not too big of a deal because I use the install and download time to get myself comfortable, grab a drink and a snack and settle down.

I find that the game library is expanding, so the entire "PS3 has no games" joke has been pretty much obsolete in the last couple of years, and we're finding now that more developers are open to bringing some XBox-only games to the PS3 too (Especially with Mass Effect 2 or 3. It kind of sucks that the first Mass Effect isn't coming out but I have a friend with an XBox so I find it's not an issue for me).

You don't have to pay to use the internet service like you do with XBox Live. The PlayStation Network does have a paid premium option but right now the only benefit I see is if you're into playing Japanese imports and buying games for a discounted price. Otherwise, the free service works just as well, and now with Steam coming to the console, it should be even easier to sync games cross-platform. PlayStation also offers Netflix streaming and Hulu Plus (which is Hulu but you have to pay).

The only issue is backwards compatibility with PS2 games (I know I tested out a PS1 game in a PS3 and it works fine), but you can also buy classic PS1 games through the network, like the first Metal Gear Solid, Tomb Raider, the Crash Bandicoot series, and more. I also never owned a PS2 so that was never much of an issue for me in the first place.

So overall, my complaints with my PS3 are practically non-existent, and I think now a 160gb PS3 goes for about $299, and now they have a 320gb PS3 for $350. Supposed the newer PS3s are also capable of playing 3D, as well as PlayStation Move (which I honestly have no idea what's available for that add-on but I do know Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition is compatible with the Move).

So yeah. I love my PS3, and if you get one, my PSN name is stereo-or-bust

>>881
Oh yeah I should also add that at the time I got mine, I paid my roommate $250 for it as part of a deal (she got her PS3 the day it came out and stacked a bunch of gift cards so that she only paid $250, and that was when the console was initially something like $450-500). So I paid $250 for a 40gb 1st Gen., and 160gb new PS3 is $299.99. I think it's worth the price.

Thanks all. I'm trying to decide what to do with some of my savings if I don't get a chance to do comicon and I'm thinking this is one of the things. A lot of my problems with the xbox360 seem to be non existent on the ps3 from what you've said (not hd, have to pay to connect ext.) I still have my xbox 360 but It's more my boyfriend's than mine at this point.

I'm hoping the controller will fit better in my baby hands than the 360's does.

>>895
The controller is basically the PS2 controller sans wire, in terms of size/shape. Definitely less awkward than the 360, but that might just be my lack of xbox experience talking.

Also, it uses a few of the same cords as the PS2, which is nice because that means replacements are cheaper if you're like me and break/lose things accidentally.