Whaddya know, Sony is still stupid

The Associated Press is reporting that Sony will drop prices on its PlayStation3 and introduce a third model, considerably cheaper than its other two.

Sony has slashed $100 off its top-end model, which will now cost $499 - still the most expensive game console out there. It comes with an 80-gig hard drive.

What was formerly the lower-end model has all but been eliminated. The new low-end model will cost $399 - still the second-most expensive game console out there. And here's the rub: The low-end model won't be compatible with any PS2 games.

So let me make sure I'm understanding Sony correctly.

They still want me to pay way to pay way too much - exorbitant, really - for their best console. They want me to pay $150 more than what I could get for a comparable XBox 360, and they want me to spend twice as much as I would for a Wii, which has gotten considerably better reviews.

Or I could opt for the less-expensive version. Which would be of no use to my old PS2 games whatsoever and, frankly, the only real reason I'd consider buying a PS3 in the first freaking place.

I've said in the past that PS3 will have to come way down for me to consider it. PS3 is down (in more ways than one), but not down far enough.

Stuff it, Sony.

-- IF YOU CHECKED HERE Thursday afternoon, you no doubt noticed that this post was not up yet. Yet the timestamp says 1:35 p.m.

Here's what happened: I started typing this post when I saw the Yahoo story on its front page. Since Bloogle (my new name for Blogger/Google) records the time as when the post was started, that explains the discrepancy.

I got about 2/3 of the way through during some down time at Redskin Park (the arrival schedule at Dulles was virtually the same as Wednesdays, so even that didn't really enthrall me). Then, rather unexpectedly, one of the PR folks came in and announced practice was over - meaning we were free to head down and conduct interviews. So I had to cut the post short - duty called.

-- JUST LIKE OLD TIMES? Occasionally, our regional sports network, Comcast SportsNet, has multiple programs they'd like to broadcast but only one channel to broadcast on. Instead, they hijack C-SPAN2 and put sports programming on there. This is shown on our lineup as CSN+.

So I cruised past CSN+ tonight and caught an unusual sight: The broadcast of the Devils-Flyers game from Philadelphia. See, there's a CSN there too; the Philly version is actually the original, celebrating its 10-year anniversary soon.

We somehow got the feed from CSN-Philly. Sweet, I thought. I'd get to watch the Flyers, re-connect with some of the on-air personalities I haven't seen in seven years, like Michael Barkann, and see those random, incessant commercials from places in Philly like Forman Mills and car dealers like Gary Barbera.

But that didn't happen.

The Devils-Flyers game didn't have any commercial breaks.

Well, they did. I just didn't see any of the commercials. Instead, we were treated to all the stuff they're doing while everyone else sees commercials - rewinding tape, moving the camera around, preparing graphics, announcers chatting with each other.

They were discussing NHL scores and one didn't seem surprised to learn the Rangers were trailing in Atlanta - even though the Thrashers started the season 0-6 and had just fired coach Bob Hartley.

The Rangers, he said, are "just brutal this year." Nothing, however, came anything close to scandalous.

Still, it was interesting hearing things that we're not supposed to hear...