Hear where Sony's announced the first 500,000 PlayStation3's to launch in North America will come with a Blu-Ray movie? Interesting concept, to be sure; I've never heard of a game console launching with a movie before.

The movie, you ask?

Talladega Nights: the Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

Yes...because nothing showcases a shiny new piece of technology better than a NASCAR movie starring the highly-overrated Will Ferrell.

I can appreciate Sony's eagerness to show consumers the potential power of the Blu-Ray format; the company's really been harping on the feature as one of the PS3's biggest selling points--and pointing to it as one of the reasons the console's going to be so expensive--so I can dig them wanting to throw in a movie with the console.

I still think Nintendo has the edge, packing in a game with the Wii at launch, but I can't fault Sony for trying to milk a potential cash cow from Day One.

But...Talladega Nights? Sorry, that movie was funnier when it was called Anchorman.

Why not throw in some big-budget action flick or epic saga that'll really get the masses foaming at the mouth? Can you imagine the fervor Sony could create if it somehow managed to package PS3's with Lord of the Rings on Blu-Ray? I know it's not really that feasible, but it'd generate a lot more interest than some Will Ferrell NASCAR stereotype thing.

Or hell, let me be selfish and suggest the first 500,000 PS3's come packed with a Blu-Ray version of Serenity. I'd gladly fork over the $600 for that bit of crystal-clear Joss Whedon goodness.

Of course, I need a better-paying job first.

I do like the trend of packing content with the console; it's ultimately cheaper on consumers if they can have something to play or watch right out of the box (and no, the demo disc that came with the original PlayStation doesn't count; I'm talking actual material, like when the NES and Super NES launched). As expensive as next-generation consoles and games are becoming, any time consumers can save a buck or two, that's definitely a good thing.

I just question Sony's choice of movie. I'd definitely prefer a Blu-Ray edition of Spider-Man 2...complete with extensive preview footage of Spider-Man 3.

Just saying...

So Nintendo announced at a recent New York event the launch date and price for its next-generation Wii console, and the details have this intrepid (albeit part-time...jobs suck like that) blogger excited, moreso than the other two next-gen consoles.

Yes, I still think the name sucks (what was so wrong with Revolution?), but the other details are more than enough to compensate for one little potential marketing snafu.

So, using the latest edition of Game Informer (issue #163) as my source, let's go point-by-point on the upcoming launch of the Nintendo Wii.

-The Wii will hit shelves in the U.S. on November 19, two days after Sony unleashes the PlayStation3. Industry speculation has it consumers will face a PS3 shortage at launch and throughout the holidays, whereas Nintendo assures all plenty will be in stock. Nintendo of America says it hopes to have 400,000 units available at launch, and the "majority" of the 4 million consoles it releases during the holiday rush will land in North America. This looks to steal some of Sony's thunder, especially since...

-...the console will retail for a measly $250. This isn't exactly surprising--Nintendo's always had the cheapest console on the market--but given Xbox 360's current $400 price tag, and the whopping $600 Sony wants us to fork over for a PS3, Nintendo's insistence in keeping the launch price below $300 could result in a bevy of positive pre-holiday buzz within--and outside of--the industry.

-For the first time since Nintendo launched the Super NES, the Wii will come packaged with a game. It's not the next Mario, and alas, it isn't The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess either. Instead, it's Wii Sports, a collection of games that will undoubtedly showcase the unique gameplay features the Wii and its controller are capable of. I think old-school gamers and parents alike will appreciate this move, as it will save even more on the cost of buying a new console.

-It's also expected that, unlike its competitors, the Wii won't be entirely reliant on high-definition technology. As it stands now, 360 and PS3 owners will have to have an HDTV to get the full next-gen effect; otherwise, they look like nothing more than spruced-up Xboxes and PlayStation2's. But the Wii won't have that necessity, further cutting the costs of graduating to the next generation of gaming (cause come on, have you seen the prices for those HDTVs?).

If the Wii's potential can be realized--and from the looks of some of the early titles for the machine (like THQ's Red Steel), that's a definite possibility, Nintendo could very well pull the wool over Sony and Microsoft's eyes. The two electronics giants are so busy driving price tags up in search of the prettiest game in the world, one might argue they're forgetting the point of videogames. Nintendo, through Wii, wants to remind everyone of that, and at $250 with a game already included, I'm inclined to be one of many to give it a go.

I was burned by the Nintendo 64 and the GameCube, left to wait months on end for the next Nintendo release while PlayStation2 and Xbox got all the great third-party offerings, but I'm going to give Nintendo another chance with Wii.

Nintendo has enough money in its numerous accounts that finishing third in yet another console race won't demote the company to third-party software developer, but I feel the videogame industry needs a healthy Nintendo to succeed. The company once singlehandedly saved the home videogame; the industry just wouldn't be the same if Nintendo went the Sega route and began making nothing but games while companies like Sony and Microsoft made the consoles.

Hopefully, the Wii will be just as successful as the Sega Dreamcast was...without suffering the same fate.