PS3 Doom and Gloom

[partridge]

By the end of E3 I had expected to be saying "That's it, I want a PS3, where can I preorder". But that expected enthusiasm hasn't yet appeared.

Every gaming website I've seen is critical of the PS3; it's too expensive, the 20gig version is pointless, the graphics are no better than the 360, the launch line up looks thin, etc.

But these same sites are gushing over the Nintendo Wii. Am I the only one who thinks that, clever though the controller is, it's a massive gimmick? I've played eyetoy and Buzz games, and fun though they are I still prefer a joypad for "real" gaming.

Or is the Microsoft modular approach a better one? Buy the console cheap and add bits as you want to?

On paper the PS3 does everything I want; as an owner of a Hi-Def tv the PS3 gives me HD gaming and movies. Plus connectivity with my PSP and plenty of other features. But with only 6 months till launch there are so many questions;

We've yet to see any reviews of how good a movie player it is. Does it do Blu-Ray justice?
It will upscale PS1 & 2 games, but does it upscale DVD's?
How good a DVD player is it?
How good do PS1 & 2 games look?
How do I transfer my saved games to the PS3?
What is the full functionality of the PSP with a PS3?
Does it justify the price?

I don't want an Xbox360. There's nothing available that I'm interested in, the HD-DVD add on is a cheap and tacky ploy to steal some thunder from Sony and may not even support all the features of the format. Live doesn't interest me much, I get on fine with the cheap and cheerful PS2 online service.

I've even less interest in the Wii, I just can't see myself standing in the middle of my lounge waving a stick around to catch virtual fish...

So, a PS3 it is. But why don't I feel as excited as I expected to? Maybe the coming months will reveal some really exciting news, but so far, Sony seem to be struggling to get the PS3 message across. I almost feel like I'm going to buy one because the other offerings hold no interest, you know - the others are no good, and all that's left is the Sony console, oh well.

How does everyone else here feel?