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The Xbox 360 Launch Examined
A few days have gone by now, and more details of the 360's launch are becoming available. Gamasutra reports that, as expected, there were far too few units of the new console to meet demand. In one place, in fact, a pitched fight broke out when it became clear that not everyone waiting in line would get a unit. Additionally, the occasional glitch or crash has been reported in several locations online. This primarily seems to be the result of an overheating power supply. Despite these issues, and mixed reactions to launch titles, overall consumer reaction seems to be generally positive.
For $500 you can get a midrange Mobo-CPU-RAM and Video-card. You still need a case and power supply, hard drive, CD-Rom/DVD drive, input devices, and OS. And yes, since we're talking about *games* you're going to be paying for that OS. I'm not even going to bother talking about *pirated* OS saving money, though if you want, there's a few more dollars saved if you don't pay for Windows.
OK, so you have that, I'll assume you have a monitor just as for a console I assume you have a TV. You're probably into the range of $700, and congrats, you've built yourself a mid-range gaming rig that most likely doesn't match the quality of the 360 or what the PS3 will. Your rig will also be outdated in a year or two. Sure, it'll still play the games. Just like the 360 and PS3 will. Just like the Xbox and PS2 do now. But you're not going to be running the current games in all the high-res texture, all graphical options on, big resolution. Let alone doing that for games in a year or two down the road.
I'm all for PC gaming. I play more on my PC then on my Xbox/PS2/Gamecube. And more then the 360 I'll eventually get. And the PS3 I'll eventually get. And Revolution I'll probably get. But the better bang for your buck if all you care about it games, are the consoles. Not the PC's. Hell, the sell you consoles at a loss, and you get games that have been optimized for a very specific set of hardware. The prices drop on them as the technology loses it's "cutting edge" factor. Just as video cards and CPU's do.