I think there are many PS3 owner that would instantly pay $40 a year for having comparable online features for their console.

Other than that, I also don't see any point why Microfsoft restricts the silver accounts so much, other than making the users pay...

Yeah, it's just great, really. A little late maybe... But I still find myself booting up my PC when I wanna check something on the internet, my XBox running in the background. ^^

The Xbox made me move from PC gaming to Xbox gaming a long time ago. What I like best about the Xbox is it's online capabilites. The marketplace rocks. XBLA and XBLIG always have a nice little gem in them for little money. You can get older AAA titles "on demand" for little money, and you can play them without having to insert the Dvd.

On the other hand, I wouldn't get myself another console, even if it was on sale. Having one is absolutely sufficient. In the end, they are not so very different at all. They have about the same graphics performance, so you actually don't get to see something exciting, except some exclusive (and great) titles. PC gaming is quite different here, so maybe I'd upgrade my graphics card instead and get to play the newest stuff on high quality. That'd be a difference from playing on my console!

Definitely go for XBLA or XBLIG. There are so many nice little to medium sized games in every genre for little money. XBLIG is cluttered with low-quality stuff, though, so be sure to filter on rating and/or top-downloads. You will find good stuff there for just a few bucks, including very well done Minecraft Clones/Spin-Offs, 3d-Shooters, great RPGs and Platformers. IMO, the best choice if your goal is to have fun for little money.

XBLA has games with a higher pricetag than XBLIG ($5-$15), featuring games from AAA studios and might be a good choice for you, too.

If you have an XBox, there are quite a few well done Zombie Survival Games on XBLIG for just a buck, most notably "Attack of the Zombie Horde".

Batman Arkham City, Deus Ex - Human Revolution!

Offering a $200 version is important for the marketing. They can advertise that an XBox costs no more than 200 bucks.

Of course, picking the 250GB version is the best choice in terms of price performance. Sure enough, many people do care if they pay $200 or $250 for a console.