I guess all that subliminal messaging in The Big Bang Theory might finally pay off.

"Buy Zynga!"

Consoles are subsidized through software licensing, as has already pointed out. The fact that Sony has "other, substantial businesses" helped when the console slogged through its first few years, but the only console producer that has consistently profited from hardware is Nintendo.

It's the "razor and blades" business model, and its application in the video gaming industry is a lot more forgiving to consumers than it is in many other contexts. At least with video games, there's a healthy second-hand market (no, Mr. Bear, I have no interest in your used Mach III blades, thank you very much) and the option to wait for prices to drop... unless we're talking about Call of Duty 4, which will still be $40 long after we're dead.

According to an article on IGN, the PlayStation 3's production cost at launch was as much as $840.35. They had a hard enough time pushing the console at $600, and an additional $240.35 wasn't going to make that any easier, which would have been the bare minimum without the current business model.

Licensing fees are rather high for the PS3, so it can be argued that you'd make up for the high initial investment buy paying less for games, but there's no guarantee that publisher's won't just take the savings for themselves. Do you know why Activision is suddenly selling Wii and PC games for $60? I'll give you a hint... It isn't because licensing fees suddenly went up.

God forbid we have a digital distribution service that benefits the consumer!

If Valve takes advantage of small developers, I don't know why those developers continue to flock to the service like flies to honey. And if there really is a conflict of interest, they don't seem to be exercising it. Valve games aren't advertised any more than third-party titles, and the standard non-sale prices are comparable.

What about $36 for Little Big Planet? Or even $33?

The big benefit to buying used from Gamestop isn't the paltry $5 discount; it's the sales on used games that occur every weekend. The usual discount is 20-30%, but last weekend's sale was Buy 2, Get 1 Free, turning that $55 game into a $33 one if you shop smart and use an Edge card.

I hate Gamestop as much as the next guy, but they're not always a ripoff.

Just so everyone's on the same page, only the WiiMote and the Balance Board require batteries, and they're included in the package.

Sure, you have to replace them eventually, but that's what Eneloops are for.

They're not stringing CAT5 along the ocean floor, are they?

If this keeps happening repeatedly, shouldn't they think about reinforcing the cables a little better?

I didn't realize, until reading this article, that law is what forced the presidents to remain unwired. I just always assumed they were out of touch with the technological curve.

Still, that makes the president the only American citizen completely immune to spam, phishing, and those annoying e-mails laden with photos of dogs dressed up like superheroes.

That's some pretty hearty executive privilege.

At least they're honoring your request.

I ordered my band kit from RedOctane, and the guitar had a broken whammy bar. (It behaves as if it's always down, so playing a song sounds incredibly out of tune and unpleasant.)

It's been almost two weeks, and I still haven't been sent any RMA information.