So you're trailing behind two competitors, one of which is seriously outpacing you in sales, and the other who is so far ahead of you on the charts that any communication between you and them has to be relayed through NASA. What do you do?

If you're Sony, you put together a side-by-side comparison of everyone's best to sling a little mud at the competitors' wares.

Oh wait, did I say best? I just noticed that's an Xbox Live Arcade unit they're using for comparison, aka the successor to the term "idiot box" for many in the know.

As you can see, the chart breaks down stats such as price and out-of-the-box features such as WiFi, hard drives, online gaming services, and of course, Blu-ray compatibility.

Driving the point home, the statement read, "The Xbox 360 requires additional money, multiple upgrades and additional external devices, putting a burden on the wallet and adds clutter to the entertainment center.

"And the Wii's lack of enhanced features comes at the expense of a comprehensive entertainment solution.

"So as PS3 continues to evolve without the need for additional parts or expenses, expect the competition to continue peddling add-ons in an effort to keep up with the Jones'." [Sony's emphasis.] -- Press Release, via Edge Online

Asked by phone about the timing and impetus behind the release, Sony told Edge:

"We're entering CES, and gaming systems are certainly something that people take a hard look at there. That was the motivation. I'm sure you'll be seeing announcements from Sony and all of the gaming systems. We thought it would be a good time just to remind everyone of our strong offerings." -- External SCEA PR Rep, to Edge

As good a time as any, one might suppose, but as it is pointed out, Microsoft has held fast to its method of offering its audience "more options," while elsewhere, a lot of people buying Wiis just really don't give a damn what the "entertainment offerings" of a PS3 or Xbox 360 are.