VGRC

With the industry raving about how the PlayStation 3 is going to be the next king of all-in-one home entertainment units, it's easy for some of us to overlook one of the long-standing leaders of the field: the Sega CD. The Sega CD has been the gold standard for how to put together a multimedia system for many years now, but I'm sure most of you are asking, “Is PS3 really worth the upgrade, or is all the hype behind it kind of baseless?” Well folks, today we will objectively examine the two in our very first Grudge Match.

Both of these systems have one major thing in common: Not only do they function as mere video game systems, but they also work to extend one's home theater. Here's a brief summary of what each system has going for it:

Sega CD: Audio CD playback, CD+Graphics (CG+G) playback, built-in memory card, connectivity to Sega Genesis and Sega 32X, out-of-box home theater support, extensive game library, proven track record.

PlayStation 3: Blue-ray, DVD, CD playback, built-in hard drive, full to no backwards compatibility with PS1 and PS2 games, extensive home theater connectivity options, online support.

On one side we have the Sega CD, which plays two things: Regular Audio CDs and CD+G discs. On the other side we have the PS3, which plays just about everything from CD to DVD and even newfangled “Blue-ray” discs. While at first the PS3 may seem the clear victor in this department, we have to ask ourselves, at what cost? While PS3 tries to overload you with options, Sega CD is more than content kicking it old-school and keeping it simple. After all, CDs are commonplace and dirt cheap. Not only are they dirt cheap to buy in shrink wrap, but you can burn them yourself for pennies. PS3, on the other-hand, isn't nearly as cost-effective. Blue-ray movies are expensive as hell, and don't even think of trying to burn videos onto BD-ROMs yourself. Sure, you could go the CD/CD+G route on the PS3, but that is after a hefty $400 investment, when you've already got your Sega CD to do it for you. So go ahead, burn your downloaded copy of The Dark Knight onto a series of CD+G discs: Your Sega CD is there for you, buddy, and it asks for nothing to keep using it.

Victor: Sega CD

There's a plethora of ways to connect a PS3 to your home theater, but they are really superfluous and unnecessary in the end. When I buy a game console, I want to be able to hook it up without having to decide what kind of plug-in cable to use. The Sega CD comes to the rescue, as it uses the tried-and-true composite A/V cables we have come to know and love. Composite ports are available on pretty much every home theater system dating back to the 80s. Do you know what that means? It means it is guaranteed to work, without the fuss of having to go out and buy HDMI or S-video or “component A/V” cables. Yes, component! Watch out buyers, they look exactly the same as our trusted composite cables, but they won't work with them! And things not working are a bad thing in my book.

Victor: Sega CD

The Sega CD is, by extension, home to one of the most impressive software libraries out there. Not only do you have access to the entire library of the Sega Genesis games through its host system, but a plethora of AAA Sega CD originals and enhanced remakes of Genesis games, complete with CD-quality soundtracks that weren't possible before. Add on the 32X and Power Base Converter, and that opens up the libraries of the Sega 32X and the Sega Master System, as well as connectivity between the Sega CD and Sega 32X. PlayStation 3 is no slouch in this department either, however, as initial versions of the system had hardware support for 98% of the PS1 and PS2 game libraries, which is certainly comparable to the Genesis library. However, as Sony started scaling back the backwards compatibility support in newer versions of the system, the number of compatible games has dropped substantially, and the PS3 itself doesn't have a whole lot besides Metal Gear Solid 4 to make up for it.

Victor: A closer race than the others, but again Sega CD wins this one.

Lets face it folks, home entertainment doesn't come cheap. However, why not take opportunities to save money if you can still have a great product?

Chances are you already own a Sega CD. Games for it are dirt cheap, recordable CDs cost pennies, and add-ons are readily available for low prices on eBay should you ever want to expand. Upgrading to PS3 is going to set you back hundreds of dollars at the very least, and for what? There isn't much it offers over the Sega CD, and chances are the advantages it does have are “features” you'll never even use.

Victor: Sega CD

The Sega CD is 40 percent silicon and 100 percent reliable. Who was there for you when you needed a quick time traveling fix in Sonic CD? Who played your music for you when you finally were able to afford that fancy set of stereo speakers for your den? Who played your pornography for you on carefully burned CD+G discs? That's right, Sega CD. It has been there for you all these years, and will be there for many many more, and you know what? You can trust it. It has proven itself to be the gold standard in home entertainment consoles, and every time a competitor has arisen, Sega CD has struck it down. PlayStation 2? Windows Media Center? Apple TV? All flops, while Sega CD has stood the test of time.

The PS3 is a newcomer, and lacks the experience necessary to do the job. While it may sound idealistic and offer some optimism in a dreary world, I guarantee you that when the time comes to be serious, it will falter. Many things about it scare me, like the inclusion of an internal hard-drive to store your data. Magnetically stored data? What is this, the stone ages? And the Cell processor really says something about its ethics. Why do you think they call it “Cell?” Is it short for “Stem Cell?” Is Sony shipping out units containing the remains of aborted fetuses?

I think that, despite biased media hype, we all know who the real victor of this battle is.