If they can't sell it the normal way, they throw in a PSP or a game bundle or whatever they can think of, just to get the PS3 moving. Now that the whole world knows that the PS3 is a “bad apple” and that Sony has a lot of tailoring yet to carry out with their next-gen system, it's quite hard for retailers to come up with attractive offers. Remember the PS3 and PSP bundle? It sounded great, until you saw the price.

Now, over at Gametart Direct, they have two offers regarding Sony's PS3. The first one says: PS3 + 6 months of unlimited games rental at the incredible price of £499.99. The second: PS3 + 12 months of unlimited games rental at only £549.99. They calculated that if you bought 3 PS3 games per month for six months, it'd cost you £810. They say their deals allow you to play the same amount for just £75, saving you £735! They’re telling the truth, but how many are actually going to buy a PS3 but rent the games? More than you'd think.

“The PS3 is hugely expensive for most people and buying games on top of the initial cost of the console will make gaming a very expensive hobby!” says Rob Savin, Marketing Manager at Gametart Direct. “We truly believe that the rental offers we’ve got here are the best way to get the most out this amazing machine without spending a small fortune”

The truth is you sometimes blow 2 allowances on a game that you get bored of after the first ten minutes of play, and then you'd wish that it was a rental. But then, there are those sacred titles like Halo, and Guitar Hero, that should be in your collection no matter what and further more, it would be an insult to the developers if you rented them. But with the available titles for the PS3 today, nobody's taking any chances. If they've blown all their money on the system, people will be very cautious with buying the games for it.