"Hound" pulls the trigger on PS3, Blu-ray

After much hemming and hawing, I finally gave in and ordered my very own PlayStation 3—which also means I’m at last going Blu. It’s a big step, but the timing—both for the PS3 platform and Blu-ray itself—seems right.

Here are the details: I bought the 40GB version of the PS3, along with a Belkin HDMI switcher (I’m already using the other HDMI inputs on my Sony Bravia, and I don’t have an HDMI receiver—or at least, not yet), a pair of HDMI cables (the PS3 doesn’t ship with one, annoyingly), a Toslink cable for digital audio, and Nyko’s Blue Wave remote—or more specifically, its IR dongle, which should let me use my Harmony universal remote with the stubbornly non-IR-supporting PS3.

My first Blu-ray movie? “Casino Royale” (since I already own “Blade Runner,” “The Shining,” and “2001” on HD DVD). And my first PS3 game (besides the bundled "Motorstorm"[Update: Turns out "Motorstorm" doesn't come with the 40GB PS3, as I discovered the hard way]): "Unreal Tournament 3."

Just for the record, my Xbox 360 isn’t going anywhere—I’ll just be one of those two-console gamers for now. Hopefully my old Xbox (my second, actually) and the new PS3 will play nice together.

What made me finally break down and get the PS3? I have to say, Blu-ray’s victory over HD DVD was one of the deciding factors. And not only is the $400 40GB PS3 one of the most affordable Blu-ray players on the market, but it’s also the most future proof, as the recent software updates for BD-Live (which allows for Net-enabled features and downloads) and the lossless DTS-HD Master Audio format have shown.

And then there’s the gaming. The PS3 had a weak start with some so-so launch titles (“Resistance” being the one game that people seemed to really like), but now we’re seeing some actual gotta-have exclusives coming down the pike, including “Uncharted” and “Unreal Tournament 3” (well, at least until UT3’s upcoming arrival for the Xbox 360). Also, I’m glad that Sony finally got with the program with its soon-to-arrive rumbling SIXAXIS controller.

Finally, there’s PlayStation Home, the "Second Life"-like world for PlayStation gamers that’s set to launch later this year. I admit, I was skeptical of Home when it was first announced—what’s so great about avatars, anyway?—but still, I’m intrigued, and I want to be ready when Home opens its doors.

I’m expecting my new PS3 to arrive on my doorstep tomorrow (Friday the 18th), so I’ll make sure to check in once I’ve got it up and running.

So, any suggestions from you PS3 gamers out there, gaming or otherwise? I’d like to get another game (FPS, preferably) to go with UT3—any thoughts? And is anyone else about ready to go the PS3 way?

P.S. Yes, I already have "Call of Duty 4" for the Xbox 360 (and yes, I'm addicted)...how about some PS3 games that aren't available for the 360?

Update: So the PS3 came on Friday, as scheduled, and I've been tinkering with it for the past few days. Keep your eyes peeled for my first impressions. (Sneak preview: It's way, way quieter than the Xbox 360, and Blu-ray looks amazing at 1080p/24fps. But the PS3 menus can't hold a candle to the 360 Dashboard, the PlayStation Store is pretty anemic...and no concept of achievements? Please.)