Amidst all the problems the PlayStation 3 is currently having, Microsoft seems to be taking advantage of the PSN's downtime to boost their security. Sony plans to reward gamers for their lost game time, but with an indefinite return for PlayStation Network there seems to be more reasons to switch consoles if you haven't already. The Xbox has been generous with a "Free Gold Weekend", free trial for the newly added Hulu Plus, and with the upcoming dashboard update, Xbox 360 gamers will have increased security with the option to pay for things through PayPal.
According to a report on Joystiq, the new update is set to release starting May 19th. If you don't receive it that day, you could be in one of the latter groups to receive it as it's being dispersed through 6 upgrade groups for the first time. The only thing directly visible to gamers will be the PayPal feature which will allow you to purchase items from the Xbox Live Marketplace using a secure PayPal account instead of directly entering credit card information. The spring update will also add support for the new XGD3 disk format that will be used on games released later in 2011. These disks will add extra on-disc storage space for developers and will also have additional layers of copy protection.
If this sounds like enough to get you to switch systems, the local video game stores are offering up to $180 store credit or $160 cash for a PS3. That knocks a little more than half off the price of a new 250GB Xbox 360, and that's not counting any additional trade in value from spare controllers, accessories, or games. If you're interested in a Kinect as well, the Coral Ridge Mall Target Store is offering $25 off the purchase of a Kinect and one eligible game. If the 250GB Xbox is more than you think you'll need, you could also pick up a 4GB model while you're there and get a $50 Target Gift card to put towards anything in the store. If you're looking to build your game library, any of the Cedar Rapids or Iowa City area Video Games Etc. stores are running a few specials for you: Buy two new games and get one pre-owned free, or buy three pre-owned games and get one pre-owned free. No matter where you look, it seems like everyone is trying to take advantage of the debilitated PlayStation Network.
