Finally, a PS3 hands-on report (which is unfortunately still lacking in title-specific details)
by Dan Choi 
{ Feb 11th 2006 at 9:30AM }
Kikizo is claiming that they've gained access to "three PS3 developers in multiple territories,"
which--of course--means that they can't say anything about the games in
development without jeopardizing the jobs of
their confidential friends. They were willing to talk about the current working state of the PS3, however, so here are
a few highlights of what they had to say:- The hardware's close to final, but still hasn't squeezed into those empty PS3 cases yet. An alleged senior developer is quoted as saying: "I think to fit everything that Sony wants in there AND leave space for a 2.5 inch hard drive, the machine would have to grow. The models they're showing off are way too small for what they want."
- Upgraded controller or games media? Well, "developers are designing games with the familiar DualShock 2 controls in mind," and they're "programming the game as if it will be written for a 10-speed DVD drive" (so as not to "affect load time"). The situation may change in the future, but that's the reality for these devs right now.
- Games oughtta be more immersive thanks to the PS3's supposed ability to handle "more stuff simultaneously" as "a machine barely superior to Xbox 360." For this small system gap to widen, "...Sony will have to make available to [devs] libraries and new routines... something they've been severely lacking at so far."
- For reference, "current playable
content" looks more like Fifth Phantom Saga than
Killzone or Motorstorm,
but MGS4-quality
graphics are looking more and more possible (which is probably a good thing), while
launch titles may resemble "nice Xbox 360 material" like Dead or Alive 4 and Gears of
War.
These are exciting times for Sony fans, however, despite any shortcomings described in this "PS3 virginity-busting experience." The graphics are coming along, and the system's beginning to stand tall beside its next-gen rivals. Online's still a wild card, and the tech could be pricey, but we can't wait to finally see some games in action.
[Thanks, Ravi & Mike]
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
Superzapper2000 @ Feb 11th 2006 6:09PM
So this is a review of a dev system and part finished games made on a dev System?.WTF is the point here ?.
.
KingKong @ Feb 11th 2006 6:27PM
Well yeah, that's another problem with it. I can understand why they did it, but the review-ish conclusive tone of the article doesn't seem fitting when they're looking at just 3 very early titles. I mean, that might be just 10% of the western launch lineup, if not less..not something I'd feel comfortable saying is representative either way.
I know it's tempting for them to cast judgement and draw comparison, but I'd say it was a bit inappropriate (even if it was mostly positive). Hopefully much more will be available for all to see, soon, so we can make our own opinions.
Dan Choi @ Feb 11th 2006 8:27PM
"I want PS3 to do well, but man, there is no way I agree with Dan Choi in saying 'These are exciting times for Sony fans'...I would say at the most, 'these are uncomfortable times for Sony fans'."
WyattERP, excitement has a lot of different meanings, including not only "the feeling of lively and cheerful joy," but also "the state of being emotionally aroused and worked up" and "something that agitates and arouses." Sorry if only a positive connotation was expressed through that comment, but I'm sure PS3 fans would be grateful that some of their fears have been relieved (even if others were raised) by the content of this story.
As far as not being able to agree with my assessment, that's cool: everyone has a right to an opinion, and I certainly won't deny you that (so long as you choose to play nice as well =).
Dan Choi @ Feb 11th 2006 8:44PM
"It's about your argument that over the time developers will move the PS3 beyond the possibilities of the Xbox360."
Erzengel, I appreciate the time you took to explain your prior comment, but that's the argument that was made in the original article--that the "potential" is there for the PS3 to surpass the 360. Even if I shared that opinion (which may or may not be the case), it remains an opinion that will probably still be debated at the end of the next console cycle and beyond. Just sharing an opinion, Debikul (even if it's not mine).
"Your Point 3 is based on these theoretical
datasheets which are relativized buy the fact of the bottlenecks."
I may have labeled it as Point 3 and such, but I was simply summarizing one of the major points from the article, as stated in my opening paragraph: "...here are a few highlights of what they had to say." Sorry I didn't make every detail from the original source known in my post, but that's what I get for trying to pick only a few points to highlight from the story. How such technical bottlenecks affect the performance of Sony's machine versus the 360 has yet to be determined in finalized PS3 releases, however. As they say, time will tell.
Anticrawl @ Feb 11th 2006 8:46PM
Well I didn't come in here to get into a heated debate over the same console(360 and ps3 being the same) but is it just me or does everyone seem to think the 360 is so much bigger than the ps3? I've seen those little comparison charts here and on ign ever since E3. Yeah those are wrong. The released demensions for the ps3 have it being a bit larger than the 360, in width and height, and of course the Rev being the smallest. Actually the ps3 seems to be about the same size as my full size george forman, and that would really piss me off. Already lacking room in my room and if the ps3 and 360 end up being the same damn thing I'll get the 360 and not bother with the ps3, especailly since the 360 is gonna have farcry on it, and then the rev also. Plus who needs all that bullshit that is packaged with the ps3 as a feature. Likewise with the 360, but it doesn't seem to be as overwhelmingly feature-rich. Who the fudge needs 7 boomerangs?
Seriously, what is Sony thinking. They can't possibly be this dumb. We have to be misunderstanding something they have said and they better get their story straight for E3 or they're gonna lose a lot of sales and fans, including me.
Pixels for my people,
Anticrawl
Oh Boy... @ Feb 11th 2006 8:53PM
# 1 you are an idiot. Nintendo invented the D pad, and the analog stick. Both things were taken by Sony. The analog was taken a little later in the game though. Maybe you guys don't remember the crappy controller that was the Playstation Controller.
Dan Choi @ Feb 11th 2006 9:03PM
"While I'm not a huge fan of Dan Choi's posts in general, I see no glaring issues with his take on the article in question."
That sounds like quite the backhanded compliment, portnoy (in the sense of being roundabout or ambiguous), but I guess I'll take a compliment when I can get one. =)
At any rate, it may not always be a pleasure to be on the receiving end of critism, but it is important to point out flaws or other "glaring issues" in my posts if and when you see them. Thanks to everyone out there who strives to "keep me honest" with eagle-eyed analysis; it most certainly is appreciated.
Erzengel @ Feb 11th 2006 9:34PM
Regarding the DX and Shader Versions:
Xenos supports Shader3.0 with some new extensions, often called Shader 3.0+, it also supports some features of DX10/WGF2.0 -> Memexport and Unified Shader
RSX doesn't support the full Shader 3.0 Specification cause some of the features are Microsoft bound. The chip itself has the full 3.0 ability, but developers have no interface to access the full subset of shader 3.0.
Cause of this Sony must use the old Cg Language and they refuse to go for HLSL (Higher Level Shader Language) which is a Microsoft Baby.
My opinion about hte whole discussion here and the article itself. I will buy a PS3, no question, but after that PR bombardement from Sony about the uber-ultra-mega-superduper-hyper machine from their labs i expected an article in the form of:
"Most dissapointments about PS3 #20" or something similar. Now i have an article here saying it's all okay.
After the PS3 has been launched i would like to see the same "Most Disapointments" articles like written about the Xbox360. The Sony PR Department delivered so much that internet news sites should buy a new storage devices to store this amount of "Most...." things. ;) But after reading this article i think these articles will never exist.
Art Guy @ Feb 11th 2006 10:12PM
"Nintendo invented the D pad, and the analog stick."
Not this again...
How can there still be people saying this??? Are they young kids? Grew up locked in a basement? I really don't get it.
There were several consoles with D-pads and analog sticks long before the even NES came out. What's next? Claiming Nintendo invented the CD-ROM?
miguel @ Feb 11th 2006 10:19PM
2 words....
Elderly Scallops.
btw, right on Debikul.
bd @ Feb 11th 2006 10:24PM
Art Guy:
Maybe people should clarify to you, that Nintendo popularized the D-pad and the analogue stick. Nintendo doesn't invent technology, nintendo uses technology in ways it has never been used. So yeah, Nintendo made original use of it, and made it popular. Sony and Sega copied Nintendo, and Microsoft copied Sony and Sega. Maybe Nintendo 'copied' whoever made those first, but very few know about them, and nobody used those devices like Nintendo did, so nobody cares if they existed before if they weren't used the proper way.
Art Guy @ Feb 11th 2006 11:00PM
bd - First of all, "Oh Boy" didn't say popularize, she said, "invent".
Secondly, millions of consoles had been sold with D-Pads long before the NES debuted.
I.R.C. @ Feb 11th 2006 11:14PM
actually its opengl based. And this is actually BS, he said shader pipelines rather than processors(yes they have multible proccessors dedcated within the rsx just for shaders, that's why the rsx has such a high flop count) and he gave no real specifics. He didn't even mention sub-surface scatter effects. this is obviosly BS if you know your facts.
Captain Obvious @ Feb 11th 2006 11:53PM
I have to agree, the original article has more negatives than positives,
According to the original article:
-Case shown may not be big enough to house all components
-No Blu-Ray drive yet (yikes, still?)
-Games are running off hard drive, simulated with 10x loading times (how do you do that on a hard drive anyway? And isn't 10x slower than 360?)
-Visuals not quite realism you see in movies
-Many games (if not most) will run at 720p
-Noticable environmental glitches (but this is to be expected before final release)
-Barely superior to Xbox 360, but not by any significant margin
-Cell is weird and difficult to work with...
-Haven't played anything that made us gasp in the same way as Half-Life 2's physics did
-Nothing they couldn't imagine running on a 360
-Killzone trailer reflects what the developer thought they might be able to achieve... some of Sony's most talented studios will be questioning the ambition they showed
-Does PS3 really look like the Killzone trailer? No way.
-Likely to be released later than promised.. everywhere
-Sheer scale and cost of PS3 is surely looking like an increasing problem for some creators..
ReaderRealist @ Feb 12th 2006 12:45AM
I own 2 PS2 and the only XBox anything in my house is a XBox controller (for my computer) and the PC version of Halo.
Guess what, I am part of the HUGE Sony fanbase, and software drive system sales.FACT Call me a Sony fanboy if you wish, but at the probable christmas launch of PS3, XBox will be clipsed by the PS3 and there is nothing MS can do about it.
Why:
1. the Bluray player.
360 can't play HD-DVD's, yet the dvd player was a major motivating factor in the WORLDS purchase of the PS2.
2. 360's poor international sales
People don't want whats not designed for them. XBox has some really good looking games, and the gameplay is top notch, but their geared for American gamers period.
3. true backward compatibility
If the PS3 really has backward compatibility, don't you think the typical family will go with the smart buy. Who doesn't have a PS game.
Now if Sony can only make enough units to fill the huge demand, 2007 will be the year of PS3. Don't take my word for it, just wait like everyone else in the world is.
John @ Feb 12th 2006 2:23AM
Needs blu-ray.
bd @ Feb 12th 2006 3:49AM
ArtGuy, I don't care what they said. Truth is, Nintendo did popularize and made effective use of the D-pad and the analogue stick, which is what matters.
Phillips and Sega both brought CDs to the console arena in the same year, and did they make CDs popular for console gaming? No, it was Sony (and it just happens that Sony invented CDs, right?). Rarely does someone remember that there were consoles that used CDs before the PSX, but the truth is, nobody cares. Sony put the cartridge format to rest once and for all because they gave the world the most games to utilize the full potential of CDs, just as nintendo did with the D-pad and Analogue stick.
MichFan @ Feb 12th 2006 7:54AM
#50 -- look at #25. Agree with your comments, either Sony is going to eat it big time or PS3 is going to underdeliver (batrring a Sony miracle).
soco @ Feb 12th 2006 8:01AM
i've never believed any of the hype and won't do it now. i'm sure on paper the PS3 will be a bit more powerful than my 360, and that's cool. however, as said a million times, most games will never really take advantage of the extra power, and so both systems will be about the same in the end. which leaves me with the question. when do we get to see the games? where are the announcements we haven't yet heard? i'm tired of the same old "this is easier/harder to develop for", "this one is faster/slower", "this one is missing that feature". i just want to see some real stuff and not pie-in-the-sky claims.
where are the games we get to see? when do the real announcements come? when do we stop getting 3-out reports and see it for ourselves? why is sony so quiet still? are we gonna get some killer announcement like a few weeks before launch with 90 actual games running?
The1 @ Feb 12th 2006 9:32AM
New Blu-Ray movies will retail for $34.95 which is quite a leap. Blu-Ray games on the PS3 are said to cost $59.99. Sony must plan to take a loss on the games as well. There is no way for developers to recoup their investments on games if Sony only increases the cost of Blu-Ray games by $10.00 dollars.
Rob B @ Feb 12th 2006 10:08AM
This article is mostly BS because I know the CPU isn't even finalized yet. I live in Nagasaki where The Cell processor is manufactured and I've met one of the IBM guys stationed over here. His job is to make sure the CPU happens, and they're no quite finished yet. Sony is a bit worried.
aloejuice @ Feb 12th 2006 11:47AM
sweet baby j!!! do you little boys and girls ever stop bitching and moaning? it's not even constructive...
ps3 vs xbizzle360, it's like arguing politics.
addendum: you're all right. so stfu please
MarxMarvelous37 @ Feb 12th 2006 12:22PM
@47 "So, what we have are two equivalent products: the XBOX 360 and the PS3 but the PS3 has a Blu-Ray player and will probably cost either the same or $100-$150 extra? Halle-freakin-lujah! It will be years before a dedicated Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player costs $100-$150. PS3 all the way!"
LOL. Sorry to inject a little sanity, but the Xbox will be available a YEAR earlier (according to most projections) and have a HD-DVD add-on that will likely cost in that very $100-$150 range. Did you mean Xbox all the way?
byrnes @ Feb 12th 2006 12:47PM
I think it is hillarious how people think the Blu-Ray drive will move units. I am one of the few gamers who owns a large screen HDTV. Now some gamers parents may own one, but will not be alloweed to play at their leisure. The Blu-Ray/HD-DVD switch will not be as quick as the DVD switch. The new formats are needed by HDTV owners only. The extra storage is not necessary elsewise. Think of VHS and all the drawbacks.
VHS:
Rewinding tapes
Crappy picture quality
No extra features
Fast Forward and Rewind = slow! (remember all the damn trailers)
Etc, Etc.
Going from DVD to Blu-Ray is really only for the HDTV quality that DVD cannot produce. The PS2 SUCKED as a DVD player (2 weeks after my PS2 purchase I bought a Stand-alone player). So you can guess how excited I am about a Blu-Ray player in PS3.
Reading through all of these posts points out some glaring concerns. This article proves that Sony is up to their old tricks of lying and deceit. Some of the posters are pissed and jumping off the band-wagon (like me). Other posters are going along for the ride again and I don't understand why. Someone actually said that 360 games are built for Americans (and this is a problem?)
I love my 360. Games are coming. It seems easier to program for which should mean more games more often. Many PC titles will be on 360. This is great for me because I hate PC gaming. HD gaming is awesome. How can anyone wait over a year for PS3 when you could be gaming in HD now!
Sony has given me no reason to purchase a launch PS3. I am really not excited about it at all. I spend so much time reading their BS that I have given up. I will wait until something proves the PS3 is signifigantly better than 360. I need a PS2 to Xbox difference.
2005/2006- year of 360
2006 Holiday - Year of Revolution
May not be a PS3 year ever for me
Ozymandias @ Feb 12th 2006 1:09PM
dont hdtvs automatically upscale to the best resolution. I thought the difference in visual quality depended on what the native resolution was. If the ps3 games arent 1080p native, whats the difference between playing a 360 game on a set the upscales to 1080p and playing ps3 game upscaled from 720p?
Im not being a smart ass, im just asking a question.
Art Guy @ Feb 12th 2006 1:19PM
byrnes -
I agree that the adoption rate of the new HD players is not going to be like DVD. For one thing, the main advantage over DVDs is that they have is higher resolution, HDTVs are expensive and not everyone sees a need for higher resolutions. Secondly, most of the HDTVs that have been sold do not have the HDMI input needed to get the high definition signal, this is required by the copious amounts of DRM built into both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. Without a HDMI input on your HDTV, you won't be able to view high resolution movies, rendering the advantage useless for most owners.
If you can't tell all the DRM annoys the heck out of me, and I'm willing to bet hackers are going to break the DRM encryption code almost immediately. Sony and Toshiba are just penalizing most of the current HDTV owners at the expense of temporarily making the disks harder to duplicate. This is what is going to slow down the adoption rates the most in my mind.
I own a HDTV and am enjoying my 360. When the PS3 comes out, it will have the Blu-Ray player, but it won't be of any use to me since I have a "old" HDTV. So for me, the only reason to buy a PS3 over a 360 would be for the exclusive games, not for the Blu-Ray player.
Jake @ Feb 12th 2006 1:46PM
Art Guy,
I'm fairly sure that the PS3 will not use HDCP. I think the first major use of HDCP will be HD content in Widnows Vista. Therefore, your "old" HDTV will work fine. No worries.
LongshotX @ Feb 12th 2006 1:46PM
It's funny to hear Sony Fanboys talk about how impressive their system will be with its dual HDMI and Blu-Ray. It's even funnier to hear Nintendo Fanboys talk about their "Virtual Console" and their "innovative Controller".
In all honesty digital inputs such as HDMI or DVI are actually no better than Component Analog Video inputs. Here is a link to the website that explains throughly why you may have some misconceptions on Video input devices.
http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/34579/122868.html
Also it's been said time again about Sony and it's failed formats. Some would say the past doesn't have anything to do with the future. Obviously it plays some role because Sony has yet to learn that using Propiertary Formats is not always the best option for the consumer. Betamax and MiniDisc haved both failed. Sony Memory Sticks can't begin to compare or compete with SD MMC cards. UMD is obviously a form of Minidisc ressurected. They are expensive and the seeking time is horrible. You also cannot write to UMDs as there are presently no UMD writers/recorders. And when was the last time you popped in a UMD into some kind of device to watch the movies on your TV (That you most likely have already on DVD?) If you want to play MP3s buy any commercial MP3 player. If you want to watch DVDs on the go there is something called a portable DVD player. As for Blu-ray Sony is putting all it's money on a format that they assume will win. Bill Gates and Microsoft understand that the future is not new a Optical Format but new interative ways that utilize Broadband to download media on demand. Also it's been shown that even High Def games don't require these High Capacity disks. With the proper compression developers have been able to shrink their games down to maximum effiency. Blu-ray will also be very expensive. If you compare Blu-ray to HD-DVD you'll find Blu-ray costs as much as twice of its competitors. Take this into consideration to: pretend you're an average consumer (most likely someone who does not have a clue what a Blu-Ray is or what Engadget is for that matter). You go in the store and see HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. Taking into mind you just bought a shiny new HD set. When you see the words HD -DVD you will automatically know "Hey thats High Def DVD"; looking at Blu-ray the average consumer would probably be like WTF is that and why is it so expensive? This is the logic that average consumers look at. You think they care about whether something is 1080i or 1080p? Or 120fps as opposed to 60fps? How about Bluetooth vs. 2.4GHz Wireless. I doubt it. The consumer wants a good product for a decent amount of money. The problem with most of you guys here is you look at things from the geek perspective.
Anyways, Revolution will do very well in my opinion . Although I think the controller will no doubt alienate some gamers I think it will be successful. But to say it's truly innovative is kind of an overstatement. (N64 fanboys claimed their joystick was innovative, even though it was used generations before the N64, ever heard of Atari?) I mean it's innovative in the sense that it's a new input device but it does the same thing all controllers do: control games. I would like to see something that truly immerses the gamer into the experience. However this is the step in the right direction. But here is my problem: Am I the only one sick of Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong etc (I shall exclude Metroid). I mean come on there are like 1000 iterations of Mario. Mario DDR? come on that's B.S. What's next Mario Wars? Mario Pasta Attack 128, Mario Master Baiter, Fishing? How about a FPS Mario with mushroom rocket launchers. It's just ridiculous. Neither of those 1st party games are all that innovative. How about you introduce some new Characters, damn! Oh and this virtual console is lame. Go out and download an emulator if you want you nostalgia inducing games. Matter fact go to www.Mininova.org and download all the games to you are satisfied. Virtual Console is not an innovation it's just a bloated library of OLD games.
To all the Xbox 360 fans the time is well nigh, because our future of gaming is here! 360 fans need not wait for the manufacturer to inform them on release dates. All games are 720p or 1080i, that's standard. Microsoft is going to be shipping out new consoles this Spring. 360 has the Hard drive with larger ones on the way, 360 also has the best internet gaming ever to grace a console (Have you been on the new live, it's incredible!), 360 is also getting an external HD-DVD drive for those wanting to play HD movies, there is also a camera in development, as well as an assortment of upgrades and patches in the work to fix errors and to improve on media functionality. While it is not all here just yet, Microsoft believes it's customers should not only know what in store but what their going getting. But this is only phase 1. It's all about interativity and connectivity, big Screens, and having Fun. The 360 is a tangible piece of equipment, that can be played and utilized to it's desired intent, NOW! And that's a sigh of relief!
Jake @ Feb 12th 2006 1:47PM
Don't hold me to the Windows Vista thing, I just remember reading that somewhere.
bd @ Feb 12th 2006 2:01PM
"LOL. Sorry to inject a little sanity, but the Xbox will be available a YEAR earlier"
Oh really? Sorry to inject a little sanity, but the Xbox is not even available.
"(according to most projections)"
Oh yeah, and analysts are right. Always.
"and have a HD-DVD add-on"
Which doesn't have the Hollywood support that a format needs. You know, that's the whole premise of a new format.
"that will likely cost in that very $100-$150 range."
The cheapest stand-alone will cost 500 dollars, what makes you think that an HD-DVD, which will not likely be manufactured by Microsoft, will cost a fifth of that? And what makes you think everyone will get the HD-DVD add-on anyway?
"Did you mean Xbox all the way?"
Blu-ray all the way. NEXT.
LongshotX @ Feb 12th 2006 2:18PM
There's a good chance that neither format will win Bd.
1. Public nonchalance- The typical consumer could care less. Just as much as they care about 1080i vs 1080p or DDR vs DDR2. They don't care. They look at DVD and think "Well this looks good, better then Tapes and Hell the guy down the street has wonderful bootlegs...etc"
2. No set standard, what more can I say?
3. Crippling DRM- Gone will be the days of copying Dvds from you local blockbuster or whatever. Copy protection will be heavily inforced.
4. Cost- Costs of Blu-Ray is steep. They have to build new factories to produce the medium. HD-DVD is quite different.
5. Compressed HD on DVD-ROM- Present techonolgy has the capability to compress high resolution full length HD content and place it on DVD. The problem is we are still using MPEG2. It's old as hell. If the codecs were changed we wouldn't need new optical disks just better DVD players with the better codecs.
bd @ Feb 12th 2006 2:33PM
"I think it is hillarious how people think the Blu-Ray drive will move units."
I think it is hilarious how some people think it won't.
"I am one of the few gamers who owns a large screen HDTV. Now some gamers parents may own one, but will not be alloweed to play at their leisure."
LOL, you had my credibility up to this point buddy. "Some gamers' parents", dude, the average gamer is 30 year old. Don't you think that most 30 year olds have, gee, I don't know... jobs?? Most gamers will be able to afford an HDTV.
"The Blu-Ray/HD-DVD switch will not be as quick as the DVD switch. The new formats are needed by HDTV owners only. The extra storage is not necessary elsewise. Think of VHS and all the drawbacks."
You said it. Needed by HDTV owners. There's a big market out there of HDTV owners. If they didn't want High Definition pictures, they wouldn't have gotten an HDTV in the first place. So basically, many of them would like a player that upscales/deinterlaces their movies, and that plays high definition movies natively.
PS3 is the first console with HD movie disc playability out of the box, and the least expensive Blu-ray at first. So to many of the HDTV owners, it will be a steal. It's a system seller. Not every HDTV owner will buy it, but certainly enough of a number to give Blu-ray a huge head start, in the same way DVD was adopted.
"VHS:
Rewinding tapes
Crappy picture quality
No extra features
Fast Forward and Rewind = slow! (remember all the damn trailers)
Etc, Etc."
"Going from DVD to Blu-Ray is really only for the HDTV quality that DVD cannot produce."
And that's where HDTV owners come in, thanks. PS3 will be one of the first blu-rays in the market, so even when the market from VHS to DVD was bigger, there were also a lot of DVDs out there already in PCs or as stand-alones. There will hardly be any high definition players when PS3 comes out, so it combined with its price will be a system seller. Not all HDTV users will get it, but an important number, as I said above.
" The PS2 SUCKED as a DVD player (2 weeks after my PS2 purchase I bought a Stand-alone player)."
Well, it didn't "SUCK" for the people that bought it initially as their first DVD player, which could as well be about half of the PS2 install base before Xbox came out.
"So you can guess how excited I am about a Blu-Ray player in PS3."
So, are you going to buy the 1800 stand-alone, or the crippled 500 HD-DVD that is not supported by hollywood?
"Reading through all of these posts points out some glaring concerns. This article proves that Sony is up to their old tricks of lying and deceit."
Oh man. "Lying and deceit" is called marketing. You know, Microsoft does the exact same thing.
"Some of the posters are pissed and jumping off the band-wagon (like me). Other posters are going along for the ride again and I don't understand why. Someone actually said that 360 games are built for Americans (and this is a problem?)"
Yes, this is a problem. Not all of us are American. Are all Americans like this? I don't think so; or at least I hope you are not all like that. Too bad there are some.
"I love my 360. Games are coming. It seems easier to program for which should mean more games more often."
I can see the typical consumer now: "Holy shit, it's the new Xbox 360!! AND IT'S EASY TO PROGRAM FOR! OMG I GOTTA BUY THIS SHIT". That's not what they thought when they bought PS2, did they? Otherwise it wouldn't have sold. But you said it: "Games are coming". The only explanation I can think of for why you have a 360 now is not the games, but the same lip-service that Sony gives, except done by Microsoft; too bad it has ZERO RPGs for now. "Games are coming", you know, games are coming for every platform, so by your logic, you might as well want to buy every single platform, or you can't criticize PS3 buyers since not only are games coming, but movies in HD are too.
"Many PC titles will be on 360. This is great for me because I hate PC gaming."
One of the main reasons gamers didn't buy an Xbox 1.0 in the first place was because most of its titles were on PC, and were better played/represented there. lol
"HD gaming is awesome. How can anyone wait over a year for PS3 when you could be gaming in HD now!"
Because there are no games. And you can do HD gaming with both Xbox and PS2. How can somebody rush into buy a console when there are *plenty* of cheaper and better games for PS2, Gamecube and even Xbox?
"Sony has given me no reason to purchase a launch PS3. I am really not excited about it at all. I spend so much time reading their BS that I have given up. I will wait until something proves the PS3 is signifigantly better than 360."
If it's BS, why do you keep reading it? Why don't you go play 360 if it's so good? I mean, are you just trying to justify your purchase, or what?
"I need a PS2 to Xbox difference."
You mean, you need a difference of the type of the amount of games that came for PS2, as opposed to the ones that didn't for Xbox? On that I may agree. Then again, both have a similar amount of good (or bad) games announced, so if I had to choose Blu-ray versus non-Blu-ray, I choose Blu-ray. Oh, and it's Backwards compatible! That way my games aren't wasted.
"2005/2006- year of 360"
2005 was the year of God of War and Resident Evil 4 (Gamecube). The 360 had nothing against those except "HD graphics".
"2006 Holiday - Year of Revolution"
Might be.
"May not be a PS3 year ever for me"
Might look better to consumers than the 360. I mean, why should they waste their entire collection of PS2 and PS1 games anyway?
eric @ Feb 12th 2006 2:49PM
>I'm fairly sure that the PS3 will not use HDCP<
I'm not so sure. Sony Pictures is paranoid about digital theft. I'd be surprised, shocked, if it were not present in the PS3. Otherwise, it'll be a hackers dream.
Rocket Dude @ Feb 12th 2006 2:56PM
Previous comment "The PS2 SUCKED as a DVD player (2 weeks after my PS2 purchase I bought a Stand-alone player)."
Reply comment "Well, it didn't "SUCK" for the people that bought it initially as their first DVD player, which could as well be about half of the PS2 install base before Xbox came out."
I beg to differ. I bought a PS2 on the day of rleease. The original firmware to play DVDs on the PS2 was horrible. And the remote control was not the one everyone has today, it was this limited remote that didn't have any special feature or advanced navigation buttons on it. Anyone recall the ORIGINAL remote? At the time I thought HOW EMBARASSING for Sony to release such crap. It did improve though, after a couple of firmware updates and a revised remote.
Spartacus @ Feb 12th 2006 4:08PM
Well, since the topic has now shifted to the blu-ray debate, I'll chime in once again...
Top Reasons why I think Blu-Ray will be met with Limited Success:
1. No HDTV's on the market that I know of presently accept a 1080p input signal. Sony's own SXRD displays (top of the line) can only UPSCALE signals to 1080p. It is rumored that there will be a software update in the future to fix this. High end plasma displays only support 720p. Possibly this year plasmas will come out supporting a 1080 signal, however they will be insanely expensive.
2. If HDMI inputs are required due to DRM's on Blu-Ray, many HDTV owners will be alienated and/or forced to buy a new HDTV.
3. Current DVD players can upscale. Current HDTV's can upscale. Those who own a 1080p (or even a 720p for that matter) upscaling HDTV won't be able to tell much difference between what they currently own (a vast library of DVD's) and a native 1080p signal.
4. Blu-Ray is more expensive than both DVD and HD-DVD. DVD players can be picked up for 50 bucks, good ones for around $100. HD-DVD players will debut around $400-$500. Blu-Ray players look to debut for well over $1000. It doesn't matter if Blu-Ray has Hollywood's backing or not if people don't buy it. The average consumer who walks into Best Buy, sees HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players sitting next to each other and the vast price difference will then ask an employee what the difference is. "They both play hi-def movies? Same resolution? Same features? Blu-Ray discs are harder to copy AND are more expensive than HD-DVD discs?!" Hollywood can't force a format if the competition sells while their format sits on store shelves collecting dust due to price and copy protection.
4. DVD's are TOO mainstream. No one likes to repurchase products. If you own DVD's and a good DVD player, it is unlikely that you'll adopt a new, unproven format, especially if there are currently two formats fighting for the top spot. DVD's took several years to get widely accepted and were a larger technological jump than Blu-Ray.
5. Less than 25% of TV owners are HDTV owners. Since Blu-Ray would ONLY benefit this group, and wouldn't even benefit ALL of this group (only those with HDMI inputs AND 1080p native input signal support- maybe 10-20% of all HDTV owners) the market is very small.
Needless to say, either next-gen format will be a tough sell to the average consumer, but especially Blu-Ray due to its price. As long as it took DVD to become mainstream, I wouldn't bother with HD-DVD or BR discs for another 5 years, and by that time, PS4 will be around the corner...
don_sf @ Feb 12th 2006 4:11PM
what is it with all the tecnical geeks in here, how the hell you think public gona care bout some shaders on some polygons in some graphics card.
blu ray will be a success, personally i dont think we really need it at the main stream, but it will be a success. coz all of hollywood are pushin it out aswell as dell (leading computer supplier) and sony. i dont tink yal quite understand the power they have.
all this bout 720i or p wot woteva it was, ps3 wasnt built to end today u clowns, ps3 was made 4 like 5 years. it aint easy to squeeze stuff out of new technology. da foundations have been laid, graphics will only get better.
this is where ps3 is much better than xbox 360 because the ps3 hardware has much more potential than xbox.
i know normal people, normal in the sense that their not well informed with the gaming news and all this technical stuff. and each and everyone of them want the ps3.
why? xbox was more power, had better graphics, had better online, games ps2 was probly better but xbox stil had a good library. its all about the image,
the bottom line is playstation is cool - thats why 100 million + ps1 and 100 million + ps2 wer sold. the sony playstation brand is what people want.
this is why ps3 will always succeed and all you xbox fans know it.
this brings me to my point of revolution. noone can disrespect nintendo because every1 loves mario and every1 had a game boy. ds and psp are different, ds offers fun enjoyable quick games whilst psp offers high power and serioes games.
this is how it should be in the future, revolution giving quick fun entertainment and ps3 delivering amazing quality.
why cant people accept playstation is better than xbox?
Bascanuwegos @ Feb 12th 2006 5:38PM
For everyone who supports the PS3, you need to find your way to IGN, which hates all things Xbox 360. You fools are buying into propaganda of a console that does not exist in a "final" version. Microsoft gave an honest E3 presentation and ppls say it's weak. PS3 is going to get the same fools again, just a lot fewer because Blu-Ray is not going to get wide adoption(like HDDVD) and the price point will be too high.
C-Dub @ Feb 12th 2006 5:50PM
"Secondly, millions of consoles had been sold with D-Pads long before the NES debuted."
Name one.
"N64 fanboys claimed their joystick was innovative, even though it was used generations before the N64, ever heard of Atari?"
Atari's analog joystick was horrible. Besides the N64 brought the analog thumbstick which is different than an joystick - a joystick requires both hand.
Nook @ Feb 12th 2006 5:52PM
PS3 is just marginally better than the 360. Hahahah, I knew it. Perhaps in the end, Nintendo will come out ahead.
Mighty Joe @ Feb 12th 2006 6:14PM
"Secondly, millions of consoles had been sold with D-Pads long before the NES debuted."
Name one."
Intellivision console by mattel.
"Atari's analog joystick was horrible. Besides the N64 brought the analog thumbstick which is different than an joystick - a joystick requires both hand."
Well considering it was pretty old and at that time new, whaddya expect? But analog thumbstick wasn't a nintendo invention, it actually came from a console named Vectrex. Thank god nintendo made it popular after a couple of years, I cant imagine games without the thing.
Lance @ Feb 12th 2006 6:38PM
"Top Reasons why I think Blu-Ray will be met with Limited Success:
1. No HDTV's on the market that I know of presently accept a 1080p input signal. Sony's own SXRD displays (top of the line) can only UPSCALE signals to 1080p. It is rumored that there will be a software update in the future to fix this. High end plasma displays only support 720p. Possibly this year plasmas will come out supporting a 1080 signal, however they will be insanely expensive.
2. If HDMI inputs are required due to DRM's on Blu-Ray, many HDTV owners will be alienated and/or forced to buy a new HDTV.
3. Current DVD players can upscale. Current HDTV's can upscale. Those who own a 1080p (or even a 720p for that matter) upscaling HDTV won't be able to tell much difference between what they currently own (a vast library of DVD's) and a native 1080p signal.
4. Blu-Ray is more expensive than both DVD and HD-DVD. DVD players can be picked up for 50 bucks, good ones for around $100. HD-DVD players will debut around $400-$500. Blu-Ray players look to debut for well over $1000. It doesn't matter if Blu-Ray has Hollywood's backing or not if people don't buy it. The average consumer who walks into Best Buy, sees HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players sitting next to each other and the vast price difference will then ask an employee what the difference is. "They both play hi-def movies? Same resolution? Same features? Blu-Ray discs are harder to copy AND are more expensive than HD-DVD discs?!" Hollywood can't force a format if the competition sells while their format sits on store shelves collecting dust due to price and copy protection.
4. DVD's are TOO mainstream. No one likes to repurchase products. If you own DVD's and a good DVD player, it is unlikely that you'll adopt a new, unproven format, especially if there are currently two formats fighting for the top spot. DVD's took several years to get widely accepted and were a larger technological jump than Blu-Ray.
5. Less than 25% of TV owners are HDTV owners. Since Blu-Ray would ONLY benefit this group, and wouldn't even benefit ALL of this group (only those with HDMI inputs AND 1080p native input signal support- maybe 10-20% of all HDTV owners) the market is very small.
Needless to say, either next-gen format will be a tough sell to the average consumer, but especially Blu-Ray due to its price. As long as it took DVD to become mainstream, I wouldn't bother with HD-DVD or BR discs for another 5 years, and by that time, PS4 will be around the corner... "
You sir are an idiot.
When brand new dvd players came out, they were around 1000 dollars. Its not fair to compare a dvd player thats been out for 6 or more years to a brand new format that is being introduced. You just being stupidly biased.
I know alot of people that arent hdtv owners and they are going to buy blu-ray because of the storage and amoung other stuff. So Blu-ray won't ONLY benifit the hdtv group.
VHS was TOO mainstream too, but look at the format now.
I think the ps3 will help the blu-ray format and vice versa. Ps3 will probably sell more because it can play blu-ray and blu-ray will help out the ps3 because of its massive storage (Extra content, more level, and etc).
If, lets say, Square-Enix come out with Final Fanatasy VII and released it in Xbox and Ps3.(Hypathetical question and when i mean xbox, i mean the xbox 360. (If SE were to release the game on different consoles, it would be on the ps3 and the revolution)) I think SE would release FF7 on xbox but with limited extra and SE would release FF7 on the Ps3 extras trailers, music, and more side quest on the ps3 because of its storage).
Im trying to make an example. (SE could easily release a dual disk game on the xbox..)
Also, multiple blu-ray players are coming out with dvd + blu-ray players.
"Your PS3 will have a dumbed down Blu-Ray with long loading (How do else do you suppose that a technology which is in recent stand alone players and cost $1000 will fit into the budget of a PS3). "
Wasent the blu-ray going to have 2x? Whats that equivilant to?
Did Sony "dumb" down the dvd drive for the ps2? They did didn't they? To me the dvd player on the ps2 was at average speed. (For movies and games)
The loading times were not so bad (neither were the cube and the box) and i think the loading times for the ps3 will not be so bad either. But then again, I don't really care for loading times. (As long as they dont succeed 7 seconds.)
But honestly, I don't believe in any of these reviews about the ps3. I mean, making a review of an unfinished game? Wow.. someone has reached a new low level.
Personal, I see alot of potential with the ps3 then the xbox because of its many features (camera, dvr, etc.) I Sure hope sony kept its promise!
I Think the revolution is giong to do great because every one is going to have either an xbox with a revolution, a ps3 and a revolution, or maybe all.
Because the ps3 and the xbox are the main dishes you have to pick and the revolution is the side order. (Hope you understand that analogy)
Lance @ Feb 12th 2006 6:44PM
Toshiba is kinda on the both sides of each format because its prepared to release a blu-ray player. (And its the Hd-Dvd President!!!!!)
Edit on my post- part with the blu-ray drive.
2x Equals 12x. Thats pretty good for a playing games and watching videos. Sure there might be some loading times, but only 2 second ones. Dosen't the xbox 360 have loading times?
bd @ Feb 12th 2006 7:35PM
"1. No HDTV's on the market that I know of presently accept a 1080p input signal."
You can still use HD-DVD and Blu-ray on TVs that are below the 1080p standard.
" Sony's own SXRD displays (top of the line) can only UPSCALE signals to 1080p."
So? If you have a 1080p TV, good, if you haven't, you can still enjoy movies in HDTV with higher than 480i anyway.
"It is rumored that there will be a software update in the future to fix this. High end plasma displays only support 720p. Possibly this year plasmas will come out supporting a 1080 signal, however they will be insanely expensive."
They are already insanely expensive, but the prices will be coming down. So what if you can't display on 1080p yet on every TV? you can still enjoy the benefits of blu-ray/HD-DVD on several HDTVs.
"2. If HDMI inputs are required due to DRM's on Blu-Ray, many HDTV owners will be alienated and/or forced to buy a new HDTV."
On that I agree, but many HDTVs sold right now have HDMI input, or DVI which is compatible. Both camps should make a solution for this unless they want a lukewarm reception.
"3. Current DVD players can upscale. Current HDTV's can upscale. Those who own a 1080p (or even a 720p for that matter) upscaling HDTV won't be able to tell much difference between what they currently own (a vast library of DVD's) and a native 1080p signal."
There is a difference, and probably enthusiasts will pay the prime. With time, prices will go down as more and more people keep adopting HDTV and it becomes the standard. Besides, remember that your library is still backwards compatible with all players, so you can just buy the movies you don't have.
"4. Blu-Ray is more expensive than both DVD and HD-DVD. DVD players can be picked up for 50 bucks, good ones for around $100. HD-DVD players will debut around $400-$500. Blu-Ray players look to debut for well over $1000. It doesn't matter if Blu-Ray has Hollywood's backing or not if people don't buy it. The average consumer who walks into Best Buy, sees HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players sitting next to each other and the vast price difference will then ask an employee what the difference is. "They both play hi-def movies? Same resolution? Same features? Blu-Ray discs are harder to copy AND are more expensive than HD-DVD discs?!""
You are forgetting about PS3 bud. It will be cheaper and the movies will cost the same (although the margin might be smaller, the resolutions supported are higher - read the Blu-ray spec).
"Hollywood can't force a format if the competition sells while their format sits on store shelves collecting dust due to price and copy protection."
Copy Protection is available in both formats, price will be the same for movies (as it has been announced by several retailers that take pre-orders; go to engadget and check for yourself).
"4. DVD's are TOO mainstream. No one likes to repurchase products. If you own DVD's and a good DVD player, it is unlikely that you'll adopt a new, unproven format, especially if there are currently two formats fighting for the top spot. DVD's took several years to get widely accepted and were a larger technological jump than Blu-Ray."
The "larger technological jump" is relative, and remember that VHS wasn't BC with DVD, but DVD is BC with BD and HD-DVD.
"5. Less than 25% of TV owners are HDTV owners. Since Blu-Ray would ONLY benefit this group, and wouldn't even benefit ALL of this group (only those with HDMI inputs AND 1080p native input signal support- maybe 10-20% of all HDTV owners) the market is very small."
The market isn't very small. There are enough people, and I bet Sony and Toshiba (and others) will offer solutions for HDMI unless they don't want their hardware to sell. You don't need to have 1080p output to enjoy the benefits of Blu-ray and HD-DVD, and HD-DVD doesn't even support 1080p resolution (so it should feel like a cripple sometime, since we will eventually adopt 1080p as a standard, and higher standards later).
"Needless to say, either next-gen format will be a tough sell to the average consumer, but especially Blu-Ray due to its price. As long as it took DVD to become mainstream, I wouldn't bother with HD-DVD or BR discs for another 5 years, and by that time, PS4 will be around the corner... "
Maybe by that time, blu-ray will support 2160p resolutions with the 8-layered version of Blu-ray, and HD-DVD will feel even more crippled; that is, if it continues to exist of course. I think that the storage market will prefer Blu-ray, if only for its huge capacity. HD-DVD will offer up to 60GB, while blu-ray will offer up to 200GB.
Laugh Riot @ Feb 12th 2006 9:54PM
Too bad the PS3 will be massively larger than expected, not much better than the 360, and late to market. And I guess I should also mention, probably ridiculously expensive.
Have a nice day.
TimStone @ Feb 13th 2006 1:13AM
>They both support DX9-class features, up through
>Shader model 3.0. (However, the PS3 obviously doesn't >support DX9 itself.) Feature-wise, they're basically
>identical, AFAIK. RSX is a 7800 spin-off, but
>alledgedly faster, and the 360 GPU is the R500 or a
>close cousin, which *probably* later evolved into the >R580, aka the X1900XT.
This statement is also false. The Xbox 360 is NOT Direct X 10 compliant but it does share a few features from Direct X 10 such as unified shader support, Shader Model 3.0+ (4.0 in PC's DX 10), and maybe the MEMEXPORT feature that might be in the PC's DX 10.
The R580 is not a unified shader nor does it have any of the above.
Spartacus @ Feb 13th 2006 1:23AM
bd:
You kinda missed the whole point of my post. I said AVERAGE CONSUMER, not video enthusiasts. Sure there are some out there who are willing and able to pay thousands of dollars for a TV and thousands of dollars for a media player, but not the average joe. The average joe will stick with DVD's for quite some time (until prices come waaaay down and the units ofer tangible benefits for him). As for who Blu-Ray will affect, you are correct, not ONLY 1080p HDTV owners will benefit, I was simply pointing to the group that would see the most dramatic difference in picture quality. DVD's run 480p, not 480i (I'm not sure why you mentioned 480i in your rebuttal), so upscaling from 480p to 720p isn't a huge step, but 480p to 1080p is. For this reason, a native signal at this resolution would probably look noticeably better than the upscaled signal. However if people only own a 720p HDTV, upscaled DVD's look superb. Heck, the 60" SXRD I've had time with looked near perfect running a burned DVD at 1080p from a 360. I just don't see how such a small difference could warrant a multi-thousand dollar investment for anyone other than the absolute videophile. Eventually, yes, hi-def media may gain widespread use, but not until the price comes down, and that, as I said before, may be a while and possibly too late. As for the price of discs, I was reffering to blank media discs, not prepackaged movies. The manufacturing cost of HD-DVD discs are cheaper, I would only assume that would be passed down to the consumer.
"You sir are an idiot. When brand new dvd players came out, they were around 1000 dollars. Its not fair to compare a dvd player thats been out for 6 or more years to a brand new format that is being introduced. You just being stupidly biased. I know alot of people that arent hdtv owners and they are going to buy blu-ray because of the storage and amoung other stuff. So Blu-ray won't ONLY benifit the hdtv group. VHS was TOO mainstream too, but look at the format now."
Lance:
If the average gamer really is around 28 years old, gamers must either be an extremely immature demographic or joystiq simply caters to a younger crowd that tend to post rude comments. I really don't understand all the name calling. Furthermore after insulting me you did little to present much of a rebuttal to my points. However I will for yours:
1. I am aware it isn't fair to compare prices of DVD players to those of BR players, that's why I also included the price of the BR rival HD-DVD player. The cost of DVD players was put in as a benchmark.
2. I am not being stupidly biased. I could care less which format wins. As I said before, I will wait a long time before I purchase either one, upscaled DVD's look superb on my HDTV of choice (which happens to be a Sony at the moment).
3. If people are interested in Blu-Ray due to its storage capacity, they will be buying a BR recorder, not a stand alone player. These will cost even more for a component set, or possibly around the same for a PC drive (no prices have been announced that I know of). I agree with you however, I was coming from more of a Media viewing perspective (home theatre) rather than a PC/mass storage perspective. The PC market is less crucial for Blu-Ray's success for a number of reasons.
4. Yes, VHS is scarce now, though certainly not extinct. It also took the better part of a decade to get to this point, so I don't see how that fact negates my arguement.
bd @ Feb 13th 2006 1:44AM
"Too bad the PS3 will be massively larger than expected, not much better than the 360, and late to market. And I guess I should also mention, probably ridiculously expensive.
Have a nice day."
Larger? Maybe, and I wouldn't mind because it looks damn fine; hell, maybe they can even clock it to 4GHz while they are at it. Much better? The blu-ray and the backwards compatibility justifies the purchase. Late to the market? hahaha, you mean.... not rushed? Of course. The 360 was rushed to the market, just for the sake of beating the PS3. The PS2 has too much life on it, and there was no reason to rush PS3 in 2005. The most wanted games for me in 2006 are Zelda, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Tales of Legendia (Out now) and Mortal Kombat. Perhaps even some DS games.
It's a shame Microsoft has to "disrupt" the market this way, because otherwise they wouldn't have a chance, as they admit directly through this kind of tactics.
Nintendo was always "late" (read: on time) to the market, and never delivered a crappy_/rushed product; they beat Sega even when they were "two years late", they did nicely with the N64 (too bad it was cartridge-based, otherwise they would have kept the crown), and fared not too bad against the Xbox even at a huge disadvante (not a DVD player, horribly kiddy design, and therefore unappealing for sales and support from 3rd parties).
Sony has always waited six years; now that's a lifespan anyone would appreciate on any console they buy, because normally (on Nintendo's case) they last 5 years, and let's not start on Sega or Microsoft. Xbox 360: Not as powerful as one would have expected of "Xbox 2", does not have a next-gen drive in order to "make the cut" for sales this holiday season, it wasn't planned with backwards compatibility in mind, and the development cycle was short compared to the regular development cycle. So you tell me, is it "on-time", or rushed? Is PS3 (or Revolution) late? The answers are obvious.
bd @ Feb 13th 2006 1:54AM
No spartacus, I did not miss the point, because I've got new for you: The HD consumer is not the regular consumer. The regular consumer has an SDTV, and since there are enough HD consumers (a similar number to that of console owners), the market is not too small.
Spartacus @ Feb 13th 2006 2:37AM
bd:
A similar number to console owners? Almost every kid I know has at least one video console. I know a total of 2 people with HDTV's. Maybe this is why Nintendo has decided to not even SUPPORT HDTV output in their "next-gen" console. You're trying to tell me that the 90+ million PS2's, 25 million Xboxes and 25 million Gamecubes belong to HD consumers?
My point was this: The industry's technology is developed at a faster rate than consumer adoption. You talk of 2160p BR players in a few years totally diregarding the fact that in a few years 720p sets MAY finally be affordable for the average consumer, at last replacing their 480i sets they bought in the '80s. My point was before Blu-Ray or HD-DVD has been around long enough to gain any credibility, something else will be out which will catch the attention of the videophiles and wealthy elite. This is why I entitled my post as the top reasons Blu-Ray will be met with LIMITED SUCCESS. The mass market simply isn't ready for another format change and the relatively small HD market can't support the immense cost of developing these technologies as such rapid rates.
Case in Point: I know several employees at different electronics stores (Best Buy, Circuit City, Ultimate Electronics etc). Sony SXRD displays, though stunning and one of the only displays able to support 1080p native resolution, weren't selling very well. Circuit City actually had a sale on them offering them for a couple hundred dollars over cost to start moving product. The guy at UE didn't even reccomend 1080p screens as "there is currently no support for it and HD braodcasting will be 1080i for a long, long time". This guy is either a really terrible salesman in a suit and tie (UE is very upper tier, high class product oriented), or he knows his stuff. Best Buy barely even advertises they carry 1080p TV's. I had to ask the salesman if they carried any, to which he replied, "Uh, I think so, but not in-store". I later found 1 SXRD model tucked away in a corner. But you know what, for Sony's sake, I hope Blu-Ray works out for them, or at least that the PS3 is successful regardless of their media formats reception, because if it isn't, Sony will be out of business, and I want plenty of competition in the market to keep MS and Nintendo honest. I will however say that the market is quite full at 3 contenders, so please, no more...
gamer1 @ Feb 13th 2006 5:53AM
The visual appeal of the Playstation 3 case is very subjective. While it may look nice to some, others still think it looks like a George Foreman grill. Blu-Ray for the Playstation 3 is a great feature for people who would like to watch HD movies, but doesnt justify the increased price of the system to people who dont. The Xbox 360 was rushed to the market, but the system is a solid contender and has already proved its worth as a next generation console with its Xbox Live functionality and High Definition gaming. Microsofts launch of their console affected game sales, but this should have been expected by game publishers, just as the launch of the Revolution and the PS3 will also disrupt their volume of game sales. It is the responsibility of game publishers to project accurate sales figures according to revenue that could be lost during console transitions.
Regardless of Nintendos market share with their console systems, what had been keeping their company afloat during the past decade was its success with their GameBoy line. Nintendo is making a risky choice with their new console design, but even if their new console fails, the company still has a strong hold, in terms of sales, in the portable gaming market. If anything, Nintendo is more concerned about holding their position for portable gaming.
It hasnt been proven that games will need the capacity of HD media for the next generation of consoles. The argument that more than 9GB of media capacity is needed for creative games is very slim. The N64 used cartridge media that was significantly smaller than the capacity of the original Playstation CD game. At the time, developers knew that, even before developing games for the N64, the storage capacity would not fit the needs of what they wanted. Square, especially, knew that their creative talents would be severely constricted, as their next Final Fantasy release (Final Fantasy VII) would span over 3 CD discs. We have not seen this kind of demand from game developers this generation. It is also not likely that the next Final Fantasy game will span over 3 Blu-Ray discs, however, it will be games such as Final Fantasy that will take advantage of a media disc over 9GB.
The HD era is a very important factor in the next generation of gaming. The majority of families that I know have HDTVs, and although this may not be the norm, I would believe that the majority of game console owners will own one, if not now, in within the next 5 years. HDTVs at 720p or 1080i are not extremely expensive to a consumer that falls within the bracket of the average household income. And considering that the average gamer is typically the 18 to 34 year old male, this demographic is also the target consumer for HDTVs. What will be difficult to sell is the 1080p HDTV, which is part of Sonys content triangle. If they are advertising 1080p software through 1080p hardware, consumers are going to want 1080p output device to experience the content in its full glory. Fortunately, the PS3 will be capable of displaying at 1080i and, although it is not to its full specifications, it should still be wonderful HD resolution to watch movies at.
In regards to Blu-Ray being a form of media for 2160p content, I think that it is possible. The problem here would be in the hardware that will be able to play at that resolution and a display to output the image. The PS3 is not designed to play 2160p content, as the Blu-Ray drive will need to have a much faster speed as well as the bandwidth to a video processor that could output at 2160p. This combined with the fact that a resolution that high might not be optimal for standard viewing applications, considering that in order to view a resolution that high, you would need to sit fairly close to a large television to notice a difference, however, this application could be useful for HD projectors in the future. Also, considering that 1080p televisions are currently out of the price range of the average consumer, and there is no development of 2160p HD production cameras or television sets, it seems very unlikely that we will see Blu-Ray heading in this direction anytime soon. Because of everything mentioned above, 2160p HD resolution is impossible for the PS3 and is completely irrelevant to this topic.
However, on the topic of HD content, DVD is capable of displaying 1080p video through the Xbox 360, due to the advantages of the high speed DVD drive, bandwidth and 1080p video processor. The porn industry has already taken advantage of this, as the Xbox 360 is currently the only machine capable of displaying 1080p video from DVD media. Hopefully, we will be seeing other video applications that will take advantage of the Xbox 360 HD video capabilities with DVD.