According to SCEA head honcho Kaz Hirai, Sony will launch its PlayStation 3 with about 15 titles. While no titles were explicitly mentioned, Activision, EA, and Ubisoft all backed Hirai's estimation. However, big-time publishers Sega of America and THQ have openly disagreed with Hirai's assessment. Sega of America's Simon Jeffrey told Bloomberg that many developers have not received development kit hardware from Sony. THQ's Brian Farrell noted that their upcoming Sopranos title would not be shipped on the PS3 because the lack of hardware specifications makes the title's release "too risky."Regardless of who is right (we won't find out for sure until late October), the initial launch is not indicative of the console's longevity. In a feature from Xbox 360's launch, 1up observed that the PlayStation 2's launch "had more bark than bite ... mediocre PS1 games converted to the new hardware in mid-development, iffy arcade conversions, and lackluster RPGs." Yet, that console has sold over 100 million units since its launch in 2000.
For sake of comparison, the Xbox 360 launched with 18 titles and just over 12 XBLA games.
(Page 1) Reader Comments
wii for me, please.
(and before people flame me, why did i bring this up? because I'm a nintendo fanboy, thats why. and proud of it)
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If you look at the 360, there were an awful lot of launch titles that were barely deserving of being on the new platform.
Now, hopefully, there will be come standard of quality linked with the launch title.
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Does that mean 13?
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also remember there are a lot of bumps when you're using a new format (GD-ROM anyone) and hopefully they steer clear of that whole mess.
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And I still have trouble figuring out why.
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A lot of those games won't be out at launch, and some games that weren't shown will be.
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I am really happy with my Xbox 360 and dont see a need for another console. Granted I was one of the lucky ones who got one at launch however now that the console is almost meeting demand with 1 million units shipped each month I really dont see the need for gamers to wait to pick one up. Pick up Next Generation Now.
I use to be a Nintendo Fanboy but overall the Wiimote has done less to enthrall me. I am not saying I wont pick it up however I will take a wait and see approach. But I would much rather have the Xbox 360 instead of the Wii. Hands DOWN!
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EVERY LAUNCH IN RECENT HISTORY HAS BEEN LACKLUSTER.
Seriously, what's it going to take to get this through heads? It makes perfect logical sense, given that developers are still learning as they go and can't focus as hard on good R&D and the like.
Wii may be somewhat of an exception due to its similar nature to the Gamecube, but I wouldn't place bets.
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I wish I had the money to buy a PS3 though & a HDTV to go with but alas i'm not rich enough. So what i'm doing is leaving the PS3 till late next year, & buying a Wii in november - cheap & no HDTV required :)
Thank god for Nintendo!
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This past generation I was a huge gamecube fans. People would always argue that it sucked because it had less games. Who cares? It has more games than I'll ever own and more of the games I want.
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"PS3 is the most advanced computer system that serves as a platform to enjoy next generation computer entertainment contents in the home, realized through the combination of Cell and RSX? processors, in addition to the playability of a vast catalog of PlayStation® and PlayStation®2 software titles."
Two things to note here: First, Sony is NOT pushing this as a game console. They're flat out calling it a computer. Second, they are not saying how MANY of their PS and PS2 games are or will be playable.
At least Microsoft said from the get-go that their intentions are to get as many Xbox games as playable as possible on the 360, but they also realized that there was NOT going to be 100% backwards compatability.
One of my retail people that also runs an online gaming magazine just came back from E3, and he stated, "I was impressed by the Wii, although the name still sucks. It'll sell to the general public. I couldn't tell any graphics difference between the pre-rendered shots for the PS3 and the 360 - HD is HD. The game developers I talked to all love XNA for the 360, and while some of the dev kits for the PS3 have shipped, they aren't that impressed."
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As for the launch games, if they have at least 2 good launche titles they'll do fine. Unfortunately while the 360 had a high number of launch titles, dang near ALL of them were either multiplats that were 10 bucks more expensive for less features (Madden comes to mind) or weren't anything special, heck i bought a 360 the day it came out, 2nd day i had it i retunred PD0 (the only game i picked up) and had to wait until GRAW and Fight night came out for anythingw orth holding on to. So here i am 6 months later with only 2 360 games, so i'm a BIT dissapointed so far, but not so much so to get rid of my system (as a diehard gamer i cant bring myself to sell back any system).
So the way i see as long as Sony can come out with 2 games that AREN'T multiplatform and are good, they'll be alright, but they also need to follow it up with some more good games before the 6 month mark.
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I would wait at least a year and hope for big price drop.....unfortunately Sony has some big financial committments that the new CEO Howard Stringer has made to Wall Street. Sony is in a bind. They can't really cut the price and take a bigger bath on the hardware because the box is overengineered and too expensive (cough, cough Blu Ray).
Sony is facing a really difficult future in my opinion.
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using the same math, 90$ is about the cost of the ps3.
so i'd say 90$+ is too much, but considering the people that buy one when it comes out are rich and cooler than everyone else anyway, i doubt it will be an issue.
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the math isnt exact, i know, but you get the idea.
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I'll believe it when I see it. Twilight Princess was due out... erm... nevermind.
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Killzone 2, Heavenly sword, Tekken 6 and a lot more great next gen games. What more could you ask at launch?
These games will keep me busy for a long time, while I wait for Naughty Dog project and 8 days. Can't wait for November 17.
PS3 TRUE NEXT GEN
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i didn't buy the PS2 until FF10 came out.
i bought the XBox because of Steel Battalion, and at that, i only bought it WHEN the expansion, LoC came out, though i didn't buy LoC.
so yeah, i don't much care how many games are out at launch, unless i like them, they can have a million launch titles.
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Does that mean 13?"
LMAO.
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ROFL. Ya, that awesome Killzone 2 game that they showed at E3 this year... erm... wait a minute. They showed a CGI movie developed by a contracted company for E3 200.....5!
Killzone 2... the next generation... in CGI designed "according to specs."
ROFL.
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And sure the Wii will have 20 something games at launch, the systems basically a souped up Gamecube. Developers are already used to the environment. But with quantity youll get crappy looking games compared to the 360 and PS3. I want true next gen, not some retarded controller. And no, that controller does not make the Wii next gen. It just makes it a Gamecube and 1/2.
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Kotick added that he doesn't expect that the first titles launched for the PS3 will take advantage of more than a fifth of the capacity of the machine, however, stating that "this is the most sophisticated piece of consumer hardware ever."
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot agreed with Kotick's sentiments, but compared the situation at this point to the same point six months out from the launch of the Xbox 360 last year. "We won't be able to take advantage of all the components of the [PlayStation 3]," he commented, "but it was the same last year."
Wait wait.... so these games that look comparable as of now between the 360 and the PS3, are going to be using only a 5th of the systems power when they are released? Does that mean these Comparable games are only taking up a 5th of the 360's extremly streamlined hardware as well?
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At any rate, Sony's PS3 launch line-up even with 15 games is weak in today's market. Systems in the past have launched with 1/5 of that, but I don't see that fairing well to today's gamers. Especially if the PS3 has no casual games like xbla does.
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And I still have trouble figuring out why."
I'm sure a lot of those are rebuys from Disc Read Error problems. You'd figure, since version 13 seems to be the first reliable PS2. Will the PS3 be the same way?
I'm going to hold out for a price drop on the PS3 unless FFXIII totally kicks ass.
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Hmmm thats something I had not considered to be honest. What you say about blank Blu-Ray discs being $20 each is concerning if true. Well I just hope the price of Blu-ray discs & PS3 games are reasonable when I buy one in late 2007. If not then it will have to be 2008. Until then I will be content with the Wii & my PC that I built a year ago.
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Now, it's also possible 3 times as many people will prefer the AAA PlayStation 3 title over any of the 3 Wii games.
I thought Nintendo would target a more mature audience with their next-generation console, yet, after E3, it is clear they are still targeting kids and non-gamers.
As far as PlayStation 3 launch titles are concerned, I don't see how a publisher can talk about the number of games their competitors have in store. I don't think it's the kind of information publishers share with each other.
Also, I believe this number only includes Western titles. You can bet a dozen of Japanese titles could be added to that number. Since PlayStation 3 is going to be zone-free, those extra games will count.
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Why was there no showning at all of KillZone this year at E3??? There wasn't even a peep out of Sony on this title???
Microsoft said they would have 24 titles ready and last minute a few developers pulled back so they were left with 18. If Sony is only planning 14 titles...they will only be getting like 10. Half of those will be EA titles that are already on the 360. Sony has not said any of its AAA titles will be out during launch? So what the hell is the purpose of purchasing a PS3 anytime soon???
3 words: Gears of War
This is going to be the title that gets best of E3 awards and will be the blockbuster of this Christmas. Only on the 360.
and whatever tool that was that said there are only 2 good games on the 360??? Are you living under a rock?
What about:
Fight Night
GR:AW
Need For Speed
Kameo
Far Cry
Oblivion
Perfect Dark
Tomb Raider
Top Spin
Xmen
Dead Or Alive 4
Project Gotham Racing 3
BurnOut Revenge
Condemned
GUN
The Outfit
Surely there are more than two good games for the 360.
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which one is better for FPS games: wiimote or a light gun that vibrates when you shoot. (though so)
for a dance games: wiimote or dance pad? lol
for fighting games: wiimote or arcade joystick.
for racing games: wiimote or a racing wheel with vibration feedback technology.
I can go on for ever! I can see the wii bringing an innovative/never attempted, but this does not mean realistic. the wiimote will never make you feel like you are actually driving a car, or kicking someone's ass, or shooting something. so, don't think the wiimote is the answer to everything just because you can swing it.
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It's a marathon, not a sprint. Launch titles mean nothing.
The reality is there only need to be enough launch titles to sell out the first round of consoles. Is Sony going to sell fewer PS3's because there are 10 or whatever titles instead of 20? No, they're going to sell the exact same number, which just happens to be the exact number of units they produce.
Economically speaking, it is better for everyone involved to have the fewest launch titles necessary to sell out the first production run. More money for everyone. People buy the same number of games and systems; that money just gets split fewer ways.
It may not make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside from the consumer end, but there it is.
Most successful console launches have had pretty spare launch lineups by today's standards. And the system I think we all pretty much measure launches against today (whether we know it or not) - the Dreamcast - failed miserably. Prior to that launch, nobody really cared much how many games were available provided at least one of them was good. (How many PS1, Saturn, SNES or Genesis launch games can you name? Most likely you will remember that one big one and that's it.) Post-Dreamcast, every system is expected to have like 25 launch games with at least 5 AAA titles. It's just not realistic, nor is it really helpful to the industry.
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All of these factors lead me to forsee HD DVD as the winner. REMEBER VHS VS SONY BETA-MAX?
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"15 good games not 18 crap games with more than half of them current gen ports. Motorstorm,Tony Hawk project8,
Killzone 2, Heavenly sword, Tekken 6 and a lot more great next gen games. What more could you ask at launch?"
You can thank the 360 for that. If the PS3 had launched first you could say the same thing about it. Companies aren't going to spend millions of extra dollars to rebuild a cross platform game from the ground up just for one new system. Give me a break. That's just how it goes, and that's what happens when you launch first.
I also wanted to ask you...how many of those 15 "good" games have you played? I mean, you say that they are good, so you must have played them right? Only one of the games you mentioned was playable at E3...that's heavenly sword. It hasn't been confirmed for launch. Killzone 2 wasn't even present at E3, you'd think that after a year of development on that CG trailer err...I mean "realtime footage" that they'd have some playable stuff for us right? Whatever.
I beg you, tell me...what is your proof that these 15 titles are so great? You have nothing beyond a few screenshots and target videos to backup your statement. Sorry man, but that's far from proof, or even demo gameplay for that matter. You want to know what your only proof is? Blatant pointless fanboyism, that is backed up by what? Oh yea that's right...nothing.
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and whatever tool that was that said there are only 2 good games on the 360??? Are you living under a rock?
What about:
Fight Night - Got it
GR:AW- Got it
Need For Speed- Dont like the need for speed series anymore
Kameo- This game wasnt that good
Far Cry- Another game that i've HAD on the PC, so didn't feel like spending 60 bucks on the console version, personal tastes
Oblivion- Once again, got it for the PC as i have a decent set up, i prefer games like Oblivion on my Comp for whatever reason
Perfect Dark- The game i returned the day after i bought the 360 cuz i didnt like it
Tomb Raider - Never liked tomb raider
Top Spin- Dont like tennis games
Xmen- the official game movie? ya serious? that JUST came out this week. Still waiting to see some reviews, but probably wont get this anyway as i have Legends and Legends II
Dead Or Alive 4- I had it for about a week, didnt like it amazingly, yet i still have DOA3..
Project Gotham Racing 3- Never was a big PGR fan, i mean i have PGR2..but oddly enough its still in the wrapper.
BurnOut Revenge- have it for the xbox, so no need to rebuy it just for prettier graphics.
Condemned- Too short, beat it in one rental
GUN- why pay 60 bucks for a game that doesnt look better than the last gen multiplatform versions? and another game that was alright, but i didnt feel like buying.
The Outfit- another game that failed expectations for me
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So yeah i'm a tool because out of that whole list I only have 2 of the games on 360? Great reasoning there Don.
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