Sony PS3

[Hy Bound]

I just thought i'd put in my 2 cents...

I got an XBox 360 about october of last year and definitely thought that I had become an extreme 360 fanboy. I thought that the ps3 was way too expensive and not enough of an upgrade to warrant the price of admission.

However, I have been looking around at the ps3 recently after i came into a bit of extra money from working all last semester and this summer. I decided to take the $500 dollar plunge after the price drop. (if you buy it at circuit city, you can get a free second controller as well as the 5 free shitty blu-ray movies).

I have to say; wow, the ps3 is awesome. It looks great! I have it set up to a 62" DLP HDTV at 1080i, (i cant wait for my own tv for 1080p). The people who bash on the ps3 and blu-ray format really need to eat the shit they're throwing; when the fidelity is good enough that you can easily see the pores on characters in a movie during an action sequence, i think that's about as good as you really need.

The sixaxis is a pretty damn cool feature. I know the Wii has an even better version of the accelerometers, but that really got quite annoying after a while; i don't want to be sitting in an awkward stance for 3 hours trying to keep a ball from rolling off a wooden plank in that Zelda mini-game. The games use it as sort of an immersion-type feature (some better than others) instead of using it as the only gimmick in a game, like the wii.

The on-line part of the package is actually quite good, especially considering its free. It works about the same as the 360 shop and on-line gaming feature but makes it so that you can look at any of the games and movies no matter how deep you are in the shopping options. There's also virtually no lag in any of the games ive played online, which is pretty cool.

All in all, I realize that many of you in this forum have probably looked around at all the features and know more about this stuff than me, but for those of you still on the fence about the ps3, i would say that you won't be disappointed in the system. You may be a bit disappointed in the games at the moment, but once killzone 2, MGS4 and Final Fantasy 13 come out its going to be a different story. I would have to say, that as soon as the ps3 has a good library of games and once they get the rumble-enabled controllers out on the market, (i hear they may be having you send in your controllers now and they'll give you the new ones for free, but i think its just a rumor) its going to be the best console to buy.

[Ero Elohim]

I just thought i'd put in my 2 cents...

I got an XBox 360 about october of last year and definitely thought that I had become an extreme 360 fanboy. I thought that the ps3 was way too expensive and not enough of an upgrade to warrant the price of admission.

However, I have been looking around at the ps3 recently after i came into a bit of extra money from working all last semester and this summer. I decided to take the $500 dollar plunge after the price drop. (if you buy it at circuit city, you can get a free second controller as well as the 5 free shitty blu-ray movies).

I have to say; wow, the ps3 is awesome. It looks great! I have it set up to a 62" DLP HDTV at 1080i, (i cant wait for my own tv for 1080p). The people who bash on the ps3 and blu-ray format really need to eat the shit they're throwing; when the fidelity is good enough that you can easily see the pores on characters in a movie during an action sequence, i think that's about as good as you really need.

The sixaxis is a pretty damn cool feature. I know the Wii has an even better version of the accelerometers, but that really got quite annoying after a while; i don't want to be sitting in an awkward stance for 3 hours trying to keep a ball from rolling off a wooden plank in that Zelda mini-game. The games use it as sort of an immersion-type feature (some better than others) instead of using it as the only gimmick in a game, like the wii.

The on-line part of the package is actually quite good, especially considering its free. It works about the same as the 360 shop and on-line gaming feature but makes it so that you can look at any of the games and movies no matter how deep you are in the shopping options. There's also virtually no lag in any of the games ive played online, which is pretty cool.

All in all, I realize that many of you in this forum have probably looked around at all the features and know more about this stuff than me, but for those of you still on the fence about the ps3, i would say that you won't be disappointed in the system. You may be a bit disappointed in the games at the moment, but once killzone 2, MGS4 and Final Fantasy 13 come out its going to be a different story. I would have to say, that as soon as the ps3 has a good library of games and once they get the rumble-enabled controllers out on the market, (i hear they may be having you send in your controllers now and they'll give you the new ones for free, but i think its just a rumor) its going to be the best console to buy.

Shill more, pl0x.

[Bahamut]

People bash the bluray format is because it's notably more expensive, slower read rate than DVDs (at least on the PS3), and because of Sony's notorious history with format control that is anti-consumer.

And you know the Amazon deal is better than the Circuit City one - you have to pay tax on the CC one, and Amazon is only charging $40 for a PS3 controller.

Also, I disagree with the sixaxis use in the PS3 games - they scream sometimes more of a gimmick than Wii games (see Resistance: Fall of Man), and I've already played like 7 games for the Wii so far. If anything, it's largely the other way around.


And to throw a little more truly positive stuff into the thread, Ninja Gaiden Sigma should be awesome, and I'm looking forward to Warhawk as well for some strange reason.

Edit: Oh atomicfog, the PS3 seems to hate crappy TVs...I play it on a shitty 20" TV when I'm at school, and the TV makes weird noises when switching from the PS3 dashboard to the EE for PS2 games. When I know for sure I'll be at a grad school for a while then I'm plunk down some cash for an HDTV, but for now I have to deal with the crappy TV.

[dsx100]

I just thought i'd put in my 2 cents...

The sixaxis is a pretty damn cool feature. I know the Wii has an even better version of the accelerometers, but that really got quite annoying after a while; i don't want to be sitting in an awkward stance for 3 hours trying to keep a ball from rolling off a wooden plank in that Zelda mini-game. The games use it as sort of an immersion-type feature (some better than others) instead of using it as the only gimmick in a game, like the wii.


I am guessing you probably have not played many games for the wii. Either that or you consider non-standard controller positions gimmicky. Wii Sports, in my opinion, is still the most immersive game as far as motion controllers are considered. Wii Play and Wario Ware also have some very immersive motion controls. I hate to bring up "future" games agian but Metroid Prime 3 and Mario Galaxy look they are going to be excellent show cases of wii controls as well.

Sixaxis tilt is pretty well done, but I have yet to try a game that really utilizes it very well. It does have a lot of potential though. Hopefully more games will utilize it much more.

[Hector]

Actually, the difference in read-speed is very damning for blu-ray currently. Blu-ray is currently a high-end format for movie collectors. A slower read-speed means that the actual output will be lower quality. Therefore, despite HD-DVD's current limitations, it is the superior format for film collectors. And since early adopters are movie-fanatics, that is very important. For Gamers, it does not matter as much, as the read-speed can be compensated for by longer load-times.

[eternal Zero]

as the read-speed can be compensated for by longer load-times.

But who seriously wants more of that?

[G_D]

Heh, I remember when Oblivion was coming out for the PS3. There was an article about how the developer had worked hard using various creative methods to get it to load as fast as on the Xbox 360, and many people credited that to Sony, saying "See, everything is fine."

Oh, the lulz.

Oh, and by the way, come March we're going to see a fancy paradigm shift (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=26703) in the current console race.

[Bahamut]

The so called creative method was to have the data multiple times on the disc, which was also done on some PSP games to speed up the load times. But what this does is nullifies the space advantage of bluray over DVD in some cases.

[megadave]

Heh, I remember when Oblivion was coming out for the PS3. There was an article about how the developer had worked hard using various creative methods to get it to load as fast as on the Xbox 360, and many people credited that to Sony, saying "See, everything is fine."

Oh, the lulz.

Oh, and by the way, come March we're going to see a fancy paradigm shift (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=26703) in the current console race.

Uh huh, and I'm Willie Nelson from Texas.

[Penfold]

Oh, and by the way, come March we're going to see a fancy paradigm shift (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=26703) in the current console race.


PlayStation 3, you will see, will be far and away the winner when you look at it by March '08. They really, really will.

What can I say, that second "really" he put in there sold me.

EDIT: I also very much liked the following quote:

When asked if he thought GBP 425 / GBP 599 was still a high price to ask consumers to pay Reeves replied, "It is, but surprisingly, people are paying that amount of money for it."

[The Damned]

David Reeds, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, saying that the PS3 will be the leader in the next nine months?

Gee, you think that he might have a little bias there? How about a "paradigm shift" from someone that doesn't work for Sony?

[Bahamut]

http://www.gametab.com/news/973471/

So, there're rumors of a $400 40 GB PS3 - if it's true, Sony's executives are really out of the loop. But...it'd be a step in the right direction.

[atmuh]

$400 40 GB PS3

id almost begin to consider buying that

[DJ Skratch 'n' Sniff]

How many are they freaking going to make? Jesus Christ.

A 40 gig for $400 would be worth it though...

[Ninja-san]

If they sell a ps3 for $400 id buy that over a 360.

[Drack]

Without the emotion engine, there's not a chance of me ever buying one. Software emulation of consoles one generation back is not a good idea. Xbox 360 proves this.

[dsx100]

Without the emotion engine, there's not a chance of me ever buying one. Software emulation of consoles one generation back is not a good idea. Xbox 360 proves this.

Same here. I'd rather buy a 20GB model off ebay for $299.99. If it did have an emotion engine though, I would certianly make an effort to buy it.

[Jam Stunna]

http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=8095

Another Disgaea game...
Seriously, I loved the first one, but enough is enough. Nippon Ichi is going to ride this thing until the wheels fall off, apparently.

[Soma]

http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=8095

Another Disgaea game...
Seriously, I loved the first one, but enough is enough. Nippon Ichi is going to ride this thing until the wheels fall off, apparently. I don't see it as a bad thing. I never played 2, or beat 1, so i'll probably rebuy the 1st on PSP. and when i get a ps3 i'll definitely pickup 3. More Japanese rpg's is never a bad thing, though i suppose that's highly subjective.

[Bahamut]

http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=8095

Another Disgaea game...
Seriously, I loved the first one, but enough is enough. Nippon Ichi is going to ride this thing until the wheels fall off, apparently.

I only played a little of the first one, so I haven't got sick of them (yet). It's another positive for the PS3, although I wonder why they're sticking to it

[Hy Bound]

I know this isn't what you guys are talking about but meh. I was wondering if any of you have ninja gaiden sigma. I'm kinda on the fence about buying this game seeing as how i played the original (not black) on the XBox and found it to be too difficult for my taste. I would really like to like the game, but it was just too hard and the camera was a pain in the ass. I've been hearing that sigma is a bit easier and you can even unlock an easier mode if you die too much. Is this true? As lame as it sounds i need the game to be a little bit easier for it to be fun for me. Any thoughts?

[Effef]

http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=8095

Another Disgaea game...
Seriously, I loved the first one, but enough is enough. Nippon Ichi is going to ride this thing until the wheels fall off, apparently.

Why did they put this on the PS3?

WHY?

Its either this and a PS3 or Ace Combat 6 and a 360.....


fuck...

[DJ Skratch 'n' Sniff]

Yeah, why did they put Disgaea 3 on the PS3? It looks like a PS2 game.

[G_D]

David Reeds, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, saying that the PS3 will be the leader in the next nine months?

Gee, you think that he might have a little bias there? How about a "paradigm shift" from someone that doesn't work for Sony?

Sarcasm, anyone?

[Bahamut]

I know this isn't what you guys are talking about but meh. I was wondering if any of you have ninja gaiden sigma. I'm kinda on the fence about buying this game seeing as how i played the original (not black) on the XBox and found it to be too difficult for my taste. I would really like to like the game, but it was just too hard and the camera was a pain in the ass. I've been hearing that sigma is a bit easier and you can even unlock an easier mode if you die too much. Is this true? As lame as it sounds i need the game to be a little bit easier for it to be fun for me. Any thoughts?

The camera wasn't really much of an issue in the original, simply because of the right trigger recentering the camera by the character whenever you wanted to recenter it.

It is true though, in Ninja Gaiden Black, they did put an easier mode for those who die too much, and I'm pretty sure it makes a return in Sigma. It looks a bit hefty at $70, but I know I'm going to take the plunge on this game sometime in the next month or so.

[Effef]

Yeah, why did they put Disgaea 3 on the PS3? It looks like a PS2 game.

I got to digging some info and it turns out that Sony paid Nippon Ichi to put it on the PS3. As soon as the contractual obligations run out, it will probably be ported to PS2/Wii/360/PSP.

[Hy Bound]

The camera wasn't really much of an issue in the original, simply because of the right trigger recentering the camera by the character whenever you wanted to recenter it.

It is true though, in Ninja Gaiden Black, they did put an easier mode for those who die too much, and I'm pretty sure it makes a return in Sigma. It looks a bit hefty at $70, but I know I'm going to take the plunge on this game sometime in the next month or so.

Muchas Gracias. I got'd it. I only had to pay 60 for mine... ('only' heh). I haven't gotten to play it yet since ive been extremely busy but it looks pretty awesome from the packaging :).

[Zutnunzor]

So I joined the PS3 ranks in this console war although who can blame me for the price I payed. 60GB PS3, barely used, extra controller, and 4 games (Resistance, Call of Duty 3, Oblivion, and Marvel : Ultimate Alliance) All for 400$. A buddy of mine bought it earlier this year, and now he is going off to Iraq and wants a psp, so he gave me a deal. Needless to say, I have been enjoying the SHIT out of it. :)

[K999]

Can anyone get PS3 media center to work? I have tried mulitple softwares (nero media home, WMP11, media center X etc.) but none of them seem to be working. Is there any decent tutorial out there for it?

[Bahamut]

So I joined the PS3 ranks in this console war although who can blame me for the price I payed. 60GB PS3, barely used, extra controller, and 4 games (Resistance, Call of Duty 3, Oblivion, and Marvel : Ultimate Alliance) All for 400$. A buddy of mine bought it earlier this year, and now he is going off to Iraq and wants a psp, so he gave me a deal. Needless to say, I have been enjoying the SHIT out of it. :)

I envy you - I tried to get a similar deal off of craigslist a few months ago, but the fucker wouldn't except my offer of $600 for it, and wanted $900. The fucker got what was coming to him though when the demand kept dropping and eventually ending up offering it for $600 on craigslist, but still with no takers. That's what he gets for being so greedy and not understanding the market.

[DJ Skratch 'n' Sniff]

So I joined the PS3 ranks in this console war although who can blame me for the price I payed. 60GB PS3, barely used, extra controller, and 4 games (Resistance, Call of Duty 3, Oblivion, and Marvel : Ultimate Alliance) All for 400$. A buddy of mine bought it earlier this year, and now he is going off to Iraq and wants a psp, so he gave me a deal. Needless to say, I have been enjoying the SHIT out of it. :)

That is easily the sweetest deal I've ever heard of.

[SilverStar]

Hey, after reading the latest bit of Sony heel-eating, I realized something.

Those of you in Australia should be -happy- the PS3 is a grand, a full 50% markup, even after everything is taken into consideration, beyond what it is in the US!

Why? Because those of you foolish enough to actually pay those prices, are the very ones who are showing Sony that they actually COULD sell the machine for a profit(since that's what it's working out to, now), and people would still buy it!

Gee, aren't the aussies so lucky? They actually get to tell Sony, with their pocketbooks, that their customers really are the rabid fanboys who would take a second full-time job and sell their soul to buy a unit, just like they suggested back when the $599USD price was announced!

Hell, I bet the Aussies love buying DRM-laden movies from Sony that won't work on even their legit players(if things are down there for it, as it is up here.. When you have to actually rip a movie from the original DVD in order to watch it, you know someone's drinking their own kool-aid).

[cloudkitt]

I happen to love my PS3, I've gotten a LOT of use out of it. And they are unloading with announced exclusives now. I dont' know what the hell everyone was talking about that it won't have any games that you can't get elseware. Right now it would appear Xbox's whole E3 show was multiplatforms save that famous mediocre shooter.

[SilverStar]

I happen to love my PS3, I've gotten a LOT of use out of it. And they are unloading with announced exclusives now. I dont' know what the hell everyone was talking about that it won't have any games that you can't get elseware. Right now it would appear Xbox's whole E3 show was multiplatforms save that famous mediocre shooter.

http://www.gamingtarget.com/article.php?artid=7252&pg=1&comments=

List of exclusives, announced and released, across all 3 platforms. PS3 has the fewest.

[DJ Skratch 'n' Sniff]

What's the opposite of a fan boy?

Bitching about the PS3 is clearly "what's in" right now. Hell, it has been since the beginning.

[The Coop]

What's the opposite of a fan boy?

Bitching about the PS3 is clearly "what's in" right now. Hell, it has been since the beginning.

There may very well be some people hating on Sony at the moment for that reason. But, I think the complaints here have more to do with past attitudes from Sony, current seemingly wreckless strategies by Sony, and the rather ridiculous asking price for the PS3 (and the 360/Elite on the Microsoft side) that are making people bitch about Sony... not "what's in" attitudes. There are legitimate reasons to level complaints against Sony at the moment, so I highly doubt everyone here bringing things up is simply a Sony hater.

[SilverStar]

There may very well be some people hating on Sony at the moment for that reason. But, I think the complaints here have more to do with past attitudes from Sony, current seemingly wreckless strategies by Sony, and the rather ridiculous asking price for the PS3 (and the 360/Elite on the Microsoft side) that are making people bitch about Sony... not "what's in" attitudes. There are legitimate reasons to level complaints against Sony at the moment, so I highly doubt everyone here bringing things up is simply a Sony hater.

My latest reason for hating on sony, is because of Blood Diamond. Fucking movie wouldn't run in my DVD player OR on my computer, until I ran it through a ripper to strip it of the DRM. Yes, that's actually the reason why it wouldn't play(3 player programs all said the same thing). Thank god it was just part of my rental queue, so I didn't actually spend money specifically to rent it. :P

[Ciel]

Yeah, why did they put Disgaea 3 on the PS3? It looks like a PS2 game.

I actually think the PS1 could handle it. However, it is nice to know that those who pay 800$ or whatever for a PS3 can enjoy cutting edge graphics circa 1997.

[DJ Skratch 'n' Sniff]

I guess it bugs me that herein lies a PS3 thread and all anyone wants to do on it is bitch about Sony. Can someone say something positive? I can think of things but every time I say them I get ripped into by Sony haters.

[Bahamut]

I actually think the PS1 could handle it. However, it is nice to know that those who pay 800$ or whatever for a PS3 can enjoy cutting edge graphics circa 1997.

To be fair, I heard those screens were from the PSP version when they were still making it for the PSP. Disgaea, or any of Nippon Ichi's games, was never about pushing the graphical envelope though.

Edit: I've been hearing some more stuff about the PS3 that bears looking into, such as the supposed awesomeness of Super Stardust, and the screens for White Knight Story look gorgeous & intriguing. I can't help but slowly gaining more interest in my large black box.

[The Coop]

I guess it bugs me that herein lies a PS3 thread and all anyone wants to do on it is bitch about Sony. Can someone say something positive? I can think of things but every time I say them I get ripped into by Sony haters.

Well, it's to be expected in any thread that's about a given company, system or game. No one can make a thread solely about how much they dislike Sony, MS or the big "N"... or even systems/games in general, be they past or present. They have a tendency to get locked after a short while in Gen Dis/Community (flames usually being the culprit). So, the only place to vent displeasure is in threads like this that are all encompassing.

This type of thing always cycles through page after page of praise, then page after page of slams, and everything in-between. Just try not to let the down slopes get to you.

[Drack]

A friend and I did a little research.

Buying broken PS3s on eBay may be the best way to get it cheap.

Here's some info:

-According to Sony's customer service, The main cause of "No picture" broken PS3s can be non-invasively solved by the customer.
-For PS3s with broken hard drives, you can just stuff any 2.5" drive in - give yourself a 160GB PS3...
-The above are the most common defects.
-If you have a receipt and a barcode, Sony will repair/replace a PS3 for the cost of shipping
-If you don't have a receipt/barcode, Sony will repair/replace for $150 including shipping. This is a worst case scenario.
-Any 20gb or 60gb USA PS3s will have the all-important Emotion Engine.

These are pretty damn cheap on eBay - my roommate next year (a huge cheapskate) is probably going to buy one of these and fix it up, and if it works for under retail price I'll split the cost with him, for a damn cheap PS3.

I'll let you know how it goes.

[dsx100]

A friend and I did a little research.

Buying broken PS3s on eBay may be the best way to get it cheap.

Here's some info:

-According to Sony's customer service, The main cause of "No picture" broken PS3s can be non-invasively solved by the customer.
-For PS3s with broken hard drives, you can just stuff any 2.5" drive in - give yourself a 160GB PS3...
-The above are the most common defects.
-If you have a receipt and a barcode, Sony will repair/replace a PS3 for the cost of shipping
-If you don't have a receipt/barcode, Sony will repair/replace for $150 including shipping. This is a worst case scenario.
-Any 20gb or 60gb USA PS3s will have the all-important Emotion Engine.

These are pretty damn cheap on eBay - my roommate next year (a huge cheapskate) is probably going to buy one of these and fix it up, and if it works for under retail price I'll split the cost with him, for a damn cheap PS3.

I'll let you know how it goes.

That sounds great. I'll consider doing the same.

[DJ Skratch 'n' Sniff]

I've been hearing some more stuff about the PS3 that bears looking into, such as the supposed awesomeness of Super Stardust, and the screens for White Knight Story look gorgeous & intriguing. I can't help but slowly gaining more interest in my large black box.

You see the first video of White Knight Story from TGS last year? Holy shit!

[Bahamut]

You see the first video of White Knight Story from TGS last year? Holy shit!

As a general rule, I try to ignore seeing videos and looking at screens in detail before playing a game (to avoid graphical hype), but that one screen I saw of a turtle carrying a city was just too interesting for me to ignore. It's looking like the PS3 is the Gamecube of the generation so far, some good but overlooked games. I wonder what'll happen once it gets cheap enough...

[SilverStar]

As a general rule, I try to ignore seeing videos and looking at screens in detail before playing a game (to avoid graphical hype), but that one screen I saw of a turtle carrying a city was just too interesting for me to ignore. It's looking like the PS3 is the Gamecube of the generation so far, some good but overlooked games. I wonder what'll happen once it gets cheap enough...

The way things are sitting right now, it's exactly the Gamecube of this generation. For the most part, the only exclusive games are coming out of Sony, or sony-controlled companies, while both MS and Nintendo are getting loaded down with 3rd party games.

Unfortunately, with Wii being the one in the lead, a lot of the games coming out for it are utter trash, just like they were for PS1. All those games, but only about 1 in 10 of the games were honestly worth paying money to play, and less worth actually owning.

So, look on the bright side: Sony fans will know this generation, what Nintendo fans knew the past 2: first party titles are what sell hardware. Third party titles are largely just low-quality cash-ins, poorly spun sequels, sports games, or licensed garbage. Enjoy the new Dreamcast. :)

[Nec5]

So, look on the bright side: Sony fans will know this generation, what Nintendo fans knew the past 2: first party titles are what sell hardware. How is that a bright side? Man, I'm glad I haven't purchased any of the newer systems.

[Bahamut]

How is that a bright side? Man, I'm glad I haven't purchased any of the newer systems.

He's just bitter at how many people used to dismiss Nintendo :-P .

[Nec5]

He's just bitter at how many people used to dismiss Nintendo :-P .I thought as much. Either you can deliver the games people want at a price they are willing to pay, or you get the hell out of Dodge. Brand recognition and trust is one thing; religious zeal for any gaming company is something else entirely.

I'm curious as to how many people out there are taking the "wait and see" approach like me. Maybe we need a poll question.

[SilverStar]

He's just bitter at how many people used to dismiss Nintendo :-P .

Pretty much, yeah. Mostly, the games actually worth owning for GC were first/second party titles. They alone made the system worth buying. That it was a relatively low price compared to what else was there, made it a bonus.

That's the one thing Sony doesn't have going for it.. the entry price is just to damn high, even for first party titles. If it's still around in 3 years, and gets down to $249 or so, then everything considered, especially the first-party stuff, it would be worth a purchase.

Edit:

Here's an aside for why I would figure PS3 would be worth it at 249.

Imagine if you only had $1000, right now, to spend on a console, for the entire span of its shelf life. But, you currently don't have any games or systems at all. You can go ahead, have HDTV sets, massive stereo systems, whatever. But no consoles, no handhelds, and no games.

Now, let's say you can only look at what's currently available, or has been officially announced, at this point, for sale by the end of next year.

And, you can only buy the goods new. If you can get them brand new for really cheap, such as through clearance sales or on eBay, then it still counts as buying it new.

What systems would you be willing to invest that $1000(each) in? You won't have any access to anything past the end of next year, so if any games you want are delayed until 2009, it's a write-off and you lose the money allocated to it.

Would you even be considering spending that $500 on a PS3, and only have $500 left to buy games from a selection that is currently, pretty much utterly shit, but with a few real gems coming out in the next year and a half?

Would you go for a Gamecube, at about 100 bucks, and hit up eBay and clearance sales, where you can buy games for $10-$20 each, to flesh out the rest of the grand? Maybe spend more on the hardware, to have access to some new stuff that looks promising, at the cost of a handful of older games?

Personally, I'd probably go for a PS2 if I had that cash, in a lump sum. Buy the PS2, then go hit up for games at $35-50 each.

Why a PS2? Because as I see it, it hits the value mark($1 per hour invested in the system, enjoying the games and gameplay, all-inclusive) at about $750. For 750 bucks, I could get a PS2, memory card, and games enough to last me 750 hours without it becoming tedious to continue playing.

Gamecube doesn't quite have enough games that are long enough, to normally warrant the full-price purchase. I've been lucky, able to buy a bunch of brand new games, for 15 bucks each, since the local Blockbuster is clearing out their Gamecube library. Picked up Killer 7 and Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow for 15 each, with a few more I'm interested in.

X360.. well, for what's there right now, it'd be damn close, except for the cost of the online service. That would also have to be factored in, and would end up draining the funds very quickly.

Wii.. It has a lot of promise for great, AAA titles right now. It has games from series I'm actually familiar with and enjoy. It's largely the gamecube support it has, that pushed it over the edge for me, when everything else was nebulous.

PS3, from a value perspective, just doesn't have what it takes. With games starting at 60USD, and a buy-in of 500 bucks, you could get 8 games and a pizza, plus the system. And play it through the included composite cables. You could at least get 14 new games for Wii(50 bucks each) and the hardware, with enough titles available between both Wii and GC to flesh out that selection at full price, and the graphics would still wind up looking the same general quality, since you won't be playing that PS3 in HD, without sacrificing a game to get the cables for it.

[Nec5]

If it's still around in 3 years, and gets down to $249 or so, then everything considered, especially the first-party stuff, it would be worth a purchase.Let me ask a few questions about the cash hit from each system.

1. How much is the monthly subscription to XBOX 360? Do you have to pay to receive patches, updates, and play online? Price tag?
2. Does the PS3 provide most of that for free(aside from the initial $700 boot to the face)?
3. Does the Wii provide most of the XBOX 360 stuff for free or is it also a subscription deal?
4. Can you not answer these questions in general because it varies from game to game?

I'm not a fan of paying per month for games. I want to own the car, not rent it. I'm just trying to wrap my brain around the actual dollar amounts that online requires(and since ?every? system virtually requires it, I guess it must be factored into cost). Thanks for clearing up any misinformation on my part.

I'm trying to see if the "free" aspect of online PS3 games makes up at all for absurdly huge initial price versus the XBOX 360 or possibly Wii.

[SilverStar]

Let me ask a few questions about the cash hit from each system.

1. How much is the monthly subscription to XBOX 360? Do you have to pay to receive patches, updates, and play online? Price tag?
2. Does the PS3 provide most of that for free(aside from the initial $700 boot to the face)?
3. Does the Wii provide most of the XBOX 360 stuff for free or is it also a subscription deal?
4. Can you not answer these questions in general because it varies from game to game?

I'm not a fan of paying per month for games. I want to own the car, not rent it. I'm just trying to wrap my brain around the actual dollar amounts that online requires(and since ?every? system virtually requires it, I guess it must be factored into cost). Thanks for clearing up any misinformation on my part.

I'm trying to see if the "free" aspect of online PS3 games makes up at all for absurdly huge initial price versus the XBOX 360 or possibly Wii.

Monthly subscription for Live! Gold is 15 dollars, I believe. This enables you to play the games online.

PS3, so far, offers the features for free. But it seems to be more a game-to-game offering, where some may charge you for the access if they wish.

Wii's online offering is like a free version of Xbox Live. The online play will be free(so far, as with PS3), plus it offers other free online things, of varying worth(not much, really).

For both PS3 and X360(since they have examples already), game patches are free(even with standard Live! Silver membership, that costs nothing). There's limited free content to enhance games across both, and some premium expansion content on X360 for some games, which costs money to obtain. As I said, PS3 is currently free to play online, as is Wii.

X360 and PS3 both include more community-based features than Wii does, which is a heavy kick to the stomach for Nintendo.

Generally, what it winds up boiling down to is, do you want a system to play games in a new way, or stick to the tried and true that has done well for over 20 years? And if you want the old way, do you want to pay for superior online gaming, or stick to what's free and have it be up to each developer how to implement it all?

With X360, even if you don't want to pay for the Gold subscription, you'll be able to still get game updates and patches, but you won't play online. With PS3, you'll play online, but the quality is questionable at this stage in the game. In time, there's a chance PS3's method will improve dramatically, since it's more open to the developers to change, but this could also lead to some odd quirks showing up when you try to add it to older titles.

[DJ Skratch 'n' Sniff]

Let me ask a few questions about the cash hit from each system.

1. How much is the monthly subscription to XBOX 360? Do you have to pay to receive patches, updates, and play online? Price tag?
2. Does the PS3 provide most of that for free(aside from the initial $700 boot to the face)?
3. Does the Wii provide most of the XBOX 360 stuff for free or is it also a subscription deal?
4. Can you not answer these questions in general because it varies from game to game?

I'm not a fan of paying per month for games. I want to own the car, not rent it. I'm just trying to wrap my brain around the actual dollar amounts that online requires(and since ?every? system virtually requires it, I guess it must be factored into cost). Thanks for clearing up any misinformation on my part.

I'm trying to see if the "free" aspect of online PS3 games makes up at all for absurdly huge initial price versus the XBOX 360 or possibly Wii.

Not that it matters too much, but the 60 gig PS3 is actually $500.

[SilverStar]

Not that it matters too much, but the 60 gig PS3 is actually $500.

That would also depend on what country you live in. It's still close to $700CAD.

[The Coop]

Let me ask a few questions about the cash hit from each system.

1. How much is the monthly subscription to XBOX 360? Do you have to pay to receive patches, updates, and play online? Price tag?
2. Does the PS3 provide most of that for free(aside from the initial $700 boot to the face)?
3. Does the Wii provide most of the XBOX 360 stuff for free or is it also a subscription deal?
4. Can you not answer these questions in general because it varies from game to game?

I'm not a fan of paying per month for games. I want to own the car, not rent it. I'm just trying to wrap my brain around the actual dollar amounts that online requires(and since ?every? system virtually requires it, I guess it must be factored into cost). Thanks for clearing up any misinformation on my part.

I'm trying to see if the "free" aspect of online PS3 games makes up at all for absurdly huge initial price versus the XBOX 360 or possibly Wii.

Well, I can answer part of that...

1- The Gold membership for Live is $50 a year. This lets you do everything. However, every 360 comes with a permanent, free Live Silver package. You can't play online games (unless there's a weekend special or something), but you can still browse, get patches, chat online, buy classic games, etc. Check this (http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/features/goldenage.htm) out for more info.

2- Unless things have changed in the last few months, the PS3 hasn't gotten it's online stuff really going just yet. It's way too early to say "they do it for free", because they could just as easily decide the maintenance costs are too high, and start charging. If they do keep it free, great... that'll be a point in their favor. But until they're actually doing it, and offering XBox Live-level service, all for free, I wouldn't start looking at this as an argument against MS just yet. Time has yet to tell if what Sony says is indeed what happens.

3- The Wii doesn't have much of an online service yet. As such, they don't offer anything like what MS does, or what Sony plans to in terms of online gaming and services. They have the VC and friend codes and such, but it's not in the same league as what MS and Sony have/will have... for the moment.

4- Not sure what you're asking here.

[SilverStar]

^^ What Coop said. I wasn't sure about the price of the Live membership. :tomatoface:

Nintendo.. has the most to catch up with. Even nintendo fanboys admit, Nintendo has been half-assing it at best, when it comes to online. If it were at least as good as DS is, for Mario Kart for example, then it'd be a great, casual online experience. Just get in there and play.

If, however, it turns out to be more splash and no substance, like Pokemon Battle Revolution, then it'll be dead in the water. (load times between text menus? what?)

But, the reviews of Mario Strikers Charged seems to indicate that it'll be decent, for actual play. Just won't be as fleshed out as Live or PSN.

[Bigfoot]

Yeah, Nintendo really needs to kick it up a whole bunch of notches.

[kupernikus]

Personally, I still dont see a reason to own a PS3 I had one for a time, had Resistance and F1, other then that there wasn't anything too special, and while I understand its only a year old, its got ports, and a few crappy games out. My wii is in the same boat, I got Zelda, my wife has Spongebob, and we play wiisports together. In my opinion sony is just trying to hard to cater to everyone without any follow through. its a lackluster media machine, a lackluster internet browser, its online offerings are too new to judge, and so what Im really left with is a really pricey PS2

Edit: I will be rebuying a PS3 for FFXIII and MGS4. and one other I cant think of, either way thats still 6 months to a year for me. and I will be buying a used one.

[SilverStar]

Wonder if next gen will see a game with the openness of the PS3(custom selected HDD, Linux), the online gameplay of X360(Live!), and the generally fun, wacky, and all-ages aim of the Wii. And if so, who's gonna be the one to pull it off?

[Bahamut]

Don't you mean a console?

Breaking into Nintendo's stranglehold on the family-friendly market is a tough draw for Sony and Microsoft. I rather not dwell on the next gen while we still have most of this gen to cherish.

[SilverStar]

Don't you mean a console?

Breaking into Nintendo's stranglehold on the family-friendly market is a tough draw for Sony and Microsoft. I rather not dwell on the next gen while we still have most of this gen to cherish.

Er, yeah. Game console.

And if you really think about it.. this generation is already going about as well as one can expect, so far. It's been 8 months, the trends have continued pretty stable(X360 has seen slow but steady sales, outselling EVERYONE in games, PS3's sales have honestly sucked, both hardware and software, and Wii is selling out for hardware, but is struggling to do even 2:1 over Sony for software).

I'm kinda surprised at how slow every has been, getting their first AAA-class exclusive titles out, for both PS3 and Wii, though. Even if you say no one expected it from Nintendo, they still had since TGS to get stuff hacked together. Without having to put even half as much manpower into graphics, they could easily have started having some solid, fun games out, within 6 months of starting development.

And with PS3.. a lot of those titles were already IN development, for well over a year before launch, and since then they've just gone multiplatform, or dropped their entire existing PS3 code.

Honestly.. it doesn't look good, from a gamer's perspective, unless you have a 360. Even within the first year, they were pumping out top shelf games that still sell nicely.

However, this holiday season could turn out to be VERY odd, because Sony will be releasing some of the more anticipated casual things(Home, LBP, etc...), while Nintendo and MS are more fighting for the hardcore crowd(Halo, MP3, Smash Bros, Mario, etc...).

Talk about a hell of a shake-up. And if nothing else, Home should start drawing the innumerable masses of digitally unwashed out of Second Life, and into their 3rd one.

Poor Sony.. stuck with all those furries.

[Nec5]

Hey, thanks for all the responses to my questions. Very helpful and no BS. I appreciate it.

[K999]

The MAN is keeping PS3 down.

[SilverStar]

The MAN is keeping PS3 down.

Don't you mean the Suits? And they're not keeping it down.. they're keeping it WAY up there, where no one can reach it.

[dsx100]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the 20GB PS3 discontinued on March or April of this year.
http://www.ebgames.com/productmerch.asp?groupid=635

At first I thought they might be selling them used but I can't indication of that anywhere on the site.

[Brithor]

It's kinda funny how the 60GB version cost's the same as the 20GB one...

[Groovemaster303]

Just wondered if anyone else has tried the GRAW2 demo on PS3 and what your thoughts are.
I've just had a quick run through the demo myself and compared to the 360 version it looks dull and lacks colour while the 360 looks vibrant and lively i can't believe the difference between the two. it's very noticable if you run both versions side by side, also the framerate is a bit iffy, other than that it's more or less the same.

[Strike911]

Just wondered if anyone else has tried the GRAW2 demo on PS3 and what your thoughts are.
I've just had a quick run through the demo myself and compared to the 360 version it looks dull and lacks colour while the 360 looks vibrant and lively i can't believe the difference between the two. it's very noticable if you run both versions side by side, also the framerate is a bit iffy, other than that it's more or less the same.

Where'd you get the GRAW2 demo? I don't think I recalled seeing it on the Playstation Store... is it available for download somewhere else?


I'm pretty satisfied with my PS3. It's got WAY more play-time so far than my cherished Wii. And I'm excited after Sony's E3 showing. But its true that the Xbox360 is the only system not going through a drought right now...

[Groovemaster303]

GRAW2 demo is online in the Euro store as of today.
not sure about the US or Jap stores though.

[NeoForte]

US will get it today, its just not up yet. Japan got Bladestorm demo....dunno what that is though...

[K999]

Japan got Bladestorm demo....dunno what that is though...

Another boring dynnasty warriors hybrid. You can try out for yourself. It's not that hard to create a Japanese account (http://www.britishgaming.co.uk/?p=1827) for downloading ps3 demos from japan.

[NeoForte]

Yea I made one to get FolkSoul (Folklore over here). I finished downloading it last night gonna try it out in a bit. The demo I really wanted to play isn't there anymore though (Hot Shots Golf 5) :(

[PriZm]

Heavenly sword demo was meh.

[Groovemaster303]

The Heavenly Sword demo was just too damn short.
I didn't like it too much but saying that I am playing through Ninja Gaiden Sigma right now and to be honest i don't think anything bar Devil May Cry and God Of War can hold a candle to the sheer greatness of NG (all versions)

[Nulion]

The weird thing about the Heavenly Sword demo was that I didn't like it at first either. But if you play it over again, you'll like it more. Play it again, you'll like it even more, and so on and so forth.

I think it's because the combat system at first seems very limited, until you get to understanding all the crazy things you can do with it, and because of that, the game just gets more fun.

Really weird, but hey, it worked for me.

[Necrotic]

Another boring dynnasty warriors hybrid. You can try out for yourself. It's not that hard to create a Japanese account (http://www.britishgaming.co.uk/?p=1827) for downloading ps3 demos from japan.

This actually just made me think of something that I nearly forgot that's been on the back of my mind for a while now, but I never got around to asking. I always assumed yes until this was brought up though.

Does the PS3 have region locking? And if so I assume it's just for the discs and not for demos then?

(Thread's too long to backtrack if this has already been asked, sorry.)


-Nick

[SilverStar]

This actually just made me think of something that I nearly forgot that's been on the back of my mind for a while now, but I never got around to asking. I always assumed yes until this was brought up though.

Does the PS3 have region locking? And if so I assume it's just for the discs and not for demos then?

(Thread's too long to backtrack if this has already been asked, sorry.)


-Nick

I don't think there's any region locking for the games.. but I do remember reading somewhere(Kotaku, maybe?) that one of the upcoming games -would- have standard, oldskool region locking.

At least Sony, for the most part, realizes that region locking is the single, legal reason to use a modchip.. no modchips, next to no piracy. So, no region locking, no legal excuse for a modchip.

Edit:

Well, damn. The very game I was thinking of, has had the region locking yanked from it.

What -was- http://kotaku.com/gaming/say-it-aint-woo/stranglehold-on-ps3-+-region-locked-284371.php

Is now http://kotaku.com/gaming/systems-restored/midway-backs-down-stranglehold-now-region+free-285961.php

Too bad some companies think it pays to buck the trend, all because they foolishly think they somehow make more money selling the same game in different regions, than they do selling the same game to ALL regions.

[Necrotic]

Thanks. That makes me a very happy to know. :D

I'm sure the PS2 games aren't affected by that though.

[SilverStar]

Thanks. That makes me a very happy to know. :D

I'm sure the PS2 games aren't affected by that though.

Nope. PS2 games are still cocklocked.

[Strike911]

The weird thing about the Heavenly Sword demo was that I didn't like it at first either. But if you play it over again, you'll like it more. Play it again, you'll like it even more, and so on and so forth.

I think it's because the combat system at first seems very limited, until you get to understanding all the crazy things you can do with it, and because of that, the game just gets more fun.

Really weird, but hey, it worked for me.

That's true. At first I was like... *gasp* this is Heavenly Sword? Crap.

but... then I started playing through the demo again and again and understanding how the fighting system worked and it's actually really cool. It's not really interesting until you know what you're doing... and the game doesn't help itself. I mean they give you a lengthy written button config entry on the menu, but a tutorial for the demo would have been nice. It was just "meh" for me too before I started really getting down how combos and counters worked. :)

I played the GRAW2 demo, and was really unimpressed. The demo was interesting, but seriously, it felt like it was a dumbed down port of the Xbox360 version... clearly wasn't using the full potential of the ps3.

I might need to open a Japanese account. . . .

[K999]

I have encountered a problem with my ps3. For some reason the controller seems to work fine when I am playing games, but the controller stops responding when I press the playstation button on the controller. I tried resetting my controller a number of times, but nothing seems to be working. The controller doesn't work even when it is connected directly to ps3 through a wire. I googled for this problem and a number of other users have also encountered this problem. But I wasn't able to find any solution online. Has anyone here dealt with this type of problem before?

[Bahamut]

Not I...strange problem indeed.

[Groovemaster303]

The only problem i've had with my PS3 is random freezes every now and then while using the web.
Plus a thing with my controller in which the L2 and R2 triggers squeak like mad when i press them, that was annoying as hell.
Luckily when i bought my second ps3... (sold the first) i no longer had the squeaky buttons

[Zutnunzor]

No problems with mine either, except this one time on Oblivion, doing the Umbra quest, she kicked my ass so hard, it crashed my ps3.

Then on my friends ps3, I do get slowdown on some of the games he has, but he leaves his damn ps3 on ALL week, running Folding at home, he has like 240 work units done, crazy bastard.

[furymaster]

I have had this same problem too, where you try to connect but all it does is keep flashing right? I have only really had it during PS2 games, but I haven't played too many PS3 games yet. Find anything on this?

[SilverStar]

No problems with mine either, except this one time on Oblivion, doing the Umbra quest, she kicked my ass so hard, it crashed my ps3.

Then on my friends ps3, I do get slowdown on some of the games he has, but he leaves his damn ps3 on ALL week, running Folding at home, he has like 240 work units done, crazy bastard.

Haha. Umbra pwnd you so hard, she hacked YOUR gibson, bitch! :P

[NeoForte]

Kinda late but holy shit is Super Stardust HD fun as hell. I haven't gotten to the second world but man its just so much fun.

[Bahamut]

Kinda late but holy shit is Super Stardust HD fun as hell. I haven't gotten to the second world but man its just so much fun.

One of my friends told me about that, said it's almost as good as Geometry Wars. I definitely gotta pick it up once I get internet running again.

[Groovemaster303]

PSN should have trial versions of all games they release IMO.
Like the 360 with live arcade.

[NeoForte]

One of my friends told me about that, said it's almost as good as Geometry Wars. I definitely gotta pick it up once I get internet running again.

IMO its a lot better than Geometry Wars. It feels like an actual game than just one stage you play over and over to get higher score. There are different enemies and obstacles plus boss fights heh. As you get better and better you open up different worlds. You also have 3 different guns you can upgrade. Each has its own advantages over different rocks, enemies, etc. Everyone with a Ps3 seriously needs to get this game hehe

[Bahamut]

So I got my PS3 running online...and man is the PSN Store buggy. I had troubles using their initial links for downloading the games and had to exit the store and return to download them. Not to mention purchase pages sometimes flips out on me too. Got me flOw and Super Stardust HD though, so I can't wait to play them.

IMO its a lot better than Geometry Wars. It feels like an actual game than just one stage you play over and over to get higher score. There are different enemies and obstacles plus boss fights heh. As you get better and better you open up different worlds. You also have 3 different guns you can upgrade. Each has its own advantages over different rocks, enemies, etc. Everyone with a Ps3 seriously needs to get this game hehe

But that's the whole appeal of Geometry Wars - I love that aspect of it and its why I keep going back to it. It harks back to the days of high scoring and such.

Edit: After a little more than 2 hours of Super Stardust HD, holy shit, the game kicks ass. The curve is nice and fast paced for the difficulty. I'm hoping the fun still holds much later, although climbing the rankings is fun. So far I'm up to around 10000th in the rankings.

[Bahamut]

Bumping this thread...

I almost beat Super Stardust HD, died a second time against the final boss, when it was almost dead (yay rank 3692 or something like that). Some of my deaths have been due to the controller's bluetooth being glitchy, which is pissing me off to no end. Sony let me down with the wireless reliability here on a recurring basis. For games like this, it is unacceptable - the PS3 is just not good enough for hardcore games with its current Sixaxis controller.

Otherwise, I'm enjoying what I'm playing a lot.

[PriZm]

weird.

I had no problem with the controller or the PS network

[NeoForte]

I haven't had problems with the Sixaxis yet but I hope this is fixed when the ShockAxis is released

[Jam Stunna]

New MGS4 trailer:

http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=8282

Holy crap, this game looks amazing.

[K999]

So has anyone here purchased warhawk? I am interested to some extent but from my experience, most people playing these types of online games are jerks.

[DiggiDis]

Hey man .. I'm not exactly the guy that plays shooters these days.. But a friend of mine convinced me to buy warhawk. And I must say .. It's crazy fun ! Really worth the money.

[The Damned]

Microsoft pays for their game system division with their world-dominating computer operating system and the money they make off of x-Box Live subscriptions.

Nintendo... well, Nintendo makes a pretty good profit off of their systems, so they don't have to worry about that.

Sony? Sony sells off shares of other divisions (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/04/sony-raising-money-for-playstation-division-with-insurance-unit/) to cover the losses of their game system division.

Seems kind of bad, huh? Selling off pieces to keep another afloat.

Anyone still think Sony is doing good this gen? ;-)

[SilverStar]

Microsoft pays for their game system division with their world-dominating computer operating system and the money they make off of x-Box Live subscriptions.

Nintendo... well, Nintendo makes a pretty good profit off of their systems, so they don't have to worry about that.

Sony? Sony sells off shares of other divisions (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/04/sony-raising-money-for-playstation-division-with-insurance-unit/) to cover the losses of their game system division.

Seems kind of bad, huh? Selling off pieces to keep another afloat.

Anyone still think Sony is doing good this gen? ;-)

Now now, this -could- be a good thing for them.. I mean, it's not like they're still selling DVD movies that can't play on computers(Wait.. Stranger than Fiction wouldn't even detect in my DVD drive..), or portable drives that install rootkits into your computer(wait.. again, they were just called on that..).

Hey, they have their world-class consumer name and love of all the customers to pull them along! Oh, shit..

[Bigfoot]

I think Sony finally has their marketing down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm82FY8hzxA

[The Author]

I think Sony finally has their marketing down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm82FY8hzxA
Great idea. If you can't beat the competition, confuse the customers.

[The Damned]

OK, so the Japanese fucking loved the PS2. Really, they bought it and bought it and bought it some more. Kind of like the DS nowadays.

So how are things going for the PS3 in Japan right now? So bad, a book (http://kotaku.com/gaming/paper-stuff/new-japanese-book-asks-why-ps3-failed-297947.php) asking why it failed is number 15 on Japanese book lists.

So why is it that Sony went from market leader with a huge lead over the other two guys, to a distant second and getting comfy with the gaijin console in only a few years? How can any company screw up so badly so quickly in their own region?

[shikigami]

So why is it that Sony went from market leader with a huge lead over the other two guys, to a distant second and getting comfy with the gaijin console in only a few years? How can any company screw up so badly so quickly in their own region?

by marketing to the base which has the fewest amount of people.

[GeckoYamori]

Hasn't the overconfidence and the "screw our customers" attitude been pointing towards that for a good while now?

[The Author]

Sony in general has been doing badly. The battery thing really ruined their reputation with many people.

Think about it, if they can screw up a 20$ battery, they can screw up a 700$ console.

In addition, they keep changing it, trying to convince us the PS3's newest iteration is an improvement, but they keep removing things.
Even their price cut was on a discontinued product.

[megadave]

The Heavenly Sword demo was just too damn short.
I didn't like it too much but saying that I am playing through Ninja Gaiden Sigma right now and to be honest i don't think anything bar Devil May Cry and God Of War can hold a candle to the sheer greatness of NG (all versions)

I agree. What an excellent game.

[shikigami]

Sony in general has been doing badly. The battery thing really ruined their reputation with many people.

Think about it, if they can screw up a 20$ battery, they can screw up a 700$ console.

i dont know maybe they have shitty business analysts who think a $700 console that provides a gargantuan amount of processing, 80% which will never be used before the next generation of consoles, and a pure lack of development interest will sell OK.

[Bigfoot]

Rumored $399 40gig PS3 with Spider-man 3 Blu-ray coming this Holiday season along with a $99 PS2.

http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2007/09/09/500-80gb-ps3-with-a-spiderman-3-blu-ray-pack-in-our-mole-lets-us-in-on-sonys-future-plans

[SilverStar]

OK, so the Japanese fucking loved the PS2. Really, they bought it and bought it and bought it some more. Kind of like the DS nowadays.

So how are things going for the PS3 in Japan right now? So bad, a book (http://kotaku.com/gaming/paper-stuff/new-japanese-book-asks-why-ps3-failed-297947.php) asking why it failed is number 15 on Japanese book lists.

So why is it that Sony went from market leader with a huge lead over the other two guys, to a distant second and getting comfy with the gaijin console in only a few years? How can any company screw up so badly so quickly in their own region?

Distant 3rd. Wii is about 11 million, X360 is about 10.5 million, PS3 is just shy of 5 million.

[The Damned]

Is that in Japan only, or world wide? Because I was talking about Japan only.

[SilverStar]

Is that in Japan only, or world wide? Because I was talking about Japan only.

I'm talking globally.

In Japan, PS3 is still 3rd place, because DS still outsells everything else under the sun. And to say it isn't competing for the same market there, is kinda foolish. Over there, if they have a DS, they don't need much else to play.

Also, I just realized something.

It isn't Nintendo who designed themselves out of the console race this generation, by "not competing" against the other two. It's actually Sony who designed themselves out.

They created a machine that had the focus on absolutely EVERYTHING, before games. At first, they were actually saying it was not a game console, period. It's a home computer.

As a home computer, the sales aren't too bad.

As a Blu-Ray player, the sales are pretty damn good.

As a growing media center PC, it has lots of potential.

But only last week did Sony even say that the PS3 is a game machine. The one aspect they've failed to even try to push on the world. And because of that, PS3 is competing in the same market as general, all-purpose home computers, with a TV output instead of standard monitor jacks on a video card.

As a game console, PS3 is a failure. And at this point, they'll probably see more influential productions in the BD-Java department, than in classic console games.

X360: Games first and foremost. Even if you just get the core edition, it can play every game out there currently(not including XBLA). Yes, that will change, but only for certain titles. It does that job rather well.

Wii: Designed exclusively for games. It has a web browser, but it's totally optional and more or less tacked on for those who just want one for the hell of it. Out of the box, it has everything you need to start playing games without worry. Including downloadable titles.

PS3: Designed as a high-class, entry-level Blu-Ray player. Has official Linux compatibility. Feature set is still fluid in design, with reports and rumors of ever-new models coming out, while they constantly phase out old models. Core backwards functionality was removed after 10 months, in favor of software, to varying levels of success. Online media store functionality is in the works, along with a very heavy advertising campaign for it.

Games? Yeah, it can do that too. But you can't find a better Blu-Ray player for the price! That's where the power is!

Sony actually designed the PS3 as something other than a game console, and as such they're failing in the one market everyone expected them to be in. But the other markets they're in, they're doing respectably well in. They could just put it in a micro-tower case and release it as a standalone PC and it might appeal to a broader market.

[Bigfoot]

The PS3 was an awesome choice for a blu-ray player from launch because most Blu-Ray players at the time were no cheaper than $999.

Now they're starting to get below the $500 range.

[SilverStar]

Maybe they should focus more on everything but the gameplay "experience" for PS3 games, and try to rebrand it to fit in with the set-top-box ideas? Go for a TiVo idea, but with the ability to do a LOT more. Record your shows, while using a fully functioning, fully featured Linux OS, or record while watching a DVD or BluRay movie, so you don't miss out on your favorite program.

Or, if they were to do something so you could record your program while actually playing a game.. that might earn them some good cred, there.

[Bigfoot]

They should also not force the motion sensing capabilities of their controller onto players. Look what happened with Lair. Imagine how much better that could have been if they added the option not to use them.

I seriously thought that game could have been a good title, but then I started reading reviews and ouch..

[shikigami]

Maybe they should focus more on everything but the gameplay "experience" for PS3 games, and try to rebrand it to fit in with the set-top-box ideas? Go for a TiVo idea, but with the ability to do a LOT more. Record your shows, while using a fully functioning, fully featured Linux OS, or record while watching a DVD or BluRay movie, so you don't miss out on your favorite program.

Or, if they were to do something so you could record your program while actually playing a game.. that might earn them some good cred, there.

youll never get a job at sony because you have good ideas.

[SilverStar]

They should also not force the motion sensing capabilities of their controller onto players. Look what happened with Lair. Imagine how much better that could have been if they added the option not to use them.

I seriously thought that game could have been a good title, but then I started reading reviews and ouch..

Curse of the Dragon.

the only good dragon-centric games to be released in anything close to recent history, have been the earlier Spyro games, and the Panzer Dragoon saga. Anything else that tries it, fails. Miserably.

youll never get a job at sony because you have good ideas.

Yeah, I know. Plus, I wouldn't try advertising PS3 with games like PGR3 or Halo 3. ;)

Too bad Sony just doesn't seem able to get their advertising.. or even just their focus, done anything sane, these days.

[The Damned]

They should also not force the motion sensing capabilities of their controller onto players. Look what happened with Lair. Imagine how much better that could have been if they added the option not to use them.

More importantly, they could have just not slapped it on at all. They only put motion control on their system because they saw how much attention Nintendo got when they did it.

But even then, there are the developers that could have taken more time getting what little functionality it has, and tried harder to get it to work better.

Seriously, Lair seems rushed in almost every regard.

[SilverStar]

More importantly, they could have just not slapped it on at all. They only put motion control on their system because they saw how much attention Nintendo got when they did it.

But even then, there are the developers that could have taken more time getting what little functionality it has, and tried harder to get it to work better.

Seriously, Lair seems rushed in almost every regard.

Except that it was sent back for an extra 6 months of work and still came out as being the laughable gimmick everyone thought Wii would have been. :P

[The Author]

Sony helped Nintendo on that aspect.

If the Wii had been the only motion sensing console, it would have been the worse as well as the best. Now, with Sony placing themselves firmly in the worse position, they allowed Nintendo to be the best.

Seriously, if we have no point of reference, we cannot evaluate something.

[Hector]

PS3 may be doing well as everything but a game console currently, but that is where it is most important for it to succeed. The PS3, like the 360, is about high-production value games. Each title sold improves the profit margin of a game. Therefore, if Sony fails to get sufficient market share, the high-production value titles will cease to come through for them. And that, means a reputation for mediocrity. The Gamecube suffered this same problem last generation, having the smallest market-share companies devoted the least resources to it--which led people to consider it the weakest console.

If the PS3 fails in this respect, the 360 will clean house with them. The 360 has similar multimedia capabilities to the PS3 (wasn't it also supposed to get an HD-DVD attachment?)--just not quite as powerful. With the leverage provided by its gamer fan-base, the 360 will become the more dominant multimedia platform. Home-brew electronics favor the most prevalent platform, this is even seen in Linux with its preference for PC hardware. Gamers are one of Sony's most important assets for pushing their electronics. They cannot afford to lose them to 360.

And for Wii fans: the Wii isn't designed enough as a multimedia platform, so Microsoft's edge over Sony is more threatening than Nintendo's.

[shikigami]

And for Wii fans: the Wii isn't designed enough as a multimedia platform, so Microsoft's edge over Sony is more threatening than Nintendo's.

except whether or not it comes with a dvd player is irrelevant to me when im buying a VIDEO GAME CONSOLE.

[Bahamut]

Who the fuck cares about the stupid console war notion?

[shikigami]

Who the fuck cares about the stupid console war notion?

shigeru miyamoto feat. hiroshi yamauchi, ken kutaragi, and bill gates.

[SilverStar]

Even for the same market, there's nothing a $600 PS3 can offer that the $399 X360 doesn't already do, often better.

And that is, to play games.

For all the other features the PS3 has, I have a PC. Which does it all better.

So, PS3 is X360 with a 200 dollar premium, and 10% of the content.

[KakTheInfected]

I'll buy a PS3 when Gran Turismo 5 is out and it doesn't cost $5-600 to play it. Until then, it remains nothing but an overpriced system for graphics whores (Lair lol).

[Bigfoot]

except whether or not it comes with a dvd player is irrelevant to me when im buying a VIDEO GAME CONSOLE.

Agreed. When I buy a console, I want it because I want to play games. I could give a crap if it plays movies or not. That's what is cool about the 360. It doesn't force the HDDVD player onto the consumer. I have a feeling though they might come out with a new model 360 that has the HDDVD player built in.

HD movies are a turn-off to me anyway. $30 for a movie? Ouch.

[I-n-j-i-n]

I think $30 for a really good, HD feed movies are worth it. I only buy like 3 movies a year so I don't really sink money into them anyway unless they are REALLY worth it.

[Bahamut]

I think $30 for a really good, HD feed movies are worth it. I only buy like 3 movies a year so I don't really sink money into them anyway unless they are REALLY worth it.

Jeez, my brother buys like 10 DVDs for that price ($90). $30 is just too much to ask for, and I refuse to buy blu-ray because of them shoveling it onto the PS3.

[I-n-j-i-n]

I don't know what types of DVDs anyone is getting, but they tend to be around $20 for a hefty, fully featured one. Barebone DVDs do not interest me. Likewise to HD-movies, though the high def itself makes it worth it IMO. The only time I don't care at all is with anime since they're only now being animated into high definition transfers.

I would love to own a high definition FF7: Advent Children though, since that is so clearly made in digital high definition.

And personally, the formats' companies aren't too much of an issue if at all. At least for the Bluray/HD-DVD playback, they all reportedly work just fine.

Also, I wonder if Sony 'pushing Bluray' really is a sour point anymore. Because it's one of the few things the console is useful for. But I might as well get a dual Bluray/HD-DVD player sometime down the road. Or give in to a PS3 if Metal Gear Solid 4 and other games' reviews are skyhigh.

[G_D]

Barebone DVDs do not interest me.

This man lives the high life.

[SilverStar]

I.. Ow.

Heavenly Sword, a game with huge production values, a game that was even advertised with a few seconds of screen time in Heroes.. is a game you can beat in one or two sittings? Your first time through?

What's wrong? Did they sink so much money into trying to hand craft a AAA quality title, that they ran out of money to finish the project?

[The Damned]

No, the game's length was about where it was planned.

Think about that for a moment: that's how long they intended it to be.

And how much does the game cost? And how much does the system cost?

Getting your money's worth, everyone?

[SilverStar]

Maybe they should have made it a PSN game? then people might not feel so heavily shafted, spending 60 bucks for their blue rays and cells to get a pretty screensaver workout?

[Imagist]

So, after the news about the 40GB PS3 came out, this followed:

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=173281

Sony ditching backwards compatibility pretty much destroys any chance that I would ever buy a PS3.

[The Coop]

So, after the news about the 40GB PS3 came out, this followed:

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=173281

Sony ditching backwards compatibility pretty much destroys any chance that I would ever buy a PS3.

Makes sense in a twisted marketing way. Why have the PS3 system play everything, when you can have a PS3 play its games, and keep selling the PS2 while it's still popular? Mo' money mo' money.

[Bigfoot]

Makes sense in a twisted marketing way. Why have the PS3 system play everything, when you can have a PS3 play its games, and keep selling the PS2 while it's still popular? Mo' money mo' money.

But now there are probably less people that want to buy a PS3. They probably wanted to buy a PS3, get rid of their PS2 and enjoy all of their games on one console. Well, they can forget about that idea :P

Looks like if you have an early model PS3, in the future you could probably make some money from it on eBay :P

[Malaki-LEGEND.sys]

Makes sense in a twisted marketing way. Why have the PS3 system play everything, when you can have a PS3 play its games, and keep selling the PS2 while it's still popular? Mo' money mo' money.

I kind of agree with this. The PS2 still isn't dead, while the Xbox and the Gamecube are arguably KIA. I was actually thinking of selling my old PS2 and grab a silver slim along with a few games I've been wanting. A PS3 might be in order one day if it comes out with some great stuff later, but for now I'm still happy with the PS2.

[Necrotic]

Funny that just a few days after ordering a PS3 with the intention of getting rid of the PS2, they announce this.

I got a 60 gig so I technically could, but what I'm even more worried about is whether or not they're going to keep their PS1 emulator supported, regarding some of the PS1 games that don't quite work properly through the PS3's emulator.

I imagine they'll keep PS1 support which is really all I'm concerned about. I mean, they offer PS1 games through the online store don't they?

Considering how Son'ys been lately, apparently I'm a sucker for punishment to buy one of these things. :P Then again, a more mass-market friendly price could be just what they need to start moving some systems, but I'm not sure how successful they'll be making the decisions for the consumer in this case and might have been better off with 2 SKU's. Sony has to realize that $500-600, even if you're willing to pay that much like me or those of us who already own a PS3, is a lot harder to part with at the drop of a hat than $200-400 and the comfort of knowing the guaranteed future of your investment. Me and my bro, when we decided to get the PS3, did months of planning and research and it's not surprising to any of us the PS3 isn't moving very fast when there's such limited reasons to find appeal right now. When we bought our Wii on the other hand we really didn't have to think twice.

-Nick

[The Damned]

I just find it funny how Sony was saying that PS2 compatibility was a really important thing for them, and then they do this.

Not surprised, because anyone could have seen this coming. But definitely funny.

[The Author]

Ok, Sony is doing a Uwe boll. They want to make a stinker for some odd reason.

[Soma]

I'm probably gonna get a ps3 when the 40gig comes out here. The backwards compat thing doesn't really bother me, i have a ps2 already, sure it's on it's death bed, but I don't see me playing ps2 ever again. The 2 USB ports bother me more than the lack of BC.

[Brushfire]

I will get a PS3 eventually. I think Blu-Ray will beat out HDDVD and as soon as MGS4 hits the shelves, I bet the system will take off. May not be an instant hit but maybe some day.

[UnforgivingEdges]

Everyday Shooter comes out this Thursday on the PSN for $10. If you PS3 owners don't buy it, you will be guilty of a CRIME.

Official site and trailer here (http://www.everydayshooter.com/)

How does it play? Imagine a cross between Geometry Wars and Rez. I think that's all that needs to be said. Buy it.

[Bahamut]

And this reeks of moneygrabbing - you wonder why Sony's corporate PR is so terrible.

[Zombie]

I will get a PS3 eventually. I think Blu-Ray will beat out HDDVD and as soon as MGS4 hits the shelves, I bet the system will take off. May not be an instant hit but maybe some day.

That's what I've been thinking too. I've been eyeballing the PS3 lately.

[PriZm]

So I just got a hold of Heavenly Sword and Folklore today. Played about two hours into each of them. Both games certainly look and sound fantastic. The atmosphere in Folklore is so original and refreshing, it's just the type of game I was waiting for on my PS3.

[I-n-j-i-n]

So they are showing Disgaea 3 screens recently.... And it STILL looks like a PSone game!

Oh well.

[The Damned]

The PS3 is just three PS1s duct taped together.tencharacters

[Necrotic]

So I just got a hold of Heavenly Sword and Folklore today. Played about two hours into each of them. Both games certainly look and sound fantastic. The atmosphere in Folklore is so original and refreshing, it's just the type of game I was waiting for on my PS3.

I've been keeping an eye on Folklore lately. Why is it that a couple publications like IGN give it a 90% and say it's a game that really delivers a whole lot of awesome while others give it 60-70% and just bash it? It's boggling my mind and it's probably the most drastic cases of separateness among reviewers I've ever had the eyes to see.

Besides look and sound, is it worth getting for story and gameplay?

[I-n-j-i-n]

tencharacters

Wow. That was so funny. >every sort of rolleyes emoticon<

PS- Is it shameful that PSP games are getting awesome games finally and it's still taking a while for PS3 games? I'm still playing Ninja Gaiden Sigma in the game demo booths.

[Schwaltzvald]

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7422&Itemid=61

Edge: A while ago you said that you thought Sony should do a 'do-over' with PS3. Do you still think that?

GN: Absolutely. I think [PS3 is] a waste of everybody’s time. Investing in the Cell, investing in the SPE gives you no long-term benefits. There’s nothing there that you’re going to apply to anything else. You’re not going to gain anything except a hatred of the architecture they’ve created. I don’t think they’re going to make money off their box. I don’t think it’s a good solution.

:)!!

[I-n-j-i-n]

Who really listens to that Steam guy nowadays? He's just creating one big sales pitch for Valve and reiterating how software engineers say the PS3 is the hardest to program out of the three consoles. As if others didn't say that a few hundred times before. And when he was confronted with the 360-bashing he did before, he just went into a technophile filibuster by going totally off the topic.

[Schwaltzvald]

Who really listens to that Steam guy nowadays? He's just creating one big sales pitch for Valve and reiterating how software engineers say the PS3 is the hardest to program out of the three consoles. As if others didn't say that a few hundred times before. And when he was confronted with the 360-bashing he did before, he just went into a technophile filibuster by going totally off the topic.

all the more it made me go :)!! and :lol:

Although the more bullshit I'm hearing and seeing about the PS3 (loss of backwards compatibility especially) the more I'm beginning to believe it's truly a waste of time. Thank goodness some of the games I want that suppose to come out of it will be ported :)!!

[Schwaltzvald]

:lol:

Now THIS is making the PS3 useful, at least to some one...

http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/news/2007/10/ps3_supercomputer

Very useful but wow :lol:

[I-n-j-i-n]

I think they ought to push the PS3 as a future gaming system with the downloadable PS1 oldies (like Wii, like 360. Microsoft had the model working years ago) instead of pushing the backward compatibility all the time. Too many systems are having trouble because companies feel pushed to be backward compatible. Ultimately they really don't determine new purchases. At all.

Also, downloadable PS1 games are possibly the biggest gaming goldmine ever. I love Nintendo's own oldies library, but many PS1 games are almost legendary and untouchable because of how some classics are too rare to get now. It's the silly backward compatibility BS that companies should stop caring about. Stretched screens in HDTV, memory problems, frame rate problems, all bullshit.

[Schwaltzvald]

I think they ought to push the PS3 as a future gaming system

But it's not, its a multimedia system with the added bonus of playing games that use blue-ray technology.
:<

Don't get me wrong, I actually like my ps2 and its games just as I enjoy some titles from M$ Corp and Nintendo/Sega etcetera.

I also look forward to playing titles that will eventually come out for the PS3, yet unlike the time where I wanted to continue playing some NES games while wanting the SNES, there aren't currently anything worth spending the ludicrous amount of cash sony wants for their product.

What Sony should have done is found a way to have kept the PS3 between the current prices of the 360 & Wii, and developed software/games in advance to be the forerunners of possibly very awesome titles to come.

In regards to Backwards Compatibility, it very well would have been fine to have left it out of the PS3 had the system had anything incredible enough to want to move on from PS2 tech. As it stands now, it does not and it currently is a depressing system even without comparing to other consoles or to the gaming enthusiast variety of PCs...

[I-n-j-i-n]

I know you're being sarcastic but whatever. It's ironic that a next gen game system is pushing so much on oldschool connectivity that's all. I could make the same argument for all the current generation systems. Downloadables are fine. Backward compatibility with old games filling up the sole disc slot? That is just silly.

[Schwaltzvald]

Downloadables are fine. Backward compatibility with old games filling up the sole disc slot? That is just silly.

I agree that downloadable old titles (even if a fee is involved) would be fair enough to drop the BC from the PS3 if it was cheaper as well as the option of exchanging the hard drives.

however

I honestly don't see what's so silly about an old title taking up the only disc slot as I doubt one would be playing a psone game and a PS3 game at the same time.

Just takes less than a minute ti switch discs...

Instead of filling up the provided hard drive with old titles why not simply have the option to play legal copies of psone/ps2 titles..?

[Bigfoot]

Jack Tretton explains why they dropped BC. So basically, they want to encourage people to buy PS3 games instead of PS2 games.

They've got step 1 down, now all they need now are must-have games. Give them time, it's only almost been a year. :\

http://kotaku.com/gaming/spin/jack-tretton-says-dropping-bc-wasnt-for-cost-measures-312628.php

[SilverStar]

Jack Tretton explains why they dropped BC. So basically, they want to encourage people to buy PS3 games instead of PS2 games.

They've got step 1 down, now all they need now are must-have games. Give them time, it's only almost been a year. :\

http://kotaku.com/gaming/spin/jack-tretton-says-dropping-bc-wasnt-for-cost-measures-312628.php

I guess when the most compelling feature of a system sold at such a heavy loss is the purchase of old games, it doesn't do so well for convincing people to buy the new stuff, nor is it very good from a profit standpoint when the games with huge budgets are being usurped by last gen games, in two ways.

[Bigfoot]

It's like he just wants you to buy both the PS3 and PS2.

Oh, hey look, watch this. 40gig PS3($399.99) + PS2(probably $99 this holiday season) = $499.99 system with full BC! That was their plan all along! Haha, j/k :P

[I-n-j-i-n]

I agree that downloadable old titles (even if a fee is involved) would be fair enough to drop the BC from the PS3 if it was cheaper as well as the option of exchanging the hard drives.

No, no. Cheaper or not, that's not the point. Backward cataloges are a nigh distraction and nuisances that only the most hardcore stuck up gamers may even give a cent about when it comes down to BUYING decisions. It'd be nice to get good backward compatibility, but is it a selling point? NO. No it is not. You buy new consoles to get new games. It's that simple.

I honestly don't see what's so silly about an old title taking up the only disc slot as I doubt one would be playing a psone game and a PS3 game at the same time.

Maybe people should have prudence to just keep older systems and play older games on those with their dingy old analog TVs. I do that too. All the time. I have a dozen systems hooked up in various configurations and I don't even consider myself all that hardcore a gamer compared to some others I've seen. I love roms and emulations and etc etc, but if you want to play Genesis games, get a Genesis out.

Really, who else really whines about all this other than those who trade in systems all the time? I could play dozens of my Xbox games on the 360. I never do it because these systems aren't supposed to expand and stretch analog TV games to an HDTV. Try playing NES systems on an HDTV and experience a huge headache. NOT compatible.

[KakTheInfected]

No, no. Cheaper or not, that's not the point. Backward cataloges are a nigh distraction and nuisances that only the most hardcore stuck up gamers may even give a cent about when it comes down to BUYING decisions. It'd be nice to get good backward compatibility, but is it a selling point? NO. No it is not. You buy new consoles to get new games. It's that simple.

But aren't "only the most hardcore" buying PS3s? The general public has no idea the PS3 exists with all the Wii and 360 shit going on.

[SilverStar]

No, no. Cheaper or not, that's not the point. Backward cataloges are a nigh distraction and nuisances that only the most hardcore stuck up gamers may even give a cent about when it comes down to BUYING decisions. It'd be nice to get good backward compatibility, but is it a selling point? NO. No it is not. You buy new consoles to get new games. It's that simple.


Being able to watch SDTV is a nigh distraction and nuisance that only the most hardcore TV viewers may even give a cent about when it comes down to BUYING decisions. It'd be nice to be able to watch SDTV on my new 72" plasma, but is it a selling point? NO!

That's how silly you sound, Injin. It's like people who go out and buy an HD-DVD or BluRay player to replace their existing DVD player. They might have a catalog of hundreds of DVD movies and want to watch them with the upscaling features and whatnot that the new players have. But, hey, they're HD players! They shouldn't even bother being able to play oldskool DVDs!

[Bigfoot]

So Sony is having to plead with 3rd party developers to stay on the PS3.

"One piece of news that came out this week was that Sony pleaded with third-party developers not to abandon its struggling platform."

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2007/10/deans_take_on_npd_numbers_for_september.html

[I-n-j-i-n]

Being able to watch SDTV is a nigh distraction and nuisance that only the most hardcore TV viewers may even give a cent about when it comes down to BUYING decisions. It'd be nice to be able to watch SDTV on my new 72" plasma, but is it a selling point? NO!

A stretched out standard definition television program isn't more than a nuisance. A stretched out, pixelated, blurry shit with lousily 'backward compatible' gaming efforts? Why bother? That is not the selling point of new systems. Most people (read just about every gaming poll ever) KEEP their consoles and get new ones to get new games for their NEW system. New, new new new new. Older games? Play older systems.

Injin. It's like people who go out and buy an HD-DVD or BluRay player to replace their existing DVD player. They might have a catalog of hundreds of DVD movies and want to watch them with the upscaling features and whatnot that the new players have. But, hey, they're HD players! They shouldn't even bother being able to play oldskool DVDs!

No they do not. People do NOT replace DVD players, people do NOT replace their entire setup if they know it's going to jeopardize the integrity of their current experience. Specifically for Bluray and HDDVD players, they're so perfectly tuned to play old DVDs. Game systems are not. An HDTV may as well blow up trying to run Atari games.

In terms of oldschool games, they are MADE to be played with standard definition. They aren't meant to be stretched, corrupted and basically bullshitted into HDTVs where they do not belong. It may work with a select few PS2, Xbox and Gamecube games that have a preset widescreen option, but for the 99.999% of the games? They belong in the old boobtube. This is really not up for argument. Just about any gaming purist won't say otherwise.

But aren't "only the most hardcore" buying PS3s? The general public has no idea the PS3 exists with all the Wii and 360 shit going on.

I think you're right on that one. I really think the whole backward compatibility issue is too blown up. Casual gamers may as not care and the hardcore types know that it's a compromised experience.

This may sound like a ridiculous case for downloadable games, but I think the whole promise of a truly screen-fitted, high definition, widescreen formatted games are a real selling point with downloadable games. I don't know when I started taking notice, but it's somewhat hard not to with all the problematic backward compatibility. PS2 had it perfect because at least it stayed in the standard definition with the same exact hardware catered for PSOne games. The Wii as well, does backward emulation well.

[Schwaltzvald]

I'd like to also mention some real good titles have been coming out for the PS2, though not as noticed as say the huge titles (halo3/SMG/TF2) but still much better than the lackluster PS3...

Although the upcoming Rachet & Clank game may change that, I have doubts for it will go further till the bigger names come up; MGS/RE5/SH5/DMC4...

I really would love to see some incredible titles that would want me to buy a PS3 but as of now it's just not happening... Makes me want Sony to simply make a do-over on the PS systems...

[tk]

Something odd appears to be happening in the Christmas build-up, the Media aren't being as negative about the PS3 as it is now perceived to be a better deal than the XBox 360, especially with Ratchet and Clank + Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Haze coming out, just to name a few of the big games coming out.

[Bigfoot]

Something odd appears to be happening in the Christmas build-up, the Media aren't being as negative about the PS3 as it is now perceived to be a better deal than the XBox 360, especially with Ratchet and Clank + Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Haze coming out, just to name a few of the big games coming out.

Sony is paying them big bucks.

Nah, I'm kidding.

[KakTheInfected]

I haven't seen any real positive media coverage of the PS3 lately. Even the price drop was crapped on because of the BC removal in the 40GB (and rightly so).

(it's nice to want things though, isn't it?)

[The Damned]

Sony is paying them big bucks.

Nah, I'm kidding.
Obviously they aren't. I mean, losing all that money on the PS3, those batteries, the PSP, that lawsuits... They just don't have any left. Hell, they sold cell processors to Toshiba.

[Drack]

This is really not up for argument.
This is the most bullshit statement I've read this week.

Announcing that your position is correct and that it's not even up for argument for the win!

[Bigfoot]

Sony should just worry about Blu-Ray as far as movies go. They're not doing well in the gaming market. So far it doesn't look like it's going to get any better. It'd be nice to just have 2 consoles to worry about again.

[I-n-j-i-n]

This is the most bullshit statement I've read this week.

Announcing that your position is correct and that it's not even up for argument for the win!

I specifically mentioned the technical feasibility of backward compatibility with games in an HDTV with a modern system. Way to read it totally wrong.

Also, I highly, highly doubt that backward compatibility is a SELLING point. Is it a sticking point? Yes. Did it create an unnecessary shitstorm? Yes. But do people really buy entire game consoles on backward compatibility? I'd have to laugh at that notion.

[KakTheInfected]

I would think that many people would like to play upscaled PS2 games on an HDTV with their PS3.

[Necrotic]

I specifically mentioned the technical feasibility of backward compatibility with games in an HDTV with a modern system. Way to read it totally wrong.

Also, I highly, highly doubt that backward compatibility is a SELLING point. Is it a sticking point? Yes. Did it create an unnecessary shitstorm? Yes. But do people really buy entire game consoles on backward compatibility? I'd have to laugh at that notion.

Well, even if you do take what you said into context, none of you what you said really did "click" with my own personal viewpoint on the subject... and based on the response you're getting, I'm not the only one. You're generalizing too far, maybe.

For one thing, I think you're going a little too far by saying that anyone in their right mind buys new generation consoles for the sake of playing old games. I don't even think anyone's implied that in this this thread but you, and aside from that, when a company offers to support their consumers in something it's hard to take lightly when they keep removing things after the product has been on shelves for a year now. Natural order of things is, they're going to complain. And depending on how hard they complain, that company may or may not change their stance on the issue. Seems to me a good portion of people are just as whiny about how they hate people complaining after getting shafted by a company when it's the complainer's right not to mention their job to defend their investment.

The way I see it, the more I can consolidate my consoles, the more space I save and the more convenient it is to be able to take advantage of things like, say, wireless control of my games. Maybe you have an entire house or basement at your disposal, you're single, you like being able to throw a bunch of old analog TV sets in a room and maintaining a bunch of old consoles and whatever costs are associated with it. That's cool for you, but I'm not really in that position. Plus things like games being blown up and pixelated and upscaled on an HDTV don't bother me. I play games like Monkey Island on my PC all the time and get the same effect because my monitor is too many sizes too big for the way the game is designed but I'd rather take advantage of all the space I have. Games have a habit of bugging my eyes out on oldschool analog TV's because the quality on said TV's is just so shitty in general.

Between the option of having BC and not having BC I see more benefits in having BC and I would (and did) pay for it. I think the issue is mostly that Sony is taking options away from consumers when it seems more reasonable to give consumers options.


-Nick

[SilverStar]

Honestly, one of the big selling points of Wii was, and to me, still is, the 100% GC BC support. But, that's because the hardware is so much smaller.

In the case of the PS3.. because of the shape of the hardware, stacking isn't possible. If you have a PS2 slim, you can't stack it with anything, unless it's the topmost system. And, as anyone with more than 3 consoles active at any time could attest to.. inputs and power spaces come at a very high premium, especially when dealing with a modern TV set and surround sound speaker system, HD cable box, and DVD player. Being able to replace a PS2 with a PS3 means you're not dealing with having a whole bunch more jacks being used, without a purpose. It's not like you'd be playing more than one game at once and you would need to have PS1, PS2, PS3, Xbox, X360, GC, Wii, N64, DC, Saturn, etc... all plugged in at the very same time. But you can readily take PS1 and PS2 out, as well as GC. And eventually, even N64. And depending on the games you have, Xbox as well, unless you use it for media center functionality.

Until they come out with a good, high quality and readily available AV switch, that supports HDMI, component and composite inputs/outputs, where you can simply string all your hardware up to it without a second thought, that's a hell of a lot of spaghetti hanging behind your system. And both MS and Sony will void your warranty, if you have their current systems plugged into a surge protector and you call them to complain about a problem.

Good luck finding enough places to plug all your systems in, both to display and to power, without doing something that would void the warranty.

[I-n-j-i-n]

Well, even if you do take what you said into context, none of you what you said really did "click" with my own personal viewpoint on the subject... and based on the response you're getting, I'm not the only one. You're generalizing too far, maybe.

Sorry if this sounds blunt, but I almost consider my stance a fact. Maybe that is because I'm a bit of a purist with oldie titles and that I think it's a ridiculous idea to replace things entirely. I don't know. I don't know many people who takes care of old consoles like I do. And the idea of trading in entire consoles for new ones is almost nonexistent for me.

For one thing, I think you're going a little too far by saying that anyone in their right mind buys new generation consoles for the sake of playing old games.

I'm not backing away from that stance by an inch. Even if you may say that you don't, then what's keeping you from NOT buying the newer system? You don't buy newer systems to play older games. That is a nigh fact. It'd be NICE if the newer system can play older games, right? But do you buy it for that sole reason? Ask yourself that. Certainly I can appreciate playing some old PSOne games on the PS2 days or the Gamecube titles on the Wii, but is it critical? I'd say no. And there is no reason at all to not consider getting the new systems if I didn't expect all the NEW games to come. I would not stop myself if the backward compatibility was an issue. I'd ignore it as the vast majority of gamers (in their right minds) do.

I don't even think anyone's implied that in this this thread but you, and aside from that, when a company offers to support their consumers in something it's hard to take lightly when they keep removing things after the product has been on shelves for a year now. Natural order of things is, they're going to complain. And depending on how hard they complain, that company may or may not change their stance on the issue. Seems to me a good portion of people are just as whiny about how they hate people complaining after getting shafted by a company when it's the complainer's right not to mention their job to defend their investment.

Exactly. Why make promises you can't keep? Why even promise backward compatibility? Here is an idea: No more slapped on backward compatibility. Or better yet, no backward compatibility at all. Focus all attention on new products, get new customers, etc etc. It worked in the past systems, it works today.

The way I see it, the more I can consolidate my consoles, the more space I save and the more convenient it is to be able to take advantage of things like, say, wireless control of my games. Maybe you have an entire house or basement at your disposal, you're single, you like being able to throw a bunch of old analog TV sets in a room and maintaining a bunch of old consoles and whatever costs are associated with it. That's cool for you, but I'm not really in that position. Plus things like games being blown up and pixelated and upscaled on an HDTV don't bother me. I play games like Monkey Island on my PC all the time and get the same effect because my monitor is too many sizes too big for the way the game is designed but I'd rather take advantage of all the space I have. Games have a habit of bugging my eyes out on oldschool analog TV's because the quality on said TV's is just so shitty in general.

There is that subjective side and I wouldn't question that. But is your entire buying decision hinged solely on older games? If there is a game you absolutely, positively must play (Let's say: MGS4, Smash Brothers Brawl, Halo, etc etc), then what's keeping you? Backward compatibility? That is a total joke. Also, a new gaming console being backward compatible isn't really necessary in the grand scheme of things. It's simply not all that crucial at all to the equation. Gaming politics wise, it just creates a lot of headaches and nothing else. If game companies feel they don't want to provide the compatibility, I'd be really, really happy for that decision, or I wouldn't care at the slightest out of anticipation for that must have new game. Not because of older stuff.

Also, PC games are really not much of an issue in terms of compatibility since most games were still pretty pixelated from the start and it's only a matter of applying patches. There is no worry about a computer not being able to play older titles (without the patches and programs to run old OS programs). And new PCs do not make it some sales clique to pitch backward compatibility. Game consoles do that. And it's exactly just that: a sales pitch.

Between the option of having BC and not having BC I see more benefits in having BC and I would (and did) pay for it. I think the issue is mostly that Sony is taking options away from consumers when it seems more reasonable to give consumers options.

Okay. That is just silly. Because the BC issue is only hurting Sony in terms of its public relations and yet it's one of those features that really is just a tacked on extra. Instead of the BC issue, why not bolster their potentially biggest-goldmine-ever with the PSOne downloadable library? Patch it with a wide screen format, put some new extras, slap on a small fee, then watch millions of gamers contently download them. All BC is doing for Sony is giving them a huge headache. Do you really argue that point? How do you think this issue even came up at all?

Honestly, one of the big selling points of Wii was, and to me, still is, the 100% GC BC support. But, that's because the hardware is so much smaller.

But is it THE selling point? No. Unless you're out of your mind, it was the Wiimote. Not even the system's last generation power or BC. Actually, I think Virtual Console was THE biggest software factor with the system. It basically sold the console for me.

In the case of the PS3.. because of the shape of the hardware, stacking isn't possible. If you have a PS2 slim, you can't stack it with anything, unless it's the topmost system. And, as anyone with more than 3 consoles active at any time could attest to.. inputs and power spaces come at a very high premium, especially when dealing with a modern TV set and surround sound speaker system, HD cable box, and DVD player. Being able to replace a PS2 with a PS3 means you're not dealing with having a whole bunch more jacks being used, without a purpose. It's not like you'd be playing more than one game at once and you would need to have PS1, PS2, PS3, Xbox, X360, GC, Wii, N64, DC, Saturn, etc... all plugged in at the very same time. But you can readily take PS1 and PS2 out, as well as GC. And eventually, even N64. And depending on the games you have, Xbox as well, unless you use it for media center functionality.

I play older games constantly and I did say I have around a dozen games plugged in, but I wonder if all that is really necessary. I can do just fine plugging in a single system while putting most others in boxes until I need them. My brain would go bust if I tried playing more than three different games in a day. Seriously, do gamers really play like schizophrenics and play 5 different consoles on a single day? I wouldn't think so, unless it's a bit of a habit to just put the systems in an accessible setting.

Until they come out with a good, high quality and readily available AV switch, that supports HDMI, component and composite inputs/outputs, where you can simply string all your hardware up to it without a second thought, that's a hell of a lot of spaghetti hanging behind your system. And both MS and Sony will void your warranty, if you have their current systems plugged into a surge protector and you call them to complain about a problem.

Good luck finding enough places to plug all your systems in, both to display and to power, without doing something that would void the warranty.

I don't disagree with the convenience. But Sony or Nintendo or Microsoft or anyone else aren't obliged to do so technically. It's been since become the norm since the PS2 and Gameboy Advance, but it's more a yet another selling point. But it still does not strike me as something crucial for game system sales at all. I would think colors for the system boxes would have a much bigger impact in the grand scheme of things.

[tk]

I haven't seen any real positive media coverage of the PS3 lately. Even the price drop was crapped on because of the BC removal in the 40GB (and rightly so).

(it's nice to want things though, isn't it?)

It's mainly been the last couple of days. Like Gamespot did an article about their sales predictions for the Christmas period and they put the 360 in last. Joystiq also did an article about how the PS3 sales are actually equal if not slightly better than the 360's if launches are aligned (which most people already knew).

Just small stuff like that.

[Hector]

That's a long post, so I'll make the case of buying a system because of backwards compatibly quite simply.

First, let us pretend that each new console were to be made perfectly backwards compatible (including those that are not actually backwards compatible).

Now, say I just have a backwards compatible Gamecube to start. The new consoles come out and I have a choice between the Wii, PS3 and 360. The Wii offers me one generation worth of games, the 360 offers two and the PS3 offers three. Rather than stick to Nintendo, I may try the other consoles to try many of the games that I had missed out on.

Backwards compatibility can easily be the breaking point for a new console. The PS2 has one of the best gaming libraries of any console, and anyone who has missed that Library ought to be sorely tempted by the PS3. Remove backwards compatibility though, and one might as well buy a PS2--which people seem to be doing since the PS2 still outsells the PS3.

[Drack]

It is indeed a huge selling point.

I skipped PS1. I skipped PS2! Hardly played a dozen titles for each of those platforms.

Do I want to play their games? Hell yes. Can I get them cheaply? Of course. I am considering getting a 60gb PS3.

To cover both the past and the future.

Remove the BC, or even just the hardware BC and there's no chance I'd buy it.

Your opinion is not fact.

[SilverStar]

When a system like the PS3 still has a library so honestly pathetic that the biggest selling point for it is the past libraries of games from PS1 and PS2 that you can play on it, while new PS2 games are STILL coming out, taking out the BC support is just a way to cripple it.

You just don't get the total package anymore. Fuck, in 5 years the PS3 will be reduced to two PS2 ducttaped together with a bit of waggle in the controller. Which would still make it weaker than the Wii.

[I-n-j-i-n]

When a system like the PS3 still has a library so honestly pathetic that the biggest selling point for it is the past libraries of games from PS1 and PS2 that you can play on it, while new PS2 games are STILL coming out, taking out the BC support is just a way to cripple it.

You just don't get the total package anymore. Fuck, in 5 years the PS3 will be reduced to two PS2 ducttaped together with a bit of waggle in the controller. Which would still make it weaker than the Wii.

Again, why bother with BC games alone? Look at Virtual Console for one second: You BUY all those games. Gamecube games (which has a dismally small library compared to the mammoth NES/SNES/Genesis libraries), that is where the real draw is. The games you BUY. The idea behind the sale of older PSOne titles is the same thing. If they can sell the old and now hard to find older games with a cheaper price, it's going to sell like wildfire. No way it'll be entirely dependent on the current backlog of games. It's a part of it but selling it like with the VC/Xbox Live Arcade style will most definitely work.

Also, future PS3 game projects at least look promising and it will have its share of AAA multi-console games right alongside 360 with Wii games on the rear as far as the highly graphical games and M-rated stuff are concerned. But it's still dismal compared to how strong the 360 looks at least for western audiences.

It is indeed a huge selling point.

I skipped PS1. I skipped PS2! Hardly played a dozen titles for each of those platforms.

That's not the console's fault, nor the company's policy's fault or the fault of the system's technical aspect. It's yours. If you decide to skip it, that's tough nuts for you. Sony didn't snatch away their consoles from under your nose. You did it yourself. Also, those systems are DIRT CHEAP online by now. You can get a good, $20 PSOne if you bid right in eBay. I did that just a few months back to get a better, cleaner system.

Do I want to play their games? Hell yes. Can I get them cheaply? Of course. I am considering getting a 60gb PS3.

To cover both the past and the future.

Remove the BC, or even just the hardware BC and there's no chance I'd buy it.

I think you mean software backward compatibility such as a possible downloadable backlog. Also, if it hinges so much on not buying the newer console for the factor of old games, then why is buying PS3 even an option? That's what I'm getting at precisely: If you want new games, get PS3. If you want older stuff, buy older stuff. I couldn't give a crap about system politics and which systems sell. It's just silly that a backlog of games is the sole decider as it may be with PS3. It's just sad.

Now, say I just have a backwards compatible Gamecube to start. The new consoles come out and I have a choice between the Wii, PS3 and 360. The Wii offers me one generation worth of games, the 360 offers two and the PS3 offers three. Rather than stick to Nintendo, I may try the other consoles to try many of the games that I had missed out on.

I suppose that makes sense if you're really coming from the side of a totally new gamer of any one type of system or generations of consoles. Maybe I don't see that perspective AT ALL since I follow just about every console out there. I still think it's silly to just blow by the perfectly fine older systems in favor of lousy backward compatible games. It's like playing console games on a PC. Can it be done? Yes. Is it appropriate or the best option? I'd really say no.

Backwards compatibility can easily be the breaking point for a new console. The PS2 has one of the best gaming libraries of any console, and anyone who has missed that Library ought to be sorely tempted by the PS3. Remove backwards compatibility though, and one might as well buy a PS2--which people seem to be doing since the PS2 still outsells the PS3.

Then good. Sony ought to be revamping their new features like I kept saying. Their downloadable content idea has so much potential, it is strange how they are making such drama with the BC of older titles. Look at the 360. Their backlog of games aren't perfect and fans know that most games do work (albeit not as well. Sound being garbled is the norm with Shenmue 2 for example), but almost ALL of the visible effort put by Microsoft is with the new content, new games, new features, new online, new new new new new. It's a matter of how you sell things.

Just to make it a bit clear, I'm not writing up entire essays to disprove everyone who actually likes BC in their systems. But I still think it's an overblown 'problem' which was never something that was featured in older systems. Repackaging games sell well and sell like crazy. So that is a good knock of ancient games where a lot of the copies you either can't find or they're $200+ for a good copy. Even if you do find them, they do no justice to HDTVs anyway. Touched up remasters of older games can and often do it justice in flying colors (IE: every f'n Xbox Live Arcade game ever.)

[KakTheInfected]

I think the most important point you are missing is that Sony is in no position to remove anything from the hardware. If they sold a 40GB model with full BC at launch for $400, sales in Japan alone could have pushed the worldwide sales into a much less embarassing position than they are now. Stop worrying about manufacturing costs when you're not selling hardware or software unless you plan on discontinuing the goddamn thing.

[Hy Bound]

I'm sorry if this is already asked, but i don't want to go through 194 pages looking for it...

Can you use the 8mb memory cards from the ps2 in the ps3 without the stupid adaptor? I've heard both it can and it can't.

[Drack]

Once again, injin dismisses everyone elses point of view as he obviously has the one, true, correct idea.

Fuck you. I'm not arguing with your bullshit anymore.

[HoopyFrood]

yes you need the adapter for PS2 memory cards.
The memory card adapter in the system is only for camera cards. (i.e. MMC/SD, Memory stick, compactflash I/II and smart media)

[I-n-j-i-n]

Once again, injin dismisses everyone elses point of view as he obviously has the one, true, correct idea.

Fuck you. I'm not arguing with your bullshit anymore.

I actually mellowed a bit through the argument if you paid some attention. I know I'm being very opinionated here. Aside from the very fact that backward compatibility just is not all that consistent especially with the HDTV leap with most consoles nowadays. Even with the PSP, the problem of possibly putting downloaded PSOne games on it was the widescreen format.

[Fishy]

Okay so my bro just got a ps3, and so far, I am incredibly underwhelmed. This is mostly due to the fact hes got two shite games for it.

Ridge Racer 7 is an embaressment. It has graphics WORSE then GT4 for ps2, and possibly the most boring game play I've ever seen. I've never played a drift racing driving game before, but I'm fairly sure I should suck ass at it considering how complicated drifting is. I actually TRIED to corner badly, and the game just wouldn't let me do badly. You had to forcibly do something stupid to fail at that game, which is bollocks. I know its not representative of the newer games cause its almost a year old, but this game won best racing game of 2006? ....WHY!? I could have forgiven the gameplay if the graphics were incredible, but man... they shouldn't have wasted their time making it for ps3 when ps2 would have done the job.

The other game it came with was a motocross game I didn't care enough for to even look at the game case, mainly because it was one player only unless you go online. I only expect that sort of multiplayer ability from MMORPGS. If the ps3 has 7 wireless controllers possible, why didn't they use them?

That said, I'm almost positive I will warm up to it over time, especially when the biggies come out, like FFXIII or MGS4. I'm also desperately looking forward to the next TEAM ICO release. Also if that FF7 remake ever happens then hyes, but meh if it doesn't. On the one hand its the most financially safe investment ever, because theres more then enough fanboys/girls that will buy it; On the other hand they might totally change it and destroy it, we'll see.

One last bitch; you can't take your PS/PS2 saves with you unless you buy an adapter? Weak.

[djpretzel]

Ride Racer 7 worse than GTA4 on the PS2, visually?

What type of TV are you using? On a 50" HDTV, RR7 looks pretty sweet to me, and definitely better than any PS2 game I've played... not artwork/modeling/design, mind you, but in terms of resolution and detail, hands down...

[Bigfoot]

Yeah, it should look a hell of a lot better than GT4, even though I heard the 360 version looks a tiny bit better. Probably not even noticeable unless you look really hard.

In other news, Sony's revenue is up, but games division losses are double than what they were last year. Ouch.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=29949

[Fishy]

Ride Racer 7 worse than GTA4 on the PS2, visually?

What type of TV are you using? On a 50" HDTV, RR7 looks pretty sweet to me, and definitely better than any PS2 game I've played... not artwork/modeling/design, mind you, but in terms of resolution and detail, hands down...

I think its 45" HD, and the difference is huge imo. GT4 looks and feels like a car, whereas RR7 cars looks like boxes, and they way they move is so unnatural. Theres no attention to shadows or reflections in RR7 and the scenery seemed very uninspired. While RR maybe have higher resolutiobns etc, I think the art direction really lets it down. Its relying on the ps3 imo.

I know the movement comment is moot because GT is a simulator whereas RR is a drifter, but honestly, I was expecting far more. Seeing how expensive the console was and how much better the technology supposedly is, I shouldn't be looking at a ps3 game and thinking a ps2 game comes anywhere near as good as it.

[Bahamut]

Is it just me, or is Motorstorm just difficult to handle?

[Brithor]

I thought it was only me. I always disable Motion Sensors on Motorstorm...

[Bahamut]

I thought it was only me. I always disable Motion Sensors on Motorstorm...

Wait what? It uses motion sensors?

[Soma]

Wait what? It uses motion sensors? well the six axis controls suck IMO. Same with Warhawk, everyone told me the only way to play warhawk is with the sixaxis controls enabled.. but i can't fly shit with it on.

I ended up buying the 60 gig ps3 for 499 with heavenly sword thrown in. The end boss on heavenly sword is a little bitch, it's frustrating. I'm torn between ratchet and clank and Folklore as my next game. I know ratchet got way higher scores but I've never been all that into the Ratchet series.

[Fishy]

So I've been playing around with it for a while now, and we got a new game called skate, which is SO awesome. You realise just how stupid and unrealistic the Tony Hawks games were within 10 minutes of turning it on. I love recording the videos and slowing them down when you do a cool line, and some of the online videos are hilarious.

I'm also appreciating several other features such as the free Internet acces, how it doubles as a very low-cost blu-ray player, the way you can download demos of games directly into the console to try them out and the motion sensing is pretty good, if a little sensative.

One very bad note: it makes the FF12 cutscenes look like utter crap.

Overall, my attitude has changed from dissapointed to midly impressed. Just waiting on some more really awesome games.

[Kusabi]

Okay so I bought a 60GB PS3 last April.

I'm in almost complete agreement that the system is underwhelming, from a purely games perspective. I'm still waiting for Gran Turismo 5, and wasn't planning to buy a PS3 until then.

Blu-Ray movies? Nice, but didn't sell the system for me. It was a pleasant surprise when Sony removed the downconverting "feature" for those who don't have 1080p TVs connected to their PS3. (I have a 720p/1080i display, but I run my PS3 in 720p mode).

Linux install capability? Hang on, we might be getting somewhere....a $500 sort-of-multicore-but-not-really machine with an interesting architecture that I'm actually interested in learning to program? Yes, this is sounding really good!

Backwards compatibility? Wait, so I can play my PS2 and PS1 games on this thing too?

You don't buy newer systems to play older games. That is a nigh fact. It'd be NICE if the newer system can play older games, right? But do you buy it for that sole reason? Ask yourself that.

Asked, and here's the answer: Backwards compatibility was THE reason that I chose to buy a PS3 now, as opposed to later, or not at all. Given that at the time, there were no PS3 games that I wanted to play, and Linux required me to use a distro that I didn't want to use (minutia, but still a factor), I didn't think spending $500 on a console that did nothing other than folding@home, and has a memory card reader, was worth it. Given the fact that I could sell my PS2 to my friend, make some money, and still play my PS2 titles until there are PS3 games that I actually _want_, without screwing with Sony's software BC, is what sold the console for me, and made it worth my while to pick one up.

Of course, I was able to toy around with Linux on it and get Gentoo running. So until I get some PS3 titles that I like, I have my completely backward compatible, Linux running, HDTV displaying, mini personal computer that I can use.

:arrow: So your rhetorical question is hereby proven non-rhetorical.

But do people really buy entire game consoles on backward compatibility? I'd have to laugh at that notion.

Then laugh away, sir. I will laugh too, however, I will be laughing at you instead of with you.

For every feature X, there is someone out there who is willing to buy the product for that feature.

[Soma]

I love how this thread degenerated into "OK i got a ps3 now what?" but seriously folks I have an actual question pertaining to PS3 save files. I want to visit my brother tomorrow and bring along my heavenly sword file and i have a memory stick duo and a psp (if that helps). I was wondering if you can transfer them that way? Since there's no ps3 memory card how does that work? Can you never transfer saves to your buddy's ps3?

[Bahamut]

I love how this thread degenerated into "OK i got a ps3 now what?" but seriously folks I have an actual question pertaining to PS3 save files. I want to visit my brother tomorrow and bring along my heavenly sword file and i have a memory stick duo and a psp (if that helps). I was wondering if you can transfer them that way? Since there's no ps3 memory card how does that work? Can you never transfer saves to your buddy's ps3?

What version of the PS3 does your brother have?

[Kusabi]

I love how this thread degenerated into "OK i got a ps3 now what?" but seriously folks I have an actual question pertaining to PS3 save files. I want to visit my brother tomorrow and bring along my heavenly sword file and i have a memory stick duo and a psp (if that helps). I was wondering if you can transfer them that way? Since there's no ps3 memory card how does that work? Can you never transfer saves to your buddy's ps3?

Do you have a memory card reader built into your PS3? (60 or 80GB models)

If you do, you should be able to transfer the saves by going into the Saved Data utility, highlighting the game's save, and hitting Triangle. You'll need to put your memory stick in the card reader prior to hitting triangle.

That is, unless the developers put a copy lock on the save file, in which case you would be SOL, but I don't know which games do that, if any.

So there isn't a proprietary memory card unit, but you can use SD/MS/CF cards as makeshift cards.

Since you have a MSDuo, you might need the MSDuo to MS adapter. I think that the PS3 only takes the longer size, but I'm not sure, since I don't use memory sticks (I have more than enough SD cards)

[Bahamut]

I would think that the memory stick reader supports all of them, since it is Sony's technology (memory sticks).

[Bigfoot]

Holy shit, Sony finally got their commercials right.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/27328.html

[Kusabi]

I would think that the memory stick reader supports all of them, since it is Sony's technology (memory sticks).

Memory Stick Duo is a slightly shorter form factor than Memory Stick. A reader that is sized for a Memory Stick Duo can also read standard Memory Sticks, but not the other way around. They are electrically compatible, but not the same form factor, which means to read a Memory Stick Duo in a reader sized for a standard (read: longer) Memory Stick requires an adapter.

[Bigfoot]

The 60gb and 80gb models support PRO Duo. That'd be kind of silly if it didn't.

[The Pezman]

Holy shit, Sony finally got their commercials right.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/27328.html
This wasn't loading for me, so I groaned and downloaded it, figured it wouldn't be worth my time. So then I opened it up and fullscreened it.

That was made of awesome.


What's the song they used?

[Bigfoot]

This wasn't loading for me, so I groaned and downloaded it, figured it wouldn't be worth my time. So then I opened it up and fullscreened it.

That was made of awesome.


What's the song they used?

Ladies and Gentlemen by Saliva

[Kusabi]

The 60gb and 80gb models support PRO Duo. That'd be kind of silly if it didn't.

Thank you. I don't have Memory Sticks (I only use SD cards, since that's all I need), and I knew there was a memory stick port on my PS3, but not which form factor (Short Memory Stick Duo, or longer, original Memory Stick) it takes. From my understanding, all the memory sticks are electrically compatible with each other to some degree (i.e. you can use a non pro memory stick in a pro device), but not form factor-wise (i.e. different physical sizes. IIRC, the Duo memory sticks are 2/3s the length of the original memory stick, requiring an adapter if your device only accepts the longer size.)

Mea Culpa: I checked the PS3 manual, and you can insert the shorter memory sticks sans adapter. Edited for correctness here

[SilverStar]

Holy shit, Sony finally got their commercials right.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/27328.html

Damn. That's the kind of advertising they should have been using last year.

[Bahamut]

Damn. That's the kind of advertising they should have been using last year.

Too bad their latest PSP commercial blows all ass and makes me want to punch the creator of it in the face :-x

[Soma]

I finally beat Heavenly Sword today, the end boss is such an annoying bastard. I figured out the save file thing, you can copy savegames onto memory stick pro duo's (if you have the slot, another reason i'm glad i got the 60gig). Thanks for all the responses.

Did anyone download the new Uncharted trailer? Holy shit it's looking sweet! DEMO for uncharted comes out on the 8th for anyone interested,

[Soma]

sorry for the double-posting.

The new update was today, PSN 2.0 anyone? They added a news ticker in the top right of the XMB and they gave the playstation store it's own section on the XMB. Also the Uncharted demo was released today. The store has been broken for most of tthe day, but it's working now (for me at least.) Impressions to follow..

[Strike911]

I'm downloading Uncharted too. The Firmware 2.0 update is cool, not nearly as cool as I was hoping though ... i mean, everyone was expecting in-game XMB ... really, the only thing I REALLY REALLY want is custom in-game music. That feature revives life into a lot of titles that I don't play on my original Xbox; surely it would provide the same for titles on the PS3.

I really like the features they added though. All the remote functionality is pretty cool... and I'm digging the new chatroom functionality and the themes. There's a few available on the PSN Store.

I didn't think I would appreciate the folder options for Games and Videos, but now everything is much more organized. I don't have to scroll through a zillion games to get to what I want. I think I like this feature the best of everything they added.

....but man is it still annoying to have to turn off the PS3 to answer messages from my friends. I wish they'd do something about that.

Good update though. Definitely good stuff to have.

[Soma]

The Uncharted demo was pretty sweet. The graphics are impressive and the voice acting seemed really good from what little was shown. It plays a lot like Gears of War meets Tomb Raider. There aren't any puzzles in the demo so I'm a little curious if there are any. The gun play feels pretty solid. I find myself hitting the cover button trying to stick to a surface but then clinging to an altogether different surface facing the wrong way but i had the same problem in Gears.

EDIT: My favorite part of the whole demo is at the end of the opening cutscene when he's like "Oh Shit!" because prior to that he had said crap like 4 times and i was wondering if they were using that to kind of get a lower rating (e10)? but then he said shit and it made my day.

[Strike911]

After playing Uncharted, I'm totally impressed. The game reminds me a lot of Tomb Raider and Gears of War, too!!

The platforming reminded me a lot of Ico, too. It's really nice to see enemies reacting to my blind fire by flailing their arms in panic and taking cover.

And the intro video was really good. The game actually has funny dialogue!! And... without saying, the graphics looks incredible!! I found myself marvelling at the guy's hair in particular. lol. And how he would get soaking wet when you put him under the waterfall and stuff. Real cool stuff.

I was not expecting this game to be as fun/good as it is. I may actually have to buy it now!! lol.

[DragonFireKai]

Too bad their latest PSP commercial blows all ass and makes me want to punch the creator of it in the face :-x

That it does. It's one of those WTF were you smoking when you cooked that up type moments, but I suppose it's a step up from the borderline racist commercials they used to run, comparing mexicans to clumps of dirt and black people to squirells. Come to think of it, they had to come up with something that'd make the WASPs look stupid, just to balance the karmic scales.

[Scars Unseen]

The update to the Playstation Network is completely meaningless to me until it allows me to register with an APO address. I emailed Sony's support staff and got a reply that basically said "We'll get around to it. Sorry." I have never seen a company so damned lazy in my life(well XBox 360 has the same problem, so Microsoft ties). All they have to do is add AP, AE, etc to the options for state and they gain hundreds or even thousands of subscriptions from military members overseas.

[MechaFone]

Holy shit, Sony finally got their commercials right.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/27328.html
I'ma save that link, 'cause damn, that was beautiful.

[Bigfoot]

Everyone be careful with your PS3. Dust voids the warranty.

http://consumerist.com/consumer/sony/dust-voids-ps3-warranty-321226.php

[Bahamut]

Everyone becareful with your PS3. Dust voids the warranty.

http://consumerist.com/consumer/sony/dust-voids-ps3-warranty-321226.php

I guess Sony still hasn't learned from their PS2 debacle when it comes to customer service.

[Soma]

I guess Sony still hasn't learned from their PS2 debacle when it comes to customer service.

I had heard they were better than Microsoft, but it doesn't sound like it. Though in the last 6 months Microsoft customer service has jumped up in quality (they speak English now).

[Bigfoot]

Part 2, with phone recording.

http://consumerist.com/consumer/audio/sony-csr-what-no-dust-doesnt-void-your-ps3-warranty-321288.php

[SilverStar]

Part 2, with phone recording.

http://consumerist.com/consumer/audio/sony-csr-what-no-dust-doesnt-void-your-ps3-warranty-321288.php

It's funny, because there's a Sony apologist in there, trying to use the excuse that the X360's 30% fail rate should STILL be harked on, even though MS admitted the problem and has been going out of their way to actually replace all the affected consoles as they come in, free of charge.

But, every time an incident like this with MS does come up, it DOES get reported and pointed out. The RROD is a common event now and every given occurrence doesn't need to be brought up.

[The Damned]

This is what really separates the three console makers. Not specs, not games, but how they treat their customers. The very people that let these companies exist in the first place.

Nintendo offers the most consumer-friendly customer service. If you get a ba system, they will repair it or replace it, and that's if you actually have a problem in the first place. Honestly, how many times have you had a Nintendo system (From NES to Wii, Gameboy to DS) die on you? And if you do, they will do it for free.

Hell, you can get replacement games from them in most instances. My Wii Sports disc was scratched up a bit from the cheap packaging, and they sent me a new one when I told them about it.

Microsoft, thankfully, has acknowledged the issues with their console. They don't try to bullshit anyone about it anymore. If there's a problem, you have options. Most of them are reasonable and effective. You can get it fixed under warranty. The unusually high failure rate is being addressed and fixed.

Sony... Sony blames you for their known hardware trouble and charges you extra to get them fixed, even though it's under their warranty.

If this sort of thing carries on, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a class-action lawsuit over it.

[Soma]

I just got my Planet Earth Blu Ray from Amazon.com and my ps3 won't read any of the discs. WTF? I guess I'll just send it back, so many people told me it works on their ps3's, perhaps i got a defective copy.

[Neo Samus]

I can't believe that too much dust is considered neglect. That's just pathetic!!! Will Sony ever grow a brain, and for that matter, a heart?

[Soma]

Damn this thread is sad.

Burnout Paradise is out for ps3 (and 360). anyone else pick it up? I got that and Eye of Judgement (for the camera which is heavily featured in Burnout).
I need to beef up my PSN friends list anyone want to add me? The name is tragick. Only other multiplayer game i have is Warhawk.

[Bahamut]

Well, my PS3 has been collecting dust for a little while...I can't afford to pay full price for any more games right now, especially after buying Rock Band for the 360.

[Necrotic]

Waiting for DMC4 right now.

Huge recommendation for the PS3 is Uncharted. That game seems to have been highly overlooked. I rented it and it's definitely worth the buy, which I'm going to do soon.

[Kusabi]

I'd recommend Ratchet & Clank: Future, if that style of game is your thing.

I got that and Ninja Gaiden Sigma for Christmas. Haven't played NGS......yet (Haven't had any masochistic tendencies......yet)

R&C is a good game for the PS3, but my collection of PS3 games consists of a whopping 3. The two aforementioned, and MotorStorm.

I wish there were more PS3 games that I'd actually enjoy playing, but the selection is quite limited at this point (as surmised from a recent trip to GameStop)

[Zombie]

I'm thinking of getting a ps3. There aren't as many good exclusives as I'd like at the moment, but with both a Wii and PS3 I should be fine. Ratchet and Clank and Uncharted look like a blast.

[Soma]

I've got 6 ps3 games now; ratchet, uncharted, warhawk, folklore, eye of judgement and burnout paradise and DMC4 soonish.

Uncharted and ratchet are highly recommended. I still can't beat the last boss in ratchet and clank future though.

[FR]

I'm not gonna read the whole thread but I haven't seen anybody recommend Resistence:fall of man, It's a great shooter so why isn't it getting any recommendations/love?

[The Unsung Plumber]

I'm not gonna read the whole thread but I haven't seen anybody recommend Resistence:fall of man, It's a great shooter so why isn't it getting any recommendations/love?

Cause it came out a year ago and everyone's already said everything about it?

[LegendarySword]

I actually utilized my PS3 for a PS3 function last night, namely playing the DMC4 demo. It's been in its box since last March, when I last tested GoW on it.

[Arek the Absolute]

I'm not gonna read the whole thread but I haven't seen anybody recommend Resistence:fall of man, It's a great shooter so why isn't it getting any recommendations/love?

hahahahahahahahahaha

so hilarious

[Necrotic]

hahahahahahahahahaha

so hilarious

oh, you

hahaha

[FR]

Cause it came out a year ago and everyone's already said everything about it?

hahahahahahahahahaha

so hilarious

I meant that I read few of the last pages and some people were saying that they had some had Uncharted and rachet & clank and some other games but they didn't have resistence as part of their collection and found it suprising that nobody recommended resistence as must have(even though it's old)...But whatever I realize it was a stupid/misworded post...At least it made somebody laugh.:-|

[Bahamut]

Eh, I don't know about it as a must have...Call of Duty 4 so far reigns as king for me this gen, and dwarfs the other FPSs that came out. Also, the Dual Shock analog sticks are in a very strange position, making it a bit awkward for FPSs. Resistance isn't a bad game, but the PS3 controller definitely marred the experience a bit for me.

[DragonFireKai]

Eh, I don't know about it as a must have...Call of Duty 4 so far reigns as king for me this gen, and dwarfs the other FPSs that came out. Also, the Dual Shock analog sticks are in a very strange position, making it a bit awkward for FPSs. Resistance isn't a bad game, but the PS3 controller definitely marred the experience a bit for me.

Yeah, CoD4 has definitely made every other shooter seem mundane.

[Soma]

I meant that I read few of the last pages and some people were saying that they had some had Uncharted and rachet & clank and some other games but they didn't have resistence as part of their collection and found it suprising that nobody recommended resistence as must have(even though it's old)...But whatever I realize it was a stupid/misworded post...At least it made somebody laugh.:-|

I've played Resistance and it's quite good. I wouldn't peg it as a must own though I've been thinking that Resistance is like Sony's Halo. Resistance 2 is going to be awesome. I'm much more excited for it than Killzone2. Just personal opinion though.

[The Damned]

Sony programmer does something that is impossible on Gamecube 1.5 (or the Wii, if you want) and has never been done before by anyone ever!

http://kotaku.com/351539/vr-head-tracking-for-the-ps3

[the_muteKi]

Yeah, he could have, at least, say, changed the demo interface!

[Brushfire]

Well I finally bought a PS3. Got a great deal from someone who was really stupid. He sold me a 60 GB PS3, Warhawk, a Headset, two controllers, and a copy of Casino Royale on Blu-Ray for $350. Lucky me.

[Oscillated Future]

Great system, but it needs more games!!! :whatevaa:

[FR]

Great system, but it needs more games!!! :whatevaa:

Everybody says that (because it's true) but I'm kinda excited for Dynasty Warriors 6 and Crysis (If it comes out) and a few other games. All there is to do is wait (not long hopefully).

Also I've been meaning to ask if there are some noteable PSN games worth downloading, Everyday Shooter looks good but I kinda want some feed back before I buy it.

[BlueMage]

Everybody says that (because it's true) but I'm kinda excited for Dynasty Warriors 6 and Crysis (If it comes out) and a few other games. All there is to do is wait (not long hopefully).

Also I've been meaning to ask if there are some noteable PSN games worth downloading, Everyday Shooter looks good but I kinda want some feed back before I buy it.

I'll be surprised if you ever get Crysis on PS3. It's a PC exclusive thus far entirely due to control-complexity (because, yes, I know, PS3 can do all that crazy graphical stuff a high end box can)

[FR]

I'll be surprised if you ever get Crysis on PS3. It's a PC exclusive thus far entirely due to control-complexity (because, yes, I know, PS3 can do all that crazy graphical stuff a high end box can)

This (http://http://www.gamepro.com/news.cfm?article_id=157388) is what I based my last statement on, that's why I said If it comes out, I probably will never get to play Crysis otherwise(probably bioshock either).:sad:

[BlueMage]

Well mate, assuming it does, my considered opinion is that it would be worth the wait. Even if it means you filthy console-playing peasants get to enjoy what we of the PC-gaming master race have long since moved on from :)

[Schwaltzvald]

Well mate, assuming it does, my considered opinion is that it would be worth the wait. Even if it means you filthy console-playing peasants get to enjoy what we of the PC-gaming master race have long since moved on from :)

QFT & E

Not that consoles are bad, just that few games are worth getting a console for, and pc game ports imo are not an excuse to play on a console when its superior on the PC to begin with...