Oct 26 - My hands-ons Playstation 3 review

[Chameleon]

I was invited to a preview event today by Sony in Los Angeles. There were 50 of us that were playing games on the PS3 for 3 hours. They had several PS3 consoles set up in an art gallery. All the displays were in 1080p. It was awesome! Free food and drinks, too. The graphics were a little better than what I've seen on the Xbox 360. The PS3 has a built-in web browser. You can store photos and videos on the console, and they said you could hook up a USB keyboard and mouse. In one of the menus, there is an option to load in 'an alternate OS'. Linux anyone? The games that impressed me the most was Eragon and an off-road racing game. "Resistance: Fall of Man" looked impressive, too, and looked like a cross between Call of Duty and Halo.

[regdar]

does it justify the 600$ price tag in means of quality

[player_of_volleyball]

the Wii pawns ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hextr1p]

the Wii pawns ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Drugs are bad, m'kay.

And the word you're looking for is, "pwns". Unless you're going to pawn your Wii to buy a PS3. In which case, I retract my correction.

;)

[johnny139]

I'll admit, the PS3 is impressive. It has good games, good graphics, good features.

Features I don't want, and an unwarrented $600 price tag turns me off. I could suffer $300 dollars, but it's far to pricey to be an actually choice.

Wii360 all the way!

[hextr1p]

Speaking of the PS3, has anyone else seen the new PS3 commercial with the freaky mechanical baby who cries and smiles and... freaks me out?!

Sweet mother, do they not want people to buy this console? The hefty price tag is already a deterrant to us common folk.

But that baby... :wtf:

[CornPuff]

The baby compels you.... (http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/sony/creepy-ps3-baby-commercial-210537.php)

[Havokscry]

Did I hear correctly that the games for the PS3 are much more expensive to develop than the 360 or the Wii?

[dragonfire]

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhitttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
That comercial scared me man. Did you here about the dutch racial sony comercial. A white lady is holding a black lady by the neck saying white PSP is here. These guys are like a self parody.

[Chimpy]

Did I hear correctly that the games for the PS3 are much more expensive to develop than the 360 or the Wii?

I heard that too. I have not confirmed it though.

[Chameleon]

Did I hear correctly that the games for the PS3 are much more expensive to develop than the 360 or the Wii?

I don't know. But I did confirm with Sony that they're going to be selling the PS3 games at around $60 - about the same as the Xbox 360.

[Havokscry]

Did I hear correctly that the games for the PS3 are much more expensive to develop than the 360 or the Wii?

I don't know. But I did confirm with Sony that they're going to be selling the PS3 games at around $60 - about the same as the Xbox 360.

That may be a bad thing for the developers, if the rumors are true. More could shy away from developing games exclusively for the PS3 and focus on the 360 and the Wii.

[cbs42]

The graphics were a little better than what I've seen on the Xbox 360.

This report gives me hope that Sony will finally, finally, self-destruct.

[dra(gon)]

a littel better?
that is not good the 360 will updated in 1080 too, but look gow.
and sure the power is bettr but who are the games ?
i mean games are the seller and br will have more mb but will the games longer that a x360 game? a ps3 sc3 will not longer than a 360 version.

so only the programmers can make a better look but more levels as a 360 sure not, was te of money.

[django]

this going to be Sony's dreamcast. from what I've seen its the same as the 360 and you don't play the systems OS you play games on it so who cares what the machine can do its what goes in it that counts.

[countblah]

I had never seen that baby before. Now I wish I could go back in time and not see it. But, as Nicolas Cage said in 8mm:
"There are things you see that you can't unsee"

If I got that quote wrong, and you feel like correcting me, bear in mind that you will be showing off your excellent knowledge of 8MM to the world, making you a bigger geek than if you just belong to an online board game site.

[regdar]

its a clear choice you can get a wii and xbox 360 for
the price of just one ps3 sony is just hanging themselves with the 600$ price tag

[johnny139]

its a clear choice you can get a wii and xbox 360 for
the price of just one ps3 sony is just hanging themselves with the 600$ price tag

Hanging? It's seppoku.

[regdar]

its a clear choice you can get a wii and xbox 360 for
the price of just one ps3 sony is just hanging themselves with the 600$ price tag

Hanging? It's seppoku.

whats a seppoku darn you extended vocabulary :duh:

[Doc_Savage]

its a clear choice you can get a wii and xbox 360 for
the price of just one ps3 sony is just hanging themselves with the 600$ price tag

Hanging? It's seppoku.

Except that it includes a Blu-ray player - currently $1000 seperately.

How much will an Xbox360 be when they get an HDDVD option on it?

[Havokscry]

its a clear choice you can get a wii and xbox 360 for
the price of just one ps3 sony is just hanging themselves with the 600$ price tag

Hanging? It's seppoku.

Except that it includes a Blu-ray player - currently $1000 seperately.

How much will an Xbox360 be when they get an HDDVD option on it?

Until the price of a blu-ray disc comes down in price or you can rent them in a movie store, I really don't see a need for one personally. I can't justify spending $30 for a movie.

[johnny139]

its a clear choice you can get a wii and xbox 360 for
the price of just one ps3 sony is just hanging themselves with the 600$ price tag

Hanging? It's seppoku.

Except that it includes a Blu-ray player - currently $1000 seperately.

How much will an Xbox360 be when they get an HDDVD option on it?

Bluray is the new Betamax.

To use a Poker analogy, Sony's going all in on this one, and they've only got a pair of fours. Not a smart wager.

[cbs42]

Except that it includes a Blu-ray player - currently $1000 seperately.

How much will an Xbox360 be when they get an HDDVD option on it?

You can order the Xbox 360 HDDVD player for $200 from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-HD-DVD-Player/dp/B000JHO4L0/sr=8-1/qid=1162086027/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-2994321-2406418?ie=UTF8&s=videogames). The player ships November 7th. Even added to the cost of the 360 system, it's still way less than the PS3.

And yeah, I wouldn't hold too much faith in Sony's success with Blu-Ray. They don't exactly have a stellar track record with introducing new formats.


EDIT: Check out this snippet from the Amazon page I linked above. What's up with the last item? What kind of person says, "Let's take a good look at this HDDVD player .... Hmmm .... Nope. I think I'm going with the cake pan instead."
:lol:

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r131/cbs42/x.jpg

[Chameleon]

Except that it includes a Blu-ray player - currently $1000 seperately.

How much will an Xbox360 be when they get an HDDVD option on it?

To me, that's a moot point. You don't need the HD-DVD to play games on the Xbox 360, and the only reason I have the console it to play games.

[Chameleon]

a littel better?
that is not good the 360 will updated in 1080 too

Good point. When Microsoft release their 1080p patch, then the graphics will be about the same.

[Chameleon]

I forgot to mention, the PS3 controllers are really light in weight. I guess it's because they don't have the motors in them anymore for the vibration feedback.

[mrbistro]

Did I hear correctly that the games for the PS3 are much more expensive to develop than the 360 or the Wii?

Not really no. I have a couple of friends who work for two seperate companies and they poo-pooed that. Though one pointed out it costs more to develop cross-platform now that the three major brands have become more distinct.

[Doc_Savage]

Xbox 360 Console Includes 20GB Hard Drive by Microsoft (Xbox 360)
Computer & Video Games: See all 35 items
Buy new: $399.99

XBOX 360 HDDVD PLAYER $199.99

That's $600.

PS3 with 20 GB drive and blu-ray player and wireless controllers is $499.

Thats $500. $100 less than Xbox with a comparable configuration.

For $600 with ps3 you get 60 gb drive and wifi and flashcard reader. The same price as xbox with a bigger drive.

Bluray also gives you more HD choices for movies. If you have a huge HD tv you know why you want the blu-ray. It is simply a superior format for HD and computer data.

[Neveryll]

I really am a big PS gamer so the price tag is a real downer for me on the new system. I don't actually plan on buying one for at least six month to a year anyway for a couple of reasons.

1) I don't have 600 dollars to throw at a game system when I know a couple of other things that have higher proirity.

2) Its the first gen release of the console. If I've learned anything from watching the realease of previous consoles they all have varying hardware issues. Let someone else "beta test" their consoles and I'll buy mine after the bugs have been worked out.

3) I have about 10-15 games on the PS2 I still need to play. Even if FF XIII and Castlevania : The Next One were released tomorrow, I have more than enough to keep me busy for the next 6 - 8 months.

[Chameleon]

Xbox 360 Console Includes 20GB Hard Drive by Microsoft (Xbox 360)
Computer & Video Games: See all 35 items
Buy new: $399.99

XBOX 360 HDDVD PLAYER $199.99

That's $600.

PS3 with 20 GB drive and blu-ray player and wireless controllers is $499.

Thats $500. $100 less than Xbox with a comparable configuration.


Blu-ray is required so play games on the PS3. The HD-DVD is not required to play games on the Xbox 360. So, the Xbox 360 is cheaper to play games on.

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

There were guys camped out in front of my TRU yesterday. Tents, books, fast food, hand held beep-bop games.
I made sure they weren't in line for flagbearers before I entered the store. :P
Quite an anticipation for this conole.

[Sweetcurse]

Well, with the PS3 sold out everywhere, there goes the doubts about its success.

[Annerios]

Yep, there was a huge line for TMX Elmo, PS3 and the Wii yesterday. I think the PS3 allocation was less than 10 units from the people I spoke to.

I'm definitely interested in picking up a PS3, but after the initial frenzy dies down and some more interesting games come out. Right now, Resistance is the only one that interests me. With GTA 4 and a drop in price, I'd be even more tempted. I hope Capcom ports over Dead Rising on the PS3.

Anyone out there have some good DLP Full 1080p TV recommendations for use with the PS3? Are the 2006 Samsung models the best option?

[Doc_Savage]

The Samsung, and Mitsubishi DLPs are great. Just be sure that it has full 1080 HD and a HDMI in.

The 60" sony sxrd rear projection is what I have, I think the picture is great. I have HD Directv, but I can't wait to put a bluray in of Lord of the Rings or something to see the full HD.

I'm waiting for the players to come down and supposedly next year the HDDVD / Blu-ray combo player is coming, so I might get that.

The rear projection is cheaper for the same size and the full HD Plasma at 60" - 70" are outrageous.

[Annerios]

The Samsung, and Mitsubishi DLPs are great. Just be sure that it has full 1080 HD and a HDMI in.

The 60" sony sxrd rear projection is what I have, I think the picture is great. I have HD Directv, but I can't wait to put a bluray in of Lord of the Rings or something to see the full HD.

I'm waiting for the players to come down and supposedly next year the HDDVD / Blu-ray combo player is coming, so I might get that.

The rear projection is cheaper for the same size and the full HD Plasma at 60" - 70" are outrageous.

My brother in law picked up one of the new Sony's with full 1080p and is quite happy with it. The Sony's are a lot more, though and I'm trying to save a bit, since I have two TV's I need to get. I just finalized a deal on a nice 50" Akai (really a Samsung) for $875 (that should have been around $1800) for general viewing, but it does not handle 1080p only 720p/1080i.

I definitely want a full 1080p HD DLP for gaming and the Blue Ray/HD-DVD whenever that war is sorted out. The combo machine sounds like a good deal, but I definitely don't want to jump into a new player until the prices come down and the technology is refined.

LOTR in HD should be amazing. I can't wait to see that.

I've seen some of those 70" TV's and they are sweet, but the damage to the wallet is severe. . .

[cbs42]

Well, with the PS3 sold out everywhere, there goes the doubts about its success.
That's incorrect.

It was a given that all 3 next-gen consoles (including the Wii) would sell out their initial releases. I've never ever seen anyone predict anything otherwise. Only time will tell who comes out on top.

[cbs42]

What really confuses me now is why ANYONE would buy the $500 standalone HDDVD player instead of getting the $300 Xbox360 with a $200 HDDVD drive? It's the same total cost, but you get an Xbox360 for free!

Same thing with Blu-Ray. Why would anyone buy the $1000 Sony Blu-Ray player, when you can buy the $600 PS3, and end up saving $400? (Well, I guess right now the answer is one of availability of the PS3, but that won't be a factor beyond Christmas)

Surely the recent release of the HD movie capability of the new consoles will have to drive down the price of the standalone players.

[cbs42]

More trouble for Sony.

This time they're being investigated by the US Department of Justice for trade and price-fixing issues with memory manufacturers. I highlighted the parts that excited me the most.
:twisted:

TOKYO (AP) - Sony said Tuesday the U.S. Department of Justice is probing its electronics unit as part of an industrywide investigation into sales of a particular type of memory chip. The news could spell more trouble for a company already stung by sinking profits, a global battery recall and product delays.

The Japanese company received a subpoena from the Justice Department's antitrust division seeking information about Sony's static random access memory, or SRAM, business, company spokesman Atsuo Omagari said.

"Sony intends to cooperate fully with the DOJ in what appears to be an industrywide inquiry," the company said in a short statement.

The probe could add to a growing list of headaches for Sony.

It has been battered by a worldwide recall of lithium-ion batteries on fears they could overheat and burst into flames. The recall affected almost every major laptop maker in the world, including Dell Inc. (DELL), Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL) and Lenovo.

Just last week, Sony Corp. (SNE) said profit plunged 94 percent in the July-Sept. quarter, thanks to a worldwide laptop battery recall and red ink in its video-game business.

It also has lowered its profit forecast for the fiscal year through March 2007 to 80 billion yen ($673 million), down 38 percent from its initial projection and down 35 percent from fiscal 2005.

SRAM is a kind of computer memory that is faster and more reliable that DRAM, or dynamic random access memory. Although it does not need to be refreshed like DRAM, SRAM is also more expensive.

SRAM is found in relatively small quantities in personal computers. It's also used in disk drives, communications equipment and networking gear.

Omagari declined to provide other details about the investigation. But in 2005, Sony sold 3.3 billion yen ($27.7 million) worth of SRAM. The product is made by outside manufactures for Sony, which in turn sells the memory chips to other electronics makers, Omagari said.

He would not elaborate on who manufactures the chips for Sony or to whom Sony sells them.

Earlier this month, U.S.-based chipmaker Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (CY) said its SRAM operations were also under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

A separate DOJ investigation into price-fixing among DRAM companies has so far resulted in more than a dozen charges against individuals and more than $731 million in fines against Samsung Electronics Co., Elpida Memory Inc., Infineon Technologies AG (IFX) and Hynix Semiconductor Inc.

Problems with its long-awaited next-generation PlayStation 3 console have also dug deep.

Sony reported a 43.5 billion yen ($366 million) operating loss in its gaming division in the July-September quarter because of charges related to its development.

Sony said last month the machine's launch in Europe will be delayed until March next year because of mass production problems in a video technology called Blu-ray disk that the machine supports. The PlayStation 3 is set to go on sale in the U.S. and Japan next month.

The company also reduced the PS3 price in Japan by about 20 percent in an effort to win buyers - a move that's likely to reduce sales revenue because initial shipments are expected to be limited and sell out.

The company announced the probe after the market closed. Sony shares, which have fallen about 15 percent since May, finished up 10 yen, or 0.2 percent, at 4,850 yen ($40.75) on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

I feel all warm and fuzzy after reading that. Lets hope the good news continues!
:twisted:

[johnny139]

More trouble for Sony.

This time they're being investigated by the US Department of Justice for trade and price-fixing issues with memory manufacturers. I highlighted the parts that excited me the most.
:twisted:

TOKYO (AP) - Sony said Tuesday the U.S. Department of Justice is probing its electronics unit as part of an industrywide investigation into sales of a particular type of memory chip. The news could spell more trouble for a company already stung by sinking profits, a global battery recall and product delays.

The Japanese company received a subpoena from the Justice Department's antitrust division seeking information about Sony's static random access memory, or SRAM, business, company spokesman Atsuo Omagari said.

"Sony intends to cooperate fully with the DOJ in what appears to be an industrywide inquiry," the company said in a short statement.

The probe could add to a growing list of headaches for Sony.

It has been battered by a worldwide recall of lithium-ion batteries on fears they could overheat and burst into flames. The recall affected almost every major laptop maker in the world, including Dell Inc. (DELL), Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL) and Lenovo.

Just last week, Sony Corp. (SNE) said profit plunged 94 percent in the July-Sept. quarter, thanks to a worldwide laptop battery recall and red ink in its video-game business.

It also has lowered its profit forecast for the fiscal year through March 2007 to 80 billion yen ($673 million), down 38 percent from its initial projection and down 35 percent from fiscal 2005.

SRAM is a kind of computer memory that is faster and more reliable that DRAM, or dynamic random access memory. Although it does not need to be refreshed like DRAM, SRAM is also more expensive.

SRAM is found in relatively small quantities in personal computers. It's also used in disk drives, communications equipment and networking gear.

Omagari declined to provide other details about the investigation. But in 2005, Sony sold 3.3 billion yen ($27.7 million) worth of SRAM. The product is made by outside manufactures for Sony, which in turn sells the memory chips to other electronics makers, Omagari said.

He would not elaborate on who manufactures the chips for Sony or to whom Sony sells them.

Earlier this month, U.S.-based chipmaker Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (CY) said its SRAM operations were also under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

A separate DOJ investigation into price-fixing among DRAM companies has so far resulted in more than a dozen charges against individuals and more than $731 million in fines against Samsung Electronics Co., Elpida Memory Inc., Infineon Technologies AG (IFX) and Hynix Semiconductor Inc.

Problems with its long-awaited next-generation PlayStation 3 console have also dug deep.

Sony reported a 43.5 billion yen ($366 million) operating loss in its gaming division in the July-September quarter because of charges related to its development.

Sony said last month the machine's launch in Europe will be delayed until March next year because of mass production problems in a video technology called Blu-ray disk that the machine supports. The PlayStation 3 is set to go on sale in the U.S. and Japan next month.

The company also reduced the PS3 price in Japan by about 20 percent in an effort to win buyers - a move that's likely to reduce sales revenue because initial shipments are expected to be limited and sell out.

The company announced the probe after the market closed. Sony shares, which have fallen about 15 percent since May, finished up 10 yen, or 0.2 percent, at 4,850 yen ($40.75) on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

I feel all warm and fuzzy after reading that. Lets hope the good news continues!
:twisted:

Hooray!

:toast:

:lol:

[jcb231]

I wish console manufacturers would just drop the whole idea of a console doing everything from playing movies to washing your dishes. A gaming console should play games, and it should do that very very well. If movies or audio CDs can also be played, well that's nice, but it should be an afterthought that is allowable by the hardware....time and effort should not be spent to make it a priority. "It's the games, stupid." should be tatooed on every employee. At least Nintendo, for all their minor quirks and occassional stumblings, recognizes this above all else. It's the games, stupid.

[johnny139]

I wish console manufacturers would just drop the whole idea of a console doing everything from playing movies to washing your dishes. A gaming console should play games, and it should do that very very well. If movies or audio CDs can also be played, well that's nice, but it should be an afterthought that is allowable by the hardware....time and effort should not be spent to make it a priority. "It's the games, stupid." should be tatooed on every employee. At least Nintendo, for all their minor quirks and occassional stumblings, recognizes this above all else. It's the games, stupid.

Here here!

Same thing with cell phones.

[cbs42]

At least Nintendo, for all their minor quirks and occassional stumblings, recognizes this above all else. It's the games, stupid.
I do think (and hope) that the Wii will be a smash success. If so, that will teach the two Big Boys that you don't need to be "everything to everyone" in order to succeed.

Sony (for a number of reasons) has just ticked me off. I hope they fade from the competition and leave the two big players as Nintendo and Microsoft. I think there is room for two major players in the video game realm, but not three. At least, not for long.

I should also point out that it's important to have competition, so I don't want the 360 to become the only current-gen console out there. Competition pushes advances and ingenuity. As much as most people (including me) think that games have become recycled cookie-cutter copies of old formulas, the situation would be much worse without competition. So, go 360, and go Wii!