E3 06 thread

[Vic Viper]

talk anything and everything E3 related here. :D

E3 06, May 8-12

Sony press conference - May 8, 4:00 pm - you can watch it Live on Gamespot

Nintendo press conference - May 9, 9:30 am - you can watch it Live on Gamespot

Microsoft press conference - May 9, 12:00 pm


what are you guys excited to see ?

i for one cant wait for the new MGS4 trailer, I also want to see the Wii in action and what it brings to the table.

[Phenom]

I too am waiting for MGS4. I can probably look at that trailer over and over. I know there aren't too many people waiting for things from Microsoft, but I have to say Gears of War look very nice. A little too nice.

Question.... What ever happened to Okami? Wasn't that suppose to come out like the 5th of this month or something? Or was I just imagining it?

[merylsilverburg]

Question.... What ever happened to Okami? Wasn't that suppose to come out like the 5th of this month or something? Or was I just imagining it?

"Okami" is supposed to be released sometime in August or September, I think. :disturb: Which is bizarre, considering the game was released in Japan in April...if I had the money, I would've bought it. :P

Anyways, I'm looking forward to seeing the, duh, "MGS4" trailer as well as information on Nintendo's Wii.

[DSgamer]

E3 should just not be called E3 this year and just called Wii because thats what everyone there really wants to see.

[REChick14]

Im excited about E3 this year. My friend Anthony has the channel G4 so hopefully I can go over his house and watch some coverage of the E3 convention. He told me they should have it. I saw the MGS 4 trailer when the january issue of Playstation magazine came out, it blew me away. Im so excited for ps3 and I want to see what other games they have. Not everyone just wants to see Wii, Gamer, you silly man lol. Im sure everyone wants to see a bit of everything.

[Vic Viper]

Okami is being release this September.

[dan da man]

Resi 5, MGS4, Neverwinter nights 2, Gears of war, Saints row and Xbox live updates.

[Vic Viper]

E3 should just not be called E3 this year and just called Wii because thats what everyone there really wants to see.

i bet you cant wait to see miyamoto flailing his arms while playing with his wii. :smirk:

[dan da man]

Sony confrence is live on gamespot now.

[kupoartist]

Extra Extra! Sony ninjas infilitrate Nintendo HQ and steal Revolution's one gimmick.

edit. Sorry. "Wii".

lol

[DSgamer]

599.99 for ps3? nigga u crazy!

[merylsilverburg]

599.99 for ps3? nigga u crazy!
I couldn't catch the Sony conference, so I have no idea what's going on...but, uh, you're kidding about the PS3 price, right? Please tell me so...

[Vic Viper]

$599 for a PS3 60gig HDD

$499 for a "core one" with 20gig HDD, which doesn't include various standard features.


this really sucks, go eat **** sony !!!!

im not buying this console at that insane price. its really ashame, there were alot of games im looking forward to playing on that system. i wont have this thing till a price drop comes and thats gonna take forever. :frust:

[Vic Viper]

Extra Extra! Sony ninjas infilitrate Nintendo HQ and steal Revolution's one gimmick.

edit. Sorry. "Wii".

lol

lol that was pretty funny when they first show it in action. :laugh:

anyway here it is, it pretty much looks like the dual shock, but with a motion sensing thingy. Wiiiiii !!!:laugh:

PS3 controller (http://www.r0rschach.com/black.jpg)

[Phenom]

this really sucks, go eat **** sony !!!!
LMAO.

I lost interest in all these next gen consoles..... Honestly, I've lost interest around the time I heard that ps3's prices were going to be around $700. (This was around Feb or March) I still may get a 360 (the $300 version [or is it $400?]... of course after the price drops) mainly because I don't care about, nor will I ever play any games online.

With all that said... I still may get that ps3 though.... after 7 years though..... (I figure this price will be down by then) Because I want MGS4. I'll be sticking with me oldies or collecting my the oldies.....

As far as that controller goes.... Guess sony heard the rants of the fans about the boomerang.... "shrugs"

There are a couple more games I forgot about that I want to see. DMC4, Ninety Nine Nights, Too Human, I forgot the other 2. Both are shooters (atleast I think the X-box game is a shooter), 1 for the Xbox and the other for the ps3. (Ah, nevermind about the ps3... It's Killzone 3)

[Beretta55]

$599 for a PS3 60gig HDD

$499 for a "core one" with 20gig HDD, which doesn't include various standard features.


this really sucks, go eat **** sony !!!!

im not buying this console at that insane price. its really ashame, there were alot of games im looking forward to playing on that system. i wont have this thing till a price drop comes and thats gonna take forever. :frust:
I hear ya. I wasn't looking foreword to the PS3 that much but the games they showed at the conference were awesome. I'm definitely looking foreword to Heavenly Sword, Resistance: Fall Of man, Eight Days, Tekken 6, that untitled naughtydog game and others. Assassin’s creed looks awesome too, but I think that will make a multiplatform appearance so I'm covered on that. I told my parents about the price and then said to them "I could sell my kidney to pay for it." XD.

I'll wait though, till the price drops and when the most bugs are kinked out of the system. Launches always have problems and Sony is notorious for systems breaking down, so it will be in my best interest to wait. But even then when it goes down price the fully loaded version will still be five hundred dollars if it goes down a hundred. That's insane I just have a hard enough time paying for games, and especially 360 games even more reason for me to get a job. I had a feeling this would be the price, but I was personally hoping I'd be wrong, no luck. :(

[kupoartist]

$499 is a bad price? £350 sounds like a usual price for a new console in the UK... And you don't really need the 60GB version unless you're going to go mad insane spending even more cash through their content delivery system. I know the PS3 standard appeals to me, someone who hasn't really an intention to splash out on too many console games. I actually found this price announcement reasonable, yet i'm probably the person least likely to be buying it!

Full backwards compatability too. Right to PS1.

[dan da man]

Microsoft conference is now going LIVE.


GTA next October 2007 to the xbox 360 :D and Ps3.

Halo 3 trailer is now up on market place!

you better belive it. lololol.

[Phenom]

So here I am currently watching E3 on G4. So far, I have to say I'm not thrilled about anything I've seen thus far. Like I've said, I'll be sticking with the old stuff. The only games I've found interesting is Halo 3, Heavenly Sword, and still waiting to see MGS4. Too Human looks okay.... but I'm not feeling it. I did manage to see Red Steel (I think that's what it's called), Metroid, and Mario for the Wii. If I were to judge right now.... I'll be passing on getting it. Maybe they'll show something good within the next hour in a half.

Told you I was picky when it comes to games.

Just saw the trailer to MGS4..... All I can really say is.... damn.

[Berserker]

I remember when the ps2 was launched it was €599 over here which is like $699, sony's launch price was always high(at least in Europe).

[merylsilverburg]

I remember when the ps2 was launched it was €599 over here which is like $699, sony's launch price was always high(at least in Europe).
Wha-? That's insane! It was only $300 over here in the US, maybe $400 if you count some games. Oh man, I will never complain again about the prices...:shame:

[Berserker]

Wha-? That's insane! It was only $300 over here in the US, maybe $400 if you count some games. Oh man, I will never complain again about the prices...:shame:

Yeah, I know it's like I always said Sony hates Europe. :shame:

[jjmoohead]

When I purchased my ps2 on launch day it cost me over $700 canadian. That was with an extra controller, a memory card and a game. So $499 plus a second controller and a game should be similar.

I don't find the price that bad at all. I payed $700 for my videocard alone in my PC, and if the announcements are for real then the videocard in the PS3 will crush what I have. (I have an x-800 pro)

The best of it is as far as i am concerned with the price and the technology in the system, Sony is losing money on each system, it should be closer to $1000.

I am still getting mine at launch, it's already over half payed for.

CONTROLER
I knew sony wouldn't go with that banana stick. I truely feel it was just a way to avoid all that court crazy stuff going on with people suing due to the technology. I don't believe for a second the banana stick was for real.

[Spank-A-Thon]

$499 is a bad price? £350 sounds like a usual price for a new console in the UK... And you don't really need the 60GB version unless you're going to go mad insane spending even more cash through their content delivery system. I know the PS3 standard appeals to me, someone who hasn't really an intention to splash out on too many console games. I actually found this price announcement reasonable, yet i'm probably the person least likely to be buying it!

Full backwards compatability too. Right to PS1.
The cheapo PS3 doesn't have Wi-Fi or HDMI (hi-def) AV outputs with it... so for me it's a no-brainer which one I'm gonna choose...

Though to be fair, a Blu-Ray player will set you back £1,000 when they hit the stores so £600 don't sound to bad to me really considering you get a top-spec (according to SONY) Blu-Ray player, hi-def output and a PS3 thrown into the mix...

To rationalise it a bit further, I could easily spend £600 in two months just on beer and going out (£50 a night, Fri and Sat for 2 months) and have nothing to show for it at the end other than numerous hangovers...

or I could cut down going out to once a month (for 2 months) and have a nice shiny PS3 to show for it...

But then again, people do say I have more money than sense... :D

- S

[kupoartist]

The cheapo PS3 doesn't have Wi-Fi or HDMI (hi-def) AV outputs with it... so for me it's a no-brainer which one I'm gonna choose...
You still get some form of High Definition though. And to be honest, speaking as UK users, only the minority of users have HD capable TV sets. Perhaps you're one of them, but I know I'm certainly not and am unlikely to be one until well into the next, next generation (or is that, next, next, next?)

Though to be fair, a Blu-Ray player will set you back £1,000 when they hit the stores so £600 don't sound to bad to me really considering you get a top-spec (according to SONY) Blu-Ray player, hi-def output and a PS3 thrown into the mix...
It's $600 or 600 euros. No Price in Pounds Stirling has been announced yet. Those currencies translate closer to £400 :)

To rationalise it a bit further, I could easily spend £600 in two months just on beer and going out (£50 a night, Fri and Sat for 2 months) and have nothing to show for it at the end other than numerous hangovers...
This is the dangerous rationalisation that nearly resulted in me buying a 1/60 Perfect Grade Zeta Gundam (http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN75680) ("It's only two months or so of cider induced embarrassment!"). I stepped back from this brink of geek-insanity when I realised the dual social hit I would be taking by 1) Not going out for two months and 2) Owning a Perfect Grade Zeta Gundam. This tale has a happy ending of course.

I got a Master Grade instead, and used the 15,000 yen I didn't spend on buying fermented apple drinks. Well not all of it. Cider is cheap stuff :P

[Berserker]

To rationalise it a bit further, I could easily spend £600 in two months just on beer and going out (£50 a night, Fri and Sat for 2 months) and have nothing to show for it at the end other than numerous hangovers...



Quoted for truth :laugh:

Money will be spend, can't take it to your grave.

[merylsilverburg]

Though to be fair, a Blu-Ray player will set you back £1,000 when they hit the stores so £600 don't sound to bad to me really considering you get a top-spec (according to SONY) Blu-Ray player, hi-def output and a PS3 thrown into the mix...

Pardon the dumb questions, but why would one need a Blu-Ray player? And is it really worth getting the 60GB for it?

The Japanese version is coming out November 11, while it's November 17 worldwide. Too bad it's black and only black for now. :( If I manage to save up enough by then and there seems to be a worthy launch game, I could try to pick up a JP version since all the games will be region-free now, huzzah! :D

[Harry]

Either Blue-Ray or HD-DVD will replace DVDs in the future; the PS3 basically offers a quality Blue-Ray player at a relatively low price, considering this is a gaming machine.

The 20GB version, according to Phil Harrison, and like kupoartist said, is enough for those that plan to use the console mostly to play games and watch movies; those planning to use Sony download services or to use the PS3 for recording and storing media should probably get the 60GB version.

Anyhow, differences between the two consoles don't end here, as Spank noted. It seems the cheaper version won't have HDMI output (what if you happen to have a nice HD TV in the future?), but even more important, it won't have a memory card reader (the 60GB version can read memory stick, SD, and compact flash cards) or Wi-Fi support (the 20GB version only has an Ethernet port; with Wi-Fi support you can share your PC connection with the PS3 without using cables). These limits could be annoying in the long run, especially because the console cannot be upgraded (a terrible idea that goes against the loyal customers that will buy the 20GB console at launch).

Also the importance of HDD size shouldn't be underestimated; I have seen many PS3 developers talking about the possibility to install files on the HDD for better loading times and game performance (HDD speed is always superior to the one of a removable optical drive).

We made some simple but interesting consideration about the difference in prices between different countries in the news section (http://www.ps2fantasy.com/news/200605/1147521041.php). When it comes to gaming, living in Europe is hell. Unfortunately we couldn't find info about the U.K. price from any official source, but some calculated the U.K. version could cost even more, around 430£. If it wasn't that replacing a defective console would be a nightmare, European gamers who prefer to have a region 1 Blue-Ray player could import a 60GB version from the U.S., and spend less than buying it from their local store, import taxes and shipping included...

[merylsilverburg]

Either Blue-Ray or HD-DVD will replace DVDs in the future; the PS3 basically offers a quality Blue-Ray player at a relatively low price, considering this is a gaming machine.

The 20GB version, according to Phil Harrison, and like kupoartist said, is enough for those that plan to use the console mostly to play games and watch movies; those planning to use Sony download services or to use the PS3 for recording and storing media should probably get the 60GB version.

Anyhow, differences between the two consoles don't end here, as Spank noted. It seems the cheaper version won't have HDMI output (what if you happen to have a nice HD TV in the future?), but even more important, it won't have a memory card reader (the 60GB version can read memory stick, SD, and compact flash cards) or Wi-Fi support (the 20GB version only has an Ethernet port; with Wi-Fi support you can share your PC connection with the PS3 without using cables). These limits could be annoying in the long run, especially because the console cannot be upgraded (a terrible idea that goes against the loyal customers that will buy the 20GB console at launch).

Also the importance of HDD size shouldn't be underestimated; I have seen many PS3 developers talking about the possibility to install files on the HDD for better loading times and game performance (HDD speed is always superior to the one of a removable optical drive).

Thanks Harry. Okay, so I guess it's better to get the 60GB version in the long run taking everything into consideration. :D

[Carlito]

Yeah, indeed - the differences between the two versions is too unfair, and SCEI knows this (removing the HDMI output from the 20GB version is ridiculous); the difference in prices between countries is also irritating.

[Carlito]

A follow-up to Harry's post - a representative of SCEI said that the HDD is actually the only part of the 20GB that can be upgraded; so if you purchase the version with a 20GB HDD you can replace the HDD with a bigger version when you need it.

[Faile]

You have to marvel at Sony's cleverness here though. They know that the Playstation will sell well regardless of the initial price and they also have a market (and dare I say culture) that they've built over the last decade and are poised to reap the reward of all the young people that were fans of the playstation ten years ago now being older, holding down jobs and being willing to shell out on the new console. Sony is just moving to reap the reward of its marketing. The PSP was hugely overpriced compared to the DS and yet sold very well on its release. Sadly it's just the way the wind is blowing.

[Carlito]

You made a very intelligent point - the "culture" they have built over the years is something that even market analysts seem to ignore; the PS3 will do more than well, regardless of its launch price.

[TtTackler]

Well, my friend and I are going to split the cost of the 'core' version since we will be sharing a dorm in college next semester. And the only thing the both of us are interested is playing MGS4. And even if we can't get one at launch day, it'll be alright since MGS4 is slated for a '07 release..

[merylsilverburg]

A follow-up to Harry's post - a representative of SCEI said that the HDD is actually the only part of the 20GB that can be upgraded; so if you purchase the version with a 20GB HDD you can replace the HDD with a bigger version when you need it.

Is this the only available upgrade for the 20GB version? I wonder how much it will cost then. By marketing this way, it seems Sony is just sending out a clear message: Buy the 60GB with all the accessories and save yourself the trouble which inevitably leads to more $$$. :sarcasm:

They know that the Playstation will sell well regardless of the initial price

Speaking of the price, I found out that the 60GB version in Japan doesn't have an initial price...instead, they're allowing the retailers to determine how much they want to sell it for. :shock: Wow, so that means if they're going to put it up for 80000 yen (around $700) the Japanese are just going to blindly pick it up?

[Carlito]

Is this the only available upgrade for the 20GB version? I wonder how much it will cost then. By marketing this way, it seems Sony is just sending out a clear message: Buy the 60GB with all the accessories and save yourself the trouble which inevitably leads to more $$$. :sarcasm:

Speaking of the price, I found out that the 60GB version in Japan doesn't have an initial price...instead, they're allowing the retailers to determine how much they want to sell it for. :shock: Wow, so that means if they're going to put it up for 80000 yen (around $700) the Japanese are just going to blindly pick it up?

Yes, it seems the HDD is the only upgradeable part of the console; the PS3 has a detachable 2.5" HDD slot. Hard disks could come in different sizes, in addition to the 60GB included in the other version of the console.

I agree with you: Sony is forcing most consumers to buy the 60GB version. The problem is they probably hadn't the courage to launch a single version retailing at $600.

[merylsilverburg]

I agree with you: Sony is forcing most consumers to buy the 60GB version. The problem is they probably hadn't the courage to launch a single version retailing at $600.

I don't see why they lack the courage. As Faile mentioned, Sony has a sort of a following/culture that will support them to the very end regardless of the price. By acting this way, Sony is revealing themselves to be insecure and manipulative, which bugs me even more.

[Harry]

Sony is revealing themselves to be insecure and manipulative, which bugs me even more.

You are so right; even the lack of the vibration function in the new controller is, in my opinion, a big loss, at least from a marketing point of view. I think that in 90% of videogames, vibration was nothing more than a little addition that didn't improve the gameplay; but in some of the finest PlayStation games it was relatively important. I think about Survival Horrors, where vibration can be used to create suspense and let you "feel" the blow when attacking some enemies (I really enjoyed the feeling I got when hitting giant bugs in Silent Hill using a pickaxe), but in general about games that made a more thorough use of the Dual Shock. It seems Kojima was incredibly pissed off by the announcement, as he was planning to do a great use of vibration in MGS4. In fact, can you imagine fighting those robots/Metal Gears without "sensing" the vibration produced by their heavy steps on the ground?

In general, Sony seems more scared of Microsoft than they probably want to admit, even though I do not understand why. If Microsoft wasn't around, they would have never released different versions of the same console. Sure, Microsoft secured rights on the GTA series (which is a great loss for Sony), but Sony still has much more support from third party developers. Not to mention that a lot of gamers, in particular outside North America, perceive the Xbox 360 as an updated version of the Xbox, a sort of Xbox 1.5. In most countries in Europe, for example, the Xbox is still perceived as a second choice, after all other PlayStation platforms.

[dan da man]

the Xbox 360 as an updated version of the Xbox, a sort of Xbox 1.5.


Ermmm, sorry, no it's not, what makes you think it is not "the second one" and is just a half next gen console?

[Harry]

Hehehe I never said it was me saying the Xbox 360 isn't a new console. I just said that many gamers perceive it as a console not as powerful as its direct competitor (the PlayStation 3) and rushed out too soon. This is probably caused also by a less than stellar line-up, but things have already changed a bit this year with the release of the exciting Oblivion (despite its limits, one of the most spectacular games currently available on any console, in my opinion). But Microsoft needs much more than one game that could be ported to all other consoles and their Halo to make Xbox 360 sell worldwide. The Japanese launch of the Xbox 360 was one of the less successful ever in that country, and not because, as some reporters on the web are saying, "Japanese are nationalist and will never buy an American console" (this is really a ridiculous excuse someone paid by Microsoft must have made-up), but because the line-up of game at launch was simply awful. Microsoft should have waited a bit more, have some decent third party game developed for the system, and then launch the console in Japan.

Anyhow, we all know all system specs and polygon counts and other numbers won't make much of a difference, because they mean nothing. The PS3 should be more powerful than the Xbox 360, but in the end the software is what makes the difference. In the previous generation, the PS2 was considered much less powerful than the Xbox, but I think no other game on the Xbox could rival the level of detail and smoothness of Metal Gear Solid 2; nor I ever played a game on the Xbox as visually breathtaking as Shadow Of The Colossus.

I like Nintendo's way of marketing their new console - they apparently do not care about Sony and Microsoft. They want to sell a certain number of Wii units, and it seems it doesn't really matter if Sony or Microsoft will sell much more than them in comparison. After all, with the amazing sales of their handheld consoles and their first-party games, Nintendo has really nothing to fear.

[merylsilverburg]

You are so right; even the lack of the vibration function in the new controller is, in my opinion, a big loss, at least from a marketing point of view. I think that in 90% of videogames, vibration was nothing more than a little addition that didn't improve the gameplay; but in some of the finest PlayStation games it was relatively important. I think about Survival Horrors, where vibration can be used to create suspense and let you "feel" the blow when attacking some enemies (I really enjoyed the feeling I got when hitting giant bugs in Silent Hill using a pickaxe), but in general about games that made a more thorough use of the Dual Shock. It seems Kojima was incredibly pissed off by the announcement, as he was planning to do a great use of vibration in MGS4. In fact, can you imagine fighting those robots/Metal Gears without "sensing" the vibration produced by their heavy steps on the ground?

Yes, losing the vibration is pretty sad and I was surprised about it, but I figured they might come up with something else in replace of it that's better or even more advanced somehow. Yet it doesn't seem like that's the case now. I agree with you that the vibration does create a sense of "connection" between the game and the player; it makes the player feel more involved or feel they are right in the action.

In general, Sony seems more scared of Microsoft than they probably want to admit, even though I do not understand why. If Microsoft wasn't around, they would have never released different versions of the same console. Sure, Microsoft secured rights on the GTA series (which is a great loss for Sony), but Sony still has much more support from third party developers. Not to mention that a lot of gamers, in particular outside North America, perceive the Xbox 360 as an updated version of the Xbox, a sort of Xbox 1.5. In most countries in Europe, for example, the Xbox is still perceived as a second choice, after all other PlayStation platforms.

Precisely. Before Microsoft, Sony pretty much ruled and, like you said, they might not have released editions of the PS3 if Microsoft didn't show up because they were so arrogant then and they knew no one could touch them. Not that Sony isn't annoyingly arrogant now, but the overshowy attitude of Sony seems like a mask to hide their fears and insecurities. It's as if they "know" it's a possiblity that Microsoft could gain up to them or overpower them someday and someway. But honestly, by releasing the console in two somewhat unfair ways, don't they realize they could potentially lose more fans than gain?

[jjmoohead]

Lets face it, even if sony is arrogant, they sorta deserve the position. No, better yet, they earned it. The price of this console is not that bad. The problem is for our generation of gamers comming up through the years are used to simple machines at somewhat simple prices. The PS3 is complex. What would you think about paying the price of the actual PS3. I bet the cost is closer to $1000 for the company. I don't think they are making a cent of the sales. As far as i see it, im getting a $1000 blueray player for nearly half the cost. Oh and it plays video games too that have the potential to make Xbox look like a intelevision. The PS2 if you remember correctly at release (as i noted earlier) with the price of a game, an extra controller and a memory card (which would require lots of memory cards for this HD) was about $700. The xbox 360 in canada is selling for $500 in most stores and there was a price drop already. Im getting a hell of a deal at Sony's prices.

I own a xbox and its currently the only system i own, but im really excited for the ps3 and no matter the cost im getting one on release, infact i just went and payed off the rest of the cost. Honestly I thought I was going to have to pay a hell of alot more. As for fans leaving. The fans wont leave, the true fans wont go anywhere. Will all fans be able to afford one, no, but let me assure you most will pick one up eventually.

[Faile]

The 360 sort of occupies the Dreamcast role of the last generation. It was rushed out to beat the other competitors to the detriment of the hardware.

[kupoartist]

The 360 sort of occupies the Dreamcast role of the last generation. It was rushed out to beat the other competitors to the detriment of the hardware.
That's more than a little inaccurate and unfair :P If anything, the 360 is comparable to the Playstation 2, which was "rushed" between a year and a year and a half before the X-box and Gamecube were, just as the 360 will be this time round. The Dreamcast was between 2 and 3 years before the others, and the hardware was majorly inferior, whereas the 360 isn't that far behind the PS3 by most reckoning.

[Faile]

There was the same trail time between the DC's North American launch and that of the 360 and PS3 though. Thought the tech difference isn't vast, I still consider the 360 to be the DC of this generation. At least in my head...

[kupoartist]

There was the same trail time between the DC's North American launch and that of the 360 and PS3 though.
But that doesn't really mean anything. The DC first launched in Nov 1998. The fact that it took a year to get to North America is an even bigger reason why 360 isn't really comparable to 360. But then I'm trying too hard to rationalise what i'm sure is just a general dislike of the console, aren't I? :P

[Faile]

Yeah, sorry. I wasn't using that point to disprove you, only to explain why I make the connection in my head. I liked the DC though. It was cute!

[Harry]

That's more than a little inaccurate and unfair :P If anything, the 360 is comparable to the Playstation 2, which was "rushed" between a year and a year and a half before the X-box and Gamecube were, just as the 360 will be this time round. The Dreamcast was between 2 and 3 years before the others, and the hardware was majorly inferior, whereas the 360 isn't that far behind the PS3 by most reckoning.

While a comparison with the DC is inaccurate, this is how the Xbox 360 risks to be perceived by gamers in some parts of the world (probably not in North America), and I am sure marketing analysts at Sony thought about this.

Microsoft tried to do what Sony did with the PlayStation 2, as kupoartist said. But then again, games they have released so far for the Xbox 360, with a couple of fine exceptions, look like Xbox games in HD. The problem is, in my opinion, that when Sony launched its PlayStation 2 there were few games being released on non Sony platforms; on the opposite, the Xbox 360 has been launched while many AAA titles are still being developed for PlayStation 2. I am speaking of Shadow Of The Colossus (I can't find a game on the Xbox 360 as spectacular or as brilliant as this), but also God Of War, Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, the soon to come Final Fantasy XII, the wonderful Rogue Galaxy (a great RPG from the same developers behind Dark Cloud), and many more. I think Microsoft underestimated this, capitalizing on the next-generation fever. Also, the Xbox was released one year later than the PS2, yet a new Xbox is released one year before the PlayStation 3 - this means two years less in the life span of a Microsoft console. Gamers - in particular those not living in North America, where multiple console owners are much more frequent than in Europe - do care about this kind of things.

In any case, as I said, the 360 and the PS3 will be directly comparable in terms of performance, like the PS2 and the Xbox did. If Sony is unable to launch a system that is slightly superior in terms of hardware to the Xbox 360, then they do have some trouble, especially because they are the ones, together with Microsoft, trying to market their console as the "most powerful".

I think things could get really interesting once the true second generation of Xbox 360 games and the first decent PS3 games will hit the stores. I just hope this generation will bring something more than hordes of nameless, soulless cross-platform releases from big corporates. Both Sony and Microsoft need to focus more on unique software for their systems than on silly comparisons of empty system specs.

[kupoartist]

All true, but it's worth factoring in the price differences. PS2 wasn't as proportionally cheaper than the Xbox as 360 will be to the PS3, in fact, in North America (the yardstick for console success) the PS2 kept a static retail price that was identical to the XBox at the Xbox's launch.

[Harry]

You are absolutely right, the PS3 price might be good considering what you get, but is too high in comparison with the one of the Xbox 360, which offers more or less the same features. And what if Microsoft is planning a small price cut, or some special bundle for the holiday season?

[Faile]

Remember the drastic price cuts Microsoft applied to the Xbox following its release though. It's easy to imagine Sony loss leading if they had to.

[Berserker]

You are absolutely right, the PS3 price might be good considering what you get, but is too high in comparison with the one of the Xbox 360, which offers more or less the same features. And what if Microsoft is planning a small price cut, or some special bundle for the holiday season?

They admitted that this will be their strategy, cut the price down of their console as soon as the ps3 hits the store. They hope to have sold a decent amount of consoles by then and can affort it to cut down the retail price. It would be interesting to see, which strategy will be succesfull hope it will come down in the end to the quality of the exclusive games instead of clever marketing tricks and price battles.

[TtTackler]

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=17035

Both SKUs will support the wireless controllers and buyers are free to supplant the in-box HDD with any of their choosing. Sony will not be distributing specialized hard drives on the presumption of this open compatability.

In addition, Sony will also offer WiFi and Card Reader peripherals for those who don't option the $600 version of the console. As yet, there are no plans to add an HDMI adapter, leaving it as the only thing that would remain out of reach for those with the lesser package.

Good news, now just need word on the HDMI.

[Harry]

Thanks for the link!

Sony never announced that the 20GB version was without Wi-Fi controllers support. A lot of websites confused the announced lack of Wi-Fi support in the 20GB version - it didn't refer to controllers, but to Internet connectivity. As we wrote in our news articles, the 20GB has only an Ethernet port, while the other has a built-in wireless card.

What's good is that they will also sell Wi-Fi adapters and card reader peripherals - but we know average price of official PlayStation peripherals is high.

[Redpyramidhead]

This is all giving me a headache. Actually, what dissapoints me most is that the PS3 controllers will not have a vibration function. I am hoping that they will offer a peripheral that can be attached to controllers or a revision of their controller later on that will be allowed after they work something out with whoever was suing them over the vibration feature. In Silent Hill for example, the feeling of your heartbeat increasing as you are on the brink of losing your life is infinately important. So is the feeling of your engin and driving over a rough surface in pretty much ANY racing videogame. I can only imagine just how upset Kojima is knowing the interesting things he likes to do with controllers!

So yeah... that is the biggest dissapointment to me. The price of the PS3 would be the next dissapointment, but that is launch price and I wasnt exactly planning on getting my hands on one right away anyways. At this rate I probably won't own one until the latter half of 2007 and that is fine with me as I am sure the price will have dropped nicely by then as well as there being plenty of TRUE next gen titles for it by then. In the meantime I will probably invest in a 360.

Also, I still plan on getting a lot of gaming fun out of the PS2 for the next few years as should the rest of you. Not only are games going to drop to such a wonderful price that we all will be in gaming bliss, but developers are still belting out games that test the very limits of the system in ways we havent imagined possible before. Even Sony themselves will be continuing to invest lots of time and money into the PS2. Units are still being sold at a wonderful rate. This is where Microsoft is losing out. They have pretty much abandoned first party support for the Xbox and did not offer a more convenient redesign. The success of the PS2 it seems may continue to bridge the gap between this console and when the majority of us will finally be able to realistically make the decision to own a PS3. MGS4 and all those wonderful games will still be there. PLus, I dont know about you, but I still have hundreds of incredible games and series of games to play through before thinking or worrying about investing in a 600 dollar piece of eye candy. That is all it will be for the first 1-2 years.


_RED_ stuff