PlayStation 3

[AndrewTS 0]

From the rather dubious GameFAQs, here are some games early adopters have to look forward to:

 

11/14 F.E.A.R.

Full Auto 2: Battlelines

Madden NFL 07

NBA 2K7

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas

11/17 Call of Duty 3

Genji: Days of the Blade

Mobile Suit Gundam:

NBA 07

NHL 2K7

PlayStation 3 Hardware

Resistance: Fall of Man

Ridge Racer 7

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom

11/20 Need for Speed Carbon

12/19 NBA Live 07

03/30 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie

04/02 The Darkness

10/16 Grand Theft Auto IV

 

Yeah--a full year from now for GTA4.

 

For those wondering, Metal Gear Solid 4 is released God Only Knows When, Final Fantasy XIII and Assassin's Creed in "2007," and Too Human on Who Honestly Gives a Rat's Ass? Eve.

[Jer 0]

Yep, that's pretty bad.

 

Stupid Blu-ray. Without Blu-ray the system would have cost much less, come out earlier and had dev kits in developer's hands earlier. All would be right with the world.

 

I still think PS3 will pull it out and end up as the market leader this generation in the end, but if it doesn't, Sony going with Blu-ray is going to go down as one of the worst decisions in the history of the gaming industry, heh. Doubly so if Blu-ray also fails as a media platform.

[AndrewTS 0]

The way it is looking with the hybrid chips, it seems like neither Blu-Ray or HD-DVD will be the "winner."

 

They'll be the next DVD+ and DVD-.

 

PS3 isn't a real option as a "cheap Blu-Ray player" until mid-2007 when you can actually buy one without bribes/Ebay/clotheslining a dozen fierce soccer moms outside Wal-Mart.

[Jer 0]

PS3 isn't a real option as a "cheap Blu-Ray player" until mid-2007 when you can actually buy one without bribes/Ebay/clotheslining a dozen fierce soccer moms outside Wal-Mart.

 

Agreed, and even if it were, it's not like back in 2000 when everyone wanted a DVD player and the PS2 was an easy way to get one. The demand for Blu-ray isn't even there.

 

I don't think selling PS3s to people that want cheap Blu-ray players is really part of Sony's strategy, though, like it was with getting people to buy PS2s as cheap DVD players. Here they're just trying to use the PS3 as a Trojan horse to get Blu-ray players into people's houses. Which is a great idea, except that if it costs the PS3 market share, they lose much more than they gain from the Blu-ray exposure.

[AndrewTS 0]

PS3 isn't a real option as a "cheap Blu-Ray player" until mid-2007 when you can actually buy one without bribes/Ebay/clotheslining a dozen fierce soccer moms outside Wal-Mart.

 

Agreed, and even if it were, it's not like back in 2000 when everyone wanted a DVD player and the PS2 was an easy way to get one. The demand for Blu-ray isn't even there.

 

Ok, the availability may be one thing, but this is absurd.

 

The essence of the Playstation 3 DNA is real change, and the consumers are ready. Didn't you listen to Kaz?

 

I think Blu-Ray is a part of it, but that's not where Sony intends to stop. They really, really want to make the PS3 the media set-top box that PS2 never came close to being yet was supposed to be.

 

Not that anyone cared about that--it was all the really pretty graphics they showed in their smoke n' mirrors show that sealed the deal. However, bullshots are no longer so easy to trick people with, actual PS3 graphics are on par with 360, and Sony has done a really crappy job of communicating to gamers what they really can offer with PS3--with or without HDTVs.

 

Of course, Lee Iakoka could shit better PR mouthpieces than Sony. It seems like the marketing heads of each and every region has had at least one attack of The Stupids. Nintendo's PR guys either come off as goofy, humble and optimistic (Miyamoto, Iwata), or with just enough swagger to be likable but not unlikeable (Reggie). On MS' side, there's Peter Moore, who is funny even when he's really, really off-base (and even though he looks like Beelzebub in the right light). Plus, they have Bill himself who can work a crowd, and that XTREEEEEEEEEEEME marketing dude you don't see much of anymore.

 

Sony has: Kaz, Man of a 1000 YTMNDs; Phil Harrison, who hasn't really contributed much to this whole fiasco other than look like an ass at E3. Then there's the horribly dull, metaphor-spewing, walking cloud of smug Krazy Ken, who thinks that engineering blather and reassurance that you're getting a total steal! is enough to get through to people who were won over by Sony just delivering good games in the past.

[Jer 0]

I think Blu-Ray is a part of it, but that's not where Sony intends to stop. They really, really want to make the PS3 the media set-top box that PS2 never came close to being yet was supposed to be.

 

Yeah probably. I've just started to tune out MS and Sony talking about all-in-one media stations I guess; they always say it and it never happens. That's the one thing I like about Nintendo; I may not particularly like their games, but at least they try to sell their systems as just game systems.

 

However, bullshots are no longer so easy to trick people with, actual PS3 graphics are on par with 360, and Sony has done a really crappy job of communicating to gamers what they really can offer with PS3--with or without HDTVs.

 

I dunno, consumers are still pretty stupid. After E3 2005 there were still a bunch of people thinking PS3 games would actually look like those demos (Omg you will be able to see Jin's pores!!!). Sony needs to do a better job of taking advantage of that stupidity though. E3 2006 was a mess. Showing games early in development that look like they're on the Dreamcast is not a good idea. Sony should have figured that out after how bad Perfect Dark Zero looked on that MTV X-Box 360 demo.

[AndrewTS 0]

Some people were fooled, yeah, but not as much. When you read previews on early PS3/360 stuff, it seemed the reporter was always looking for reason to believe the game "footage" was a fraud. Remember all that "it's real time, really!" baloney that Sony was yelling last year?

 

Of course, yeah--not all gamers are skeptical geeks. I'm surprised how many people seem to be completely oblivious to the fact that the Wii is *not even close* to the capabilities of Wii/PS3, even though Nintendo itself admits it.

[Guest Smues]

PS3 isn't a real option as a "cheap Blu-Ray player" until mid-2007 when you can actually buy one without bribes/Ebay/clotheslining a dozen fierce soccer moms outside Wal-Mart.

 

Agreed, and even if it were, it's not like back in 2000 when everyone wanted a DVD player and the PS2 was an easy way to get one. The demand for Blu-ray isn't even there.

 

Ok, the availability may be one thing, but this is absurd.

 

The essence of the Playstation 3 DNA is real change, and the consumers are ready. Didn't you listen to Kaz?

 

 

Alright you opened the door for it.

 

 

RIIIIIDDDDGGEEEEE RACCEERRRRRRRR

[devo 0]

Somewhat on topic...I might have to get me one of these shirts...

 

[AndrewTS 0]

The 50's b-movie cliche aspect of it makes it gold.

 

Oh well, I thought we were on a roll of *actual discussion*, but this is ok too.

[Jer 0]

I'm surprised how many people seem to be completely oblivious to the fact that the Wii is *not even close* to the capabilities of Wii/PS3, even though Nintendo itself admits it.

 

Yeah, that is interesting. It's probably partly we haven't actually seen the difference in power translate into a difference in graphics most of the time. Not many PS3 games shown at E3 this year looked demonstrably than what was shown for the Wii. MGS4 is about the only one I can think of. That goes back to Sony needing to a much better job presenting their games.

 

I personally could care less about capability because you so rarely see it taken advantage of. I really doubt we'll see a real difference in graphics between the average Wii game and the average 360/PS3 game, even later in the generation. You'll see it in super-high budget games like MGS4 or Gears of War, but that's about it. And you'll never see a difference in gameplay. But then, I'm much less of a graphics whore than the average consumer.

 

Wow those were two really repetitive paragraphs. I'm tired.

 

<3 giant enemy crab.

[AndrewTS 0]

You'll never see a difference in gameplay? Between 360 and PS3 maybe, but one of those and Wii?

 

Hello Assassin's Creed, which ain't happening on Wii at all, and not because of exclusivity agreements.

 

It's not just a difference in power, its 360/PS3 doing stuff that Wii flat out can't do, like all the AI for the dozens and dozens of NPCs.

[Jer 0]

*Reads up on Assassin's Creed*

 

That actually sounds pretty damn cool. I hope they can pull it off and make it into a fun game.

 

Okay, change that to almost never. I'm just remembering all those long arguments everyone had about system power in the PS2/X-Box generation. At the end of the day, though, I can't think of any X-Box game that you couldn't have done on PS2. You just might have had to give up some lighting effects here and there, oh noes!

 

I guess the power difference this generation is a lot bigger, though.

[AndrewTS 0]

There were a few games that had drastic differences--like the Splinter Cells. Also some games really took advantage of the xbox to make a much improved game (the souped up GTA3/VC).

 

However, for the most part, the MO was "let's make a PS2 game...and oh yeah, smooth a few textures and throw it on Xbox, too."

 

Of course Sony's overwhelming market leader position lead to that, it seemed. Why put in the extra work when most people are going to buy the PS2 version anyway?

[World's Worst Man 0]

I don't see the PS3 launch title list to be any worse than the Wii list, personally. This is based on Zelda being available on Gamecube as well, which kind of defeats the purpose of buying a Wii specifically for that. I guess for someone who doesn't own a Gamecube, the launch looks more appealing though. Although, if Nintendo is only gonna sell the GC Zelda game online, from their own site, that kind of forces some to buy the Wii version. Either way, I don't find either launch lineup to be good enough to make me want the system.

[AndrewTS 0]

Sony's new press event, which wasn't phenomonally awful for once:

 

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6160127.html

 

Highlights:

The "launch window" titles, which are short on exclusive releases.

 

Kaz/Phil having some fun with the Riiiiiiiiidge Racer! thing.

 

Talladega Nights comes free with the launch PS3s. Who needs games?!

 

Other pack-in stuff:

"2:18 p.m.: Tretton brings up the Sixaxis controller, emphasizing that it doesn't require any outside sensors, and says we'll see some wonderful uses for it in the very near future. Also in the box is an AC cord (no brick), a USB minicable, an Ethernet cable, and a multi-AV cable with composite connector."

 

A playable game demo:

 

"2:34 p.m.: Now Harrison is talking about the Sixaxis controller and welcomes the founder of Factor 5 to demo Lair.

 

2:36 p.m.: It starts off with a soldier walking up to a dragon. The player uses the controller's motion sensitivity to control the camera and then jumps on the dragon. Once on the dragon, he uses the motion sensitivity to control it. He says it's the ideal way to implement flight control and compares it to holding the dragon's reins. By jerking the controller to one side, the dragon moves evasively in that direction.

 

2:37 p.m.: The dragon lands and starts wandering through a field of enemy archers, spilling them on one side before taking off again.

 

2:38 p.m.: Now he enters into combat with a dark dragon. Upon closing the distance, the dragons enter into melee combat, the enemy rider is dismounted, the protagonist drives his weapon into the dark dragon's head, and jumps back to his own winged terror."

 

"2:47 p.m.: In the Network Functionality part of the media bar, there's an Internet browser. Harrison says it is fully functioning and free out of the box. He opens up a YouTube page with a quick recap of Sony's Electronic Entertainment Expo conference. 'Riidge Racer!'"

 

On PS1 d/ls:

 

"2:59 p.m.: He confirms the purchase, and Harrison interrupts to emphasize that this is a live demo that will work exactly like this at our own homes. If you buy it on one PS3, you can go download it on up to five more PS3s.

 

3:00 p.m.: Harrison says they haven't priced everything just yet, but they expect downloadable games to be $14.99 and under, with very low pricing for game components. Smedley shows off the View All tab, which breaks the content down into categories like demos, game content, standard-definition trailers, high-definition trailers, and so on."

 

And so on...

 

I suspect major bandwagon jumping to the PS3 again soon, at least until they do/say something else stupid.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

Lair sounds cool. Did they say how many PS1 downloadables are available at launch?

[AndrewTS 0]

Doesn't appear so--seems to be all 1st Party for now, with undoubtedly more to come soon after.

 

"Under $15" isn't a bad deal, pretty competitive with MS/Nintendo. Although I would assume the number of gamers interested in PS1 games are very slim, and you could get 3 or so PS1 games at pawn shops/gamestops everywhere for the same price.

 

I'd like to see Jumping Flash! enhanced for the Sony store. Hell, give me a next gen sequel--**** Sonic.

[EricMM 0]

All this talk of bandwagon jumping.

 

Its like...you don't realize how much extra money it costs...

[Cartman 0]

It's like...still gonna sell more than both other systems anyways.

 

More powerful machine, more ways to use it, similar online capabilities and offers, similar yet way less retarded gamepads, better game library down the road.

[EricMM 0]

More ways to use it?

 

What the hell, man?

 

You're gonna be dropping *at least* $800 to pick up a PS3 and some games.

 

But feel free to waste your money with such inefficencies.

[Scroby 0]

The way it is looking with the hybrid chips, it seems like neither Blu-Ray or HD-DVD will be the "winner."

 

They'll be the next DVD+ and DVD-.

 

PS3 isn't a real option as a "cheap Blu-Ray player" until mid-2007 when you can actually buy one without bribes/Ebay/clotheslining a dozen fierce soccer moms outside Wal-Mart.

 

Oh!? *Puts on elbow pads and heads over to wal-mart to randomly clothesline a dozen fierce soccer moms*

[Cartman 0]

Blu-Ray player will be a nice addition to my HDTV

 

Not to mention games will be very nice looking as well since HD is what Xbox and PS3 is aimed at. Xbox isn't an option to me so PS3 it is.

 

If W!! can have it's blinded fanboys so can PS3

[Jer 0]

It's not going to cost $600 forever Eric. Just wait until the price comes down and the good games start to come out. I guarantee you will buy one eventually. Some art game like Shadows of the Colossus will come out and you won't be able to resist.

[Fökai 0]

When's the price drop? I'm thinking that the price of the Blu-Ray hardware might handcuff Sony from dropping the price at least until early 2008.

[Guest Hotbutter Spoontoaster]

The PS2 didn't have a price until 19 months after it's launch price. If it's like that, then yeah, Spring/Summer 2008.

[Jer 0]

Yeah, but the PS2's price was a much more mass-market acceptable $299 to start, and it was absolutely destroying the competition in sales. I doubt it'll be that long before PS3 drops, especially if sales start to drop.

 

If I had to bet, I'd probably bet the first drop will come around Winter 2007.

[AndrewTS 0]

The PS2 also cost less in the first place.

 

Sony will probably do, like a $20 price drop a year from now. These are the same people who are selling the PS2 brand new for $129 right now.

 

Although I think the $499 model may ultimately become more popular, if consumers have a choice.

 

If MGS4 is out by this time next year, I don't think there will be a price drop period, though.

[EricMM 0]

Again.

 

Again.

 

I'm not spending $800 to play metal gear, or shadows of more colossuses, or much else. Thats two months rent.

[Craig Th 0]

You pay $400 for rent? Jesus, I pay $1000.