PS3 Information

[Razor]

Just come back from the big PS3 retailer conference in Birmingham, what a boring bloody show but i thought i'd show the info, all of which you probably already know.

The European release date has been pushed back till March 2007.
The top end 60gig version will retail for around £425, presuming the lower end 20gig one will retail for around £350, the prices haven't been 100% finalised so might change.
Game prices haven't been finalised, but i can see them retailing for atleast £49.99+ for the bigger titles.
The 60gig version will have hdmi and full wireless, the 20gig version won't have any hdmi features nor will it have wireless, hdmi won't be possible to do with an upgrade either.
The hdmi cable is a Sony specific one, so standard won't work, but they are allowing other manufacturers like Belkin to produce them, so prices should be around £20 each in March for them.
Will be the only consule to support "true" hd i.e. 1080p, but also supports 1080i and 720p.
The controllers are very light weight, mate said they felt very fragile and flimsy, but are basically dualshock controllers with an extra button and are completely wireless.
Controllers won't need a recharger, just plug a usb cable into the controller and the console and it'll charge up that way, then unplug it to make it wireless again.
No news on launch titles but the new Getaway looks awesome.
PS3 games won't be region encoded, but movies will.
They also demonstrated the differences between dvd and bd quality in movies, massive difference and it is very noticable - well on a big cinema screen anyway.
The PS2 hdmi cable will support the PS3.
The PS3 supports hdmi, component and s-video - component scart is a possibility that is being looked at.
Fully backwards compatible with ps2 and ps1 games, from what it sounded like, a part of the hard drive will be used as a virtual memory card so will be able to save ps2 and ps1 games - said near the end though that it might need extra hardware or something, not sure though.
The reason the hdmi cable isn't being bundled is that the majority of the customers won't be hd ready, so would be a waste.
The hard drives are just standard sata 2.5" laptop drives, so will be fully upgradable.

Overall, very underwhelming and nothing i saw gave me the slightest impression that it'll kill either the Wii or the 360. The Wii has the unique design, the best price, most original games and innovative user interface. The 360 has the better licenses, when it comes to Europe and North America, has a huge price advantage (upon release of the ps3) and is already out and being distributed.
The BlueRay disks also has brand new encryption and anti-piracy stuff, along with the console, but given the time, will most probably be cracked.
All PS3 games and Blueray movies will use the parental control features, so games and movies above a certain age rating can be locked.

edit:

One thing about the games not being region encoded, if a European was to import a Japanese game, it will work perfectly, but the game will most probably be encoded to connect to Japanese servers and use Japanese services only.
Blueray Movies will have 3 regions - Region A is America, Canada, Southeast Asia and Japan, Region B is Europe, Middleeast, Africa and Australia, and Region 3 will be Africa, Asia and Latin American - i think.

 

[Reginald]

Hmm... still doesn't really put Sony in anyone's good books does it? The fact that you basically need the more expensive version of the console seems ridiculous.

 

[Razor]

Hmm... still doesn't really put Sony in anyone's good books does it? The fact that you basically need the more expensive version of the console seems ridiculous.

The chief dude at SCE UK basically said that the Japanese were really into the cheaper versions and that a lot of the standard gamers wouldn't need the more expensive version - due to not having a hd tv or wireless routers or anything.

 

[Reginald]

If you are planning on buying and HD TV anytime in the next 5 years, you should probably pay another 100 quid.

 

[satch919]

That's ridiculous about the HDMI cable. Why couldn't they develop something like Microsoft did where it would allow you to take advantage of the HD cables if you had an HDTV or switch it to Standard if you had a regular TV? I'm thinking that most of the people buying the high-end version would probably have an HDTV. Maybe not 1080p but an HDTV nonetheless. Kinda sucks about the controller feeling flimsy.

I'm not convinced that I need a HD-DVD drive either. I'm not going to be spending $30+ dollars on a single HD-DVD.

I think Sony, with the EU delay and price point, are setting themselves up for a disaster. I'm not totally impressed by their launch selection nor the price. I'll be saving my money this November.

 

[Icarusintel]

Eh, honestly, HDMI cables can be pretty cheap and still work great. I already got two (one for my DVD upconverter and the other for PS3) so I'm set.

 

[smwScott]

That's ridiculous about the HDMI cable. Why couldn't they develop something like Microsoft did where it would allow you to take advantage of the HD cables if you had an HDTV or switch it to Standard if you had a regular TV? I'm thinking that most of the people buying the high-end version would probably have an HDTV. Maybe not 1080p but an HDTV nonetheless. Kinda sucks about the controller feeling flimsy.

I'm not convinced that I need a HD-DVD drive either. I'm not going to be spending $30+ dollars on a single HD-DVD.

I think Sony, with the EU delay and price point, are setting themselves up for a disaster. I'm not totally impressed by their launch selection nor the price. I'll be saving my money this November.

What are you talking about? The 360 has no HDMI ability whatsoever, so that's a moot point. HDMI isn't required for HD, it's just a bit better. Not getting the $600 version basically just means you're stuck with 360 level of HD.

I originally wasn't planning on getting the higher end version, but that I have a HDTV I think I will. The Wi-Fi and larger HD are a nice bonus too. I still think they should throw in something like an extra controller or GT:HD for the extra $100 though. But by the time I buy it there will probably be some kind of package deal or a price drop.

 

[satch919]

What are you talking about? The 360 has no HDMI ability whatsoever, so that's a moot point. HDMI isn't required for HD, it's just a bit better. Not getting the $600 version basically just means you're stuck with 360 level of HD.

I know the 360 has no HDMI but what I'm saying is why couldn't they include a cable that supports multiple inputs? Maye one that has a HDMI/Component/SD plugs. I mean, Sony's pushing for a high definition gaming experience so why wouldn't they include a cable for those with HDTVs to experience its full potential?

360's level of HD looks great btw.

 

[lePobz]

360 is getting a HDMI cable before the PS3's release.

Thanks for the info, Razor.

 

[Korgoth]

I think they are definately going to have a rocky launch, most console developers do, for whatever reason. But I think people may be jumping on the "sonys' going to flop" bandwagon just a little to quick.

Lets look at the long term, the ps3 is going to out live the 360 in terms of raw power and functionality in my opinion. People are harping on the price point, but look at what you are getting in comparison. True HD gaming, free online gaming (as opposed to live charging to play, wtf), blue ray hd movie playback (worth over $1,000 USD right now), upgradable storage (correct me if i'm wrong but doesn't it say the hard drive is a standard drive and can be easily upgraded?), wireless connectivity (definately a plus), and of course the amazing titles by proprietary sony development houses, and third party japanese publishers, not to mention an extensive library/back catalog of thousands of ps2/1 games playable out of the box.

The $600 price point is steep, yes I agree, but I think its justified in the end. As lame as it sounds, Kaz was right when he said gamers who buy the ps3 are investing in a console with (i think) true potential, and life.


I'm not really a sony fanboy or anything, I don't even own a console at the moment (i did have an xbox for a while but sold it out of sheer boredom from the titles it offered, or lack there of) but I think sony will come out on top.

A lot of the nay'sayers seem to think that the console game is sony's only revenue... I don't think they'll crash, even if the ps3 does. And from the ps2 market share they still own, I am pretty confident they'll pump enough cash into the ps3 over its life time, to insure their foothold in this specific market.

360 is getting a HDMI cable before the PS3's release.

Thanks for the info, Razor.

But they aren't going to give you the cable free of charge, so uh, you'll have to pay for it seperately, just like ps3

 

[Icarusintel]

It seems like most of the people on this forum want PS3 to fail because they hate Sony for some reason. But what about Microsoft? I've yet to see them take any different kind of strategy than Sony has. They over-hype and bend the truth too.

On a different note, I'm really liking this Blu-Ray region encoding. I'm glad I can get Japanese BR DVDs and play them on my PS3 in America, along with the region-free games. No more chipping my console, hooray! Honestly, for everything Sony has done wrong, they've done something right.

 

[Razor]

It seems like most of the people on this forum want PS3 to fail because they hate Sony for some reason. But what about Microsoft? I've yet to see them take any different kind of strategy than Sony has. They over-hype and bend the truth too.

On a different note, I'm really liking this Blu-Ray region encoding. I'm glad I can get Japanese BR DVDs and play them on my PS3 in America, along with the region-free games. No more chipping my console, hooray! Honestly, for everything Sony has done wrong, they've done something right.

PS3 isn't going to flop in Japan as the Japanese will lap it up no problems at all. Can't see it doing as well as the 360 or the Wii in Europe or USA though, due to price and availability and franchise games.

 

[Anthraxxx]

PS3, so far, has been mostly unimpressive. Aside from FF13 and MGS, I haven't seen anything that really piques my intrest. In my opinion, Sony had tried to do too much with the PS3, and will not be able to deliver on their promises.

 

[DrDevin]

I think they are definately going to have a rocky launch, most console developers do, for whatever reason. But I think people may be jumping on the "sonys' going to flop" bandwagon just a little to quick.

Lets look at the long term, the ps3 is going to out live the 360 in terms of raw power and functionality in my opinion.

Both consoles performance is quite similiar, at best there will be a small difference in visual quality after a few years.

People are harping on the price point, but look at what you are getting in comparison.

True HD gaming,

What is that suppost to mean? Both consoles run at 720p (1080i).

free online gaming (as opposed to live charging to play, wtf),

Live is the most sucessful online service so far and has had a long time to improve, allowing Microsoft to improve the service and fix bugs/problems.

blue ray hd movie playback (worth over $1,000 USD right now),

HDDVD players can be bought for under $500. The 360 HDDVD drive is rumored to cost about $200. Plus historically built in playback has been worse then a decent stand alone unit.

upgradable storage (correct me if i'm wrong but doesn't it say the hard drive is a standard drive and can be easily upgraded?), wireless connectivity (definately a plus),

The 360 should have larger hard drives avaliable at a later date and there is not much of a reason for a large hard drive on a console. Media files can be stored on a networked PC in the 360s case (as it is a media center extender).

and of course the amazing titles by proprietary sony development houses, and third party japanese publishers, not to mention an extensive library/back catalog of thousands of ps2/1 games playable out of the box.

Not as extensive as the Wii catalogue and the 360 has more games "real" games avaliable, along with a respectable catalogue of backwards compatable games. Microsoft also has many good third party companies on board.

The $600 price point is steep, yes I agree, but I think its justified in the end. As lame as it sounds, Kaz was right when he said gamers who buy the ps3 are investing in a console with (i think) true potential, and life.

You could buy a 360 and a Wii for less money then a PS3 and get both great HD gaming and a new form of play. Then you could buy the HDDVD upgrade at a later date if you wanted and still come close to the price of a PS3.

I'm not really a sony fanboy or anything, I don't even own a console at the moment (i did have an xbox for a while but sold it out of sheer boredom from the titles it offered, or lack there of) but I think sony will come out on top.

A lot of the nay'sayers seem to think that the console game is sony's only revenue... I don't think they'll crash, even if the ps3 does. And from the ps2 market share they still own, I am pretty confident they'll pump enough cash into the ps3 over its life time, to insure their foothold in this specific market.

I'm not much of a console gamer myself and I don't think I know anyone who believes that Sony's only revenue comes from the console market. However if they lose enough marketshare, it will do some damage.

Although in the end, I think they will come out in top but I think it will be closer then the last generation.

 

[Icarusintel]

What is that suppost to mean? Both consoles run at 720p (1080i).

No, PS3 can display true 1080p, which the X360 can't.

Not as extensive as the Wii catalogue and the 360 has more games "real" games avaliable, along with a respectable catalogue of backwards compatable games. Microsoft also has many good third party companies on board.

PS3 is going to have a helluva catalogue as it grows over the years. And Sony's catalogue of backwards compatible games is ridiculously large figuring in the PS and PS2. And I've yet to see any X360 games nearly as creative as the ones that came out on the PS2 and will be coming out on the PS3 in the future.

You could buy a 360 and a Wii for less money then a PS3 and get both great HD gaming and a new form of play. Then you could buy the HDDVD upgrade at a later date if you wanted and still come close to the price of a PS3.

$400 + $200 + $200 =/= $600

Although in the end, I think they will come out in top but I think it will be closer then the last generation.

This I agree with. Sony can sell huge numbers based on name alone. But yes, it will be a lot closer, and the next generation will probably be closer still.

 

[Anthraxxx]

Just a note... and this goes for both Playstation and Xbox...

Who really cares that much about backwards compatibility? Of the thousands of PS1 and PS2 games, exactly how many were worth playing? Maybe 15% of the whole playstaion and playstation 2 library are a games that are worth playing. The same can be said for the Xbox library of games.

The whole backwards compatibility issue is more of a "my e-pen0r is bigger than yours" between rival companies.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

No, PS3 can display true 1080p, which the X360 can't.

Doesn't mean any games will run in 1080p mode... I've been reading dev interviews and most say that the games they are releasing are 720p (most likely 1080i as well)... Technically it can support it, but if nobody can utilize it for games, what's the point? Yes, you could use it for videos at 1080p, but that's not the point of getting a PS3, even when I can play 1080p videos on my computer.

PS3 is going to have a helluva catalogue as it grows over the years. And Sony's catalogue of backwards compatible games is ridiculously large figuring in the PS and PS2. And I've yet to see any X360 games nearly as creative as the ones that came out on the PS2 and will be coming out on the PS3 in the future.

Over time yes... For now though, people are going to have to choose "Do I want the 20 games on the PS3? Or the 70 (just throwing out a number) games on an Xbox360 not including Xbox Live Arcade stuff?"... Yes, Xbox360 already had that problem, but a lot of people won't think about looking forward... Sure us hardcore guys will, but it's not like Johnny's mom is going to go and scour the internet for release dates for games exclusive to the PS3... Also, GTA4 losing its exclusivness was a huge hit to the PS3 (yes it's coming out for the PS3 still, but it's not like you have to buy PS3 to play it)

About the prices, Yea you could buy an Xbox360 + Wii + HD-DVD and that would equal roughly the PS3 and about three games...

I think that Sony is really dropping the ball on this.

All of Europe and all of those other countries are going to be getting those kids something for christmas... It's now going to be either an Xbox360 or a Wii... Plus, who would want to buy a PS3 a few months later after you already threw down a big chunk of change for the console you just bought?

Also, yes I will be buying a PS3 this November, but it will only be because I want to sell it and make lots of cash due to the inevitable shortage... Woot!

*Edit* About the PS3 back compat, it's not going to be 100%... There are sure to be some problems as not all games follow the TRC's 100%.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Hmm... still doesn't really put Sony in anyone's good books does it? The fact that you basically need the more expensive version of the console seems ridiculous.

*cough* 360 Core System...

 

[Agent.M]

So Im a total noob when it comes to all this HD stuff, but will my monitor run the PS3 or HDMI?? It runs the 360 perfectly fine in HD.

 

[Anthraxxx]

*cough* 360 Core System...

*cough* ....can still be upgraded to be the equivalent of the premium system...

 

[Iced_Eagle]

So Im a total noob when it comes to all this HD stuff, but will my monitor run the PS3 or HDMI?? It runs the 360 perfectly fine in HD.

Doubtful on HDMI (unless your monitor supports it and has a slot for it, luckily mine does if I ever need to hook a console up to it). If you have the slot though, you should be good I believe. It really depends on how old/new the monitor is.

 

[smwScott]

*cough* ....can still be upgraded to be the equivalent of the premium system...

The difference is that the Core system is a debilitated version of the console, and its very existence means that developers can never make games that extensively use the HD. A step down even from the first X-BOX.

The two versions of the PS3 both offer exactly the same playback functionality and put no limits whatsoever on the games or developers. The funny thing is that the cheap version of the PS3 has all the functionality of the premium 360 and much more, so I don't see what you're complaining about.

See, they both have a high and low end, but the way the 360 is set up results in developers creating games for the lowest common denominator, the core system. And doesn't it piss you off a little that MS forces you to buy overpriced proprietary HDs when regular ones would work just as well?

 

[Iced_Eagle]

Oblivion uses the HD for streaming tech. I'm sure other games do as well. The only difference is that it's the developers can't assume it's there, but they are still able to program for it.

From what I've seen, the Xbox360 isn't having any troubles in the department with open-ended streaming games of Just Cause, Test Drive Unlimited, and Saints Row among others...

The thing is, is that the DVD-Drive in the Xbox360 is fast enough that it's not 100% necessary to cache onto the HD (though it is helpful) because sometimes caching onto the HD can end up being slower actually because you need to get the data off the disc, write it to the disc, then read it back off when you need it. With pure DVD-streaming (The PS3 has a 2x BD drive, so it's not fast enough for this unfortunately) you can just read directly off the disc... Though the tech is there, a lot of people are still doing load screens and such (just get it done all at once and don't worry about it... Like in Table Tennis they aren't going to leave the arena so why not get it done all at once?)

Either way, I'm sure both systems will perform games amazingly... There is no doubt about that.

It's a matter of which one can get the best and most innovative games. Let's let the consumer decide with their wallets.

 

[satch919]

See, they both have a high and low end, but the way the 360 is set up results in developers creating games for the lowest common denominator, the core system.

Uh, no. What about Gears Of War, Mass Effect, Saints Row, Huxely etc? I don't think the developers are burdened by this "lowest common denominator".

And doesn't it piss you off a little that MS forces you to buy overpriced proprietary HDs when regular ones would work just as well?

I don't have a problem with it as long as they provide me with great games and quality hardware. A HDD is only about 100 clams anyways. Not too bad if you ask me.

 

[smwScott]

Iced Eagle, you make a lot of good points. I still think that not being able to program games that require a HD may become more of a problem the further we get into the generation.

Uh, no. What about Gears Of War, Mass Effect, Saints Row, Huxely etc? I don't think the developers are burdened by this "lowest common denominator".

What about them? And yes, the developers are burdened by not being able to assume that every 360 is equipped with a HD. I'm not saying that all developers would have necessarily made extensive use of it anyway, but it would definitely increase their development potential. Regardless, the point still stands that the gap between the Core and Premium 360 models divides the userbase and forces developers to create games that can get by without a HD.

I don't have a problem with it as long as they provide me with great games and quality hardware. A HDD is only about 100 clams anyways. Not too bad if you ask me.

Holy shit!? $100 US? For a 20GB HD? Goddamn I knew they overcharged but that's insane. You could get a 120GB HD for that much.

Wow, I didn't believe you but I looked it up, you're right:
http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?product_id=802117

That's just crazy. What's even crazier is that you could rationalize spending $100 on a 20GB HD that will only work on one device.

Heh, noticed a few other things. Controllers cost $50, puny little 64MB Memory Sticks cost $40, $15 a pop for those stupid faceplates, and a wireless adapter costs $100.

 

[Warbie]

Consoles have always had expensive peripherals and extras. Memory cards cost too much, pads, multitaps, cables, joysticks, light guns - all cost far too expensive. It sucks, but it's nothing new, and not just MS.

I must have spent a small fortunes on fishing rods, dance mats, various cables (4 gba to gc cables for 4 swords :/), guns etc over the years. On the whole, the 360 offers surperb value for money for the hardware you get (it craps all over my gaming rig which cost £1000 last year!)

I hear what you're saying about the HD, and it's a valid concern, but I honestly doubt it will make much/any difference. Time will tell, but once we start to see the second and third generation of 360 games come out people are going to be blown away.