Additional PS3 Details Revealed

[Jeremy Charette]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/15/ps3-november-delay-official-other-deets-revealed/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/15/ps3-november-delay-official-other-deets-revealed/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Mr. Kutagari also confirmed that at least some PS3s will feature an upgradeable 60GB disk supporting the Linux OS, support a variety of TVs, and have backward compatibility for PlayStation 1 and 2 games. Also, that rumored HUB service was confirmed, which will go by the working title of the PlayStation Network Platform, and will be free (the Basic version anyway) supporting voice/video chat, messsaging, on-line shopping, and more. While an exact price for the PS3 was not stated, a minimum price range of about $425 was announced."</i><br /><br />So let me get this straight: at least $125 more than the Xbox 360 (without a hard drive), no announced online gameplay (ala Xbox Live), and it's coming out a year or more after the Xbox 360? Pardon the expression, but Sony is really screwing the pooch on this one. :?

[jeffd]

corporate suicide #2 of the day... we going for a trifecta?

[Felix Torres]

Actually, Sony did announce a sort-of Live-equivalent unified service.
But it is more like XBOX live Silver than Gold; it is essentially a common portal for other game vendors to link *their* online gameplay systems to.
It is up to the individual game developers to host their online sessions and they in return get to manage the accounts and charge the player.

So if you play five games online, that is five separate bills to pay...
Just the way EA prefers it.

The customers? Well, now, they're buying a Playstation! :wink:

They should be happy they get any online gameplay.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

At least the PS3 can count on developers getting games for it, and no matter what happens, there'll be enough fanboys who'll buy it to make it a bestseller. Witness the sad state of the XBox360 in Japan... No one wants to buy it (launch was worse than the original Xbox) and despite aggressive courting from MS (and scoring some nice coups along the way) developers are slow to take the platform up (Despite what some of you might think, I do believe it's essential that MS win the hearts of the Japanese developers). Sometimes it takes more than just cool hardware and being early to the market.

[Jeremy Charette]

The numbers tell a different story. Quite a few people in the press have been crowing about the "terrible" launch of the 360 in Japan, but look at the facts: in four years, Microsoft sold less than 450,000 Xbox's in Japan. In less than four months, they have sold over 150,000 Xbox 360s. That's an adoption rate four times higher than the last console they sold there. Japanese developers are being brought on board, and management changes are being made to ensure that developers continue to be courted and supported for the Japanese market. Sony is entrenched, and victory in Japan is near impossible, but at least they're making headway. Now as for the North American market, Xbox LIVE continues to attract customers to Microsoft's platform in ways that the PS2 and PS3 can't.

Of course, all of this is pointless banter, because the Nintendo DS is spanking the PS2, 360, original Xbox, and PSP combined. Where's the logic in that? No voice chat, no fancy HD graphics, crappy games...but they are building what people want and will pay for.

[jeffd]

jeremy, well, I think price is the main factor. Kids want a portable game system and the DS is almost half the cost. I still think all of its games suck. ;)

Ok.. and the psp is currently droping the ball on its lack of any cool rescent releases (why is NFS:U still the coolest looking racer on it? It was sweet by could be improved on in so many ways, and should have by now. infact we should atleast be seeing lots of nice ports of our favorit PS2 games wich is what I prefer in my hand helds).

While I like the psp, as per my usual rule on a game system in not buying it untill there is a must have game for it, I have no plans on buying either the psp or ds.

As for online services..i think MS got a nice 4 year beta test of live and now have like the ultimate kick ass service ready OUT THE DOOR for 360. There are factors I dont like about live that keep games like MMORPGs from working on it, but its now a solid and well developed online portal fit for a consol. Meanwhile PS3 will be sonys first true console attempt, and well, currently sony has no good online experiences under its belt. It baught everquest and since then, all of the mmo games made under it have failed.

[Jeremy Charette]

That's exactly it: Xbox LIVE. Microsoft has made their console about community and shared experiences, rather than about hardware. Sony is still focused on making the fastest, most powerful console out there, with a Blu-Ray drive built-in. It's a flawed mindset, and it's the reason Microsoft will win American and European gamers over.