True. However this whole PS3 pricing seems like a big move for Sony and not just Sony Computers. Seems like they're using the game system to push their own format onto the public.
can someone explain sony's reasoning/thinking behind the 500 package? whats the point of the 500 ps3 that has Bluray player..but doesn't have hdmi out? How do you utilize the Blu-ray player for movie resolution if you can't get the output?
On the 360 the HD drive is OPTIONAL. It's not being rammed down your throat. And even if you do want the loaded 360 (which is completely comparable to the loaded PS3 unless you think an internal SD/MemoryStick reader is something you need on freaking gaming console) it will be either equal to to the basic PS3 or the loaded one in price (rumors for the HD drive are 1-200 bucks). MS will already have 10 million users installed who have already invested $ into their system. For the cost of 2-3 games, they can add in a peripheral that let's them enter the next-gen of DVD. IF THEY WANT TO. That is a huge pricing advantage to have. The installed user base will think "gee, I blow 1-200 bucks I now have a next-gen DVD player." The non- 360 users will ask "wait, I can have a loaded console w/ a huge (next gen) library of games w/ a next gen player for the same price (or less) as the loaded PS3 with just a few games?"
What is the deal with the internal memory stick reader? If, for god knows what reason, I feel like reading memory sticks on my VG console, I can just plug my camera to my computer (or a mem stick into a sony laptop), and then run it via USB to the 360. Why I would want to do that is beyond me, however.
Sam, I can (if I want to for whatever insane reason) plug my Ipod or my digicam into the 360's USB ports & look at pics or listen to music. Maybe they feel that people will lug around memory sticks & cards without the toys they are stuck into. Maybe they think people don't have USB cords. Don't know.
Well, it isn't so much that there's not way to get HD resolutions from movies via the $500 system. It is more like if the studios decide to down-res the movies if you don't have HDMI, then you won't get the most of the player. I think that won't be a problem in Japan until 2012, although that's not necessarily the case elsewhere. Considering how easy it should be to stick in a HDMI port, that was an unnecessary risk IMO. BTW, the 360 HD DVD add-on works pretty the same way AFAIK (no HDMI). I should note that I am a little less angry about losing the memory stick ports with the $500 package. I was under the impression that the PS3 wouldn't allow for mass storage devices or adapters via USB, but I believe both of those will be allowed. The loss of HDMI is still stupid though.
I don't know about the "CR*P" comment, because I've had numerous Sony products I've loved. Just not game consoles. My 16 year old XBR just died, thank god (finally- damn thing was older than my teenager!), so I get to buy a new display. I agree that a 1080p display will really show it off to advantage. I saw a Westy LWV-42W2 (42" 1080p display) at Best Buy, hooked up to the Toshiba HD player, and the picture is incredible. It's like looking out of a window. No reflections, like a plasma will have, being an LCD. I might buy one. I'm waiting for some new 1080p's to come out. There's very few on the market. I can only imagine what BR will look like on a similar display. They have even higher resolution, don't they? (can't believe the lack of HDMI... does it have a DVI input?)
Seems the Warhawk developers only had 10 days to implement the new tilt controls into their game for E3. http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3150702
One idea they were trying to sell was to make games on the PSP and PS3 compatable so you could transfer times and saves from a racing game.
Minor point, but it would be pretty impressive if MS had 10M users by the time the PS3 launches. Maybe 10M shipped, but not 10M sold. Of course, I usually use shipped figures myself (although I believe I usually note it that way). I guess we'll see how well MS will do next week. The April NPD should be out by then, and apparently MS had much better supply. Maybe they'll finally surpass the PS2 in monthly sales. Also, as with the $500 PS3 system, those users that get the HD DVD add-on will probably face the risk of watching movies in non-HD resolutions (although slightly above SD) depending on which movies they get. Maybe sometime down the line, that will be a problem for Sony, but I doubt the pricing difference will hurt PS3 sales during the first 6 months or so. If the price gap is going to stay the same afterwards, then Sony will have to convince people that the PS3 is much superior. Outside of a few exceptions here and there, it does appear as though the average PS3 game looks noticeably better than the average Xbox 360 game, at least if the games shown at E3 are any indication. Then you have the controller, which apparently is a really nice feature in a game like Warhawk (and implemented in only 10 days apparently), and it seems like other developers are looking to use the tilt features (Sega, Insomniac, Konami, EA, etc.). Then you have free online services, Blu-ray's advantages (both as a gaming format and non-gaming format), and possibly the Linux features (PVR, word processing, homebrew, etc.) mentioned earlier. Not sure if it will be the case for everyone, but I'm sure some people might be willing to spend the extra money on getting a PS3 instead of a 360, even if there is a large price gap between them. I doubt that this will be the case. Obviously, having a 1080p display will get you the most out of Blu-ray, but watching movies in 720p/1080i will still be quite a jump from DVD resolutions (or even TV in HD, although that would be due to better bitrates). You could probably even make a case that you could "enjoy" Blu-ray on a SD set due to the features that BD-J and MMC provide, although you'd obviously be missing out on the biggest advantage of Blu-ray. Well, they have shipped ~50M units of UMD software, and that will continue to grow in the next few years. I guess you meant UMD movies, which should have been doomed from the start. Still, the format lasted for quite a while (even termed successful a while after launch), and probably would still be doing well if movie studios ever priced them at more reasonable levels (surveys showed price being the key factor for avoiding UMD movies). Maybe SCE could get Sony Pictures to come out with a "Greatest Hits" program as well. IIRC, I think 8-9M units of UMD movies were shipped, although that figure is pretty old. I think Kaz gave some updated figures during Sony's press conference, but I don't remember the figure offhand. Things could have been better for UMD, but they also could have been a LOT worse. As for the memory stick ports on the PS3, I originally was happy to have them mostly because I was happy that the PS3 supported them. I didn't want to spend $40 on a 64MB PS3-only memory card, especially when I could get a 1GB MS Pro Duo for the same price (maybe even 2GB by the time the PS3 ships). I could then use that for games saves on my PS3 and my PSP, as well any other Sony devices I had. The same also holds true for the other formats (USB, CF, SD). Now that every PS3 will ship with an HDD, game saves aren't quite as important. Transferring content would probably be the biggest plus with having those formats, although it might be easier if you could just transfer it via a wireless connection.
Even so, just having the experience of a successful decade means nothing in the video game wars. Winning one generation doesn't get you a safe pass in the next, just look how Nintendo and Sega fell... Certanily Sony isn't immune to being added to that list... Of course, the winner always seems to be the one who can push out the best graphics and has the best game storage media (N64 cartridge == teh doom), so I wouldn't call Sony dead year...
