The unit itself is a lost leader, you make your money up on the games, and subscriptions. The X-box 2 is indeed out next November, and for those trumpeting the PS3, we out here in the game world are very frustrated with Sony right now as they are not giving any details on the PS3. My sources tell me that is because they are not sure which direction they are going to go with it. Even long time Sony publishers in Japan are taking X-box a lot more seriously now...Sony has become arrogant, whilst MS is courting them all.....it is a good strategy, and I would not bet against MS winning this round. We have a saying about Microsoft. Quality is job 1.1 And X-box 2 qualifies as 1.1. DD
Why would I want a console that has a Windows based OS and thus can be brought down by viruses? No thanks.
I have also heard recent stories concerning this matter, although there seems to be some issues with it. First of all, it seems like the majority of complaints in Japan have been coming from Tecmo, and I'm sure we all know who they plan on supporting next-gen. We can even go with conspiracy theories and say that they tried to get these developers and publishers to complain so that Sony would spill the beans, aiding Microsoft in any attempt to combat what Sony has in store, It also seems like not many details would be given out on the PS3 compared to the Xbox 2 considering the differences in release dates. (although it seems as though Sony hasn't really stamped down a date, meaning it could be anywhere from early 06 or mid 06 before the PS3 is launched, compared to this November launch) From what I have read, it seems as though Sony is pretty much taking the same route as the PS2 this time around. At that time, it seemed as though this issue may have occurred as well, considering the launch titles for the PS2. However, looking at the 75+ million PS2's around the world, it didn't seem to hurt Sony too bad. These reports also seem familar to me given the fact that I have followed the PSP a little bit. Prior to Sony's somewhat recent announcements concerning battery life, price, etc., there were several developers that seemed unsure of the PSP. I think there were maybe 100 or so games in development at that time. After Sony made a few announcement, BAM!, support showed up like crazy. The latest list I saw had 200 games in development for the PSP. Seems like support is not longer an issue. All that said, this is an issue to be concerned about. Granted, I'm sure Microsoft would fly any Japanese developer/publisher to them, 1st class, given the support they've received from that region, but it certainly isn't good that there are remarks like this about Sony. I'm guessing some would understand that Sony seems to be going a different route (Cell, Blu-ray, etc), which would require more time to research so that more info could be given; others, however, will have other things on their mind, such as the need to get a game up and running ASAP to increase revenues, something they can currently do with Xbox 2. Fortunately for all of us, it seems like the info may be starting to roll on out, given the info that came out today about Cell. These are the key things that I liked reading: -4.6GHz clock speed. Maybe others had better predictions, but myself, along with others, were thinking the 4.0 GHz number that was going around earlier was crazy. I guess it was a little on the low side. - 2-16 Teraflops can seemingly be accomplished rather easily for workstations. This is really clear, but there was a number going around that they already have 16 Teraflops coming from a single rack, which is rather extraordinary considering the numbers that today's supercomputers get. However, it seems like this is actually an estimate of the future, although there are 2 teraflop workstations now. - Around a dozen or so "key video game developers" already have Cell workstations to help them. At least some people can begin work on PS3 games. One article stated that those who used the workstations were able to drastically cut down the development time needed for certain projects. There is still plenty of info needed to be learned before any true projections can come about, but these numbers are pretty amazing to me. I really doubted the 1 TFLOP number that I've seen thrown around, but some have already shown that it could be possible for the PS3 to have that type of power (maybe a little more actually), although it may still be unlikely. Of course, developing for the machine could be a pain in the butt, but it seems like Sony learned there lesson last gen and have made attempts to ease the problems with the aid of OpenGL. I probably should have made another thread for this considering that Cell really has nothing to do with the possibility of Xbox 2 coming in 3 "flavors," but I don't even know how much anyone else would care about it.
RC, You still only have so many lines of resolution on a television monitor. Sony is severly underestimating X-box 2. As for the PSP, there are not 200+ games being developed for it, especially by 3rd party development or other publishers. Everyone is waiting to see how it sells before jumping on the bandwagon. At the Tokyo game show this year, X-box 2 got a lot of looks from traditional Sony players. We are a PSP developer, but are actually switching over to another handheld because Sony is a pain in the A$$ to work with, they are treating it like a monopoly and just like Nintendo, it will hurt them in the end. DD
LMAO ~ DD is an X-Box fanboy. J/K _____________________ If the X-box has a 700 mhz processor and the PS2 has a 300 mhz processor why can't developers continue making good games for the XB for a couple more years? It seems like the XB would just now be coming into it's prime.
Actually a fan of all 3, I want them all to be successful, it gives me multiple platforms to sell my games. DD
5.5 hours = time spent trying to get into the phophet room on Halo 2. Freaking Orange creatures kicked my ass from 12 am to 5 am. 2.0 hours = time spent trying to kill two Hunters in a circle. 2.6 hours = time spent before realizing that the laser gun kills the viral creatures. 2.5 days or more = Getting across the blinking bridge on Halo 1 only to realize it was not even important. But I made it god damn it. I will never forget the day I made the jump. I love this stuff. Bring on x-box 2.
http://playstation3insider.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3663&sid=5aa733ab201d9987687ece40914024b3 There is a link to a forum where a member (Speedis) has updated a game list for the PSP according to any news from the internet (from IGN, Gamespot, official site, etc.) concerning games for the PSP. Current count is at 207 and most of the games are linked to a source. What did they show off? I hadn't heard anything about Xbox 2 at TGS, which is pretty surprising considering the info coming from it. Could you elaborate? As for Sony underestimating Xbox 2, I have no idea if they are or not, although it isn't far fetched given the situation. It could indeed bite them in the butt. However, it does not seem as though Sony has tried to slow down at all in these console wars, given the billions they've spent on Cell, Blu-ray, OpenGL, etc. If they thought next-gen would be an easy win, I'd think they would not take such a gamble on these things. Even if they do underestimate Microsoft, they seem to be putting out the best product that they can and not try to just put out something to make money off of. (hmm...sounds like someone else though. ) Don't ask me why they decided to jump-start this next generation. IMO, it seems like it would have made much more sense to follow the plan you mentioned. Instead, Microsoft wanted to hurry up and start a new generation despite being the last one to show up last gen. I'm sure Sony and Nintendo may have preferred to wait it out a little more as well, but I guess Microsoft is tired of paying for the Xbox.
Sony is, potentially, about to make two big mistakes: 1. Relying too much on hardware. The mass market gamer, the kind of casual or mainstream numbers that bring in the biggest audience, doesn't care about cutting edge technology. Sure, they want to say they have the strongest system - and that's important - but that's about all they care about. You can reach this goal without pushing the envelope too far, like Sony seems intent to do with Cell, Blu-Ray, etc. Which will simply cause a delay that they don't need. Make no mistake: having Microsoft get a head start on the market is something they would be wise to not let happen. MS will go all out, and if they have at least a fairly sophisticated machine - which they most likely will - they have already proven they have they hype abilities to draw big numbers. MS has made themselves a potential player in this market now, and giving them any advantage would cause problems. Funny thing is, nothing Sony ever hypes actually lives up to their promises, which makes it seem all for nothing. It even looks that way with the PSP: I keep hearing how it's a 'portable playstation 2'; but those screenshots from the site you linked fall somewhere just barely outside the Playstation/N64 capabilities. 2. Becoming too arrogant about their current position. You see it in little bits and pieces everywhere: trade shows, relationships with retailers, angering third party developers...Sony has become too comfortable with their huge numbers, and could risk a backlash and exodus to a more than willing Microsoft. I know this for a fact: Video-game specialty stores, such as EB Games and Gamestop, have had a considerable push for XBOX related sales. And Microsoft knows how to take advantage of this. Free stuff here and there, extras thrown in, more information and user friendly communication. MS has thrown plenty of attention their way and it's paying off. In fact, Sony has noticed this. They've made requests of these game store chains to try and increase Playstation awareness. But at the same time they don't seem to practice what they preach; fewer Reps making the rounds to stores, less extras or incentives for store management/employees, lack of information to the retail chains. Microsoft has given all that and more; happily. And then you have DaDakota telling you how some developers are less-than-pleased with Sony. This isn't rare. In fact, it's becoming talked about more and more. Sony is treading on dangerous ground there; by biting the hands of those who would help them most. Of course, having said all that, Sony has established itsefl in the market. If they can curb these mistakes, and get the right buttons pushed, the customer base is already installed. But they seem intent on playing with fire.
Yeah, maybe a company that specializes in hardware should lay off a bit on their biggest strength. The way I see it, Sony is just bringing to the table what they do best. They may care when they start seeing games with graphics several times better than the Unreal 3.0 engine, 10 times bigger than GTA:SA, complicated AI, and real-world physics, all playing in high definition with no load times and at 60 FPS. Meanwhile, games for other consoles may be lucky just to get one of these things going, let alone all. Sony could have just let Moore's law, or whatever, come into play and come out with a console that was a little more powerful than Xbox 2, but didn't really offer much more. Yet if they can get a teraflop in the PS3, that could very well be 10+ times the performance coming from Xbox 2 according to the specs. (I forgot the number I heard last from their console) If Xbox 2 also decides to go with no HD, no backwards compatibility and stick with just a DVD drive, the performance gap could be more apparent. Consumers may not care about new cutting edge tech, but they might care what that cutting edge tech produces. Additionally, this tech could also persuade several developers to develop games for the PS3, even with the seemingly weakening ties Sony has been having with them. Why bother with a Xbox 2/Revolution if it seems as though these games are a generation behind? Like I mentioned earlier, I never really viewed the early launch of Microsoft to be that much of an advantage, especially when taking the Xbox series into consideration (seems like they would be hurting their own console by trying to get to next-gen early). It could turn out to be Dreamcast II (how many times have you heard that before?). Sony could let Microsoft get all the attention until maybe around the middle of next year, in which they'll start showing off the PS3. When the Xbox 2 goes on sale, Sony may try to remind consumers who is "king." I don't know exactly which promises you are referring to, but it seems as though Sony tends to just mislead, not really fail to meet promises. I had read somewhere on the Internet that their words are often twisted by others, although Sony can mislead(technically, not lying, just misleading ). And they aren't the only ones to do that either. Microsoft , like Sony, also hyped several things, such as the tech numbers of their console, citing numbers that would never actually occur in game (IIRC, Like ~130 Million polygons for Xbox, and like ~70 million for PS2. Real world numbers are no where near there though). Nintendo is really the only one that doesn't really do this, AFAIK, preferring to stick to real-world numbers with their products (GBA lasting longer than Nintendo says). As for the portable PS2 thing, I have heard the same, but I do not recall hearing it from Sony themselves. Looking at the specs of the system, it would take a heck of a developer to create something on PS2-graphics caliber, something only really likely due to the smaller screen of the PSP. The PSP can only push like less than half as many polygons as the PS2, not mention the fact the battery life wouldn't be good. One article I read a while back was how they would have been content with PS1 graphics, although they decided to up the power a bit. You may see some people say that the PSP is a portable PS2, much like you can find people saying that is will cost $500, last 20 minutes, and come out in 2006, but I don't think you'll be seeing some of those comments coming directly from Sony. They aren't the only ones. All 3 console makers are taking risks with their next-gen consoles (Microsoft launching early; Sony gambling on Cell, Blu-ray, etc.; Nintendo seemingly trying to downplay console power and possibly online play and start a Revolution.) Of course, the real deciding factor of next-gen, like any other gen, should be the games, something Sony does need to keep an eye on. I've read now that it may be several dozen Cell WS's that have gone out to developers, instead of just a dozen or so. May have been wrongly reported though. Nevertheless, at least some people can be working on the PS3. I would suspect that some of the big players that support Sony may still stick with them. Last I heard, the next Silent Hill would go on the most powerful next-gen console (IE: PS3, unless some castrophe occurs) and I would guess that others may follow the same route (I read that Team Ninja decided to go to Xbox because it was the most powerful). I've read that TES: Oblivion will be on the PS3, as well as Xbox 2. IIRC, Koei already announced Oni for the PS3. Of course, we got MGS 4, GT5 (along with other Sony 1st party titles I'm assuming, which should include something from Naughty Dog) scheduled for the PS3 as well. Given the amount of support EA has given the PSP, I imagine they're also have at least an ok relationship with Sony. The big ones that I am somewhat worried about are Rockstar and Square Enix. I assume that even if Sony treats some developers and publishers badly, they don't treat these guys the same way. In fact, I've heard rumors that Sony basically gives RS the green light on several of their games just so they can keep GTA. I don't know about that, but RS has made a lot of money by selling their games on the PS2 somewhat exclusively and will no doubt want to do the same next-gen. SE has seemed to branch out a little bit, although they seem to keep their big titles exclusively with Sony. I imagine they'll stay the same unless Microsoft can grab a large piece of the Japanese market. Obviously, as with the previous reports, Sony may be slipping a little bit here, but I still would like to see where things are at a little over a year from now. I imagine that the consumers in Japan already have a certain feeling towards Microsoft as it is, something I think a smaller Japanese publisher may not wish to gamble on when they know they could get sales with the PS3. Long story short, it seems as thought at least a few big name developers/publishers are on board with Sony. The smaller development houses may be at odds with Sony, but they may change their mind on what platform to pick when millions more pick the PS3 over other consoles due to at least a few good games, all enhanced by what the PS3 has to offer. I kind of came up with all this at different moments and sort of randomly. I'm sort of busy at school so hopefully this all makes sense. Not sure how well I concentrated on the subjects at hand.
