My thoughts on the PS3

[simon275]

So the PS3 was released last night in Australia.

Today when I was at the local electronics store browsing laptops. I saw a bunch of PS3's on display. So I went and played on one. The game was some kind of WWII FPS. Upon first glance the in game textures seemed nothing special but the PS3 really shined when I ducked into the most realistic pool of water I have ever seen in a game at the bottom of a bomb crater. To avoid the Tiger tank that was roaring along kicking up a fine perfectly rendered spray of little flicks of mud. Cool. I mouthed.

After the tank passed I moved my character up into an house with a door. To get out of the german machine gun fire the was zipping and pinging past me kicking up bits of mud on the ground. With my squad covering me I charged in and got into hand to hand combat with a nazi. He grabbed my rifle side on and pushed me to the ground. The game paused and told me to turn the controller left to right to wrestle the rifle of the Nazi. After a few turns left and right I ended up getting a face full of my own rifle butt. After three goes I managed to return the favor.

So the PS3 well the graphics are nice I feel the movement sensing is very fiddly and I feel it was not implemented properly.

The controllers themselves where just like normal PS2 controllers except the L2, R2 pads where slanted away from me which made the controller much more comfortable. Also the controller was much lighter because rumble function has been ditched. The controllers where also wired but I guess wireless ones are available.

The console itself isn't the sculpture that the xbox 360 is but is functional.

I touched the vents and the console didn't seem that hot at all.

Another fact is if you don't have an HD TV you will be seriously missing out. So to get the full PS3 experience one has to shell out for a console and a new TV if they don't have a HD one.

So when it comes down to it I would rather spend a lot less on a console that has more games, decent controllers. Even though the PS3 is more powerful games are gonna be made for both consoles. And as we know developers are lazy the graphics are gonna be pretty much the same on both.

[public_eyesore]

I really wanted a ps3 but after its failures Im afraid to get one and it would be the next 3do or dreamcast

[simon275]

Here is funny article about the lukewarm response to the PS3 in Australia.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/games/playtime-for-midnights-children/2007/03/23/1174153291466.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

[Drew]

Oh.

Anyone reckon Sony dropped a b*ll*ck putting a blu-ray player in it now that HD DVD is doing the rounds?

Reckon I'll replace my PS2 with a 360 when it dies.

Just can't justify the dosh for a PS3 (£425) when it's unclear which new disc is going to win the war. I 'aint paying that sort of dough for a betamax.

[Ticien]

The selection of games is a little shoddy but a lot of them look amazing. I just picked up Armored Core 4 the other day and for a minute I thought there actually were giant robots somewhere they filmed the cutscene in the beginning...Everyone seems to be giving the PS3 a bad rep in favor of the 360 right now, but Im going to reserve my judgment and see if it manages to pick up the slack over the next year or so. I bought a PS3 the day it came out (somehow got a reservation from gamestop) for my girlfriends bday present and we have been very happy with it. No problems with it crashing or overheating or whatever it is people are complaining about. I understand a lot of people have a problem with the price tag but if you consider what it takes to make the xbox and the us 600$ PS3 the same consider:

PS3: 600

XBOX: 400
+ HD-DVD add on: 100
+ wireless internet adapter: 100
------
600

its the same price, since the playstation comes with its next-gen dvd format drive and wireless internet compatibility. In the end its really only about the fact that its a one time buy instead of multiple components being purchased seperately. When the xbox 360 came out i thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Both systems are, in the end, almost identical, factoring in that a lot of the games that come out will be on both systems, so theyre not going to bump up graphics for ps3... the only really big difference that I can recognize is XBox live. it is a great multiplayer service and with microsoft having control over so many other forms of media (windows, zune, etc.) it becomes a hub for lots of different things. but it doesnt surf the internet.

Sony put a blu-ray player in ps3 because they came up with the technology, and coupled with the fact that a blu-ray disc holds more on it than an hd-dvd i think it bodes well for a gaming platform, even if it doesn't win the movie format war.

Yeah ps3 is kinda "meh" but i think itll catch up given some time

[Guardian]

HD-DVD add on is $200.

I think if Sony REALLY wanted to sell, just make the crappier version without blue-ray, that way boom, its like $300?

[public_eyesore]

I thought that bluray was doing better by far, amI mistaken?

[DaveW]

Im going to reserve my judgment and see if it manages to pick up the slack over the next year or so.

By that time, 360 and Wii will have pitched their tents for good. You really need to get a good head start.


I thought that bluray was doing better by far, amI mistaken?

I think HD is winning-probably because everyone associates the letters HD with high quality picture. No-one really knows what Blu-Ray is.

My opinion? Sony screwed up. Big time. Especially after their failed attempt to rip off Nintendo with the controller. :) That was the final nail in their coffin alright! :D

-Dave

[Zephik]

Nintendo is better anyways. I say good riddens, its about time playstation got off the market, they haven't EVER brought me as much "happiness" as Nintendo or even XBOX has. Now Nintendo can take over playstations market! Yay! Long live Mario Kart!

[d_stilgar]

My opinion? Sony screwed up. Big time. Especially after their failed attempt to rip off Nintendo with the controller. :) That was the final nail in their coffin alright! :D

-Dave

I agree that trying to integrate motion sensing into their controllers at the last minute was one of their biggest mistakes. It's as if they were asking themselves, "how can we find a way to compare ourselves to an entirely different idea of a gaming system. Oh, I know, copy their main feature. Make sure that we lose rumble in the process. Also, make sure that our version doesn't work as good."


It's about time playstation got off the market, they haven't EVER brought me as much "happiness" as Nintendo or even XBOX has.

I agree. When the original Playstation came out I wasn't into it. N64 had 64bit graphics, and the PS1 had 32. The PS1 controllers weren't that good, and no Nintendo characters.


On a mildly related note, it looks like Sony has lost the exclusive rights to GTA, and it is going to also be on the XBox.

[Guardian]

Look sony does good Tvs. If I was looking for a new DVD player or a nice HD TV I would probabley buy the Sony, I just can't imagine SONY owning the gaming industry aswell. Same goes for Microsoft, There already Monopolizing the Operating System industry, They make over 60 billion a year, why the hell do they got to take over video gaming?

I am a hard Core Xbox fan, I hate to say it, but when you think about it, Nintendo's the only one whos like... Gaming Only...

[AJ@PR]

They make over 60 billion a year, why the hell do they got to take over video gaming?
Capitalism?

[xRyokenx]

They're spreading themselves too thin... trying to do much stuff when they're not good at it, they should stick with things they know they can do... I mean can do (the "they know they can" part was kinda... they "know" they can do all this, when they can't), like TVs, CD Players, etc.

[Zephik]

Sony has a lot of different products... You know what? I wish Nintendo made Televisions and Monitors too! How cool would that be?!

Then they could make an MP3 Player that is better than both Microcrap and iPood's. An MP3 Player DONE RIGHT. Nintendo seems to be pretty good at that, doing things the right way that is. :p

...yea right. Maybe in a perfect world. But no one said I couldn't dream right? :rolleyes:

[xRyokenx]

They think, research, design, test, redesign, and then sell a successful product... usually...

[Bucko]

They're spreading themselves too thin... trying to do much stuff when they're not good at it, they should stick with things they know they can do... I mean can do (the "they know they can" part was kinda... they "know" they can do all this, when they can't), like TVs, CD Players, etc.


I guess Sony doesn't have a clue. I mean they only made the biggest selling games console ever, so obviously they should stick to things they do well instead.

[/sarcasm]

[a.Bird]

*ahem*

http://www.thocp.net/software/games/consoles/sony/screenshots/playstation_crash_bandicoot_small.jpg (http://www.thocp.net/software/games/consoles/sony/screenshots/playstation_crash_bandicoot_large.jpg)
Crash Bandicoot

http://www.thocp.net/software/games/consoles/sony/screenshots/playstation_iq_small.jpg (http://www.thocp.net/software/games/consoles/sony/screenshots/playstation_iq_large.jpg)
Intelligent Qube

http://www.thocp.net/software/games/consoles/sony/screenshots/playstation_ffvii_01_small.jpg (http://www.thocp.net/software/games/consoles/sony/screenshots/playstation_ffvii_01_large.jpg)
Final Fantasy VII

http://www.thocp.net/software/games/consoles/sony/screenshots/playstation_parappa_small.jpg (http://www.thocp.net/software/games/consoles/sony/screenshots/playstation_parappa_large.jpg)
Parappa The Rapper

http://www.thocp.net/software/games/consoles/sony/screenshots/playstation_gran_turismo_01_small.jpg (http://www.thocp.net/software/games/consoles/sony/screenshots/playstation_gran_turismo_01_large.jpg)
Gran Turismo

http://www.thocp.net/software/games/consoles/sony/screenshots/playstation_soul_reaver_01_small.jpg (http://www.thocp.net/software/games/consoles/sony/screenshots/playstation_soul_reaver_01_large.jpg)
Soul Reaver

http://www.thocp.net/software/games/consoles/sony/screenshots/playstation_tekken3_small.jpg (http://www.thocp.net/software/games/consoles/sony/screenshots/playstation_tekken3_large.jpg)
Tekken 3

not to mention Twisted Metal, Bushido Blade, Tomb Raider, Tony Hawks Pro Skater, Rayman, Resident Evil, ...and so many more. :P

That's when Sony had their eyes on the prize. Plus, they did their best to help Nintendo with a new innovative idea for the SNES and built them an ingenious device called the Playstation and Nintendo was like "oh... well, uh... we've actually changed our minds." I think Sony deserves a bit of credit for their initial attempts at contributing to the video game industry. Plus, I really can't stand the lack of consideration for any of these companies. You're not forced to buy the consoles if you don't want to spend the money but if the video game industry was a monopoly controlled by any one of the rivaling companies, then what progress do you think would have been made in the past few decades? It's because of competitive marketing, competitive development and competitive ideas that the quality and versatility of consoles are what they are now.

[simon275]

Sony messed up and they know it. So they lost at battle but they haven't one the war. The PSP is one of the best hand held devices around. I have one and I enjoy every minute when I am playing it. So maybe the PS4 might be the next killer console. Who knows?

Put Nintendo has seriously pushed the envelope with the Wii.

1 Wii + four controllers + Wii sports + Case of Beer + Friends = FUN!

[Bucko]

The history of the Playstation begins in 1988 when Sony and Nintendo were working together to develop the Super Disc. The Super Disc was going to be a CD-ROM attachment that was intended to be part of Nintendo's soon to be released Super Nintendo game. However, Sony and Nintendo parted ways business-wise and the Super Disc was never introduced or used by Nintendo. In 1991, Sony used a modified version of the Super Disk as part of their new game console - the Sony Playstation. Research and development for the PlayStation had began in 1990, headed by Sony engineer, Ken Kutaragi.

Only two hundred models of the first Playstation (that could play Super Nintendo game cartridges) were manufactured by Sony. The original Playstation was designed as a multi-media and multi-purpose entertainment unit. Besides being able to play Super Nintendo games, the Playstation could play audio CDs and could read CDs with computer and video information as well. In 1994, the new PlayStation X (PSX) was released that was no longer compatable with Nintendo game cartridges and only played CD-ROM based games. A smart move that soon made Playstations the best selling game console.

Imagine how much better the Nintento may have been if they had worked with Sony.

As for price, at AU$1000 the PS3 is reasonably priced I think.
Back in the day I was in High School when the first PlayStation came out. It was wearing a AU$800 pricetag about 15 years ago or so when I first bought it. I know it took a bloody lot of saving to get it.
I think I still have it packed away somewhere. It has the RCA connectors on the back of it, rather than the second gen with the dedicated cable with special plug.
Considering what the value of the dollar was back then to now, the PS3 is actually better value than the original PS.
Give it time and the price will drop.

[simon275]

Imagine how much better the Nintento may have been if they had worked with Sony.

As for price, at AU$1000 the PS3 is reasonably priced I think.
Back in the day I was in High School when the first PlayStation came out. It was wearing a AU$800 pricetag about 15 years ago or so when I first bought it. I know it took a bloody lot of saving to get it.
I think I still have it packed away somewhere. It has the RCA connectors on the back of it, rather than the second gen with the dedicated cable with special plug.
Considering what the value of the dollar was back then to now, the PS3 is actually better value than the original PS.
Give it time and the price will drop.

Ah the PS brings back memory's Ridge Racer or Spyro anyone?

I remember lining up outside the old grace bros now myer to pick up the PS2 on the launch night back in the day.

If you had the PS3 with Nintendo controllers, Nintendo and Sony game and Sony graphics the xbox 360 would be buried. It would truly be the god of all consoles.

That is true because at the time we had no bench mark to measure the cost of the PS against but now consumers are going but the Xbxo360 and the Wii are cheaper then the PS3!!

[Drew]

Nintendo Wii? I just don't get it. Maybe I'm gettin' old, but it seems far from dignified.

PS3? I reckon somewhere, Sony has dropped a b*ll*ck, and I'll wait for prices to bottom out before getting one.

Xbox 360? Too trendy.

I've always loved Sonys consoles - when the PSX came out, I thought it was amazing. When the PS2 came out, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. And the PSP? That's sorcery, that is.

I've always been one to buck trends (fashion labels, the boy-racer Citroen Saxo thing, trendy haircuts etc.) and be different for the sake of it (Ubuntu anyone) and this seems to be an extension of that.

When the original Xbox came out, I didn't even look at them. Then I played Forza motorsport (amazing). But I can't justify the cost for one game. I must say the Xbox 360 looks mega, but seemed expensive... so I left it till the PS3 was released. Now the PS3 is so much dough, the 360 will probably end up under my TV (trendy or not).

I've started to dribble on now.

My point is, the PS3 will probably do wonders for the sales of Xbox 360s, 'cos of people that said the same as me - I'll wait and see.

Now I see... and since I already got a dvd player, and theres a format war going on, I'll stick with seperate players (can't see the point of paying extra for a blu-ray player when it might not take off...).

Just my tuppence.

:edit: And yes, I am aware that when you start saying the word 'trendy', you no longer can be...

[xRyokenx]

Thanks for pointing a lot of that out guys, I like being corrected when I'm wrong... the PlayStations were popular (although I didn't realize that for some reason... hnh), but when you have something that does your laundry, plays music, mows your lawn, and is also a game system, it's bound to flop. They should have made it a game system, not a media center and game system in one, if they got rid of the Blu-Ray in it, it probably would've been about $100 to $200 cheaper, and with a more abundant supply.

[a.Bird]

Drew... I'm completely with you.

[Ichbin]

Well, Ryo, i think what your thinking...is the ngage. That flopped because it had no main purpose.

For a product to work, it needs to have its Main reason, then add stuff to it.

Look at the chocolate. Its main purpose :Phone Its second purpose : mp3 player.

What happened with the N-gage, was they tried to make something with a zillion main purposes. A phone, gamestation, and mp3 player.

The idea of having more then one main topic is actually plausible, but requires WAY more work and WAY more money. Itd be like if paul made a mod that had 4 themes in it. Its possible, but really difficult to pull of. (No offense "Moddha", ill give you your sacrifices later today so dont get too mad)

I havent touched an ps3 yet....but i think it might go the similar way of the n-gage...not as bad...but similar

[xRyokenx]

But yeah, if that had just left out the Blu-Ray, then I might consider it, depending on the games, and if the controllers were better, but that's a different story. Oh, and I was exaggerating a bit (for the sake of humor) up there. I don't mind it being a minor media center, but when you have that a big time secondary component, and not just minor, like the original xBox, then it's a little... umm... extreme.

[Bucko]

The difference in cost for Sony between having a BluRay would be only a few dollars at best. It wouldn't drop the price by hundreds by not having it there.
BluRay can hold more data than a DVD, so once a few more games are developed that can take advantage of the extra space it will be brilliant.
Think about the difference between what a CD-Rom can hold compared to DVD and look at what that helped come along.

[xRyokenx]

Well, even if it wouldn't drop the price by hundreds, it would at least make the availability higher, right? I remember reading/hearing something about how Blu-Rays take longer to make or they didn't have a lot of them or something along those terms. It would be cool if they utilized the extra space though... especially with PC games, multiple CDs for installation is a pain in the arse, but DVDs seem to be sufficient for now...

[Drew]

BluRay can hold more data than a DVD, so once a few more games are developed that can take advantage of the extra space it will be brilliant.
Think about the difference between what a CD-Rom can hold compared to DVD and look at what that helped come along.

That's a very fair point, and not something I'd considered.

[Ticien]

Ryo they did have a supply issue with the laser? part of the Blu-Ray architecture, which is whatr screwed up the US supply in the beginning. They have since gotten whatever issue that was fixed as far as I know.

Bucko is definitely right on with the BD-ROM comment. They design these systems to scale over the years, so they dont become obsolete instantly. PS2 uses DVDs. The next logical step is to use the next gen of media formatting so that in 5, 6, 10 years they arent relying on an obsolete technology for their games. Once developers figure out how to fully utilize the graphics capabilities of that system, long games will not be able to fit on even a DVD, I am guessing, so in order to alleviate that they stuck in the BluRay player.

It does appear as though the BD-ROM is winning this so called format war, too. Although the quantity of movies released for both formats appears to be almost the same, the companies who seem to be exclusively producing movies for bluray are larger and more well known. Plus, like I said earlier, a BD-ROM actually holds more on it than an HD-DVD. It was a smard move to use the bluray player, as even IF HD-DVD wins out over the long run, they have an awesome format to put their games on if nothing else.

But again, in the end it really is silly to say "well system x is great, system y sucks because of this and this"...theyre all essentially the same thing, its a matter of personal preference which is why i cant stand the "XBOX RULZ AND PS3 SUXXOR HALO HALO HALO" people who refuse to listen to any reason one way or the other about it...thank god you are all sane and rational individuals...

[xRyokenx]

Well... I guess I should have kept up with the news. But since I haven't been flamed into oblivion, I've gotta say thanks for the corrections, and the new perspectives... that's what I get for going to school in an awful county where everything is biased to the extreme. Good points Ticien, and everyone else too. So... from what I know now, I've gotta say that all systems are equal component-wise, but different feature-wise... as in they all have good stuff in them, but not the same, if you get what I mean... I'll just stick with my PC for now... I have a Wii, I just haven't played on the damn thing because I don't feel like going and spending $50 on a game I won't get to play very much... and I'm really into WoW right now.

Good discussion guys (and girls, if there are any out there ;)), continue if you want to, I'm done for now. :D