The PlayStation 3 Thread

[Repine]

PS3 talk goes here.

[the architect]

7 controllers at once (why? I don't know...)

[X-Ryan-X]

PSP can be used as a controller
Over 50x more powerful than the PS2
Twice as powerful than the Xbox 360
Has a detachable hard drive
Games include:
Killzone 2
Tekken 6
Devil May Cry 4
I-8
Ni-Oh
Warhawk and more

[Jay]

7 controllers at once (why? I don't know...)Wouldnt the split screen be unbearibly small then...

[Chassisbot]

Sony have released that it will be more than the average household can afford - confirmed.

I don't even know what to say.

[flapjackboy]

Sony have released that it will be more than the average household can afford - confirmed.

It's Sony's 3 step plan for destroying a successful console line.

Step 1: Load shotgun
Step 2: Aim at feet
Step 3: Pull trigger.

[Meadow]

50 times more powerful than a PS2? Based on what? Say the PS2 had 128 bit graphics, right? 50x128=6400!

Wow, the PS3's graphic power will be BETTER THAN REAL LIFE! I may have to buy one of these... oh wait, it's going to cost more than the average household can afford.

Seriously though, how the heck is it 50 times as powerful as a PS2?

The detachable hard drive sounds like a nice commodity, but the games list worries me:

'Killzone 2
Tekken 6
Devil May Cry 4
I-8
Ni-Oh
Warhawk and more'

3 of those games are sequels, one appears to be a Japanese name and another seems to be a backwards emoticon. What are Sony smoking?!

I'm looking forward to seeing how the release goes.

[Woloch]

all the release titles for the next gen consoles were sequels.

If the games list (you know, the stuff that actually matters?) doesn't get better, fuck it, I'm gonna stick with my ps2 thanks very much.

It can have as many terraflops as it likes but if the only thing they have to offer is 7 more GTA clones and the occasional Japanese 70 hour+ RPG import I'm not interested.

I have great hopes sony! don't let me down!
same goes for you Microsoft/Nintendo.

[ZOIDBERG]

Confirmed: the "boomerang" controller IS the final design, not just a prototype.
Sorry if that's old news.

[da-geezer]

Seriously though, how the heck is it 50 times as powerful as a PS2?

In the same way as Bill Gates was quoted about ten years ago that "no-one will ever need more than 8mb of RAM" ;) If you google Moore's Law, you'll see that processiong power rises exponentially over time, making it somewhat possible.


Warhawk and more'


haha, i so hope it's better than the PS1 original. That was a shit version of the 8-bit classic Rescue on Fractalus! :)

[allfalldown]

If it really is that expensive, surely that is suicidal. As much as I want one, if it's too expensive on release I won't be getting one.

[Cjw]

And again, regardless of "TEH GRAPHIZ" i find it hard to find it hard why killzone 2 is getting so much hype.

Actually, that is the reason is getting hype. After all, the first game was pretty average if you ask me.

Of course, this all goes without saying-the ps2 launch titles were mostly (Apart from SSX imo) rubbish. It could take a while for it to get on it's feet.

As for the price being high-it's bound to be. Wasn't the ps1 £299 when it came out?

[TezzRexx]

Price may be around £300 or £400

Metal Gear Solid 4 is confirmed

PS3 is at this point NOT backwards compatible.

[Splush]

Sony have released that it will be more than the average household can afford - confirmed.

Kutaragi didn't say it would be more than they could afford as such, just that it's going to be higher than we're used to paying, and that it's going to be something that people will want to pay extra for. Also, that comment (if I'm thinking of the same one as you) was quite a while ago, and more recently some chap from SCEA said the price would be competative with the 360.

I suppose "what the average household can afford" is open to interpretation anyway. I hope we get something concrete from CES in the next few days.

[Utonagan]

i dont care about the price or anything, i'll only get it if they bring out a klonoa game for it, ya gotta love that little cat/fox thing

[Splush]

PS3 is at this point NOT backwards compatible.
It's a pretty safe bet though, surely? I think Sony place a lot of importance in BC. I did read an interesting bit of news about how emulating the previous consoles entirely in hardware (as the PS2 did for the PS1) might be too tricky, and they might have to use a combination of hardware and software emulation, which could bring up all sorts of problems like Microsoft's 360 backwards compatibility people are facing.

[X-Ryan-X]

Yes, it is backwards compatible. Plays both PS2 and PS1 games.

[monhay]

Yes, it is backwards compatible. Plays both PS2 and PS1 games.
Proof please?

[allfalldown]

Yes, it is backwards compatible. Plays both PS2 and PS1 games.I hope you're right. My PS2 has started to show it's age a little, and I don't want to have to get a new one of those as well as a PS3 :D

Whoever mentioned launch titles, you make a good point. So far I haven't heard of any must-have games being released for PS3 at launch (or at all, if I'm being honest*). I don't remember there being any great ones at PS2's launch either, I think the only game I got with mine was Tekken Tag.

This is making me feel good about waiting for a while after the release, because it may become cheaper and there will probably be more decent games out :)

*Note: There are games that look good. Just not must-have

EDIT- What monhay said.

[Jay]

Never know, might not be possible cos of the different disks or something...

[Lagmeister]

The only really impressive launch title would have been UT 2007, but they have pretty much said that it wont be a launch title and the rumours are just that rumours. There arent that many notable launch titles for any of the consoles this time around.

[allfalldown]

Never know, might not be possible cos of the different disks or something...Why would different discs be a problem? By that token (and my logic) the PS3 wouldn't be able to play DVDs or CDs either, which the PS2 had no problem with.

I really hope this isn't true, because if it is then Sony have done a lot of stupid things with the PS3 that will probably cause some people to switch to another console.

[solid marine]

Well apparantly the cell processer is the most powerful chip out there, and if the PS3 is going to have 7 (with one extra as a spare) then it will be more powerful than the latest computers, which is what I have heard.

Also because the PS3 is backwards compatible, you will be able to play DVDs.

Monhay, here's the proof. It took me all of 1 second to find it.

Backwards Compatible Proof (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=2171)

For Splush

'This trend - started by Sony with the PS2, as backwards compatibility in home consoles was certainly not the norm before then - is set to continue with the PS3, which will offer emulation for the PS2 and hence for the PSone.'

Games that look good to me are -

Project Offset (http://www.projectoffset.com)

Heavenly Sword (http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/700/700186/vids_1.html) (This looks amazing)

Metal Gear Solid 4 (http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/714/714044/vids_1.html)

[Repine]

Also, it uses new disks called blue-ray, apparently they can hold more than a normal disk but do these cost more?

[monhay]

]Well apparantly the cell processer is the most powerful chip out there, and if the PS3 is going to have 7 (with one extra as a spare) then it will be more powerful than the latest computers, which is what I have heard.[/B]

Also because the PS3 is backwards compatible, you will be able to play DVDs.

Monhay, here's the proof. It took me all of 1 second to find it.

Backwards Compatible Proof (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=2171)

For Splush

'This trend - started by Sony with the PS2, as backwards compatibility in home consoles was certainly not the norm before then - is set to continue with the PS3, which will offer emulation for the PS2 and hence for the PSone.'

Games that look good to me are -

Project Offset (http://www.projectoffset.com)

Heavenly Sword (http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/700/700186/vids_1.html) (This looks amazing)

Metal Gear Solid 4 (http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/714/714044/vids_1.html)


I hope that thing has one "heluva" cooling system.

[solid marine]

I also found this (http://www.ps3land.com/ps3cell.php) about the cell chip.

50 times more powerful than a PS2? Based on what? Say the PS2 had 128 bit graphics, right? 50x128=6400!

'There has been speculation that this new technological breakthrough can reach up anywhere from 20 to 1000 times the power of the current PS2 chip!'


If each cell chip is up to 1000 times more powerful than the PS2 chip and there are 7 chips in a PS3 according to games magasines, internet sites etc... than that figure seems quite likely.

[Lagmeister]

The cell chips dont look like they are all cracked up to be, just because it has more cores does not mean that its better, you have to have programs optomised for the system before you will see any major benifits and its not going to happen overnight, it will take a long time for anything good to come out of it.

well there is an article about poor preformance about somewhere

edit: Here (http://forum.xbox365.com/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=66;t=000578;p=1#000 009)

[Cjw]

And let's not forget how much sony spunked over the "Emotion Engine" before ps2's launch.

[Jay]

Also, it uses new disks called blue-ray, apparently they can hold more than a normal disk but do these cost more?If the console costs so much, I woulda thought that would be obvious...

[da-geezer]

Actually I don't think it will. From what I understand, they're "tuned-up" DVD discs; the only thing that has changed is the wavelength of the laser which reads the disc. From an episode of Click Online I was watching on BBC News 24; the shorter wavelength allows it to read more data from a single disc.

Either way, mass production would probably mean that the increased price of this fairly new technology would only reflect as a marginal increase in price for the end user.

... not that I'm Mr. Sony CFO or anything...

[reno]

Oh no. If you were, you'd agree to the financial merits of infecting your own system with a rootkit to prevent software piracy, even though the system isn't capable of that.

Anyway, have any of you heard about Sony's plot to put a copy protection on their games that binds the game to a single system? Are they doing this with the PS3?

[Dude]

Why is backwards compatability so important? I'm guessing that it's only the people who have a PS2 now that care, but if they have a PS2, why do they want to play their PS2 games on a PS3? I really don't see any point in that. And the people who don't have a PS2 and are planning on just getting a PS3 wouldn't have any need for backwards compatability. Am I right?

[Cjw]

Anyway, have any of you heard about Sony's plot to put a copy protection on their games that binds the game to a single system? Are they doing this with the PS3?

They announced that it won't be happening with the ps3. And good too, because they'd have to be batshit insane to even think of implimenting that.

[allfalldown]

Why is backwards compatability so important? I'm guessing that it's only the people who have a PS2 now that care, but if they have a PS2, why do they want to play their PS2 games on a PS3? I really don't see any point in that. And the people who don't have a PS2 and are planning on just getting a PS3 wouldn't have any need for backwards compatability. Am I right?As I mentioned earlier, my PS2 is probably on it's way to being borked. If I thought it was going to remain in full working order I wouldn't be bothered, but seeing as it's not going to last forever and I don't want to buy a new PS2 as well as a PS3, I want the PS3 to be backward compatible.

k?

[Dude]

Why not get a new PS2? They're only about £10 on ebay probably (by the time the PS3 comes out, they'll be as cheap as chips.)

[Youlikeyams?]

Well, maybe we want to play our old games that we can't get next-gen versions of in shiny HD? And why not? :)

[da-geezer]

Plus if I was shelling out megabucks for a new console, the last thing I'd want to do is shell out again for a PS2 replacement :)

[Lewiji]

Well, maybe we want to play our old games that we can't get next-gen versions of in shiny HD? And why not? :)

Old games won't look any better in HD, in fact I doubt it'll even use HD mode, since the textures are designed for a specific resolution and if the resolution goes up for HD they'd be stretched and look blurred and ick.

[Youlikeyams?]

Aw poo :(

[allfalldown]

Old games won't look any better in HD, in fact I doubt it'll even use HD mode, since the textures are designed for a specific resolution and if the resolution goes up for HD they'd be stretched and look blurred and ick.Yeah, there isn't any reason why old games would be better on new hardware. I remember PS1 games being played on a PS2 didn't even load faster or anything, which is something I kind of expected a bit when I got my PS2.

Plus if I was shelling out megabucks for a new console, the last thing I'd want to do is shell out again for a PS2 replacement :)Quoted for what I was saying but using fewer words.

[Lewiji]

Well apparantly the cell processer is the most powerful chip out there, and if the PS3 is going to have 7 (with one extra as a spare) then it will be more powerful than the latest computers, which is what I have heard.

There aren't 7 cells in there, the cell is simply one processor split into 7 cores. What this means however is instead of having say a 7ghz processor, you have 7 1ghz processors. Now instructions can't be split over the cores so effectively you have 7 really weak processors. How this is effective for games I don't know, you'll probably have a couple dedicated to physics, one for math, one for sound, etc. It's not the best setup to be honest, but in terms of pure maths power it's powerful, which is what Sony are marketing.

[solid marine]

well there is an article about poor preformance about somewhere

edit: Here (http://forum.xbox365.com/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=66;t=000578;p=1#000 009)

Notice that the article is from an X box 360 site saying how good it is compared to the PS3. I'll get a PS3 because I have 40+ PS2 games and I still want to be able to play them, and the games on the PS3 look good.

The reason backwards compatibility is iportant is that you really only want to have one machine for all your games. I'm not going to go and buy an Xbox 360 if I want to be able to play SOCOM 3 online etc.

[Explosivo]

The thing that got me about the PS3 is that, well, its ugly.

You may disagree but from the looks side, its lost it. Its big and bulky.

And about power, I cant see how having 7 half decent processors will make things amazingly better. Ok an overal speed of 7ghz is pretty sexy. But indivdual performance wont be the best will it.

[Splush]

Also, it uses new disks called blue-ray, apparently they can hold more than a normal disk but do these cost more?
They'll be expensive to manufacture at first, but I doubt publishers would charge more for a game just because it is on Blu-ray. It's possible publishers will get developers to squeeze games onto DVDs for a while (which is hardly a huge problem, because 360 developers are doing it) until Blu-ray production gets bigger and therefore cheaper.

If Blu-ray doesn't catch on for home video or computer use there might be a situation where they can't get the manufacturing costs down, which would likely suck for both publishers and consumers.

Sony don't mind losing money on manufacturing the Blu-ray drives or media though, because they're using the PS3 as a trojan to get Blu-ray players into peoples' houses early so that there'll be a market for the first Blu-ray movies when they hit the market. It's a worthwhile investment if it works, although Sony have a pretty dodgy history of trying to introduce their own data and media formats so far, so who knows.

[flapjackboy]

*sigh*

It's Betamax vs. VHS all over again.

[Repine]

*sigh*

It's Betamax vs. VHS all over again.



Not THAT again...

[flapjackboy]

Not THAT again...

'fraid so.

[doctor_fruitbat]

The reason for having seven controllers is because the PS3 uses either bluetooth or wifi for the controllers; i forget which. It's the one the 360 doesn't have. Because of the constraints of the technology, a maximum of seven devices can be connected at any one time. At least you won't need a multitap this time round.

The reason for the separate Cell chips is because of the way they process information; Sony have played up the fact that Cell chips are designed to communicate and share their workload, and hence the more you put together, the more powerful the overall system becomes. Obviously there is a point where this rule ends, but I believe the Cell can throw 5-7 DVDs worth of information around (and process it) per second, so sharing information isn't a problem.

BluRay is compatible with DVDs and CDs, and Sony have stated that it will definitely be backwards compatible with PS2. I think there's BC for PS1, but I couldn't say for sure.

[turd ferguson]

The reason for having seven controllers is because the PS3 uses either bluetooth or wifi for the controllers; i forget which. It's the one the 360 doesn't have. Because of the constraints of the technology, a maximum of seven devices can be connected at any one time. At least you won't need a multitap this time round.


That, and it's useful if you want an entire team in a sports game controlled by humans. Imagine it now-a football match played online next to all your buddies while sitting on the couch with all of your opponents as humans (no need for AI bots). Zounds! What a great idea!

[Youlikeyams?]

Compared to HD-DVD, what are the pros and cons of Blu-Ray? Someone enlighten me :)

[White Tiger]

At least you won't need a multitap this time round.

I got mine for £5 last year in argos (January sales :D)

And also i must say only seven can't they just have two of the thingys that makes it have 7? so then you could have 14?

[Chassisbot]

I don't see the point of having 7 processors bolted together unless you are trying to set your house on fire. CELL is going to use up approximately 7 times more electricity than old-fashioned 1-processor machines, and my 1-processor laptop can fry an egg if it's playing HL1 with graphics turned up high. The only thing that'll keep that cool is a fan taken from a hovercraft.

[Lewiji]

I don't see the point of having 7 processors bolted together unless you are trying to set your house on fire. CELL is going to use up approximately 7 times more electricity than old-fashioned 1-processor machines, and my 1-processor laptop can fry an egg if it's playing HL1 with graphics turned up high. The only thing that'll keep that cool is a fan taken from a hovercraft.

I wish people read my posts.

There is one processor in there.

1, single, processor.

This processor is split into 7 parts.

It's the same-ish principle as a dual-core processor.

[Lagmeister]

Notice that the article is from an X box 360 site saying how good it is compared to the PS3.

Did you even read the article? I think not, the original originated from anandatech, one of the more respected hardware sites on the interweb and if you read it thorough it gives both the 360 and the ps3 and through going over. Christ if your going to post all high and mighty read the bloody article at least.

[Tiggs]

Compared to HD-DVD, what are the pros and cons of Blu-Ray? Someone enlighten me :)
Blu-ray disks can hold about twice as much information as HD-DVD, I think the theoretical limit is 200 gig, but I can't remember weather that is for single or double sided disks. Blu-ray disks also have the ability to have a DVD layer put on the same side of the disk as Blu-ray layer. This means you will be able to buy a movie for example, with both an SD version of the movie to play on a DVD player, and an HD version to play on a blu-ray player all on one disk. The only way (at the moment at least) to do this on an HD-DVD disk is to have the DVD layer on one side, and the HD-DVD layer on the other side, and nobody likes double sided disks, they're just annoying. Blu-ray also has the backing of pretty much every major movie publisher, so its most likely going to be the format that we are going to see most HD movies coming out on.

HD-DVD on the other hand has the cheaper manufacturing costs, so the disks will be cheaper. It also has a technology that will allow for more interactive features on the disk. Aswell as that Microsoft are supporting HD-DVD, and they are sure to push it very hard.

Other than that theres no real differences that will be noticed by the user. Give it about a year, by that time one format will have won through and we won't have to worry about this any more.

[Mittwoch]

Compared to HD-DVD, what are the pros and cons of Blu-Ray? Someone enlighten me :)
HD-DVDs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD-DVD) are the same size as Blu-Ray discs and use the same laser. They have a 15 GB capacity as single layer, 30 as double-layer and Toshiba are saying that they're developing a triple layer disc which can store, surprise surprise, 45 GB. Due to them being the same size as current DVDs and employing much the same technologies, companies can write to them with only minor changes to the way they do this.

Blu-Ray discs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray_Disc) can store 25 GB on a single layer, 50 on a double and 100 on a four layer which TDK has announced as a prototype. An 8cm variation of the discs is planned for camcorders which could hold up to 15 GB. They are less widely used and HD-DVD supporters claim this is because they are still in the earlier stages; they're already promising though and in the future may have storage capabilities of up to 200 GB due to it being relatively easy to add layers.

Damn joo Philbob, beat me to it. And you probably know more about it than me :p

[Splush]

That, and it's useful if you want an entire team in a sports game controlled by humans. Imagine it now-a football match played online next to all your buddies while sitting on the couch with all of your opponents as humans (no need for AI bots). Zounds! What a great idea!God, that would be hilarious. I bet it would be like 8 year old boys playing football, with everyone sprinting towards the ball with no regard for holding position. Sony need to make this happen, and allow 10 controllers if possible. 20 would be preferrable. :mush2:

But in the mean time, couldn't something like this be done online? If you can have 64 players in online FPS games then the 20 connections needed to fill out a game of Pro Evo shouldn't be that demanding. Imagine clan matches with every single outfield player being controlled by a human. You could even have a 'manager' a bit like the generals in Battlefield 2, shouting tactics over voice comms and making substitutions. I'm getting giddy here. Quick, somebody email Konami.

[turd ferguson]

But in the mean time, couldn't something like this be done online? If you can have 64 players in online FPS games then the 20 connections needed to fill out a game of Pro Evo shouldn't be that demanding.

This idea is alo quite feasible, I just pictured my mates on the sofa beside me instead of Halo 2 style with nothing but a voice through a speaker to interact with. good idea though! :)

[Splush]

This idea is alo quite feasible, I just pictured my mates on the sofa beside me instead of Halo 2 style with nothing but a voice through a speaker to interact with. good idea though! :)
The sofa thing is clearly more fun, but it's not really practical fitting 20 people into most living rooms, so I'll have to settle for the internet for my 10vs10 idea just now, sadly.

[allfalldown]

You all must have huge tellies if you're talking about seven-player split-screens. It's hard enough to see what's going on with four.

P.S.- I will have no need for seven controllers because I have four pads for my PS2 and the two least used ones are actually a noticeably different colour than the ones that do get used, because of dust.

[turd ferguson]

You all must have huge tellies if you're talking about seven-player split-screens. It's hard enough to see what's going on with four.


Games that support 7 controllers will more than likely not be split screen type. They will most likely be sports games and allow all players to move around on a single large screen, though I could imagine a GTA type scenario where you and your "gang" (aka real friends) beat the shite outta stuff online in a giant city. Sorta like the two player co-op on GTA:San Andreas wooooo! :D

[Jay]

That would still be confusing mind as when one guy walks off the screen would pan out and everybody would look like ants...esp if everyone ran different ways.

[Dingbat]

I'm still liking the 20player Libero Grande* idea.

*PlayStation footie game in which you played as one man for the full match.

[MajesticM00se]

Sony have released that it will be more than the average household can afford - confirmed.


What can the average household afford? So your tellin me the PS3 is gonna be more expensive than my car?

[Splush]

Namco have this game "Love Football" in development for Xbox 360 (maybe others?) which makes you play the role of just one player. It looks a bit ugly just now (http://www.xboxyde.com/news_2445_en.html) but that could probably be forgiven if it had 20 player online play.

To make this post less of a blatant thread derail, I'll mention that apparently the boss of Ubisoft claimed in a BBC interview to know the release dates for both PS3 and Rev (mentioned in this article, in French (http://www.jeuxvideo.fr/ubisoft-la-revolution-en-2007-en-europe-actu-30561.html)), he apparently says the PS3 will launch July in Japan, September in USA and November in Europe, while the Revolution will launch in Summer in both Japan and USA, and not until 2007 in Europe. He's the head of one of the biggest publishers so he's far from just somebody looking for attention by making up dates, but it does seem pretty odd that he'd have such specific information.

I can't find the actual interview at all, oddly.

[Repine]

What can the average household afford? So your tellin me the PS3 is gonna be more expensive than my car?



I'm not sony, thats what they said, not me. sheesh

[Buzzsaw]

Sorry if this has been mentioned before, but looking through the release notes for PS3, and the fact that Halo 3 will almost certainly released opposite PS3, i think Sony are stuffed.

[Mozzer]

P.S.- I will have no need for seven controllers because I have four pads for my PS2 and the two least used ones are actually a noticeably different colour than the ones that do get used, because of dust.
The PS3 won't have any old controller sockets will it? I assume it'll all be Bluetooth.

And on that note, I expect this means that you won't be able to play more than 2 players on old games, judging by the faff the PS2 had with multitaps when playing PS1 games.

[Lewiji]

The PS3 won't have any old controller sockets will it? I assume it'll all be Bluetooth.

Indeed, he was just pointing out that while 7 controllers is pretty nifty, he barely uses 2 out of the 4 he has.

[doctor_fruitbat]

About pricing, etc. Remember how much the 360 went for on Ebay, and the PS2 for that matter. Sony can afford to charge as much as £400 for the PS3, because there are enough people willing to pay that price at launch.

Back to factoids and rumours - Sony have stated that the PS3 will be BC with the PS2, but there are no memory card slots - they're either lying or being annoyingly obstructive, and neither way is very satisfying.

[crazy_justin]

Sony have released that it will be more than the average household can afford - confirmed.
What about my (cold) people up here in beautiful Canada? i myself have no HDTV, so i'd have to buy one to get the ps3's full graphics capability, right? The cheapest one I've seen is $1, 700 canadian! Add that up to the probably 500$ price of the console, and you've got yourself $2, 020 spent all 4 video games.
DROP THE PRICE SONY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[doctor_fruitbat]

Oh come on, nobody is expecting you to have a HDTV - games will be just as playable on your old tv. HDTV is the future, hence the PS3 has a confirmed resolution of 2000x1000 to take advantage of this new technology, if you decide to get it. Since HDTV is only just kicking off and won't become the norm for years, Sony wouldn't even consider making it compulsory for a mainstream console.

[da-geezer]

...there are no memory card slots - they're either lying or being annoyingly obstructive, and neither way is very satisfying.
that's a bit cheeky.

I'm guessing that if you had a hard drive, it wouldn't be a problem making "virtual memory cards" that games can read. If sony don't do it, then I'm sure a third party developer would.

On a horrifically blatant thread derail; how long do you think they'll be able to run Linux on a PS3? Seems to be the new craze now, "run linux on your Xbox/Dreamcast/USB drive/toaster".

[Splush]

On a horrifically blatant thread derail; how long do you think they'll be able to run Linux on a PS3? Seems to be the new craze now, "run linux on your Xbox/Dreamcast/USB drive/toaster".
Ken Kutaragi actually said a few months ago that the HDD (optional) would come with a version of Linux on it, although I can only assume it's some horribly crippled version because I can't imagine Sony would ever let people run unsigned code on their PS3.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/624/624046p1.html

Also, approximately half the things Ken Kutaragi says are lies just to keep us on our toes. He is quite the prankster.

[Youlikeyams?]

I have a feeling that to connect with PSP more there'll be MS Duo slots somewhere on the machine as well as a hard drive being built in.

Think about it - tape something onto the PS3's hard drive, transfer to MS Duo, watch on the go.


I'm sure there was a PS2 Linux dev kit available sometime back...

[da-geezer]

Also, approximately half the things Ken Kutaragi says are lies just to keep us on our toes. He is quite the prankster.

haha, that did make me chuckle :D

Didn't he step down from a leading role in the PlayStation development team? I thought he wasn't nearly has powerful within Sony as he was...

[Repine]

Is the ps3 coming out this year or next?

[Jay]

This year.

[Seriphyn]

Sorry if this has been mentioned before, but looking through the release notes for PS3, and the fact that Halo 3 will almost certainly released opposite PS3, i think Sony are stuffed.

We've had no screenshots of info on Halo 3, yet everyone goes on about how it will be released in just a few months. Remember Halo 2? We got screenshots like 2 years before it came out, and we haven't got any screenshots even now, not even pre-renders!

Besides, it was Bill Gates who said that Halo 3 will come out with the PS3. He isn't head honcho at Bungie; what has he got to say on the situation? It's Bungie who makes the game, not Microsoft. If, however, Halo 3 is 50% complete or so, chances are when the PS3 release date nears, Bill will rush Bungie to wrap it up quickly for release, leaving us with a shoddy game.

The whole idea is ridiculous. Releasing a game of one of the biggest franchises in gaming in just half a year, when there hasn't even been prerenders. Even games like Killzone 3 and MGS4 have got trailers, and they launch games (I think?) for the PS3, and would be coming out alongside Halo 3.

And how will Halo 3 be detrimental to PS3 sales anyway? The future PS3 owners here will still buy PS3; why would Halo 3 stop them?

Oh yeah, notice my signature before you call me a cautious consumer.

[Jay]

Halo 3 was more than likely one of the first games to start being developed for the Xbox 360, true we don't know it'll be out the same time as the PS3...but use your head...its obvious it will.

Also of course it wont effect the PS3 sales much...its just so not TOO much focus is taken off the Xbox 360 and shifted onto the PS3.

Anyway, its not like its unheard of to rush out a sequel...GTA 3 and 4 came out within a year of each other I believe...

[Tiggs]

Microsoft owns Bungie, and since they are one of Microsoft's flagship games developers I dare say Mr Gates pops his head in regularly and has a fair say on what happens. I do however agree with the point that timing it to be released at the same time as the PS3 is a bad idea. Trying to hit a fixed release date often leads to corners having to be cut, and I can imagine this would be particularly bad when you don't actually know when that date is.

Oh, and just because Bungie haven't released any game screens doesn't mean the game isn't far on in development. They may just want to keen the game hush hush this time, to avoid people being disappointed if the game is delayed. And having months and months of hype before a game is released always annoys me.

[Repine]

Don't drift into 360 talk please, keep it ps3

[Splush]

Didn't he step down from a leading role in the PlayStation development team? I thought he wasn't nearly has powerful within Sony as he was...He might have done, I'm not sure. J Allard made a move like that a few weeks ago, maybe you're thinking of that.

[crazy_justin]

Oh come on, nobody is expecting you to have a HDTV - games will be just as playable on your old tv. HDTV is the future, hence the PS3 has a confirmed resolution of 2000x1000 to take advantage of this new technology, if you decide to get it. Since HDTV is only just kicking off and won't become the norm for years, Sony wouldn't even consider making it compulsory for a mainstream console.
thanks for the info i needed it (+age)

[Splush]

Thread ressurection for proper news ahoy!

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=62523

The first batch of first-party PlayStation 3 titles has been confirmed by a listing on Sony's Japanese website, PlayStation.jp
...
None of the listings have been given confirmed dates, and all are marked as being working titles only - but this still represents the first time that Sony has gone this far in officially confirming games for the system
...
The six titles are Genji 2 (Action), Angel Rings (RPG), Monster Carnival (Action RPG), Everybody's Golf 5 (Sport), Gran Turismo Series (Racing) and The Eye of Judgement (genre TBA).
...
Sony studios outside Japan are also known to be working on titles for the PlayStation 3, with the best-known being the next-generation sequel to Killzone
...
Several third-parties have also announced projects for the system, including Konami - which showed off Metal Gear Solid 4 for the first time at the Tokyo Games Show last September - and Epic Games, which is developing a version of Unreal Tournament 2007 for the PS3.
Sort of news, anyway.

[Seriphyn]

Actually, you know what? The Playstation 3 will do well no matter what. Even if it sucks compared to the Xbox 360 (in the online area anyway) or Revolution, it'll still do well.

Tis because the PlayStation franchise has always been the public preference. You watch any soap, music video or movie and, when it comes to scenes with video games present, it'll either be a PlayStation or a PC (with crappy 8-bit game noises. When will the media ever grasp that games are far more advanced then that?).

[woobi]

Is the ps3 coming out this year or next?
This year.

March/May this year, to be precise.

[Jay]

Thread ressurection for proper news ahoy!

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=62523


Sort of news, anyway.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=14165

Changed their mind it seems...

[Mozzer]

I can just imagine the conversation at the PlayStation HQ (translated from Japanese of course)...

<WebTechie> hay guys look wot i dun
<HeadTechie> ?
<WebTechie> i put them launch games on teh site :)
<HeadTechie> !
<HeadTechie> u arse!!!
<HeadTechie> were not supposed 2 do that until e3 at least!!!
<WebTechie> oops my bad
<HeadTechie> get rid of it quick
<HeadTechie> and dont let kenni find out
<MrPlayStation> find out what?
<WebTechie> oh shi

[Splush]

<MrPlayStation> NOBODY MUST KNOW THAT WE ARE PLANNING GRAN TURISMO 5!
<WebTechie> But isn't that obv-
<MrPlayStayion> SILENCE.

[Mozzer]

No one will ever suspect them of doing that. Especially now they've covered their tracks so well. :ninja:

[bingo the dog]

i heard that the ps3 will have two output slots so that if you have two tv's then when you are playing games like killzone 2 you arn't able to look at your mates screen and see where he is.
The xbox 360 doesn't have this, the obvious reason being that the average xbox owner doesn't have any friends and can only play multiplayer games online.

[Cjw]

the obvious reason being that the average xbox owner doesn't have any friends

Do naff off thanks. :rolleyes:

[Youlikeyams?]

Yes, even I agree on that.
Oh dear, he seems to have negative rep. I can't think who gave him it, or why. :rolleyes:

As a matter of fact, PS3 will have three output slots:

2 HDTV slots
1 Analogue output slot


Heh, 3 player full screen matches :D

[Cjw]

It'll redefine multiplayer split-screen gaming.

By that, i mean, instead of "Who gets the crap controller", it'll be "Who gets the crap tv"

[Splush]

It does sound like a great feature. I just can't help thinking that the machine having to render two instances of the game simultaneously in full-screen is going to result in very cut-down graphics or juddery framerates.

I'm reminded of the one time me and a friend were bothered to set up two TVs with two Playstations and two copies of Wipeout 2097 for two-player play. We only played a couple of races before getting bored and doing something else :o

[allfalldown]

Multiplayer fullscreen is sooooo much fun. I hope all of this is true or whatever.

[The Grim Reaper]

Ummm, i cant be bothered reading 7 pages of things, may have been mentioned though
UT2007 is confirmed as well for game line up, with nice videos:
http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/748/748505/vids_1.html

Dont hurt me if its been posted. edit: aw bums, 6th page after a search, oh well, its good enough to post again.

Are HDTV's on the market yet?

[Slayer666]

Did Bill Gates really tell Time Magazine that Halo 3 was going to be released the same day as PS3?

[WraithMaster]

Did Bill Gates really tell Time Magazine that Halo 3 was going to be released the same day as PS3?
I happened to read the alleged issue you are speaking of, and yes, he did tell Time that. Therefore, expect enormous line-ups at stores for PS3's and Halo 3's on that day.

[Lagmeister]

UT 2007 has been confirmed as a game on the PS3 but it wont be a launch title, the selection still looks rather bare for launch date.

[Splush]

Did Bill Gates really tell Time Magazine that Halo 3 was going to be released the same day as PS3?
That was party misinterpreted, he said something like "When they release the PS3 they're going to walk straight into Halo 3", just as a general symbol of MS's intention to be a significant thorn in their side, not to be taken literally. Gates doesn't really have much to do with Xbox/MGS, it was just business bravado. Xbox people have made it pretty clear that they're not imposing any strict deadlines on Bungie.

[Slayer666]

That was party misinterpreted, he said something like "When they release the PS3 they're going to walk straight into Halo 3", just as a general symbol of MS's intention to be a significant thorn in their side, not to be taken literally. Gates doesn't really have much to do with Xbox/MGS, it was just business bravado. Xbox people have made it pretty clear that they're not imposing any strict deadlines on Bungie.

Thats what it was, i was pretty sure he said that but i have a horrible memory when it comes to remembering stuff

[poliobear]

I hear rumors the PS3 is going to be crazy expensive, is this true?

[The Grim Reaper]

First post mate, methinks you might be a bit blind.

Here ones tidbit that you probably knew:

Sony have released that it will be more than the average household can afford - confirmed.

[GRiM]

First post mate, methinks you might be a bit blind.
That was ages ago, it's currently in the regions of £380-£400

[Splush]

More sort-of-news from a few days ago: http://www.joystiq.com/2006/01/31/sony-declares-full-on-assault-on-xbox-live/

Very scant on specifics, but it seems Sony aren't totally ignoring the virtues of a centralised online service. It seems unlikely they could pull something as good as the current Xbox Live out of their arses now, but if it's free that could go a long way toward making it successful.

[2-D]

i think that if Sony made an online service like Xboxlive but left it free like PS2 online is then it would do OK because paying for the online is stupid in my opinion. you've bought the console, the games and the online kit, why pay even more to the company when you've given them loads of money already?

[Tiggs]

Well first of all theres all the matchmaking servers that need to be paid for, those big computers that connect you to all the games quickly and automatically. Then theres the big content content servers that provide you with all those free game demos, all that bandwidth costs money. On top of that theres all the people who actually run the system, keep it running smoothly and ban all the cheaters.

All that costs a lot of money, which is why you pay your subscription. If you didn't pay you would have to put up with either a really really bad service or bucket loads of adverts. I would personally pay a bit of money and have a great online service than the alternative.

[doctor_fruitbat]

i think that if Sony made an online service like Xboxlive but left it free like PS2 online is then it would do OK because paying for the online is stupid in my opinion. you've bought the console, the games and the online kit, why pay even more to the company when you've given them loads of money already?

The same reason you pay for your broadband connection, premium site accounts with lots of online space and subscriptions to MMORPGs.

Sony have the content, now they need a way to get it to us. Centralised online gaming, plus music and films? Could well happen, if this gets off the ground.

[Splush]

The weird thing about the current Xbox Live is that "Silver" level lets you do everything except for actually play games online, which includes being able to download game demos for free, which you'd think would be the most costly part of the service. The Gold service does give you access to a rather snazzy matchmaking service, but 99% of games still work peer-to-peer so MS don't have to use any bandwidth hosting them. This leads me to believe that us Gold members are just subsidizing Silver members' free demo downloads.

There was a point to all that when I started writing it but it's long-gone now. It's entirely the wrong time of night for cogency.

[Taysmith]

Well, this is it. The first, third-party hands on with PS3 hardware. The link I'm about to post is five pages long and takes a while to read and absorb. I will, therefore, summarize it below the link:

PS3 Hands On (http://games.kikizo.com/news/200602/065_p1.asp)

Introduction

The reporter travelled to three gaming studios, which have to remain anonymous for obvious reasons, in a number of different countries, to test out the games that they're developing for the PS3.

The Hardware

First up, is the casing itself. It does look very sleek, as the reporter granted, but most of the developers consulted during the interview agreed that when released, it is likely to be a great deal bigger than what we've been shown.

A shocking revelation is that the PS3 will not have Blu-Ray writing facilities. Of course this could be pre-empted, but it may well pose problems later on in the PS3's life.

The developers have also confirmed that Sony are redesigning their concept controller and for now, all games are being developed using a standard PS2 one.

Graphics

From what was demonstrated to Kikizo, the graphics are not up to the standard shown by Guerilla at E3 2005. However, this is important to note, they believe that MGS4 graphics are easily achievable on the PS3!

Another revelation is that the "true HD era" promised by Sony, that is 1080p as opposed to 1080i, is unlikely to be achieved for a long time into the PS3's life. They do stress that 1080i looks incredible, but that game developers agree unanimously that 1080p would cause huge frame-rate drops and is not feasible for a while.

Things, however, look on the up as they comment on the still astounding graphics created by the PS3 Dev Kit. They comment that an updated GTA with incredible graphics is no longer a dream, and that the detailed, muddy textures on the ground and rough, sharp rocks on a cliff will become commonplace in all games on the PS3.

One of the developers also offers up a subjective view of the future that PS3 cautious consumers will revel in, and 360 cautious consumers will go up in arms over: "In the future, as the libraries for both machines build up, I can see the PS3 doing things that the 360 will choke at"

Launch

The final comments made by the developers are not uplifting - they predict that the PS3 will see a Summer release in Japan, Autumn in the US and Winter/Spring 2007 for Europe. Of course, these are just the internal predictions made by the developers so they could be incorrect entirely.

Conclusions

The PS3 is looking impressive. It is not a generation leap past the 360, nor is it twice the power (at this stage) but it is signifcantly better than the Xbox 360 and graphics like MGS4 will be achievable by experienced developers (I'm thinking Konami - MGS and Pro Evo, Ubisoft - Splinter Cell and Killing Day, Zipper - SOCOM and perhaps even Rockstar - GTA, just at this early stage. More developers are likely to follow).

However, even then, the reporter expects the average standard of graphics to be something like the attached picture

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/5381/killingday4rp.jpg

Therefore, things are looking good for the PS3. Admittedly, not quite as good as we thought before, but it's still going to be superior to the 360 in a number of ways

[doctor_fruitbat]

As long as the graphics are up to the standard of MGS4, then I'm definitely sold.

[Jay]

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/02/18/playstation-3-estimated-to-cost-900-per-unit/

Doubt its true but, meh...

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/02/18/letter-from-a-ps3-fanboy-to-sony/

Sad...

[Taysmith]

For those of you who haven't worked it out, change the last URL from "cautious customer" to "f4nboy" spelt correctly in your broswer. DAMN YOU WORD FILTER

[GRiM]

For those of you who haven't worked it out, change the last URL from "cautious customer" to "f4nboy" spelt correctly in your broswer. DAMN YOU WORD FILTER
DAMN DIRTY APES!

Wait... sorry lost my train of thought there,


so has the final (not silver banana) controller been shown yet?

[Youlikeyams?]

Seen nowt about the new controller - and the guy from India was a bit...WTF. :D

Gah, 800 bucks for a PS3...that'll be around...£800 over here, knowing pricing. Damn.

[Cjw]

The launch games would have to be gaming pornography to make me want to buy this console at launch.


*Not literally you silly.

[GRiM]

Seen nowt about the new controller - and the guy from India was a bit...WTF. :D

Gah, 800 bucks for a PS3...that'll be around...£800 over here, knowing pricing. Damn.
Should give the other consoles a chance to catch up in Britain then.

Not to sound fanboyish at all mind.

[Tiggs]

Remember that $800 is just for the components, on top of that theres manufacturing costs and accessories that are going to come with it (controller, remote control, headset and a memory card as they're not shipping it with a hard drive). Then theres the shipping and distribution costs and retail markup.

If they're planning on selling at a realistic price (Sony would be out of their minds to sell it for anything higher than £400) then they are going to have to swallow a serious loss on each console. Better hope Sony have some very deep pockets otherwise you Playstation cautious consumers are going to be feeling seriously poor come launch time.

[Youlikeyams?]

There's gonna be MS Duo slots on the PS3 so anyone who has one could use that - that'd probably contribute to PSP/PS3 communication too.

[Jay]

It'll probably be a wireless connection between the two IMO...

[Youlikeyams?]

But say you wanted to transfer something big over - it'd probably work faster MS -> PS3 rather than over the air.

[Youlikeyams?]

Oh deer - looks like the Japanese might not get the PS3 on time. Typical Sony...

PS3 may be delayed in Japan, 2007 release in Europe looks likely (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4731128.stm)

[Tiggs]

Ok, looks like we will be able to see what the PS3's graphics performance is going to be like pretty soon.

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=29795

Details are starting to leak out about nVidias next next PC graphics card (7900gtx) which will have 24 pixel pipelines and run at 650mhz, compared to the PS3 chip which will have the same number of pipelines, but only run at 550mhz.

Although the 2 parts aren't going to be identical, the features are very similar so it will be safe to estimate the PS3's graphical power from the 7900gtx. The article says the 7900gtx is going to be less powerful than ATI's current top end part, the x1900xtx which has more pipelines, and the PS3 chip is going to be less powerful than the 7900gtx as it runs 100mhz slower.

So basically PC graphics are already ahead of the PS3's, and will be even more so by launch time, so the only thing really left to save it is that cell processor. If its as good as Sony are hyping it up to the then the PS3 will still be a powerhouse, but the graphics chip was also hyped up to blow everything else out of the water, and we can already see it won't.

[Splush]

While the PS3's GPU might be less powerful than the best PC vid cards, the fact developers can optimise games specifically for that GPU should go a really long way.

[doctor_fruitbat]

What Splush said. A point that should not be forgotten is that yes, PCs are already overtaking the PS3, but how many gamers actually have the cash for such a powerhouse? Look at Condemned - I was hugely impressed with the graphics and lighting effects, and when I saw the PC version... Oh dear. It just wasn't as detailed or smooth as the 360 version, because what developer would be insane enough to make a game that a minority of people can play? The 360 and PS3 guarantee high quality graphics, because every unit is specced identically. Some people keep their PCs for years without upgrading even once.

2007 in the UK? That would mean we miss the correct date for 15th Anniversary Sonic, god dammit.

[Lewiji]

What Splush said. A point that should not be forgotten is that yes, PCs are already overtaking the PS3, but how many gamers actually have the cash for such a powerhouse? Look at Condemned - I was hugely impressed with the graphics and lighting effects, and when I saw the PC version... Oh dear. It just wasn't as detailed or smooth as the 360 version, because what developer would be insane enough to make a game that a minority
You think they completely remake the graphics for PC?

If it looks rubbish, it's because your PC is rubbish. It probably looks better than the 360 or PS3 version if you have a decent enough PC to run it full spec.

[doctor_fruitbat]

That doesn't change the fact that only a minority of PC gamers will be able to play at that graphical level, and the price for doing so will be higher than a console.

On to another point, the first Blu-Ray player (http://beta.gamesradar.com/gb/ps3/game/news/article.jsp?articleId=20060301154420375020&sectionId=1006) is coming out at a rather high price; it really does look like Sony will be taking quite a whopping hit on the PS3.

[Belcherdude1992]

when the PS3 comes out, i'll wait for the prices to drop, then i'll buy it

[Youlikeyams?]

Heh, I'll probably buy a PS3 from the word go.
Nothing to do with the fact that I wouldn't be able to wait very long, and it's cheaper than buying a launch Blu-Ray player. ^^

[The Grandmaster]

I'm curious, how will the psp be able to work as a ps3 controller?

[Youlikeyams?]

Through the magic of WiFi.
PSP and PS3 will communicate wirelessly, but quite how you'll be able to replicate all the shoulder buttons, I don't know, unless there's special control configurations which are used. That said, it'd be handy to be playing Resi 5 at home, then transfer a level to PSP and finish it on the bus.
Quite how PSP would cope with the graphics...hmm....PSP 2 perhaps?

[allfalldown]

Does anyone know what games are being released with the PS3? I'm pretty excited about the new console and all, but so far I haven't seen many games to get really stoked about. The only one I've seen that I am definitely interested in is Unreal Tournament 2007.

[Youlikeyams?]

Oooh...
MGS4 - duh
Motorstorm - off-road racer with sexy mud
Stranglehold - John Woo!
Killzone 2 (dare I say it)


Yummeh.

[The Grandmaster]

I'm not covinced about the psp controller idea, unless its already been confirmed?

[allfalldown]

Oooh...
MGS4 - duh
Motorstorm - off-road racer with sexy mud
Stranglehold - John Woo!
Killzone 2 (dare I say it)


Yummeh.Killzone 2 could be worth a look. I'd be afraid it'll turn out like the other one though. That got hyped for ages, then got really average reviews. I was impressed by the MGS4 trailer too, but I'm not sure I'd buy it yet.

[Youlikeyams?]

You should stick with what your title says and hype it up, boyo. :p

[JonathanEx]

What's this about a delay being CONFIRMED by Variety? Not gonna hit the Spring release date?
Whowouldathunk it? Well, I've just made some money on the bet I made... :P

[Splush]

Major Nelson (http://www.majornelson.com/)'s (he's a guy on the Xbox Live team) latest podcast has an interview with Josh Robinson, the artist who got fired from SCEA supposedly on the grounds of breaking NDA. It's reasonably interesting but doesn't go into any great detail about the PS3 (he's not too keen to talk about it, understandably). They just generally talk about the industry, the differences between companies, the future of storage media and such. It only vaguely devolves into a Sony slagging match when they start talking about the Killzone 2 debacle, which is pretty old news. Just thought I'd mention it.

Stranglehold - John Woo!
Hell yeah :cool:

[doctor_fruitbat]

The best idea behind using the PSP as a controller is that the PS3 could also beam the game onto the PSP screen - hence when you go to the bog you can take the PSP with you and keep playing; the PS3 plays the game, and it transmits it to the PSP as well as the TV. Awesome idea.

[Taysmith]

That obviously doesn't work because then the PSP would have to have capablities to run PS3 games at a satisfactory level

[Shed2005]

I dont care about anything. I'm getting a PS3 even if it killsme.
i didnt read all posts but controllers are blutooth and they look like bannas (why didnt they keep original look tut tut)
MGS4 LOOK AMAZEN ND I CANT WAIT TO GET IT :)

P.S. how did sum1 get thhe signiture that says MGS player???

[Youlikeyams?]

Some interesting news about a Sony event in Tokyo to which only game developers are invited... (From the Beeb (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4805788.stm))
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speculation mounts over PS3 event

Sony is expected to reveal more details about its eagerly awaited Playstation 3 console in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Reporters and analysts have been invited to an event, which was originally only intended for PlayStation game developers.

This has led to speculation that Sony may be gearing up to give more details about the launch of its new console.
Last month Sony said it still aimed for a spring release, but warned it could be delayed due to technical reasons.

The Japanese electronics giant has said little about the PlayStation 3 (PS3) since it first unveiled the console last May.

But all eyes are now on the Tokyo meeting. Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi is set to address it, leading to hopes that he may provide more information about the PS3.
"These events typically address platform strategy, loyalty structures, development-related plans and other details that aren't as interesting to us, but the fact that they opened the meeting up raises the possibility that there might be more," Yuta Sakurai, a senior analyst with Nomura Securities, told the Reuters news agency.

The (PS3) is one of three new gaming consoles promising cutting edge processing and graphical power.
It will compete with Microsoft's Xbox 360, which went on sale late last year, and Nintendo's Revolution, which is due later this year.

The date of the PS3's launch has been the subject of heavy speculation, with doubts over whether it would meet its original release date of spring.
Last month Sony warned that the launch could be delayed if industry specifications for some of its technology are not finalised soon.

Most analysts and publishers expect the PS3 to hit the shops in Japan and the US later this year, with a European launch in early 2007.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hmm...I hope there is something new at this event :D

[Splush]

PlayStation 3 postponed until November - Nikkei (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=63258).

This article suggests that all the parts of the console are on schedule but it's going to be delayed until November because they have to wait for Bluray copy protection standards to be finalised.

Some of the comments on this article remind me of football fans on radio phone-ins thinking they know football better than the managers do. Sony should clearly bow to the superior knowledge of some guy on the internet called "disc" who says "Just make sure you release it globally this year. A 2007 release in any region is a screwup."

[doctor_fruitbat]

That obviously doesn't work because then the PSP would have to have capablities to run PS3 games at a satisfactory level

The PS3 would process the game, while the PSP would act as the controller. Then, after working out what was going to be projected on screen, the PS3 would send the visual signal through wifi to the PSP screen, rather than the tv. The PSP wouldn't be using up any resources at all.

[MichaelJackson]

I've just been reading about the Playstation conference, and I've been hearing some good things...

On Wednesday 15/03/2006 Sony held a conference for it's Sony brand, in short, it's a fanboys dream.

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/15/ps3-pres...ence-it-begins/ (http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/15/ps3-press-conference-it-begins/)
Ken Kutaragi has confirmed that the PlayStation 3 will be launching in early November worldwide for the North American, Asian, and European territories.

Once released, Sony will unleash one million units per month with a total of six million units in 2006 alone. Production numbers are higher for PS1 and PS2 in their initial years.

Updates will be edited into this post as they come.

This just in: Sony has just announced that not only is the PlayStation 3 to be 100% backwards compatible, but all legacy titles played on the system will be displayed at high-definition resolutions. The Xbox 360 currently does the same thing and the result on that end is much sharper image quality for older games.

This just in: The PlayStation 3 will require the hard drive peripheral. In total, it will be 60GB big, be completely upgradeable, and support Linux OS. Additionally, the peripheral will act as a home server and allow users to store various forms of media to be pulled up elsewhere.

This just in: Playstation 3 games will all be on Blu-ray to help tackle privacy, however the machine will still play PS2 DVD-disks.

This just in: Online - Beginning at the system's launch, currently scheduled for sometime this November, the system will feature community tools including lobby matching and voice chat, commerce features that includes bootable software via the hard drive.

The service was created with the help of Sony Online Entertainment. Best of all, the "basic" service will be free of charge.

This just in: Although this has nothing to do with games, Ken Kutaragi has just added another legendary quote to his collection, this time stating that PS3 games are "live" and that the PS3 concept is "4D".

He claims that games have gone from 8-bit to 16-bit planes, to the "space" that you saw on the PS1/PS2, and now PS3 will be "live".

[da-geezer]

More postponement news (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4807858.stm) from the beeb.

[Splush]

Worldwide release in November! I love this trend of simultaneous worldwide releases.

"This is an exciting first for Europe, and is a huge endorsement and vote of confidence in the strength of the European market and its importance globally." said David Reeves, head of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

Well thanks! I thought that arsehole Phil Harrison was head of SCEE, but I much prefer this Reeves guy.

[Youlikeyams?]

Harrison left ages ago, and Reeves accidentally let slip some then-unknown PS3 info by accident a while back - so they're both arseholes. :D

Woo, 60gig hard drive! Still no mention of price, but...I can't wait!

[eidderf]

The PS3 sounds pretty impressive and I'm glad to hear it is coming out soon, but I would really like to know the price. I hope that it's announced at the GDC or E3 and not too near November.

[JonathanEx]

So much for Spring, ey? Well - I have to be a Ninty fanboy and take the Chassis role of pointing out bad points. :P
--
Once released, Sony will unleash one million units per month with a total of six million units in 2006 alone.
One million per month but 6 million in 06? They have TWO MONTHS!!!!

The PlayStation 3 will require the hard drive peripheral. In total, it will be 60GB big, be completely upgradeable, and support Linux OS. Additionally, the peripheral will act as a home server and allow users to store various forms of media to be pulled up elsewhere.
It also might not be included! YAY!

The service was created with the help of Sony Online Entertainment. Best of all, the "basic" service will be free of charge.
Why do I expect Xbox Live Silver style basic service? VIEW PROFILES! WOW![b]

This just in: Although this has nothing to do with games, Ken Kutaragi has just added another legendary quote to his collection, this time stating that PS3 games are "live" and that the PS3 concept is "4D".
[b]XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD

He claims that games have gone from 8-bit to 16-bit planes, to the "space" that you saw on the PS1/PS2, and now PS3 will be "live".
XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD
That guy is a freaking nutter.

[Jay]

I can safely bet my DS that another delay will happen...

[doctor_fruitbat]

Not necessarily. The reason for the delay has been because of the finalisation of specs for Blu-Ray or some such thing; reports indicate that the production of the other components has been on schedule, ie. for the projected spring release date. The six million units presumably means Sony aims to have six million units completed by the end of 2006, which given that any alterations to the Blu-Ray drive will require simply a little spec tweaking, is probably a reasonably accurate estimation. At any rate, any shortages are now likely to be due to shop space and shipping issues, rather than a lack of actual consoles, which means less delays between shipments of units. Evidence for this? Sony has announced a worldwide release - there's only so many consoles they can release in one country at a time, and six million units is just what is needed to establish the console quickly and internationally.

[Splush]

Baseless speculation here, but I was thinking the worldwide release might be a very recent decision taken to minimize damage caused by the Bluray delay, meaning that while manufacturing may have been on schedule for a Japanese launch, manufacturers might not be prepared for a worldwide launch and shortages similar to Microsoft's could result. Whether those shortages are due to manufacturing or shipping limitations is irrelevant to the consumer, really. Shortages are a lot better than actual delays to me, people who really want the console at launch will preorder at a decent games shop and get one fine, it's the latecomers who make a big fuss on the internet when they expected to be able to just walk into a shop and get a system on launch day.

And if shortages mean we don't have to wait for months after the Japanese launch then shortages are awesome.

[doctor_fruitbat]

I've no doubt at all that's true; there's nowt bad about Sony saying, "wow, we have a lot of PS3s lying around... Consoles for all!"

[doctor_fruitbat]

And some even better news: built-in HDDs for all. (http://www.gamesradar.com/gb/ps3/game/news/article.jsp?releaseId=&articleId=20060321101453578027&sectionId=1006)

[Splush]

Launch lineup and new controller design to be shown at E3 - http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=63542

Finally everyone can stop saying "banana lol!!!" all the time.

[Tiggs]

Yes they are going to try to throw the Boomerang controller away, but we all know its just going to fly back and hit them in the head.

[the architect]

Yes they are going to try to throw the Boomerang controller away, but we all know its just going to fly back and hit them in the head.
why the hell didn't they just keep the same general controller that they once had? if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Jay]

Surprised to see Sony wimping out at the last second with their controller design...

[the architect]

i'm not, in all honesty. it's what the xbox and revolution fanboys dwell on:

"ZOMG I could hurl that thing and it'd just come right back!!! LOLZ"

why they thought it was a good idea in the first place, however, is beyond me

[Youlikeyams?]

Moving on from dildo-controller wars, here's a bit of good news.

Europe will get the same number of PS3s as everyone else [MCV] (http://www.mcvuk.com/newsitem.php?id=870)

Oh for once! We get the same as everyone else! :D

[Tiggs]

Something else that I'm surprised no-one else has posted yet

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=1406

The PS3 will we region free, meaning you will be able to import your games from anywhere you like and won't have to worry about weather they will work in your console or not.

[Splush]

Surprised to see Sony wimping out at the last second with their controller design...They've said ever since it was first revealed that it was just a concept design, it's really not wimping out.

[Jay]

Thought they said it was the final one...*shrugs* oh well...

Looked like it could be pretty comfortable to me tbh..

[GRiM]

Surprised to see Sony wimping out at the last second with their controller design...
It wasn't last second.
Even at the show where you first saw the boomerang controller and the PS3 they said it was just to show they were redesigning the controller but the boomerang was not the final design.

[Hitpoint]

Something else that I'm surprised no-one else has posted yet

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=1406

The PS3 will we region free, meaning you will be able to import your games from anywhere you like and won't have to worry about weather they will work in your console or not.

Does this mean it'll play region 1 DVDs too?

[Tiggs]

Does this mean it'll play region 1 DVDs too?
From re-reading the article, it seems it will be only games that are region free. This will most likely be due to there being no region encoding on the disks rather than the PS3 being a multi-region player (the multi-region thing is more of a legal thing than a hardware limitation, so even if Sony wanted to make it region free, they wouldn't be able to)

[Splush]

I'm sure I read a rumour a while ago that the Blu-ray specifications might include no region coding at all, so there couldn't be region-locked games, films or anything else. I've no idea if it actually happened, but it would be nice.

[weebl]

Oh Sony. When will you ever learn?

http://www.ukresistance.co.uk/2006/03/ps3-lie-watch-evidence-updated.html

[Ste150]

Oh dear.

Well..maybe..it wont be so bad.. um..yeh.. im sure that's just a test render.
Please?

It looks worse than some rubbish MotoX game i had on my pc about 6 years ago.

[tehmoogles]

Probably anti-PS3 propaganda. It doesn't look real. Please don't say it is.

[weebl]

err. it is.

[ratchet892]

That's terrible..
But what of MGS4, it was apperantly in game footage, non pre rendered? Please at least let THAT be true, MGS4 looks amazing...

[Ste150]

err. it is.

"Make the evil xbox man go away momey"

[MichaelJackson]

Yes it's a picture of a PS3 game. A picture taken with a digital camera from a distance in a room with bad light. I feel sorry for anyone who has convinced them self that is what games will look like. Why must people hate Sony for making superior products?

[Jay]

That's terrible..
But what of MGS4, it was apperantly in game footage, non pre rendered? Please at least let THAT be true, MGS4 looks amazing...Its a cut scene, hense all the convo and him lighting a smoke...

This is probally early footage but lol none the less.

[the architect]

Oh Sony. When will you ever learn?

http://www.ukresistance.co.uk/2006/03/ps3-lie-watch-evidence-updated.html

wow. That really stinks for the Sony fanboys. I really hope, for Sony's sake, that that's just a pathetic job on the part of the game developers', and not their machine's.

[ratchet892]

I knew it was cut-scene, I meant I thought it was a cut-scene that was going to be used...

[J. Storm]

err. it is.

...

It does seem as though Sony has just shot themselves in the foot with this grievous error. Ah, Sony, I mourn for you.

[Jay]

I knew it was cut-scene, I meant I thought it was a cut-scene that was going to be used...Ah miss understood (Well...I miss read in all truth).

Can't see it being true if this screenshots anything to go by mind...

[Splush]

Aren't the cinematics in MGS games rendered real time in-engine? I never really got into the series but I sure watched enough of those 20 minute WTF-marathon cutscenes while my flatmate was playing MGS2. I don't have a hard time believing that the PS3 will be able to render that MGS4 E3 video in real time, although there'll probably be nothing like that quality in the first year or so.

Also:

Why must people hate Sony for making superior products?
Tee-hee :p

[Youlikeyams?]

MGS2+3 cutscenes were indeed rendered with the in-game engine, and like you I have no doubt everything will be the same in MGS4 :D

[doctor_fruitbat]

The MGS4 trailer was confirmed as running on PS3 hardware with actual ingame graphics. Further reports by industry insiders went on to say that yes, such graphics are possible on the PS3, right now. Christ knows where the link for that info is, it was a good few weeks ago that I saw it.

And about the ukresistance link... True or not, I really wouldn't take anything much they say to heart. Not that they're liars, but they aren't always entirely serious in their reporting - just look at this article (http://www.ukresistance.co.uk/2006/03/playstation3-putting-magic-back-in.html) and the quality of the accompanying mock-up.

[Splush]

I'm sure it was running on a Cell processor but it wasn't a final PS3 devkit because they didn't exist back then. I could be totally wrong, all I can do is guess, but I can't imagine launch window games looking that good at all, just based on history.

You're right about UK:R, I find it a hilarious site but if you let it offend you you're probably missing the point a bit. I don't think that slide is a photoshop though, sadly.

[doctor_fruitbat]

Oh well, you can't expect winners every day of the week. Still, things are looking up for PS3 now we're getting facts rather than hollow promises.

[Splush]

SCE France boss indicates 500-600 Euro pricing for PS3 (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=63768)
...
Speaking to radio station Europe 1 in an interview which has now been widely circulated online, Fornay said that the console would be available for "around 500 Euro", with his expectation being that it will be priced between 499 and 599 Euro.
...
I somehow doubt Sony choose their chief French guy to announce official pricing news, but it's interesting even if just an estimate. It seems he confirms the HDD is included though (if there was still any doubt).

That should be £350-£420 by the way.

[da-geezer]

More on that story on El Reg (http://go.theregister.com/feed/http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/04/06/sony_lets_slip_ps3_pricing/).

Indeed, with first-generation BD players set to be priced at between $1,000 (£570) and $1,800 (£1,026) when the come to market in the US, the PS3 starts to look less like a bad deal, and even the Euro to Dollar equivalent pricing, $612-735, indicates the PS3 will be the cheapest BD player by far.

[edit] OH NOES MEBBE NOT!!!111 (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/04/06/sony_denies_ps3_price_range/)

[God.]

Dose anyone know if it will be running SLI or CrossFire in the PS3?

[Jay]

http://www.dlmag.com/1282/report-no-ps3-at-e3.html

[captain canuck]

i'm running rather late into this thread (i have only minimal interest in the PS3) and though I tried to look back I fear I missed stuff. Where in the thread was the first confirmation that Blue-ray Discs would be used posted?

Is this a sure thing? I thought the industry was still in-fighting over whether BD or the main alternative (Toshiba and NEC's HD-DVD, aka "Advanced Optical Disc") would be the standard -- after all, DVD itself is based on Toshiba technology that Sony etcetera compromised on to avoid a previous format war (there were at least two alternatives).

I understand why Sony would chose their baby over any others, but what happens if it doesn't become the film transfer standard (apart from that right there, they would lose all those people who would buy a PS3 solely for film-viewing capabilities)? After all; as noted DVD is pretty much a Toshiba product. So they already have an advantage.

Or has this debate already been shut down or passed over, and I'm just being oblivious?

[doctor_fruitbat]

That seems really, spectacularly unlikely, given that the only thing that isn't finished is the finalisation of the blu-ray drive. If necessary they'd just bring in a dev console with the games running off a HDD rather than disc.

[Splush]

i'm running rather late into this thread (i have only minimal interest in the PS3) and though I tried to look back I fear I missed stuff. Where in the thread was the first confirmation that Blue-ray Discs would be used posted?

Is this a sure thing? I thought the industry was still in-fighting over whether BD or the main alternative (Toshiba and NEC's HD-DVD, aka "Advanced Optical Disc") would be the standard -- after all, DVD itself is based on Toshiba technology that Sony etcetera compromised on to avoid a previous format war (there were at least two alternatives).

I understand why Sony would chose their baby over any others, but what happens if it doesn't become the film transfer standard (apart from that right there, they would lose all those people who would buy a PS3 solely for film-viewing capabilities)? After all; as noted DVD is pretty much a Toshiba product. So they already have an advantage.

Or has this debate already been shut down or passed over, and I'm just being oblivious?
I think confirmation that they'll use BD probably predates this thread, it was never really in question that they would use PS3 as a vehicle for it. If BD doesn't become the standard (although it seems like it will) they'd potentially be in all sorts of problems. It would not only scare peopl away from buying the system, but it would raise the price of mass-producing game discs. It's a big gamble but it seems like it's going to pay off.

It's interesting to me that the games industry is gradually moving towards non-physical distribution, and the PS3 is coming with a big HDD built in, but Sony are still trying to push a new physical medium with it. It seems like a conflict of interests.

[captain canuck]

Considering the list of companies I've seen supporting one or the other, but not both, this is why I'm concerned with BD not becoming standard. See for instance:

http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/19/blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd-state-of-the-s-union-s-division/

BD seems likeahigher-quality product, but AOD is a lot less expensive (and works using existing commercial DVD creation technologies, apparently) -- which is a big selling point therein.

Obviously with Sony being one of the early inventors (in a sense) of BD technology it makes total sense that they'd take the gamble.

[Splush]

I don't really know what's going on, I just got the general impression that everybody thought BD was going to 'win', and based on the history of format wars the winner probably won't have much to do with being superior technology. Format war history also suggests that Sony's proprietary formats never do very well, but whatever.

Edit: Wikipedia's Sony page has a list of their proprietary formats (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SONY#Proprietary_formats), quite interesting. It makes you wonder why they still bother coming up with new formats.

[captain canuck]

The DVD format currently being used in households world wide was jointly developed by Philips and Sony to replace CD; the use of a shorter wavelength laser beam sees the higher storage capacity of 4.7-17+GB as opposed to 640-700MB on a single disc. I think this is incorrect... it certainly contradicts all I knew.
[Sony and Philips] were hard at work together once again in the early 1990s on a new high-density disc called the MultiMedia Compact Disc ...but their format was eventually more or less abandoned in favor of Toshiba's competing Super Density Disc (SD)... This is closer to what I knew -- it's actually the SD which pprefigures DVD technology, meaning Sony and Philips failed.

Which kind of makes you wonder why Sony would do something so bold, if they're facing exactly the same competition a decade later.

[Splush]

I suppose the potential returns on launching a successful format must outweigh the costs of launching a failure.

I had to write about a format war of my choice for a sound and hi-fi technology module I did a while ago at university, and chose DVD-A vs. SACD. It was about the technology side rather than business or marketing stuff but it was pretty interesting. It's especially interesting now, a few years later, because they have both completely failed to make an impact. While the likes of Sony and Philips expected us to be listening to music encoded as 24 bit, 96khz in 5.1 surround sound, the way we listen to music has actually regressed into compressed stereo mp3 files on crappy white headphones. Maybe there's a point where fidelity just becomes too high for the mass market to discern a worthwhile difference.

I'm just talking irrelevant nonsense now, of course, but it is rather late.

[doctor_fruitbat]

Both formats have plenty of industry backing, but Blu-Ray has Disney and all its subsidiaries (sp?) behind it - that's one hell of a lot of companies. PS2 was a huge boost to the DVD format, and PS3 will do the same for Blu-Ray. Perhaps if the 360 had included a HD-DVD drive it would have been a different story.

[Youlikeyams?]

I agree with fruitbat - if the 360 had a built-in HD-DVD drive then HD-DVD would have a far greater chance in the disc battle, but then I think both discs have the same chance of winning at the moment, as each has their own big guns behind them.

EDIT: Woah woah woah! :D (http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/ps3/ridge-racer-7-for-ps3-168437.php)

[captain canuck]

Both formats have plenty of industry backing, but Blu-Ray has Disney and all its subsidiaries (sp?) behind it - that's one hell of a lot of companies... Perhaps if the 360 had included a HD-DVD drive it would have been a different story. Actually, if you look at the link I posted, Disney is supporting both formats, just in a slightly different manner for each. They've put a bit more faith in Blu-Ray, yes, but they seem to be hedging their bets.

Besides, there are some rumours floating around that Microsoft actually slightly prefers the HD-DVD (AOD) format, and it might well be incorporated into a future update of the X-Box 360. Kind of like what you said, but delayed abit.

[Splush]

I think it's much more than a rumour that MS support HD-DVD over BD. MS did announce an external HD-DVD drive for the 360, although that was months ago and I've heard literally nothing about it since. I think they were pretty clear that it wouldn't be used for games, though, so it would just be a cheap alternative to a proper HD-DVD player for movies.

[Youlikeyams?]

Sony's launched its E3 coverage site, complete with cheesey American hosts. Oh the joy. :p (http://www.us.playstation.com/Content/Sites/119/Info/showCoverage.html)

[Jay]

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/04/24/playstation-3-not-100-backwards-compatible

PS3 might not be 100% backwards compatible you say?

[captain canuck]

oh... that could be worrisome.

i haven't ever actually played any PS1/2 games, so I would have looked forward to the PS3 as an opportunity to go back and do exactly that (since it's inevitable that I will get one, eventually). this puts a bit of a wrench in my plans, if it doesn't quite work out.

[doctor_fruitbat]

There were a few incompatability issues with PS1 games on PS2 too, especially if you used improved disc speed and texturing. The World Is Not Enough was a big culprit in that respect.

On another note, Sonic screenshots (http://usera.imagecave.com/spazoid/Newscreens.bmp.jpg)! In-game rather than a tech demo this time; the robots look much better than before, like an amalgamation of the animal robots and the Heroes-type model, and the Sonic model is improved too. And gosh darn it, not a single sign of clipping or any of the other graphical glitches of the past. Thank God.

[Jay]

Why isnt the rings, lives, time and score on the screenshots...

[Splush]

It's amazing how much backwards compatibility is expected and taken for granted, as if we think all consoles have always been backwards compatible. If the PS2 hadn't played PS1 games I doubt we'd even be talking about it. I understand why it's a nice feature, and I certainly wish I could play more of my Xbox games on my 360, but I have a feeling it's not actually used nearly as much as it's talked about. I play on a friend's PS2 regularly and I think the only PS1 game we've really played on it at any length is Hogs of War.

Not Final Fantasy VII; Hogs of bloody War.

[doctor_fruitbat]

Why isnt the rings, lives, time and score on the screenshots...

Two possible reasons:

1) The game is still pre-release, so they may not have finished it yet.
2) Magazines often cut off screenshots to hide HUDs.

But who cares? It looks awesome! Genuinely awesome this time, not just Sonic awesome! Which would make a change...

[captain canuck]

I would still appreciate backwards compatibility in a PS3 for the simple reason that, as noted, I'd like to dig into the previous collections for games I missed out on - the opportunity to own a PS1 or 2 eluded me; but it won't this time around. And I intend to make use of every opportunity possible to correct my seriously long oversight.

At least in respect to the better, or clearly 'classic' games.

[Synonymous]

Hello, I am not what one might call a serious "gamer" but I heard a "Rumour" from a guy who is a buyer for "Currys" talking to a guy from "Sony" abhout the relase date for the "Playstation III".


It involves the release date being November now and getting in as many pre-orders for units as possible and that two weeks before the official release date there will be "Unforeseen circumstances" pushing the release date back to next Febuary. The result will be massive pre-order frenzy/pandemonium.

If you already knew this then great, but if it's new information then groovy.


BTW the stats of the PS3 I heard were almost no backwards compatability due to BLUE RAY drive 60GB HD Wireless enabled and at least 30% High Definition which is more than you can get on a TV at the mo...

[Splush]

I don't think the BD drive could be responsible for backwards compatibility problems, surely BD drives have to be compatible with DVDs. You would never sell BD players to people after telling them they couldn't play their old movies in them.

Also, what on earth does 30% High Definition mean? Damn you, mysterious Currys man.

[Synonymous]

Well all the TVs that are being sold today as High Definition are in fact only about 10-40% High definition, they can bring out 100% HD but they can make more money raising the quality by incriments.

[Splush]

What? HD resolutions are 720 progressive scan, 1080 interlaced, and 1080 prog (though I don't think there's really a standard for 1080p yet), and plenty of TVs can show 1080i. I'm almost entirely sure that 10-40% was pulled out of someone's arse.

[doctor_fruitbat]

There's HD Ready, which we've been seeing in shops so far, and HD Full, which will be appearing soon. 10-40% is almost certainly much lower than in reality, but there is a slight difference in quality between Ready and Full.

[Splush]

Ahha, I just googled "HD Full", it seems HD Ready means 720p/1080i and HD Full means 1080p, I can see where the 30% idea comes from but it's still nonsense. They aren't really holding back 1080p from us, there's plenty of TVs that can display it (maybe not commercially available in the UK), but it is a bit limited at the moment by the standard being capped at 30FPS which isn't much good for games, and nobody is broadcasting in it.

Thinking about how PS3 might support 1080p makes me sad that Nintendo don't seem interested in HD at all :(

[captain canuck]

i don't know. there are many people (myself included) who don't have a HDTV, nor can afford to just go get one to take full advantage of that particular PS3 functionality. obviously i'd still like to get the PS3, but the fact that it will be HDTV ready (or what have you) makes no real difference.

By the same token then, the fact that nintendo isn't interested in HD doesn't make any difference to me personally.

[Jay]

I still dont know what HD is...

[Dingbat]

High-Definition.

It used to be hard drive, back in the day...

[Splush]

i don't know. there are many people (myself included) who don't have a HDTV, nor can afford to just go get one to take full advantage of that particular PS3 functionality. obviously i'd still like to get the PS3, but the fact that it will be HDTV ready (or what have you) makes no real difference.

By the same token then, the fact that nintendo isn't interested in HD doesn't make any difference to me personally.I know it's pretty minor now, but a lot could change over the lifespan of these new consoles. It's really hard to go back to standard def games when you get used to 720p. It just seems absurd to me for a new console to be running games at 640*480 max when PC games moved on from that about a decade ago. Increasing resolution isn't the same as just increasing the poly-count on your models and blinding the player with HDR lighting, it actually adds to gameplay, think of the difference resolution makes to a PC RTS game like the Command & Conquer series. Sony might be going a bit overboard (I think they've claimed in the past that PS3 will have two seperate HDMI outputs just in case you have two HDTVs handy, Bravias presumably) but I'm really glad they're pushing HD.

[the architect]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wp0J-qZ3aqs

this looks pretty good

[Youlikeyams?]

:isay:

It does indeed - the ollie was super smooth :D

[Hitpoint]

Woah shit me!
Fantastic graphics....so smooth.

[Taysmith]

The latest 1UP show hints that Sony have a HUGE announcement that will be revealed at the end of E3.

[Cerberus]

That ran nicely, looks great too

[Splush]

The latest 1UP show hints that Sony have a HUGE announcement that will be revealed at the end of E3.They also seemed to think the FF7 remake is definitely happening, although they may not announce it at E3 (if I remember right). I'm struggling to imagine what Sony's huge announcement will be, though. Something about the online service maybe? Maybe some hardware-related announcement, because so far the PS3 hardware all seems quite predictable. If they announce some kind of position-sensing controller the internet will run red with fanboy blood.

[Taysmith]

Remember who brought you the FF7 remake news first. Yours truly ;)

[Jay]

Well, apparently the controller is going to be changed from the bananna design.

[the architect]

that's not gonna blow me out of the water... I would be frankly floored if they DIDN'T change that...

[Youlikeyams?]

Apparently? Sony officially dumped it a month or so back. :)

[Jay]

Shoulda stuck with it, looked comfy...

I can just see it being the same as the PS2's...

[Hitpoint]

They should stick with the controller they have now for PS2.
If it aint broke don't fix it.

[lachie 7]

Time will tell all my chums.

[Splush]

Shoulda stuck with it, looked comfy...

I can just see it being the same as the PS2's...It always looked horribly uncomfy to me, but I was kind of thinking that maybe it was really a work of ergonomics genius that made perfect sense when you tried it. I stopped thinking that after they announced it would be redesigned, of course.

I guess it will be pretty close to the old Dual Shock now, although I wish they'd swap the positions of the left stick and left d-pad, I hate having to use the PS2 controllers when I'm used to Xbox-style layout. The d-pad could do with being a lot less rubbish while they're at it (not that the 360 one is great) but the evil Nintendo empire ruined everything by patenting + pads :nana:

Hopefully we'll find out at midnight.

[Taysmith]

Well if they do use the DualShock system, vibration won't be a part of the controller due to the patent infringement case involving Sony stealing it's vibration idea from another company.

Btw, has E3 started 'cos the news is trickling in at a boringly slow rate :(

[doctor_fruitbat]

They should stick with the controller they have now for PS2.
If it aint broke don't fix it.

I thought that until I bought the unofficial controller from HMV, which are bigger and, as a result, a much better fit for my hands (and I don't even have particularly big hands). The banana design was hardly a big change - the button layout was identical, and the increased width of the handles looked much more satisfying to hold.

[Splush]

The Sony conference at midnight our time. By tommorow morning there'll be more crazy sony boasts to sort through than you could ever wish for!

[captain canuck]

^ looking forward to this ;)

[Synonymous]

Did noone notice that I told you about the release date being pushed back to Feb 2007?


I also mentioned it'd be HD ready, maybe I was wrong, but that was all you focused on...

[JonathanEx]

http://www.britishgaming.co.uk/?p=770
Virta Fighter 5: PS3 exclusive.

The show hasn't even started and I'm working hard to get the news, post, and get news of the news around. :P

[Splush]

Soooo, Sony's press conference starting shortly and I'm excited like a bloody child, anybody else? Try www.gamespot.com if you're looking for footage.

[Jay]

I'm not overly exicted but I can't wait to see what they have to offer...hope they didnt really pussy out of the controller design mind.

[Tiggs]

I was going to go to bed, but then realised that the Sony conference was tonight, so no sleep for me for the next hour. Got the Gamespot video feed up and running, and also in case that dies on me, the engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/08/engadget-and-joystiqs-live-coverage-of-sonys-playstation-3-e3-ev/) live blog on 30 second refresh.

Now just have to wait for something to actually happen

[JonathanEx]

I've got the stream going! :D

This is what being a hardcore gamer is all about - staying up, sleep needed for school but I don't give a damn - as it's E3, and I'm here to watch what's happening.

[Splush]

From GameDaily's text coverage (http://www.gamedaily.com/e3-2006/e3live.asp?fn=Sony-Press-Conference):

4:19pm: Press conference still has not started yet. There's a tremendous line to still get into the theater. Estimated start time could be about 5:00 PM PDT.

4:03pm: People are still coming into the theater for the presentation, so it has not started as of yet. However, it will shortly.

grr.


edit: Ha. This from eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=64373):
00:08.56 - Even Hideo Kojima is stuck in the queue. He looks bored.

[doctor_fruitbat]

The Sonic the Hedgehog article (http://uk.gamespot.com/e3/e3story.html?sid=6149215&pid=929718&page=2&q=) is interesting - sounds like we'll be getting a story similar to the Adventures, though presumably told with competently produced cutscenes this time. I'm loving where the series is going with this.

[the architect]

conference should begin shortly (from GameDaily)

edit: watch the stream live at http://www.gamespot.com/e3/e3live.html

[Splush]

Sony's DJ has his finger on the pulse of popular music. He was thinking "ok, there are a million angry nerds just watching a blank screen...what to play?"

...

"SALT 'N' PEPA, BITCHES"

[Jay]

Other than the Sonic Adventure style walking round this game it worring me...mainly due to Shadow shooting things and this new psychic hedgehog which you will OBVIOUSLY have to beat as Super Sonic at the end...

[Tiggs]

I can't believe I'm still sitting here, listening to Madonna and waiting for the conference to start. Damn you Gamespot only letting us have the sound!

I also have the Engadget and GameDaily live feeds open, just hoping they will have something interesting to say while I'm waiting.

Oh, and now its Michael Jackson, better.