Playstation 3 News

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-05-10 09:23pm

Hamel wrote:If the PS1 and 2 emulation is perfect, or so close that you don't run in to visible problems, then the PS3 might not be too bad a deal. If it can competently upscale and/or enhance the games at 1080p, then doubly so.

Getting a PS3 would be a no-brainer for me if emulation worked flawlessly. That would allow me to catch up on this console gen which I have missed out on, if you don't count my used Dreamcast.

B-b-b-but, I'm not counting on it to end up that way.

Plunking down $500 for a PS3 to play PS2 and PS1 games is moronic. If you want to play those games so bad, you can pick up a PS2 for 1/5 the price and also play PS1 games on it. If you want 100% perfect PS1 emulation, you can get one of those for about another $30.

If you want to get the console, and play PS2 and 1 games until the 3 gets some good games for it, then why not get the PS2 now and wait until the PS3 has some killer apps going for it, at which point the price will probably have dropped? There's no angle you can look at this where getting a PS3 for the backward compatability is a good idea.

The Wii, certainly, the 360, maybe, but not the $500 PS3.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2006-05-11 12:13pm

Arthur_Tuxedo wrote: If you want to get the console, and play PS2 and 1 games until the 3 gets some good games for it, then why not get the PS2 now and wait until the PS3 has some killer apps going for it, at which point the price will probably have dropped? There's no angle you can look at this where getting a PS3 for the backward compatability is a good idea.

The Wii, certainly, the 360, maybe, but not the $500 PS3.

The only way the backwards compatibility even counts as a function at all is because it will upscale the old games to higher resolutions. Which is a Nice Thing, if you have a HDTV to start with. (Some original Xbox games take to it really well, coming out crisp and shiny all over, some don't look much different).

Lost Soal · Post by **Lost Soal** » 2006-05-12 01:49pm

Sony UK says that although the price hasn't been set yet, the top model will probably sell at about £425, depending on exchange rates with the yen and euro.

At least its not a 1-1 conversion anyway.

Zac Naloen · Post by **Zac Naloen** » 2006-05-12 02:02pm

Lost Soal wrote:Sony UK says that although the price hasn't been set yet, the top model will probably sell at about £425, depending on exchange rates with the yen and euro.

At least its not a 1-1 conversion anyway.

its a 1-1 conversion between the dollar and the Euro.

We get lucky on this, as it ends up being cheaper for us due to exchange rates.

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2006-05-12 02:06pm

Arthur_Tuxedo wrote: Plunking down $500 for a PS3 to play PS2 and PS1 games is moronic. If you want to play those games so bad, you can pick up a PS2 for 1/5 the price and also play PS1 games on it. If you want 100% perfect PS1 emulation, you can get one of those for about another $30.

If you want to get the console, and play PS2 and 1 games until the 3 gets some good games for it, then why not get the PS2 now and wait until the PS3 has some killer apps going for it, at which point the price will probably have dropped? There's no angle you can look at this where getting a PS3 for the backward compatability is a good idea.

The Wii, certainly, the 360, maybe, but not the $500 PS3.

Slow down there, sparky. I didn't say that would be the only reason to get one.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2006-05-13 07:10am

Ars technica

Sony president: PS3 "probably too cheap"

5/12/2006 1:54:49 PM, by Ken Fisher

We're beginning to wonder if Sony hasn't lost all of its senses when it comes to public relations. The company knows that the pricing on the forthcoming PlayStation 3 console has been met with some degree of anger, hostility, and/or disbelief, but to combat that by calling the console "probably too cheap" is unexpected, to say the least. Or is it?

Sony Computer Entertainment's Ken Kutaragi says that when one considers the price of the PS3, one must think of a fine dinner, not a cafeteria meal, according to comments translated from Japanese media site, IT Media.

"For instance, is it not nonsense to compare the charge for dinner at the company cafeteria with dinner at a fine restaurant? It's a question of what you can do with that game machine. If you can have an amazing experience, we believe price is not a problem," he said.

Kutaragi speaks from experience. The PlayStation 2's launch price of $299 in 2000 was considered outlandish by many, and yet the console has gone on to sell more than 100 million units. The PSP's pricing has also been criticized, although there is no consensus just yet on whether or not the PSP is a true grand slam. To date, more than 17 million PSPs have been shipped worldwide.

Thus for Kutaragi, saying that the PS3 is "probably too cheap" is a coy way of saying that gamers just don't yet know how much they'll be getting for their money. And in a sense, he may be right. By most estimations, the Blu-ray drive in the PS3 is its best stage trick, allowing the console to serve both as a gaming device and a next-generation Blu-ray movie player. But that strategy isn't without its problems, because the PS3 will be launching within months of the Blu-ray launch itself (which is scheduled for this June after another delay). At the moment, all things Blu-ray (and HD DVD, for that matter) have "early adopter" written all over them, with high prices in tow. While the PS3 will certainly sell, it may be more than a year until Blu-ray itself has any significant appeal to Joe Consumeropoulos. And even then, there are concerns. Kaz Hirai, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, downplayed the importance of HDMI for Blu-ray playback, hoping to paint the lower-end US$499 unit as a deal. This could be a dangerous tactic, however, because HDMI is likely to be far more important in coming years.

Undoubtedly, Sony Computer Entertainment's Ken Kutaragi is quite the character. Last year, for example, he spent time letting everyone know that the PS3 was going to be "expensive," while expressing confidence that gamers will do whatever it takes to pay for it. Too expensive? Too cheap? At the end of the day, all that matters to Ken Kutaragi is if you're buying.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2006-05-13 08:45am

Well yes, that's all they can try now, now they've been universally mocked for building far too expensive a device. Try and convince everyone that it's really a bargain.

Cut-me-own-Throat Kutaragi will outdo himself, I'm sure.

Chris OFarrell · Post by **Chris OFarrell** » 2006-05-13 09:14am

*looks at technical specifications for the PS3's hardware*

No seriously, how is it too cheap?

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2006-05-13 09:24am

Chris OFarrell wrote: No seriously, how is it too cheap?

It's already so expensive that only suckers will buy it. They'd probably still buy it at half as much again, because they're suckers.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-05-13 09:34am

I'm not touching it until the first price drop, I already saw my brother get swindled getting his PS2 at launch and then seeing a twenty quid drop or so a couple of months later. Their over-reliance on Blu-Ray is astounding. I don't give a shit about HD capable DVD, because, amazingly, I'm not some stupid gullible AV-phile who's going to rebuy his entire disc collection just to get a questionable increase in picture and maybe sound quality. Whoop-de-fuckin'-doo.

I want games and perhaps some decent media support as a bonus. I'll happily live without Blu-Ray if I can still play HD games on a decent telly.

Lost Soal · Post by **Lost Soal** » 2006-05-18 01:42pm

Pro-G wrote: 15 titles for launch, but the PS3 is too risky
By James Orry - 18/05/2006 - 12:03pm GMT

Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai has said that 15 games will be available at the console's launch.
15 titles will be available at launch

After a disappointing showing at E3 last week, things don't appear as rosy as they once were for the PlayStation. Many expected Sony to make a big impression with jaw dropping titles for the PlayStation 3, but what materialised was a bit of a damp squib. According to Bloomberg, one of the biggest problems Sony is facing is the delay in delivering final hardware specs to developers. Without the final hardware specs and final development units the PlayStation 3's launch line-up could end up falling way short of consumer expectation, with games unable to take advantage of the full power of the console.

"A lot of developers have not gotten the [PS3 development] kits," Sega of America president Simon Jeffery told Bloomberg. "There certainly will not be a lot of titles available [at launch]."

Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai has said that 15 titles will be available for the PlayStation 3 at launch, but the concern for Sony will be whether or not the titles are able to convince consumers that the console is worth the extra cash over the Xbox 360. There's also the small matter of the Wii to consider, which is expected to launch at around the same time, but at a much lower price. The Xbox 360 may well be less powerful than the PS3, but with an extra year on the market and in the hands of developers, the difference between it and the PS3 could be negligible in the eyes of consumers.

THQ CEO Brian Farrell feels that the lacklustre launch line-up could be attributed to the risks involved in developing on the PS3, stating that "It was too risky to do it." He was referring to the company's The Sopranos game which is coming to PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, also adding that it made "no sense" to bring the game to the PlayStation 3.

According to Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey, the costs associated with PlayStation 3 development are another reason for concern from third-party publishers. "Developing for Sony's platform is incrementally more complex than what you're looking at for Microsoft or Nintendo," said Hickey, noting that development costs on PlayStation 3 titles could reach the region of $25 million.

It's not all doom and gloom for Sony though, with Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot stating that the company "won't be able to take advantage of all the components of the machine, but it was the same last year," referring to the Xbox 360.

Activision's CEO Bobby Kotick told Bloomberg that the PlayStation 3 "is the most sophisticated piece of consumer hardware ever," but believes the first wave of titles will only be able to utilise a fifth of the console's power.

Sony remains confident in its next-gen console, with Hirai telling Bloomberg that he doesn't think "there will be too much of an issue." It's highly unlikely that Sony will struggle to sell all of its hardware units at launch, with early adapters being willing to pay whatever it takes to get new hardware, but the real test will come in 2007 when Sony must convince the more picky consuemers.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-05-18 01:45pm

I hope Ridge Racer is one of those titles. I'm sold.

Darth Lucifer · Post by **Darth Lucifer** » 2006-05-18 02:27pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:I hope Ridge Racer is one of those titles.[/url] I'm sold.

RR has been a title at every Playstation launch and I think it will be again. If not, it will probably be released shortly after the release of the console.

McNum · Post by **McNum** » 2006-05-18 06:04pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:I hope Ridge Racer is one of those titles. I'm sold.

So this spreads to SD.Net, too? Gotta love actual historic Japanese battles featuring Giant Enemy Crabs.

I wish the PS3 wasn't that expensive, though. I want to play MGS4 and FFXIII. Maybe I'll pick them up eventually when the PS3 drops in price.

Lost Soal · Post by **Lost Soal** » 2006-05-19 01:55am

If Sony really wants to sell this machine then there going to have to pull out all the stops at the Tokyo show, along with a load of great games.
Assassins Creed looks soooo promising.

Instant Sunrise · Post by **Instant Sunrise** » 2006-05-19 01:57am

Okay, this is just cruel

PixelGamers wrote:The Devil May Cry series may soon be coming to the Xbox 360, marking the end of the long standing Sony-exclusive series.

Devil May Cry producer, Hiroshi Kobayashi, recently revealed to Japanese Magazine Famitsu that he expects Dante (character within the game) to make his next-gen debut on the Xbox 360 and Wii and not the PS3 as first thought.

This is very interesting and quite a big announcement. With the PS3 losing many of its exclusive titles it will open up the possibility of a new power being crowned console king. With the price tag of the PS3 above the 360 and performance differences minimal, Sony need all the exclusives they can get.

Kobayashi also stated that he still does not know the true power of the PS3, but he expects the game to feature the same feel and style as the trailer shown at last year's E3. One thing that will be changing is the fighting system. It will now be aimed at making the difficulty suitable for all players, allowing for players to perform acrobatic maneuvers whilst fighting more easily.