Playstation 3

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2008-01-17 07:27pm

Connor MacLeod wrote: See, I DO mind that. If I want to watch DVDs, I've got a DVD player specifically hooked up for that purpose to my entertainment center. Or, I can watch it on my computer if I'm really desperate. I use my PS2 for gaming. I can count on one hand the times over the years I've used it for playing DVDs.

Most of these features have been added after launch in firmware updates, so they really aren't affecting the cost or gaming performance of the box. Video streaming to my Xbox, which has a HD connection to my telly, is really rather nice because it saves faffing about cabling up my Laptop, and means I can still use the laptop for internets. And since the component outs on my DVD player appear to have gone tits up, the PS3 might be pressganged into DVD playback for those discs it can play (sadly it's not regionless for DVD playback).

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2008-01-17 07:30pm

Hey, that said, has anyone else's 360 stopped playing some mp4s? SOME of my media doesn't play anymore, it is a black screen with sound in the background. The TV flickers a bit like a monitor changing video modes beforehand. Other MP4s of same characteristics work fine.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2008-01-17 07:32pm

Not noticed that, but haven't got any lying around to test. Try redownloading the optional media support pack.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2008-01-17 07:34pm

Well that's it: originally when I checked, the Optional Media Support Pack was in the HDD twice (which doesn't seem possible). If I delete it and play an AAC, it downloads it and the AAC works. If I delete it and play an MP4, it downloads it and SOME work and some don't (in a totally consistent way) even though they all worked fine before. I'm using Zune player to stream from Vista, but everything worked after the move to Vista for more than a month before this appeared and I've never updated Zune player.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2008-01-18 02:09am

Connor MacLeod wrote: What REALLY annoys me (about the PS3) is that the one feature I was perhaps most interested in was the backwards compatability (since I have a buttload of PSX and PS2 games to play) but since that's apparently a problem for Sony, its holding me back from even considering buying a PS3. Its enough to maybe even overcome my natural (Decades long) dislike for Microsoft.

What are you talking about? The only PS3 model that lacks backwards compatibility is the cheap 40 GB model. Just buy one of the other models.

Microsoft is the one with poor backwards compatibility only supporting a small percentage of the original XBox library.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2008-01-18 02:12am

Connor MacLeod wrote:
Ghost Rider wrote: But, but ...those features make for better subjective gaming experiences!!

I mean instead of buying a real DVD player and game system...you can get an all in one!

Why buy a computer at all? What need will you have for such a primitive item when you can buy MS/Sony Playwonder IV! Even if the UI and functionality sucks balls.
Dont' forget Blu ray and HD-DVD. Buying a console means buying a share into th eformat wars

The format war is practically over; Blu-ray won.

Yes, you're going to whine: "Blu-ray makes the PS3 more expensive", and I'll grant you that that was a valid argument a year ago. But the PS3 is practically cheaper these days.

Consider that an XBox 360 Premium is $350 plus $50 a year for Live.

A PS3 is $400 with free online play for live. Plus it includes built in WiFi ($99 addon for 360), more hard drive space and a Blu-ray player.

Sony takes a much bigger loss on the hardware than MS.

A 360 + 1 year of Live is the same price as a PS3.

And before you say anything, hard drive space DOES matter; Sony's actually using digital distribution. Warhawk costs $60 in stores but if you buy it off of PSN and download it to the hard drive it's $40. That's a pretty cool deal right there.

And now that the PS3 supports DivX the hard drive space might actually go to use.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2008-01-18 06:22am

Praxis wrote:
Connor MacLeod wrote: What REALLY annoys me (about the PS3) is that the one feature I was perhaps most interested in was the backwards compatability (since I have a buttload of PSX and PS2 games to play) but since that's apparently a problem for Sony, its holding me back from even considering buying a PS3. Its enough to maybe even overcome my natural (Decades long) dislike for Microsoft.
What are you talking about? The only PS3 model that lacks backwards compatibility is the cheap 40 GB model. Just buy one of the other models.

Microsoft is the one with poor backwards compatibility only supporting a small percentage of the original XBox library.

It supports most of the big games.

Post by **Vympel** » 2008-01-18 10:07am

What are you talking about? The only PS3 model that lacks backwards compatibility is the cheap 40 GB model. Just buy one of the other models.

Unfortunately, in Australia the 40GB model is now the only one you can buy. Which really pisses me off - I wanted backwards compatibility, I wanted to play God of War/ God of War 2, MGS3, etc on my PS3.

(I'm very close to getting a PS3 - the advantage of the 40GB model being the only one on sale here is that it's cheaper ...)

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2008-01-18 10:58am

Praxis wrote:What are you talking about? The only PS3 model that lacks backwards compatibility is the cheap 40 GB model. Just buy one of the other models.

Microsoft is the one with poor backwards compatibility only supporting a small percentage of the original XBox library.

360 supports most XBOX games, and if you're going to ding it for software emulation, then the 80GB PS3 also uses only software to get the job done.

Post by **Kuja** » 2008-01-18 12:16pm

Praxis wrote:The format war is practically over; Blu-ray won.

Yes, you're going to whine: "Blu-ray makes the PS3 more expensive", and I'll grant you that that was a valid argument a year ago. But the PS3 is practically cheaper these days.

Consider that an XBox 360 Premium is $350 plus $50 a year for Live.

A PS3 is $400 with free online play for live. Plus it includes built in WiFi ($99 addon for 360), more hard drive space and a Blu-ray player.

Sony takes a much bigger loss on the hardware than MS.

A 360 + 1 year of Live is the same price as a PS3.

And before you say anything, hard drive space DOES matter; Sony's actually using digital distribution. Warhawk costs $60 in stores but if you buy it off of PSN and download it to the hard drive it's $40. That's a pretty cool deal right there.

And now that the PS3 supports DivX the hard drive space might actually go to use.

I really fail to see how PS3 'wins' at any point in this dissertation.

Xisiqomelir · Post by **Xisiqomelir** » 2008-01-18 12:50pm

Stark wrote:Wait, what? Are you really that much of a self-parody? 'Roll up his stock certificates'? Are you listening to yourself?

I'm sorry, I didn't know you wanted exacting, literal, hyperbole-free flaming. I'll keep that in mind for the future.

Post by **Vympel** » 2008-01-19 02:54am

I got a PS3 today. Couldn't resist any longer. Got Assassin's Creed, pre-owned with it.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2008-01-19 04:26am

Kuja wrote:
Praxis wrote:The format war is practically over; Blu-ray won.

Yes, you're going to whine: "Blu-ray makes the PS3 more expensive", and I'll grant you that that was a valid argument a year ago. But the PS3 is practically cheaper these days.

Consider that an XBox 360 Premium is $350 plus $50 a year for Live.

A PS3 is $400 with free online play for live. Plus it includes built in WiFi ($99 addon for 360), more hard drive space and a Blu-ray player.

Sony takes a much bigger loss on the hardware than MS.

A 360 + 1 year of Live is the same price as a PS3.

And before you say anything, hard drive space DOES matter; Sony's actually using digital distribution. Warhawk costs $60 in stores but if you buy it off of PSN and download it to the hard drive it's $40. That's a pretty cool deal right there.

And now that the PS3 supports DivX the hard drive space might actually go to use.
I really fail to see how PS3 'wins' at any point in this dissertation.

Then you're not paying attention.

Assuming you're playing online with the 360, the up-front cost is the same (PS3 and 360 cost the same amount once the first year of Live is factored in- factor more than a year and the 360 is more expensive, since PS3 is free).

Same price.

PS3 has a larger drive.

PS3 has Blu-ray.

PS3 has WiFi.

Same price, more features- I don't see how it loses.

As far as games, it's a matter of taste but unlike six months ago the PS3 actually has a pretty strong selection of software both out and upcoming.

Master of Ossus wrote:
Praxis wrote:What are you talking about? The only PS3 model that lacks backwards compatibility is the cheap 40 GB model. Just buy one of the other models.

Microsoft is the one with poor backwards compatibility only supporting a small percentage of the original XBox library.
360 supports most XBOX games, and if you're going to ding it for software emulation, then the 80GB PS3 also uses only software to get the job done.

It's functionally very different- the XBox 360 simply has downloadable patches (most of which are preloaded on the drive) for individual games that let them run on the 360. The PS3 actually has a general purpose emulator, which means the PS3 has a much wider range of compatibility- it's pretty darn near 100%.

Granted, the 360's has expanded to include most of the well known titles, but the PS3's got many, many more compatible games.

Vympel wrote:
What are you talking about? The only PS3 model that lacks backwards compatibility is the cheap 40 GB model. Just buy one of the other models.
Unfortunately, in Australia the 40GB model is now the only one you can buy. Which really pisses me off - I wanted backwards compatibility, I wanted to play God of War/ God of War 2, MGS3, etc on my PS3.

(I'm very close to getting a PS3 - the advantage of the 40GB model being the only one on sale here is that it's cheaper ...)

Well, that just sucks

Lusankya · Post by **Lusankya** » 2008-01-19 04:48am

Vympel wrote:
What are you talking about? The only PS3 model that lacks backwards compatibility is the cheap 40 GB model. Just buy one of the other models.
Unfortunately, in Australia the 40GB model is now the only one you can buy. Which really pisses me off - I wanted backwards compatibility, I wanted to play God of War/ God of War 2, MGS3, etc on my PS3.

(I'm very close to getting a PS3 - the advantage of the 40GB model being the only one on sale here is that it's cheaper ...)

What I find weird is the 60GB PS3s selling on eBay for upwards of $2,000. Seriously, for that price you might as well just buy a 40GB PS3 and a PS2, and a Wii and an X-Box 360 as well, just to complete your collection.

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » 2008-01-19 09:57am

The PS3 actually has a general purpose emulator, which means the PS3 had a much wider range of compatibility- it's pretty darn near 100%.

Fixed for accuracy, it seems that sony is making the 40GB without BW compatility the sole SKU worldwide it's already the case in PAL regions, it's only a matter of time it goes the same in the NTSC areas.

Same price, more features- I don't see how it loses.

games!
we are buying a game console after all.

doesn't help that all the current exclusive big games are european made. The PS brands seems to have lost his japanese-game preponderance.

And well; the service on the PSN is free but god it's shit, at least in europe, 15minutes to get into a game in warhawk yesterday. i thought that my connection died but i got into a COD4 in 5minutes.

my PS3 will only get to see games when i'll come back from japan since Sony seems dedicated to forbid import to it's european customer.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2008-01-19 01:30pm

Lusankya wrote: What I find weird is the 60GB PS3s selling on eBay for upwards of $2,000. Seriously, for that price you might as well just buy a 40GB PS3 and a PS2, and a Wii and an X-Box 360 as well, just to complete your collection.

It's not really that weird. It's just eBay console resellers being complete pricks. It is the main reason I don't use eBay to buy new gaming consoles off of though, there's too many idiots trying to make a quick buck by taking advantage of any system's given scarcity.

Enigma · Post by **Enigma** » 2008-01-19 01:40pm

Those that are willing to shell upwards of $2000 are stupid unless it came with some games. I got my 60GB PS3 from Ebay last Sept\Oct and paid roughly $400 for it. Bonus was that it came with a game despite the auction saying that it did not come with any games.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2008-01-19 01:45pm

Mobius wrote:
Same price, more features- I don't see how it loses.
games!
we are buying a game console after all.
doesn't help that all the current exclusive big games are european made. The PS brands seems to have lost his japanese-game preponderance.

Like I said, the PS3 actually has a pretty decent games lineup right now, subject to taste, and a strong set of upcoming games.

Not counting multiplatform games,
Uncharted, Folklore, Warhawk, Ratchet & Clank, Unreal Tournament III, Motorstorm, etc look good right now. Little Big Planet, Gran Turismo 5, Metal Gear Solid 4, Final Fantasy XIII, Devil May Cry 4, Killzone 2, etc look good in the short-term future. And it still has a ton of games that are available on both platforms.

Still, looks like you Euro owners got shafted on the PS3 models. Ick.

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » 2008-01-19 02:17pm

Devil May Cry 4

that one is multi-platform

a strong set of upcoming games.

never buy a console on what's coming; if i had known; i wouldn't have bought a NEC PC-FX and a Wonderswam back in the days.

Sephirius · Post by **Sephirius** » 2008-01-19 03:49pm

Mobius wrote:
Devil May Cry 4
that one is multi-platform

a strong set of upcoming games.
never buy a console on what's coming; if i had known; i wouldn't have bought a NEC PC-FX and a Wonderswam back in the days.

I have a Wonderswan, I still <3 it very much.
SD Gundam ftw.

Lusankya · Post by **Lusankya** » 2008-01-19 07:44pm

General Zod wrote:
Lusankya wrote: What I find weird is the 60GB PS3s selling on eBay for upwards of $2,000. Seriously, for that price you might as well just buy a 40GB PS3 and a PS2, and a Wii and an X-Box 360 as well, just to complete your collection.
It's not really that weird. It's just eBay console resellers being complete pricks. It is the main reason I don't use eBay to buy new gaming consoles off of though, there's too many idiots trying to make a quick buck by taking advantage of any system's given scarcity.

It's not the resellers. The bidding starts at $200, and then people actually bid up to $2000 or more, because apparently it's totally worth $1200 to have one console instead of two.

Lord Insanity · Post by **Lord Insanity** » 2008-01-19 09:41pm

Lusankya wrote:It's not the resellers. The bidding starts at $200, and then people actually bid up to $2000 or more, because apparently it's totally worth $1200 to have one console instead of two.

They must be the students who learned integrated math.

Post by **Vympel** » 2008-01-21 11:11pm

What I find weird is the 60GB PS3s selling on eBay for upwards of $2,000. Seriously, for that price you might as well just buy a 40GB PS3 and a PS2, and a Wii and an X-Box 360 as well, just to complete your collection.

Psychos. In any event, the loss of backwards compatibility is not, I suppose, a huge loss - the games I really wanted to play that I owned were traded in without my consent back when my brother early-adopted a 60GB PS2, and if I really want to play them, it's absolutely true I can just buy the dirt-cheap slimline PS3, but I likely won't.

I'm not that interested in my PS3 as an all-purpose media player - for that I have a brand new, dirt cheap, plays .avis (very important

) DVD player I picked up over Christmas - but it will be important when Blu-ray becomes the standard, which I believe it will - and I get a cool TV that can take more advantage of its capabilities.

Which is not to say I'm going to buy any Blu-Ray discs - not yet - only when they're cheaper.

My brother and my best friend both own a PS3 so I'm borrowing games off of them and we'll have an arrangement where we'll all swap from time to time.

Anyway, I think Assassin's Creed is quite fun (I could've just gotten it on PC, but who cares, it seemed like a gamepad kind of game to me) and I've had a go at my friend's copy of Heavenly Sword, which is a (surprisingly!) pretty good God-of-War style game - the SixAxis-compatible sequences where you control projectiles in flight are also pretty cool. The cast performances are damn good too (Andy Serkis FTW).

Anyway, I'm not actually looking forward to GTA 4, since it'll come out on PC anyway and every GTA game has been better on PC.

NeoGoomba · Post by **NeoGoomba** » 2008-01-22 01:00pm

It has been a tossup for me whether to get a PS3 or a 360 next month. But seeing all the crap about hardware breakdowns, and that rather excellent price comparasion by Praxis, it looks like I'm leaning towards Sony's devil machine now. It's not like I'm missing out on too much. I'll still get Oblivion and Fallout 3, but I lose out of Viva Pinata. A TOUGH thing to lose...but I'll manage without my Pinata death camps...I'll manage...

One question I do have regarding PS3's online capability, does it have a selection of games to download close to XBox Live? I know that things like the new Bionic Commando remake will be available on PS, but do they have other full games like Puzzle Fighter and Symphony of the Night like Live does?

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2008-01-22 01:03pm

NeoGoomba wrote:
One question I do have regarding PS3's online capability, does it have a selection of games to download close to XBox Live? I know that things like the new Bionic Commando remake will be available on PS, but do they have other full games like Puzzle Fighter and Symphony of the Night like Live does?

Click me.