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My Belief in the PlayStation 3 Advantage
PlayStation 3 offers a value proposition that’s second-to-none. This is the message that we’re taking out to consumers; we’re talking about blockbuster games, creative independent games, downloadable movies, music, photos and Blu-ray.
Blu-ray and Downloadables
When I talk about choice, this is what I mean. We offer both Blu-ray and a way to consume content without a disk.
The entire industry is supporting Blu-ray; retail and the studios are all aligning themselves behind this format. Its mission is critical to all these big retail companies, to the studios and to us. There’s a momentum that can’t be stopped. The big DVD business is being replaced by Blu-ray as the world moves towards high-definition. It’s going to be ubiquitous just as DVDs are ubiquitous.
This isn’t an argument against downloadable content, as some seem to argue. PlayStation offers both downloadable content and Blu-ray, built in. That’s a choice consumers want. We’ve got you covered if you’re a downloader, and we’ve got you covered if you want to have that collectible.
In addition, we’re offering Standard Definition as well as High Definition, and you can take content with you on PSP.
Games
Choice is part of the value proposition and it is something that is thread through all parts of our business model. It’s thread through our games, which are not just mono-experiences, but a variety of content-types from Little Big Planet to Gran Turismo to Metal Gear to Resistance 2.
Blu-ray, just to complete the circle, adds choice through our game offerings, because it offers the opportunity to create the biggest games. Literally, the biggest blockbusters can only be found on the PS3.
And, by the way, we’re also offering choice through smaller games on PSN via cool, creative little garage companies.
That’s just another example of how the Sony PlayStation model is about choice. We’re more open then some of our other competitors from a network standpoint. We are attracting that creativity from smaller developers. In a way it’s almost like the 16-bit days, when five guys in a garage could create something amazing, without having to invest heavily. Those games offer yet more choice to the consumer.
PSN’s Digital Lifestyle
A part of this array of choice is informing the consumer of what’s on offer. We’ve got games, Blu-ray, PlayStation Network but also digital media opportunities that are above and beyond just games and movies; music, photos and more.
That’s the value proposition; the array of choice and the services that are available through PSN, which, by the way, are free. We’re not forcing them to pay a subscription model - buy the content if you want it, rent it if you want it, or don’t buy it, don’t rent it. It’s really up to the consumer.
For Sony, it’s a part of our DNA to offer this value proposition to the consumer. That’s one of the reasons why I am excited about an 80 Gig machine with dual shock control for $399. It allows people to begin centralizing their behavior, in the living room where it belongs, where the fidelity and audio systems are there to show it all off.
Consumers are investing in big monitors and sound systems because they want comfort as a part of their entertainment experiences in the home. PlayStation 3 is a response to desire for a more personal experience. We have some impressive the assets including Blu-ray, downloadable service, media options, games.
The Future
Our ten year vision has been to anticipate and accommodate this demand, and to move with it, to future-proof ourselves with enough firmware update planning so that we have the ability to grow in front of the consumer. PS3 is the perfect example of forward thinking, of ignoring the notion of planned obsolescence. We recognize that the industry can’t go through that kind of trauma of three or four years whenever there’s a new system and development has to relearn things.
The brilliance of PS3 is that it’s not a dead, dumb terminal like other machines. We can throw layers of firmware into that box and always be contemporary with technology. We can reflect and respond to how people are using entertainment.
There is also another kind of choice, which is there for the development community. The technology, the cell processor, the horsepower under that hood, allows us to believe with confidence that developers are just starting to scratch the surface of what PS3 can do. Third parties are only just getting their arms around the technology of the PS3. For me, that translates into games that look and play differently, that offer more and more as we go forwards, without having to take a step back, while everyone relearns a new platform.
First Party Exclusives
In the next few years, you’re going to start to see us separate from the herd. Some of the other platforms are going to look very dated because their life spans are so much shorter than ours.
And we’re also offering more first-party exclusives. It’s a major flaw in some of our competitors that they don’t have the development resources to showcase on a global basis the diversity and the creativity of a development team that’s a thousand strong.
What that means is a huge resource of talent that’s thinking about ways to showcase the technology, who pride themselves on knowing the technology better than anyone, and eking out every last ounce of creative value.
If you’re a competitor I’ve got bad news for you because we’ve got some absolute blockbusters that are in the works, some of them new IP, some of them existing IP, that we’re building specifically for the PS3
From a competitive standpoint our competitors are going to have a tougher road now then even in 2008. But for PlayStation 3 consumers, it means more quality and more choice.
Blu-ray and Downloadables
When I talk about choice, this is what I mean. We offer both Blu-ray and a way to consume content without a disk.
The entire industry is supporting Blu-ray; retail and the studios are all aligning themselves behind this format. Its mission is critical to all these big retail companies, to the studios and to us. There’s a momentum that can’t be stopped. The big DVD business is being replaced by Blu-ray as the world moves towards high-definition. It’s going to be ubiquitous just as DVDs are ubiquitous.
This isn’t an argument against downloadable content, as some seem to argue. PlayStation offers both downloadable content and Blu-ray, built in. That’s a choice consumers want. We’ve got you covered if you’re a downloader, and we’ve got you covered if you want to have that collectible.
In addition, we’re offering Standard Definition as well as High Definition, and you can take content with you on PSP.
Games
Choice is part of the value proposition and it is something that is thread through all parts of our business model. It’s thread through our games, which are not just mono-experiences, but a variety of content-types from Little Big Planet to Gran Turismo to Metal Gear to Resistance 2.
Blu-ray, just to complete the circle, adds choice through our game offerings, because it offers the opportunity to create the biggest games. Literally, the biggest blockbusters can only be found on the PS3.
And, by the way, we’re also offering choice through smaller games on PSN via cool, creative little garage companies.
That’s just another example of how the Sony PlayStation model is about choice. We’re more open then some of our other competitors from a network standpoint. We are attracting that creativity from smaller developers. In a way it’s almost like the 16-bit days, when five guys in a garage could create something amazing, without having to invest heavily. Those games offer yet more choice to the consumer.
PSN’s Digital Lifestyle
A part of this array of choice is informing the consumer of what’s on offer. We’ve got games, Blu-ray, PlayStation Network but also digital media opportunities that are above and beyond just games and movies; music, photos and more.
That’s the value proposition; the array of choice and the services that are available through PSN, which, by the way, are free. We’re not forcing them to pay a subscription model - buy the content if you want it, rent it if you want it, or don’t buy it, don’t rent it. It’s really up to the consumer.
For Sony, it’s a part of our DNA to offer this value proposition to the consumer. That’s one of the reasons why I am excited about an 80 Gig machine with dual shock control for $399. It allows people to begin centralizing their behavior, in the living room where it belongs, where the fidelity and audio systems are there to show it all off.
Consumers are investing in big monitors and sound systems because they want comfort as a part of their entertainment experiences in the home. PlayStation 3 is a response to desire for a more personal experience. We have some impressive the assets including Blu-ray, downloadable service, media options, games.
The Future
Our ten year vision has been to anticipate and accommodate this demand, and to move with it, to future-proof ourselves with enough firmware update planning so that we have the ability to grow in front of the consumer. PS3 is the perfect example of forward thinking, of ignoring the notion of planned obsolescence. We recognize that the industry can’t go through that kind of trauma of three or four years whenever there’s a new system and development has to relearn things.
The brilliance of PS3 is that it’s not a dead, dumb terminal like other machines. We can throw layers of firmware into that box and always be contemporary with technology. We can reflect and respond to how people are using entertainment.
There is also another kind of choice, which is there for the development community. The technology, the cell processor, the horsepower under that hood, allows us to believe with confidence that developers are just starting to scratch the surface of what PS3 can do. Third parties are only just getting their arms around the technology of the PS3. For me, that translates into games that look and play differently, that offer more and more as we go forwards, without having to take a step back, while everyone relearns a new platform.
First Party Exclusives
In the next few years, you’re going to start to see us separate from the herd. Some of the other platforms are going to look very dated because their life spans are so much shorter than ours.
And we’re also offering more first-party exclusives. It’s a major flaw in some of our competitors that they don’t have the development resources to showcase on a global basis the diversity and the creativity of a development team that’s a thousand strong.
What that means is a huge resource of talent that’s thinking about ways to showcase the technology, who pride themselves on knowing the technology better than anyone, and eking out every last ounce of creative value.
If you’re a competitor I’ve got bad news for you because we’ve got some absolute blockbusters that are in the works, some of them new IP, some of them existing IP, that we’re building specifically for the PS3
From a competitive standpoint our competitors are going to have a tougher road now then even in 2008. But for PlayStation 3 consumers, it means more quality and more choice.
is this an ad? b/c it sure doesn't read like an article. I think they should put something like "Advertisment" across the top. C'mon EDGE - how about giving us some more articles with you know. . . .a little bit of edge?
Why not have Steinberg get into a Q/A with one of your writers? how about you post a holiday guide with each console's merits, in a simple PDF format to download for people to take to the store? How about a discussion a poll asking users if they would still buy a PS3 if the Xbox 360 had a blu-ray drive?
Edge offers game industry insiders a platform to have their say. Q&As are very common whereas features written by senior players in the business are rare, and, trust me, much more difficult to secure.
Thanks for your feature ideas. You are welcome to post them yourself in our blog section. If they are compelling enough, they'll be promoted to the front page and you'll win a year's subscription to Edge Magazine.
I think the qualities of PS3 are exaggerated but those who loved it before it existed, and it is being scoffered by those who own an Xbox360.
In all fairness, the PS3 is not market-leading but it's hardly a failure either. Global sales are not extremely far behind the 360, and the Wii is in another league.
However, Sony is indeed aiming to win their third console war. And from that standpoint, the PS3 is a horrible failure. But they aren't doing anything about it either, at least not what I can see. And now, the 360 is even starting to conquer Japan.
The problem with the PS3 is that it serves no purpose. For gaming, I would never trade it for my current 360, despite being a slightly more advanced piece of engineering, free online playing or several good exclusives. The 360 has for two years been 100% loyal to its game-loving owners and continues to be.
And that is all that matters. I think companies should learn from Microsoft, and put first things first. Games, in quantity and quality and accessibility, will always be the determing factor when the console war ends. That's why the PS1 and PS2 humiliated their opponents, and why Bluray makes a terrible flagship for a gaming system.
If we can draw anything from the current hardware situation it is that, with this generation, Sony dropped the ball BIG time and so far they are showing no particular signs of picking it up again. Think of the last two generations and how they were dominated by the Playstation brand. Is there anyone on this forum who didn't own a PS1 and/or PS2?
To still be trailing behind the 360 is not so much a statement of how far M$ have come (though credit where credit's due, they do seem to be getting it right) but how far the Playstation brand has fallen. With well over 100 million PS2s sold and a brand name like no other they should be dominating, not playing catch up in a poor third place.
So that leaves the question of why this has happened, and while the simple answer is Blu-Ray, it's forced adoption and (initially at least) prohibitively high price, i think there's a little more to it.
First and foremost it's the games, and more particularly the big names that have driven the brand, that Sony has let slide away, the great Playstation exclusives (with the single exception of the ubiquitous MGS) have all gone multi-platform (and fair play to M$ for that one). Yes, they have some new titles that are PS3 only but they've lost all the big guns. It's all very well saying they're coming but until the likes of God of War PS3 arrive it means nothing.
Secondly the great disappointment over the hardware. Sony claimed (as usual, you'd think we'd have learned our lesson last generation) that the PS3 was going to be kick the ass of the competition in terms of performance, and has it?... well no, in fact in most comparisons the 360 comes out on top, so when industry luminaries such as John Carmack say the PS3s only advantage is Blu-Ray it must come as a big blow to the PS3 fan base, and that's before i even mention Gabe Newell. So what we're left with is hardware that's hard to develop for but gives no great advantage over it's main rival, thus making it a pain in the ass for third party developers.
I only had the Dreamcast and an Xbox last gen. I never owned a PS2, primarily due to it killing the Dreamcast early based on pure hype & EA's lack of support (bought or otherwise). The Dreamcast had significantly better titles for it while it lasted. It took several years to get anything comparable on the PS2.
While I enjoy the occasional rental Blu-Ray movie, we only own a handful of them due to their still-exorbitant prices. I picked up a Blu-Ray/HD-DVD combo player last week with a new TV bundle (it was cheaper to buy the bundle than the TV alone), but it's currently on eBay because we don't own enough titles to justify putting it downstairs for the kids to watch. Somebody's buying them because the current bid is well over what I paid for it.
I also never owned a PS1 or PS2. But, to be fair, I all but abondoned video games during that period, so I'm not a good representation.
I owned a PS1 and PS2, mainly for Tekken. I'll be getting a PS3 when Tekken 6 comes out, IF it has online play and only if it is a PS3 exclusive (although I much prefer the PS3's dpad over the 360 piece of jumk dpad.
Gabe Newell has stated he hates the PS3, valve didn't even develope Orange Box for PS3, EA had to do that. And shit, left 4 dead isn't "planned" for the PS3. I'd be a bit pissed right now if I owned a PS3 and keep getting the shaft on potentially really cool games. To be fair though, he did back away from some of those comments a bit recently.
I typically purchase multi-platform titles on PS3 over 360, unless there's exclusive content or DLC on the 360 version. This came about due to having gone through multiple RRoDs, months without a 360 due to Microsoft's poorly-managed repair process, and still more months without purchased DLC due to their lovely DRM scheme (now mostly fixed).
We own all three "next-gen" consoles & rarely buy anything for the Wii. Most of the Wii games we rent (E, E10+ and a few T's here & there) from GameFly go back within a week due to their lack of depth or lack of fun.
I typically only buy known/purported quantities (e.g. LEGO, Mario & Sonic) on the Wii, and only then because it keeps my kids off of the big-screen so that I can play from our vastly larger libraries on the PS3 and 360 ;^)
As for TheDeleted's comment regarding nothing to play on PS3, try playing something from gyak's list below...
Sorry to hear about your poor repair process experience. I faired better with my RRoD experience.
Good post, couldn't aggree more about your Wii comments.
With you there, i've had RRoD twice and while both times i had a new console back within a week, it must be a right pain if the process gets delayed.
I also had the same experience with the Wii, great fun for the first few days then just sat there gathering dust, hard to see the what it offers for a hardcore gamer but they keep flying off the shelves so they must appeal to most people. At least it was easy to sell when i finally realised i was never going to play it.
With you there, too. I sold me Wii very easily after I didn't play it for months. But I did end up buying another one for my 2 1/2 year old, who gets a kick out of golf and bowling. I guess 2 1/2 year olds don't care about pixel shaders, they also don't care about crapping their pants...
We need games that don't feel like we've played them on the last gen of consoles.
If the PS3 was BC, at least it would get some use.
I've bought a few AAA titles for the PS3 and been left wanting, while the PS2 still delivers, even on games I've played through before.
Maybe I'm just impatient but I'm getting a bit bored waiting for this gen to really kick in, at least where the PS3 is concerned.
That's all well and good, but I'm a gamer.
So far I can think of two reasons I would own a PS3. MGS4 and FFXIII
Oops, sorry, I mean one reason.
OK, and Ico 3.
I'll buy a PS3 to join my 360 when the price is right, <=£200.
And they put backward compatibiltiy back. So I can play Ico and Colossus at 1080.
Can't go back to cabled controllers and PAL.
J1M.
Sony should just copy what Microsoft is doing with LIVE, and keep if free.
That would win people over.
If the Playstation 3's hardware is superior to the XBOX 360's, why not allow it to do the same thing online? If you get the basics (what LIVE offers) down, you can then build upon it by doing things the 360 can't.
I feel as if the reason Sony isn't copying is because they feel that they should stay somewhat original and be less obvious when doing it.
I say: Fuck that. Be more aggressive.
Sony was in the console market long before Microsoft decided to put out the XBOX.
Microsoft didn't have a problem copying the control scheme, which is by far more obvious than online play.
It's a business world, treat it like one.
Just out of curiosity, what, other than Sony saying so, makes you think the PS3s hardware is superior to that of the Xbox 360. From most developer comments i've read the opposite seems to be true. I'm not talking about Blu-Ray which is no doubt a good thing but also the reason the PS3 still costs so much more than the 360, but the underlying games playing hardware.
When you are competing with someone it is best to not copy everything they do, if you do, you better make it better and it better be something spectacular or else you will be chasing their coat tails forever. Sony is trying NOT to copy everything Microsoft does and they are trying to implement things their own way. What more is there with LIVE that you want? The only thing I know that is left is cross game voice chat. You have in-game xmb. You can launch a new game from the xmb. Microsoft has patented in-game music at the system os level so Sony has made it easier for developers to support it in their games.
My vote is to stop trying to copy someone else and invent your own wheel.
I have already said what's the main reason I don't like playing online on PS3: inability to mute all those morons, who keep their mics unmuted, blasting music away, or making some other noise, and inability to do anything about players who either cheat, or do other things considered inacceptable in human society. In XBL I can do something about it, like I said - I can mute the player, system-wide (it's not related to any specific game, it's completely independent feature, built into XBL), I can select to avoid this player and never be playing in the same game as him, or I can even submit a formal complaint to Microsoft about the player - all from XBox Dashboard, all - system features, not specifically designed or incorporated into any specific game.
And another thing - XBox from the beginning was being sold with a headset bundled, and the headset was pretty good. Some might not liked it, but the best part of it was its mute/volume controls: they were located on the plug, connected to your controller, so all these controls were right under your fingers. When you enter any multiplayer game on XBL - most people have headsets, but you won't hear a blip from any of them, unless they want to say something. And if anyone starts making noise - he will be shushed and cursed, and might end up having lots of "avoid" reviews submitted about him, or even kicked from the game, if the game has such a feature. And what you have on PSN is lots of people with unmuted mics, producing incredible amount of noise, and not a single person would complain about it: they all got used to it. I bought a bluetooth headset for PS3 just so I can turn it on (with its mic muted, of course), and leave sitting on the desk - just so that I don't have to listen to all that noise on my audio speakers. This is ridiculous :(
I thought the PSN had some differences, but I didn't know about a lot of the things mentioned. No feedback option, no muting option, no voice output option (speaker/headset/nothing). There's no way to send reviews or comlpaints? No avoid players option? Wow, I guess you do get what you pay for.
The main problem with Playstation 3 is lack of direction: Sony is trying to push it in all direction at once. In all irrelevant directions, except for one that actually matters: gaming. Its PSN service is free, sure, but there's a reason why it's free: there's really no service. Compare PSN to XBL! What XBL offers to gamers and what does PSN offer? XBL makes online gameplay a bliss: you can mute annoying players, you can mark them as avoided players, you can mark them as preferred players, you can even submit a formal complaint to Microsoft about a player. You can chat with other friends, who are not even in a game you're currently playing, both using text, video and voice - to up to 4 friends! You can send messages while in the game, you can invite friends who play another game. Et cetera et cetera. What does PSN offer? Absolutely nothing. So what is PSN, really? All it is a network connection - that's all. Nothing more, nothing less. And if that's what it is - it's also free on XBL.
But at the same time Sony spends time and resources, developing Life with Playstation, which would be used by like all 10 people, or Home, which adds absolutely nothing to what actually matters - games. It does not improve gaming experience at all!
And, speaking about bluray drive in PS3: it's slow as hell! Twice slower than the DVD drive in Xbox 360: 9 megabytes per second vs. 16 megabytes per second. Sure, you can install the content onto a hard drive, but it takes time.
MGS4 makes fun out of xbox 360 at some point, referring to the need to exchange disks, if you want to play a game that doesn't fit onto one disk. How many games for Xbox do you know that have more than one disk? And what is easier and faster: replace a disk, or wait for 5 minutes while a game installs its content onto a hard disk, as MGS4 does?
And my favorite: the fact that Sony vouched for Bluetooth (seems like Sony has a knack for everything blue ;) ) made it possible for people to use ANY headset with it, which made online gameplay simply UNBEARABLE, when coupled with complete lack of ability to mute players. So people started using regular cell-phone headsets, which don't have a mute button, and even those that do require you to move your hand to your ear to mute the mic. Enter any multiplayer lobby - and you'll be deafened by all the noise those headsets produce!
But look! PS3's got Life with Playstation 3, where you can stare at a screen with an Earth on it for hours! Because there's not much else to do with it...
One thing where PS3 is better than its main competitor is quiet operation and nice looking XMB. I hate my XBOX 360 simply because of all the noise, and I'm seriously considering getting that new case from Lian Li. That's pretty much the only thing Sony got right.
And I'm sure that until Sony finally starts paying more attention to the original purpose of PLAY station (I'm sure there's a good reason it's called _PLAY_station!) - gaming, PS3 will always be looked upon as something that's looking nice, but mostly useless.
Come November-ish, disc swapping for multi disc games won't matter to most of us 360 owners as you can install any 360 game you want directly to the HDD and only have to put the game in for DRM reasons. And since the disc won't be spinning, the 360 should be much quiter, and much cooler. So multi disc games, yeah you'll have to sit through load process once. The PS3 doesn't even offer the ability to rip any game you want to the HDD, only some games offer that. Some do partial, and some don't at all. 120 gigs should be quite enough for my game library.
I too feel that Steinberg's statement is somewhat "misplaced" given Sony's current situation. In short, they need to deliver and so far... they have done mostly the same Microsoft has with their machine. Given the fact they started off quite late, this isn't a bad achievement... but all this talk about a superior console is still just talk at the moment. Btw... I didn't feel like that disk swapping thing was 360 fun making perse... I thought it just referred to previous installments of the MGS games on the previous Playstation consoles.
One other advantage the PS3 has over the 360 is the easiness in replacing the harddrive...
Replacing the hard drive isn't easier on PS3 but is MUCH cheaper, sort it out M$!
The HDD for PS3 is internal. You can replace it??? How? And does Sony even sell stand alone HDD? I've never seen one.
Yes, you can, and it's pretty simple - I've got Toshiba 200GB, 7200 rpm model. Very fast! The problem is, there isn't much I can use the 200GB for - I figure the contents of the entire PSN store can fit on this disk alone :)
Google is your friend Nick.
Here you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkM9wiZePfs
As far as I know Sony doesn't sell HDDs -- you just buy them in hardware stores.
Youtube is red screened at my work so I'll have to wait till I get home. I take it any HDD works for the PS3 then???
Yup. The laptop (small) ones.
Over 99% of Blu-ray movie discs use 25GB discs, because that is the "standard" size for Blu-ray movie discs.
Over 99% of HD-DVD movie discs were 30GB discs, because that is the "standard" size for HD-DVD movie discs.
This is the reason why HD-DVD discs often had extra sound formats and extra special features that were not included in the Blu-ray version.
In fact, the Blu-ray versions of some movies did not have the special features included in the standard DVD versions of the movie, because the Blu-ray didn't have enough space.
Sony's brochures that talked about the "space advantage" Blu-ray had over HD-DVD, compared 15GB per layer to 25B per layer, and a 50GB disc to a 30GB disc looked wonderful...too bad it was 100% marketing nonsense. It was all a BIG LIE from Sony.
The FACT is that virtually EVERY Blu-ray disc uses a 25GB single-layer disc, while virtually ALL of the HD-DVD discs used dual-layer 30GB discs.
It isn't a comparison of 50GB vs 30GB...it is a comparison of 30GB vs 25GB...and Blu-ray comes up short. Too bad people only now realize this.
The HD-DVD format is dead. This comment is irrelevent now.
You are incorrect here. A single layer HD-DVD disc is 15gb. A single layer BR disc is 25gb. A dual layer HD-DVD disc is 30gb and the dual layer BR disc is 50gb. The BR discs have always had a storage advantage. Only after typing the following I realized you are wanting to use a single layer BR as the standard and a dual layer HD-DVD as the standard. Another thing to keep in mind was cost for a dual layer disc vs a single layer disc. Most people said HD-DVD's were cheaper to produce...well they are correct but seeing as most discs were dual layer it erased your cost advantage.
If you want to talk about video encoding they both used the same specs, mpeg-4, mpeg-2. avc, h.264, and vc1. Audio is virtually the same between the two as well. Besides storage another key difference is the data transfer limit. BR can transfer a max of 54mbs and HD-DVD could only do 35mbs. If BR lacked anything it was due to the content providers decision to not include special features, etc. If you really want to delve into the specs a visit over to the AVS forums will feed all those who are interested as I have certainly not even scratched the surface there.
Once again, where do you get your "facts"? Anyone here obviously can do a bit of research, and see what parts of your story are true and what parts aren't.
I don't mean to bash you every single time and I like the 360 as well... but your hatred towards Sony is somewhat ridiculous. Blu Ray won, get over it.
Not trying to beat a dead horse here, but yes BluRay won over HD DVD, but BluRay sales aren't exactly sky rocketing. Who really knows if BluRay will be the next standard. I don't think so. It may sit beside its older brother on the shelves, but it will never outsell standard DVD (not truly enough difference in quality for the average consumer). Kinda like the Wii, looks worse, but people don't care, they buy it in droves. DVD for that particular consumer (the much larger consumer base) is happy with DVD and don't want to buy ANOTHER what appears to them as just a nicer much more expensive DVD player with much more expensive discs. My opinion of course.
I completely agree w imaballa theres no way the 360 will last in the long run microsoft will cut and run soon asthe next system comes out not to mention they are almost out of exclusives there dropping there prices spending all kinds of money on ads seems like desperation to me just to make a quick buck b4 there lead on sony is over
@tirminyl,
again I don't see digital download as the future, it will be a hold day in hell when people ditch physical ownership for digital ownership.. read my previous post, there are issues with DRM and limited downloads... Blu-ray is here to stay for a long time for many years to come.
Digital download might only be a viable choice for rental alternative but not for permanent purchase.
id Game CEO John Carmack just last month disparaged Microsoft's Xbox 360 due to many poor choices they have made such as sticking with DVD and having no hard drive on all models. He also praised Sony on future proofing the PS3//
Think about it, games will only get bigger, and disc space is limited, games like Project Gotham Racing 4 had to have content cut out in order for it to fit on a single DVD-9 disc. You could have multiple discs but as John Carmack indicated there is a "service fee" per disc from Microsoft (Not royalty, but cost of manufacturing).
Also if you have a sandbox game or a simulator that requires the game reside all on a single disc DVD-9 will be a problem.
Also your wrong, the advantage Blu-ray discs had over HD-DVD were space, a dual layer Blu-ray disc holds 50GB vs dual layer HD-DVD disc holds 30GB, space will always win. That was one reason Beta tapes lost against VHS, because consumers complained that you can't even record a football game on Beta because of its 1 hrs limit. VHS 6 hrs.
Another reason Blu-ray won was because Sony currently owns the largest collection of movies in the world (including merger library), and has one of the largest studio in the world.
If a powerhouse studio never agrees to HD-DVD in a million years its a futile effort.
Also don't forget Microsoft only owns 2 active game studios, Lionhead and Rare, their future doesn't look all that bright when you look at the long term picture.
Play the scenario out in your head... EA, Capcom, Konami, Activision, will continue to crank out multiplatform titles with no exclusivity, and as time goes by platform exclusive titles will be the thing of the past..
As Scott mentions, when the dust settles in a couple years, the MAJOR differentiating factor will be FIRST PARTY STUDIOS.
No one can deny Sony holds some of the strongest studios in the world:
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
* Clap Hanz – Everybody's Golf series
* Polyphony Digital – Gran Turismo series
* SCE Japan Studio (Project Siren Team, etc.) – Ape Escape series, LocoRoco
* Team ICO – ICO, Shadow of the Colossus
SCEI Subsidiary Divisions
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
* Incognito Entertainment – Twisted Metal series, Warhawk
* Naughty Dog – Jak & Daxter series, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
* SCE Bend Studio (formerly Eidetic) – Syphon Filter series
* SCE Foster City Studio – Jet Li: Rise to Honor
* SCE San Diego Studio – NBA series, MLB: The Show series
* SCE Santa Monica Studio – God of War series
* Sony Online Entertainment LLC. – EverQuest, Star Wars Galaxies
* Zipper Interactive – SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs series, Massive Action Game
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd.
* Bigbig Studios – Pursuit Force
* Evolution Studios – World Rally Championship series, MotorStorm
* Guerrilla Games – Killzone series
* SCE London Studio (includes Team SOHO & Camden) – The Getaway series, SingStar series
* SCE Studio Cambridge (formerly Millennium Interactive) – MediEvil series
* SCE Studio Liverpool (formerly Psygnosis) – Wipeout series, F1 series
Sony Computer Entertainment Korea Inc.
* SCE Korea – EyeToy: EduKids, GloRace: Phantastic Carnival
Don't think short term, look at the big picture. Right now Microsoft's huge and frequent price cuts reek of desperation... cutting the price has always been last resort, why would you cut any potential profit and get into the negative unless you were afraid to lose.
It doesn't matter what Microsoft does, they can jump around waving their arms saying 'look at me' all they want. Sony has always treated the Playstation brand as something they build slow and steady, regardless if it was PS1 or PS2.
Imaballa, I was really unsure about my PS3 purchase, but after reading your post, now I feel better about the PS brand. I was a AVID SEGA fan and it was hard to go SONY. Long story short, PS3 MIGHT come in 2nd this time around but I dont think Microsoft have the gaming muscle to over take Nintendo or hold off Sony....
Just my 2 cents...
I think the order when its all said and done will acutally have the PS3 on top, followed by the Wii, then the 360. Its not fanboyism or anything like that (I'm a 360 fan all the way) but I think the Wii will cool down (not enough for the 360 to pass it up) and the PS3 will be like the PS2 is now, still selling well even aftter the PS4 comes out. MS will bow out at least one year before the PS4 comes out and drop the 360 like they did with the xbox 1 even if the 360 still has some life left in it. I think the 360 may have the worldwide lead over the PS3 when the next xbox comes out, then the PS3 will pass it and the Wii up. C'mon, there's no way the Wii will have a very long shelf life. Its already a generation old (hardware-wise). The next release of consoles will def be interesting...
How and when will the PS3 overtake the Wii? People have been expecting the Wii to cool down since January '07 and it has yet to happen. The Wii being "last gen hardware" CPU/GPU-wise hasn't been a problem thus far (obviously) except for those folks who get a hard-on for a shader or two. I don't understand how folks rationalize this miraculous PS3 bump like you do - nne cannot use the PS2's success as a model for what the PS3 will do. It clearly hasn't worked out thus far, that's for damn sure! And there's NO WAY the PS3 will have the PS2's staying power. No way. Wishful thinking at best. The best the PS3 can finish is second. But seeing how aggressive MS has become, I can't really call it anymore.
Normally I wouldn't think such things hating Sony and all, I'm just making a crazy prediction. I'd love to be wrong and the 360 will come out second. I think you could be right, and I hope you are.
I agree with you in regards to DD. My response was meant for rabbitc.
I also support Sony making the decision to fully support and rely on their 1st party studios to provide exclusive content for their system. The rise and development costs it doesn't make much sense for developers and publishers to make exclusives when they can go multi-platform and make money.
Agreed on 1st party. It seems MS has screwed that area up. The whole bungie thing (Halo is arguably the largest franchise right now) boggles the mind. They didn't lose Halo, but I don't think it'll ever be the same when bungie stops developing the Halo games. I don't know if they pissed bungie off, or they think they don't need them or whatever, but losing them had to have been one of the biggest mistakes they've made. I know if they didn't agree to let them free that most of them would have just quit, but what made Bungie want to go in the first place? MS' whoring of Halo and/or control over content??? Either way, MS is blundering their 1st party developement. They even let Bizzare go...
My DisBelief in the PlayStation 3 Advantage - Fony Plagiarization 3 by Bott Lyingnerd
PlayStation 3 offers a game lineup that’s dead last. This is the message that we’re taking out to consumers; we’re talking about lackluster games, time consuming independent games that see years of preview before being cancelled or announced as multi-platform, downloadable movies that prove Blu-ray has no future, music, photos and expensive $35 Blu-ray movies only 25GB in size that lack special features.
Blu-ray Nonsense and Downloadables
When I talk about choice, this is what I mean. We offer only 25GB discs for Blu-ray movies, compared to the 30GB discs used by HD-DVD for movies. Outdated video formats like MPEG-2 used in Blu-ray consume content on a disk very quickly.
The entire industry is supporting Blu-ray (and the successor to Bluray—Digital Downloads); retail and the studios are all aligning themselves behind this format for their personal financial desires, and they will turn their back on Blu-ray in an instant. Its mission is NOT critical to all these big retail companies, to the studios and is ONLY CRITICAL to us [Sony]. There’s a momentum in this BIG SONY LIE I’m telling that can’t be stopped. The big DVD business is growing with 1080p upconversion players, and is NOT being replaced by Blu-ray as the world moves towards high-definition digital downloads. Blu-ray is going to be ubiquitous just as Laser-Disk are ubiquitous.
This is an argument against downloadable content, as some seem to argue. PlayStation offers both downloadable content and Blu-ray, built in. That’s a choice consumers want. We’ve got you covered if you’re a downloader, and we’ve got you covered if you want to have that collectible. We just choose not to include the special features in the downloads, because we want you to buy those $35 over-priced under-delivering Blu-ray discs.
In addition, we’re offering Standard Definition as well as High Definition, and you can take content with you in extremely low definition on PSP.
Games – Or Lack Thereof
Choice is part of the value proposition and it is something that is thread through all parts of our business model. Your choice is: “Do you believe Sony’s lies, or do you recognize that we are telling you lies (such as 4D gaming at 120 frames per second).” It’s thread through our games, which are just mono-experiences, with little variety of content-types from Little Big Planet (still not available) to Gran Turismo (won’t be available until late 2009 or 2010) to Metal Gear (was ranked #1 in sales for on month, then dropped to #34 the next month, and is now unranked) to Resistance 2 (the sequel to a game that a large percentage of owners didn’t like the first time, but sold fairly well because it was the only PS3 game that was even worth considering).
Blu-ray, just to complete the circle, adds virtually no choice through our game offerings, because it offers the opportunity to create the biggest games in less than 1% of games (Proof: Less than 1% of Xbox 360 games require more than one DVD). Literally, the biggest blockbusters can be found on BOTH the PS3 and the Xbox 360, with far more exclusive titles on the Xbox 360, and multi-platform games superior and rated higher on the Xbox 360 .
And, by the way, we’re also offering choice through smaller games on PSN via cool, creative little garage companies, similar to what is being done on Xbox Live Arcade.
That’s just another example of how the Sony PlayStation model is about choice—choosing to believe our deception or not. We’re more open about lying then some of our other competitors from a network standpoint—at Sony we lie as a unified team, whether we are telling you the system will have 2 HDMI outputs, have 4D graphics, or launch worldwide. We are not attracting that creativity from smaller developers; they could never afford to develop for the PS3. In a way it’s almost exact opposite of the 16-bit days, when five guys in a garage could create something amazing, without having to invest heavily. Those games offer yet more choice to the consumer, which is why the PS3 still has ZERO GAMES in certain genres. For example, the PS3 has been available for THREE shopping seasons and still has ZERO games in the Real-Time Strategy genre.
PSN’s Digital Lifestyle
A part of this array of choice is informing the consumer of what’s on offer, but doing so in a way that deceives them. We’ve got inferior games, Blu-ray, PlayStation Network but also digital media opportunities that are above and beyond just games and movies; music, photos and more.
That’s the watered down value proposition; the array of choice and the services that are available through PSN, which, by the way, are free. We realize that in life you pay for what you get. That’s why we’re not forcing them to pay a subscription model - because we couldn’t deliver that level of quality. Buy the content if you want it, rent it if you want it, or don’t buy it, don’t rent it. It’s really up to the gullible consumer who believed our lies.
For Sony, it’s a part of our DNA to lie and offer deceitful propositions to the consumer. That’s one of the reasons why I am excited about an 80 Gig machine with a dual shock control that receives virtually no support for $399. It allows people to begin centralizing their behavior, in the living room where it belongs, where the fidelity and audio systems are there to show it all off so that people can turn up their subwoofers and shake things loud enough to make up for the lack of rumble support that the dual shock 3 controller does not provide.
Consumers are investing in big monitors and sound systems because they want comfort as a part of their entertainment experiences in the home. PlayStation 3 is a response to desire for a more personal experience. We have some impressive the assets including Blu-ray, downloadable service, media options, games – each a part of the reason why Sony Corporation continues to lose billions of dollars each year when intelligent consumers don’t buy inferior products or service.
The Future – According to Yahoo Games “Sony is in Big Trouble”
Our ten year vision has been to anticipate how consumers will react to this lie and contain this order, and to move with it, to future-proof ourselves with enough hardware damaging firmware updates – such as firmware update 2.4 – planning so that we have the ability repair the firmware damage and lie in front of the consumer. PS3 is the perfect example of forward thinking, because games are almost never released on time. At Sony we ignore the notion of planned obsolescence, but everyone outside of Sony realizes it is true, especially for the Playstation 3. We recognize that the industry hasn’t gone through that kind of trauma of three or four years whenever there’s a new system and development has to relearn things. We now see that only Sony has gone through that problem, because of the poor design of the Playstation 3.
The dullness of PS3 is that it’s a dead, dust collecting, dumb terminal like no other machine. We can throw layers of firmware into that box and always be contemporary with technology, yet still have an inferior game lineup. We can reflect and respond to how people are using entertainment, but we are Sony and you can always count on are promise for games, but lack of delivering those promises.
There is also another kind of choice, which is there for the development community. The technology, the cell processor (which has almost as much potential as the PS2 Emotion Engine according to Sony’s lies saying that the PS2 Emotion Engine CPU would produce graphics similar to the movie Toy Story and Jurassic Park), the horsepower under that hood, allows us to believe with confidence that developers are just starting to scratch the surface of the PS3—writing their initials in the PS3 hood with their keys in order to symbolize the wasted time, money, and effort developing on a machine with 6 SPE sub processors, but only 2 CPU Threads, which means developing for the PS3 is like having only two arms but being asked to juggle six balls. Third parties are only just getting their two arms around the technology of the PS3; we just hope they have a PhD in juggling. For me, that translates into games that look and play differently – in a way that is consistently inferior to what is released for PC and Xbox 360. We offer more and more lies as we go forwards, without having to take a step back, while everyone relearns a new platform of lies.
First Party Exclusives ………….. Eventually – Even to low-rated games that don’t deserve sequels (Killzone)
From the start, we saw Playstation 3 separate from the herd. Some of the other platforms [PS2 and PSP] are going to look very dated because their life spans are so much shorter than ours.
And we’re also offering more first-party exclusives than the single-digit number of games released during the last three shopping seasons. It’s a major flaw in our design engineers who poorly designed the Playstation 3 to the point that they don’t have the development resources to showcase on a global basis the diversity and the creativity of a development team that’s a thousand strong.
What that means is that there has been a huge WASTE of resource talent that’s thinking about ways to showcase the technology, who pride themselves on knowing the technology better than anyone, and eking out every last ounce of creative value.
If you’re a competitor I’ve got GOOD news for you because we’ve got some absolute blockbusters that are in the works for late 2009, 2010 or later, some of them new IP, some of them existing IP, that we’re building specifically for the PS3, and they will eventually be released…some day.
From a competitive standpoint our competitors are going to have an easier road now then even in 2008. Even in Japan the Xbox 360 has outsold the Wii and has outsold the Playstation 3 for the last two months. But for PlayStation 3 consumers, it means more quality on other systems and more choice for other systems to buy.
Company: I believe Sony is heading on the right track. As a whole, the company was thrown off by what the user and what the market demands and found themselves in need of a change. They have identified that change and have been taking those steps to fix it. The most desperate need of change was uniting all the divisions together. In the gaming segment I think the next focus should be on defining what each platform is specifically. What is the PSP? What is the PS3? They should let the developers and consumers know because now, the focus is split. Another glaring problem for developers is how all 3 regions work together. Many developers have complained about the submission process for each territory. Why can't developers perform one submission that pertains to all 3 territories?
Software: The company has admitted not being good with software development but they have been seeking to change that. I think they have been doing a good job and have been providing consistency across their platforms. One of such is the XMB which is shared with the PSX, PSP, PS3, and some Bravias. Being new to the software development market for the PS3, they have significantly increased the functionality of the console.
Downloads: Many people seem to think digital distribution is going to take over disc based media. I am 50/50 in that regards. For PSN titles, I have felt comfortable with purchasing and downloading games because I am freely able to re-download my game as many times as I like so as long I do not share my games with another activated console. This is a DRM scheme I much prefer over other console choices. Video rentals are never bad in regards to DD as it allows you to get the movies you want when you want it and the policies in place are pretty much standard on any other platform. For movie purchases, again, the DRM set forth by the studios is something I do not like at all. I will also combine it with the fact that DD "HD" movies will never compare to that of a disc based movie. The audio and visual quality will be sub-par in digital media and if I am to own a movie, I will want to own the best version and that will be on a BR disc. So as DD talks begin more and more we see large cable providers limiting the amount a user is able to download over their connection or providers entertaining a subscription based model for higher download caps and speed.
Platform: Sony has taken the right step in making their platform "open". Storage seems to be a key idea for Sony. They allow their users to modify the storace capacity of their console with no adverse affects to the warranty. They allow companies to place large capacity games on the Playstation.Network . Their choice in game disc media allows developers to use the space to their liking so their creations aren't limited. There are other freedoms that Sony allows but with each freedom comes a price. Sony being too open causes simple game features to be excluded from games. We know Sony will enforce trophies to be supported in all games after 1/2009. Has the same been done for in-game music? Voice chat?
Certainly, there is room for improvement, and it can be said for any company, but Sony has good momentum going on and the only ones who can stop it is them. That's enough of my rambling.
The only thing which is DEAD is TRASH BOX 360 and defunct HD DVD drive
DD will take off but only in MS dreams
GODFATHER has surged BLU RAY Sales by as much as 70% this week
Hey GARBAGE BOX 360 fans play RROD since there is nothing worth playing on that trash box of yours
while we play
Resistance 2
Motorstormm 2
Wipeout HD --out now TODAY
LBP
Naruto
Valkyria
and FINALLY the trash box360 killer in Japan(in Japan and europe that garbage box 360 is already dead) and the biggest RPG after FF13 ---White Knight Story
sucks to be an xbot --no game except RROD, defunct HD DVD drive and queers of war 1.1 with just 10 player online
You're the worst type of troll. So bitter.
Bro, don't even acknowledge this kid.
I have to disagree with you rabbitc,
Physical media is far far from being dead. With DVD sales 7 billion strong, we won't be moving onto full digital distribution any time soon.
I would say Blu-ray will last about 7 - 8 years, until the next format arrives...
Most average consumers like myself are weary of complete reliance on digital distribution due to DRM issues and lack of actual ownership.
I can see movie rentals moving towards that space, but not as a permanent purchase option. Many companies like Apple, Microsoft and even Sony have locked down these digital downloads to a limited amount. Which will really hamper portability and retriveability.
What happens when your hard drive goes bad as they all eventually do?
Not only do you lose the movie, you may have reached your download limit.
From what I see Sony has the strongest foundation with their 20 some first party studios, while competitor Microsoft only has two active studios at the moment (Rare and Lionhead). As time goes on, third party exclusives will go the way of the dinosaurs.
If you follow the dots you can see Microsoft is in for some rough times ahead.
imaballa - thanks for the reply but your arguments are irrelevant. I can appreciate why you feel so strongly about BluRay - but I have tried and tried to see the rational from all angles as to why BluRay will survive past 2012 and it just doesn't add up. If anything, transport media will involve solid state applications such as SDHC (or something similiar) as mutiple devices play into the fold (you can't put a BluRay disc into a mobile cell phone). The infrastructure is catching up and will eventually support hands-off data xfr freedom between devices governed only by your account information and your login.
As for the hard drive argument - this is the same risk employed now with saved games and downloaded content - answer: backups for soft data, and anything you have purchased is easily re-downloaded from the studio...you need only supply your account information. This means that you can recover your games - unlike a scratched disc...you need to buy a replacement.
You say sony has a strong foundation with 20 1st party studios - I'm sorry, but I must disagree that this is a foundation at all. Sony needs to drive much better 3rd party support if it is to survive the next 20 years. As it stands, their entire PSP division is under threat of collapse for that very reason. You cannot prop up your business with another of your businesses - especially if 3rd party titles that everyone wants to play are coming out for other, less-expensive platforms. To justify my original concern - Sony has alienated themselves from partners in both hardware and software - and this should be of grave concern to Sony International Inc.
Let's 'follow the dots' in a business fashion and research how Microsoft is pushing further and further into a collaborative partner environment from many different aspects. They have garnered incredible third party support for games and are actively working with future partners like IBM, ATi, Netflix, British Telecom, AT&T and many more. Microsoft is the ONLY company that has pioneered an open-source development platform for it's gaming division leveraging the power of indie developers through XNA. Microsoft also continues to push the envelope with online environments and will show just how fragile Sony actually is with the introduction of the NXE update this fall.
This is just the beginning - and the X360 is just a stepping stone in a much greater vision.
Sony can't see the forest for the trees. It's obvious to anyone who is looking at the big picture.
People said the same thing when MP3s were gaining momentum, "people won't stop buying CDs, they'll want the physical disc and packaging and linar notes, etc....This will never catch on." Now everyone and their dog has an iPOD and iTunes sells more music then Wal-Mart. I can totally see movies going the same way...and sooner then most people think.
Exactly. DVD may have 3 to 5 more good years ahead. But Blu Ray will be made obsolete by the downloading/streaming market before reaching mass-adoption level. Sony lost two format wars, now that it finally wins one, it's the one that doesn't really matter.