Slashdot Mirror

Why can't ESPN be it's own $8-12 /mo package?

Take a look at Playstation VUE's packages (no, you don't have to have a playstation to use it, I'm on the latest version of Amazon FireTV):

I get the Core Slim package for about $35/mo..has all the ESPN channels, and the SEC Channel.

This is part of my cord cutting package.

Just FYI...the VUE application is too much for the PS3 unit if you do have one...the guide just doesn't work well. And on the Roku 3..the Guide is not a true guide like on the Amazon FireTV. I'm guessing the Roku 4 is good too since it has more hardware, but I've not tried it yet.

I'm not sure what you're getting at? Do you mean 3 adults or what? If it is a shared household of 3 adults then they can pay for their OWN PS+. If it is an adult and kids, then the adult can decided if they want their kids to have online multiplayer, or not.

But PS+ accounts are per user, so it depends on WHO the devices are owned by and how many.

For example, I have ONE PS4 and it's set as the "Primary" and I'm a PS+ user. Any sub account on the system has access to multiplayer on this system.

If I had a second PS4 that was NOT set to primary, sub accounts wouldn't have access to multiplayer. (except for those games that don't require PS+ for multiplayer) But I could use multiplayer on that system while others used multiplayer on the Primary.

I have a friend with a PS4, while he currently has PS+ there are times he hasn't. Now if I was to go to his house and login as "Me" on that system, I would have full access to PS+ services on his machine whether he has PS+ or not since PS+ is per user.

https://www.playstation.com/en...

Well tell us first where there is an OS where steam is with all the most recent games without exception. Even steamsOS at the moment is not there.

FreeBSD, admittedly it's not Steam, but you can buy the boxes at your local enormo-mart. They look like this:

https://www.playstation.com/en...

It is one way of playing "some" of the "most recent games" without Windows.

Well some people just want to watch a movie once, and that's pretty much the standard price across the various services.

http://store.steampowered.com/...

https://store.playstation.com/...

http://smile.amazon.com/Hunger...

http://www.vudu.com/movies/#!c...

https://play.google.com/store/...

No couch multiplayer,

There are games with couch multi.

required internet connection

No console REQUIRES the internet, perhaps you are thinking of those early Xbox gaffes before release?

long boot times,

What do you mean by this?

frequent software updates,

They're not that frequent, why do you think they are?

input selection (PCs support keyboard/mouse, console controllers, etc, up to full HOTAS setups with rudder pedals and such).

Did you just time travel from 1999? The PS2/PS3/PS4 have USB ports for a reason. I've even hooked a Saitek x52 HOTAS up to a console.

https://store.playstation.com/...

https://store.playstation.com/...

http://www.amazon.com/Apache-A...

https://store.playstation.com/...

Consoles also lack the markets like Steam, GoG, GMG and Humble Bundle.

Because they have their OWN online markets, and places like Wal-mart, Amazon, etc etc.

No couch multiplayer,

There are games with couch multi.

required internet connection

No console REQUIRES the internet, perhaps you are thinking of those early Xbox gaffes before release?

long boot times,

What do you mean by this?

frequent software updates,

They're not that frequent, why do you think they are?

input selection (PCs support keyboard/mouse, console controllers, etc, up to full HOTAS setups with rudder pedals and such).

Did you just time travel from 1999? The PS2/PS3/PS4 have USB ports for a reason. I've even hooked a Saitek x52 HOTAS up to a console.

https://store.playstation.com/...

https://store.playstation.com/...

http://www.amazon.com/Apache-A...

https://store.playstation.com/...

Consoles also lack the markets like Steam, GoG, GMG and Humble Bundle.

Because they have their OWN online markets, and places like Wal-mart, Amazon, etc etc.

No couch multiplayer,

There are games with couch multi.

required internet connection

No console REQUIRES the internet, perhaps you are thinking of those early Xbox gaffes before release?

long boot times,

What do you mean by this?

frequent software updates,

They're not that frequent, why do you think they are?

input selection (PCs support keyboard/mouse, console controllers, etc, up to full HOTAS setups with rudder pedals and such).

Did you just time travel from 1999? The PS2/PS3/PS4 have USB ports for a reason. I've even hooked a Saitek x52 HOTAS up to a console.

https://store.playstation.com/...

https://store.playstation.com/...

http://www.amazon.com/Apache-A...

https://store.playstation.com/...

Consoles also lack the markets like Steam, GoG, GMG and Humble Bundle.

Because they have their OWN online markets, and places like Wal-mart, Amazon, etc etc.

certain genres (such as RTS's) not even available on consoles!)

The RTS genre actually originated on consoles. The first ever RTS, Herzog Zwei, was a Sega Genesis game.
'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

  It was a big influence on Westwood, it inspired Dune II. Blizzard also acknowledges it as an influence on Warcraft/Starcraft. Several early RTSs were ported to various consoles.

https://store.playstation.com/...

There's also Warcraft II, Warzone 2100, and Dune 2000, but you'll have to find the discs for those. They aren't on PSN...yet.

And although RTSs haven't made too many recent appearances on consoles, a genre that is descended from them, MOBA, is.

I was under the impression that it now supports DLNA. I don't have a PS4 myself, so I'm just going by what the internet says. Also, most all the major streaming sites have dedicated apps for both PS4 and Xbone - Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Twitch, etc. I wouldn't have even thought of suggesting someone use a browser to on a console.

You don't have to update to play a game or watch a movie.

Unless your movie is on Netflix or some other online service, or your movie is a BluRay that requires you to update your firmware.

Right, activities that require access to the Internet, require access to the Internet. But the thing provides lots of ways to 'watch a movie' (which was the original assertion) that don't require Internet access. You can 'watch a movie': via Plex, via a DLNA server, via USB drive, or via DVD, for example.

step 1) download unity.
step 2) develop your idea.
step 3) publish

it's not free in the sense of freedom and not fully open source.. but it would get you your idea and be publishable to 10+ systems without that bad tradeoffs.

they're fairly certain that this does NOT give the means to circumvent drm on disc based games.

the xboxone, it's just a windows machine. literally. this is for testing universal apps, literally. you could mostly test your simple game on a windows 10 phone. or the emulator. or the machine you're developing on with a game pad attached and it would largely be the same. thats how modern game consoles work, eos.

furthermore, this is not about disc based games, though you probably could use this as a means to develop something that would eventually get a disc based release.

as for sony? they already got something similar https://www.playstation.com/en...

you might be able to use this to sideload some uwp warez though. if for some reason someone wanted to.....

guys, if you don't go check what sdk's are on offer and publish routes then you really aren't interested in them..

Toy Soldiers: War Chest - $19.99 on PC, $25.75 on Xbox One.

Actually the game is the same price on all platforms. If you double check, you will see that the more expensive version you saw is the "Hall of fame edition" (which probably was on sale at the time, it was on sale on PSN), Which is $29.99 on Steam, Xbox store AND PSN.

https://store.playstation.com/...

https://store.xbox.com/en-US/X...

http://store.steampowered.com/...

The base "war chest" version is $14.99 on Steam, PSN and the Xbox store.

http://store.steampowered.com/...

https://store.playstation.com/...

https://store.xbox.com/en-US/X...

Toy Soldiers: War Chest - $19.99 on PC, $25.75 on Xbox One.

Actually the game is the same price on all platforms. If you double check, you will see that the more expensive version you saw is the "Hall of fame edition" (which probably was on sale at the time, it was on sale on PSN), Which is $29.99 on Steam, Xbox store AND PSN.

https://store.playstation.com/...

https://store.xbox.com/en-US/X...

http://store.steampowered.com/...

The base "war chest" version is $14.99 on Steam, PSN and the Xbox store.

http://store.steampowered.com/...

https://store.playstation.com/...

https://store.xbox.com/en-US/X...

You may not agree, but it's Common Knowlege that there is no market for same-screen multiplayer games on PC. Do you know of any PC gamers that play same screen multiplayer on their PC? Do you know any games that support same-screen multiplayer on PC that aren't already on console? There is NO need to research. All this "research" you talk about it just a distraction and a delay tactic on your part. You KNOW what you need to do and yet you keep on NOT doing it, I think in part because you know your limitations.

You can either:

Write a game by yourself or with others that is good enough. You CAN self publish. The barriers aren't that high, here are SCEA's rules:

https://partners.playstation.c...

Or you can join an already existing company.

For all the years you've been posting on Slashdot, you have done neither and the console makers are friendlier to Indies than they've ever been, so what are you waiting for?

Steam, being PC, is likely going to be around for a long time and will probably be able to serve up your games at any time so long as you have a compatible OS.

Valve was founded in 1996.
Microsoft was founded in 1975
Sony was founded in 1946.

Sony's first platform with digital store downloads was the PSP. If you go to PSN/SEN, you will see those PSP games right on there ready to download to any PSP...or Vita, or Playstation TV.

https://store.playstation.com/...

Plenty of older PS3 games on PSN too: https://store.playstation.com/...

Heck, SOE kept the PS2's first MMO running for 9 years.

Personally I'd be more worried about Valve than Sony or Microsoft.

Steam, being PC, is likely going to be around for a long time and will probably be able to serve up your games at any time so long as you have a compatible OS.

Valve was founded in 1996.
Microsoft was founded in 1975
Sony was founded in 1946.

Sony's first platform with digital store downloads was the PSP. If you go to PSN/SEN, you will see those PSP games right on there ready to download to any PSP...or Vita, or Playstation TV.

https://store.playstation.com/...

Plenty of older PS3 games on PSN too: https://store.playstation.com/...

Heck, SOE kept the PS2's first MMO running for 9 years.

Personally I'd be more worried about Valve than Sony or Microsoft.

If you have a PS4 you can live without Windows games too.

When any console supports KB/M for FPS, we can talk about not using a Windows system for gaming. Until that time, I'll be on my PC.

Any console? Guess you'll be giving money to "M$" when you get an Xbox One .
Now before you pick up that goalpost to start moving it, how about a PlayStation 4?

I'm not a PS4 (or any other console) fanboy, but I read this and can't help wonder: It there anything that stops a user from replacing the hard drive in a PS4 with a larger drive themselves (wonky interfaces? self destruct when opened cases? magic formatting of the drive that can't readily be duplicated?)? Is it a typical 3.5 inch drive or a smaller drive?

Sony pretty actively advertises that the PS4 HDD is completely user-upgradable. IIRC the PS4 manual contains instructions, and they also have them online here.

I've read articles that have tested magnetic, SSD, and Hybrid(SSHD) drives, and they all work just fine. The main limitations appear to be in terms of physical size (2.5" drive, 9.5mm or less in height). Word has it you can use up to a 6TB drive, although the people doing so are using 3.5" drives in external enclosures (and I've read some reports of some weird issues with powering such systems up).

Yaz

Probably not going to happen because of this. Sony doesn't want you to be able to play the games you already bought. Then again, Microsoft doesn't really want you to either, but they're behind in the game, so their hand was forced. Also, backward compatibility only supports a handful of games. I typically don't buy a console until 3-4 years after it's out, then I can get GOTY editions of games for $30 instead of new "patched out of the box" games for $60.

But other games are rejected by Sony and Microsoft, such as Manhunt 2.

Tepples, why the heck do you keep stating such outdated and incorrect info? I know you have your axe against the console makers because they don't just hand out devkits and whatnot to every "garage developer" with a dream, but that's no excuse for getting facts wrong or exaggerating the facts to grind your axe against the console makers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii

https://store.playstation.com/...

The rejection was more "nuanced" than you implied. The AO version was rejected, the game was then edited to M status, and that was released.

/me shakes head.

You're doing that thing again where you assume that because something was true at one time or for one particular group, that it is still true. Your hyperfocus and obsession with how you percieve indies being disregarded by Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo, seems to stop you from updating your knowledge. In other words, Where have YOU been?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

https://store.playstation.com/...

You do know that PSN and the Xbox Marketplace have sales as well, right?

I'm not personally familiar with the Xbox ecosystem, but PSN has WEEKLY sales/discounts, then there are holiday sales, and themed sales (had a star wars one a few weeks back) and seasonal sales.

https://store.playstation.com/...||price~asc

On the Playstation Network:

Doom Classic Complete for PS3:

https://store.playstation.com/...

DOOM 3 BFG edition (also includes DOOM I and II)
https://store.playstation.com/...

Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition:

https://store.playstation.com/...

For PC:

DOOM Classic Complete on Steam:

http://store.steampowered.com/...

or

sudo yum install prboom

or

sudo apt-get install prboom

Then all you need are the wad files, which are included on the DOOM Collectors Edition disc, which also includes the DOOM95 binaries. Or you can just use the WADs from your original discs.

Secret Of Monkey Island Special Edition for PC on GOG:

http://www.gog.com/game/the_se...

Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition for PC on Steam:

http://store.steampowered.com/...

On the Playstation Network:

Doom Classic Complete for PS3:

https://store.playstation.com/...

DOOM 3 BFG edition (also includes DOOM I and II)
https://store.playstation.com/...

Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition:

https://store.playstation.com/...

For PC:

DOOM Classic Complete on Steam:

http://store.steampowered.com/...

or

sudo yum install prboom

or

sudo apt-get install prboom

Then all you need are the wad files, which are included on the DOOM Collectors Edition disc, which also includes the DOOM95 binaries. Or you can just use the WADs from your original discs.

Secret Of Monkey Island Special Edition for PC on GOG:

http://www.gog.com/game/the_se...

Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition for PC on Steam:

http://store.steampowered.com/...

On the Playstation Network:

Doom Classic Complete for PS3:

https://store.playstation.com/...

DOOM 3 BFG edition (also includes DOOM I and II)
https://store.playstation.com/...

Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition:

https://store.playstation.com/...

For PC:

DOOM Classic Complete on Steam:

http://store.steampowered.com/...

or

sudo yum install prboom

or

sudo apt-get install prboom

Then all you need are the wad files, which are included on the DOOM Collectors Edition disc, which also includes the DOOM95 binaries. Or you can just use the WADs from your original discs.

Secret Of Monkey Island Special Edition for PC on GOG:

http://www.gog.com/game/the_se...

Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition for PC on Steam:

http://store.steampowered.com/...

No one sends anything confidential via webmail. That's what local applications are for. They all support SMIME

And StartCom has been handing out S/MIME certificates without charge. This is fine so long as A. the mail user agent on the device supports S/MIME, or B. the device's operating system publisher allows installation of third-party mail user agents. All PC operating systems have B, but I can think of a few commonly used mobile devices that have neither. For example, does the Email app on PlayStation Vita support S/MIME yet?

There is literally nothing for me to buy right now. Why can't this 10% off be in the form of a code that we can use any time we wish?

Isn't that pretty much what Sony are saying they will give. A code you get to apply to a shopping cart once?

"In addition, sometime this month we will announce that for a limited time, we will be offering a 10 percent discount code good for a one-time discount off a total cart purchase in the PlayStation Store as a thank you to all PSN members."

I suppose the the "for a limited time" could be a problem, depending on how reasonable it is. If it was something like 6 months then it probably isn't too bad. In that time frame there would probably be something you would buy anyway. At that point it probably comes down to whether the code recipient us capable of delaying gratification. If there's plenty of time to use the code and you choose to use it to buy things you wouldn't have otherwise then that'd be your choice (no doubt one Sony would be happy with). Personally I'll aim to hang on to it until there's something I want. If it turns out there's a game I want, a TV series I want and a movie or two I'd like to see then the 10% could be quite a saving. Then again I've already got more games queued up than I have time to play.

PS+ is a subscription service
And
https://support.us.playstation...

Which is why I didn't end up buying one.
Went round to a friends to see if it was worth getting. "Lets fire up multiplayer then" - "We can't, you have to pay extra for that".

Then Battlefield 4 came out on the PS3 (it was advertised as PS4 "exclusive") which settled the argument. (BF4 is still a crashy pile of shite btw, but only FPS other than BF3 with realistic helicopters afaik)

Next title I play regularily will be back on the PC, which I haven't really done since the counter strike days.

From the article: "In both cases, the developers suggest the best strategy is to make games they're passionate about." But in order to make games you're passionate about, sometimes you have to "pay your dues" to the incumbents by developing games you're not passionate about in order to gain access to platforms suitable for games you're passionate about.

Startup studios not staffed by long-time veterans of the mainstream video game industry have been limited in what platforms they can code for: either PC (Windows, OS X, GNU/Linux) or touch-driven mobile devices (iOS and Android). And the limits of these platforms in turn limit the choice of genre. PC isn't the best for "party" style games designed around sharing the screen with IRL friends because few people think to put a PC in the living room. And without directional controls and trigger buttons usable by an application, touch-driven mobile devices severely limit the controls that can be implemented: a platform game essentially has to be an endless runner like Canabalt or Temple Run instead of an exploration-oriented Metroidvania. I'm aware of exceptions, such as a home theater PC (hi Hairyfeet) or a mobile device with buttons (Xperia Play phones and JXD tablets), but I've been repeatedly told they're nowhere near popular enough to provide enough sales to sustain a studio.

But lately I've been told that PlayStation seems to be the best family of platforms to which a startup developer can port games in genres traditionally associated with consoles. Sony Computer Entertainment has been courting indie developers with recent steps to make the developer approval process closer to that of iOS, such as the Pub Fund for worthwhile timed-exclusive games and the Developer Program for PlayStation Suite. Or are people who play indie games also people who "nevar forget" about Sony's past (XCP, Other OS, George Hotz, etc.)?

1. 1. Omni motion "trackpad" -- $500 (or similar product)
2. 2. Oculus rift headset -- $350 (devkit2 pricing)
3. 3. Razer Hydra or similar -- $140 (priced from here)
4. 4. playstation move motion controller -- $70
5. 5. at least commodity laptop worth of components to power it all -- $450 (based on middle tier notebook here)
6. 6. At least basic surround sound or decent headphones -- $90 (here and here)
7. 7. A decent gaming computer ~$1500

So that brings the overall price to ~$3,100 if you don't already have a gaming box and ~$1,600 if you do. Plus the const of your living room. This is totally in price for a lot of people. It's all available in hardware form now (to varying degrees of "done").

The major problem is what you pointed out: it will eat your living room/den. These costs and tech are also only for one player and you might get interference/tracking issues with more than on person in the same room. Only people who have solo/networked gaming as their primary form of entertainment will be willing to to make this trade off (that still is a lot of people). BUT, it's super affordable from a business aspect. Take a building, divide it into sound-proofed closets. Put one of these units into each of said closets. Have a desirable set of games (could even be one a la LaserQuest) that people want to play (or with telepresence bots: virtual tourism! (project tango?)) and it's really something to get in on. You could also see it used easily in therapies, spas (walk through a beautiful garden), military training (not as good as the real thing, but decent),and whole lot more.

That said, businesses won't be willing to invest in this without content Just like 3D movies and TVs, the life and death of an entertainment technology depends on the content available to it. There are a lot of companies jumping on the VR bandwagon right now. I think there will be a good set of initial IP that launches with these products or it will integrate with previous games (Skyrim, etc.), but there has to be something that makes you throw your money at them.

Overall, it's getting cheaper, faster and better. I think within 5 years everyone will know someone who has VR in their house.

Because I know what the consensus about best practices used to be, not what the consensus has changed to.

Why does consensus matter? If you spend all your time trying to figure out "consensus" on "best practices" or "whether one needs to move" then you won't DO anything. Or maybe that's your goal, as long as you do that, you don't actually have to DO what you might be skittish about doing (a la moving far from your support network)

During 2012 and 2013, console makers revised their developer qualifications to better compete with other markets such as Apple's App Store and Google Play Store.

You're an adult, talk to them yourself. http://us.playstation.com/deve...

really, e-mail them/apply, DO something. But as I've said a million times...wouldn't it be far easier to join an already existing development house?

Looks like they fixed the offer

UPDATE: Our priority for DRIVECLUB is to enable you to play and enjoy everything it has to offer and PlayStation recognises that the prior plan for DRIVECLUB entitlement for the upgrade to the PS Plus edition was not appropriate. As a result, we have adjusted the PlayStation Plus terms for DRIVECLUB.

Now, If you intend on downloading DRIVECLUB PlayStation Plus Edition, and upgrading to the full game experience, you will have access to the full game even if your PlayStation Plus subscription runs out.

Read for yourself

No paying to play online

Really, your only valid point. However, many MMOs still cling to subscription models. Plus the Wii U has free online.

your ability to use the input of your choosing,

This isn't a console problem specifically. That's a nintendo/microsoft/3rd party dev problem. Ps2, Ps3 and Ps4 all support standard devices over USB should the developers so choose. Unreal Tournament, Dust, Silent Scope and a bunch of other games supported using standard devices on the PS.

cheaper games,

...and? They're actually bad for the industry It's not like console games broke the bank to begin with. Not unless you were crazy and imported.

mod support,

That's a feature on consoles. Games should be able to stand on their own.

graphical fidelity (Even $550 systems can do 1080P/60FPS at higher graphical fidelity than XB1/PS4),

Graphical fidelity isn't bad to begin with on consoles. There's also a human limit to which graphical fidelity can be achieved. Making more graphical detail costs money, time and man power.

Also, at what cost? Fiddly drivers, OSes and other things to futz around with? Not to mention to power all of that means I need some big noisy video card and CPU or fiddle around with low noise cooling solutions. Generally, not my idea of fun.

I also can't imagine how the PC gaming world is sustainable with games being so cheap, but yet somehow also looking so much better.

ability to upgrade and customize your system without being XBL banned (New HDD because 500GB is too small? Banhammer)

This is an Xbox/Nintendo problem, not a console problem.

not being locked into buying officially supported peripherals,

Other than controllers, and even then developers can opt to support non-officially supported peripherals, the PS4 can use all manner of standard USB devices. Same with PS3, PS3 even goes further with controllers.

true multitasking

Again, that's not feature.

Seriously, not having to deal with other processes running in the background? Feature.

more exclusives

Any worth playing? Any worth making the absolute remark that PC gaming is superior? Should I trash my PS3 because I can't play Papers Please on it?

, friendlier for indie development,

Sure, but, again, like point above, should I completely ignore other gaming outlets over this? Some AAA titles are still worth the hype because they're lead by really smart people with a lot of resources at their fingertips.

and a more mature community.

Yet somehow I still get called racial, ethnic, sexual and sexuality based slurs online. The abuse is actually worse on PC than it is on either XBL or PSN.

Should I continue?

Sure, if it makes you feel better about it.

I'm not discounting the PC as a gaming platform where fun games can exist, but *superior*? You PC gaming people are nuts.

More than that. One list I found lists 33 1080p native games, and the list may not be complete (It lists upscaled games as well, which I edited out, but doesn't include any of the Final Fantasy titles, all of which I know are 1080p, although FF13, at least, is apparently upscaled). Here they are:

Bioshock
The Bourne Conspiracy
Call of Duty: World at War
Civilization Revolution
College Hoops 2K7
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli
FIFA 09
FIFA Street 3
Gran Turismo 5: Prologue
Kung Fu Panda
LEGO Batman: The Videogame
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Medal of Honor: Airborne
Metal Gear Solid 4
Metal Gear Online
Midnight Club: Los Angeles
NBA 2007/2008/2009
NBA 2K7/2K8/2K9
NHL 2K8/2K9
Ninja Gaiden Sigma
NBA Street Homecourt
Quantum of Solace
Ridge Racer 7
Saints Row 2
Super Stardust HD
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection
Warhawk
Wipeout HD
Virtua Fighter 5
Virtua Tennis 3

http://us.playstation.com/ps3/...

Sony SimulView allows you to view two different HDMI sources on one 3D display. PS3 (and eventually the PS4) has a few games that support SimulView... It splits the 3D source so one angle is one player and the other angle is the other player, both 1080P. There are some fantastic options out there.

I can share easily with the PS4 on twitch, all I need.

Well that proves the article wrong in stating you can only share to Facebook. In fact you can share to an "Online Service" see here although at the moment (it is coming) you can't upload to Youtube. Still I do agree with the first poster that games are more important and for those who need to share they have to realize that this feature is only available if the game actually permits it.

In the interim I will stick with my PS3 since I am not interested in the initial games for the PS4. Of course later on that will change.

You are responsible to show the proof as you set the statement.

As far as I know, the Official Sony PlayStation 4 FAQ states that the PS4 system does not support audio CDs.

There is a mandatory day-one firmware update, which is just north of 300 MB. If you have an internet connection and a USB drive (aka, if you are reading this) go to PSN to pre-download.

And that's exclusive to Nintendo. Try to transfer your digital purchases to PS4

Perhaps you don't know about "cross-buy", or that PSN purchases are tied to account, not machine so if a title is supported on multiple hardware devices, you can have it on them all after buying it once. A good example are the PSone classics, or the following:

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/10/16/flower-flow-sound-shapes-escape-plan-coming-to-ps4/

Also applies to DCUO.

You are correct, partially. Only three specific models of PS3 support older PS2/PS1 titles. See https://support.us.playstation.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/232/session/L2F2LzEvdGltZS8xMzgyOTAzNzcyL3NpZC9RNjdVTVNEbA%3D%3D for reference. PS2 supports PS1 titles, although PS2 itself is not that easy to find these days.

The XBox 360 has a 3.5mm jack on the controller, for headsets to plug into.

You mean 2.5mm. The original Xbox had one of these too, but you had to use a doodad that connected through the memory card port in the controller. Kind of like how they forced you to purchase a remote control in order to watch DVDs. Also the original headset for the 360 was designed in such a way that it utilized a connector that prevented its use with anything other than a first party (or similarly designed third party) Xbox 360 controller.

The PS3 did not.

The PS3 instead supported standard USB headsets and Bluetooth headsets which are just as prevalent (if not more so, combined) than 2.5mm headsets. Also, this is in stark contrast to the Xbox 360's wireless headset, which used a proprietary RF interface. The only time, to my knowledge, that the Xbox 360 supported a USB microphone was in Rock Band and its sequels.

Then there's the storage drives. For the PS3 it was a 2.5" SATA drive hidden behind a little door, and could be easily removed and replaced. The Xbox 360 utilized 2.5" SATA drives as well, but hidden inside a proprietary case with a proprietary connector that was only to be replaced with other Microsoft manufactured drives. The 360 S *also* used 2.5" SATA drives, but in a different casing that made it entirely incompatible with the original 360 drives (both of which are sold at an exorbitant markup versus standard SATA drives), and to transfer data between drives you had to have a proprietary cable.

Then there was the proprietary Wifi adapter for the 360, and Xbox Live, which is necessary to play games online, be involved in party chats, use the web browser, and watch videos through other services you may already be paying for (including YouTube, Hulu Plus, Netflix, and Comcast's Xfinity among many others) which went from $45 per year to $60 per year (or from $8/mo to $10/mo).

So let's not get all high and mighty about which console manufacturer is better than the other. They all do it. That's what console gaming has become. And if you don't like it, your option is to either wait for Steam Machines or build yourself a PC, because that's the alternative.

The XBox 360 has a 3.5mm jack on the controller, for headsets to plug into.

You mean 2.5mm. The original Xbox had one of these too, but you had to use a doodad that connected through the memory card port in the controller. Kind of like how they forced you to purchase a remote control in order to watch DVDs. Also the original headset for the 360 was designed in such a way that it utilized a connector that prevented its use with anything other than a first party (or similarly designed third party) Xbox 360 controller.

The PS3 did not.

The PS3 instead supported standard USB headsets and Bluetooth headsets which are just as prevalent (if not more so, combined) than 2.5mm headsets. Also, this is in stark contrast to the Xbox 360's wireless headset, which used a proprietary RF interface. The only time, to my knowledge, that the Xbox 360 supported a USB microphone was in Rock Band and its sequels.

Then there's the storage drives. For the PS3 it was a 2.5" SATA drive hidden behind a little door, and could be easily removed and replaced. The Xbox 360 utilized 2.5" SATA drives as well, but hidden inside a proprietary case with a proprietary connector that was only to be replaced with other Microsoft manufactured drives. The 360 S *also* used 2.5" SATA drives, but in a different casing that made it entirely incompatible with the original 360 drives (both of which are sold at an exorbitant markup versus standard SATA drives), and to transfer data between drives you had to have a proprietary cable.

Then there was the proprietary Wifi adapter for the 360, and Xbox Live, which is necessary to play games online, be involved in party chats, use the web browser, and watch videos through other services you may already be paying for (including YouTube, Hulu Plus, Netflix, and Comcast's Xfinity among many others) which went from $45 per year to $60 per year (or from $8/mo to $10/mo).

So let's not get all high and mighty about which console manufacturer is better than the other. They all do it. That's what console gaming has become. And if you don't like it, your option is to either wait for Steam Machines or build yourself a PC, because that's the alternative.

Maybe it would be easier for them to tell us what DOES work. Do they have some new headset with some sort of weird proprietary connector (hard as it is to picture Sony going with a proprietary device)?

Hell, does it have an 1/8" stereo jack (NO!) or did they just throw headsets entirely under the bus? Of course, you could just use a set of headphones with your stereo attached, but that doesn't get audio in, so this is still odd for them to do given how many games use teamed audio nowadays. WTF Sony?

* Allow upgrading of.....storage.

Done

https://support.us.playstation.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/362/~/upgrade-the-hard-disk-drive-(hdd)

And most of all, allow keyboard and mouse.

They do! There's no "allow" about it. It's up to the developer/publisher to decide to whether to use it or not. It's common for text entry, on the PS3 any game that uses the PS3's standard text entry widget automatically supports keyboard. If you want to use them for controls...well that's different, besides, analog movement is better than WASD.

Some of the Eve gamers who are trying out Dust514 are finding out what I learned years back with the PS2, that hybrid controls, analog stick for movement and mouse for aiming, work well and give you the advantages of both control methods.

But the point is that 'the buyer' has choices and features on the PC.

For a lot of people, the price premium matters and the lack of supposed "choice" doesn't bother them too much.

I have worked in Oracle, been involved in documentation efforts and publishing it to customers, and it is unthinkable to ever take back features that are promised in documentation. Didn't happen in my tenure, but it was understood that if it happened it would be an enormous blunder on the part of involved employees as well as Oracle as a whole. Oracle would arguably be taken to courts, by much more capable litigants than Sony's idiot customers, and be in a heap of trouble.

Like this? Of special interest is the line "They are supported in this release for backward compatibility. ". "In this release". Not "forever". Store that in the empty can you call a head.

And Sony advised people how to back up their stuff as well before OtherOS would be removed.

What is there to avoid about it? Of course it is advertisement. When I told you your post amounts to advertisement being an act of making something generally known, it is to be understood that Oracle documentation is much much more generally known so much more of an advertisement. You are just too thick to get that.

Pathetic. You are pathetic.

Using infantile logic to to justify your hatred. Claiming, in effect, that every single word posted on the Internet is an advertisement, be it documentation, manual, or anything else. Try communicating your idea that that piece of documentation is an advertisement and you will be laughed at (except, of course, if you preach to a likewise choir of Sony-haters - in which case you will probably meet with thunderous applause) by normal people.

BTW, that false claim you made about a judge agreeing that OtherOS was advertised - I called your bluff. That's right - the judge never quoted that OtherOS was advertised. So, really that bit of "of course it is advertisement" is true only in bingoUV-world. Where reality and rationality probably fear to tread. Obviously, Normality, Rationality and Sanity from you is asking too much of you. My apologies for expecting you to be rational.

Bye. Have fun talking to the /. walls, idiot.

Please be assured that SCE is committed to continue the support for previously sold models that have the "Install Other OS" feature and that this feature will not be disabled in future firmware releases.

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me

But they'll just take it all away in a year or two with a mandatory software update, citing fears of piracy.

Again.

This is exactly what is going to happen.

For those unfamiliar with the "again" comment; Sony use to have a feature called open platform for PS3. It was a major selling feature when the PS3 came out. But Sony removed the feature and blocked the ability to install alternative OSes on the PS3.

Remember, we are talking about Sony, FAMOUS for DRM, removing paid for features, blocking access, DMCA lawsuits...

Apple wasn't involved.

I know that failing to read the article is de rigueur. I do follow the new fashion on Slashdot of not reading the summary. However, failing to read the comment you are replying to is a new and excellent level of trolling. Well played that man. At no point in my comment did I claim Apple was involved but you just read a random sentence and then assumed I would. Cool.

Paris Hilton was a spokesperson for Danger's HipTop (Sidekick on T-Mobile). That was the phone that got hacked. And her endorsement of the phone was well known prior to the hacking. They had huge Hollywood parties and she appeared in public using the phone regularly.

Actually, it was widely publicised at the time that it the publicity campaign had been pretty much a failure up till the hack and that the hack caused a vast increase in sales. This teaches us several things

• the public doesn't care about security
• getting your systems hacked might be a major publicity win
• there is no penalty.

This is not Apple's fault. In fact other offenders are worse. This is the fault of (in this order) a) the general public and b) the politicians and c) Microsoft (who taught this habit over long years) d) the rest of the industry which keeps failing to point this out.

Ask yourself whether Apple allows the plans for their latest secret product to be stored on their public cloud? I think you will find out that Apple knows fine well how to do security better than it currently chooses to.

I'm not sure if you mean PTP WiMax ISPs by Wireless ISPs (in which case if they don't fix their caps they're going to lose customers fast) or mobile phone ISPs, in which case you're unlikely to be hooking a games console up to it or using it as your primary home ISP

I seem to remember one of the mobile phone ISPs buying one of the WiMAX ISPs to expand its "4G" network. Am I thinking of Clearwire?

In the real world, a typical cap is something in the order of magnitude of Comcast's 250GB limit.

This is true in areas served by a cable or DSL provider. Not all areas are, especially more rural areas.

When was the last time you downloaded a game from Steam that wasn't a few gigabytes in size at most?

I imagine that most developers of games available for both the PC and Xbox 360 are trying to fit under the 7 GB limit of a single Xbox 360 disc.

no local storage

Every PlayStation 3 console has a hard drive, and I seem to remember Sony allowing users to replace it with a bigger 2.5" SATA drive.