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PS3 Price Up In The Air, Demos In 02/2006
Gamespot is reporting that the price for Sony's next-gen console is still something being worked out. Additionally, we're not going to get the chance to play demos for the system until February of 2006. From the article: "When asked why there were no playable PS3 games at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show, as previously promised by SCE president Ken Kutaragi, Saeki revealed that there was a long discussion inside Sony before the show opened. While many executives argued that it would be good for the public to play demos, eventually the decision was made to only show E3-style trailers, as it was the first time the PS3 was being shown publicly in Japan. When asked if there would be any changes to the February PS3 event where playable demos will be on hand, Saeki did not respond directly. However, he did say that SCE is planning something for the event that is sure to be a 'major' surprise. "
Yeah, probably a surprise in response to the Revolution and the new controller. I honestly don't know what other kind of suprise Sony could have. Both Sony and MS have had all their information out in the open for some time, so for there to be anything completely new coming out would be a real shocker.
I take the phrase "up in the air" to be synonymous with "sky high."
I'll turn into a supernova and burn up everything. Well I'll turn into a black little hole and you'll turn into string.
Cheaper than the Xbox 360.
Ho ho! The hilarity!
Actually I wouldn't be surprised if it's cheaper than the XBox 360. (I'm also not convinced it *will* be.)
Now, cheaper than the XBox Three-Shitty at $299 isn't gonna happen.
Sony has launched in the US for $299 for both the PS1 and PS2, I suspect they are still weighing the pros and cons of trying to keep to that price point again for the PS3, no matter the cost, vs some other point up to and including $399, I seriously don't think Sony will breach $399, as there has never been a successful console launch in the US over $299 yet, let alone $399, but with MS upping the stakes, we may be looking at the first $300+ generation of *successful* console launches. That or Nintendo will make out like a bandit.
Despite buying most previous consoles within months of launch, I am not personally looking to help usher in the $300+ launch price point and will not buy until the PS3 or the real XBox 360 is under $300, so I'll get to see all three launches and decide which to buy first (I'll eventually own them all) based on games available that I want to play.
Perhaps you are right. Not being privy to the future as you clearly are, I can only speculate.
But consider: you are a major company coming out with your next generation console, and know you will be releasing it after your closest competitor. What do you do? One approach would be to continually make noise about how expensive your product will be (without actually revealing any figures) and hope the competition will take the bait. They will hazard a guess as to what your selling point will be, price theirs somewhat lower, and hope to undercut you before you've even come out.
But what if it the speculation of a high-priced PS3 is just that? If Sony decided to announce theirs for less after the Xbox 360 debuts (even if that means what the Xbox 360 base is selling for) then they can indeed influence those buyers who think they'll be getting a better system for less.
Time will tell.
I'm getting a little sick of the stuff I've been hearing about Sony and Microsoft being scared of Nintendo's new controller.
Yeah, I don't think it's scary for them, but I think you're missing the point most Ninentdo fans are getting - Nintendo plans to launch this new controller design as a standard pack in. Think about what that means - very much like the original XBox and the hard drive vs Sony and it's hard drive add on. In order for something new to catch on, it usually has to be a standard feature or it fails (dual-shock and N64 mem expansion being the exceptions to the rule, although dual-shock did quickly become a pack in proving the rule).
The second part of this is that Nintendo has not said they won't be packing a standard controller attachment or a Gamecube controller for use on standard games as well - I wouldn't be surprised if this were the case, and I actually expect it to be the case. Alternatively, they may decide not to do either knowing that they can count on most people either having a GC controller or being willing to buy the attachment separately to play "regular" games.
So despite the fact it probably isn't that scary to MS or Sony, you have to admit it is both different and exciting, especially in light of both Sony and MS releasing machines that feature speed upgrades (which to me seem more incremental than exponential) and the "new" feature of wireless (not standard on the XBox Three-Shitty of course) which Nintendo already perfected and proved. (Yes, third parties did it earlier, but the WaveBird is the first *good* implementation I've owned.)
As for their surprise, I'm going with a new version of the popular Eye Toy being part of the basic PS3 bundle and perhaps being touted as an intrinsic part of the PS3 experience.
Actually that's not far fetched at all - the eye toy is the kind of controller which could compete with the one of the Revolution. It provides for new gameplay mechanics (something that a classic controles won't do), its only hardware requirement is just a cheap webcam, and it has been already quite tested on the market. It even was rumored on early designs to be bundled with the PS3, so it is quite possible that they take again the idea.
Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
Wow, if the ps3 were released in japan in fall '06, and let's say spring '07 in USA, the 360 may very well fall into a half-step generation like the dreamcast(which isn't a safe place to be). Even moreso if the revolution gets delayed until around then to add beefier specs to beat the 360(hardware prices go down with time). I'd be pissed though if I don't get a ps3 in '06.
True genius is grasping a situation like a peice of fruit, and peircing it just right so that it drains dry.