PS3 On Track For Spring 2006

Reuters is reporting that, despite some reservations by analysts, Sony's next-gen console appears to be on-track for a Spring 2006 launch. From the article: " The timing of the release of Sony's updated PlayStation console has become a matter of speculation in the $25 billion video game industry and among the studios, hardware makers and other companies looking to handicap the battle over next-generation DVD technology. A spokesman for Sony, the No. 1 provider of game consoles, said it was still targeting a spring 2006 launch for the PS3, which is key to maintaining its lead in the game console market against Microsoft Corp. which recently launched its competing Xbox 360 console."

Comments

Let the marketing spin... begin!

[Walkiry]

Hey, it worked for the Dreamcast, right? The PS2 was supposed to be like a quantum supercomputer, hi tech industries would buy stacks of them for nuclear reactors and satellite guidance applications, it's going to have all the games in the world and we're going to release soon soon soon NOW! Wait a little bit and it can be yours!

History does have a liking for repeating itself.

Re:Let the marketing spin... begin!

[mrgreen4242]

I predict that the PS3 will be not much more powerful than the 360, cost about the same, and will be wilding disapointing to everyone who actually believed Sony's hype. Also, I predict that "Spring 06" means that in June we will see a few units come out, with mass availability (anyone can walk into any store at any point in time and buy one) sometime around September, perhaps as late as October.

How can the PS3 top the PS2?

[Eightyford]

How can the PS3 top the PS2? I mean the PS2 had an EMOTION engine for crying out loud!

Re:Guess which console I want!

[oGMo]

I do hope history repeats itself, if they make good on the promises this time, like they did last, we're all in for a real treat.

I'd like to add some detail to this. There are two big myths regarding PS2 pre-launch claims:

1. Sony said the PS2 could render Toy Story in realtime
2. The Final Fantasy 8 demo was faked, and we haven't seen anything like it on the PS2 to date

The first myth is wrong; Sony never said this. If you don't believe me, try and find a quote, from a Sony spokesperson, that says this. Given all the articles are still on the web, this should be fairly easy to do, if this is true. However, it's fairly easy to find quotes from Microsoft spokespeople, like Bill Gates, that the XBOX would have "Toy Story quality graphics" (this particular case is from CES 2001).

The second myth is a result of people being wowed by realtime graphics that blew away the current stuff, and forgetting how crappy the graphics at the time were. Here are two screenshots I managed to find from the FF8 tech demo:

• Rinoa
• Rinoa and Squall

Decent. Way better than the PS1. (Note, in that screenshot, only the characters are 3D, the background is prerendered.) However, the original FMV was still far superior:

• Rinoa
• Rinoa and Squall
• More Rinoa
• More Rinoa and Squall

Now, regardless, the claim is that the original demo was faked, and they haven't matched the quality. You be the judge:

• Gran Turismo 3, early 2001
• Metal Gear Solid 2, 2, 3, late 2001
• Jak and Daxter, late 2001 (and a realtime cutscene)
• Silent Hill 3, 2, 3 (no, those are not prerendered, go play the game), early 2003
• Gran Tursmo 4, 2, 3, late 2004

Most of these are at least as good, if not better than the screenshots for the FF8 demo, and most of them are early to mid PS2 games. There are many more examples, but this is enough to compare.