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No PS3 Surprises at CES

Posted by Zonk on from the no-new-games dept.

Gamespot reports that, while CES has had loads of interesting news to give up about many technological trends, the next next-gen console was suprisingly quiet at the event. For the most part the Sony Keynote talked high definition this and 'new media' that. From the article: "However, it was only when Stringer whipped out a PSP that gamers' ears perked up. Stringer used the handheld to show off LocationFree, Sony's Internet-enabled video system, which streams video to multiple TVs, PCs, or PSPs wirelessly or over the Web. To demonstrate, Stringer showed a live East Coast TV broadcast being played onto the PSP via a nearby Wi-Fi hotspot."

35 comments

  1. Why am I not surprised by mparker · · Score: 5, Funny

    that the big PSP announcement didn't involve any actual games.

    1. Re:Why am I not surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      I think the PSP is actually a pretty cool machine

      Just not for gaming

    2. Re:Why am I not surprised by Metroid72 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Please, mod this AC up.
      Although it may sound arrogant at first, knowing how hard it is to invade the portable market with Nintendo there with a tight grip, having a "media machine" may turn out to be a blessing for Sony. If they can't compete in games, focus on other stuff.

    3. Re:Why am I not surprised by British · · Score: 1

      The thing that turned me off to LocationFree was the super-high price tag. Wow, all that money just to be able to watch TV on a handheld. Sure, it takes out the red tape of hooking up your PSP to your PC and transferring files and such, but not worth spending money on.

      Just give me some affordable and/or free games, dangit!

    4. Re:Why am I not surprised by apoc06 · · Score: 1

      google "psp" and "homebrew". cant really get that as easily on any other handheld.

    5. Re:Why am I not surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Aside from a PDA...
      Yeah, yeah, better D-pad.

    6. Re:Why am I not surprised by apoc06 · · Score: 1

      actually, you have a point. you cant beat the gameboy family when it comes to games, since they boast a semibackwards compatible library of what? something like 10 gazillion games? going the media route has picked up tons of media-philes and people interested in the additional aspects of the psp. they have a decent strategy in hand, however... they STILL need to get cracking with the actual games. since xmas ive seen 20x more psps than usual. this is over the dc/md/va/bal/nyc areas on the east coast. to be honest, ive seen a handful of DS's too, but i happen to see more psps, and they are usually carried by people you normally wouldnt expect to have a portable game system.

      offtopic, but still... DUDE, where my other analog pad?!?!?!? if im supposed to be stuck only using one, at least remind designers that 3d games existed on ps1 before there were analog pads.

    7. Re:Why am I not surprised by Shadarr · · Score: 1

      I would agree except that this machine is from Sony, and that means (as someone upthread has noted) that every cool thing they do will be proprietary and expensive. Sure, you can watch movies on it, but it's a proprietary disc that won't play in anything else. You can watch TV on it, but you have to pay for that above and beyond what you already pay to watch TV on your TV or computer. You can play homebrew and emulated games on it (to make up for the barren selection of native games) but Sony will fight you tooth and nail the whole way, and you'll likely have to upgrade your firmware to do anything Sony approved and then downgrade again to do anything else.

      --
      Bite the hand.
    8. Re:Why am I not surprised by apoc06 · · Score: 1

      honestly, sony got forced to show its hand in regards to the homebrew scene. it was no real big deal until iso's and the eventual iso - loaders started hitting the scene. as a company, they have no choice but to protect their bottom line. they have to answer to shareholders, and publishers who wont be as enthusiastic about developing for a system that caters to piracy. so to protect everyones interests, they have to at least "appear" to be taking a hardline on piracy. i say "appear" because its curious how long it takes to crack or circumvent a set of firmware is directly relative to when a AAA title appears and requires a certain set of firmware.

      homebrew continues on, and sony knows and hasnt truly crippled it. if they were REALLY hardline, they would require the latest firmware on EVERYthing. from setting up an infrastructure game, to downloading content. its inline with their stance on the ps linux kits... allow homebrew at the expense of the ability to play commercial games.

    9. Re:Why am I not surprised by apoc06 · · Score: 1

      yeah, the d-pad and to a lesser extent, the analog nub are crucial for decent gaming.

      please correct me if i am mistaken, but currently there is no handheld on the market that has the ability to push 3d graphics, playback widescreen video, and has a wide variety of games and developers onboard to create top notch games on the level of the psp.

      the ds has the "innovation" of a touch screen for games, and thats opening up a whole new path. [the one nintendo is taking as they laugh their way to the bank] however... warts and all, no one can honestly say that sony hasnt created the most superior handheld console ever. now the battle is between the developers who will win the handheld console war. unfortunately, its a war that most PDAs cant even compete in.

    10. Re:Why am I not surprised by dnadig · · Score: 1

      Yaknow, stuff like this always surprises me. First off, pre-marketing at CES is generally a waste of time - an article by Mossberg only matters if consumers can go buy the darn thing, and they can't. Worse, why in the world would sony try to market against the Xbox 360 LAUNCH. They're much better off holding all their Ammo until it can really go out.

      Everyone disses sony. Look back a whiel ago and read all of the posts about how the PS2 would never catch on. Seriously, go dredge some forums. Guess what, PS2 games took a while to develop and grab hold.

      PSP games CAN rock, and some of them DO rock. I just spent an entire day travelling and burned away 5-6 hours of my day playing all these "horrible" games for the system - like Lumines and Mercury and Gripshift and THUG. The system freakin' rocks.

      Sure, the DS is nice too. So is the PS2, and the Xbox 360. But to sit here and proclaim Sony's death because they don't blow their wad on CES, an increasingly irrelevant forum for actual marketing, seems silly.

  2. The console was quiet? by artifex2004 · · Score: 1

    Great! I don't like loud fans or anything in my living room.
    Is it quieter than the PS2?

    1. Re:The console was quiet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, it was quiet...because it wasn't on.

      Just looking at the chasis for the PS3, I'm worried: there's no proper ventilation. I am also aggrivated by the fact that there appears to be no backwards compatibility of peripherals - tentatively, I think I'll have to keep my PS2 out to play any games that I already had saves for, or to rock out with Guitar Hero.

  3. Disappointing, but not a big surprise anyway by Winterblink · · Score: 2, Informative

    ... since Sony told everyone last year at E3 that it was going to go quiet while it went off and finished the console. They didn't ever state at any point that they'd do announcements at CES, or even this year's E3 for that matter.

    It's a fairly good bet, I'd imagine, that something will be shown off at E3 given the amount of floor space they've reserved. But who knows.

    --
    "I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar."
    -Hoban Washburn
    1. Re:Disappointing, but not a big surprise anyway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, at TGS, Sony said that they'd be pulling away the veil from the PS3 at CES.

      Also, Sony didn't "go quiet"...they had a pretty decent display of the PS3's prowess at TGS as well.

      Not showing the PS3 here is a dumb move on Sony's part - it would have been a sure way to place a halt on the Xbox 360 demand.

    2. Re:Disappointing, but not a big surprise anyway by prockcore · · Score: 1

      They didn't ever state at any point that they'd do announcements at CES, or even this year's E3 for that matter.

      Yes, but they said the PS3 would be out "Spring 2006".. which isn't going to happen since E3 isn't until May, and I doubt they're going to launch it without showing it off first.

      If the PS3 was really going to come out in the spring, it would've been playable at CES.

      As it is, this hints that the $1000 Blue-ray players are really causing problems for Sony's PS3 plans. I wouldn't be suprised to see the PS3 delayed until 2007.

    3. Re:Disappointing, but not a big surprise anyway by apoc06 · · Score: 1

      just because the blu ray standalone players are retailing in the $1000s doesnt mean much. DVD players retailed for around $700+ when the ps2 launched at less than half that price.

      being the major backer of the technology, they can offer it at cost. they do not have to pay extra royalties for including it in the console. they can also request the blu-ray tech consortium to offer them a discount in order to push what could be one of the major weapons to get a large blu-ray user adoption.

    4. Re:Disappointing, but not a big surprise anyway by prockcore · · Score: 1

      DVD players retailed for around $700+ when the ps2 launched at less than half that price.

      My how we forget. Some very high-end DVD players were $700, but I had a $150 DVD player *before* the PS2 came out.

      DVD players were out for 3 years before the PS2 dropped. Blu-ray players will have been out for half a year or so when the PS3 comes out.

    5. Re:Disappointing, but not a big surprise anyway by apoc06 · · Score: 1

      so... uhm... whats the big deal then. thats precisely the point. just because the MSRP for one or two blu-ray players are outrageously high does not equate to the technology costing an arm and a leg across the board.

      there are still tons of dvd players that cost well above what the ps2 costs. there isnt really a direct correlation.

  4. PSP Yawn.... by aka_big_wurm · · Score: 1

    Wonder why I dont have any games for my PSP since Laucnh?

    There dont seem to be many that catch my eye or I dont want to upgrade my firmware. And there is no way I am buying movies for that thing.

    I still dont think we will see PS3 in North America untill sometime 2007.

    1. Re:PSP Yawn.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      PS3 will hit the states by Christmas, even if it's rushed.

      I found the PSP's best offering of this past season was Tokobot, which is OK. The God of War team is currently working on a top secret project, to be unveiled at E3. I have a feeling that will validate my PSP purchase.

  5. no show by the+computer+guy+nex · · Score: 1, Troll

    Wonder why? Probably because its miles behind schedule of coming out in "Spring" as previously announced.

    Poor marketing strategy nonetheless. The only market Sony is worried about right now are families that will buy EITHER the 360 or the PS3. (Many people will buy both or just the PS3, those sales are already final). The longer PS3 waits the fewer families who will purchase just 1 will wait.

    1. Re:no show by ShadowsHawk · · Score: 1

      I can't be the only who is astounded by the cost of the next gen consoles. I for one will be purchasing a Revolution (and only a Revolution) if it $200 or less. I simply can not justify spending $400 or more on what boils down to a toy.

      Don't misunderstand me; I see all of the features that the 360 and PS3 are going to have. I'm just not interested.

      1. Music player = CD/Ipod/ect
      2. Online gaming = PC
      3. Movie player = I bought a DVD player for $50, I'll do the same for the next dominant format.

      I do play Halo with a few friends when we get together, but more often than not; we end up throwing in Time Splitters 2 (with customized maps) or Mario Kart.

    2. Re:no show by the+computer+guy+nex · · Score: 2, Informative

      $300 for an Xbox360 core was cheaper at launch than the NES, SNES, N64, Xbox1, PS1, and PS2 when you consider inflation.

      $300 is still a chunk of change, but I wish my $1500 computer had 3x 3.2ghz processors and that monster of a video card.

    3. Re:no show by tepples · · Score: 1

      The only market Sony is worried about right now are families that will buy EITHER the 360 or the PS3

      ...or the Revolution, which has many of the games that the parents grew up with.

    4. Re:no show by Prophet+of+Nixon · · Score: 1

      You should try TS:Future Perfect, the premade maps are much better (in general), and the mapmaker can make some strange things that are very reminiscent of Rise of the Triad.

    5. Re:no show by OK+PC · · Score: 1

      I think the price of the 360 is rather resonable actually. For example, here in the UK, an iPod http://www.play.com/play247.asp?page=title&r=ELEC& title=815355&p=322&g=420&pa=genbrw/ [play.com] is more expensive than the console http://www.play.com/play247.asp?pa=stts2&page=titl e&r=X360&title=659411 [play.com]. Granted its a top of the line iPod but then so is the 360.

      --
      Did you get that thing I sent ya?
    6. Re:no show by rohlfinator · · Score: 1

      Not quite. The SNES and N64 both launched at $200, and after adjusting for inflation, they'd still cost less than $300 today. Also, nearly all of the systems you mentioned would cost less than the $400 Xbox 360, and the PS3 will likely cost even more than that. Besides, a games console isn't like a gallon of milk, where the production costs are relatively constant, so you can't predict consumer pricing purely by inflation. An Xbox 360 is also thousands of times more powerful than a Commodore 64, but consumers shouldn't expect its cost to rise; in fact, the Xbox 360 is much cheaper at launch than the C64 was.

  6. You missed something by oGMo · · Score: 2, Informative

    With a ton of X360 articles about every little detail before, during, and after launch, I have to wonder. Especially when it wasn't even mentioned as a side note that over 4000 devkits have shipped so far. Even IGN got this one. Not a large piece of news, perhaps, but it demonstrates lots of stuff is going on behind the scenes.

    --

    Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage

    1. Re:You missed something by IchiTheKiller · · Score: 1

      i am glad that devkits have shipped since the launch is a few months away. plenty of time to make a fantavision sequel!

    2. Re:You missed something by oGMo · · Score: 1

      This is total devkits that have shipped since they first started shipping, which was quite awhile ago. Not "we just shipped the first 4000".

      --

      Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage

  7. However... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    .. the Phantom console was there, right?!

  8. Really? by cyberbob2010 · · Score: 1

    Casse I wish I could program, listen to music, download media, rip a DVD and chat with my friends all at the same time on my xbox....

    --
    We seldom regret saying too little but often regret saying too much.
  9. 3D redone by oGMo · · Score: 1
    IMO, people should focus less on 3D-perspective games and make more 2D games that are rendered with the 3D hardware. I recently imported Exit, a sidescrolling puzzle-type game with very smooth graphics.

    Mario64, while definitely setting historical precedent in terms of 3D, is not the only way to do 3D. It's great for some games, but after replaying Symphony of the Night, I'm quickly missing the sidescrollers of yore. Things that don't necessarily require even one analog stick.

    As for actual games... contrary to popular opinion, there are already a lot of solid games. They may not be AAA titles, but what was the first AAA title for the PS2? Or the PS1? There are solid A and B titles in every genre, most of them support wifi, and there are very few times that you could say "gee, I wish there was a good XYZ game" and not actually have a good to excellent XYZ game available.

    --

    Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage

  10. PSP != Media device by MMaestro · · Score: 1
    The problem is when the PSP was initially hyped/launched, Sony paraded it around as though it was a Gameboy killer, not a iPod or portable-DVD player killer. Sony bragged about how the larger screen and insanely superior hardware would crush the GBA and DS much like the PS1 crushed the N64. (Better hardware? They HAVE to win! It plays music and movies? Bonus points!)

    Even their lineup (and arguably current games-to-movie ratio) reflects this mentality. The number of PSP games were/are much higher than the number of UMD movies with the only worthwhile movie at launch/early in its life being Spider-Man 2 (and that just a tie-in to the DVD release).

    The sheer amount of work required to bypass security systems have driving PSP hackers to a level unheard of in the hacker's gaming community. (Updates for a video game system? On a HANDHELD no less?! Microsoft's Xbox has security systems as well but only if you connect to Xbox Live so thats arguably acceptable for anti-cheating purposes.) The homebrewed PSP community more or less shuns any new PSP games or movies in fear of getting an update rendering their heavily modded system into a $300 paperweight.

    Fast forward to today, and people aren't sure what the hell the PSP is supposed to be. Video game system? No, too few games, most are ports and some don't even fit the system well. iPod killer? No, the memory sticks simply cost too much to even be considered an iPod rival. A replacement for portable-DVD players? No, too expensive, can't play DVDs and lack of UMD support from Hollywood.