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PS3 Delay May Hurt Current Gen Too

Next Generation reports that, in some analysts view, the real victim of the PS3 delay may actually be current gen console publishers and gamers. Houses like EA and Activision have a lot of money tied up in creating games for the next generation, and if the PS3 isn't launching here in the states until after summmer... They end up laying out four increasingly bad scenarios for the industry. From the article: "The third scenario theorizes on a 25 percent price cut on current generation software. We've already seen substantial price-cuts from EA, as the current-gen versions of The Godfather, Black and Fight Night Round 3 all debuted or will debut at $40, a 20 percent cut from the normal $50 price tag. The erosion of sales prices may be caused by publishers trying to unload inventory, or by publishers that target budget shoppers. This scenario could cause major publishers' earnings to drop between 35 and 49 percent."

85 comments

  1. I beg to differ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Gentoo will be fine thank you. And it will probably run faster on teh PS3 than other Linuces because it is optimized for... Oh wait... :)

    1. Re:I beg to differ... by AngelofDeath-02 · · Score: 2, Funny

      at least i'm not the only one who read it that way at first glance. lol

      --
      No, I am not an English major. My posts are subject to typos and incorrect grammar. Do not expect perfection.
  2. Fifth scenario by Walkiry · · Score: 4, Funny

    Blame them thar pirates again. Yarrr!

    --
    ---- Take the Space Quiz!
    1. Re:Fifth scenario by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Partially true.

      Publishers did blame Microsoft's problems with the 360 for some of the drop in sales, but no one took those claims seriously. No one, including the publishers, actually believed the 360 was going to be a big seller. If the publishers did actually think anyone outside of former Xbox owners were going to be buying 360s they wouldn't be putting all their big name exclusives on the PS3.

    2. Re:Fifth scenario by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're so Oblivionly right. The 360 will be Oblivionated into Oblivion by the PS3.

    3. Re:Fifth scenario by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oblivion? You mean the pc game?

      What does that have to do with the PS3/360?

    4. Re:Fifth scenario by QuantumLeaper · · Score: 1

      Last I looked it was being released for the 360 and the PC.

  3. boring by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    subject said it all

  4. The obvious solution by KingBraden · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe they could go back to making good games. Seriously, I haven't bought a PS2 game in ages. Not because I want to save an extra ten bucks, but because the games all suck.

    1. Re:The obvious solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'd have to agree. I've pirated them a bit, but very rarely will a game keep me interested for more then half an hour. If I like it, and it keeps my interest for a little while, I buy it, as simple as that. Kind of like a demo. They should at least recycle decent gameplay mechanics...... A good copy of a great game is better then a new shitty game, or a new shitty game of an ok gameplay style.

    2. Re:The obvious solution by 7Prime · · Score: 1

      I also have to agree, I think the PS2 had a fairly piss-poor game lineup in general. That said, though, I am enjoying the hell out of Dragon Quest VIII, so maybe not all is lost.

      --
      Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
    3. Re:The obvious solution by patternjuggler · · Score: 1

      Maybe they could go back to making good games.

      I remember there was a guest on Letterman once who when asked what kind of movies they liked said "I like good movies". The audience and host laughed at him for saying something so idiotic, and the actor tried to recover by quickly naming a few favorites and articulating what in particular was good about them.

  5. No Delay - Move Along by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    Other than a couple of weeks extra hammering out some BluRay issues PS3 production on track for the same schedule Sony has been claiming for the past year.

    IBM has been abosolutely giddy about their Cell yields. There should already be a stockpile of 7/8 Broadband Engines ready to go.

    The RSX graphics rasterizer(not GPU) is built on very mature process tech.

    The only possible hardware issue is the production of the blue laser drives. Since commercial BluRay players already exists it is doubtful Sony will have any problem in manufacturing them.

    E3 will be the big show for Sony and the PS3 with retail units hitting the shelves around June/July in Japan. And most likely September in the US. $349/399.

    Don't worry, if you get your order in you'll almost certainly be playing the fantastic PS3 title currently in development long before the 2006 holidays.

    The only unkown left in the next gen race is what price the Revolution will come out at.

    1. Re:No Delay - Move Along by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do you get paid to shill for Sony?

    2. Re:No Delay - Move Along by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Has IBM publicly stated their high Cell chips yields - yes.

      Is the RSX built on mature process tech that Sony already has a large amount of experience with - yes.

      Are BluRay players already shipping - yes.

      Was there a few week extra delay reaching an agreement on BluRay software issues - yes.

      Feel free to point out which of those points is inaccurate.

      And yes, the RSX is a triangle rasterizer not a GPU - but I'll grant that 99.9 percent of people reading this story wouldn't know the difference.

    3. Re:No Delay - Move Along by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am pretty sure both IBM and Sony are manufacturing the Cell chip in the PS3. There has to be some sort of arrangement between the two where Sony gets all of the 7 working SPE BE chips and IBM gets to keep all of the 8 working SPE BE chips. That would mean Sony probably has not only all the BE chips they need, they are probably getting them for a insanely cheap price.

      I am pretty sure Sony is manufaturing the RSX in house on 90nm process tech they have already been using for a long time. So if developers were getting final devkits back in December that means Sony has to be in the process of ramping up RSX manufacturing already.

      A friend of mine who is a major figure in the drive/storage biz thinks Sony will have problems manufacturing enough BluRay drives. We really haven't heard good or bad news from Sony about the BluRay drives.

      Everything else should just be slapping the components on the motherboard. Heat shouldn't be a problem from what I've read - compared to the massive heat related problems the 360 seems to have due to both the poorly manufactured power supply, possibly fixed now, and the much hotter 360 CPU.

      The only realistic reason for Sony pushing back the PS3 release a few weeks past the end of Spring is that both PS2 hardware and software is flying off the shelves at an amazing rate.

    4. Re:No Delay - Move Along by myster0n · · Score: 1

      If you can believe The Inquirer and Variety, the PS3 is delayed until the end of the year because of "a hold-up with chips crucial to the success of the console's Blu-ray functions".
      See http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=30108
      or http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117939258?catego ryid=18&cs=1&s=h&p=0

      --
      Nobody believes the official spokesman, but everybody trusts an unidentified source. -- Ron Nesen
    5. Re:No Delay - Move Along by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh please!

      Not again with the silly variety article...

      "Sony's new PlayStation 3 was widely expected to be introduced this spring, but will be delayed as the company fine-tunes the chips that are crucial to the success of the console's Blu-ray function."

      Guess who made that statement:

      1) Stringer

      2) The dopey Variety reporter

      Hint: It wasn't 1)

    6. Re:No Delay - Move Along by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow, that's quite a shill you have going there. Get real. Sony could scarcely fall on their face any more than they already are. MS botched their release and they still can't satisfy demand, hence the first-mover advantage. But...

      Revolution calling...
      Revolution calling...
      Revolution calling you.
      Gotta make a change, gotta push it on through.

      I think MS and Sony lose this round. It'll be my first Nintendo console since the NES, and what I'm seeing tells me that it will turn the gaming world on its ear.

    7. Re:No Delay - Move Along by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What exactly does the Revolution have going for it?

      It doesn't take advantage of HDTV (PS3 and 360 do), it doesn't play the brilliant GTA games (PS3 will, and 360 will a few months later), no high-def DVD player (PS3 will ship with Blu-Ray, 360 will be updated with whichever format catches on) and, most importantly, it doesn't actually exist yet.

      The 360 is out in stores now, people are playing DOA4, Call of Duty 2, and a really shitty version of Madden on it even as we speak.

      The PS3 is going through some delays due to the lag in Blu-Ray support, but it has an actual spec, and games are actually being written for it right now.

      The Revolution will be... something. Sometime. Nobody seems to even have a clue what the controller will look like at this point. Can you say "Phantom"? I knew you could!

    8. Re:No Delay - Move Along by KDR_11k · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It doesn't take advantage of HDTV (PS3 and 360 do), it doesn't play the brilliant GTA games (PS3 will, and 360 will a few months later), no high-def DVD player (PS3 will ship with Blu-Ray, 360 will be updated with whichever format catches on) and, most importantly, it doesn't actually exist yet.

      It delivers 480p, seems to be good enough for most people.

      GTA 3 is a current gen game, if you want to play that you can grab a current gen console.

      The 360 is not guaranteed to be upgraded and more importantly it won't help those who already bought one.

      The Revolution has specs since it has final (or near final) devkits that have been shipped already. Nintendo just doesn't release specs to the public because the public has no use for the specs. They're given to developers that are bound by NDAs.

      The PS3 is going through some delays due to the lag in Blu-Ray support, but it has an actual spec, and games are actually being written for it right now.

      Guess what, the Revolution does, too. Except for the Bluray delay, of course.

      Nobody seems to even have a clue what the controller will look like at this point.

      You may have missed all those pictures released since last year's E3, there are pictures of the controller.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    9. Re:No Delay - Move Along by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "What exactly does the Revolution have going for it?"

      You can't possibly be serious.

      Every, and I mean every single person I know, GameCube,PS2,Xbox,PC gamers all can't wait to get their hands on a Revolution and its controller and games.

      Every other game developer I know is either working on a Rev title or can't wait to get a chance to work on one. It has become the single most common thing we talk about - who has the best ideas for utterly whacked Rev controller games.

      The Rev is going to give Sony a serious challenge this upcomming gen. I would not be surprised if Nintendo outsold Sony in Japan, and was a respectable 2nd, N64 level numbers, in the US and Europe.

    10. Re:No Delay - Move Along by RzUpAnmsCwrds · · Score: 1

      The RSX graphics rasterizer(not GPU) is built on very mature process tech.

      Funny how you say that, as I certainly think that NVIDIA would object to their 300 million transistor, GeForce 7800-derived chip being called a "graphics rasterizer".

    11. Re:No Delay - Move Along by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your dopey comment is a good illustration of just how bad console technology discussions are on the Net. Back in the pre-PS2 days people just argued over which system had more bits or other harmless but pointless debates.

      For some reason the entry of Microsoft to the console market has given the green light to every clown like you who knows nothing about graphics hardware outside of the archaic x86 desktop pc to run their ignorant mouths off.

      And its not like only PS3 developers are privy to the design and purpose of the RSX. The Net is filled with all the relevant patents and public talks from Sony people laying out not only the impetus and general design and purpose of the RSX, but also the structure of PS3 game engines' use of the hybrid Cell/RSX rendering system.

      Let me guess, you're one of those dimwits who goes around talking about GPU vs GPU comparisons for the PS3 and Xbox 360?

  6. So...what? by Gothic_Walrus · · Score: 1, Insightful
    This scenario could cause major publishers' earnings to drop between 35 and 49 percent.

    Look at how much money they're raking in now, though. If EA takes a bath for a quarter or two, the company's not going to suffer in the slightest. They'll just make most of it back when they release the next go round of sports titles.

    --
    Goo goo g'joob.
    1. Re:So...what? by gstoddart · · Score: 1
      Look at how much money they're raking in now, though. If EA takes a bath for a quarter or two, the company's not going to suffer in the slightest. They'll just make most of it back when they release the next go round of sports titles.

      First of all, they're a publically traded company. So a drop in revenues that bad will definitely hurt their share price and investor confidence.

      Second, that big of a revenue drop for most companies could seriously impair their ability to generate operating revenue. If the delay is big enough, and for long enough, they could end up downsizing some developers while they weather the storm.

      That could lead to further delays in getting their games out, hurting them even more. Or it could cause the games they release to be worse than they otherwise would be due to time/budget constraints. We already hear plenty about how the staff are already working hugely long hours.

      A drop in revenues of 49% could actually be rather quite bad for them. As it would be for most any company.
      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    2. Re:So...what? by Guspaz · · Score: 1

      If EA takes a bath for a quarter or two, the company's not going to suffer in the slightest.

      I don't know, taking a bath in a pile of money would probably cause a lot of paper cuts. Thousands of paper cuts from bathing in money could possibly considered suffering.

      I'm not terribly worried about companies like EA hurting in all this; they have a huge amount of cash and have no problem screwing over gamers if it means a higher profit. I'm more worried about the effect on small and independent developers who are forced to cut the prices of their new previous-gen games. Small and independent studios might not have the cash to take the hit, since unlike EA they don't have bathtubs full of money in which to frolic.

  7. "summmer" by grub · · Score: 2, Funny

    Is that the season wedged between spring and autumn?

    --
    Trolling is a art,
    1. Re:"summmer" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, the one wedged between sprinng and autummn...

  8. Until after the summer? by CaseM · · Score: 2, Informative

    According to the interview cited here it won't launch in Japan until Holiday '06, which puts the US release sometime in '07!

    1. Re:Until after the summer? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bzzzttt!

      Try again sport.

      Stringer says no such thing. He actually says almost nothing in the interview.

    2. Re:Until after the summer? by gabebear · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually, in the article says "Sony will roll out the PS3 by year end, in time for the holidays", but I don't see any quote from Stringer saying anything about release dates in Japan or America.

  9. wait... by munehiro · · Score: 1, Redundant

    How could the delay of PS3 hurt the current gentoo?

    Is a gentoo porting for PS3 planned ?

    heh ... ;)))

    --
    -- "If A equals success, then the formula is A=X+Y+Z. X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shut." - Einstein
    1. Re:wait... by iainl · · Score: 1

      They're being sent via the Cape to the Eastern Seaboard, and if the ships leave too late, they'll collide with all those penguins going past Antarctica.

      Possibly.

      --
      "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
  10. Sounds good to me by 77Punker · · Score: 1

    Cheaper games are always welcome. Try again later, thanks.

  11. Re:GENTOO by Rod+Beauvex · · Score: 0

    But will it run BSD?

  12. Oh no! by ecloud · · Score: 0, Redundant

    At first I was afraid it was going to hurt Gentoo.

  13. "Delays" by mcc · · Score: 4, Insightful
    As far as I am aware Sony never actually announced a spring release for America. They've been talking about a spring launch quite a lot, but I've never seen them do so without the "...in Japan" qualifier. My assumption all along has been that we'll be getting a mid-late Spring launch in Japan*, with a four or five month gap before the American launch, just like with the PSP, and the "PS3 release in Spring!" thing is as far as America's concerned just internet rumors blown out of proportion.

    Now, maybe Sony claimed something specific about American release dates that I didn't see at some point. But that brings me to my point: Practically nobody knows they were supposed to be expecting a ps3 spring launch in the first place unless they follow websites and magazines like this one religiously! Sony's been so tight-lipped in the general american press about the PS3 it's crazy. A lot of people don't really know anything at all about the PS3 except that it's someday coming-- which is something they probably knew two years go, too. The uncertainty about the release date is a big deal on internet message boards, but internet message boards are not the market.

    How can delays in the PS3 possibly hurt PS2 game sales when practically nobody knows a delay is happening in the first place? Especially considering
    1. The PS3 is backward compatible with the PS2, so PS2 games can be played on and bought for the PS3.
    2. The major blockbuster games still yet to come for the PS2 have been in development for years-- they couldn't be switched to PS3 titles even if the publisher wanted, and most of the minor titles between now and the "real" PS3 launch probably couldn't either. If there's a next-gen sales cooling effect coming, it will happen to those games whether the PS3 is delayed or not.

    It just seems kinda silly to me. PS2 hardware sales are probably going to drop off as people increasingly wait for the PS3-- I know I personally would have probably bought a ps2 several months ago if I weren't waiting for the PS3-- but the PS2 sales base is already ginormous, and they're talking about game sales in this article. PS2 games absolutely can and will continue to sell briskly right up to the PS3 release, even if there is a "next gen" system already available; look at Final Fantasy 9, a PS1 game which came out shortly after the PS2 launch and after the Dreamcast had been out a year. It was a top seller at release despite being widely viewed as the worst game in the series**.

    This whole thing just sounds to me like gibberish from analysts trying to rewrite reality to be more dramatic.

    * Though if they don't announce a release date at GDC on March 20, I will take that as a sign the Japan launch date has slipped as well. You do not go from media blackout to release in under three months unless you are Sega and you have a death wish.
    ** Mystic Quest doesn't count.
    1. Re:"Delays" by hchaput · · Score: 1
      As far as I am aware Sony never actually announced a spring release for America.
      Yeah they did, at E3 last May. Moreover, they just re-confirmed the Spring launch last month.

      But more to the point, it's not that Sony isn't hitting their announced ship date, it's that the ship date is so long after the 360 ship date. Until the PS3 ships, the entire console gaming market can't decide if they should (a) get a 360, (b) get a PS3, or (c) stick with what they got. And if you don't know what console you'll have in a year, you're not going to buy any games.

      PS2 games absolutely can and will continue to sell briskly right up to the PS3 release...
      Here is an article titled U.S. November Game Sales Decrease Confirmed. So, no they won't. The industry is in transition. Transition won't end until PS3 ships. Please, god, let it be soon.
  14. Real Victim? by ect5150 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ....the real victim of the PS3 delay may actually be current gen console publishers and gamers... "The third scenario theorizes on a 25 percent price cut on current generation software.

    The way I see this, is that the publishers lose, and the customer wins. So, does that mean if the PS3 were here now, prices would be higher and the publisher wins and customer loses?

    There is the concept of 'risk' that every company must analyze and accept. Sometimes you win some, sometimes... well, you know...

    --
    I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.
    1. Re:Real Victim? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      The way I see this, is that the publishers lose, and the customer wins.
      Provided the publishers don't lose so much that they start bailing out. Then everyone loses.
  15. Something else... by DarkNemesis618 · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Something else to consider is how current gamers spend their money. If a new system is coming out, and someone has a reserve down or wants one, they may be less likely to buy games for the current console. They may want to save money to buy the new console and games for the new one too. Buying games for PS2 when PS3 is slated to come out soon might be a waste of money. The backwards compatibility might help this but there's still something to be said about new hardware and games.

    Think of it this way, you just bought a new computer with XP. Why spend money on software or hardware that either won't work, or won't work to its fullest capacity on your new machine?

    --
    What's the matter, James? No glib remark? No pithy comeback?
  16. Not quite by DogDude · · Score: 1

    Practically nobody knows they were supposed to be expecting a ps3 spring launch in the first place unless they follow websites and magazines like this one religiously!

    Actually, I had to have my PS2 replaced by Sony a few months ago, and a customer service rep I spoke with on the phone was allowed to tell me that the release is expected to be in the March-May time frame.

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
    1. Re:Not quite by gabebear · · Score: 1

      "a customer service rep I spoke with on the phone was allowed to tell me that the release is expected to be in the March-May time frame."

      Tech-monkey often don't follow company policy; that monkey would at least get chewed out if his manager found out.

    2. Re:Not quite by nixon66 · · Score: 1

      And customer service reps know whats going on? I think we'll see Sony hold their cards close, and hope to get it out this late spring, but you'd think they'd be pushing the ad campaign really hard for this if it was coming sooner rather than later.

    3. Re:Not quite by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Damn, DogFood! You always in the know, baby. So quick! You A-LIST, MOTHAFUCKA! That's why it's me an' you, man, against the hippies!

      REDNECKS FOREVER!

      Me 'n DogDude kick all y'all sorry Linux unshowered asses!

  17. Something Different by TeamSPAM · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Wouldn't now be the time for the software houses work on different/quirky games for the current consoles? Now I understand that it takes a lot to get a game out on a console, but it seems to me that there is a lull in the gaming market. Other than the 360, most consoles should have well developed/tuned library that they could churn something out easily. What if they did a google labs kinda thing? Take a quarter or two and incubate some low budget games. Peridocially you see what's sticking and cull the stuff that's not. Who knows, maybe this will give them a new franchise to run into the ground or even better a new genre of game.

    --
    Brought to you by Team SPAM! where we believe: "Information in the noise!"
  18. There is one good scenario by Dark+Paladin · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The one "good" scenario deals not with the developers and publishers, but with Sony. If the system is delayed, that will allow any last minute "bug crushing" to finish - and more importantly, allow more titles to be finished by launch date. Instead of having 10 games (and a large library of backwards-compatible titles), Sony could wind up with more.

    Granted, that means the publishers are screwed over, but as someone else mentioned, they'll just blame it on piracy and life will move on.

    1. Re:There is one good scenario by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      I agree, I personally think xBox360 shot itself in the foot by releasing with so few titles. If PS3 ships with a wider variety of finished titles in stores by Halloween, and has bug crushed most of the titles and the Blu-Ray hardware (due to shipment of Blu-Ray movie/music players and titles this spring), it might work best.

      Since more than half of all revenue for the publishers of games comes in the Thanksgiving to New Years period, I don't think they'll be hurting that much, though. But, yes, they'll probably blame any "losses" on piracy, even though that has more to do with China than anything else.

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    2. Re:There is one good scenario by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree with you on the 360 thing. What I want to know is, how will this affect my MSFT stock? What is your opinion on the matter?

    3. Re:There is one good scenario by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The failure of the 360 has turned out to be a very good thing for Microsoft's stock. The poor sales of the 360 actually kept Microsoft from missing their street numbers on their last earnings report.

      Canceling the 360 would be a huge boost to the stock. It would give a clear indication to the street the they are serious about getting revenue and profit growth back in gear. The Xbox losses have been the number one issue for shareholders over the past few years.

    4. Re:There is one good scenario by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't have any Sony stock at this time.

  19. Whatever, shill. by hudsonhawk · · Score: 2, Insightful

    > Since commercial BluRay players already exists it is doubtful
    > Sony will have any problem in manufacturing them.

    Oh, really? Because they've made a few thousand of these they'll have no problem making a million? In just a few months?

    > ...with retail units hitting the shelves around June/July in Japan.
    > And most likely September in the US. $349/399.

    What - exactly - are you basing this on and which oriface did it come from?

    > Don't worry, if you get your order in you'll almost certainly be playing
    > the fantastic PS3 title currently in development long before the
    > 2006 holidays.

    No, that doesn't sound like shilling at all.

    I'm not saying there is or is not a delay. The only thing anyone outside of Sony can say with any degree of confidence is "We don't know."

    So either you're a shill, or you're talking out of your ass.

    I'm guessing the latter.

    1. Re:Whatever, shill. by Cyberblah · · Score: 1

      >> Don't worry, if you get your order in you'll almost certainly be playing
      >> the fantastic PS3 title currently in development long before the
      >> 2006 holidays.

      >No, that doesn't sound like shilling at all.

      Actually it doesn't -- he states that there's only one fantastic PS3 title currently in developement.

      Doesn't sound very good to me.

    2. Re:Whatever, shill. by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      He's still claiming that it's better than the XBox 360.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
  20. PS3 may not be backwards compatible with PS2 by Animats · · Score: 3, Interesting
    What makes anybody think that the PS3 will be backwards compatible with the PS2? The hardware is totally different. The PS2 is a MIPS machine with two streaming vector processors. The PS3 is a PowerPC machine with seven or eight "cell" processors and an NVidia GPU. Not even close.

    Sony has been backing away from claiming compatibility. "It's hard to say the PlayStation 3 will be 100 percent backwards compatible but as we said earlier this year we aim to make it so as much as possible."

    Sony will probably try software emulation, but there's no guarantee it will be fast enough to play all PS2 games. Tetris, no problem. Call of Duty, maybe not. "Compatible" might have to be an upgrade deal; turn in your PS2 game disk and get a discount on a PS3 version.

    1. Re:PS3 may not be backwards compatible with PS2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That didn't stop Microsoft from emulating an x86 PC using 3 PPC cores. It's buggy emulation, but it still worked in most cases. Also, that's emulating a console faster than a PS2 on hardware slower than a PS3. If the PS3 lives up to the hype (which it won't) then it'll easily cope with emulating the PS2.

      Besides... PS3 games won't be much different from PS2 ones other than the graphics, so people aren't missing much either way.

    2. Re:PS3 may not be backwards compatible with PS2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Give the FUD a rest asshole.

      The PS2 was not 100 percent BC either; there were about 12 games out of the library of 8000+ PS1 titles that didn't work properly.

      "Sony will probably try software emulation"

      Yes, Sony is going to emulate the 48G/s GS bandwidth in software...

      Idiot.

    3. Re:PS3 may not be backwards compatible with PS2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "It's buggy emulation, but it still worked in most cases."

      WTF???

      Microsoft has given up on BC with the 360. Everyone who has a 360 has resigned themselves to that fact.

      There are only about 1 or 2 Xbox games that actually work on the 360 without slowdowns or crashes.

      I don't know how the hell you would even think to call that 'working in most cases'

      "Also, that's emulating a console faster than a PS2"

      Gee dimwit, what graphics hardware in the Xbox ran faster than the internal GS RAM???

    4. Re:PS3 may not be backwards compatible with PS2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      What makes anybody think that the PS3 will be backwards compatible with the PS2?

      The fact they said so, over and over again, endlessly? The "it may not be fully backward compatible" comments shold be taken in the same sense as PS1->PS2 compatibility, I.E., the number of incompatible games will be measured in tens.

      I mean, yes, of course, anything Sony says may be a lie. But why not just go whole hog, and claim the PS3 doesn't exist, or won't actually have a blu-ray drive, or won't have controllers? I'm sure you can find a cherry-picked out-of-context quote to support that just as easily, and it's about as likely.

      What makes anybody think that the PS3 will be backwards compatible with the PS2? The hardware is totally different.

      Not as different as the PS2 was from the PS1.

    5. Re:PS3 may not be backwards compatible with PS2 by Frenchy_2001 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      "Sony will probably try software emulation"

      Sony has one big advantage over MS on that side: they own the IPs to ALL the components in the PS2. They even own the designs. So, what they will do is refound the chips, grouping them all in a lower geometry as a single chip and incorporate the result in the PS3. This is how they did it on the PS2. This is also the reason they do a new lighter unit at the end of the console life: to prepare for that step (PSX -> PSOne, PS2 -> PSTwo).

      It is quite easy to fit a whole PS2, 6 years old tech, into a single chip in a modern 90nm tech. Quite cheap too, especially if it brings you more market chare...

    6. Re:PS3 may not be backwards compatible with PS2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What the fuck are you talking about, troll?

    7. Re:PS3 may not be backwards compatible with PS2 by Animats · · Score: 2, Informative
      Sony could build PS2 emulation hardware into the PS3, but they don't seem to have done so. The PS2 has the IOP from the PS1, which simplifies compatibility. The PS3 doesn't seem to have any legacy hardware. When the chief architect of the Cell chip spoke at Stanford two weeks ago, he indicated that the PS3 is using stock Cell parts.. It's too close to launch for that to change.

      Remember, the current Cell implementation is a PowerPC with eight (seven for bad chips) "Synergistic Processing Elements", which are relatively conventional CPUs tied to 256K of uncached memory but with hardware to support asynchronous scatter-gather copy to and from main memory. This is very different hardware from the PS2. It's not going to be an easy emulation.

      Trying to get the NVidia part to emulate the PS2's VS1 and GS units will be a neat trick; the graphics power is there, but in a very different form. It's a reasonable porting job, but straightforward emulation at the binary level is tough.

      There's kind of a "build it and they will come" attitude from some of the Cell people. They're not quite sure how to use all those little isolated processors effectively, but hope someone will figure it out.

      We'll all know more after GDC in two weeks.

    8. Re:PS3 may not be backwards compatible with PS2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "There's kind of a "build it and they will come" attitude from some of the Cell people. They're not quite sure how to use all those little isolated processors effectively, but hope someone will figure it out."

      Just fucking stop please.

    9. Re:PS3 may not be backwards compatible with PS2 by hchaput · · Score: 1
      Sony could build PS2 emulation hardware into the PS3, but they don't seem to have done so. The PS2 has the IOP from the PS1, which simplifies compatibility. The PS3 doesn't seem to have any legacy hardware.

      Actually, the PS2 IOP is the original PS1 chip. Expect the same sort of thing on the PS3.

    10. Re:PS3 may not be backwards compatible with PS2 by paedobear · · Score: 1

      The number of PS2 games incompatible with the newest model slimline PS2 is already measured in 10s. It's going to be higher if they use software - it may well be hardware if they use the same chip as an embedded component.

  21. But what does this all have to do with Gentoo? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well?

  22. Another culprit by Snap+E+Tom · · Score: 0, Troll

    If the price is what has been rumored, that's going to really hurt adoption rates. Who's going to buy the games if no one's buying a console that costs $800?

    1. Re:Another culprit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You get a D- minus for that troll.

      Please don't bother trolling if you can't make your post funny or biting. You're just wasting everyone's time.

    2. Re:Another culprit by Snap+E+Tom · · Score: 1

      $800+ for the components.

      Even if they priced this at $350-$400, how many parents would balk at that price? Even worse, how many single moms making $40k a year will be able to buy this for their kids? Yes, you the AC in his parent's basement and no GF to spend money on will be able to buy it and every game that comes out, but thankfully, you are few and far between. Idiot.

    3. Re:Another culprit by Coltman · · Score: 1

      Wow, troll. Thats just fragged up man. Mods must have a hate on for you for calling that a troll.

      While the console will probably cost 600 - 800 to sony, I highly doubt that it will be retailed at that price to compete with MS. I would expect in the 300 - 400 American. I know I paid 500 CDN on the first run PS2. Which is about 400 American I think. (Lazy to find a currency calculator for that time).

      Lots of people won't buy the first run because of cost, but I think thats the same with every console on the market. People who just have to have now will pay more than the console is worth. (See XBox 360 prices on Ebay)

      The cost of this console generation will be comparable, if not less when the inflation is factored in.

      --
      - my $.02? - you can't have it...it's all I have!!
    4. Re:Another culprit by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      Even if they priced this at $350-$400, how many parents would balk at that price?

      Not many more than already balked at the XBox 360. The only one going for a reasonable price seems to be Nintendo. I know that was the reason I got a Gamecube back then, 200 is a lot and more than that is plain insane.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    5. Re:Another culprit by cornface · · Score: 1

      The only one going for a reasonable price seems to be Nintendo. I know that was the reason I got a Gamecube back then, 200 is a lot and more than that is plain insane.

      Not just that, but think of all the money you saved by not having any new games to buy!

    6. Re:Another culprit by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      Not much because I still managed to get 35 games for it, ~80% of which ran me 60 Euros each.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    7. Re:Another culprit by cornface · · Score: 1

      Not much because I still managed to get 35 games for it, ~80% of which ran me 60 Euros each.

      Ah, you must be a fan of the Mario Party games.

      (juuust kidding)

  23. FF 9 the worst in the series? by Thag · · Score: 1

    Really?

    I've never heard that. In fact, most people that I know of would tag 8 as the worst, or maybe I or II.

    9 seems to be viewed as a nostalgia-fest, but most people liked it. I know I did.

    Jon Acheson

    --
    All opinions expressed herein are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled.
  24. Re:Something Different This Way Comes by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

    Wouldn't now be the time for the software houses work on different/quirky games for the current consoles?

    There was an article on Slashdot just this past week on some of the new PS3 titles, and there were a lot of different/quirky game titles for the PS3, so the question becomes, should they not just concentrate on porting more Japan-only games instead.

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  25. "Informative"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I am curious why the parent post was moderated "Informative". It consists of nothing but speculation and baseless accusations, and what little information it contains-- about the PS3's microprocessor-- is wrong. The PS3 does not have seven or eight "cells", it has one Cell processor consisting of one PPC core element and seven streaming vector processors.

    Speculation can of course always be "insightful", and perhaps this post deserved to be moderated up. But I would hardly call something informative when all the post author did was make stuff up.

  26. It's a non article just pass it by. by kabocox · · Score: 3, Insightful

    As previously commented, most people have no idea when the PS3 is going to come out. "Everyone" knows that the PS3 is going to be backwards comp. with PS2 though. So what's the issue here? The /. commentary seems to state that publishers are going to cut prices on PS2 games before PS3 games come out. Hmm, I doubt it. I'd say that most PS2 games will stay right at their current price point until shortly after the PS3 goes on sale. You'll see maybe a $5-10 drop on the big seller games while those that have been on the shelves and not moving will be dropped to $20-25 dollars. Alot of PS3 buyers will just pickup cheap PS2 games rather than spend $50-70 on "new" PS3 games. Backwards compatiblity is really bad for "new game" sell, but great for reselling the same stock over and over again. (That publisher that has sequel 3 that is moving well, with I don't really see a negative if they plan on just dropping prices for the PS3 release just to move stock. Trust me, the publishers aren't going to be losing money.

  27. Hurt Gentoo? by dizzy+tunez · · Score: 1

    I was thinking a delayed PS3 made the developers think more about enhancing the distribution, instead of spending the time playing that darn thing!

    --
    "If you loved me, you`d all kill yourselves today"
    Spider Jerusalem
  28. If you'll follow your own links by mcc · · Score: 1
    Yeah they did, at E3 last May. Moreover, they just re-confirmed the Spring launch last month.

    I don't think any such statement was made at E3, and your own link "re-confirm"ing the launch says:
    A Sony public relations representative didn't specifically deny the report, stating to Reuters, "We cannot comment on analyst reports. At the present, we're aiming for a spring 2006 launch, just as planned." Reuters points out that Sony's comments did not specify a territory.


    Here is an article titled U.S. November Game Sales Decrease Confirmed. So, no they won't. The industry is in transition. Transition won't end until PS3 ships. Please, god, let it be soon.

    The article in no way demonstrates the lack of sales were because of "transitions". In fact, the article says quite the opposite, blaming the drop in sales specifically on:
    the lack of major releases
    Sales last november were poor because the game selection was poor; it wasn't consumers were unwilling to buy PS2 games, it was that there were no PS2 games worth buying in that period.
    1. Re:If you'll follow your own links by hchaput · · Score: 1
      The article in no way demonstrates the lack of sales were because of "transitions". In fact, the article says quite the opposite, blaming the drop in sales specifically on:
      the lack of major releases
      Sales last november were poor because the game selection was poor; it wasn't consumers were unwilling to buy PS2 games, it was that there were no PS2 games worth buying in that period.
      ...where "major release" is defined to be a game that sells a ton of copies. The article is not giving this as a reason for the lack of sales, they are describing the lack of sales.

      If sales is your metric for game quality then, yes, games were worse this year. I think there might be other forces at work. It's also worth noting that game sales have decreased with every transition in the game console's short history. Why would now be different?

      If anything, this year is worse because (1) the 360 didn't launch so much as trickle out, killing their own xmas sales, (2) there is a very large time span between competing console releases, and (3) the current gen consoles haven't been cut to bargain basement ($99) prices like they usually are before a transition.

      All this is my speculation, of course, but I think it's better supported than just saying "the games were crap." I think that's a really cheap shot. I've seen some fantastic games on current gen consoles this year, not to mention the fabulous work being done on the handhelds. I've heard many people say that PS2 games are as good as they've ever been, that they're at the height of their art. But why should a gamer buy them if they might get a 360 next month? Or a Revolution? Or a DS? Or, finally, a PS3? Until all the options are on the table, most people will pause.