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NY Times Review of PS3
An anonymous reader noted that the NY Times has done a fairly negative review of the PS3. It would seem that there have been a fair number of these; it's pretty evident at this point that Sony's launch of the PS3 was not exactly well planned out; issues are still rolling in but the real test will be how it does over the holidays and into the next year.
I managed to play the PS3 in a few stores yesterday. Despite all the hype, the expense, and the motion sensing controller, it really felt like nothing more than a souped up PS2. The games I played didn't really feel different than the last-gen stuff, and the motion controller was used more as a gimmick (e.g. NBA Live '07) rather than an integral part of the experience. (Though in its defense, Sony kind of screwed their partners by introducing it so late.)
Basically, if all you want is a PS2 with HDTV graphics and sound, you'll love the PS3. (Assuming you get past the sticker shock.) If you were truly hoping for a new and unique experience, you may have your hopes set a bit too high.
Hopefully, the situation will change as Sony and their partners have more time to work with the hardware, but they're currently lagging out of the gate.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
Video Games A Weekend Full of Quality Time With PlayStation 3 By SETH SCHIESEL Howard Stringer, you have a problem. Your company's new video game system just isn't that great. Ever since Mr. Stringer took the helm last year at Sony, the struggling if still formidable electronics giant, the world has been hearing about how the coming PlayStation 3 would save the company, or at least revitalize it. Even after Microsoft took the lead in the video-game wars a year ago with its innovative and powerful Xbox 360, Sony blithely insisted that the PS3 would leapfrog all competition to deliver an unsurpassed level of fun. Put bluntly, Sony has failed to deliver on that promise. Measured in megaflops, gigabytes and other technical benchmarks, the PlayStation 3 is certainly the world's most powerful game console. It falls far short, however, of providing the world's most engaging overall entertainment experience. There is a big difference, and Sony seems to have confused one for the other. The PS3, which was introduced in North America on Friday with a hefty 467 ($599) price tag for the top version, certainly delivers gorgeous graphics. But they are not discernibly prettier than the Xbox 360's. More important, the whole PlayStation 3 system is surprisingly clunky to use and simply does not provide many basic functions that users have come to expect, especially online. I have spent more than 30 hours using the PlayStation 3 over the last week or so and may have played more different games on the system -- 13 -- than probably anyone outside of Sony itself. Sony did not activate the PS3's online service until just before the Friday debut. Over the weekend a clear sense of disappointment with the PlayStation 3 emerged from many gamers. "What's weird is that the PS3 was originally supposed to come out in the spring, and here it came out in the fall, and it still doesn't feel finished," Christopher Grant, managing editor of Joystiq, one of the world's biggest video-game blogs, said on the telephone Saturday night. "It's really not the all-star showing they should have had at launch. Sony is playing catch-up in a lot of ways now, not just in terms of sales but in terms of the basic functionality and usability of the system." Sadly for Sony, the best way to explain how the PlayStation 3 falls short is to explain how different it is to use than its main competition, Xbox 360. When I reviewed the 360 last year, I wrote: "Twelve minutes after opening the box, I had created my nickname, was in a game of Quake 4 and thought, 'This can't be this easy.' " I never felt that way using the PlayStation 3. With the PS3, 12 minutes after opening the box I realized that Sony inexplicably does not include cables to connect the machine to a high-definition television. Keep in mind that one of Sony's main selling points has been that the PS3 plays Blu-Ray high-definition movie discs. But high-definiton cables? Sold separately. The Xbox 360, by contrast, ships with one cable that can connect to either a standard or high-definition set. Then, before you are even using the PS3, you have to connect the "wireless" controller to the base unit with a USB cable so they can recognize each other. If you bring your PS3 controller to a friend's house, you'll have to plug back in again. The 360's wireless controllers are always just that, wireless. If there is one thing one would expect Sony to get perfect, though, it would be music. Wrong. Sure, you can plug in your digital music player and the PS3 will play the tunes. But as soon as you go into a game, the music stops. By contrast, one of the things I've always enjoyed most on the Xbox 360 is being able to listen to my own music while playing Pebble Beach or driving my virtual Ferrari. Doesn't seem too complicated, but the PS3 can't do it. In that sense it often feels as if the PlayStation 3 can't walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. In the PS3's online store (which feels like a slow Web page) you can access movie trailers and trial versions of new games, but when you actually download the 600-megabyt
You know, there was another console launched this weekend.
h -wii.html
It's even selling out, in spite of its very healthy retail supply (10x the number of units as PS3).
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2006/11/20/tec
http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/7278/52/
Isn't Slashdot going to mention it?
While I realize my experience may differ, my experience was pretty good. I waited at Best Buy and eventually got a 60GB PS3. The line was orderly, civil, and generally not bad. The people there were pretty cool with things, they knew who the people were in line and where they were. There was a list with numbers, as well as roll call every 1-2 hours so people could walk around without fear of losing their spot in line. There weren't any attempts by anyone to jump the line, though there were people who drove up offering money for spots. It was actually a pretty cool system we had set up. I don't know so much as to whether its not so much the launch being the problem versus maybe more the people in lines being the problem. You could have the best planned launch possible but if people in line cause problems, then there's still problems. Could Sony have done things better? Probably. But as I said, I think it's more the people. You get a bunch of assholes, there's going to be problems regardless.
What's the matter, James? No glib remark? No pithy comeback?
In SOny's defense (and you have no idea how much that hurts to say) some of the xbox 360 features they discuss were added after the initial release, so Sony could do the same. The background downloading was adde after and the music you were listening would stop playing when a game was started (but could be started again) was fixed very recently.
PS-what? Wii is what's for Christmas. I think the marketin---Ooo! Shiny! Also... Sony BAD!
If you want to see someone disapointed give them exactly twice as much stuff for exactly twice the price ... If you want to see someone excited give them exactly half as much stuff for half the price ... I'm not sure if it is human nature, but most people think in the "Super Size It" mentality in which you pay a small ammount more (10%) for a dramatic improvement.
What this means for the Playstation is that they needed to deliver a dramatic improvement over the XBox 360 for the $100/$200 extra cost up front in order to meet people's expectations. I haven't used the PS3 yet so I don't know whether they did, but I suspect that anywhere they're lacking will be a Huge issue to many people and where they're equal to or better than the XBox 360 will be seen as a Small benefit.
That wasn't half as negative as it might've been. He complains about a bunch of missing features, but then says he likes the games. No XBox 360 titles receive a favourable comparison.
If that was the only review I'd read I'd still be quite tempted to buy one, since I preferred the PS2 to the XBox for the games.
yes, and here I was this weekend, playing The Legend of Zelda on my Wii after downloading it for $5 (which I do find expensive, but worth while for this title). Heck, the Zelda game even emulated the frame rate drop when too many orcs are on screen and shooting there bows! Classic! hehe.
I was even more pleasantly surprised when I found my fiancee (who does not like to game) actually use to LOVE Zelda.. and played it for several hours straight... make me a little jealous. hehe
With that said... PS3 is going to have a hard time getting steam. It will probably go the way of the GameCube. A "good" system with a lack of support by 3rd parties. That's not to say the Wii doesn't have it's 'ugly' side too, but from what I've seen from 24 hours of gaming on this thing, it's going to have some outstanding games. Dragon Ball Z is just 10x more fun with the new controller setup! (and this is the next repetitive title in a long franchise, yet it feels fresh!)
Cheers,
Fozzy
"The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth." ~1984 George Orwell
This review is just a horrible piece of journalism. It reads like it was written 2 weeks ago.
His first specific criticism is that there's no cable to hook up a PS3 to an HD TV. This is simply incorrect. Sony includes a cable that works fine. It doesn't do HD, but it does hook up and let you use the system. This kind of untruth is to be expected from the NY Times, which is more about an agenda than about accurately describing the factual situation.
The only thing he says about the games is that Resistence: FoM is fun and Blast Factor is "frantic".
There's a lot of "I like the Xbox360 better" in this review. Ok, great. Good luck with that. But this is supposed to be a PS3 review, not a console buying guide that compares the different features. Buy a 360 if you want one. I hear they're great. But "the PS3 is not an XBOX360" is not a valid criticism.
There are some things the reviewer found annoying. These are valid points. But it's the first weekend of the PS3. Did everything go perfectly on the first weekend for the XBOX360? Does everything ever go perfectly? This part of the review was not balanced, but it was useful and therefore adequate.
There's a paragraph about televisions and walkmans. Does that tell you if the PS3 is fun?
On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is an extremely useful review and 1 is a completely false misleading and poorly written bird-cage liner, I'd give this review a 3.5. That's pretty good for the NY Times.
If you dislike the stories, why don't you find a several positive stories from major news sites and submit them ... I'm certain that if you had 4 or 5 major news sites that were very positive about the PS3 it would get posted. The fact is there is a lot to criticize Sony about how they have handled the PS3 so far, and there isn't that much to congratulate them on. It doesn't mean the PS3 sucks, but if someone doesn't point out the flaws with the system Sony can't fix them.
First of all, Microsoft didn't take the lead, Playstation 2 still outsells all versions of XBox combined by a rather large margin.
Second, while XBox360 may be very powerful, it sure isn't innovative. The only things that changed between XBox1 and XBox360 are a faster CPU (pretty much to be expected), wireless controllers (not innovative because the technology has been available in stores for many years) and an improved online service (which arguably may be innovative but in fact is just a little more than a glorified ICQ which is nothing really new either).
I think the PS3 is overpriced, rushed out of the door and overpowered, but it sure is innovative: Cell is a completely new architecture and Blu Ray a completely new storage medium.
Of course innovative doesn't equal "better" - which probably is a very subjective thing. However when it comes to innovation I don't see a lot of it on XBox360.
Don't be so kind. This was a completely botched released. Sony has shot themselves in the foot. Maybe not the foot, Upper-thigh and with a shotgun is more accurate. They can recover from it, but they've got about 5 seconds to stop the bleeding.
The PS3 it not a bad system. It is technologically top-of-the-line. However, three things ruin it.
1) $599 U.S. Dollars +
2) They are too hard to get.
3) No vibrating controllers.
What went wrong with Sony? Why can't they compete anymore? What's up with the bad quality of the online system?
I have no actual insight into what's happening at Sony, but I think there's a possibility that might be some kind of brain drain going on there. Sony used to be a cool place to work for during the PS1/PS2 era, but ever since the Rootkit fiasco, they've been the bad guys. What self-respecting geek would want to work for Sony?
Maybe they simply don't have the quality and quantity of programmers to implement something the the PS3 online service in a timely manner.
But maybe not. As I said, I don't know anyone working at Sony and have no insight into what's going on there.
I know that you're being paid (or at least I hope you're being paid and aren't actually as stupid as you appear from your inane, fantasy-laden rantings!), but really, a review in the New York Times is hardly "trolling the net" for anything bad to say about the PS3.
It's the f-ing NEW YORK TIMES! It's not some random blog; it's not even some anonymous slashdot poster who either idiotically believes that Sony is busy packing PS3s on airplanes or else believes that we're stupid enough to believe it if he says it.
Maybe you should start saying that Sony is actually shipping each new PS3 to the stores on a first-class ticket on a major carrier held by a geisha girl who will personally deliver them! That's no less believable and at least involves geisha girls! Everybody loves geisha girls!
(grr, browser deleted first attempt at response)
There's a lot of "I like the Xbox360 better" in this review. Ok, great. Good luck with that. But this is supposed to be a PS3 review, not a console buying guide that compares the different features. Buy a 360 if you want one. I hear they're great. But "the PS3 is not an XBOX360" is not a valid criticism.
It's not saying "PS3 != Xbox360". It's saying "PS3 lacks what Xbox360 had at the same point in time". And a review should tell me whether it's a waste of money, and the question of whether something comparable is better speaks directly to that.
His first specific criticism is that there's no cable to hook up a PS3 to an HD TV. This is simply incorrect. Sony includes a cable that works fine. It doesn't do HD, but it does hook up and let you use the system. This kind of untruth is to be expected from the NY Times, which is more about an agenda than about accurately describing the factual situation.
Well, that was more to emphasize a deficiency, but I'll agree it was misleading.
There are some things the reviewer found annoying. These are valid points. But it's the first weekend of the PS3. Did everything go perfectly on the first weekend for the XBOX360? Does everything ever go perfectly? This part of the review was not balanced, but it was useful and therefore adequate.
But it was balanced -- at the time of the Xbox360's launch, it was quick to set up. At the PS3's launch, it wasn't. Apples to apples.
There's a paragraph about televisions and walkmans. Does that tell you if the PS3 is fun?
Please, that's just background info, to acknowledge that this is a deviation from a brand's otherwise good historic reputation.
I give your review review a 3.5.
"Who reviews the reviewer reviewers? Reviewer reviewer reviewers review reviewer reviewers."
Apology to Ubuntu forum.
Not really. Usually, you do get something more than just "more of the same." Looking at the console history, you got things like 3D graphics (SNES -> PS1), analog sticks (PS1 -> N64), the ability to watch movies (Dreamcast -> PS2) or a real online service (PS2 -> Xbox). Sure, the PS3 brings Blu-Ray, but that's just a better DVD. What else does it have? Most things are faster.
Compare this to the Wii, which brings a really cool new controller. That's not souped up, that's new.
In a shocking turn of events, a guy who hates everything that the NY Times writes dislikes one of their new articles. More at 11!
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I got a PS3 60Gb at the official NYC launch event at the Sony Style store. Everyone was guaranteed a unit, and we all got one. Things were cival, orderly, and even friendly. I made a couple new friends in line and walked out with my unit at about 2:45 AM!
:-)
My impressions of the unit:
Resistance looks great and plays great. If you don't like 1st person shooters, don't bother, but if you do you will not be disappointed. I found that most of the game demos on the floor didn't show the best aspects of all the games available. Sad, but true-- the actual game was much better than the demo.
The downloadable games are a lot of fun and very reasonably priced at under $10 a pop. The launch titles were much stronger than the PS2 launch titles and certainly on par with the Wii and 360. As with any console, the best games will be 6 to 9 months out-- but this is just the typical next-gen timetable. If you have an HD tv, this is the console to get.
Blu-ray movies look as good as they should. Kudos for that. I consider that a token only because I think it would be hard to screw that up. However, as with DVD, the best experiences are to come. Talladega Nights looked good and sounded great, but I really want the Matrix in Blu-ray to confirm it's superiority to HD-DVD.
So the PS3 lived up to all the hype. Here are some interesting improvements I'm certain we'll see over time. And, thankfully, we can expect regular updates of functionality just like the 360. Honestly I could go on and on about how much I liked the experience and enjoy the games. I also know full well that there is improvement to be made over time, and it WILL be done. Here are some ideas:
1) When buying a game demo, purchasing the full game should be an unlock code and not another download. They are large.
2) You should be able to download content in the background from the store.
3) Motorstorm is an amazing game and it's a shame it wasn't available on launch day. I can't wait to get my hands on that one.
4) More Bluetooth compatibility for keyboards and mice.
5) Drop the price to $399 - $499 and it's a no brainer. $599 was pricy but for me, eh, I'll live with it.
People love to bash the PS3 and praise the Wii online-- it's progressed to an art form now. But, I just don't see it. I know the Wii is nice and all, but if you are looking for an HD experience look no further than PS3. The games really are great, the downloadable content is competent and very fun, and the UI is pretty slick.
"Politicians find new names for institutions which under old names have become odious to the people."
I saw a ps3 running some truck driving game (i have no idea what it was) at a Best Buy this weekend. Not being a sony fan recently, I have to say I was really really impressed with the graphics. Are there any games that run at 1080p or are they all 1080i/720p for launch?
I didn't play it, I just watched some kid play it, so I can't speak to anything else, but the graphics were killer.
"The anti-Sony and PS3 crap that has littered Slashdot over the past year and a half has done absolutely nothing to change anyones mind."
The anti-Sony crap wasn't something Slashdot created. It was born from Sony's missteps over the last year.
"And Slashdot is still trolling the Net looking for someone 'saying something bad about teh PS3' articles."
Haven't you noticed that Slashdot doesn't have to travel very far to find these stories? Face it: It's a bad year to be a Sony fanboy. That's not Slashdot's fault. Zonk didn't price it at $599. Zonk didn't tell everybody they could go get a second job if they didn't like the price of the machine. Zonk didn't cut their production ridiculously low. Zonk didn't toss rumble functionality in favor of a ripped-off/band-aided motion sensor. Zonk didn't even make mediochre launch games for the system. You cannot blame Slashdot for Sony's lousy PR this year.
Sony tripped over their own feet. They set the tone for how the PS3 would be recieved and the media has responded. Just give it a fucking rest.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
This has been making the rounds, but for those who haven't seen it, here's an thoughtful, insightful commentary on the new gen consoles. PS3 vs Wii - Google Video
Relax. Have a muffin. Enjoy the show. --Slick, Sept 13th, 2007.
It wasn't a virus, it was a trojan.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
As with the PS3, the 360 wireless controller needs to be wired for recharging, using the Microsoft recharge kit with battery, an extra $20 for the controller to have a rechargeable battery. So, the reviewer isn't quite right about that, they're not always wireless.
The 360 didn't do this when it came out either, this was a downloaded enhancement.
Sony is telling everybody the same thing that MS told everybody when it came out. Live, on the other hand, has had several years to evolve into what it currently is, while the PS3 online experience is really just beginning.
I would've liked it if the "browser" would allow more than 32 characters in the URL field. There are plenty of sites that have more than 32 characters in the URL.
The anti-Sony and PS3 crap that has littered Slashdot over the past year and a half has done absolutely nothing to change anyones mind.
No, probably not. After all there is an almost unlimited supply of corporate obsessed freaks who's happiness depends on the success/failure or a particular product.
But I'll tell you what has changed my mind. Yes, Mr Anonymous Sony Fanboy Troll - it's you! Previously I couldn't give a fuck which games system sold the most units any more than I cared which Barbie doll sold the best. But your well reasoned contributions have convinced me that every one who works for, or is in any way associated with, Sony must die a slow lingering death.
Do you get a bonus for that?
So instead of buying from a kamikaze bomber, you want to support a guy that will stand on a carrier and proclaim "Mission Accomplished" over and over again?
Not that any of the three haven't had their own evil stretch. Nintendo was a convicted monopolist at one point, after all.
"I think an etch-a-sketch with an ethernet port would beat IE7 in web standards compliance."
Or, uh, "souped up" things like NES>SNES, and N64>GameCube, and PS1>PS2. Oh, and Master System>Genesis. Oh and Xbox>Xbox 360.
The biggest change for most systems was 2d>3d, and the change in controllers to accomodate that. Otherwise, New is relatively rare -- which is why stuff like the Wii makes pretty big news.
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You teh sux0r 2 sae teh PS3 is not going to teh r0x0r! Yew lie, yew 360 luvr. U teh sux! U maek thing up, go die!!!1111one!1!!!1
You have to remember that the gaming market has grown, providing more revenues for the console manufacturers. Fans have a right to expect innovation.
And you leave out a few things.
1) NES - SNES: Shoulder buttons, top loading cartridge, double the graphics
2) N64 - Gamecube: Internalized rumble feature, the c-stick, improved shoulder "triggers", and (finally) a digital format
3) Master System - Genesis: Not much change aside from the C button, and the Sega-CD peripheral.. then again, thats why Sega doesn't make consoles anymore..
... that the NY Times review guy is annoyed with the missing/incomplete features that, supposedly, "no one has asked for". Music, browsing, background downloading, that sort of thing. They'll fix a lot of this in firmware (like they did for the X360), so its a bit moot, but he does have the point in saying that Sony originally delayed this launch - the fact that this shit is not polished is bad.
If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
I had a couple problems with the NY Times review. First he states 12 minutes after opening the box for the 360 he was up and running and playing quake online. Great. Then he states with the PS3 after 12 minutes... he realized the cables would not do HD? Come on! If you're going to compare something... COMPARE IT! How long did it take to get up and running to go online with the PS3? Was it difficult? You plug it in, press the button to Signup for the Network, enter the info and then boot a game. His comment about playing his custom soundtrack in game... is that not a game design choice? Not necessarily a system hardware issue? *shrug* I have issues when regular press people try to review or talk about games as they generally have a lot of assumptions (look at the hot coffee or bully issues and any other stupid'ish knock on games). All i know is that I'm digging the PS3 more at the moment than I am my 360.
Actually no... there are positive stories... most of which make it to other sites but not here. Check Google out sometime, you might be suprised what exists outside of /.
Uhm.. sorry, but the nintendo controller is nothing new.. everybody thinks it's new, but there have been controllers like that for a while now, but never really caught on.. There are also some negative reviews about the wii controller that it is a nice device, but only for a short while, it's just a gimmick... These days, every new console is nothing more than a 'soupedup' whatever.. (the wii is even more a soupedup gamecube, and really doesn't bring anything new to the market)..
As an added slap in the face how does sony plan to 'Usher in full 1080p gaming' with composite cables?
try $7k now...ebay
Freedom is a state of mind. A mind is a state of being. Stay the fuck out of my mind and my being. - Corporate Avenger
[i] a year ago with its innovative and powerful Xbox 360[/i] xbox360 innovative? WTF.... there was nothing innovative about the whole damn xbox360. it's a great machine, don't get me wrong, but not innovating... [i]More important, the whole PlayStation 3 system is surprisingly clunky to use and simply does not provide many basic functions that users have come to expect, especially online.[/i] Uhm.. the xbox360 was even more clunky to use in the beginning.. [i] (Sony is even telling users to wait for future software patches to fix some of the PS3's deficiencies.) The thing is, if people want to use a computer, they'll use a computer. [/i] Uhm.. just like the xbox360, and with that bugger the last patch people downloaded even crashed a lot of xbox360s with owners having to bring them in for 'repair'.. I just think this guy is heavily biased towards the xbox360.. He doesn't write anything good about it, or even ANYTHING really... How about the great backwardcompatibility of the PS3 (ok, there are some games that don't run properly, but that's not even 1% of all the games), the xbox360 didn't even have backwardcompatibility until the first patch, and there only the most important games ran.. the xbox360 still doesn't have full or even 3/4 backwardcompatibility.. How about the big external powersuply of the xbox360. And the xbox360 didn't come with a cable for HDTV when it was released...
Slow down, buddy. There's plenty of room to lambast both the PS3 _and_ zonk.
Of all the stores I've been to I've yet to see a Wii demo running. All I've seen are videos of some woman talking about how great the Wii is. I did notice the PS3 running as a demo machine had crashed at one store. I manage to play one elsewhere.
I played some offroad game which despite not having particularly high reviews I found to be a lot of fun. I found the damage inflicting on vehicles to be impressive and I could finally consider the console to have graphics comparable to a PC. The game certainly felt more like an offroad game than Excite Truck does. Excite Truck does have the novelty of the controller, but then again, for driving games I much prefer an actual steering wheel.
I don't have a high regard for Sony and could care less about the PS3. Nintendo always wins on gameplay. However, and I hate to say this, but 3D graphics tend to age badly. It's not like 2D graphics which can be very stylized even when originally designed for 320x200. Old 2D games still look great, they don't feel like they've aged; unless you go back too far to the Atari 2600 era I suppose. For some reason a 3D game even a few years old can feel dated to the point of interfering with it's enjoyment.
Nearly every review I've seen for Wii games has pointed out that graphics aren't great. From what I've seen of the Wii the graphics don't really look much better than those on a Gamecube or PS2 and apparently they look worse on high-definition displays, probably because of all the pixelation.
This may not be a problem in the short-term, but if the Wii is incapable of anything even approaching the Xbox360 or PS3 they're going to have problems. I tend to think, like the Gamecube the Wii is going to peak early and fade off over the next few years once the novelty of the controller wears off. It's only a matter of time before developers decide it's not worth to port games to the Wii, which is what happened with the Gamecube. Nintendo can always be counted on to produce great games, but I don't think it will be enough to keep the system afloat.
Keep in mind that Sony and Microsoft can always respond to Nintendo by producing their own unconventional controllers; look at Guitar Hero. Short of releasing a new system or a considerable upgrade there's not much Nintendo can do. The real advantage Nintendo has is price. The PS3 is too expensive and the Xbox360 is probably out of contention just because it was released first. The console that comes out first seems to always lose out in the end. Although it would be interesting to see the Xbox360 outsell the PS3. The price advantage and the fact that Nintendo does produce some great games is what will give the Wii some staying power.
I do have to add that although I don't plan on getting any console if I had to choose I'd definitely get the Wii. Not because of the unusual controller, but as I've mentioned above, Nintendo produces some great games.
It's funny, there's a lot of psychology involved here. The more people wait in line and invest their time, money, and energy trying to get a PS3, the more they will say they like it, even though it might not be that great... Read any intro psychology textbook.
Funny how many poeple out there are bitching about the PS3 and they don't even have one. Be a Sony hater whatever, but don't diss the console before you have even played it. All the retards bitching now will change sides once Sony comes out on top again in a few years. Even though I don't like Sony much I give them alot of credit for what they have done with the PS3. A brand new architecture for the CPU and a brand new media player. The Blue-Ray may be ahead of its time but it won't be in 4-5 years when everyone has one. And at that point people with a PS3 won't need to decide what format to buy or what new player to buy they will buy Blu-Ray. Blu-Ray/HD-DVD players will still be expensive for the next few years, so if your a gamer getting a console is your best bet for the money. Also MS doesn't care enough about its uses. They have already killed the XBox and it had plenty of life left in it. MS is a pusher, they push out new technology and force the consumers to buy it. Atleast when Sony made the PS2 they didn't just throw it out the window. They have spend the last 6 yeas improving it and making it smaller. What did MS do? Just like Vista they pushed another console on the consumer, not caring one bit that 90% of gamers can't afford $500 gaming machines. Sony is still behind the PS2, which I give them alot of credit for. They still sell over 200,000 PS2's a week. Thats more then the Xenon. So before you bash Sony atleast give them credit where credit is deserved, weather you like them or not. And if you are going to compare the systems make sure you realize that if a system comes out a year ahead, it going to be more stable than one that came out yesterday. I'm so tried of this pissant shit from the media about the PS3. Both 360 and PS3 are on par with each other (yes I develop on both systems). They both have strengths and weaknesses. Buy the one you like the games for and stop bitching about the other one. If you really dislike something you will ignore it. If you bitch about something, it means you care enough to spend time thiking about it. And if you hate the PS3 so much then why get so riled up about it. Just don't buy it, and let whoever else wants to but it buy it.
I guess you could call that "just souped-up," but the difference in power between the NES and the SNES is quite significant. The SNES made new games possible. The PS3 does not.
I guess the question is: Can the new console support games the old console could not? That's clearly true with the NES->SNES transition. I don't think it's true with the PS2->PS3 transition, but it's definitely true with the Cube->Wii transition.
This is either a blatant lie, or you're a bit uninformed.
Frankly, I'm not sure what controllers that have been available "for a while now" you're referring to. Are you talking about motion-sensing controllers? You need to understand that the Wii Remote isn't simply a new version of the old Sidewinder FreeStyle Pro. Motion sensing controllers like the FreeStyle or the PS3 controller only recognize movement and/or the angle at which you hold the controller. The Wii Remote does more: The Wii can calculate its precise position, direction and angle. Position is the important point here: The PS3 controller doesn't know the difference between standing right in front of the TV, or sitting on your sofa far away. The Wii Remote does. The Wii knows precisely how you move the controller, and from where to where you move it in space. Hence, it supports - in addition to all the things the PS3 controller supports - stuff like golfing, sword fights or "pointing" (as in gun).
Make no mistake, something like the Wii Remote has never been done in consumer electronics.
And since your premise is false, the rest of your post is pointless.
Which is great for the three people who actually care, and for Sony if it allows them to pay less taxes.
Just where have I heard this before? Oh yeah, I remember: During the PS2 launch.
Frankly, I doubt it. PCs have been able to do that for a long time, but "regular users" haven't been compiling any software recently. And consoles with internet access and browsers are hardly new.
Actually it was born from Microsoft's aggressive catering to blogs and internet media. Sony didn't take steps to counter Microsoft's negative campaign. On the other hand, most people, the ones that don't live on the Internet, don't read all the blogs and therefore will have an unbiased point of view when it comes to purchasing a game console.
Now if we can only stop those annoying Microsoft fanboys from polluting every discussion about the PS3 while trying to *seem* impartial...
And don't forget that as Sony's adding those features, the Xbox 360 will continue adding others. So unless Sony puts a ton of work into updates for the PS3, they'll always be behind the 360 in functionality.
"You know your god is man-made when he hates all the same people you do."
Pardon?
What exactly did Microsoft do that catered to the blogs and internet media? How exactly is this supposed to give Sony negative press as opposed to Microsft positive press? Do you mean to say Microsoft bribed them?
You're putting a statement on the table here that smells of crackpot conspiracy theory. Unless you have some article or link to back it up, I'm going to have to call this FUD, even if some of the PS3 bashing we see here is as well.
Also, the idea that anyone can be unbiased about buying something is silly. The internet didn't create bias, it just made it more obvious.
Thunderclone: ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE! ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE!
Actually, there are usually seventy or so comments flaming and trolling Zonk. Several hundred talking about the Wii (regardless of the news topic), another few proclaiming the coming ascendance of Sony or Microsoft, and some old coot wondering when Pong stopped being the most popular video game.
Also, consistant numbers of over 300 posts hardly constitutes "tiny".
Thunderclone: ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE! ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE!
I'm not a fanboy of EITHER the xbox or the PS3, but it's pretty obvious that the guy writing this article has M$ so far up his ass he can taste Bill Gates. All I heard was "Blah blah blah, it's not the Xbox360" and "Blah blah blah doesn't work as perfectly as xbox right out of the box". Well, does ANYONE remember that when the 360 first came out several of it's power supplies overheated and became FIRE HAZARDS and some of the games flat out DIDN'T WORK. I will be getting a PS3 eventually, but so far I haven't heard of any horror stories of any PS3 malfunctions, just some akward functionality which can easily be fixed by a patch or two (which I'm sure microsoft has done as well). None of the game systems are going to be perfect at launch and all the fanboys on either side will be the first to throw a stone at the opposing team. Let time and gameplay decide the victor fellas. Don't be Hata's.
Secrest, GAY!
"Actually it was born from Microsoft's aggressive catering to blogs and internet media."
Funny that Microsoft would focus on Sony and completely ignore Nintendo.
Pardon me for not buying this leap of logic.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
I wonder if anyone thought that "A machine that screams 'Digital Carpe DRM'." would attract positive ratings...
I have heard some pretty damming evidence that IBM (or at least, a number of European divisions) was involved in organizing the Holocaust. Given the fact that IBM produces the Cell processor, I would think that would be a better reason not to buy a PS3 than a rootkit that the music division of Sony-BMG used. As IBM chips are in all of the new consoles, I would think that the rootkit is no real reason not to buy a PS3, given that Sony has at least acknowledged their scandal and given some compensation, whereas IBM continually passes blame and otherwise says nothing. If, of course, the rumours are true.
Wikipedia link of some use
I have freaks! I did something right...
This guy had some pretty nasty things to say about the PS3, but some of it seemed a little ridiculous. The first thing that was pretty wild was that it took him 12 minutes to realize that it didn't come with HDMI cables. Now I realize that there might be plenty of people out there who don't realize this, but this guy is a technology reviewer and probably should have known this for the last month. Then he complains about how you have to plug in the wireless controllers so that your system recognizes it. He even puts quotes around wireless, like they're not really wireless or something. This doesn't bother me a bit. You have to plug it in when you get it to charge it anyway. Then if i have to bring it over my friend's house, if I have to plug it in for a second again, it really won't be that big of a deal.
Then he says how the 360 controllers are wireless, and doesn't bother to mention that some 360 controller that come bundled with the system are not wireless. Then he says that some of the PS3's features are going to patched in later, like that's going to be a bad thing, and doesn't mention that half of these 360 features he's loving so much were not out at launch. To be fair, I don't think he knows what the 360 was like at launch because this guy doesn't sound like he plays many games. To compare two consoles is one thing, but he's really just ignoring all the faults of one, and dwelling on the faults of the other.
I guess that's why you get when you read the New York Times in search of unbiased journalism. This article read like the PS3 was the official console of the Republican Party or something.
Lol, digital format? Yeah, I remember those analogue cartridges :)
My mario character have become stuck inside the cartridge, how do I fix this? Can I clean it somehow?
So, it's the f+cking NY Times, but so what? If you had read the article, you'd know it's a bad write-up, full of bias and far from being a balanced review. The information I get out of it is that OMG, the author doesn't like Sony nor the PS3, and the 360 was oh so awesome in comparison.
Give us a rest indeed. I've been watching the anti-Sony FUD and BS on slashdot for a while now from a rather amused distance, but as much as I like stupid memes and their endless self-replication (and take part in 'em myself occasionally), it bothers me nonetheless to have to watch how sheepishly and baring a second thought many here flame or mod down anything pro SONY as troll or flamebait.
Get a life folks (I know, this is slashdot, but anyway)! Buy whichever you prefer, souped up Gamecube, souped up PS2 or souped up Xbox, but have some decency and respect other buyers' choices. Or are you afraid of something?
A World in a Grain of Sand / Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Infinity in the Palm of your Hand / And Eternity in an Hour.
I think a reasonable yardstick of how successful the wiimote controller will be, is when the competitors start to immitate the form and function of it. I'd expect it to be copied by PS4/X720 if it prove successful, and by PS3/X360 if it prove wildly successful.
I'm not sure why you declare Sony as evil but relentlessly rally to support Microsoft who's done much worse.
When I first read about the infantile stages of the Cell B.E., and it's possible consumer debut in the PS3, I knew when the time came that the PS3 did launch, I would be first in line for one. A few years later, that did in fact happen. I took the necessary steps to stay informed on pretty much any and all information leading to the release of Sony's next-gen system, but was prepared to camp out for one, if necessary. My efforts paid off when I received an email from Gamestop informing me that a limited preorder for the PS3 would occur for one day, and a $100 deposit was necessary. I happened to be the only person outside my local Gamestop for almost two hours, and was eventually handed a post-it note with the number '1' on it. A month later, after my work day was done, I walked in, paid my balance, and walked out with a 60GB PS3, an extra controller, and a few games. In addition to staying on top of things PS3-related, I also paid attention to the Wii, it's unique controller, and the fact that it would debut a more than half the price of the PS3- but with (for all intensive purposes) half (if not more than half) the performance of Sony's offering. Being an 'early-adopter', I felt that although the Wii was presenting the gaming world with a radical method of game control, it really didn't offer much more in the way of taking the next step in console performance. It would be new, and play older Nintendo games in one form or another, and would also offer a new(er) perspective in console gaming. But that was it. No high-definition graphics, no multi-core processor, no hard drive storage, and most of all, no games (for that platform brand) that really appealed to my personal tastes in gaming. (I'm 31, and have been playing just about every platform since my Atari 2600) Outside of any iteration of Zelda, and Metroid, I knew the Wii would only be something I'd buy in a few months 'just to have it', if not so that I could personally experience what all the commotion is about concerning the controller(s). So, what is my impression of the PS3? It's simply worth every penny for those who believe in the technology inside it. Sure, $600 was a bit steep, but I paid $400 for the Xbox 360, plus another $100 for the wireless adapter, making the PS3 'only' $100 more than it's closest competitor. At this point, I've had the machine for four days, and have played roughly 10 hours on it (life gets in the way), and say 'wow' every time I've had the chance to sit down with it. It's smooth, quiet, and has exceeded my expectations in just about every category. "But it doesn't upscale DVD's and games to 1080i"....Yet. "Sony's online offerings are bland and basic."....Give it time, remember, this is Sony's first real attempt at the whole online community (no, the PS2's extremely basic online capability does not count here- PS3's approach is completely different), and for those who continue to complain about it (online)...IT'S FREE. I've had the Xbox 360 since launch last year, and will admit it is a great system, with great games, a great online community, and an overall great presentation of graphics. But, as with the 360, the PS3 will only get better....and this is going to be a big deal. Knowing the capabilites of the Cell, coupled with genuine high definition software and output (HDMI), and a history of console 'war' domination, Sony's latest offering in the gaming world is a wolf in sheeps clothing. When I read of others mentioning the lack of anything 'new', 'next-gen', or 'revolutionary' concerning the PS3, I'm a bit confused because outside of the motion-sensing controller, and the overall aesthetics of the Wii experience....nothing is new with that platform. (I'm not picking on the Wii, but I've noticed those who comment negatively about the PS3 seem to find the Wii being the next best thing since sliced bread.) To honestly comment on anything regarding the PS3, one should be an owner, period. Witnesses to in-game footage, or those who've spent 10 minutes playing with one, or those who comment based on what they've read from other med
Not really. Usually, you do get something more than just "more of the same." Looking at the console history, you got things like 3D graphics (SNES -> PS1), analog sticks (PS1 -> N64), the ability to watch movies (Dreamcast -> PS2) or a real online service (PS2 -> Xbox). Sure, the PS3 brings Blu-Ray, but that's just a better DVD. What else does it have? Most things are faster.
Compare this to the Wii, which brings a really cool new controller. That's not souped up, that's new.
But you're not comparing new versions of the same product. You're not even comparing products from the same producer.
PS1 to PS2 to PS3. All game consoles from Sony, each time bigger / better / faster / prettier.
XBox to XBox 360. Same song, this time from Microsoft.
NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, Wii. Nintendo is slightly different, but they're doing the same thing. Bigger / better / faster / prettier each time. They just use goofy controllers in the process.
You can't compare SNES and PS1 to PS2 and PS3.
No sig for you. YOU GET NO SIG!
"I'm not sure why you declare Sony as evil but relentlessly rally to support Microsoft who's done much worse."
Huh? I didn't support Microsoft or call Sony evil.
Not that it matters. Sony didn't need Microsoft's help in flushing away their PR. You could just as easily blame Nintendo or even the Romulans.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
That's correct, but not significant. I tried to make the comparison fairer by comparing consoles that were released somewhat closer to each other. If you ignore that, the comparison becomes even more crass: NES -> SNES: Went from few small sprites, few colors and little scrolling to tons of large sprites, lots of color and huge worlds that scroll in all directions. SNES -> N64: went from 2D to 3D, from digital to analog. N64 -> Cube: not much new, just more of the same, but faster, while copying a few things from other consoles (like the general controller layout, which was very similar to the Dreamcast's controller). Cube -> Wii: revolutionary new controller, online service, web.
Nintendo reinvented parts of the console with almost every iteration. Sony? Not so much. PS1->PS2 and PS2->PS3 is comparable to N64->Wii. More of the same, while copying some inventions from other manufacturers.
You're really making my case for me here, because the gap between SNES and N64 is even bigger than between the SNES and the PS1. I was giving Sony the benefit of the doubt here.
Try $9.99 + $50 shipping. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item =280050635902&ru=http://search.ebay.com:80/search/ search.dll?from=R40&satitle=280050635902&fvi=1
Talk about a bad day to be this guy. :)
As an added bonus, Circuit City has a deal this week where you get $5 off any Wii accessory that's $19.99 or greater. By Selling the Nunchuck and Remote seperate you get that $5 off each, which was happy. :)
Ok that was the one game that everyone said turned out really good for launch. I was wondering. The back of the box says it requires at least 3 gigs free of hard disk space. Is that correct or a misprint that should read 3 megs (for save games)? If not, what are the 3 gigs used for? Are we actually installing console games to the HDD now?
The PS3 FUD has driven away the majority of people who use to read Slashdot for general gaming news.
Oh, how I wish it was so. There are plenty of good gaming sites available for them, perhaps we could get some good in-depth developer or hardware stories again at Slashdot?
Being bitter is drinking poison and hoping someone else will die
"What does George Bush have to do with this?"
The evil Bushor and his terrifying army of illegal Mexicans have been buying up XBoxes and Wiis to ensure that Princess Sony will never again be able to possess the magical Hat Of Money. Everyone knows that, just like they know that Princess Sony would still have the money hat if the great Elven warrior Cli'int'n and his Knights Of The Stained Robe were guarding her.
I'm not going to change your sheets again, Mr. Hastings.
Part of it is the accessibility. My mom wants to try Tennis because she always loved tennis, and used to play. She however can't do the constant running stopping, and moving due to knee problems as she got older. Wii sports deals simply with the racket, and all the running is 'done for you'.
I honestly wished Wii sports was online enabled so I could play golf and play tennis with my parents or friends who moved cross country.
You mean like how Sony bolted on a Tilt sensor to their controller?
I have read plenty of reviews on the options that both the xbox 360, Wii, and playstation 3 have to offer. No offense, but I dont really care if I can listent to music while I play, i have a stereo. I can live with download times, thats when i drink my beer, etc. The reason I bought a playstion over nintendo was the game selection. Playstation 2 over xbox or gamecube.... game selection. If the playstation 3 brings me more and better games to choose from than the xbox 360 and Wii, thats what I will "eventually" buy. I have my cpu to keep me happy until I see how this goes, but at this point im going to wait to see if the PS3 pans out before I choose one of these systems. They have done me right twice already... I can wait a few months to see if they do me right again.
I think you forget to point out the connection between the PSP and the PS3, which while not implemented yet, definitely took one step forward yesterday with PSP v3.0. The streaming from handheld to console is pretty nifty, and the ability to download on one and transfer to the other is quite nice. I think the rearview mirror gimmick was a bit much, but it'd be cool to see some games take better advantage of using this wisely. An MMO that you can play on the PS3 and take on the road via your PSP would be awesome, and SOE is definitely in a position to capitalize on it. I don't see the Wii doing this any time soon.
So yes, each one of these consoles is one step forward. And yes, hardware wise all you're getting is a souped up PS2, just like the Xbox360 is a souped up Xbox. The Wii has a fancy controller, but the article on games.slashdot.org about firmware lockups doesn't instill my confidence that the Wii is the penultimate console of the bunch. Nintendo has to replace consoles the first week of release? Yep, Sony definitely has some problems but I think it's a bit weak to call it a souped up PS2 without taking the multimedia into account. The PS3 isn't just a game console - it has everything and the kitchen sink, and for $600 that's what you should expect.
"There are also some negative reviews about the wii controller that it is a nice device, but only for a short while, it's just a gimmick..."
Thee are 1 million (give or take 100,000) new Wii owners with firsthand experience who will disagree with that.
(I don't own a Wii, but I have played with it for several hours, and I'll testify that it's no gimmick)
--R.J.
Electric-Escape.net
"What went wrong with Sony? Why can't they compete anymore?"
Their ego's gotten the best of them. Like Microsoft five years ago, Sony management really do believe they can release crap and people will buy it, simply on the PlayStation brand alone (just look at the "$600 is cheap for what you're getting" comments).
--R.J.
Electric-Escape.net
"Of all the stores I've been to I've yet to see a Wii demo running."
Go to a GameStop or EB Games -- you give them your ID, and they'll give you a remote so you can play their Wii kiosk.
Or, alternately, go to one of these malls and try it there.
--R.J.
Electric-Escape.net
I agree that Sony added the tilt motion sensing feature in response to the wiimote controller, but it is still basically a conventional controller. Wiimote controller is a far more drastic change from its predecessor. Besides the tilt sensing, its form consisting of the nunchuck and remote controller style wiimote, and its ability to sense 3D position are two of the most significant changes. If you look at the family tree of controllers, this change is as significant as, if not more than, from the joy stick to the controller using directional pad. I'd say the analog stick is sorta thumb controlled joystick, so the wiimote's new form factor and 3D position sensing are truly unique. Although tilt sensing also appear to be new feature introduced by both sixaxis and wiimote, the difference between sixaxis and wiimote, quoting someone else, is that motion sensing is an option on sixaxis, but it is a requirement on wiimote. It remain to be seen whether the competitors will copy the unique changes introduced by wiimote.
I agree, I did not mention that. Nintendo has done it before, of course, but Sony seems to be going further by combining it with some of their media technologies. We'll see how that plays out. I don't exactly think it's a huge revolution - just another "more of the same" step.
Interestingly, I think this whole thing was supposed to go down differently. Sony expected to take the handheld market away from Nintendo and sell a huge load of PSPs. Then, they probably intended to use the PSP as a way to sell PS3s - you've already got the PSP, and look what you can do with your PSP if you also buy a PS3. Kinda the strategy that already failed for Nintendo, but better implemented.
Of course, that whole thing fell apart when the PSP didn't become the runaway success Sony expected it to become, and now the whole connection thing seems to be way down on Sony's list of priorities.
Oh, I agree. The Wiimote is an order of magnitude more sophisticated than both traditional controllers and the Sixaxis. I'm just saying that Sony tried to copy the Wiimote, but they simply 'don't get it'.
Although tilt sensing also appear to be new feature introduced by both sixaxis and wiimote, the difference between sixaxis and wiimote, quoting someone else, is that motion sensing is an option on sixaxis, but it is a requirement on wiimote.
Yes, the PS3 has a tilt sensor as does the Wiimote. Sony calls it a motion sensor, but it isn't a motion sensor in the way the Wiimote is. If you can keep the Sixaxis controller perfectly level (don't tilt it) you can move it from the floor to the ceiling of your room and it won't notice the difference. Likewise if it's on your couch vs. right in front of the TV. The Wii gauges where it is in the room as well, and how it moves.