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Ask Sony's Phil Harrison About PS3 and Games
During GDC Sony made an effort to answer questions directly from the gaming community, taking steps to put aside the problems of the past several months. Today, we have a chance to take another step in the right direction with the company. Phil Harrison, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, has been the face of the PlayStation 3 here in the United States since before the machine launched. He's agreed to answer questions from the Slashdot community about the PlayStation 3, the console since launch, and their recent announcements about LittleBigPlanet and Home. I've linked a trio of other interviews he's done recently below, to give you an idea of topics that he's already covered. I'm sure there are plenty of questions we might ask that have yet to be put forward in a public forum. So - feel free to ask away. One question per comment, please, and keep in mind that Mr. Harrison is here to answer questions about the PS3 and games only; any other Sony-related questions are outside the scope of this interview. The highest-rated comments will be passed on, and we'll post his answers as soon as we get them.
The NPD numbers for the PS3 have not been terribly impressive. Do you have any plans for improving these numbers, apart from staying the course?
Would you eat the moon if it was made of BBQ Spareribs?
Beat 'Em and Eat 'Em
With a number of previously-PS3-exclusive titles having gone multiplatform, are there any efforts to prevent this from occurring further, or is it of little concern to SCE? That is, should we expect to see more PS3-exclusives go multiplatform?
I like basketball!!1!
If I were interested in picking up a new console, for the sole purpose of gaming, and was deciding between the PS3, Wii, and XBox360, what incentives would I have to invest in the PS3?
The wii's sales have been meteoric, despite the "superior technology" of the PS3 and XBox 360. My question is, have Sony and MSFT completely underestimated the penetration, and demand for, HDTV, and are you both feeling that now?
On a standard set Wii titles look better than the last gen, and offer an new, innovative, and most importantly fun experience. On a standard set, a PS3 is a $600 PS2, and a 360 is a $400 Xbox.
Also, wrt Live, Home, etc: do you really think gamers are so eager to install stores under our TVs?
Do you have any vision for the online experience, other than as a way to get my credit card number?
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
I'll be more specific -- is Sony willing to lower the price as an incentive to increase the number of units sold?
Where do I sign up to get the $1200 per system sitting on the shelf in January that Jack Tretton promised?
a total home multi-tainment center from the PS3? I'd like to see VOIP capability (with the ability to subscribe to any VOIP provider), Video-Conference capability (the same), possibly use external drive as DVR (with some sort of USB capture device), etc... I know the PS3 has the power to process the above, but will Sony support development of applications for the XMB to any tune of the above? There are just too many boxes in an entertainment center now. Certainly both Sony and the home user could benefit from the merge of the technologies.
Are there any plans to start shipping PS3s with longer "charging" cables? That seems to be my biggest annoyance. And yes I realize I can go and get a longer USB cable ($30 for a 12' at the local best buy), but I kind of expected little things like that to not be such an annoyance for my $600.
The PS3 has three major problems as I see it; lack of software, price, and lack of availability. The latter two of these three issues have been blamed on the fact that the PS3's Blu-Ray drive requires an expensive and scarce blue laser.
Given the problems that seem to have come with Blu-Ray, does it still look like including the drive in the system was worth it? And if so, was it worth it for the PS3, for the Blu-Ray format, or for both? What steps are being taken to remedy the problems in price and availability?
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Do you really think you can compete with XBox Live?
Last generation, XBox Live really blew people away and has set the standard for console connectivity. It will be 6 years old this November. Microsoft seems to have learned from it and has enhanced it for the 360 (like achievement points), and will be introducing it for Windows. Nintendo, sadly, doesn't seem to have learned and will be using "friend codes" again on the Wii, with reports that each game will use different codes.
How well do you think your offering will be able to compete with XBox Live? While there is a price associated with XBL, making a service free doesn't make up for what may be lost. From what I know the PS3 doesn't seem to have the same focus and commitment that Microsoft has. And while some of your ideas are quite interesting (like the Home concept), I have to wonder if it will be seen as being as well developed and integrated as XBL is at this point.
Do you think you can beat XBL this generation, or do you think you might be relegated to playing catchup?
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
Why is Best Buy discontinuing sales of the 20gB PS3?
Why should I shell out over $500.00 USD to purchase the PS3 when I can purchase an XBOX 360 and/or Nintendo Wii for the same price? Perhaps even buying the two of them and still paying the price of just the PS3. This is not meant to be a jab, just a legitimate questions.
I understand the strategy of never announcing price drops until they're imminent, but the PS3 is not even on many people's radar at the moment, because of the staggering price. The Neo Geo consumer hardware followed a similar price model. Are you even considering price drops on the PS3 hardware?
Ryan Fenton
@Mr Phil Harrison
There is this old conviction amongst some that Sony's tried to kill sprite based 2D games and is reluctant to let them be published on Playstation consoles.
Is there any truth to this?
Does Sony have a "stance" against on sprite based 2D games on the PS3? Can a game like Odin Sphere be published on the PS3?
Is there a chance that the policy of restricting access to PS3 graphics hardware (via the hypervisor) could be revised to encourage us homebrew developers?
The PS3 has come under a lot of fire for its price tag, especially in the UK where it is £425. Do you think that the price is fair considering the features that the PS3 offers (such as Blu-Ray) or do you think that the machine is, even only slightly, overpriced?
Summation 2
When does the ps4 come out?
Browse at -1 to keep an eye out for abuses.
Sir,
Will Sony be offering up kernel patches and an RSX optimized OpenGL library for PS3/Linux?
Is Sony doing anything to promote the development of RPG games by companies other than Square - Enix?
-GiH
First, we are the last to get the region, secondly we are the ones who have to pay mist third, we do not even get the full hardware because the emulation is moved into software, and to the worse it isnt working to well according to first tests in the net. How do you think can Sony be able to keep its customer base here. And no we do not want to get second jobs...
While the PS3 has struggled against the Xbox 360 and the Wii in the gaming arena, its success with Bluray becomes more apparent every day. Sales of Bluray have quickly surged past those of HD-DVD with the PS3 receiving most of the credit. How will the PS3's success with Bluray impact those who want a system purely for games, specifically in terms of cost of ownership?
I understand that if European PS3 had PS2 hardware backwards compability replaced with cheaper software emulation but I cannot understand that PS3 will cost _a lot more_ in Europe than what it costs in USA or Japan after that change. So why do we get actually less powerful console with bigger price tag? And please don't get started with that software emulation will do as good job we all know that it won't do as good job even after a two years of upgrades to the PS3 software.
-Seeing the problem is ½ of solution-
It's high time we started holding companies accountable for the wild ramblings of their representatives.
Anyone who believes in fairness and honesty has a moral obligation not to purchase anything from Sony until many helpings of $1200 are released to many people out there. Which of course we know will never happen...
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
If someone manages to get homebrew games running on the PS3, will there be firmware updates to stop this kind of development, to protect your software developers, or is homebrew something you are planning on and even encouraging? How does this strategy differ from your strategy with PSP homebrew?
Whether or not there is some sort of god, I'm not supposed to say/god is a word and the argument ends there-Smog
I was going to go with something snarky about the price of the PS3, but I've decided to instead make a more direct point.
I don't have an HDTV. As I understand it, the major selling point of the PS3 is its new HD graphics. I currently have no plans on getting an HDTV. So, sell me on why I should get a PS3 given that I have a 13" CRT TV. Would it still be worth it? Will I still be able to play all the same games that HDTV players can? Or will I have to suffer unreadable text or HUD elements that are too small to understand?
Or, can I hook up the PS3 output to my computer monitor using DVI? Right now I'm more willing to upgrade my computer monitor than my TV, so that might work for me, especially given that my TV is smaller than my computer monitor.
Honestly, the lack of an HDTV is the largest reason I'm uninterested in the PS3 right now. There are other reasons, of course, but I'm sure that they'll be brought up plenty of times by other trolls. Uh, I mean, other posters. :)
You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
It has been stated many times that the PS3 is meant to last a full 10 years before being replaced with a new iteration of the Playstation brand. With the rate at which technology advances, how realistic is this plan?
While the adoption of HDTVs is on the rise, the current market penetration is still a small fraction. Many aren't inclined or perhaps capable of acquiring an HDTV, which is required for the full PS3 experience. What reason is there to choose the PS3 for an SDTV when the visual difference from the competition is negligible?
The PS3 is expensive, and at the same time is purportedly sold for less than it costs to make. Beyond the frequent debates over price drops and the formidable barrier $500-$600 presents to many gamers is a concern that the PS3 is ultimately doing more harm to Sony, specifically their bank accounts, than good. Is Sony prepared for the possibility that at the end of the console's lifetime, the PS3 will constitute a net loss?
All three systems are currently in a drought when it comes to top-class titles. Whoever pulls out of it first might gain significant momentum. Does Sony plan to try to capitalize on the situation, or do they feel it is better to let the games come out "when they're done"?
Many are concerned that while an interesting idea, Home will ultimately obfuscate the streamlined processes seen in other online services. How is Home addressing this concern?
Killzone made another appearance at the GDC, after having been mysteriously absent from E3 2006. Why is news for this title so rare, especially after having been so crucial to the presentation at E3 2005?
Those are my questions.
Thunderclone: ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE! ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE!
Was there ever a point when you or anyone at Sony releasing a DVD based PS3 *and* a Blu-Ray based DVD instead of ones with different hard drives and other features?
Where's Crash Bandicoot, Tomb Raider, Jet Moto, FF VII, Gran Turismo, aka the games that made me want to run out and buy a PSX?
How long till there is a first party controller with "last-gen" rumble?
I want to know how you intend to get developers to leverage the storage space that Bluray provides. A lot of games today really suck up the space on a single DVD. For example, Gears of War is beautiful, but short because of that. Will Sony work toward getting developers to create games that really take advantage of all of that storage space to create say, a game as long as Final Fantasy 7, but that is as beautiful as Gears of War?
How can I be certain that putting a PS3 on my home network won't cause a rootkit to be installed on the other devices?
-q
Out of the three "current-gen" consoles, it seems Sony is most friendly with the Open Source community, namely by allowing Linux to run on the PS3 and releasing open source drivers for the cell processor, Sony is encouraging OSS developers to embrace the Cell / Playstation platform and use it for a variety of purposes. Though it is mainly geared towards allowing researchers and such to use the system for scientific, mathematical, and other processor intensive purposes; it is not far fetched to expand its use for other purposes. Even though Sony makes money selling SDKs for gaming and other means which developers can use to access all of the hardware which the platform includes, Sony is losing much more money than it is making (high price, not enough demand, etc.) Is Sony considering opening up some of the 3D acceleration hardware and such to allow independent developers to fully use the platform to make games, media applications, and such? It is my personal opinion that doing so would not only allow Sony to reaquisition some of the "street cred" it lost in this whole experience, but we would also see some very innovative and unique games for the PS3, possibly reclaiming the title of "most innovative platform" from the Wii. Regardless, just interested in seeing if this was currently being considered by Sony.
Thank you and have a good day.
Much has been made of the potential impact of Home and Little Big Planet on the public perception of the PS3. However, both titles are far from ready for public release. Likewise, few expect the PS3's most high profile titles, Final Fantasy XIII and Metal Gear Solid 4, to make it to US shores by the end of the year. Meanwhile, both Microsoft and Nintendo have some very high profile titles slated for release throughout 2007. What does Sony plan on focusing on as the PS3's main strength in the face of such strong competition through the end of 2007?
Xbox360 is the console of choice for online multiplayer gamers, and there is something undeniably fun about playing the Wii with your friends in person. Is the PS3 aiming to be the console of choice for immersive single-player games?
Is there any possibility of letting an 'OtherOS' have full access to the GPU, allowing accelerated and 3D graphics for homebrew developers?
People on the internet and in the tech media in general have been raking the PS3 and Sony over the coals for probably a good year now, with a noticeable backlash directed towards Sony's PR department. You've taken a lot of fire as one of the main figures in Sony's PR campaign, and I can't count how many times I've seen your name brought up here or on Digg in a negative light. The consensus seems to be that Sony's got a lot of work to do to win over the gaming public.
How, then, is Sony going to go about changing this mindset? There's still plenty of time to go from being viewed as the last place console to being a legitimate contender, if not the forerunner, but there's lots of ground to cover to do that. Are there any plans for this you'd be able to share with us, and any ideas on how long it might take before we see the PS3 in a stronger position than it is now?
On another note entirely, God of War 2 seems to be getting a more favorable reaction than any of the PS3 titles released thus far. Any thoughts on why that might be?
Goo goo g'joob.
Underestimated or Overestimated?
Where is that guy who'd die defending what I had to say when I need him?
How soon can you guys get the price down to near what the Nintendo Wii is selling for?
--- Nothing is secure.
The 360 and the PS3 both support HDTV resolutions, the Wii does not.
Also, a random tidbit: the Wii does not support programmable pixel shaders... it's a fixed-function pipeline! Now I like my Wii very much, but PS3 and 360 both have vastly superior graphics technology.
In paticular, the Wii and the Xbox 360. As we all know sales of these two consoles have been above the PS3 in terms of numbers. As a gamer yourself (I hope) have you played either of these consoles and if so, what do you think about them? Anything they're doing right that Sony should adopt? Thoughts on where they're going in relation to your own console?
For those who seek perfection there can be no rest on this side of the grave.
What is your personal philosophy regarding the future of videogames as a genre? For example, where do you see games, in terms of social and cultural identification, 20 years from now, and how do you think the nature of the PS3 plays into the culmination of this overall vision?
Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
How long will SCE support PS2 3rd party developers?
Are there anymore first party PS2 games being created?
Why does Sony consider it a good business move to alienate Europe with a half-year delay and neutered hardware, and why do you still charge more for this inferior product than the US or Japanese consoles?
Now that you have a few months with PS3s in the hands of consumers and plenty of reviews to pour over, what mistakes did Sony make in the design of the system?
The PS3 has been identified by many in the industry as not being overly friendly to the developers. For instance the Ps3 takes up approximately 50 more megs than the Xbox 360, while containing weaker tools. The cell processor with it's independent memory has only stymied developers instead of made their life easier. At the same time this causes the consumers to have less games or weaker games available. The consumers are being asked to pay more for a similar system with more games available on it and the same as another system with their HD video attachment.
Who exactly are you aiming the PS3 for? The Developers are having a hard time with it, the consumers are asked to pay a higher price for a machine that has been proven to be on the same level as the 360?
In addition was there any consideration for developer buy-in before shipping the system?
Finally will there be any work made to bridging the gap between what the consumer ultimately wants and are getting? The buyer of a PS3 wants backwards compatibility which is being removed from the European release and possibly future American release. The buyer wants unique games, they don't exactly demand PS Home, they don't need Blu-ray movies, why is the PS3's target goals so different than the PS3's target consumer's goals.
Here's their standard sales pitch:
1. Cell processor, capable of incredible graphics and physics simulations
2. Blu-Ray, so you can watch movies at 1080p and listen to their excellent surround
3. Backwards compatibility.
While none of these claims are false, they all come with some limitations:
1. The Cell processor is difficult to program for, so don't expect games to use it fully for at least a couple of years, if ever.
2. You need a 1080p tv and a mid-to-high-end surround receiver to get the full experience of Blu-Ray
3. BackComp - It's limited, but it's there.
Frankly, your question was rather soft and almost looks like an astroturf. You might as well have asked "Please praise your system and tell us how good it is." I have no idea how you're getting moderated up.
There were a number of rumors that the PS3 would have "official" Linux support. Is / was this true? If so - is there a dedicated development team that is working to develop and distribute OpenGL video drivers to allow for proper Linux development?
You can get HDMI to DVI converters, that will let the PS3 work with your LCD that you own.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I spent $170 to play Katamari Damacy on the PS2. One of the strongest points of the Playstation platform has been some of the quirky and innovative games available on the PS1 and PS2. Some of the games I still play on PS1 and PS2 are those that focused on gameplay over story or random shooting (Bust a Groove, Hot Shots Golf, Katamari, Guitar Hero, Okami). Where are the unique, fun, creative games on the new Playstation platforms, and why don't companies take risks by creating low-budget, creative, and fun titles at a new system's launch?
You're only as smart as your brain.
http://www.ukresistance.co.uk/ so much that they have declared war on Sony?
Posts, MyBio or Sig, may contain satire, sarcasm, bolded nouns be sardonic or even witty & be Church of SD
Recently I've been noticing a trend among console and hand-held gaming companies involving attempts at getting their hooks set in older generations and other consumers not normally categorized as gamers. With Nintendo products I've seen an increase in "targeted" games such as Brain Age; however, Sony seems to be following the idea that game devices should be movie/music/etc capable as well. For example, one of the seemingly major sales pitches of the base-model PS3 was its "low-cost" Blu-Ray player.
Can you comment on how well Sony's strategies has been working, and what other ideas are being pursued? Also, if my interpretations of Sony's strategies have been incorrect, then please feel free to correct me.
I second the request to mod this up. I'd like a straight, non marketting response to the ridiculous showboating Sony's been doing lately. This remark especially emphasizes the idea that Sony thinks consumers are a bunch of morons.
-- sudo.ca
I understand why Sony won't talk about price drops, since it is bad for business since people will put off buying the PS3 while waiting for the price drop, and it will piss off the loyalists who paid extra money for it at the beginning.
But saying that there is no consideration for price drops is fooling no one. End users are far too saavy now, and the blanket statements that were made 10 years ago won't fly in this day-and-age. It is clear as daylight that the price point of the PS3 is too high, and the fact that there isn't a critical mass of users will drastically affect how game developers will release games for PS3, make exclusives for PS3, etc. This becomes a self-feeding disaster.
So, being realistic and knowing that you are talking about to an informed audience, when will we see a price drop such that a higher adoption rate can be achieved?
What are you doing to support the people that want a gaming system, not a home hub, something never to be plugged into a network?
I was pleasently surprised at all the different things a PS3 can do. It can play music, show videos, show pictures, play games.
Why is it with 8 processors, it can only do these things one at a time.
I'd like to start it playing music and display a series of pictures and/or videos. It would be useful at parties.
I'd like to start it playing background music, turn off the music in a game and play a game, without listening to "call to battle" or whatever the track is, over and over and over.
Is it true that yours is a name that a shame never has been connected with?
Oh. Harrison, not Harrigan!
Oi'll be goin' now.
You can't talk about Wikipedia's flaws on Wikipedia
I recently heard that the price of a development system was on the order of $25,000. Is this correct? Why would you price the development system so high unless you're actively trying to discourage game developers?
One of the big things Sony touted with the SIXAXIS controller is the motion sensing technology (though I haven't seen it mentioned much in commercials). The debate over whether that was reactionary to Nintendo's Wiimote is a long debate, but it makes me curious- what other kinds of alternative gameplay mechanics have Sony toyed with for the PS3 controllers?
Could you all PLEASE make good questions for once instead of your full of shit bias? I am tired of it
FACE IT: All the consoles are expensive, don't blame the PS3 on being expensive since the WII is totally overprized for an 1.6 ghz processor and an stick that is so cool the first 2 months then limits your gameplay.
I live in te UK and consider myself an early adopter, when the PSP was announced in the uk I was first in line and still consider it a bargin (even if the whole UMD film side is a joke) but I have seen the Wii's sales, as well as played a Xbox360 while paitently waiting for a PS3.
Why is the PS3 worth twice the price of a Wii?
With many of the PS exclusive games going to Xbox what are Sony doing, atm three of my five favorite series will be available on Xbox and PS3 so what is my incentive to spend almost twice the price on a PS3?
Has Sony learned something from the Wii console?
Why is the PS3 so much more expensive in europe than in the USA and Japan?
Do you think this is turning away prospective buyers like myself? (hint it is why do I have to pay twice the price?)
Are sony aware of the price people are willing to pay for a games console? (from my limited research about £325 seems to be what my mates and I are waiting for)
Is all I have got, if you could make sure that he gets the idea that people in Europe are very annoyed at the pricing difference then I don't really care whats asked, cause at the moment i want a PS3 but am going to simply wait until the price drops to the £200/£300 mark, I think most people think that as well. I really don't care about the 'media centre' aspect of it, if it wants to do that give me a tv card and maybe I'll factor it in.
No offense intended, but for someone of your age and with your career, I don't expect that you play many videogames yourself. If I am correct, then what do you draw on to make decisions regarding the direction of the PS3, a product directed at customers who are notoriously passionate about their hobby?
Is there an infrastructure planned to allow for players in one game to invite players from another game to play or is this up to the developers whims?
Agreed. Most of the pointed questions in this thread seem to underscore a problem with Sony's public relations. I wonder if Sony doesn't even recognize the PR problem, or if they simply consider good PR a priority.
I can't afford a PS3 dev kit nor can I afford an IBM Cell based workstation. I CAN afford a PS3 so please give me access to the graphics hardware under 'OtherOS'. Think of all the new kinds of gaming concepts us home-brewers could come up with using the Cell processor if only we could display the results of our calculations with something better than early 1990's era single buffered pixel based graphics access.
Thank you!!
My question is, why focus so much on multimedia functions with the Playstation 3 at all? When I buy game consoles, it's for one reason, and one reason only: to play games. The multimedia functions are secondary, and best performed by stand alone devices that are dedicated to what they do best.
When will we see pre-paid game cards for the PSN for those people who cannot use a credit card to purchase downloadable games?
I have both the PSX and PS2 and have very much enjoyed the games that I have played but I have no interest in the PS3 and my husband and I recently bought a Wii in favor of getting a PS3. Nothing has shown me that the PS3 is anything new... is just seems like a more expensive PS2. What is your response to that. Also I see the library of games for the PS3 so far is lacking. Will you have a larger library of PS3 only games? Also I have not heard anything concrete on which system SquareEnix will be making games for. There are rumors floating around that Microsoft is trying to get them to make games for the 360. My loyalty lies with Square, will they continue to exclusively make games for you?
During playback of Blu-ray movies, at random times during the playback, the PS3's Navigation pops-up. As if you were to press the Triangle button. Just wondering if you were able to fix this in a firmware update? I am not alone, many users on the official Playstation forum have had this happen. http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/ message?board.id=ps3media&thread.id=27159/
Kotaku had this problem too.
http://kotaku.com/gaming/kotaku-helpu/kotaku-helpu -why-is-this-ps3-menu-popping-up-242777.php/
When I bought my Wii I bought it knowing that the graphics would be bad, but the system was somewhat revolutionary due to the controller design. My question to you is why does the Wii need to be the only system with a innovative controller? Are you considering building an additional controller setup for the PS3 integrating those same (or similar) motion controlled features into your system? Granted this would be an added expense, but at least would offer the best of both worlds. And dont tell me the PS3 controller already has motion sensitivity; becuase, while it has motion sensitivity it can still not act like a pointing device.. which doesn't quite get it to the same level.
Am I lying when I tell you that im telling the truth? Or am I telling the truth when I say that Im lying?
Do you envisige a Euro version of the console that includes the EE processor?
From some of the rumours I've been hearing (BBC radio 1) quite a lot of individuals have canceled they're orders in the UK and instead opted for an American imports including the EE processor
to avoid any conflicts with some of the older PS2 game titles
(and yes I am aware that Sony will be punishing those individuals that choose to follow this course of action)
personally I'm holding off for the time being until some form of comparison can be made between the 2 different versions of the console in terms of compatibility for the PS2 (and I'm pretty sure someone on a website - probably linked to from slashdot, will be running with this eventually)
at the very least I would have liked to have seen some form of optional add-in board, even if it had increased the cost
e.g. release the minimal version of the PS3 without the board
and the max version of the PS3 (larger HD) with the board
(although at the moment only the max version of the PS3 will be released in the UK I believe)
As a hobby, I like to follow the video game industry (who doesn't?). I have been very intrigued by the very fabric of the video game console war in this generation.
There is a lot at stake for Sony, and a lot of ground to try to gain by Microsoft and Nintendo with their offerings in overall marketshare. Sony announced it's PS3 and Cell platform earlier than Microsoft did with it's XBox 360. Microsoft decided to go on the offensive this generation with the XBox 360. MS seems to have made some calculated choices with it's platform to put Sony on the defensive side of the war. Sony was the 800 pound in the last generation and has a lot of marketshare to lose this generation. Microsoft decided to release a platform that is arguably easier to program for out of the box, uses current cheaper DVD technology, shipped with a modest hard drive, and managed to keep features like wireless and rumble accessible for most of its customers. Alongside a very competent online experience with XBox Live, the biggest strategic move I think Microsoft made was that it decided to ship sooner than the PS3. One could argue that the PS3 slipped because of the offering made by Microsoft with the XBox 360 and that it wasn't about the games not being ready. It has been suggested that the PS3 platform simply is overambitious an undertaking and required many changes and revisions to get it to a launch-able state for customers.
Today, PS3 sales are steady but smaller than the Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii. The PSP has had modest success compared to the Nintendo DS, and the UMD format has all but flopped as a universal format for mass media consumption. Exclusive titles for PS3 have gone multiplatform, giving less incentive to customers to buy a PS3 system for the exclusive titles. The Playstation Online has been criticized as weak and not as compelling as XBox Live. The software library is small and lacked in killer launch titles. People just aren't excited about the PS3 as a "oh I want it so bad" platform.
QUESTION: Given these circumstances, how will Sony convince customers who have moved away from the Sony platform to trust its plans for the PS3 platform coming in the future so those customers will decide to jump back in and buy a PS3?
Sony is a huge company with virtually limitless pockets. During the entire time you were developing the PS3, were there any Sony insiders who had any hesitations regarding the high price point of the PS3? In light of the vast difference between PS2 vs PS3 adoption world-wide, do you see anything you could do about that, or are you pretty much set in the price point? I think it's silly that a company your size would not have had departments devoted to simply researching the best price-point the market would bear, and then deciding what would be best.
I find it hard to believe that the hubris of a few company executives would outweigh pure market research that says "The market will not bear this high-price point, danger, danger!
Meet new people, and kill them.
If you were somehow teleported to a different planet...all alone and left with only a PS3, 50" Sony XBR2, the Swedish Bikini Team, a lifetime supply of Bass Pale Ale and one PS3 game...What would you pick?
When does Sony plan on releasing licensed endorsed peripherals?
I understand that one of the nice things about subscribing to industry standard protocols is that third parties can make compatible hardware for your system, but the lack of representation by "guaranteed to work" hardware makes it difficult at best to get the experience you want. I would be willing to pay more than fair market value for a comfortable, long battery life, reliable Bluetooth gaming headset.
Even better would be to make it able to route output sound from the PS3 to the same headset for when I don't feel like waking my wife with dying aliens in Resistance: Fall of Man.
It would be nice to see when I could buy a Sony brand Wireless Guitar for Guitar Hero and play it on my PS3. What's the point in having a wireless system sitting in the entertainment center if I hae to plug stuff into it to play.
I've long held that the biggest thing holding back modern consoles were the input methods, a simple controller obviously does not cut it anymore. Sony had a decent start with the Eyetoy, but had a lot of accuracy problems, and could only see motion in 2D. Obviously the Wii has taken a great step forward with sensing 3D motion, going beyond the Sixaxis. Sony has an HD Eyetoy and microphone on the way, are there any plans to use them in a big way beyond simple voice chat? Will it be able to sense motion in 3D? We know the PS3 already does simple face recognition, will the PS3 eventually recognize me and log me in to Home automatically? Are voice commands on the way?
1) There was talk of PS3 supporting DLNA initiatives, has this fallen by the way-side? 2) With new software based Backwards Compatability for PS2/1 titles, will allow for upscaling the BC titles to HD resolution? Or perhaps just rendering the titles at a higher resolution natively. And if this is the case, will it be an option to select hardware or software emulation of PS2/1 titles for the currently available PS3 models with the Emotion Engine.
+1 Insightful. Please, for the love of God mod this up and pose the question to Sony.
Given that current multi platform games generally look very similar graphics wise betweent he 360 and PS3, what level of improvement should be expected for the next generation of PS3 games?
Have SCE or any exclusive content developers found a reasonable graphical maximum yet on what the Cell processor can handle in a real time simlution?
Based on my own personal contacts, I believe there is a big community of users out there that think like me:
With the PS3 Sony has a great opportunity to bury its competitors by appealing to users like me: engineers and computer scientists enthusiasts that will love to be able to develop for the PS3 in a cheap(free?) fashion, either in console mode or in Linux. What would it take for me as a user to develop quality games for my kids and
teach him how to at the same time.
We are not talking about "hello world", we are talking about graphics chipset access, Cell processor power access. Please do not say "it's already available using YDL." You know it's not really true. Come on Sony!! You know that Nintendo will not do it, you know that Microsoft/Ballmer will die before doing it. Come on, let me develop games for my kids! Let me run Linux to the max! Open up! My whole house is already full of Sony products from my HDTV to my laptop. What else do you need from me ? Be a leader. Embrace the future. Give us the power and we will carry your flag.
Dear Mr Harrison, I liked your presentation on home for the PS3. But when you showed the slides that came with Games 3.0 the slide with all the keywords, why was the word Accessibility not there? Nintendo has obviously shown that there is market beyond the hard core gamer. I'd like to draw your attention to the fact that many people with disabilities (and that is 15% of the total US population) are excluded from playing games because features such as closed captions (when you are deaf) or in game support for specific input devices such as one hand controllers or sip and puff devices are missing in the majority of the games. Even something simple as manually being able to engage bullettime in a FPS would allow someone with severe physical disabilities to enjoy playing games. Many accessibility features are very simple to implement. Someone in your position can make a change and if games can be played by more people then more games can be sold which is a win-win situation for everyone. Sincerely, Eelke Folmer Assistant professor University of Nevada.
...what matters is what you like, not what you are like...
Sir, Being an avid gamer, after searching honestly the only reason I would still want to buy a PS3 was if it worked flawlessly in linux. Companies like terrasoftsolutions( YDL Linux ) are providing this but with restricted drivers and features like no GL Hardware Acceleration on the RSX graphics chipset. Is Sony planning to offer even a binary non-GPL ed driver for this or any other form of driver ?? -Sundara Pandian
I would buy a PS3 in a heartbeat if it had a Linux graphics driver so I could use it as a MythTV frontend or for other multimedia purposes.
After that, I know I'd buy at least a couple of games and some blu-ray movies.
What is it that Sony is afraid of in releasing a graphics driver for Linux?
When can we expect the rumble enabled SixAxis controller? And for use early adopters that have many original SixAxis controllers will there be a way for us to trade them in for an exchange? Maybe down the lines of we mail you our SixAxis and for a minor labor fee you install the internal rumble motors.
Well how else are they supposed to make sure you aren't pirating music on other devices on the network? Don't you know that everything you own belongs to corporations?
I have a 1080p LCD monitor, so I was really looking forward to HD game content at native resolution. Looking at the current 3rd party PS3 content, I see the only HD resolution supported (in the 8-10 titles I've looked at) is 720p--only the download-able demos made by Sony support 1080i and 1080p. By comparison, 12 of the 14 Xbox 360 titles I've purchased thus far support 1080i. Is there some hardware or development issue that is preventing 3rd party developers from supporting 1080 resolutions?
I have purchased a plasma hdtv and plan on using the ps3 as my main source for hd and dvd entertainment. That said, i have a issue with the inability of the ps3 to remove the black bars on hd content. For example i have the latest BD disk for xmen 2, but i cannot watch it on my television due to fear of burn in due to the fact the ps3 doesnt remove the black bars from the video. Even more annoying is the fact that since it is hdmi out my televison which normally supports a zoom feature isnt allowed to use it due to it being restricted by the hdmi. Regular dvd's look ok, but id love to see them scaled like higher end dvd players do.
Basically when will the ps3 add a feature to remove the black bars on content automatically, and when will it scale regular dvd's. I want to do away with all my other players.
Do you think its important to battle the immense amount of negative press (rather unfairly, IMO) directed at your new console, or are you just chalking All-Things-Sony-Bashing up as the latest Internet Meme?
I am curious as to when we can expect advertising in-game? I would find my time playing games much more productive if I could also be made aware of products that are available to purchase. Also - I would like to see if it will be possible for the PS3 hard drive to have software installed that will track the amount of time I look at each ad and send to the parent company so that our ads are relevant to our interests. I find that what concerns me most as a consumer and game-player is utilizing my designation as a consumer to its utmost productivity for the overall economy during my down-time from purchasing 'stuff' of playing games.
"To work for libertarianism -- to oppose the growth of government and aid the liberation of the individual -- used to be
Sega tried the multi CPU route with the Saturn and that proved to be hard to utilize and eventually was killed by the PS1.
Why did you go the same route with the PS3 ?
Now, that's a funny shit question.
With the beautiful user interface that is PS3 Home will there be any functionality that will compete with Xbox Live? Such as:
The ability to chat with a friend even if you both aren't in the same game.
The ability to see the game a friend is playing and to jump into that game.
A friendly friends system.
Right now the PS3 online doesn't contain these functions. Will Home enable these functions? Along with the 3D world interface will there be other functions that will change the way we communicate with friends while playing games instead of just hanging out in lobbies?
Can I bum a sig?
After 5 calls to PS3 support, I received a scratced refurbished PS3 when I was promised a brand new unit (this did not fix the problem the PS3 had with my Sony Hi-def TV). I was forced by them to buy new cables I already owned (that I can't return). I was told to back up my hours of game data to a faulty backup program. This program only allows you to restore that data to the same exact PS3 it came from.
I was told that the PS3 is not guaranteed compatible with all TVs (even SONY brand) and that I should not have purchased the PS3. I was told that I should have known that the PS3 is not compatible with all TVs since it is printed in PS3 manual - that is found inside of the PS3 box.
They said they were Playstation and not SONY, I was told that my problem was not their problem and that I should call SONY to fix my problem.
SO I ASK: Why am I stuck with $600 papreweight for my SONY Hi-Def TV
Since my PS3 is not made by SONY (as PS3 support claims), I contacted SONY about my SONY TV. They told me my TV is %100 compatible with the PS3. I even wrote a long letter to SONY about the issue and the unprofessional PS3 staff. I only recieved a form letter response.
The provision of the DirectX libraries by Microsoft for development on their XBox platform has allowed for many more third parties, including some hobbyists, to produce relatively good quality games for their platform. Is there a similar set of libraries to provide support for the advanced hardware features available on the PlayStation 3 or will each developer be compelled to build his own set of abstraction libraries?
What happens if the PS3 fails to repeat the success of the PS2? What happens if it doesn't even come close?
Two tears in a bucket. Motherfuck it.
Sony criticized the Xbox 360 for not providing full backwards compatibility with the Xbox, and it was said that the PS3 would offer 100% BC. It was recently announced that that won't be the case. What was the reason for changing stance on backwards compatibility?
The AACS key is NOT 0xF606EEFD628B1CA427BEA93A9CA9773F
Apparently you didn't read the question properly. It says "for the sole purpose of gaming". As far as I know, watching Blu-ray movies is not gaming.
The AACS key is NOT 0xF606EEFD628B1CA427BEA93A9CA9773F
Is Sony aware of Microsoft's viral campaign against the PS3 and how it uses paid bloggers and commenters to inspire more hate against the PS3? Is Sony prepared to do something about it?
For instance, Kotaku.com is well known to be anti-Sony with many anti-Sony stories, and yet Sony is indifferent. Notice that this viral campaign has spread across the Internet and has even affect Slashdot, which used to be anti-Microsoft.
I actually went out and bought a 1080p plasma Pioneer Elite TV so that I could enjoy 1080p content on my new PS3.
Only ONE game available supports 1080p. Even the new F1 racing game is locked to 720p
what is the point claiming 1080p if your games aren't going to support it. I feel ripped off.
How are they "profiting" from Linux? Added Linux doesn't earn them any money. In fact, every person who buys a PS3 just to run Linux is a net loss to them, and it's pretty delusional to think that "Linux support" is a key feature for those who are buying it to run games. (And I hate to tell you this, but the demographic "linux hacker" isn't one that generates high sales, so it's not likely one they're marketing to.)
I'm not sure how they are not "truly" supporting Linux, given that it is a platform that can outperform a PC in certain applications. People are already doing interesting things with the platform.
I don't understand why slashdotters whine about how the PS3 isn't open enough when it is the most open system Sony's released, and is much more open than either the Wii or XBox 360.
If they were to open up the chip, then a company could easily write a Linux-based game that had the same performance characteristics as one written with the Sony SDK. Given that they lose money on the hardware and make it up on the licensed games, this would be a disaster for them. They can't open it up for "Linux hackers" without opening it up to game companies. Pretty much the only thing you need full access to the graphics chip for is to write a game, something that is in direct competition with Sony.
The cake is a pie
Regarding God of War 2, considering the game was developed and published by SCE, did you at any time consider releasing the game exclusively for the PS3, or create an "enhanced" version similar to what Nintendo did to Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii? Even though the game obviously wasn't ready at launch in November, releasing a full 1080p version of the game alongside (or in place of) the PS2 version but also featuring motion control seems like it could have been a huge system seller for the PS3 in this relatively dry period of early spring.
Reviewing just the first hour of video games.
Who hates the PS3? Seriously, if it were $200 I would consider it. At $600 it's simply too expensive for what you get. (and for most it's simply too expensive for what they have to spend with) Frankly, I wouldn't buy it even if it were the same price as the 360 because: I like the 360 games better (especially XBox Live Arcade ones that I can buy for ~$5). I prefer the 360 controllers over the PS3 ones. Nothing currently competes with XBox Live. Halo3 This doesn't really enter the decision process but I also appreciate that the 360 comes with component cables with support for digital audio output.
Before launch there was a lot of speculation that because the PS3 supported keyboard/mouse for web browsing, developers would also add functionality in-game. However, Resistance: Fall of Man does not include the option of playing via keyboard and mouse. Seeing as the keyboard and mouse is vastly superior to ANY controller, it wouldn't imply that you feel your controller is lacking were you to let users play with a keyboard/mouse, which is what I assume makes you apprehensive toward giving users that ability. Racing games, platformers, adventure games, side scrollers, sports games, are all better for controllers, but shooters absolutely necessitate the keyboard and mouse.
Are there any plans to allow us this functionality? Or, do you feel that letting a user take advantage of non-Sony licensed peripherals within the Sony game experience is going to hurt the bottom line?
For what little it is worth coming from me, I can assure you that is not the case and that no one buys a console for shooters only, they will certainly continue using your devices for other games.
Of course there are efforts, and he's going to say that he'll stay the course. And of course he's going to say that you won't expect to see more PS3 exclusives go multi-platform except for a few perhaps.
It's integral to the PS3. He's not going to say, "uh... we made a mistake". They are moving to a 65nm process with 45nm in the future. They replaced the Emotion chip.
Microsoft's XBox 360's price is "staggering" if you count all the extras you need to buy afterwards. WiFi, online play, and HD DVD. No they aren't considering price drops for the time being, it's been said many times before, and it would be stupid to say it even if they were so people will wait out and not buy one now.
Have you included the price of WiFi, free online play, and HD movies? Have you considered the cost of controllers? No it's not the same price, not even close.
People are already ranting about the price despite including Blu-Ray. Now that they decided to cut costs for the consumer by not including the cables, you're ranting on them too?
Now this is a legitimate question. I'd like to hear the answer to this one.
I thought that this question was so good I wanted to ask it again;
Why does Sony maintain a policy of hardware/software regionalisation that fits so poorly within the system of dissemination provided by the Internet? A system which is utilised predominantly by the type of people Sony want to be selling consoles to.
Believe it or not, but us Europeans can go online and see what a PS3 costs in America or Japan, and many of us like neither the wait nor the price. Bill Gates was recently interviewed on BBC news for the Vista launch, he was asked why Vista costs something like three times more in Britain than it does in the US. The answer? Market research suggested that the price asked for in the UK was one consumers would pay. The price had nothing to do with imports or taxes, or any costs at all; it was purely concerned with the consumer's cost.
Is this a policy Sony follows?
Who hates the PS3? Seriously, if it were $200 I would consider it. At $600 it's simply too expensive for what you get. (and for most it's simply too expensive for what they have to spend with)
Frankly, I wouldn't buy it even if it were the same price as the 360 because:
I like the 360 games better (especially XBox Live Arcade ones that I can buy for ~$5).
I prefer the 360 controllers over the PS3 ones.
Nothing currently competes with XBox Live.
Halo3
This doesn't really enter the decision process but I also appreciate that the 360 comes with component cables with support for digital audio output.
Currently Yellow Dog Linux doesn't include drivers to use WiFi. When can people expect those drivers to be available?
I have mod points. But what's the point. This topic is all about Wii vs Xbox vs Sony.
A good chance to ask some questions and all that is read is a shitstorm from fanboys.
You not being able to afford a PS3 is not a question.
I can't afford a Ferrari, but I don't bitch about it every damn day.
*Le Sigh*
Great, i lost my leftover mod points this morning. These are interesting questions beyond all the "why should i buy one" variants popping up. Mod parent up!
My TV doesn't support 1080p signal. Only 1080i, 720p (native resolution). Based on my experience 720p is definitely better than 1080i. Why doesn't the PS3 offer output of Blue-ray video at 720p resolution? With 200Watt of power, the PS3 could at least do that scaling in software !
Hi Phil i was just wondering since the 1.6 update seems a bit limited and not as major as fans seemed to hope, there is a rumor to be a 2.00 firmware update around 2 weeks after the europe launch that would add custom music and friend list access in all ps3 games via a in-game XMB, is this update going to be even more major then the 1.6 update?
I know this is probably a chicken or the egg kind of question, but here goes.
;p), and get something else with my store credit.
I would like to know if the 20GB PS3 is discontinued.
Now that my (one and only) question is out of the way..let me explain why I'm asking a redundant question.
Disclaimer: The rest of this comment is purely my own paranoid speculation on if Sony actually pulled the plug on the 20GB PS3, which is why almost every retailer you go to has not had stock of this model recently. Any questions posed are generally for the sake of argument. Please turn off all pagers, cell phones, and babies for the duration of this comment. Thanks!
No matter where I go, the 20GB model just isn't in stock. Amazon doesn't have it. Best buy (obviously) doesn't have it. Gamestop (and any derivative store) doesn't have it, and haven't had it for some time. It sounds like Sony's official stance is "The retailers don't have a demand for the 20GB model"..if that's the case, then why are the 60GB models still sitting in the store?
For instance, I was in an EB Games, perusing their wares when I heard a kid (not any older than 10) say "Yeah, the PS3 is awesome! and the 20GB model is even cheaper than the 60GB version!" (I paraphrased that one a bit, but it gets the point across.) I'm a little biased towards this particular store, as my significant other works there. However...they haven't had a 20GB PS3 in stock for quite some time. I'd say that there's an obvious demand for the system, and especially if little kids can be talking about the financial differences between the 20GB and 60GB models - I know it's not an end-all for the conversation, but kids are obviously going to be a deciding factor if Mom & Pop are looking to buy a system.
The point is that if there are more PS3 systems pushed out to the public, more people will buy games for the PS3. The more people that buy games, the more games will inevitably get traded in, which is how the Gamestop business model thrives. It would be in Gamestop's best interest to do whatever is necessary to foster this business model. Personally, if I purchased the 20GB model, I'd spend that extra $100 on games/acessories. If the game sucked, I'd trade it back in (and get ripped off in the process
I'm not claiming to know how Gamestop is choosing to stock their stores, and I realize that this same business model wouldn't work for Best Buy. It IS, however, a huge coincidence that all of the major retailers just decided to drop the 20GB model, all around the same time.
I've been leaning towards buying a PS3 for a while, and at GDC with LittleBigPlanet I was 100% convinced I needed one. The problem is, I'm a college student and, as such, don't have the money to be buying an HDTV-- so I found a deal on a big wide screen monitor for 200$ to play my 360 on so I could play HD and sold off my TV.
So now, a year later, I want a PS3... Except there aren't any VGA cables for it.
What's the deal? I know I can't be the only gamer using his monitor as an HDTV. Are we going to get some PS3 VGA cables anytime soon?
Home looks ok and all, but is there plans to introduce a universal friends list for all games (where I can join/invite to a game straight from my friends list), VoIP chat (while in a game or not) and achievements or awards with a total gamer score that I don't have to go to Home to look at? Ala XBOX Live, they have it right, Sony should at least include these features outside of their new Home environment.
The cost of a PS3 becomes quite justifiable if it also acts as a strong media player. Especially when compared to similar Mac Mini or MythTV setups. What would make this work is a wide variety of audio/video codec compatibilities and network hard drive mounting & streaming. Having a 1080p upscaling DVD/Divx/SVCD player would be icing on the cake. Are these concepts difficult for corporate executives to understand or am I better suited for your job than you are?
Can you give me a relatively solid timeframe and outline of what Sony will be doing to counter the offerings of Xbox Live (unified login/buddy list across all games, online support across all games, gamerscore/achievements across all games, etc) while developers get up to speed getting their games up to and hopefully, eventually going beyond the quality of Xbox 360 games? As it stands, today, the PS3 is not overly attractive as a gaming platform due to games that generally don't surpass the quality 360 games, an online offering that doesn't surpass the 360, and a price that certainly DOES surpass the 360; especially to people only interested in gaming. I do own a launch day PS3 and would like this question answered.
At the press conference, you introduced it by discussing the concept of Game 3.0. The philosophy seemed to be stemmed in the recent Web 2.0 phenomenon. How does Sony intend to expand Game 3.0 in the future to build on concepts of the community-derived experience and interactivity between games?
Sony's conference as a whole was fantastic: I was not excited by the PS3 at all before the conference, and afterward, I was already planning how to save up to buy one. I don't mean to minimize the importance of Home and Singstar, but what really stood out above everything else was LittleBigPlanet. I think there is one question that is lingering on a lot of people's minds: what degree of freedom does Media Molecule intend to offer the player in the creation process? More specifically, will what the user creates be derived from pre-existing content (such as cutting a block to make a ramp) or will there be means of introducing entirely user-created content into the game à la Second Life?
Hello. We've all heard and seen how Sony has allowed the PS3 to run another OS (namely Linux). But what my question is, with the growing support and popularity of the user friendly distrobution Ubuntu, does Sony have any plans on allowing more direct hardware access to Linux users (better drivers), and position itself as a powerful desktop or family room computer, and challenge MSFT on multiple fronts?
Now that the PS3 has launched, what do you see as the state of the console/handheld industry in the next year or two? Will the PS3 overtake the XBox 360 or the Wii in this time period? A lot of the press and their followers are skeptical. What might lead that to happen?
And what do PSP owners have to look forward to?
Comment removed based on user account deletion
During every major product launch, supply seems to outstrip demand, which is merely the way of things in this business. But the difference between the PS3's retail price--$600--and its black-market eBay price--$2000 at its highest--was so stark that, on launch day, people were getting killed trying to get their hands on PS3s. It was a hideous moment in our history because people were dying over videogames. The violence in Mortal Kombat never killed anyone, but the PS3 launch did. I don't blame Sony for the mistake of launching the PS3 so early and so low for its components, but isn't it time we start doing launches differently, either pricing the product at some approximation of its supply-and-demand market value, or delay until the product can be reasonably supplied?
In the days leading up to the PS3 launch, it seemed like Nintendo was taking a stance of figuring out what they could realistically deliver in the given time frame (a steady flow of consoles sold at a profit), while Sony was insisting on billion-dollar Cell chips, Blu-Ray drive, November launch, $600. With huge shortages looming for Sony, it seemed like something had to give for a realistic launch. Because nothing gave, people died. I'm not blaming Sony for these deaths, but I'm wondering when we as an industry can put this harsh lesson behind us and leave this old, outdated model of the ridiculously lowball launch price in the past where it belongs. Will Sony lead the way in realistic product launches, and if not, how do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a PlayStation 3?
I only browsed at +4, but still:
The PS2 costs $129.99 USD and CAD which means the EE+GS (Emotion Engine + Graphics Synthesizer chip (prolly at least at 90 nm) - aka the CPU/GPU of the PS2) is also dirt cheap. At most it would be $50 USD to produce and I'm sure that's really exaggerated. Also the PS2 is still making money/units/games at least until this Christmas so the chips are still being produced.
(The actual question)
Why did the EE+GS get removed from the PS3 for Europe already and how soon (if that is part of the plan) before it gets removed from the PS3 in Japan and North America?
(More rambling)
It could not have been much of a cost cutting measure (time will fix the bluray laser cost) and in the eyes of many, it hurt the image and usefulness of the PS3. (One of Sony's promo videos at retail stores touts the PS3 as being the only next gen console designed with backwards compatibility.. worded someway to exclude the 360 and Wii)
We've seen how spotty backwards compatibility is with the 360 in software and how good the compatibility was with PSX games on the PS2 (clever Sega style use of the former CPU).. So it boggles my mind as to why that would be done...
Also kudos for being the most optimistic guy I have ever heard. You must be earning your keep from Sony with all the positive spin you can generate.
Microsoft got bashed a lot when the 360 came out with limited backward compatibility. Their saving grace was that those games that they emulated could be upscale to 720p resolution with the 360's GPU. The 360's emulator has continued to be improved and it can now emulate most popular XBox games. The European PS3s lose a great deal of backward compatibility by switching from hardware to software emulation. When will the new PS3s be able to upscale PS1 and PS2 games to 720 or 1080p? Will those of us with USA PS3s be able to take advantage the upscaling when it becomes available?
(I believe Mr. Harrison first joined Sony's SCEA branch in 1996).
Phil, if you could go back in time and give professional advice to your 1996 self, what would you say?
If you were to give professional advice to people interested in entering the industry today, what would it be?
Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.
But we say: if you give us motion sensitivity, do it properly. We say, if we wanted a 3D online world we would use Second Life, and if we want to play online we want a decent, established service. If we wanted media centre capabilities, we could probably buy a separate unit - they aren't essential in a games console. We scream: £425 is far too much for a console, and £500 for a bundle is totally insane.
And I have to ask, what happened to the fun? I like a powerhouse under my telly, but not if it fails to provide enjoyment. If you must insist on comparing computing specs, why should I buy a PS3 over a 360, which has essentially the same power and capabilities but can be had, in bundle form, for £300?
So, what I'm asking you, Mr. Harrison, is: Why have you pushed all-out computing power, and not an enjoyable experience, in our faces, when what the sales statistics clearly show is that (either by affordable HD gaming and quality titles, or by accessible, properly motion-sensitive, and dare I say it socially popular games) what we are asking for is a little entertainment?
Please, there will always be people that say stupid things.
What makes you think that Sony hasn't reprimanded Jack behind the scenes?
What are the long term plans for the PS3, you don't seem to be securing any exclusives which I don't think is doing the system any favours, and also are there any plans on releasing a patch to make ps2 games region free just like ps3 games so people can play their import games (I'm a PAL gamer with a US ps2 and a Japanese ps3 o_O). Also when will we see some ps3-psp connectivity?
I know by my name this might seem like a hate mail think but it's not! I just want to know two thing. One do you have a Wii? If you do what game do you play?
Rumble has been defined as a "Last Generation Feature" and that rumble and motion sensing do not work together by SCE (despite the existance of the Wii Remote). Now with the settlement of the patent infringement issue with Immersion, it seems set to have a SIXAXIS controller with rumble. If this does happen, how are you going to get past the perception that SCE cannot make up its mind about what it wants? Customers wanting rumble so adding it in for their sake can't be used as a valid answer since the impression has been given that customers don't care about rumble. Also, if you're going to do this, what about every PS3 owner who has a rumbleless SIXAXIS-- Will you offer a program allowing them to trade-up for the better controller?
PAL PS3 systems arriving in Australia will be plauged by very limited backwards compatibility and includes launch titles that have been on the XBOX360 for over a year. What is Sony's plan to add something of great substance that will warrant the need of a PS3?
Will the ability to play music off the HDD while in game be implemented in the future? Thank you. -Anonymous non-coward
the biggest question for us should be: with all the ass-hattery sony has done in JUST THE LAST 12 MONTHS! (lik-sang, fake-PSP-for-christmas-blog, $1200-for-on-the-shelf, the kotaku-boycott-disaster, not to mention the rootkit-debacle, etc. pp.), do you REALLY expect us to buy ANY of your products anymore? at all? for real? 'cause I sure as hell won't buy something sporting the SONY-brand in the next few years. Any plans from SONY to counter any of these numerous PR-desasters? because right now, a XBox 360 from the all-out evil microsoft seems like the lesser of two evils. and not by a slim margin, that's for sure....so, what's in it for the "community"? a big paintball-evening against the PR-department?
When (or will) we ever see international downloading from the Playstation Store? I know we can sorta fake it with fake international accounts, but why should we have to? Why should there still be exclusive content depending on your region? I have a friend who speaks and reads Japanese and we just got a huge kick outta that downloadable news service with Toro the Cat! It's a really great find! If not international downloading for all user accounts, will there at least be a greater effort towards bringing the same content for all regions? Toro in english would be pretty neat, and a reason to turn on the Ps3 everyday.
I've always thought that a Sony & Apple partnership would be great and beneficial for both companies. Apple is already a major Blu-ray supporter and there are many more technologies the two companies have that would benefit each other. The two also have similar competitors such as Microsoft. Windows users may be more willing to buy a Xbox while OS X/Linux users may be more willing to buy a PS3. Sony could offer some major music deals to Apple and Apple could offer their software like a PS3 version of OS X, etc. They could continuously cross promote/advertise each other to build a stronger reputation and consumer base. Have these companies ever considered this?
After numerous backtracks, things not delivered, statements that were inaccurate(to put it politely) and the horrible treatment(once again, backtracked after the bad press hit the fan) of a popular gamer blog, why should we believe any other word coming from your mouth?
Mr. Harrison, prove to me that you don't just throw random cool buzzwords into a word processor, pad it with none-to-likely idealisms and falsities and throw it out into the press to attempt to drown out the accomplishments of the competition so that your company doesn't have to actually compete with them.
As a PAL gamer frustrated by the lack of availability of more niche titles, I have a large library of both PAL and NTSC-US PS2 games. With the removal of the Emotion Engine from the PAL PS3 and the move to software emulation, is there any possibility that Sony might be able relax region restrictions on PS1 and PS2 games? The inability to play half of my game collection on such an expensive piece of hardware is a significant barrier to entry for me.
There are millions of people that have adopted the 360 before the ps3 came to market. Most all of them have a vested interest in seeing the ps3 fail. Does Sony believe this has contributed to the negative press the console has received and if so, what do they plan to do to combat it?
A Kind Of A Broad Question Here, But: How Will We See Peripheral Use On The PS3? The PS2 As We Seen, Supported Many Peripherals, Many Of Which Were Conjured Up By The Game Developers, Like Guitar Hero, Taiko Drum Master, DDR, Europe's 'BUZZ!'.. Essentially, What Can Be Expected On The State Of Peripheral Support On The PS3 With The Power It Has And 'Felexibility' Of Connections (usb/bluetooth/wifi), And Sony's Own Products Like EyeToy And PSP Use.
when will we see more: Games, Demos, movies, and add on's?
Current games available for both PS3 and 360 are very similar in terms of graphics quality. Much closer than PS2 and Xbox games were. -Will PS3 versions of multiplatform games eventually look significantly better on PS3 than on 360? -Will the realease of the 'PlayStation Edge suite' impact how 3rd party titles look and play on PS3 vs 360?
There is a lot of questions about the audio and video capabilities of YDL in PS3. Is the YDL capable to producing surround sound and 1080p resolution? If so, how? Are there any A/V players that are designed or being design specifically for Linux in PS3s?
PS3 was marketed as a full featured home computing system with:
--games
--blue ray dvd
--multimedia
--digital music
--photographs
--PVR functionality
I remember one demo had a PS3 supposedly recording one hd tv show, playing another one back, shooting sound to a stereo in another room, and doing a half dozen other things simultaneously.
My question is: where is the PVR functionality? When will it be available? Is it still a part of the PS3 future? Or was that all hype?
For me, a gaming machine is nice, blue ray dvd for movies is nice, but PVR would be a killer app. I need to upgrade my TIVO to an HD version. This would be the way to cinch the sale. A lot of others feel the same way.
Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. After the PS3's release, a lot of third party developer game titles such as BioShock, Kane & Lynch, and Call of Juarez have exclusively gone to the Xbox 360 console and PC only consoles. A rising concern was not only the loss of exclusive PS3 games due to limited user base, but also such 360/PC only titles that apparently strung from the hard to code for cell technology. After GDC 07 and having presented "EDGE" technology, do you feel that such a technology will substantially make it easier for third party developers to code for their game on the ps3 than without it and thereby change the "exclusively for 360/pc ONLY" trend of most third party games specifically such as BioShock and Kane & Lynch to also appear on the PS3 during their initial release dates? Please be third-party development specific.
"With a number of previously-PS3-exclusive titles having gone multiplatform, are there any efforts to prevent this from occurring further, or is it of little concern to SCE? That is, should we expect to see more PS3-exclusives go multiplatform?"
As the gaming world moves forward, Sony must continue to innovate as a company. Sony is and always has been a leader, setting new directions, never content to follow the pack. With the power of the Playstation brand, all developers want to see their product on our system while growing their audience as wide as possible. As developers become more comfortable with the advantages of the Playstation 3 hardware and are given longer development frames, I think you will start to see more exclusives, not less.
"The wii's sales have been meteoric, despite the "superior technology" of the PS3 and XBox 360. My question is, have Sony and MSFT completely underestimated the penetration, and demand for, HDTV, and are you both feeling that now?
On a standard set Wii titles look better than the last gen, and offer an new, innovative, and most importantly fun experience. On a standard set, a PS3 is a $600 PS2, and a 360 is a $400 Xbox.
Also, wrt Live, Home, etc: do you really think gamers are so eager to install stores under our TVs?
Do you have any vision for the online experience, other than as a way to get my credit card number?
We have always said Nintendo would likely sell well as an add-on system. The lead Nintendo enjoys is the result of a gambit to use last generation hardware in an effort to cut costs and achieve higher production capacity. At Sony, our goal has always been to create a future proof machine. That is, a gaming console, a media hub, the mecha of your entertainment center for ten years. You may spend $600 today, but that $600 buys you a console that is built to stand the test. The test of time.
"Where do I sign up to get the $1200 per system sitting on the shelf in January that Jack Tretton promised?"
Unfortunately, not even Jack Tretton could have predicted the capacity of our manufacturing partners to spend sleepless nights ramping up production of the Playstation 3. It's a sort of damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. Sony was aware of the massive demand, and rather than relax we chose to pump out as many consoles as was humanly possible. Now that we have caught up to demand it has been taken as a symbol of waning popularity. I can absolutely assure you this is not the case.
"Now there is a question I have. Why is it that it's the year 2007, the PS3 is a "High Definition" system, and costs $500-$600... yet still only includes the same composite video cables people have been using since the NES 22 years ago?"
As the leading console manufacturer, Sony must constantly strike a balance between the desires of the hardcore gamer and the average consumer. By including only the most often used cables we cut the entry cost to consumers and leave the decision to you as to how you want to enjoy your new system.
The PS3 has three major problems as I see it; lack of software, price, and lack of availability. The latter two of these three issues have been blamed on the fact that the PS3's Blu-Ray drive requires an expensive and scarce blue laser.
"Given the problems that seem to have come with Blu-Ray, does it still look like including the drive in the system was worth it? And if so, was it worth it for the PS3, for the Blu-Ray format, or for both? What steps are being taken to remedy the problems in price and availability?"
As everybody is well aware of, Sony did have some initial trouble getting components for the Blu-Ray drive. However, this drive is the nexus of our strategy moving forward. It is a crucial element in our future-proof design and desire to give the consumer the most machine for your money. Again, it's not easy to be the leader. It means tough decisions had to be made. I'm confident in 10 years when you still play your Playstation 3 and enjoy Blu-Ray HD m
1. Is there going to be a Official Sony PS3 headset for the PS3? 2. When will we see rumble come to the PS3 controller? 3. What can we expect from Sony/PS3 at this years E3? 4. Sony plans to attend the E for All Expo this October. How easy was this decision and can we expect any major announcements?
I was just wondering if you saw any parallels to Sony in it's third generation and Nintendo in it's third generation. It seems that you marketing strategies have sort of become the same and that Sony is suffering the same accusations of hubris that Nintendo did. Nintendo in their third generation stuck with a proprietary media format, assumed that their brand loyalty would carry them to the lead in the console war. This as you know allowed Sony to take the lead with thier innovative marketing strategies (which seem to have all but disappeared). Nintendo was just coming off losing market share to the genesis, just as Sony has just come off losing market share to the Xbox. If you do see parallels, how do you intend to avoid the beating that Nintendo took in their third generation? If you don't see an parallels, how do you explain the similarities that I described above?
Can you tell us a little more about gathering a group of friends and matchmaking outside of Home? I saw the other two icons underneath the main app in the demo, one was for trophies but I couldn't make out the other. Will I be able to simply connect to friends and fire up games (ala Xbox Live) without going through all the Virtual shenanigans?
If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
Seriously were you at any of the meeting discussing price points? Why cripple your sales with this burden. We all suspect a two prong reasoning.
1. BluRay included. To increase BluRay Adoption,
2. PS2 Sales. PS2 sales are by comparison incredible.And the bundles available at launch were great.
Any truth to this.
OSGGFG - Open Source Gamers Guide to Free Games
I can't seem to find any on the store shelves, and I check weekly.
Have you played it?
OSGGFG - Open Source Gamers Guide to Free Games
from the everybody-be-cool dept.
:-)
I can't think of a more appropriate department
Obviously Sony places a great deal of value on the Open Source community at large, I mean, you (You as in Sony) are answering questions from people at Slashdot, and you've also worked closely with the Yellow Dog Linux group to create a stable release that runs natively on PS3 architecture.
;P
I'm just wondering what other sort of OSS initiatives are in the works? Can we see a scaled down graphics library with YellowDog for Homebrew Games? I think there is a huge amount of interest in being able to program your own games - I realize that Sony needs to protect it's interests and the interests of the larger developers out there, but don't you think the innovation with a smaller scaled down system would increase demand?
An answer not combed through with marketing and PR speak would be preferable
in girum imus nocte et consumimur igni
Why didn't you pay Capcom to keep Devil May Cry 4 a PS3-exclusive?
My question to Mr. Harrison is how does he see the 'gamer drift' affecting the future of the video game industry?
in your GDC speach... you mentioned there would be pets at some point, that you could get. i would love to hear further elaboration on this aspect of home. how would you get them, could you get them from a game? would they be restricted to a users apartment, or could the visit outdoor areas as well? would they develop unique personalities based on how they were treated? i think this would be an amazing aspect of home, and hope it doesnt dissappear from Sony's agenda. thanks.
...i made my account JUST for Mr. Harrison to answer my question.
When will the PSone downloadable games from the PlayStation Store be playable on the PS3 and not only the PSP?
I would really love to see some DIVX/XVID drivers. I have huge libraries of non-HD non-Commercial vids that I encoded XVID/DIVX due to space considerations. It would take me 6 months to recode them all. If the PS3 supported XVID or DIVX I could use it to display them all on my HD-TV (not in HD obviously, they aren't, but I'd get to see them HUGE). :)
how are people expected to be able to play titles like virtua fighter 5 and motorstorm which require updates to the ps3's firmware if those same people don't have a broadband connection to download the updates since sony hasn't seen fit to include the [required] file on the game disc itself?
On the average, how many hours a week do you spend playing PS3 games?
How do you plan to effectively compete against the HD-DVD format with out the massive market share of the Adult Industry content? Titles have already began being release in HD but Sony is still not persuing that massive market share.
With the novice, hobbiest and Grass Root development teams that are occuring with the X-Box 360 / MSFT tools do you still feel that putting the PS3 development tools on an unreachable pedistool for 99% of possible developers (25k USD?) a good move while 360 applications stack up?
Do you have any plans to change this by enabling more people to develop on the cheap?
please answer this as honest and straightforward as possible..
-can you sum up the business strategy on PS3 in 3-5 sentences?
-how are the business strategy being implemented? especially on the technical side (i.e. is Sony helping to overcome difficulties in developing games for cell?), marketing side (weird ads, and boy, the terrible damage controls)
these questions came up because many things done for the PS3 seem to have been reactionary. The last minute addition of accelerometer to the control, the shape change of the control pad, the "Home" concept to XBLA and Miis to name a few.
It's nice to be reassured that the titles on the list are games we'll want to play, but I'm aware of quite a few people who are avoiding making a PS3 purchase until the back compatability list is up. They want to make sure that the titles they want to play are on the list before trading in their PS2s. You already know which games work and which don't, so why has Sony decided to wait until the unit is on the shelves before revealing the list to customers?
No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
The developer has announced that God of War 3 on the PS3 will support Rumble. Will Sony be offering a trade-in scheme for owners of the original, rumble-less Sixaxis?
No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
Last year, you (Phil Harrison) stated that regarding the Xbox 360's emulated back compatability, updated through firmware updates, you "don't believe that was backwards compatibility". Now the PS3 is being redesigned with emulated back compatability, which will be updated through firmware updates. What has changed Sony's attitude to software backwards compatability in the past year?
No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
Linux needs full RSX support
How is Sony working to make life easier for their users? Sony has the ability to create a "hand in glove" experience with bluetooth, Linux, but that ease of use is blatantly lacking, and near impossible for the average user. The PS3 software (XMB, Linux dual boot, bluetooth handling, ect) seemed to be an afterthought. Aside from Home, how is Sony working to improve the overall experience for their users?
Holy Shit. I knew their compatibility would drop signifcantly, but they couldn't even get Final Fantasy to work well? Holy shit. MS got blasted for not offering good BC, but at least they prioritized HALO and a few other Big franchises (like GTA) but Sony didn't do that for FF? or how about GTA: SAN ANDREAS ? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!
What are you guys doing? I am a big fan of Sony's and I really want to know what are you really doing? All the exclusives like DMC4 , Grand Theft Auto IV, Virtua Fighter 5, and more are going to the Xbox 360! Why? Do something to help the developers develop their games SO they and you wont lose and to Secure More Exclusives! Rumble needs to come back asap! Without it people will be very unhappy. Fix your online. Your online needs to be sorted out like how the Xbox 360's is and make it better and make it a standard for ALL the games! When is that going to happen? Reconsider the Price? When is the price going to change? This is too high for most people to actually buy the PS3! Make Accomplishments Matter! Do something so that when people beat the game or a level or do something not done before points/unlock ables/good things that matter! Why have you not done this yet? When are you going to start releasing good news? Almost all the ones we have heard are bad...get working to fix this or you will lose? Also please work on getting your supply's out there.
http://www.blog.fuzionos.net/nima
According to http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/20/ace-combat-6-rev ealed-as-an-xbox-360-exclusive/
Ace combat - the best flight sim for consoles is branded as an Xbox360 exclusive.
Is Sony just going to sit there and let games like this slip away??!! Devil May Cry 4 is no longer a PS3 exclusive, now Ace Combat will not even appear on PS3. Do you have ANY plans to fight this back? Or at the very very least make it multi-platform?
Was there ever a time when you and the others at SCE felt that maybe you were launching the PS3 too soon? Microsoft launched the Xbox 360 a year ahead of PS3 and Wii to get some sort of arbitrary "lead"; selling around 7-8 million units. Yet, in a 3 month block, the Wii has sold around 60% as much as it's taken MS to sell in over a year. Meanwhile, the PS3 is clearly limping along and will spend a good deal of this console generation playing catch-up anyway. Do you think a year of further development, manufacture of Blu-ray lasers, creation of a more robust launch game catalog and perhaps even some intense number crunching to get a lower price point would have made any difference? (Not to mention the addition of controller rumble...) Or was their just a concern that the "other two" would have gotten too far of a lead for the PS3 to penetrate the market in a desirable timeframe if it were launched any later than it was?
I upgraded to the 'next-gen' by buying a x360 (upgrading from a ps2). The one thing that has impressed me most about this switch is the ability to stream m3u playlists from the PC to the console, over the game that is playing. It can also stream photos and videos, and with media center extender can do much more with video. Playstation 3 has been marketed as a media-friendly console, are there any plans to compete with microsoft on this front of media accessibility; specifically streaming music over games - will it ever be possible? (I won't play without streaming music any more, game music is so horrible)
What makes anyone here believe that Harrison is going to provide a straight, non-bullshit, non-marketroid-approved answer to the tough-love questions you are all trying to ask him?
/. eds choose not to throw him any of the many softballs I've seen posted throughout this comment section.
At best, I'd say we have almost zero chance of that. The best we can hope is to draw his attention to our concerns without expecting Harrison not to be the arrogant jerkstore he's proven himself to be when in front of a mic. For that reason, I sincerely hope that the
the emotion engine is well known for being hard to program for.. but look at the games coming out for the ps2 now.. gow2 anyone? no, i think the cell is VERY neccessary. as developers get ahold of new tools and middleware, it will become easier to program for. dont be so quick to judge the cell. same goes for the blu ray. who are YOU to say we dont need the size? we do TOO. i recall people just like you saying we didnt need to switch to DVDs for the ps2.. that it was only put in as a movie player.. but guess what, after the first gen of games, EVERY SINGLE GAME was released on DVD.. and they can EASILY fill up a dvd with content.. GOW2 uses TWO DVDS. bluray may end up being the most important inclusion of the ps3, that truly sets it apart from the 360. dont be so quick to judge..
...i made my account JUST for Mr. Harrison to answer my question.
i think the cell is VERY neccessary. as developers get ahold of new tools and middleware
You aren't a programmer. Programming multithreaded code (which is a requirement to use the multiple cores properly) is a factor of ten times harder than single threaded code. At their core games most games are single threaded.
who are YOU to say we dont need the size
The size might be used but we don't need it.
Oh and I'm David Cameron and I know how to use the shift key.
meh
congratulations to you david cameron. we both have different ways we like to type our responses. big deal i'll let you have the programming argument, because frankly, im not educated enough on the subject. and if you are, then you probably ARE smarter than me, cause programmers are freaking brilliant. in any case though, going by the track record, i HAVE heard the same sorts of arguments about the ps2, and things seem to have worked out fine in the end. as for the size.. i think we should take a wait and see approach. i mean, im sure your right that AT LEAST initially, games wont be filling up entire bluray disks. but i am POSITIVE that at some point in the near future games are going to REALLY enjoy the luxury of not having to worry about fitting onto a dvd. even if that just means they can include hundreds of extra textures, or last minute things they will release patches to unlock later on, if they ever get around to it.. point is.. having the extra space WILL make games better. and its up to the developer to utilize that extra space how they see fit (and im sure some of the better developers will use it up a lot better than others)
...i made my account JUST for Mr. Harrison to answer my question.
Sorry, my mother was an English teacher.
i HAVE heard the same sorts of arguments about the ps2, and things seem to have worked out fine in the end
The PS2 had some major things going for it. For one thing it was cheaper than the PS3. For another it was launched at just the right time. The third thing going for it was that it shipped with a DVD player, which people wanted. Finally Sony negociated some good exclusive agreements, meaning some good games had to come out for the PS2.
The PS2 worked despite being hard to program for.
In addition from what I have heard the PS3 will be harder than the PS2 to program for. That will not help the PS2.
meh
link
meh
Currently, using remote play with the PSP it's not possible to stream DVD or BD content, yet it is possible to stream audio CDs. The reason given was copyright, but CDs are copyrighted too. Does it not apply to music, or is it in the pipeline to also allow DVDs to be streamable?
Anyone who believes in fairness and honesty has a moral obligation not to purchase anything from Sony until many helpings of $1200 are released to many people out there.
Fuck you, clown. I have no such obligation, and I'd appreciate you not telling me what I'm obligated to do.
I could say the same thing about a thousand corporations, but it's not my place to demand that other people do what I feel they should.
Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken - Tyler Durden