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Sony Exec Says Luxury Could Be PS3's Downfall
Via Next Generation, an interview with CEO of Sony Corporation Sir Howard Stringer on the site CEO Exchange. In the piece they report that Stringer has gone on record as saying the PS3's price may be its downfall. This is the first indication we've had from Sony's upper management that the console's price may just be too high. "Wii is a wonderful device, but has a different target audience. If we fail, it is because we positioned PS3 as the Mercedes of the videogame field. PS3 is after a different audience and it can be whatever it wants -- a home server, game device, even a computer." Relatedly, a Goldmann Sachs analyst has opined that a PS3 price cut could come this year. Assuming they drop the price by $100 or more, this might blunt the objections many have to the console's lofty pricetag.
Fear is the mind killer.
all 360s come with a one year warranty now. If you bought one with a 90 day they upgraded you automatically....just an fyi
I also own a 360. The PS3 is connected to a Sony HS-20 720p digital projector via HDMI and to a standard dd5.1 sound system via optical out. Here are my impressions:
Setup on the PS3 is very buggy and filled with poorly translated instructions.
- when first initially turning the unit on, it will auto-detect HDMI and display 480p. The second or third question it then asks is: "Do you want video and sound to be output via HDMI"? Since I wanted to output sound via optical, I thought this was asking if I wanted to split audio off the HDMI connection, so I selected "No". What then happened was that it spit 480i video out the composite cable.
- When initializing the network via wireless it will search and then display a list of available wireless SSIDs. Select one and DHCP an ip address. Now test the network. It succeeds in grabbing an IP address, but the network test always reports a failure even though the network is live and updates can be downloaded.
- Everyone knows about the lack of background downloading. Blech.
All that said, once I stuck a Blu-Ray copy of Casino Royale... whoah. I gotta say, the image is stunning. BD is definitely much much much better than HBO-HD, SHO-HD and OTA HD material. NO pixelation whatsoever. Extremely fast video plays without a hiccup. I'm IMPRESSED.
I don't have an HD-DVD player, so I can't compare the two. I suspect they're about the same in quality. But Blu-Ray has the movies. So... my impression is that if you want a BD player, the PS3 is the cheapest option out there and it's VERY GOOD.
As for games.... well, frankly, I'm much more impressed by Gears of War than I am by Resistance. JMO.
Nintendo will just cut the price when it makes sense. There's no sense in taking Wii Sports off the bundle -- it doesn't cost Nintendo any money to include, and within a year you'll be able to find used copies everywhere for $9.99.
That comparison is a bit unfair. The Neo Geo might have failed as a home console, but it was possibly the most successful arcade board ever!
Circumcision is child abuse.