I've tried using my PS2 for DVD playback, its awful.
I've also tried using my PS3 for DVD playback, it rivals a standalone DVD player from Toshiba I got two years ago. It even managed to play-through a really bad scratch on the DVD that the Toshiba just flat out locked up on.
Its also been pretty good on Blu-Ray disks.
I've enjoyed using it enough I went out and got the Bluetooth Remote (which functions just fine), and I'm ditching my stand-alone player, which also trims back 5 cables from the clutter (component+audio vs. the PS3s HDMI)
Actually according to TFA they sold 165,000 out of 220,000 allocated to the U.K. launch (the summary above butchers the numbers a bit:) ). So they sold ~75% of available supply.
According to another article I saw Virgin (who is partnered with Sony on the launch) stated they expect to sell out shortly.
You're correct, thats why I mentioned the assumptions I was working from when I made the observation.:)
I honestly don't know how often they restock those displays, but the holes missing from the display were very obvious.
Its true that they could easily be restocking the displays every evening, but I would imagine that would make the observation valid for the day, instead of for the week.
True, I was in Best Buy on Monday and today (Friday). They have a stack of PS3s and XBox360s by the checkout area (noticeably more 360s than PS3). In the past 5 days, assuming they haven't restocked the piles have both shrunk, the PS3 pile by about 16, the 360 pile by about 8 (none of those missing were 'core' units). (for the record there were originally 26 PS3s and 46 360s, 4 of which were "core" units).
I realize that this is hardly scientific, but it I found it interesting on a number of fronts.
1) yes the PS3 is in stores (and meeting current demand). This is hardly surprising considering that they've had several months to build production, and they deliberately chose not to launch in europe and australia until they could better meet demand (as opposed to strangling worldwide demand like the 360s launch last year).
2) Over the course of the week the PS3 sold more units (at that particular store) than the 360.
3) if "piles of units just sitting there" then the 360 is in deep trouble, worse than the PS3. The Wii was no where to be found, but considering how its demand (due probably to the price point, and appeal to "non-gamers"), that is hardly surprising.
Perhaps more FMVs/music from using the Blu-Ray disc, but we all know the access speeds on them are horrendous so they'd just put all the data on the disc twice like they've done with Oblivion (and others?) - so in the end I expect both systems would get the same game.
Just a nitpick, if dual-layer DVDs have a capacity of ~8GB and a single-layer Blu-Ray disc has a capacity of ~25GB (with dual-layer holding ~50GB), then even if they cut the size of the capacity in half to speed up loading by burning all the assets twice, that still leaves twice the capacity.
Also, I've only read an article about Oblivion doing this, I'm not aware of any other game. Do you have any other sources?
Now that I think about it, could the big push for online multiplayer on home consoles be a stab to get more sales of hardware bigger than just a controller?
I think the push for on-line multiplayer is coming because of the growth in broadband availability (once you have it in your home already, you can use it for lots of things), and the aging of the average gamer.
As people get older, they tend to drift apart geographically. It might be harder to get together because you're in a different city, or it would take two hours travel to see each other. On-line gaming can help people who are used to playing together, continue the experience, especially as Voice chat is integrated more and more.
For the first time in over a decade, we're seeing canonic games of major series (and not just "handheld spinoffs") coming onto a handheld. Not only that, but it doesn't really feel like "just a handheld" anymore.
With all due respect for the DS, which is a great system, the few "cross platform" games that have included the DS have usually had a very different or drastically reduced game made for it, versus the 360, PS2/3, or GC/Wii. (Lego StarWars II is the example that comes to my mind), please provide counter examples.
I will agree with you 100% that this generation of handheld (DS & PSP) provide the same "console" experience in a portable platform, something that the previous generation couldn't think of doing.
You're right, the Wii and PS3 are both fairly new. The XBox 360 on the other hand has had about a year or so, and launched about 9 months after the PSP. Drop ~2.2M units off the PSP, and comparing only the North American numbers (which greatly favors the 360 BTW), shows them to be neck an neck in terms of total unit sales. Factor in other regions similarly, and it looks much grimmer for the XBox.
I'm less familiar with the DS, so I'll leave that comparison for someone else to make, however the other part of the story that I haven't seen mentioned is that for the first time Nintendo has some real competition in the handheld market (versus decimating every other company that has tried to enter it).
You're right, it is skewing. On the other hand, while the PSP has only managed to capture ~21M in sales (versus the ~40M of the DS), either one has managed to sell more than the Wii, PS3, or XBox 360 combined (so far).
If updates are you're only concern then don't worry. I just tried doing an update from an OS X box, and it worked fine. I would imagine the same should hold true for a Linux box (or Solaris, or BSD, etc). Its just a matter of downloading a file, and putting it on a USB keydrive.
I think they are trying to go for both. The "network gamer" is who everyone is reporting on with Xbox Live!, so I think its become a Hearts and Minds issue.
There are still going to be great games on the PS3 that you don't need to go online to play (Lair being the perfect example). Heck, there were lots of PS2 games that supported the Network adapter, but that doesn't mean the Single player game was forgotten (the third and fourth Ratchet and Clank games come to mind).
Yes, Sony is spending a lot of attention on on-line, however if you ever plug the PS3 into a network, you might appreciate the Demos, Trailers, etc. that are available to you there. If you don't?, then you can still download updates through a computer or from bought disks (if there need them).
... Where are the unique, fun, creative games on the new Playstation platforms,
They are in the PlayStation Network store (PSN). flOw is definitely in the "creative" line:) I'd imagine that some of the other "arcade" style games might be up your alley too. Lemmings! for instance, Gripshift, or Blast Factor were fun Demos (heck I even bought Blast Factor I enjoyed it so much. Sort of a cross between asteroids and Robotron).
Re: Hot Shots Golf 5. There is a Demo expecting in the PSN store "soon" (over the next month or two probably, already available in Japan), for the upcoming game (to be released in July). Hot Shots Golf 2 is out for the PSP (via the PSN), and there is a rumor that an upcoming PS3 firmware upgrade will include the ability to play the PSP downloadable games directly on the PS3.
Try browsing around the PSN store without using a PS3 here (you still need a PS3 to purchase & download things though).
and why don't companies take risks by creating low-budget, creative, and fun titles at a new system's launch?
Well, it WOULD have been nice if they had had them out at launch, but chances are that companies don't want to release TOO many games all at once. Add that to the fact that there are "creative risks", and they are probably not the sampling of games you want your new system to have (since they will either be huge sellers, or only appeal to a few people, instead of more surefire pseudo-hits you can create by using a well established genre of play).
Nah, the 20GB PS3 has HDMI. The only things it doesn't have are the memory card slots (a regular memory card to USB reader should work), and the built in WiFi adapter (I *think* there are USB adapters, but if you need one anyway, just go for the 60GB model).
Assuming BB are discontinuing carrying the 20GB models, I can only imagine that is because most people have been buying the 60GB model. Heck, in the XBox360 display at BB, there were ~50 systems, only ~4 were "Core". My guess is that people are getting used to larger Hard Disk sizes, and are not getting the "light" versions. Alternatively, Sony may be cutting back on supplying them also, since I bet most of the units that sold, outside of the initial run were the 60GB.
Online play only offers anythign to "hardcore" players. Pleayers with enough skill to hold their own or with enough friends online to have private games.
Well... as someone who got a PS3 last December, I can say I've been hooked by on-line more than I expected.
I can't always get together with friends (they being in different parts of the country). I picked up Resistance:The Fall of Man, as the premier title, and played it a bit. I then went on-line and got hooked by some of the options. Yeah, they all sound familiar Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag (although I think the Meltdown and Conversion options are unique), but it felt much different playing against other people.
Do I win regularly? Nah. Do I have fun and usually end up in the middle of the pack? Yeah. Bottom of the pack? Sometimes.
The trick to enjoying on-line play is to just remember that this is "Entertainment". Relax and have fun. Playing against other people is DEFINITELY a completely different experience then I was expecting, and nothing can describe the rush of a 32 player Deathmatch.:D
And I'm especially surprised [though this is my first time saying it] that slashdot would be so against a machine that can run an open source OS with a little "hacking", does almost as much as a media center PC, and is on the cutting edge of entertainment technology...
Well, while I agree with the first part of your comment (that there should be more of a push for HD, where possible), slashdot's response to the PS3 is all too easy to explain.
Sony, as a whole, made some bad moves, mostly in their music division which ticked off a lot of Slashdot members (and rightly so). They also had issues with quality control on their batteries, which make people nervous about how their consoles would hold up. Lastly, Sony has been at the top of the heap for a bit with the PS2, and people like to see the leader get bashed a bit, especially when they're cocky (which Sony execs certainly have been portrayed as being, in interviews), so it makes sense that Slashdot is a bit against the PS3.
Now, the thing that gets me miffed, is that the same people who say "Oh, I'll get an XBox360 even though its from MS, because they are different parts of the company", are the same ones yelling about how "I'm not going to get a PS3 because of the Sony root kit incident". That just screams of hypocrisy to me. I can respect the ones who choose to go for a Wii in light of that incident, but I just have less need of a console loaded with "Party Games". I might need one or two for parties, but I'm not 16 where everyone shows up at everyone else's house regularly. On-line connectivity is key for interaction over a certain age, especially if your friends from college dispersed to the four corners of the wind. The PS3 takes a bit of a beating there because a lot of people are used to "XBox Live!"'s offering and by comparison, the PS3 has some work to do. On the other hand, I think they'll catch up enough where it won't matter. Personally I like playing on-line for free, and once Sony builds up their on-line offering more, I think this point will sway in their favor. Remember, MS has had about six years since Live! launched. Sony just launched theirs 4 months ago, so by comparison its much more primitive (you don't want to build too much until you get feedback from customers, but that means you need working units out there, so there is only so much work you can do on this until you get the system itself launched).
You're right. Linux is a supported "Out of the Box" option. Heck, my main gripe with the PS3 is that I'd like to be able to use it like a Media Extender and stream media out to it. Yeah, you don't really need to, but it would be nice since I keep my e-photo collection on a home NAS. As it is the PS3 already took over as my main DVD player (beats the heck out of the Toshiba one I had, bypassing a scratched portion of a disk, when the Toshiba just locked up).
I've used my PS3 on both a 32" HDTV (in the living room) and a 20" SDTV (in the bedroom, that the HDTV replaced). For the record, the 32" HDTV ends up being about the same size (minus the "widescreen" pillars), as the SDTV, so it makes for a pretty good apples to apples comparison.
I was also curious what the differences would be, and if I would mind, or even notice the difference.
The end result of the experience:
1) The games I played (Resistance:The Fall of Man, Virtua Fighter 5, and Full Auto 2: Battlefields) were certainly playable and fun. Likewise the PSN games I tried were also playable and fun. The screen clipped slightly on Virtua Fighter 5, but it did the same thing on VF4 on the PS2, I think it has to do with the analog nature of the tube.
However...
2) I was amazed at the difference in quality using HDTV over SDTV. I honestly didn't expect it to be that great. It was like going from over the air TV to a DVD.
Bare in mind that this was true for PS2 games that I played using the PS3 also though, so it could be as much a function of the interface and the resolution upgrade, as anything else (HDMI vs RCA cables).
My experience has completely sold me on HDTV (at least 720p:) ), and I would highly recommend getting an HD capable video display (monitor/tv) if you can, not only for video games but for any video source (DVDs, Cable, etc.)
. if I want something less serious to play with a bunch of people, there's plenty of fun games on the Wii.
Um... why shouldn't Sony try to offer a fun "party" title?
Its actually nice to see them trying to cater to a ( player > 2 ) crowd which has been almost exclusively been Nintendos domain (with the N64,GameCube and Wii).
Yes, the PS2's gametap let four players play at once, but how many people sprung for it, versus, "hey bring your controller(s) over and we'll party"?
Nah, that would just give people less to moan about. Kinda like when Apple didn't unveil anything mindblowing at their Developers convention, so people felt they had to go on-line and complain about it.... never mind that THEY weren't the target audience.
Slashdot Mirror
I've tried using my PS2 for DVD playback, its awful.
I've also tried using my PS3 for DVD playback, it rivals a standalone DVD player from Toshiba I got two years ago. It even managed to play-through a really bad scratch on the DVD that the Toshiba just flat out locked up on.
Its also been pretty good on Blu-Ray disks.
I've enjoyed using it enough I went out and got the Bluetooth Remote (which functions just fine), and I'm ditching my stand-alone player, which also trims back 5 cables from the clutter (component+audio vs. the PS3s HDMI)
Actually according to TFA they sold 165,000 out of 220,000 allocated to the U.K. launch (the summary above butchers the numbers a bit :) ). So they sold ~75% of available supply.
According to another article I saw Virgin (who is partnered with Sony on the launch) stated they expect to sell out shortly.
You're correct, thats why I mentioned the assumptions I was working from when I made the observation. :)
I honestly don't know how often they restock those displays, but the holes missing from the display were very obvious.
Its true that they could easily be restocking the displays every evening, but I would imagine that would make the observation valid for the day, instead of for the week.
True, I was in Best Buy on Monday and today (Friday). They have a stack of PS3s and XBox360s by the checkout area (noticeably more 360s than PS3). In the past 5 days, assuming they haven't restocked the piles have both shrunk, the PS3 pile by about 16, the 360 pile by about 8 (none of those missing were 'core' units). (for the record there were originally 26 PS3s and 46 360s, 4 of which were "core" units).
I realize that this is hardly scientific, but it I found it interesting on a number of fronts.
1) yes the PS3 is in stores (and meeting current demand). This is hardly surprising considering that they've had several months to build production, and they deliberately chose not to launch in europe and australia until they could better meet demand (as opposed to strangling worldwide demand like the 360s launch last year).
2) Over the course of the week the PS3 sold more units (at that particular store) than the 360.
3) if "piles of units just sitting there" then the 360 is in deep trouble, worse than the PS3. The Wii was no where to be found, but considering how its demand (due probably to the price point, and appeal to "non-gamers"), that is hardly surprising.
Just a nitpick, if dual-layer DVDs have a capacity of ~8GB and a single-layer Blu-Ray disc has a capacity of ~25GB (with dual-layer holding ~50GB), then even if they cut the size of the capacity in half to speed up loading by burning all the assets twice, that still leaves twice the capacity.
Also, I've only read an article about Oblivion doing this, I'm not aware of any other game. Do you have any other sources?
And this year we get to have twice as much fun as usual, since I doubt the Republicans are all going to rally behind Sure-Shot Cheney. :)
Just as an FYI Safari seems to do a decent job of correcting spelling also.
I think the push for on-line multiplayer is coming because of the growth in broadband availability (once you have it in your home already, you can use it for lots of things), and the aging of the average gamer.
As people get older, they tend to drift apart geographically. It might be harder to get together because you're in a different city, or it would take two hours travel to see each other. On-line gaming can help people who are used to playing together, continue the experience, especially as Voice chat is integrated more and more.
You're lucky, my wife would KILL me if I was playing a video game while we were supposed to be sitting next to each other and watching TV.
With all due respect for the DS, which is a great system, the few "cross platform" games that have included the DS have usually had a very different or drastically reduced game made for it, versus the 360, PS2/3, or GC/Wii. (Lego StarWars II is the example that comes to my mind), please provide counter examples.
I will agree with you 100% that this generation of handheld (DS & PSP) provide the same "console" experience in a portable platform, something that the previous generation couldn't think of doing.
You're right, the Wii and PS3 are both fairly new. The XBox 360 on the other hand has had about a year or so, and launched about 9 months after the PSP. Drop ~2.2M units off the PSP, and comparing only the North American numbers (which greatly favors the 360 BTW), shows them to be neck an neck in terms of total unit sales. Factor in other regions similarly, and it looks much grimmer for the XBox.
I'm less familiar with the DS, so I'll leave that comparison for someone else to make, however the other part of the story that I haven't seen mentioned is that for the first time Nintendo has some real competition in the handheld market (versus decimating every other company that has tried to enter it).
... don't include this "feature" when you update your on-line to be more like XBox Live! :)
You're right, it is skewing. On the other hand, while the PSP has only managed to capture ~21M in sales (versus the ~40M of the DS), either one has managed to sell more than the Wii, PS3, or XBox 360 combined (so far).
If updates are you're only concern then don't worry. I just tried doing an update from an OS X box, and it worked fine. I would imagine the same should hold true for a Linux box (or Solaris, or BSD, etc). Its just a matter of downloading a file, and putting it on a USB keydrive.
Windows is NOT a requirement.
I think they are trying to go for both. The "network gamer" is who everyone is reporting on with Xbox Live!, so I think its become a Hearts and Minds issue.
There are still going to be great games on the PS3 that you don't need to go online to play (Lair being the perfect example). Heck, there were lots of PS2 games that supported the Network adapter, but that doesn't mean the Single player game was forgotten (the third and fourth Ratchet and Clank games come to mind).
Yes, Sony is spending a lot of attention on on-line, however if you ever plug the PS3 into a network, you might appreciate the Demos, Trailers, etc. that are available to you there. If you don't?, then you can still download updates through a computer or from bought disks (if there need them).
They are in the PlayStation Network store (PSN). flOw is definitely in the "creative" line
Re: Hot Shots Golf 5. There is a Demo expecting in the PSN store "soon" (over the next month or two probably, already available in Japan), for the upcoming game (to be released in July). Hot Shots Golf 2 is out for the PSP (via the PSN), and there is a rumor that an upcoming PS3 firmware upgrade will include the ability to play the PSP downloadable games directly on the PS3.
Try browsing around the PSN store without using a PS3 here (you still need a PS3 to purchase & download things though).
Well, it WOULD have been nice if they had had them out at launch, but chances are that companies don't want to release TOO many games all at once. Add that to the fact that there are "creative risks", and they are probably not the sampling of games you want your new system to have (since they will either be huge sellers, or only appeal to a few people, instead of more surefire pseudo-hits you can create by using a well established genre of play).
Nah, the 20GB PS3 has HDMI. The only things it doesn't have are the memory card slots (a regular memory card to USB reader should work), and the built in WiFi adapter (I *think* there are USB adapters, but if you need one anyway, just go for the 60GB model).
Assuming BB are discontinuing carrying the 20GB models, I can only imagine that is because most people have been buying the 60GB model. Heck, in the XBox360 display at BB, there were ~50 systems, only ~4 were "Core". My guess is that people are getting used to larger Hard Disk sizes, and are not getting the "light" versions. Alternatively, Sony may be cutting back on supplying them also, since I bet most of the units that sold, outside of the initial run were the 60GB.
Well
I can't always get together with friends (they being in different parts of the country). I picked up Resistance:The Fall of Man, as the premier title, and played it a bit. I then went on-line and got hooked by some of the options. Yeah, they all sound familiar Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag (although I think the Meltdown and Conversion options are unique), but it felt much different playing against other people.
Do I win regularly? Nah. Do I have fun and usually end up in the middle of the pack? Yeah. Bottom of the pack? Sometimes.
The trick to enjoying on-line play is to just remember that this is "Entertainment". Relax and have fun. Playing against other people is DEFINITELY a completely different experience then I was expecting, and nothing can describe the rush of a 32 player Deathmatch.
Well, while I agree with the first part of your comment (that there should be more of a push for HD, where possible), slashdot's response to the PS3 is all too easy to explain.
Sony, as a whole, made some bad moves, mostly in their music division which ticked off a lot of Slashdot members (and rightly so). They also had issues with quality control on their batteries, which make people nervous about how their consoles would hold up. Lastly, Sony has been at the top of the heap for a bit with the PS2, and people like to see the leader get bashed a bit, especially when they're cocky (which Sony execs certainly have been portrayed as being, in interviews), so it makes sense that Slashdot is a bit against the PS3.
Now, the thing that gets me miffed, is that the same people who say "Oh, I'll get an XBox360 even though its from MS, because they are different parts of the company", are the same ones yelling about how "I'm not going to get a PS3 because of the Sony root kit incident". That just screams of hypocrisy to me. I can respect the ones who choose to go for a Wii in light of that incident, but I just have less need of a console loaded with "Party Games". I might need one or two for parties, but I'm not 16 where everyone shows up at everyone else's house regularly. On-line connectivity is key for interaction over a certain age, especially if your friends from college dispersed to the four corners of the wind. The PS3 takes a bit of a beating there because a lot of people are used to "XBox Live!"'s offering and by comparison, the PS3 has some work to do. On the other hand, I think they'll catch up enough where it won't matter. Personally I like playing on-line for free, and once Sony builds up their on-line offering more, I think this point will sway in their favor. Remember, MS has had about six years since Live! launched. Sony just launched theirs 4 months ago, so by comparison its much more primitive (you don't want to build too much until you get feedback from customers, but that means you need working units out there, so there is only so much work you can do on this until you get the system itself launched).
You're right. Linux is a supported "Out of the Box" option. Heck, my main gripe with the PS3 is that I'd like to be able to use it like a Media Extender and stream media out to it. Yeah, you don't really need to, but it would be nice since I keep my e-photo collection on a home NAS. As it is the PS3 already took over as my main DVD player (beats the heck out of the Toshiba one I had, bypassing a scratched portion of a disk, when the Toshiba just locked up).
Also might be interesting to chart the rise in the use of "Corn Syrup" over traditional sugars in the U.S. against the rise in Obesity.
I've used my PS3 on both a 32" HDTV (in the living room) and a 20" SDTV (in the bedroom, that the HDTV replaced). For the record, the 32" HDTV ends up being about the same size (minus the "widescreen" pillars), as the SDTV, so it makes for a pretty good apples to apples comparison.
...
:) ), and I would highly recommend getting an HD capable video display (monitor/tv) if you can, not only for video games but for any video source (DVDs, Cable, etc.)
I was also curious what the differences would be, and if I would mind, or even notice the difference.
The end result of the experience:
1) The games I played (Resistance:The Fall of Man, Virtua Fighter 5, and Full Auto 2: Battlefields) were certainly playable and fun. Likewise the PSN games I tried were also playable and fun. The screen clipped slightly on Virtua Fighter 5, but it did the same thing on VF4 on the PS2, I think it has to do with the analog nature of the tube.
However
2) I was amazed at the difference in quality using HDTV over SDTV. I honestly didn't expect it to be that great. It was like going from over the air TV to a DVD.
Bare in mind that this was true for PS2 games that I played using the PS3 also though, so it could be as much a function of the interface and the resolution upgrade, as anything else (HDMI vs RCA cables).
My experience has completely sold me on HDTV (at least 720p
Does that mean that next season we'll see the smarmy british Judge face off against a pack of vicious lions?
Heck, it might actually get me to watch that drivel.
Ah yes. The Hercules World Wide Rumble Tour.
You forgot about the side trip to deal with the Celtic gods also.
Um
Its actually nice to see them trying to cater to a ( player > 2 ) crowd which has been almost exclusively been Nintendos domain (with the N64,GameCube and Wii).
Yes, the PS2's gametap let four players play at once, but how many people sprung for it, versus, "hey bring your controller(s) over and we'll party"?
Nah, that would just give people less to moan about. Kinda like when Apple didn't unveil anything mindblowing at their Developers convention, so people felt they had to go on-line and complain about it. ... never mind that THEY weren't the target audience.