It's definitely the case - they do that for the PS3 vs Xbox 360 as well. Almost every gaming blog has people bashing the PS3 using Microsoft's corporate lines - "No games!!" "Expensive!!" "No BC!!" "Wii60!!"... this is pure FUD, but it's taken on a life of it's own, so now people will do it on their own.
Microsoft embraced blogging several years back as a viral marketing platform, and now are utilizing it to full effect.
I would definitely not call Microsoft "the little guy" in ANY industry. They leverage their monopoly on Windows to facilitate entry and eventually to force developers to make specifically for their platform.
Right now Microsoft is using Windows to entice companies to develop for the XBox 360. They buy exclusives left and right with the Windows tax that we pay. At the same time, they are forcing people to pay a monthly fee to play online, something that was once taken for granted. They force people to buy non-standard components, and they've made it the norm to have multiple versions of the same type of console. Does this sound like Windows? Imagine if they were to become the dominant player in the industry?
Not to mention they've succeeded in their viral campaign... notice that the most fanatic fanboys are XBox 360 owners? It could be that their main demographic - 13-25 year-old males that play shooters, are more prone to fanboyism and trolling Internet blogs to incite flamewars. If you take a look at each console's Wikipedia history, you'll see that the PS3 has had far more requests for protection than the 360.
Having said that, Microsoft's entry into the console market has helped Sony move forward with price cuts and enhancements - just don't hope that Microsoft gains a foothold - once that happens, it's a slow war of attrition until Microsoft comes out on top.
I think that's a bigger form of swag - actual money, disguised as an indirect business deal.
I'll bet the people in charge of certain magazines or blogs have enormous incentive to put the products of their sponsor companies in a positive light - or at least in a non-negative light.
At the same time you have to wonder if they'll spin the product of a competitor to their sponsor's product in a negative light.
For instance, I remember back in the day, Microsoft products would get reviewed much more favourably than WordPerfect or Lotus 1-2-3 or any other competitor based on subjective criteria such as "ease-of-use". Of course, Microsoft was the heaviest advertiser in magazines such as PC Magazine, and you wonder if their executives talked and made an agreement of money for good reviews.
At CNet, many of their reviewers have written books about Microsoft products, gathering information from people close to Microsoft - how they can maintain an unbiased opinion on any review with a Microsoft gadget is beyond me.
There are many blogs where the PS3 gets bashed over anything, from calling it a George Foreman grill, to bashing Sony's "evilness", to it's lack of backwards compatibility to it's price. However, the XBox 360, a product by Microsoft, doesn't get bashed nearly as much over it's failure rate, Microsoft's "evilness", overcharging for non-standard components and online play, it's non-backwards compatibility, and so on... - not surprisingly, Microsoft does a lot more advertising on these sites than Sony.
My point is, bribes go much further in the tech review/news industry than swag...
Thank you for updating me on the release dates your favorite games Zonk. Be sure to let me know when all the other exclusive titles go "Gold", such as Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Ratchet and Clank, Haze... oh wait, wrong system.
That's one of the reasons I want Microsoft to lose when it comes to the Zune vs iPod, XBox vs PS3, and everything else it does. Because once it gets a monopoly, it ties it in with Windows - you can already see this happening with the XBox and Windows gaming.
It's beyond me to see why people want Microsoft to win.
There are plenty of exclusives already for the PS3 and more to come this holiday season.
Warhawk, Resistance, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Heavenly Sword, Lair, Folklore, Ratchet and Clank, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune of the top of my head.
Sure, HS and Lair should be rentals, but the rest are great exclusives, maybe not so-called "AAA", but definitely worth a buy. Xbox 360 itself only has several "AAA" exclusives.
To say that the PS3 "has no games" is basically spewing Microsoft FUD.
Goes to show you how many fanboy mods are on Slashdot.
Several posts that argue in favour of backwards compatibility both get +5, while a post that argues that it's not important gets only +3.
Both are equally valid points.
We've got the usual cry of "no games!!11!!", but we haven't heard how much the XBox 360 breaks down, or the lack of value from a wireless and online play perspective.
Goes to show you that we've got fanboys running the show.
Since nobody is actually playing games on the system..
I do work web site administration for a non-profit organization and it's amazing how much we'll bend backwards to accommodate the views of our sponsors. If a sponsor gives us money, we'll be sure to remove a reference to another organization, just to appease them.
Since Microsoft buys lots of ad space across many Internet sites, including this one, it's no surprise that many of these sites will put an anti-Sony spin on their "news".
These sites will call the 40GB PS3 "gimped", while calling the 360 Arcade "a deal", as well as other hypocritical bs.
When your income depends on advertising money, you'll do whatever it takes to appease your sponsors.
Actually not quite - at least one thumb and one finger has have firm pressure on the device to actually hold it.
Typing would be quite difficult, especially since the lay out of the keyboard would be different, and the fact that different fingers would have to take turns holding the device up.
Another thing - why is this under "Slashdot games"? This technology is definitely not limited to games.
So what you've just deduced is that Sony's price cut isn't completely tied to the cost of the components. You seem to suggest that Sony is actually cutting the price even more than what it's saving - which should make gamers pleased, shouldn't it?
Even if they kept PS2 BC, I doubt they would raise the price by $27 - pricing structures don't work that way. Also PS2 BC will represent a larger percentage of the cost of the system as time goes on... if they're able to sell 50 million of PS3s in their lifetime, then $15 represents quite a significant cost.
The fact that parent post got rated +5 Insightful instead of Troll shows how much Microsoft fanboys have infiltrated Slashdot. Seriously, what does the gaming public want? Well from the recent past, it's been "lower price and games"
Well Sony announced a lower price and is diverting the funds for PS2 compatibility into making games - and yet they still complain.
Honestly, Microsoft has done a great viral marketing campaign. Kudos to Microsoft.
I'm not sure where you got your $27 from, but let us say that the GS from the PS2 cost $15, after everything is included. Multiply that by 10 million consoles over the next year (possibly more), and you've got $150 million that could otherwise be spent on developing that "console seller" that Microsoft fanboys are complaining Sony doesn't have (yet).
Sony is reducing costs, and that will translate to lower prices. This is a common denominator that Blu-ray only buyers, PS3 gamers, PS2 gamers w/ a PS2, will all be satisfied with.
The PS3's main competitors are the XBox 360s and Blu-ray players. The PS2's main competitor is the Wii and DS. The price points are so far apart that they cannot be competitors.
The reasoning does makes sense. Allow PS2 compatibility while there are no PS3 games around, but once the PS3 games start churning out, remove it to cut costs. Like many people have said before, people who have PS2 games most likely have a PS2. The only reason for a PS3 to support PS2 games would be to prevent clutter, or to sell it for $50 or so. I'm guessing clutter isn't that big of an issue, since the XBox 360 and Wii have a bit of clutter (sensor bar, power brick, external HD-DVD player, wifi adapter, network cable).
As for selling it for $50, that means Sony is losing out on potential PS2 sales from people who would otherwise PS2s.
It's not a horrible decision like many people are making it out to be. Remember that Microsoft's XBox 360 had much less BC than the PS3 did, and it got much less attention than what's going on right now. Most likely the complainers are Microsoft fanboy pretending to be potential PS3 purchasers - everyone else is either holding on to their PS2s or buying a 60GB PS3 right now.
They still have plenty of PS3s with backwards compatibility (BC) in stock. They've also announced a price cut for those models with BC. If people really cared about BC, then they'll get one right now. Once the stocks have cleared, PS3 games will have gotten plentiful enough to persuade people to buy a PS3 for PS3 games only.
People complaining about the cost are very likely the same ones complaining about the loss of BC. These people are probably perpetual pro-Microsoft Sony bashers that you see plaguing every blog/forum with their first-out-of-the-gates comments. The (flaky) rational from these robots usually goes like this: "I care about BC, but I don't want to pay the extra price for the older PS3s (even though they've received a price cut) because there's no games (even though there are some)"
If these people were waiting for a $300 PS3 with backwards compatibility - I'm guessing Sony doesn't really care for them, because they're looking to purchase over a year from now, and by then, many PS3 blockbusters will come out to make their "no games" argument invalid. Sony is catering to those wishing to purchase now and in the immediate future.
As well, as it's been mentioned countless times, if you really care about PS2 games (after all the PS3s with BC are sold out), you can get a PS2 - comes complete with a rumble controller, portability, DVD player, and redundancy.
Lost in all of this is that PS1 games are supported, the unit keeps WiFi, you can get a card reader for a few bucks, you can get a USB hub for a few bucks, and you can upgrade your hard drive easily.... the new model will be priced about the same as the XBox Elite but with more features and better build quality.
1. There is still an 80GB version with the original European BC, and yes, it is improving with time.
2. Microsoft sued Immersion after they settled with Sony. Look it up. It wasn't a lie by the way, it's marketing speak for saying that it's not important. I don't see how that's a lie. I guess you don't know much about good business or marketing.
3. How are you sure it won't confuse anyone? Not everyone is a Microsoft fanboy. There will be only 2 units in production. The 60GB is being phased out. Did the various versions of the PS2 confuse people? Microsoft has 4 XBox units in active production.
Stop being a raving fanboy and think with your head. Sony can do wrong - they've underestimated the impact of the Internet and bloggers that Microsoft has used in their viral campaign. You're proof of it's effectiveness.
I know I shouldn't feed the trolls, but what the heck...
A 40 GB platter probably costs significantly less the newer 60GB platters. Not only that, but HD size isn't that important on a PS3 as you can buy any 2.5" HD and put it in the PS3.
Also, just because a product is old doesn't mean it gets cheaper. Electronics starts off expensive then gets cheaper and then get more expensive. The "7-year-old" graphics chip is probably getting more expensive now that fewer and fewer PS2s are being sold.
Sony probably decided the features that were the most important to customers and kept them, while discarding everything else. People need WiFi if they want a home theater setup without a cable running to their router in another room. People need USB for the controllers. Blu-ray is necessary for compatibility - everything else was discarded.
And BC is still there - you just have to buy the premium version to get that. Doesn't seem like a bad compromise to me.
Your use of "crippled" suggests an extreme bias against the PS3, and is often heard within Microsoft fanboy circles... I've rarely heard "crippled" used against the Xbox 360 Core, even though the term suits it more.
Microsoft rarely initiates anything beneficial for their customers unless there is competition, and without Sony, Microsoft would not have cut the price of the XBox. (And vice versa). If Sony does well enough, expect lower prices on consoles, games, and possibly free online play.
I'm not sure why Microsoft fanboys are cheering for the XBox 360 to dominate. We all know full well what happens when Microsoft has a monopoly...
1. Sony needed to cut costs. They still have BC, but you need to buy the premium model. With the 360 you have no such option.
2. What did you expect them to say? It's called marketing. It's not like Microsoft (or any other corporation for that matter) has never tried to turn a negative into a positive). I don't think for a second that they once felt that rumble was last gen, but they had to say something other than "Microsoft is making it hard for Immersion to license us Rumble technology cheaply".
3. They only have 2 models at a time, except when one is being discontinued. Microsoft has the Arcade, Premium, Elite, Halo version out, with the Core being phased out. At least they didn't leave out a hard drive in one of them and all work more or less the same with current PS3 games.
If people would engage their heads a bit more, none of this should get anyone riled up about.
It's amazing how fanboy-drivel like this gets modded insightful.
The first posts are usually just that - fanboy comments - because it takes no time nor thinking to come up with something to say, just rehash previous fanboy comments.
I don't see the logic in the "This game isn't worth spending $XXX" comments that are often associated with the PS3. No game is worth $600 - just like no game on the XBox 360 is worth $400.
It's cumulative - some people will want to buy it because it offers a better A/V experience, some for Linux, some because it's a solidly built machine, some because of free online gaming, bluetooth, blu-ray, or maybe just for looks. But most people will buy it for a combination of these reasons.
I don't understand how one person's preference can be modded insightful while you rarely see anything positive about the system modded insightful. It looks like the fanboys have taken control of the games section.
1. Bash Sony using any number of Microsoft fanboy-approved lines regardless of topic... 3. Instant Karma! (modded up by the sheer number of Microsoft fanboys)
Maybe lack of quality control on SIXAXIS?
on
Lair Review
·
· Score: 1
Perhaps some controllers respond better than others, that's why you see some people with better reviews of Lair than others.
Slashdot Mirror
It's definitely the case - they do that for the PS3 vs Xbox 360 as well. Almost every gaming blog has people bashing the PS3 using Microsoft's corporate lines - "No games!!" "Expensive!!" "No BC!!" "Wii60!!" ... this is pure FUD, but it's taken on a life of it's own, so now people will do it on their own.
Microsoft embraced blogging several years back as a viral marketing platform, and now are utilizing it to full effect.
I would definitely not call Microsoft "the little guy" in ANY industry. They leverage their monopoly on Windows to facilitate entry and eventually to force developers to make specifically for their platform.
Right now Microsoft is using Windows to entice companies to develop for the XBox 360. They buy exclusives left and right with the Windows tax that we pay. At the same time, they are forcing people to pay a monthly fee to play online, something that was once taken for granted. They force people to buy non-standard components, and they've made it the norm to have multiple versions of the same type of console. Does this sound like Windows? Imagine if they were to become the dominant player in the industry?
Not to mention they've succeeded in their viral campaign... notice that the most fanatic fanboys are XBox 360 owners? It could be that their main demographic - 13-25 year-old males that play shooters, are more prone to fanboyism and trolling Internet blogs to incite flamewars. If you take a look at each console's Wikipedia history, you'll see that the PS3 has had far more requests for protection than the 360.
Having said that, Microsoft's entry into the console market has helped Sony move forward with price cuts and enhancements - just don't hope that Microsoft gains a foothold - once that happens, it's a slow war of attrition until Microsoft comes out on top.
I think that's a bigger form of swag - actual money, disguised as an indirect business deal.
I'll bet the people in charge of certain magazines or blogs have enormous incentive to put the products of their sponsor companies in a positive light - or at least in a non-negative light.
At the same time you have to wonder if they'll spin the product of a competitor to their sponsor's product in a negative light.
For instance, I remember back in the day, Microsoft products would get reviewed much more favourably than WordPerfect or Lotus 1-2-3 or any other competitor based on subjective criteria such as "ease-of-use". Of course, Microsoft was the heaviest advertiser in magazines such as PC Magazine, and you wonder if their executives talked and made an agreement of money for good reviews.
At CNet, many of their reviewers have written books about Microsoft products, gathering information from people close to Microsoft - how they can maintain an unbiased opinion on any review with a Microsoft gadget is beyond me.
There are many blogs where the PS3 gets bashed over anything, from calling it a George Foreman grill, to bashing Sony's "evilness", to it's lack of backwards compatibility to it's price. However, the XBox 360, a product by Microsoft, doesn't get bashed nearly as much over it's failure rate, Microsoft's "evilness", overcharging for non-standard components and online play, it's non-backwards compatibility, and so on... - not surprisingly, Microsoft does a lot more advertising on these sites than Sony.
My point is, bribes go much further in the tech review/news industry than swag...
Slashdot: Blurring the line between advertisement and news.
How much did Microsoft pay for this piece?
Thank you for updating me on the release dates your favorite games Zonk. Be sure to let me know when all the other exclusive titles go "Gold", such as Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Ratchet and Clank, Haze... oh wait, wrong system.
You say it like you think it's a good thing.
That's one of the reasons I want Microsoft to lose when it comes to the Zune vs iPod, XBox vs PS3, and everything else it does. Because once it gets a monopoly, it ties it in with Windows - you can already see this happening with the XBox and Windows gaming.
It's beyond me to see why people want Microsoft to win.
There are plenty of exclusives already for the PS3 and more to come this holiday season.
Warhawk, Resistance, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Heavenly Sword, Lair, Folklore, Ratchet and Clank, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune of the top of my head.
Sure, HS and Lair should be rentals, but the rest are great exclusives, maybe not so-called "AAA", but definitely worth a buy. Xbox 360 itself only has several "AAA" exclusives.
To say that the PS3 "has no games" is basically spewing Microsoft FUD.
Goes to show you how many fanboy mods are on Slashdot.
Several posts that argue in favour of backwards compatibility both get +5, while a post that argues that it's not important gets only +3.
Both are equally valid points.
We've got the usual cry of "no games!!11!!", but we haven't heard how much the XBox 360 breaks down, or the lack of value from a wireless and online play perspective.
Goes to show you that we've got fanboys running the show.
I do work web site administration for a non-profit organization and it's amazing how much we'll bend backwards to accommodate the views of our sponsors. If a sponsor gives us money, we'll be sure to remove a reference to another organization, just to appease them.
Since Microsoft buys lots of ad space across many Internet sites, including this one, it's no surprise that many of these sites will put an anti-Sony spin on their "news".
These sites will call the 40GB PS3 "gimped", while calling the 360 Arcade "a deal", as well as other hypocritical bs.
When your income depends on advertising money, you'll do whatever it takes to appease your sponsors.
Actually not quite - at least one thumb and one finger has have firm pressure on the device to actually hold it.
Typing would be quite difficult, especially since the lay out of the keyboard would be different, and the fact that different fingers would have to take turns holding the device up.
Another thing - why is this under "Slashdot games"? This technology is definitely not limited to games.
China is nowhere close to being a threat. Stop getting brainwashed by the media. Our greatest threat is ourselves.
So what you've just deduced is that Sony's price cut isn't completely tied to the cost of the components. You seem to suggest that Sony is actually cutting the price even more than what it's saving - which should make gamers pleased, shouldn't it?
Even if they kept PS2 BC, I doubt they would raise the price by $27 - pricing structures don't work that way. Also PS2 BC will represent a larger percentage of the cost of the system as time goes on... if they're able to sell 50 million of PS3s in their lifetime, then $15 represents quite a significant cost.
Wow, they bundled games to their system. This wasn't even written by a contributer. Seems like Zonk is in Microsoft's back pocket.
The fact that parent post got rated +5 Insightful instead of Troll shows how much Microsoft fanboys have infiltrated Slashdot. Seriously, what does the gaming public want? Well from the recent past, it's been "lower price and games"
Well Sony announced a lower price and is diverting the funds for PS2 compatibility into making games - and yet they still complain.
Honestly, Microsoft has done a great viral marketing campaign. Kudos to Microsoft.
I'm not sure where you got your $27 from, but let us say that the GS from the PS2 cost $15, after everything is included. Multiply that by 10 million consoles over the next year (possibly more), and you've got $150 million that could otherwise be spent on developing that "console seller" that Microsoft fanboys are complaining Sony doesn't have (yet).
Sony is reducing costs, and that will translate to lower prices. This is a common denominator that Blu-ray only buyers, PS3 gamers, PS2 gamers w/ a PS2, will all be satisfied with.
The PS3's main competitors are the XBox 360s and Blu-ray players. The PS2's main competitor is the Wii and DS. The price points are so far apart that they cannot be competitors.
The reasoning does makes sense. Allow PS2 compatibility while there are no PS3 games around, but once the PS3 games start churning out, remove it to cut costs. Like many people have said before, people who have PS2 games most likely have a PS2. The only reason for a PS3 to support PS2 games would be to prevent clutter, or to sell it for $50 or so. I'm guessing clutter isn't that big of an issue, since the XBox 360 and Wii have a bit of clutter (sensor bar, power brick, external HD-DVD player, wifi adapter, network cable).
As for selling it for $50, that means Sony is losing out on potential PS2 sales from people who would otherwise PS2s.
It's not a horrible decision like many people are making it out to be. Remember that Microsoft's XBox 360 had much less BC than the PS3 did, and it got much less attention than what's going on right now. Most likely the complainers are Microsoft fanboy pretending to be potential PS3 purchasers - everyone else is either holding on to their PS2s or buying a 60GB PS3 right now.
They still have plenty of PS3s with backwards compatibility (BC) in stock. They've also announced a price cut for those models with BC. If people really cared about BC, then they'll get one right now. Once the stocks have cleared, PS3 games will have gotten plentiful enough to persuade people to buy a PS3 for PS3 games only.
People complaining about the cost are very likely the same ones complaining about the loss of BC. These people are probably perpetual pro-Microsoft Sony bashers that you see plaguing every blog/forum with their first-out-of-the-gates comments. The (flaky) rational from these robots usually goes like this: "I care about BC, but I don't want to pay the extra price for the older PS3s (even though they've received a price cut) because there's no games (even though there are some)"
If these people were waiting for a $300 PS3 with backwards compatibility - I'm guessing Sony doesn't really care for them, because they're looking to purchase over a year from now, and by then, many PS3 blockbusters will come out to make their "no games" argument invalid. Sony is catering to those wishing to purchase now and in the immediate future.
As well, as it's been mentioned countless times, if you really care about PS2 games (after all the PS3s with BC are sold out), you can get a PS2 - comes complete with a rumble controller, portability, DVD player, and redundancy.
Lost in all of this is that PS1 games are supported, the unit keeps WiFi, you can get a card reader for a few bucks, you can get a USB hub for a few bucks, and you can upgrade your hard drive easily.... the new model will be priced about the same as the XBox Elite but with more features and better build quality.
1. There is still an 80GB version with the original European BC, and yes, it is improving with time.
2. Microsoft sued Immersion after they settled with Sony. Look it up. It wasn't a lie by the way, it's marketing speak for saying that it's not important. I don't see how that's a lie. I guess you don't know much about good business or marketing.
3. How are you sure it won't confuse anyone? Not everyone is a Microsoft fanboy. There will be only 2 units in production. The 60GB is being phased out. Did the various versions of the PS2 confuse people? Microsoft has 4 XBox units in active production.
Stop being a raving fanboy and think with your head. Sony can do wrong - they've underestimated the impact of the Internet and bloggers that Microsoft has used in their viral campaign. You're proof of it's effectiveness.
I know I shouldn't feed the trolls, but what the heck...
A 40 GB platter probably costs significantly less the newer 60GB platters. Not only that, but HD size isn't that important on a PS3 as you can buy any 2.5" HD and put it in the PS3.
Also, just because a product is old doesn't mean it gets cheaper. Electronics starts off expensive then gets cheaper and then get more expensive. The "7-year-old" graphics chip is probably getting more expensive now that fewer and fewer PS2s are being sold.
Sony probably decided the features that were the most important to customers and kept them, while discarding everything else. People need WiFi if they want a home theater setup without a cable running to their router in another room. People need USB for the controllers. Blu-ray is necessary for compatibility - everything else was discarded.
And BC is still there - you just have to buy the premium version to get that. Doesn't seem like a bad compromise to me.
Your use of "crippled" suggests an extreme bias against the PS3, and is often heard within Microsoft fanboy circles... I've rarely heard "crippled" used against the Xbox 360 Core, even though the term suits it more.
Microsoft rarely initiates anything beneficial for their customers unless there is competition, and without Sony, Microsoft would not have cut the price of the XBox. (And vice versa). If Sony does well enough, expect lower prices on consoles, games, and possibly free online play.
I'm not sure why Microsoft fanboys are cheering for the XBox 360 to dominate. We all know full well what happens when Microsoft has a monopoly...
1. Sony needed to cut costs. They still have BC, but you need to buy the premium model. With the 360 you have no such option.
2. What did you expect them to say? It's called marketing. It's not like Microsoft (or any other corporation for that matter) has never tried to turn a negative into a positive). I don't think for a second that they once felt that rumble was last gen, but they had to say something other than "Microsoft is making it hard for Immersion to license us Rumble technology cheaply".
3. They only have 2 models at a time, except when one is being discontinued. Microsoft has the Arcade, Premium, Elite, Halo version out, with the Core being phased out. At least they didn't leave out a hard drive in one of them and all work more or less the same with current PS3 games.
If people would engage their heads a bit more, none of this should get anyone riled up about.
It's amazing how fanboy-drivel like this gets modded insightful.
The first posts are usually just that - fanboy comments - because it takes no time nor thinking to come up with something to say, just rehash previous fanboy comments.
I don't see the logic in the "This game isn't worth spending $XXX" comments that are often associated with the PS3. No game is worth $600 - just like no game on the XBox 360 is worth $400.
It's cumulative - some people will want to buy it because it offers a better A/V experience, some for Linux, some because it's a solidly built machine, some because of free online gaming, bluetooth, blu-ray, or maybe just for looks. But most people will buy it for a combination of these reasons.
I don't understand how one person's preference can be modded insightful while you rarely see anything positive about the system modded insightful. It looks like the fanboys have taken control of the games section.
1. Bash Sony using any number of Microsoft fanboy-approved lines regardless of topic ...
3. Instant Karma! (modded up by the sheer number of Microsoft fanboys)
Perhaps some controllers respond better than others, that's why you see some people with better reviews of Lair than others.