Is The Playstation 3 Dead In The Water ? Timing, Tech, Price, Games Wrong ?

[Zeus]

After Chrissy's (Senior MaxConsole hardware reviewer) editorial on <a href="http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=7085" target="_blank">How The Mighty Sony Have Fallen</a>, there was sparked a <a href="http://forums.maxconsole.net/showthread.php?t=19996" target="_blank">debate</a>, some of you agreed, some of you accused her of being a Microsoft fan boy and some of you took a more conservative approach. The firing squad don't seem too happy about the PS3, and state several factors on why Sony came crashing down on this year's E3, more inside.


The timing of the price announcement: There is still confusion as to why Sony would offer up a price point for the console over six months before its launch. Perhaps Sony was trying to prepare people for such a huge leap in the cost of their new machine well ahead of time. However, the fact is that tons of people would have lined up to pre-order the PS3 for months before the final price was revealed. Now that the price is out there pre-orders for the console could be affected.

The price itself: $499 and $599, no matter how you look at it, is a lot of money. The economic picture today is a lot different than 2000 when the PS2 launched with prices for gas and other essential items was far cheaper than it is today. With such a high price tag, it could be that the retail price could end up being a psychological barrier preventing some people from purchasing the product, especially with the Xbox 360 Premium currently selling for $399 and the Nintendo Wii likely to cost even less.

The tech: Sony has banked on their Cell multiprocessor CPU and their Blu-Ray disk drive as their two big leaps in technology. However, it is clear that the launch games for the console as shown during E3 are not using Cell to its fullest extent. Current Xbox 360 games already look almost as good if not as good as the PS3 games shown at the press conference and on the show floor. As for Blu-Ray, the PS3 will launch less than five months after the first stand alone Blu-Ray disk players. That means only a few hundred Blu-Ray movies will be available to purchase compared to the thousands of DVD movies available to PS2 owners when it launched three years after the first DVD player was in stores in 1997. Also Microsoft plans to have a add-on disk player for Xbox 360 owners that will play rival HD-DVD movies. With millions of Xbox 360 owners already out there, it's likely that a number of them will pick up the HD-DVD add-on which will likely cost a lot less than picking up a PS3 (exact pricing for the HD-DVD add-on has not yet been revealed.

The games: Much like the PS2 launch, the PS3 doesn't look like it will have a lot of "Wow, I must have that!" game titles when it launches in November. Games like Resistance, Heavenly Sword, Warhawk and more are currently looking pretty standard fare. This would be fine for Sony if this was the same situation as the PS2 launch when there was no real competition. Not so this time. Xbox 360 will have its second-gen titles ready to go by the time of the PS3 launch and those games, particularly Gears of War from developer Epic Games, look amazing months before launch. The Nintendo Wii, while not a graphical powerhouse like the PS3 or Xbox 360, also has some promising launch titles, particularly Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Metroid Prime 3.

At this point, the biggest selling point of Sony’s PS3 console appears to be its Blu-Ray disc drive. That may not be enough for many gamers to plunk down $500 or $600 once the euphoria at launch dies down.


Read More: <A href="http://firingsquad.com/features/playstation_3_failure/default.asp" target="_blank">FiringSquad.com</a>

[SLAYERPSP]

i for one hate sony but i love my psp the main reason im not a sony fan is they think they are better then anyone else. ever game company gave away ther last systems i mean this if your a manager at a retail game store you get free stuff free gamecube free xbox free ds sweet they show love what did i get from sony nothing not a damn thing but some lame ass demos they just dont show any love at all plus when they went after sega that was it. okay lest go back in time people reamber when the xbox and the game cube were shown at e3 in 2001 the xbox got flamed buy all the nintendo fans every one said how great the gamecube was and the xbox had no chance and was going to fail well here it is 2006 and the xbox out sold the gamecube. so im thinking the same thing is going to happen again i work at a gamestore and all people do is call now to preorder a ps3 at least 10- 1 ps3 to wii questions on tues the day after the sony conf we got over a 100 calls from people wanting to know when they can preorder it. im with you guys the ps3 isnt looking all that great but in the end it will out sell them all people are just way to loyal to sony and i hate that.

[neoryu]

The timing of the price announcement: What do you want... they to tell us the prize the day before the release??? It's the E3, is not expexted to talk about relase date and prize??? not like Microsoft with his HD-DVD... how much expensive will be??? I don't know and you eather.

The price itself: Do you know how expecsive is a Blu-Ray player??? It doubles the prize of the PS3 in japan... are you telling me that someone that wanted to buy the console before know its prize, aren't gonna buy it??? I'm not rich, but i'm not poor enought for not to buy it

The tech: What do you want??? PS3 to use the Cell processor at 100% at his first titles?? (read what i say about games). What about the Blu-Ray?? only will have about 100 movies... and what? looks like you even don't know that PS3 also can run DVDs, like the X360... or is that will be thousands of HD-DVD movies???

The games: Do you know what happend with the previous playstations?? Wipeout -> Metal Gear Solid (psx), Fantavision -> Final Fantasy XII (ps2)... MGS4 will not be in the release date, but looks quite promissing of what would do PS3 in the near future. And if it's something that Sony do that other companies doesn't do, is to full support a platform, like the PS2 with a huge number of titles more like God Of War 2.


I don't need to attack Microsoft to defend Sony, sony can rule for his own, by sales not by word. Let's see what think Japan of the PS3 on it's sales. Even Wii will sale great too, and they doesn't need to attack Sony.


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Sorry about my english but i'm spanish, and my english it isn't as well as i want it to be...

[WickedSkin]

okay lest go back in time people reamber when the xbox and the game cube were shown at e3 in 2001 the xbox got flamed buy all the nintendo fans every one said how great the gamecube was and the xbox had no chance and was going to fail well here it is 2006 and the xbox out sold the gamecube.


yet the gamecube had better preformance then the xbox and the ps2

[WickedSkin]

The timing of the price announcement: What do you want... they to tell us the prize the day before the release??? It's the E3, is not expexted to talk about relase date and prize??? not like Microsoft with his HD-DVD... how much expensive will be??? I don't know and you eather.

The price itself: Do you know how expecsive is a Blu-Ray player??? It doubles the prize of the PS3 in japan... are you telling me that someone that wanted to buy the console before know its prize, aren't gonna buy it??? I'm not rich, but i'm not poor enought for not to buy it

The tech: What do you want??? PS3 to use the Cell processor at 100% at his first titles?? (read what i say about games). What about the Blu-Ray?? only will have about 100 movies... and what? looks like you even don't know that PS3 also can run DVDs, like the X360... or is that will be thousands of HD-DVD movies???

The games: Do you know what happend with the previous playstations?? Wipeout -> Metal Gear Solid (psx), Fantavision -> Final Fantasy XII (ps2)... MGS4 will not be in the release date, but looks quite promissing of what would do PS3 in the near future. And if it's something that Sony do that other companies doesn't do, is to full support a platform, like the PS2 with a huge number of titles more like God Of War 2.


I don't need to attack Microsoft to defend Sony, sony can rule for his own, by sales not by word. Let's see what think Japan of the PS3 on it's sales. Even Wii will sale great too, and they doesn't need to attack Sony.


---
Sorry about my english but i'm spanish, and my english it isn't as well as i want it to be...

I don't know witch one I'll prefer yet, sins I've only had that 360 yet. But I think PS3 will have more neet tech, still, M$ X360 was released first witch could make developers go over to 360.

I'll get a Wii for sure, Zelda! Then I'll wait and witch console will have the better games, looks like PS3 right now.

[tray262]

I like Sony, I like the PSP, PS2. But that doesn't mean I'd go buy a PS3. I like Madden I imagine that it will be best on PS3 out of all the new systems and I think that will sell a lot for Sony. BUT I don't think it will be as fun Wii. My break down of the new systems.

PS3 - Best graphics, Most backing for games (let's hope not) and it's Sony.
Xbox 360 - 2nd best, GREAT online gaming, and better backing this time around. (congrats Microsoft)
Wii - Wrost graphics, but funnest, will play well with the younger group and with familes, and women.

As far as Gamecube doing terriable as said above. They had a lot of things going against them. No DVD being a big one. Which at one point was a big deal and lack of adult games. I think they will sell Wii better the GC.

[nufan]

The timing of the price announcement: What do you want... they to tell us the prize the day before the release??? It's the E3, is not expexted to talk about relase date and prize??? not like Microsoft with his HD-DVD... how much expensive will be??? I don't know and you eather.

The price itself: Do you know how expecsive is a Blu-Ray player??? It doubles the prize of the PS3 in japan... are you telling me that someone that wanted to buy the console before know its prize, aren't gonna buy it??? I'm not rich, but i'm not poor enought for not to buy it

The tech: What do you want??? PS3 to use the Cell processor at 100% at his first titles?? (read what i say about games). What about the Blu-Ray?? only will have about 100 movies... and what? looks like you even don't know that PS3 also can run DVDs, like the X360... or is that will be thousands of HD-DVD movies???

The games: Do you know what happend with the previous playstations?? Wipeout -> Metal Gear Solid (psx), Fantavision -> Final Fantasy XII (ps2)... MGS4 will not be in the release date, but looks quite promissing of what would do PS3 in the near future. And if it's something that Sony do that other companies doesn't do, is to full support a platform, like the PS2 with a huge number of titles more like God Of War 2.


I don't need to attack Microsoft to defend Sony, sony can rule for his own, by sales not by word. Let's see what think Japan of the PS3 on it's sales. Even Wii will sale great too, and they doesn't need to attack Sony.


---
Sorry about my english but i'm spanish, and my english it isn't as well as i want it to be...


you forgot to mention that how much the game will cost?! if it is on blu-ray, the game would cost a arm and a leg for a game. a Blu-ray movie cost about 30-40 bucks depending on the title. I think we are gettin rob here from SOny. They are charging us too much for anything. I still think blu-ray is too early to be release at this time. think bout how big a game is also. there is no such game that is 25 gb ! at most we get like 9 gb for a game. I m just sayin it is a waste of money to buy this. I m sticking with the Wii. for MGS 4 it will be release on 360. everyone know hideo he always do that! cmon we are seeing Snake in every console! even in super smash bros!

[dreary79]

Here are my thoughts, here are my questions:

*What if all of the processor cores for the 360 and especially the PS3 are too expensive and difficult to programs for?

*If they are programed for, will the games be $100+ because of the work it takes to program for those cores?

*Lets say these cores never get used... Will the PS3 and 360's grafx be all that much better than the Wii's?

*The Gamecube was the most underpowered gaming system of the past generation. Yet many people think it had better grafx than the Xbox of the PS2; especially with Resident Evil 4. The Wii is supposedly very easy to program for, will we see its potential very soon? Will we be blown away with its graphics?

*I know I'm sounding like a Nintendo fanboy. After this E3 week... maybe I am. But what I'm thinking is... at $600 for the real PS3, is it really going to be worth it? Are the grafx going to be that much better? Do better grafx mean better games?

*You can say, "you bet its worth it, you get a Blueray movie player!" and I say, "who needs better video than standard DVD? I'll wait till I can get a combo player that plays Blueray and HD-DVD once they come down in price to $100-$150." you say, "hope you have fun waited 2-3 years for them to come down to that price." I say, "I'm happy with DVD quality, I will have fun spending less money for my movies than you."

*Everyone is talking about how this Blueray/HD-DVD thing is so huge. It's not to me, I don't care who wins. I won't be on the boat until its cheap. I didn't buy a PSP to watch a movie and I'm not buying a PS3, for $600, so that I can watch a movie. I'm buying a video game console to play games. That's what I care about. I have my hacked xbox for playing media files. I will buy my next console to play better games. I've always-ed liked Zelda, Mario, Metroid... and now that the Nintendo is getting 3rd party support from Ubisoft for games like Red Steal; I don't know how the Wii couldn't be fun.

*So is Sony's PS3, "Dead In The Water?" because of "Timing, Tech, Price" and "Wrong Games". I don't think Sony could be dead in the water that fast... The tech and timing isn't wrong, but the games and price sure are. I think Sony will get with it sooner or later. They did with the PS2 and it was possibly the greatest console ever.

*Will I ever get a PS3? Probably not, unless they someday go down to $250; and that might never happen.

[Kaomaru]

x360 : 399€ HD DVD : 199$, 598$ in total, go to hell microsoft, ps3 is expansive, but xbox360 also is. PS3features 60gig hard disk, mem stick ports, etc, xbox 360 has only 20 well 12 gigs in hard disk, I can'tstop laughing at microsoft... who do they think they are, can you believe sony will fall ? I personally can't, ps3 is gonna sell in two hours in japan more than the xbox360 in a whole year

[whackawookie]

*Everyone is talking about how this Blueray/HD-DVD thing is so huge. It's not to me, I don't care who wins. I won't be on the boat until its cheap. I didn't buy a PSP to watch a movie and I'm not buying a PS3, for $600, so that I can watch a movie. I'm buying a video game console to play games. That's what I care about. I have my hacked xbox for playing media files. I will buy my next console to play better games. I've always-ed liked Zelda, Mario, Metroid... and now that the Nintendo is getting 3rd party support from Ubisoft for games like Red Steal; I don't know how the Wii couldn't be fun.


couldn't agree more, i could of done without the blu-ray dvd player. I like buying my dvd players with 5 disc carousels so in time i'll invest in one when there priced friendly. The 500-600 price tag because of blu-ray is ashame because we all know how many problems the ps2 had with its dvd-player. Though everyone doesn't like microsoft's hd-dvd add on idea you gotta respect the fact that the laser for games will be resting during hd-dvd playing plus if the hd-dvd rom dies or needs service you can still play your games.

[amptor]

main problem with gamecube folks is lack of titles. I remember going into circuit city and only seeing about 20 games for it at a time (when the system was suppose to already be booming), although there were a number more titles than that. I think just a few months ago the system eclipsed the dreamcast in the US but that was mearely 400 titles. Look how much stuff you can buy for xbox and ps2. If Nintendo wants to win, they need a LOT of games and I don't care if most titles suck or whatever, you always have a large amount of games that aren't good for any system that has more than 500 games so you can't expect it to be perfect. It just shows people that they are really trying to push a gaming system when you have a ton of supported titles.

imo, I'm more interested in the wii now than the ps3 because of the price and popularity at e3 as well as that fps game which looks real cool and duck hunt needed a reincarnation for years. then again, I can play duck hunt with zapper on my xbox.

[Trunkz0r]

couldn't agree more, i could of done without the blu-ray dvd player. I like buying my dvd players with 5 disc carousels so in time i'll invest in one when there priced friendly. The 500-600 price tag because of blu-ray is ashame because we all know how many problems the ps2 had with its dvd-player. Though everyone doesn't like microsoft's hd-dvd add on idea you gotta respect the fact that the laser for games will be resting during hd-dvd playing plus if the hd-dvd rom dies or needs service you can still play your games.

Sure the HD-DVD drive for the 360 is nice, but at it's current state, it's only going to be used for movies and not games. The 360 has enough graphic power, but the lack of decent games troubles me. The PS3 has everything im looking for in a system, but fails to grab me at the current price.

Which leaves me with the Wii. I will be purchasing a Wii way before a PS3 or 360 again (sold my first 360). Games like Zelda, Smash Bros., and Red Steel hooked me into paying almost any price for it.

[dreary79]

x360 : 399€ HD DVD : 199$, 598$ in total, go to hell microsoft, ps3 is expansive, but xbox360 also is. PS3features 60gig hard disk, mem stick ports, etc, xbox 360 has only 20 well 12 gigs in hard disk, I can'tstop laughing at microsoft... who do they think they are, can you believe sony will fall ? I personally can't, ps3 is gonna sell in two hours in japan more than the xbox360 in a whole year

lol... hahaha

First off, I hate Microsoft. However, I do like the xbox as a media player for my tv, that's why I purchased one.

*MY 360 SCENARIO: I can go out right now and buy a 360 for $300. At the moment I have no interest in the HD-DVD player. I don't need the hard drive to play games so I'm going to hold out on that. Lets say I don't have a HDTV, but plan on getting one later down the road. When I do go HDTV then I can go buy a cable for my 360.

*MY PS3 SCENARIO: If I buy the $500 PS3 I will be missing ports on the back of my system for future upgrades. So I am forced to purchase the $600 unit when I don't even need or want a new movie format.. I don't have an HDTV yet so the Blueray and HDMI stuff is worthless to me at the moment; unless I upgrade. And I may not upgrade to HDTV until the Xbox 720, the PS4, and the Nintendo Poo.

*MY Wii SCENARIO: I go buy me a Wii from $200-250TBD. If I get an HDTV I can purchase a component cable and play my Wii games in 480p and 720p. I will never be able watch Blueray or HD-DVD movies with this gaming system.

*MY Wii SCENARIO #2: Since Wii doesn't play new movie formats, I'll have to purchase a stand alone new format movie player that will clutter up my entertainment center and that will be so horrible that I won't be able to stand it and I will have to sell my Wii and stand alone new format movie player so that I can get myself a wonderful, beautiful PS3 with the miracle of Blueray.

*AMERICA'S PS3 SCENARIO: The PS3 goes over so huge that standard DVD movies are taken off the shelf for Blueray disks. The People of America love the price jump to $35-$40 for these amazing quality movies. 95% of Americans by the end of 2007 own 52" or higher sized HDTV's. Standard DVD is just to horrible too play on these TV's. There is no cheaper way to get a Blueray player than to get one by purchasing a PS3. Then...... Yellowstone's Caldera erupts and the entire United States, along with Microsoft and Bill Gates is destroyed in Fire and Brimstone. Sony then takes over the United Nations in control over the world. But wait... Bill Gates is not dead, the mixture of the Brimstone and large amounts of PC Board in his home mutated him into a super human. He now has the powers of Superman yet more angry and evil than Lex Luther. He then finds out that the scratch proof substances in the Blueray disks caused multidimensional interference that caused the Yellowstone Caldera eruption. Bill Gates must have revenge upon Sony. Bill Gates then creates a group of Mutants called the X-Box-Men and trains them in the mutant arts of the 360. Bill Gates then goes to war against Sony. But the battle only lasted for a few seconds because the entire planet Earth gets destroy, by aliens, to make way for a hyperspace freeway.

[whackawookie]

now maybe its me but if i were sony i'd be trying to prove a point from last year, mainly the fact nobody believed killzone was running from real hardware. Its been a year and this e3 there is no demo or video of it. Its supposed to be the game with unbelieveable graphics but after a year more of working on it theres no sign of it. I got a feeling sony yet again fabricated the system capabilities.
The games that are on the floor for playing are not that great for next gen material. I only say this because this was the big problem everyone was saying for the 360 last year but ps3 had more time for dev'ing and tuning and yet theres still no game that much better. Its going to be a pretty good fight when things start heating up but i just wanted to point out all the things everyone kept saying last year about the 360 yet there not saying crap this year about the ps3.

[dreary79]

now maybe its me but if i were sony i'd be trying to prove a point from last year, mainly the fact nobody believed killzone was running from real hardware. Its been a year and this e3 there is no demo or video of it. Its supposed to be the game with unbelieveable graphics but after a year more of working on it theres no sign of it. I got a feeling sony yet again fabricated the system capabilities.
The games that are on the floor for playing are not that great for next gen material. I only say this because this was the big problem everyone was saying for the 360 last year but ps3 had more time for dev'ing and tuning and yet theres still no game that much better. Its going to be a pretty good fight when things start heating up but i just wanted to point out all the things everyone kept saying last year about the 360 yet there not saying crap this year about the ps3.
You're right on the mark. Last year Sony showed all these "videos" on how amazing the grafx were going to be on the PS3, especially Killzone. Yet this E3 Sony has yet to show one game with GAMEPLAY grafx even close to as good as what they showed last year. I'm wondering when we'll see a game with "ATHENTIC NEXTGEN GAMEPLAY GRAPHICS" from any system.

[nukleuzdj]

I personally think Sony wont fall , the market shares are just going to shift around a bit, with Microsoft and Nintendo gaining ground over Sony.

[The Bat]

x360 : 399€ HD DVD : 199$, 598$ in total, go to hell microsoft, ps3 is expansive, but xbox360 also is. PS3features 60gig hard disk, mem stick ports, etc, xbox 360 has only 20 well 12 gigs in hard disk, I can'tstop laughing at microsoft... who do they think they are, can you believe sony will fall ? I personally can't, ps3 is gonna sell in two hours in japan more than the xbox360 in a whole year

1. Some of the higher-ups from Microsoft have already stated that the 360 would get yearly price drops, now that they own the IP. (I can't remember if it was by Peter Moore, or Larry Hyb aka "majornelson", or Steve Balmer, or some combination of them.) And dropping the price from $299 and $399 is a great way to steal the thunder from your competitors' own console launches.

2. There have been no price announcements made for the HD-DVD addon for the 360, although I have seen $100 quoted as the only estimate for it. Also, it has already been mentioned by the same higher-ups at Microsoft that the HD-DVD drive won't be used for games, but only for movies released to that format.

So even if Microsoft doesn't drop the price of the 360 when the PS3 is available, and even if the HD-DVD addon is as expensive as you claim (and again, where's your proof?), the addon will make absolutely no difference for the gaming.

[Crazycasem21]

Its all about content. And the porn industry sees a big launch pad on blue ray. As for gaming CGI for those damn RPGs where mine fields of random battles are common place. Flight and Racing sims definately need that space for scenery, animations,models and AI. But the truth is in the games, gameplay, and graphics. We'll see who's who at the end of the year.