45 PS3 titles for 2006

Posted Feb 3rd 2006 8:45PM by Vladimir Cole

This list shouldn't really be compared to the list of Xbox 360 titles that are to be released in 2006 because the PlayStation 3 isn't out yet and because we still don't know a whole lot about the system or the games that are scheduled for it. That said, read on for the list of 45 titles that are expected to be released for the PS3 this year.

(For those who are wondering: the Nintendo Revolution list is just 8 titles long right now. Nintendo is being characteristically tight-lipped about their plans for the Revolution.)
# Tekken PS3 : ( Fighting ) Published by Namco , developed by Namco
# Killzone PS3 : ( First-Person Shooter ) Published by Sony Computer Entertainment , developed by Guerilla Games and SCEE
# Warhawk PS3 : ( Flight Action ) Published by Sony Computer Entertainment , developed by Incog Inc. Entertainment
# Mobile Suit Gundam : ( Action ) Published by Bandai , developed by BEC
# Ni-Oh : ( Action ) Published by KOEI , developed by *TBA
# MotorStorm : ( Racing ) Published by Sony Computer Entertainment , developed by Evolution Studios and SCEE
# Fifth Phantom Saga : ( First-Person Shooter ) Published by SEGA , developed by Sonic Team
# Killing Day : ( First-Person Shooter ) Published by Ubisoft , developed by *TBA
# Formula One PS3 : ( Racing ) Published by Sony Computer Entertainment , developed by SCE Studios Liverpool and SCEE
# Heavenly Sword : ( Action Adventure ) Published by Sony Computer Entertainment , developed by Ninja Theory and SCEE
# The Getaway PS3 : ( Third-Person Action ) Published by Sony Computer Entertainment , developed by SCE Studios Soho and SCE Studios London
# Dark Sector : ( First-Person Shooter ) Published by D3 Publisher , developed by Digital Extremes
# I-8 : ( First-Person Shooter ) Published by Sony Computer Entertainment , developed by Insomniac Games
# Sonic the Hedgehog : ( Platformer ) Published by SEGA , developed by Sonic Team
# The Darkness : ( Third-Person Action ) Published by *TBA , developed by Starbreeze AB
# Rockstar Old West PS3 Project [Untitled] : ( Action ) Published by Rockstar Games , developed by *TBA
# KOEI "Guan Yu" PS3 Project [Untitled] : ( Other ) Published by KOEI , developed by *TBA
# SCE London "Exploding Gas Station" PS3 Project [Untitled] : ( Action ) Published by Sony Computer Entertainment , developed by SCE Studios London
# Brothers in Arms 3 : ( First-Person Shooter ) Published by Ubisoft , developed by Gearbox Software
# Gretzky NHL [working title] : ( Sports ) Published by Sony Computer Entertainment , developed by Page 44 Studios
# Project Delta : ( First-Person Shooter ) Published by Playlogic International , developed by Playlogic International
# Armored Core 4 : ( Action ) Published by FromSoftware , developed by FromSoftware
# Half-Life 2 : ( First-Person Shooter ) Published by *TBA , developed by Valve
# Unreal Tournament 2007 : ( First-Person Shooter ) Published by Midway Games , developed by Epic Games
# Medal of Honor: Airborne : ( First-Person Shooter ) Published by Electronic Arts , developed by *TBA
# Bladestorm: The 100 Year War : ( TBA ) Published by KOEI , developed by Omega Force
# Winning Eleven [working title] : ( Online Sports ) Published by Konami , developed by Konami
# Stuntman PS3 : ( Racing Action ) Published by Atari , developed by Reflections Interactive
# Project Assassin : ( Action ) Published by Ubisoft , developed by Ubisoft Montreal
# Gradius PS3 : ( Shooter ) Published by Konami , developed by Konami
# Theseis : ( Adventure ) Published by *TBA , developed by Track7 Games
# WarDevil -- Unleash the Beast Within : ( Action ) Published by *TBA , developed by Digi-Guys
# Soulcalibur Next-Gen Project [Untitled] : ( Fighting ) Published by Namco , developed by Namco
# Alan Wake : ( Action ) Published by *TBA , developed by Remedy
# Turok Next [working title] : ( First-Person Shooter ) Published by Buena Vista Games , developed by Propaganda Games
# Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest : ( Action ) Published by Buena Vista Games , developed by Eurocom
# 211 : ( Action ) Published by *TBA , developed by Gaia Industries
# Dirty Harry : ( Action ) Published by Warner Bros. Interactive , developed by The Collective
# Fear & Respect : ( Third-Person Action Adventure ) Published by Midway Games , developed by Edge of Reality
# Psychopath : ( First-Person Shooter ) Published by *TBA , developed by Titan Productions
# Spark Unlimited Next-Gen Project [untitled] : ( Action ) Published by Atari , developed by Spark Unlimited
# Stranglehold : ( Third-Person Action Adventure ) Published by Midway Games , developed by Midway Games
# Tracer : ( Action ) Published by *TBA , developed by Gaia Industries
# Section 8 : ( Shooter ) Published by *TBA , developed by TimeGate
# James Bond 007 [Next-Gen] {RUMOR} : ( Action ) Published by Electronic Arts , developed by *TBA

Sony Employee Fired for Commenting PS3 Development

By: César A. Berardini - "Cesar"

Feb. 3rd, 2006 4:30 pm

Josh Robinson, a former Sony Online Entertainment employee, never imagined that his comments on PlayStation 3 development and comparisons with the Xbox 360 would get him kicked out of SOE.

Last month, Josh posted an article in Downinfront.tv, commenting on PS3 development. He revealed that at the time of his writing there was no final hardware development kits and that SOE got one of only five PS3 development kits delivered in the U.S. But probably what irritated his bosses the most was Robinson’s comments on the superiority of the Xbox 360:

I’ve also talked with people on the technical side of the XBOX 360. The consistent comment I am hearing from people on my end is, 'The XBOX 360 is better'.

Since then, the article was taken down and lot of things happened in Josh’s life. You can still access the original article using Google’s cache at this address, but unfortunately Josh was let go from SOE.

Now, completely free of his employer, Josh gave an interview to PS3Week to discuss what happened after his comments about PlayStation 3 development went live.

PlayStation 3 to have DVR capabilities?

2/3/2006 11:56:06 AM, by Ken "Caesar" Fisher

Earlier this week we reported on Sony's pans to take on Xbox Live with a new online gaming service aimed at the PlayStation 3. Now it appears that Sony has even more in store for the PS3, including "DVR capabilities," media center-like functionality, and commercial content tie-ins.

First, let's start with what's shipping today: the PSP. Sony's PSP has video entertainment device written all over it, but you didn't need a report to tell you that. With its UMD and Memory Stick Duo storage capabilities, the device was designed to do more than play games. Witness Sony's own PSP Media Manager, and TiVo's upcoming support for the device—both ways to get video entertainment content on to the PSP's glorious screen from a variety of sources. Now add to this the PS3, and you can already see where this is going. The devices were made for each other.

"Right now Sony CEA is focused entirely on PS3... basically on auto-pilot from [Sony's] standpoint. They have big plans for it down the road, but mainly as more of an accessory for the PS3," a source told print-only magazine PSM.

An "accessory" for the PSP is going to be a device that can connect to the PS3 for interactive gaming, video sharing, and probably music synchronization. Think about it: you're Sony, and you have the PSP. The device is in the same price league as the iPod (although storage is more expensive), and the screen is better. You're also a content owner with fingers in movies, music, and television. Sony's efforts to-date with UMD offerings are only the opening salvos for the company. How do you go after iPod-like success? Like the iPod that is tethered to a computer, the PSP will be tethered to a PS3.

"DVR functionality is going to be a big push for this thing. We don't know exactly how the video is going to get into the system, but it's a top priority for Sony," the source said. Furthermore, they said that "high def movie and TV episode downloads over the online service are a definite, kind of like the iTunes Music Store."

So, the PS3 may turn out to be a kind of DVR. To be sure, Sony has been talking about putting a DVR in the PlayStation for ages, even back in the dark days of 2003. For a brief while, the company planned a PS2-based offering that would have DVR functionality and sport niceties like a DVD burner and a (then) spacious hard drive. Microsoft has thought about this internally as well. But what would a PS3 DVR look like?

The quote above gives me pause. It surprises me that the source is not clear as to how the content will get on the device; presumably this would be obvious for a device designed to be a DVR. Second, the PS3 will likely not have a hard drive in all configurations, which leads me to believe that whatever DVR-like functionality there is will be secondary to the device. To be sure, this is already the case with the Xbox 360, with its media center functionality relegated to a small part of the interface that's easy to ignore. And the Xbox 360 can't do it all itself. It's not a true DVR, and most of the media functionality that makes it interesting requires a Media Center PC somewhere in the mix. Will the PS3 offer that kind of functionality without a PC somewhere doing the heavy lifting? I have my doubts. And to be honest, thinking about what a DVR interface designed by Sony might look like makes me shudder.

If the rumors in PSM are true, what I would expect to see is something closer to the Microsoft model, where a centralized networked PC serves as the repository of content, and streaming media capabilities fill in the rest of the gaps. (Indeed, Sony already works this concept into a lather with its "Location Free" offerings.) I don't think the PS3 will be a traditional "set it and forget it" DVR device like a TiVo. Rather, I think it will play content that is fed to it, but you'll need to do the feeding. Sony will likely expand their current e-commerce options to help with that, and some tie-ins with the PS3 should be expected. I seriously doubt, however, that it will be recording streams of video from your cable connection while you're playing Madden 2007.

The writing has been on the wall for some time. Microsoft's Xbox largely paved the way for good, centrally managed online gaming services for consoles, and the company even tried to make the Xbox into a home entertainment hub (arguably, the hackers did more in this regard than Microsoft did). With the Xbox 360, Microsoft has raised the bar, and it looks like Sony will be chasing after them. But I wouldn't throw away that TiVo or Media Center just yet.

Sony to Showcase PlayStation 3 at Taipei Game Show

By: César A. Berardini - "Cesar"

Feb. 9th, 2006 6:07 am

DigiTime reports today that Sony will showcase the PlayStation 3 at the upcoming Taipei Game Show 2006, which runs through Feb 16 to Feb 20. Sony will occupy a total of 80 booths at the show and 20 booths have been allocated exclusively for the PS3, leading to believe that the company will show more than a demo videos and a behind-the-glass working prototype.

Rewatch that below, and consider this is comparable to the technical visual quality of what we've played, and you'll likely conclude that this is, for now at least, really same-generation stuff next to Xbox 360.

But our guide adds: "Cell is weird and difficult to work with... coding has progressed with high speeds and paper specs in mind, it's one of the reasons framerate specs aren't met yet. We've been anti-aliasing through software which also means a performance hit, although the 720p upscaling minimises that problem a bit."

The development source concurs: "Unlike Xbox and PS2, where Xbox had a host of built-in effects that were a generation ahead of PS2, the Xbox 360 and PS3 are same-generation machines. One doesn't have additional effects over the other - 360 can do the same effects, just not as many of them simultaneously and with less geometry [because of the speed difference], but memory bottlenecks can kill part of the PS3 speed advantage anyway... the overall visual difference it makes will depend a lot on the developer's skill, and how much time and money the publisher spends on a game.

Busy scenes represent PS3's strength over Xbox 360. They offer the same tricks but PS3 can do a little more simultaneously"

Perhaps the biggest bombshell we've learned in the world of PS3 development right now is that many (if not most) games are simply running in 720p - not the ambitious, bleeding edge 1080p "Full HD" standard that Sony had us so excited about. And certainly, not two of them stuck together for a ludicrous 32:9 double-1080p.

Could the Playstation 3 Kill Sony?

February 09, 2006
By David Walker

As we quickly approach E3 in May, many people are eagerly anticipating more details on the Sony PS3. Since Sony burst onto the gaming scene with the original Playstation, they have been the company to beat in the console wars. As a matter of fact, while the rest of Sony has struggled, the Playstation division has been a cash cow that the rest of the company has relied on. With Microsoft having already launched the Xbox 360 to overwhelming demand, many are wondering what the counter from Sony will truly look like, hype set aside. It wouldn't be exaggerating to say that Sony is betting a large hand on the Playstation 3. It's not just the Playstation division that's making the bet, either. With the next-gen Hi-Def format war still raging, Sony is betting a substantial portion of it's future on Blu-Ray. While most analysts agree that HD-DVD will not likely win, some analysts are openly wondering whether Blu-Ray will as well. If it doesn't, Sony could be in serious trouble.

Isn't This Thing Supposed to Play Games First?

In order for Sony's Trojan Horse strategy with Blu-Ray to work, the Playstation 3 has to succeed as a gaming console. As a game console, the Playstation 3 has to deliver on several fronts. In pure horsepower and graphical ability, there's little doubt that the console will impress. There are serious reservations as to Sony's online strategy (compared to Xbox Live) and we'll cover that in a bit. However, one aspect of gaming that is often ignored, but can become a major issue is load times. Ask any Sony PSP owner what annoys them most about the portable console and you are sure to hear about it's dreadful load times. Gamers are an impatient breed and if Sony frustrates hardcore gamers - and developers, for that matter - it could greatly damage it's reputation with the group that will comprise PS3 early adopters.

Until now, it's been widely assumed that the Blu-ray drive that will make it's way into the PS3 will be single-speed. If true, this choice could be disasterous. Blu-ray single speed transfers data at a constant rate of 36Mbps (Megabits per second) or 4.5 MBps (Megabytes per second). Sound impressive? Think again. DVD single speed is rated at a little over 1.32MBps max. A 12X DVD, such as the one in the Xbox 360, transfers data at rates between 8.2 and 16.5 MBps for an average of around 13MBps. This article from Gamespot provides all the details on transfer speeds, but simple math should show that there are some serious concerns looming with a single speed Blu-Ray drive. So, all things being equal, a 20 second load-time on the Xbox 360 would equate to just under 60 seconds on the PS3!

In order for Sony to bring load times into the same range as the Xbox 360, it would have to use at least a 2X drive (which would transfer a little faster than a 12X DVD's minimum speed) or a 3X drive (which would closely resemble a 12X DVD's average transfer rate). Since Blu-ray is a new technology, it's a certainty that the faster speeds will increase the base cost of the PS3, which leads into the next point.

Money Doesn't Grow on Trees

The Playstation 3 will lose money for at least a few years. How much and for how long is key, and recent projections from Merrill Lynch Japan suggest that the PS3 could lose a tremendous amount of money for Sony in the first few years. Merrill Lynch is projecting losses of 1.18 billion in year 1, 730 million in year 2 and 457 million in year 3. By comparison, Sony's profits in the past three years has been about 1.86 billion. If the PS3 doesn't start turning a serious profit in year 4, Sony's bank accounts could start drying up. There's no indication if these losses also anticipate the costs involved with setting up the massive infrastructure for an Xbox Live competitor, which most people think Sony will provide. If not, Sony's losses could skyrocket even more as it looks to create a brand-new online presense.

Sony could try to offset these losses by launching the PS3 with a higher price point, but anything above $500 is considered too high for wide adoption. Will consumers agree with Ken Kutaragi's assessment that you will want to work an extra job to have one? Kutaragi has even lamented that "…the PS3 can't be offered at a price that's targeted towards households."

Additionally, Sony is stil having to compete with HD-DVD, which is getting significant backing from Microsoft (and their 37 billion in cash). Whereas Microsoft has little to lose if HD-DVD fails, Sony has everything to lose. Additionally, recent announcements at CES in January indicate that the least expensive Blu-Ray drives will start at $1000 while HD-DVD is hitting the market with players starting at $500. Many analysts saw these changes as giving HD-DVD a second-wind that could ultimately hurt Sony more than it helps HD-DVD, which leads to another point.

Tell Me Why I Need Blu-Ray More Than DVD?

Unless you have an HDTV set, you'll never see the difference between Blu-Ray and DVD. And considering that Hi-Def adoption is currently at 24% and more than half of consumers are waiting for price drops, the target market for Blu-Ray is not as lucrative as one might believe. When DVDs hit the market, there were several reasons to purchase them. For one, the quality far surpassed VHS. Additionally, menus and extra features made DVD content easier to access and gave it more value. Also, DVDs don't degrade in quality over time, making them a better long-term investment. The jump from DVD to Blu-Ray (or HD-DVD) is not as significant, unless you're an HDTV owner. Even then, the question remains: Is Blu-Ray content going to be compelling enough to make me say "I have to have it?"

Recent announcements also suggest that Blu-Ray disc prices will come at a significant premium over existing DVD prices. With broadband adoption growing rapidly, one also has to ask if a physical format has a long life ahead of it. Bill Gates has publicly stated that he thinks the format war is the last we'll see, because hi-def content will be soon be delivered over the Internet instead. HD-DVD may not win the war, but it doesn't mean that Blu-ray will.

Games, Games, Games

The Playstation 3 has wide support right now. However, rumblings have been surfacing that the PS3 is hard to develop for, due to the complexity of a brand new processor with multiple cores. Similar criticisms arose with the PS2, and while Sony was able to overcome the same hurdles then, there is one major difference now that may keep history from repeating itself: the Xbox 360.

Since the original Xbox came into the game a good bit later than the PS2, developers had to stick with Sony because it was the clear market leader. This afforded Sony liberties that it may not have had otherwise. Now, Microsoft has the head start. Additionally, the Microsoft unit has already been praised by the likes of John Carmack (creator of Doom, Quake, etc...) for it's great development environment, while Hideo Kojima of Metal Gear Solid fame has expressed some concerns that development for the PS3 could be more difficult than for the Xbox 360. Sony must have strong 3rd party support so that licensing fees will help recoup the costs of putting the PS3 into the market. Just being Sony may not be enough anymore.

Conclusion

While I don't think we'll see Sony close it's doors for good, I have some concerns about the affect the PS3 could have on Sony's financials over the next few years and into the future. Microsoft has created an impressive console with the Xbox 360 and while Sony has a strong history in the Playstation line, there are key components for concern. Blu-Ray, an online service like Xbox Live and a hard development environment create additional areas for financial loss that may not be recouped. For the sake of competition and a strong market, let's hope Sony can address these concerns adequately and while there is still time.

How fast can you read/write data on a Blu-ray disc?

According to the Blu-ray Disc specification, 1x speed is defined as 36Mbps. However, as BD-ROM movies will require a 54Mbps data transfer rate the minimum speed we're expecting to see is 2x (72Mbps). Blu-ray also has the potential for much higher speeds, as a result of the larger numerical aperture (NA) adopted by Blu-ray Disc. The large NA value effectively means that Blu-ray will require less recording power and lower disc rotation speed than DVD and HD-DVD to achieve the same data transfer rate. While the media itself limited the recording speed in the past, the only limiting factor for Blu-ray is the capacity of the hardware. If we assume a maximum disc rotation speed of 10,000 RPM, then 12x at the outer diameter should be possible (about 400Mbps). This is why the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) already has plans to raise the speed to 8x (288Mbps) or more in the future.

The controller we used was a generic USB controller. Sony plans to change the unpopular concept design while retaining the familiar DualShock 2 layout, which all developers are working to

Does PS3 really look like the Killzone trailer? No way.