Sony: PS3 News and Discussion Thread
#241
Senior Moderator
SCEA Confirms Worldwide Simul-Launch
Smarter than Microsoft's limited and staggered release...
DISCLAIMER: I'm not saying the 360 sucks...so, simmer down!
============
Sony's next-gen console to hit Japan, US and Europe come this November.
by Chris Roper
March 15, 2006 - Sony Computer Entertainment announced today that its PlayStation 3 will see a simultaneous worldwide release in early November 2006. Hitting shelves in Japan, North America and Europe simultaneously, this marks the first time the computer giant has released any of its PlayStation products to multiple regions at the same time.
While a more specific date other than "early November 2006" wasn't given, it's obvious that Sony aims for the system to hit stores before the holiday shopping period begins. At its recent PlayStation Business Briefing 2006 in Tokyo, the company said that it aims to produce one million systems per month and a total of six million units before the end of fiscal 2006.
Featuring high-definition graphics, Blu-ray support for games and movies, broadband connectivity and more, Sony aims to recreate the PlayStation and PlayStation 2's massive success a third time.
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/696/696063p1.html
DISCLAIMER: I'm not saying the 360 sucks...so, simmer down!
============
Sony's next-gen console to hit Japan, US and Europe come this November.
by Chris Roper
March 15, 2006 - Sony Computer Entertainment announced today that its PlayStation 3 will see a simultaneous worldwide release in early November 2006. Hitting shelves in Japan, North America and Europe simultaneously, this marks the first time the computer giant has released any of its PlayStation products to multiple regions at the same time.
While a more specific date other than "early November 2006" wasn't given, it's obvious that Sony aims for the system to hit stores before the holiday shopping period begins. At its recent PlayStation Business Briefing 2006 in Tokyo, the company said that it aims to produce one million systems per month and a total of six million units before the end of fiscal 2006.
Featuring high-definition graphics, Blu-ray support for games and movies, broadband connectivity and more, Sony aims to recreate the PlayStation and PlayStation 2's massive success a third time.
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/696/696063p1.html
#242
The sizzle in the Steak
...and now for the price of the PS3......
#243
Senior Moderator
Originally Posted by Moog-Type-S
...and now for the price of the PS3......
#245
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Good there doing what Xbox did relaize the console near the same time in mutliple areas of the world. Fuck Japan why should they get PS3 before the US does.
#246
The sizzle in the Steak
Originally Posted by Yumchah
More than $5. At least.
#247
Senior Moderator
Originally Posted by Moog-Type-S
...at least...I can't imagine Sony being able to eat 400-500 per console...so I'm guessing this thing will be pushing $600.
This sucker doesn't sound cheap each time I read about what it comes packing...if the HDD is not included, get ready to dump more $$$ for hardware...
#250
The sizzle in the Steak
Originally Posted by TL CHROMETIDE
My save time starts....................now.
Edit: How much are the games going to be?
Edit: How much are the games going to be?
#251
Senior Moderator
Originally Posted by Moog-Type-S
Better save a grand. Console + HD + Games = 1 Grand.
#252
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Yea I have a feeling blu-ray is going to kill PS3. The technology is too new and therefore expensive. You have to be a hardcore gamer to put up a grand for PS3 where you can pay 400 for xbox 360 and play similar looking games.
#253
The sizzle in the Steak
Time will tell. If the gaming looks very similar between the two consoles, then how can anyone justify double the price? If the answer to that question is because one can be used as a blu-ray dvd player...then I have to Blu-Ray and HD DVD will be dead in a few years anyway....broadband and on demand HD movies will replace physical media.
#255
The sizzle in the Steak
Originally Posted by TL CHROMETIDE
Do you need high definition to play this thing?
#256
Senior Moderator
lol.. yea HD is not required, but highly recommended
#257
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fuck that trailer for metal gear solid 4.. was that rendered on PS2 hardware or PS3? if it was PS2.. damn that shit looks nice, cant wait to see what it looks like on PS3 hardware..
#258
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Originally Posted by Moog-Type-S
Why would you get a system like the PS3 and not play it on a high def television?!?!? Would you try it out on a b&w t.v with rabbit ears too?
#259
The sizzle in the Steak
Ballmer: Xbox will capitalize on PS3 delay
Ballmer: Xbox will capitalize on PS3 delay
Microsoft CEO says Playstation 3's November launch gives Xbox a shot to be the top gaming console.
By Telis Demos, FORTUNE reporter
March 17, 2006: 11:58 AM EST
NEW YORK (FORTUNE) - After Sony announced on Tuesday that the Playstation 3 won't launch until November, the Xbox 360 is in a better position to become the top gaming console, says Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
"In every other generation, the first guy to 10 million consoles was the number one seller in the generation," Ballmer told FORTUNE in an interview on Thursday afternoon. "Did we just get an even better opportunity to be the first guy to 10 million? Yeah, of course we did."
But Microsoft (Research) will not formally revise its projected market share for the Xbox 360, and it will not speed up production to capitalize on Sony's delay, because it's already producing the Xbox as fast as possible. "We've been saying 'make them faster' before yesterday," says Ballmer.
When the Xbox 360 launched last holiday season, Microsoft had its own missteps. Shortages led to sales of only 600,000 systems from the debut on November 22 through December 31, far fewer than Microsoft and market analysts expected.
There is still a production bottleneck because of problems with a component vendor, whom Ballmer declined to name, but he expects Microsoft to sell 5 million systems by June. "We're sort-of on track," he says, "though it would've been nice at Christmas to have one for everyone who wanted one."
Previous generations of the Playstation outsold the Xbox by a wide margin. Worldwide in 2005, Sony sold 101 million Playstation 2 units, while Microsoft sold 24 million Xboxes and Nintendo sold 21 million Gamecubes, according to UBS. Even during the 2005 holidays, after Xbox 360 had debuted, Playstation 2 sold 1.4 million units in December, according to The NPD Group, which tracks sales of video games and game platforms.
Microsoft plans "major pushes" of the Xbox 360 in France, Italy, Spain and Japan -- markets where the first generation Xbox didn't perform as well as Microsoft hoped.
"I am palpably optimistic," Ballmer says. "I think we are absolutely in the game for the market position it would be nice to have."
Ballmer dismissed Sony's (Research) expectation that Playstation's Blu-Ray DVD player will give it an advantage over the Xbox, which will feature an HD-DVD format player. "Sony's going to try and define that as a fundamental battleground, but I don't think it is a fundamental battleground," he says. "I don't care whether it's Blu-Ray or HD-DVD, there's not going to be a lot of content in either format this year."
For now, Ballmer says, the timing advantage is all that matters. "It's not going to be that way forever," he says, "but we're clearly in the phase where it's about how fast we can make them."
Microsoft CEO says Playstation 3's November launch gives Xbox a shot to be the top gaming console.
By Telis Demos, FORTUNE reporter
March 17, 2006: 11:58 AM EST
NEW YORK (FORTUNE) - After Sony announced on Tuesday that the Playstation 3 won't launch until November, the Xbox 360 is in a better position to become the top gaming console, says Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
"In every other generation, the first guy to 10 million consoles was the number one seller in the generation," Ballmer told FORTUNE in an interview on Thursday afternoon. "Did we just get an even better opportunity to be the first guy to 10 million? Yeah, of course we did."
But Microsoft (Research) will not formally revise its projected market share for the Xbox 360, and it will not speed up production to capitalize on Sony's delay, because it's already producing the Xbox as fast as possible. "We've been saying 'make them faster' before yesterday," says Ballmer.
When the Xbox 360 launched last holiday season, Microsoft had its own missteps. Shortages led to sales of only 600,000 systems from the debut on November 22 through December 31, far fewer than Microsoft and market analysts expected.
There is still a production bottleneck because of problems with a component vendor, whom Ballmer declined to name, but he expects Microsoft to sell 5 million systems by June. "We're sort-of on track," he says, "though it would've been nice at Christmas to have one for everyone who wanted one."
Previous generations of the Playstation outsold the Xbox by a wide margin. Worldwide in 2005, Sony sold 101 million Playstation 2 units, while Microsoft sold 24 million Xboxes and Nintendo sold 21 million Gamecubes, according to UBS. Even during the 2005 holidays, after Xbox 360 had debuted, Playstation 2 sold 1.4 million units in December, according to The NPD Group, which tracks sales of video games and game platforms.
Microsoft plans "major pushes" of the Xbox 360 in France, Italy, Spain and Japan -- markets where the first generation Xbox didn't perform as well as Microsoft hoped.
"I am palpably optimistic," Ballmer says. "I think we are absolutely in the game for the market position it would be nice to have."
Ballmer dismissed Sony's (Research) expectation that Playstation's Blu-Ray DVD player will give it an advantage over the Xbox, which will feature an HD-DVD format player. "Sony's going to try and define that as a fundamental battleground, but I don't think it is a fundamental battleground," he says. "I don't care whether it's Blu-Ray or HD-DVD, there's not going to be a lot of content in either format this year."
For now, Ballmer says, the timing advantage is all that matters. "It's not going to be that way forever," he says, "but we're clearly in the phase where it's about how fast we can make them."
It seems Sony is relying too heavily on existing PS2 loyalty...the problem is that PS2 owners want to play a next gen console (preferably the PS3), but they are gamers first and loyalists 2nd, and they will not wait forever.
#260
The sizzle in the Steak
Originally Posted by TL CHROMETIDE
Well I don't have a high def tv in my room........whats a decent HD tv for cheap?
#261
Senior Moderator
Originally Posted by Moog-Type-S
It's possible Sony may have made a huge blunder...time will tell.
It seems Sony is relying too heavily on existing PS2 loyalty...the problem is that PS2 owners want to play a next gen console (preferably the PS3), but they are gamers first and loyalists 2nd, and they will not wait forever.
It seems Sony is relying too heavily on existing PS2 loyalty...the problem is that PS2 owners want to play a next gen console (preferably the PS3), but they are gamers first and loyalists 2nd, and they will not wait forever.
My verdict: Meh. I'll wait for the Revolution and PS3...whenever they come out.
#262
The sizzle in the Steak
I have both consoles as well. Not interested in Nintendo. As for 360 and PS3, assuming I wait until the PS3 hits the market......faced with the choice of both consoles games looking very similar, and one is 300-400 bucks, and the other is 600 bucks......the 360 looks better.
#263
Senior Moderator
Originally Posted by Moog-Type-S
I have both consoles as well. Not interested in Nintendo. As for 360 and PS3, assuming I wait until the PS3 hits the market......faced with the choice of both consoles games looking very similar, and one is 300-400 bucks, and the other is 600 bucks......the 360 looks better.
As does the Revolution...
from the Xbox fanboy mob...
#264
The sizzle in the Steak
^^ Beware teh Halo, Forza, Graw elite!!!
#265
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Originally Posted by Moog-Type-S
^^ Beware teh Halo, Forza, Graw elite!!!
#266
Lola
Originally Posted by Yumchah
I think the PS3 has better exclusive titles.
MSZ, who doesn't give a fuck about "mainstream" gaming.
#267
Senior Moderator
only 8 more months!!!!!
lol
lol
#268
Senior Moderator
good. since they are waiting so damn long, they will have to throw in some goodies to make it significantly more appealing than the original PS3 specs were..
60GB HD standard, with option to upgrade to a bigger one, perhaps a 100GB.
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/17/co...ith-60-gb-hdd/
60GB HD standard, with option to upgrade to a bigger one, perhaps a 100GB.
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/17/co...ith-60-gb-hdd/
Confirmed: PlayStation 3 will ship with 60 GB HDD
Posted Mar 17th 2006 3:45PM by James Ransom-Wiley
PlayStation 3To clear any confusion, a Sony representative, speaking with Yahoo! Games, has confirmed that the PS3 will ship with a 60 GB HDD, with an option to upgrade. No PS3 bundles will be sold without a hard drive. However, it's unclear if by upgrading, purchasers will have the option to buy the console with a larger hard drive, or if they'll be forced take the 60 GB HDD and buy an additional, larger drive separately—we guess the latter (at least, at launch), but aren't ruling out the possibility of two bundles with different sized hard drives (for example, 60 GB and 100 GB bundles).
Overall, standardizing the consoles to include a hard drive benefits both developers and consumers. But we're still left wondering if the asking price will be out of the range of a significant percentage of potential buyers.
Posted Mar 17th 2006 3:45PM by James Ransom-Wiley
PlayStation 3To clear any confusion, a Sony representative, speaking with Yahoo! Games, has confirmed that the PS3 will ship with a 60 GB HDD, with an option to upgrade. No PS3 bundles will be sold without a hard drive. However, it's unclear if by upgrading, purchasers will have the option to buy the console with a larger hard drive, or if they'll be forced take the 60 GB HDD and buy an additional, larger drive separately—we guess the latter (at least, at launch), but aren't ruling out the possibility of two bundles with different sized hard drives (for example, 60 GB and 100 GB bundles).
Overall, standardizing the consoles to include a hard drive benefits both developers and consumers. But we're still left wondering if the asking price will be out of the range of a significant percentage of potential buyers.
#269
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Originally Posted by Mizouse
fuck that trailer for metal gear solid 4.. was that rendered on PS2 hardware or PS3? if it was PS2.. damn that shit looks nice, cant wait to see what it looks like on PS3 hardware..
One note, in a few interviews Kojima stated the visuals in MGS4 are easily achievable and he feels he can go beyond them on both a 360 and PS3 final hardware.
#270
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Originally Posted by Yumchah
But, here's the thing. I think the PS3 has better exclusive titles.
As does the Revolution...
from the Xbox fanboy mob...
As does the Revolution...
from the Xbox fanboy mob...
Square is now creating 360 games.. Resident Evil 5 will be both 360/PS3, next GTA will be a simultaneous release for both as well.
The issue is that these next-gen games are VERY costly to create, so publishers are looking to sell the games to the largest audience possible to recoup their investment, which means we will see many more cross platform games this next gen.
Looking at first party games, both MS and Sony have good lineups.
#271
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Originally Posted by TL CHROMETIDE
Well I don't have a high def tv in my room........whats a decent HD tv for cheap?
#272
Originally Posted by SRK85
I plan on getting this primarily for gaming and personal use when away from home. http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/st...&cmArea=SEARCH
That's what I got for my 360!!!
Got it from CompUSA for $599, after $200 mail-in-rebate.
#273
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According to ps3news, sony will redesign the not so popular "boomerang" controller by E3 this year.
Sony will lose the not so impressive "boomerang" controller design
Much to the chagrin of boomerang enthusiasts, Sony’s president of the Computer Entertainments Worldwide Studios devision Phil Harrison announced today that the PS3 controller will see a design before launch come this November.
Apparently the design which most of us have come to develop a serious dislike for has been ditched for a band new design which is expected to be unveiled at the E3 in May.
So now the question remains, what will the “new” controller look like? Well we see Sony revert back to a more traditional controller similar to the PS2, or could Sony possibly go the Nintendo route with something new and completely innovative?
In most likelihood we wont find out until the E3 in May.
Sony will lose the not so impressive "boomerang" controller design
Much to the chagrin of boomerang enthusiasts, Sony’s president of the Computer Entertainments Worldwide Studios devision Phil Harrison announced today that the PS3 controller will see a design before launch come this November.
Apparently the design which most of us have come to develop a serious dislike for has been ditched for a band new design which is expected to be unveiled at the E3 in May.
So now the question remains, what will the “new” controller look like? Well we see Sony revert back to a more traditional controller similar to the PS2, or could Sony possibly go the Nintendo route with something new and completely innovative?
In most likelihood we wont find out until the E3 in May.
#274
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Originally Posted by vybzkartel
That's what I got for my 360!!!
Got it from CompUSA for $599, after $200 mail-in-rebate.
Got it from CompUSA for $599, after $200 mail-in-rebate.
#275
Senior Moderator
Region-free PS3
Prepare for the shock of shockers - every PS3 game from the world can be yours!
by Nix
March 22, 2006 - In a QA session following the platform keynote address at GDC 2006 this morning, Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios President Phil Harrison confirmed what was heavily demanded for import gamers all over the world and yet previously thought unthinkable for a major corporation: the PS3 will be region-free for gaming.
The move was not unexpected, as SCE had previously mentioned considering the possibility of opening up the region structure for PS3 games recently (the newly-released PSP system has but does not use a region code system for games, but that's more a standard for portable games than a new development for region-free gaming.) The system is, amongst other things, hoped to help combat piracy - many import fans "chip" their consoles with region-free mod chips to play import games, and while that desire has some legitimacy, it also opens the doors for pirates to release illegal copies of games. (Funnily enough, it's most often easier to run illegal games on a console than it is to run legit games from other countries due to the way most mod chips work, leading to a slippery slope for importers hoping to stay legit but finding the road difficult to maneuver.) Region-free gaming also allows game publishers to release games across the globe simultaneously, either through e-distribution or on disc. The capacity of Blu-Ray had previously been mentioned to allow for multiple languages of a game to be encoded onto the same massive-capacity disc.
The one caveat of this new region-free structure is that games made for specific regions' electrical and TV standards may have problems on your TV set. A PAL PS3 game, for instance, will have difficulty running on an NTSC TV, unless the developers have thought ahead and planned for that issue. It is currently unknown how the PS3 will cope with this problem (whether there will be a warning when you run an import about possible TV incompatibility, or if possibly there might be a no-play screen for incompatible games depending on your PS3's TV settings.) Luckily, modern HDTV standards go a long way towards making that problem moot. Also, games made in other countries will naturally only have the text and dialog it is programmed with, so don't put your pre-orders down so fast on all of those Japanese RPGs and Dragon Ball if you don't know a lick of kanji, because English will only be in if the developers have planned for it. (It's unknown if there will be any type of "patching" system for multi-language releases, although that might be possible on supported games post-release now that the PS3 is carrying its massive HDD and flash memory support.)
We'll have more details on how this impacts publishers and importers as soon as we know more about SCE's plans for region-free PS3 gaming.
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/697/697656p1.html
Prepare for the shock of shockers - every PS3 game from the world can be yours!
by Nix
March 22, 2006 - In a QA session following the platform keynote address at GDC 2006 this morning, Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios President Phil Harrison confirmed what was heavily demanded for import gamers all over the world and yet previously thought unthinkable for a major corporation: the PS3 will be region-free for gaming.
The move was not unexpected, as SCE had previously mentioned considering the possibility of opening up the region structure for PS3 games recently (the newly-released PSP system has but does not use a region code system for games, but that's more a standard for portable games than a new development for region-free gaming.) The system is, amongst other things, hoped to help combat piracy - many import fans "chip" their consoles with region-free mod chips to play import games, and while that desire has some legitimacy, it also opens the doors for pirates to release illegal copies of games. (Funnily enough, it's most often easier to run illegal games on a console than it is to run legit games from other countries due to the way most mod chips work, leading to a slippery slope for importers hoping to stay legit but finding the road difficult to maneuver.) Region-free gaming also allows game publishers to release games across the globe simultaneously, either through e-distribution or on disc. The capacity of Blu-Ray had previously been mentioned to allow for multiple languages of a game to be encoded onto the same massive-capacity disc.
The one caveat of this new region-free structure is that games made for specific regions' electrical and TV standards may have problems on your TV set. A PAL PS3 game, for instance, will have difficulty running on an NTSC TV, unless the developers have thought ahead and planned for that issue. It is currently unknown how the PS3 will cope with this problem (whether there will be a warning when you run an import about possible TV incompatibility, or if possibly there might be a no-play screen for incompatible games depending on your PS3's TV settings.) Luckily, modern HDTV standards go a long way towards making that problem moot. Also, games made in other countries will naturally only have the text and dialog it is programmed with, so don't put your pre-orders down so fast on all of those Japanese RPGs and Dragon Ball if you don't know a lick of kanji, because English will only be in if the developers have planned for it. (It's unknown if there will be any type of "patching" system for multi-language releases, although that might be possible on supported games post-release now that the PS3 is carrying its massive HDD and flash memory support.)
We'll have more details on how this impacts publishers and importers as soon as we know more about SCE's plans for region-free PS3 gaming.
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/697/697656p1.html
#276
Senior Moderator
MSZ is gonna faint.
#277
Senior Moderator
Originally Posted by srika
MSZ is gonna faint.
#278
Three Wheelin'
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Originally Posted by Moog-Type-S
Blu-Ray and HD DVD will be dead in a few years anyway....broadband and on demand HD movies will replace physical media.
#280
Senior Moderator
new details about Sony's Online service surface... along with some PSP news that we kinda already knew about.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3148951
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3148951
GDC 2006: Sony Conference Report
Harrison puts PS3 and PSP on stage.
by Garnett Lee, 03/22/2006
Speaking at the 2006 Game Developers Conference in San Jose this morning, Sony Computer Entertainment President, Worldwide Studios, Phil Harrison is delivering one of the most anticipated keynote addresses in recent memory. 1UP reporters are on hand providing live updates as they happen.
10:40 a.m. PST
Harrison opened his talk by reviewing the powerful presence of Playstation in the global gaming community. This report card included the fact that more than 100 million PS2s have been sold worldwide to date. He went on to add, "we are still selling Playstation 1 software in many markets around the world."
Joining him on stage then was God of War creator David Jaffe, for a sneak peek at God of War II on PS2. Before showing it off Jaffe noted of the PS3 that, "it seems to be incapable of rendering three-way sex scenes in real time." That disappointment aside the demo showed Kratos in full swing again, ripping heads off a three-headed monster one at a time and ended with a scene on the back of a God-like tremendous bird in the air.
10:50 a.m. PST
From there Harrison moved on to talk about some intriguing new hardware accessories. First up was a video/still camera add-on for the PSP. He stated that this should arrive in September of this year. Next came the announcement of a GPS unit for PSP coming right after, due to be on shelves in October. In keeping with the PSP theme he then showed a demo of Loco Roco, which is now scheduled for a worldwide release in summer.
And finally, PS3 took center stage. It began with a reprise of the rubber ducky tech demo used in demonstrating the PS2 years ago. This time, though, the camera pulled back dramatically from the bathtub full of ducks to reveal that they were at the bottom of a living, fully realized ocean. Harrison quipped that a little practical joke was played on him where he had been unexpectedly showered in real rubber duckies while giving the same demonstration internally at Sony.
Harrison then confirmed what everyone most wanted to hear: that the worldwide launch was coming in "early" November. He reiterated the other details that had been passed along last week in Japan including that production would be running at 1 million units per month and that studios would have final development kits in June.
11:00 a.m. PST
With the housekeeping out of the way, the demos got underway in earnest. Ninja Theory's Heavenly Sword was used to show off what can be done with the Havok physics engine. Groups of enemies blew up, flying everywhere fluidly, and then the scene zoomed way out to show the same event with literally hundreds of enemies.
The second demo started with an Audi in the desert from an unannounced forthcoming game (though, considering it was "an action game" from the team behind The Getaway, one could assume it was the sequel - the desert background just there to throw people off). Bullets striking the car slowly dismantled it, bit by bit. And then the much talked about Warhawk went up for a real-time demonstration. Lighting effects were fantastic in the sunset scene allowing for what the developers are terming "ambient warfare". The most impressive part of the display was the real, volumetric clouds. You fly through them and they exist in 3D. And even better, we'll be able to bring you hands-on impressions of the game from this year's E3!
11:10 a.m. PST
With the visual demonstrations complete, the subject of the PS3's online gaming service came next. The PlayStation Network Platform is simply the company's internal name and shouldn't be thought of as what to call it. The driving principles behind the service are content, communication, community and commerce, and all of it from a "basic service free of charge," Harrison added.
The service, co-developed with SOE has infrastructure by Sony, but allows third-party servers to be connected independently. This they see as "key." All of the big features should be in there, including: video chat, voice chat, friends lists, stores to sell content online, micropayments, transactions, subscriptions, etc.... Video Chat windows will be able to overlay in-game while you're playing, and you'll also be able to send email and requests from in the game. Developers will be receiving the first roll-out of the system next week.
11:20 a.m. PST
Examples of network play began with a demo of Formula 1 racing. Following that Motorstorm was used to demonstrate how you can buy stuff in the game. In action the HDR lighting looked sharp, but the poor framerate made it clear this was still an early build. While the texturing looked nice, it was a significant step down from the jaw-dropping pre-rendered demo shown at last year's E3. We'll also have more for you on Motorstorm from E3 in May.
Ted Price took the stage next to show, "an internal demo finished a few months ago." He called it Resistance: Fall of Man. It had the look of a cross between Call of Duty and Half-Life, complete with the real world physics modeling. Ratchet & Clank followed next in a non-interactive first look at its PS3 debut. The camera panned out from a corridor to outside and then started to explore a massive futuristic city that looked very much like the early stuff shown for Final Fantasy XII. And nowhere was there anything to say it was Ratchet, except for a logo on an airship at the end and the style.
11:30 a.m. PST
The final piece of the puzzle is the PS3 general business model, and it's a doozie with packaged media, network sales, episodic contents, in-game ads, subscriptions, mobile gaming, game object auctions and finally merchandising. And it includes an e-Distribution initiative that will have some games only available by download. Small game developers can contact Sony about these types of games at www.playstation.com/beyond.
Along with the social networking, multimedia figures into the PS3's plans. There's the potential for going beyond the game with downloadable songs or videos from the games.
Harrison puts PS3 and PSP on stage.
by Garnett Lee, 03/22/2006
Speaking at the 2006 Game Developers Conference in San Jose this morning, Sony Computer Entertainment President, Worldwide Studios, Phil Harrison is delivering one of the most anticipated keynote addresses in recent memory. 1UP reporters are on hand providing live updates as they happen.
10:40 a.m. PST
Harrison opened his talk by reviewing the powerful presence of Playstation in the global gaming community. This report card included the fact that more than 100 million PS2s have been sold worldwide to date. He went on to add, "we are still selling Playstation 1 software in many markets around the world."
Joining him on stage then was God of War creator David Jaffe, for a sneak peek at God of War II on PS2. Before showing it off Jaffe noted of the PS3 that, "it seems to be incapable of rendering three-way sex scenes in real time." That disappointment aside the demo showed Kratos in full swing again, ripping heads off a three-headed monster one at a time and ended with a scene on the back of a God-like tremendous bird in the air.
10:50 a.m. PST
From there Harrison moved on to talk about some intriguing new hardware accessories. First up was a video/still camera add-on for the PSP. He stated that this should arrive in September of this year. Next came the announcement of a GPS unit for PSP coming right after, due to be on shelves in October. In keeping with the PSP theme he then showed a demo of Loco Roco, which is now scheduled for a worldwide release in summer.
And finally, PS3 took center stage. It began with a reprise of the rubber ducky tech demo used in demonstrating the PS2 years ago. This time, though, the camera pulled back dramatically from the bathtub full of ducks to reveal that they were at the bottom of a living, fully realized ocean. Harrison quipped that a little practical joke was played on him where he had been unexpectedly showered in real rubber duckies while giving the same demonstration internally at Sony.
Harrison then confirmed what everyone most wanted to hear: that the worldwide launch was coming in "early" November. He reiterated the other details that had been passed along last week in Japan including that production would be running at 1 million units per month and that studios would have final development kits in June.
11:00 a.m. PST
With the housekeeping out of the way, the demos got underway in earnest. Ninja Theory's Heavenly Sword was used to show off what can be done with the Havok physics engine. Groups of enemies blew up, flying everywhere fluidly, and then the scene zoomed way out to show the same event with literally hundreds of enemies.
The second demo started with an Audi in the desert from an unannounced forthcoming game (though, considering it was "an action game" from the team behind The Getaway, one could assume it was the sequel - the desert background just there to throw people off). Bullets striking the car slowly dismantled it, bit by bit. And then the much talked about Warhawk went up for a real-time demonstration. Lighting effects were fantastic in the sunset scene allowing for what the developers are terming "ambient warfare". The most impressive part of the display was the real, volumetric clouds. You fly through them and they exist in 3D. And even better, we'll be able to bring you hands-on impressions of the game from this year's E3!
11:10 a.m. PST
With the visual demonstrations complete, the subject of the PS3's online gaming service came next. The PlayStation Network Platform is simply the company's internal name and shouldn't be thought of as what to call it. The driving principles behind the service are content, communication, community and commerce, and all of it from a "basic service free of charge," Harrison added.
The service, co-developed with SOE has infrastructure by Sony, but allows third-party servers to be connected independently. This they see as "key." All of the big features should be in there, including: video chat, voice chat, friends lists, stores to sell content online, micropayments, transactions, subscriptions, etc.... Video Chat windows will be able to overlay in-game while you're playing, and you'll also be able to send email and requests from in the game. Developers will be receiving the first roll-out of the system next week.
11:20 a.m. PST
Examples of network play began with a demo of Formula 1 racing. Following that Motorstorm was used to demonstrate how you can buy stuff in the game. In action the HDR lighting looked sharp, but the poor framerate made it clear this was still an early build. While the texturing looked nice, it was a significant step down from the jaw-dropping pre-rendered demo shown at last year's E3. We'll also have more for you on Motorstorm from E3 in May.
Ted Price took the stage next to show, "an internal demo finished a few months ago." He called it Resistance: Fall of Man. It had the look of a cross between Call of Duty and Half-Life, complete with the real world physics modeling. Ratchet & Clank followed next in a non-interactive first look at its PS3 debut. The camera panned out from a corridor to outside and then started to explore a massive futuristic city that looked very much like the early stuff shown for Final Fantasy XII. And nowhere was there anything to say it was Ratchet, except for a logo on an airship at the end and the style.
11:30 a.m. PST
The final piece of the puzzle is the PS3 general business model, and it's a doozie with packaged media, network sales, episodic contents, in-game ads, subscriptions, mobile gaming, game object auctions and finally merchandising. And it includes an e-Distribution initiative that will have some games only available by download. Small game developers can contact Sony about these types of games at www.playstation.com/beyond.
Along with the social networking, multimedia figures into the PS3's plans. There's the potential for going beyond the game with downloadable songs or videos from the games.