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Let the games begin at GDC
March 20, 2006 -
Sony delays PS3 launch to November
March 15, 2006 -
Xbox 360 makes desert debut
November 20, 2005
Reinforcing recent comments by Ken Kutaragi, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, SCE President Phil Harrison told an audience at the Game Developers Conference here that Sony will produce about a million PS3s per month and capacity will ramp up quickly.
The question Sony will have to face until November, and for at least a year afterward, is whether the head start Microsoft got with its November 2005 launch of the Xbox 360 console will be too much for Sony to overcome.
Sony says no, and that the company measures its console successes or failures in 10-year life cycles--and therefore it has plenty of time to catch up.
"It doesn't put us at a competitive disadvantage at all," Harrison told a group of journalists after his keynote address. "Throughout our history, we have never been the first console (of each generation) to launch."
Indeed, while it competed during the current and previous generations with Microsoft, Nintendo and Sega, Sony has become the market leader with PlayStation 2 sales of more than 100 million units and sales of more than a billion games, Harrison said in the keynote.
Still, by the end of November, Microsoft will likely have sold 10 million Xbox 360s worldwide compared to about 1.5 million PlayStation 3s, said P.J. McNealy, a research principal at American Technology Research.
And while Sony sticks to its contention that it doesn't matter what happens in the first year or two of a new console generation, McNealy said the story's more complex than that.
Beyond hard-core gamers
for Game Developers Conference.
On the one hand, he said, the next-generation console wars between Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo (which is expected to release its Revolution console sometime this year) will not truly heat up until 2007's holiday season, despite many observers' assertions that the measurement of success for each company will be performance during this year's holidays.
On the other hand, McNealy said, Microsoft's lead over Sony will be formidable and should not be underestimated just because Sony prefers to look at things over the long haul.
"You never like to be in a position where you're playing catch-up," he said.
Meanwhile, the other big question sure to dog Sony this year is what lessons it learned after watching the problems Microsoft had getting enough Xboxes onto store shelves last holiday season.
Harrison said he doesn't anticipate its November launch and somewhat slow initial production pace being major problems.
"I think that you can see from our history that (Sony Computer Entertainment) has been very effective at matching consumer demand with supply," Harrison told journalists. "I know that some consumers will be disappointed, but that's inevitable at launch."
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Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., console, Sony PS3, Sony Playstation, Sony Corp.
I see no reason why Sony thinks they had to include BlueRay with the PS3. IMO, they would have been able to ship this thing way sooner if it weren't for BlueRay.
Microsoft is ramping up production of Xbox360 and that will hurt Sony, no matter how they try and put on a good face.
Microsoft will later release Halo 3, and next gen games will become available just as PS3 hits the maarkets and I suspect it will be difficult to purchase one due to demand. Unlike the orginal Xbox, Microsoft is fight much harder this time.
Picture this, the day PS3 is annouced Microsoft announces an Xbox 360 price cut, due to a full channel of them, and Halo 3. That would be a pretty good kidney punch to Sony.
have you noticed that in each of the newer FPS the graphics improve over the previous line in the series of games but there are less missions/levels?
as I was saying, with BDs, they wont have to cut back on levels
"Members of the network would be able to chat, create friends lists and do other social networking activities."
What the hell else is there you can do? What is "other social networking activities"? All you can do is chat....and nobody really wants to talk in their real voice.
Plus what will Sony do to kick out the morons from games? The turds that only want to try and create havoc? Microsoft has had a lot of time dealing with this from Xbox live. Sony is starting from scratch.
And still no the PS3 .....
Who is evil?
Your average mum and dad are going to say "no Jimmy we will buy this one its $300 cheaper"
This race is a no brainer and Sony has already lost it...
I would say they would match the Xbox 360 price or go above by a measly 100. Though, with a 60GB HD, It could be higher.
One thing can be counted on: Since all PS3 games require the harddrive, not shipping the PS3 with one would cripple the PS3's chances.
Immersion won an injunction against the PS2 and all games that used the dual shock technology. The injunction is on hold for appeals. Sony recently lost an important appeal in the case and may be forced to pull the PS2 off the market. If the PS3 has similar dual shock technology, it will be covered under the same injunction. This explains why Sony has not shown its controller in public except in a glass case.
That's all there is to it. They won't and can't take the ps2 off market.
is that the PS3 hasn't hit the market yet. On one hand, Microsoft
has a huge start. On the other hand, Sony has a larger
established fan base and, quite frankly, Microsoft didn't take
advantage of their head start as much as they could have.
PS3 will win the Japanese market easily. Xbox 360 might actually
claim the European market. The American market, however, is
far more complex than either of those (Japan loves the home
team and Europe is known for it's early adoption).
After this holiday season, we'll be able to truly judge the console
war. For now, just enjoy your 360 (if you can find one).
And either way - I'm going to own and play all 3 next gen
consoles. After all, it's about the games, isn't it?
I don't believe Sony will be playing catchup at all, in fact, I believe they will blow the doors of Xbox.
On a personal level though, the value of the machines are different. What I look for in a game is a challenge. A game like Wind Waker was extremely enjoyable for me, because I enjoyed the puzzles in all the dungeons. I didn't care that it was cartoony because the graphics isn't what gets my attention. And personally, I can do without seeing every decal on a sports car and over-paid, zombie-like sports jocks covered with sweat.
P.S. I have only requested one of the sports games I own, and that was NBA Jam for my Sega Genesis. The other 3 my parents bought on a whim, and those too are just as old. Although World Cup Soccer for the NES is still quite enjoyable just to KO the opposing teams.
The Xbox 360 is far better than the Xbox for graphics, but that doesn't make or break a system. OTherwise the DS wouldn't be pummeling the PSP.
If you're that much of a graphics lover, then the Revolution is your Xbox 1.5 (Nintendo claimed this)
Sony is Intel & Microsoft is amd. Microsoft come's out first with with next generation game console then 1 year or less Sony come's out with their game console resulting in Sony anihilating Microsoft next gen console sales in less than 2 - 4 months.
Sony's total reliance on cheap ways, at the expense of all, mean they lack the ability to deliver reliable cutting edge technology!
But alas, as time marches on and the power, of home computer/entertainment systems rapidly increases, the age of seperate game boxes has now past it's zenith, and those that seek to interfere with the way the customer uses them, will follow the dinosaurs demise rapidly, irrespective of creating laws, to extend their domain RIAA/DMCA style!
Choices can be very cruel in real life, such is life!
Let the fun and propaganda begin, but as with anything SONY, always read the fine print, before you part with the hard earned dollars!!!!!!!
I mean forget graphic capability because the Xbox 360 and PS3 will use high-end "off the shelf" PC graphics chipsets, it's possible that they will be equal in performance; the real question is whether or not Cell will be able to better utilize its graphic chipset than Xbox360.
Cell has seven internal processors compared to 360's three processors - is this just overkill? - Maybe, but it does offer some advantages if there is going to be some form of online content that would be very processor intensive, regarding real-time eventing and keeping track of the local user's statistics in an online event.
What also has my curiosity is the use of Blue-Ray tech. It definately helps in the promotion of the new media for DVD movies and content but what about its use for gaming. Besides security encryption and copyright protection, I've heard that the Blue-ray DVDs is the reason why Sony decided to drop the region restrictions for games - in other words, games in Japan can be played in the US and visa versa - but is that it? Can it help in minimizing load time for a game?
Does the one year headstart help Xbox360 - No, the titles that Xbox 360 has out right now, I believe PS3 will have equivalent or the same titles on it as well in November; unless these same games on the PS3 prove to be of lesser quality on the PS3 than 360, in terms of either gameplay, control, or graphics than there is nothing here that can hurt Sony.
Xbox 360 needs to have a "killer" big-name title now to take advantage of the year long absence of the PS3 and it doesn't have one yet and it would be foolish to gamble head-to-head with PS3, without an ace in the sleeve, despite the doubt.
Thyat's my two-cents.
I mean forget graphic capability because the Xbox 360 and PS3 will use high-end "off the shelf" PC graphics chipsets, it's possible that they will be equal in performance; the real question is whether or not Cell will be able to better utilize its graphic chipset than Xbox360.
Cell has seven internal processors compared to 360's three processors - is this just overkill? - Maybe, but it does offer some advantages if there is going to be some form of online content that would be very processor intensive, regarding real-time eventing and keeping track of the local user's statistics in an online event.
What also has my curiosity is the use of Blue-Ray tech. It definately helps in the promotion of the new media for DVD movies and content but what about its use for gaming. Besides security encryption and copyright protection, I've heard that the Blue-ray DVDs is the reason why Sony decided to drop the region restrictions for games - in other words, games in Japan can be played in the US and visa versa - but is that it? Can it help in minimizing load time for a game?
Does the one year headstart help Xbox360 - No, the titles that Xbox 360 has out right now, I believe PS3 will have equivalent or the same titles on it as well in November; unless these same games on the PS3 prove to be of lesser quality on the PS3 than 360, in terms of either gameplay, control, or graphics than there is nothing here that can hurt Sony.
Xbox 360 needs to have a "killer" big-name title now to take advantage of the year long absence of the PS3 and it doesn't have one yet and it would be foolish to gamble head-to-head with PS3, without an ace in the sleeve, despite the doubt.
That's my two-cents.
To answer a couple questions from some people. The PS3 has been said to be under $500 and WILL have Blu-Ray. Many new titles will require the new format to store the game data. Just as PS2 games came out on both CD and DVD formats through it's lifetime. This, however, may increase the price of some of the more sought after games in the future. I predict, in my opinion, that games will range from $60-$100+ for the first year. It's a good thing that there are still a bunch of PS2 games I haven't beaten yet.
Get the new console. I need people to play online.
- 1 year later=Good
- by Yo_Vink May 7, 2006 4:49 PM PDT
- Releasing the PS3 one year after the XBox 360 is a good thing in my opinion. I almost think it was planned that way. The hardcore gamers that got the 360 last year will most definitely get the PS3 this year. Also, those who would have had to chose between the platforms if launched at the same time, will have had a year to save up for the new console. Just think of the tech advantage the PS3 has over the XBox 360 now. If Sony launched last year, then we would have gotten less of a jump in technology from the PS2. We would not get the Blu-Ray to say the least. We would have most likely missed out on the dual HDMI outputs and possible the 7 controler bluetooth as well.
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(35 Comments)To answer a couple questions from some people. The PS3 has been said to be under $500 and WILL have Blu-Ray. Many new titles will require the new format to store the game data. Just as PS2 games came out on both CD and DVD formats through it's lifetime. This, however, may increase the price of some of the more sought after games in the future. I predict, in my opinion, that games will range from $60-$100+ for the first year. It's a good thing that there are still a bunch of PS2 games I haven't beaten yet.
Get the new console. I need people to play online.