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BrisbaneBroncosRule
16-12-06, 12:39 PM
Just thought i would set up a thread for PS3 discussions, etc.

I will be getting one, but what about you? Who here will be/wants to get a PS3?

Poida
16-12-06, 01:03 PM
I will be getting one.
sony releases the best games .

Robbie_Dee
16-12-06, 01:10 PM
I would but their too dear for me:(

Poida
16-12-06, 01:11 PM
I would but their too dear for me:(
yeah i agree. im gonna wait till theyre much cheaper.

BrisbaneBroncosRule
16-12-06, 01:12 PM
yeah i agree. im gonna wait till theyre much cheaper.

lol im not, im getting it when i can. :laugh: :D

It looks like its gonna be an awesome console.

Poida
16-12-06, 01:16 PM
lol yeah i reckon it will be.the only thing nintendo and microsoft i think they made was good was the pc and the 64 lol

Robbie_Dee
16-12-06, 01:17 PM
yeah i agree. im gonna wait till theyre much cheaper.the problem with that is...by that time ps3's get cheaper, computer's will be way more advanced and cheaper...so it would be kind of stupid to get a ps3 then...

Poida
16-12-06, 01:18 PM
yeah but i dont like pc graphics . they suck .
even if they get better i still want a ps3.
i got a ps2 well after people had been into pc

BrisbaneBroncosRule
16-12-06, 01:18 PM
lol yeah i reckon it will be.the only thing nintendo and microsoft i think they made was good was the pc and the 64 lol

yeah the N64 was awesome.

Poida
16-12-06, 01:21 PM
the problem with that is...by that time ps3's get cheaper, computer's will be way more advanced and cheaper...so it would be kind of stupid to get a ps3 then...
yeah but to me its about the console that suits you and you wanna use.
not about the competition.

BrisbaneBroncosRule
16-12-06, 01:23 PM
i also read somwhere, that people will either look at the price as an expensive gaming console, or a reasonable priced media console.

Poida
16-12-06, 01:26 PM
yeah but people have different opinions and i respect them.
i just am one for getting the console :D:D:D:D

BrisbaneBroncosRule
16-12-06, 01:28 PM
yeah but people have different opinions and i respect them.
i just am one for getting the console :D:D:D:D

me too lol.

Ryan
16-12-06, 01:39 PM
I'll buy PS3 as soon as Gran Tursimo 5\HD is released. - Regardless of price, it'll probably end up on the plastic anyway...........

MonaroMan
16-12-06, 02:08 PM
I will be getting one.
sony releases the best games .

lol @ that.

PS3 will fail because of its massively high price.

Wii and Xbox 360 FTW!!!


yeah but i dont like pc graphics . they suck .
even if they get better i still want a ps3.
i got a ps2 well after people had been into pc

HAHAHA... some top range video cards that are available TODAY can produce better graphics than the PS3. In a year when the PS3 is well and truly out, those cards will only be $200-$300.

And plus graphics aren't everything, it's the games that matter, which is why the Xbox 360 and the Wii will come out on top.

Poida
16-12-06, 02:12 PM
lol @ that.

PS3 will fail because of its massively high price.

Wii and Xbox 360 FTW!!!



HAHAHA... some top range video cards that are available TODAY can produce better graphics than the PS3. And plus graphics aren't everything, it's the games that matter, which is why the Xbox 360 and the Wii will come out on top.

and why laugh at my sony games post. its what i think.
you think differently but id like it if i wasnt laughed at. :( :( :(

Poida
16-12-06, 02:14 PM
whether the xbox or nintendo come out on top i dont care. i like sonys so ill get a ps3 .

Ryan
16-12-06, 02:33 PM
HAHAHA... some top range video cards that are available TODAY can produce better graphics than the PS3. In a year when the PS3 is well and truly out, those cards will only be $200-$300.

And plus graphics aren't everything, it's the games that matter, which is why the Xbox 360 and the Wii will come out on top.

Yeh I agree, you can't compare game console performance to that of a PC. For the expected price of a PS3 you could upgrade your CPU, Memory and video card on your PC to 5 times that of a PS3. And to me it does come down to games, if you could get a genuine version of Gran Turismo on PC, I wouldn't even think of getting a Playstation.

Poida
16-12-06, 02:39 PM
yes but the laughing wasnt called for at all. :(:(

MonaroMan
16-12-06, 03:04 PM
OK, I am sorry Paddy.

Poida
16-12-06, 04:38 PM
OK, I am sorry Paddy.
It's ok man. Sorry i got so defensive .
Im a scorpio lol

aspher
16-12-06, 08:10 PM
- Expensive.
- Not many great games at the moment.
- Main features I will never use (particularly blu-ray)
- I have no HD TV so forking out big dollars for a system that I won't be able to use to its full advantage seems silly at this stage.
- The number of people who don't think the system is that great concerns me.
- As silly as it it, I don't want to support a company who shows complete arrogance towards its customer base.

I will get one eventually, but not for a few years.

MonaroMan
16-12-06, 11:41 PM
- Expensive.
- Not many great games at the moment.
- Main features I will never use (particularly blu-ray)
- I have no HD TV so forking out big dollars for a system that I won't be able to use to its full advantage seems silly at this stage.
- The number of people who don't think the system is that great concerns me.
- As silly as it it, I don't want to support a company who shows complete arrogance towards its customer base.

I will get one eventually, but not for a few years.

If I didn't hate Playstation's so much and weren't so biased against them, I would probably be in the same boat as you.

Poida
13-01-07, 04:33 PM
Nup none of games i read about on nintendo are to my liking besides zelda so im sticking with ps3

MonaroMan
13-01-07, 04:38 PM
You gotta expect that though. The Wii has only been out for a month. The PS3 didn't have many good titles for its USA launch either.

MonaroMan
13-01-07, 04:40 PM
Here's some news about Sony's so called "Emmy winning controller".

"Sony?s PlayStation 3 wireless Sixaxis controller has been honored by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with a Technology and Engineering Emmy," posted supadupagama on VideoGamnesBlogger, going on, "And I don?t think there?s anyone not baffled Nintendo?s Wii remote controller didn?t get the honor."

Be baffled no longer. Sony didn't get an Emmy. DualShock did. Here's a Sony 'ooops' statement:

Due to miscommunication between the two organizations, this information was incorrectly reported. SCEA won a Technology and Engineering Emmy Award for the DualShock controller.

In 2005 Sony was ordered to pay $1.5 million for inventing a fake movie critic to hype its flics.

It also Sony got a, "slap on the wrist for trying to seduce new customers with a fake fan letter," said Silicon.com.

"Using direct mailing to advertise its new Formula One PlayStation game, Sony pretended an Italian teenager penned the letter, which was accompanied by a ripped-out magazine article promoting the competition."

BrisbaneBroncosRule
22-01-07, 10:54 AM
:win: Woohoo i just pre-ordered mine yesterday and now just have to to wait a month and a half to 2 months for it :win:

I CANT WAIT

Capital_Shark
22-01-07, 04:59 PM
:win: Woohoo i just pre-ordered mine yesterday and now just have to to wait a month and a half to 2 months for it :win:

I CANT WAIT

Whats the asking price on the PS3?

Not that I play games enough to justify the time it'd take me to plug in a new console, but if I ever do, it'll be a PS3 I think. I hate xbox controllers and Nintendo games just don't interest me.

BrisbaneBroncosRule
22-01-07, 05:05 PM
Whats the asking price on the PS3?

Not that I play games enough to justify the time it'd take me to plug in a new console, but if I ever do, it'll be a PS3 I think. I hate xbox controllers and Nintendo games just don't interest me.

$999 sorry to say :D

Capital_Shark
22-01-07, 05:13 PM
$999 sorry to say :D

Not that bad I suppose. All the other play stations were around abouts a grand on release. It'll drop but and become the best selling console again though.

BrisbaneBroncosRule
22-01-07, 08:57 PM
Not that bad I suppose. All the other play stations were around abouts a grand on release. It'll drop but and become the best selling console again though.

yep true that.

Dummy Half
22-01-07, 11:04 PM
BRING BACK SEGA SATURN!!!! :D

$999 :nope: i dont think ill be getting one for a while!
-

DIEHARD
22-01-07, 11:20 PM
I'll pass.

MonaroMan
23-01-07, 10:51 AM
Not that bad I suppose. All the other play stations were around abouts a grand on release. It'll drop but and become the best selling console again though.

No it won't. Not with its Blu-Ray drive. Sony are actually losing money on every console sold because of this.

I'm not expecting it to become affordable ($400-$600) for another 4 years.

Capital_Shark
23-01-07, 11:12 AM
No it won't. Not with its Blu-Ray drive. Sony are actually losing money on every console sold because of this.

I'm not expecting it to become affordable ($400-$600) for another 4 years.

I don't even know wtf blu-ray is but every other play station has sold well and out lasted the other consoles so Sony must do something right. They've always had a wider range of good games too which I don't expect to change, and the backwards compatability will also be a factor.

The initial sales figures might not be great, but eventually they'll take off. Even if its 4 years from now like you predict.

If Sony are losing money on every unit sold at $1000 then its obviously got something better than the 'affordable' consoles. So they're already obsolete compared to the PS3. When it becomes 'affordable' the other companies may have caught up.

aspher
23-01-07, 03:47 PM
Not that bad I suppose. All the other play stations were around abouts a grand on release. It'll drop but and become the best selling console again though.

Uhh no. The PS2 was only $700 and something, and I'm fairly sure the PSX wasn't near $1000.



I don't even know wtf blu-ray is

It's basically a disc that has a bigger capacity than a normal DVD disc. I don't know how anyone could possibly want to buy a PS3 without even knowing what it offers. The PS3 is 'value' if you plan to utilise its features, but if people don't even know the features and what they require (HDTV, purchasing Blu-ray DVDs for example), I am baffled how they justify $1000. Maybe I've been brought up valuing money different.


but every other play station has sold well and out lasted the other consoles so Sony must do something right.

They were doing something right, but not any more. You can find a negative Sony story - from dodgy products to lawsuits - almost every week. The success of the PS2 can largely be put down to the fact it had DVD playback. It came out around the time DVDs were becoming popular. It was also the first 'next gen' (not including Dreamcast which flopped obvs.) console. The PSX was successful because the only real competition it had was from the N64 - a product that consumers and developers didn't like as much as they should have.

All these have gone with the PS3.

- It's the last system out here.

- It's the most expensive system out here.

- Its main selling point isn't popular at all here in Australia - and the proof is the fact you have no idea what blu-ray is. Sony have been banging on about blu-ray for ages, yet no one knows about it...or perhaps they just don't care.

- Sony currently has a negative image - bad because people believe what they read.

- The console isn't that great. Sure it's a beast spec wise, but go read some reviews of the system and they'll be quick to point out features that don't quite deliver.

- Developers and publishers are starting to doubt the PS3 due to lacklustre sales. This is a big issue because the Playstation brand relies on its library to sell; if developers and publishers aren't putting out games Sony will lose.


They've always had a wider range of good games too which I don't expect to change, and the backwards compatability will also be a factor.

See my last point. Obviously things could turn around. I'm not from the future. At the moment, however things aren't as fantastic as they seem.


The initial sales figures might not be great, but eventually they'll take off. Even if its 4 years from now like you predict.

Yeah, once there's a dramatic price drop obviously more units shift. But four years is a long time. Competitors can steal a large chunk of your market share in that time. (Sony pinching Nintendo's marketshare with the original PlayStation for example)


If Sony are losing money on every unit sold at $1000 then its obviously got something better than the 'affordable' consoles.

But that doesn't matter, because the others are more affordable therefore more people are naturally going to go for the more affordable stuff.

It's completely stupid to sell your product at a loss, even if it's the most powerful.


So they're already obsolete compared to the PS3. When it becomes 'affordable' the other companies may have caught up.

Uhh...like the PS2 was when the GCN and Xbox were released? Yes, the PS2 has always been the least powerful, yet it was the strongest selling. At the moment, I'm really struggling to see PS3 games that are better than what the X360 is offering. Maybe later on I'll see the difference. The general consumer doesn't buy the most powerful console anyway so your point isn't really valid.

The glory days of Sony are over if the PS3 and Blu-ray flop.

Video games - serious business :P

BrisbaneBroncosRule
23-01-07, 04:14 PM
Im still going to buy it and love it :D

MonaroMan
23-01-07, 10:36 PM
Uhh no. The PS2 was only $700 and something, and I'm fairly sure the PSX wasn't near $1000.




It's basically a disc that has a bigger capacity than a normal DVD disc. I don't know how anyone could possibly want to buy a PS3 without even knowing what it offers. The PS3 is 'value' if you plan to utilise its features, but if people don't even know the features and what they require (HDTV, purchasing Blu-ray DVDs for example), I am baffled how they justify $1000. Maybe I've been brought up valuing money different.



They were doing something right, but not any more. You can find a negative Sony story - from dodgy products to lawsuits - almost every week. The success of the PS2 can largely be put down to the fact it had DVD playback. It came out around the time DVDs were becoming popular. It was also the first 'next gen' (not including Dreamcast which flopped obvs.) console. The PSX was successful because the only real competition it had was from the N64 - a product that consumers and developers didn't like as much as they should have.

All these have gone with the PS3.

- It's the last system out here.

- It's the most expensive system out here.

- Its main selling point isn't popular at all here in Australia - and the proof is the fact you have no idea what blu-ray is. Sony have been banging on about blu-ray for ages, yet no one knows about it...or perhaps they just don't care.

- Sony currently has a negative image - bad because people believe what they read.

- The console isn't that great. Sure it's a beast spec wise, but go read some reviews of the system and they'll be quick to point out features that don't quite deliver.

- Developers and publishers are starting to doubt the PS3 due to lacklustre sales. This is a big issue because the Playstation brand relies on its library to sell; if developers and publishers aren't putting out games Sony will lose.



See my last point. Obviously things could turn around. I'm not from the future. At the moment, however things aren't as fantastic as they seem.



Yeah, once there's a dramatic price drop obviously more units shift. But four years is a long time. Competitors can steal a large chunk of your market share in that time. (Sony pinching Nintendo's marketshare with the original PlayStation for example)



But that doesn't matter, because the others are more affordable therefore more people are naturally going to go for the more affordable stuff.

It's completely stupid to sell your product at a loss, even if it's the most powerful.



Uhh...like the PS2 was when the GCN and Xbox were released? Yes, the PS2 has always been the least powerful, yet it was the strongest selling. At the moment, I'm really struggling to see PS3 games that are better than what the X360 is offering. Maybe later on I'll see the difference. The general consumer doesn't buy the most powerful console anyway so your point isn't really valid.

The glory days of Sony are over if the PS3 and Blu-ray flop.

Video games - serious business :P

Sorry for quoting such a big post, but I agree 10000000000% on everything you just said there. No one could have put it better ;)

MonaroMan
23-01-07, 10:42 PM
At the moment, the only things going for the PS3 are:

- Blu-Ray, some people are buying the PS3 to act more as a Blu-Ray player than a gaming machine because it is much cheaper than a stand alone Blu-Ray player.

- "Cell", it will deliver awesome physics and detail and processing power.

- The name, with the success of PS1 and PS2, people will be buying the PS3 in hope that it lives up to the success of its predecessors.

I don't think the PS3 will "flop", but it certainly won't do as well as the Xbox 360 and the Wii.

The Wii is very cheap, and the intuitive controls are a very very strong seling point for people who don't want to get in to the technical detail. The Wii, just like the PS3, has its brand as its selling point also. All of you would be surprised at how many people still enjoy games from the SNES and N64, and no doubt that these people will get a Wii to play their favourite games like Zelda and Mario.

The Xbox 360 is great for "hardcore" gamers, with online gaming becoming more and more popular every day, and Microsoft have bought the rights to a few big name game developers, so we can expect a lot of great titles on it, as well as outstanding Microsoft titles like Halo 3, Gears of War and Forza Motorsport 2.

~Wild Child~
24-01-07, 01:24 PM
The year ahead in gaming

January 4, 2007
LiveWire (http://www.theage.com.au/technology/livewire/)

With ever-more-powerful consoles and astonishing graphics, 2007 promises to be another exciting chapter for gaming, writes Jason HILL


AFTER an annus horribilis in 2006 despite the nce of the evergreen PlayStation 2, Sony's New Year resolution will be to attempt to restore its reputation as the gaming market leader.

PlayStation 3 will finally be released in Australia in March after production problems forced Sony to delay the launch.

PS3 is already available in the US and Japan, but Sony has been unable to meet demand and Australia's launch is likely to suffer from similarly limited hardware supply.

Sony also faces the enormous challenge of justifying the console's unprecedented price ($829 or $999) in the face of intense competition from lower-priced competitors Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii, which are already in thousands of Australian homes.

Sony is hoping consumers will pay a premium for the PS3's powerful Cell processor and Blu-ray disc drive, which accommodate graphically spectacular and elaborate virtual worlds.

Early games like Resistance, Heavenly Sword and MotorStorm are visually astonishing when played on a high-definition display, and PS3 can also play hi-def Blu-ray movies and digital music, surf the web, store photos, and download games, video and music. PS3 also offers the novelty of a new tilt-sensing controller, albeit not as radically innovative as Wii.

Nintendo had an astonishingly successful 2006 thanks to the DS hand-held and the radical Wii. It wants to continue its momentum with Wii games like WarioWare, Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3.

Microsoft will also be trying to make the most of Xbox 360's head-start in the next-generation console battle, with Halo 3 as its most potent weapon. Other big 360 exclusives in 2007 include Forza 2, down and Mass Effect.

Microsoft will embark on a two-pronged assault on the gaming market via Windows Vista and new Live Anywhere functionality, which will let PC and console owners compete online. PC owners will also be salivating over games like Will Wright's astonishing Spore, Enemy Territory Quake Wars and Crysis.

Other big multiformat games for 2007 include Grand Theft Auto IV and Assassin's Creed.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/games/the-year-ahead-in-gaming/2007/01/02/1167500118505.html

~Wild Child~
24-01-07, 01:32 PM
Gates confident Xbox 360 will topple Sony

January 8, 2007

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates today called the early success of its Xbox 360 game console a role-reversing change of fortune for the software giant looking to overtake market leader Sony.

Gates also announced Microsoft would offer an Xbox 360 that doubles as a set-top box for its fledgling internet television (IPTV) service, or a "living room device that does it all."

The Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3 console and Nintendo's Wii game machine are locked in a battle for leadership in the $US30 billion global video game market. Sony and Nintendo came out with their offerings in November, a year after Microsoft introduced the successor to the first Xbox.

Having beaten its target to ship more than 10 million units by year-end, Microsoft said Sony, which ted the last generation of consoles with its PlayStation 2, is the one playing catch-up.

"It's a complete reversal of last time," Gates said in an interview ahead of his keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. "Last time, we tried coming in a year late with a big, clunky box that cost more and having less titles. We tried that and it's not that much fun."

Sony has had an iron grip on the video game console market with its two previous PlayStation s - combined unit sales of which have hit more than 200 million globally - but its launch of the PS3 was beset by delays.

Earlier, Sony said it met its goal of shipping 1 million PS3 consoles to North America by the end of 2006, but did so by diverting some units earmarked for Japanese consumers.

The PS3 retails for as much as $US600 in the United States versus about $US400 for the Xbox 360 and $US250 for the Wii.

Despite the price tag, Sony said it reached the 1-million-unit shipment mark for North America faster than it did with previous PlayStation consoles.

The Xbox 360 is increasingly becoming a main component of Microsoft's plan to take control of the digital living room.

The console's online marketplace allows users to buy TV shows and movies and it can also grab content on PCs around the home and put it on the living room display. Microsoft now wants to take it one step further with the IPTV service.

"People are underestimating the importance of the announcement that the video game is the set-top box and the set-top box is the video game," Gates said. "There's the living room device that does it all."

IPTV carriers, such as AT&T, will be able to offer the new set-top box in the 2007 holiday season to customers who want to play video games and watch TV from the web of a quality on par with cable or satellite.

Reuter
I know these articles are a couple weeks old..but I hope they are still worth the read :)

Capital_Shark
24-01-07, 07:29 PM
*SNIP*

Mate you obviously know more about gaming and consoles than I do. Like I said, I'm not interested in purchasing a new console, as I haven't found myself playing a game in a very long time. The only reason the ps2 is getting used is cause the DVD player's batteries in the remote are dead, and I only remember every now and then when I watch a DVD, so its easier to throw it in the ps2 than hunt for some batteries.

I'll agree with what you said about people looking positivley at a ps3 purely on the past success of the other play stations. TBH thats why I said "IF I ever brought another console it'd be a PS3." But I doubt I'll buy another console, no matter how cheap as it would be purely for decoration beyond the initial novelty of a new toy value.

~Wild Child~
25-01-07, 01:49 PM
It's official, PlayStation 3 to hit Aussie shores March 23

Mitchell Bingemann, PC World

25/01/2007 12:50:07



Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) has put eager PlayStation fans' fears to rest with confirmation that the PlayStation 3 will be launched across Europe and Australia on March 23.

Although Sony sells two different models (a high-end 60GB model and a 20GB model) of the game console in North America and Japan, only the 60GB model will be available for the Australian and European launch.

The high-end model, which comes with a 60GB hard drive, Blu-ray drive, WiFi support and memory card inputs, will retail for $999. The cheaper $829 version will be released later in the year if demand dictates.

SCE Australia public relations manager, Adrian Christie, denied suggestions that the decision to only release the high-end PS3 was due to unit shortages, but was in fact due to consumer demand as witnessed in other regions already selling the console.

"Feedback from our retailers and consumer demand has led us to concentrate on the one skew," he said. "It's all about what people want and they're all going for the higher end."

The PS3 was initially slated for a worldwide November launch last year but key component shortages for production of the included Blu-ray drive forced Sony to delay Australian and European launches. Only the US and Japan launched PS3 consoles in November and even then, the initial forecast of 2 million available units was drastically reduced to 500,000.

Christie would not reveal the number of available units for the Australian launch or quantity of pre-orders, but said "consumers will not be disappointed."

"We will be looking at pre-order numbers, assessing demand and then try to ensure that every consumer that wants to purchase has the opportunity to do so," he said.

Although Sony missed its 2006 end of year sales forecast of 2 million units sold (having just reached that figure in combined sales across Japan and North America last week), the company has stuck by its guns and expects to hit its 6 million sales target by the end of March 2007.

Despite the murky details of available launch consoles, one thing Australian consumers can look forward to is the bevy of titles Sony will release to coincide with the March 23 release. PlayStation 3's range of Australian launch games is expected to include Resistance: Fall of Man, Formula One, MotorStorm, Full Auto 2, Virtua Fighter 5, Virtua Tennis 3, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fight Night Round 3, Need for Speed Carbon, NBA 2K7, Call of Duty 3 and Ridge Racer 7.

The PlayStation Network online store will also feature downloads from launch day, including Gran Turismo HD Concept, Tekken: Dark Resurrection, Blast Factor, flOw, Go! Sudoku and Go! Puzzle.

http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;536385373

BrisbaneBroncosRule
25-01-07, 03:56 PM
thanks for the post Michel

:win: awesome news

~Wild Child~
25-01-07, 04:03 PM
thanks for the post Michel

:win: awesome news
No probs cutie :D

~Wild Child~
15-02-07, 08:12 AM
The Force (will be) Unleashed in November

[UPDATE] LucasArts makes it official with Web destination dating, detailing new Star Wars game, which casts players as Darth Vader's apprentice; DS, PS2, and PSP versions also planned.

Posted Feb 14, 2007 10:06 am PT

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2007/044/933155_20070214_thumb001.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:open_image_viewer%28%27933155%27,1,%276165903 %27%29;)


Hot on the heels of yesterday's revelation (http://au.gamespot.com/news/6165881.html) about the new title, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, comes official confirmation of its existence. This morning, LucasArts launched the official Web site (http://www.lucasarts.com/games/theforceunleashed/gameinfo/news/summary.html) for the game and also announced its ship window--November 2007.

Concept art (pictured) on the site also confirmed that the leaked tech-demo footage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDUQYc_OeVg) is indeed for the new Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 title. It also described the technology behind its eye-catching physics. "The Force Unleashed...[takes] full advantage of newly developed technologies that will be seen and experienced for the first time: Digital Molecular Matter (DMM), by Pixelux Entertainment, and Euphoria by NaturalMotion...paired with the powerful Havok Physics system."

Apparently DMM is the middleware responsible for the particle effects in the tech demo, Euphoria enabled the Stormtroopers' natural-seeming AI, and the widely used Havok system allowed the Force-flung Stormtroopers to bounce realistically. The game's tech will also be used to render players' four core Force powers: Force push, repulse, grip, and lightning. These will, as evidenced in LucasArts' tech demo, allow players to fling enemies through the air--and walls. Force powers will also make opponents literally explode with combo moves.

LucasArts' Web site also further details the storyline of the game, which was developed and supervised by George Lucas himself. As previously mentioned, the game will be set between Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. Players will assume the role of Darth Vader's apprentice, who is tasked with hunting down the remaining Jedi Knights. Part of it will be set on a planet called Felucia, which is inhabited by a "force sensitive" race, which players will square off against.

The Force Unleashed site also hinted that the game's story may contain the sort of branching storyline featured in the two Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (http://au.gamespot.com/xbox/rpg/starwarsknightsoftor/index.html) games. Throughout the game, players will "face decisions that could change the course of their destiny."



http://au.gamespot.com/news/6165903.html?sid=6165903

BrisbaneBroncosRule
15-02-07, 03:40 PM
thanks Chel :D

Coaster
15-02-07, 08:07 PM
I really think Sony have missed the boat with the PS3.

I might buy one, but thats not the point.

The Xbox 360 is awesome, it links seemlessly with Media Player 11, and i get all music videos, and pictures on my plasma.

They allready have a full selection of titles, and i just think they are right on top of Sony atm.

I have always been a PS2 fan, (its a bit like Holden vs Ford), but i love my 360, and it will be hard to replace as its the center of my media center now.

Poida
15-02-07, 08:13 PM
I think the Playstation 2 is the best thing Sony will probably have ever made.
Ps3 will be good but will it be upto the standard of Ps2.

MonaroMan
15-02-07, 08:14 PM
I think the Playstation 2 is the best thing Sony will probably have ever made.
Ps3 will be good but will it be upto the standard of Ps2.

The PS1 is what got the PS2 over the line. If the PS1 wasn't so popular, or wasn't even around at all, the PS2 definitely would have failed.

Capital_Shark
15-02-07, 08:18 PM
The PS1 is what got the PS2 over the line. If the PS1 wasn't so popular, or wasn't even around at all, the PS2 definitely would have failed.

The PS2's competition to start with was GameCube ffs, by the time some decent competition in XBOX come along PS2 was already established. PS1 at least had N64 to go head to head with.

Poida
15-02-07, 08:19 PM
The PS1 is what got the PS2 over the line. If the PS1 wasn't so popular, or wasn't even around at all, the PS2 definitely would have failed.
True but will Ps2 do the same for Ps3 though?

Poida
15-02-07, 08:19 PM
The PS2's competition to start with was GameCube ffs, by the time some decent competition in XBOX come along PS2 was already established. PS1 at least had N64 to go head to head with.
Lol and the Nintendo 64 had far better games imo.
Better graphics too.

Capital_Shark
15-02-07, 08:20 PM
True but will Ps2 do the same for Ps3 though?

Good point. By your theory MonaroMan, PS3 will run out the doors like no other console in history.

MonaroMan
15-02-07, 08:21 PM
The PS2's competition to start with was GameCube ffs, by the time some decent competition in XBOX come along PS2 was already established. PS1 at least had N64 to go head to head with.

Well actually, the GameCube is a more powerful console than the PS2, so I don't see why it was such a bad opposition.

By the way, Xbox and GameCube were released around the same time.

Capital_Shark
15-02-07, 08:22 PM
Lol and the Nintendo 64 had far better games imo.
Better graphics too.

No doubt! N64 was the shiznit before Snoop even come up with the word! I loved N64, was a major fan while others waited for their PS1 game to load.

Poida
15-02-07, 08:24 PM
No doubt! N64 was the shiznit before Snoop even come up with the word! I loved N64, was a major fan while others waited for their PS1 game to load.
I still love the 64. My favourite console :)
Goldeneye and Perfect Dark are the greatest games I ever played .

Capital_Shark
15-02-07, 08:24 PM
Well actually, the GameCube is a more powerful console than the PS2, so I don't see why it was such a bad opposition.

GameCube was a joke mate, way behind the competition. BS selection of games, and really tripped and fell due to the lack of a DVD player. Only Nintendo diehards bothered with that thing.

I coulda sworn PS2 and GameCube hit shelves before the xbox, but I could be wrong. Either way it was 2 horse race with GameCube stuck in the stables.

Poida
15-02-07, 08:26 PM
GameCube was a joke mate, way behind the competition. BS selection of games, and really tripped and fell due to the lack of a DVD player. Only Nintendo diehards bothered with that thing.

I coulda sworn PS2 and GameCube hit shelves before the xbox, but I could be wrong. Either way it was 2 horse race with GameCube stuck in the stables.
I think Ps2 was the one that came out first just before Xbox and Gamecube.

aspher
15-02-07, 09:49 PM
GameCube was a joke mate, way behind the competition. BS selection of games, and really tripped and fell due to the lack of a DVD player. Only Nintendo diehards bothered with that thing.

GameCube turned a profit and it's home to some of the best last-gen games. It was a commercial disappointment, but I wouldn't go as far as calling it a 'joke'.


I coulda sworn PS2 and GameCube hit shelves before the xbox, but I could be wrong.

PS2: November, 2000
Xbox: April 26, 2002
GCN: May 17, 2002


Either way it was 2 horse race with GameCube stuck in the stables.

Actually it was a one horse race.

PS2: 115.36 million units shipped
Xbox: 24 million units sold
GCN: 21 million units sold

As you can see, the Xbox only has a 3 million on the GCN, and you must remember that Microsoft lost a LOT of money on Xbox units (at one stage it was reported that they were losing up to $100 on each unit sold). It was really only successful in establishing a fanbase which has carried on with the 360.

MonaroMan
15-02-07, 10:26 PM
GameCube was a joke mate, way behind the competition. BS selection of games, and really tripped and fell due to the lack of a DVD player. Only Nintendo diehards bothered with that thing.

I coulda sworn PS2 and GameCube hit shelves before the xbox, but I could be wrong. Either way it was 2 horse race with GameCube stuck in the stables.

OK, well, sorry for having my opinion.

aspher
16-02-07, 08:11 PM
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/15/one-ps3-store-display-hides-a-terrible-secret/

Heh, so scabby. I wonder why a lot of gamers think HN is rubbish...

aspher
22-02-07, 06:21 PM
Both from SMH (http://www.smh.com.au):

The James Bond film Casino Royale will be offered free to the first 20,000 buyers who register their PS3 online. Additionally the game Gran Turismo: HD will be available to all PS3 buyers as a free download from the PlayStation Network.

In total 30 game titles will be available at launch, with a recommended retail price of $99.95 each.

----------------------------------------------

Sony has defended claims that Australians would have to pay an unjustifiably high price for the PlayStation 3, and dismissed rumours that only 11,000 units would be shipped to our shores.

The PS3's Australian retail price will be $999.95 when it is launched on March 23, while the same games console is sold in Japan for ?60,000 ($640) and the US for $US599 ($770).

But Sony's managing director for Australia and New Zealand, Michael Ephraim, today defended the significant price differential. He noted that Australians would pay an almost identical price to those in Europe, where the machine is sold for ?599 ($1000).

The higher price was justified, he said, because factors such as Australia's currency exchange rate and small population size when compared with the US led to a higher cost of doing business.

"We have to realise that we live in a country with 22 million people, and the US supplies product to 300 million, which creates very different business dynamics," Ephraim said.

Higher prices were not exclusive to the PS3, he added, as Australians also paid more than Americans for other products such as television sets and mobile phones.

Nonetheless, Ephraim acknowledged that the local price premium would entice some to import the console from countries such as Japan, but he warned that such a plan would not be foolproof.

While PS3 games were region free, Blu-ray movie discs were not, so films bought locally would not play in an overseas unit.

"You can buy a Japanese machine, you can buy a game in Australia and play it on a Japanese machine, but you won't be able to play your movies," he said.

In addition, a Japanese PS3 would be unable to access the Australian online PlayStation Store, which will provide downloads such as game demos and bonus content.

Last week popular gaming blog Kotaku reported a rumour that only 11,000 PlayStation 3 units would be allocated for Australia.

Ephraim dismissed the claim as a "complete and utter rumour", and insisted "We will ship far, far in excess of that number."

He would not give a specific figure, but said the number of preorders alone had already exceeded 11,000.

At least Sony has done one thing right - They've priced their games well...at least for now anyway.

Ryan
22-02-07, 09:24 PM
The James Bond film Casino Royale will be offered free to the first 20,000 buyers who register their PS3 online. Additionally the game Gran Turismo: HD will be available to all PS3 buyers as a free download from the PlayStation Network.

:!: Didn't see that coming! Thats Cool :cool:
Probably take a few days to download........ :bored:

aspher
23-02-07, 06:44 AM
:!: Didn't see that coming! Thats Cool :cool:
Probably take a few days to download........ :bored:

Yeah, they axed the release which is why it's available as a free download. I think it's just demo-like.

Ryan
23-02-07, 04:43 PM
Yeah, they axed the release which is why it's available as a free download. I think it's just demo-like.
Even though it's free, I'd actually preffer to pay up and have my own copy..........

aspher
23-02-07, 05:01 PM
Even though it's free, I'd actually preffer to pay up and have my own copy..........

I'm not much of a fan of this 'digital distribution' age either. I prefer to have physical copies of my games, music, movies et al.

This game however is only available via download as far as I know. Here's what IGN has to say about it:

The first glimpse of the series on PlayStation 3, Gran Turismo HD Concept is a series of downloadable samplers of Gran Turismo based on GT4 but running on an early version of the GT5 engine. As described by producer Kazunori Yamauchi, the first Concept is a first-look at the high definition graphics provided by the PlayStation 3. The second Concept download includes Polyphony's next generation driving engine.

Upon downloading Gran Turismo HD Concept, PS3 users have access to the Eiger Nordwand course and can compete in Time Trial races to collect and unlock new cars. Upon unlocking the initial 10 cars, the player has access to 10 more "Tuned Cars," as well as access to a new driving mode called "Drift Trial", where the player's drifting technique is tested, rather than their lap time.

The game was originally to include two special modes: classic mode was to be a micro-transaction version of GT4 running in high definition and with online play, and gamers would be able to play online with the cars they have downloaded (and paid for) through the PlayStation Store. Premium mode was to be a single player preview of Gran Turismo 5, featuring a full-fledged PS3 graphics engine and detailed tracks and car models. The concept was scrapped late in development so that creator Polyphony Digital could focus on Gran Turismo 5, with GT HD Concept being a series of sneak-peek demos instead of a full micro-transaction online game.

So it's not a full game available in stores, it's more a demo to GT5 without actually being the demo if that makes any sense at all :P

Ryan
23-02-07, 05:15 PM
I'm not much of a fan of this 'digital distribution' age either. I prefer to have physical copies of my games, music, movies et al.

This game however is only available via download as far as I know. Here's what IGN has to say about it:
...........
So it's not a full game available in stores, it's more a demo to GT5 without actually being the demo if that makes any sense at all :P
Pretty much like Pro-logue, except in downloadable stages.........
I think I'll hold off on buying a PS3 until they release a full version GT5 hard copy.

HighTitan
24-02-07, 11:07 PM
It looks like a good machine.

Its way too expensive for me though, Ill have to wait until the price drops.

~Wild Child~
26-02-07, 03:05 PM
At last week's Australian media launch of PlayStation 3, Screen Play sat down with Sony Computer Entertainment Australia's Managing Director Michael Ephraim to explore issues surrounding PS3's unprecedented price.


As usual (http://blogs.theage.com.au/screenplay/archives/gaming_news/003427.html), Mr Ephraim supplied some eyebrow raising quotes: "Xbox is significantly dearer than PS3 for what it can do straight out of the box", why the price "becomes an insignificant factor", how PS3's innovation will open up a "bigger market" than Wii, and how his BMW's price tag is "completely obscene".


The full interview transcript is below...


$1000 is an unprecedented price for a games console. You famously described Wii as pricey (http://blogs.theage.com.au/screenplay/archives/gaming_trends/003390.html), why is PS3 good value?

I think anybody in the theatre today (last Thursday's launch) that saw the applications that PS3 has would have been impressed. For core gamers, we have some killer new IP with MotorStorm and Resistance. You heard what Ted Price had to say about delivering the online experience for core gamers. So let's assume we've ticked that box.

There is no product on the market that offers this kind of a digital content device and a Blu-ray player at this price. We firmly believe that once demonstrated, the price becomes almost insignificant. A Blu-ray player currently is $1500 and above. Just on the Blu-ray alone, there's value. Research in America shows 75 per cent of the people that have bought PlayStation 3 intend to use it as a Blu-ray player. So that alone adds significant value to the device.

And of course Blu-ray is not just for movie playback. As you know, games will come out on Blu-ray which allows the developers to create whatever they want with 50 Gigs (of storage).

The other thing is, a digital hub in the home with such an intuitive operating system like the Cross Media Bar is just not available anywhere.

Back to the Wii comment, we have to compare apples with apples. They do not have these kind of applications. We think PS3 is not a product to be compared with Wii, it is a completely different product. This is a digital hub, that is a games console.

If you want to look at comparisons with our other competitors, to maximise Xbox 360, you need Media Centre, you need a PC. And now if you want to play high-definition movies (and we can argue which format is going to win) you have to spend another $249. Xbox is significantly dearer than PS3 for what it can do straight out of the box. Then you have Media Centre, HD-DVD drive, wireless adapter.

People have to get to know this system, and they will realise that it delivers a much broader entertainment position than our competitors, and then the price becomes, to say cheap would be bold, an insignificant factor.

Our task with retailers, with media, with whatever we do, is to get people to actually see the full suite of applications. When that happens, all the people I've talked to today say price is not even an issue.

Remember also that PlayStation 2 seven years ago launched at $749. So when we look at the price difference and what you get, again you think its pretty good value. And you saw what we did with PS3 when the volumes did hit.


But given that 99 per cent of PS3 buyers are going to have broadband, and therefore a PC, they already have a lot of the PS3's functionality already in their home (photo viewing, web browsing, digital music, downloads, etc). Isn't that a problem in regards to "value"?

But you have to look at what is the experience. You might have something, but you're watching it on a 19-inch monitor in a room on a desk. What we're delivering is PC applications, like being able to download content like movies, pictures, music, you can play DVDs or Blu-ray (which on PC is currently very expensive), and we offer it in the lounge room with 7.1 channel surround sound. PlayStation 3 sits in the lounge room for the family to enjoy the entertainment from computers in the environment that entertainment should be enjoyed in.

If they have a PC in the home, we think the PC will continue to be tasked to do the work applications and PlayStation 3 in the lounge room will be what they use for entertainment. We called it PlayStation because it's not a workstation.


There are a lot of hardcore gamers out there, and these will be many prospective early adopters, who aren't interested in anything but playing games. These people are paying a premium for PlayStation 3 over your competitors. What can you say to them to justify the higher price?

Our feeling is that it's an investment. Blu-ray will give them a gaming experience far beyond what they can get right now. There's a premium attached to that because it's 50 Gigs of information available.

But we do need to look at that statement because core gamers I would think are into technology as well. Maybe it has not been a function that they thought was necessary, but once they see the simplicity of the other functionality, I'm sure gamers have digital content they want to utilise, and they will realise they can utilise this device in areas that they didn't think a videogame device could deliver on. Maybe we can change the mindset of gamers.

Gamers are tech-savvy. As I said before, 75 per cent of those buying PS3, and they would have to be gamers, they know about Blu-ray. They want the best screen, they probably already have some sort of high-definition display, and the HD display J-curve is going through the roof right now in Australia. All I can say is that thing's change. We have to be the agents of change to first explain what it does.


There are a lot of Australians who will look at the American and Japanese price of the PS3, do the currency conversion and think we're getting a bad deal. GST and freight can't account for the differences in price. What other factors make up the difference?

If you look at any other products it's the same. I drive a BMW and I pay a price that is completely obscene - 80 per cent higher compared to the US. There are all kinds of issues here. Smaller population base, cost of doing business, tax, and so on.

Also, for the history of Sony Computer Entertainment, we report to London. Compared to Europe and the UK, we're right in line. We can have an endless argument about who do you compare price with: US or Europe. If you compare to Europe, our price is spot on.

So that is a factor, and there are other cost implications about running a business in Australia. We do not have the critical mass, and that applies to all kinds of products in all kinds of categories.

It's a long-standing debate, but I can assure Australians that we have in the past formats brought the price down as quickly as we could.

Consumers also need to understand that Sony has spent US$ billion on the development of the Cell chip, the R 'n D for PS3, and the logistics of bringing this product to market. A lot of analysts have commented that Sony is losing money on this device every time we sell one. So at least we can assure the punters in Australia that we're not 'ripping them off' if we're selling it at a loss. We're in line with UK and Europe, comparable products cost more in Australia, and we will do our best to bring the price down as soon as we can.


Speaking of that, consumers are very smart. Many will wait for the price to fall. But if everyone does, that creates big problems for Sony. Your revenues will be hurt, it'll be harder to cost reduce from economies of scale, and third-party publishers will drop support. How can you stop this from happening?

Sony is very good at bringing future technology into a box. We're wearing losses, but we're very good at consolidating technology in a box, going from three chips to one chip or whatever, which they did with PS2. They are hard at work now looking at the manufacturing benefits they can gain to bring the price down over time. We've proven that we can do that.


But didn't that happen because PSone and PS2 had healthy initial sales? What if that doesn't happen this time - there's a lot of talk about stock sitting on the shelves overseas.

But if you look at NPD just reported January sales, Wii was number one, PS3 and Xbox 360 were almost equal. There was stock constraints early in the piece, but as regards to stock sitting on shelves, you hear different stories from different people. I've got people in the US who say they can't find it. Obviously if we do not deliver the units that is in our business plan we're going to have issues, but we're very confident that over the next year or so, we will deliver the product and consumers will buy those units.

We have been blessed by being first and innovative in PSone and PS2. We're now not first, but we think we're very innovative, so we have a job to do to ensure consumers buy the product to the levels that we are forecasting by demonstrating it and selling to different segments in the market. We think that we have more potential to do that than our competitors. Not knocking any of them, Wii is very innovative, but our innovation will open up a bigger market. High-definition screens are going to grow exponentially in this country, and Blu-ray movies, based on the support that it has, will be a winning format. That alone will create new sales for PS3 that as the (pretty much) pure gaming consoles that were PSone and PS2 didn't have. The stars are lining up.


How many units are you going to have available at launch? The numbers thrown around (http://kotaku.com/gaming/ps3-launch/rumour-australian-ps3-launch-allocation-a-little-thin-237994.php) this week (11,000) were not very high...

We will surpass that number by far. We've gone through every launch with this issue and I'm almost over this "day 1 quantity" problem because we're talking Day 1 and then we're talking another 10 years.


Well, can you tell me how many units you expect to sell this year?

We're still in the process of doing our budgets, but I have been vocal in the past about what we will sell. I don't have a number yet to discuss but I'm more than willing to talk about it early to mid March when I get my budgets firmed up.

But the 11,000 unit rumour, I will personally guarantee you that we will exceed that dramatically. That is just a completely incorrect rumour. Our pre-sales, and I'm not going to tell you that number today, exceeds that number already.

Our retailers all know the quantities that they are getting and 95 per cent of our retailers are saying "We're going to go for it and push the hell out of this thing 'cause you've given us the stock. I'm very comfortable having been through three launches that there will be PS3's out there in ample quantity, but we don't know how big the demand is.

There's a lot of demand for this product. Blu-ray player, HD device, how much sales does that add? But we are committed to keep bringing a consistent flow of stock to the market. I am just as confident, if not more confident, about Day 1 and the first few months than I was with any other format we have launched. I don't think its going to be an issue. Eleven is way low.


Unfortunately there wasn't sufficient time at last week's event to pose many of the Screen Play reader questions (http://blogs.theage.com.au/screenplay/archives//005142.html), but Mr Ephraim has agreed to find more time in the next week or two prior to the PS3's March 23 Australian release.

Screen Play will cover your issues like the negativity surrounding Sony, the lack of HD cables and remote in the PS3 box, PS3's online experience, developer support, backward compatibility, the availability of a cheaper PS3 model, Sixaxis rumble support and the fate of PSP.


Posted by Jason Hill
February 26, 2007 8:08 AM

~Wild Child~
26-02-07, 03:06 PM
PAY TO PLAY

At last week's Australian media launch of PlayStation 3, Screen Play sat down with Sony Computer Entertainment Australia's Managing Director Michael Ephraim to explore issues surrounding PS3's unprecedented price.


As usual (http://blogs.theage.com.au/screenplay/archives/gaming_news/003427.html), Mr Ephraim supplied some eyebrow raising quotes: "Xbox is significantly dearer than PS3 for what it can do straight out of the box", why the price "becomes an insignificant factor", how PS3's innovation will open up a "bigger market" than Wii, and how his BMW's price tag is "completely obscene".


The full interview transcript is below...


$1000 is an unprecedented price for a games console. You famously described Wii as pricey (http://blogs.theage.com.au/screenplay/archives/gaming_trends/003390.html), why is PS3 good value?

I think anybody in the theatre today (last Thursday's launch) that saw the applications that PS3 has would have been impressed. For core gamers, we have some killer new IP with MotorStorm and Resistance. You heard what Ted Price had to say about delivering the online experience for core gamers. So let's assume we've ticked that box.

There is no product on the market that offers this kind of a digital content device and a Blu-ray player at this price. We firmly believe that once demonstrated, the price becomes almost insignificant. A Blu-ray player currently is $1500 and above. Just on the Blu-ray alone, there's value. Research in America shows 75 per cent of the people that have bought PlayStation 3 intend to use it as a Blu-ray player. So that alone adds significant value to the device.

And of course Blu-ray is not just for movie playback. As you know, games will come out on Blu-ray which allows the developers to create whatever they want with 50 Gigs (of storage).

The other thing is, a digital hub in the home with such an intuitive operating system like the Cross Media Bar is just not available anywhere.

Back to the Wii comment, we have to compare apples with apples. They do not have these kind of applications. We think PS3 is not a product to be compared with Wii, it is a completely different product. This is a digital hub, that is a games console.

If you want to look at comparisons with our other competitors, to maximise Xbox 360, you need Media Centre, you need a PC. And now if you want to play high-definition movies (and we can argue which format is going to win) you have to spend another $249. Xbox is significantly dearer than PS3 for what it can do straight out of the box. Then you have Media Centre, HD-DVD drive, wireless adapter.

People have to get to know this system, and they will realise that it delivers a much broader entertainment position than our competitors, and then the price becomes, to say cheap would be bold, an insignificant factor.

Our task with retailers, with media, with whatever we do, is to get people to actually see the full suite of applications. When that happens, all the people I've talked to today say price is not even an issue.

Remember also that PlayStation 2 seven years ago launched at $749. So when we look at the price difference and what you get, again you think its pretty good value. And you saw what we did with PS3 when the volumes did hit.


But given that 99 per cent of PS3 buyers are going to have broadband, and therefore a PC, they already have a lot of the PS3's functionality already in their home (photo viewing, web browsing, digital music, downloads, etc). Isn't that a problem in regards to "value"?

But you have to look at what is the experience. You might have something, but you're watching it on a 19-inch monitor in a room on a desk. What we're delivering is PC applications, like being able to download content like movies, pictures, music, you can play DVDs or Blu-ray (which on PC is currently very expensive), and we offer it in the lounge room with 7.1 channel surround sound. PlayStation 3 sits in the lounge room for the family to enjoy the entertainment from computers in the environment that entertainment should be enjoyed in.

If they have a PC in the home, we think the PC will continue to be tasked to do the work applications and PlayStation 3 in the lounge room will be what they use for entertainment. We called it PlayStation because it's not a workstation.


There are a lot of hardcore gamers out there, and these will be many prospective early adopters, who aren't interested in anything but playing games. These people are paying a premium for PlayStation 3 over your competitors. What can you say to them to justify the higher price?

Our feeling is that it's an investment. Blu-ray will give them a gaming experience far beyond what they can get right now. There's a premium attached to that because it's 50 Gigs of information available.

But we do need to look at that statement because core gamers I would think are into technology as well. Maybe it has not been a function that they thought was necessary, but once they see the simplicity of the other functionality, I'm sure gamers have digital content they want to utilise, and they will realise they can utilise this device in areas that they didn't think a videogame device could deliver on. Maybe we can change the mindset of gamers.

Gamers are tech-savvy. As I said before, 75 per cent of those buying PS3, and they would have to be gamers, they know about Blu-ray. They want the best screen, they probably already have some sort of high-definition display, and the HD display J-curve is going through the roof right now in Australia. All I can say is that thing's change. We have to be the agents of change to first explain what it does.


There are a lot of Australians who will look at the American and Japanese price of the PS3, do the currency conversion and think we're getting a bad deal. GST and freight can't account for the differences in price. What other factors make up the difference?

If you look at any other products it's the same. I drive a BMW and I pay a price that is completely obscene - 80 per cent higher compared to the US. There are all kinds of issues here. Smaller population base, cost of doing business, tax, and so on.

Also, for the history of Sony Computer Entertainment, we report to London. Compared to Europe and the UK, we're right in line. We can have an endless argument about who do you compare price with: US or Europe. If you compare to Europe, our price is spot on.

So that is a factor, and there are other cost implications about running a business in Australia. We do not have the critical mass, and that applies to all kinds of products in all kinds of categories.

It's a long-standing debate, but I can assure Australians that we have in the past formats brought the price down as quickly as we could.

Consumers also need to understand that Sony has spent US$ billion on the development of the Cell chip, the R 'n D for PS3, and the logistics of bringing this product to market. A lot of analysts have commented that Sony is losing money on this device every time we sell one. So at least we can assure the punters in Australia that we're not 'ripping them off' if we're selling it at a loss. We're in line with UK and Europe, comparable products cost more in Australia, and we will do our best to bring the price down as soon as we can.


Speaking of that, consumers are very smart. Many will wait for the price to fall. But if everyone does, that creates big problems for Sony. Your revenues will be hurt, it'll be harder to cost reduce from economies of scale, and third-party publishers will drop support. How can you stop this from happening?

Sony is very good at bringing future technology into a box. We're wearing losses, but we're very good at consolidating technology in a box, going from three chips to one chip or whatever, which they did with PS2. They are hard at work now looking at the manufacturing benefits they can gain to bring the price down over time. We've proven that we can do that.


But didn't that happen because PSone and PS2 had healthy initial sales? What if that doesn't happen this time - there's a lot of talk about stock sitting on the shelves overseas.

But if you look at NPD just reported January sales, Wii was number one, PS3 and Xbox 360 were almost equal. There was stock constraints early in the piece, but as regards to stock sitting on shelves, you hear different stories from different people. I've got people in the US who say they can't find it. Obviously if we do not deliver the units that is in our business plan we're going to have issues, but we're very confident that over the next year or so, we will deliver the product and consumers will buy those units.

We have been blessed by being first and innovative in PSone and PS2. We're now not first, but we think we're very innovative, so we have a job to do to ensure consumers buy the product to the levels that we are forecasting by demonstrating it and selling to different segments in the market. We think that we have more potential to do that than our competitors. Not knocking any of them, Wii is very innovative, but our innovation will open up a bigger market. High-definition screens are going to grow exponentially in this country, and Blu-ray movies, based on the support that it has, will be a winning format. That alone will create new sales for PS3 that as the (pretty much) pure gaming consoles that were PSone and PS2 didn't have. The stars are lining up.


How many units are you going to have available at launch? The numbers thrown around (http://kotaku.com/gaming/ps3-launch/rumour-australian-ps3-launch-allocation-a-little-thin-237994.php) this week (11,000) were not very high...

We will surpass that number by far. We've gone through every launch with this issue and I'm almost over this "day 1 quantity" problem because we're talking Day 1 and then we're talking another 10 years.


Well, can you tell me how many units you expect to sell this year?

We're still in the process of doing our budgets, but I have been vocal in the past about what we will sell. I don't have a number yet to discuss but I'm more than willing to talk about it early to mid March when I get my budgets firmed up.

But the 11,000 unit rumour, I will personally guarantee you that we will exceed that dramatically. That is just a completely incorrect rumour. Our pre-sales, and I'm not going to tell you that number today, exceeds that number already.

Our retailers all know the quantities that they are getting and 95 per cent of our retailers are saying "We're going to go for it and push the hell out of this thing 'cause you've given us the stock. I'm very comfortable having been through three launches that there will be PS3's out there in ample quantity, but we don't know how big the demand is.

There's a lot of demand for this product. Blu-ray player, HD device, how much sales does that add? But we are committed to keep bringing a consistent flow of stock to the market. I am just as confident, if not more confident, about Day 1 and the first few months than I was with any other format we have launched. I don't think its going to be an issue. Eleven is way low.


Unfortunately there wasn't sufficient time at last week's event to pose many of the Screen Play reader questions (http://blogs.theage.com.au/screenplay/archives//005142.html), but Mr Ephraim has agreed to find more time in the next week or two prior to the PS3's March 23 Australian release.

Screen Play will cover your issues like the negativity surrounding Sony, the lack of HD cables and remote in the PS3 box, PS3's online experience, developer support, backward compatibility, the availability of a cheaper PS3 model, Sixaxis rumble support and the fate of PSP.


Posted by Jason Hill
February 26, 2007 8:08 AM

gs.theage.com.au/screenplay/archives/005195.html

aspher
26-02-07, 09:12 PM
When news first broke late last week of PlayStation 3 units in Australia and Europe being less backwards-compatible than US and Japanese models, many speculated that the move was all about cutting costs on Sony's next-generation console. Sony Computer Entertainment Australia managing director Michael Ephraim has now confirmed that to GameSpot AU, saying that software emulation of PS2 games was the cheaper option for Sony on the PS3.

The Australian and European model of the PlayStation 3, which is set for launch on March 23, 2007, will use different hardware specifications from the models already released in Japan on November 11, 2006, and in the US on November 17. Backwards compatibility is one of the key differences, with the new PS3s compatible with only a "limited range" of PS2 titles and a "broad range" of original PlayStation games. Ephraim said the main reason behind the different compatibilities is that Australian/European PS3s will not ship with the Emotion Engine chip installed. The Emotion Engine is the name Sony coined for the PS2's CPU. While the list of backwards-compatible PS1/PS2 games will be limited on launch, Sony will be providing regular updates to expand that list, Ephraim said.

"Clearly cost is one of the [reasons]. If software is cheaper than the cost of the chip, then why not do that?," Ephraim said. "We will be working on delivering backwards-compatibility through software emulation. The software emulation list will grow, and there?s a web site people can check to see what games are backwards-compatible. It will be a progressive emulation."

Ephraim played down the importance of backwards-compatibility on the PS3, saying that the new console has plenty more to offer prospective buyers.

"People will be able to play quite a few [PS1 and PS2] games. PS1 games are not a problem. I think PS2 backwards-compatibility is important, but when you look at what PS3?s doing with new games, digital content and so on, that specific functionality may not be as important as previously felt. But then again, that is something the consumer has to decide on. We are intending to deliver backwards-compatibility--just through different means," he said.

Ephraim said the full list of backwards-compatible games that will be ready for the PS3's Australian and European launches was still being confirmed. Sony's web site will feature a full list that goes live on March 23.

So wait, he thinks it perfectly fine to offer PAL gamers a worse system than the US at an inflated price?

This guy is silly.

BrisbaneBroncosRule
26-03-07, 01:53 PM
woohoo the PS3 is awesome :D

aspher
29-03-07, 02:48 PM
Any more impressions?

What do you like?
Don't like?
Tried all the features yet? How are they?

hawk
17-05-07, 10:00 PM
the gaystation is terrible it looks like a ps2 with a hat

its a glorified blu ray player wait for a few months and the blu rays will drop in price and the games are so expensive. and not alot of depth

a wii for me