PS3: I just realized something that is going to fuck us up.

Kosmo

Well, talking with my friends about the next-gen consoles like we good gamers do all the time. Then came the PS3 and I didn't notice it at the first time, since it didn't sound alarming at that time. What I'm talking about is that PS3 will offer the possibility to browse internet through it. Do you get it? If PS3 will offer the possibility to browse internet, then what is the browser? And what is it's standards compliance, how about security? And don't give me that "It's going to be fine, nobody is going to use it," since judging by Sony's plans, they are going to push it to as many houses as they can because of the Blu-Ray format they are forcing down our throats. And that means, it might be in regular use for gaming, watching movies and browsing internet. So I really think that it is a genuine fear, it might become one, even though marginally succesful, but one more browser to worry about, especially for game related site developers. Discuss!

Jazzman

Like Windows Media Center, browsing on a TV demands for special websites, with big text and pictures. If Sony is going to push webbrowsing with PS3, it will likely have a portal with links to special PS3 enhanced websites. I don't think people will browse to fileplanet.com with their PS3... only Playstation related sites. So I don't think it will be a threat to the internet community...

Kosmo

Oh, so you haven't heard about this HDTV deal ;)

Jazzman

Hehe.. we don't have HDTV in the Netherlands (yet)

Kosmo

Well, we don't have HDTV transmission here in Finland either, but I think that they are going to start to become more popular next year, the nex HD formats and the consoles support the HD resolution. But if I really wanted to spend 4000€ I would find something else to buy. But, Ken Kutaragi the head of Playstation division at Sony, has stated that they want to make PS3 the "family computer" or something very Japanese like that :D They wanted PS3 to be the choice for someone looking for computer but doesn't want to pay that much. Basically a replacement for home entertainment system and computer. But since then they have announced that PS3 will ship without HDD and I can't see how the browser could work without a HDD. And it also takes away the Tivo ability that a media computer has. Actually when I look at the specs, it looks pretty much as just a gaming console with the necessary DVD/Blu-Ray playback which is kinda mandatory. Maybe you are right about it.

giginger

It's bound to be a proprietary browser because I doubt they'd use Internet Explorer as then Microsoft would make money out of every PS3 sold. I also doubt they'd go the route of something like Mozilla as it seems to be against everything they stand for. Opera is a maybe but they've changed their business model so that too would offend Sony most likely.
What's the browser on the PSP? Probably be a souped up version of that.

lech

Take into account all the other crap sony has attempted to jam into our hands that's computer or internet related. Key point, their proprietary memory stick and other storage formats, not many people (except people who are sony crazy) have gone out of their way to upgrade since there are no real 3rd party alternatives. In the long run, sony is hurting themselves by using closed source and proprietary hardware. Then again, I'm not too worried because I can't stand console gaming :D

Minisweeper

I could be wrong cause i only played with it for around 2 seconds, but i'm pretty sure i remember seeing the IE logo on my friends psp. Someone, please, correct me. I do think it could be a threat, but not a major one. HDTV will help things a lot and they will soon drop in price (i'm fairly convinced my next tv will be HD for the purposes of x360 or ps3). Why people buy consoles *without* hard drives these days is beyond me. The 20gig for the x360 is what? like £60 extra? Compared to memory sticks at what, £20? (prices are guestimates, again correct me) It makes no sense not to do it besides for the portability of data - and then with net connections becoming as well used as they are there must be possibilities to do it that way... The *big* thing i think these console vendors have missed out on is the ability to record tv. If they're truly trying to give us these things as the all singing all dancing who needs a pc magicians, it isnt a true media centre (imo) unless it can save external feeds.

Kosmo

PS3 was supposed to ship with HDD, but to cut costs they scrapped it, now you have to buy a third party 2.5" HDD for it and here in Finland the cheapest cost around 70€ But the HDD was also support some Tivo like program that you could use to record tv and such, but hence no HDD no Tivo.

Bergamot

Minisweeper: HDTV tuners are still pretty pricey, not to mention broadcast flag issues that could force huge recalls.

Minisweeper

They could still build in the capability to record normal TV for what it's worth. And from what i've heard they're gonna be makin a loss on these things anyway (though that seems like a lie)

giginger

I want an HDTV.

Bergamot

Yeah, but the 360 and PS3 are both steeped in HD hype; better to have no tuner (which won't even be mentioned by review sites) than to have an analog cable tuner only (which will be whined about excessively). Remember, the goal of a console launch is to convince the consumer that this is the last console they'll ever have to buy.

jesusphreak

I honestly don't think the PS3 will be all that successful.

MS now has the momentum among casuals (the Xbox line has been gaining momentum among them for about 2 years, and now they have it).

The 360 is just plain nice. There is no way getting around it. Its UI is amazing. And it offers by far the best online gaming experience you will get. Sony really isn't gonna be able to touch that.

On top of that, when the PS3 does release, it is likely to be more expensive than the 360.

MS isn't pushing a browser with the 360 so I think you have very little to worry about.

giginger

The PS3 really doesn't seem to have alot going for it right now.

Bergamot

The PS3 really doesn't seem to have alot going for it right now.

Except for, you know, Japan...

Kosmo

I just pushed the big input button on the right corner so expect a long post. As a somewhat hobbyist and serious gamer/developer, I have alot of insight to this matter (well duh.) PS3 has very advanced technology inside it, something specifically developed from ground up just for it, that adds costs, and even when Sony cut some costs from the PS3 they are still making hefty losses with their machine, which is not a suprise, it has been a business model in console scene for about a decade. Microsoft lost 1.1 billion dollars in 2004 just by selling Xboxes. When eventually PS3 has it's launch, they don't only have to worry about Xenon (Xbox 360, I refuse to call it that) but also Nintendo Revolution that has stirred the gamer communities quite a bit. Which to gamers like me seems like THE dream system at the moment. I'll explain why. Nintendo, has taken the hint that online gaming is the future, but not only has it taken action on their console world, they have made some major things in handheld gaming platform also. Their release of Mario Kart DS was just an absolute hit. This paired with the abilities to, definedly connect the DS with Revolution, look at the current machines, 99% of the games support some sort of connectivity between GBA and GC, online gaming, DS has Wi-Fi network that is growing more rapidly thatn Google userbase, Rev has their own Online gaming salong with retro gaming action where you can download the back catalogue of past Nintendo games for Nes, SNES and N64, seems like a heaven for a guy like me who has all the consoles mentioned ;) Rev and DS also share one unique feature, the conroller, DS has it's touch screen that is best thing since butter, and Rev has it's innovative controller interface, which is best thing since sex. Compared to PS3 and what Sony has done to it's consoles, PSP has absolutely nothing done after it has been launched, Sony has almost completely failed their "introduction" of UMD movies, completely failed the online gaming feature of PSP and not to mention they have lost all the major handheld developers to DS. While PS3 has Blu-Ray and strong online capabilities, Sony just seems overconfident over their one product and hopes it to save their company, so they are placing all the eggs on one basket. With lacking features and expensive price, it will not be a hit, especially if it and Revolution are going to release side by side. Don't know what to make of it, but all I can say is that Revolution paired with DS seems to be the best thing ever to happen to console gamer.

giginger

I've never pushed that button. Maybe I should some day.

The Revolution has seriously got me excited. At first I was peturbed when I saw the controller. Then I read more about it and heard some user experiences detailed and I'm just more excited about getting hold of one for myself now.

Really does seem like a real step in the right direction and I love the fact that it's Nintendo who're taking the brace step of trying this. The possibilities (I just hit big input ladies and gentlemen) of the games that could come from this new controller are astounding. I've got ideas just from reading about it. I don't know what's going on int he minds of people who've played the machine. Oh man!

jesusphreak

Their release of Mario Kart DS was just an absolute hit.

That's if you consider selling just over 100,000 copies an "absolute hit". Sure, it sells a good amount of copies for the system its on, but Nintendo products still aren't that popular.

The joy of the Revolution will wear off after you've been waving your arms in the air for about 30 minutes "slashing" with a sword, and your arm hurts and you can't keep playing.

Its just not that functional. Utilizing your fingers for a few hours is much easier than moving an arm.

I see stuff like this:

In the last week they’ve sold over 110,000 copies of Mario Kart DS, and over 52,000—more than 45%—have been taken online. An interesting comparison is that Halo 2, arguably Xbox Live’s most dominant title, was only taken online by 18% of new owners even after three weeks on sale.

Okay, cool. You sold 100,000 copies and 45% of the people take it online. That's 52,000 people. Cool...higher percentages than Halo 2.

Then again, Halo 2 sold over 1 million copies its first day out and even if it only had 18% of its players take it online, that means 180,000 people took it online...which is more than the number of people that bought Mario Kart DS alltogether.

Nintendo just isn't that big of a deal any longer. They are gonna become the Apple of gaming. Rabid fanboys, and cool products from time to time, but most people really don't pay attention to them.

lech

I have nothing against Memory sticks and hard drives that are standard. The operative word there being "standard" something which doesn't require me to have to purchase some proprietary reader along with a 8 instead of the standard 4 pin cable and pay out the ass just to access that extra 32mb of ram on some crappy little sodim. This is one of the reasons I tend to lean away from most sony products, they have all these wonderful features, yet 9 in 10 of those features are all sony-only proprietary hardware/software formats that are no better than what else is and has already been out there. That's the kicker of it all.

Kosmo

Jesus, you sound like a sour bastard, no fun from anything for you I guess. Sure Halo 2 sold more than mariokart, but, it's not that wise to start such a comparision WITH THE BEST SELLING GAME TITLE EVER, and who ever wrote that article you are quoting is not wise at all. But you my friend ain't smart either, so if you want to play the numbers game, I'm good at it, and so is actually Nintendo, and your statement of "Nintendo not being that popular anymore" is more wrong that anything could be. Nintendo DS estimated sales for a year is 5 million units, with estimate of 15 million software sales, GBA has 16 million units with 77 million software sales, and that is for a year alone. A YEAR! Microsoft has estimated a sell of 15 million units worldwide in 2004 and around 20million sold units total (that is from the beginning of the Xbox lifecycle) by the end of this year. So what is this that I hear? Oh, oh is it that Nintendo sells more handheld consoles A YEAR than Xbox sold in it's lifetime? I guess it is. So where is your god now. And the end of 2003 Gamecube and Xbox worldwide sales were neck to neck, from which ofcourse, Xbox has gone by, but that was expected due to Nintendo practically screwing up the Online gaming and hot third party developers walking away from them. But I believe that Revolution is going to be different. But the end of last year, the numbers were something like this. Worldwide Hardware Sales (End of 2004) PlayStation 2 - 81.39 million Xbox - 19.9 million GameCube - 18.03 million Game Boy Advance - 65.74 million Nintendo DS - 2.84 million Sony PSP - 0.51 million N-Gage - 1.3 million PSone - 101.73 million So how do you recon that "Nintendo isn't that popular anymore" ?