Somewhere in all of the excitement that was spring break, Sony decided to finally confirm the countless rumors about the PlayStation 3 and officially delay the console until November of this year — when it will see a simultaneous launch around the world. At a press conference on the Ides of March, the electronics powerhouse not only set the launch date, but also came forth with a treasure trove of new information about the PS3 and PSP.
In the past we've discussed both the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Revolution, but were waiting to touch on Sony's bundle of joy. Well, readers, that time is now. With a substantial amount of launch details and predictions in tow, we now look at Sony's next generation plans, hopes and dreams. Game on.
Sundeep:
There haven't been any great debates about how we choose to listen to our music, view photos or even watch movies for many years. A long time ago, apparently, people used to argue about whether to use Sony Betamax tapes or JVC VHS tapes. It turns out VHS won out.
Well, we're well past using VHS tapes, but it appears Sony still felt a little shafted during the late '70s and into the '80s. Enter the Blu-ray disc (BD-ROM). Blu-ray technology was developed by a host of companies including Apple, Sony, Dell, Walt Disney and Time Warner and it aims to allow consumers to do things like watch high-definition movies or store huge amounts of information. By huge, I mean one single-layer Blu-ray disc will be able to hold upward of 27 gigabytes of whatever you want. Further research and more layers later, and Sony might be able to pump that number up to as high as 200 GB.
What this means for the PS3 is better graphics (Sony execs claim twice the power of the 360), better sound and all-around more fun.
However, Sony's Blu-ray does not come without a competitor. In the other corner sits the High Definition DVD (HD-DVD), the media method preferred by Microsoft's Xbox 360. By storage comparison, it clocks in at a meager 15 GB of storage space.
Blu-Ray 1, HD-DVD 0
However, if we're comparing prices, the HD-DVD may prove to be the better product. In addition, major companies like Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios and Toshiba have all thrown their weight behind the HD-DVD.
Blu-Ray 1, HD-DVD 1
It's hard to say who's going to win the next big media platform war, but one thing's for sure: video game consoles will determine the winner. In that regard, the 360 does not feature an internal HD-DVD drive. Rather, the add-on will be sold separately — at a yet unspecified date.
Blu-ray 2, HD-DVD 1
Ryan:
Which brings us to the price point of this behemoth. Months upon months of speculation have lead to estimates all over the board, ranging anywhere from $300 to $700 for Sony's next generation console. Analysts at Merrill Lynch speculated that the consoles will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $800-900 to produce, meaning that Sony will be taking substantial financial hits early in the console cycle. If they were to sell the PS3 for $500, they'd still be taking a net loss of at least $300 with every console sold — simply not a pretty picture. Granted, technology costs will eventually decrease as time passes and the company will almost assuredly make any losses back in software sales — but it's still not a great situation for Sony.
While Sony has yet to announce an official price for the console, all indications seem to point toward an announcement this Thursday at the Game Developers Conference. GDC director Jamil Moledin recently hinted that Sony would be making some sort of big announcement during Phil Harrison's keynote speech later this week. Although Harrison could do little more than unveil a new controller design (honestly, the boomerang is a little sketchy), I have a feeling that Sony will finally put speculation to rest and let consumers know exactly how much a PS3 will hurt their bank accounts.
My guess? I see no feasible way the Sony can sell the PS3 for any more than $399, when it's all said and done. Microsoft already has a strong footing in the market with the 360 and if a PS3 runs consumers hundreds of dollars more than the already-established 360, it will meet a lukewarm reception. Granted, it's guaranteed to sell like hot-cakes in Japan — but everyone already knew that. But for Sony to be competitive this holiday season (and let's be honest, they need to be after last Christmas) they need to come out of the gates with a reasonable price tag and $399 sits just fine with me.
Sundeep:
Sony execs have argued they will meet the Xbox 360 at every turn. However, Sony is not limiting itself to only matching Microsoft feature for feature, but is also surpassing anything the 360 already has. Not surprising for the company that has easily dominated the video game console wars in recent history.
So far we know for sure that the PS3 is living up to meeting Xbox 360 with full backward compatibility, wireless controllers, wireless networking, 5.1 surround sound and all the other basic goodies one would expect from the next generation of consoles.
However, the PS3 has poised itself to land some killer blows on the 360.
For starters, the PS3 features an internal wireless card (Microsoft chose to release a wireless adapter). I need not express to you how important this is in a world where wires are disappearing. Wireless connectivity is what lets me play video games in my living room and check stock quotes in a study room. Simple.
In addition, analysts are relatively sure the PS3 will be able to connect with the PlayStation Portable to perform unique functions the same way Nintendo has marketed its Game Boy systems to work with GameCube.
Sony is building on a tradition of electronics history with a huge selection of storage ports. Blu-ray, DVD, CD, SACD, Memory Stick (standard or Duo), CompactFlash, SD/MMC, USB … you name it, PS3's got it. Microsoft, on the other hand, can do all the basics (Discs, USB) and not much more. However, keep in mind the Xbox 360 is able to reach across networks to access music, photos and other data on Windows-based PCs.
Media slots aside, a large portion of how each system will succeed is based largely on how well it plays in Multiplayer Support Land. So far, it appears Sony might have Microsoft beat here as well.
The PS3 features dual-screen HD support … that means you can play on two screens! Now, one might wonder what kinds of things you could possibly want on two screens. In all honesty, at first glance it just seems a bit preposterous. Why would I spend money on two high-def televisions (or even normal televisions?!) just to play a video game? However, some of the possibilities are kind of fun to think about.
What if dual-screen support worked the way the Nintendo DS works? One screen for play and another, which gives you important information? Whatever it does, I've got my money on the possibility of using two screens in conjunction with Sony's seven (seven!) Bluetooth wireless controller support. That's right, you and six of your buddies will be able to play on two screens. In addition, the use of Bluetooth allows for the possibility of other types of wireless devices for use with unique games.
The PS3 is also ready to take on the question of Microsoft's well-developed Xbox Live online service. PS3's answer to that question is the PlayStation Network Platform (PNP). Currently, Xbox 360 players must pay a fee to play games online (Xbox Live "Gold" service). However, since PNP connects through a player's already-existing Internet connection, PS3 users will be able to play each other for free — at least for now. Woohoo.
Ryan:
PS3 hype is now in full force, but anyone worth their salt will tell you a console is only as good as its games. It's still arguably too early to make any final judgments on the PS3's launch lineup of games, but we feel that enough announcements have been made at this point to warrant some examination.
For starters, Sony has some heavyweights in its corner: "Metal Gear Solid 4," "Fight Night Round 3," "Medal of Honor: Airborne," "Call of Duty 3," "Devil May Cry 4," etc. And, as with any launch, there will probably be a new "Madden." And then there's the confirmation that Square Enix is working on a remake of "Final Fantasy VII." But looking beyond these titles, it's fairly apparent that Sony is primed for what could be a slew of blockbuster sleeper titles.
Sony Computer Entertainment is hard at work on "The Getaway 3," which promises to provide gamers with a faithful recreation of London. So long as the title is more like the original "Getaway" and less like the sequel, gamers are in for a treat.
"Def Jam 3" is in the pipeline as well, building off of the success that "Vendetta" found last year. It'll still likely be little more than big-name rappers beating the crap out of each other, but this time with improved visuals.
And what about "Resident Evil 5?" Last year's "Resident Evil 4" managed to breathe life back into the stale franchise through completely revamped gameplay and camera work. I can only hope "RE5" continues where "RE4" left off, providing action-packed gameplay in bone-chilling environments.
Then there's always "Killzone," a new "Gran Turismo" and "Shaun White Snowboarding." It's hard to say exactly what titles will launch along with the console, but it's fairly clear that even a few of these games provide enough reason to make the leap to Sony's next generation.
Ryan ([email protected]) and Sundeep ([email protected]) are hopelessly addicted to video games. Ryan can likely be found playing "Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence" online, despite frequently saying how much he hates playing games online. Sundeep has recently been pondering the glory that will be Maxis' "Spore" video game. If you thought "The Sims" was a sweet vid, you ain't seen nothin' yet.
