next-gen will be the first time Sony has the most power

[Acert93]

Fall 2006 for PS3 release? I was thinking Spring.

I am thinking US Should have explained... I think the US market is where the action is. Sony already won Japan. No contest. I also think MS is more concerned on winning a market this time and build from there. US is their best chance as an American company. Of course MS name in the US seems to attract a lot of hate.

 

[twisted-txb]

Fall 2006 for PS3 release? I was thinking Spring.

Spring in Japan definetely, but Sony has a History of delaying consoles for the Western / European market.

 

[Geeforcer]

I think they will push for spring launch in US, because I don't see them making up a year of X360. The fact they will probably have more expansive hardware AND are completely dwarfed by MS financial might will not bode well for them if MS has a next-gen market for a year to itself. Instead of being a Dreamcast/PS2 scenario for 360/Ps3, it will be a PS2/Xbox scenario - with PS3 playing the role of Xbox this time around. Nvidia GPU, more powerful but year late to the market…. Hummm.

 

[Ty]

Spring US. Launch first in the US. That is what we've been told - well that is what is going around the company.


Sony has Japan tied up (or so it thinks). The first battle will be here in the states against XBox360.

 

[ninelven]

erased

 

[twisted-txb]

I think they will push for spring launch in US, because I don't see them making up a year of X360. The fact they will probably have more expansive hardware AND are completely dwarfed by MS financial might will not bode well for them if MS has a next-gen market for a year to itself. Instead of being a Dreamcast/PS2 scenario for 360/Ps3, it will be a PS2/Xbox scenario - with PS3 playing the role of Xbox this time around. Nvidia GPU, more powerful but year late to the market…. Hummm.

but Sony still has brand recocgnition.. ask any joe-gamer :?

 

[jvd]

I think they will push for spring launch in US, because I don't see them making up a year of X360. The fact they will probably have more expansive hardware AND are completely dwarfed by MS financial might will not bode well for them if MS has a next-gen market for a year to itself. Instead of being a Dreamcast/PS2 scenario for 360/Ps3, it will be a PS2/Xbox scenario - with PS3 playing the role of Xbox this time around. Nvidia GPU, more powerful but year late to the market…. Hummm.

but Sony still has brand recocgnition.. ask any joe-gamer :?

brand recognition only goes so far . Remember at one point nintendo had that recognition. I highly doubt ms will come out on top but they can take alot of market share away from sony .

If they launch with a strong launch line up and drive home good games till the ps3 launches and counter with a halo 3 then they might already have a 10 million system lead on sony . Which is half of what they were able to sell in this gen. which will certianly help them and knowing how big they are unlike with the dc devs wont leave the system .

 

[Geeforcer]

I think they will push for spring launch in US, because I don't see them making up a year of X360. The fact they will probably have more expansive hardware AND are completely dwarfed by MS financial might will not bode well for them if MS has a next-gen market for a year to itself. Instead of being a Dreamcast/PS2 scenario for 360/Ps3, it will be a PS2/Xbox scenario - with PS3 playing the role of Xbox this time around. Nvidia GPU, more powerful but year late to the market…. Hummm.

but Sony still has brand recocgnition.. ask any joe-gamer :?

A valid point, but a brand recognition advantage Sony enjoyed in this round will greatly narrow.

Last time around, it was stacked for Sony. By 1999, "Playstation" has become virtually synonymous with "console", like Nintendo once was. It had a huge installment base and software library. Sony consumer electronics products are held in very high regard - to many people “Sonyâ€￾ equates “qualityâ€￾.

MS was at point Zero. Microsoft brand was not exactly held in high regard. Their consumer electronic efforts have been abysmal. They had no installment base, and the was a great deal of skepticism regarding long-term survival of Xbox (Trip Hawkis, anyone?).

This time around, Xbox is a strong brand on its own. People no longer need to be explained what it is, what it does, who makes it, etc. Sony still has an advantage, but the advantage is far, far smaller then last time around.

 

[Sonic]

The advantage is a lot smaller than the last time around. I completely agree with that, but it is still a rather large advantage. The name Playstation is still synonymous with videogames and console. Sony still has a huge following throughout the world. It's hard to imagine that that following will decrease in the coming generation. I still think Sony will land 60% of the total market share worldwide and in all segments or greater.

OTOH, Microsoft has done a great job of getting the Xbox into as many households as possible. It has received brand name recognition and MS is willing to fight for a higher percentage of the market. I have little doubt that MS can get 4 - 7 million units in the American market alone before PS3 launches here. That's a wide range, but a very nice headstart to entice developers to go towards X360 as their target platform.

MS has a huge advantage in launching early. This gaming generation has been going on for a solid 5 years going with the PS2. I'm sure early adopters are anxiously awaiting new hardware and games to fulfill their appetite. Sony will get these gamers too, but MS has the most potential to cash in on them. Another advantage is getting a gameplan to combat the onslaught of what will be PS3. Microsoft is not SEGA, and I doubt they will pull a SEGA in terms of poor marketing, giving in, and not having games the mainstream will want.

 

[Ty]

brand recognition only goes so far . Remember at one point nintendo had that recognition.

I think the problem for Nintendo is that it had/has brand recognition with the younger audience. Sony kicked right into gear with an older, more "hardcore" audience and established their platform as the "cool" one - at least in the US.

You don't go to a Nintendo console for sports, you go to a Sony (or XBox now).

 

[passby]

Spring US. Launch first in the US. That is what we've been told - well that is what is going around the company.


Sony has Japan tied up (or so it thinks). The first battle will be here in the states against XBox360.

Wow I'm surprised! Are you sure you're not revealing NDA stuff here?

 

[Mulciber]

Fall 2006 for PS3 release? I was thinking Spring.

spring in japan, later than that for the US and europe

 

[DuckThor Evil]

Spring US. Launch first in the US. That is what we've been told - well that is what is going around the company.


Sony has Japan tied up (or so it thinks). The first battle will be here in the states against XBox360.

I think that would be the wisest choice for Sony if they can't launch simulataneously on Japan and US. US is the place where the toughest battles are fought, and Sony knows that too, so them launching first in US would't suprise me one bit.

 

[inefficient]

Too early to say the PS3 is the more powerful system... but it IS an impressive machine though. Glancing at the specifications I would say both machines are roughly equal with both having certain advantages and disadvantages. I need more details and finalized specifications before I can accurately judge which is more powerful on paper. Remember this though, if both machines are theortically roughly equal in power then if comes down to which machine is more efficient... in which case Microsoft wins... and more than that if all things was equal it comes down to the software and tools, in which case Microsoft will win that war easily.

What is the point of having power if you are not able to use that power?

The GameMaster...

One conference with MS about about XNA and you are already a believer?

Have you ever actually worked with an MS API that was "straightforward" or made you more "productive"
Writing games is hardwork. I think all MS can hope to achive with XNA is make life a little bit easier for startup companies and those making gen1 titles for the 360 by giving you an decent existing library to get on your feet with.

By the time Gen2 and GenX titles come round I expect it will become very obvious which dev houses really understand the metal, and which don't.

 

[Titanio]

If Sony is really launching in the US in Spring, they may want to clarify that soon enough to give enough time for word to get round about that before x360's launch. It could change some people's buying plans (though obviously for many more the needs of the holiday will make the point moot). I'd certainly have to be saving harder anyway..

 

[London Geezer]

If Sony is really launching in the US in Spring, they may want to clarify that soon enough to give enough time for word to get round about that before x360's launch. It could change some people's buying plans (though obviously for many more the needs of the holiday will make the point moot). I'd certainly have to be saving harder anyway..

Launching in the US first would be... interesting... Not sure it will happen, they are a japanese company and the way it's always worked is Japan first, the rest when we can.
In the end, Europe will get the shaft anyway so i'm not too worried, but i'm quite sure PS3 won't launch simultaneously worldwide, there is no way they can get enough units to satisfy 3 markets at the same time initially.

 

[twisted-txb]

In the end, Europe will get the shaft anyway so i'm not too worried, but i'm quite sure PS3 won't launch simultaneously worldwide, there is no way they can get enough units to satisfy 3 markets at the same time initially.

thats another interesting point. can Sony/Ms cope with the hardware needs? i dont want to see another PS2 launch fiasco happening.

 

[London Geezer]

In the end, Europe will get the shaft anyway so i'm not too worried, but i'm quite sure PS3 won't launch simultaneously worldwide, there is no way they can get enough units to satisfy 3 markets at the same time initially.

thats another interesting point. can Sony/Ms cope with the hardware needs? i dont want to see another PS2 launch fiasco happening.

We can rest assured that shortages WILL happen. I'm almost 99% sure. Especially now with a BlueRay drive to make things even more complicated, if having a total of half a billion transistors in 2 processors wasn't enough.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Launching in the US first would be... interesting... Not sure it will happen, they are a japanese company and the way it's always worked is Japan first, the rest when we can.

Except for DS, no? Was that US first, or US+Japan simultaneously?

 

[London Geezer]

Launching in the US first would be... interesting... Not sure it will happen, they are a japanese company and the way it's always worked is Japan first, the rest when we can.

Except for DS, no? Was that US first, or US+Japan simultaneously?

Pretty sure it was Japan first, then US shortly after.