CES 2006 News & Announcements

[Joe DeFuria]

June is still spring. How long before launch did MS show something? And how good was the first showing?

IIRC MS first had playable stuff at E3...playable on dev-kit hardware, but playable nonetheless. (Though, there was at least one actual hardware box shown at ATI's booth.)

So, 6 months before launch, MS was showing actual gameplay.

It's now less than 3 months before spring starts, and in less than 6 months it will be Summer.

I still think it's gonna be june-july for Japan and end of the year for the US. Not sure about Europe.

I agree.

 

[ChryZ]

Taken from here: http://internet.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/event/2006/01/05/10397.html

 

[London Geezer]

Crappy playback on PS3?! Guess not!! Look at that description!

1080p60, high quality 32 bit FP audio/video processing in RSX, Cell handling the decoding...

Just what i wanted to hear...


Now, the problem is, apart from recording capabilities, why would anyone want to spend $1000-1400 for a standalone player?

 

[Sis]

Ditto. I'm liking that controller the more I look at it...

The PS3 case has grown on me, but not the controller. In fact, the more I look at it the more I detest it. It's just plain fugly.

.Sis

 

[V3]

Is RSX doing the scaling ?

 

[ROG27]

PS3 will be pure love for audio/video philes.

1080p video playback 32bit audio/video decoding 12 bit color (no skimping there compared to what else is on offer)

 

["Nerve-Damage"]

Crappy playback on PS3?! Guess not!! Look at that description!

1080p60, high quality 32 bit FP audio/video processing in RSX, Cell handling the decoding...

Just what i wanted to hear...


Now, the problem is, apart from recording capabilities, why would anyone want to spend $1000-1400 for a standalone player?

QFTMFT!!

 

[speng]

Another thing to think about is Sony's longterm strategy.

Is it:

a)The PS3 is the center of entertainment for the average consumer's living room.

Or

b) The PS3 is just the next-generation gaming system.

They've always wanted to be the center of entertainment.

With this in mind, it would make sense for Sony to put very very good features in the PS3 and it's Blu-Ray capabilities and push it as the Blu-Ray player and potential media-center for the average consumer's living room.

When a consumer wants a $300-$400 Blu-Ray player in the next 1-2 years, they'll see the PS3 among the best for that price range. The other players they provide would be in the $750 -$2000 price range with more features and support for A/V enthusiasts.

Longterm if the PS3 is their medium to low cost Blu-Ray player for the next 1-2 years provided they can meet demand, they have alot of customers that they can upsell their other services and products, like Connect and LocationFree and online Video Downloads.

It will be interesting to see the features and capabilities of the PS3 Blu-Ray compared to Toshiba's $500 HD-DVD player, and the quality they both produce.

Speng.

 

[scooby_dooby]

It will be interesting to see how quickly that $500 hd-dvd player is replaced by $200 stand alone units. I always said this would come down to a hardware price war, and it will.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Another thing to think about is Sony's longterm strategy.

Is it:

a)The PS3 is the center of entertainment for the average consumer's living room.

Or

b) The PS3 is just the next-generation gaming system.

They've always wanted to be the center of entertainment.

There's never been a Sony strategy. The different divisions have acted with autonomy. As such the CE department selling standalone BRD players is in direct competition with the PS3 and it's BRD capabilities. Until they sort this out and actually work out a proper portfolio from low-end to high-end solutions which features ALL Sony products from all divisions, placing PS3 at a price-performance bracket that fits in with their other BRD devices, regardless of division, PS3 can just be considered an independant attempt at making money by selling hardware, rather than any conerted effort to win the living room once and for all.

 

[speng]

That could be Shifty, but remember they just had huge changes in Sony. New CEO and restructuring, consolidating studios and looking to make a big change.

We will see though.

Speng.

 

[mckmas8808]

Crouching Tiger in HD will look amazing, but personally i couldn't bring myself to watch it AGAIN without slashing my wrists. Like most of the announced movies really...

I'm horribly sorry but out of 60 something movies you still want to slash your wrist? What kind of movies do you like?

 

[London Geezer]

I'm horribly sorry but out of 60 something movies you still want to slash your wrist? What kind of movies do you like?

The ones that are generally good and that i haven't watched 82 times already?

Chillout max, i'll be the first in line to get my 43rd copy of Fifth Element.

 

[mckmas8808]

Yeah right. if they were truly going to launch in spring, I think they would have annouced or shown a heck of a lot more than they have by now. Anyway, that (spring date) referred to Japan. I'm talking about regions outside of Japan.

Do you realize they did the samething for the PS2? They are doing the EXACT samething now with the PS3.

Some companies don't like to show their hand 9 months in advance.

 

[Joe DeFuria]

Do you realize they did the samething for the PS2?

And the PS2 launch titles were pretty crappy, IIRC:

They are doing the EXACT samething now with the PS3....

Some companies don't like to show their hand 9 months in advance.

Particularly if what they would show wouldn't amount to a helluva lot.

 

[mckmas8808]

It will be interesting to see how quickly that $500 hd-dvd player is replaced by $200 stand alone units. I always said this would come down to a hardware price war, and it will.

It will be interesting to see the sales between the PS3 vs. those lower than $500 (with downscaling audio) HD-DVD players.

 

[London Geezer]

And the PS2 launch titles were pretty crappy, IIRC:

Particularly if what they would show wouldn't amount to a helluva lot.

Well that only speaks for launch titles. What we want is the bloody hardware on our shelves! Who really cares about launch titles. Personally i'll buy a PS3 initially to play Bluray movies, then wait till good games come out to play those.

Especially now that we know that PS3 Bluray playback will be SCHWEET...

 

[mckmas8808]

Well that only speaks for launch titles. What we want is the bloody hardware on our shelves! Who really cares about launch titles. Personally i'll buy a PS3 initially to play Bluray movies, then wait till good games come out to play those.

Especially now that we know that PS3 Bluray playback will be SCHWEET...

Hellz Yeah!!

 

[Joe DeFuria]

Especially now that we know that PS3 Bluray playback will be SCHWEET...

Actually, we know nothing of the sort. All we have are specs...

 

[mckmas8808]

Actually, we know nothing of the sort. All we have are specs...

But what did that sign just say?