PS3 in the US press...

[onanie]

I would say people with HD ready 1080I only TVs are part of the core group who would buy a PS3. It is not like sony has let the consumers know about this issue. They did not say a peep about something that I consider pretty major. I don't know about you but I would be pretty bent after spending days camping or worse several thousand on ebay to find out the PS3 does not output HD to your TV.

Are you affected by this issue personally? If not, why should the emotional outpouring for all those poor individuals who got stiffed by Sony, stop you from buying a PS3 anyway?

 

[quest55720]

http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showpost.php?p=878078&postcount=284

That report is 3 days after launch they had to respond since it was discovered and picked up by the gaming media. It is not like a month before they launch they warned people with 1080i only sets about this issue.

 

[patsu]

Might be an oversight ? or prioritization problem ? In any case, they seem to say it'll be a firmware fix. So the issue will blow over and we are happy again.

Poorly researched and reported articles like the NY Time and Times ones didn't even help. Thanks go to Game Daily. You're there for us, the consumers.

 

[Nesh]

Ofcourse its fair to judge them. As a consumer you compare products to eachother. Right NOW the X360 does things better in alot of areas than the PS3. Thus, if the areas that the X360 is better on, is areas that are important to you, the x360 is a better gaming console right now.

A consumer will not go around thinking about if its fair or not in comparing the two console, only because MS has a better experience in making console OSes. WE DONT CARE. If its not there, we should complain, bitch and moan about it, until it is there.

I agree on your points. But you didnt fully get my point. You took hold on some certain sentences and you didnt get what I was trying to say. I ll try though again.
The fact you missed in my post is that the PS3's issues and disadvandages are inevitable at launch.
360 also inevitably had issues when launced, and the reasons ofcourse just ike the PS3 were justified at launch. But it would have been unfair if the 360 got criticized at launch. It would have been even more unfair if some compared the 360 with what Sony showed at 2005 E3.
Fortunately the 360 had a headstart which gave the opportunity to fix issues.

With other words its early to judge the product fully. But its justifiable to individually judge its launch. But only its launch. Individually.

I agree that the consumer doesnt care but he doesnt always have objective and complete judgement for a product. The casual consumer forms expectations and judgement mostly based on past and present observations. This though is an incomplete impression.

For example you and I also expect these issues to be fixed. So in the meantime we havent formed our impression fully. Instead we wait until we do so.

Now the casual consumer like the average jimmy (and even my dad) they will only form a judgement based on what they see now. And even worse during at what was shown at launch. Issues at launch always exist and the product is never fully completed at launch. The casual consumer doesnt also realise (in the case of the PS3) that many of the issues are a result of too many offered features at the same time.

Its logical and expected under rational expectations that these would exist at the beginning.

What these articles do, is the same mistake and form an impression about the product too early, comparing an inevitably incomplete product during its launch with a complete product launched a year ago.

Its logical to compare whats missing currently next to its "competitors", but its irrational not to accompany launch impressions with certain facts.

So it may be subjectively fair to criticize but objectively taking all things into account it is not. Its early for a criticism.

 

[heliosphere]

Sony has been hyping up the PS3 for a long time, no need to rehash all the well known claims about it here but undoubtedly Sony marketing would like people to believe that the PS3 is a must-have purchase the day it becomes available. Nothing wrong with that, that's the job of marketing, but equally it's the job of journalists reviewing products to give an honest opinion of whether they think the product really is all it's cracked up to be. People out there reading the NYTimes who haven't been following all the Intenet console news daily for the last 2 years will be aware that the new Playstation is launching and that it's supposed to be a wonder of technology. They may well be asking themselves if it's good enough that they might want to go out and buy it now, or give it as a present at Christmas. For your average consumer, the target audience of these kind of articles, the answer is no - the system, as it exists now is not worth their money.

There's a fair few hardcore gamers, hardcore Playstation fans or serious home home cinema buffs who might have good reason to go out and buy a PS3 now based on their own criteria for buying a new console and their expectations for the future. It's hard to argue that the PS3 is a good purchase for an average consumer right now though. Sony's marketing is never going to give that message, it's up to mainstream publications like the NYTimes or TIME to let their audience know that the console is probably not right for them at this time, despite some of the claims they might have heard over the last year or two.

 

[scooby_dooby]

The fact you missed in my post is that the PS3's issues and disadvandages are inevitable at launch.

Nah, some things were clearly avoidable at launch. No BG downloading 12 months after your competitor got hammered for the same mistake? How many programming hours do you really think it would've taken to implement this? Was it really 'inevitable'?

I mean, growing pains are inevitable, but most people are mainly dissapointed with the lack of common sense features that should have been there.

No 720p support for BR? NBo 1080i support for games? No custom sound tracks? No BG downloading? All of these things should've been implemented ages ago, especially if we're to believe they were sitting around waiting for BR diodes.

 

[onanie]

Sony has been hyping up the PS3 for a long time, no need to rehash all the well known claims about it here but undoubtedly Sony marketing would like people to believe that the PS3 is a must-have purchase the day it becomes available. Nothing wrong with that, that's the job of marketing, but equally it's the job of journalists reviewing products to give an honest opinion of whether they think the product really is all it's cracked up to be. People out there reading the NYTimes who haven't been following all the Intenet console news daily for the last 2 years will be aware that the new Playstation is launching and that it's supposed to be a wonder of technology. They may well be asking themselves if it's good enough that they might want to go out and buy it now, or give it as a present at Christmas. For your average consumer, the target audience of these kind of articles, the answer is no - the system, as it exists now is not worth their money.

There's a fair few hardcore gamers, hardcore Playstation fans or serious home home cinema buffs who might have good reason to go out and buy a PS3 now based on their own criteria for buying a new console and their expectations for the future. It's hard to argue that the PS3 is a good purchase for an average consumer right now though. Sony's marketing is never going to give that message, it's up to mainstream publications like the NYTimes or TIME to let their audience know that the console is probably not right for them at this time, despite some of the claims they might have heard over the last year or two.

It plays games and it plays movies. The absence of background downloading or custom soundtracks are secondary issues, and certainly not things that render the console worthless. If the articles were to be fair in any sense of the word (no obligation, really) then the reader can be prepared to anticipate firmware upgrades that would address these issues.

Having said that, these are two articles among many. Choose if you will, though I think the majority of gamers are more inclined towards game sites than NYT.

 

[Nesh]

Nah, some things were clearly avoidable at launch. No BG downloading 12 months after your competitor got hammered for the same mistake? How many programming hours do you really think it would've taken to implement this? Was it really 'inevitable'?

I mean, growing pains are inevitable, but most people are mainly dissapointed with the lack of common sense features that should have been there.

No 720p support for BR? NBo 1080i support for games? No custom sound tracks? No BG downloading? All of these things should've been implemented ages ago, especially if we're to believe they were sitting around waiting for BR diodes.

Then the question is why havent they fixed them if they could. Right? I supposed these will be fixed later with an upgdate so no biggie

I assume Sony have spent too much time with the general structure of the online service and Linux functionality which needed more work (there wasnt even a proper online service before so I guess it must have been a priority), leaving these common sense "details" to be fixed later.

 

[patsu]

...but equally it's the job of journalists reviewing products to give an honest opinion of whether they think the product really is all it's cracked up to be. People out there reading the NYTimes who haven't been following all the Intenet console news daily for the last 2 years will be aware that the new Playstation is launching and that it's supposed to be a wonder of technology. They may well be asking themselves if it's good enough that they might want to go out and buy it now, or give it as a present at Christmas. For your average consumer, the target audience of these kind of articles, the answer is no - the system, as it exists now is not worth their money.

There's a fair few hardcore gamers, hardcore Playstation fans or serious home home cinema buffs who might have good reason to go out and buy a PS3 now based on their own criteria for buying a new console and their expectations for the future. It's hard to argue that the PS3 is a good purchase for an average consumer right now though. Sony's marketing is never going to give that message, it's up to mainstream publications like the NYTimes or TIME to let their audience know that the console is probably not right for them at this time, despite some of the claims they might have heard over the last year or two.

Sure... I read a similar article on a local newspaper today. It's *objective* and calm. It concludes that PS3 may be more suitable for hardcore gamers at this point in time due to its high price and few games, and that the games will get better as developers become more familiar with the system.

No need for pot shots, one-sided personal perspective or fan-boyish comments like the NY Times and Times articles. It's one thing to inform the readers, it's another to hide information and impose your personal views on them. They are really poorly written. Frankly, I'm surprised such low quality work appears on these high profile periodicals.

 

[pipo]

Then the question is why havent they fixed them if they could. Right? I supposed these will be fixed later with an upgdate so no biggie.

Once again, I'll believe it when I see it.

At the very least I would say they got their (software) priorities mixed up. But then again, I look at it from a gamers point of view...

Well, it has a slick slide show feature. Yay.

 

[avaya]

I don't think 400k units in NA is going to make that big of a difference. How many PS3s do you think will get into homes by March 07?

I think worldwide maybe 3mn, which would be 50% of their 6mn forecast. I can't guess the diode issues so anything can happen between now and then.

Don't know what you're saying here? Do you mean it would have been the final nail in the Blu-Ray if the PS3 hadn't launched until Mar 07?

All it does now is drag out the format war. This is not a good situation for Sony, they can't fully justify Blu-Ray in the PS3 for movies if the format war continues to have some teeth to it, if Disney goes neutral what will happen next? Fox?

Whatever Universal's issue with Sony was, the unit volumes initially proposed would have made the management there have to support Blu-Ray.

 

[rabidrabbit]

Nah, some things were clearly avoidable at launch. No BG downloading 12 months after your competitor got hammered for the same mistake? How many programming hours do you really think it would've taken to implement this? Was it really 'inevitable'?

I mean, growing pains are inevitable, but most people are mainly dissapointed with the lack of common sense features that should have been there.

Exactly, background downloading is a common sense feature, that's why Microsoft and Sony should have that feature implemented day one.
It's not like some bug that could be missed in quality check, it's a "feature" and surely it was known by MIcrosoft when they launched the xbox360.

Why didn't Microsoft have it enabled day one then? Why don't Sony have it enabled in the firmware the console is shipping with at launch?
It's not a bug, it's a feature that's not working fully.

Did they do this to regulate the downloads in the first months of the console's launch so as not to bog down the servers with people constantly downloading on the background.

 

[pipo]

Europe is kind of irrelevant and it doesn't matter that they haven't launched here to be honest. People are still waiting for the PS3 and the 360 continues to sell poorly.

Numbers please? I think Sony disagrees with you and you will be surprised come March (April, May?) 07.

I am very curious to see what Wii is going to do over here though.

 

[Sankari]

Numbers please? I think Sony disagrees with you and you will be surprised come March (April, May?) 07.

I am very curious to see what Wii is going to do over here though.

I didn't understand either how Europe is irrevelant. Sure we will wait, but EU is the 2nd biggest market area, no? Does it make Europe irrevelant because Xbox360 is selling poorly here or what? I don't get it.

+1 million for PS3 launch in Europe would be dream come true, the higher the number the better naturally but I don't think they will fix the USA and Japan shortages by EU launch so 500,000 would be more realistic.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Did they do this to regulate the downloads in the first months of the console's launch so as not to bog down the servers with people constantly downloading on the background.

Maybe from a sony standpoint but from a MS standpoint? you would expect MS to be able to have a good network from day 1. Its not like they dont have experiance with large amounts of data being transfered.

 

[Nesh]

Once again, I'll believe it when I see it.

At the very least I would say they got their (software) priorities mixed up. But then again, I look at it from a gamers point of view...

Well, it has a slick slide show feature. Yay.

Well if you look at it at a gamers point of view then none of these matter. Just the games

 

[pipo]

Well if you look at it at a gamers point of view then none of these matter. Just the games

Nah. I've made it very clear from the start I really love my dashboard functions and downloads. And in my opinion both are crucial for my gaming experience. I download trailers, demo's and arcade games almost every time I turn the box on.

I don't want to start one freaking download every night before I go to bed. And I want to be able to talk to my friends whenever I see one log in. While I'm in <insert random game here>.

Photo's? Ripping CD's?? Web browsing??? I don't mind it's there, but the other stuff first please.

 

[wco81]

And I want to be able to talk to my friends whenever I see one log in. While I'm in <insert random game here>.

Can you set it so you're permanently invisible? You know, you can contact people, they can't contact you?

 

[scooby_dooby]

Well if you look at it at a gamers point of view then none of these matter. Just the games

The truth is, since there are only 200k units out there, that none if this matters. 99% of prospective buyers won't be affected because they can't get the machine.

With that said, it matters as much as the media SAYS it matters. And right now, they are hammering Sony, and it's the bad press that will be most damaging, not the lack of a few features that will likely get patched fairly soon.

 

[pipo]

Can you set it so you're permanently invisible? You know, you can contact people, they can't contact you?

Yup. Also 'Busy' or 'Away'.