I think you miss the points the "fanbase" has tried to make in relation to this argument.
blakjedi, in addition to what you highlighted, there were also negative posts that insist that any additional functions is superfluous. My point was they said this because PS3 has a higher list price compared to Xbox 360 at that time. I don't think I have missed the point. I merely highlighted the existence of those school of thoughts and gave a straightforward explanation.
As for MS's statements...
blakjedi said:
MS says the x360 is a games console firstand can play movies in in SD or HD, download games or act as a centerpiece for other media.
Sony hasnt created a cogent view of what its device is. Its a media hub, its a cheap bluray player, its a cheap linux computer and oh yeah have you seen the games?
Agree. If you read my past posts, this is the major complain I have about Sony too.
MS says upfront there will be one online service to serve all, both users and devs; and for the high end service, it costs money - a single flat rate once per year.
Sony says our service is free ( as in beer) but devs may reserve the right to charge you...
Since I own a PS3, I feel obliged to elaborate...
Sony has given a Playstation Network presentation to the industry (Entitlements and stuff). The consumers have not gotten the full picture yet. Today, consumers know Playstation Network online gaming is free and open.
Open in the sense that the devs can choose the best way to implement their game. e.g., Resistance:Fall of Men is server based and has wonderful online experiences. According to some on GAF, they find the experience more pleasant than P2P Live games (e.g, lag, waiting time). And yes, it's free... just like RR7.
As for devs reserving the right to charge you, I don't think it's a concern or even relevant at this point (The same way one does not need to worry about Xbox Live price hike). If it's not sustainable, they will raise it. If not, life goes on as usual. In the mean time, free is free. I am not sure what's confusing or negative about it.
We also know that PSN's currency is the actual dollar amount (No point system), so it's somewhat natural to interpret the cost of purchase. Finally we understand that it's still being improved. PSP <-> PS3 connectivity is something I personally look forward to.
MS says HiDefinition Video disk playback is an affordable option if you are inclined at this point in time. The premium is $200 for this option. Save $200 upfront until you want it.
Sony says HD Video Disk is a standard (requirement) of next generation gameplay. The premium currently is a $100 (over any level X360) for that requirement.
Agree. Is there any question here ? I actually like the game worlds I have seen so far. I have spent countless hours in Resistance, and can appreciate the variety in the game world. However, you don't see me posting everywhere to highlight this. I'm just not that kind of person until someone asks.
I also take comfort that every PS3 owners will have the same drive as me. With the large install base, I can see how content owners will want to sell to the fast growing user base.
MS says our online service is mature and is increasing in breadth and quality every day.
Sony says Our online service is nascent but we plan on matching Xbox's service sooner than later.
Sony says Playstation is a brand. There is no Online Playstation vs Offline Playstation. They see Online as one of the channels, the same way Blu-ray is a channel. Both are built into PS3 today.
The free PSN brought me to the online gaming world. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered. Also the downloadable games seem cheaper than LIVE. More PS1 classics (for PSP and PS3) will be available soon.
Meanwhile, Blu-ray is also growing. I don't see why one has to grow and the other has to shrink. They are separate markets for some years to come.
MS says if you want to compute use the pc you probably already have - there is synergy between our console and the PC.
Sony says you can get Linux and use it for our system if you are so inclined or hate MS. Only geeks hate MS, consumers are frustrated by computers in general...
I think you just put words in Sony's mouth. They say PS3 is also a computer. But they market it as a game console (See the Play B3yond website for details).
I have been using PS3 as a computer for more than a month. How is that a negative thing for the consumer (even if Sony hasn't talked very much about it) ? In fact Sony mentioned PS3 is an Open Platform. We may see other OSes too.
Based on some early experiences, there are still rough edges in the environment. But doing the usual web browsing, email reading and typing personal documents is no problem. I am still reading up on Cell programming, and am surprised to see very positive research/experience papers from National Laboratories in US. I look forward to better Cell exploits in the future.
I dont see the spin you talk about and there are fairly compelling arguments in both camps.
What spin ? Just google for those posts around the period when PS3 price was first announced. As for "fairly compelling arguments"... the way you said it, PS3 doesn't sound compelling to me at all. Do you own a PS3 to understand and appreciate what it is about ? (since you also admit that Sony has not created a cogent view about it).
For the record, I am also loading my family photos to PS3 to try out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDypErvJrD0&eurl=
I travel overseas often and love to bring my latest family photos and videos on my PSP with me. So I'm hoping that with the upcoming PSP <-> PS3 connectivity, I will be able to access all the media remotely. In fact, I have to hand-pick and convert these media to the PSP today when I visit my parents or the in-laws (They are always eager to see how my little boy is doing).
Since Sony is pretty quiet on all front, I'm quite pissed that I have to learn PS3 by discovering it bit by bit (Like game sharing, which has its own thread somewhere else).
EDIT: Wait a minute... this is an Xbox 360 CES thread. Mods, I'm sorry for derailing this thread. If you will, please move my post to the PS3 impression thread.
