Playstation Discussion Archive

[ZeldaFreak]

The bit about sony getting defensive over importing - its not their fault that you carn't be arsed to make profit on any of there machines

[pedrocasilva]

GAME talks UK PS3 Game Prices

Posted on October 18, 2006 by Alex Donaldson

 

After the news we reported earlier today that some UK retailers don't know when the PS3 launch is, the UK's largest videogame retailer, GAME (UK's Retailer of the Year) has allegedly recieved information regarding the price of PS3 games in the UK when it launches in 2007.

 

We have recieved information that employees in no less than three GAME stores - two of them managers - have began disclosing information that they have supposedly recieved word from Sony about the price of PS3 games.

 

Since the announcement of the PS3's use of a BluRay drive, people have been afraid the games will cost more. If the claims of these stores are true, these fears are set to be confirmed.

 

The three stores quoted that PS3 games are going to cost 115 Euros in Europe, and 80 Pounds Sterling in the UK.

 

One of the store managers also said that this price could rise to at least 150 Euros (100,5 pounds) for certain titles.

 

Bear in mind this is a rumour coming from sources who work for the GAME company. Take it with a pinch of salt.

 

If true, this is terrible news for PS3 fans in Europe, yet another blow after the launch delay. It also makes PS3 games £20 more expensive the average Xbox 360 game, and £40 more than one for the Wii.

Source: http://www.rpgsite.net/news/123.html

 

Gotta love Blu-Ray, PS3's and Sony's love for Europe

[Mr. Bananagrabber]

£80?

Yeah, i'm not getting one.

[Pit-Jr]

http://www.ebgames.com/default.asp?sect=1284

 

 

$59.00 seems to be the going rate, which is the same as major X360 titles.

[Caris]

£80?

Yeah, i'm not getting one.

 

Hahaha! It's the N64 all over again, i really didnt think Sony would be this stupid.

 

they better have something good up there sleave or this will be the last Playstation.

[Mr. Bananagrabber]

Hahaha! It's the N64 all over again, i really didnt think Sony would be this stupid.

 

they better have something good up there sleave or this will be the last Playstation.

 

The N64 wasn't the last Nintendo, was it? :p

 

Oh and-

Sony claimed that their service would be both better than Live, and free, but it's discernable immediately that - for most gamers - being free makes it better, automatically, independent of the offered functionality. The actuality is a good deal more complex than that, but the position can be expressed with such elegance. Let us suppose

 

Console life cycle = 4 years

1 year Xbox Live service - ~$50

4 x 50 = $200, or the Price Difference Between the 360 and the PS3

 

There's really nothing to say to that. We've discussed the idea here on the site as it relates to micropayments - that the difference between paying no money for something and paying some money for something isn't a thing you can measure. It isn't like the difference between three dollars and four dollars, let's say. It's the difference between oblivion and infinity - but that kind of imagery isn't even necessary for this exercise. You can simply aggregate it out to the life of the system, watching with horror while - as though in time-lapse footage - a tiny hand zips in and our of your wallet each month, his clutch bursting with cash.

Well, not bursting. It's like Four Bucks. But, yeah. You can't minimize it rhetorically. It's real money.

 

Comparing each company's scheme for knitting together online communities isn't really an apples to apples thing - with Sony, online is implemented, with Microsoft, online is a shell-level assumption that runs through every application, a potent distinction. It doesn't really matter. I like that there is such a thing as a "Gold Account" that can be revoked based on player behavior. It doesn't matter. Microsoft needs to respond to this. They need to respond to the browser thing, too, even if it's absolutely unimportant and a departure from the whole Goddamn argument.

 

Eurogamer had a lot to say about Sony's online store, and I haven't seen it, so I don't know. But it served to highlight what a haunted, wretched warren the Xbox Live Marketplace is. That is not how we arrange content on an otherwise world-class service. I always emerge from it gasping for fucking air, having downloaded the first file I saw. I'm always slightly afraid that whatever lives in there will find its way out.

 

These two machines will be improved monumentally by the competition, and we'll see the benefit in a period of months. My guess would be that Microsoft has the development agility to stay a step ahead, but when Sony was roused by PSP homebrew community they responded with frightening alacrity. The game which sits above the ones we play - historically almost naval, in its pace - is more fascinating than ever, this time around.

Interesting way to look at it. PS3 and 360 are the same price if you add on how much Live costs.

[pedrocasilva]

£80?

Yeah, i'm not getting one.

Just a rumor as of yet, I'd say the prices will depend also on how the release of the console and demand goes in US and Japan...

 

Just like with online micro transactions this is something that Sony is planning or looking into, and will do if they get PS3 to be a instant sucess like PS2, leaving no chance to the competition, then again... if they are left behind in the race or a dropping market percentage... they'll have to drop these ideas... and prices.

 

(and I think they eventually will)

 

But prices like this (and microtransactions in GT 4 HD) shouldn't even be considered in the first place.

[Mr. Bananagrabber]

But prices like this (and microtransactions in GT 4 HD) shouldn't even be considered in the first place.

 

Certainly not. The thought of having to pay more to get all the levels on Lumines Live sickens me enough.

But having to pay for all the cars and tracks really is taking the piss.

[pedrocasilva]

Certainly not. The thought of having to pay more to get all the levels on Lumines Live sickens me enough.

But having to pay for all the cars and tracks really is taking the piss.

They'll have to drop that if they don't get as much response as they are waiting for, I'd say GT 4 HD is just a test to see if they can get away with that on GT 5. Or perhaps just a way to pay GT5 costs beforehand, just like GT4 prologue I think the game's development costs were already paid when the game shipped.

 

I just love how they avoid calling it GT4 demo, or GT 4 HD demo for PS3, lots of people buy it thinking it's the full game.

 

About N64... I remember that some games costed as much as 90€/60£ at the beggining and then they dropped into the 60€/40£ pricetag... Same will happen with PS3 if they practice these prices at some point.

 

They have to get at least even with X360 prices.

[Dante]

Devil May Cry 4 TGS 06 Trailer HD

 

Sony has revised its financial forecasts the 2006 fiscal year, and as one might expect given the headlines of late, the news isn't all that good. While the company still expects revenues of 8.23 trillion yen (about $69 billion), it has lowered its group operating profit forecast by 62% to 50 billion yen ($424 million) and net profit projection by 38% to 80 billion yen ($678 million).

 

The biggest single factor in the new estimates is the recent recall of Sony brand lithium batteries. This worldwide operation contributed 51 billion yen ($432 million) to Sony's drop in operating profit expecations.

 

The company's game division accounted for a 60 billion yen ($508 million) drop in the earnings estimates. The company cited two causes: the changes to the specs and price of the PlayStation 3 and poor sales of the PSP and PS2. The inclusion of HDMI ports in all 20 gigabyte PS3 models as well as other spec changes contributed 14 billion yen ($119 million) to the lowered forecasts. The lowered price of the Japanese hardware contributed 16 billion yen ($136 million). Lower than expected sales of the PSP coupled with overall drop in PS2 performance combined for a 30 billion yen ($254 million) contribution.

 

Indirectly affected by the games division was Sony's electronics division. Sony cited production changes for semiconductors and other PS3-targeted devices as lowering overall productivity and causing a 33 billion yen ($280 million) drop in expected operating profit.

 

On the bright side of things, Sony expects a big turn around in profits for 2007.

 

ps3.ign.com

---------------------------

 

Sony's PlayStation 3 Gamer's day is here, and we're live from the even with complete coverage of what's going down. Remember to refresh this page regularly for constant updates, news, and more from the craziness.

 

1:31pm: Sony representatives let us in the door and we take our seats -- Sony's auditorium is packed with press, photographers, and more.

 

2:05pm: Kaz Hirai opened the presentation by saying that5every question left concerning the new console would be revealed at this event. The session is covering the following areas:

 

Whats in the box at launch

Launch titles

Peripherals

PS Network

PS Store

Downloadable Content

 

The retail box was revealed along with the launch lineup of 22 games including:

 

Genji

NBA 07

Resistance: Fall of Man

Blazing Angels Call of Duty 3

Fight Night Round 3

Oblivion

F.E.A.R.

Full auto 2

Madden 07

Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire

NBA 2k7

NBA Live 07

Sonic

 

Kaz made fun of he E3 presentation by yelling "Ridge Racer!" at the end of his speech. A video was shown and then the podium was handed over to Jack Tretton who talked about what to expect at retail. The basic features of the PS3 $499 and $599 model were shown. It was stressed that the only major differences between the two are hard drive space and the compact flash memory slot.

 

Tretton then spoke about the importance of Blu-ray. Effective Nov. 17 the first 500,000 units of PS3 will ship with Talladega Nights on Blu-ray before it is available to the public on December 12. We were then shown an extended trailer for the movie.

 

The next item up for discussion was the SIXAXIS. It was a 20 meter wireless range, 30 hours of battery life for one charge, and a tool that the community is just starting to fully harness. It will come with an AC cord, USB mini-cable, ethernet cable, Multi-AV cable with composite connectors. Tretton said that there is no power brick - only a cord. He slammed the competition for being noisy and having a large external power brick.

 

First party titles will retail at $59.99. The controller with be $49.99, and the memory card adapter will be 14.99, and the Blue Ray remote will come in December for $24.99.

 

We were then shown the Retail Channel Interactives, or those lovely game kiosks that can be found at your local EB or Gamestop.

 

(2:25pm PST)Phil Harrison

 

Phil introduced Ted Price who gave us a demo of Resistance: Fall of Man. He gave us a weapon demo that showed off the shield, the rocket launcher (the Laark), and the ability to lock-on to enemies. The Hailstorm rifle was shown firing its bouncing projectiles and tossing out a small turret.

 

He then paused the game and flew the camera through the battle. Advancing the game frame by frame to show how each of the projectiles launched by his grenade acting with individual physics. He then showed The Reapers: independently targetting pistols that can cross and shoot more than one enemy at a time.

 

There will be 40 players online at once with 6 different modes. Buddy lists, parties, clans, stat tracking, and off-line split screen will all be available at launch.

 

(2:33pm PST) More Blu-ray

Phil returned and introduced a demo of Genji: Days of the Blade. An alternate dimension action event system was shown off as well as three of the playable characters.

 

Harrison then stated the importance of true HD gaming. NBA 07 will have the first 1080p, 60 frames per second gameplay, and it is a launch title. The game was shown in action looking very complete. The game was paused and the camera zoomed in to show sweat running down the player's faces, rendered in real-time.

 

(2:35pm PST) Lair Demo

The main point of the Lair demo was the use of the SIXAXIS controller and how intuitive it is. The demo from the TGS preview event was shown along with the way the controller is slightly tilted and how the dragon reacts.

 

(2:38pm PST) PS3 at Home

Harrison then turned on a PS3 with the controller. The system launches with the sound of an orchestra tuning and goes directly to the Cross Media Bar. He logged in to the system as Phil H and went into the menu system.

 

He went to "settings" to change the display settings, sound, security, chat, music, and the Blu-ray settings. He then went to the photo settings and scrolled through date stamped image folders. He then showed 1080p photographs that were incredibly clear. He then showed off the ability to impose pictures on falling post cards that floated to the ground in a 3D slide show.

 

Music was briefly played, and then the video icon was shown. The video clip thumb nails were running in real time as Phill scrolled through them. He also had some previews for movies (Spider Man 3) that were played for the audience. He then played the trailer for Casino Royale which will launch the same day as PS3.

 

(2:45pm PST) Network

The networking features was then shown off which is all free and all standard with the console. He went into his icon based friends list and used a predictive text tool to write to someone. You can also use the USB keyboard. This is also where voice chat will be controlled. Harrison then scrolled to the web browser which can display multiple windows. Phil then showed the PS3 E3 Conference in One Minute from YouTube in one of the windows.

 

(2:50pm PST) Remote Play

Harrison then picked up a PSP and wirelessly ran the Casino Royale trailer on the handheld system. Streaming the media on PSP can now be done in your living room but Harrison said that it will soon be possible from any hotspot in the world. Streaming your PS3 content on the PSP anywhere certainly opens some amazing possibilities.

 

John Smedley

John then showed off the PlayStation Store. The interface included featured items, demos, downloadable games, top downloads, and what's new. The system has integrated X-Fire which allows current users on the PC to see who's online with PS3.

 

The store can be built directly into the games. This means that you can make purchases like episodic content within the game. The store has a top story that features the latest content. Downloadable games featured PS1 content that is playable on the PSP and in the future playable on the PS3.

 

(2:50pm PST) The Store

The downloadable game Blast Factor was highlighted then selected and taken to the store. He proceeded to checkout where there was a wallet and a total. Gamers can either use a credit card or a PlayStation card that can be purchased at retail stores. Parents can set rating limits for downloads to censor material for their children and set allowances in the PS store.

 

The demo was performed live over the internet to the PS store. This was not a set demo, but actually connected to Sony's online service. The games will be around $14.99 and less. The store also included trailers and will eventually have full movies. The games that are downloaded can be played on up to 5 additional PS3s so you can share with your friends.

 

The Motorstorm demo will be available through the store at launch and it was then shown on the big screen. Blast Factor was then shown. It was developed by 5 people and has online rankings and dynamic difficulty levels. It looks exactly like Geometry Wars. You can turn objects over by shooting a wave at them which plays into the strategy later in the game.

 

(3:05pm PST) God of Mini Games

David Jaffe was then brought to the stage to show off his new game. It will be a Feb or March release for a game called Criminal Crackdown. It is a tribute to old multiplayer games from the 16 bit era. It featured what looked like cell shaded vehicles chasing a criminal around a town. The buildings broke apart as players smashed into them.

 

(3:05pm PST) God of Mini Games

David Jaffe was then brought to the stage to show off his new game. It will be a Feb or March release for a game called Criminal Crackdown. It is a tribute to old multiplayer games from the 16 bit era. It featured what looked like cell shaded vehicles chasing a criminal around a town. The buildings broke apart as players smashed into them. It sort of looked like a cartoony Twisted Metal and looks like a lot of fun.

 

The presentation ended by going back to Kaz Hirai who invited us to demo the games at the event.

 

--------------------------------------------------

Ok, here's a new one: with Sony's announcements today they've issued a titled "Next-generation Console Comparison Fact Sheet," (downloadable here [DOC]) so let's see some facts. First up, were you aware that to use your Xbox 360 Core system you're required to buy the 20GB drive add-on, an HD DVD drive, a wireless controller, and an Xbox Live sub? We weren't either. But hey, it says right there, "requires users to buy" and this is, in fact, a "fact sheet." Of course, none of that's actually true, and what's more, were one to use the Xbox 360 Premium console pack in that chart instead of the Core pack, the total would be $399 for a console with that very same hard drive, wireless controller, and Xbox Live Silver subscription (which provides access to everything but multiplayer) -- remember, kids, an HD DVD drive is not required to do anything but watch high def movies -- it has nothing to do with high def gaming. We hear Microsoft ain't too happy about this chart either and is preparing certain legal action, namely because it could be misleading to otherwise unwitting retail employees selling customers game consoles this holiday season. Go figure.

 

P.S. -In the interest of fairness, it's also worth pointing out the Wii browser is what will cost you after the first 6 months -- not their online service. What's more, if you download the browser before June of 2007, it's straight up free. Otherwise, Nintendo hasn't yet announced details of the cost of their online service so far as we know. Another nice one, Sony.

 

P.P.S. -We just confirmed with Microsoft that another Sony claim -- that you need a memory unit or a hard drive to use the WiFi adapter -- is also false. You can grab a Core pack with no memory card and plug in a WiFi adapter and get on your home network. Sheez Sony, did we mention we moonlight as fact checkers?

 

www.engadget.com

[Nintendork]

 

Gloss looks really shit. I'll wair for matte.

[KKOB]

Certainly not. The thought of having to pay more to get all the levels on Lumines Live sickens me enough.

But having to pay for all the cars and tracks really is taking the piss.

 

its not so bad if you get a good amoung in a pack but sony mentioned having to pay for each car seperatly!

 

the world has gone micro transaction mad and i hate it!

 

love Lumines though

[The3rdChildren]

I'd still rather spend $700 on an Xbox 360 than on a $500 PS3. Both are expensive anyway and that sheet is full of Sony's patented truth misrepresentation technology.

 

I'll be willing to bet their online service is nothing on Xbox Live, and that crap about needing a wireless controller is nonsense. With the fact I can connect my wired 360 pad to the PC to play N64 roms, I think I prefer wired to wireless - which the core comes with anyway. You can really see why Microsoft are annoyed at this.

 

A friend against the 360 and for PS3 was dissing how large it was the other day. I felt it was my duty to inform him just how large the PS3 actually is. It's a monster size. Not that this is particularly detrimental to the console's abilities, but I just like to be right (it's rare for me).

[gaggle64]

Thought I'd just pop in to say, that if there is any one thing on this earth that will make me get a PS3 at any point in the future, Formula 1 06 is it. A-hubba-hubba-hubba-dingaling-a-dingdong.

 

 

Seriously though, shots like these leaves my PC and possible future Halo-ing in serious jepordy. Despite the prices.

[Cubechris]

£80...what.

[Mr. Bananagrabber]

Very iTunes innit?

Looks nice all the same.

[dabookerman]

Very iTunes innit?

Looks nice all the same.

 

I would say castlevania: symphony of the night

 

but thats going on xbla, win.

[That Guy]

I'd still rather spend $700 on an Xbox 360 than on a $500 PS3. Both are expensive anyway and that sheet is full of Sony's patented truth misrepresentation technology.

 

I'll be willing to bet their online service is nothing on Xbox Live, and that crap about needing a wireless controller is nonsense. With the fact I can connect my wired 360 pad to the PC to play N64 roms, I think I prefer wired to wireless - which the core comes with anyway. You can really see why Microsoft are annoyed at this.

 

A friend against the 360 and for PS3 was dissing how large it was the other day. I felt it was my duty to inform him just how large the PS3 actually is. It's a monster size. Not that this is particularly detrimental to the console's abilities, but I just like to be right (it's rare for me).

 

Yeah, it's always worth slagging off something you don't really care about to be right.

 

Anyway I think that sheet is a disgrace. I like Sony and have seen some great products (my boss has a cool Vaio laptop, and we have a cool camcorder and I just bought a tiny camera), but the videogames department are a frigging joke. Why are they allowed to do this? This is why I wont buy a PS3.

[dabookerman]

Sony only care about form before function.

 

This is wrong.

[Dante]

Sony's brochure.

[gaggle64]

Pretty shabby way of flogging your own system, by semi-fictionalising the price of your rival's machine, innit?

[Shino]

They're selling consoles the same way you sell PCs. Fuck them.

[mario_jr]

Oh wow you can download their PS1 and PS2 games cool:yay: ..., Oh wait:blank: fuck that shit when I can just use the backwards capabilities::shrug: . Yeah real smart Sony.

[KKOB]

Oh wow you can download their PS1 and PS2 games cool:yay: ..., Oh wait:blank: fuck that shit when I can just use the backwards capabilities::shrug: . Yeah real smart Sony.

 

but you can play your downloaded PSone games on your PSP can't you?

[Domstercool]

Yeah you can. The download games are also for the people who don't own the PSX games. It's also really good for those rare games you can't find anymore.