Sony are taking the 'Wii'

[Goldberg]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4760553.stm

2 flavours of the PS3, the lower end one lacks HDMI, Memory Card Slots, Wi-Fi, a smaller HD......

At least with the Xbox 360 you can build oyur own Premium version when you have the funds, this is taking the piss.

[marcode]

ill not be buying a playstation this time round... looks like ill be going over to the dark side and buying a 360 once gta 4 is out.

theres just no point in waiting for a glorified blu-ray player i dont need, want or wish to fork out that amount of cash for...

fuck em, they can keep it.

[Goldberg]

What annoys me is the fact that the Lower Priced version of the PS3 lacks HDMI and memory card slots completely and Wi-Fi! This is hardly expensive technology and is a very strange decision.

Like I said in the first post, if you buy a low end 360, you can still buy Wi-Fi pads and they will work. It has memory card slots and you can buy the HD for it. Not sure if the low end 360 comes with HD cables, but again you can just go out and buy that too!

It basically means that Sony are releasing 2 separate consoles. The high end is the PS3, the lowend is the a PS2 & 1/2!!

[purpleanimal23]

ill not be buying a playstation this time round... looks like ill be going over to the dark side and buying a 360 once gta 4 is out.

theres just no point in waiting for a glorified blu-ray player i dont need, want or wish to fork out that amount of cash for...

fuck em, they can keep it.

Totally agree. Already got my 360 no need for a PS3. The exclusive games don't interest me so what's the point, bring on GTA4. Sony have nothing to shout about, 360 already has done the HD graphics, Nintendo have a supposed superior motion controller (which looks fun) what have sony got a poor mans xbox live? a poor mans Wii-mote and betamax V2.0 (Blueray)

Also coming from a Nintendo Hater (always sat in the Sega camp in days of old) I am looking for ward to the Wii coming out and I think my first Nintendo will be my second console for the party factor.

[Goldberg]

I can only imagine similar debates and moans & groans are going on elsewhere too. I wonder what IGN have to say about this?

But will it get back to Sony? Will they do anything about it? The answer is No because they just want to make money and not give the user an enjoyable experience. Looks like a few peeps are turning towards the 'Wii' i'm sure we will not be dissapointed and i'll openly admit it will probably be classed as my second console to my 360 but time will tell....

[stargate]

HDMI is the real killer missing part in the cheaper PS3. Especially if (when) ICT comes along and downgrades your high def disc to just above current dvd.
The memory card slots missing is not a problem, as I saw a comment from Phil Harrison or Kaz Hirai saying you can use a USB memory card adapter on the PS3, which is cool if true, cause it would add the other missing card formats!
Wifi missing is not an issue either, as most people will already have a wifi network up and running and those without can always buy an access point cheap enough or buy a wifi bridge for their PS3 later and hook it on the back, so I don't think that is a draw back.
Smaller HD - well no issue there, as usual there is always too little space on these things (the stupid 360 version is supposed to be 20gb, but you actually only get 12gb, cause 8gb is lost to backwards compatibility, such as it is, for xbox 1).

Lacking HDMI is a big problem. However, the only possible slight reprieve might come in an addon dongle. Apparently one is being rumoured about for 360, so if they could add one, then I see no reason why sony couldn't, but adding it external has gotta cost a big chunk on top of just having it built in, so I wouldn't expect it to be cheap if it ever comes out. If Sony confirmed that an adapter would appear if ICT ever got used, then the cheaper PS3 is at no long term loss to the expensive model.

[whatnow]

in all fairness:

hdmi - i have no use for this & I have no intentions of buying a TV in the near future as I am happy with my current CRT telly, although I may want to connect to a monitor at some point so i'm hazy as to wether this is actually a big deal to me or not ?

memory card - save on the HD, no problem really, annoying maybe but i dont take my memory cards anywhere & if I can up/download my saves/data online then I dont care for a pointlessly expensive memory card which serves no real purpose for me. In fact, i'd preer HD / online access over memory card or whatever propitory 'universal' format they bother with.

wifi - a luxary i'll admit and probably what i'd miss most, although in saying that with digital media capabilities being a must for this console to rival the 360 (or not?) wifi is sloppy, choppy and all round un-doable for HD content or for a large/thick walled house. Cables for this reason will always win, so again, i dont think i'm bothered.

if I got a ps3 i'd probably but the expensive version to future proof myself, although if it's the right price (more than £100 cheaper) OR there was a shit load of ps3 minis and not enough ps3 daddies then I'd be tempted to go with a budget one just for the kicks of ownining a ps3 if there were [exclusive] games I wished to play on it.

...but I do agree, it's looking shite for the ps3. So far the best thing that's even been on a ps2 is GTA for me and PES for my housemates, so if they are both on the 360 (and seemingly launching BEFORE ps3) then all I can think for now is 'fuck Fony, i'll take a 360 & a ninty thanks'

[{{909}}]

re the hdmi, im in the same boat as you shang, but people releasing films are supposedly heading towards making films that will only play in high def through hdmi becasue of its superior copy protection, which would make the low end ps3 and the hd dvd player on the 360 useless (which is what stargate has touched on in his post)

Sony have come out looking rather hopeless at E3, but they still have alot of exclusives that people have been waiting for the ps3 release to play, just becasue the machine is less than promised its not going to change their mind.

[Scottio200]

when i saw the sony e3 press conf i thoughtl ok the controller is the same (which is a good thing), its got blue ray out of the box (youv all ready payed £280+ for your 360 with hdd and wifi pad, how much is the 360 hd-dvd drive gonna be??), ok its a little exspensive but for what your getting its really not that much:

Now im not in any way a sony fanboy (ffs i gotta 360, and i fuuuken love it!!) but i wouldnt write sony off at all, the motion sensor in the pad was very hush hush, 98% of the developers at e3 found out about it same time we did!!! The cell processor has so much power, the 360 and wii will reach their peak 3-4 years before the ps3 does, and it has full integration with the psp, which is very popular and will get even bigger this year!
And finally there is the Blue ray movie playback, out of the box, if it can play both dvd and blue ray, then people will stop buying dvd's and get the film they want on blueray, this way they will not have to re buy their old movie collection and concentrate on getting the blue ray movies they would have bought on dvd. Apparantly one of the top pressie for this christmas is a HD ready TV! People will want to make full advantage of their new tv's, so they will want to buy a blu ray player or a hd-dvd player, and even if the ps3 is more exspensie than a 360 and the hd-dvd drive, the way this sad, sad public think is, the more exspensiv the better, if blue ray players are more exspensive thand hd-dvd players people will think that blue ray is better, because it is more exspensive. However if they could get a PS3 for £3/400 cheaper than a blue ray player, and it can play the lates videogames, i recon people will buy this instead of a blueray player or a hd-dvd player. Same thing helped the DVD to get as big as it has, i mean tbh if it wasnt for the ps2, dvd's in this country would not be half as big as they are now!

Cheers
Scottio

So if you get a wii or a 360, it may be cheaper at this time, but think of the next xbox or nintendo console which will really push the limit of the ps3. £410 may be exspensive at first, but think how much longer the ps3 will be around for, as said above i reacon at least 3-4 years after the 360 and wii.

However if i was you id get all 3,

The x-box for its x-box live service (which is the best iv ever experienced), media capabilities and halo series

The Wii for its cheap price, innotive controlls, and its nintendo made games

The Ps3 for its longetivity, blue ray compatability and metal gear solid

Cheers
Scottio

[jurassic579]

But Sony now said that the ONLY difference is the hd size....



link...

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=64607

[{{909}}]

i think it just means you'll be able to buy external hardware to add the features, a usb wifi adapter etc. bad move i think. too much confusion for the consumer...ill just take a wiiiiii!

[Goldberg]

Thats a hell of a price difference then for such a minor difference...

[EvilBoB]

The cell processor has so much power, the 360 and wii will reach their peak 3-4 years before the ps3 does,

That's because the developers will still be trying to work out how to access the motion sensitive gimmick...err i mean controller and Sony will still be trying to reduce the size of it so it will fit in the case! Nothing to do with power

...or...

The 360 and Wii will be so much easier to develop for they will surpass the PS3 and the games will be better for longer. By the time the Sony SDK is as good as Nintendo and Microsofts devkits the Xbox720 and Nintendo Poo will be on the horizon.

I hope the PS3 is good but I am not impressed by anything I have seen so far - even the 360 has been a slight disappointment.

** XBox720 and Nintendo Poo have not been confirmed as official names by Microsoft or Nintendo at this point

[andy257]

I agree E3 was not the best for Sony - however you cant count them out.


LOL - think we should archive all these posts so in maybe a year or two we can go back to them and see how people have changed. I am sure alot will change their minds in the future wether it be 4 months or 4 years.

Let the fun begin - its all good for the consumer, choice is always a good thing.

Andy

[steve10574]

"...but I do agree, it's looking shite for the ps3. So far the best thing that's even been on a ps2 is GTA for me and PES for my housemates, so if they are both on the 360 (and seemingly launching BEFORE ps3) then all I can think for now is 'fuck Fony, i'll take a 360 & a ninty thanks'"

and microsoft has said the same most people will have a 360 and a wii for the price of the ps2



and i dont think that if ms and ninty bought out new machines that sony would try to fight them with the ps3?

ps3 or a xbox720 or a wee wee what would you have?

[fe_man2000]

I cant believe anyone is seriously looking 3-4 years into the future of a console and stating that as a pro for get one now - if the PS3 is thought to have a longer life due to its CPU (which I am not convinced off one bit but anyway) then I will buy one in 3-4 years when it starts to pull away from my other kit - it will cost £129.99 then probally. Until then I will avoid the PS3 until it can give me somthing worth £400 the 360 and PC cannot.

[{{909}}]

people are just saying (well, guessing) that the cell is much harder to program for, so games will look better on the 360 for a while, but thats not fact in anyway and untill we see some cross format games coming out we arnt gonna know eitherway. How many developers really pushed the cube/ps2/xbox? not many in my eyes.
Konami and Square seem to have got the ps3 working pretty well already too

I am pretty happy that the 360 and the PS3 are going to be very close specs wise, maybe then people will concentrate on the games and not blabber on about bloody framerates and FSAA.

[marcode]

SCEA president offers further clarification of 20GB PS3 specs

Ellie Gibson 13:50 11/05/2006

But wi-fi question remains unanswered

Following confusion over the technical specifications of the two versions of the PS3 Sony plans to launch, SCEA president Kaz Hirai has confirmed that the 20GB model will not feature HDMI output or data card inputs.

In an interview with CNN Money, Hirai said: "We felt that if you want to save something on your Memory Stick, most people have those readers on their PC, which is easily adaptable to the PlayStation 3 with a USB cord."

"The only difference is HDMI - and at this point, I don't think many people's TV's have that. The ultimate result, to my eyes anyway, is there's not a discernable difference between what you get between HDMI and other forms of high definition."

There is still some confusion over whether the 20GB PS3 will feature wi-fi functionality - according to a spec sheet issued by Sony, it will only be incorporated into the 60GB model. Neither Hirai's comments nor those made earlier by Sony Worldwide Studios president Phil Harrison have cleared up the issue.

Hirai went on to defend the price point for the PS3, which will retail for USD 599 / EURO 599 for the 60GB version and USD 599 / EURO 599 for the 20GB model. He dismissed suggestions that the price is too high, stating: "I think when you look at what we put into the box - Cell, Blu-Ray, backwards compatibility, the ability to go online - I think it's a very compelling package for consumers. The totality of what we bring to the table makes it a good value for consumers."

"What we're presenting to consumers is future-proofed. It's not going to fall by the wayside," he added.

Hirai went on to say that he is confident Sony will meet its targets of shipping four million PS3s around the globe by the end of the year, with a further two million to follow by April.

"We have the advantage of manufacturing our own chips. Most of the PlayStation 3's core components are manufactured in-house. The decision to give the go order comes when we're getting good yields."

"Obviously, the sooner the better, but we're not at the mercy of someone else."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=16942

[Goldberg]

Still doesnt warrant the difference in price for me...

Nice post mate.

[EvilBoB]

I personally couldn't care less if it had a "cell" processor, blu-ray - meh, ability to go online - now theres something new.

Really makes me want to part with my hard-earned $$$s - not