PS3 UK release delayed until March 2007!

[bladesew]

http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,1866025,00.html?gusrc=ticker-103704

[NPC]

Potentially catastrophic for Sony and Blu Ray to miss the Christmas market in PAL territories. I suspect production problems on a huge scale. I'm glad I don't own Sony shares after this and the extra hot lap top batteries incident. Still, its no less than what they deserve for the whole HD/Blu debacle

[bladesew]

Yep it is down to production problems and specifically with the PS3's bluray drive. They could have gotten a bluray-free version of this console out by now.

Slight correction to the thread subject btw - the March date is for the whole of Europe, including UK. So if you want a next gen console this xmas and you live in the EU you have a choice of xbox360 or fighting over one of a very limited number of Wii's (presuming that they make it by then).

[zanner]

personally i'm not dissalusioned with this news.

[NPC]

More details here http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14695665/ Its the Blu Ray laser diode that's the problem which does not look good for Blu Ray as a whole if its originators can't manufacture the component in sufficient quantities. Last I heard Nintendo were ahead of their production schedule on the Wii

[drterror666]

I don't think this is going to put people off who are already really interested in getting one.

[bladesew]

Well it's bound to put them off in the sense that they won't actually be able to buy it surely? :p

I don't fancy attempting to import a player either as the numbers they're releasing in the US and Japanese markets aren't too high - it'll cost a fortune.

Personally I only really play survival horror games and have Fahrenheit, Project Zero 2, Haunting Ground and a whole bunch of others to go through on PS2 before I even consider buying a new console. And I'm happy enough with the performance of my upscaling dvd player on a HD LCD TV to hold off on high-definition video for a while longer.

[mrb]

Survival horror is just Pac-Man slowed down and with Japanese zombies instead of coloured blobs. Love it.

[viva la gore]

This works out great for me as I intend to sell my xbox 360 just before christmas, that means I will get a better price on ebay now that no one will be buying the ps3 as christmas presents.:D

[Anthony1uk]

This works out great for me as I intend to sell my xbox 360 just before christmas, that means I will get a better price on ebay now that no one will be buying the ps3 as christmas presents.:D

Best bit of advice for selling your Xbox360 on ebay is to check beforehand if you have a Samsung DVD drive version of the console. People will pay a lot more for a Xbox360 if this is confirmed in the auction.

[bladesew]

Survival horror is just Pac-Man slowed down and with Japanese zombies instead of coloured blobs. Love it.

That's a brilliant description! :p

[NPC]

A 2.4% drop in Sony's share value yesterday, meaning their shares are now worth over 10% less than a year ago. If they are only going to be able to ship 500,000 PS3s this year it looks like a merry christmas for Microsoft and Nintendo. The problems manufacturing the laser diode also make me concerned for the longevity of parts in other machines, coupled with Blu discs susceptability to damage (the laser reads at a very shallow depth) and companies reluctance to apply the anti-scratch coating because of an additional cost of 28 cents per disc means Blu Ray is on the back foot in the format war. If manufacturers are able to get a new generation of cheaper HD players out before March the problems for Blu could be terminal

[viva la gore]

Best bit of advice for selling your Xbox360 on ebay is to check beforehand if you have a Samsung DVD drive version of the console. People will pay a lot more for a Xbox360 if this is confirmed in the auction.

Cheers for the advice! Nice one!:D
How would I go about checking that out?
I'll look in the instruction book.

Just looked on the net and there was a comparison between the Hitachi drive and the Samsung drive it's simple when you open the 360's disc drive the Hitachi tray will have little notches in it and the Samsung has'nt. Check it out.http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/Xbox_360_DVD_Drive_Comparison.htm
So don't go opening up your xboxes.

[G. Fieendish]

And so PlayStation 3 (potentally) joins PSX, UMD, Minidisc, Elcasette & Betamax in Sony's catalogue of technically brilliant products, that have proved a sales/marketing failure...:rolleyes:
No wonder they've diversified into into providing non-hardware based,
"Entertainment"....
I suspect that the introduction of Regional Coding, suspected to be introduced in the near future, if Disney gets it's way, will be the "Death Blow" to Blu-ray.....

[NPC]

I'm even less impressed by Blu after reading a technical article. The laser is 0.1mm from the disc and reads 0.1mm under the surface which means enormous sensitivity to fingerprints or damage, hence the need for the hard coating (which some studios are refusing to use because of the cost) and any jarring will either damage the disc or laser head. Its also a reason why double layer discs haven't appeared. HDDVD's greater tolerances mean less vulnerability and apparently means triple layer discs will appear. HDDVDs are also better coded (so far) than Blu which has stuck to the old MPEG2 but I still think the capacity on HDDVD is too low and two layer changes could bring hardware problems and require better placement of change points. If only they'd waited for holographic disc to be consumer viable

[Anthony1uk]

I'm even less impressed by Blu after reading a technical article. The laser is 0.1mm from the disc and reads 0.1mm under the surface which means enormous sensitivity to fingerprints or damage, hence the need for the hard coating (which some studios are refusing to use because of the cost) and any jarring will either damage the disc or laser head. Its also a reason why double layer discs haven't appeared. HDDVD's greater tolerances mean less vulnerability and apparently means triple layer discs will appear. HDDVDs are also better coded (so far) than Blu which has stuck to the old MPEG2 but I still think the capacity on HDDVD is too low and two layer changes could bring hardware problems and require better placement of change points. If only they'd waited for holographic disc to be consumer viable

For me i still dont think all these new technologies are needed. Not when the full ability of DVD still hasnt been really used yet.

All companies need to do for a quality DVD release. Is simply have a 2 DVD-9s set for their film releases. Disk 1 solely being for the film and completely fill all 8.5 Gigs of the disk with the film. Disk 2 solely for extra's. Which can also be optionally bought.

This is the perfect scanerio. And you can fit a very high qulity transfer of the film by doing this. But DVD makers want to now go onto release HDDVD and Blue ray?.

[SicCoyote]

And so PlayStation 3 (potentally) joins PSX,
Got a Bit confused here as PSX is the nick for the Playstation 1, but wiki helped me.

UMD, ... technically brilliant products,
UMD was never technically brilliant.

[SicCoyote]

For me i still dont think all these new technologies are needed. Not when the full ability of DVD still hasnt been really used yet.

All companies need to do for a quality DVD release. Is simply have a 2 DVD-9s set for their film releases. Disk 1 solely being for the film and completely fill all 8.5 Gigs of the disk with the film. Disk 2 solely for extra's. Which can also be optionally bought.

This is the perfect scanerio. And you can fit a very high qulity transfer of the film by doing this. But DVD makers want to now go onto release HDDVD and Blue ray?.

wtf? It has been used
The kind of thing that you specify has been done before and continues to be done with releases.

The new formats are about holding 1920x1200x24fps versions of films which can do with the new codec and the enhanced space.

I'm starting to think I'll be going with HDDVD.

[bladesew]

Yep you're talking about superbit style releases? These have high bitrates but are restricted to the same resolution as standard dvd. You can get WMV-HD dvd-roms which have HD transfers and can be played on PC connected up to a HD TV via DVI or VGA. This format has virtually no support and there are only a dozen or so major releases available (see amazon.de).

[Vaughan]

Why make two-discs? They have to be pressed, and obviously use twice as much materials - let alone special cases and whatnot. I'd swap a single disc for multidiscs any day of the week - if there was no loss of quality. Two disc sets simply won't be necessary - so why make them? Saying DVD hasn't been fully utilized yet, while at the same time saying releases need two discs, is disproving your own point, imo.

[MarcMorris]

BBC News: PlayStation 3 tackles home crowd (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5342836.stm)

[Companero]

I’m off to New York at the beginning of December and am really considering buying a PS3. Firstly, the UK/European model isn’t due until March 2007, at the earliest. Secondly, the 20G machine is expected to retail at £425 – its US counterpart is $499, which is £263 – a massive difference in price.

I wasn’t in a massive rush to get into next-generation DVD formats but at this price and considering Grand Theft Auto 4’s PS3 release in imminent, this is a bit of a no brainer for me.

[NPC]

Grand Theft Auto 4’s PS3 release in imminent

October next year

[Companero]

October next year

Damn and blast! Thanks for correcting my short-sightedness. :D

[NPC]

God knows how long PC owners will have to wait for it. Rockstar's next is the critic-baiting Bully http://www.rockstargames.com/bully/home/ Canis Canem Edit (Dog Eat Dog) in the UK. If you need a GTA knockoff Yakuza is highly rated on PS2 and I'm waiting for Just Cause to be delivered for PC

[Companero]

Yakuza? Thanks for the recommendation, mate.

[NPC]

Takashi Miike's promo films are here http://yakuza.sega-europe.com/en/main.html and he's going to be expanding them for a feature

[SicCoyote]

buying a PS3 ... a no brainer ... me.

Yup

I hate playstation, and more blue skies!

[NPC]

Looks like Sony are beginning to panic http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ahVmsiFSTWYg&refer=home

[Vaughan]

Yes - as usual, Microsoft are taking over the market. The PS3 will sell well, but Sony are - overall - losing touch. Putting Blu-Ray into this thing was a bad decision, clearly. They should have done what MS did and offered it as an add-on. They've drawn themselves into a corner now. They're going to undermine their new technology with these price cuts. Sony must be kicking themselves.

[Companero]

Yuo - as usual, Microsoft are taking over the market. The PS3 will sell well, but Sony are - overall - losing touch. Putting Blu-Ray into this thing was a bad decision, clearly. They should have done what MS did and offered it as an add-on. They've drawn themselves into a corner now. They're going to undermine their new technology with these price cuts. Sony must be kicking themselves.

The trouble is, the Playstation 3 utilises Blu Ray technology in the same way the Playstation 2 bettered its predecessor by embracing DVD technology. Without it, there probably wouldn’t have been a significant step up from the previous machine’s capabilities.

The truth of the matter is that both PS3 and Xbox 360 will utilise next generation HD formats, eventually. Whereas Sony are going out of the gates with Blu Ray incorporated, Microsoft will have to sell their punters an add on to play their state-of-the-art games, which is a bit of a blow when you’ve already spent £200 or £300 buying the console in the first place – a bit of a kick in the teeth, if you ask me.

The price that was stated for PS3’s UK launch was around £425, which is incredibly expensive, but at least those that buy into it know that they’ve not got to by an expensive add-on at a later date.

[Vaughan]

See, I don't see it that way at all, Comp. I think you're right in Sony's mind - but it's all gone wrong, imo.

First off, Sony could never get a real leg up by offering hi-def out of the gate because the Xbox 360 came out a long long time before. People don't see it as missing hi-def, it came out before hi-def was an issue. Sony missed the boat by not having a console that could compete graphically - but seem to ave gained nothing by waiting.

Second off - Sony wanted the PS3 to push blu-ray into the market. How to seed the market with your format over someone elses? You sell them a game console with the technology in it. Except, they seem to be having production problems, and now the entire console is ealyed again and again.

Thirdly, MS offering a hi-def player as an add-on will allow them lower the cost of the unit, and to release the unit when it most matter to the market - when people are calling for it, rather than as a huge marketing exercise to generate interest. The MS upgrade will be cheaper too, since you're only going to be paying for the player, not everything else. An Xbox + hi-def player will likely cost less than the Sony unit at the end of the day.

Fourthly - I'm not convinced the majority of gamers care too much about Blu-ray. The Xbox 360 offers similar graphics etc - and the games seem to be holding up pretty well using DVD. Are people going to truly see the benefit? If so, when?

I just don't think the add-on for MS will be that expensive. It's esepcially nice because people can pay for it when they want it, rather than having to get it and pay more right off the bat.

This might have worked for Sony, but it doesn't seem to be panning out. People want the Sony for better graphics etc, I really don't see people buying it just because it's got blu-ray. When it comes to hi-def gaming, the Xbox 360 already does it, and has been doing it for months.

In my opinion Sony should have put out the nex box much sooner, they've given MS too big a lead time. With the new delays, it's just getting worse. MS must be loving it. They won't beat Sony overnight, but it's clear that the cracks are starting to show. MS could well afford to cut the price of their console on the eventual PS3 release to make that console look even more stupid.

We'll see, but I seriously doubt Sony are happy with their share price falling with each announcement of a delay.

Just my opinion of course, could be wrong ;)

[NPC]

The Xbox 360 is nowhere on the Japanese market, it was outsold there over the past year by the Gamecube! Neither the 360 or the PS3 needed a high def drive from a gaming point of view, just a gimmick in the case of the former and an attempt to get Blu Ray into houses in the case of the latter

[Companero]

I see where you’re coming from completely and I agree with some of the points you made, mate. There’s no doubt that the majority of gamers couldn’t give a toss about the PS3 having Blu Ray at this point. Also, the lead time that Microsoft have enjoyed since the Xbox’s launch last year has really helped MS gain massive momentum in the console market.

You mention that how well the Xbox 360 has done in terms of utilising DVD technology for next generation gaming – and again, there is no denying this at all. I just wasn’t very clear in the point I was trying to make…

The Playstation II was built to incorporate DVD technology, but the majority of games released on the format in the first 6 months/year, were still CD ROM-based. It wasn’t until games developers started to push the boundaries of the console and the storage capacity of DVD, that there was a REAL significant step forward in the evolution of gaming,

At the point of release, there’s no doubt that the games released at the launch of PS3 will be any better than Xbox 360. However, when the developers manager to get to grips with the Blu Ray is when we’ll see the machine unleash it’s full capabilities.

[Vaughan]

True. But you win market share territories at a time. Japanese gamers are being very critical of the PS3 and Sony right now. The worm is turning, and the time is ripe for an MS master stroke. It won't happen overnight. Some analysts are suggesting there could be a swing of up to 20% toward the Xbox because of Sony's mistakes. That's probably wildly off, but it does illustrate that the market is changing.

Filling a hi-def disc with content is going to severely increase development costs for games. Are people going to want to pay more for them, a lot more?
Also, if Blu-ray doesn't win the format war, then what value is it having one locked into the PS3?

[Vaughan]

True. But you win market share territories at a time. Japanese gamers are being very critical of the PS3 and Sony right now. The worm is turning, and the time is ripe for an MS master stroke. It won't happen overnight. Some analysts are suggesting there could be a swing of up to 20% toward the Xbox because of Sony's mistakes. That's probably wildly off, but it does illustrate that the market is changing.

Filling a hi-def disc with content is going to severely increase development costs for games. Are people going to want to pay more for them, a lot more?
Also, if Blu-ray doesn't win the format war, then what value is it having one locked into the PS3?

The PS3 will do very well, and it will lead the market. MS have a year on Sony though, and that can't be good. I just think that additional market is going to start to shrink. Frankly, I would be happy if there were a single console on the market. :D

[NPC]

Games machines get no real benefit from the type of optical drive since the read speed is much slower than a hard drive or RAM. Blu/HD only really offer games machines higher storage capacity and what game needs 15/25gb? The largest game on my PC hard drive is under 5gb and that runs at 2400x1600. Writing games that need this capacity will be hugely expensive and PS3 is only slightly less of a sod to write for than PS2. Xbox does not sell in Japan because the Japanese don't like first person shooters, the prefer RPGs. Nintendo looks very well positioned despite the Wii's low def graphics

[Rissos]

Blu/HD only really offer games machines higher storage capacity and what game needs 15/25gb?

That's a not-very-forward way of looking at things. Go back a few years, who would have thought a game would take more than a cd's worth of data? Development and advancement does not stop. Back in the 1970s, Bill Gates, of all people, said "I don't know why a computer would need more than 640K of memory". Now every PC has hundreds of thousands if not millions more than this.

[NPC]

My point is this generation of machines will be gone before games of this size appear

[Rissos]

I disagree. As Compagnero pointed out, the first games for the PS2 were distributed on cd - 700Mb or so. Now they fill a dvd of 4Gb, an increase of over 500%. Who is to say in 5 or 6 years times that games won't have expanded at the same rate?

[Companero]

The first games for the PS2 were distributed on cd - 700Mb or so. Now they fill a dvd of 4Gb, an increase of over 500%. Who is to say in 5 or 6 years times that games won't have expanded at the same rate?

that's what I think and I firmly believe the discision by Sony and Microsoft to embrace the HD formats is more out of expanding technology, rather than selling in HDD and Blu Ray. Granted, and especially on Sony's part, it's in their interests to get a specific HD format in the optimum number of households, but this most definitely isn't the only reason for its inclusion.

[Vaughan]

I'm not at all saying hi-def isn't needed - I question if it's needed NOW when there's a format war going on though. Games will fill the available space, although the cost of developing them is going to soar. Games won't be getting cheaper any time soon.

I do have issues with a console adopting a single format right now though.

[Rissos]

Games won't be getting cheaper any time soon.



I couldn't agree more. I was disgusted this week when I discovered that new xbox games now cost €75 /£50! A shocking price.

[bladesew]

Actually they don't fill these discs for the most part - NPC is right. Unless you have streaming hidef video incorporated into a game you simply don't need the extra space provided by the new formats. And streaming video went out with early playstation games like Novastorm. Even cut scenes, which in early PS1 games were streamed from the CD, were soon replaced with realtime graphics using the ingame engine which take much less memory.

There is a good argument for having a hd-dvd player in your games machine but I think this gap in the market will eventually be nabbed by media centre PCs. I think I'll probably buy one rather than a PS3.

[NPC]

You'd think Sony would have run out of feet to shoot themselves in by now but no http://ps3.qj.net/category/Gran-Turismo-HD/cid/1729 GTHD will apparently ship cheap but with almost all cars and tracks being purchased individually online, one site estimates the total cost for all as around $220

[Vaughan]

Oh man, they can try I suppose. Piracy on these will be, erm, huge.

[christats]

I said I would not buy a console on release again after the annoying Dreamcast debarcle.A good console that didn't quite make it.
I jumped in at the deep end with the Xbox 360,and just got the basic model a few months ago(and a Joytech RGB cable,as the supplied cable was as usual rubbish.)

I am quite happy playing about with the several 360 games I have now,and if add ons appear that bump up the total cost then so be it.i.e new drives/storage etc.
In hindsight I am glad I haven't waited to see what Sony and Nintendo have up their sleeves,as long as the 360 has an increase of releases and must have games,and maybe the price coming down of them abit,it will do well.

I don't worry about the Wii and PS3 at the moment with a 360 and ps2 to play games on.

[NPC]

PS3 imports have been banned thanks to the British legal system http://www.gearlive.com/index.php/news/article/sony-bullies-lik-sang-out-of-business-1025129/ Coming soon body cavity searches by Sony agents at British airports (you could have a rumble pack hidden). Global trade? Free market economy? Not when corporate greed rules

Sony have announced the shipment figures for PS3 to Japan and the US are only "a target". Soon to become an aspiration, shortly before they're declared a lie

[Pecker]

As soon as a French company trying to import the PS3 screams "RESTRAINT OF TRADE!", the EU will have this British judge's ruling effectively overturned.

Steve W

[SicCoyote]

Boycot Sony, that's what to do, Die.

[NPC]

Queueing begins in Japan http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6135452.stm?ls

[will graham]

Here is a disturbing report on Japan's ps3 launch:

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/top/foreigners-and-fights-ps3-jpn-launchs-dark-side-214130.php

[christats]

Blimey,greed culture strikes again.Is it the fault of every console manufacturer at launch.? Not having enough for demand so creating a bigger frenzied demand.
So that slimey b*ggers take advantage.
It was'nt quite the same with Xbox 360,but that was an evil Western invention.
Whats the fascination with PS3,....at launch.?
I may succumb to one eventually but only when its been out a year and goes down by £100,(I don't think.)

[SicCoyote]

Who cares, Early adopters are stupid.

It's all about thew money, how better to say that than have a scalper as your prized 'first buyer' lol

[NPC]

There's a PS3 on ebay bid up to £1100 with 90 minutes to go.

[zanner]

jesus, £1100, that's spoilt kids for you...:rolleyes:

[Grant]

I'll have ten of them. For nowt.

[zanner]

what, ps3's or kids...:eek:

[CJ34]

The only time I was ever an early adopter was with DVD. I wanted that so bad and could see the immediate benefits, that I jumped straight in.

Usually, though, I'm behind everyone else. I never buy consoles on release and if I plan to buy one, I wait till they're around the £100 mark, then I might buy one. Like I did with the PS2.

Saying all that, I'm still very happy with my PS2 - I'm not a hardcore gamer and I've never been one to rave about graphics. A good game is a good game, regardless of format or specs.

[drterror666]

I just think all this is madness. I went to eBay and saw what spoilt, rich b*****ds are going to be getting for Xmas. It makes you wonder what the world is coming to!

I mean, take a step back and have another look. We live in a world that's fast destroying itself through industrial greed/consumer apathy, with poverty and climate problems on the rise. Is the bloody PS3 that important? I just don't know how anyone can justify in excess of £1000 for a games console. Is it going to be that much better gameplay wise than the PS2? Fancy graphics do not cover up a crap game.

I think I'll stick with my PC.

[Vaughan]

You know what, Dr. Other than role playing games online, video gaming hasn't progressed gameplay wise over the last twenty years. Honestly. Racing games are the same as they ever were - it's only the graphics that have gotten better. Football games? Sure they used to blocks and now they're little men running about, but when it comes to playing a game of football, the new games are no more "fun". That's my opinion, anyway.

[zanner]

I just think all this is madness. I went to eBay and saw what spoilt, rich b*****ds are going to be getting for Xmas. It makes you wonder what the world is coming to!

I mean, take a step back and have another look. We live in a world that's fast destroying itself through industrial greed/consumer apathy, with poverty and climate problems on the rise. Is the bloody PS3 that important? I just don't know how anyone can justify in excess of £1000 for a games console. Is it going to be that much better gameplay wise than the PS2? Fancy graphics do not cover up a crap game.

I think I'll stick with my PC.

a similar thing happened last yr with the limited release x-box 360, people on pee-bay were spalshing out up to £700 to bag one...ferkin idiots...:rolleyes:

[bladesew]

Racing games are the same as they ever were - it's only the graphics that have gotten better.

Realistic physics and force-feedback controls have made a massive difference to racing games. Go back and play Pole Position. Then play Gran Turismo.

[will graham]

Don't forget Mario Kart!

Still think he has a point with the Football games. Actually thinking about it they've gotten worse since they went 3d.

[drterror666]

W-e-l-l, I think I'll have to agree with Black on this one. I mean, you can use a steering wheel with the ancient Pole Position just like you could in the arcades of yore. I seem to remember some of the games in the arcade used to have that force feedback effect. However, I digress. Graphically, much has changed with games, but game play wise it's a different story.

I still play Duke Nukem 3D!

[NPC]

Game compatibility problems http://www.ft.com/cms/s/eb85ab42-73f5-11db-8dd7-0000779e2340.html Tonight the tally now stands at over 200 titles with PS3 problems

[christats]

Football games? Sure they used to blocks and now they're little men running about, but when it comes to playing a game of football, the new games are no more "fun". That's my opinion, anyway.

Some football games have got alittle bit more fun,(Pro Evolution Soccer,although they are starting to milk it.A manager game combined would be nice.)

Some are not fun,(for me.)Fifa.

Some games may look better but are worse.Maximo is no Ghouls and Ghosts.I like it but I wanted to like it more.
Racing games,I only like the simple arcadey ones and if they look better,Project Gotham then I can't complain.

I'd still play Sensible World of Soccer on the Amiga if I had the time.

[Vaughan]

--Realistic physics and force-feedback controls have made a massive difference to racing games. Go back and play Pole Position. Then play Gran Turismo.--

Well, I disagree :) If you wanted realism, you'd have gone for some of the old PC Nascar games. Now, of course modelling has gotten "better", but is the game more "fun" for it? Not for me. But so called "realistic physics" have been sold to us since the dawn of PC gaming. It started with flight sims, and then migrated to racing. I honestly don't think they make games any more enjoyable, and I bet the old PC games weren't so far off in the things that truly matter.

Force-Feed controls? Well, I have an Xbox, I don't know if you count that. However, I don't find that vibrating helps much of anything at all. In fact sometimes it's plain inappropriate. It certainly does not make for better gameplay for me. A couple of games I've just turned it off :D

I've been playing football games for years - and EA's FIFA title isn't anywhere near as sophisticated as PC soccer games from many years ago. In fact, it's borderline retarded on stats and such. It sure looks pretty, and gameplay mechanics are sweet. So there's good and bad.

I think you have to think about those hours and hours of entertainment one hopes to get from a game. For that, I notice no difference between Xbox games and games of yore. I really don't.

[bladesew]

Advances in technology can make games more of an immersive experience. While there is active retrogaming market out there I would challenge someone to sit down and play something like Centipede for four hours as opposed to Half-life.

And yes, Pole Position had a steering wheel but the experience was like driving a shopping trolley! :p

[drterror666]

Sensible Soccer remains king! :cool:

[Vaughan]

--Advances in technology can make games more of an immersive experience. --

See, I well remember Centipede, and I well remember - at the time of its release for home use - sitting there for hours and hours. I thought it was fantastic. People wouldn't do it now because they've been seduced by pretty pictures (Besides, Half Life is a different type of game entirely).

[drterror666]

Game compatibility problems http://www.ft.com/cms/s/eb85ab42-73f5-11db-8dd7-0000779e2340.html Tonight the tally now stands at over 200 titles with PS3 problems

Sony lied to us all! This is not going to do them any favours!

[drterror666]

--Advances in technology can make games more of an immersive experience. --

See, I well remember Centipede, and I well remember - at the time of its release for home use - sitting there for hours and hours. I thought it was fantastic. People wouldn't do it now because they've been seduced by pretty pictures (Besides, Half Life is a different type of game entirely).

I remember when I had a game called Star Raiders (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Raiders) for my Atari 2600. It came with a touchpad and I thought it was truly cutting edge!

[bladesew]

People wouldn't do it now because they've been seduced by pretty pictures.

Mate, seriously, that sounds like a direct quote from the Taliban. :p

[drterror666]

LOL, now that's comedy! :D

[tall dude]

I very rarely play the ps2 these days,and when i do i find myself harking back to the old retro games of yesteryear. Sega classics collection(updated versions of old faves like golden axe,outrun,etc) Space invaders anniversary collection, atari anthology(some of the games on this really do need to be seen to be believed!):eek: Midway arcade treasures series,etc.

I do have a soft spot for soldier of fortune and cold winter!

Justifying paying great wads of cash for a games system that,no doubt will be a damn site cheaper sometime next year...... can it be justified?
Its a society of want=get,at whatever cost. Apart from my house, obviously!:D

[zanner]

if you want retro games talldude, go for a Wii...:eek: ..as you can download thousands upon thousands of retro/older games to play (which are our faves)...:cool:

[tall dude]

Sorry zanner, but your last post has confused me...go for a wii...what?;)

[zanner]

Sorry zanner, but your last post has confused me...go for a wii...what?;)

a nintendo Wii mate...:cool:

[Anthony1uk]

if you want retro games talldude, go for a Wii... ..as you can download thousands upon thousands of retro/older games to play (which are our faves)...

Or go to the home of the underdogs site.

They have every old retro game downloadable legally and for free there.

(the games have been decided by the copyright holder to be no longer sellable so are offered free under public domain).

Also in terms of old games. I remember playing the very first Championship Manager game on my old amiga for literally days on end. Sometimes even missing sleep some nights just because i could not stop playing this.

And this simply had a bunch of text on a screen, no graphics whatsoever so graphics is not the be all and end all.

But in terms of games nowdays I simply can not stop playing the amazing Canis Canem Edit game for my PS2, which easily is one of the best games for the PS2 behind Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil 4.

[tall dude]

a nintendo Wii mate...:cool:

Retro in game, retro in nature,thats me. Sheesh. i've never heard of a nintendo wii...... I'll go back to sleep now.:rolleyes:

[zanner]

never heard of a nintendo Wii, there's a thread about it on this very forum...nowt wrong with retro mate...:cool:

[mrb]

I played through every level on RAMPAGE (on midway arcade treasures) a couple of months back in one sitting, apart from a couple of loo breaks. I think it took about 5 or 6 hours. It finishes in outer space. Oh yes.

[zanner]

my quickest game completion was about 5 hrs for SHOX on the ps2...:eek:

[drterror666]

Or go to the home of the underdogs site.

They have every old retro game downloadable legally and for free there.

(the games have been decided by the copyright holder to be no longer sellable so are offered free under public domain).

Yes, they'll tell you anything these days. I think using the word 'legally' in there is a bit shaky.

[NPC]

Latest PS3 news http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/15/business/AS_TEC_Japan_PlayStation.php profiteers fail to become richer than Croesus shock

[jockfun28]

Latest news Playstation 3 isnt compatible with ps2 or ps1 disc's it has been announced today & am sure it will cause a lot of problems apparently Sony are hoping Casino Royale will offset the defficit caused by PS3, looks like the Turkey has come early for Sony this Christmas & they are selling it

[Anthony1uk]

Latest news Playstation 3 isnt compatible with ps2 or ps1 disc's it has been announced today & am sure it will cause a lot of problems
Hi, Jockfun can i ask do you by chance have the link to the original article for this as I would very much like to read this one.

As it would literally be ritual suicide for Sony to do this now after it was basing a large proportion of its sales on the fact that PS3 would be 100% backwards compatable whereas they said Xbox360 is very poor at backwards compatibiliity.

[jockfun28]

http://www.imdb.com/news/sb/2006-11-15/

There you go

[NPC]

There are over 200 titles (sorry no list) Sony aims to fix them with online patches the same way Microsoft has (sort of) done with Xbox/360 problems.

New problem with the PS3, games are apparently running at 720p and if connected to a 1080i screen without 720p support they downscale to 480p instead of upscaling to 1080. This has been seen on Resistance, NHL, Tiger Woods and NFS Carbon

Even more good news for Sony http://www.playfuls.com/news_05202_PlayStation_3_Doomed_Launch_in_the_US.html but the queues have begun http://www.dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=250386

[NPC]

Bankrupt Sony-buy a PS3 with no software, its losing $241 on every premium and $306 on every standard one.

Game compatibility checker is up http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/CompatibleStatus

[Pecker]

I've been looking at ways of getting into both HD formats as cheaply as possible.

The HD-DVD players are cheap enough to pursuade 'the missus'.

With the PS3 being a similar price, and the little girl having a PS2, it's not been too difficult to get that one sorted either.

I'll have a smile as big as the Mississippi when I buy the PS3, knowing that Sony are subsidising my enjoyment of Blu Ray to the tune of a couple of hundred pounds. :D

The little girl doesn't buy too many games, either.

Steve W

[MarcMorris]

I take it you've not seen the review of the PS3 in the latest Home Cinema Choice then?

[drterror666]

The reviews I've read seem to give it the green light, bar a few techie issues. Is the HCC review praising or scathing? I'll have to seek it out the next time I'm in Smiths.

[Pecker]

I take it you've not seen the review of the PS3 in the latest Home Cinema Choice then?

No.

Have you? :D

C'mon MM, spill t'beans, lad.

Steve W

[CJ34]

I've said this over on the Toshiba HD thread, but it's worth repeating here too, I reckon:

The launch of HD has been nothing short of disastrous IMO. As far as I'm concerned, by now HD should have taken hold within the market and we'd all be seriously considering making the upgrade. This ludicrous format war is just delaying everything and causing unnecessary confusion. Everyone involved are nothing short of idiots IMO. They could be making a packet now with everyone re-buying some of their libraries in HD and enjoying HD on new TV's and players. But no, they have to mess everything up with a format war. If there were no competing formats, I think I would've done the upgrade by now. So there's one lost sale here already - and how many more while they fart around trying to figure out what the hell they're doing?

[bladesew]

I take it you've not seen the review of the PS3 in the latest Home Cinema Choice then?

Didn't know this was out yet - 23rd was streetdate for the latest issue. So, what's the verdict?

[Vaughan]

I didn't even know it's been launched, CJ :D

Meaning, it's just not come out with a BANG. I'm waiting for the format war to quiten down, and for confirmation of all the things I want to be received. I've not seen a single disc for sale in stores either.

[G. Fieendish]

Re: CJ34's comment
Of course it is...:rolleyes:
Thanks to Sony et al trying to promote BluRay, which was a Japan-only format, (at least in it's First Generation form), internationally...
Ironically, Toshiba tried to hold talks with Sony over a possible compromise format, which the DVD Forum would recognise, (Blu-ray is not recgonised as a DVD "Sucessor" format by said forum), said talks collapsed, reportedly due to Sony's demands....
Coupled with Draconian Digital Rights Management & the return of Regional Coding (reportedly insisted on by Disney, after Sony had bought 400 million dollars of Disney shares, so that Disney would support Blu-Ray) , the average viewer would be better off with a upscaling DVD player...

[SicCoyote]

I've seen the discs in HMV there's about one row of them at the mo with about 20 titles.
Like the boxes, nice and compact.

[Grant]

Like UMB then>

[NPC]

review http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/gamesgear/consoles/0,39030300,49283982,00.htm

[NPC]

In a rare outbreak of common sense Sony have canned Gran Turismo HD, this game would have been Sony's first attempt to introduce microtransactions meaning the full game with all car/track variations would have cost over $200!

Why are you wasting your time thinking about a PS3? Start saving now for the PS4 due in 2010 according to rumours from Japan

[drterror666]

Yes, the PS4 that will rely completely on downloadable content! You what!

[Pecker]

Sony have already said they want PS3 to last for 10 years.

Some PS3 games will be pure downloads. For example, as I underrstand it the SINGSTAR karaoke 'game' will not require anyone to buy a disc - you'll just download the individual tracks from the PS3 STORE.

Steve W

[drterror666]

Yes, the PS3 SingStar kinda p!ssed me off! What if you don't want to connect the thing up to BB? My partner and I love belting out our voices to SingStar and we know that they're going to stop producing it for the PS2 sooner or later.

[NPC]

PS3s are easier for some to get than others http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/politics/prime-minister-tony-blairs-ps3-scandal-224812.php

[Vaughan]

--Sony have already said they want PS3 to last for 10 years.--

:D Funniest thing I've read in ages. As soon as MS move the goalposts (or Nintendo) Sony will have to move. Ten years..... :D

[viva la gore]

Does anyone think that the PS3 will be hard to get your hands on, like the Xbox 360 was upon release also the Nintendo Wii?
Its eems to me it will be thats why I told my mate to order three of them so he can make a quick few quid on eBay.
I hope I am not wrong.

[NPC]

Depends whether Sony produce enough to fulfill demand. Personally I think speculators will lose out this time, the price is high and negative publicity has been large

[viva la gore]

I did'nt want to hear that lets hope you are wrong for my sake.

[Companero]

Does anyone think that the PS3 will be hard to get your hands on, like the Xbox 360 was upon release also the Nintendo Wii?
Its eems to me it will be thats why I told my mate to order three of them so he can make a quick few quid on eBay.
I hope I am not wrong.

The limited availabilty of initial stock is a deliberate marketing tool used by all the games console manufacturers. They know that there'll be a media circus surrounding the launch - with news crews and journalists interviewing those that have chosen to camp outside shops. The attention given is massive and it costs these companies NOTHING - the coverage is so huge that even people that wouldn't generally know anything about gaming are talking about it (i.e. my girlfriend - never talks about games but mentioned both Xbox 360 and the Wii when they were in the news).

This has been going on for years and the media fall for it EVERY time!

[viva la gore]

Cool. We have both been invited to the lauch at 12 oclock He is gonna keep one and sell the other two for a profit.

[CJ34]

He might be lucky enough to turn a profit - but I reckon he'll have to be quick off the mark, as other business-minded people will probably be doing the same. Let's hope he does make some money off it - for your sake! :p

[Vaughan]

I don't know, I think ordering three just so you can profit from them is rather lame. Why not let the people that really want this system order and get it for a fair price? Everyone's looking to rip of someone else, it seems. :rolleyes:

[CJ34]

Everyone's looking to rip of someone else, it seems. :rolleyes:
My sentiments exactly. But, like I say, since Viva has advised his friend this way, I felt that, for his sake, it would be good if his friend turned a profit. If he doesn't, Viva might find himself short of a friend!

Me - I couldn't afford, right now, to buy three PS3's. I think I'd be hard pushed to even buy one at the moment. But I have a PS2. It's still fun. I'm happy enough. :)

[weegieboi]

IMO your mate would be a fool Viva.....it's a helluva gamble....many people in the US doing the same were left with systems that they then sold for cost or less than cost price....there shouldn't be any shortages Sony really can't afford a repeat of the Jap/US launch fiasco also as someone else has pointed out there has been a heck of a lot of bad mouth for Sony and the PS3 which will affect Euro sales....also take in the fact that there really is no killer games yet....there are heaps of PS3's on the shelfs in Jap/US now as no-one wants the bloody thing......@ your own (high) risk is the advice i'd give your mate
:)

[zanner]

some japanese sellers on ebay were selling these systems a couple of months ago...ready for immediate delivery...dunno if they still are.

[NPC]

Gabe Newell appears not to be a fan of the PS3 http://news.spong.com/article/11511?cb=426 Valve are still going to issue Half Life 2 for it though

[viva la gore]

IMO your mate would be a fool Viva.....it's a helluva gamble....many people in the US doing the same were left with systems that they then sold for cost or less than cost price....there shouldn't be any shortages Sony really can't afford a repeat of the Jap/US launch fiasco also as someone else has pointed out there has been a heck of a lot of bad mouth for Sony and the PS3 which will affect Euro sales....also take in the fact that there really is no killer games yet....there are heaps of PS3's on the shelfs in Jap/US now as no-one wants the bloody thing......@ your own (high) risk is the advice i'd give your mate
:)

I guess we will have to wait and see. I will be listing one of the consoles on eBay on a 7 day auction about 5 days before the official U.K release date to U.K bidders only with free P&P no reserve price. I am confident that a profit will be made. I really dont think it will be a "helluva" gamble as he is keeping one for himself and would be happy if he coulkd make enough to pay for his.

[drterror666]

Zanner's disastrous Hellraiser cube sale comes to mind.

[viva la gore]

We will see.

[NPC]

March 23 http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2001310000-2007040100,00.html http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20/2007/01/24/much-maligned-playstation-3-finally-makes-it-to-europe/

[Pecker]

A few links have been posted at the A/V forums to news from Japan that sales are low.

Some stores are offering 20% off (at a price much lower than the predicted UK release price), but piles of them are still lying around unsold in shops.

Steve W

[Rissos]

And a quick point for Ion prices: It will cost €30 more in Ireland than anywhere else in the Eurozone : €629.99 instead of €599 in the rest of the EU. The UK seems to be even more expensive. £425 is €650.

[weegieboi]

Ray Maguire, Sony Computer Entertainment's UK boss, said: "Following the hugely successful launches of PS3 in Japan and North America, we are absolutely delighted to be able to bring significant numbers of PS3 to the UK.

"To be able to launch with over 30 titles including retail versions and great downloadable gaming experiences across every genre shows that this is our strongest launch line-up in the history of PlayStation.


Aye right......."strongest launch line up in the history of Playstation" who the hell is he trying to kid with that bull hyperbole?..........the official launch titles are below:


PLAYSTATION 3 LAUNCH TITLE LINE-UP

Resistance: Fall of Man™ - SCEE - Disc
MotorStorm - SCEE - Disc
Genji : Days of the Blade - SCEE - Disc
Formula One Championship Edition - SCEE - Disc
Ridge Racer 7 - SCEE - Disc
Tekken : Dark Resurrection - SCEE - Network
Lemmings™ - SCEE - Network
Go! Sudoku - SCEE - Network
Go! Puzzle - SCEE - Network
Blast Factor™ - SCEE - Network
flOw - SCEE - Network
Super Rub'a'Dub - SCEE - Network
Call of Duty 3 - Activision UK Ltd - Disc
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance - Activision UK Ltd - Disc
Tony Hawk's Project 8 - Activision UK Ltd - Disc
Gundam - Target in Sight - Namco Bandai Games - Disc
Full Auto 2: Battle Lines - Sega Europe Ltd - Disc
Sonic the Hedgehog - Sega Europe Ltd - Disc
Virtua Fighter 5 - Sega®Europe Ltd - Disc
Virtua Tennis 3 - Sega®Europe Ltd - Disc
World Snooker Championship 2007 - Sega®Europe Ltd - Disc
NBA 2K7 - Take 2 International SA - Disc
NHL 2K7 - Take 2 International SA - Disc
Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWll - Ubisoft Entertainment SA - Disc
Enchanted Arms - Ubisoft Entertainment SA - Disc
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent - Ubisoft Entertainment SA - Disc
The Elder Scrolls lV: Oblivion - Ubisoft Entertainment SA - Disc
Def Jam: Icon - Electronic Arts Ltd - Disc
Fight Night Round 3 - Electronic Arts Ltd - Disc
NBA Street 4 Homecourt 2007 - Electronic Arts Ltd - Disc
Need for Speed Carbon - Electronic Arts Ltd - Disc
The Godfather: The Don's Edition - Electronic Arts Ltd - Disc
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 - Electronic Arts Ltd - Disc
Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom - Electronic Arts Ltd - Disc
F.E.A.R. Vivendi - Universal Games Intl SA - Disc
Gripshift - Sony Online Entertainment - Network


NOW out of that "strongest launch line up in the history of Playstation" when broken down means:

PS3 exclusive titles:

Resistance: Fall of Man - SCEE - Disc
MotorStorm - SCEE - Disc
Genji : Days of the Blade - SCEE - Disc
Formula one Championship Edition- SCEE - Disc
Ridge Racer 7 - SCEE - Disc

Titles been out for a year on other formats:

Splinter Cell DA - 360/pc/Xbox/ps2/wii/cube
Oblivion - 360/pc
Fear - 360/pc
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance - 360/PC
Tony Hawk's Project 8 - 360/PC
The Godfather - 360/pc/Xbox/ps2/wii/
Need for Speed Carbon - 360
Enchanted Arms - 360
Full Auto 2: Battle Lines - 360

So....umm yeah that IS the greatest launch line up in gaming history WAY to go Sony! :D

[christats]

I'm already happily playing some of those on an Xbox 360.
As long as it dosn't melt thats the way it will be.
I no longer view gaming as something I do every spare moment,the way I used to in my youth.
A console will be out for at least a year before I even consider it.
(The Xbox 360 was bought on a wim and wasn't £500.It will do me for now.)

[NPC]

300,000 machines for the UK and 700,000 for the rest of Europe

[Pecker]

The initial launch will be the 60gb version only, with SONY waiting to see how the market develops before releasing the 20gb...

...for which read "Making sure the impatient part with more cash than they need to".

:D

Steve W

[Rissos]

I suspect that even if both systems were available, that most people buying for themselves would go for the 60gig option anyway.

[Rissos]

I put a deposit down for a pre-order yesterday. For those in Ireland who are interested, Xtravision are guaranteeing delivery for anyone that pre-orders, but they will not have any extra for sale on the day.

[bladesew]

Article on poor sales.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aOYe.gJii7CU&refer=home

[drterror666]

Well, they well and truly buggered that launch up then!

[NPC]

Sony's losses on the games division now add up to nearly $2billion, mostly from the PS3. The company still turned in an overall profit of $1.5billion, thanks to its other activities. How long do they expect investors to stomach the profitable sections subsidising the unprofitable. Not as bad as Microsoft whose gaming section is now $4billion in the red.

I suspect Sony will stage the launch so the machine "sells out" on release day but is miraculously back in stock within a week. They won't want a repeat of the violence, profiteering and even shootings that occurred in the US, maybe this'll be the chance to offload all the unsold US stock

[drterror666]

I bet viva la gore is loving this! I hope you do well selling your stuff...

[NPC]

Rumours of a price cut in the US. The PS2 outsold the 3 in Japan last Christmas.

[Vaughan]

--How long do they expect investors to stomach the profitable sections subsidising the unprofitable. --

If it's the same division, then for a long time. Meaning - we all know they lose money on the hardware but make it on the software. If the hardware loses are swamped by the software profits, then it's a-ok. If not, there's a problem. They always planned to make profits this way.

Still, at the current prices I'd not bother upgrading. You can get pretty good PC's for 400 quid or so at the moment. 300 for a gaming console and games at around the 50 quid mark when releases isn't compelling.

[Pecker]

The surprise with that article is the lack of mention of Blu-Ray in relation to the losses.

Sales have so far been tiny, and the format must have cost a few bob to develop. Maybe SONY don't mind losing the BD v HD-DVD format war, as they'd have had to develop BD technology anyway, just to make PS3 as powerful as it is?

I pre-ordered mine today at HMV in Huddy. I'm 3rd on the list, so unless supply is so poor that they get 2 or fewer units, I'll get mine on Day 1.

Steve W

[NPC]

You're quite right the losses and price of PS3 are attributable to Blu, a format which is simply not necessary for the PS3 to work as a games console. Blu was originally developed as a computer data storage disc and the discs were encased in plastic covers like floppies as the surface was too fragile for domestic use. Then some genius came up with the idea of hard coat and someone decides this will be the way Sony will rack up endless royalties like JVC did with VHS, only things don't seem to be working out that way. So far the Wii is selling more than double the number of PS3s. Think how much happier all prospective customers would have been with a HDDVD PS3 with a much lower price tag.

[Vaughan]

I think it's important to realize that while Blu-Ray has application in hi-def DVD, it also has a lot of application within the computer industry. DVD has been overrun due to the limited space. Once the drives are more readily available at a cheaper price, and recordable, then the format can truly take off - and we'll see a lot of market penetration.

Also, the sales and marketing of hi-def DVD has been attrocious. I've seen some print ads, but nothing on TV other than Sky.

[Pecker]

They're just warming up. At this stage/price they know that only early adopters will buy, and that these people don't need advertising to know what's going on.

When £100 Chinese HD-DVD players hit Sainsbury's, expect to see a bigger push.

BTW, on the mass market front, apparently some Asda stores have started stocking HD-DVD & BD discs.

Steve W

[CJ34]

I'm ready for the next generation of DVD...but there's still too much confusion over the two competing formats. Whic way to go? I'm inclined, at this stage, to believe that HD-DVD will win. It really does look as if Sony are resigning themselves to the fact that Blu-Ray is going to be pretty much a PS3 exclusive. This could all change at any given moment though. Overall I've been hugely unimpressed by the way the launch of HD has been handled - in all departments. Not consumer friendly at all. Abysmal. It's a wonder they've sold anything.

[MarcMorris]

Actually, after a slow start, it seems Blu-Ray software sales have now overtaken those of HD-DVD.

Blu-ray films outsell HD-DVD by 2 to (http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2174071/blu-ray-films-outsell-hd-dvd)

I'm still not convinced myself. HD-DVD is way cheaper to manufacture.

Here's an interesting article (http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128742-c,dvddrivesmedia/article.html).

[NPC]

I just don't trust the coating on Blu, if it goes the discs will be useless. If the coating actually lasts and performs as specified it will break all precedents for a coating of its type. Maybe it will, new substances do appear, there were no vinyl LPs before 1948 and they've lasted. If the coating should fail either en masse or in misapplied batches then it would just about finish Sony off.

[MarcMorris]

DURABIS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durabis

http://www.durabis.com/en/index.htm

Hard-coating technology

Because the Blu-ray Disc standard places the data recording layer close to the surface of the disc, early discs were susceptible to contamination and scratches and had to be enclosed in plastic caddies for protection. The consortium worried that such an inconvenience would hurt Blu-ray Disc's market adoption. Blu-ray Discs now use a layer of protective material on the surface through which the data is read.

Both Sony and Panasonic replication methods include proprietary hard-coat technologies. Sony's rewritable media are sprayed with a scratch-resistant and antistatic coating.

TDK also announced a way to remedy the problem in January 2004 with the introduction of a clear polymer coating that gives Blu-ray Discs substantial scratch resistance. The coating was developed by TDK and is called "Durabis". It allows BDs to be cleaned safely with only a tissue. The coating is said to successfully resist "wire wool scrubbing" according to Samsung Optical technical manager Chas Kalsi. It is not clear, however, whether discs will use the Durabis coating or if the use of the coating will prove too expensive.

Since the claims of Chas Kalsi, several videos have appeared on YouTube of people testing these claims, usually on copies of Talladega Nights included as freebies with some PS3 units. The results seem to support Kalsi entirely with the disk undergoing extensive Steel wool scrubbing and vicous attacks with pens and pizza cutters and still achieving normal playback on the PS3 console.

Verbatim announced in July 2006 that their Blu-ray Disc recordable and rewritable discs would incorporate their hard-coat ScratchGuard technology which protects against scratches, abrasion, fingerprints, and traces of grease.

----

Will Blu-ray discs require a cartridge?


No, the development of new low cost hard-coating technologies has made the cartridge obsolete. Blu-ray will instead rely on hard-coating for protection, which when applied will make the discs even more resistant to scratches and fingerprints than today's DVDs, while still preserving the same look and feel. Blu-ray also adopts a new error correction system which is more robust and efficient than the one used for DVDs.

[NPC]

There's no doubt the coatings don't scratch but the problem according to someone with 30 years experience of these type of coatings is how long they last before they flake, peel or discolour

[Vaughan]

I recall the same fears about CD's, and then DVD's. Experience has proven very positive. I don't entirely understand why this is any different. It's just the same old stories circulating around such technologies, imo.

[Anthony1uk]

I have the same concerns as NPC about blueray.

The only way to be 100% sure it is effective is to wait for a few months after BlueRay DVD's are available on monthly online rental.

[NPC]

HMV ripoff http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6165373.html?sid=6165373

[Rissos]

HMV ripoff http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6165373.html?sid=6165373

That is a rip-off and will surely hurt them. Without the huge shortages that there was in the US, most people will simply look elsewhere.

[Pecker]

I've heard that's the case with online orders, but ordering in shop on Saturday it was just a £100 deposit on a £425 player.

I'm hoping 'Casion Royale' comes bundled with it.

Steve W

[Rissos]

Is there going to be a movie bundle? Talladega Nights was bundled in the US, but I haven't heard anything about a free disc in Europe.

[SicCoyote]

Well they have to cover the postage cost equivelant of a small car :D

[NPC]

The first half a million European PS3 owners to register on Playstation Network will get the Casino Royale Blu free

[drterror666]

If that's the registration you have to do via the Playstation website, I've already done it. Didn't want some yank nicking my monicker! I await my BD of Casino Royale!

[TheMallrat]

If that's the registration you have to do via the Playstation website, I've already done it. Didn't want some yank nicking my monicker! I await my BD of Casino Royale!

You don't get it for registering your name, you get it when you register the console.

[drterror666]

Ah, ha! Well, I won't be buying one just yet...

[hoezone]

You don't get it for registering your name, you get it when you register the console.


and to do that you will need a serial number from the console...

[Rissos]

If that's the registration you have to do via the Playstation website, I've already done it. Didn't want some yank nicking my monicker! I await my BD of Casino Royale!

I only heard about this yesterday, but luckily got in there in time (unlike on e-bay and the PSP network). There is only one real Rissos! ;)

[zanner]

my son went to town last weekend & went into gameatation, where they had a PS3 (which they'd bought from japan) and they were playing games on it, after about half an hour the police came in and confiscated it saying it was illegal at this moment in time...what a bunch of wan**s...:rolleyes:

[Companero]

my son went to town last weekend & went into gameatation, where they had a PS3 (which they'd bought from japan) and they were playing games on it, after about half an hour the police came in and confiscated it saying it was illegal at this moment in time...what a bunch of wan**s...:rolleyes:

Shouldn't they be out catching rapists and muggers, or something?

[Rissos]

I would hope that Gamestation kick up a huge fuss about this! It is NOT and cannot be illegal to import something from another country, with the exception of specifically prohibited items such as drugs or weapons. It's not even as if they were trying to sell it. The police probably just wanted a go themselves!
Ridiculous. :mad:

[bladesew]

Unless they were attempting to sell it (which I'm sure they weren't) this was completely out of order. Are you sure about that Zanner?

[zanner]

Unless they were attempting to sell it (which I'm sure they weren't) this was completely out of order. Are you sure about that Zanner?

yeah mate, well that's what my son said, (and he doesn't lie to me), also they definitely weren't selling it, just playing games on it.

[orgasmo]

police state.well not really but still bloody over the top.:eek:

[zanner]

i think they were gonna sell it on ebay...:D

[drterror666]

European PS3's aren't going to be able to play many PS2 games because Sony have taken the Emotion Engines out. This doesn't apply to the Japanese or US PS3's though. Sony loves you!

[Anthony1uk]

European PS3's aren't going to be able to play many PS2 games because Sony have taken the Emotion Engines out. This doesn't apply to the Japanese or US PS3's though. Sony loves you!

Yes, but it is still going to be £425. Which is very close to double that of the price in japan for one :mad: . (I was considering importing a Japanese PS3 but figured I'd wait to see what the UK version would bring).

[NPC]

Sony have taken out the PS2 hardware so PS2 game compatability will rely solely on software emulation on the European models which are substantially more expensive than US and Japanese. Value for money

[hoezone]

its still a bargain blu ray player though...

cant wait till next week.... big week for us instore ....and for me at home!!!

anyone else getting one?

[Pecker]

Oh yes.

I'm going to walk out of HMV on Friday with a £425 BD player which Sony will have subsidinsed to the tune of c.$200. :D

I can imagine the sales assistant shouting after me "You will remember to buy lots of games to pay that subsidy back, won't you?", at which point I'll break into a run, and laugh profusely.

Steve W

[Anthony1uk]

Oh yes.

I'm going to walk out of HMV on Friday with a £425 BD player which Sony will have subsidinsed to the tune of c.$200. :D

I can imagine the sales assistant shouting after me "You will remember to buy lots of games to pay that subsidy back, won't you?", at which point I'll break into a run, and laugh profusely.

Steve W
Go to Virgin instead as if you say you are a student you will get £40 off. (= £384.50)

If you are not a student. Its worth finding any kids you may be related to go with you and buy you one with the discount.

[Rissos]

Pre-ordered a month ago and will be first in queue when my local Xtravision opens on friday. Plan on picking up Resistance and Oblivion with it.

[bladesew]

Pre-ordered a month ago and will be first in queue when my local Xtravision opens on friday. Plan on picking up Resistance and Oblivion with it.

Plan again - Oblivion has been delayed until late next month.

As far as I can see there are only two titles worth picking up at launch - Resistance and Motorstorm. At least you get Tekken and Gran Turismo available from day one to download (although GT is only one track and you have to pay for Tekken).

[drterror666]

Plan again - Oblivion has been delayed until late next month.

It's definitely worth the wait! I've been playing Oblivion since last April and I've only just found everything (I think). The only thing that's stopping me playing it now is that my PSU blew up in my PC and I'm waiting for my shiny, new one to appear.

[Rissos]

Plan again - Oblivion has been delayed until late next month.

I didn't hear about that, but a quick search showed you're correct. Don't know why there's a delay as it went on sale in the US today and there is no region coding for games.
Looks like it's going to be Motorstorm then. I'm not going to bother with Tekken as I got fed up of the PSP version and can't see myself picking up any sort of fighter for a long time.
Called into my local store at lunch. The manager just had a voicemail, telling him to get in extra staff to work on thursday night to unpack and upload their computer system. They will be opening on Friday at nine, an hour earlier than usual. Gives me a slightly better chance of an early registration for Bond.

[NPC]

It's definitely worth the wait! I've been playing Oblivion since last April

The Shivering Isles expansion pack is out for PC on the 30th

[drterror666]

Yep, got it on pre-order. Now, if only my PSU would arrive so I can fix my PC!

[SicCoyote]

I've just ordered a new PSU a real beaut.

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/112897

Should serve me well, my £10 one is getting on my nerves with it's whining and wirring.

Also with this new one I should be able to install my 7600GS hopefully to stop my pc crashing randomly.

[NPC]

Don't expect miracles, they've still got a fairly noisy fan but you can't expect Seasonic performance at this price and Hiper are normally rock solid on voltage. Tried a 700w Tagan recently, apparently fitted with the turbine engine from an A10 Warthog

[SicCoyote]

Are you saying that something like this

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/104478

Would be a better bet?
Cause I could still cancel.

Also do I really need over 430W for running
a 7600GS Gfx Card, 4 HDDs, 1 DVD, 1 SatTV card, 1 Soundcard & a 3000 AMD Sempron

[NPC]

All the S12 series are great PSUs 430w should be OK but is a bit low if you want to use it after you upgrade again. Every Seasonic I've had my hands on has a quiet fan, high energy efficiency, unvwavering voltage and no compatability problems (unlike the Antec Phantom that hated Asus mobos) and a good guarantee. Don't forget you're also powering the motherboard and case fans, the 7600GS uses 67w peak, each HD uses about 35w, about 30w for the motherboard, about 30w for the optical drive. I recommend a 600w if its within your budget. While dual core chips use no more power than single core the graphics card makers are still pushing the limits of sanity with power consumption (the Nvidia 8800GTX uses 170w!) There are even a couple of 1kw PSUs available (Enermax) but I've yet to try one for noise.

[drterror666]

This is what I ordered (http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/view.asp?idx=223&code=015) as I don't want anything too fancy, just a PSU that works, and Zalman are a name I trust.

[NPC]

Its a good steady supply, well built and aimed at the gaming market but the heatpipe actually hinders airflow causing more heat and hence the fan has to work harder than it should making it a little noisier.

Have you considered the Corsair HX620W or HX520W, its basically a rebadged Seasonic

[drterror666]

Well, I have now fitted said Zalman into my PC and I'm dead impressed! The noise level is down to a low hum and the heat output of my PC has been drastically reduced. Oh, and the modular cable design is a master stroke.

My only problem is that my USB connectors don't work and I can't understand why. Everything else seems to be OK at the moment, plus the Device Manager isn't saying theirs a problem. Hmm...

[zanner]

apparently, according to the news, there will be no shortages of te ps3 console, unlike the Wii console, which is still so damn hard to get.

[christats]

Out of the initial line up of PS3 games,the 1 I feel like playing now is Virtua Tennis 3.I had such a good time with the previous 2 in the series on the Dreamcast.
Handy as I can get it on the Xbox 360,which I bought nearly a year ago.(Up to now it ain't melted.)
Tough choice £40 or £400+.
I went in HMV this lunchtime.X-men the last stand £29:eek: on blue ray.(I know online shopping and all that blah de blah.)
If people want to camp outside Virgin etc and part with £400+,good look to them.
Yes I fancy a Wii to go along with my 360,Woolies still had a unavailable notice.
I didn't buy the previous Playstations till they had been out
18 months or so.Same again.

[SicCoyote]

I am tempted by a 360
but by the time I seriously think about getting one
I'll probably just get a Core2 2Ghz+ PC with a series 8 gfx card that kicks it's ass.

And a cheap HD-DVD player.

[zanner]

right, we can have an auction for our Wii console, who'll start the bidding at £150...:eek:

[SicCoyote]

Does it come from a smoke-free home? :D ;)

[NPC]

First 100 punters at Virgin in London got a free 46" HDTV with their PS3!

And Sic, the E6600 chip is current best value, make sure you get 2GB of RAM and there are a range of 8800 cards due very soon (Nvidia have got fed up waiting for Ati to issue the R600). Since Vista is selling so badly its rumoured DX10 will be made available for XP. Allow some money for a better CPU cooler, Intel haven't changed their habit of stock coolers that sound like vaccuum cleaners

[SicCoyote]

I don't think I'll be upgrading my whole pc for a good number of months yet, unless I get a sudden cash windfall.

I'm sticking with the new PSU for now.

[Rissos]

Right! Got mine this morning. Turned up at opening and was 1st to pick it up after the employee who took his home last night. Been playing Resistance all morning. Gameplay is a little seen-it-before, with some nice touches, but visually it looks great. I also rented Fight Night Round 3 just to keep me going over the weekend. That is a seriously impressive game. Controls are a bit difficult to get used to, but oh-my God, the graphics. Faces of the fighters aren't picture perfect , but the bodies!- You can see every vein, every bead of sweat glinting in the light. This is what next-generation gaming is about.
I'm downloading the Motorstorm demo at the moment to see whether I think it's worth purchasing.

[Dracucarr]

How early was 'early' Rissos? At the Town yesterday I noticed that Virgin were starting at 12am this morning. Were you one of those?

[Vaughan]

Good for the UK - rest of Europe indifferent.....

The European launch of the PlayStation 3 has been met by both cheers and indifference across the continent.

London saw the biggest turnout and all those that turned up for the midnight event also got a free HD TV to go with their new console.

But in France, Germany and many other places crowds of keen gamers were conspicuous by their absence.

In both London and France Microsoft mounted publicity stunts to rub some of the gloss off Sony's launch events.

At the Virgin Megastore in London's Oxford Street, the software giant handed out chairs to those queuing that had a website address printed on them.

Anyone visiting the webpage saw an Xbox 360 branded site that "welcomes" Sony to the next generation and chides the electronics giant for being "late". Microsoft's Xbox 360 launched in late 2005.

In other European nations the response to the launch of the PS3 was more mixed.

In France several stores stayed open until midnight so gamers could pick up a PlayStation but few people took the opportunity to grab one.

Game news site Next Gen reported that French gamers were outnumbered by the media on the boat Sony moored by the Eiffel tower to act as a temporary electronics store selling the console.

The event was upstaged by Microsoft which drove its own boat covered in Xbox 360 logos up and down the Seine near the Sony craft.

In Germany several hundred people turned up at the Sony Centre in Berlin where the electronics giant was hosting a launch event.

Game website Kotaku reported that in Berlin, at a branch of the Saturn electronics store, 50 gamers got a free PS3 after smashing their Xbox 360 by throwing it off a wall.

In Amsterdam only a "handful" of gamers turned up to pick up a console.

One of the better attended events seems to have been in Prague in the Czech republic where more than 100 gamers queued for the chance to buy a PS3 soon after midnight.

In Sydney Sony and retailer Myer staged a launch event at which customers were also outnumbered by the media. Danny Zarka, the first Australian PS3 owner, was at the front of the queue despite only turning up after 9PM.

About 80 customers turned up for the midnight launch and the Sydney Morning Herald called it "feeble".

The London HD TV giveaway is thought to have cost Sony more than £250,000. It also provided free taxis to get people home safely.

At the head of the queue in London, 17-year-old Ritatsu Thomas said the giveaway and PS3 had been worth the 36-hour wait.

He said: "I feel fantastic. I'm delighted that everyone here also gets a television."

Sony has declared its launch of PlayStation 3 to date a success, saying early sales are faster than those of its predecessor PS2.

It believes that the combination of a high-definition Blu-ray DVD player, online capabilities and gaming powered by the Cell processor will convince gamers to spend £425 (599 Euros) on the machine.

"High definition is very important to people," said Ray Maguire, head of Sony Computer Entertainment in the UK.

"A lot of people have bought flat panel TVs and they want content to go on it and PlayStation 3 is one of the few places they can get that kind of experience."

[SicCoyote]

Haha trying to make sure they get big quese by giving out free tvs, isn't that what they do at Time Share Sales?

Also love the Microsoft taunting around the Sony events, I don't think even Nintendo or Sega did that to each other.

[christats]

In the town centre I work,I wandered round the shops at lunch time.
HMV,Gamestation and Game all had notices outside.All said the same thing.PS3 in stock,no need to pre-order.

I am not saying that its machine I wouldn't buy(eventually).The Hd experience is important as Sony state.Just not as much as they think and not for a few months.
Virtua Tennis 3 is a fun game on the Xbox 360.Been playing it tonight.

[zanner]

Does it come from a smoke-free home? :D ;)

of course it is...:cool:

[Rissos]

How early was 'early' Rissos? At the Town yesterday I noticed that Virgin were starting at 12am this morning. Were you one of those?

Not that early. I was there at 9 for a 9 opening, 1 hour earlier than usual. After a good weekend gaming I'm very happy with my purchase, particularly for the online gaming.
I had a long chat with the guys in Xtravision when I picked it up. For those that don't know, Xtravision is Ireland's largest chain of video rental stores. With the PS3 launch they got a load of blu-rays in for purchase and rental. Now here's the interesting thing - they are not going to stock HD-DVDs as they don't think the market will be there.

[CJ34]

The HD DVD market is already there - at least to an equal extent as Blu-Ray is. To ignore it is foolish. Why lose sales?

[Rissos]

I don't know CJ. If i was to go blind into buying a next gen player now and looked to see what was available, my local HMV has one shelf of hd-dvds and two shelves of blu-ray titles. As a customer, that would definitely sway me. If i knew my local rental store only stocked one type, that would be a clincher.

[Pecker]

My local HMV had 2 shelves of HD DVD and one of BD...but when I counted they had the same number of titles.

For the record, there are currently an almost identical number of films available on both formats. Similarly, the number of announced titles is almost identical.

BD technically has a greater number of films in its studios vaults than HD DVD, but it's something like 5 HD DVD films for every 6 BD, so there's not a lot in it. And that's the USA figures, a lot of titles which are BD in the states are HD DVD over here, as Studio Canal own the rights for Europe.

Finally, a lot of BD announced totles have been delayed, as the format has launched early. A lot of features on upcoming BD releases simply won't work on some existing BD players.

Warner want to release HD DVD and BD simultaniously. Unfortubately, due to these glitches they can't. Subsequently 'The Matrix' trilogy has just been firmly announced on HD DVD for the 22nd of May, but the BD has only been tentatively been announced, with no date set, other than it's likely to be post-October at the earliest.

Steve W

[Vaughan]

Very informative post that, Pecker. Truly. But when I read it, all it screams is: STAY AWAY FROM THIS MESS. As a consumer of film, I don't want to have to worry about such things. It works for video gaming, but not for home movies, imo.

Anyone playing lots of PS3 games yet? How are they looking? A TV show the other day was full of superlatives, but then they would, wouldn't they?

[bladesew]

I got a PS3 last weekend, having said that I wouldn't for ages. Obviously, I'm disgusted with myself but here's my initial thoughts.

Games - Motorstorm and Resistance are the only standout launch titles IMO. Got both and they look great and play good too - although Resistance is a fairly on-rails FPS. Online play is fun.
Online - Some good downloads from the PSN from launch day, including HD versions of Gran Turismo and Tekken. It's good that you can queue up downloads in the background while you play games or watch films (like the 360).
Bluray - only have Click and Training Day which don't stretch the format too much but looks good on my 720p display - the HD trailers look good too.
General - excellent build quality, runs pretty quietly, looks nice and shiny, future upgrades via the Linux install sounds good, decent SD DVD playback. It would be good to stream video out of the box but I use a XBMC for this anyway.

All in all, doesn't set the world on fire but a combined nextgen games system and HD disc player for £425 was a decent deal for me.

[Vaughan]

Hm, how long before it's region free?

[bladesew]

Hm, how long before it's region free?

It's already region-free for games and most blu-ray discs don't have region-coding enabled (there's a handy website run by avforums.com which lists them).

It will only play R2 or R0 SD DVDs though. I have a good quality upscaling dvd recorder so that's not an issue for me.

[Vaughan]

Yeah, I was talking about SD. You said it did a good job on those, so I was wondering. I have two DVD players under my TV as it is, a third isn't needed. ;)

[bladesew]

Sorry, get you now - actually I should expand on that then - by "decent" I meant SD playback is better than current games consoles and entry-level DVD players. The PS3 doesn't upscale SD DVD, although it's been suggested that a future firmware update will add this feature - until it does so I wouldn't recommend using it as a primary player for SD DVD, especially for those with a good quality machine.

Actually I think much of the quality of the SD playback is the HDMI connection (i.e. no conversion to analogue from digital).

[Vaughan]

Thanks, bladesew. I have an upscaler at the moment, so this isn't sounding like an option. Hi-def or not, I'll have more SD than HD for a good few years yet give the size of my collection, so optimizing that format is important.

Actually, isn't it strange Sony didn't put the upscaling in from the get-go? Then it could lay claim to be a next-gen media center. However, with lacklustre SD, it falls at the first hurdle (mediocre backward compatibility).

Of course one could argue it's a gaming machine, not a DVD player - but if that's true, then the whole Blu-Ray movie thing is a red herring too....

Still waiting.........

[Pecker]

Very informative post that, Pecker. Truly. But when I read it, all it screams is: STAY AWAY FROM THIS MESS. As a consumer of film, I don't want to have to worry about such things.

As a lover of films, I've dipped into both formats.

My current cinema room and living room systems cost the best part of £10k - it's be churlish to not spend £350 on a HD DVD player and enjoy the added benefits.

And once in the HD DVD camp, with films also available on BD which are not on HD DVD, it'd be churlish not to try out a PS3, too.

I appreciate some people wanting to sit this one out, but for me, I love the films too much.

Life's too short.

Steve W

[Vaughan]

Well, it's never churlish to not spend 350 quid if you don't have to, imo. People not buying in now arn't denying themselves these things forever - only delaying their purchase until more reasonable times. It's good you've spent 10k, but 350 is also 350, you know. If you're happy spending that, more power to you. :)

Still, I can assure you, this decision has nothing to do with my love of movies. I'm pretty sure you don't love them more than myself or others here. The difference is simply that I don't think loving movies and being happy to throw 350 quid down the toilet are related. We all seem to love movies here.

Talk about life being too short - I have over 100 SD discs I've still not watched, so buying into a new format should probably wait a bit. Again, nothing to do with being churlish, and certainly nothing to do with the love of movies - just a reasonable thing to do - catch up on what you've got, while waiting for the the industry to get its finger out.

[SicCoyote]

I'll leave you two to play with your money. Have a nice swim :D

[viva la gore]

Obviously you forgot about store credit or the never never as some people call it. Currys offered me nearly 4 grand just because I bought an Ipod and the the docking speakers and paid for it over a period of 2 months.
I'm very tempted to kit myself out with the hd dvd player the Blu ray player and a 40" Pioneer lcd screen with the surround sound but I feel I would regret it later on. I think I'd rather save up the cash to be honest.

[viva la gore]

Well, it's never churlish to not spend 350 quid if you don't have to, imo. People not buying in now arn't denying themselves these things forever - only delaying their purchase until more reasonable times. It's good you've spent 10k, but 350 is also 350, you know. If you're happy spending that, more power to you. :)

Still, I can assure you, this decision has nothing to do with my love of movies. I'm pretty sure you don't love them more than myself or others here. The difference is simply that I don't think loving movies and being happy to throw 350 quid down the toilet are related. We all seem to love movies here.

Talk about life being too short - I have over 100 SD discs I've still not watched, so buying into a new format should probably wait a bit. Again, nothing to do with being churlish, and certainly nothing to do with the love of movies - just a reasonable thing to do - catch up on what you've got, while waiting for the the industry to get its finger out.

100 discs that you have not watched! That is crazy! You had better book some time off work! :D

[NPC]

Sony are threatening to release Spider Man 3 on Blu months before SD. Wise move on saving the money Viva, there's no such thing as interest free credit its just factored in to higher prices. When you've got the money a better product or lower price will be available. Existing Blu and HD players still have problems with firmware and I wouldn't buy either with a fan in it. Sony are promising a $300 Blu by the end of the year and Toshiba are aiming at a $200 HD. Meanwhile the king of low cost upscalers is this http://www.oppodigital.com/dv981hd/dv981hd_index.html But its HDMI only, everybody on the AV forums loves it http://technabob.com/blog/2006/12/03/oppo-dv-981hd-dvd-player-can-the-best-get-better/ , it works fine in the UK apparently. Wonder why they have no UK representation? One effect of the HD/Blu war is that its destroying the £100-£500 market for DVD players, there's still demand for cheap players and expensive players (Meridian make one at £11k) but little choice in this area apart from Denon, Marantz, NAD and Cambridge (two of those I wouldn't touch) Pioneer have announced they'll no longer be making their own players in the sub £500 class, just rebadging other manufacturer's

[zanner]

also, most interest free credit deals only give you a 12 month interest free window, after that (if you don't pay it off after 12 months) you have to pay the full wack on interest over 4 or 5 yrs...a big scam me thinks.

[SicCoyote]

also, most interest free credit deals only give you a 12 month interest free window, after that (if you don't pay it off after 12 months) you have to pay the full wack on interest over 4 or 5 yrs...a big scam me thinks.

If you don't think that from the off you're dumb

They have something like 15% interest.

[zanner]

i did know from the start sic, and most places yu're looking at 29% intersst, a bloody rip off...:mad:

[drterror666]

I thought the idea was to make sure you had the money to pay it off over 12 months. If you haven't got the cash, then you don't apply for credit.

[zanner]

yeah, but the shops know that most people won't be able to pay off the balance after 12 months, hence the extortionate interest rates there-after.

[Vaughan]

100 discs that you have not watched! That is crazy! You had better book some time off work! :D

:( Sadly, you're right. I nevr have enough time it seems. It's got something to do with buying more than you watch. I received a lot of films lately, that just adds to the miserable joy.

[SicCoyote]

I've got about 300 films I haven't watched, and I am taking time off work, BUT I want to buy £500 of parts to upgrade my PC but don't want to go into my savings!

[zanner]

get one of those rip off loans sic...:eek:

[NPC]

The first trailer is up for GTA IV http://www.rockstargames.com/IV Looks like New York to me. I was hoping they might go for a European setting as the Guy Ritchie (and many more) mockney gangster films would be ideal to make fun of.

[drterror666]

I'm not a big GTA fan anymore. For me, it lost it's way soon after GTA III. It's becoming too realistic for me. Why no rampages anymore?

[christats]

Best thing about GTA for me was/is the radio stations.Very funny some of the links/talking and pretend adverts.Plus not bad music.

I find myself because of being able to take liberties that I think b*gger the missions/objectives and just go around causing mayhem.
I don't have the patience or inclination.
Virtua Fighter 5 looks nice,but its old hat and is coming for the 360 in Sept.
I was doubting the existance of the black 360 with HDMI and 120GB Hard drive.Looks like its out in America in a month or two.

[NPC]

I agree with the Doc, the more realistic GTA becomes the more distasteful the violence is. Vice City wasn't set it Miami, it was set in a Scarface/Miami Vice cartoon. The reaction on the net to the trailer has been negative, the Liberty City/New York thing was done in GTA III, it seems I wasn't the only one anticipating a Europe/London setting. Could this be the time the GTA cash cow is finally milked to death?

[Companero]

Could this be the time the GTA cash cow is finally milked to death?

Not a chance - this'll be the biggest PS3 title of the year - mark my words.

[Companero]

I'm not a big GTA fan anymore. For me, it lost it's way soon after GTA III. It's becoming too realistic for me. Why no rampages anymore?


You get rampages on the PSP version of VICE CITY STORIES...

[SicCoyote]

London was Done in GTAII I think.

[Companero]

London was an add-on mission disc for the first game, mate (on PS One).

I've just be checking out the PS3 situation on eBay - looks like the greed of those "buy 'em up, flog 'em off for thrice the amount" have come unstuck. While there are many consoles on eBay for anything up to £1200, you can get the UK 60GB machine at a buy it now price for up to £65.00 cheaper than RRP, delivered!

[SicCoyote]

but try getting a wii

[zanner]

you can have my Wii for £1200...:eek:

[Companero]

Wii's are going on eBay for more than £100.00 above RRP - it's crazy!

[drterror666]

People have more money than sense! :rolleyes:

[zanner]

i don't have either...:eek:

[Rissos]

You get rampages on the PSP version of VICE CITY STORIES...

And Liberty City Stories.
I love these games and will definitely be getting GTA4 (crap numbering system BTW - there have been at least three games since GTA3).

I'm at sea at the moment so not having any opportunity to play my PS3. I still haven't bought a blu-ray. For the couple of days where I could I was playing a lot of Resistance, mostly on line - I'm a sucker for a team Deathmatch. I also played the Motorstorm demo and will be buying it in the near future. I just ordered the US Oblivion from Ebay so that it will be waiting when I get home in a couple of weeks. I will have a few days off so want to get some serious game time in.

[zanner]

my son loves all te GTA games and has all the ones for the PS2, he's now hinting he wants a PS3 for christmas, and the GTA4 game to boot...i said he could have one for christmas 2011...:eek:

[zanner]

can anybody please tell me, is the ps3 console compatible with ordinary DVD's & PS2 games.??

[christats]

Standard DVD's yes.For upscaling firmware update 1.81 or something is needed.

PS2 games not sure.
The Japanese and US ones are.There was a bit of a fuss made though that the UK one was £100 ish more and only partially or not at all compatable.?

Whether or not this has been changed or downloads as the Xbox 360 are available,I'm sure someone knows for sure.

[Pecker]

PS2 games - some yes, some no.

Steve W

[hoezone]

can anybody please tell me, is the ps3 console compatible with ordinary DVD's & PS2 games.??

Zanner....regarding ps2 games
The brits got skanked again on this one. The US and JAPAN machines play 99% of games because of a piece of hardware they have installed that will run the games PROPERLY.

They took the hardware away from european machines 10 DAYS before manufacturing started meaning they rely on EMULATION (like the 360) to run the old games. This means that only a select few from a list will play on a uk machine... they reckon they are adding titles all the time but i dont want them to select what i can and cant play. I have a lot of BUDGET games like zombie attack and postive they wont emulate such games EVER...

heres is a link to the list of what plays... and some even stutter so its a pile of crap.... i just use it to watch movies.

http://faq.eu.playstation.com/bc/bcGames.htm

Dave

[christats]

I had heard about the UK chip removal or whatever was lacking.
With the Xbox 360 and PS3,best to keep their predecessors as well then.
Or in my case having a 360 and no Xbox,stick to 360 games.
Summer games drought time though.Some tasty stuff coming for the PS3 soon.

[zanner]

Zanner....regarding ps2 games
The brits got skanked again on this one. The US and JAPAN machines play 99% of games because of a piece of hardware they have installed that will run the games PROPERLY.

They took the hardware away from european machines 10 DAYS before manufacturing started meaning they rely on EMULATION (like the 360) to run the old games. This means that only a select few from a list will play on a uk machine... they reckon they are adding titles all the time but i dont want them to select what i can and cant play. I have a lot of BUDGET games like zombie attack and postive they wont emulate such games EVER...

heres is a link to the list of what plays... and some even stutter so its a pile of crap.... i just use it to watch movies.

http://faq.eu.playstation.com/bc/bcGames.htm

Dave

cheers for the link,it's not looking very promising is it ?? the thing is we have loads and loads pf ps2 games....as christats says, we'll just have to keep our ps2 consoles...bit of a negative situation really....WHY OH WHY can't they just give us the same as the yanks & japs...:rolleyes:
AFTER ALL WE ARE PAYING NEARLY TWICE AS MUCH FOR THE DAMN CONSOLES.

[zanner]

look at this japanese version...region free & backwards comatible (PS & PS2 GAMES)...all for £302...now this is what i want..

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-bo-49-en-70-p62.html

[zanner]

SH*t, i've tried 2 japanes sites , both for £302, and neither are allowed to sent their PS3's to the UK...damn and blast...how stupid is that...:mad:

[Anthony1uk]

SH*t, i've tried 2 japanes sites , both for £302, and neither are allowed to sent their PS3's to the UK...damn and blast...how stupid is that...:mad:

Try this one

Superufo.com (http://www.superufo.com/product_html/Playstation_3_Sony_Playstation_3_20GB_Japanese_Version.html)

IMHO its best to get the 20GB version as it will save on costs purchasing, and unlike other consoles you can easily buy any 2.5" SATA hard drive to go with it.

So you could with the price saving between the 60GB and 20GB buy any 120GB+ drives from Ebuyer and easily replace it.

(I know of a couple of others if this is one is no joy, but this is the one recomended as having most people having success with on AVforums, I can PM you the others if you need them).

[zanner]

Try this one

Superufo.com (http://www.superufo.com/product_html/Playstation_3_Sony_Playstation_3_20GB_Japanese_Version.html)

IMHO its best to get the 20GB version as it will save on costs purchasing, and unlike other consoles you can easily buy any 2.5" SATA hard drive to go with it.

So you could with the price saving between the 60GB and 20GB buy any 120GB+ drives from Ebuyer and easily replace it.

(I know of a couple of others if this is one is no joy, but this is the one recomended as having most people having success with on AVforums, I can PM you the others if you need them).

CHeers mate, the 20gb is currently out of stock & the shipping is $88, but they do accept paypal, which is good as i don't have a credit card...could you please PM me with the details of the others ? cheers.

[zanner]

anthony, can you check your PM system, it won't let me send one to you.

[christats]

Buying a Japanese machine means you cannot use Euro,Australasia,etc,is it the B/2 protected Blu ray films.?