Archive for August, 2005
Gran Turismo 5 in 2007?
Posted by Blackstaffer in PS3 software on August 23rd, 2005
According to a Croatian car magazine, the PS3 video game Gran Turismo 5 will be released in 2007. It is rumoured to have 100 times the detail of its PS2 brother, GT4.
And, well, that’s about it!
You Won’t Pay Extra for PS3 Accessories
Posted by Blackstaffer in PS3 on August 22nd, 2005
The Next Generation video games magazine is predicting that console peripheral developers won’t be obliged to pay any licensing fees to Sony like Microsoft will be doing with the Xbox 360.
Sony’s stance has always been that game console peripheral developers could create a peripheral that works with the PlayStation line of consoles and not have to pay Sony anything. Of course, they wouldn’t get to use the PlayStation logo, but their peripherals would still work. This won’t be the case with Microsoft and the Xbox 360, so people have been wondering what Sony’s stance will be once the PS3 hits.
Industry sources close to the issue have indicated that Sony is likely to keep the status quo for PS3 and not require a license and not lock the system with encryption, with the exception of its memory card format. Obviously, this is subject to change, but the best information in front of us from developers and peripheral companies today indicates Sony is happy with the status quo.
I think this is good news both for developers and consumers. It gives a wider range of options to consumers and lower prices too. If you want to avoid a dud peripheral, just research it online first. You don’t need a seal of approval to figure that one out.
Europeans Touchy about Sony PS3
Posted by Blackstaffer in PS3, Talk on August 22nd, 2005
Ferrago is complaining about the lack of any PS3 appearance at the recent Leipzig video games fair. They bemoan the fact that everything was PSP with hardly a word about the PS3.
Get a life.
So Sony doesn’t mention the PS3. The launch of the console is still over half a year away. I think Sony has enough to do to prepare for the PS3 launch than to attend every single game fair and say something. Sony’s already attending the Tokyo Game Show next month, but for some reason that’s not good enough for Ferrago. They want Sony to dole out info on their timetable, not Sony’s.
Sure, it’s nice to be thrown a bone here and there, and PS3 info has been hard to come by as of late, but I’d rather see Sony working hard on a great PS3 than to see them constantly pandering to the media.
What do y’all think?
Industry Reacts to Xbox 360 Pricing
Posted by Blackstaffer in Xbox 360 on August 19th, 2005
Personally, I think that bifurcating the market and making the HDD optional was a mistake on Microsoft’s part. Core game system buyers will have to get at least a memory card anyway to save games, bringing up the 360′s price to $340. Microsoft couldn’t have included a HDD into the Core system and sold it for $340? But no, they had to hit that $299 price point for bragging rights. Developers can no longer count on the HDD being there, and one of the large advantages that the XBox had over the PS2 will no longer exist for the Xbox 360 and PS3. In an industry as cut-throat as this one, I don’t think it’s a good idea for Microsoft to give up this advantage.
1UP.COM has gathered some reactions from big gaming industry folks, and many of them don’t seem to think Microsoft’s move to split the SKU will matter. But there are a few who agree with me, like David Perry from Shiny Entertainment:
One word: Blunder. Developers will almost always cater to the lowest spec’ed system when it comes to consoles, so as to maximize the customer base. So, my guess is that few games will truly make significant use of the hard drive, given that it’s an option that cannot be counted on.
In the end, I think the Xbox 360 will still be an enjoyable experience. You’ll still be able to play great games. (As was true of the PS2 without a HDD.) But that grass-is-greener syndrome that Sony fans were subjected to looking over the fence will be gone. This generation, Sony fans will have nothing to apologize for.
Amazon Sets PS3 Price at $299
Posted by Blackstaffer in PS3 on August 18th, 2005
[Update: They've taken down the price.]
A strange thing happened over at the Amazon store. They found themselves a crystal ball, peered into it a bit, and came out with a numer. Two hundred ninety-nine. Two hundred ninety-nine dollars, that is, and that’s the price they stuck on the PS3.
Early days yet, subject to change, of course. But I found it amusing, so I thought you might too.
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