The PS3 will have HD video and 5.1 digital surround sound. Is your system up to it?

My Hitachi HDTV has a DVI/HDCP input, and I have a Harman/Kardon receiver, five Linn speakers (5140 mains, etc), and a Paradigm subwoofer. (I know, a bit of a mismatch there.) So I’m ready. Well, not quite. I’ll need to buy an HDMI to DVI converter. But close enough.

But if you’re not ready, IGN has an article about getting ready for your next-gen console purchase, whether that be a PS3 or Xbox 360.

Link: IGN - Gearing Up for the Next-Generation

And if you’re still in this generation, wondering how this wonderful new home theater stuff can help you, Project Central has a run-down for you too.

Link: Projector Central - Video Gaming in HD

Now, if you’re a Formula 1 fan, you may think that comparing something to a Ferrari may not be a good thing, considering how poorly the Ferrari team is faring this year. McLaren and Renault are substantially better. But if you think road cars, that’s substatially different.

Surely Ferrari road cars were on Gates’ mind when he said that both the PS3 and 360 were Ferraris. Gates said though, that “our Ferrari is leaving the starting line substantially before their Ferrari is, and, in most races, that’s a very nice thing.” (Nothing like hedging your bets, eh Bill?)

So what’s he trying to say, that the 360 is coming out first? Nawww! And first means winner, right? Of course! They’re beating this drum over and over and over. The beat is starting to make my head throb. At least they’re getting their message through. “Microsoft is first, therefore they’ll win.” Okay, I get it, I get it.

Tell that to Sega with their Dreamcast.

Link: Gamespot - Microsoft sees Xbox 360 in driver’s seat

For the quarter ending June 30, 2005, Sony lost $65 million. Most of these losses come from SCE - Sony Computer Entertainment, the division responsible for PlayStation. According to Sony the loss was “mainly due to an increase in selling, general and administrative expenses mainly reflecting advertising and marketing expenses incurred during the current quarter”. Also, “aggressive research and development spending associated with future business,” probably the PS3, was part of the problem.

According to Gamespot,

The R&D costs must have been steep indeed, since, in the second quarter, Sony’s game sales skyrocketed 64 percent, compared with the same quarter in 2004. Although sales of the new slimline PlayStation 2 slumped in Japan, they were way up in the US and Europe. Overall, Sony shipped 3.53 million units, up 2.82 million units from the previous year. However, this didn’t translate into commensurate sales of software for the console, as the still-robust 35 million games Sony shipped internationally during the quarter was 3 million fewer than a year ago.

Link: Gamespot - Sony sees increased game sales, lower earnings