This time it’s *shock horror* Microsoft’s UK Retail Boss Neil Thompson’s turn to have a go at Sony claiming they are forcing consumers into buying unproven technology:

“I find it concerning for consumers that they’re being forced into a purchase… I don’t think they need to make that decision for another two, three years maybe. Sony now have a very interesting business model I think they’re going to find challenging.”

Nobody is being forced to buy a PS3. Nobody is holding a gun to my head demanding I buy a PS3.

The difference between BR & HD-DVD is that all PS3 games will come on BRD so regardless of whether BR wins or loses the next-gen DVD war BR will still be used for gaming. Yes it could financially cripple Sony IF BR fails as the next-gen DVD of choice but it won’t make the PS3 useless & extinct.

Microsft Bashes Sony. Again.

With all this trash-talking of the PS3 controller from the likes of Sony and Nintendo, it would be good to think what game publishers think, no? After all, they’re the ones who’ll be developing for it. They’re the ones who will be able to give us new gameplay experiences. Make gaming more fun. Take it in a new direction. You know, that kind of thing.

So what does Ubisoft president Yves Guillemot think of the controller? “We were so happy to see that Sony was taking that direction - we think it will help to have a better experience so we are going to use that a lot.” Hmmm. That’s a pretty strong endorsement.

Then, if you look at the poll I ran last week, 55% of you chose the new motion sensing feature over the old rumble feature. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but it’s obvious you’re not hating it like those anti-Sony folk.

I guess today is PS3 controller day, because I just noticed that Gary put up an article about it too. But I’m psyched about it, and I think it will be lots of fun.

GamesIndustry.biz - Ubisoft boss “so happy” with PS3 controller

C&VG has translated an interview that SCEE’s Phil Harrison has done with Spiegel Online (maybe Segitz could give us a proper translation…).

In it he defends Sony’s use of motion-sensing when accused of copying the Wii’s control:

“We’ve been working on [motion-sensing technology] for a long time and Nintendo has certainly likewise already been working on something similar. The difference between our strategy and that of our competition is that our controller is still similar to the Dual Shock, the industry standard controller. I estimate that nearly 400 million Dual Shock controllers have been sold worldwide.”

Personally I don’t care if they have or if they haven’t copied Nintendo & I’m sick of Nintendo fanboys & Sony haters crying like little schoolgirls who’ve just had their hair pulled! Get over it. Take a look around you & tell me what you see that hasn’t been copied from a different company. Go on!

The Sony joypad will use motion-sensing so get over it. It doesn’t matter if it was a last minute inclusion or whether they’ve been working on it for a long time. It’s being used like it or not.

*Edit: Segitz has been kind enough to do a translation that can be clearly understood. You can read it in the comments.

You can read the full interview in a hilariously poor translation by clicking the link below:
Harrison’s Interview Translated In Full From Original Site

C&VG - Harrison Defends Motion-sensing

Here’s another poll question for you. This time I’d like all you lurkers and feed-readers to come over to PS3Blog.net and vote too, because I know I have a lot more readers than are responding to these polls.

So anyway, here it is. You go to buy your PS3. You want the better, 60GB HDD one, but you can’t find it. Do you wait until you can get the PS3 you want, or do you settle for a PS3 Jr, if available?

Previous poll results:

PS3 controller: if you had to choose, which would it be?

* Rumble: 45% (70)
* Motion Sensing: 55% (87)

Total Votes : 157

It’s been a quiet PS3 news day today so I thought I’d ask all our readers a question.

If you get a PS3 at launch & you don’t currently have a HDTV, will you upgrade to a HDTV or will you continue to use your current SDTV with your PS3?

In my current predicament (not a lot of money & flat/apartment hunting) I really can’t afford to get a PS3 AND a HDTV at the same time so if Sony announce 3 or 4 AAA titles available at launch then that will probably convince me to get a PS3 straight away. I will then have to use my current 32″ 100hz wide-screen SDTV with my PS3.

We all aren’t like Henning & have 200″ HDTVs!

Now I know that you need a HDTV to fully appreciate next-gen games but it just isn’t practical for me to get one at the moment. Ideally Sony won’t release many AAA titles at launch & that would give me the opportunity to wait until I purchase a PS3 meaning that I would also be able to afford a HDTV to go with it.

So what are you guys & girls (do we even have female readers!!) going to do?

Us Europeans finally have an official PS3 site to check out. Click here & select your language of choice.

Not a great deal on there at the minute. There are images of F1 ‘06, Genji 2, Eye of Judgment, MotorStorm, Singstar & Warhawk. There is also a gallery of PS3 hardware from different angles, as well as what looks like 4 joypads that have been thrown in the air!

There is also a PS3 explained section where the PS3 is understandably hyped up, a spec sheet for the 20GB & 60GB PS3s & a couple of press releases.

*EDIT: You can also watch a High-def video of SingStar in action.

Official European PS3 Website

I seemed to have missed this but Sony announced at E3 that the PSP will be getting a range of platinum games just like the PS2. The range of ‘best selling’ titles are only available in Europe at the moment & will be availabe in the UK June 2nd.

The games said to be among the first range of platinum titles are Everybody’s Golf, WRC, F1 Grand Prix, Medievil Resurrection, Ridge Racers, Virtua Tennis: World Tour, Burnout Legends, WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2006, Need for Speed Underground Rivals, Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire & Peter Jackson’s King Kong.

No WipEout Pure. Strange. I’ll definitley get Everybody’s Golf, possibly Burnout Legends & I would’ve got WipEout if it was available at the cheaper price.

Allaboutgames - PSP Gets Platinum Range

I recently said that the PS3 price debate has been done to death well it seems as though the corpse is still twitching so I’m going to go all Resi Evil on it’s ass & splatter it’s brains all over Raccoon City!

Sony President Ken Kutaragi defended the PS3 price in the recent issue of Famitsu magazine saying:

“PlayStation and PlayStation 2 were both 10,000 yen more than their competitors at launch. Yet they both sold to shortages.”

“If you consider the PlayStation 3 a toy, then yes, it is an expensive toy. However, it is more than a toy. It is a PlayStation 3. And it is the only PlayStation 3. I hope that those who understand this will gladly purchase it.”

The PS3 is NOT a toy & anybody that views it as such will be better off spending their cash on the latest kiddy craze, whatever that may be.

You want a home entertainment system that plays PlayStation games (previous, current & next-gen), Blu-ray movies, CDs, internet access etc then you get a PS3. You get what you pay for people. The PS3 is the most technically advanced console & that reflects in the price. If you aren’t happy with the price don’t buy it. End of.

Next-gen Biz - Ken Defends PS3 Price