October 5th, 2007
Ripples across the pond.
by G.A. Golembiski IIWell Sony of Europe finally announced the Econobox PS3.
And it won’t play your Playstation / Playstation 2 games (among other features removed to slash the price).
Problem is there’s no word on backward compatibility with Playstation / Playstation 2 software, and no bone thrown to potential buyers to instill confidence that Sony is at least attempting to ensure you’ll be able to play your existing Playstation family game library on the new Econobox PS3.
Well Sony, if you’re telling me this is irrelevant. . .
Then I’ve got one thing to say to you:
For a company that loves touting the “it’s a marathon” rhetoric about the console wars, they sure don’t seem to be positioning the Playstation 3 as a long distance runner.
Stumble it!
View all posts by G.A. Golembiski II
Hello Greggie. It’s a special and joyous occasion to see you posting again.
I do clearly remember you once claiming that, and I am paraphrasing, Sony was a magical and benevolent multinational corporation, bent on bringing quality entertainment to the masses - at low cost to boot!
So have you since altered your position, or does it still stand?
The gaping hole left from the sand paper condom Sony was wearing probably changed his mind!
The Playstation 2 is still an excellent gaming and entertainment value.
I reckon that if you got the bean counters to analyze every circuit on the PS3, it would also be a decent value; but that’s only accounting for the original premium model and not the bastard variants.
In the year 2000 the PS2 rocked as it gave you a sweet new gaming system and a DVD player in one box for $299.99, when DVD players were still a fledgling market and dedicated players were a couple hundred dollars.
The PS2 was an exceptional value in 2000. In terms of functionality and pricing. The PS3, not so much.
Additionally, you didn’t need a fancy new television to enjoy your DVD movies. Nobody wants this HD format war, and judging from the number of HDTV sales, and persistent mass confusion over HDTV formats - it doesn’t seem consumers are too keen on moving over to HD yet either.
Unfortunately the PS3 lacks the quality software a year later that the PS2 had, nevermind that the PS2 had plenty fun games at launch. Sure they didn’t set the world on fire, but Dynasty Warriors 2, Armored Core 2, and Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore received a ton of play.
I don’t like Sony or Microsoft fragmenting the market with all these ridiculous SKU’s.
Let’s hope next generation this dumbass HD format war is over; and companies can get back to a single SKU and pricing gaming systems at $299.99 at launch.
Hey Chris, speaking of sandpaper condoms; you get that Red Ringed Xbox2 back from the repair shop yet?
I think your analysis of the PS3 is quite accurate. But as to its value, there’s been few consoles introduced that have had comparatively less to offer to consumers. Value, in any market, is based on the competition.
If you were to compare the PS3 to similar products, such as a a low-end laptop, the imbalance is clear. A $400 laptop is capable of doing everything that the PS3 can do, sans reverse compatibility and BluRay, and can run (probably) Starcraft 2 and World of Warcraft. These are games that make Sony’s lineup pale in comparison.
Back in 2000, the PS2 was still the better buy compared to contemporary PC gaming rigs. DVD players and laptops cost a fortune. In 2007, the price has fallen on these items - considerably. All Sony has to trade on is their console exclusive titles and brand name. And these make for poor sales points in today’s gaming world.
We actually got a comment from an outside poster. I’ll remember this moment with a warm fuzzy inside.
Kannon, I’d say “sans Blu Ray” is a pretty important qualifier. Much anecdotal evidence indicates quite a few current PS3 owners use their game system more as a media player than a game machine. I’m sure our resident Hatred Golem can come up with some convincing links. Not that this is a healthy state of affairs for a game console, mind.
“If you were to compare the PS3 to similar products, such as a a low-end laptop, the imbalance is clear. A $400 laptop is capable of doing everything that the PS3 can do, sans reverse compatibility and BluRay, and can run (probably) Starcraft 2 and World of Warcraft. These are games that make Sony’s lineup pale in comparison.”
I reckon it all hinges on how you qualify a better value.
I seriously doubt a $400 laptop could run something like Warhawk, I could be wrong; but something hints at no. Why? Because I just dumped a little over a thousand dollars on a Tablet PC; and it’s every bit the wretched Microsoft OS laden abomination you would expect it to be.
Of course, it’s running Vista which is allegedly “better” for Tablet PC functionality. Well the computer can barely run it’s own operating system properly. And this is with a shiny new laptop.
I’ve played and enjoyed WoW and I can run it on this Tablet PC, or on my Macbook for that matter; but let’s hope Starcraft doesn’t come saddled with Vista proprietary features. Not that Blizzard would willingly give up potential profits pulling that stunt. Again, I haven’t been following the PC scene, so maybe it’s just Microsoft pulling the asshole move with popular game titles to hopefully increase Vista sales.
Sorry, I’m rambling.
The bottom line is, the shit I’ve had to put up with on a Vista PC; I’d gladly pay $500 again to play Super Stardust HD and Warhawk. Perhaps I’d have a different opinion if XP were more reliable for Tablet PC’s.
“Back in 2000, the PS2 was still the better buy compared to contemporary PC gaming rigs. DVD players and laptops cost a fortune. In 2007, the price has fallen on these items - considerably. All Sony has to trade on is their console exclusive titles and brand name. And these make for poor sales points in today’s gaming world.”
But that’s always been the difference.
PC gaming and console gaming generally have very little overlap. It’s only started in the past 10 years or so, and it’s still novelty status. Only the FPS genre has made a healthy transition to the console market, and some would still argue that point as most console FPS control schemes are broken compared to their PC counterparts.
You can’t put WoW in front of a console gamer and expect them to be happy. Square tried something along those lines with FFXI.
Yeah, there is some current cross pollination of consoles and PC’s from Western developers that eke out homogenous title after title, but there’s still a divide. Outside of MAME, where would I go on the PC for an awesome 1-on-1 fighter like Hokuto no Ken on the PS2?
You would be better off advocating the Xbox360 at this point. If you’re willing to risk the massive failure rate of the hardware, there are plenty of games to be had on the system; barring Red Ring of Death, with less bullshit to put up with than a gaming PC.
“I’m sure our resident Hatred Golem can come up with some convincing links. Not that this is a healthy state of affairs for a game console, mind.”
I honestly don’t know.
I haven’t been following the Blu-Ray / HD DVD pissing contest closely. I’ve done some passing research into adoption of HD Television sets in America, and sales are still low. However HD formats are a non-issue compared to sales of good old DVD’s.
Hell, the only Blu Ray disks I own are the six free ones I received with my purchase of a Playstation 3; and two I found on sale at Best Buy once for a comparably reasonably price of $12-13 each versus the normal $25-35 price range they’re usually in.
Which is funny that people were trying to discredit the free Blu-Ray / HD DVD sales offers of this past summer; because they were assuming the prices on the limited selection of titles were comparable to DVD prices.
Wrong.
And that’s why this stupid HD format war is a losing proposition for the consumer. There’s really no movie IMO worth $30 average. $30 is lunch for a week for me, and while I enjoyed my matinee viewing of Ghost Rider; the movie is not worth $30.
Oh and speaking of losing propositions, I forgot to mention that Blu-Ray / HD DVD movies, which cost double, to triple, their DVD counterparts also don’t come packaged with all the special features of said DVD counterparts. So yeah, you want me to pay more, and give me less content? I don’t care if I can count the pock marks on James Woods face in 1080p - it’s not a good price value.
My apologies to HD nerds that are completely enamored with their respective format. It does nothing for me.
Blah blah blah - sorry rambling.
All I know is that when I sit down to watch a movie on my Playstation 3 on my fancy 1080p television; it’s more often than not just a regular old DVD that’s being surprisingly well upscaled for playback.
Considering how easily Sony has dropped legacy Playstation support with this Econobox PS3; I wouldn’t be surprised if they ditched Blu-Ray support in the Playstation 4 should the format bomb.
Ugh.
But hey - the PSP/PS2 are still excellent systems, and still have a lot of strong content being released for them. So I’m not the total anti-Sony evil puppy some geeks would think I am.
Happy belated birthday, Jon.
Anyway, doesn’t this get back to what the true value of the PS3 is? If people are using the PS3 exclusively, or primarily, as a media player, then they’re getting ripped off. But if you’re actually using it as both BluRay and a game player, then…
…Oh, but wait a second. There’s no games on the PS3!
Look at what it’s worth:
BluRay Player: $500
PS3: $500-600
So for about the same price of a BluRay player, if you buy a PS3, you also get a game system! Oh, yeah, we keep getting back to that… No games.
And, as Greg pointed out, no one really cares about the BluRay format.
Now you’re just trawling for attention.
There are games on the Playstation 3. Games I wouldn’t mind owning. And certainly games other folks own and enjoy.
As much as I dislike console FPS games, Resistance is supposed to be an amazing game - and a launch title at that. Really not surprising considering Insomniac is a great developer.
Then we have Warhawk. Amazing game.
Super Stardust HD fun and for well under $59.99. A bargain in today’s gaming market.
Then there’s an Online Tekken if you’re into that sort of thing. Again, not my cup of tea; but I’m sure there are plenty Tekken geeks out there loving it.
I also give a nod to Dynasty Warriors Gundam. Fun, fun game. Unfortunately it’s also available on the Xbox260. So it doesn’t help the PS3 argument. Not to mention, it’s god damn $59.99.
And that’s not counting the big exclusives that are in the works or on the software slip and slide to your local game emporium, like Ratchet & Clank, Uncharted, MGS4, FFXIII, etc. When all is said and done the PS3 will have games.
Unfortunately given my tastes, there aren’t enough of the games I’d like to play on the PS3 and in the works for the system.
And the same goes for the Xbox360. I enjoyed Gears of War when I played it, but there’s really nothing else I played that grabbed my attention. The Wii is a complete non-factor given my tastes and Nintendo’s aggressive pursuit of the retirement home demographic.
Ignoring the price of the actual players, another huge pain in consumers asses is the price of software this generation.
As for the Blu-Ray format, depending which way the wind is blowing any given week; it seems that Blu-Ray is “beating” HD-DVD in the HD Format Special Olympics. Unfortunately that’s just a drop in the bucket compared to DVD sales.
Really, it seems like this generation is all about disposable income. If you’ve got $300-600 burning a hole in your pocket; then go buy and Xbox360 or Playstation 3, but don’t expect to get as much use out of it as you did your Playstation 2. At least not for a while.
In which case you may as well save said $300-600.
“if I can count the pock marks on James Woods face in 1080p - it’s not a good price value.”
LOLOLOL *clap*
You said that right! I hate the format war and HD-DVD/Blu-Ray can all go to the failure been as far as I’m concerned. As soon as people catch on to internet delivered HD(iTunes, Xbox Live) they will ditch the HD disk formats.
I don’t know. I’d say a subscription service for downloadable movies would be a good idea, something where you can say - I’m getting X amount of movies for Y fee each month.
If you broke it down to single pricing per movie, I suspect you’ll run into that barrier of consumers demanding a physical product. I love downloadable games and music, it saves space in my already cluttered house. But I know people that aren’t content with seeing or listening.
They want a physical object. Movie disk, game disk, funnybook, whatever. There will always exist that market for physical media. :\