Sony bigwigs bigup PS3 for 2009 Comments by Ellie Gibson

I have a barge pole here. I'm off down Game to poke some consoles.

^^^lol!

I forgot all about Eye Pet. Outta the way, Microsoft, the PS3 juggernaut is coming through to ram Wii off the middle of the road.

@ J1GSAW

Actually I can think of 23 PS3 exclusives coming out this year.

I actually think Reeves is right on this one. The PS3 improved greatly over 2008 and it looks to do so in 2009 with plenty of good games on the way and the music and movie store will really give the machine a much needed push I reckon (if, Mr Sony, the price it right). Sony just need to educate the masses on the fact that the PS is more than a games console.

Either way, despite it's VERY bumpy start, I'm happy to be a PS3 owner in 2009 (and so far it has more exclusives I'm interested in than 360 this year) and that's all that matters to me - no matter what farticusmaximus says ;)

"I forgot all about Eye Pet. Outta the way, Microsoft, the PS3 juggernaut is coming through to ram Wii off the middle of the road. "

Looks like Eye Pet will be the best game EVAR!

"Actually I can think of 23 PS3 exclusives coming out this year. "

including downloads?

I agree that a price cut is the thing most likely to boost PS3's presence - games will certainly help, too, but price really is all-important. And as mentioned before, especially with the prices of Blu-Ray players coming down, Sony can no longer rely on the 'It's roughly the same price as a dedicated BD player AND it's a games console' argument.

It's also worth mentioning, I feel, that so far my personal PS3 experience has not been great. I love it for Blu-Ray playback and might as well stick WipEout HD on autostart when I turn it on but they really need to work on some of the backend features. My most annoying gripes so far are:

1. Installation times for demos. Seriously, WTF? Why do I have to install the damn things? This isn't a PC! The PSN store is slow enough download-wise that then having to wait for many minutes more turns a quick spare 30 minute download and play session into a 45 minute staring at progress bars annoyance. Slightly exaggerating, except for my PAIN incident, whereby after downloading the game, had to endure 45 minutes of non-background forced downloads and installation before I could try it out. Not exactly quick to pick up and play...

2. The stupid restrictions imposed by background downloading. Ok, fair enough, I don't expect to play R:FOM online while downloading a demo, but why the hell can't I watch a Blu-Ray while background downloading? On my 360, I can watch an HD-DVD while downloading a demo while chatting to two or three people at the same time - and my wifi adapter is plugged into the HD-DVD drive too, which is surely using more processing power seeing as it's a pass-through connection over USB.

3. No auto-audio out feature. I use the optical connection to my 5.1s for when watching Blu-Rays, but quite often I just want to play a game late at night without annoying my housemates, or just want to play a quick game of PAIN or something. But if I want to switch to HDMI audio, I actually have to change the audio output settings! The 360 just autosenses and outputs audio via either optical or HDMI.

Points 1 and 2 are so annoying to me - I don't think I've ever sat in front of a games console and yet not been able to use it for so much of that time before.

I realise that Sony is at least a yearbehind Microsoft in implementation terms , so of course MS will be ahead, but in reality, that cannot be used as an excuse when those features are available now in a competing, cheaper console. Normal consumers are not going to accept "Buy our product now and in 12 months or so, these annoying problems will be fixed like they already are in our competitor's product". Consumers will turn round and say "Great. I'll buy it in 12 months time" OR "I'll buy the product with those features already in, thanks".

Sony needs to bring the price down of the PS3 and make it more usable and user friendly for the masses - who I bet won't be content with watching download and installation screens. This is especially true of those with any experience of the 360 - I reckon my personal opinion wouldn't be half as negative if I hadn't already owned and used a 360.

/looks back at huge ream of text.

Jesus. Congrats to anyone who makes it to the end of this ramble.

Including a few PSN games, some are also from SOE (so PC/PS3) but they are scheduled for 2009:

Killzone 2
God of War III
Uncharted 2
Heavy Rain
MAG: Massive Action Game
The Agency
Afrika (only out in Japan atm)
X-Edge
Free Realms
inFamous
White Knight Chronicles (only out in Japan atm)
MLB The Show 09
Gran Turismo 5
EyePet
Savage Moon (only out in EU atm)
Fat Princess
Flower
Noby Noby Boy
The Punisher: No Mercy
DC Universe Online
Ratchet & Clank
Rag Doll Fung-Fu: Fists of Plastic
Quantum Theory

2009 could be another wallet busting year, depending on how varied your gaming taste is. All games will be made available in NA/EU.

@ retibra

Who embarrassed Yoshida? Ueda did unfortunately...in August Yoshida said Trico was to be shown 'soon', Ueda managed to not be @ TGS and we're all still waiting.

What about the next ICO game? That will surely generate some hype, or?

@chessboxer

No chance you're seeing most of those in 2009.

I even have my doubts about Heavy Rain making it this year, as a GOOD game.

I hope I'm wrong on both counts.

PS3 have such a strong line of games for 2009... 2008 have been amazing but Uncharted2, GT5, God of War2, Killzone 2 etc... just to name a few, ultimately blows the competition away.

I feel sorry for all the Xbots out there, that are too blind and narrowminded to give themselves the privilege and oportunity to play the best games of this generation... by the way, i dont give a f*** about wich one sells more, i just want good games and reliability, and i get both with the PS3.

^ here we go...

Apololol's here!

/popcorn

Beautiful, he's already pasted that text in 2 other threads.

Any bets on how many times it shows up in other threads?

The child has no imagination so I'm guessing at least 5 identical lists in separate posts.

Still, mustn't make fun of the retarded, he doesn't know any better.

@Bioreit

I didn't make it:P, in fact I only read the last sentence:D

I enjoy reading fanboy comments on either side of the fences, as a multi platform owner I still cannot claim to be completely neutral and bias free.

2008 have again been the year for X360 for me despite reading views from 'experts' including EA, and EG PS3 leaning regular contributors that 2008 would be the YEAR for PS3.

Ah no not exactly! PS3 have made better progress indeed compared to 2007, but come on Resistance 2 was a bit of a let down though not a stinker like Liar... sorry... Lair was. Furies ARGH WTF stupid game design decision!! Gears of War 2 was far better head to head with R2 for me! Still PS3 also had great exclusive gems and that for me were LBP and MSG4. I did rail against MSG4's loooooong FMW, forever installations but it was still one of the more memorable game of the year (not a 10/10 mind you!).

I simply WONT believe any predictions that one console will be better than the other for the year ahead! You cant do that without having the proof of really good game library. After the disappointment of Resistance 2, I m personally hoping that Killzone 2 would be still able to match the hype and expectations build up so far. Heavy Rain is another title I look forward to but worried it would be too arty farty and David Cage got lost up his own arse, but if done well then yes one of the GOTY contender... I sincerely hope!

I considered X360 as the better gaming machine since launch but I would not say to Apologie or anyone else who disagree to be an idiot!! As they are entitled to which consoles turned them on the most. I know there are enough merits to own PS3 or Wii but would rate the Wii to be the most disappointed console aside from odd gems (World of Goo being more recent).

Owning both consoles, I still cannot phatom why the PS3 is the success that it is now. I always turn to the Xbox when multi-platform games are concernced (better controller, online components, gamerscore which is a better system than the trophies imo) and there are very few PS3-only games worthwhile playing. I use the PS3 as an internet browser though, when I get stuck on an Xbox game or to look up certain achievements. No need to get up! As a games machine the PS3 is a failure in my point of view. But that's only humble me.

"But theres the much rumoured PS3 price-cut around March.

It has to go below £199 to reach the sweet spot for the mass-market regardless of how many features it has."

There's no way that a £199 price point, or anything like it, is mass-market for 2009.

Yes, the Wii is close to that price but the Wii is primarily being bought by people who will *never* buy a PS3 or a 360 so that's a completely different discussion.

I don't doubt that the PS3 at £199 will present terrific value to lots of people cos of the BD player but that's really only going to appeal to a realtively small percentage of people, the 'mass-market' doesn't give a flying fuck about HD and never will.

@ menage

Hey - thanks for trying anyway ;-)

/wishes there was an emoticon for "two-thumbs-up-pointing-and-cheesy-grin", like Buddy Christ.

Edit: This is the best I could come up with:

¬|¬|;-D

/needs to get a life. Apolol doesn't seem like he uses his much - maybe I could steal his...

GameConnoisseur, over the course of the PS3's short life the system and it's makers have been criticised by the media and gamers alike for coming short. as an early adopter it has been infuriating having to listen to the nonsensical rants against my preferred HD format of choice. i think now i'm due a little payback (so to speak). predictions can be a simple case of maths. calculate the exclusives heading to each console and it's indisputable sony has a formidable and exciting line up ahead. "it's all about the games" the 360 enthusiasts would rave in criticism of the PS3 during it's formative years. at long last i can finally agree. ;o)

"There's no way that a £199 price point, or anything like it, is mass-market for 2009.

Yes, the Wii is close to that price but the Wii is primarily being bought by people who will *never* buy a PS3 or a 360 so that's a completely different discussion."

More people bought a PS2 than a Wii, so I don't think Sony need to worry about selling PS3 to those grandmothers. They'll all be dead by next Christmas. Then watch Nintendo come crawling back to us with a new Zelda and Kid Icarus!

@bioreit: I guess you hit the hammer on the nail for me with your 'ranting'. The (third) PS3 does feel like a PC and it has been putting me off since launch day. It simply doesn't feel like a console anymore. The XMB is a clutter of text, illogical and WAY to much options and text to navigate. Plus it is much noisier and more heat producing than my spanky new 7th Xbox Elite (yes, the new Jesper Xboxes are quiet if you install the game to HDD and doesn't get hot AT ALL!). And with so much options (and the high price) you expect it to outperform the Xbox in both games and user-friendliness. But it does neither.

Yawn lots of Xbots :(

On a serious note, on exclusives the PS3 edged the Xbox in 2008... I'm sure lots of people might argue with that, but they really did edge it. If they can keep that up and decrease the cost I think it wont take long for them to pull in the 1 million. Its the cost thats holding back the PS3.

If you are accusing me of being an xbot then you are mistaken. It's just my experience with both systems that I find the Xbox to be much more pleasurable to play. It is just my experience, nothing more. And did Sony really do well with the exclusives? I beg to differ. And resistance 2 WAS a let down after having played GoW 2, just like GamesConnaisseur said before. It felt like a girlish game compared to the adrenaline pumping (semi)machoism that is GoW2. Again, just my experience. The only memorable game I played in 2008 was MGS 4. If you think the PS3 beats the Xbox 360 (OUT OF EXPERIENCE) than be my guest, it's your opinion. But DO base that opinion when having played both systems equally. I think you might be in for a shock...