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Sony E3 conference roundup Article
PlayStation 3 PSP Article by Ellie Gibson
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It's not hard to imagine that nerves were on edge in the Sony Computer Entertainment camp this morning. Memories of last year's E3 conference and the reaction to it must have been fresh in their minds - and the evidence would suggest so, judging by Jack Tretton's "Riiiiiidge Racer" reference.
The SCEA boss was first in the limelight at this year's event - appearing in the form of his Home avatar, which was shown in his virtual apartment on the big screens above the stage.
Tretton said everyone at Sony is "extremely proud" of Home, but although it was referred to and even used as a presenting device throughout the conference, he continually reiterated the importance of "games, games and more games".
"Once you've seen the scope... You'll understand why we feel we're in a very strong position," said Tretton. "We're confident we'll continue our industry-leading role in this generation and beyond."
There was much talk of the recently announced 80GB PS3 and US price cut - but no mention of whether a similar move was planned for Europe. There was also trumpeting of the PS2, which now has an installed base of over 118 million units.
What's that in your pocket, Kaz? It's the new PSP!
According to Tretton, that makes it "the most popular console of all time, worldwide". This followed, of course, Microsoft's claim last night that Xbox 360 is winning the next-gen battle, and Nintendo's declaration that DS is "unquestionably" in the lead.
DS is certainly doing better than PSP, but Sony seems keener than ever to push its handheld forward. It's also committed to the UMD format, with Tretton stating that sales are up 35 per cent from 2006.
PSP games shown at the conference included SOCOM, Syphon Filter, WipEout Pulse, Sims 2 Castaway and more. But the big announcement came from Kaz Hirai (who was another in Tretton's Home apartment, where the current SCEA boss asked him, "Are you playing Riiiiiidge Racer?").
Hirai then appeared in person to pull a new iteration of the PSP out of his pocket. It doesn't look remarkably different to the current model, but according to Hirai, "When you have it in your hand the difference is clear."
Jack Tretton and Chewbacca enjoy the Star Wars Battlefront PSP skin. Tretton later told the audience he enjoyed his wookie hug.
Specifically, the new PSP is 33 per cent lighter and 19 per cent slimmer. It's got a longer battery life and is faster at loading games - due for a worldwide release in September.
But what Tretton described as one of the best new features was still to come - the option to hook it up to your TV ("Sony Bravia", of course) and view games, movies and photos on the big screen.
He also revealed it will be available in three colours: piano black, ice silver and white with a Darth Vader logo on the back. The latter will come bundled in a Star Wars Battlefront entertainment pack, as Tretton announced with the help of special guest star Chewbacca.
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penguin_overlord
11/07/07 @ 23:52
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It's been a good week for Sony so far with the US price drop seeing an increase in sales (it's still number 1 on Amazon). It will be interesting if the same happens in the UK after Friday as it's currently stuck at 23 on the UK Amazon site (mind you, that's still 10 places higher than the Xbox).
The 360 and PS3 both have some very promising games out in the months ahead but I do think the PS3 has the edge. I wonder also how true it really is about games like Lair only possible because of Blu-Ray. I can see some sense as hi-res 1080P images with hi-quality sound would need a few gigs for a typical game. Although the 360 and PS3 may be fairly equal in performance (at least based upon what we've seen so far) I can't help but think the lack of a HD DVD drive in the 360 as standard will be its achilles heel. |
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Of course PSP disks are selling more, you got the hint to drop the price you dumb asses. No one is going to buy a fucking $40 portable movie. Drop the system price, as well as games and movies and it will sell. It's a no brainer.
I actually own and like the system, it's just priced to high against the DS. |
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I think it was the best conference of the bunch, but that's not saying much. All of the companies were playing it safe. Only Sony came out with some slightly bigger announcements (PSP Lite, price drop of PS3 and couple of games and exclusive deals with developers).
It was not E3 2005, but then again, how could have it been. We'll see similar conferences next time when new consoles are about to come out. |
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I pointed this out in another thread (yes it was a sudden realisation on my part) that the PS3 hasn't actually had a price cut.
It was 499 for the 20gb version and 599 for the 60gb version at launch. It's now 499 for the 60g version and 599 for the 80gb version. As they no longer manufacture the 20g version, they have simply moved the 60 down to fill it's shoes and introduced the 80 to replace the 60. That's pretty much what every electronics manufacturer does every 6 months i.e. natural progression of models along a chain. Even I was taken in at first because all I heard was price cut. It took an innocent remrk from a friend who pointed out that he hadn't savd his 499 to get a PS3. I immediately said something like "No they've cut the price it's now.......oh right 499" At that point my brain jumped through some logic hoops and then went "Eh?!?" er where's the price cut then.........
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I wish I had something clever to say. Chewbacca?
If I had to make an embarassing analogy, I would cast Sony as the Empire, Nintendo as the Jedi (long in the game, but low on technology - plus everyone thought they were gone, but they somehow they always come back) and Microsoft as Jar-Jar Binks (hated by all due to personality, or rather engineering, faults. Still an important part of the first part of the second trilogy though). |
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JediMasterMalik
12/07/07 @ 00:46
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Yes penhalion, an item that was once 599, and is now 499, has not been reduced in price.. It's a marketting trick. >_>
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YourMessageHere
12/07/07 @ 01:17
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Chewbacca!
Chewie! oooOOOOoooh what a Wookiee! /green jelly Oh gawd, Playstation Home. Watching that, it seems Sony's new idea is to insert the word "Sideways" at regular intervals. Plus, of course, Fully Functioning Space! It's so amazing! You can take photos of yourself, have them appear automagically, then take more photos of yourself and have them appear automagically elsewhere! It automatically blogs, publishes and automates the process of disappearing up it's own arse! You can even START GAMES (as opposed to complicated ideas like putting the disc in and switching it on, or using an OS)! I can't believe they think any of that toss is useful or desirable. It's moderately amazing that it CAN be done, but completely mysterious as to why you'd want to do it. |
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SeesThroughAll
12/07/07 @ 01:37
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They want Home to be Myspace on consoles... dunno if it's ever going to happen, though.
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gamerbunny
12/07/07 @ 05:17
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@Downside
"Hey great, a new PSP! Shame, I was expecting amazing games for the PS3 but alas, there were none." ..... What E3 were you watching? |
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JMM,
The minimum you would pay for a PS3 before the "price cut" is 499. Now, the minimum you will pay for a PS3 is 499. There has been no price cut, just added pack-in value. But on the shelves there really is no difference. TSony will get a one or two week spike max, after that everyone will look at the price of Wii as cheapest, then 360, and then PS3, still at 499, AS IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN, and say "no thanks". |
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Mentalist(air)
12/07/07 @ 07:51
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Well, Microsoft must be sighing with relief that Sony's conference was as surprise-free as their own. I was expecting a bit more of a new model of PSP to be honest. Home still sounds rubbish to me, but I'm over 25, so I don't 'get' all this Web 2.0 social networking bollocks.
So the only surprise of this year's E3 is that Nintendo is making good on their 'wii games are proper excercise' promise. Looks like E3 really did die last year.
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scratch that, found it : http://uk.media.ps3.ign.com/media/857/85...
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PlugMonkey
12/07/07 @ 08:42
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Headbog - I'd pretty much agree. Sony announced more new exclusives than MS, but they were lagging miles behind on that front to begin with anyway. I'd give Sony this round on points but no one seems to be lining up the knock out punch. For me, MS's exclusives are currently the more attractive. They seem to have lots of exciting new exclusive IPs, and Sony have lots of old exclusive IPs that I'm slightly less excited about.
"I'm over 25, so I don't 'get' all this Web 2.0 social networking bollocks." I might have that printed on a T-shirt. :) |
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It seems the new E3 is as much for the investors and shareholders as for the gaming public. They all focused on the short-term and none of them announced anything major. Perhaps the E3 organisers gave the companies some specific parameters to adhere to.
It makes me think that the TGS and/or specific events like Microsofts X0_ will be where the big announcements come from. From the conferences I think: - MS came out on top in terms of games, purely because so much good stuff coming before Xmas. I thought they needed one big surprise annuncement though. - Sony had the biggest announcements overall and gave me a bit of hope that buying one will one day be a good idea! Although the Haze and Unreal annoucements were a bit 'so what' (I was disappointed with the Haze footage - a.n.other generic FPS) it was nice to see the PSP revamp. I was also a bit annoyed with the whole 'this can only be done on PS3 line'. It's getting tired. KZ2 didn't wow me at all, the footage wasn't as good or better than E305 and the game looked horribly generic... dontcha just love bad guys who stand still while you shoot them! The NCSoft deal is exciting as I liked City of Heroes and love Guild Wars. - Nintendo was OK, probably great if you're an overweight gamer with agrophobia (wow, I don't need to leave my house and go for a run or to the gym to get fit!), or someone obsessed with firearms! If I was to mark the conferences out of 10, compared to last years E3.. MS 5.5 Sony 6.0 Nintendo 5.0 In terms of what I could be playing in the short term. MS 9 Sony 6/7 Nintendo 5/6 depending on whether the release dates are Worldwide or just US.
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Thought it was a good step in the right direction. Thought the list of games was good and they didn't even cover Lair, Assasins Creed or COD4. All mentioned but that was it.
Was stoked about Wipeout HD as well, not enough made of that one! Happy to see some of the games coming to the PSN looked worth a download. Heavenly Sword as well not mentioned greatly but still looks amazing!!!!!! I am glad I have all 3 formats as I think there will be great titles on all 3 platforms. I hope they all attain equal shares of the market as that has to be good for gamers. Healthy competition rather than a console war!
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Eighthours
12/07/07 @ 10:23
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The 360 and PS3 both have some very promising games out in the months ahead but I do think the PS3 has the edge.
Not even close. Many of PS3's big games (MGS4, LBP, Killzone 2) aren't out this year. The likes of Mass Effect, PGR4, Halo 3, Bioshock and Splinter Cell adds up to a very strong first party lineup for MS, allied to the GTA factor. |
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"ms has too many sequals, sony has a lot of very interesting stuff that utilises ps3 and is starting to show off its power, u can keep your halo, we got haze, killzone 2, heavenly sword ,gt5, warhawk, lbp,home, uncharted ,rachet,mgs4, lair,wipeout hd!"
Halo 3 will be a huge disapointment. (Based on Halo 2 as the last reference point) However there are I think one (perhaps two) other games out for the 360. So deem this post to be ( ) Informed (x) Silly |
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"ms has too many sequals, sony has a lot of very interesting stuff that utilises ps3 and is starting to show off its power, u can keep your halo, we got haze, killzone 2, heavenly sword ,gt5, warhawk, lbp,home, uncharted ,rachet,mgs4, lair,wipeout hd!"
er Killzone2, gt5, warhawk, ratchett, mgs4 and wipeout hd are sequels you texan! |
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SeesThroughAll
12/07/07 @ 14:51
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Well I guess my joy at finally being able to recommend the PS3 just went down the toilet.
Just show people the trailers of Killzone and MGS4. |
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kangarootoo
12/07/07 @ 15:07
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@penhalion
I wish you would stop with this "its not a price cut" nonsense. Everytime you chirp up with that one, you just make youself look dense. Yes you pointed it out on another thread, and on that thread as in this one people pointed out you were talking rubbish. "Instead of a cut, they are bundling two games" Sell the games yourself then, result... price cut. Sheesh, its not bloody hard if you engage your mind. Ah... I see your problem. |
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mossychops001
12/07/07 @ 15:49
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Good E3 Sony, Keep up the good work...
Killzone 2 Rachet & Clank Drakes Fortune Haze GT5 |
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kangarootoo
12/07/07 @ 16:16
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@headbog
But there are different specs of PS3. They aren't the same item. One item, that has remained the same, has got cheaper. That is a price cut. To bundle everything together under one PS3 tag is like saying that if Ferrari stop making their cheapest car, but price drop another more expensive better featured car, that isn't a price cut because the price of the cheapest ferrari remains the same. The better car used to cost X, now it costs Y, X > Y, therefore PRICE CUT. PS3 60GB model (the only one in the UK) used to cost X, now it costs Y, X > Y, therefore PRICE CUT. You say that the 20GB is no less able to play games, but its not that simple. My shitty Hyundai is no less able to drive to the shops than a Ferrari, but it is less able to do other things as well. Likewise the 20GB model is less able to store 40GB of data on its bundled HDD, incapable of doing so in fact (this is what is known as an example, so please lets not dwell on it). Describing similar specific functions that are shared between two items does not make them the same in every way, and does not therefore mean they must have equal value.
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If i hear people arguing that "its not a price cut because the microsoft guy said so, so he doesnt have to cut the price of his console so he makes more money" again i will shoot them. Fact is a 100 dollars was cut off the 60Gb model. Hence the price has been cut so you can stop talking as if you graduated from Plato's school of philosophy.
Also, since when has splinter cell and PGR been anything worth talking about? The major MS exclusive's are Halo 3 Mass Effect and Bioshock. You can't dismiss Haze as another generic shooter. Goldeneye, Timesplitters anyone? These guys have been in the industry making great FPS games for a long time. No critism against their mastery is allowed! That is all for now. :D |
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3william56
13/07/07 @ 06:12
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Yeah, enough with the price warbling. Get to the important bit:
Wipeout HD? When??? |
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