Comments on PS3 on C&VG and Eurogamer

[David Braben]

Some of you will have seen my comments relating to the PS3 launch
on the Computer & Video Games Site, which was then reported upon on Eurogamer.

These comments were at the end of another discussion, but one of the things I mentioned related the PS3 to 'a cheap PC' - which was taken a little out of context in the Eurogamer piece especially, and I think has annoyed some people, suggesting I don't know how much a PC costs. I am quite aware you can get PCs for sub £200/$350, but you try playing games on them!

In my (feeble) defence, my point is that for many people the PS3 may provide most of the functionality people want from a PC, while being an excellent games machine. I don't know what price it will now be launched at in Europe (given the delay) but with the Japanese price of ¥49,980 (~£225/$420), for the cheaper model, and the US a little higher ($499/£270), this is cheaper than many high end PC graphics cards.

 

[Steve O B Have]

Some of you will have seen my comments relating to the PS3 launch
on the Computer & Video Games Site, which was then reported upon on Eurogamer.

These comments were at the end of another discussion, but one of the things I mentioned related the PS3 to 'a cheap PC' - which was taken a little out of context in the Eurogamer piece especially, and I think has annoyed some people, suggesting I don't know how much a PC costs. I am quite aware you can get PCs for sub £200/$350, but you try playing games on them!

In my (feeble) defence, my point is that for many people the PS3 may provide most of the functionality people want from a PC, while being an excellent games machine. I don't know what price it will now be launched at in Europe (given the delay) but with the Japanese price of ¥49,980 (~£225/$420), for the cheaper model, and the US a little higher ($499/£270), this is cheaper than many high end PC graphics cards.

Bah, if people get offended by that then they need a reality check.

From my perspective it is an amazing piece of hardware and realistically at a reasonable price for performance, however console gamers have been spoiled by £100 XBOXs and PS2s and had their pricing perception knocked out of kilter. Having invested a fair amount of hard earned cash into my desktop and also requiring the functionality from various apps like Photoshop and the Adobe Macromedia suite, I would struggle to justify £500 on a PS3 when that would cover a CPU and motherboard upgrade. If it drops with the £300 - £350 ball park I will consider, but up until then, my PC is king of my entertainment involvement.

The reality of the PS3 situation is that initially there will me more than enough people willing to part with their monies as £500 is well within their justified disposable income. Later on down the line when SONY and friends have the manufacturing process in hand, individual components will drop and following that the actual console production costs will drop - end result, a cheaper console.

Scarily it would be a single game such as Elite 4 or the like coming out on a next gen console that could conceivably swing my decision and risk the wrath of my girl in spending £500 odd on the PS3 - from that point of view I am happy to wait for game

As for the cheaper versions of the console I do wonder how viable its functionality is in comparision to the 'full' version? I wonder what the price of upgrading from the cheaper model is going to be?

 

[Darkman]

Some of you will have seen my comments relating to the PS3 launch.

These comments were at the end of another discussion, but one of the things I mentioned related the PS3 to 'a cheap PC' - which was taken a little out of context in the Eurogamer piece especially, and I think has annoyed some people, suggesting I don't know how much a PC costs.

It's funny because I have always seen my Xbox 360 as a cheap version of my PC. It can't run office applications and the like (well maybe it could if you could install windows or linux onto the hard drive as well as plugin a USB keyboard and mouse), but it does run graphic-intensive games brilliantly which is what it's main designed function is after all. If anything I see my 360 as a media-center because of the other functions that it can do. The architecture and hardware components are in general similar to a PC but here you have three 3.2Ghz CPU's running in parallel - so its a mini super-computer. For the price I paid for my premium package I think I got a good deal and I won't have to upgrade the hardware for future games released 2+ years from now. In fact I think my all my future gaming will be on the 360 and my PC for applications and web surfing.

I'd like to add that I think Elite IV would do very well on both Xbox 360/PS3 as well as the PC version for obvious reasons and I've met lots of people (of all ages) who feel the same way. I don't know how easy it would be to port it from PC to 360/PS3 though.

 

[David Braben]

In fact I think my all my future gaming will be on the 360 and my PC for applications and web surfing.

Indeed. I know the feeling. My point on PS3 is there are many people who use only a few PC applications (web, email, uploading photos), something a PS3 could provide...

 

[Darkman]

Indeed. I know the feeling. My point on PS3 is there are many people who use only a few PC applications (web, email, uploading photos), something a PS3 could provide...

Most definitely. I wonder if MS will update the 360 dashboard with such features in the future.

 

[VR jefranklin18]

As for the cheaper versions of the console I do wonder how viable its functionality is in comparision to the 'full' version? I wonder what the price of upgrading from the cheaper model is going to be?

The differences between the 2 PS3 versions are quite minor. The more expensive one has a larger hard disk (60GB compared 20GB), built in WiFi and card reader (coverING all major formats). Both versions come with blu ray drives and HDMI interfaces which are the fundementals necessary for HD movie watching.

Also the manual has instructions on how to upgrade your hard disc without voiding your warranty. Now isn't that nice of them?

 

[chihiro]

'I mentioned related the PS3 to 'a cheap PC' - which was taken a little out of context in the Eurogamer piece especially, and I think has annoyed some people, suggesting I don't know how much a PC costs.'

It seems an odd thing to get annoyed about, given that it was almost a selling point of the 360. MS were making a loss on 360s to start with (and they may still be for aqll I know) and I remember that there were discussions amongst my friends that it was almost worth buying a 360 and cannibalising it for its parts!

c;y

 

[Steve O B Have]

The differences between the 2 PS3 versions are quite minor. The more expensive one has a larger hard disk (60GB compared 20GB), built in WiFi and card reader (coverING all major formats). Both versions come with blu ray drives and HDMI interfaces which are the fundementals necessary for HD movie watching.

Also the manual has instructions on how to upgrade your hard disc without voiding your warranty. Now isn't that nice of them?

I'm also given to understand that they have included info on how to install a different OS... now that is some interesting marketing!

 

[Vikinger]

Ive heard that you can install either windows or linux on it but i doubt it will be possible to install the upcoming Vista, that is real demanding. Require about 40 gig free diskspace. And consider the ps3 only comes in 2 versions 20gig and 60 gig hd.

 

[VR jefranklin18]

Certainly Sony are making Linux available to download (can't remember the flavour off the top of my head), connect up a USB keyboard & mouse and you should have a decent box.

Not sure about Windows, can't see Bill pushing for that to be high on the list of development activities. Possibly through a VMWare arrangement installed in Linux you can do it, although the EULA in Vista sort of prevents this, I believe.

 

[Steve O B Have]

From where I am standing, this appears to be some pretty serious foresight on SONYs behalf - kudos.

 

[VR jefranklin18]

Indeed, I discovered today that Sony are going to be release homebrew kits which can then be uploaded to the Playstation network. I know Microsoft have something similar with XNA but that requires C# coding skills. The Sony solution is going to be accessible by all (apparently) and operable from the console without a keyboard.

I am intrigued to say the least, especially as Sony are saying that they are users will be able call all API functions such as physics, texture mapping, etc.

 

[Sparky]

My thought are that Sony are being relatively intelligent by their approach to creating a P.C of sorts. The PS3 is making in roads with its large HDD, OS and keyboard functionality. They must surely see that Microsoft being Microsoft would have the greater advantage should they base their next console around a P.C (i belive the media cantre functionality is a sign of things to come). So Sony are taking steps to ensure should the inivetible come, that they have the advantage of know how when it comes to fusing a P.C and games console.