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NY Times Review of PS3 237

Posted by Hemos from the not-so-much-with-the-liking dept.
An anonymous reader noted that the NY Times has done a fairly negative review of the PS3. It would seem that there have been a fair number of these; it's pretty evident at this point that Sony's launch of the PS3 was not exactly well planned out; issues are still rolling in but the real test will be how it does over the holidays and into the next year.
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NY Times Review of PS3 More

NY Times Review of PS3

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  • Just a souped up PS2 (Score:5, Informative)

    by AKAImBatman ( 238306 ) * <akaimbatman@gmaYEATSil.com minus poet> on Monday November 20, 2006 @11:21AM (#16914860) Homepage Journal
    I managed to play the PS3 in a few stores yesterday. Despite all the hype, the expense, and the motion sensing controller, it really felt like nothing more than a souped up PS2. The games I played didn't really feel different than the last-gen stuff, and the motion controller was used more as a gimmick (e.g. NBA Live '07) rather than an integral part of the experience. (Though in its defense, Sony kind of screwed their partners by introducing it so late.)

    Basically, if all you want is a PS2 with HDTV graphics and sound, you'll love the PS3. (Assuming you get past the sticker shock.) If you were truly hoping for a new and unique experience, you may have your hopes set a bit too high.

    Hopefully, the situation will change as Sony and their partners have more time to work with the hardware, but they're currently lagging out of the gate.

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by LoudMusic ( 199347 )
      it really felt like nothing more than a souped up PS2

      Isn't that what the next generation of anything is? If it's something different then it's something different.

      • Some new things are more than souped-up old things (Score:5, Insightful)

        by LKM ( 227954 ) on Monday November 20, 2006 @11:49AM (#16915310)
        it really felt like nothing more than a souped up PS2
        Isn't that what the next generation of anything is?

        Not really. Usually, you do get something more than just "more of the same." Looking at the console history, you got things like 3D graphics (SNES -> PS1), analog sticks (PS1 -> N64), the ability to watch movies (Dreamcast -> PS2) or a real online service (PS2 -> Xbox). Sure, the PS3 brings Blu-Ray, but that's just a better DVD. What else does it have? Most things are faster.

        Compare this to the Wii, which brings a really cool new controller. That's not souped up, that's new.

        • Or, uh, "souped up" things like NES>SNES, and N64>GameCube, and PS1>PS2. Oh, and Master System>Genesis. Oh and Xbox>Xbox 360.

          The biggest change for most systems was 2d>3d, and the change in controllers to accomodate that. Otherwise, New is relatively rare -- which is why stuff like the Wii makes pretty big news.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by LKM ( 227954 )
            NES>SNES

            I guess you could call that "just souped-up," but the difference in power between the NES and the SNES is quite significant. The SNES made new games possible. The PS3 does not.

            I guess the question is: Can the new console support games the old console could not? That's clearly true with the NES->SNES transition. I don't think it's true with the PS2->PS3 transition, but it's definitely true with the Cube->Wii transition.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Petrol ( 18446 )
      I said the same thing about the PS2 when it came out. On launch day it was just a slightly improved PS1. 5 years later its a very different story. When the time comes, I'll get a PS3 and I'll probably still be very happy with it in 5 years.
    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • Wii! (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 20, 2006 @11:23AM (#16914890)
    You know, there was another console launched this weekend.

    It's even selling out, in spite of its very healthy retail supply (10x the number of units as PS3).

    http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2006/11/20/tech -wii.html [www.cbc.ca]
    http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/7278/52/ [itwire.com.au]

    Isn't Slashdot going to mention it?

    • Re:Wii! (Score:5, Funny)

      by gEvil (beta) ( 945888 ) on Monday November 20, 2006 @11:29AM (#16915004)
      My thoughts exactly. The only reason I could think of that it hasn't been mentioned is because all the Slashdot editors are busy playing with their Wiis...
    • Honestly, I expect there will be a story on the Wii today when a decent story (with more information than every gamer already has) comes up. Every gamer already knows that the Wii launced on Sunday, sold out on pre-orders and people who were outside the store when it opened, had far more units than the PS3, and that most people were buying it to play games on it.

      What most people want to know is how many systems were actually sold, when there will be another shipment and when I can get some nunchucks for my

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by interiot ( 50685 )
        * Having them physically separate wasn't dumb. It's actually kind of nice... it automatically means the controller works for left-handed people just as well as right-handed people, and it lets you sit in a variety of comfortable positions (not restricted to having your two hands right next to each other). Selling them separately may or may not have been a bad idea, I don't know.
        • I meant to say selling them seperate ... sometimes I type faster than I think ...
        • Selling them separately may or may not have been a bad idea, I don't know.

          I'd say it was a good idea.

          First, not all games require the nunchuck, right? If you have a 4 player game that doesn't require it, you can buy a couple of controllers without it and save some money. If you later find a 4 player game that requires it, you can buy a couple more then.

          Second, with the main controller being exposed to so much movement, there might be issues with how well the cord attaching the nunchuck holds out. They might

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Fozzyuw ( 950608 )

        What most people want to know is... when I can get some nunchucks for my wiimotes ... I admit now that Wiimote and nunchuck seperate was dumb ... I need nunchucks ... will kill for some nunchucks ...

        Amen brother! Amen! Games REQUIRE the nunchuck and Wii-mote combination... however, it appears that there was not an equal supply of 'chucks vs 'motes. I now have 2 'motes without attachments... and I'm hoping (desperately looking for) a store with 'chucks, so I can play some 4-player action over Turkey da

        • I'm actually quite curious as to who was responsible for this ... whether Nintendo didn't have enough created or whether stores saw this "Optional" add on and simple didn't think that many people would want one.

          What I found a little odd (in my Nunchuck hunt yesterday) was how empty the Wii sections were; there were usually 1 or 2 copies of Zelda (which I heard shiped 1 for every system, which means that some of the "Moms" who bought the system didn't buy a game) and nothing else. In contrast, last year when

          • there were usually 1 or 2 copies of Zelda (which I heard shiped 1 for every system, which means that some of the "Moms" who bought the system didn't buy a game) and nothing else. In contrast, last year when I checked out the XBox 360 sections (and the PS3 sections this weekend) there was (at least) one of every item/game on the shelf.

            It's kind of weird, because I'm seeing the exact opposite in the stores around me. All the stores have mild stocks of various Wii games and accessories, while practically no on

      • I normally read Slashdot a couple times a day, but I spent the entire day yesterday playing Twilight Princess, until it was time for bed, without even turning on my computer. Maybe everyone that would either write or read such an article was too busy actually playing with the system. ;) I only had to "camp" for an hour and a half at Toys 'R Us yesterday morning to get one (though I almost didn't, I got the next to the last one). Amusingly enough, the other campers didn't look anything like the typical (P

    • Re:Wii! (Score:5, Funny)

      by Monkeys!!! ( 831558 ) on Monday November 20, 2006 @11:31AM (#16915032) Homepage
      Slashdot is mentioning it.

      Every second comment, no matter what the fucking article, is about the Wii.

      "After we have dimmed the sun to set back global warming, we can play Mario on our Wii!"

      Saying that, I've got a Wii on pre-order :)
    • It's even selling out, in spite of its very healthy retail supply (10x the number of units as PS3)

      I'm curious where you are getting the 10x number. Sony promised 400,000 units for the North American Launch. However, many people believe that Sony only shipped about half that number (say 200k).

      Now, Nintendo has promised to ship 4 million Wiis World Wide by the end of the year (with the most going to North America). If they shipped 10x the number of PS3s, then Nintendo would have had to have shipped
      • I know this is anecdotal, but the store I got my Wii at recieved 40+ Wii's for launch. They only recieved 15 PS3's, for comparison.

        Supposedly there was a Brandsmart down the street that had a whole pallet of Wii's for sale. (No games or accessories however)

  • My Experience (Score:5, Interesting)

    by DarkNemesis618 ( 908703 ) on Monday November 20, 2006 @11:23AM (#16914898) Homepage
    While I realize my experience may differ, my experience was pretty good. I waited at Best Buy and eventually got a 60GB PS3. The line was orderly, civil, and generally not bad. The people there were pretty cool with things, they knew who the people were in line and where they were. There was a list with numbers, as well as roll call every 1-2 hours so people could walk around without fear of losing their spot in line. There weren't any attempts by anyone to jump the line, though there were people who drove up offering money for spots. It was actually a pretty cool system we had set up. I don't know so much as to whether its not so much the launch being the problem versus maybe more the people in lines being the problem. You could have the best planned launch possible but if people in line cause problems, then there's still problems. Could Sony have done things better? Probably. But as I said, I think it's more the people. You get a bunch of assholes, there's going to be problems regardless.
    • Oops, this was meant at the end of my last comment: And in my opinion, the system is great. Graphics are amazing, even on a non-HDTV. The system setup was relatively easy, and PS3-Online is damned good if you ask me. I'm very happy with the system. My only complaint isn't even a complaint really, PS3's text input is like texting on a phone (ABC all on one button, DEF...) I kinda wish they had the keyboard-like interface. Other than that, I'm quite happy with my system

  • Features (Score:4, Informative)

    by Nerdfest ( 867930 ) on Monday November 20, 2006 @11:24AM (#16914910)
    In SOny's defense (and you have no idea how much that hurts to say) some of the xbox 360 features they discuss were added after the initial release, so Sony could do the same. The background downloading was adde after and the music you were listening would stop playing when a game was started (but could be started again) was fixed very recently.
    • Granted, the X-box 360 didn't have those features a year ago, but they weren't competing with the PS3 a year ago. Sony needs to AT LEAST MATCH if not beat the 360 in side-by-side comparisons today, especially since the PS3 is $200 more expensive.

      As an added slap in the face how does sony plan to 'Usher in full 1080p gaming' with composite cables?

  • Disapointment (Score:5, Interesting)

    by HappySqurriel ( 1010623 ) on Monday November 20, 2006 @11:26AM (#16914950)
    If you want to see someone disapointed give them exactly twice as much stuff for exactly twice the price ... If you want to see someone excited give them exactly half as much stuff for half the price ... I'm not sure if it is human nature, but most people think in the "Super Size It" mentality in which you pay a small ammount more (10%) for a dramatic improvement.

    What this means for the Playstation is that they needed to deliver a dramatic improvement over the XBox 360 for the $100/$200 extra cost up front in order to meet people's expectations. I haven't used the PS3 yet so I don't know whether they did, but I suspect that anywhere they're lacking will be a Huge issue to many people and where they're equal to or better than the XBox 360 will be seen as a Small benefit.

  • Mixed Review (Score:5, Interesting)

    by bateleur ( 814657 ) on Monday November 20, 2006 @11:28AM (#16914990)
    That wasn't half as negative as it might've been. He complains about a bunch of missing features, but then says he likes the games. No XBox 360 titles receive a favourable comparison.

    If that was the only review I'd read I'd still be quite tempted to buy one, since I preferred the PS2 to the XBox for the games.

  • Measured in megaflops, gigabytes and other technical benchmarks, the PlayStation 3 is certainly the world's most powerful game console. It falls far short, however, of providing the world's most engaging overall entertainment experience.

    yes, and here I was this weekend, playing The Legend of Zelda on my Wii after downloading it for $5 (which I do find expensive, but worth while for this title). Heck, the Zelda game even emulated the frame rate drop when too many orcs are on screen and shooting there bows

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by Fozzyuw ( 950608 )

      Oh, I need to point out one more thing about the Wii that would make me buy 10 more before buying a PS3... A POWER ON/OFF BUTTON that's on the bloody controller! GENIUS I TELL YOU! Seriously, how long have consoles been out before someone said... hey, lets let the gamers turn their system on and off with their wireless controller aka the Wii-Mote, like a remote control does for the TV!

      Sure, maybe I'm lazy, but hey, when I realize I can just sit down, grab the Wii-mote off my end-table push the power but

      • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

        by mgblst ( 80109 )
        You realize that the power button was the only form of exercise most gamers were getting, especially now with the ability to download games. This button alone will now add 10% on the average weight of all Americans.
        • Except for the fact that with the Wii you're actually moving around. Wii Sports is anything but sedentary.
      • Incidentally, the slim PS2 can be turned on/off from the DVD remote.

      • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

        by Jeff85 ( 710722 )
        I for one, am not looking forward to the ability to turn off the console by the controller. I can already imagine sore losers turning off the system right when you're about to beat them in some head-to-head game or just hitting it by accident. And don't bring that "The button is in a place where you can't press it by accident." People claim to push the start button "by accident" all the time when you're trying to do something timed (like say, perform a super strike in Mario Strikers which has those golf-lik

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by jZnat ( 793348 ) *
          It's probably like the Xbox360's power button, but I don't have a Wii yet, so I don't know.
        • speaking from experience and memory (which is a little hazy in the first place :() the button is in the topmost and leftmost area of the wiimote, the diameter of the button is less than half a centimetre and seems to be of the "hold for x seconds" design principle. I have yet to test it out in a match (mainly because I'm always winning :) though. It seems though that the "charge meter" play mechanic will be a thing of the past on the Wii, since for the most part (at least in WiiSports) the power and directi

  • Fanboy-talk (Score:4, Insightful)

    by RoLi ( 141856 ) on Monday November 20, 2006 @11:37AM (#16915100)
    After I read "Even after Microsoft took the lead in the video-game wars a year ago with its innovative and powerful Xbox 360 [..]" I knew the article is just hype.

    First of all, Microsoft didn't take the lead, Playstation 2 still outsells all versions of XBox combined by a rather large margin.

    Second, while XBox360 may be very powerful, it sure isn't innovative. The only things that changed between XBox1 and XBox360 are a faster CPU (pretty much to be expected), wireless controllers (not innovative because the technology has been available in stores for many years) and an improved online service (which arguably may be innovative but in fact is just a little more than a glorified ICQ which is nothing really new either).

    I think the PS3 is overpriced, rushed out of the door and overpowered, but it sure is innovative: Cell is a completely new architecture and Blu Ray a completely new storage medium.

    Of course innovative doesn't equal "better" - which probably is a very subjective thing. However when it comes to innovation I don't see a lot of it on XBox360.

    • Re:Fanboy-talk (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Abcd1234 ( 188840 ) on Monday November 20, 2006 @12:44PM (#16916344) Homepage
      I think the PS3 is overpriced, rushed out of the door and overpowered, but it sure is innovative: Cell is a completely new architecture and Blu Ray a completely new storage medium.

      Uhh, huh? Cell is just the PS2 architecture taken to it's logical conclusion. Rather than a bunch of special purpose vector units surrounding a single core, you have a bunch of cores. Nothing terribly special, there, IMHO.

      And BR is just a souped up DVD. Nothing more, nothing less. It's no more innovative than moving from CD to DVD... it's yet another optical drive, with it's usual host of problems (load times, scratched media, etc, etc).

      Honestly, I see very little in the PS3 that's terribly innovative or compelling. The Cell is really the best thing it has going for it, as far as that goes, and ironically, it works *against* game developers by making their jobs significantly harder, as writing a game for the PS3 is now a very different task compared to writing one for, say, the Wii or 360.
    • After I read "Even after Microsoft took the lead in the video-game wars a year ago with its innovative and powerful Xbox 360 [..]" I knew the article is just hype.

      I didn't see him say MS took the sales lead. They certainly did take the performance lead, and as the first ones to launch in this generations of consoles, that also makes them a leader of that pack. How you choose to interpret his words doesn't make him a fanboy.

      Second, while XBox360 may be very powerful, it sure isn't innovative. The only things

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by kabdib ( 81955 )
      Okay, so now you've got a thingumy in your living room with a !!!Cell Processor!!! and !!!Blu Ray!!! and um, well . . . now what? It's not like you're going to be programming the damned thing (and, let's face it, you don't exactly need Blu Ray to do a home video of your life).

      "But I've got a ***C*E*L*L**P*R*O*C*E*S*S*O*R*** a-an-and --"

      Realization dawns. It doesn't matter if there are magic sex-starved nympho computation fairies pushing the electrons around inside. Once again you've bought something beca
    • First of all, Microsoft didn't take the lead, Playstation 2 still outsells all versions of XBox combined by a rather large margin.

      Wondering if this was Sony's idea all along... the reason the PS3 is so high-end and high-price is because they already have a low-end console with a low price that sells spectacularly well, called.. a PS2...

    • Technical innovations in a home gaming system only matter if the end-user sees a direct benefit.

      So if the PS3 offers less than a significant improvement in gameplay or graphics over other consoles (I am not making a judgement either way, just a supposition), then the presence of the Cell processor does not mean much.

      Technology for technology's sake with no benefit in cost, reliability, efficiency, or performance is a waste. Blu Ray is good, but the Cell processor in the PS3 only matters if PS3 games

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by amuro98 ( 461673 )
      New processor - who cares? What's that going to do for the games?

      New storage media - who cares? What's that going to do for the games?

      So far, these elements haven't done anything for the games or other features.

      I don't buy consoles because of what hardware or storage medium they use. I don't buy them because they're "innovative". I buy consoles for one purpose, and one purpose only: GAMES.

      If you come out with a console powered by pigeons and it can some nifty set of games - I'll be there.

      So far, the 36

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by RzUpAnmsCwrds ( 262647 )
      The 360 is the first console where you can replace a game soundtrack with your own music. It's the first console that comes with wireless controllers - controllers which can power on and off the system, no less. It's the first console that plays music over the network or off of a USB key or iPod - out of the box. It's the first console where you can download demos, trailers, TV, movies, and quite a bit more - right out of the box, without having to pay.

      Microsoft got the 360s software very, very right. Sony'

  • Not exactly well planned out... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by crossmr ( 957846 ) on Monday November 20, 2006 @11:39AM (#16915156) Journal
    Don't be so kind. This was a completely botched released. Sony has shot themselves in the foot. Maybe not the foot, Upper-thigh and with a shotgun is more accurate. They can recover from it, but they've got about 5 seconds to stop the bleeding.

  • What went wrong with Sony? Why can't they compete anymore? What's up with the bad quality of the online system?

    I have no actual insight into what's happening at Sony, but I think there's a possibility that might be some kind of brain drain going on there. Sony used to be a cool place to work for during the PS1/PS2 era, but ever since the Rootkit fiasco, they've been the bad guys. What self-respecting geek would want to work for Sony?

    Maybe they simply don't have the quality and quantity of programmers to i

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Kohath ( 38547 )
      What went wrong with Sony? Why can't they compete anymore?

      The complete answer: You believe what you read on the Internet and there's been a lot of biased anti-Sony stories. Therefore, you believe that something went wrong at Sony and they can't compete anymore. If you were more discerning, you might just wait and see whether Sony's strategy with the PS3 works.

      (And on the MP3-player front, their content divisions screwed that up because they were afraid anything they'd do would hurt their CD sales.)

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by LKM ( 227954 )

        Sorry, but Sony is going to lose a lot of market share with the PS3. It's probably not going to be a Walkman situation, but it's going to be bad. But that doesn't actually matter: My point was that their products aren't as good as they used to be. Maybe they can compete as far as market share is concerned, but it's because of their name, not because of the quality of their products.

        MP3 players and consoles aren't the only parts of Sony going down the drain.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • Positive Experiences Here (Score:5, Informative)

    by Frobozz0 ( 247160 ) on Monday November 20, 2006 @12:07PM (#16915686)
    I got a PS3 60Gb at the official NYC launch event at the Sony Style store. Everyone was guaranteed a unit, and we all got one. Things were cival, orderly, and even friendly. I made a couple new friends in line and walked out with my unit at about 2:45 AM!

    My impressions of the unit:

    Resistance looks great and plays great. If you don't like 1st person shooters, don't bother, but if you do you will not be disappointed. I found that most of the game demos on the floor didn't show the best aspects of all the games available. Sad, but true-- the actual game was much better than the demo.

    The downloadable games are a lot of fun and very reasonably priced at under $10 a pop. The launch titles were much stronger than the PS2 launch titles and certainly on par with the Wii and 360. As with any console, the best games will be 6 to 9 months out-- but this is just the typical next-gen timetable. If you have an HD tv, this is the console to get.

    Blu-ray movies look as good as they should. Kudos for that. I consider that a token only because I think it would be hard to screw that up. However, as with DVD, the best experiences are to come. Talladega Nights looked good and sounded great, but I really want the Matrix in Blu-ray to confirm it's superiority to HD-DVD. :-)

    So the PS3 lived up to all the hype. Here are some interesting improvements I'm certain we'll see over time. And, thankfully, we can expect regular updates of functionality just like the 360. Honestly I could go on and on about how much I liked the experience and enjoy the games. I also know full well that there is improvement to be made over time, and it WILL be done. Here are some ideas:

    1) When buying a game demo, purchasing the full game should be an unlock code and not another download. They are large.

    2) You should be able to download content in the background from the store.

    3) Motorstorm is an amazing game and it's a shame it wasn't available on launch day. I can't wait to get my hands on that one.

    4) More Bluetooth compatibility for keyboards and mice.

    5) Drop the price to $399 - $499 and it's a no brainer. $599 was pricy but for me, eh, I'll live with it.

    People love to bash the PS3 and praise the Wii online-- it's progressed to an art form now. But, I just don't see it. I know the Wii is nice and all, but if you are looking for an HD experience look no further than PS3. The games really are great, the downloadable content is competent and very fun, and the UI is pretty slick.

    • Blu-ray movies look as good as they should. Kudos for that. I consider that a token only because I think it would be hard to screw that up. However, as with DVD, the best experiences are to come. Talladega Nights looked good and sounded great, but I really want the Matrix in Blu-ray to confirm it's superiority to HD-DVD. :-)

      Then in all likelyhood, you'll be dissapointed. Bluray is fine and all, but that is not a title where you'll see any difference between HD-DVD and Bluray. Warner uses Microsoft's VC-

    • Re:Positive Experiences Here (Score:5, Informative)

      by AnyNoMouse ( 715074 ) on Monday November 20, 2006 @02:24PM (#16918004)
      Let's try this again, but with FORMATTING! WOOT!

      Blu-ray movies look as good as they should. Kudos for that. I consider that a token only because I think it would be hard to screw that up. However, as with DVD, the best experiences are to come. Talladega Nights looked good and sounded great, but I really want the Matrix in Blu-ray to confirm it's superiority to HD-DVD. :-)
      Then in all likelyhood, you'll be dissapointed. Bluray is fine and all, but that is not a title where you'll see any difference between HD-DVD and Bluray.

      Warner uses Microsoft's VC-1 encoder for all of it's titles. For Bluray releases, they use a tool, written by Microsoft, to convert the encodes to a format the Bluray authoring tools like.

      The PS3, from the reports I've read, doesn't currently support BD-J, so the HD-DVD version will likely have better extras than the Bluray version and have the exact same picture and sound. There aren't any Bluray players that support BD-J (the Java interpreter for Bluray that allows for advanced interactivity features) currently out or announced, BTW. Expect them sometime mid-to-late 2007.

      Like it or not, the extra bandwidth and space avaialble on Bluray isn't turning into better picture quality or sound for Bluray releases at the moment, and may not in the future. Microsoft's codec team has done a spectacular job with their VC-1 tools and they're still making big strides in bringing down the size of HD video. One could argue that they're the primary reason HD-DVD is doing so well today. The only real world advantages that Bluray currently has is studio support (which interestingly enough is not resulting in more titles) and device manufacturer support (ditto).

    • "1) When buying a game demo, purchasing the full game should be an unlock code and not another download. They are large." You have to purchase demos? I really hope that you mistyped here.
    • Three of the five suggestions you make for future improvements to the PS3 experience are items that the Xbox 360 has today. Plus, if the "best" games typically come out for a console 6-9 months after launch, then some of the best 360 games are already available for purchase now. No waiting.

      So I'm not sure why your recommendation ends up being "if you are looking for an HD experience look no further than PS3." Why not look at the 360?
  • I agree, I would've liked to have seen some component cables included with the system.

    The 360's wireless controllers are always just that, wireless.

    As with the PS3, the 360 wireless controller needs to be wired for recharging, using the Microsoft recharge kit with battery, an extra $20 for the controller to have a rechargeable battery. So, the reviewer isn't quite right about that, they're not always wireless.

    ...one of the things I've always enjoyed most on the Xbox 360 is being able to listen to my ow

    • As with the PS3, the 360 wireless controller needs to be wired for recharging, using the Microsoft recharge kit with battery, an extra $20 for the controller to have a rechargeable battery. So, the reviewer isn't quite right about that, they're not always wireless.

      I always have a couple rechargable AA batteries sitting in the charger. When one of my 360 controllers starts to blink it's little low battery blink, I just pop in the fresh set, and put the drained ones back in the charger queue. It takes about

      • With that you point out one of the differences between the two systems and you are completely correct about the option. While MS gives you the option of spending immense amounts of money on batteries (note: MS says that using rechargeable AA batteries will void their warranty), I was merely comparing the rechargeable aspect of the two systems as provided by the companies.

        It's also interesting to note that most of the weight of the 360 controllers comes from the batteries in the controller and not the cont
  • ... that the NY Times review guy is annoyed with the missing/incomplete features that, supposedly, "no one has asked for". Music, browsing, background downloading, that sort of thing. They'll fix a lot of this in firmware (like they did for the X360), so its a bit moot, but he does have the point in saying that Sony originally delayed this launch - the fact that this shit is not polished is bad.
  • Of all the stores I've been to I've yet to see a Wii demo running. All I've seen are videos of some woman talking about how great the Wii is. I did notice the PS3 running as a demo machine had crashed at one store. I manage to play one elsewhere.

    I played some offroad game which despite not having particularly high reviews I found to be a lot of fun. I found the damage inflicting on vehicles to be impressive and I could finally consider the console to have graphics comparable to a PC. The game certainly felt

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