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Sony Rep Denies Need For PC, PS3 Better
Posted by
Zonk
on Thu Jun 01, 2006 11:15 AM
from the i'm-koo-koo-for-marketing-talk dept.
from the i'm-koo-koo-for-marketing-talk dept.
Phil Harrison continues down the road of marketing hyperbole, now having gone on record stating 'we do not need the PC'. He has also denied claims of copying Nintendo with the PS3's Dualshake controller. From the Gamasutra article: "In a certain way, I understand why people would say such things, but it is stupid, if you'll forgive me saying so ... We have already worked on it a long time, and Nintendo almost certainly has done likewise with something similar. It is perfectly naturally for two companies to work on identical devices. It's like that with technology." Must be nice to live in fantasy land.
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Warhawk and The Dualshake Controller 72 comments
You may recall Warhawk from the Sony conference demo, their flagship 'dualshake' controller product. A few of the news sites have gotten their hands on the game, and have impressions of what it's like to use the PS3 controller with the game. From the Gamespy article: "I was initially very skeptical of how this feature (which looked hastily tacked on to a regular joypad without a rumble) would work, but after a lengthy playtest of WarHawk's 30 percent complete single demo stage, I can safely attest to the excellent maneuverable quality possible from the very first moment you pick up and play. The slight delay at the Sony press conference between Phil Harrison's pivoting, and the on-screen tilting of his rendered joypad meant I was expecting the same problems during my WarHawk piloting. Not so. This works flawlessly, and immediately, and allayed any fears I had that this was a last-minute gimmick designed to tear interest away from the Wii."
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Poor Deluded Phil (Score:5, Funny)
Sony has been playing around with the idea of allowing consumers one PS3 in exchange for that consumer's first born son (or the trimmed down version for first born daughter). Analysts stated that this strategy would be met with disgust in most parts of the world but may play well in third world countries and those suffering from over population.
When asked why he would no longer need a PC, Harrison merely gestured to the screen displaying the new console and said, "Look at it! Just
Sony has set up large preemptive trauma centers for players who will seek medical attention after attempting to "play" the PS3. Harrison explained that only players with "mad skillz" will be able to touch the PS3 and not walk away with their entire reality altered. Harrison also alluded to the idea that much of life after the PS3's release will be dedicated to playing the PS3 and trying to conceive of what life before the PS3 might have been like. Phil was skeptical any of their consumers would own any other consoles aside from the PS3 and stated that doctors were investigating ways to wean heroin addicts from the drug by giving them a PS3 as a substitute.
Some of the developers of the PS3 were admitted to mental institutions for possible instability. Many were sobbing and laughing at the same time screaming anything from "It is done!" to "It is
Reporters noted that Phil looked quite thin and ill but when asked about his health, he became extremely defensive saying, "Why do you ask about the physical things? If you had god in your living room, would you pause your conversation with him to eat?!" he cried, "Why do you vex me with puzzles non-PS3 based?" He had shaved his head [gamasutra.com] for reasons unknown. He then jumped off the stage and ran to his celebrity van outside--presumably to play an in-development version of the PS3.
So, is Sony going to do all their development on PS3s from now on if they don't need PCs?
The full interview here (Score:4, Interesting)
And here's one for the ages:
When we launched Playstation in 1994 we introduced the concept of real-time computer-generated 3-D-graphics for the first time. When Nintendo released the N64 in 1996 and they had real-time CG 3-D-graphics, did you hear us say, "Nintendo, you've stolen our idea?" Of course not. These innovations are things that become possible because of a combination of technology, price and manufacturing capability.
What you say !! Does Starfox ring a bell? What about Battlezone? Not only are they denying that they obviously based they idea off of Nintendo's, but they're taking credit for 3D graphics... Do these people even listen to themselves?
Re:The full interview here (Score:2)
Wolfenstein 3-D (1992) - http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/wolfenstein-3d [mobygames.com]
Doom (1993) - http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/doom [mobygames.com]
I guess those aren't true polygonal 3D games though (they used tricks to simulate it, as I recall, which limited the engines a bit). I can't think of an example of a texture-shaded polygonal 3D PC game from 1994 or earlier, but I'm sure some exist. Quake was around the same time, but I don't think it was earlier.
Re:The full interview here (Score:2)
Re:The full interview here (Score:2)
http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/alone-in-the-da
Re:The full interview here (Score:3, Insightful)
When we launched Playstation in 1994 we introduced the concept of real-time computer-generated 3-D-graphics for the first time. When Nintendo released the N64 in 1996 and they had real-time CG 3-D-graphics, did you hear us say, "Nintendo, you've stolen our idea?" Of course not. These innovations are things that become possible because of a combination of technology, price and manufacturing capability.
What you say !! Does Starfox ring a bell? What about Battlezone? Not only
Finally! (Score:5, Funny)
VAIO? (Score:5, Interesting)
Oh, good! (Score:3, Funny)
Still, it's a distinct step up from my Family Computer [wikipedia.org].
And the less said about my Entertainment Computer System [wikipedia.org], the better.
(Translation: The "our console will also be a computer!" lie is older than quite a few of the people who will read this post, and older than many of the customers Sony is targetting. Believe it when you have the computer hardware and general-purpose, useful software in your hands and running in your living room and doing something useful, and not one second earlier.)
Re:Oh, good! (Score:2)
I prefer to believe it when it happens in someone else's living room first. $700 is way too much to spend on something I don't believe in yet.
This may sound silly-- (Score:3, Interesting)
"You know, Sony really has fucked themselves pretty good. First they pulled this whole embarassing PSP trick, now they're trying to sell the average person a $600 game machine."
Then suddenly I thought of something. With a hard drive, Linux, broadband, keyboard, mouse and HDTV and or a VGA display, the PS3 is a pretty nice little computer.
Maybe Sony will be attempting to not exclusively compete for space under the television but ALSO on the desk?
Once upon a time there were people who had their Commodore 64's hooked up to televisions because they couldn't afford monitors or because they really didn't see the need since they only used them to play games anyway.
If the PS3 finds itself being purchased by people who want a "powerful computer" but don't need the full range of computing accessories (printers, desks, computer chairs, etc) the days of the living room computer may be making a come back.
I can easily see poeple with a PS3 in their living room, browsing the web, downloading music, playing games, and even possibly chatting/blogging/emailing on a PS3.
On the other hand, the PS3 might just do piss poorly and make Sony rethink their strategy for the PS4.
256M RAM Supercomputer??? (Score:4, Informative)
Parent
Re:256M RAM Supercomputer??? (Score:3, Insightful)
Who would want a multifunctional computer... (Score:2)
In Other News.. (Score:2)
Re:In Other News.. (Score:2)
Not polar bears.
Misinterpretation - he was talking about online (Score:3, Informative)
"SPIEGEL ONLINE: Speaking of online, Microsoft has just announced "Live Anywhere", an integrated Windows-Xbox-Mobile environment. Is that something you're worried about because you don't have the same access to the PC market as Microsoft does?
Harrison: No, it doesn't concern me and I don't think it concerns the consumer either. Once you adopt a game system as your primary entertainment device, that's what you want. We think that Playstation 3 is the place where our users will be doing their gaming, their movie watching, their Web browsing and a lot of other computer entertainment functions. That will satisfy them. Playstation 3 is a computer. We don't need the PC."
Taken from: http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1
Note the last part of the interviewer's question, and the last part of Harrison's answer, and it starts to make sense. Quite typical that a Sony exec's comments have been taken out of context and misreported, in my opinion - it's happening a lot lately.
What the hell?? (Score:3, Insightful)
They got a web-browser or any other software I might want? It's a Sony product, so I doubt I could rip CDs with it. Can I get iTunes for it? What about my tax software, has that been ported? Inkscape? Google Earth?
That man needs to be significantly whacked with a clue-stick. Because the PS3 doesn't do what a PC does. Not by a long shot. Or did he mean just for gaming?
Why on Earth would anyone claim that a locked down, non-upgradeable, lacking-an-operating-system or software system is superior to a PC?
Flippin' wierd if you ask me!
Wow (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Yes but... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Yes but... (Score:2)
Re:Yes but... (Score:2)
Apparently it's rumoured to come pre-installed [slashdot.org] with Linux.
Re:Yes but... (Score:2)
Re:Wow... (Score:2, Funny)
It's just one thing after another with Sony. I'm beginning to wonder if this is some kind of extended version of Punk'd.
Re:Yes it is hyperbole, but (Score:2)
Maybe we need a comparison between the PS3 and a human brain...
http://www.ps3411.com/show/news/12/0/PS3_1_as_Pow e rful_as_Human_Brain.html [ps3411.com]