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Games Entertainment

More PlayStation 3 Predictions 200

Posted by michael from the tea-leaves dept.
GreyGusMan writes "On the heels of last week's report that the PlayStation 3 would be released by the end of the year, CNN/Money is now reporting that Sony will not release its next console until 2006 - a year later than most of the industry has been predicting up until now. The column points out that PlayStation 2 sales have remained stong for much longer than the PlayStation and the technology Sony has planned will take a long time to create. Meanwhile, the same column mentions that the expected May price cut may be less than expected. Most people were expecting the PS2 to drop to $149, but $179 is now also a possibility."
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More PlayStation 3 Predictions More

More PlayStation 3 Predictions

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  • PS2 Prices (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Marx_Mrvelous ( 532372 ) on Thursday March 20, 2003 @09:33AM (#5554603) Homepage
    It's strange though, since you can find a PS2 for $150 "refurbished" just about anywhere. I imagine a price drop to $180 wouldn't significantly increase sales, but would lower their profits. Of course, maybe they've dropped the manufacturing costs by $20, so they'll just break even.

    Now, if FF X-2 is PS/2 only, I might have to pick one up :)

    • Re:PS2 Prices (Score:1, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward
      I don't think FF X-2 is a good reason to pick one up.
      Have been reading nothing but negative feelings on the whole concept. From what has been divulged, the game is a pretty blatant attempt at 'fan service'. If you get off on skimpy clothes and J-pop with only one new character to the three you get for the whole game, more power to you. Supposed to only have about 12 hours of play, give or take a few hours, so the game is VERY short compared to FFX.
      It is sad to see Square slipping so far down the mountain
      • FFX?

        I liked FFX, but I'm betting there was only about 12 hours of actual play time in that whole game. Took us about 40 hours to beat the first run through (stayed up for 2 days straight) and a majority of the time we were "playing", I was watching cutscenes.

        Not that they didn't add to the story.... I remember walking around, building up experience etc and walking into the boss fights and totally kicking butt since I was probably way too high up on exp....
        • So in other words, it will last me between six months to a year.

          While I stayed up straight to play the first Final Fantasy, nowadays I play maybe an hour or two a week (and haven't even had a system hooked up in over a year). Even if you play two hours a day (a pretty large amount of time), then you're looking at a month worth of game.

          I'm pretty sure that the games aren't intended to be played marathon style. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen. But I've sat through Neon Genesis Evangelion, the full

      • First of all, I really enjoy FFX-2. Got it on the first day and I love it, hell of a lot of fun. It's a very Japanese RPG game and you're right, there's a j-POP theme song - oh no! That didn't hurt the sales of Kingdom Hearts. And it's not as short as the rumors, you can beat it in 10 hours if you really try, or take 100 - it's up to you, just like FFX.

        Secondly, they shipped 1.8 million copies here on the first day and sold an unbelievable 1.2 million copies. If that's slipping down a mountain, I don

        • Why isn't Final Fantasy just a DVD? You could easily play it by just clicking up or down on the menu. I predict the next step for Final Fantasy is a DVD, so you don't have waste time walking around and fighting monsters to get to those awesome FMV's!
    • Why would you pick up a PS2 for FFX-2 but did not for FFX? Is the sequel that much more enticing then the orginal?
    • Those are all good points. My question is why is everyone so quick to actually WANT to shell out 300 bucks more for a new console? Let PS2 run its course, there is still plenty of power in it that developers haven't even tapped yet. 2006 actually sounds about right for when we'll NEED to upgrade.
  • Most people were expecting the PS2 to drop to $149, but $179 is now also a possibility.

    Aww gee, I've mowed lawns for Old Man McGregor for the past year or so to earn my own playstation 2, earning $2 bucks per week, finally saving $150. Shucks, can't we make a deal here?

  • Why would they want to? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by krugdm ( 322700 ) <<moc.gurki> <ta> <todhsals>> on Thursday March 20, 2003 @09:35AM (#5554628) Homepage Journal

    Hell, why not milk the PS2 for as long as they can? I've got to imagine that as the technology in the PS2 gets cheaper, they'll actually start making money per unit instead of losing it, and as long as people are buying, then more profit for Sony.

    Apparantly it's a winning strategy since people are still buying PSOnes...

    • Re:Why would they want to? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by larien ( 5608 ) on Thursday March 20, 2003 @09:42AM (#5554681) Homepage Journal
      If they try to milk it too long, they'll fall behind the technology ladder. Fall too far, you risk losing market share and people will just buy Xbox(2) instead. Game makers will follow and soon PS3 is a dead duck before it's launched.

      As it is, they're already behind Xbox technologically and the only thing keeping PS2 winning is the game selection. If MS buys up enough games companies for Xbox only titles, PS2 will start losing market share heavily.

      *shrug* time will tell, as ever; 3 years is a long time for MS to make Sony an also ran.

      • Re:Why would they want to? (Score:5, Insightful)

        by renenoel ( 522951 ) on Thursday March 20, 2003 @10:01AM (#5554838) Homepage
        Technical Superiority never had anything to do with the Console Wars.

        At almost every stage, Nintendo had the better platform, but because of bonehead licensing, they never really got developers behind them. Also, they always came out with gimpy media: cartridges, mini-DVDs, instead of CDs and regular DVDs.

        X-Box has also struggled with developers, but they clearly had (and still has) the best engine behind the games: it's twice as fast as the PS2. As Nintendo (and briefly, Sega) have shown us is that it's not the faster box that wins.

        Sony wins with letting anyone and their brother develop games (they even sold ones that let you develop games on your own!), and they won by making it easily hackable. When people realized that after dropping a few dollars to (illegally) modify their PS1 or PS2, they could download all of games off the net or copy their friends' games, it took off and never looked back. At any point, if Sony wanted to close up the ability to modchip their machines, I'm sure they could have, but why would they?

        If Microsoft or Nintendo really want to compete, they should worry less about processing power and more about getting people behind them.

        • At any point, if Sony wanted to close up the ability to modchip their machines, I'm sure they could have...

          Actually, they have been trying...

          Lik-Sang Back Online, Minus Modchips [slashdot.org] and Game Chipping In Limbo [news.com.au]

          • I think what renenoel wastrying to infer was that if Sony was really serious about preventing of mod chipping of thier machines, they'd havedeveloped a way to do it on the hardware level, rather than relying on the courts.
        • it's twice as fast as the PS2

          Really? A cache-crippled Celeron on a PC motherboard?
          • A cache-crippled Celeron

            Actually, it's a cache crippled P3. While the cache is the same size as the celery, the cache access latency is the same as the P3. The celery's cache access latency is two extra clock cycles longer than a P3, slowing it down. So the X-box processor is slower than a P3 (less cache), but faster than the celery (lower cache latency).

            -MDL

        • At almost every stage, Nintendo had the better platform, but because of bonehead licensing, they never really got developers behind them.

          Does the NES ring a bell to anyone anymore?

          The Sega Master System was superior to Nintendo's 8-bit machine technically, but got trounced in the market. Why? Because just about every developer signed an exclusive license to develop for the NES. Sega only had themselves and a handful of third-parties. IOW, for most of the 1980's the exact opposite of your assertion re
    • Sony has been making money on hardware asles of the PS2 for quite a long time, now. The only company who's been losign money from hardware is Microsoft.
    • I've got to imagine that as the technology in the PS2 gets cheaper, they'll actually start making money per unit instead of losing it

      Sony has long since been making a profit on PS2 sales. But, yes, all the more reason for them not to be in a big rush with PS3.
  • As always, I think articles like this should be taken with a grain of salt.

    I think the PS3 is likely anywhere from Christmas 2004 to Christmas 2005. The standard for a LONG TIME has been a 5 year system cycle, and there's nothing to suggest that the next generation will be any different. Whatever Sony is planning is likely not past the drawing board stage, and there's certainly a lot of life left in their Playstation 2 system.

    Don't worry people... you can all enjoy your PS2s for a couple of years to come, at least. :)
    • but it is definitly not 2006. I didn't get my PS2 until 12/2001 and I was already quite a bit behind...

      2006 will put the PS2 *WAY* behind 2006 graphics and CPU capabilities... While I agree that the games might actually improve (as they did w/the PS1 as the programmers I guess got smarter with what they were able to do w/the machine) they might also degrade as people become uninterested.

      A computer lasts about 2 years... Why would a console last 6?

      Just my worthless .02

      • Re:Ingest with a single crystal of Sodium Chloride (Score:5, Insightful)

        by ApharmdB ( 572578 ) on Thursday March 20, 2003 @10:17AM (#5554950)
        A computer lasts about 2 years... Why would a console last 6?

        Because the hardware is more focused on a single purpose and because that is a benefit of consoles. Joe Average likes consoles as opposed to computer gaming because it is a single purchase that lasts a much longer time. He is not forced into a constant upgrade cycle to stay current. If Sony, MS, and Nintendo start making new consoles every two years they will alienate a lot of people. Look at what all those "upgrades" did to Sega during the Saturn days.
        • He is not forced into a constant upgrade cycle to stay current.

          It's interesting how a proprietary gaming platform can actually empower the consumer. It seems for PCs, the manufacturers manipulate the consumers so they always have an inferiority complex about their hardware. Console owners don't care too much that their hardware is not bleeding edge any more--they just want more and more games.

  • In topics about the PS3, some things are certain.. (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 20, 2003 @09:43AM (#5554689)
    1. The Release date will change.

    2. People will complain about said release date change and blame it on either Sony, Microsoft or CowboyNeal.

    3. SOMEONE will post a link to that 'Ghost of Christmas Future' PS5 story on TheOnion.
    • you forgot

      4) Someone will call the Gamecube a 'kiddie' machine, despite this having nothing to do with the topic

      5) Someone else will take great offense and start listing titles with T or M ratings

      6) Someone will counter with poor US Gamecube sales

      6) Someone else will reply that Microsoft aren't selling many XBoxes in Japan

      When Sony start to see a slowdown in PS2 sales and a competitor actually coming even close to them, they might think about releasing PS3, but not much sooner. Apart from anything, the

  • to the victors goes the spoils.. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by merc_sa ( 35777 ) on Thursday March 20, 2003 @09:44AM (#5554696)
    Sony has won the console war and it's now time to ride the gravy train for the next few years
    off the software. The xbox was out late was never got traction, and the gamecube is still
    mainly targetted at kiddies..

    MS is now in the awkward situation of either being content at number 2 or risk further
    alienating its base by releasing the next console too early. Nintendo being in that same leaky
    boat. So whether we like it or not, Sony's domination over this current generation of
    consoles will push out innovation for the next generation at least by an extra year or two.
    It'll be good for sony's bottomline but gamers will have to be happy with what they got for a
    little while...

    Is it just me, or there seems to be a slowdown in major AAA titles in the last year or so for the
    consoles? I would generally buy at least 3 to 4 AAA titles a year, but this year and last year,
    Vice City is the only title I've picked up.. Either I'm getting pickier.. or the picking's
    gotten a lot thinner..

    • Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. (Score:5, Interesting)

      by larien ( 5608 ) on Thursday March 20, 2003 @11:19AM (#5555500) Homepage Journal
      Nintendo is dying off in the UK; Dixons (major high street retailer; part of the same group as PC World) have effectively stopped selling it, clearing existing stock only. Argos are heavily discounting and are likely to stop selling RSN.

      They're not out of the game yet, but without a turnaround, they're going to become irrelevant soon.

      • Nintendo hasn't released some of its best titles in the UK yet, so it's suffering there. But in the US, sales in February were up quite a lot (110%) [gamesindustry.biz] last month. And Zelda has massive preorder numbers: 600,000 already.
      • Indeed - and there's bargains to be had out there boys and girls! Just yesterday I got:

        2x GameCubes
        2x Memory Cards
        1x Extra Controller
        4x Games (Pikmin, Mario Sunshine and a couple of others)

        for a grand total of £200! (that's about US$310). If I was buying ps2 (I already have one of those) I'd be lucky to get one console and a couple of games for that.

        They've been flying off the shelves of Dixons and Argos, whilst other retailers are still selling the consoles on their own for £130.
    • Sony has won the console war and it's now time to ride the gravy train for the next few years
      off the software. The xbox was out late was never got traction, and the gamecube is still
      mainly targetted at kiddies..

      DING DING DING DING DING DING

      CONGRATULATIONS! You're the 1,000,000th person to recite these same old claims about the current state of the console market!!!

      WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP

  • Well obviously they are going to have to do something amazing to keep up with best selling consoles, but I wonder if they are going to try to beat everyone to the start of the 6th generation console. Would they be able to do this and die like the Dreamcast simply because of other companies using that as an example and blow it out of the water with their systems? As much as I don't like them, I bet Microsoft will put a whole lot more effort into xbox2 and make it a killer system, just look at all the gamin

  • Competiton (Score:3, Insightful)

    by rf0 ( 159958 ) <rghf@fsck.me.uk> on Thursday March 20, 2003 @09:48AM (#5554736) Homepage
    Prehaps Sony realises that ATM in terms of installed based and quality of the game library there isn't anything that can touch the PS2. In europe both the X-Box and Gamecube aren't anywhere near as popular. Why should Sony push new hardware onto the market to extend their lead now when there is no need to.

    As other people have said the PS2 unit itself might start making money for sony as production costs fall. Sure I would love to have the PS3 but Sony know the market will wait. Also with any luck the extra time will mean that the new technology will be even more advanced.

    I look forward to the day I can play a photorealistic games rendered in real time.

    Rus

    • Re:Competiton (Score:5, Interesting)

      by binaryDigit ( 557647 ) on Thursday March 20, 2003 @09:51AM (#5554758)
      As other people have said the PS2 unit itself might start making money for sony as production costs fall

      Repeat after me, Sony sells PS2 hardware for a profit already. Have for a while now.

      I look forward to the day I can play a photorealistic games rendered in real time.

      As long as the games don't suck. I look forward to the day when focus comes back to gameplay and not pretty pictures.
    • Walk into any branch of Dixons (UK's biggest high street electronics retailer) right now and you can buy a GameCube with a free game for only £99. Not only that, but a lot of their GameCube games and accessories seem to be pretty damn cheap too, with games around £25-30, as opposed to PS2 and X-Box titles at £35-40.

      Why? Dixons has a glut of GameCubes and associated products, far more than they would like. Basically, the console hasn't done half as well as Dixons was hoping and it hopes to
    • XBox would fare better if Microsoft didn't make it. Technologically, it's superior. However, people see "microsoft" and think "solitaire" and "difficult, crashy computer".

  • Why do we need it? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by x311 ( 600406 ) on Thursday March 20, 2003 @09:49AM (#5554744) Homepage
    It might just be me, but I'm completely satisfied with my XBox and PS2. Hell, I still love the Dreamcast. You know why? The games are good and fun. Is releasing a new console going to make the games better? I really can't see the correlation between having a new console out and having better games (except that a new system usually launches with a couple A+ games). I'd be more interested in MS and Sony throwing more money into quality game development instead of working on making a new console that will make the already-pretty-enough graphics a little bit prettier. Graphics and processing power do not make games--innovation does.
    • Pretty enough?

      I've been playing PC and XBox games for the past 6 months, and I finally went back to my PS2 to play a few games. I popped in Jak and Daxter-- oh, man. You know the feeling when you've been thinking about playing your NES games for a long time, and you finally go back and toss in Kid Icarus, and it's nowhere near as nice looking as you remember it? That's what I got with the PS2.

      PS2 games look hideous. GTA3, DMC, MGS2, a couple others are quite nice. But the visuals on your typical PS2

    • Amen to that. I just recently picked up an X-Box (long-time Panzer Dragoon fan), and other than plugging it in and firing it up to make sure it worked, I've barely touched it lately. What's been sucking up my time lately? I got pulled into re-playing Spyro the Dragon games on my old Playstation. I didn't care if the PS1 graphics weren't up to par with the taste I got while first testing out the X-Box - I was having fun. I've played plenty of pretty games (PC and console) that sucked rocks - give me a g

    • True 3D games (those with an engine capable of handling arbitrary geometry) simply cannot run on the systems of yesterday. Similarly, the games of tomorrow will not run on the systems of today. It seems that the hottest PC games today are first person shooters and micromanagement games, though I haven't looked up the sales figures or anything. First person shooters are simply not possible (at least not a truly interactive and flexible system) on, say, XT-class PCs. Micromanagement games on their current sca
  • This is very good news. It gives the current consoles time to build some quality titles and gives consumers some breathing space. Sony has a good installed base and MS will be happy with this as well. They can continue to build Live and develop some good franchises. Nintendo might not be so happy but maybe the cUbe will pick up in the future.
    Sony also needs to think about their real online network that they will probably launch with PS3. PS2 hardware was a big mistake so Sony better make sure they have a go

  • they have to wait (Score:5, Interesting)

    by NixterAg ( 198468 ) on Thursday March 20, 2003 @09:53AM (#5554775)
    Sony won't pump out the Playstation 3 until they get a better idea of how many people will adopt HDTV, which technology will succeed DVD in the home, and when Microsoft will release a competing product. They can't afford to release a piece of hardware that isn't compatible with what people want. You can't believe how many people use their PS2 (or X-Box) as their primary (if only) DVD player. This is a huge selling point for the consoles and has been a huge boon to the DVD industry. It has, in essence, single handedly killed VHS, as many major retail outlets have already announced plans to phase out VHS sales.

    It's not just about games anymore. Gaming consoles will become the media hub of the future home, not PCs (yes you can argue that gaming machines are specialized PCs but that's not completely accurate), and it's critical that Sony continue with that concept, but it's risky at the same time.
    • You can't believe how many people use their PS2 (or X-Box) as their primary (if only) DVD player.

      Yes, the PS2 with the add-on remote is a pretty darn good DVD player. However, one reason it is successful in this multi-role scheme is that the PS2 doesn't come with unanticipated DRM or other crippling roadblocks.

      I say "unanticipated", because it is pretty clear to the public, now, that DVD has that CSS stuff, and that the PS2 games are proprietary. But Sony left it at that. There's no "big brother" mode
      • to go to a big city electronics store and find 5 people who have heard of CSS. bonus points if they know it has something to do with DVDs.

        I further challenge you to find 5 people there who know what proprietary means, bonus points if they mention computers.

    • I agree completely.

      With a $50 piece of software (Broadq Qcast), and my network adapter, I am able to watch video and listen to mp3s streamed off my desktop. Now I can watch all those movies and tv shows on my big screen tv instead of the computer monitor.

      In fact, I use the PS2 more often with Qcast than with playing games. My TV time is probably now spent 50% watching live tv (mostly sports) and 50% movies or tv shows (no commercials) downloaded using emule.

      Qcast highly recommended for anyone with a PS2.
    • [Gaming consoles having the capability to play DVDs] has, in essence, single handedly killed VHS

      You don't think that the fact that standalone DVD players have dropped in price from $400 to as low as $50 over the past 5 years has anything to do with it?
      • I wonder what % of people use a Console as their main DVD player...the original poster said "I wouldn't believe it" and that might be true, 'cause to me it seems pretty small. I think DVDs made big inroads to the popular market before PS2 was around.

        DVDs look cooler on a shelf and take less room, tend to sell for a low price, let you jump around with scene select, seem less prone to wearing down, often have bonus material, and have great picture especially when pausing. I think all of these have more to
      • I think that's definitely helped, but I know literally dozens of people, especially children, who wouldn't have a DVD player if their console didn't play DVDs. Originally it was an added bonus that they didn't intend to use, but with DVDs so widespread they ended up embracing it.

        Mark my words, next generation console gaming will have as much effect on the adoption of HDTV as HDTV content does.
  • is the basic lack of a keyboard and mouse. Why in the world would I want to take a step backwards? I personally LIKE computer games way more, as they are customizeable to the extreme!! *best duffman voice* OH YA!

    When was the last time you were using a controller for xbox online and were accused of using an aimbot? Never? Hmmm.... wonder why that is. Now lets see - for me, the last time was probably about a week ago in CS. Nuff said. (and I swear if anyone says i'm a cheator... NARF!)

    • Re:The main thing that has kept me away from conso (Score:2, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      I know this may sound like crazy techno-babble but they got these keyboards that run off a so called 'universal serial bus'. The name is exotic but the concept is simple. All in all, you gets a keyboard and a mouse on yer PS2
    • "When was the last time you were using a controller for xbox online and were accused of using an aimbot? Never? Hmmm.... wonder why that is."

      err, because the lack of aimbots has meant that you can concentrate on playing games rather than worrying that every person achieving a kill might be cheating? I know I stopped playing CS when it became impossible to have any fun due to all the cheating people; consoles have got me gaming again.

      While I understand your desire to stick with K+M configs for playing firs
      • No offense, but you probably aren't very good at CS. I can go play a game basically any time I want, and even though i'm pretty much inactive due to www.natural-selection.org I don't find it hard to find my name on the top of the list. Usually the only people on top of me are clanners. I don't cheat at all, so are you saying that all clanners cheat?

        btw, I'm not a god at CS... I've just played enough to realize all you have to do is tap your mouse button. HEY! I guess all that tapping we did when play

  • I know someone working on the chip. There's no way it could come out this year.

  • Recap (Score:5, Insightful)

    by YE ( 23647 ) on Thursday March 20, 2003 @09:57AM (#5554807)
    Now, if you haven't been following the entire brouhaha, here's a brief recap:

    1. Somebody overhears something about chips sampling and makes the utterly ridiculous assumption that PS3 will launch this year.

    2. Gutter media (like The Inquirer [theinquirer.net]) are all over the story.

    3. Gamer sites don't want to be left behind ("Hey, it may be bullshit, but our readers better read bullshit on our pages than on The Inquirer [theinquirer.net]") and quote each other as authorities.

    4. Everyone with a little insight in the console business and general common sense dismisses the story as crap. General consensus is reached.

    5. Mainstream media picks up the story a week after it's all calmed down, e.g. CNN posts an article of three screenfulls of text which says absolutely nothing.

    6. Slashdot editors decide that any mention of the word "Playstation" on CNN is techno-culture, cyberpunkish, and, most of all, worth posting as news.

    7. Slashdot readers ("commenters") wage a bloody flamefest over "my console is 1337er than yours", mentioning "attention to gameplay", "Microsoft world domination" and "games in ye good olden days" many times without giving a clock cycle to think about what they actually mean. But, hey, that's okay, that's Slashdot!

  • This is a _huge_ gamble (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Sgs-Cruz ( 526085 ) on Thursday March 20, 2003 @09:57AM (#5554810) Homepage Journal
    X-box has extremely short development times (and low costs for the power you get, due to using basically commodity hardware). If Sony waits this long, MS has the capability to release two new boxes in that time (they won't... but they could, theoretically.) The problem is, three years is foreeeever in the world of technological devlopment. Can you imagine if something had been announced in March of 2000? Would you still care about it now?

    I guess what I'm saying is, Cell had better be absolutely revolutionary-stunning-fantastic to actually make people care after that long.

    • But what's interesting is that the next xbox is also not expected until a similar time frame. Given its somewhat tepid sales, you would think that M$ would want to make sure they got something out quicker. And if Sony's competitors aren't going to come out with something even more spectacular in the interim, then the 5 year cycle is not as big of a killer as one might think. I don't think cell has to bee that "killer" even after that long. After all, while PS2 was a nice step over PS, it wasen't the wor
    • "Can you imagine if something had been announced in March of 2000? Would you still care about it now?"

    • X-box has extremely short development times

      If by "extremely short" you mean "the same 18 to 30 month cycle that most games take to develop," then I'll agree. It's easier to write a from-scratch renderer for the Xbox, but the other 90% of the game, plus creation of art and levels and scripting, takes the same amount of time. The renderer issue is irrelevant, too, as by now everyone has solid PS2 rendering code to lean on (or is using RenderWare).
    • X-Box games don't have lower development times than games for other platforms, unless those other platforms are something like the sega saturn which was pretty much unsupported by sega, in spite of the fact that it's a complicated platform with two processors. (Identical SuperH processors, not like the (IIRC) supposedly MIPS-derived "vector units" in the EE.)

      Sony has the problem that they have to sneak their Cell processor into a whole bunch of hardware and somehow con you into hooking it all up. Usually

  • 5 years? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by snitty ( 308387 ) on Thursday March 20, 2003 @09:57AM (#5554813) Homepage
    This five year gap between consoles may be just what nintendo needs to jump in and take over the next generation console market. Previously Sony has had the edge by coming out a year earlier than the others.

    • Re:5 years? (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Daetrin ( 576516 )
      As has been discussed before, [slashdot.org] Nintendo is trying to get their next console out by 2005. [gamesarefun.com]

      If Sony actually delays till 2006 and Nintendo actually does make it out by 2005 (when piling hardware release predictions on top of rumors about hardware release predictions, nothing is certain) then it might give Nintendo the chance to gain the same lead Sony has gained in the last two generations. Along with the dinky mini-DVDs and the lack of a second "Z" button on the controllers, their constant lateness has been o

  • I predict . . . (Score:5, Funny)

    by frankthechicken ( 607647 ) on Thursday March 20, 2003 @10:02AM (#5554841) Journal
    I believe Sony and Trevor Bayliss [woe.edu.pl] are understood to be forming a partnership, so I predict the next playstation will be completely portable, with completely wireless controllers. Both the console and the controllers will be entirely powered by the power of wind up. The crank to wind up the controller may also be used as a Fishing/Hammer throw/Cycling/Organ grinder simulator, much like the original Sega Fishing rod [planetdreamcast.com].

    The actual reason for the delay for the release date is the need to try to decrease the amount of work needed to keep the console operating. Currently the console needs the equivalent of reeling in forty seven Killer Whales per second, or 47 kW/S to generate even simple gouraud shading. Though Mr. Bayliss believes that this may be overcome through some form of "magic".
  • I would argue that, in large part, the reason the PS/2 has continued selling is because of the recent release of Vice City.

    Because it was a PS/2 exclusive, all those people who only played GTA3 on the PC now had to buy a PS/2 to get to the sequel!

    Example of this would be me, I forced my good brother to buy the PS/2 while I bought the game (two advantages : Reduces my expenses, and the machine is not "near" me so I won't be sucked out of a social life because of Vice City ;-) )

    Obviously, if they expect s

    • Because it was a PS/2 exclusive, all those people who only played GTA3 on the PC now had to buy a PS/2 to get to the sequel!

      No, only those people with absolutely no self control and sufficient disposable income.

      The rest of us just hunkered down to wait for the inevitable release of the PC version, which was announced a week or two ago to be May, 2003.

      ~Philly
  • ps3 'the other place different to the first two places and the place you dont know what is' will be a success. sony has many repeat customers and that is the sole reason why they are ahead of the game (good improvement in hardware over previous console and game base, im sure backwards combatiblity isnt a major thing). but im sure microsoft will try combat this (jack of all trades master of none)and nintendo will have their little niche too (relatively small set of extremely good games).
  • Playstation 3 adapted to augmented reality .. imagine playing in real enviroments with virtual photorealistic monsters (i've already seen this done with doom .. but check ou the weight of the computer hanging on the players back, not to talk about the graphics quality). By then PS3 would have the power to do this with less weight.. combined with bluetooth (multiplayer) .... droooolll .. ;D.. that's the way to go for future gaming...

  • Quick rant (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 20, 2003 @11:29AM (#5555604)
    1. Please don't call it the PS/2, that's a device interface

    2. Joe Six-pack doesn't care whether or not you can install Linux, or overclock the processor. That is not the way you are going to sell a games machine.
  • My personal holy grail that I wish Sony would come out with is...

    The PS two.

    Think of it like the re-release of the PSX. The new, smaller form factor. Bugs fixed.

    What the PS two would have:
    Smaller form factor.
    NO DVD-movie playback (why in a second).
    The ability to play PS1 and PS2 games.
    The kicker: $100-150 price tag.

    To get it down that low, they'll probably have to cut some other things, but hell, some things are just cruft anyway. Ditching the DVD playback could bring the price down, and could help with

  • Hype (Score:2)

    by olman ( 127310 )
    Anyone still remember the ridiculous hype before PS2 launch? Just imagine what things will be like when PS3 launch is imminent. "Cell" and "Global network" are already pretty vague not to mention vacuous promises. Playstations paraller tasking in distributed processing to improve your gameplay?
    Yeah. Right. Absolutely.

    I actually have a PS2 and I'm pretty satisfied with it once I modified it to fix the broken DVD RGB output. But it's just a console, not some kind of digital messiah.

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