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PlayStation (Games) Media Movies

Sony Aims Higher Than The Gaming Market 99

Posted by Zonk from the tomorrow-the-world dept.
Next Generation tries to take a look at what Sony is up to with the PS3, without going off on a rumour-filled tangent. Their thought? Sony is after something much bigger than the gaming market. From the article: "The big play is for the high definition DVD market, and in this context, an early launch, with small hardware numbers and threadbare games software support might just be a good move. This play potentially represents Sony's most important move in its entire history. Imagine; a royalty for Sony on every single DVD sold between 2006 and 2012 or thereabouts. No wonder Bill Gates hates Blu-ray."
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Sony Aims Higher Than The Gaming Market More

Sony Aims Higher Than The Gaming Market

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  • Oblig. (Score:5, Funny)

    by tradiuz ( 926664 ) on Tuesday January 24, 2006 @10:20AM (#14548375)
    But will the blu-ray DVD's have a root kit?

    • Re:Oblig. (Score:2, Insightful)

      by naringas ( 733106 )
      the root kit won't be needed because DRM will be built into the PS3
    • But will the blu-ray DVD's have a root kit?

      It won't be needed, because it'll stop playing when you scratch it.

      • i call FUD. Blu-ray discs are more scratch resistant than current cds and dvds.

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray_Disc#Hard-coa ting_technology [wikipedia.org]

        apparently they can withstand an attack by a screwdriver?!?!? [okay, that part ill believe it when i see it] but the fact remains that they are more scratch resistant than any current media.
        • I call disgusting, exactly what stops them using that same coating on every other cd and dvd (what a pack of assholes).
          • the lasers used in cds and dvds is different. the laser used in blu-ray tech is a different color. it is much thinner and presumably strong enough to read through the layer of protective coating.

  • royalties (Score:5, Informative)

    by gEvil (beta) ( 945888 ) on Tuesday January 24, 2006 @10:20AM (#14548377)
    Imagine; a royalty for Sony on every single DVD sold between 2006 and 2012 or thereabouts. No wonder Bill Gates hates Blu-ray.

    You mean like what happened with the CD? (Sony and Philips receive royalty payments for CD-based media)

  • Meh (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 24, 2006 @10:22AM (#14548387)
    Let me get a HDTV set and a surround sound system first...

    In the meantime, DVDs are good enough. They'll be good enough when BluRay is around as well, BluRay will end up being 'high end media' like laserdisc was.

    VHS was barely good, hence when DVD came along it was replaced fairly quickly (as in it took about 8 years, and you can still buy them new).

    DVD media does last longer, when properly cared for. It doesn't degrade. If isn't a totally rubbish resolution.

    In the long run people's $50 DVD players will die of course, and many will plump for something that does more simply because it will be $50 by that time. Maybe in 2010 there'll be a decent ownership of players and TVs and hifi systems that can handle all the benefits that BluRay can bring.

    The vast majority of people don't really care about the quality though, if it is good enough.

    • Mod parent up (Score:5, Insightful)

      by noc007 ( 633443 ) on Tuesday January 24, 2006 @10:45AM (#14548568)
      I have to agree with this assessment. I've noticed most people aren't all that concerned if it's good enough. Not to mention most people don't generally get to see the difference in quality the higher end stuff can produce. Ignorance is bliss I suppose. Videophiles and audiophiles are the ones striving for the best that technology can offer and a good portion have the funds to do it.

      Also, most people aren't offered a good demo of the better technology. Going down to the local BestBuy to check out what the hubbub is over these HDTVs isn't going to be a good demo. The video they show is a bit degraded from the splitter used and they're showing original 4:3 content stretched on a 16:9 screen. Some places will do it right and will show you the difference between the old analogue broadcast and the HDTV broadcast.

      Also like the parent said, I don't feel that people are going to go for something better if what they have now is good enough. My current TV produces a superior picture quality in comparison to most of the TVs in its day and today. People that come over to my house won't notice the difference unless you really point it out or do a side by side comparison. I don't even notice the difference when watching on another TV unless I actually think about it. There just isn't enough noticeable difference for the average joe to make someone want to strive for that better TV with the ______ technology in it.
      • You watch the programming, not the picture-quality. That's the main reason often picture-quality is unimportant, aslong as it's "good enough" -- afterall Big Brother in 1080p with Dolby Digital surround is still Big Brother.

    • Re:Meh (Score:5, Insightful)

      by shoptroll ( 544006 ) on Tuesday January 24, 2006 @10:47AM (#14548582)
      DVDs finally hit market saturation not long ago. For most people DVD is still relatviely new. Both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are way off in thinking that they're going to be easily accepted. No one wants to buy a better video player when they just got one a few years ago. Even less so for the media.
      • No one wants to buy a better video player when they just got one a few years ago. Even less so for the media.
        Especially when you consider that most (if not all) of the "new media" is crap.
    • I agree. Most of today's digital consumer market have a DVD palyer and they view that as "High end" technology, and blu-ray is something that they MIGHT have heard about, but isn't something that they'd consider buying any time soon. This is mainly because they don't have a reason to buy it, especially at the predictably outrageous price that blu-ray players will debut at. Sony have always been masters of marketing, and their attempt to introduce their blu-ray player is a good move on their part. It makes a
    • The idea of PS3 as BluRay video player won't work because they're ahead of the adoption curve. Consider the state of DVD adoption when the PS2 was released. DVD players cost over $200, and VHS still outsold and outrented DVD. The PS2 was hyped as a DVD player in addition to playing games, and they sold an addon infrared remote for $30-40. Well, you know what happened next. DVD players went down to $100, then $50, then $30. By the time BluRay or HD-DVD catches on as a format, standalone players will be cheap
    • I humbly disagree.

      Call me a snob (you'd probably be right), but I own an hdtv and the difference in picture is huge. DVD, while technically NTSC, is better than most content out there, there are still artifacts that I've noticed. For instance, you can see that the number of colours is limited and you get strata between one colour and the next. (It looks like sixteen bit to me or 8 bits per R/G/B.) Especially sunset/sunrise scenes.

      The HD signal one gets from your provider is very compressed because of th
      • i agree. people will buy them in droves and push them on their friends.

        also, blu-ray and HD-dvd will catch on due to HDTV owners wishing to have actual HDTV content to go along with their $1000-$5000 TVs. theres a market out there for the thousands of HDTV owners out there, people willing to pay money to see the difference... why watch a regular dvd in standard resolution if you can buy a blu-ray disk and actually get your monies worth there too. $200-$500 for new movie content is nothing in comparision to

  • Comment removed (Score:3, Interesting)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Tuesday January 24, 2006 @10:30AM (#14548452)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • It doesn't matter either way (Score:3, Insightful)

    by casualsax3 ( 875131 ) on Tuesday January 24, 2006 @10:31AM (#14548454)
    Unless companies are somehow *forced* to stop producing DVD's, Blu-Ray AND HD-DVD are going to become the video equivalents of SuperAudio and DVD Audio. DVD, like the audio CD, is here to stay whether we like it or not. The current generation of media ain't broke, so consumers aren't going to adopt the fix.

    • It's not that the electronics companies are going to be forced to stop producing DVDs, it's that "Big Content" wants them to stop producing DVDs. The electronics companies will happily go along for the ride, knowing that if the right amount of content is there, customers may very well follow, and they will enjoy a success similar to the one they had when people were switching from VHS to DVD (and like the RIAA had during the switch from audio cassette to CD).

      The thing everyone has to worry about is marke

    • Anyone who says that Hi Defenition DVD (which ever type) is not going to succeed has never seen the difference between standard and Hi Def images. Either format could be successful since more and more people by Hi-Def TVs every day, and in a few years you will not have a choce. Sitting around with a few thousand dollars in HD TV that you are not using is perceived as a waste by most people and HD DVDs will be a much better use than watchin the Latest Law and Order in HD.
      • I'm sure if congress gives their "constituants" (the ones who give them money) what they want and cram HD media up our asses with legislation, HD media will be a resounding success!

        Yes, I have seen an HDTV's picture. Yes, I have 20/15 vision. No, I cannot see what the big fucking deal is.
        • Yes, I have seen an HDTV's picture. Yes, I have 20/15 vision. No, I cannot see what the big fucking deal is.

          You may want to get your vision checked again, because my vision is nowhere even close to that good and I can see the difference with a simple glance.

          Seriously though I'm not talking about standard def signal upconverted to HD (480i to 1080i), I'm talking about a HD signal through an HD display (1080i or 1080p). I personally almost feel ill watching even 480p images. There is a graininess to it
          • Yes, I have seen an HDTV's picture. Yes, I have 20/15 vision. No, I cannot see what the big fucking deal is.

            You may want to get your vision checked again, because my vision is nowhere even close to that good and I can see the difference with a simple glance.

            It could be that he simply saw the TV at his local Circuit City and thought (rightfully) "that image looks like crap. I don't see what the fuss is about." The usual places that sell HDTVs usually do an absolutely terrible job at highlighting the

          • My vision was just checked on Friday.

            I personally almost feel ill watching even 480p images.

            I used to watch TV on an old black and white set. I didn't feel ill. Maybe this is the beginning of a new Psychological disorder! Hold on, I'll come up with a good name for it. How about anachronistiphobia? Or maybe obsoletiphobia? How about Hypephile?

            Seriously, I can see a difference, but I'm not impressed. IMAX impresses me. HD ain't no IMAX.
      • I doubt many people really do care that much about HDTV. I'm writing from PAL-land, but here I can point out to people terrible encoding errors on digital TV and they just can't see them.
    • I'm inclined to agree. I mean, it's possible to confuse a DVD on a high quality projector with the actual movie reel. I've seen it happen. There is no real reason right now to move to HD-DVD/Blu-Ray, and I'm willing to bet the only people with HDTVs don't have HDMI or HDCP or whatever they need on it. It seems like we're all being forced to upgrade between now and 2009, when we don't really need to.
      • maybe you should go out and meet some people who have hdtvs. or perhaps talk to salesmen at a store that actually really know what they are talking about [not the bestbuy/ circuitcity guy who is more of an actor than he is knowledgable]

        there are convertors and accessories available that will handle the connections. those are already on the market. once HDTVs become more standard i am more than 100% sure that someone will reverse-engineer the whole HDCP scheme thats currently in place. no big deal, have pati
    • "Unless companies are somehow *forced* to stop producing DVD's, Blu-Ray AND HD-DVD are going to become the video equivalents of SuperAudio and DVD Audio"

      Totally disagree with this. The adoption of higher definition pre-recorded video formats like blu-ray and HD-DVD will directly relate to the adoption of higher definition televisions and penetration of other higher resolution formats in the market (HDTV). Have you tried watching standard def video on a 1080i (or even 1080p) sceen format? It looks AWFUL!
      • I've got a 65" Panasonic that does 480p, 720p (DVI only), and 1020i. My Arrested Development DVD's look great on it played, ironically, in my PS2 in progressive scan. You can certainly make the argument that the next generation of DVD's is going to look breathtaking, but you can't make the argument that current DVD's look awful, because they just don't.
        • Hate to break it to you, but you BARELY have an HD capable monitor. Try looking at it (as I stated in my poset) at the HDTV standard of 1080i (or 1080p). It looks horrible. That's why you never see standard def material being presented on diplays capable of 1080i (which I notice yours is NOT). I've sat in development meeting with Mistubishi in their US displays division (rear-projection TVs) -- they are sweating bullets about it because of the huge library of standard def material that looks like garbag

  • Hi. Me again. (Score:1, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I just wanted to let you all know that because Sony's "music" "CDs" installed DRM onto unsuspecting Windows boxen, we are all boycotting Sony. No division of Sony will receive any of our money, least of all their so-called "entertainment" division which puts out such "original" games for the "PlayStation 3" as "Final Fantasy XVII" and "Gran Turismo 7 Mil-spec Super Alpha Plus."

  • This is why Sony pisses me off (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Strell ( 877448 ) on Tuesday January 24, 2006 @10:46AM (#14548576)
    This is the GAMING market. If you want to do something else, DO SOMETHING ELSE. I don't know how many great games the PS3 is going to get anymore than I know if the Revolution is going to be implemented well, but if I goddamn want to play MGS4, I don't want to have to be subjected to paying a huge price for technology I don't have the capability to use.

    All I want is the GAME and the system's GAME capabilities. I don't have the cash on me to get a huge HDTV, a killer surround sound system, a nice receiver, and hi-def signals. I DO NOT. And I'm a fresh college graduate male - I'm YOUR demographic. Living on my own in an apartment, paying off college loans, looking for a job in this miserable market, and attempting to think "gee, I can buy FOOD today."

    What the fuck is up with everyone's "BIGGER IS BETTER" attitude? THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH DVD. There is nothing wrong with even "low quality" inputs like S-video. Everyone struts around like "oh shit, you know they will have 3 billion resolution, I can't watch my old tv anymore." When the hell did the industry have to be dissolved between elitist fucks and those of us that just want to run Snake around oldmanstyle?

    Shit, let's segment the industry further. It's bad enough we have Microsoft running around with HDless 360s, I can't wait to see Sony pushing for shit like "We feel you cannot enjoy this game unless you have a 55" HDTV," and subsequently make that a gaming requirement. SHIT, why not fuck us more and say it HAS to be a Sony brand? WITH A MEMORY STICK SLOT?

    Make GAME machines for god's sake. PLEASE. I could not care less about useless graphics in a game, like dimples on a football or sweat on their fingers. How about optimize your power and make the system last twice as long? Then I might actually feel a little more justified by letting my poor wallet getting raped in the ass. We're all creating solutions for problems that don't exist and adding power in the form of increased costs, and for what?

    Oh, right. Rendered cheerleaders on the sidelines. Fuck that.
    • What he said. :)

      Just build me a game machine, Sony. I'm at an age where I can afford whatever I want, but what I want is some deep and immersive gaming experience at a reasonable price. I would like to retire some day.

    • Don't you know?

      Sony doesn't simply make good, reliable electronics anymore.

      They make electronics that serve as lock-ins to their media content now.

      Which means that people will buy the console because it has Madden, and Sony will think that nothing is wrong, but for many normal people, Sony is beginning to represent the worst of the music industry, the movie industry, the gaming industry and the technology industry all at the same time.
    • Amen! As I find myself playing more old school games over playing these AWESOME looking and SOUNDING games.... The Revolution is starting to make a boatload more sence to me. PS3 has these capabilities. Minus the Fun. ISNT THAT WHAT A GAME IS? FUN!!!! Its no fun if you end up with a credit card bill that wont get paid off until the next gen console releases. If you want a real experience. Get off your ass, travel somewhere. Visit a new place and experience things that no video game could ever do. Bluray
    • ...those of us that just want to run Snake around oldmanstyle...
      Actually, this activity is free. Mostly it requires some privacy. Usually.
    • What you're seeing is Sony's content and hardware divisions impacting their games division. The content guys want Blu-Ray because of the copy-protection, and the hardware guys want Blu-Ray so they can sell their new set-top stuff.

      The PS3 is just a way to push the technology so the rest of the company can benefit. They did the same thing with DVD's and the PS2.
    • And I'm a fresh college graduate male - I'm YOUR demographic. Living on my own in an apartment, paying off college loans, looking for a job in this miserable market, and attempting to think "gee, I can buy FOOD today."
      Actually, you're not Sony's target demographic. Sony's target demographic is one with money.
    • Hey! My TV is Sony brand and does have a Memory Stick. It also has a special PS2 connector on the back, though I've never seen a cable for the PS2 with that connector.

  • Freaking convergence nonsense... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Godeke ( 32895 ) * on Tuesday January 24, 2006 @11:16AM (#14548819)
    I have an XBox, two PS2s and a game cube connected to my home LAN. Last round definately went to the PS2, with the XBox having superior technology (and Live was a great idea) but not as many games that I care about and the Nintendo having the best family/party games. (Checking my games, I have 34 PS2, 15 XBox and 12 Cube games on the shelf. I know I have traded in many more PS2 games than either of the others...)

    This round I can't find interest in *any* of the new machines. The 360 is lacking a killer app: I'm not into the FPS on consoles (say hello to my mouse and keyboard noobs) and the rest of the offerings are pretty much nothing to write home about. The PS3 has backwards compatibility, which makes it more likely (screw you Microsoft for your choices of emulated games... my library of XBox games hates you) and the Revolution at least is *trying* to do something interesting while keeping costs down *and* including backward compatibility. I will probably pick up the Revolution when it comes out, wait for the PS3 to develop a library and flip Microsoft the bird since I will have to hang onto the massive box to finish up the games I have in the queue anyway.
  • The author's arguments are extremely flawed. People who don't play video games will not buy Playstation 3 as a movie player. Playstation is known as a games brand, not a general electronics brand. This idea that Sony is going to Trojan horse Blu-Ray to non-gamers with PS3 is total nonsense. If this is truly the path that Sony wants to travel, they'll lose their video game market share faster than they lost it for portable audio.
    • Well that's exactly what happened in Japan when the PS2 came out. It was the cheapest DVD player on the market, and people bought them in droves for that very reason. They'd like nothing more than to repeat that success, this time in a bigger video markeet (the US). The big wild card is whether consumers will actually care enough about Blu-ray for this angle to make a difference.
      • I can't see Blu-ray/HDDVD catching on very quickly at all unless Sony can come up with some absolute killer feature. DVD was a big leap from VHS and offered very clear advantages: no rewinding, no tape jamming, smaller and simpler form factor, more reliable, doesn't wear out and last (and least) better image quality.

        It's like Joel Spolsky says: "Don't start a business if you can't explain what pain it solves, for whom, and why your product will eliminate this pain". I can't see what pain Bluray is going to
      • True, but when the PS2 launched there was already a pretty large variety of movies available on DVD - DVD movies had already been on the market for more than a year, and in rental stores. The PS2 made for a cheaper way to get a DVD player, but it certainly wasn't the first. There were already lots of DVD players available.

        In the case of the PS3, the situation is very different - there are hardly any Blu-ray players available *at all*, and because of this not much in the way of software. I have yet to see an
        • your logic is sound, but how would that explain the booming market for UMD movies? apparently there is only one model of player for the discs, add to that the fact that the player is expensive, and before the player came along there were NO other models on the market. hmmmmm....

          • Good point. I hadn't thought about UMD.. Although, is the UMD market really booming? I've seen a fair variety of titles on the shelves (and that's here in Japan), but no idea how well they're selling.
            It makes for an interesting excercise in looking at what the PS3/Blu-ray release might be like. What interests me though is that in the case of UMD, people are paying for something which is actually inferior (in video quality) to their existing media, and the only advantage it has over existing media would be t
    • there are quite many people that bought ps2's and used them as dvd players. even here in the usa. there are a great number more people that bought ps2s and STILL use them as dvd players. its one of those stupid features everyone complains about when sony makes it standard, and complain even louder when their other consoles cant do it natively. its up there with [near-full] backwards compatibility.

  • WMD? (Score:3, Funny)

    by Big Nothing ( 229456 ) <tord.stromdal@gmail.com> on Tuesday January 24, 2006 @11:38AM (#14549059)
    "Sony is after something much bigger than the gaming market with the PS3."

    Yes, I think it's safe to assume that the PS3 will be used for WMD's [gamesradar.com].

    • That's too funny!

      I heard that some of the people looking at Iraq thought that Saddam's scientists had told him "we need x amount of dollars so we can build you y superweapon" and then, took the money and bought regular research tools, with which they did boring old regular research. Saddam apparently didn't know any better, and kept funding them.

      So, considering your link, picture this:

      Iraqi General: "O Mighty Saddam, we need several thousand Playstations, with one extra controller each!"

      Saddam: "What in hel

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