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PlayStation (Games) Sony

PS4 Launch Date: November 15th 151

Today Sony announced the official release dates of the PlayStation 4 console: November 15 in North America and November 29 in Europe. From the article: "The system will be available for $399/€399/£349 in 32 countries by the end of the year, the company said. The date comes just days before the Black Friday post-Thanksgiving sales, but given the strong pre-order interest for the system already, the PS4 might be hard to find on store shelves in the days after it drops. Sony revealed that one million PS4 systems have already been pre-ordered worldwide. The company notably did not mention a release date or price point for the system's launch in its native Japan."
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PS4 Launch Date: November 15th

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  • What is a PS3 w/500gb HD worth on trade-in...
    • by Dins ( 2538550 )
      'bout tree fiddy...
    • by alen ( 225700 )

      not much
      i checked best buy trade in and sold my PS3 and xbox 360 with a bunch of games to people at work. total haul was $120. ME3 is $2 trade in at best buy and like $10 if i sold it on ebay before all the fees. and that was my newest game

      i'm done with console gaming. never used my PS3 to game, but as a blu ray player. got a Panasonic 3d blu ray player with the cash

      • Similar, I got mine for the BD player, not so much to game. But still cannot see myself trading in my games. Fives years I may want to replay them.

        • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

          by alen ( 225700 )

          2013 is really the break out year of IOS gaming
          lots of strategy war games
          xcom, the one that came out on the xbox this year is out for iOS
          GTA is out for IOS
          a space ship sim
          MMO space fighting sims like the old wing commander

          the ipad 4 had the power of an xbox 360 and apple is releasing a new version every year. unless you only play battlefield and call of duty, mobile gaming is where gaming is going.

          • by vux984 ( 928602 )

            xcom, the one that came out on the xbox this year is out for iOS

            Pointless. The game is great, the mods make it even better.

            But the ios version, and xbox version, I imagine miss out on all that, cost more, and have fewer interface options, and a much smaller screen.

            Honestly, I think the PC is making a comeback. Mobile gaming is huge, but its huge for mobile... when your at home and can choose, the PC gives you a hell of a lot more.

            • by Anonymous Coward

              Its hard to convince people to drop the intricate plots and high detail level of PC games for lame crap like angry birds or a tower defense

            • by aliquis ( 678370 )

              Also if Nvidia perfected shield better with offering streaming at HIGHER quality to ANY android device with ANY input method then you could get MORE AWESOME portable gaming and still have need for a PC ;)

          • by PopeRatzo ( 965947 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2013 @05:45PM (#44624661) Journal

            mobile gaming is where gaming is going.

            This year for sure, right?

            I'm just dying to replace my Eyefinity setup, eight cores, dual-Radeon HD7950, Cherry MX mechanical keyboard, gigabit ether, gaming mouse and 7.1 surround sound with an...iPad.

            I'll get right on that. What I'm really looking for is a platform where I can only play games that Apple Corp has approved.

            • by mjwx ( 966435 )

              mobile gaming is where gaming is going.

              This year for sure, right?

              I'm just dying to replace my Eyefinity setup, eight cores, dual-Radeon HD7950, Cherry MX mechanical keyboard, gigabit ether, gaming mouse and 7.1 surround sound with an...iPad.

              I'll get right on that. What I'm really looking for is a platform where I can only play games that Apple Corp has approved.

              PC gaming is different to console gaming.

              Consoles by and large never drew crowds away from PC gaming. Neither has mobile gaming.

              Now if we change the GGP's statement ever so slightly

              mobile gaming is where console gaming is going

              It's entirely accurate.

              PC's have nothing to fear as PC gaming is radically different to console gaming and mobile gaming. It provides a better control scheme, has genre's that cant be produced on console and mobile as well as being highly extensible (joysticks, HOTAS, Eyefinity setups) that cant be replicated on console

              • So we can adjust the GGP's statement even further by saying, "Game consoles are getting smaller. Soon you can hold them in the palm of your hand".

                However, everything you can do on a console can be replicated on mobile. Controllers can be connected to tablets (via Bluetooth), tablets can be connected to TV's (via HDMI), this already exists and has for years (my 2 year old Acer Iconia) the only thing missing is an interface, back end service and publisher. Considering that the mainstay of console gaming is t

    • by Anonymous Coward

      Less each day that passes towards the 15th. And shortly afterwards, the market will be flooded with them...

    • by Rinnon ( 1474161 )

      What is a PS3 w/500gb HD worth on trade-in...

      Don't forget that the PS4 does not support backwards compatibility, so if you have any desire to play your PS3 games you might want to hold on to it.

      • What is a PS3 w/500gb HD worth on trade-in...

        Don't forget that the PS4 does not support backwards compatibility, so if you have any desire to play your PS3 games you might want to hold on to it.

        PS4 will use Gaikai to provide cloud streaming bullshit for backwards compatibility.
        At some point. For some titles. For a fee. For a limited time. In select regions.

    • $150, at best, if you don't sell it RIGHT NOW. If you sell it right now, you might get $250.

      Nobody wants old consoles.

    • The PS4 lacks backward compatibility so keep it.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    Why?!?!?!
    It's actually 1 EUR == 1.3425 USD! 1 GBP == 0.638 USD! WTF!!!!!

    • by kamapuaa ( 555446 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2013 @02:23PM (#44622445) Homepage

      EU price includes VAT, US price doesn't include sales tax, which evens it somewhat.

      • by _xeno_ ( 155264 )

        There are quite a few US states that have no sales tax at all, so that explanation doesn't quite work. If I wanted the PS4, I can swing past a store in New Hampshire and pick it up for exactly its $399 price tag, no additional taxes.

        Granted some of the more, uh, government-happy states will inflate that price somewhat.

        But even then, according to Wikipedia, the highest US sales tax is 15.5%, and Europe is looking at a 35% increase in price, so that explanation doesn't quite work. (Guess which state has a 15.

        • by Anonymous Coward
          That extra PS4 money is paying for your socialized healthcare. Here is paying for programs to spy on everyone. Which is cheaper?
          • by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

            If it did, I'd swallow it and not care. Problem is, tax differential accounts for about 20-30% of the price differential. Small part of the rest is apparently used to "localize games (they don't localize for the part of Europe I live in), maintain offices (no offices here either) and other related spending".

            Essentially they pocket the difference because European consumers can afford to pay more. Basically they have acclimated public to higher costs and now happily pocket the extra money due to lack of compe

        • by cruff ( 171569 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2013 @02:36PM (#44622563)

          There are quite a few US states that have no sales tax at all, so that explanation doesn't quite work. If I wanted the PS4, I can swing past a store in New Hampshire and pick it up for exactly its $399 price tag, no additional taxes.

          Then, of course, being the fine upstanding citizen you are, you dutifully pay the sales tax due in your home state on goods purchased outside the state, so that difference probably evaporates. Oh, wait, no one does that. Never mind...

        • by zrelativity ( 963547 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2013 @02:38PM (#44622603)
          There are other more reasonable reasons why hardware may cost more in the EU than USA. For example, in USA, hardware typically only comes with a 6 months warranty. In Europe, your consumer protection is much much better; for example, it is not limited to month or even 1 year, but can be over a reasonable lifetime of the product, which maybe 3-4 years. Many consumer do not understand this and take out additional insurance covers which are usually unnecessary.
        • by Anonymous Coward

          There are quite a few US states that have no sales tax at all, so that explanation doesn't quite work. If I wanted the PS4, I can swing past a store in New Hampshire and pick it up for exactly its $399 price tag, no additional taxes.

          Granted some of the more, uh, government-happy states will inflate that price somewhat.

          But even then, according to Wikipedia, the highest US sales tax is 15.5%, and Europe is looking at a 35% increase in price, so that explanation doesn't quite work. (Guess which state has a 15.5% sales tax? Hint: it's a blue one!)

          The real answer is that people will pay the higher price in Europe, so that's what it'll sell for. If people refused to buy it at the inflated price, Sony would be forced to be more reasonable.

          Or, possibly, the REAL real answer is that you haven't a clue what you are talking about. 399 USD (pretax) = 297 EUR. European prices MUST include VAT, so you have to add that on. VAT rates in europe are typically 20-25% ( http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/vat-rates-europe.htm [ricksteves.com] ). That's a price range of 356-371. On top of that, much (all?) of europe has much tougher consumer protection laws, so it's more expensive to operate there when their shitty products begin breaking. So just pick an average price (m

        • You don't get it. In the US sales tax isn't included in the advertised price. VAT is included in the advertised price.
          Europe Base Price = Advertised Price - VAT
          American Base Price = Advertised Price
          The fact that some states have no sales tax is irrelavant because $399 doesn't include sales tax.
          • by _xeno_ ( 155264 )

            You don't get it. In the US sales tax isn't included in the advertised price. VAT is included in the advertised price.

            Actually, that's entirely my point: even taking that into account, Europe still pays more. Adding in US sales tax (which, at its worse, caps out at 15%) and subtracting VAT still leaves the European version more expensive.

            A much more reasonable guess at US sales tax is around 8%, meaning the "real" US prices is around $431. Given the exchange rate the OP used, the US price is then 321 Euros - notably less than the EU price of 399 Euros. Go the other way and take out VAT and I get a price of $446. Which is,

        • by aliquis ( 678370 )

          There are quite a few US states that have no sales tax at all, so that explanation doesn't quite work.

          Of course it still work because in the EU there is "sales tax."

          Most toys cost more here.

      • by DrXym ( 126579 )
        Aside from that, the conversion is not from USD to EUR but from JPY and I expect an amount of currency hedging informs those figures. I also expect they'll round up at a drop of a hat if they think they can get away with it.
      • by GNious ( 953874 )

        The local danish* price, incl taxes, equates to 645.90 USD.

        *: Part of the EU

        Please tell me where US sales-tax bump it anywhere near _that_ price.

        • The cost to do business in Denmark is high, or do you think all those wonderful government benefits are really free?
          • by GNious ( 953874 )

            Being from the western part of DK, where the hospitals are being removed, schools closed, public transport severely reduced, please explain "those wonderful government benefits"...

    • by Anonymous Coward

      For comparison,
      399 USD = 297 EUR = 255 GBP
      399 EUR = 535 USD = 342 GBP
      350 GBP = 409 EUR = 549 USD

      I suspect it wouldn't sell that well at ~550 USD at the states...

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by MaWeiTao ( 908546 )

      People always complain about stuff being more expensive in Europe and totally overlook import tariffs, VAT, sales taxes and whatever other taxes the various nations of Europe like to assess. The United States demands virtually nothing to import products, which is why a Playstation 4 in the US will cost roughly what it costs in Japan. Sure, we do have sales tax in most States but that, even at it's worst barely exceeds 12%. There's a reason why the United States is a far bigger gaming market than the EU desp

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • by alen ( 225700 )

      yep, and when the PS3 came out they all went back to the store while the wii sold out to real people

    • by Tr3vin ( 1220548 )
      I wouldn't be so sure. Ask people how that worked out with the WiiU. I'm sure a few made money but I don't think people will have any issues finding PS4s or XBox Ones this holiday season.
      • No one bothered with the WiiU because console makers artificially make sure all stores are out at Christmas to generate grassroots buzz on how they can't keep them on the shelves etc.

        However, both Microsoft and Sony are acting different this time with very low cost and partially commoditized componets that make profit rather than a loss on each sold so who knows maybe this year it wil be different.

        I would not doubt an illegal agreement somewhere which is good for the industry actually as MS only made money

  • The system will be available for $399/â399/£349

    Wow, based on current exchange rates ... the Europeans are getting screwed on that deal. (Assuming, of course, that Slashdot was capable of showing the euro and pound symbols, that is)

    It looks like in real currency, they'll pay more for this. Is that typical?

    • by aliquis ( 678370 )

      399 USD =
      297.206704 Euros
      2 585.48629 Swedish kronor

      Online prices in Sweden seem to be 3889 SEK atm.

      But we've got 25% VAT so add that and you're up to 3232,50 kr.

      We may also have better warranties and well, we're also getting somewhat screwed. But part of it is VAT.

    • Wow, based on current exchange rates ... the Europeans are getting screwed on that deal.?

      We're used to it. With that said, buying something made by Sony at EU prices is rather like getting spit-roasted.

    • Re:Hmmmm ... (Score:4, Informative)

      by Pulzar ( 81031 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2013 @02:46PM (#44622719)

      The EU prices include the sales tax (VAT), which is a bit over 20% in most EU countries. That's why they look worse than they are...

      You're still getting screwed, but not just by the seller ;).

    • What are you talking about? I see the symbols just fine. Or did they fix them?

    • Re:Hmmmm ... (Score:4, Interesting)

      by tlhIngan ( 30335 ) <slashdotNO@SPAMworf.net> on Tuesday August 20, 2013 @03:23PM (#44623143)

      Wow, based on current exchange rates ... the Europeans are getting screwed on that deal. (Assuming, of course, that Slashdot was capable of showing the euro and pound symbols, that is)

      It looks like in real currency, they'll pay more for this. Is that typical?

      Well, the EU prices include tax(es) (don't forget VAT is 20+% in EU, plus import duties of 20+% as well). Then add in the cost of an extended warranty (because all durable goods have 2 years return-to-store mandatory warranty, sometimes 3 years) and it really comes out even in the end. I think Sony charges $50 for a 2 year extended warranty, too. Other places like Best Buy probably charge more.

      So it's $399 US + 20% tax = $480 US + $50 extended warranty = $530 US is what the EU pays, or €395. Not bad. £338, which is close enough at today's rate.

      And FYI - € is &euro;, £ is &pound;

  • In six years your PC will be.

    • by Anonymous Coward

      What? It's already there buddy...
      http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Frame-Rating-High-End-GPUs-Benchmarked-4K-Resolutions

      • With Vsync disabled? Nope - won't be doing that.

      • by aliquis ( 678370 )

        4k is here but my display or graphics card able to use it (for games) isn't. Heck as you can see in your own link with HDMI you're still stuck with 30 FPS at most and that's with 8 bit / color. (Maybe you could over clock what do I know (yeah there's tools to try higher refresh rates.))

        People already complain on 60 Hz on computer monitors as too slow for games.

        • by dkf ( 304284 )

          People already complain on 60 Hz on computer monitors as too slow for games.

          There are people who will complain at 240 Hz refresh rates for their displays as being too slow. Luckily they'll be able to buy Denon cables to fix this.

  • Given Sony's habit of disabling features, having the playstation network crash for days on end, and adding copy protection as a mandatory software upgrade, is anyone really interested in their next gen gaming system?
    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Yes. There are, literally, a million of us.

    • by TWiTfan ( 2887093 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2013 @03:14PM (#44623047)

      Not on launch day. But at $100 cheaper and Sony management that's at least capable of opening their mouths without immediately sticking their fucking feet in them, I'm a lot more optimistic about their chances in this next gen than Microsoft's. And I say that as a loyal Xbox1 and 360 fan.

      • That's a good point. As anti-consumer as Sony has seemed, at least they haven't tried to make their customers pay them a commission when they go to sell a used game.
      • by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

        Not on launch day. But at $100 cheaper and Sony management that's at least capable of opening their mouths without immediately sticking their fucking feet in them, I'm a lot more optimistic about their chances in this next gen than Microsoft's. And I say that as a loyal Xbox1 and 360 fan.

        Though, at what cost? Move is dead now - because Sony wanted to undercut Microsoft with that $100. And you KNOW it was done for that reason because otherwise why build in Move into every controller?

        At least by bundling in K

      • by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

        In all the honesty, at least one part of sony (entertainment division) apparently got the message and has been trying to reform pretty hard. PS4 is a great example of it.

        Remember: if you punish someone for past mistakes forever, what incentive is there to improve?

    • by firex726 ( 1188453 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2013 @03:25PM (#44623173)

      I believe the management at Sony proper that was responsible for those issues has been replaced.
      Remember over the past few years they have been laying off quite a few employees.

      • I'll admit I wasn't aware of management changes at Sony. I hope this means that soon we'll be able to install linux on our PS3 again and that nonsensical cinevia support is going away.
    • I am bowing out of this generations gaming systems and am sorry I took part in the last.

    • Given the shitfest that was the Nintendo Wii (tiny VirtualConsole releases, horrible Internet experience), the XBOX360 (RROD, XBox Live Gold) and the PS3 (Other OS removed) there's no way in hell I'm interested in any next gen gaming system.
      • by aliquis ( 678370 )

        ASUS GTX 760 DC2OC 2GB vram = 259.99 on newegg.
        Good keyboard and mouse = $140
        = Same price.

        Performance = about equal or better on the PC?

        Sure I know there's more to a PC than that. But some cheaper shit may be sufficient and PCs got other usages to and what not. Prices will fall to.

        • by apcullen ( 2504324 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2013 @05:18PM (#44624411)
          I think the problem with the PC argument is that PCs take work. They often have loud fans, need to be updated and administered and they're not really the piece of consumer electronics that a PS3 or X360 is.

          That having been said, they also don't require a subscription fee for online play, which both Sony and Microsoft are now doing.
    • Yes I preorded one after E3. I have purchased a playstation, ps3, and a ps3. I got my moneys worth out of all of them. The consoles worked and lasted a long time. Handed down my playstation and ps2 to my younger brother. Plenty of fun and wierd games. I have regretted several PC's that I purchased. I had a couple break just after warrenty went up. Killed a PC trying to install a new graphics card. Have purchased games that ran like crap for PC. I was sort of hoping Valve would announce a date for the Steam
      • Fair enough. My wife's HP laptop died literally 1 week after the warranty expired, and our PS3 still works.

        Still, I can't play with linux on it anymore. To play The Campaign I have to use my physical disc, and every time I watch netflix I need to do some kind of system update first. I thought there should be some discussion of that.
    • Honestly? Yes. If I wanted a cheap linux box there were and are better options. Slashdot is a terrible market indicator on most everything because of the overwhelming libertarian (with a small L) view that obscures the reality that most people don't care.

      • That isn't the point, though. The point is that this is something I used to be able to play around with and I had to choose between keeping that functionality and letting my kids continue to use it to play all their games.

        What's next? What if Sony decides to stop supporting Netflix? Or certain niche game publishers?

        The point of my post was, Do you trust Sony enough to invest another $400 with them?
  • OK, so the PS4 will launch on November 15th.

    When will the games that make it worth owning launch?

    As far as I know, the majority of the PS4 launch titles are ports of games from other platforms. The only one I'm even remotely interested in is Watchdogs, but there's no chance I'd try and play that on consoles. (Or buy it without first finding out what horrible DRM scheme Ubisoft is going to inflict on it.)

    I've still yet to hear of a game for the PS4 that makes the console worth buying.

    And even if there were,

    • Normally consoles are not as bad as PC when it comes to DRM, since the expectation is you won't be able to run it without the physical media. With the PC though that's not been the case for quite a while now, so they tack on game breaking DRM to try and make sure people cannot play the game.

    • Unless another game I haven't heard about yet shows up and convinces me I have to play it, I'll probably get it when Final Fantasy XV comes out, which at the moment isn't more specific than "sometime in 2014".

    • When will the games that make it worth owning launch?

      I can't remember a single launch title in the past two generations that made me want to buy the system when it came out. Launch titles are always "me too" games, ports, and sequels that can be churned out quickly with a handful of "in house" quirky games as exceptions, especially nowadays since video game budgets have gotten out of control. I haven't seen an awesome launch title since the 16-bit generation (e.g. Super Mario World).

      Usually the good games come over the year after.

  • No thanks (Score:5, Interesting)

    by tippe ( 1136385 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2013 @03:00PM (#44622879)

    Even forgiving all of the dumb-ass scams Sony has pulled over the years that have alienated me as a customer, the one thing that keeps reminding me why I hate them so much is the forced updates that I have to endure almost every single time I turn on my PS3. I only use the thing a couple of times a month (for movies, usually), and it seems like almost every time I turn it on I need to apply some update, and if I refuse the machine refuses to let me do whatever it is I wanted to do. Why??? Because of this, almost every movie I want to watch on the thing becomes 15-30 minutes of dicking around with updates, rebooting, etc, followed by 90 or 120 minutes of movie. WTF. I've never seen any other product that was so antagonistic towards its user. It's a constant reminder that Sony doesn't give a shit about me and would gladly throw me under a bus if it meant they could make another dollar off me. I'm sure other companies think the same way, but at least most of them have the decency of not being so blindingly obvious about it. Up yours Sony, you can keep your PS4.

    • Re:No thanks (Score:5, Interesting)

      by firex726 ( 1188453 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2013 @03:29PM (#44623213)

      Sorry dude, blame the studios for that.

      They setup DRM type checks on BD movies, which requires updates to be able to play. It's why if you take a 4 year old BD player it wont play a recently released BD movie most likely.

    • Re:No thanks (Score:5, Informative)

      by geeper ( 883542 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2013 @03:38PM (#44623331)
      You can set it up to automatically run updates at whatever time of day you want. It will turn on, update (including games) and then power itself back off after a period of inactivity. That is how I set mine and I never wait for updates anymore. That doesn't excuse the other behavior but it may help you with regards to updates.
      • by tippe ( 1136385 )

        Thanks for the tip. I think I'll try enabling that, in the hope of making it less annoying to use. I still won't buy a PS4, though...

      • How does it turn itself on, if it's off? It surely needs power to keep check of the time so it knows when to turn the system on. Is there a special mechanism that flicks the physical switch at the back?

    • Re:No thanks (Score:4, Interesting)

      by ZombieBraintrust ( 1685608 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2013 @03:39PM (#44623345)
      PS4 has dedicated hardware to download updates when its sleeping. XBox One also has this. They also added support to play games while they download. Of course their servers could suck.
      • by MrL0G1C ( 867445 )

        ...Lol so the PS4 launch might be like EA's sim-city launch where no-one can use their new console for a few days whilst the servers are overloaded with DRM related faff.

    • I only use the thing a couple of times a month (for movies, usually), and it seems like almost every time I turn it on I need to apply some update,

      That's an exaggeration considering system updates come less often than that, which means you aren't using it enough to get the updates when they come out. However, besides system updates there are updates for individual things like Netflix, those are separate (why force you to update Netflix if you don't have it installed)

  • The upcoming consoles, PS4 and XB1, seem quite exciting otherwise, but I think they totally failed at the enclosure design. Both of them have an ugly 80s VCR look...
    • > The upcoming consoles, PS4 and XB1, seem quite boring

      FTFY.

      I already have a GTX Titan + 512 GB SSD + 16 GB RAM. I'm not a hardcore gamer - just someone who likes to explore rendering algorithms. Xbone or PS4 are basically a 2 year old PC. *yawn*.

      • by lgw ( 121541 )

        Sure, but OTOH my 2 year old PC plays everything fine at 1920x1200. Perhaps that's deceptive since most games were made for last-gen consoles, but still - stull looks pretty good on it.

  • Google tells me that with the current exchange rate, the PS4 should sell for 414.44 Canadian dollars. You can bet your ass that it won't be as low as that, I'm expecting at least 429 or even 449. And every Canadian pays a sales tax which varies from 5 to 15% depending on the province.

    • by Shados ( 741919 )

      The awkward moment when you realize exchange rate is only one factor in the equation for setting prices, EVEN if you were to factor out corporate greed.

    • You could quickly check Futureshop, or Bestbuy's web sites and find out that it is $399.99, or after tax in BC $447.99. Different provinces will vary in taxes.

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