January Console Sales Numbers (it begins?)

[Big Fo]

Nintendo Wii 274k
PlayStation 3 269k
PlayStation 2 264k
Nintendo DS 251k
Sony PSP 230k
Xbox 360 230k

360 CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE ..............330.9K

WII PLAY W/ REMOTE NINTENDO OF AMERICA .......298.1K

WII GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK ...........239.6K

360 ROCK BAND SPECIAL ED BUNDLE ...................183.8K

360 GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK............182.7K

WII SUPER MARIO GALAXY ...................................172K

360 BURNOUT PARADISE ....................................144.1K

PS3 CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE...............140K

NDS MARIO PARTY ......................................... 138.5K

NDS MARIO AND SONIC: OLYMPIC GAMES...........133K



Thoughts/observations/questions-

IIRC this is the first time PS3 has ever beaten 360 in monthly sales.

COD4 (360) has topped the charts three straight months.

Is the PS2 immortal?

How badly did shortages affect 360, Wii, and DS numbers? The DS number especially is shockingly low.

With Wii Guitar Hero 3 sales EA has to still be kicking themselves for not having a Wii version of Rock Band. Every time I'm in Best Buy there are two whole mountains of PS3 bundles.

Only 40k difference from first to worst is rather strange IMO.

If the PS3 outsold the 360 by 40k every month it would catch the 360 (USA only) in August 2020.

[SackAttack]

I think the Wii had similar numbers in January of last year after a high December total.

[Big Fo]

Lifetime sales:

PS2: 41.39m
NDS: 17.9m
PSP: 10.7m
360: 9.38m
Wii: 7.65m
PS3: 3.52m

Call of Duty 4 360: 3,370,900
Rock Band (X360) - 958,000

Wii Play: 4,408,996
Super Mario Galaxy: 2,692,000
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption: 626,000
Carnival Games: 655,000
Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles: 300,000
Guitar Hero III (Wii): 1,5 M.
Wii Play: 4.4 million
No More Heroes: 65k

Advance Wars-Days of Ruin: 85k

Call of Duty 4 (PS3) - 1,105,000 (first PS3 game over 1m in USA)
Burnout Paradise (PS3) - 83k

[Calis]

I'm not sure where you're getting those lifetime sales numbers? Is that US only or what's the deal? Everything I see is completely different from those.

http://www.vgchartz.com/

[Big Fo]

Everything I've posted so far has been US only.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'm not sure where you're getting those lifetime sales numbers? Is that US only or what's the deal? Everything I see is completely different from those.

http://www.vgchartz.com/

Here are the worldwide January numbers (U.S. source is NPD, Japan is Famitsu, PAL is VGChartz):

January Worldwide Console Sales

Wii - 1,427,000
PS3 - 900,000
360 - 535,000


January NA Console Sales

Wii - 274k
PS3 - 269k
360 - 230k


January PAL Console Sales

Wii - 589k
PS3 - 418k
360 - 273k


January Japanese Console Sales

Wii - 564k
PS3 - 213k
360 - 32k

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

The next few weeks are going to get VERY interesting. There are going to be a lot of inquiries about the 360 "shortage" and why MS supposedly didn't account for what should have been a relatively routine increase in sales over the holiday season. Obviously, MS knew that these numbers were coming. I think Microsoft may have been better off not saying anything when all is said and done. This will likely bring more scrutiny on their supply and RROD warranty numbers than they really wanted.

Either way, a very good total for the Wii worldwide in a 'slow' month and the PS3 managed to shave 365K off the 360's worldwide margin over the PS3.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

New trailer for Little Big Planet now available...........

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/30639.html

[wade moore]

Interesting. I'll come out and say it - I didn't think it would happen, certainly not this soon.

I'm very curious to see how M$ responds.

[MikeVic]

Do you think the PS3's jump has a lot to do with BluRay seemingly having won the new movie technology wars?

[MJ4H]

Do you think the PS3's jump has a lot to do with BluRay seemingly having won the new movie technology wars?

Yes. That and continuing problems with 360 failures. But mostly the BluRay thing imo.

[wade moore]

Yes. That and continuing problems with 360 failures. But mostly the BluRay thing imo.
I think, as MBBF mentions, that there is a supply issue as well.

MBBF implies, and I don't necessarily think he's wrong, that this could be tied to RROD - inventory getting tied up as replacements for RROD.

[Icy]

March should be great for the Ps3 with the MLB the show release in USA (it won't affect Europe at all, not sure about Japan).

[MJ4H]

EA Sports announced that NCAA Football 09 will be released on Wii. I suppose that's good news for some, but I would rather burn down my house than buy an EA Sports game right now just on sheer principle. Maybe I will change my mind by then.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=15287

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I think, as MBBF mentions, that there is a supply issue as well.

MBBF implies, and I don't necessarily think he's wrong, that this could be tied to RROD - inventory getting tied up as replacements for RROD.

And that's likely why we won't get much info from Microsoft on the shortage/bad sales numbers. Despite the obvious elephant in the middle of the room, Microsoft still hasn't officially released their console failure rates to admit just how much of a problem the RROD has been for them. If they did, the 360 would take a PR hit it would never recover from. By taking that approach, they've put themselves in a position where any problems caused by RROD replacement supply have to be written off to other problems to avoid discussing the real problem.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

March should be great for the Ps3 with the MLB the show release in USA (it won't affect Europe at all, not sure about Japan).

The 'Pro Baseball Spirits 5' baseball game will be released in Japan during that time. It's just as popular as 'The Show'. So there will be a similar situation, but with a different game.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith game announced............

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080215005250/en

[MJ4H]

What? haha

[MikeVic]

I hope it's cheaper than the full game though.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Here's the really odd thing about the supposed "shortage" of 360's in the market. There's plenty still available right now................

Circuit City has Premiums and Arcades:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/categorylist.do?c=1&catOid=-16487&N=20012841+20016483+20016487&link=ref&bMore=&c=1&cm_re=main%20marquee-_-Get%20the%20must-have%20new%20releases-_-Shop%20for%20Xbox%20360%20consoles

Best Buy has Premiums and Arcades:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=abcat0701001&type=category

Walmart has Premiums and Arcades in Stock right now:
http://www.walmart.com/search/browse-ng.do?ic=24_0&ref=125866.183467+500524.4293873225&fromPageCatId=482412&catNavId=482412

Radioshock has them in stock:
http://www.radioshack.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2032401&cp=2032062&allCount=13&fbc=1&f=Brand%2F1000465%2F&fbn=Brand%2FMicrosoft+

Costco has Premiums:
http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|25429|25532&N=4020035&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=60313&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&topnav=

Sears has the Premium, Elite, and Arcade right now:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/s_10153_12605_Computers+%26+Electronics_Video+Games_Video+Game+Hardware

ToysRus has the Premium, Arcade, and Halo Edition all in stock right now:
http://www.toysrus.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2268879

[stevew]

.com is totally different than the stores though. I go into our Walmart quite a bit, maybe it's just the time of the day or something, but I rarely see 360's in stock.

[SackAttack]

.com is different from the stores, esp. for Best Buy.

We had six premiums arrive yesterday, but when you consider that a normal shipment for us is more like 80, I think that still qualifies as 'shortage.'

[SackAttack]

Dola,

Those six were all we had as of 2:30p, and were the first we've had since Christmas.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Dola,

Those six were all we had as of 2:30p, and were the first we've had since Christmas.

Something's amiss. If what you say is true (no reason not to believe you), that's not even a supply shortage. They're not even shipping at pre-holiday numbers if that's the case. Those units have to be going somewhere OR they're cleaning out the supply for a new unit/announcement. If the latter is the case, they're likely going to announce it soon because they can't keep having months like this in their strongest territory.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Japanese Console Sales Numbers for week ending February 10th.....

Wii: 82K
PS3: 24K
360: 4K

Big drop for all three consoles over the previous week. PS3 sales drop by 18K from previous week sales (boosted by Devil May Cry 4 release). Wii sales drop by 12K.

[rowech]

I'll end up buying a PS3 because of Blue Ray seemingly winning. This would be my question on these numbers...

I wonder how many have both.

[Mustang]

I'll end up buying a PS3 because of Blue Ray seemingly winning.

I'll be more interested in a PS3 now because of this, but I'd still like to see a signature game that makes me take the plunge. (Right now I own a 360 and Wii)

[Synovia]

.com is totally different than the stores though. I go into our Walmart quite a bit, maybe it's just the time of the day or something, but I rarely see 360's in stock.

Wierd, they're all over the place here. As well as PS3s... still no Wii to be found though.

[Synovia]

I'll be more interested in a PS3 now because of this, but I'd still like to see a signature game that makes me take the plunge. (Right now I own a 360 and Wii)


I own a PS3 (and a Wii) and don't have any games for it (except motorstorm, which sucks ass).


Its an absolutely phenomenal value as a media player.

[Eaglesfan27]

Two Interesting Rumors are heating up:

The possibility of a 360 blu-ray external drive is posted all over the place, but this site talks about the possibility of a blu-ray built into the 360 released by May of 08:

http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Gaming/Console/J7L7H2R4?page=1


Also, there have been analysts predicting the 360 successor will be released by 2010, but now there are job postings which might give some credence to that:

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=182604

[stevew]

Hopefully the stand alone drive is not super expensive. I would think that the majority of the processing would be handled by the console, so the external drive can't be too much more than the cost of a stand alone drive.

It'll pretty much kill any chance I have of buying a PS3 as well.

[Kodos]

2010 is WAAAAAAY too early for them to come out with a new console.

[MikeVic]

2010 is WAAAAAAY to early for them to come out with a new console.

Yeah, that'd be ridiculous. I still don't really have a need for the current next-gen consoles! I got a Wii when it was launched because if was different. But I still play my DS a lot more than my Wii. If the next next gen is in two years, hah!

[Big Fo]

Mario Kart Wii is coming out in Europe April 25. (http://www.wiiinsider.de/news_317385.php) The link is in German but I could at least read the date. Given that it's coming out April 10 in Japan I gotta assume sometime in April for us.

Please Nintendo, remove snaking so that the game is actually fun to play online. Mario Kart DS is fantastic in just about every other way but snaking just killed online play. Single-player it was great, up there with Super Mario Kart and much better than MK64 and Double Dash.

With Nintendo failing to meet demand even worse than usual last month they must be stockpiling for the next few months. No way they would release Smash Bros. in March, Wii Fit and Mario Kart in April without a lot more Wiis on the shelves. Hopefully they have something up their sleeve for later in the year.

[Groundhog]

so, In 2010 will the superseeded 360 finally be called "current-gen", once the next-next-gen is out?

[MJ4H]

MARIO KARTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

[Groundhog]

I hooked my macbook up to my TV yesterday, plugged in two PS3 controllers, and my girlfriend and I played Donkey Kong Country and Super Mario Brothers 3 for like 5 hours using a Snes emulator. Most fun I've had with a video game since... well... since I last played these games like 15 years or more ago (was it really that long ago.. jeez).

Anyhow, I find my desire for a Wii steadily increasing.

[sabotai]

2010 is WAAAAAAY too early for them to come out with a new console.

The original XBox came out in '01 and the 360 was released in '05. Playstation came out in '95, PS2 in 2000 and PS3 in 2006. 5-6 years seems to be the standard amount of time before the next console is released.

[Butter]

EA Sports announced that NCAA Football 09 will be released on Wii. I suppose that's good news for some, but I would rather burn down my house than buy an EA Sports game right now just on sheer principle. Maybe I will change my mind by then.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=15287

Great news, thanks!

[Horizon]

2010 is WAAAAAAY too early for them to come out with a new console.
Why? A 5 year run for the 360 seams about right.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Hopefully the stand alone drive is not super expensive. I would think that the majority of the processing would be handled by the console, so the external drive can't be too much more than the cost of a stand alone drive.

It'll pretty much kill any chance I have of buying a PS3 as well.

The price is going to end up being a problem. It's rumored to have a $200 price tag. It's still cheaper than a PS3, I suppose. It would be great if they'd offer a partial trade-in for the HD-DVD add-ons, but I don't see that happening.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Why? A 5 year run for the 360 seams about right.

The success of the Wii and the PS2 along with the PS3 price issues for overloading the console show that a 7-8 year cycle is a more likely scenario. Only reason MS would push one out sooner is if the RROD issue is still occuring in the newer models, which there's reason to believe that even the newer models have a failure rate around 10%.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Tons of new news. Fallout 3 due for simultaneouns release on 360/PS3/PC.........

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/18/fallout-3-to-get-simultaneous-release-on-ps3-xbox-360-pc/

Developer leaks that Haze for the PS3 has been bumped from a May to a March release date..........

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=241145

Rock Band: Aerosmith to use drum and mic peripherals............

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/17/rumor-guitar-hero-aerosmith-to-use-drum-and-mic-peripherals/

Sony gives out PS3's to an entire section at the NBA Skills competition.......

http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=ps3&thread.id=2567630

HD format war is officially over. Toshiba ceasing all manufacturing........

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080219005651/en

Sounds like the working conditions at Bioware leave a lot to be desired............

http://softrockhallelujah.blogspot.com/2008/02/qol-watch-beware-of-bioware.html

Trends show that 360 is likely to fall behind PS3 in monthly sales, shortage or no shortage.............

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=17437

Xbox 360 shows up with RROD at Game Developers' Conference (GDC 2008).............

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2008/02/red_ring_of_death_returns.html

New Left 4 Dead screenshots.........

http://www.shacknews.com/featuredarticle.x?id=745&page=1

Microsoft responds to independent reports of high failure rate on Xbox 360..........

http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/852/852669p1.html

Deal of the Day at Amazon........Gamecube console for $50......

http://www.techbargains.com/jump.cfm?id=580&afsrc=1&u=112672-n-1&arg=http%3A%2F%2Ftechbargains%2Epricegrabber%2Ecom%2Frd%2Ephp%2Fpg%3D%7E%7E3%2Fr%3D2379%2Fm%3D2267413%2Fq%3D%2Fmt%3D4%7E7%7E99%2E99%7E59%2E94%7E80%2E17%7E1%7E7%7Etb%5F112623%5Fn%5F1%7EN%7E0%2E00%2Fk%3D85ffec83a81bcc32b07d91c18630d8fa%2Fsearch%3DGamecube%2520Console%2520Platinum%2Favail%3DIn%2520Stock%2Fsearch%5Fid%3D4de4776ed9ffb25ab9b7d9cac628816e%2Fst%3Dproduct%2Fsv%3Dtitle

[Synovia]

The price is going to end up being a problem. It's rumored to have a $200 price tag. It's still cheaper than a PS3, I suppose.

You can get a 40gb PS3 for $299 off of Sonystyle. A $200 bluray add on for the 360 is a waste of money.

[Mustang]

That Bioware article looked like a whole lotta nothing. You could just replace Bioware with pretty much any company..

[rjolley]

My problem with getting a BluRay add-on for the 360 is the quality of the player. I've heard the HD-DVD add-on isn't great, neither is the 360's DVD playback. And the original Xbox was an average DVD box at best.

[Phototropic]

That Bioware article looked like a whole lotta nothing. You could just replace Bioware with pretty much any company..
Agreed.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

That Bioware article looked like a whole lotta nothing. You could just replace Bioware with pretty much any company..

I think that was mentioned. The person providing the information was talking about their experiences in Bioware, but they said that the entire industry as a whole is not a good place to work right now. Tons of hours for limited pay.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Analysts predict a 10% increase in PS3 sales and a big holiday boom in PS3 sales after HD-DVD death................

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=33280

Analysts agree that HD DVD demise is good news for the console

Sales of the PlayStation 3 could see a rise of up to 10 per cent in the wake of Toshiba's pull-out from the next generation DVD war as a result of educated consumers who have been waiting for the format war to end.

That's according to Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, who also told GamesIndustry.biz that as well as the short term boost, the long term effect will be even more positive.

"Longer term, I think it's a huge boon for Sony, as most retail clerks will be instructed to push Blu-ray along with sales of HD monitors at holiday, so we should see a large increase in PS3 sales year-over-year at holiday," he said.

Ed Barton and Richard Cooper, from Screen Digest, broadly agree: "With the format war over, and the end of the consumer indecision resulting from it, video consumers are likely to purchase the PS3 as the most cost effective, future proof Blu-ray player," they said.

"In the longer term lower price, higher specification set-top Blu-ray players will take on the role as best entry level Blu-ray player but not within the next 12 months. This could result in a small but significant rise in the number of PS3s bought over the next 12 months as Blu-ray players."

On the question of what Microsoft's response might be, given that the Xbox 360 supported an HD DVD peripheral but with no official plans to do the same for Blu-ray at this point, opinion was mixed.

Pachter feels that while committing the Xbox 360 to Blu-ray is an option for Microsoft, either in terms of a built-in device or as a peripheral, both are unlikely - while to compete on that basis with the PlayStation 3 the company can only look towards price cuts.

Barton and Cooper feel that the demise of HD DVD won't have a negative effect on the Xbox 360, and that Microsoft will instead see benefits in other areas.

"If anything Microsoft will appreciate more Xbox 360 owners being driven to the Live Video Store as it makes more margin on HD content supply from XBL than via the HD DVD platform."

Sony is yet to officially comment on the HD DVD situation, while Microsoft has reiterated that it doesn't believe Xbox 360 sales will be affected.

"As we've long stated, we believe it is games that sell consoles and Xbox 360 continues to have the largest next-gen games library with the most exclusives and best selling games in the industry," the company said.

[Travis]

If Sony were smart, they'd price cut right now to get any and every 360 owner leaning at all towards investing in a BR player rather than letting word spread of the (likely) possibility of a 360 BR add-on. Whether or not the add-on would be the same quality player as the PS3, until the price is announced it'll probably keep people on the fence, and with one of the better exclusives about to hit the market, this is their chance to really hit the market.

Sure their sales will do well likely just based on Toshiba calling it quits and having the Show come out, but even a $50 cut on the 40 gig would probably sway a lot of people (I'd say $100 to really push it home, but 0 faith in a cut that large happening).

[damnMikeBrown]

It'd push me over the top Travis. Other than that, I've waited this long to choose, may as well wait a while longer.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

If Sony were smart, they'd price cut right now to get any and every 360 owner leaning at all towards investing in a BR player rather than letting word spread of the (likely) possibility of a 360 BR add-on. Whether or not the add-on would be the same quality player as the PS3, until the price is announced it'll probably keep people on the fence, and with one of the better exclusives about to hit the market, this is their chance to really hit the market.

Sure their sales will do well likely just based on Toshiba calling it quits and having the Show come out, but even a $50 cut on the 40 gig would probably sway a lot of people (I'd say $100 to really push it home, but 0 faith in a cut that large happening).

The new (and cheaper) laser is supposed to be in the BR players and PS3 sometime in April, which will significantly reduced the manufacturing cost of both devices. At that point, they should be in a position to engage in a price war if they choose to do so. Until then, games like The Show, Little Big Planet and Metal Gear Solid 4 should provide plenty of demand.

My personal guess is that they'll put off the price cut until August/September.

[Mustang]

As part of my master plan, when we get a new house the wife wants new furniture and a new TV. I should be able to get a rider attached to that plan that will consist of a new PS3.

[Butter]

As part of my master plan, when we get a new house the wife wants new furniture and a new TV. I should be able to get a rider attached to that plan that will consist of a new PS3.

Watch out for the filibuster.

[Synovia]

As part of my master plan, when we get a new house the wife wants new furniture and a new TV. I should be able to get a rider attached to that plan that will consist of a new PS3.

Just tell her you're buying a blu-ray player so you can actually USE that new tv to its fullest extent (bluray is way more impressive than HD-cable..just bit rate alone). You don't need to tell her that the blu-ray player also plays video games.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Interesting post from Bill Harris concerning the January NPD numbers and the 'shortage' surrounding the Xbox 360. Really interesting part was an anonymous quote from one of his sources indicating that MS may continue to restrict supply for up to 6 months with no reason given for the lack of supply.............

All X360 hardware is currently being allocated on a weekly basis to all direct customers. We've heard that product may not flow freely again until the late spring or early summer. No news (or even rumblings) about new hardware SKUs. If it's happening, the info may come at the Microsoft Vision conference in late July.

http://dubiousquality.blogspot.com/2008/02/console-post-of-week-microsoft-mystery.html

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

New news being leaked concerning Home. Both Home and the in-game XMB are both apparently all but ready for release in the next couple of weeks. PS3 online gamers will now have in-game and cross-game communication in addition to lobbies for online game meet-ups amongst friends. A PS3 version of Achievements will also be added (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em I guess)..........

http://www.dbtechno.com/gaming/2008/02/19/ps3-in-game-xmb-ready-to-release-home-coming-soon/

[dawgfan]

Xbox 360 shows up with RROD at Game Developers' Conference (GDC 2008).............

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2008/02/red_ring_of_death_returns.html
If I'm not mistaken, removing the video cable from the back of the 360 will produce an RROD display (but not an actual RROD situation). This particular instance might not actually be a real RROD situation.

[Groundhog]

If I'm not mistaken, removing the video cable from the back of the 360 will produce an RROD display (but not an actual RROD situation). This particular instance might not actually be a real RROD situation.

I believe (though may be wrong) that that gives you two red lights, not three. That was one of the first Qs I was asked when I phoned Microsoft up re: my RRoD.

[dawgfan]

I believe (though may be wrong) that that gives you two red lights, not three. That was one of the first Qs I was asked when I phoned Microsoft up re: my RRoD.
Ah, could be.

[SackAttack]

New news being leaked concerning Home. Both Home and the in-game XMB are both apparently all but ready for release in the next couple of weeks. PS3 online gamers will now have in-game and cross-game communication in addition to lobbies for online game meet-ups amongst friends. A PS3 version of Achievements will also be added (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em I guess)..........

http://www.dbtechno.com/gaming/2008/02/19/ps3-in-game-xmb-ready-to-release-home-coming-soon/

I'd believe in-game XMB being ready, but I'm calling shenanigans on Home being just a couple weeks away.

Couple months? More believable.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'd believe in-game XMB being ready, but I'm calling shenanigans on Home being just a couple weeks away.

Couple months? More believable.

I was a bit surprised as well. It seemed like they were still adding feature sets to Home as recent as a couple of weeks ago.

[SackAttack]

I was a bit surprised as well. It seemed like they were still adding feature sets to Home as recent as a couple of weeks ago.

As recently as last month I was hearing that there were issues that were going to defer its premiere into the summer sometime. I doubt they've finished the feature creep AND fixed the issues that fast.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

As recently as last month I was hearing that there were issues that were going to defer its premiere into the summer sometime. I doubt they've finished the feature creep AND fixed the issues that fast.

My thought is that they may put in the baseline features and software now and then start adding stuff via updates when they are ready and respond to any changes that users request. Similar to a full open beta except that it's not officially labeled a test. It would allow them to say Home is officially out while giving them time to tweak some features and create other features.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Some new game release dates just announced.

---Wii Fit now has a release date of May 19th in North America. 1M units will be shipped for the NA release, so you fat people have no excuses.
---Wii Ware now has a release date of May 12th in North America.
---Mario Kart has a release date of mid-April for Europe.

Sales figures announced......

---Devil May Cry 4 has passed 2M units sold already.
---Motorstorm passes 3M units sold.
---Unreal Tournament 3 has sold 1.2M units on the PS3.

More rumors are swirling that a public beta of Home will be announced as soon as tomorrow (Feb. 21st) at the GDC conference. (Edit: Developers have stated that it will not be released this week).

Sony has passed the 10 million PS3's sold mark 4 months ahead of the 360's pace and analysts predict that they will outsell the 360 in all three regions for at least the next two months. Sony shares also jumped as much as 5% yesterday in worldwide markets on the news of HD-DVD's demise.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

More GDC '08 news......

MGS Online hands-on preview:

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=93022

Mario Kart Wii hands-on preview:

http://wii.ign.com/articles/852/852952p1.html

Left 4 Dead announced as coming to 360 and PC:

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/02/19/left-4-dead-confirmed-console-exclusive-to-360/

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Xbox 360 price drop of $50.00 in Canada coming soon. Rumor is that it's an adjustment for the changes in the value of the U.S. dollar to bring the Canadian pricing in line with the U.S.

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/rumor-canadian-xbox-360-price-drops-50-friday/

[Synovia]

Xbox 360 price drop of $50.00 in Canada coming soon. Rumor is that it's an adjustment for the changes in the value of the U.S. dollar to bring the Canadian pricing in line with the U.S.

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/rumor-canadian-xbox-360-price-drops-50-friday/



Having a price drop when you can't get pieces to the stores seems kind of strange.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Having a price drop when you can't get pieces to the stores seems kind of strange.

Agreed that it doesn't have an effect on the market, but this adjustment has been long overdue. Overseas markets have been paying a premium for the same console that the U.S. has for some time now. I wouldn't be shocked to see a similar adjustment in Europe in the next couple of months.

[Big Fo]

Mario Kart Wii hands-on preview:

http://wii.ign.com/articles/852/852952p1.html


The death of snaking, 12 player online with the ability to have multiple players on one Wii play online ala Halo, online battle mode, 32 tracks, Gamecube/classic controller support if the motion controls somehow turn out worse than those of Excite Truck (which worked well), this game is going to be awesome.

We need a little FOFC competition when this comes out.

Metal Gear Online also sounds pretty sweet. I wonder if they are going to let players use lock-on like in the campaign mode, I've just never been all that fond of aiming a gun with an analog stick, a mouse or even the Wiimote is so much better.

[MJ4H]

We need a little FOFC competition when this comes out.



INNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

[MikeVic]

Smash in a few weeks, the Mario Kart shortly after. And it seems like Wii Fit will be in there somewhere too?

I'm still trying to get into Zack and Wiki, and just bought Front Mission and Professor Layton for my DS. I need to find more time.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Smash in a few weeks, the Mario Kart shortly after. And it seems like Wii Fit will be in there somewhere too?

I'm still trying to get into Zack and Wiki, and just bought Front Mission and Professor Layton for my DS. I need to find more time.

Wii Ware is coming out as well. Nintento has a strong first-party lineup for the second quarter.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

New games announcements............

Translation from an Italian PR site indicates that Gears of War 2 may be released in November 2008.....

“Gears of War 2” (Epic Games). “Gears of War 2” is the sequel to the best seller, with 4,5 millions copies sold, which redefined the tactical/third person/action game genre. “Gears of War 2” follow the story of Marcus Fenix and Delta Team in an epic saga of survival, defeat (?) and punishment. Developed by Epic games as an Xbox 360 exclusive, “Gears of War 2” will be available from November.

New platformer for the Wii called 'Mushroom Men'. Link to download below.......

http://www.gamersyde.com/news_5540_en.html

[Big Fo]

Smash in a few weeks, the Mario Kart shortly after. And it seems like Wii Fit will be in there somewhere too?

I'm still trying to get into Zack and Wiki, and just bought Front Mission and Professor Layton for my DS. I need to find more time.

Wii Fit is one that I'm going to have to hear some more impressions on. I'm skeptical that it can actually improve your health, but if the games are fun then I'll probably still get it. Slaloming does look pretty cool.

From this interview with NoA President Reggie Fils-Aime (http://wii.ign.com/articles/853/853258p1.html) there are "over ten games in development" for the balance board. Two of them better be 1080 Snowboarding and Punch-Out or I'm gonna have to post a lot of :mad: smilies.

Pro Evolution Soccer is the next Wii game I'm really excited for, the IR pointer controls should be great, from videos it looks like a soccer RTS.

[MJ4H]

Smash Kart and Fit are the three big must-haves for me that are coming out.

[Synovia]

Wii Fit is one that I'm going to have to hear some more impressions on. I'm skeptical that it can actually improve your health, but if the games are fun then I'll probably still get it. Slaloming does look pretty cool.


I played about an hour and a half of wii-sports the other night, and I'm still sore, so I don't doubt it at all. Think of it like an interactive fitness video.

[Groundhog]

First time I played the wii sports baseball, me and my flatmate had about a 2 hour session. The next morning, I couldn't lift my arm to reach over and shut off my alarm clock.

[SackAttack]

That happened to me, but it was Wii Bowling that killed my shoulder for about a week.

[twothree]

I saw 2 Wii consoles on a store shelf a few days ago. They were gone the next day, but it is the first time I have seen them on a retail shelf since last February when I purchased mine.

[SackAttack]

We got like 50 today. Only two left when I left the store 40 minutes ago.

[Balldog]

We finally were able to purchase a Wii, online at Toys R Us, ended up having to get a bundle with 6 games - 4 shitty games plus Metroid Prime 3 and Super Mario Galaxy.

[ColtCrazy]

Other than my normal PC games, I'm still playing my original Xbox. I can't decide which console to get, so I'm putting off buying any. But I'll probably break down and get something with the May rebate check (you know, to do my civic duty). PS3 is the front runner, but not by much. Does anyone know if the PS3 is region free like it was said to be pre-release?

[Marc Vaughan]

If you're choosing the pecking order in our house presently is ....

1. 360
2. PS-3 (for BluRay mainly - but also old PS-2 games)
3. Wii

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Other than my normal PC games, I'm still playing my original Xbox. I can't decide which console to get, so I'm putting off buying any. But I'll probably break down and get something with the May rebate check (you know, to do my civic duty). PS3 is the front runner, but not by much. Does anyone know if the PS3 is region free like it was said to be pre-release?

Yes, it is fully region free. Also, the region for the Blu-ray discs includes Asia, so North American PS3's can play Blu-ray discs from both Japan and North America.

[Icy]

As mizzou said, it's region free for games, that is why i bought it, to play USA sports games (NCAA, College Hoops, etc) that i couldn't in the 360 as i live in Europe and the 360 is region locked.

[Daimyo]

Yes, it is fully region free. Also, the region for the Blu-ray discs includes Asia, so North American PS3's can play Blu-ray discs from both Japan and North America.
No, it does not include Asia. It includes Japan and a few other southeast Asian countries. China, India, Russia and the rest of Asia are not included. Based on population and size, the vast majority of Asia is not included in the same region with North America.

[Big Fo]

Yeah I think there are three Blu-Ray regions, one for the Americas + Japan and some Asian nations, one for Europe + Africa, and one for the other countries where everyone just pirates stuff anyhow.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Blu-ray_regions_without_key.png/800px-Blu-ray_regions_without_key.png

[Big Fo]

Uh oh boys, after the depressing news of EA and the NFL adding three years to the exclusivity agreement things could become even more dire:

Electronic Arts Proposes to Acquire Take-Two Interactive Software for $26 Per Share in Cash, or Approximately $2.0 Billion
Sunday February 24, 2:00 pm ET

Proposal Represents 64 Percent Premium to Take-Two's February 15th Closing Price and 63 Percent Premium to Take-Two's Closing Price Over the Previous 30 Days

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Electronic Arts Inc. (“EA”) (NASDAQ: ERTS - News) today announced that it has proposed to acquire Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (“Take-Two”) (NASDAQ: TTWO - News) in an all-cash merger valued at approximately $2.0 billion.

EA’s proposal of $26 per share in cash represents a premium of 64 percent over Take-Two’s closing stock price on Feb. 15th, the last trading day before EA sent its revised proposal to Take-Two, and a 63 percent premium over Take-Two’s 30-day trailing average price over the thirty trading days ending on that date.

EA’s proposal was contained in a letter sent on Feb. 19th by EA Chief Executive Officer John Riccitiello to Strauss Zelnick, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Take-Two. The Take-Two Board’s subsequent rejection of the EA proposal led to EA’s decision to release the letter and bring its proposal to the attention of all Take-Two shareholders.

Mr. Riccitiello said today: “Our all-cash proposal is a unique opportunity for Take-Two shareholders to realize immediate value at a substantial premium, while creating long-term value for EA shareholders. Take-Two’s game designers would also benefit from EA’s financial resources, stable, game-focused management team, and strong global publishing capabilities.”

The EA letter warned that further Take-Two delay in accepting EA’s proposal could prevent Take-Two’s shareholders and other constituents from realizing its benefits. “There can be no certainty that in the future EA or any other buyer would pay the same high premium we are offering today,” Mr. Riccitiello wrote. The letter added that timely completion of the proposed transaction would allow EA’s strong publishing and distribution network to positively impact the ongoing post-launch sales of GTA IV and support the new Take-Two titles scheduled for launch later in the year and during the holiday selling season.

As noted in EA’s Feb. 19th letter, EA’s proposal is not conditioned on any financing requirement. It is, however, subject to certain customary conditions as set forth in the letter. EA’s $26 per share proposal is based on the current equity capitalization of Take-Two. Although EA indicated in the letter that its proposal was subject to negotiations commencing by Feb. 22nd, EA intends to keep its proposal open for the present to give Take-Two’s shareholders and Board of Directors further time to consider it.

Wave goodbye to good basketball games if this goes through and say hello to Bioshock 2009, GTA 2009 etc. :mad:

Hopefully Take-Two rejects this, if this kind of thing continues they'll only be three big publishers in this country, EA/Take-Two, Activision/Blizzard, and Nintendo of America.

[Eaglesfan27]

Uh oh boys, after the depressing news of EA and the NFL adding three years to the exclusivity agreement things could become even more dire:



Wave goodbye to good basketball games if this goes through and say hello to Bioshock 2009, GTA 2009 etc. :mad:

Hopefully Take-Two rejects this, if this kind of thing continues they'll only be three big publishers in this country, EA/Take-Two, Activision/Blizzard, and Nintendo of America.


EA already killed College Hoops (there are a lot of rumors that they have actually purchased exclusivity to that and it's not just that 2k walked away from the license.) However, this would be bad news for other games that I really like such as Bioshock and NBA 2k as well as the potential of All Pro 2k9 :(

[SackAttack]

Poor French Guyana, getting lumped into the European BD film region.

As for the 2K/EA thing...I'm thinking about what that might mean for the Civilization franchise.

[Big Fo]

Damn I forgot about that one, that's been one of my favorite series for years.

edit: Just read in the other thread that the deal as been rejected. Good news for now.

[SackAttack]

So I'm thinking if this Bluetooth obnoxiousness doesn't knock it the hell off, I may just start getting the 360 version of multiplatform games on general principle, disc quantity or visual quality be damned.

I just gave up a triple to Prince Fielder because my controller spazzed out and sent my right fielder running from "in position" to "humping the outfield wall"

[Big Fo]

So I'm thinking if this Bluetooth obnoxiousness doesn't knock it the hell off, I may just start getting the 360 version of multiplatform games on general principle, disc quantity or visual quality be damned.

I just gave up a triple to Prince Fielder because my controller spazzed out and sent my right fielder running from "in position" to "humping the outfield wall"

Do you have a 60/20 GB or one of the newer models? I read the newer ones have better Bluetooth and Wi-Fi reliability. I'm waiting for all you guys to post a lot more impressions of that game (assuming you're playing The Show 08) when it comes out since if it lives up to the hype it will finally push me to get a PS3 even though GTA4 and MGS4 are still a few months off. However, I can't decide whether to try and track down a used 60 GB for full backwards compatibility (supposedly it upscales PS2 games pretty nicely?), whether to go for an 80 GB since they are slightly easier to find having only been discontinued for a few months and have the improved Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, or just get the cheaper 40 GB (with the more imrpoved Bluetooth and Wi-Fi) and keep my old PS2 around. Why does this crap have to be so complicated?

[SackAttack]

I'm rocking a 60 GB. I haven't fooled with upscaling PS2 games much, but it's supposed to be capable of doing that, yes.

And for what it's worth, the Fielder triple instantly prompted me to turn the system off. I've had bluetooth issues with a variety of titles, but having it pop up in a baseball game is a real good way to get me to stop playing that game. Maybe the 360 offering won't be as good, but does it matter if I put 45 minutes into a game only to have the whole thing fall apart in the 7th when the controller spazzes out on defense?

[Groundhog]

Didn't even know that there were bluetooth issues with the PS3. I have the 40gb non-PS2 compatible one, and haven't noticed anything.

[Travis]

Count me in the camp that hasn't had any bluetooth issues. I've got a 60 gig and thus far 0 issues. Haven't played much with the PS2 upscaling, stuck pretty much to BR and PS3 content.

[Sweed]

No control issues here either with our ps3. FWIW it's a 20g model that was bourht in Nov. of 2006.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I've had no controller disconnects on my 60GB PS3 at all. SackAttack, you really need to send that machine back if possible. If it were a system issue, you'd hear a lot more about it if everyone's bluetooth was screwing up as badly as you've reported. There's something amiss on your system.

[CraigSca]

I had heard of early bluetooth issues on the PS3 but I haven't personally had them (newer 40GB model here).

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Another studio learning the hard way that it's a pain in the $#% to port a 360 game to the PS3. LucasArts will be using the PS3 as the primary development console going forward. I'm pretty sure that Sony didn't intend it this way, but the troubles that the developers are having porting from the 360 to the PS3 are in an odd way now benefitting Sony. Developers are throwing their hands up and moving to PS3 development with ports to the 360 to save time and money.

http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6186606.html


Another PS3 exclusive heading back for a second edition. Motorstorm 2 joins Resistance 2 on the list of Christmas releases. Also mentions another exclusive soon to be announced.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2008/02/playstation_bounces_back.html


I'm shocked that an EA rep would ask a questions like, "Why should we develop for 'Home' when there's no clear revenue model in place for third party developers?"

I guess it's too much to ask EA to just make a game that is fun and that customers enjoy without constantly being concerned about the added revenue streams.............

http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/02/22/sony-reveals-home-trophies-and-electronic-arts-wonders-why-they-should-care/

[wade moore]

Another studio learning the hard way that it's a pain in the $#% to port a 360 game to the PS3. LucasArts will be using the PS3 as the primary development console going forward. I'm pretty sure that Sony didn't intend it this way, but the troubles that the developers are having porting from the 360 to the PS3 are in an odd way now benefitting Sony. Developers are throwing their hands up and moving to PS3 development with ports to the 360 to save time and money.

http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6186606.html

I find it hard to believe that there wasn't some foresight into this. It's a somewhat risky move that seems to be paying off as far as I can tell.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I find it hard to believe that there wasn't some foresight into this. It's a somewhat risky move that seems to be paying off as far as I can tell.

Sony has had two situations like that fall in their direction in recent days. The Blu-ray player was initially seen as a burden due to the high console price on release and in the year thereafter. Crazy Ken (original Playstation creator) 'retired' because the company was irritated that initial sales were too slow. Now, it's looking like a good move that will likely boost console sales through the rest of its life cycle.

Similarly, the difficulties that developers were having to port to the PS3 were resulting in delay after delay during the first year where multiple PS3 ports were coming out after the 360 games. As a result, developers are now moving to make the PS3 the primary development console.

[wade moore]

Can't disagree with any of that. I still don't know whether it will make them overtake MS in the longrun, but certainly I'm not so much in the "Sony is screwed" camp anymore.

Although I think that's at least partially due to mis-steps by MS (namely not pricing Sony completely out of the market about 6-8 months ago).

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Phil Harrison steps down at Sony. He will be taking a job at Atari...........

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=33463

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Can't disagree with any of that. I still don't know whether it will make them overtake MS in the longrun, but certainly I'm not so much in the "Sony is screwed" camp anymore.

Although I think that's at least partially due to mis-steps by MS (namely not pricing Sony completely out of the market about 6-8 months ago).

I'd agree that Microsoft should have dropped the price and nailed Sony to the wall several months ago.

But if the rumors that the RROD issues are becoming a burden and resulting in the supply slowdown over the past two months (the other rumor is that they had a HD-DVD SKU all ready to go and it's now worthless), would MS have been any better off if they would have sold a ton of the old units earlier last year? The lastest report is that Microsoft has lost $1.8 billion because of RROD repairs. If they sold more of the old units, they may have ended up with more defective units as well. Who knows?

[wade moore]

I'd agree that Microsoft should have dropped the price and nailed Sony to the wall several months ago.

But if the rumors that the RROD issues are becoming a burden and resulting in the supply slowdown over the past two months (the other rumor is that they had a HD-DVD SKU all ready to go and it's now worthless), would MS have been any better off if they would have sold a ton of the old units earlier last year? The lastest report is that Microsoft has lost $1.8 billion because of RROD repairs. If they sold more of the old units, they may have ended up with more defective units as well. Who knows?Good point. Is selling defective units better than not selling units? Don't know.

FWIW, my 360 with the new chipset has had no problems - but I'm not much of a power gamer these days and do not leave it on for more than a couple of hours at a time - although I did get a little pissed at my fiance for leaving the thing and having it on for several hours the other day. It does seem to go into some sort of "sleep" mode though, not sure if that is new or not.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

FWIW, my 360 with the new chipset has had no problems - but I'm not much of a power gamer these days and do not leave it on for more than a couple of hours at a time - although I did get a little pissed at my fiance for leaving the thing and having it on for several hours the other day. It does seem to go into some sort of "sleep" mode though, not sure if that is new or not.

I have a friend who is 'afraid' to play his 360 because he already had to have one replaced. It seems relatively stupid to have a console and not play it. If it breaks, it breaks. Yes, it won't break if you don't turn it on, but what the hell is the point? He's not the brightest kid ever.

I'm just the opposite with my PS3. It hasn't been turned off since September 2007. I just leave it folding when I'm not playing games.

[wade moore]

I have a friend who is 'afraid' to play his 360 because he already had to have one replaced. It seems relatively stupid to have a console and not play it. If it breaks, it breaks. Yes, it won't break if you don't turn it on, but what the hell is the point? He's not the brightest kid ever.

I'm just the opposite with my PS3. It hasn't been turned off since September 2007. I just leave it folding when I'm not playing games.Interesting.

I've never felt that was a good idea with any console in my life. *shurg* if nothing else I'm a cheapskate and would want to keep the power bill down ;).

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Interesting.

I've never felt that was a good idea with any console in my life. *shurg* if nothing else I'm a cheapskate and would want to keep the power bill down ;).

Someone actually did the math on how much it costs to power a PS3 each month if you never turn it off. I think it was around $3.25/month. I have a friend who works at Stanford and I know they're getting a lot of good info from the Folding program, so I figure $3.25 is a small price to pay if it helps someone down the road.

[Eaglesfan27]

Can't disagree with any of that. I still don't know whether it will make them overtake MS in the longrun, but certainly I'm not so much in the "Sony is screwed" camp anymore.

Although I think that's at least partially due to mis-steps by MS (namely not pricing Sony completely out of the market about 6-8 months ago).

That is the thing. Even if Sony overtakes MS this generation, they still screwed themselves. They were the undisputed king last generation by a huge margin. Now, they have let MS in as a major competitor for the next generation not to mention the Wii. Instead of building upon their huge market share, they squandered it.

[wade moore]

Someone actually did the math on how much it costs to power a PS3 each month if you never turn it off. I think it was around $3.25/month. I have a friend who works at Stanford and I know they're getting a lot of good info from the Folding program, so I figure $3.25 is a small price to pay if it helps someone down the road.
I don't know wtf the "Folding program" is ;).

[Eaglesfan27]

It's a very cool networking program where doctors and various other scientists can use some of the PS3's processing power to help solve various problems.

Edit: People who choose so can also do this with their computer.

2nd edit: It's called Folding, because the focus is to study protein folding and how that contributes to various pathologies.

[wade moore]

Gotcha - it's like seti but with an actual useful purpose.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

That is the thing. Even if Sony overtakes MS this generation, they still screwed themselves. They were the undisputed king last generation by a huge margin. Now, they have let MS in as a major competitor for the next generation not to mention the Wii. Instead of building upon their huge market share, they squandered it.

Yep, there's little question about that. Several heads have rolled over it at Sony. They may still end up winning this round, but it will be a much smaller advantage.

[CraigSca]

Not to get on an environmental kick here, because obviously the Folding program could benefit society in great ways. However, isn't it funny how one can go from, "oh my gosh - we must cut down on fossil fuels and use less energy" and then a moment later leave their PS3 on since September of 2007. B-Ball fan, not calling you out here - because I really doubt you made such a statement, but it's just funny how humanity works.

[Kodos]

His PS3 runs on solar power. He's as green as the Hulk.

[Icy]

I own a first generation 60gb PS3 and never had any bluetooth or controller issue either.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

His PS3 runs on solar power. He's as green as the Hulk.

You're close. I actually have an extention cord running all the way to Al Gore's mansion.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

PS3-exclusive Valkyria Chronicles announced. It's a JRPG that will be released in Europe and North America during the holiday season.

Trailer of the game:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/180299.html?playlist=featured

New vertical XBLA shooter coming this Wednesday.............

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/15797/Triggerheart-Exelica-Deploys-This-Wednesday/

[Big Fo]

Nice news for RPG fans (I've surprised myself by recently trying and finding out I enjoy the genre) who missed out on Persona 3 and didn't want to shell out $60+ for a rare, used game on ebay:

GameSpot's Best Role-Playing Game of 2007, Persona 3, will be getting an extra 30 hours of content at the end of April. The extended game will be called Persona 3 FES, which, according to the game's director, Katsura Hashino, comes from the word "festival."

The Persona 3 FES disc will contain an "enhanced" version of the original game, plus a 30-hour episode where gamers play as Aigis. Aigis is described as "a humanoid weapon whose personality matrix allows her to use a Persona. She is no longer bound by her programming, but still has strong ties to her companions." The new episode will feature an original story and 17 new music tracks.

The Atlus RPG sees a group of students studying in a Japanese high school during the day, where their actions count towards building up their "personas." At night, they explore the tower Tartarus and use their personas to battle the sinister shadows that lurk within. The new game will continue on past the final battle that ended the original, and it will show "the aftermath of the final battle and the students' struggle to find meaning in their new lives."

The original Persona 3 game will get new personas and cutscenes, extra quests and events, a weapon synthesis system, a hard difficulty mode, and new outfits for the main characters.

Persona 3 FES will be released on the PlayStation 2 in the US on April 22, with a recommended retail price of $29.99 and a rating of M for Mature. It will be a stand-alone game, and it won't require the original Persona 3 to play, although some parts of saved games can be carried over.


Looks like I'll have to dust off the PS2, I've heard nothing but good things about this game.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

These 'shortage' announcements from consoles that have been out for 1 1/2 years are getting less and less believable. Bad news for Europe as 'disc shortages' will push back the Super Smash Bros release until the fall.........

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=183203

Ubisoft announces new Haze release date sometime in May..........

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/854/854877p1.html

Metal Gear Solid 4 finally has a release date (June 12th).......

http://kotaku.com/360906/metal-gear-solid-4-finally-has-a-release-date

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Two huge bundle announcements coming from Sony today.

-Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 bundle. Package includes: 80 GB PS3, MGS4 game, and one DualShock 3 controller. Package price: $499.

-God of War Limited edition PSP bundle. Package includes: Deep red God of War PSP, God of War: Chains of Olympus game, Syphon Filter: Combat Ops game, and Superbad UMB. Package price: $199.

Article............

Sony Computer Entertainment America Introduces Metal Gear Solid(R)4: Guns of
The Patriots PS3 Bundle Available in Late Q2 2008 in North America

Company Also Announces Limited-Edition God of War(R) PSP(R) Entertainment Pack
and April Availability of DUALSHOCK(R)3 Wireless Controller for North America

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- At its annual retail and
publisher conference Destination PlayStation, Sony Computer Entertainment
America (SCEA) announced details of upcoming PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) and
PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) (PSP-2000) hardware bundles with two of the
most highly anticipated 2008 titles. The company also announced the April
2008 availability of DUALSHOCK(R)3 wireless controller in North America.

To coincide with the much-anticipated North American launch of Metal Gear
Solid(R)4: Guns of the Patriots in late Q2 2008, SCEA will introduce a PS3
bundle, which will include an 80GB PS3, the upcoming blockbuster Metal Gear
Solid(R)4: Guns of the Patriots and a DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller for $499
(MSRP).

SCEA also announced the June 2008 availability of the limited-edition God
of War(R) PSP Entertainment Pack for $199.99 (MSRP). The God of War
Entertainment Pack will include a "Deep Red" PSP with God of War himself,
Kratos, silk-screened on the back of the unit, a copy of the highly
anticipated upcoming God of War: Chains of Olympus game for PSP, the hit
comedy movie from Columbia Pictures, "Superbad(TM)," on UMD(TM) (Universal
Media Disc), and a PLAYSTATION(R)Network voucher to download Syphon Filter(R):
Combat Ops from PLAYSTATION(R)Store. The stand-alone version of God of War:
Chains of Olympus launches on March 4, 2008.

"Working closely with our retail and publishing partners and sharing our
hardware and software roadmaps at Destination PlayStation gives us a great
opportunity to outline some key milestones for the year. In response to
incredible demand, we will be manufacturing more 80GB PS3s for North America
and the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots 80GB PS3 bundle is an ideal
way to offer that continued value to our consumers," said Jack Tretton,
president and CEO, SCEA. "With Blu-ray having won the format war, our stellar
software line-up and a broad product portfolio, we will continue to drive the
incredible momentum we've been generating since last fall."

SCEA will introduce the DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller for the first time
in North America in April 2008 for $54.95 (MSRP). DUALSHOCK 3, which
incorporates both rumble and motion sensing SIXAXIS(TM) technologies,
maintains the award-winning design and precise, responsive features of
PlayStation controllers. The added rumble feature, combined with the SIXAXIS
system, enhances the gamer experience with more interactive, intuitive and
immersive game play experience and will work with more than 100 current PS3
titles.

In additional news coming from Destination PlayStation, SCEA announced
Metal Gear Solid(R)4: Guns of the Patriots will be available in North America
in late Q2 2008. A Metal Gear Online "Starter Pack" will also be launched to
support online game play. Gamers can select a single player experience or take
the action online with up to 16 players and battle it out using the latest
weapons and stealth techniques. For those eager to take on Solid Snake's
nemesis, Liquid Ocelot, a nationwide pre-sell promotion will enable gamers to
pre-order Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and be guaranteed access to
a multiplayer beta test for Metal Gear Online scheduled for late April.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Two huge bundle announcements coming from Sony today.

-Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 bundle. Package includes: 80 GB PS3, MGS4 game, and one DualShock 3 controller. Package price: $499.

-God of War Limited edition PSP bundle. Package includes: Deep red God of War PSP, God of War: Chains of Olympus game, Syphon Filter: Combat Ops game, and Superbad UMB. Package price: $199.

Article............

Sony Computer Entertainment America Introduces Metal Gear Solid(R)4: Guns of
The Patriots PS3 Bundle Available in Late Q2 2008 in North America

Company Also Announces Limited-Edition God of War(R) PSP(R) Entertainment Pack
and April Availability of DUALSHOCK(R)3 Wireless Controller for North America

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- At its annual retail and
publisher conference Destination PlayStation, Sony Computer Entertainment
America (SCEA) announced details of upcoming PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) and
PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) (PSP-2000) hardware bundles with two of the
most highly anticipated 2008 titles. The company also announced the April
2008 availability of DUALSHOCK(R)3 wireless controller in North America.

To coincide with the much-anticipated North American launch of Metal Gear
Solid(R)4: Guns of the Patriots in late Q2 2008, SCEA will introduce a PS3
bundle, which will include an 80GB PS3, the upcoming blockbuster Metal Gear
Solid(R)4: Guns of the Patriots and a DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller for $499
(MSRP).

SCEA also announced the June 2008 availability of the limited-edition God
of War(R) PSP Entertainment Pack for $199.99 (MSRP). The God of War
Entertainment Pack will include a "Deep Red" PSP with God of War himself,
Kratos, silk-screened on the back of the unit, a copy of the highly
anticipated upcoming God of War: Chains of Olympus game for PSP, the hit
comedy movie from Columbia Pictures, "Superbad(TM)," on UMD(TM) (Universal
Media Disc), and a PLAYSTATION(R)Network voucher to download Syphon Filter(R):
Combat Ops from PLAYSTATION(R)Store. The stand-alone version of God of War:
Chains of Olympus launches on March 4, 2008.

"Working closely with our retail and publishing partners and sharing our
hardware and software roadmaps at Destination PlayStation gives us a great
opportunity to outline some key milestones for the year. In response to
incredible demand, we will be manufacturing more 80GB PS3s for North America
and the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots 80GB PS3 bundle is an ideal
way to offer that continued value to our consumers," said Jack Tretton,
president and CEO, SCEA. "With Blu-ray having won the format war, our stellar
software line-up and a broad product portfolio, we will continue to drive the
incredible momentum we've been generating since last fall."

SCEA will introduce the DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller for the first time
in North America in April 2008 for $54.95 (MSRP). DUALSHOCK 3, which
incorporates both rumble and motion sensing SIXAXIS(TM) technologies,
maintains the award-winning design and precise, responsive features of
PlayStation controllers. The added rumble feature, combined with the SIXAXIS
system, enhances the gamer experience with more interactive, intuitive and
immersive game play experience and will work with more than 100 current PS3
titles.

In additional news coming from Destination PlayStation, SCEA announced
Metal Gear Solid(R)4: Guns of the Patriots will be available in North America
in late Q2 2008. A Metal Gear Online "Starter Pack" will also be launched to
support online game play. Gamers can select a single player experience or take
the action online with up to 16 players and battle it out using the latest
weapons and stealth techniques. For those eager to take on Solid Snake's
nemesis, Liquid Ocelot, a nationwide pre-sell promotion will enable gamers to
pre-order Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and be guaranteed access to
a multiplayer beta test for Metal Gear Online scheduled for late April.

[KWhit]

Two huge bundle announcements coming from Sony today.

-Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 bundle. Package includes: 80 GB PS3, MGS4 game, and one DualShock 3 controller. Package price: $499.

-God of War Limited edition PSP bundle. Package includes: Deep red God of War PSP, God of War: Chains of Olympus game, Syphon Filter: Combat Ops game, and Superbad UMB. Package price: $199.

Article............

How are those huge announcements?

[Kodos]

That's kinda what I was thinking. Unless you are very excited about a deep red PSP.

[stevew]

That's a solid combo pack if you wanted a PSP though. The PS3 one is a bit more meh-tastic.

[Big Fo]

Both bundles sound like good deals IMO. Metal Gear Solid 4 replacing Motorstorm is a huge upgrade and the rumble controller is nice as well.

The release date for MGS4 is good to finally know, it should be one of the best games to come out all year.

[Daimyo]

Just make a <$400 console with full PS2 compatibility please.

[SackAttack]

Two huge bundle announcements coming from Sony today.

Depends on your perspective.

Especially on the PS3 one. See, bringing the 80 GB back is the smart thing to do, and bundling it with MGS4 and a DualShock 3 for that price will drive sales, absolutely, but I see two issues.

1) The 80 was outselling the 40 for us when both were on shelves, and I've noticed since the 80 went away that the 40 is a much tougher sell. I had a lady today come in ready to put the money down on a PS3. She asked if she could play her PS2 games on it, and the moment she heard 'nope, this one won't do it,' she completely lost interest, and she's been representative of probably 40% of the prospective buyers I've dealt with. Anecdotal, but still.

Now you announce that it's coming back (yay!) in maybe four months or so (boo!), and what's going to happen? Especially since the new bundle will have DualShock 3, isn't announcing the bundle this early just going to defer potential sales for several months as people "wait it out"?

[Balldog]

Go figure, I go to Wal-mart to buy some Wii accessories and they finally have a console in. Of course, I just bought one online at Toys R Us. We got it today, Wii Sports is a lot of fun but Baseball hurts my shoulder. LOL

Can anyone recommend any good two player games for the Mrs and I? We've got Mario Super Galaxy but that is lame two player.

[MJ4H]

I seriously cannot recommend Mario Strikers Charged enough for multiplayer. If you like Smash Bros.-like chaos, this game has that in spades. Lots of fun.

If you are looking for more casual type games, Wii Play is a good head-to-head game but some think it is too simlpistic. I happen to like it.

[Balldog]

Thanks MJ4H! We'll check those out, she loves anything with Mario.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Depends on your perspective.

Especially on the PS3 one. See, bringing the 80 GB back is the smart thing to do, and bundling it with MGS4 and a DualShock 3 for that price will drive sales, absolutely, but I see two issues.

1) The 80 was outselling the 40 for us when both were on shelves, and I've noticed since the 80 went away that the 40 is a much tougher sell. I had a lady today come in ready to put the money down on a PS3. She asked if she could play her PS2 games on it, and the moment she heard 'nope, this one won't do it,' she completely lost interest, and she's been representative of probably 40% of the prospective buyers I've dealt with. Anecdotal, but still.

Now you announce that it's coming back (yay!) in maybe four months or so (boo!), and what's going to happen? Especially since the new bundle will have DualShock 3, isn't announcing the bundle this early just going to defer potential sales for several months as people "wait it out"?

I agree with everything said here. If they start manufacturing the 80 GB machine again and continue to put out the Motorstorm pack until MGS4 comes, that's fine. If they hold off on releasing any form of the 80 GB PS3 until June, it seems a bit odd. I agree that the 40 GB PS3 is not the option for some people, but that just means they're delaying their purchase, not that they're not going to buy a PS3. The Wii is never in stock and the 360 has the same problem as the PS3 in that the unwanted console is the only one available in stock.

Honestly, if they were to put out a 80 GB option right now, the difference in sales during these months would be very minor. This early part of the year just isn't a good sales time. The Show and LBP should provide ample sales over March and April to keep PS3 sales steady until June, when a big boost should occur with the MSG4 franchise being released.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Thanks MJ4H! We'll check those out, she loves anything with Mario.

****cries from third-party developers are heard in a nearby room****

[Synovia]

That is the thing. Even if Sony overtakes MS this generation, they still screwed themselves. They were the undisputed king last generation by a huge margin. Now, they have let MS in as a major competitor for the next generation not to mention the Wii. Instead of building upon their huge market share, they squandered it.

No, they didn't screw themselves. They leveraged some of the gaming market to win a much more lucrative market. Thats a GOOD business decision.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

No, they didn't screw themselves. They leveraged some of the gaming market to win a much more lucrative market. Thats a GOOD business decision.

Well, it has the POTENTIAL to be a lucrative market. The coming years will tell us whether it was a good or bad move. I tend to believe that it was the right move for Sony, but I think it's awfully early to state that it was a good or bad move from that perspective.

[Kodos]

You damn fool! Everything he says IS DEFINITIVE!

[Synovia]

Well, it has the POTENTIAL to be a lucrative market. The coming years will tell us whether it was a good or bad move. I tend to believe that it was the right move for Sony, but I think it's awfully early to state that it was a good or bad move from that perspective.


Agree.



But their goal was to leverage the video game industry to take the HDM market, and they succesfully did that. The gamble they took with regards to the PS3 worked. We'll see whether or not blu-ray works.

[Big Fo]

Honestly, if they were to put out a 80 GB option right now, the difference in sales during these months would be very minor. This early part of the year just isn't a good sales time. The Show and LBP should provide ample sales over March and April to keep PS3 sales steady until June, when a big boost should occur with the MSG4 franchise being released.

LBP doesn't come out until September unfortunately. GTA4 is out in April though and that should help sales.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

LBP doesn't come out until September unfortunately. GTA4 is out in April though and that should help sales.

Thanks. Forgot that was bumped back.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Good deal for 360 owners. 13 month Live membership for $38.75.......

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=201975268&adid=17070&dcaid=17070

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Let the parade of craptacular Rock Band clones begin.........

http://gameinformer.com/News/Story/200802/N08.0227.1059.16058.htm?Page=1

[Eaglesfan27]

No, they didn't screw themselves. They leveraged some of the gaming market to win a much more lucrative market. Thats a GOOD business decision.

No. Not if they could have won that market without using the PS3 as a Trojan Horse for that technology. Not to mention there is considerable debate among experts that Blu-Ray will be a long term winner. There is already talk of a successor to Blu-Ray being developed as well as alternative delivery methods of media. That would be a bad decision - gamble a sure bet on an unsure technology.

[Synovia]

No. Not if they could have won that market without using the PS3 as a Trojan Horse for that technology. Not to mention there is considerable debate among experts that Blu-Ray will be a long term winner. There is already talk of a successor to Blu-Ray being developed as well as alternative delivery methods of media. That would be a bad decision - gamble a sure bet on an unsure technology.


I haven't seen any considerable debate as to whether blu-ray will be the long term winner. The only alternative thats been given is digital downloads, and we are nowhere near that from a bandwith perspective.

Yes, digital downloads will replace Blu-Ray, but not in the next 5 years, and probably not in the next 10. Theres too much new cable that needs to be run.

[Eaglesfan27]

I haven't seen any considerable debate as to whether blu-ray will be the long term winner. The only alternative thats been given is digital downloads, and we are nowhere near that from a bandwith perspective.

Yes, digital downloads will replace Blu-Ray, but not in the next 5 years, and probably not in the next 10. Theres too much new cable that needs to be run.

I'll see if I can find the articles but there are already articles floating around about the "next generation" of media players which could supplant Blu-Ray and HD-DVD being under development and ready to roll out by approximately 2010. That is what I was referring to as far as the long term winner. There is no doubt they have won over HD-DVD.

Edit: There is still the fact that Sony lost a huge portion of their market share in the very large gaming industry and they may have been able to win the Blu-Ray war without the PS3 having Blu-Ray. Their throwing money at the studios to go exlclusive seems to have been a much bigger factor in winning the Blu-Ray war than the PS3. If the PS3 didn't have Blu-Ray integrated, it could have been cheaper, and it may never have given up the market share that it did.

[Synovia]

I'll see if I can find the articles but there are already articles floating around about the "next generation" of media players which could supplant Blu-Ray and HD-DVD being under development and ready to roll out by approximately 2010. That is what I was referring to as far as the long term winner. There is no doubt they have won over HD-DVD.



Right, but lets say they roll out at 2010. Are adopted mainstream by 2013. Thats pretty normal life cycle. I just don't think we'll have the network resources to serve low compression 1080p content in 2010. I don't think we'll even be close.

DVD was rolled out in 1997. It passed VHS in 2002/3. Blu-Ray/HD-DVD dropped in 2005/6.

[BrianD]

Right, but lets say they roll out at 2010. Are adopted mainstream by 2013. Thats pretty normal life cycle. I just don't think we'll have the network resources to serve low compression 1080p content in 2010. I don't think we'll even be close.

DVD was rolled out in 1997. It passed VHS in 2002/3. Blu-Ray/HD-DVD dropped in 2005/6.

Why do we need the network resources to serve low compression 1080p for a next generation *media* player? It doesn't sound like EF27 is talking about streaming media or downloaded media...unless I am mistaken.

[Synovia]

Why do we need the network resources to serve low compression 1080p for a next generation *media* player? It doesn't sound like EF27 is talking about streaming media or downloaded media...unless I am mistaken.



hes talking about 1440p technology (most likely). Which will only be relevant if people start buying 1440p TVs, which won't happen by 2010. I think 2010 is about the time where the vast majority of homes will have 720p/1080p TVs. If they try to drop something that will require people to buy new TVs, it will fail miserably.

[Synovia]

. Their throwing money at the studios to go exlclusive seems to have been a much bigger factor in winning the Blu-Ray war than the PS3. If the PS3 didn't have Blu-Ray integrated, it could have been cheaper, and it may never have given up the market share that it did.

Right, but theres also the chance that had the PS3 not increased the number of Blu-Ray players so drastically (theres a lot more PS3s out there than HD-DVD players) that the studios wouldn't have taken the deals. Toshiba was also throwing money around ($100m to dreamworks animation, for example)

[Eaglesfan27]

hes talking about 1440p technology (most likely). Which will only be relevant if people start buying 1440p TVs, which won't happen by 2010. I think 2010 is about the time where the vast majority of homes will have 720p/1080p TVs. If they try to drop something that will require people to buy new TVs, it will fail miserably.

Yeah, I was reading about it on a HD forum. Do you really think only people with 1080p are adopting Blu-Ray? I think non 1440p owners will adopt the next technology as well and that will eat into Blu-Ray's gains. My only point was that Sony gave up a considerable share and perhaps completely gave up their market lead in the video game console unnecessarily as the PS3 didn't need to be the vehicle of Blu Ray to win that war and winning that war may not have long term gains. Therefore, this may have been a stupid move. It's a speculative statement on my part obviously. Time will tell how true it is.

[Fidatelo]

I will likely (eventually) adopt Blu-Ray because even at 768p I will see noticeable gains over standard DVD's (480p I believe?). I would never bother with 1440p media because there would be no discernable difference for me.

Besides, 1440p is stupid. For the average consumer it is generally marginal as to whether they will notice the difference between 1080p over 720p at normal viewing distances. To notice 1440p you'd need to sit like 3 feet from your TV or buy an 80" screen.

[Daimyo]

1440p? That's won't sell... I imagine 4k is the next step for HDM.

[Big Fo]

Yeah, I was reading about it on a HD forum. Do you really think only people with 1080p are adopting Blu-Ray? I think non 1440p owners will adopt the next technology as well and that will eat into Blu-Ray's gains. My only point was that Sony gave up a considerable share and perhaps completely gave up their market lead in the video game console unnecessarily as the PS3 didn't need to be the vehicle of Blu Ray to win that war and winning that war may not have long term gains. Therefore, this may have been a stupid move. It's a speculative statement on my part obviously. Time will tell how true it is.

Price wasn't the only reason the PS3 had such a sluggish beginning sales-wise. There weren't any system selling games. XBox 360 had Gears of War (November 06, right when PS3 and Wii launched) and Halo 3. Wii had Wii Sports (the biggest system seller in recent memory) plus Zelda: Twilight Princess (got a lot the Nintendo fans on board at launch) and then Super Mario Galaxy late in 07. Sony didn't have the games to compete and they won't until later this year. They should have made God of War 2 for the PS3 instead of the PS2 but even that might not have been enough.

[MJ4H]

Less than 2 weeks until SMASH now. Game of the forever.

[SackAttack]

My PS3 and 360 output at 720p, and I'm more than happy with that as an improvement over 480i. I can't imagine I'll hit a point anytime soon where I even need 1080p (never mind that the games mostly don't output at that resolution yet).

[MJ4H]

I'm satisfied with 480p??????????

[stevew]

I think 4k by 2k is still a pretty far ways off, I'd imagine they will just forgo 1440p entirely.

[Fidatelo]

Who cares how far off any of these resolutions are? At the base level, the human eye can only perceive so much detail at a given distance. If you have a 42" TV and sit more than 7-8 feet away, you can likely not even see the difference between 720p and 1080p, let alone 4000p or whatever the hell comes down the pipe.

Here is a chart showing the screen size/viewing distance necessary to notice the benefits of various resolutions: http://www.carltonbale.com/2006/11/1080p-does-matter/

[Synovia]

Besides, 1440p is stupid. For the average consumer it is generally marginal as to whether they will notice the difference between 1080p over 720p at normal viewing distances. To notice 1440p you'd need to sit like 3 feet from your TV or buy an 80" screen.

Which is exactly my point. The only way they'll replace blu-ray is if

1) theres a drastic change in display technology. Nobody with a 50" TV is going to see any difference between 1080p and above. Either we need 200" TVs, or some other display format for it to matter.

2)something much more convenient/etc comes along. I don't think it will be downloads because of bandwith/ownership issues.

My bet is on something solid state. Like movies on a flash card. We've got 32gb flash cards right now, IIRC.

[Synovia]

Here is a chart showing the screen size/viewing distance necessary to notice the benefits of various resolutions: http://www.carltonbale.com/2006/11/1080p-does-matter/
I love how people on various forums keep posting this same chart. ITS FROM A BLOG POST.


It doesn't reference any studies, etc. I agree with it in general, but its not by any means authoritive.

[Fidatelo]

I love how people on various forums keep posting this same chart. ITS FROM A BLOG POST.


It doesn't reference any studies, etc. I agree with it in general, but its not by any means authoritive.


People reference it because it is reasonably accurate (in as much as it needs to be to serve its purpose). Have studies been shown to prove the exact data to the inch? No. But sometimes a bit of common sense can be used, especially when discussing the relatively unimportant topic of high-def media resolution.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Couple of new MGS news notes........

MSG4 producer says that, due to lack of space on the 50GB Blu-ray disc, MGS4 will not have dual audio (English and Japanese). English will be on the PAL and North American versions, while Japanese will be on the Japan version. The size of the game (reportedly just over 40 GB) also likely puts to rest the rumors of any MGS4 port to the 360.

http://www.n4g.com/ps3/NewsCom-117280.aspx?CT=1

In the latest Kojima Productions Report podcast, producer Ryan Payton announces that MGS4 won't have voice over tracks for other languages. Says Payton:

Unfortunately because of disc space, we don't have the space to include other languages, other voice over files for the respective versions. So the Japanese version's not gonna have English VO, and the North American and European versions won't have Japanese VO.


Maps for Metal Gear Solid Online available to view..........

http://www.konami.jp/mgo/us/how.html

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Whoops! One of the SCEE heads lets it slip out that the PS3 will have in-game messaging in the 2.4 firmware release. Pretty sure that wasn't supposed to come out.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/29792/Sony-hails-retail-as-PS3-hits-1m

[Cringer]

Couple of new MGS news notes........

MSG4 producer says that, due to lack of space on the 50GB Blu-ray disc, MGS4 will not have dual audio (English and Japanese). English will be on the PAL and North American versions, while Japanese will be on the Japan version. The size of the game (reportedly just over 40 GB) also likely puts to rest the rumors of any MGS4 port to the 360.


I don't really care one way or the other since I think we will have a PS3 sometime before 2009, but why would that put to rest any rumors of a 360 version? Last time I checked a game can be on more then one disk, and games can be tweaked for a different console........

[Eaglesfan27]

I don't really care one way or the other since I think we will have a PS3 sometime before 2009, but why would that put to rest any rumors of a 360 version? Last time I checked a game can be on more then one disk, and games can be tweaked for a different console........

Exactly. Lost Odyssey is on 4 discs. No reason they couldn't put MGS4 on 4 discs if they wanted to do so.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I don't really care one way or the other since I think we will have a PS3 sometime before 2009, but why would that put to rest any rumors of a 360 version? Last time I checked a game can be on more then one disk, and games can be tweaked for a different console........

The MGS creator has constantly harped on the fact that he doesn't like to compress data on his games. He's actually quoted today as being irritated that the 50GB Blu-ray disc isn't even big enough for the MGS4 game. He actually had to compress data for this game even on the PS3. If he were to put out a 360 version, he would have to do quite a bit of compression and would have to put the game on multiple discs, which is something he's repeatedly said he doesn't want to do. Reportedly, he's pushing Sony to hurry up with the 100GB Blu-ray disc as quickly as possible.

Here's his translated quotes from the interview released yesterday............

MGS4: Kojima says "50GB BD Not Enough For MGS4"

In an exclusive interview with Hideo Kojima, the creator of Metal Gear Solid series, has made complains about 50GB BD not been sufficient. The Metal Gear Solid producer considers the Blu Ray disc too small and that they had to make compromises in order to put the game on the 50GB BD. According to Hideo, the programmers had to compress some parts in the game to save disc space.

Kojima : I am not satisfied with the quality yet, however...there isn't enough space.

Interviewer: Not enough space..on..Blu-ray..?

Kojima: Yes.(laughs). Not enough space.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Exactly. Lost Odyssey is on 4 discs. No reason they couldn't put MGS4 on 4 discs if they wanted to do so.

Lost Odyssey about half the data contained in MGS4. You're looking at 7-8 discs at a minimum if MGS4 was ported over to the 360. Possible? Yes. Possible with Kojima in charge? Very doubtful.

[Cringer]

Half dumb question maybe. What does a 360 disk hold? 360 is just plain DVD correct? I am pretty sure I remember that HD-DVDs hold 20 GB, so it has to be plain DVD I assume.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Half dumb question maybe. What does a 360 disk hold? 360 is just plain DVD correct? I am pretty sure I remember that HD-DVDs hold 20 GB, so it has to be plain DVD I assume.

4.7GB is the storage for the standard DVD used by the 360. BR discs are currently available in 25GB & 50GB and they are developing a 100GB disc.

I believe that they were actually in the process of creating a 50 GB HD-DVD, but that was abandoned with the death of that format.

[Cringer]

Word.

Microsoft needs to work to fix that problem. Putting out a Blu-ray player to attach doesn't do squat because that would be only for movies I guess.

The future is with the PS3 unless Microsoft makes some upgrades. We don't need a 720, but a 540 would be nice. Although I loved Mass Effect in every way so I guess the 360 can still work for a while. ;)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Word.

Microsoft needs to work to fix that problem. Putting out a Blu-ray player to attach doesn't do squat because that would be only for movies I guess.

The future is with the PS3 unless Microsoft makes some upgrades. We don't need a 720, but a 540 would be nice. Although I loved Mass Effect in every way so I guess the 360 can still work for a while. ;)

Think about this for a second. What if the 360 comes out one year before the PS3 WITH a HD-DVD built in? If that happens, I think HD-DVD wins the format war and Metal Gear Solid/Final Fantasy are 360 bound at a minimum and maybe even 360 exclusives.

[Cringer]

Think about this for a second. What if the 360 comes out one year before the PS3 WITH a HD-DVD built in? If that happens, I think HD-DVD wins the format war and Metal Gear Solid/Final Fantasy are 360 bound at a minimum and maybe even 360 exclusives.

At this point it is hard to see why they DIDN'T make it full HD-DVD, games included. Although I would think the price to do so at that time would have been as bad or worse then putting the Blu-ray in the PS3 at launch. The PS3 seems to have weathered the storm of the high price, but it is possible it would have been harder for the 360 to do the same since the XBox didn't provide the number up people wanting to upgrade as the PS2 did/does.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

At this point it is hard to see why they DIDN'T make it full HD-DVD, games included. Although I would think the price to do so at that time would have been as bad or worse then putting the Blu-ray in the PS3 at launch. The PS3 seems to have weathered the storm of the high price, but it is possible it would have been harder for the 360 to do the same since the XBox didn't provide the number up people wanting to upgrade as the PS2 did/does.

Even with slower sales, they would have had a huge jump-start on HD media player sales, which would have negated the BR advantage that Sony is currently using to push more units of late.

On the other hand, if you have a Xbox 360 with HD-DVD that sells for a premium price and had RROD issues, does it scare away consumers?

It's interesting to discuss, but we'll likely never know for sure.

[Cringer]

All I know for sure is I will be watching the game releases over the next year and if the PS3 has some games calling to me then I will try to get one. The wife likes the blu-ray player so that makes it an easier sell.

The funny thing is we actually had one for a month. Never opened it and returned it. Kind of sucks now that they have some games I would play if I had it.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

All I know for sure is I will be watching the game releases over the next year and if the PS3 has some games calling to me then I will try to get one. The wife likes the blu-ray player so that makes it an easier sell.

My wife has been begging me to get Rock Band. Evidently, she has a friend who regularly plays it along with her husband. They want to get a full band together evidently. I'm sure I'll relent at some point.

[SackAttack]

My wife has been begging me to get Rock Band. Evidently, she has a friend who regularly plays it along with her husband. They want to get a full band together evidently. I'm sure I'll relent at some point.

Evidently.

[dawgfan]

I believe (though may be wrong) that that gives you two red lights, not three. That was one of the first Qs I was asked when I phoned Microsoft up re: my RRoD.
Actually, just noticed this again on my dev kit at work - if you remove the video plug it gives you a full 4 bars of flashing red.

[Daimyo]

4.7GB is the storage for the standard DVD used by the 360. BR discs are currently available in 25GB & 50GB and they are developing a 100GB disc.

I believe that they were actually in the process of creating a 50 GB HD-DVD, but that was abandoned with the death of that format.

360 can't play dual layer DVDs?

[oykib]

4.7GB is the storage for the standard DVD used by the 360.

I'm fairly sure the 360 uses standard dual layer 8.5GB DVDs.

[Icy]

I'm fairly sure the 360 uses standard dual layer 8.5GB DVDs.

Yup.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Evidently.

LOL.......I need more sleep, evidently.

[Eaglesfan27]

This article is speculative, but interesting and does make some business sense from EA's perspective. It discusses the possibility of EA using the Take-Two purchase as a springboard to releasing a console in the future:

http://www.videogamer.com/features/article/03-03-2008-327.html

[Big Fo]

If EA did it, the thing would probably sell enough to at least carve out a slice of the market similar to that of the Xbox1 or Gamecube with all those would-be exclusives, and that's assuming they are going against three competitors.

It would get even more interesting if they teamed up with Microsoft for their next console.

[SackAttack]

This article is speculative, but interesting and does make some business sense from EA's perspective. It discusses the possibility of EA using the Take-Two purchase as a springboard to releasing a console in the future:

http://www.videogamer.com/features/article/03-03-2008-327.html

Ping: Trip Hawkins.

[Groundhog]

Holy crap. Just to think of all the problems an EA console would have gives me an aneurysm.

[wade moore]

I have to imagine that if EA made a console and made the games exclusive it would put the exclusive licenses in danger, right? Maybe not the current one but the chance to renew - I'm pretty sure I remember reading that at least the NFL license was very focused on the games staying multi-platform.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Recent rumor/info article. Some stuff about Gears of War and Bioshock sequels. Also mentions that Sony is pursuing a big developer. Given that Take Two has mentioned more than one suitor is interested, I wouldn't be shocked if Sony was also involved.

http://www.gameguru.in/features/2008/04/crysis-for-ps3-and-360-gears-of-war-2-shown-realtime-bioshock-2-staying-ms-exclusive-rumor-101-and-facts/

[Eaglesfan27]

Sony buying Take-Two would seem to be very smart if they could keep GTA on board. Make that PS exclusive would be a huge coup. Of course, the sports games would be a nice add-on. I'd buy a PS3 just for future additions of College Hoops and NBA 2k if they were only available on the PS3.

[wade moore]

Sony buying Take-Two would seem to be very smart if they could keep GTA on board. Make that PS exclusive would be a huge coup. Of course, the sports games would be a nice add-on. I'd buy a PS3 just for future additions of College Hoops and NBA 2k if they were only available on the PS3.
Yeah - I'd have to think long and hard about this.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Sony buying Take-Two would seem to be very smart if they could keep GTA on board. Make that PS exclusive would be a huge coup. Of course, the sports games would be a nice add-on. I'd buy a PS3 just for future additions of College Hoops and NBA 2k if they were only available on the PS3.

Good point. I forgot about the sports franchises with all of the GTA talk. There had been rumors even before the EA announcement that Sony was talking with Rockstar about a possible exclusive agreement with future GTA games. My guess is that the EA public letter sent those talks into overdrive, including a possible buy-out of the entire company.

[Sweed]

Recent rumor/info article. Some stuff about Gears of War and Bioshock sequels. Also mentions that Sony is pursuing a big developer. Given that Take Two has mentioned more than one suitor is interested, I wouldn't be shocked if Sony was also involved.

http://www.gameguru.in/features/2008/04/crysis-for-ps3-and-360-gears-of-war-2-shown-realtime-bioshock-2-staying-ms-exclusive-rumor-101-and-facts/

I hope this is true. Sony could scrap their nba game and the nba2k series would live on.

The only downside would be mlb2kX. I love The Show but if this meant the end of MLB 2k then we have a Madden situation with no competition. Not saying the SCEA developers would intentionally let things slide but when nobody is pushing you the possibility exists. Also what about baseball on the other consoles?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I hope this is true. Sony could scrap their nba game and the nba2k series would live on.

The only downside would be mlb2kX. I love The Show but if this meant the end of MLB 2k then we have a Madden situation with no competition. Not saying the SCEA developers would intentionally let things slide but when nobody is pushing you the possibility exists. Also what about baseball on the other consoles?

2K also has MLB: Power Pros. Konami has a baseball game that's released in Japan every year on the PS3 (Pro Baseball Spirits) which is actually considered to be even better than The Show which could come to the States. So there are still competitors. As you said, I think the deal would be more to secure GTA than to eliminate any sports competition. In addition, I think the idea of a new 2K football game with improved franchise mode may have legs if Sony's dollars could support that option.

[rjolley]

I'd buy a PS3 just for future additions of College Hoops and NBA 2k if they were only available on the PS3.+1

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Interesting 360 news. Huxley, a MMOFPS for the 360 and PC, has had the 360 version delayed into 2009. PC version should be available in 2008........

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/856/856931p1.html

Purported 'senior insider' in Europe says that all 360 units in Europe will see a 50 Euro price drop next week. Could this be the start of another price war or is MS simply adjusting the price due to the dropping dollar exchange rate as they did a couple of weeks back in Canada................

http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/03/05/uk-retailers-in-dark-on-euro-360-drop-but-senior-insider-confirms-truth/

Speaking under condition of strict anonymity, a senior UK source has confirmed to videogaming247 that Microsoft is readying a European price cut for Xbox 360, saying that NDAs are in place to prevent privy parties speaking on the record.

According to this story, the price is going to be cut by €50 across all SKUs on March 14. Microsoft has issued a “no comment” to the news, said the original piece.

The drop would mean the Core pack would be cheaper than a Wii in Europe at approximately £150. Speaking on the record, however, UK retailers are claiming they know nothing of the move.

“We’ve not received any call about it ourselves,” said an HMV spokesperson. “We haven’t heard anything at all,” said a member of the WHSmiths buying team. Microsoft was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.

[MJ4H]

IGN Review of NA version of Super Smash Bros. Brawl is up. There is a video review which I'm about to watch. The numeric review is 9.5 out of 10. The release of this game nearly coincides with Spring Break. Yeah. See you guys later. Maybe.

http://wii.ign.com/articles/856/856580p1.html

[MJ4H]

Dola

Yeah, after watching the video review, I'm so going to be fired from my job for calling in sick until May to play Brawl. I can't describe how awesome this game is going to be.

FOFC BRAWL LEAGUE SIGN-UPS STARTING NOW

[wade moore]

I'll have to watch this when I get home - what's the release date?

[Cringer]

I remember playing mortal combat, that looks like the same thing but with Mario. I can see why I haven't become a Wiitard yet.

[Kodos]

Is this a good time to mention that I've never understood the appeal of Mario games?

[Cringer]

Very good time, I am in the same boat.

[Sweed]

I remember playing mortal combat, that looks like the same thing but with Mario. I can see why I haven't become a Wiitard yet.

Somebody grab me a rag. I just spit my Diet Dew all over my desk:D

[dawgfan]

I have to imagine that if EA made a console and made the games exclusive it would put the exclusive licenses in danger, right? Maybe not the current one but the chance to renew - I'm pretty sure I remember reading that at least the NFL license was very focused on the games staying multi-platform.
I can't imagine that EA getting into the console hardware business would make any kind of financial sense. EA has gotten where they are in large part because they are platform neutral and are able to minimize development costs by spreading game releases out on all major platforms.

If they were to build their own console, you'd expect they'd need to make many/all of their games platform exclusive in order to provide a reason for people to buy their hardware instead of a Sony, MS or Nintendo. But doing so would substantially lessen their sales base, and as noted it would void their exclusive license with the NFL.

The console business is tough. The current business model is to create top-end hardware as a loss-leader, recouping costs through software sales. The Wii is an anomaly, and it's hard to imagine EA trying to build a console on the cheap (i.e. one that can be sold from the start at a profit) and being successful with it. And if they went the loss-leader route with technologically advanced hardware, do they have the resources to ride out the initially heavy losses they're sure to endure? MS can afford to bleed money for several years to establish a lasting stake in the console business - I really doubt EA can afford to the same thing.

[SackAttack]

The console business is tough. The current business model is to create top-end hardware as a loss-leader, recouping costs through software sales. The Wii is an anomaly, and it's hard to imagine EA trying to build a console on the cheap (i.e. one that can be sold from the start at a profit) and being successful with it. And if they went the loss-leader route with technologically advanced hardware, do they have the resources to ride out the initially heavy losses they're sure to endure? MS can afford to bleed money for several years to establish a lasting stake in the console business - I really doubt EA can afford to the same thing.

In the context of the current market, yes, but Nintendo did essentially the same thing with the NES and SNES, in that they deliberately did not go high-end on the product in order to keep it both profitable and affordable. Really, you could argue that Nintendo's one effort to outstrip the competition in terms of horsepower was also their weakest generation - the N64. They lost a number of third-party licensees during that time, and near the end of its life, the system was down to very sporadic releases, nearly all of them first-party.

In retrospect I kind of look at the GameCube as Nintendo transitioning back to their old business model, as it wasn't really a do-our-own-thing kind of machine, but it only halfheartedly tried to keep up with the Joneses.

[Kodos]

Hi, Super Nintendo Chalmers!

[dawgfan]

In the context of the current market, yes, but Nintendo did essentially the same thing with the NES and SNES, in that they deliberately did not go high-end on the product in order to keep it both profitable and affordable. Really, you could argue that Nintendo's one effort to outstrip the competition in terms of horsepower was also their weakest generation - the N64. They lost a number of third-party licensees during that time, and near the end of its life, the system was down to very sporadic releases, nearly all of them first-party.

In retrospect I kind of look at the GameCube as Nintendo transitioning back to their old business model, as it wasn't really a do-our-own-thing kind of machine, but it only halfheartedly tried to keep up with the Joneses.
Sure, and Nintendo relies heavily on 1st party software to support their platform, so that provides a precedence for EA.

The difference being, most (if not all) of Nintendo's titles aren't built on latest-gen graphics and computing horsepower. I'm sure their games could look even better and maybe do a bit more with the extra horsepower of a PS3 or 360, but it's not necessary to the core appeal of their games. I'm not sure you could say the same thing about EA's games...

[MJ4H]

I'll have to watch this when I get home - what's the release date?

March 9th

[Kodos]

April 29th is the date I'm waiting for.

[MJ4H]

I remember playing mortal combat, that looks like the same thing but with Mario. I can see why I haven't become a Wiitard yet.

Yep. All fighting games are exactly the same. Well done.

[Big Fo]

SackAttack - Well the SNES was significantly more powerful than the Sega Genesis (it's main competition here) and the and Turbo-graphix 16 (which strangely outsold the Genesis in Japan) and the Gamecube was more powerful than the PS2 (check screenshot comparisons of RE4) so the Wii really is an anomaly in terms of how powerful Nintendo's hardware is/was compared to its competition.

MattJones - I never owned a N64 or a Gamecube so I'm a bit of a Smash noob, when the game comes out I'll be wanting to play you online since I need to hone my skills for local multiplayer.

wade moore - Smash officially comes out on Sunday, it may or may not take a day or two to land on store shelves.

[Big Fo]

April 29th is the date I'm waiting for.

GTA IV?

[Kodos]

GTA IV?

Def Leppard's new album comes out. :D

[MJ4H]

Is this a good time to mention I never understood the appeal of the GTA games?

:D

[Kodos]

See, now GTA, I actually enjoyed those games. Although they got old after a while, and the missions could be a pain in the butt. That being said, GTA is a great outlet for pent up aggression. :)

[Big Fo]

Both the Super Mario and GTA series are among my favorites. Hopefully GTA4 lives up to the hype.

[Calis]

I've always been a big fan of the GTA games just for driving throughout the town and messing around while I listen to the soundtrack.

The GTA radio is probably the main reason I enjoy the games.

[MJ4H]

For the record, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is not a "Mario game" even though Mario is in it.

[SackAttack]

SackAttack - Well the SNES was significantly more powerful than the Sega Genesis (it's main competition here) and the and Turbo-graphix 16 (which strangely outsold the Genesis in Japan) and the Gamecube was more powerful than the PS2 (check screenshot comparisons of RE4) so the Wii really is an anomaly in terms of how powerful Nintendo's hardware is/was compared to its competition.

Eh...yes and no.

The SNES had some chips that let it do some things differently than the Genesis (I think StarFox is a pretty good example there), but in terms of raw processing power the Genesis had the edge. Problem was, Nintendo had the licensing clout, and so the Genesis had trouble getting games until EA got on board.

The GameCube/PS2 comparison is a little disingenuous, mostly because Sony skimped on RAM on the system. You wound up with a great pixel pusher that frequently didn't look as good as GameCube or Xbox games, because there simply wasn't enough memory for textures without resorting to some neat tricks (Gran Turismo 3 is one of the great early examples of that). They made more of an effort to stay on a par with the competition, but I think that has to do more with having two strong competitors for the first time in, well, ever.

By the time Sony was ascendant, Sega was starting to have the problems that would lead to their demise as a hardware publisher.

During the 8-bit era, Atari was in shambles, and when the 16-bit era rolled around, you had Sega with the Genesis, and NEC with the TG-16, which wasn't really 16 bits at all (never mind its poor sales domestically).

I think with the GameCube they said, "Well, Sony's dominant right now, Microsoft has the money to compete on their level, and we already have a stumbling block in terms of trying to repair our relationships with third parties. We can't afford to totally concede the graphical advantage."

With the Wii, that was radically different enough in terms of approach that I think they felt safe in going back to their "mature technology" business plan.

[Big Fo]

I've discovered some songs I really liked that I otherwise never would have heard otherwise on GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas, plus some of the talk radio skits are hilarious. It's part of the reason I liked those games as much as I did.

[Eaglesfan27]

I've always been a big fan of the GTA games just for driving throughout the town and messing around while I listen to the soundtrack.

The GTA radio is probably the main reason I enjoy the games.

Same here. I've enjoyed that as much as any of the missions in each of the previous games.

[Big Fo]

Eh...yes and no.

The SNES had some chips that let it do some things differently than the Genesis (I think StarFox is a pretty good example there), but in terms of raw processing power the Genesis had the edge. Problem was, Nintendo had the licensing clout, and so the Genesis had trouble getting games until EA got on board.


The SNES's processor was half the speed of the Genesis but the SNES had almost double the memory. The add-on chips for each game also helped quite a bit as you said. Nothing on the Genesis looked as good as Killer Instinct, the Donkey Kong Country series, or Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island plus multiplatform games (Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter 2, NBA Jam, etc.) also looked better on the SNES most of the time, EA Sports games being an exception.

[Daimyo]

The SNES had some chips that let it do some things differently than the Genesis (I think StarFox is a pretty good example there), but in terms of raw processing power the Genesis had the edge. Problem was, Nintendo had the licensing clout, and so the Genesis had trouble getting games until EA got on board.
No way. Genesis may or may not have had a faster clock speed on its CPU (I don't care too look it up), but that's irrelevant. The Super NES was ahead in technology and horsepower. Genesis couldn't touch it.

[Fidatelo]

SNES HAD MODE 7!

[Tigercat]

SEGA GENESIS HAS BLAST PROCESSING!

[Cringer]

Yep. All fighting games are exactly the same. Well done.

Thanks. It was hard to figure out but I finally got it.

[Kodos]

"FINISH MARIO!"

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

"FINISH MARIO!"

KONGALITY! YOU WIN!

[MJ4H]

You guys are making this wait even harder :( :(

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

You guys are making this wait even harder :( :(

There's plenty of bargain bin third-party Wii games to keep you busy until then. :)

[MJ4H]

That's true. Some of them are really good, too. Mercury Meltdown Revolution is great and only $20, for instance.

Doesn't help the wait for Brawl, though, really at all.

[Kodos]

Have you tried Super Smash Bros. Training Brawl?

[Big Fo]

There's plenty of bargain bin third-party Wii games to keep you busy until then. :)

Or he could pick up a PS3 and play it's one of two decent exclusives while enjoying multiplatform games that are only 10% (typical 360/PS3 game) to 1000% (anything where keyboard/mouse replaces dual analog) better on the 360 or PC.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Or he could pick up a PS3 and play it's one of two decent exclusives while enjoying multiplatform games that are only 10% (typical 360/PS3 game) to 1000% (anything where keyboard/mouse replaces dual analog) better on the 360 or PC.

Two decent exclusives is certainly an interesting assessment. Also, opinions are mixed on multiconsole game quality (which games are better on which console) depending on where you look. But I'll certainly agree that it's subjective and little more than one person's opinion.

[SackAttack]

The SNES's processor was half the speed of the Genesis but the SNES had almost double the memory. The add-on chips for each game also helped quite a bit as you said. Nothing on the Genesis looked as good as Killer Instinct, the Donkey Kong Country series, or Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island plus multiplatform games (Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter 2, NBA Jam, etc.) also looked better on the SNES most of the time, EA Sports games being an exception.

The difference on the add-on chips is that they were part of the software. It provided a definite advantage in the long run, but the core system struggled an awful lot in the first year or so of the system's release. Took 'em about that much time to start releasing some of the games with add-ons, and once they started doing that, the SNES didn't look back.

But in the early days, the CPU speed made a lot more difference than the extra RAM did in the eyes of the consumer, which is a big part of why the Genesis ultimately took Nintendo from a near-100% market share to something more like 55-60%. You don't erode a monopoly just because you're different.

Were that the case, Jack Tramiel might have had more success with the Atari 7800, and NEC might have actually made an impact in the global market with the TG-16. NEC, remember, was an electronics giant. Think of them as the hardware Microsoft, and you'll have the appropriate context for their entry into the market.

[Eaglesfan27]

A very interesting article from freakonomics blog of the NYtimes with some big minds that backs the point I was making about Blu-Ray's victory being very costly and too late with newer technologies being in development. Therefore, a hard lesson for Sony:

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/what-are-the-lessons-of-the-blu-rayhd-dvd-battle-a-freakonomics-quorum/

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

A very interesting article from freakonomics blog of the NYtimes with some big minds that backs the point I was making about Blu-Ray's victory being very costly and too late with newer technologies being in development. Therefore, a hard lesson for Sony:

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/what-are-the-lessons-of-the-blu-rayhd-dvd-battle-a-freakonomics-quorum/

I think that their general point regarding large, expensive outlays to win these kinds of battles is spot on. It wouldn't apply just to BR/HD-DVD, but also the console wars. Nintendo, regardless of where they end up at the end of this generation of consoles, has made the best business decision for their company and that can't be denied. They created a console that sold well and was profitable from the start. Any smart business exec is going to choose that business model every day of the week. Since these guys are strictly speaking from an economic standpoint, the best profit = the best move.

A couple of the professors showed their lack of current knowledge on the topic. One of them said that Sony isn't anywhere to be found in the download/streaming movie market. It's already been widely mentioned that the April PSN store update will include movie downloads (standard-def). Also, three of the discussion board members mentioned downloads, but no mention of HD downloads/streaming was made. They're not comparing apples to apples. As has been mentioned before, HD media over the net at a similar quality as BR is several years away at a minimum in regards to mass market distribution. It's premature speculation to assume that HD digital distribution will close down the window of opportunity for Blu-ray.

[TazFTW]

NCAA 09 will have four cover athletes. Darren McFadden will be on the cover of the 360 version.

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.aspx?Feed=BW&Date=20080306&ID=8293231&Symbol=ERTS

In anticipation for the NFL Draft, EA will announce the exclusive cover athlete for the PLAYSTATION 3 system on April 24, while the exclusive cover athletes for the PlayStation 2 and the PSP systems will be unveiled the beginning of May. The Wii(TM) cover will feature the winner from the NCAA Football 09 Cover Mascot Challenge, and will be announced on the NCAA Football 09 website on March 18.

Heh.

[Big Fo]

Can't wait for the first report of someone smashing a lamp after chucking the Wiimote on an option play.

[Daimyo]

Also, three of the discussion board members mentioned downloads, but no mention of HD downloads/streaming was made. They're not comparing apples to apples. As has been mentioned before, HD media over the net at a similar quality as BR is several years away at a minimum in regards to mass market distribution. It's premature speculation to assume that HD digital distribution will close down the window of opportunity for Blu-ray.

One thing we learned from music's conversion from physical media to downloads is that the masses don't really care nearly as much about pure quality compared to things like cost and convenience. I'm generally an early adopter on technology and I still think my DVDs look great on my HD projector... I can't imagine the average consumer caring much at all about the difference between HDM and quality 480p downloads especially at 100-150% price differences.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

One thing we learned from music's conversion from physical media to downloads is that the masses don't really care nearly as much about pure quality compared to things like cost and convenience. I'm generally an early adopter on technology and I still think my DVDs look great on my HD projector... I can't imagine the average consumer caring much at all about the difference between HDM and quality 480p downloads especially at 100-150% price differences.

But those price differences are already being slashed drastically, even in the past week. Two of the big studios cut $10 off their Blu-ray SMRP's this past week to $29.99. To give you a comparison, that's the same SMRP as many of the new releases on regular DVD (though we all know that the big box retailers routinely sell them for $19.99-24.99). So there's really only a 50% difference right now and that will shrink even further as we approach the holiday season. Those numbers are more scare tactics by critics of the Blu-ray format than actual reality. If your 100-150% number were accurate assuming standard DVD new releases (which typically sell for $19.99), that would mean that Blu-ray new releases would be selling for $40-50. The reality is that they are selling for $30-35 upon release right now and will be even cheaper as the year progresses, which is not anything close to 100-150%.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Interesting news here. News leaked that Microsoft is in negotiations with Sony to put an add-on BR player or integrated 360 BR player in their Xbox 360 machines. Apple is also in final negotiations to add BR to their computers. A large boost in revenue is expected for Sony if these deals go through. A premium model of the 360 would have to be introduced at a higher price point if they want to integrate the BR drive.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ca6017de-eba6-11dc-9493-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

[SackAttack]

I'm calling total shenanigans on the idea of an integrated BD player in Xbox 360. I'm skeptical about the idea of an add-on, but I won't rule that out. But integrated? Wouldn't that essentially mean Sony would start getting a cut of their competitor's hardware sales? I can't imagine Microsoft would be thrilled about that.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'm calling total shenanigans on the idea of an integrated BD player in Xbox 360. I'm skeptical about the idea of an add-on, but I won't rule that out. But integrated? Wouldn't that essentially mean Sony would start getting a cut of their competitor's hardware sales? I can't imagine Microsoft would be thrilled about that.

It would mean exactly that. FWIW.......the article stated that they were in negotiations. What the final end product will be if they can agree on a deal is nothing but speculation on the part of the article's author at this point. I certainly agree with you that the possibility of an add-on is much better than the integrated option.

[SackAttack]

Well, if it's the article I remember reading, it's actually a high muckety-muck in Sony who's saying "Oh yeah, we're negotiating." Microsoft has said "No comment."

The Sony dude, he's got a vested interest in making things look as rosy as possible. Number one, you get sort of that unspoken implication to the consumer that "Look, the Xbox 360 is definitely maybe going to have a BD drive inside...but why wait for that? Why not just buy a super-amazing-awesome PlayStation 3 now?"

Number two, it makes for posturing opportunities with the software publishers. "Look, our major competitor is being brought to heel. Look how right we were. Wouldn't you rather do business with the guys behind the wheel than the guys doing the whole Teen Wolf urban-surfing bit on the roof of the car?"

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Well, if it's the article I remember reading, it's actually a high muckety-muck in Sony who's saying "Oh yeah, we're negotiating." Microsoft has said "No comment."

Yeah, but 'No Comment' seems to be status quo for Microsoft this generation when a rumor has some legs. I agree that it's not a given, but a non-denial denial shouldn't be the reason why this rumor isn't to be believed. If anything, Microsoft has usually been quick to deny any false information while letting rumors that are truthful stand as they are without actually acknowledging that they are true.

There's nothing wrong with handling it that way as long as MS is consistant with it.

[SackAttack]

Yeah, but 'No Comment' seems to be status quo for Microsoft this generation when a rumor has some legs. I agree that it's not a given, but a non-denial denial shouldn't be the reason why this rumor isn't to be believed. If anything, Microsoft has usually been quick to deny any false information while letting rumors that are truthful stand as they are without actually acknowledging that they are true.

There's nothing wrong with handling it that way as long as MS is consistant with it.

Microsoft doesn't comment on rumor, period. They might refute grossly inaccurate information that might do material harm to the business, but they won't comment otherwise. The only 'legs' this one has is that:

a) HD-DVD is dead
b) A high muckety-muck with Sony has trumpeted to the world that Microsoft is in negotiations. He can say whatever he wants about the substance of those negotiations, and Microsoft is still going to "No comment" the issue.

Now, I mean, I really don't see anything coming of this. We've already talked about why I think an integrated player isn't going to happen (and it has the additional bonus of sharing some of the same reasons why many felt an integrated HD-DVD player wasn't going to happen in mid-generation).

The other half of it, though, is that Microsoft backed HD in large part because it wasn't BD. They wanted to slow adoption of the competing format to the point that it wouldn't be the major profit center Sony thinks it will be. I can't see them capitulating and now helping to drive that same profit center when they won't get any revenues from it. The only possible material benefit to having an add-on BD player would be sales of the player itself. Nobody's going to buy a 360 because it has an add-on BD drive available, especially since I don't think Microsoft would be able to sell one of those for $180. The eventual cost of one of those with a 360 would make it more expensive than a PS3, and I think Microsoft is sensitive to that.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Now, I mean, I really don't see anything coming of this. We've already talked about why I think an integrated player isn't going to happen (and it has the additional bonus of sharing some of the same reasons why many felt an integrated HD-DVD player wasn't going to happen in mid-generation).

The other half of it, though, is that Microsoft backed HD in large part because it wasn't BD. They wanted to slow adoption of the competing format to the point that it wouldn't be the major profit center Sony thinks it will be. I can't see them capitulating and now helping to drive that same profit center when they won't get any revenues from it. The only possible material benefit to having an add-on BD player would be sales of the player itself. Nobody's going to buy a 360 because it has an add-on BD drive available, especially since I don't think Microsoft would be able to sell one of those for $180. The eventual cost of one of those with a 360 would make it more expensive than a PS3, and I think Microsoft is sensitive to that.

FWIW......If I was the 'muckety-muck' :) at Microsoft, I wouldn't even consider it as a possibility and I'd have already have issued a flat denial that it would ever occur. I've always said that MS's best move is to just stick to the game business on their console. That's their strength right now and they should play to it.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Speculation that a 60 GB Xbox 360 may be in the works to replace the 20 GB version. Earliest it would arrive is June. They surmise that a integrated BR drive may be in it as well, but no firm info.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/gaming/news/2008/03/07/EXCLUSIVE-60GB-Xbox-WILL-Replace-20GB-Model/p1

[stevew]

i bet they charge about 40-50 bucks for a blu ray remote, if the console integrates one. I seem to remember the dvd remote was about 30ish for the original xbox, primarily cause they were passing the licensing fees along.

[Eaglesfan27]

Earlier today, a Microsoft rep said there are no plans to bring Blu-Ray to the 360 and that they are focused on games for the 360.

Here is part of the statement:

"Games are what are driving consumers to purchase game consoles and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=184130