Playstation 3 Information, hardware, games discussion Part II

[USF11]

Re: Playstation 3 Information, hardware, games discussion Part II

Technically thats not true, in terms of MS first party titles you may have a piont...But as far as 3rd party multi-platform releases go PS3 launch titles= 360 second gen games...And thats a fact because multi-platform games will be nearly identical.

So in terms of 360 exclusives you may have a point...But since 3rd party games will out number MS exclusives, PS3 launch titles for the part will look every bit as good as 2nd gen 360 games; because well they're the same games...

I would expect delays on 3rd party titles, either they will hold them back for a release when both verisons are ready. Or they would release the 360 version first until programmers figure the PS3 out.

[rudyjuly2]

Re: Playstation 3 Information, hardware, games discussion Part II

Technically thats not true, in terms of MS first party titles you may have a piont...But as far as 3rd party multi-platform releases go PS3 launch titles= 360 second gen games...And thats a fact because multi-platform games will be nearly identical.

Second generation games are usually much better. You can't say its a fact that multi-platform games will be identical since the programming is so different. Sony has always made their systems difficult to program for unlike MS. It was easy for the XBox to be ported to because of this. It will not be as easy to port code written for the 360 to the PS3, especially because of the architecture of the PS3 will be so unique and different.

[ps2king]

Re: Playstation 3 Information, hardware, games discussion Part II

I would expect delays on 3rd party titles, either they will hold them back for a release when both verisons are ready. Or they would release the 360 version first until programmers figure the PS3 out.

Second generation games are usually much better. You can't say its a fact that multi-platform games will be identical since the programming is so different. Sony has always made their systems difficult to program for unlike MS. It was easy for the XBox to be ported to because of this. It will not be as easy to port code written for the 360 to the PS3, especially because of the architecture of the PS3 will be so unique and different.

Since multi-platform games are released at the same time I don't see why 3rd party games would be delayed for the PS3, that makes no sense...

For example the new MOH will be released on the PS3/360 at the same time..Games like that won't be held back for the PS3, its scheduled for November, so which ever games are 3rd party will most likely show up on the PS3 at the same time as 360.

PS3 architecture is much easier to work with according to most developer's; porting won't be a problem... I think most people here agree 3rd part titles will look identical.

I can't imagine how the PS3 versions of these games would look any worst; we all agree the systems are pretty even (for argument sake) but the PS3 does have a little more under the hood. I don't get how ported games would under perform on it.


Fact is MS first titles will show 2d gen graphics etc... The 3rd party games will be even for the most part.

[mgoblue]

Re: Playstation 3 Information, hardware, games discussion Part II

Since multi-platform games are released at the same time I don't see why 3rd party games would be delayed for the PS3, that makes no sense...

For example the nest MOH will be released on the PS3/360 at the same time..Games like that won't be held back for the PS3, its scheduled for November, so which ever games are 3rd party will most likely show up on the PS3 at the same time as 360.

I think they just mean that the development on PS3 dev kits might be a bit behind the 360 stuff, because it's all ready out, so fine tuning on the system might take some time, and therefore delay the game. It's not like PS2/Xbox where they all ready have a good handle on porting a game between the two, 360/PS3 is something new that might take a little while to iron out.

[ps2king]

Re: Playstation 3 Information, hardware, games discussion Part II

I think they just mean that the development on PS3 dev kits might be a bit behind the 360 stuff, because it's all ready out, so fine tuning on the system might take some time, and therefore delay the game. It's not like PS2/Xbox where they all ready have a good handle on porting a game between the two, 360/PS3 is something new that might take a little while to iron out.

I know what you're saying, but my point is the 2nd gen games from MS will show the difference, its up to MS, not the 3rd party because new architecture or not we're still talking straight ports on systems that are supposed to be even.

I think when the next MOH comes out, it will convey what I'm trying to say perfectly...MOH: Airborne should be out at Or around PS3 launch and I'm pretty no one will be able to tell the difference between versions.

[rudyjuly2]

Re: Playstation 3 Information, hardware, games discussion Part II

PS3 architecture is much easier to work with according to most developer's; porting won't be a problem... I think most people here agree 3rd part titles will look identical.

While I would agree that we should eventually see 3rd party titles looking the same, I had always read that the PS2 and PS3 were difficult to program for. I haven't kept up with all the info like some of you have so I may be wrong. Do you have any current links where they state that?

[Ice Cream Truck]

Re: Playstation 3 Information, hardware, games discussion Part II

More Online Details revealed:

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=15378

Further details of the PlayStation Network Platform announced by SCE boss Ken Kutaragi in Tokyo yesterday have emerged, including the fact that the ability to play games online will be included in the basic free service.

Additional information about the service has emerged as the slides used by Kutaragi in his presentation have been posted online, bringing with them a host of details of exactly what will be included in Sony's online offering.

As reported yesterday, the PlayStation Network Platform will have a basic free service which will be available to all purchasers of the PS3 from the day of launch in November, and which will be co-created by Sony Online Entertainment (creators of the Station.com system used by games such as Everquest, Planetside and Star Wars Galaxies) and GameSpy.

The free service will support a host of communication and community features, including voice and video chat, messaging, unique user IDs and handles, and matchmaking, ranking and data upload and download service for games.

Crucially, the basic service will allow users to play games online - a factor which sets it apart from Microsoft's equivalent free service, Xbox Live Silver, which enables community features and content purchases, but doesn't allow users to play multiplayer online games.

Sony's system will be handing off significantly more control to game publishers, who will be able to run their own game servers as they see fit. Although Sony will be creating a standard infrastructure for the service, with data centres in Asia, North America and Europe, the system will still run over the conventional Internet and publishers will be able to connect their own servers to it.

This opens the possibility that game publishers could charge their own fees for playing games, which is indeed likely to be the case for titles such as massively multiplayer games - a genre which will be well-served by Sony's more "hands-off" approach to the network service, since some MMOG publishers have opined that Microsoft's approach is too restrictive on their business models.

However, Sony is pushing hard for publishers to use the network to generate revenue through selling content, rather than through charging users for multiplayer functionality, and the PlayStation Network Platform is designed from the ground up to support a wide range of content sale and payment methods.

One slide from Kutaragi's presentation lists a few of the options available to publishers in this regard, which appear to be at least as advanced, if not more so, as Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace offering.

As well as stores for the sale of content which will be set up on the main PS3 "portal", Sony will also offer publishers the opportunity to create in-game stores in their titles which integrate in the background with the main store infrastructure.

Content purchases can work in a number of different ways on the network, with publishers not restricted to simple item-by-item transactions for their content. Subscription payments are also built into the system, as is a micropayment system allowing users to pay tiny amounts of money for small pieces of content.

How exactly this will work from the point of view of users of the service is not yet clear; it's likely that Sony will use a credits system, as Microsoft does on Xbox Live, which allows a balance of "currency" to be topped up with credit card payments or game cards bought in-store.

What exactly will be sold on the marketplace system is still the subject of some speculation - but after we revealed last week that Sony has been speaking to its publishing partners about the technical issues regarding distributing PSone and PS2 content online, three more important hints have been dropped which suggest that this content will indeed be on the menu for PlayStation 3.

Firstly, we now know that the PS3 will have a 60Gb hard drive as a bare minimum, which means that even downloading PS2 games (which could occupy over 4Gb in some cases) isn't an impossibility; secondly, the firm has confirmed that the PS3 will be able to boot games directly from its hard drive, and has made much of having 100% backwards compatibility with PSone and PS2 titles, which will play in high-definition on the new hardware.

Finally, and perhaps most tellingly of all, the company yesterday announced that it will be distributing selected PSone titles over a new digital distribution service aimed at PSP owners, allowing them to download the games and play them directly off a Memory Stick - a move which indicates Sony's first attempt to directly exploit its substantial back catalogue, and which almost certainly indicates where it plans to go with the PS3.

Content available on the PlayStation Network Platform is unlikely to be limited to game-related content alone, either. The PS3 is being promoted as a media server for the home, and while Microsoft doesn't allow users of the Xbox 360 to download movies or music directly via the console - arguing that the proper place for that functionality is on a Windows Media Centre PC - Sony is likely to want to do exactly that with PS3.

More details of the network service will undoubtedly emerge in the coming months, with the full picture certain to be filled in by September - when the test version of the network will come online, allowing developers to test their online-enabled titles in a replica of the final environment.

[Ice Cream Truck]

Re: Playstation 3 Information, hardware, games discussion Part II

As I thought, it's good to know we will be able to download music and movies.

And you play online for free. All games will have the same basic features (much like XBL) but developers are free to do what they want with it, etc. Another good thing to here because I hate matchmaking, I like lobbies and stuff where you can pick what match you're going into (basically a SOCOM style online).

Since the basic service allows you to use all the online features, I'm assuming if you pay for it, you're paying to access new content? Maybe. I'm glad that it's free though because there are some games that I play that will be the ones that have fees (Everquest and other MMORPGs). Don't need to pay to go online and pay to play online with the game.

[Money99]

Re: Playstation 3 Information, hardware, games discussion Part II

Thanks for the news Ice Cream Truck.

To me that means that depending on the online games you buy you might be paying more per month than you would for the Xbox Premium which covers every single game.
And if Sony truly believes that 3rd party developers will adhere to their request of not charging for online service they're kidding themselves.

Also, Microsoft does it right forcing everyone to use their servers and standards. It keeps it neat and tight. Sony and their users might have issues with all these 'rogue' servers.

[Ice Cream Truck]

Re: Playstation 3 Information, hardware, games discussion Part II

Kutaragi Unveils PS3 Dev Tools Timeline
SCEI boss reveals a month by month breakdown of the distribution of developer tools for PlayStation3...
Posted: 10:25 on 16 Mar 2006
By: Jon Wilcox

As information surrounding the PlayStation3 continues to be released, Sony Computer Entertainment boss Ken Kutaragi has released a timeline of the PlayStation3 developer kit.

The end of March will see final versions of the Cell processor and RSX GPU, together with prototype versions of the blu-ray drive and the console's controller. Final versions of both the drive and controller are expected to be released by May 2006.

Software development tools set for release by the end of this month include Alpha versions of the OSD and Network Platform, and complete versions of Havok Complete XS 3.3 and Ageia PhysX 2.4.

April sees the development kits ramps up to version 0.84 with mastering and emulation tools made available, together with Beta versions of the OSD and Network Platform. Next month will also see sub-licenses granted for Epic's Unreal Engine 3. May will see the dev kit reach version 0.9 before the final version is set in June 2006.

We'll have more on PlayStation3 shortly...
FORMAT INDEX: Playstation 3

[Ice Cream Truck]

Re: Playstation 3 Information, hardware, games discussion Part II

Someone mentioned PS3's Blu Ray drive speed being 1x and that we'll experience massive load times. I'd like a link to where they found that info because it seems Sony's BR drive specs aren't final.

[RoyalBoyle78]

Re: Playstation 3 Information, hardware, games discussion Part II

More info

http://gear.ign.com/articles/696/696193p1.html

It may have been posted, sorry if it was.

[Flawless]

Re: Playstation 3 Information, hardware, games discussion Part II

Someone mentioned PS3's Blu Ray drive speed being 1x and that we'll experience massive load times. I'd like a link to where they found that info because it seems Sony's BR drive specs aren't final.

The BRD in the PS3 will atleast be 2x, because 1.5x is required to even view Blu-ray movies.

[Money99]

Re: Playstation 3 Information, hardware, games discussion Part II

The BRD in the PS3 will atleast be 2x, because 1.5x is required to even view Blu-ray movies.

I'm not so sure about that. IGN was quoted as saying that as of now it's speed is only 1x.
He mentioned that if 128 mb of data needs to be loaded it would tak 29 seconds to do it. That's unacceptable with todays demands. Especially if you're forking out $500.00+ US.

[Flawless]

Re: Playstation 3 Information, hardware, games discussion Part II

I'm not so sure about that. IGN was quoted as saying that as of now it's speed is only 1x.
He mentioned that if 128 mb of data needs to be loaded it would tak 29 seconds to do it. That's unacceptable with todays demands. Especially if you're forking out $500.00+ US.

Yes, as of now. When the final kits ship in June, they will atleast have a 2x BRD.

You honestly think Sony would ship the PS3 with a BRD that isn't fast enough to play Blu-ray movies?