The Next Generation of Consoles: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii

Axtech · Post by **Axtech** » 5/18/2005, 4:12 pm

Looks like the PS3 will be more expensive than the Xbox, but not as expensive as feared:

Given that the console's Nvidia tech-based RSX "Reality Synthesizer" graphics chip is more powerful than two GeForce 6800 Ultra video cards, which retail for around $1,000 by themselves, many suspected the console will cost as least as much as a medium-end gaming PC.

It now appears that Sony may opt for a compromise price-wise, according to the Mainichi Daily News. An article that ran on the Japanese newspaper's Web site said that the PlayStation 3 could potentially sell for under $500. "The new machine, which will have a higher performance capacity than personal computers and provide sophisticated movie-quality images, will be priced at less than 50,000 yen each, according to [Sony] officials," said the paper.

At today's exchange rate, 50,000 yen is $465.58--more than the $299 many expect the Xbox 360 to sell for, but less than the $699 to $799 PS3 price tag many had feared.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/05/18 ... 25423.html

Johnny · Post by **Johnny** » 5/18/2005, 4:13 pm

Basically, the PS3 is supposedly going to be like a supercomputer.

Axtech · Post by **Axtech** » 5/18/2005, 4:16 pm

Hell yeah.

E3 officially opened to the public today. As awesome as E3 is, I don't think I'd want to be stuck in this crowd of nerds:

Johnny · Post by **Johnny** » 5/18/2005, 9:04 pm

man thats hardcore.

Lando · Post by **Lando** » 5/19/2005, 3:12 pm

The thing that bugs me the most about the Xbox 360 is the whole wireless control system. It's a good idea as long as they have rechargeable controllers. I have other wireless controllers and I don't want to have to keep replacing the batteries. It will be an unnesessary cost that should be avoided. Another thing that bugs me is the two memory card slots on the system. Sure as long as the system has a hard drive it won't matter, but for a 4 controller system and only 2 memory card slots, this would be a pain if memory cards were needed because then you'd have to swap memory cards just to load 4 different profiles or settings from different people you might be playing with.

Lando · Post by **Lando** » 5/19/2005, 3:17 pm

Also, the sony controller looks virtually the same as far as button placement, they just gave the controller a different look overall. However the L and R buttons might be different as far as I can tell from the picture there's only enough room for one L and R button on the top of the controller. They'd be smart to put the L2 and R2 buttons on the back like Xbox did, it's a lot more comfortable of a setup.

starseed_10 · Post by **starseed_10** » 5/19/2005, 3:57 pm

Axtech wrote:Take a look at the tech demos for the PS3:

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/play ... media.html

a-fucking-mazing.

There were a couple of times where I got a weird feeling like I was watching something real (during the doc oc video, when they put him in the conference lighting, for one).

Joe Cooler · Post by **Joe Cooler** » 5/19/2005, 4:39 pm

Lando wrote:The thing that bugs me the most about the Xbox 360 is the whole wireless control system. It's a good idea as long as they have rechargeable controllers. I have other wireless controllers and I don't want to have to keep replacing the batteries. It will be an unnesessary cost that should be avoided. Another thing that bugs me is the two memory card slots on the system. Sure as long as the system has a hard drive it won't matter, but for a 4 controller system and only 2 memory card slots, this would be a pain if memory cards were needed because then you'd have to swap memory cards just to load 4 different profiles or settings from different people you might be playing with.

The xbox 360 controller is rechargeable. Its like an i-pod in the sense that you just have to plug it into a usb port. Thankfully the system comes with a USB cable and 4 USB ports. (As it stands.)

Secondly, I have to agree that the PS3 is looking quite amazing. It's safe to say the machine will be quite the beast. However, many of the video's shown at E3 were pre-rendered (according to IGN) while all of the X-box360 demo's were in real time, and on top of that, a few of its titles were actually playable. This is something that Sony simply does not have at the moment. However its safe to say that both the 360 and PS3 will be amazing. Any system that can run the Unreal 3 engine flawlessly is quite the rig considering when they showed the same engine off on an high end PC it had frame rate problems

reza · Post by **reza** » 5/19/2005, 8:39 pm

I've heard that PS3 is going to be the strongest system out of the three, Revolution will only be 2-3 times faster than the Gamecube. In addition, there were also some rumors that a new GTA game would be a launch title for Playstation 3, those have been all but completely dispelled. I'm probably going to end up getting a PS3, it's going to use blue-ray technology. The controller seems to be the same, in terms of placement, it may actually feel better because it has those wings. The smoothness and roundness will be a littl ewierd though. Only thing that could be a little different looking at the picture, is the depth of the "L" and "R" button at the top. There are also three colours for the PS3, black silver and white. Xbox 360 will have faceplates.

Axtech · Post by **Axtech** » 5/19/2005, 8:45 pm

Joe Cooler wrote:Secondly, I have to agree that the PS3 is looking quite amazing. It's safe to say the machine will be quite the beast. However, many of the video's shown at E3 were pre-rendered (according to IGN) while all of the X-box360 demo's were in real time, and on top of that, a few of its titles were actually playable. This is something that Sony simply does not have at the moment. However its safe to say that both the 360 and PS3 will be amazing. Any system that can run the Unreal 3 engine flawlessly is quite the rig considering when they showed the same engine off on an high end PC it had frame rate problems

Can you link the IGN article? They said repeatedly during the conference that they were all real-time. Not that this means they were telling the truth, though. But I'd like to see IGN's take on it.

Either way, demonstrations like this are always made to show the best, most ideal qualities of their system - it doesn't mean that in-game will be exactly the same, a lot of that depends on the software production.

But, like you said, no matter what was or wasn't shown at E3, these are going to be two kick-ass systems.

Three, if Nintendo ever gets around to announcing their plans. :lol:

Joe Cooler · Post by **Joe Cooler** » 5/19/2005, 9:05 pm

Axtech wrote:
Joe Cooler wrote:Secondly, I have to agree that the PS3 is looking quite amazing. It's safe to say the machine will be quite the beast. However, many of the video's shown at E3 were pre-rendered (according to IGN) while all of the X-box360 demo's were in real time, and on top of that, a few of its titles were actually playable. This is something that Sony simply does not have at the moment. However its safe to say that both the 360 and PS3 will be amazing. Any system that can run the Unreal 3 engine flawlessly is quite the rig considering when they showed the same engine off on an high end PC it had frame rate problems

Can you link the IGN article? They said repeatedly during the conference that they were all real-time. Not that this means they were telling the truth, though. But I'd like to see IGN's take on it.

The tech demo's were real time, there is no doubt about that. What i'm talking about is the games shown. They never said anything about those simply because they showed a variety of different clips from different publishers one after the other.

Joe Cooler · Post by **Joe Cooler** » 5/19/2005, 10:03 pm

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/615/615178p1.html

Only unreal 3, the EA presentation and the tech demo's were running in real time.

Axtech · Post by **Axtech** » 5/20/2005, 8:12 am

ahh, okay.

I can't believe it's still going to be a year or so before the release. :cry:

Johnny · Post by **Johnny** » 5/20/2005, 9:11 am

Are you going to stand in line to get it?

Axtech · Post by **Axtech** » 5/20/2005, 9:18 am

Nah, probably not.

I just watched a video on Gamespot, a tour of Sony's E3 area. One part shows a rotating display of PS3s, and I saw that it does in fact have L2 and R2 buttons. :nod:

Axtech · Post by **Axtech** » 5/20/2005, 9:22 am

Also, they said that the PS3 is "two times as powerful as the Xbox 360, and 35 times more powerful than the PS2". Whether this is true or not, I don't know.

Axtech · Post by **Axtech** » 5/20/2005, 11:06 am

I like this screenshot from an X360 title; Project Gotham Racing...

It makes me wonder though. Now that we're coming so close to perfecting computer generated images, there's still something missing. When I went outside today, I realized that reality is poorly rendered. Looking at all the imperfections of the world, I realized the flaw of computer generated images.

Look at the headlights on the two cars above. I'd be disappointed seeing the one on the right (the real one) in a game. The X360 headlights actually look cooler - better than the real thing. It's not that the X360 looks more realistic. It just looks better. Not a perfect image, by any means (there is still a long way to go towards reaching computer generated perfection). I just think the X360 image looks better somehow...

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » 5/20/2005, 8:53 pm

It does actually.

Post by **saman** » 5/20/2005, 10:34 pm

"In cases of major discrepancy it's always reality that's got it wrong."

Axtech · Post by **Axtech** » 5/21/2005, 1:17 pm

Reading that back, I'm proud of one geekish quote.

I want a T-Shirt that says "Real life is poorly rendered". :nod: