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

[iarecanadian]

I remember virtual boy! My friend used to have one.

[Neil]

I've missed on this thread....you peoples refresh me on which console you think will succeed the mostest.

I can't back down from saying that I have a feeling the "piece of shit made 3 times" will top sales.......overall quality, graphics, value, etc. is hands down the 360. I hope Revolution tanks as bad as the 'cube. Nintendo is down the pooper as far as I'm concerned.

If I'm not standing in line at my local walmart on November 22nd, at midnite, I think I might vomit.

[Axtech]

Except that all the specs suggest that the PS3 will have better quality, graphics etc. I just don't understand where your assumption comes from...

[faninor]

XBox 360 has the new Perfect Dark game.

[Neil]

I'm having a strong feeling the specs are wrong.......maybe they won't be, if PS3 does have better graphics then great. They need it.

My assumptions (Robbo) are merely my own assumptions. I haven't checked up much on the PS3 only cuz I hate Sony, and I hate Playstation. I'm merely a hater...till the end.

I still can't figure out how some of my friends felt that PS2 had better graphics than the Xbox. It's messed....

One thing is....I couldn't ever go back to paying for stinkin' memory cards. The harddrive is the greatest.

[Neil]

XBox 360 has the new Perfect Dark game.

That game is gonna own......next to Halo 2, its gonna be the best game on "Live"

[Johnny]

I really think that the PS3 will dominate.

[Neil]

The PS3 will dominate, thats what is awful about the gaming world......


That system is made of pure evil.....and shitty Neo-Geo refurb'd parts

[Johnny]

From Playstation Magazine:

How will the PS3 stack up to (or surpass) the 360 graphically? Will Sony finally get online right on PS3? What's the chance we'll really see it in stores next March? These are all questions we've had since the system was unveiled at E3, and they've been echoed by mant of your emails to the PSM office.

Ultimately, there's no one better to answer those questions than the people making PS3 games (well, maybe except for Sony themselves, but they've ot this whole "impenetrable veil of secrecy" thing going on). So, that's exactly who we went to... on the record or off. The result: a lot of great new info on the games, the hardware, and what's going on behind the scenes.

You'd think they'd be secretive rivals - and they are to some extent - but the PS3 developer community is actually a pretty tight bunch. In online forums, entirely off access from anyone but licensed third parties, game makers gather to talk, shop, crack technical hurdles, and, believe it or not, share ideas.

It helps to be tight with these guys (and gals) because it means PSM can glean cool new info from our contacts - on the total down low, of course.


What’s the big buzz right now?


As we’re writing this feature, game makers are really starting to get used to working with PS3 development hardware, and they’re finding some unexpected (but good) surprises, particularly when it comes to ease of development for the system: how it compares to the PS2, and more importantly, the Xbox 360. “The bitching this round sounds opposite of the last. Both are friendly, but the PS3 may actually be friendlier,” reports one of our PS2 and Xbox 360 development sources, who wished to remain anonymous.

”People are finding that the [Xbox] 360 has some stupid bottlenecks.”

Developers will soon learn more about the ins-and-outs of creating PS3 games, as Sony has started taking orders for the final development hardware to be delivered by December. At that time, game creators will be able to tell just how much more extra polish they can put on their launch titles without worrying about them crapping out on a retail PS3.


The latest on the PS3’s power


“Once we have final hardware for both next-gen systems, we’ll have a much better ideo of how they compare, but the general consensus right now is that the PS3 is considerably more powerful than the X360 across the board,” said another source. “It’s important to get a good idea of which is the most powerful soon, since multi-platform games will need to be either ported down from PS3 to 360, or vice-versa.”

Speaking of multi-platform games, another of our next-gen contacts chimed in with the following when we asked them, flat out, which system will ultimately have the best-looking games (sadly the #1 selling point for most people, over gameplay even): “Only games that are exclusive to either system will be real technical showcases,” adding “There will be strong points for each, but cross-platform games will most likely look and perform almost identically.” Thankfully, PS3 already has a serious amount of exclusive games behind it (as you can see on page 62).


PS3’s promising online support


In addition to all of the cool Wi-Fi based PSP to PS3 functionality we’ve previously reportedSony is working on (transferring media and save data between the two anywhere in the world at a hotspot), there’s some actual news to report on the online gameplay front. Not only that, it’s pretty good. (Although the gradual diminishing of Sony’s PS2 online plans over that console’s like will always have us taking their goals in this department with a grain of salt.)

PS3 is slated to have an actual online community ready to back it up on day one, complete with friend tracking, messaging services, and a central hub for everything. If it sounds like Xbox Live, it should. Sony has been following Microsoft’s moves, and, well, plans to copt most of them, according to our sources. “They [Sony CEA] have a whole division that was put in place after the Network Adaptor was released for the PS2 that basically dropped focus on PS2 and moved to planning the PS3,” says one designer working on a PS3 online title. “They knew that early that they were not going to compete during the current gen.”


Ramping up for an early release?


There’s been a lot of talk about Sony’s E3 2005 proclamation that PS3 would ship in the spring of 2006. A lot. Would it be in Japan only, or were they talking about the U.S. too? Questioned further on the topic, Sony execs have since stuck to their guns, saying that the system would be available worldwide before next summer. Is that even possible?
Yes. However, there’s the question of launch games and system price. Playstation creator Ken Kutaragi has told the Japanese press on several occasions that the PS3 would be more expensive than the Xbox 360. Maybe that’s when he thought, like many others, that Microsoft’s machine would sell for $299 and Sony was aiming for $399. Sony is already removing some of the less essential functions of the system to cut costs, and we expect others (like the second HDMI output) to follow. It’s also waiting on component prices to drop before talking about the system’s retail price; the same route they took with the PSP. A $399 PS3 isn’t entirely out of the picture, according to our sources, who are betting a lot on the system’s success.

Sony has told PSM to expect a significant presence for the system at January’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, also in line with their PSP tactics. If a March launch does occur, it would be accompanied by onle a couple of first-party titles, another two or three from Electronic Arts, and one titleat most from their other third-parties. Madden NFL Football developer Tiburon has had PS3 dev hardware longer than almost any other U.S. developer. Rockstar North has had stable kits since at least August 2005; check out our GTA4 spotlight for more on what they’re up to.

There’s a lot of talk among the PS3 developer community about the importance of being first-to-market, or at least not letting Microsoft get too much of an installed base before the PS3 ships. The general feeling is that Sony considers Xbox 360 to be a possible contender in this generation, so they’re not going to just rest on their laurels. In fact, developers report that Sony Japan is taking a much more hands-on role in the U.S. launch of the PS3 than it did with the PS2 or PSP. Shades of the PS1 launch, there.

Watch this space


PSM will continue to dip behind the scenes and stay on top of all the latest rumblings from the PS3 development community to make sure you’ll read all the biggest news here first. Don’t forget to visit psmonline.com and hit us with your burning PS3-related questions – through us, you’ve got a link to the developers, and we’ll keep passing along the best letters we get

Most of the stuff in the article isn't 100% fact, but all of the information comes from reliable third party sources

[Neil]

I don't buy third party sources.....even if PS3 does surpass xbox in graphics (which it might, I'm not gonna doubt it cuz Sony NEEDS it), I don't think the gameplay will surpass.

And PS3 Online will not compare to the reliability and stability that Microsoft brought to the table. It was fully recognized in the PS2 vs. Xbox.

Also....I have to thank Microsoft (Xbox) for their game catalog because some of the games in the Playstation catalog are freakin WHACK. I will say that the Playstation definitely has a lot MORE games, but quality?? I can't agree.

[Johnny]

Makes me want to get an 360 even more:

http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_ ... d=23921409


Rumor: PlayStation 3s won't play borrowed, used, or rented games

Source: A series of sources conveniently amalgamated by Joystiq.

The official story: "We have made no official statement regarding coding for PS3 games."--Sony spokesperson.

What we heard: Given the billions of dollars it sinks into its movie, music, and games divisions, it's little wonder Sony is big on digital rights management. The company has implemented anti-copying measures for years and has admitted it has been installing cloaking rootkits to hide DRM programs. (It has since issued a patch to remove the rootkit.)

Those familiar with Sony's CD DRM practices were unsurprised when Joystiq reported that the company has patented DRM software that could prevent PlayStation 3s from playing used or borrowed games. The site cites US Patent #6,816,972, which is for "a device and method for protection of legitimate software against used software and counterfeit software in recording media." Specifically, the patented technology would verify that when software was inserted into a "machine" (read: console), it was registered to that machine. If it couldn't, the technology would prompt the machine to shut down, preventing the software from being accessed.

Such measures would be fine and dandy, were they targeted at pirated software. But the patented tech--which bears the name of Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi--is specifically designed to prevent used software from being sold. "Since only titles for which legitimate software has actually been purchased and which have been initially registered in the machine table can be used, resale (so-called used software purchase) after purchase by an end-user becomes practically impossible," it reads. Such measures would also prevent lent or rented software from being played.

But would Sony incorporate technology from Patent #6,816,972 into the PS3? On one hand, doing so would guarantee that each gamer would buy a new copy of each PS3 game, theoretically meaning bigger sales to help defray the steep cost of next-gen development. It would also remove the PS3 from the used-game trade, a market from which Sony gets no revenue.

However, there would be some major drawbacks to implementing Patent # 6,816,972 technology into the PS3. It would mean forfeiting the rental market to Microsoft's Xbox 360. Though there are signs that the game-rental stories are in decline--Blockbuster Video is reportedly shopping around its GameRush subsidiary--Netflix-esque services like GameFly are gaining in popularity. Then there's the fact that many people can't afford to buy a whole lot of games. When presented with a choice between a console that does play rented games and one that doesn't, which way do you think they'll go? There's also the risk of sparking a blacklash like the one currently raging over the BMG DRM rootkit.

Bogus or not bogus?: Sony has the technology, but it's too early to tell if it will use it.

[ihatethunderbay]

wtf.

fuck that.

[Axtech]

It's just a rumour at this point.

[Neil]

If its not......Sony is the single-handedly some the dumbest mutha fuckha's in the video game industry.

I still don't think it'll happen though.....it just doesn't make good sense, to me anyways.

My soul is sold to the Xbox......

Any of ya'll get the chance to check out Indigo Prophecy at all??? This game is freakin rediculously awesome.

I beat "The Warriors" last nite too....blah, only took me 9 hours. Good thing I rented the bitch. At least I still got like an assload of bonus objectives I can do.

[Neil]

I'm sure still a rumor, but fastly becoming a POPULAR one. Here's an article I found from Jason Garms, a members of Microsoft Corps Anti-Malware Tech Team:

This article is in response to many people contacting Microsoft on their position on the SONY DRM ROOTKIT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sony DRM Rootkit
I've been getting a lot of questions in the last week about Microsoft's position on the Sony DRM and rootkit discussions, so I thought I'd share a little info on what we're doing here. We are concerned about any malware and its impact on our customers' machines. Rootkits have a clearly negative impact on not only the security, but also the reliability and performance of their systems.

We use a set of objective criteria for both Windows Defender and the Malicious Software Removal Tool to determine what software will be classified for detection and removal by our anti-malware technology. We have analyzed this software, and have determined that in order to help protect our customers we will add a detection and removal signature for the rootkit component of the XCP software to the Windows AntiSpyware beta, which is currently used by millions of users. This signature will be available to current beta users through the normal Windows AntiSpyware beta signature update process, which has been providing weekly signature updates for almost a year now. Detection and removal of this rootkit component will also appear in Windows Defender when its first public beta is available. We also plan to include this signature in the December monthly update to the Malicious Software Removal Tool. It will also be included in the signature set for the online scanner on Windows Live Safety Center.

I'll update you if any more information comes up.

best,
-jasong

Jason Garms
Architect & Group PM
Anti-Malware Technology Team
Microsoft Corporation

Team Blog: http://blogs.technet.com/antimalware

[Lando]

There's one HUGE reason why Sony will dominate with the overall visual presentation. The PS3 will have way more power and a graphics card from NVIDIA which is being solely created for the PS3, but will then be available on the market too. However the reason I'm talking about is that how one of the microsoft chairmen recently confirmed that XBOX 360 will in fact NOT use HD-DVD as a format. They were thinking about adding that format down the road which would have meant they would have to release a new type of 360 that supports HDDVD and then for everyone who bought the regular DVD versions of 360 they'd have to buy games that contain multiple DVDs. Meaning that Xbox would have to release two different types of packaged versions of each game. One on DVD (with multiple DVDs) and one HDDVD version.

Since XBOX is only going to be the standard DVD format now and PS3 is Blu-Ray, the PS3 gives developers huge advantages as to what they can do visually. When they don't have to cut corners or try to keep things compressed so that they can fit all of their content onto the finished disk, they can work a lot more freely and create things that are truly NEXT-GEN graphics of gaming.

[Neil]

Eh.....still not impressed. I need more outta Sony to ever give them the upper hand, myself.

I, myself, will just never believe in Playstation because the first and second let me down. I'm done with them.

I did hear about Xbox's motion to leave out the HD option. I really don't care because I can't afford HD-TV anyways, and I'm thinkin they took that into consideration.

[Neil]

I should add.......when Sony considers the addition of a harddrive versus those SHITTY FUCKING ASS MEMORY CARDS, then maybe I'll at least say they're cool...

Till then.....no dice. Cuz memory cards are stupid.

[Lando]

HD-DVD has nothing to do with a high definition TV. It's a new format like Blu-ray that holds way more than the standard dual layer DVD.

HD-DVD was supposed to hold 20GB for multiple layers and Blu-ray could hold supposedly 25GB of data on one layer. Meaning multiple layered Blu-ray disks would crush the amount of data that XBOX 360 can use with their 8.5 GB that a dual layer DVD can hold.

It bothers me a bit, because I'm going to get a 360 soon and they're really limiting the amount of stuff they can do with it freely, but only time will tell how both systems sell and perform.

[Neil]

HD-DVD has nothing to do with a high definition TV. It's a new format like Blu-ray that holds way more than the standard dual layer DVD.

HD-DVD was supposed to hold 20GB for multiple layers and Blu-ray could hold supposedly 25GB of data on one layer. Meaning multiple layered Blu-ray disks would crush the amount of data that XBOX 360 can use with their 8.5 GB that a dual layer DVD can hold.

It bothers me a bit, because I'm going to get a 360 soon and they're really limiting the amount of stuff they can do with it freely, but only time will tell how both systems sell and perform.

Ahh...thanks for clearin that Lando. I honestly had no idea....I'm not all that familiar with those sorts of things.
Now, if thats being the case I will say that Microsoft is making a bad choice. You're right, they are limiting the overall potential of the Xbox. Watch them do what you said, and make these sorts of changes down the road and shaft everybody.....
I still hope to be standing in line come the 22nd at midnight, but I guess we'll see. Just gotta come up with the rest of the money.