gadgetPhreak Gadget News Blog. Futuristic Gadgets and Portable Electronics

June 2, 2006

Phil Harrison sez PS3 will make you ditch your computer

Filed under: PhilHarrison,Playstation3,Sony,phil harrison,playstation,playstation 3,ps3 — Ryan Block @ 8:26 am

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Once again, we’re hoping something is missing in translation here, but we’ve got the latest from the trenches in Sony’s never-ending hype war of attrition; Phil Harrison, Vice President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, apparently told Spiegel, the following, which was translated from English to German, then back as the following (which we cleaned up a tiny bit): “We believe that the PS3 will be the place where our users play, watch films, browse the Web…  The PlayStation 3 is a computer. We do not need the PC.” Seriously? We translated the page a few different ways and times, same result. Do you really mean to say the PlayStation 3, which, granted, will run a flavor of Linux, will make us drop our PCs off at the corner because it can browse the web and play back movies? Phil, c’mon, work with us here. As long as you and your cronies are going to keep on making these crazed, bombastic Sim Wong Hoo-like statements, we’re gonna keep reporting it; and then our kind readers are gonna think we’re all hating on Sony and stuff, but really we’re trying to expose the folly of what’s really at hand. Seriously Sony, Phil, Ken, you guys need let the product stand on their own two feet. We’re gonna suggest the Nintendo method on this one; enough with the superlative language and let the product sell itself.

[Via VideoGamesBlogger]

Update: thanks to our dear, sweet German speaking audience (yes, we’re read internationally — who knew?) it’s becoming increasingly glear that our translation-bot didn’t facilitate an accurate quotation here, (surprise, surprise). Essentially the answer Phil gave was along the lines of using the PS3 to attack some of the more commonly used PC functionalities, and that Sony’s emphasis is on entertainment, not just gaming. Ok, that’s cool, but that’s still a helluva money quote.

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May 31, 2006

The Big Three’s consoles: size matters

Filed under: Gamecube,Nintendo,PlayStation 2,Playstation2,Playstation3,Sony,XBox,XBox 360,comparison,gc,microsoft,playstation,playstation 3,ps2,ps3,wii,xbox360 — Ryan Block @ 3:36 am

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Just thought you'd like to know. And yeah, even thought it's not the stylingest, we think aesthetically (if not the Wii then) the PStwo is probably our fav. But that's just us.

P.S. -We understand the Wii's not 100% accurately represented here. Looks pretty close though.

[Via Joystiq]
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May 24, 2006

Rumor: Sony to disable used PS3 games, Sony: nope.

Filed under: Playstation3,Rumors,playstation 3,ps3 — Ryan Block @ 6:41 pm

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So the rumor du jour about the PlayStation 3 was that Sony was going to put the kibosh on used games, making it impossible for PS3 owners to run down to their local shop and buy someone else’s “old” copy of Metal Gear Solid 4, or, potentially cease game rentals for the system. We know Sony’s had a past of polemical and often questionable decisions (see: rootkit), but this seemed pretty low, even considering their gradually lowered bar for treating the customer as king. We pinged our peeps at Sony to find out what they had to say before we took this to the court of public opinion, but before they could get back to us it seems Jennie Kong, UK PR Manager at SCEE told the Guardian that “this is false speculation and that PlayStation 3 software will not be copy protected to a single machine but will be playable on any PlayStation 3 console.” So to those worked up about this potential rumor, apparently for now you can fear not about your used or rented game habit, it’ll apparently be safe in the future console. Good thing too, man that coulda been uglytown.

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May 22, 2006

Studios won’t downgrade HD video … for now

Filed under: 540p,720p,DRM,HD,HDTV,Sony,XBox 360,hdcp,hdmi,ict,image constraint token,microsoft,playstation 3 — Marc Perton @ 5:46 am

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If you've been holding off on ordering (or pre-ordering) an HD DVD or Blu-ray player because you're worried about Hollywood studios potentially using the Image Constraint Token to downgrade video quality displayed via analog outputs, you can cross that concern off of your list -- at least for the next four years. Though there's no official word, the major studios have apparently cut a backroom deal to keep their HD discs ICT-free until at least 2010. The move would allow owners of analog HD sets -- not to mention gamers who pick up Microsoft's Xbox 360 HD DVD drive or Sony's non-HDMI junior Playstation 3 -- to watch their discs in full HD format, rather than being forced to endure downgrades to 540p. Of course, even if the unconfirmed agreement exists, after 2010 all bets are off. But, by then, you will presumably be ready to pick up a new HD set (or Xbox 720 or PS4). And, if we're lucky, the format war may be over by then as well, so you'll actually be able to buy an HD disc player that will be useful for more than a few months. (And, no, that screenshot isn't from the HD DVD version of "Blazing Saddles" -- though the fact that the movie is now out on HD DVD gives us at least one reason to consider picking up a player).

Read - HD Beat
Read - Ars Technica
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May 15, 2006

Engadget Podcast 080 – 05.15.06

Filed under: E32006,Joystiq,Nintendo,Playstation3,Sony,e3,engadget,microsoft,playstation 3,wii,xbox360 — Randall Bennett @ 4:15 pm

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Podcast logoThe show's over and we've headed back to our respective homes across the globe, but before we fled LA, Ryan headed around the show floor to get final thoughts from members of the Joystiq crew, including former Editor-in-Chief, Ben Zackheim. Hear their thoughts on how the show went, who's booth was superior, why Sony kind of blew their chance, and even what the fairer sex thinks about this year's lack of booth babes. We'll be back with normal podcasts soon, but enjoy this final E3 edition, striaght from the noisy floor of the Las Angeles Convention Center, recorded in earshot of Sony and Nintendo.

Get the podcast
 [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3).
[RSS] Add the Engadget Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically (MP3).
[MP3] Download the show (MP3).
[OGG] Download the show (OGG).
[Vote] Vote for us on Podcast Alley!

Host
Ryan Block

Featuring
Joystiq's Chris Grant, Ross Miller, Jennie Lees, and AOL Games' Ben Zackheim

Producer
Randall Bennett

Music
J J J - 'Suits' in Japan

Format
1:02:43, 28.7 MB, MP3

Program
00:00 - Ross Miller
23:40 - Ben Zackheim
 45:14 - Jennie Lees
50:00 - Chris Grant

LISTEN (MP3)
LISTEN (OGG)

Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com

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May 14, 2006

Lower-end PS3 to ship with wired controllers, non-upgradeable HDD?

Filed under: 20gb,Bluetooth,Gaming,HDD,HardDrive,KazHirai,Playstation3,Sony,WiredControllers,consoles,controllers,e3,hard drive,kaz hirai,non-upgradeable,playstation 3,ps3,video games,videogames,wii,wired controllers — Evan Blass @ 12:30 pm

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Besides the disheartening news that the cheaper version of the PlayStation 3 will lack WiFi, a memory card reader, and mosty significantly, an HDMI port, we've now learned that the $500 PS3 may also be shipping with wired, and not wireless, versions of that rumble-less, Wii-like controller. While adding separate Bluetooth controllers would only set you back a few bucks -- if, in fact, the lower-end model actually ends up shipping with BT functionality -- boosting your console's storage capacity in the future may be a non-starter, as Sony reps supposedly told Games Radar that the 20GB hard drive isn't upgradeable. With so many significant differences between the two configurations (and let's not forget the snazzy metallic lettering you get on the $600 models), it's not clear how many consumers are going to agree with Sony's Kaz Hirai that the "crippled" version of the console is a "good value" for them.

[Thanks, J and Ameya T.]
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May 13, 2006

Controller showdown: PlayStation 3 vs Wii

Filed under: MotionSensor,Playstation3,Ps3Controller,WiiController,motion sensor,playstation 3,ps3,ps3 controller,wii,wii controller,wiimote — Ryan Block @ 6:30 pm

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You knew the comparisons were going to be inevitable. Now that we've gotten our mitts on both next-gen consoles' motion-sensing input devices, Nintendo's Wii controller and Sony's PlayStation 3 controller have to go head to head. That's just the way of the world; who are we to question these two born adversaries, destined to square off in a no-holds barred peripheral deathmatch. So, what did we think? Well, you should already have a pretty good idea of how we feel about the Wiimote. But what's up with the PlayStation 3 controller? Two controllers enter, one controller leaves.


Well, we should preface our thoughts by some interesting information we discovered talking to a lead developer at an unnamed publishing house: they discovered about the PS3 controller's motion sensing capabilities just a couple of weeks before E3, which is why we're not at all surprised there was only one motion-sensing capable playable on the floor, Warhawk. Does this last-minute decision point to indecisiveness or lack of direction in Sony's PlayStation group? Not necessarily, but you'd better believe it was a decision made in response to the capabilities of the Wiimote.

Now that we've got that out of the way, we played with the controller in two ways: on Heavenly Sword, which was buttons only and no motion, and in Warhawk, purposefully avoiding the buttons, so as to concentrate only on the translation of movement to game.

The controller itself is markedly light, as Sony lauded it to be. Perhaps this is because they ganked the rumble, perhaps this is because of some optimizations they've made to the hardware. But the result was something that some have described as cheap-feeling, but that we actually think shows foresight. When you're holding that controller out and swinging it around wildly for hours on end, you're not gonna want something that's going to make those atrophied gamer arms of yours buckle. Remember how appealing sounding that 17-inch laptop was when you first got it, but how much you wished it was an ultralight when you actually had to take it somewhere? We're thinking it could be like that.

The loss of rumble in the PS3 controller is definitely causing a fissure amongst the PlayStation fan community. We're sure it has everything to do with the fact that that the last minute addition of accelerometers and gyroscopic sensors nixed the possibility of force feedback (unlike Nintendo's external sensor-based motion system). We're not saying it's impossible they'll add rumble before the PS3 launches, but it doesn't look great if Sony's gonna stick to their current technological implementation.

Everything about using the controller as normal was otherwise status quo. The buttons felt and played like a PS2 controller, and the addition of a mini USB port -- which we're hoping they'll keep -- could mean easy charging, and possibly even use on a PC. The motion control, however, was another story entirely. Whereas the Wiimote seemed to produce different experiences in different games and scenarios, the only title being shown with motion on the PS3 produced one experience: laggy control. The level of sensitivity and correspondence of physical to virtual motion was more or less spot on, everything worked as we'd expected -- it just took a lot longer to register movement than we found acceptable. You'd bank left... then it banked left. Do we see this improving with time? Oh sure, no doubt about it.

We realize both controllers are still technically beta hardware, but if we had to choose based on the what we played with at the show, out the door we're gonna have to vouch for the Wii controller first and foremost. Both worked (in the basic-most sense of the word), and both provided a new level of immersion to gaming. But even assuming both functioned equally well, Nintendo's controller's shape and design proved to be more versatile in lending itself to a wide variety of uses and scenarios in movement-based gaming than did Sony's. The simple fact of the matter is Nintendo designed their controller from the ground up with the intention to play with movement, while Sony merely tacked the ability onto their own already-classic design. Now, if you want to talk about a scenario where you've got a severe button masher of a fighting game that needs a thorough going over on both platforms, you're going to have a completely different answer; but as long as we're talking about these controllers' performance with their newfound functions, we have to tip our hats to Nintendo.
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May 12, 2006

Kutaragi on PS3: it’s too cheap

Filed under: Gaming,HD,Nintendo,Sony,XBox 360,consoles,harrison,hirai,kutagari,microsoft,moore,playstation 3,ps3,revolution,wii — Marc Perton @ 4:13 am

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Lest you thought Sony had managed to put the issue of Playstation 3 pricing behind them with defenses earlier this week by Kaz Hirai and Phil Harrison, Sony Computer Entertainment chief Ken Kutaragi has now weighed in with his verdict. Kutaragi has reportedly stated that the pricing of the PS3 is “probably too cheap,” and he likens the console to a fine dining experience, saying that it’s nonsense “to compare the charge for dinner at the company cafeteria with dinner at a fine restaurant.” Based on what he calls the PS3′s “amazing experience,” he says “we believe price is not a problem.” Meanwhile, Microsoft has responded to the PS3′s pricing with a suggestion that you can eat at both the cafeteria and the fine restaurant by picking up both an Xbox 360 and a Wii. As Xbox head Peter Moore told Reuters, it makes good economic sense to “buy an Xbox and … buy a Wii … for the price of one PS3.” Of course, if you’re really hardcore and well-heeled, you’ll pick up both of those, and grab a PS3 for dessert.

Read: Kutaragi
Read: Moore

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May 11, 2006

Sony continues to play defense over PS3 pricing, HDMI

Filed under: Sony,blu-ray,dvi,hdcp,hdmi,ict,image constraint token,kaz hirai,playstation 3,ps3 — Marc Perton @ 6:02 am

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Somehow, we suspect Sony’s brass are not very happy right now. Instead of spending their time at E3 fielding softball questions about the Playstation 3′s graphics, they’re playing defense, as they continue to face queries about the new console’s pricing and the missing features on the lower-priced version. In an interview with CNN, Sony’s Kaz Hirai said the pricing — $499 for the 20GB PS3 and $599 for the 60GB version — was justified by the inclusion of technologies like the Cell processor and Blu-ray, and added that the “totality” of the product is a “good value for consumers.” Hirai also defended the lack of HDMI on the 20GB PS3, commenting that “there’s not a discernible difference between what you get between HDMI and other forms of high definition.” While that might be the case with current Blu-ray flicks, all movie studios (including Sony Pictures) have reserved the right to implement the Image Constraint Token in future discs, which could force anyone using analog outputs — including owners of the 20GB PS3 — to watch downgraded video. We assume Hirai’s familiar with the issue, so we have to wonder whether his claim that the PS3 is “future-proofed” is just a little bit disingenuous. All it would take is one Blu-ray disc with ICT for owners of 20GB PS3s to realize they’ve been locked out of the future.

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May 8, 2006

Playstation 3: here it is

Filed under: Sony,e3,playstation 3,ps3 — Marc Perton @ 7:59 pm

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We'll do our best to make this tonight's last PS3 post, but we really can't turn the lights out without sharing the first official pic of the Playstation 3 and its new, final, official controller. At least we think this is the final, official controller. And we think this is what the PS3 will really look like. But, hey, a lot can happen between now and November, so don't blame us if this pic ends up in the dustbin of history, when Sony unveils the real PS3.
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Sony Playstation 3 launch details

Filed under: Gaming,Sony,e3,live,playstation,playstation 3 — Marc Perton @ 4:53 pm

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Just in case you didn't manage to catch Sony's E3 presentation, or can't handle scrolling through our liveblog of the event (though we can't imagine why that would be the case), here's what you need to know about the PS3 launch, straight from the conference floor: "Today we're pleased to announce the global PS3 launch details. We will make PS3 available via a two-configuration plan. One with a 60GB HD. And the other with a 20GB hard drive. Japan's date: Nov. 11. In Japan 59,800 Yen. The 60GB PS3 will have an open price which retailers will set. In North America [to launch Nov 17]: 20GB for $499, 60GB for $599. Europe has 20GB for 499 Euro, 60GB for 599 Euro. 2 million to ship worldwide during the launch window. 4 million by end of calendar year 2006. By March 31, 2007 they'll have shipped 6 million worldwide." Any questions? Then start scrolling through the liveblog. You know you want to.
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Engadget & Joystiq’s live coverage of Sony’s PlayStation 3 E3 event

Filed under: Gaming,LiveCoverage,Playstation3,Sony,feature,keynote,live coverage,liveblog,playstation,playstation 3 — Ryan Block @ 1:54 pm

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We're making our way over, stay tuned.
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April 5, 2006

PlayStation VP sez PS3 will cost between 499 and 599 euro

Filed under: Playstation3,Sony,SonyPlaystaion,XBox 360,blu-ray,playstation,playstation 3,ps3,sony playstaion,xbox360 — Paul Miller @ 7:53 am

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src="http://www.engadget.com/media/2006/04/ps3_standing_cg.jpg" />Don’t worry, that faint screaming sound you hear in
the distance is just the sound of a million Sony fanboys. Looks like those rumors of href="http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/18/playstation-3-costs-900-sez-merrill-lynch-mob/">steep href="http://gaming.engadget.com/2006/03/15/ps3-november-delay-official-other-deets-revealed/">PS3 pricing weren’t
so far off after all, since in a radio interview yesterday with Générations Europe, Sony Computer
Entertainment Europe VP George Fornay mentioned that the PS3 will
cost between €499 and €599, which is around $613 and $736 USD. He excused the price with the fact that it’s a
real steal for a Blu-ray playback system, but we’re not so assured. Of course, Europe always gets a little screwed when
it comes to console pricing, with the premium Xbox 360
going for €399 there while it rings up at a mere $399 here. If that logic holds, we might see the PS3 for $499 in
the states, which happens to match up with the current buzz going around the developer community. It’s always possible
that Sony is just throwing out wild and crazy numbers to make us all surprised when the console hits for the regular
$300 Sony price point, but it’s looking less and less likely.

[Via href="http://www.joystiq.com/2006/04/05/scee-vp-says-ps3-will-cost-499-to-599-euros/">Joystiq]

href="http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.playfrance.com%2Fnews%2Fps3-215296249-Infos-PlayStation-3-dans-la-fourchette-des-500-euros.html&langpair=fr%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools">Read:
George Fornay interview
Read: Developers say $499

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