What is Sony doing?

[Dragon Knight]

So far we had like 4 different models of the Playstation 3. The 60GB and the 20GB last year at launch. The 60GB priced at $600 while the 20GB was $100 less. Although the 20GB model had been gimped of several of its features that it was barely even worth it. Few months later, Sonly ditched the 20GB model.


Now fast forward to Summer, the 60GB gets a $100 price cut, but we find out that it's just to clear them off the shevles in order to make way for an 80 GB model. All that time people have been saving up for the 60GB model, now they get screwed over by a bigger model priced at the infamous $600.


And recently, Sony announced a 40GB model for the holiday season, priced at $400 and at the same time, cutting the 80GB price by 100.




Now what is all the differences between the models? After looking on wikipedia, here's what I found.




-20GB model lacks Wi-Fi and also lacks the ability to use flash cards.

-40GB model has 2 USB ports instead of 4. Also lacks use of flash cards AND backwards compatibility for PS2 games are completely removed.

-60GB and 80GB are nearly alike (flash cards, 4 USB ports, wi-fi, and allows PS2 games). But the 80GB does not have emotion enginge, a chip used by the PS2. This means that a good portion of the PS2 games aren't compatible.




4 different models in one year? Sony must be really desperate to get sales.

[Symerwizkid22]

Sony sales have been down ever since the later PS2 years to the PS3/PSP era. I'm happy, Sony is terrible and doesnt know how to make a system last at all.

[Dragon Knight]

Yeah, many say their arrogance costed them since they assumed people will gadly go with the PS3 just because of the Sony brand.


Some also worry that Nintendo may follow the same route years later.

[Symerwizkid22]

Yeah, many say their arrogance costed them since they assumed people will gadly go with the PS3 just because of the Sony brand.


Some also worry that Nintendo may follow the same route years later.

Some do, many dont. Nintendo has always put a lot of care into their games because they actually care about the gamer, unlike Sony. Sony was lucky though, because there are so many irrogant people that will buy a video game system because of its graphics or brand. I will buy any Nintendo system though, not because of graphics, but because Nintendo has given me 10 solid years of enjoyment and good games ever since the NES!

[Dragon Knight]

I wasn't talking about low quality games or anything.



PS2, techincally, is the weakest console from the previous generation in terms of graphics, but that didn't matter once Sony started to count their money. Nintendo may have had good quality games, but they lacked 3rd party games during the GC days. Nintedo sticking to cartidges for the N64 costed them and using mini DVDs also turned off many 3rd party companies. Not to mention the useless items that never caught on like the e-reader, GBA to GC link cable, etc.




Nintendo is doing great right now, but they have to still maintain a lot of things to stay on top. Friend code online games won't really last forever with the way its structured, plus LOTS of people hate friend codes. also, 512MB memory for the Wii is not enough and i hope Nintendo won't screw people over by making a bigger Wii that won't allow transfer of data from old wiis.

[Symerwizkid22]

Lacking the 3rd party games did hurt oth Gamecube and N64, but they still sold great. Now that the Wii has a regular DVD drive there might be some more 3rd party games, even with the motion sensor, there should be more 3rd party games.

[Dragon Knight]

Many say 3rd parties will be turned off by motion controls because it's harder to program than consoles with just more power. We'll just wait and see.

[Symerwizkid22]

madden, tiger woods, and many others have done it well, maybe 3rd party developers have stopped beng so lazy and seen new horizons? I hope.

[cheat-master30]

Many say 3rd parties will be turned off by motion controls because it's harder to program than consoles with just more power. We'll just wait and see.

Seems the very major developers aren't put off by it and see it as a useful thing to work the games around. Of course, there are both great uses of motion control and terrible ones... but that's like anything.

[benoit489]

REUTERS - Sony Computer Entertainment has thrown in the towel on its PS3 console. The company announced on Monday that it plans to restructure the company around a possible PlayStation 4 coming sometime after the end of the decade in an attempt to turn the company around after immense losses with the PS3.

"We have decided to stop production and support of the PS3 beginning February 2007," announced an emotional Kazuo Hirai, chief executive officer, at a behind-closed-doors press conference Friday evening. Instead, the company will restructure and focus all of its efforts on researching low-cost options for a possible "PS4".

Poor sales since the start of the generation and a disappointing loss on each PS3 console produced pushed the company to its decision. It sold approximately 6 million consoles worldwide in the period. The majority of those, some 1.7 million, were sold in North America. In contrast, Nintendo Corporation sold an estimated 13 million of its Wii consoles in approximately the same time period.

To speed disposal of the PS3 consoles, Sony says it will slash North American retail prices by half. Starting December 14, the cheapest PS3 SKU will retail at a starting price $200, down from its current $400.

Possible PS4 Remount

With a new focus on a possible PlayStation 4, Sony will move to become a platform-independent software maker in the interim, it says, supplying games for the consoles of its previous rivals--Nintendo's Wii and Microsoft's Xbox 360. It is not clear whether the PSP will be affected.

The plan also includes a move into games for personal computers in the interim, although potential games were not discussed Friday.

Sony is moving fast to implement its new plan. It said Friday it is already in talks with its competitors for the distribution of new IPs and some spinoffs of already existing IPs

Sony expects to begin marketing its first game for the Xbox 360 game system from March this year and is planning to produce at least two other games for the system this year. Also under development are four games for the Wii, including a version of the hit game "Lair".

Despite its decision to close PS3 production, Sony is not burying the system architecture. It announced Friday a plan to build the PS4 architecture around some elements of the PS3 and is also looking to work with other companies in making the PS4 system much more cost effective. In part to serve this market and its existing customers, Sony has plans to finish production on all titles currently in development for the PS3. A projected PlayStation 4 would hit the market at the end of the current gaming generation.

Sony also intends to focus on network gaming. Sony has built network support into the PS3 since it was first launched and Sony said that it plans to keep the PlayStation Network servers operational.

Sony Computer Entertainment President Kazuo Hirai bet heavily on the PS3 when he launched it in late 2006 and will himself pay dearly for its failure to make money for Sony. Hirai will give $732 million of his own stock in the company to Sony to help the struggling company.

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/SCE-calling-it-quits-PS3-discontinued.com

[Symerwizkid22]

I have also read something very similar to that benoit.
did you get it from ign>

[caprontos]

Yeah, many say their arrogance costed them since they assumed people will gadly go with the PS3 just because of the Sony brand.


Some also worry that Nintendo may follow the same route years later.

Some do, many dont. Nintendo has always put a lot of care into their games because they actually care about the gamer, unlike Sony. Sony was lucky though, because there are so many irrogant people that will buy a video game system because of its graphics or brand. I will buy any Nintendo system though, not because of graphics, but because Nintendo has given me 10 solid years of enjoyment and good games ever since the NES!
I buy games systems to play the games that I like that are for it haha :P I do planed to get the 60gb PS3 eventuly along with a wii.. I don't know about Xbox 360 since it still has only one game I'd even want..

[benoit489]

I have also read something very similar to that benoit.
did you get it from ign>

No, someone posted it at Non-Stop Gaming at GameFAQs. I thought it was pretty clever. Completely fake, but still pretty good.

[Symerwizkid22]

I buy games systems to play the games that I like that are for it haha :P I do planed to get the 60gb PS3 eventuly along with a wii.. I don't know about Xbox 360 since it still has only one game I'd even want..

errm... sony crushed my hopes of ever getting a ps3 because A. no games and B. psp SUCKS!... and psp and ps3 go hand in hand. sony has always made the problem of not being able to make good systems, but good games.

the following are based on the system, not the games:
PS1= great
ps2=good, some glitches, a lot of freezing
psp=terrible controls, 1 analog, buttons break easy, overheats, etc....
ps3=no good games, FROZE AT E3!!!!:):):)

[cheat-master30]

I thought it was third parties which made their great games?

[Symerwizkid22]

some.
but socom is sony, jak and daxter are part sony, part something else [free radical?], etc.

[Dr.Aaron]

the following are based on the system, not the games:
PS1= great
ps2=good, some glitches, a lot of freezing
psp=terrible controls, 1 analog, buttons break easy, overheats, etc....
ps3=no good games, FROZE AT E3!!!!:):):)

lol wut?

Anyway, I'm pretty sure God of war was a first party game if my memory serves correctly.

[Symerwizkid22]

yeah GOW is.
and the ps3 froze at E3'06!!!!
uQdUGzkXK90
LOL!
GMVoaHTWFDs

[cheat-master30]

Funny that the console is already reduced to a doorstop for any practical use.

[Symerwizkid22]

Funny that the console is already reduced to a doorstop for any practical use.

I have heard of this also. Some people wont even sell it used because they don't want anyone else to deal with it's *terrible-ness*. Also, so Sony has to make more and lose more money,:)

[Soopahsonic]

yeah GOW is.
and the ps3 froze at E3'06!!!!
uQdUGzkXK90
LOL!


Haha. That didn't happen on the 360 version. Playstation 3 sucks donkey nuts.

[benoit489]

The PS3 at my Target is always frozen. I did get to play it once and I thought it was a pretty good system, the price is just too high.

[Symerwizkid22]

The PS3 at my Target is always frozen. I did get to play it once and I thought it was a pretty good system, the price is just too high.

Why buy it if you cant ay it all the time because it always freezes. Honestly.



Haha. That didn't happen on the 360 version. Playstation 3 sucks donkey nuts.
True that!

[cheat-master30]

Something that always freezes is not a good deal.

[Symerwizkid22]

Hmm... something that ways freezes... sound like PS3,PSP, and sometimes PS2.

[cheat-master30]

You forgot the numerous rubbish games like Big Rigs...

[Symerwizkid22]

Ha I watched that video, and it was seriosuly the worst game ive ever seen

[benoit489]

You guys also forgot the Wii. Mine freezes every time I play Red Steel, and then it'll randomly freeze when I play other games. I get a black screen that says there's been an error and the system needs to be shut down, but it doesn't respond to the Wiimote or me actually hitting/holding the off button. I usually have to pull the plug. Supposedly if you get this screen it means your Wii will brick in about a month, but its been doing this since I got it in June.