Which Console? Part 2!

[myk]

Dunno if anyone read this, but the PS3 games are region free http://ps3.ign.com/articles/697/697656p1.html

386974[/snapback]

Great!!

386978[/snapback]

One system too late, although I'm sure a Macross title for the '3 will be in the works...

[Radd]

It might have 480p, but I think it's a bad move not to have full HD.  Almost all my GC games have 480p, and they look great, as opposed to my PS2, which has about 0.

387018[/snapback]

We'll see. I just doubt most people will have HDTV until the end of this new console generation. Sure, the people that do have HDTV will want to take advantage of it, but for the price and unique gameplay aspects it might still be worth it to some of them to get a Revolution.

Marketing-wise, I do think it might hurt Nintendo. I remember having tons of friends with the Sega Genesis as a kid. One of their big arguments that the Genesis was better than the SNES was the Sega CD. Only one of them had a Sega CD and never got more than Sewer Shark for it. I imagine even the majority of gamers without an HDTV set will tout the PS3 and 360's HDTV resolution support as a point of superiority.

[Gaijin]

Dunno if anyone read this, but the PS3 games are region free http://ps3.ign.com/articles/697/697656p1.html

386974[/snapback]

Yup, in the old thread.

[Wes]

It might have 480p, but I think it's a bad move not to have full HD.  Almost all my GC games have 480p, and they look great, as opposed to my PS2, which has about 0.

387018[/snapback]

We'll see. I just doubt most people will have HDTV until the end of this new console generation. Sure, the people that do have HDTV will want to take advantage of it, but for the price and unique gameplay aspects it might still be worth it to some of them to get a Revolution.

Marketing-wise, I do think it might hurt Nintendo. I remember having tons of friends with the Sega Genesis as a kid. One of their big arguments that the Genesis was better than the SNES was the Sega CD. Only one of them had a Sega CD and never got more than Sewer Shark for it. I imagine even the majority of gamers without an HDTV set will tout the PS3 and 360's HDTV resolution support as a point of superiority.

387049[/snapback]

Look at Walmart, entry-level HDTV (30" CRT) is getting cheaper and cheaper. For those who are willing to pay PS3's premium, the sets will not cost much more than the system at launch.

[Zentrandude]

Maybe computers should follow the console principle..

Sometimes I get irritated buying stuff that supposed to met quality requirments but does NOT.

I read an article on the web about some snes games with extra chips inside the gamecartridge to get specific 2d effects. I don't see that going happen with CD's... too bad.

386841[/snapback]

Well I agree and disagree with it. If it was possible to do that without upgrading the base system im all for it.

But then again they been talking about console game devolpers losing tons of money and firing their programmers due to poor sells since 75 percent of new games are either spin off or sequals of other games. seems at this moment of time PC multiplayer games is the fad with WOW with 6million active subscribers.

[Radd]

Look at Walmart, entry-level HDTV (30" CRT) is getting cheaper and cheaper.  For those who are willing to pay PS3's premium, the sets will not cost much more than the system at launch.

387077[/snapback]

The sets are coming down, sure, but they're still expensive. Also, it's not logical to look at it as, "Well, if they're willing to buy a PS3, then they'd be willing to spend more than twice as much for a PS3 plus an HDTV to go with it."

But hey, maybe I'm wrong. It's entirely possible that, for whatever reason, by the PS3 launch everyone will have an HDTV.

[Zentrandude]

maybe in metropoulous areas, but it will be many years till majority has hdtv. I sure some of older people still have a black and white boob tube somewhere.

[Kin]

I'm sure hdtv gaming is cool, btw I will always hate the guy who invented widescreen.

[Radd]

That would be Mother Nature, or God, or any number of religious creation figures depending on what you, personally, believe.

Try to find the very edges of your vision. That's right, people naturally see in "widescreen", much wider than most widescreen movies even. It's more natural to the human eye to view action this way, which is why most movies are filmed this way.

What, exactly, do you dislike about widescreen?

[chrono]

maybe in metropoulous areas, but it will be many years till majority has hdtv.  I sure some of older people still have a black and white boob tube somewhere.

387088[/snapback]

Well they better because the signals change over pretty soon! Anyways I kinda pity the people who have HD and get the Rev with it's lower resolution, because they are either gonna be switching back and forth between screen ratio's all the time or will have an ugly black ring around their screen.

[Ladic]

Does the High-Def Cable of the Xbox work with the Xbox 360?

Also, Gamestop will give u $80 credit for an xbox 360 when u turn in your old xbox

[JB0]

What, exactly, do you dislike about widescreen?

If I had to bet... pillarboxing of 4:3 sources.

maybe in metropoulous areas, but it will be many years till majority has hdtv.  I sure some of older people still have a black and white boob tube somewhere.

387088[/snapback]

Well they better because the signals change over pretty soon! Anyways I kinda pity the people who have HD and get the Rev with it's lower resolution, because they are either gonna be switching back and forth between screen ratio's all the time or will have an ugly black ring around their screen.

387129[/snapback]

A. There ARE 4:3 HD modes.

B. Letter/pillar-boxing isn't that ugly. People are just obsessed with having full screen coverage.

Which is why TV manufacturers make sets with absurdly high overscan. It guarantees no one will see any evil unused screen, regardless of how off they ship the sets.

[Radd]

I still run into people who complain, quite seriously, that they hate letterbox versions of movies because "they cut off the top and bottom of the picture!"

[JB0]

I still run into people who complain, quite seriously, that they hate letterbox versions of movies because "they cut off the top and bottom of the picture!"

387166[/snapback]

*laughs*

[Ladic]

does anyone know where I can dowload the rom of the game World War 3 for sega cd? (the us version)

[Twoducks]

does anyone know where I can dowload the rom of the game World War 3 for sega cd? (the us version)

387265[/snapback]

If you mean "Third World War" then I know of a site that has it. Don't know if posting it goes against the forum rules so I'll PM you the link.

[JB0]

does anyone know where I can dowload the rom of the game World War 3 for sega cd? (the us version)

387265[/snapback]

No.

I know where to download a disk image, though.

ROM doesn't mean "pirated software"

[mikeszekely]

Anyways I kinda pity the people who have HD and get the Rev with it's lower resolution, because they are either gonna be switching back and forth between screen ratio's all the time or will have an ugly black ring around their screen.

If your TV's any good, it'll do that automatically.

[Gaijin]

Does the High-Def Cable of the Xbox work with the Xbox 360?

No.

[Ladic]

thanks for info

[Apollo Leader]

PS3 for a little over $600 (500 Euros)?

Once again, Sony's European arm spills some more beans on the PS3. I would have to say right now that the PS3 at a minimum is going to retail in the US for $499.99 or greater.

[JB0]

PS3 for a little over $600 (500 Euros)?

Once again, Sony's European arm spills some more beans on the PS3.  I would have to say right now that the PS3 at a minimum is going to retail in the US for $499.99 or greater.

388191[/snapback]

And people wonder why anyone would think Sony's in trouble...

[Gaijin]

You'll know for sure on Monday May 8 since that's Sony's pre-E3 conference (Or Wednesday if they decide to hold price until after MS and Nintendo's conferences, though so far that hasn't come up).

[JB0]

You'll know for sure on Monday May 8 since that's Sony's pre-E3 conference (Or Wednesday if they decide to hold price until after MS and Nintendo's conferences, though so far that hasn't come up).

388210[/snapback]

Typically, the game industry uses a 1:1 exchange rate for USD-Euro prices.

It's part of why Europe just isn't a signifigant part of the market.

If they get in a price war with the Rev, they're screwed. Period.

[chrono]

Nobody is gonna be in a price war with the Rev. Nintendo can easly bring it out at around 200-275. Both Xbox and PS have been losing consoles money-wise for years.

Not really liking what Nintendo's doing with thier lack of news though it could because of the upcoming E3. Hope they have some good online multi-player, especally with that sword game they have coming out!

[JB0]

Nobody is gonna be in a price war with the Rev. Nintendo can easly bring it out at around 200-275. Both Xbox and PS have been losing consoles money-wise for years.

Later revisions of the PS2 have turned a profit.

But MS and Sony DID get in a price war with the GameCube, sort of.

They kept their prices 50$ above the 'Cube. Nintendo's "ZOMG KIDDIE!1111" reputation meant they didn't have to price-match, but they couldn't let the 'Cube get too far ahead, or they became "overpriced."

Not really liking what Nintendo's doing with thier lack of news though it could because of the upcoming E3. Hope they have some good online multi-player, especally with that sword game they have coming out!

388228[/snapback]

Yes. We need news!

The scary part is this is downright talkative for Nintendo. Historically, they've acted like everything's a classified need-to-know kill-if-it's-leaked secret of the utmost importance.

[mikeszekely]

Nobody is gonna be in a price war with the Rev. Nintendo can easly bring it out at around 200-275. Both Xbox and PS have been losing consoles money-wise for years.

Later revisions of the PS2 have turned a profit.

But MS and Sony DID get in a price war with the GameCube, sort of.

They kept their prices 50$ above the 'Cube. Nintendo's "ZOMG KIDDIE!1111" reputation meant they didn't have to price-match, but they couldn't let the 'Cube get too far ahead, or they became "overpriced."

Another important factor to remember is that while the PS2 console itself was initially sold at a loss, the Computer Entertainment division of Sony was still profitable. And, right now, most of Sony's other divisions aren't. So, while Microsoft can lose more money than some countries' annual GDP on the the Xbox/360, figuring they'll make it back through Windows and what not, Sony can't afford to lose too much money on hardware.... SCE's profits make up for the money their losing on televisions.

Nintendo, mind you, is sitting pretty right now. The Revolution could be a spectacular failure (which I doubt), costing Nintendo millions... and they'll make it all back on the DS, which is apparently like some kind of license to print yen in Japan right now.

[David Hingtgen]

My first act as Vice-Mod was to delete mike's double-post.

My second act is to butt in with a semi OT post

Anyways---I am now set to buy a 360 as soon as I find one. Whenever that is. (Still haven't seen one around here)

So---still looking at HDTV's. Since I am definitely of the "prefer CRT over LCD image" camp and due to location/size demands it must be in the under 30in category, that limits it to a pretty small selection. (If 25in plasmas existed, that's what I'd like) The Samsung TX-R2678WH (26in 16:9) seems to have everything (QAM tuner, HDMI) and amazingly, almost no one complains about it at the A/V forums! But it is now almost impossible to find--I seem to have missed BestBuy's massive clearance of them in January. And I won't buy one online---TV's are the most "quirky and individual" of all electronics, I need to be able to buy locally and return/trade/swap as needed.

So currently waiting to see how the Toshiba 26HF66 is. Should be out in a few weeks, and has basically everything. However, I think it's just a minor update of the 26HF85, which (like every TV) has a lot of haters on the A/V forums. 26in CRT HDTV's seem really dead---the Samsung I like is the last one they made, this is likely Toshiba's final 26in.

Part of the reason I'd like to get an HDTV now is that what I like/want (small CRT HDTV) is being phased out---it;s buy one now or never, and unless there's one HECK of a breakthrough really soon, no LCD will be acceptable to me nor will plasma be small enough----and I don't expect to see small SED this decade. Plus the price issue. A good 26in LCD is about 3x the cost of a 26in CRT.

PS--somewhat worried about lag, as it seems all HDTV's, even CRT, don't upscale from 480i very quickly, and I have a lot of PS2 playing to do until the PS3 gets here.

PPS--to make this relevant, we could discuss how the PS3 and 360 are hyping HD resolution so much that it's driving TV sales, and now every gamer in the world is a so-called HD expert, whom spend 90% of their time discussing "LCD 8ms response time vs DLP screen door effect"

[JB0]

Nobody is gonna be in a price war with the Rev. Nintendo can easly bring it out at around 200-275. Both Xbox and PS have been losing consoles money-wise for years.

Later revisions of the PS2 have turned a profit.

But MS and Sony DID get in a price war with the GameCube, sort of.

They kept their prices 50$ above the 'Cube. Nintendo's "ZOMG KIDDIE!1111" reputation meant they didn't have to price-match, but they couldn't let the 'Cube get too far ahead, or they became "overpriced."

Another important factor to remember is that while the PS2 console itself was initially sold at a loss, the Computer Entertainment division of Sony was still profitable. And, right now, most of Sony's other divisions aren't. So, while Microsoft can lose more money than some countries' annual GDP on the the Xbox/360, figuring they'll make it back through Windows and what not, Sony can't afford to lose too much money on hardware.... SCE's profits make up for the money their losing on televisions.

Nintendo, mind you, is sitting pretty right now. The Revolution could be a spectacular failure (which I doubt), costing Nintendo millions... and they'll make it all back on the DS, which is apparently like some kind of license to print yen in Japan right now.

388285[/snapback]

As I understand things, Nintendo is one of the most profitable entertainment companies on Earth.

If I recall the last numbers I saw, in terms of software companies they posted profits greater than the #2 and #3 slots combined.

It's amazing how everyone glosses that over.

Last year everyone was going on about how Nintendo's profits were down 80% and such. Everyone ran around chattering about how it was proof Nintendo was doomed and Sony or MS was going to buy them out, while ignoring the fact that Nintendo was posting a profit while MS' game division and Sony as a whole were posting losses.

I'm not sure if it was more funny or sad.

[Gaijin]

My first act as Vice-Mod was to delete mike's double-post. 

My second act is to butt in with a semi OT post 

Anyways---I am now set to buy a 360 as soon as I find one.  Whenever that is.  (Still haven't seen one around here)

So---still looking at HDTV's.  Since I am definitely of the "prefer CRT over LCD image" camp and due to location/size demands it must be in the under 30in category, that limits it to a pretty small selection. (If 25in plasmas existed, that's what I'd like) The Samsung TX-R2678WH  (26in 16:9) seems to have everything (QAM tuner, HDMI) and amazingly, almost no one complains about it at the A/V forums!  But it is now almost impossible to find--I seem to have missed BestBuy's massive clearance of them in January.  And I won't buy one online---TV's are the most "quirky and individual" of all electronics, I need to be able to buy locally and return/trade/swap as needed. 

So currently waiting to see how the Toshiba 26HF66 is.  Should be out in a few weeks, and has basically everything.  However, I think it's just a minor update of the 26HF85, which (like every TV) has a lot of haters on the A/V forums.    26in CRT HDTV's seem really dead---the Samsung I like is the last one they made, this is likely Toshiba's final 26in.   

Part of the reason I'd like to get an HDTV now is that what I like/want (small CRT HDTV) is being phased out---it;s buy one now or never, and unless there's one HECK of a breakthrough really soon, no LCD will be acceptable to me nor will plasma be small enough----and I don't expect to see small SED this decade.  Plus the price issue.  A good 26in LCD is about 3x the cost of a 26in CRT. 

PS--somewhat worried about lag, as it seems all HDTV's, even CRT, don't upscale from 480i very quickly, and I have a lot of PS2 playing to do until the PS3 gets here. 

PPS--to make this relevant, we could discuss how the PS3 and 360 are hyping HD resolution so much that it's driving TV sales, and now every gamer in the world is a so-called HD expert, whom spend 90% of their time discussing "LCD 8ms response time vs DLP screen door effect"

388297[/snapback]

Actually, it's rainbows with DLP's and screen doors with LCD's.

Lag is a non issue with some, and somewhat noticeable on others.

Best case for you would be to see how it is in store...heck, take a PS2 with you to try if you have to. I've seen the Tosh 30's but never had any experience with the 26 inchers. Lots of people like the Samsung slim-fits but I've only seen a store demo one and it was not calibrated at all and running a DVD player through composite with stretched 4:3 material.

The Tosh 85 you mentioned got a lot of bad rap...not sure how the new one would stack up.

Panny LCD's: no lag with PS2 or any current consoles btw, at least no game that I have ever seen, including 2D fighting.

[Gaijin]

PS3 for a little over $600 (500 Euros)?

Once again, Sony's European arm spills some more beans on the PS3.  I would have to say right now that the PS3 at a minimum is going to retail in the US for $499.99 or greater.

388191[/snapback]

Ok, we've heard an accurate translation of the interview now...he doesn't actually even mention a price, only repeats what media and publications in Europe speculating the price could be.

Edit: He even issued a statement to the press debunking what they took out of context. Wait till May 8th. You'll all feel better.

Edited April 6, 2006 by Gaijin

[bandit29]

As I understand things, Nintendo is one of the most profitable entertainment companies on Earth. 

Ya Nintendo is doing fine. Thanks to the DS and few other things.

Nintendo annual profits biggest since 2001

IMO they still need more 3rd party support to get me interested. They obviously don't need it though.

[Loner]

Nintendo, mind you, is sitting pretty right now.  The Revolution could be a spectacular failure (which I doubt), costing Nintendo millions... and they'll make it all back on the DS, which is apparently like some kind of license to print yen in Japan right now.

388285[/snapback]

You got that right.

[bandit29]

TOKYO - The new head of Microsoft's Japanese video-game business expressed determination Thursday to make the    Xbox 360 a success in Japan, where the console has struggled, by more than tripling the number of games it offers by the end of the year.

Microsoft to Triple Xbox Titles in Japan

[mikeszekely]

My first act as Vice-Mod

Hey, congrats!

was to delete mike's double-post.

D'oh!

I've been having weird browser issues lately. Firefox suddenly stopped displaying Flash objects and switched all my settings back to the default. I uninstalled then reinstalled both Flash Player and Firefox, and the problem is yet to be resolved. Likewise, both Firefox and IE have been prone to crashing randomly. My double-post was probably related to my browser issues.

Anyway, back on-topic, I really think Sony's in a weird position. They dominate the home console market, and everyone and their mother is going to buy a PS3 simply because it has the PlayStation logo. But at the same time, of the three, Sony is the company that's in the worst position right now. Like I said, the Revolution could be a flop (which I doubt), and they will still turn plenty of profit. Microsoft will continue to lose money on the Xbox, but that'll be a drop in the bucket to them. But Sony needs to find a price point where they can sell PS3s competetively without losing too much money on hardware. Since Sony pulled a 180 on the hard drive issue, which is going to drive the price up, I have a feeling that the PS3 is going to end up $499 (dollars, not Euros). Anything more, and the gap between it and the other consoles is too great. Any less, and Sony will likely be taking too big a hit.

More random speculation? I think Sony may end up increasing their licensing fees, to try to recoup some money from third parties that they'll be losing on hardware.