PS3 Madness, the State of Consoles & Digital Entertainment

[John Crichton]

** No, this isn't a thread about people getting beat up and/or shot while waiting in line for a PS3. **


After much internal back and forth I decided to skip the lines and hold off on the PS3. The hassle and money were just too much for a system with no must-have games (just like the 360 & PS2 launches). I really wanted the thing more for the Blu-Ray player than anything else. So what did I do? I picked up the HD-DVD drive for my 360. After reading that it came packed in with King Kong and a remote (not a big deal, but still cool) I was on board for $200. There are some drawbacks that I won't get into to that purchase but I am happy with it overall.

Why? Cuz the video quality is excellent. Yeah, I have a display that isn't huge but the 32" 16:9 Sony CRT still shows the upgrade from DVD. I actually haven't seen King Kong yet but I do own the SE DVD. After comparing the picture and sound from the upscalled HMDI version of the DVD to the HD-DVD I liked what I saw. In the brighter scenes, you could really see the detail of people's faces and clothes. There were no smudges in the video or small pixelations to be found. Don't get me wrong, the upscaled DVD still looks good but not as good as the HD-DVD version. Had it not looked better I would have instantly returned the machine. The menus are also cooler.

So I instantly start looking around online for HD-DVD releases to get my hands on and check the future releases lists as the holiday season is sure to have a bunch of movies from the summer and late last year coming out. Well, that was true but it appears that Blu-Ray has more titles that appeal to me coming out. That is a real let-down and makes me actually regret not getting a PS3 (for the Blu-Ray) a bit just so I don't have to worry about the format war. And no, I'm not willing to drop $1000 on a stand alone player that is just good for movies and no games.

HD-DVD release date list - http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/releasedates.html
HD-DVD's already available - http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/releasedates_historical.html

Blu-Ray release list - http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/releasedates.html
Blu-Ray discs already available - http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/releasedates_historical.html

Click around to see what I mean but it's not a huge deal as tastes vary. While HD-DVD has the current head start and some excellent titles available I can't help but feel that Blu-Ray [BR] is coming on really strong based just on selection. As PS3's become more available (mid-2007, I figure) folks will already have a built-in reason to skew towards BR. I don't have a problem with that as I'll eventually be able to own both formats, but it is a little annoying at present.

Moving on, the Wii hits today (it's Sunday after all) and that's just grand. The new Zelda is getting rave reviews and the new controller by all accounts works excellently with the game. That is exciting but I need to play it first before plunking down the $$ for a new console when I can get the game on a system I've owned for years. The upgraded graphics and widescreen are nice, too and could sway me. All that aside, I can't help but think that this is the same song all over again with Nintendo. Gamers will get their Zelda, Mario, Metroid and a few other exclusive franchises on the Wii while the rest won't be worth it compared to the PS3/360 offerings. I guess it's worth it for Nintendo to pump out a new console every 5 years just so they can have control over the media and controller design but I'm way past sick of the skimpy offerings by comparison.

But, they should absolutely continue to produce excellent handheld products.

I guess I'm just wishing that I didn't have to but a new console just to play ~12 games over a 5 year span.

I want to continue and talk about micro-transactions, interconnectivity and the like for all 3 new consoles but I have little to no exposure to 2 of the 3 systems so that will have to wait. Anyone else thinking about all this "next-gen" stuff and getting just a little agita?

 

[Vigilance]

Well- the Wii has some titles that *I* am interested in, especially Zelda, but also Trauma Center and the Wii Madden.

That said, being the Final Fantasy nut that I am, I am actually considering postponing the Wii "Christmas present to myself" I had slotted into the budget for a Nintendo DS with FF III and Trauma Center.

Hmmm...

 

[trancejeremy]

Personally, I'm hoping to get one of those $100 360s from Amazon.com. Otherwise, I'll probably just start saving up for the PS3.

While the graphics are pretty much the same as far as games go, the PS3's got a lot of extra stuff that is pretty cool. The hard drive support, for one. I've ripped a lot of music videos to my PSP, and it's pretty neat being able to watch them whenever I want, as opposed to having to dig through my DVDs. Being able to run Linux seems to have amazing potential. Region free games, and we're the same region for Blu Ray movies as Japan (which is cool because I am a big fan of Ryuhei Kitamura's movies, which would be unlikely to get released in the US, at least not in Blu Ray.).

And while the launch lineup wasn't exactly great, I thought Resistance looked quite interesting. At least a small twist on the sci-fi/alien invasion FPS, having it set in the Korean war era (early 50s).

Personally, I'm not too impressed with the Wii. I think Nintendo should have just released a waggle add-on for the Gamecube. Pretty much all the launch games were GC ports (except that GT Racing game, which looks like a Saturn port - so much for Far Cry being the ugliest Wii game), and the Wii does really turn out to be a GC with a 50% clockspeed increase (Popular Science took one apart).

(But then again, Nintendo is apparently making money off the Wii at launch, while each PS3 supposedly costs $800-900 to make, which is not really good business sense)

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Personally I'll be avoiding buying a HD-DVD or BR-DVD player until a combo player comes out. According to the last PC World magazine I read (last months) there is a company developing one. But I wont buy right away either. I'll definetely wait till prices drop to the $200 range.

This doesn't mean I am avoiding the new HD Combo releases though, I recently bought the Army of Darkness HD Combo from Amazon.

 

[Bront]

Seeing as how the DS and the Wii can talk to eachother, i'm hoping there will be some games that take advantage of that. If I start seing some, I'll likely upgrade my Gameboy to a DS, but I haven't seen too much that calls for it in my case yet.

As for the Wii power, I only have one TV capable of 480P, and it's not the one I use for the consol, so I realy don't care about that part. I'm not a HUGE gamer, and for the most part, my gaming needs have been met by the game cube or my PC. If I ever feel they're not, I may eventualy pick up a 360 or a PS3, but for the time being, the Wii meets my budget and my interest in gaming.

However, I think games for the Wii have yet to fully evolve. The best ones out there for the controler seem to be Super Monkey Ball and Wii Sports, though Red Steel got a nod for being workable and inovative, but too bad the game itself sucks.

It also looks like the Wii is evolving into a more multi-player friendly system, with games aimed at simplicity and party atmosphere. I'm sure that won't be the only case, but it's what it seems to do best at the moment.

I'm going to get one, and likely sell the old game cube to a Gamestop/EB Games, since I can use the Wii as a GC as well. And I'm hoping it will be a fun little diversion for the family durring Thanksgiving.

 

[3catcircus]

You should've waited and saved your money. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are both DOA. The players are currently outrageously expensive, and since there are two competing standards, you may not be able to get a title in the format you have, unless or until they introduce dual-formatted DVDs.

There is no reason to go and buy the newest bestest new hotness nowadays because whether it is a console, a DVD player, or a video card for a computer, the consumer is nothing more than a beta tester who is payingfor the privelege of doing the company's job of testing their product.

 

[jonathan swift]

Considering the only video game I've played with any regularity lately is Super Smash Bros on the n64, and this is with a 360 and PS2 with FF12 sitting in my living room, I'm definately much more excited about the Wii than the PS3.

It seems as I've gotten older I have less and less time to devote to hardcore single player games, or to playing online against people I don't know. Give me something I can pick up and kill 15 minutes with by myself or give me something I can have friends over and just have silly fun for a few hours over anything either Microsoft or Sony is offering up these days.

 

[Lazybones]

I have absolutely no regret about having committed to this generation early and picked up a 360 last spring. Maybe it's because my previous console was a Sega Genesis, so I missed most of the contemporary game offerings that weren't on the PC. I have never really been into Nintendo's first-party offerings (maybe it dates all the way back to my Genesis over SNES days... setting early brand loyalty?), and it looks like 90% of the PS3 titles are going to be non-exclusive.

Between Gears of War, Ultimate Alliance, NBA2k7, and Oblivion, I am blown away by what my 360 can do. I have mostly played single player thus far; I am looking forward to eventually going on Live Gold and playing with other players. Heck, even XBLA is a great implementation and I spend a lot of time just playing Jewel Quest with music streaming from my server back in the office.

Still, I think that all 3 consoles are good products (though I have issues with Sony for other reasons that aren't specifically related to the PS3), and people should buy whatever plays the games they want to play. Heck buy alll 3, if you can afford them.

I have no interest at all in the next-gen DVD formats. My upscaling DVD player looks awesome to me on my 50" DLP, and while I might be able to detect a better picture from HD or BR disks, what I have now is perfectly acceptable to me. I can't really tell the difference between DVDs and HD broadcasts I pull in over the air.

 

[Arnwyn]

I will eventually be getting all 3 systems (as I have in the past), but none of them for a long time. So far, all the systems are too close to launch (yes, even the 360), which, for me, means universally crappy games. I'm only interested in Gears of War for the 360, Resistance for the PS3, and absolutely nothing for the Wii (Zelda: TP is pre-ordered for my GCN).

Overall, I will likely get the PS3 around the same time as the 360 - probably very late next year. Maybe by then good games will actually be out. Overall, I'm more interested in the PS3, simply because it will have more games of the type that I like to play (read: MGS and JRPGs) [and since I might play online, the PS3 will be cheaper over the life of this gen of consoles].

As for next-gen DVD - screw that. I've experienced HDTV, and it isn't all that (and certainly not for the asking price).

 

[John Crichton]

You should've waited and saved your money. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are both DOA. The players are currently outrageously expensive, and since there are two competing standards, you may not be able to get a title in the format you have, unless or until they introduce dual-formatted DVDs.

The format war stinks but saying that the new discs are DOA is nuts. Studios will still support DVD but the new tech isn't going away any time soon. HD is huge this holiday season and will be even bigger and more affordable next year when prices on the player start to really drop and there is a large library of showcase titles.

There is no reason to go and buy the newest bestest new hotness nowadays because whether it is a console, a DVD player, or a video card for a computer, the consumer is nothing more than a beta tester who is payingfor the privelege of doing the company's job of testing their product.

Or, you could just be someone who likes to spend money and have the newest gear. Some people (not myself) like working through the bugs and being in on the ground level. You may not want to do these things but others do.