Xbox Achievements How do these addictive little things work?

@MikeB

Microsoft finally announced the Kinect pricing -- $150 and includes Kinect Adventure. The bundle with the new arcade is $300.

Microsoft announced the new Arcade. Matte instead of gloss and 4GB Flashdrive built in. Also, it does include the N wireless adapter. One can still use 16GB Memory sticks for further memory expansion.

Kinect enabled games are in the Wii $50/game area rather than the $60-$70 PS3 and 360 area.

@MikeB

Sony loves them some 720p...

"Sony representative Simon Benson announced that games that run at 1080p resolution will be downscaled in 3D mode -- per eye -- to 720p.
...
Benson stated that although the PS3 has the capability of displaying a 1080p image, a resolution higher than 720p has been restricted because Sony contends that a higher frame rate would impact the quality of viewing
...
A true 1080p image consists of 2M individual pixels, about twice the amount shown in a 720p image. Benson added that even trained computer graphic artist could barely tell the difference between resolutions."
Interesting.. Sony's representative now admits that even thought twice the info is shown few can tell the difference.

Benson goes on to say. "..that online gamers with a 3D TV may have a competitive advantage over those playing on HD sets
..
He also stated that 3D can have the effect of making games more accessible for inexperienced players.
" Great, so Sony now is ensuring a competitive advantage to gamers who play in 3D. Perhaps it'll be easier for the N00B with the 3DTV to beat the experienced player with a HDTV? PS3 owners dump your HDTV now lest you be beaten more often. Planned obsolence at it's worst, IMO.

@BrianK

Quote:

BrianK wrote: @MikeB Microsoft finally announced the Kinect pricing -- $150 and includes Kinect Adventure. The bundle with the new arcade is $300. Microsoft announced the new Arcade. Matte instead of gloss and 4GB Flashdrive built in. Also, it does include the N wireless adapter. One can still use 16GB Memory sticks for further memory expansion. Kinect enabled games are in the Wii $50/game area rather than the $60-$70 PS3 and 360 area.

Clearly this is targetted at casuals as the system is missing a hard drive. Yes, 4GB flash ram is enough to serve the needs of casuals, I do believe.

The hardcore gamer will pass on Kinect.
I think it's time for Nintendo to lower the cost of it's controllers in order to avoid price comparisons when 4 players are involved.

Releasing the rumored RVL-036 controller (integrating WiiMotion Plus) would be a good start.

I'd also like to see Wii upgraded with 802.11n and 4GB of flash... Perhaps we'll hear more from Nintendo at TGS.

http://www.next-gen.biz/news/sony-patents-reveal-3d-screen-sharing

This is another "how much money can we try to get our customers to spend in the livingroom" patent. Notice the 2 PS3's in the back.

...and yet another set of glasses, only with earbuds for extra fashionable je ne sais quo.

One of the points in this discussion is how important is Blu-Ray. Sony/PS3 fans see this as a win. Myself I see it as a short lived, and likely last, physical media.

Writing was on the wall with music. Lower quality iTunes and MP3 won over higher quality DVDA and SACD.

Books -- appear to be on the decline. Amazon announced they now sell more electronic books than physical books.

DVD/Blu-Ray. We see the bankrupcy of Blockbuster. Netflix now does Canada, but no physical media only online videos. Redbox, a DVD/Blu-Ray rental company, is now moving into online videos. DVD sales continue to decrease. Blu-Ray sales are increasing. It seems to be taking over for DVD as DVD+Blu-Ray sales continue to be below what DVD sales were. Now Ultraviolent is announced which is a portable online priorities from Microsoft and Sony, along with other companies...

Blu-Ray- I still put money on this is the last physical media for movies. Seems to me an increasing probability that it won't recover DVD sales before online takes over.

@Lou

Quote:

Clearly this is targetted at casuals as the system is missing a hard drive. Yes, 4GB flash ram is enough to serve the needs of casuals, I do believe.

Pricing, games, and console appears to be aimed at casuals. 4GB Flash is enough for several save games and patches.

When I look at my friend's PS3 and 360 it appears that hardcore gamers don't need much space. A few save games and patches. One's with 20GB 360 drives get by just fine with about 8GB used. The one's with Elites tend to use the space to either copy the DVD to the HDD or more frequently store music and video content.

Even as a 'hardcore' gamer I may get a connect. Though the reason's aren't hardcore. First for the fun of controllerless interfacing with the console. The second is my 4 year old is more likely to use something like that. So, still a casual usage.

Wii? Nice console, with what I have I don't need more. The GoldenEye statment I saw was that it'll be the same game with upgraded graphics. Is that the case?

@BrianK

Quote:

BrianK wrote: @Lou Quote: Clearly this is targetted at casuals as the system is missing a hard drive. Yes, 4GB flash ram is enough to serve the needs of casuals, I do believe. Pricing, games, and console appears to be aimed at casuals. 4GB Flash is enough for several save games and patches. When I look at my friend's PS3 and 360 it appears that hardcore gamers don't need much space. A few save games and patches. One's with 20GB 360 drives get by just fine with about 8GB used. The one's with Elites tend to use the space to either copy the DVD to the HDD or more frequently store music and video content. Even as a 'hardcore' gamer I may get a connect. Though the reason's aren't hardcore. First for the fun of controllerless interfacing with the console. The second is my 4 year old is more likely to use something like that. So, still a casual usage. Wii? Nice console, with what I have I don't need more. The GoldenEye statment I saw was that it'll be the same game with upgraded graphics. Is that the case?

Yes, 4GB and the 16GB card should do the trick. I'm sure a 32GB one will eventually be released.

Re:Golden Eye:
Yes, same game with 2 extra levels, more polygons (textures don't look much better though except on *new* levels). Even 4 player-split screen.

@BrianK

I've used up most of the 80GB hard drive in my PS3. I've bought quite a few games and expansion packs from the PSN store though.

_________________

US 2010 Top Ten Individual Platform Sales from January–June:

1. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)
2. Pokemon SoulSilver (DS)
3. Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360)
4. God of War III (PS3)
5. Wii Fit Plus w/ Balance Board (Wii)
6. Wii Sports Resort w/ Wii Motion Plus (Wii)
7. Pokemon HeartGold (DS)
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)
9. Just Dance (Wii)
10. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

@BrianK

http://www.next-gen.biz/news/uk-xbox-360-sales-up-1000-last-weekend

That's 10x!
Time to re-adjust predictions on when the PS3 surpasses the 360 in sales worldwide because the tide has definitely turned.

@Lou

Quote:

That's 10x! Time to re-adjust predictions on when the PS3 surpasses the 360 in sales worldwide because the tide has definitely turned.

In previous posts I wondered what the 360 could have done had the RRoD not been an issue. Redesigned motherboard, case, CPU, and power supply appears to be a win, at least in the short term, for the 360.

Even if the effect is short lived it looks to push sales higher until the Christmas season starts, which is even higher sales. Fall brings Halo:Reach. A bit later brings Kinect... It looks to me the 360 just started their upswing, that consoles see for Christmas, about 3 months early.

And yes the PS3 over taking by the end of 2010, as predicted by some here, looks to be even less likely.

@BrianK

Quote:

And yes the PS3 over taking by the end of 2010, as predicted by some here, looks to be even less likely.

Microsoft seem to have both solved the RRoD problem with the new CPU/GPU hybrid chip and released an attractive glossy model

Most people put up with the cheap looking Slim PS3 because of its size reduction and features but it sure doesn't look as good as the new XBox 360!! Since the PS3 Slim didn't re-introduce backwards compatibility the XBox has a clear winning strategy now! I was toying with getting an old 60gb PS3 on eBay but they are really old now and run really hot! Other than Kinect's high price M$ have got the PS3 beaten into third place for sure in Europe and America.

M$ attack Sony ferociously!

Last edited by BigD on 22-Jul-2010 at 09:52 AM.
Last edited by BigD on 22-Jul-2010 at 09:49 AM.

_________________
"Art challenges technology. Technology inspires the art."
John Lasseter, Co-Founder of Pixar Animation Studios

@BigD

Quote:

an attractive glossy model

It appears the Arcade will be an attractive matte model. Specialized consoles look to be another area changed. There is a silver Halo:Reach version coming. I think it's fairly said Microsoft is only making the new console.


Quote:

M$ attack Sony ferociously!

Microsoft entertainment revenue is up 30% for the last quarter. Though the write-off for the Kin pushed the division into the red.

It appears the seven, 7, US lawsuits against Sony for false advertising, bait and switch, whatever you want to call removing Linux, have been combined by the courts into a single class action lawsuit. The case is supposed to happen in Sept of this year. Though these things rarely hurt the corporation. I suspect Sony will settle and send out coupons for a discount on a future game purchase. I highly doubt that Sony will restore the function, which is what should happen.

Last edited by BrianK on 23-Jul-2010 at 10:25 PM.

Sony fails to support the original 3D standard. Go figure.

Earlier in the HDTV sets there were 3DTVs. They were DLP sets done with a checkerboard pattern. The device outputting the content must be compatible with the checkerboard pattern. Then the Samsung and Mitsubishi 3D-DLP TV can output 3D. Most, but not all Blu-Ray players, can do this.

The PS3 cannot. Seems to me Sony wasn't part of the original standard and there's a new standard. It makes sense for Sony's bottom line to ignore 3DTV it didn't do for 3DTV, read future sales, it does do.

One plus of the older 3DTV style is your glasses work on all sets manufactured to the standard. This means Samsung glasses work on Mitsubishi sets. This isn't true with the new standard, which has each vendor implementing their own 'lock' since their glasses won't work on all other sets.

Sony seems to like formats it controls. Slow and expensive memory sticks anyone?

@BrianK

Quote:

BrianK wrote: Sony fails to support the original 3D standard. Go figure. Earlier in the HDTV sets there were 3DTVs. They were DLP sets done with a checkerboard pattern. The device outputting the content must be compatible with the checkerboard pattern. Then the Samsung and Mitsubishi 3D-DLP TV can output 3D. Most, but not all Blu-Ray players, can do this. The PS3 cannot. Seems to me Sony wasn't part of the original standard and there's a new standard. It makes sense for Sony's bottom line to ignore 3DTV it didn't do for 3DTV, read future sales, it does do. One plus of the older 3DTV style is your glasses work on all sets manufactured to the standard. This means Samsung glasses work on Mitsubishi sets. This isn't true with the new standard, which has each vendor implementing their own 'lock' since their glasses won't work on all other sets. Sony seems to like formats it controls. Slow and expensive memory sticks anyone?

I believe ~5 pages back I said there may be a 3D format war...

This guy doesn't think too highly of PS3's 3D games thus far:
http://kotaku.com/5593762/the-good-3d-the-bad-and-the-nauseating
Loved the 3DS' 3D...

On a brighter note for Sony, they finally had a profitable quarter.

Nintendo posted a quarterly loss.

http://www.next-gen.biz/news/nintendo-posts-%C2%A3184-million-q1-loss

Who would have thunk it?

So the results of the latest quarters of Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are now available.

The PS3 performed very well seeing a 118% increase of hardware sales worldwide compared to the same quarter last year. The PS2 and PSP hardware sales remained remarkably steady compared to last year.

The PS2 outsold the XBox 360 by 100K last quarter and the PS3 outsold the XBox 360 by about 900K hardware units for this period. So the official hardware gap reduced further to only 3.6 million last quarter (1 year headstart for Japan/North America and more holiday seasons for the rest of the world).

PS3 software sales also dramatically increased compared to last year (when the PS3 retail software outsold XBox 360 software despite its headstart on hardware install base). Software sales increased from 14.8 million PS3 software sales to 24.8 million PS3 software sales.

Interesting for investors is that Sony is performing well with their earnings compared to the other game console makers last quarter (/divisions) and Japanese consumer electronics companies in general. Especially Sony HDTV earnings were up and the company raised its fiscal year earnings outlook .

@Lou

Quote:

I believe ~5 pages back I said there may be a 3D format war...

This makes sense. IMO it's stupid to have a lock on a common feature. Imagine the computer industry going back to your mouse and your keyboard only working your Dell but not on your HP or IBM? Or USB goes away and everyone does their own interfaces again? Ugly. IMO if 3DTV is going to become popular one's 3D glasses should work on any set. Of course no glasses is perferrable but I doubt that'll be cost competitive anytime soon.


Sony gaming profitable? Good to see them finally climbing up the hill. Sony eyed 2008, then 2009, profits. Finally in 2010 the PS3 acheives some. A good start, though at this level they can't break even in their '10 year PS3' plan. They'll have to keep the console around longer.

Microsoft gaming showed good growth. Console sales up 25%. Revenue up 27%. Online add-on and games overtaking subscriptions for the first time. (Losses were $172M and of that the KIN was responsible for $251M.) If the Kinect goes fairly well Microsoft will have at least 2 years left on this console.

While Nintendo is down I suspect they'll be up for Christmas. Though if you were Reggie (Nintendo's Prez) wouldn't you be ramping up the Wii2 R&D? 2011? I bet 2012 for certain. Toss in a Blu-Ray and continue to eat Sony Gaming for lunch. Nom, Nom.

Though the next 'entertainment' is really Christmas of 2010. What happens with Kinect and Move. US pre-orders show Kinect with a clear lead. But, will it push new owners?

Last edited by BrianK on 30-Jul-2010 at 06:04 AM.

@BrianK

Quote:

BrianK wrote: @Lou Quote: I believe ~5 pages back I said there may be a 3D format war... This makes sense. IMO it's stupid to have a lock on a common feature. Imagine the computer industry going back to your mouse and your keyboard only working your Dell but not on your HP or IBM? Or USB goes away and everyone does their own interfaces again? Ugly. IMO if 3DTV is going to become popular one's 3D glasses should work on any set. Of course no glasses is perferrable but I doubt that'll be cost competitive anytime soon. Sony gaming profitable? Good to see them finally climbing up the hill. Sony eyed 2008, then 2009, profits. Finally in 2010 the PS3 acheives some. A good start, though at this level they can't break even in their '10 year PS3' plan. They'll have to keep the console around longer. Microsoft gaming showed good growth. Console sales up 25%. Revenue up 27%. Online add-on and games overtaking subscriptions for the first time. (Losses were $172M and of that the KIN was responsible for $251M.) If the Kinect goes fairly well Microsoft will have at least 2 years left on this console. While Nintendo is down I suspect they'll be up for Christmas. Though if you were Reggie (Nintendo's Prez) wouldn't you be ramping up the Wii2 R&D? 2011? I bet 2012 for certain. Toss in a Blu-Ray and continue to eat Sony Gaming for lunch. Nom, Nom. Though the next 'entertainment' is really Christmas of 2010. What happens with Kinect and Move. US pre-orders show Kinect with a clear lead. But, will it push new owners?

Yeah, until ONE standard is established, I'll stay away.

Heck, I wouldn't even complain if consoles went the way of the 3DO with a common reference point with multiple manufacturers.
BR players seem to be getting more and more like consoles as it is.

Ofcourse this is why I stick with the 'PC'... I only Wii for the cool stuff that the PC won't see.

Lately though, my Wii have been my NETFLIX device...and that's all.