PS3 Impressions Yes Another One....

vader29 · Post by **vader29** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 5:25 pm

kevinpars wrote: I even have the unit vertical on the shelf sitting on 4 of the large pencil erasers that allows 3/4 an inch of air underneath the unit (a trick I learned on one of the 360 fan sites)

I have erasers supporting my system like that too, I remember reading that someone did that somewhere, I thought it was on this site but might have been somewhere else. I had the intercooler hooked up on my refurbed unit but quit using it after reading that it can cause problems too with sucking away juice from the 360's startup, plus it was very noisy with the extra fans.

TRI · Post by **TRI** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 6:38 pm

Badgun wrote:
RandyM wrote:

Anyway, I've yet to hear anyone tell me that games look substantially better than XBox 360 games, whether or not they are ports or originals. Maybe PS3 is more powerful, maybe it isn't. But the proof is in the games, and the proof is not there yet. By the time it is, the PS3 should be more widely available, and I'll re-evaluate then. But in the meantime, this longtime Sony Playstation fan is sitting on the sidelines....I'm just not feeling the urge to spend.

Randy
I wouldn't use the word "substantially", but I have tried 2 PS3 games that I also had or still have for the 360. Both Ridge Racer 7 and Madden 07 look noticeably better on PS3, at least in my opinion. There are some screenshot comparisons floating around somewhere where they take shots of a car in the exact same spot on a track on both systems and you'd have to be blind not to see that the PS3 version looks better.

My plan is buy all of my sports games in the future on PS3. I will also be buying all PS3 exclusives as well. Games like Eye of Judgement, Heavenly Sword, and MLB 07 The Show are a few examples of A list PS3 exclusives.

We all know that Sony is light years behind Microsoft in online play and I don't see that changing anytime soon, if ever. For the games like Rainbow 6, Ghost Recon, and others, I'll probably stick with the 360 for the more robust multiplayer features. Sports games don't really matter to me as I'm not one of those people that has to play with friends all the time. I figure you're going to wind up playing against tools no matter which system you play on so I'd rather play them on the system that looks better.

Maybe the 360 is as powerful as the PS3...if so, developers better get jumping and quit putting out garbage like Eragon and Superman because a lot of recent 360 titles look like Xbox titles to me.

So who wins the war? Don't matter to me, but as long as there is a war, it can only be good for me, in my opinion.

I doubt that the XBOX 360 is much inferior to the PS3 because the CELL processor is not really that good for gaming at all. Both hardware have similar memory and memory bandwidth. Both are in order execution and the PS3 has only about 0.512MB of CPU memory cache which is only about half of that of the XBOX 360. The SPEs in the CELL have NO branch prediction. It is all Sony hype and lies that leads people to believe that the PS3 is so much more powerful.

Nozzleman_216 · Post by **Nozzleman_216** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 9:50 pm

I am not biased as I do not own either console at this time. But this is worth a look.

http://www.gamespot.com/features/616274 ... ck=topslot

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 9:52 pm

A couple of games comparisons:

http://www.gamespot.com/features/616274 ... ck=topslot

Wilk5280 · Post by **Wilk5280** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 10:14 pm

Aren't all these links to the same thing?

LAking · Post by **LAking** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 10:17 pm

10spro wrote:A couple of games comparisons:

http://www.gamespot.com/features/616274 ... ck=topslot

I am not biased as I do not own either console at this time. But this is worth a look.

http://www.gamespot.com/features/616274 ... ck=topslot

Posted within two minutes of each other.

I saw this yesterday. It's a good comparison. I think they had all games running in 720p over component.

Nozzleman_216 · Post by **Nozzleman_216** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 10:22 pm

regardless of what they say, its a good chance to see both in stills and make a call for yourself. For me, I am trying to decide if I want another 360 or do I want to hold out for a ps3 when they become more available. IMO I am not impressed with any of the games out right now. Resistance looks pretty damn good, but thats it. After playing Live on both the Xbox and especially the 360, Sony will really have to step it up in that area or make it up somewhere else for me to make the move. Sorry for rambling, this is an impressions thread, so keep them coming PLEASE

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 10:45 pm

Well I just picked up a 60 GB.

Haven't opened it, checking craigslist.

If I can get at least $900 and sell locally, I would flip it. Otherwise, I would keep it.

Apparently a lot of craigslist users are getting PS3 posts deleted so it's going to be a PITA.

backbreaker · Post by **backbreaker** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 11:36 pm

What settings do you use on that converter?[/quote]I just checked my video media and I have some 720, bu the majority is 640 X 480. I watching these on a 60" HDTV and I get a good 30 inch viewing area on the 640 x 480

RandyM · Post by **RandyM** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 10:27 am

To me it's going to come down to exclusives I think.

My crystal ball, judging from the console wars of the past, says that multi-platform games are going to be nearly a wash between the two systems, with so many development shops sharing artwork, resources, and code between multiple consoles.

That means it's down to the exclusives. Gran Turismo has me bummed because of this 'hd' thing. I'd like to see a GT5 that has full cockpit views, full network racing (remember that was PROMISED for GT4, first integrated then as an add-on, then zip), and some decent computer AI would be great.

But besides Gran Turismo, what are the exclusives that would sell DSP users on a PS3?

On another note...listening to Sony brag in their marketing (they sent me a very expensive lavish new-car-like brochure) they are at it again with this quote:

"The physics alone on Playstation 3 are wicked. It also learns and acts unpredictably. Artificial Intelligence has given way to 'Actual Intelligence" which means your enemies can learn your best moves and counteract them."

Wow. Did Sony put a physics engine in the hardware? Do any PS3 games actually exhibit 'actual intelligence' previously unattainable? I know, I know, it's all marketing, but I think after all the crap for the PS2 about the "emotion engine", we have gazillions of games out for that system and I can't think of a single one that has an 'emotion engine' in it. I've never seen a company insult our intelligence the way Sony does with each generation of hardware. Just saying it's really frickin' fast is good enough. Trying to make it sound like they've suddenly made a 'smart' machine that somehow all games will magically use just makes me roll my eyes.

That having been said, I'm sure the hardware is great. But I really do want to see the 'killer exclusive app' that makes me forget about the 360.

Randy

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:22 am

RandyM wrote:To me it's going to come down to exclusives I think.

My crystal ball, judging from the console wars of the past, says that multi-platform games are going to be nearly a wash between the two systems, with so many development shops sharing artwork, resources, and code between multiple consoles.

That means it's down to the exclusives. Gran Turismo has me bummed because of this 'hd' thing. I'd like to see a GT5 that has full cockpit views, full network racing (remember that was PROMISED for GT4, first integrated then as an add-on, then zip), and some decent computer AI would be great.

But besides Gran Turismo, what are the exclusives that would sell DSP users on a PS3?

On another note...listening to Sony brag in their marketing (they sent me a very expensive lavish new-car-like brochure) they are at it again with this quote:

"The physics alone on Playstation 3 are wicked. It also learns and acts unpredictably. Artificial Intelligence has given way to 'Actual Intelligence" which means your enemies can learn your best moves and counteract them."

Wow. Did Sony put a physics engine in the hardware? Do any PS3 games actually exhibit 'actual intelligence' previously unattainable? I know, I know, it's all marketing, but I think after all the crap for the PS2 about the "emotion engine", we have gazillions of games out for that system and I can't think of a single one that has an 'emotion engine' in it. I've never seen a company insult our intelligence the way Sony does with each generation of hardware. Just saying it's really frickin' fast is good enough. Trying to make it sound like they've suddenly made a 'smart' machine that somehow all games will magically use just makes me roll my eyes.

That having been said, I'm sure the hardware is great. But I really do want to see the 'killer exclusive app' that makes me forget about the 360.

Randy

Oh, they'll be some killer exclusive titles within the next two years for the PS3 without a doubt. Sony first party titles such as Warhawk, Ratchet and Clank, Jak & Daxter stuff may turn out to be pretty awesome as next-gen titles. The MLB series could be awesome too. I am sure they'll also get some exclusive rights to something new and innovative in the vein of Guitar Hero that we'll all want.

Plus, if the Blu-Ray format gets more popular and more market share, the PS3 will definitely start to become a lot more enticing for DSP'ers.

bdunn13 · Post by **bdunn13** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:35 am

I have two Blu-Ray titles shipping today from Netflix..... The Omen and Windtalkers. They should be here tomorrow. Will post some impressions after watching them.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:36 am

Spooky wrote:Plus, if the Blu-Ray format gets more popular and more market share, the PS3 will definitely start to become a lot more enticing for DSP'ers.

If, in a couple years, it is clear that Blu-Ray is going to be the dominant HD disc and the PS3 either keeps its price advantage or at least price parity with stand-alone BR players, it could be a no-brainer purchase for me.

And until EA makes NCAA MVP for the 360 or Wii and/or 2K sports gets their sh*t together, PlayStation is the ONLY console for good baseball gaming.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:48 am

I have faith in 2k sports for baseball next year on the 360. If not, there's always the text sims - Puresim and OOTP.

I still OOTP 6.5 for my basball gaming fix, but I know most here are console gamers.

It will be interesing to see how the ps3 does 6 months or so down the line.

RandyM · Post by **RandyM** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 12:46 pm

Interesting bit about Blu-Ray:

Title: Blu-ray Sony's Downfall?
Consumers believed to have negative view of new media

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/749/749868p1.html

Re: PS3 vs. XBox 360 head to head - IGN Insider has video features outlining the diff between several games they've put up against each other. The graphics summary on Madden says:

Graphics
We know this is the section you've been waiting to read. This commentary/breakdown will give you an idea of what platform features the best visuals. It provides quickly-understood side-by-side screenshots (click for bigger versions) taken with an excruciating level of precision and care, plus a list of what makes one version more rough on or soothing to the eyes.

For side-by-side video of the PS3 and 360 versions of Madden please see our recent Video Head-to-Head by clicking here.

Xbox 360 Advantages

# 1080i support
# Better contrast
# Slightly smoother framerate

PS3 Disadvantages

# No 1080i support (720p, 480p, and 480i only)
# Slightly weaker framerate
# High Contrast leads to loss of some detail

Anyway, Warhawk does sound like a good title, and Gran Turismo HD will definitely tempt me no matter what...

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:04 pm

Here is the release calendar:

http://ps3.ign.com/index/release.html

Of those games releasing in the next 6 months, the only PS3 exclusives I'm interested in are Motor Storm, The Show and maybe fLOW (download).

Bit nervous about The Show because SCEA's record on migrating to a new platform is dismal (GameDay for PS2).

Was hoping for Heavenly Sword by spring. This is a sleeper title which I think will have great graphics and gameplay similar to God of War. Probably better if the controls are responsive. The developers are cool guys and they deserve the success that God of War achieved.

Of course I will have to look at the VC and EA sports games due in the next year, including NBA Street and Virtua Tennis. There is the distinct possibility that multiplatform sports games will be developed on the X360 primarily and ported to PS3. Or that they won't try to utilize the advantages of the Cell (more CPU for physics and AI) or Blu-Ray. At least not for a long time.

Other thing is, there was always more activity online for the PS2 version of EA games. That may take a long time for the PS3, if they ever catch up. The Madden league I'm in are starting to get rev'd up about moving over to the PS3, after most members had said all year that they couldn't afford it the first year.

Key game will be GTA of course. There was a story that Sony let the time-exclusive slip away due to preoccupation with the hardware schedules. But if Sony has any smarts left, they should try to get the PS3 version to stand out, like using Blu-Ray to have additional levels on the disc as well as offer download additions which the X360 will have. Pay TakeTwo whatever it takes to run a lot of the game from the hard disk, to make level loading as seamless as possible.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:10 pm

So IGN Insider didn't see any PS3 advantages in the Madden comparison?

I don't have IGN Insider.

Like I said, it's quite possible that now EA is using the X360 as the lead platform. Plus I would never expect EA to optimize for the Cell or Blu-Ray, just as Xbox fans complained bitterly about Madden for Xbox never optimizing to its strengths.

But I'm not complaining. For me, PS3 sports games will be fine because 1) free online play and 2) the Playstation controller layout is better for me.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:24 pm

I've been trying to stay out of posting on this thread (minus my question on Blue Ray cables) but i have to jump in on the Madden comparison. I've played a full season at least on the 360 and at least a dozen games on the PS3 (friends, not mine). IMO visually they look almost identical and in fact I think the 360 is tighter animation / framerate wise. Gameplay wise they are identical, unless you count the *cough* gang tackeling (BS meter is high).

Now a game like Ridge Racer looks great on the PS3 (is it 1080p?) so the PS3 can certainly deliver in the graphics department. I won't comment on anything else because i want this thread to stay impressions only, but since I am playing the PS3 a few times a week now I think I can comment on some subjects.

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:25 pm

LAking wrote:
10spro wrote:A couple of games comparisons:

http://www.gamespot.com/features/616274 ... ck=topslot

I am not biased as I do not own either console at this time. But this is worth a look.

http://www.gamespot.com/features/616274 ... ck=topslot
Posted within two minutes of each other.

I saw this yesterday. It's a good comparison. I think they had all games running in 720p over component.

Interesting links. From the stills, the differences didn't seem very significant. I thought the PS3 actually looked too bright, like they had the contrast up just to show the details. But in motion it might be more noticeable.

From the impressions here and reviews, it does sound like Sony did a nice job with the Blu-Ray player. Considering how much the PS2 DVD player sucked, that's a real surprise to me.

BDunn does have a good point about the cost. If you really want to use your console as a movie player, the PS3 does seem like a pretty good choice.

backbreaker · Post by **backbreaker** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:34 pm

bdunn13 wrote:I have two Blu-Ray titles shipping today from Netflix..... The Omen and Windtalkers. They should be here tomorrow. Will post some impressions after watching them.

Those early movies will leave you with a sour taste in your mouth about blu-ray. The compression techniques weren't up to par the early part of this year.

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:39 pm

RandyM wrote:Interesting bit about Blu-Ray:

Title: Blu-ray Sony's Downfall?
Consumers believed to have negative view of new media

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/749/749868p1.html

.

With all of this debate on the new DVD format, this would be a perfect time for Circuit City to bring back the DIVX concept!!! Now there was an inventive and consumer friendly format.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:50 pm

RandyM wrote:To me it's going to come down to exclusives I think. But besides Gran Turismo, what are the exclusives that would sell DSP users on a PS3? Randy.

If Blue-ray becomes the obvious choice, I would buy the PS3 also for MLB, Killzone and MGS. A year from now, Sony will probably have the PS3 packed with GT5 and another game for the holidays.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:59 pm

GT is notorious for delays. I honestly would be surprised if it came out in 2007.

Sony has to hope that GTA will sell well on the PS3 as it did on the PS2. No it doesn't have the time-exlusive any more. Which is why they have to pay TakeTwo and Rockstar to get some exclusive content or levels, make the game longer since Blu-Ray has greater capacity.

Otherwise, they have to depend on DMC and Square to get some big-selling games out in 2007. Oh Square is also notorious for delays too.

So is MGS. BTW, I heard that MGS4 will support 20-40 player online games? That would be strange, if you have dozens of Snakes running around trying to take out each other.

RandyM · Post by **RandyM** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:02 pm

If I didn't own EITHER the XBox 360 or the PS3, I might buy the PS3 just because the sum of its parts is darn inexpensive.

But Microsoft really did a nice job with the 360 online-wise and XBox Live...and I always felt that the PS2 online support was kind of half baked, really relying on companies to do it themselves, with uneven results.

But at the price point that I'd have to pay to get everything in a PS3 in the XBox 360 format, the PS3 is actually more of a bargain.

Randy

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 3:40 pm

10spro wrote:If Blue-ray becomes the obvious choice, I would buy the PS3 .

We wont know that for a long while yet but Im with you. I will probably own one eventually anyway but that would make my PS3 purchase a slam dunk.