The Official Console Talk Thread

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:30 pm

Danimal wrote: I figured picking up a Wi after launch would prove easy and finding a PS3 wouldn't happen until March. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Too bad I dont have the money to grab one and check it out for myself...

...or an HDTV to check out the blu ray.

If I were a rich man...

Im sure I will have one before next Xmas.

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:34 pm

Danimal wrote:I've kept this out of the PS3 impressions thread because it is an observation and not a system impression.

I called seven stores Sunday trying to track down a Wi and no one had them, but 5 of them had PS3's.

This Sunday Best Buy had a big shipment of PS'3, advertised and all, passing out vouchers etc. A total of 2 people showed up early to the BB near me to get a PS3 according to an employee and as of yesterday afternoon they still had some in stock.

At lunch today we went to EB, PS3's in stock but no Wi's

I still can't find a freaking Wi to save my life and I just don't get it. Is Nintendo not doing as good a job as Sony in getting system into the market?

I've encountered the same in my Wii search. Several stores with PS3s, no Wiis.

I think we're seeing the combination of a couple of things:

1) Wii captured all of the buzz
2) PS3 price point with no fantastic exclusives

I know the first time I saw the ps3 in my Wii search I felt a mild urge to pick it up instead, 'because it was there,' but the high prce point coupled with the lack of any truly marvelous games really gave me no reason to grab it, (and I was looking for some!

)

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:47 pm

I don't think it is necessarily a supply issue for Nintendo--here is a blurb from Joystiq about the full November-December sales:

The console sales horse race is more of a marathon than a sprint, but a Register report shows Microsoft edging out the competition in the all important holiday season. The report quotes preliminary NPD numbers mentioned on CNBC to show that Microsoft sold about 2 million Xbox 360s from Nov. 1 through Christmas day, beating out the Wii's estimated 1.8 million in sales. Sony lagged behind with an estimated 750,000 consoles sold through over the two months.

Forgot to add the PS3 part...

RandyM · Post by **RandyM** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:55 pm

I scored a Wii only because my wife and I refreshed the amazon.com web page for almost 2 hours on the 29th and nabbed one with a buy it now. Literally right after my wife got it with 1-click, they were gone. At work, I never got a buy it now.

The Wii is HOT, if what we're hearing is a trend. I can't buy or order the Wii anywhere (besides my lucky hit on amazon).

I haven't called around looking for PS3's though so I have to rely on other info to see about that.

But I think that the diagnosis is correct. PS3 costs a lot of money and there's no "gotta have it " reason to have one right now for most people. It really needed a killer must have title, a Halo/Mario/Zelda level title. And it doesn't really. I think GT5 could have been that title. A Metal Gear Solid for it might have done the trick, too....

Randy

LAking · Post by **LAking** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 9:15 pm

This Sunday Best Buy had a big shipment of PS'3, advertised and all, passing out vouchers etc. A total of 2 people showed up early to the BB near me to get a PS3 according to an employee and as of yesterday afternoon they still had some in stock.

I have had 3 opportunities to easily grab a PS3 since the saturday before xmas. I was in Michigan and best buy had a ton of them. People were just casually walking up and picking them up, no lines at all. The rate they were going i imagine they probably didn't sell out until later in the day or possible the next day.

Back in Los Angeles i have been looking for a Wii like crazy. I show up at best buy hoping to luck out on a Wii and instead they get a big shipment of PS3 in. This was exactly a week ago. I checked out that same BB this weekend and they had even more PS3's. They were steadily being bought up but not at the pace anyone would have predicted pre-launch.

Wii's on the other hand are impossible to come by. I keep getting to stores and finding out they got a shipment in only hours before i got there and promptly sold out. It's so frustrating.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 3:34 pm

http://feeds.joystiq.com/~r/weblogsinc/ ... /70808639/

Thought this would be an appropriate thread, and it wasn't even on the front page. amazing what a little work will do.

Anyway maybe we don't need to worry about the format war after all

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 4:26 pm

Warner Bros. holds the primary patents on DVD along with Toshiba.

As high-def TV sales boomed and they saw the inevitable need to put HD content on disc, they initially came up with a plan to use the existing DVD disc and combine it with Windows Media Video codec to deliver HD movies.

Because the disc structure would be identical, they would continue to reap the lions share of patent royalties.

Well most of the other consumer electronics companies weren't interested in this. Nor were some of the studios, given Warners' role since Warners was a rival in their primary business. So Sony, Panasonic, Philips and others worked on blue-laser technology (the Toshiba/Warners/Microsoft scheme would have continued to use red-laser).

Later, Toshiba and Warners realized their red-laser format would not be competitive so they started work on blue-lasers and developed AOD, which became what HD-DVD is today.

Because of Warners' involvement in HD-DVD, nobody thought they would ever release on Blu-Ray. But Time Warner was under pressure to increase revenues, especially with the threat of a takeover or replacement of management.

So after Paramount announced they would release on Blu-Ray as well as HD-DVD, Warners followed suit, but they extracted a concession, which was to make BD-9 a part of the Blu-Ray format. BD-9 is using DVD-9 with red laser and advanced codecs to deliver HD content. IOW, the same original idea they tried to push. HD-DVD also has a red-laser disc as part of its spec. but to date, I'm not sure there have been any DVD9 discs released under the Blu-Ray or HD-DVD logo.

Now this hybrid disc that Warners came out with seems to be another effort to win a favorable patent position.

LG is also expected to announce a hybrid "universal" player at CES next week.

At this point, Blu-Ray is in a stronger position as far as studio support. Among major studios, only holdout is Universal while HD-DVD lacks support from Sony Pictures (obviously), MGM, Fox, Disney and Lionsgate.

So really, hybrid discs and universal players are more necessary for HD-DVD than Blu-Ray. HD-DVD advocates are petitioning for studio support from the Blu-Ray-only studios, for universal players, for more electronics manufacturer support (HD-DVD players are made only by Toshiba, including the X360 add-on drive which is made by Toshiba).

Only way HD-DVD is going to get studios to flip and support the format is to show a high volume of sales. Toshiba predicts a high number of players to be sold in the near future. It's been out longer than Blu-Ray but indications are, the installed base is at best in the low six figures.

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 7:02 pm

Don't know if you guys have seen this yet, but it's a nice little piece about the PS3 and 360:

http://arstechnica.com/articles/headstart.ars/2

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 7:31 pm

Zeppo wrote:Don't know if you guys have seen this yet, but it's a nice little piece about the PS3 and 360:

http://arstechnica.com/articles/headstart.ars/2

Kazuya rejoinder in 5...4...3...2...

Kazuya · Post by **Kazuya** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 7:52 pm

RobVarak wrote:
Zeppo wrote:Don't know if you guys have seen this yet, but it's a nice little piece about the PS3 and 360:

http://arstechnica.com/articles/headstart.ars/2
Kazuya rejoinder in 5...4...3...2...

RobVarak lame troll in 5..4... whoops, it already happened.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:01 pm

Kazuya wrote:
RobVarak wrote:
Zeppo wrote:Don't know if you guys have seen this yet, but it's a nice little piece about the PS3 and 360:

http://arstechnica.com/articles/headstart.ars/2
Kazuya rejoinder in 5...4...3...2...
RobVarak lame troll in 5..4... whoops, it already happened.

If trolling is looking up at black clouds and warning of rain, well I'm guilty as charged.

Kazuya · Post by **Kazuya** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:05 pm

RobVarak wrote:
Kazuya wrote:
RobVarak wrote: Kazuya rejoinder in 5...4...3...2...
RobVarak lame troll in 5..4... whoops, it already happened.
If trolling is looking up at black clouds and warning of rain, well I'm guilty as charged.

I haven't said two words in this console talk thread, because links like the above is exactly what it's for. Nothing at all like 360 bobbleheads posting anti-PS3 links in the PS3 impressions thread.

More like, if trolling is doing a rain dance trying to conjure up rain when it's sunny, you're guilty as charged. Or if trolling is just generally displaying a low IQ. Your choice.

pigpen81 · Post by **pigpen81** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:37 pm

One of my 8th grade students was talking to me about his Wii. His is on the extreme side of "nerd" (little brother also), but he is a neat kid.

I asked him his favorite game and it it was Wii baseball. He bragged about hitting 3 HR's off his brother in 1 game. Now this is a kid that is a 1 or a 2 on the 1-10 athletic scale.

I know Wii baseball is severely lacking for us sim freaks, but I though I would share that it defintely has a place in the video game world.

BTW, he was also bragging about his sore arms and how much extra exercise he is getting with the Wii. He is probably 30 pounds overweight.

He wanted to put the Wii in his 2 weeks personal fitness plan project but I told him that only Wii boxing would qualify.

RandyM · Post by **RandyM** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:13 am

I've had my Wii for 2 days (I hate the way that sounds!)

My family of 4 has really enjoyed bowling. Everyone takes turns standing up, bowling their frame, then sitting down.

It feels eerily like really going bowling, without the sweaty fingers, aching wrists and used shoes!

I've not been requiring everyone to put on the wrist strap because we're all sharing the single controller and it slows things down quite a bit for multiplayer gaming.

But then last night my over-exuberant nine year old flings the thing across the room on her 'follow-through' bowling, and that was the end of the 'no wrist strap required' rule in my house!

My wife went to price extra controllers online and came up with $90 for a remote/nunchuck pair. What is up with THAT!

Randy

bdunn13 · Post by **bdunn13** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:15 am

HDMI coming to the 360.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/05/the- ... me-zephyr/

Owning all the next-gen consoles now I can say I feel 2/3 were majorly rushed out the door or important things were left out.

The PS3 online part is not very good right now(of course I am sure it will improve). And MS should have included HDMI and a HD-DVD drive instead of the add on. The add on(which I do own) makes things look half assed. Nice job Microsoft and Sony, you both suck.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:18 am

RandyM wrote:My wife went to price extra controllers online and came up with $90 for a remote/nunchuck pair. What is up with THAT!

They're hard to find in stores right now so there's a markup online. They retail for $60 combined ($40 for Wiimote and $20 for nunchuk).

My wife and daughter love the bowling too. We do the same thing but since my daughter is only going to be four next month she has to wear the wrist strap.

She really loves doing the boxing training game with the punching bags. I've never seen her little arms move so fast. She whipped my high score.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:18 am

Interesting, BDunn.

With HDMI, the new, cooler-running chip and a 120 GB hard drive, could this machine go to market at the current Premium price of $399 and MS release a machine with the new chip but without HDMI and the bigger hard drive for $299? And would it discontinue the Core or drop it to $199?

I'd be very interested in the $299 machine with new, cooler chip.

Take care,
PK

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:34 am

I think the best thing MS could do would be to drop the price of the current Premium to $299 and introduce the Uber 360 at $399.

The addition of HDMI kind of pisses me off as a first-year adopter, especially since it sounds like the original 360 board has the capability, but that's the price you pay I guess.

Have other console updates/upgrades brought that kind of improvement? All I can think of is the slim PS2 added the network connection out of the box instead of needing an adapter.

GameSeven · Post by **GameSeven** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:43 am

Dave wrote:All I can think of is the slim PS2 added the network connection out of the box instead of needing an adapter.

IIRC, didn't it also add progressive DVD playback?

wpw721 · Post by **wpw721** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:55 am

Stupid question is hdmi important for movie playback, gaming, or both?

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:57 am

wpw721 wrote:Stupid question is hdmi important for movie playback, gaming, or both?

It should be a clearer picture for both. One thing it should allow is upconverted DVD playback through the HD-DVD player, something that is currently only available if you use the VGA cables.

WillHunting · Post by **WillHunting** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 12:03 pm

Alex, I would like "Zephyr 360 for $400" please.

RandyM · Post by **RandyM** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 12:18 pm

I've gotta chime in here and question the notion that HDMI in any way is an improvement in picture quality over Component video cables.

My understanding based upon the various HD/Home Theater sites is that the only thing that you get for HDMI is a digital interface that allows for studios to insert more copy protection code into the signal, something much harder to do with component or composite cables.

Can anyone reference that HDMI offers any qualitative improvement to the customer? Because if not, I am forced to conclude that it's another way for the studios to restrict usage of their content.

Randy

RandyM · Post by **RandyM** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 12:25 pm

http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages ... 22868.html

Its things like this that make me question what the big deal is about the 360 getting HDMI or why it matters that the PS3 has it.

Randy

bdunn13 · Post by **bdunn13** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 12:25 pm

You are correct about the copy protection crap. However, it is digital so you won't get any signal loss or additional static like you would with component.

On the other hand if you said HDMI does not offer any video improvements over DVI then I would agree with you. HDMI is basicly DVI + audio + encryption. Thats why HDMI is a format for content providers and not consumers. I would have been plenty happy with DVI and optical.

Digital Sportspage

The Official Console Talk Thread

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Re: HDMI