Official PS3 Thread - March 09 Edition

[Suprmallet]

Previous thread can be found here. Let's keep this one a little more civil, shall we? Thank you.

[SuperJim88]

Alright, let's start it on the right foot. Is Sony going to drop the price on PS3 or not? I have been waiting for the official announcement so I can buy one but none is forthcoming. Any thought?

[Jamieson22]

I was hoping someone could help me with some stuffs:

Is the Warhawk PSN deal ($30 for game and expansions) over? What is regular price?

[mrpayroll]

Originally Posted by SuperJim88

Alright, let's start it on the right foot. Is Sony going to drop the price on PS3 or not? I have been waiting for the official announcement so I can buy one but none is forthcoming. Any thought?

Well the E3 is coming up June 2-4 at the LA Convention Center. That would be a good time to announce a price cut. Unless there is another gaming show earlier?

Chris

[Chew]

Originally Posted by Jamieson22

Is the Warhawk PSN deal ($30 for game and expansions) over? What is regular price?

Yes, it just finished Wednesday. Now the game is $30 and the expansions are $7.99 each (or IIRC, $15.99 for all 3)

[TLwizard]

Originally Posted by Jamieson22

I was hoping someone could help me with some stuffs:

Is the Warhawk PSN deal ($30 for game and expansions) over? What is regular price?

I thought I remember reading it was supposed to end on the 11th.

edit: should have refreshed first before posting.

[Michael Corvin]

Originally Posted by mrpayroll

Well the E3 is coming up June 2-4 at the LA Convention Center. That would be a good time to announce a price cut. Unless there is another gaming show earlier?

Chris

GDC is 3/23-3/27.

[fujishig]

Originally Posted by SuperJim88

Alright, let's start it on the right foot. Is Sony going to drop the price on PS3 or not? I have been waiting for the official announcement so I can buy one but none is forthcoming. Any thought?

With neither Speedy nor Circuit City around, I'm not sure we'll find another leak...

edit: yeah, i did mean Speedy... out of sight, out of mind, I guess...

[musick]

you can log in at the Euro site http://eu.playstation.com/
and create your PSN portable ID with your NA info now

ex.

[Raul3]

Originally Posted by fujishig

With neither CheapyD nor Circuit City around, I'm not sure we'll find another leak...

I'm sure you meant Speedy.

Oh and there's a KZ2 thread but I'm playing in Normal and I should finish it today.

[bunkaroo]

I saw someone mention wanting to get one of the "newer, more efficient" PS3's in the last thread.

In what way, other than drive size, are newer PS3's better from a hardware standpoint?

[bunkaroo]

Want to post this separately.

A friend of mine somehow wound up with a Japanese PS3. It's black and was purchased from Walmart sometime around June 2007, so I assume it's a 60GB. From day one he said it's had the X and O buttons reversed and shows an Edy Viewer in the dashboard, and when we restore the system software everything wants to default to Japanese settings. Also, the label on the back says "J", where mine says "U/C" (presumably United States/Canada), and it even lists 50/60Hz whereas mine just says 60Hz.

Now, either Walmart got a bad shipment at the time or someone returned the Japanese PS3 in the box of a US PS3 they bought. Either way he's stuck with it now.

Does anyone know how to install the US system software on a Japanese PS3, and if that will fix the reversed buttons? I haven't had too much luck finding good hits through Google so far. I used the 2.60 firmware download successfully on this PS3 but it did not affect the Japanese thing.

I was also thinking it might actually be worth more than they paid for it because it has the Japanese OS and backwards compatibility.

Any thoughts or recommendations are appreciated.

[dsa_shea]

Anyone else been booted out to the XMB during a game?

[SonOfAStu]

Only if you accidentally bump the PS button.

[dsa_shea]

Originally Posted by SonOfAStu

Only if you accidentally bump the PS button.

It happened to me twice today while playing Rainbow Six Vegas 2. Right in the middle of a match that I was hosting the screen flashed black and then I was magically back at the XMB although I didn't click my heels. I lost quite a few XP both times it happened. And this is on my other 60gb PS3 just after I sent my primary one off this week for repair.

[RocShemp]

I was recently trying to pick up Heavenly Sword but I was shocked that everywhere I've gone they only have it used and they want around $49.99 for said used copy.

Wasn't Heavenly Sword released shortly after launch? Why is it that when I look it up in places like Amazon they are asking $56.99 for it? And it's not just that game. I've noticed that games like Heavenly Sword, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune , and Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction are priced from $56.99 to $59.99. However, a much newer title like Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is already down to $39.99 and it's not even a Greatest Hits title like Resistance: Fall Of Man or Assassin's Creed (which now be purchased new for around $27.99).

I understand Resistance: Fall Of Man and Assassin's Creed being cheaper but not Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Why the "just released" price tag for three relatively old games?

Anywhere I might find Heavenly Sword for a reasonable price (like in the $39.99 range)? Cos I've read you can beat the game in around 5 hours and, despite how fun I've been told those few hours are, that to me is not worth $56.99 of my money.

[SonOfAStu]

Trade a game you've already played for it. That's what I did. Straight up for R&C after I beat it. Then I traded HS for Assassin's Creed. It's a beautiful system.

[Michael Corvin]

MGS4 is a pretty hardcore game. My guess is that coupled with the bundles they did plus the millions of copies sold, the hardcore crowd ate it up in the first few months and sales slowed to a snails pace. It's a game that only appeals to a select crowd, while HS, Uncharted and Ratchet & Clank continually draw in a wide variety of gamers. I'm sure they are steady performers for Sony.

Assassin's Creed isn't really a factor since it is a third party game and not exclusive like all the other games you mention. Ubisoft dropped the price of that one in under 3 months to spur sales.

Of course all this is pure conjecture, but I do think it's a shame Uncharted, HS & Ratchet haven't seen a drop yet. Both Uncharted & Ratchet have sequels on the way, so a price drop is inevitable. Also, I know they are unrelated, but I bet Heavenly Sword keeps it's SRP until God of War III hits and then gets a price drop.

[Ocelot]

Originally Posted by Chew

Yes, it just finished Wednesday. Now the game is $30 and the expansions are $7.99 each (or IIRC, $15.99 for all 3)

yes, too bad, the sale was over... the three expansions were $9.99, not $15.99, which was the best price ever offered. I jumped on the deal even though i don't play WH much...

[Ocelot]

Originally Posted by SuperJim88

Alright, let's start it on the right foot. Is Sony going to drop the price on PS3 or not? I have been waiting for the official announcement so I can buy one but none is forthcoming. Any thought?

Most likely there's a price drop coming up... i read few posts over AD, rumors at this point, but so does the $100 from last time. This certainly not good for my plan to sell the gunmetal PS3. Maybe i sell it before the price drop is confirmed, like this weekend...

[Ocelot]

Originally Posted by bunkaroo

I saw someone mention wanting to get one of the "newer, more efficient" PS3's in the last thread.

In what way, other than drive size, are newer PS3's better from a hardware standpoint?

I don't know... but definitely not two stinky USB ports, preferably bring back the memory card slots. Other than that, i don't see anything else Sony can offer you for less money. The newer PS3 maybe quieter and use less electricity, it's all good for those don't have one, but nothing exciting for those already have one.

[Ocelot]

Originally Posted by RocShemp

I was recently trying to pick up Heavenly Sword but I was shocked that everywhere I've gone they only have it used and they want around $49.99 for said used copy.

Wasn't Heavenly Sword released shortly after launch? Why is it that when I look it up in places like Amazon they are asking $56.99 for it? And it's not just that game. I've noticed that games like Heavenly Sword, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune , and Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction are priced from $56.99 to $59.99. However, a much newer title like Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is already down to $39.99 and it's not even a Greatest Hits title like Resistance: Fall Of Man or Assassin's Creed (which now be purchased new for around $27.99).

I understand Resistance: Fall Of Man and Assassin's Creed being cheaper but not Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Why the "just released" price tag for three relatively old games?

Anywhere I might find Heavenly Sword for a reasonable price (like in the $39.99 range)? Cos I've read you can beat the game in around 5 hours and, despite how fun I've been told those few hours are, that to me is not worth $56.99 of my money.

Just rent HS... no game ever worth $55 IMO (okay, maybe God of War III). Well, i don't count the CE/LE, since they're packed with craps/bonuses (depending you care or not) which jack up the price considerably. And yes, i'm a sucker for LE/CE, i always buy the beefed up/bloated (again, depends how you look at it) version. I just can't help myself with the little trinkets...

HS, R&C:ToD and Uncharted are still priced like a new release, that surprise me too. However, if you don't mind GS, you can pick them up using their B2G1 free promotion.

Of the three, i highly recommend Uncharted, since it has trophy support (which makes thing more interesting, but it's okay w/o it) and also the fact that part two is coming up in Fall. Not that you need to play Uncharted first, but it doesn't hurt to get to know the main character a bit.

MGS 4 dropped to $50 new... and you can certainly get it cheaper than that. I still haven't finish chapter 1 of that game

[bunkaroo]

Aren't Heavenly Sword, R&C and Uncharted all Sony released games? Seems like they could be sticklers when it comes to price drops. The used prices are still reasonable though - I saw R&C for $30 at Amazon, and I know I didn't sell my copy of Uncharted for more than $35. Uncharted is great BTW, but not something I'd play twice.

I got Heavenly Sword for free when I bought one of the last 60GB's Best Buy was selling in Fall '07. I see now Best Buy has a deal going where you can get Killzone 2, MLB 09 or someone other A list Sony exclusive title for free when buying a 40GB. This make me think a price drop is coming. Plus Fry's just had a sale where you get a free Dualshock controller and Dark Knight on Blu-ray when buying a 40GB which come fairly close to "$100 off".

[musick]

Originally Posted by bunkaroo

I see now Best Buy has a deal going where you can get Killzone 2, MLB 09 or someone other A list Sony exclusive title for free when buying a 40GB. This make me think a price drop is coming. Plus Fry's just had a sale where you get a free Dualshock controller and Dark Knight on Blu-ray when buying a 40GB which come fairly close to "$100 off".

once again "value adds" is exactly what Sony said they would be doing and are doing now

Eurogamer: Will you cut the price of PS3 this year?
David Reeves: As the cost of manufacturing comes down, we will look at it, as we've looked at it in the past. I'm not going to say we're going to do anything short term or anything long term on the price. At the moment, we have a value-added strategy.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/so...ary2009?page=2

[bunkaroo]

Sorry didn't see that posting.

I guess my point was, I've seen these "value adds" in the past and they have frequently been directly preceding an actual price drop.