fumanstan

http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2006/1111/ps3.htm

Or better yet... watch one being opened!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHS07...elated&search=

PixyJunket

Yikes, that's EERILY similar to the disassembly and insides of the (fat) PS2, right down to the frail wiring.

DodgingCars

My PS2 stop reading discs (it actually would still read some, but even those it took about 5-10 time of resets to get it to work) after about 3 years of ownership.

I did a google search and found a recommended fix. It involved adjusting the laser (there's a dial to turn).

Since I've done that, it reads every disc I've put in there.

GreenMonkey

The problem is, it's not any better than the 360 unless you want blu-ray. The tilt-controller thing is going to be barely used IMO as you need both hands on the controller and in typical positions - how far can you really tilt it? You can only tilt it so far. It's like a half-assed Wiimote.

The hardware isn't really better either. It's got more CPU power but a little less gfx power. My experience with a PC tells me that the system with the better graphics card always wins in the performance match-up there, unless there is a MAJOR CPU power difference (exceptions for CPU0-intensive strategy games like Civilization).

PS3 = 360

The only advantage for the PS3 is that the 360 sucks at selling in Japan - thus more Japanese development should theoretically go to the PS3 - but they seem to be losing that to cross-platform development, at least for right now.

The PS3 is probably more fragile, but 360s are notoriously unreliable. Then again, my wife and I had a first run PS2 with the faulty DVD drive, and a buddy had the PS1 he had to flip upside down to work. So I'm not sure that they are really any more reliable yet.

Original Desmond

I think a LOT of people are currently having a 'wait and see' attitude with the PS3. wait 4-6 months, see how its going, see what new games come out etc etc

Sony need to bring out 5 Blockbuster console selling games to draw these people out to buying a PS3

DodgingCars

5 blockbuster EXCLUSIVE titles.

Metal Gear Solid may be a console seller, if it truly stays PS3 exclusive.

mzupeman2

More people will hop on when Sony releases God Of War 3 (most likely) exclusively for the PS3.

jeffdsmith

In 3 years?

Josh H

God of War 3 will likely be out next year, they've been working on it for a while (a different team did GoW2).

But I don't think anyone game is going to sell many $600 consoles. It will take several must buys to get most people who haven't bought one yet on board.

Personally, there's nothing they can do to get me on board at anywhere near that price point. Even $300 is pushing it for a console for me when I personally have just as much or more fun playing games on the $130 DS than I have on any console.

PopcornTreeCt

I'm still sticking with my idea that this will be the last Playstation. You had a good run, Sony, 2 successful consoles is more than Sega had.

LivingINClip

I don't think it is a bust, it has been succesful in the one thing that Sony was really trying to push and that is Blu-Ray. Just look at the numbers of Casino Royale Blu-Ray units sold. Even if , in the long run the system doesn't sell as many units as predicted, Sony will be back for the next generation.

Tracer Bullet

I think Sony will release one more console after the PS3. This happens to all companies that release game consoles sooner or later (the notable exception being Nintendo) and they don't historically give up after one failure.

That said, it's still too early to call the PS3 a failure. I don't see them dramatically adding to their installed base anytime soon, but if they get one or two must-have exclusives out in time for Christmas combined with a price drop down to $399, they could still do well. I'm not convinced the second part will happen though.

DodgingCars

I think a lot of people actually do want the PS3. They just don't want to pay for it. Personally, I'd like to have one. I'm just not shelling out that kind of money for one. I think the PS3 will sell really well in a couple years when the price comes down or if Blu Ray becomes the clear winner.

Again, the problem is they'll be playing catch up.

Michael Corvin

We can't look at those numbers because Sony doesn't provide them. Sony uses shipped numbers. Those million+ copies of Casino Royale are what they shipped to stores. A lot of those are still sitting on store shelves.

Nintendo seems to be the only company that uses actual sell through numbers.

Fandango

They never claimed to ship a million copies of Casino Royale, the number they gave was 100k.

wlj

I am a proud and satisfied 360 owner, however I would like to have a PS3 too-- it is just ridiculous to pay that amount of money for a console that is less impressive than the 360.

Since it has developed that Devil May Cry 4 is coming to 360 on the same day the PS3 is getting it, I really don't have any real reason to buy a PS3 now.

Tracer Bullet

And apparently they only sold 23K of those. With about 1.5 million PS3s sold in the U.S., that doesn't seem great to me.

jeffdsmith

Interesting thanks. The IGN guys had a bit in a podcast regarding the fact that GoW2 should have been brought over to PS3 for its launch, and since it hadn't it would be without the franchise for a long time; apparently my long time and theirs is different.

Fandango

If this is what you are referring to, that was first week sales. Relatively speaking, that is very impressive. By now that number has probably doubled.

Tracer Bullet

Yeah, relatively speaking, but I don't think there's any doubt that Sony is betting on the PS3 to push Blu-Ray, and if you look at it from that perspective, it's not doing a very good job.

darkside

Relatively speaking 1.5 million Blu-ray owners only bought 28k copies of one of the most highly anticipated discs for the year. The major problem is with the non action film titles that are selling only a few thousand copies total over several months (you have mostly gamers buying movies and you can forget dramas and older movies selling). HD DVD with only a quarter of the players is doing slightly worse, but not that far behind.

Basically the entire reason for the PS3 costing $600 is Sony's desire to win a format war for HD and to this point there seems to be very few people that are interested in either HD format. The HD movie format may not even be worth winning and in fighting that battle Sony has also given up huge market shart to Microsoft and Nintendo.

The PS3 is looking like a lose, lose for Sony overall.

taffer

Exactly. I do want a PS3, but there is no way in hell I am going to pay $600 for it no matter how many good exclusives it may get. I am not made of money.

My magic price point is $300. I only bought a premium 360 during one of those sales when you could get it for $300. I will not be buying a PS3 until it hits $300. I can live without a few games until then.

Sony's determination to have Blu-ray win the HD war will bite them in the ass. They should have made it an optional add-on like MS's HD-DVD drive.

Joe Public does not care about HD. Look how long it took them to adopt DVD technology. There is no way they are going to jump into HD technology any quicker.

DodgingCars

If I remember right, it was about 4 years. HD has an even bigger hurdle... additional "accessories." With DVD, you bought the DVD player and you were set. With HD, you need a new TV and a player... and you probably have people with significant DVD libraries (something not as common with VHS) who aren't ready to "start over."

jeffdsmith

DVD players was/is the most successful consumer electronic adoption ever. Reasons for that were 3 fold:
1. Technology got "cheap" fast.
2. People's existing setups worked fine for the new technology
3. The leap from VHS to DVD was quite noticeable, even to those that were not videophiles.

taffer

That depends on what you mean by "fast." I believe DVD came out in 1996, but it did not really become mainstream until sometime around 2000/2001. That 4-5 year span is not "fast" in the video game market. Sony is counting on consumers wanting Blu-ray NOW, not in 4-5 years. In 4-5 years we will have the next-next-gen consoles coming out.