[Melanie68]

I've heard the Ultraviolet movie advertised as coming out on DVD and BluRay:

BluRay version ($38.95)

[URL=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000FGGE68//ref=nosim/adventuregame-20 version[/URL] ($16.99 on sale, reg. $28.95)

[Jatsie]

Yowza, IMDb users rated that film 3.6/10.

What a smart title to release on new media...

[Kolzig]

Well, it's got Milla Jovovich so it must sell!

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Japanese [Are] Negative on PS3 | IGN.com, 6/30/06

Price, software, multiple SKUs all addressed in recent survey.

Japan's development community shared anonymous thoughts on the PlayStation 3 in the latest issue of Japan's Ge-Maga. The magazine asked developers throughout the nation a number of questions regarding Sony's next generation platform. While the number of responses was not revealed, Ge-Maga is pretty well-connected (name changes aside, Ge-Maga is the oldest videogame magazine in Japan), so we're going to assume the survey reached a good portion of Japan's development community.

Of course, the big question concerned price. 90.29% of the surveyed feel the PS3 is too pricey, compared to just 9.71% who feel that it's priced just right. One developer commented, "It's more expensive than my rent."

The high price isn't all the developers are disappointed with. 56.31% disagree with Sony's choice of going with two hardware models, compared with 39.32% who agree with the move. 55.82% feel that the PS3 won't sell with the current lineup of announced titles, compared to 39.32% who feel that it will sell. "There are fears that confusion will develop amongst users and retailers," said one developer concerning the multiple SKUs.

E3 had an effect on some developers. While 48.54% stated that, following the show, their anticipation of the hardware is unchanged, 32.52% stated that they've become less confident in the platform. Only 3.39% said that they were relieved by Sony's announcements at the show.

Many developers feel that Sony may have trouble reaching its sales goals. 62.13% feel that the system won't reach 6,000,000 sales by March of next year. In comparison, 35.43% feel that Sony will reach this goal. One developer cited price and competition as reason for this prediction. Another expressed the desire to watch and see how Sony handles things from here on out.

Based on the responses to the Ge-Maga survey, Japan's development community seems to be underwhelmed with Sony's hardware. We'll have to wait to see how Sony counters the negative reactions at the September Tokyo Game Show.

[insane_cobra]

insane_cobra: Gamasutra: Analyst: Sony Could Come In Last In Next-Gen Race

[Dasilva]

Sony won 2 generations, they should take a back seat this time.

[SoccerDude28]

Originally Posted by insane_cobra

insane_cobra: Gamasutra: Analyst: Sony Could Come In Last In Next-Gen Race

Originally Posted by Some guy at gamespot

t's amazing how similar some of those comments are to DFC's analysis of PS2 in 2000 and 2001. Some quotes from that period, from DFC:

"When you are on top there is nowhere to go but down. The PlayStation 2 was so hyped that there was bound to be disappointment on its actual release. However, industry reaction to the PlayStation 2 has been especially harsh, even as consumers clamored to get their hands on a system. Limited availability, mediocre software, high prices and potential hardware defects have plagued the PlayStation 2."

" Key PlayStation franchises like Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, and even Crash Bandicoot, have come from outside Sony. Now that third party publishers have other options, one can expect that most PlayStation 2 titles will be available for other systems as well. "

^^ That's almost exactly the same comment as they've made on PS3.!

"We think it is highly unlikely that the PlayStation 2 will have the huge market share that the original PlayStation enjoyed."

Oops.

In the end, though, at least DFC acknowledge that they don't know what will happen, and this is just one of many possible scenarios. The thoughts of another analyst, PJ McNealy, are the opposite:

"I asked P.J. who would win the console war in five years. He said, "Sony No. 1, Microsoft No. 2, and Nintendo No. 3." Same old, same old."

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/200...ealys_out.html

In the end, these guys are just like you and me. Having been through the last cycle, and the build up to it, and all the speculation surrounding PS2/GC/Xbox/Dreamcast, I've come to the conclusion that anyone who suggests they know or think they know what will happen is full of crap. It's so funny to go back and look at what people were saying back in 2000 about the upcoming generation, and how little of it actually panned out - yet we tend to forget all about it, and sweep it under the rug, and continue to embrace these speculations as if they offer some credible insight. Speculation can be fun, but in the end it makes no difference - what will happen will happen.

Basically these guys are just as reliable as fortune tellers.

[insane_cobra]

Of course it's all just speculation, they admit it themselves, but it's still quite interesting. Just a year ago anyone proclaiming Sony might end up not winning this round, even by the slightest margin, would've been immediately laughed at by the rest of the world. Nowadays such an idea doesn't sound that preposterous anymore.

[Dasilva]

If Sony doesnt win this Generation then I can safely say they're going to be very broke.

[Dasilva]

Sony takes out 545 million Euro loan as PS3 production ramps up!

Originally Posted by Gamesindustry.biz

Move marks first time Japanese giant has borrowed funds in a decade

Sony Corp. has taken out an 80 billion Yen (545 million Euro) three-year floating-rate bank loan - marking the first time the company has borrowed funds in ten years.

According to Bloomberg.com, more than 20 Japanese lenders will contribute to the loan, which will be used to "diversify funding sources."

The report suggests that Sony has "tapped the country's expanding syndicated loan market as it offered a cheaper source of cash at a time when investors in corporate debt are demanding higher yields before an expected rise in Japanese interest rates this year."

Sony spokesperson Shinichi Tobe told Bloomberg that the loan offers more flexibility than bonds, and that the company had ended up borrowing more funds than initially planned.

Fellow spokesperson Koji Kurata added that the funds will be used "for general purposes", according to Bloomberg. Sony intends to invest 460 billion Yen (3.13 billion Euro) in semi-conductor manufacturing and 100 billion Yen (68 million Euro) in an initiative to develop liquid-crystal displays with Samsung.

Sony is also facing costs associated with the manufacture of the PlayStation 3 and the launch of the new Blu-Ray disc format - both of which are due to roll out this year. Last year the company embarked on a three-year cost-cutting exercise that will see the loss of 10,000 jobs.

If they lose now, their in deep shitzo.

[Spiwak]

Two more format war articles--

Copy Protection Fault Found in HDTV DVD Players
Despite taking elaborate precautions to build fool-proof copy-protection systems into the next generation of high-definition DVD players, a computer magazine has found a relatively easy way of defeating the systems, thereby allowing pirates to make master copies. The magazine c't (sic), in an issue that went on sale Monday, noted that it is only necessary to press the Print key on a keyboard while an HD movie is running in order to get a full-resolution picture of each frame. By automating the process, frames can be captured in consecutive order to create a complete movie, the magazine observed. It can then be mixed with the audio track. The copy protection loophole affects both Sony's Blu-ray players and Toshiba's HD-DVD players. Both companies are expected to produce software updates to counteract the fault.

Yet Another Delay for Blu-Ray Players, Says Chinese Paper
And the delays keep coming for Sony's Blu-ray high-definition DVD system. China's Commercial Times newspaper is reporting that Sony's production facilities have not been able to meet the demand for the diode that generates the blue laser at the heart of the HD system. Both Sony's own plants and those of Japan's Nichia Corp., the only two suppliers of the diodes, have been plagued by production problems, the newspaper said. The supply problem, it observed, could not only delay production of Blu-ray DVD players for Sony and other manufacturers, but could also delay the release of PlayStation 3 models, now scheduled for November.

[Spiwak]

And another one--

UMD Flops As Video Format; Sony Tries Memory Sticks
Sony, which appears to have struck out in its effort to introduce the UMD format for playing movies on PlayStation Portable devices, will begin shipping its tiny Memory Sticks along with a conventional DVD containing four Sony movies, Hitch, S.W.A.T., The Grudge and XXX: State of the Union beginning next month. "This collaboration with Sony Pictures provides a quick, simple way to get a full-length movie onto Memory Stick media at no extra charge," Mike Kahn, senior manager at Sony for Memory Stick Media, said in a statement. The Memory Stick can also be used in Sony's cameras, audio players, and other devices. Sony said that the 1GB Memory Stick will retail for $60; the 2 GB, for $100. But several analysts, questioning the "no extra charge" assertion, observed that Memory Sticks of the same size are currently retailing for less than half that amount in some outlets. They voiced skepticism that the new approach for providing movies on PSPs will be any more successful than the UMD route.

[Dasilva]

UMD as and always will be useless because people just rip the movies onto memory sticks anyway.

[Spiwak]

Has Sony ever made a hit out of a new format? Just curious...

[Dasilva]

Originally Posted by Spiwak

Has Sony ever made a hit out of a new format? Just curious...

Nope.

[RLacey]

Didn't they almost manage with minidiscs?

[Mr Roboto]

Didn't they make Video8?

[Spiwak]

Xbox 360 To Offer Movies -- For Rent

Directly challenging Apple's iTunes Music Store and its iPod Video players, Microsoft announced today (Tuesday) that it will begin offering movies and TV shows for its Xbox 360 video game players beginning Nov. 22. While the TV shows can be permanently retained, the movies will only be available to "rent." They can be played from the game consoles directly onto the screens of television sets in the home. (An accessory capable of recording and playing HDTV movies is expected to become available later in the year.) Apple has said that it will introduce a device next year that will also allow films being sold on its iTunes store to be played directly on TV sets via personal computers. Warner Bros. and Paramount have agreed to provide movies for the Xbox Live Internet service; Disney is providing movies for the Apple service. Sony has already indicated that it will not provide films for the Xbox system since it competes with its own PlayStation game consoles. Microsoft did not announce pricing for the movie downloads, but today's Los Angeles Times, citing people familiar with the service, said that new movies would rent for $3.99 and older ones for $2.99. Apple charges $14.99 per movie for downloading-to-own but does not offer rentals. It said on Monday that Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest will be available for download on Nov. 7, and Disney's Cars on Dec. 5 -- the same dates that they will arrive in the stores on DVD.

[CrimsonBlue]

If the games deliver, Sony will win again. Simple as that. If the number of quality games on the PS3 is the same as on PS1 and PS2, the others won't stand a chance in hell to overtake them. And that means quality games in ALL genres, not just in cute platformers or fps.

[Solid Snake]

I have a hunch that things will be different this time for Sony .