[Melanie68]

I think you need one of these

[Intrepid Homoludens]

I'd like, but I would need a friend whom I could play it with.

[SoccerDude28]

Folks here (except SJH) are forgetting how Microsoft was hammered after last year's E3, with people saying ("these games don't look next-gen", "XBOX 1.5", MTV showing how lame), yet when the console hit the market, people were paying 1200 + dollars on eBay to buy one? So E3 does not mean anything. It is not even followed by the majority of the mass market.

Watching HD quality DVD's is a good incentive for some people to buy a console especially when they have already spent so much money on an HD TV. Sony proved that was the case 6 years ago when they released the PS2. Yeah Sony is taking a big gamble, but I think, like last time, it will pay for them. And then of course we have Japan which will still be dominated by Sony.

[wilco]

Originally Posted by samIamsad

I stopped understanding or caring about platform wars at the tender age of 14 (when Commodore died). Geez. At the end of the day, it's all corporate shit designed to get your hard earned money. So what.

Agreed. Console wars yada, yada, yada... I'm skipping this generation. Getting back to PC gaming only!! (and DS, of course...)


After all, like we saw on E3 all the REAL games are still on PC (Supreme Commander, NW2, Spore, Bioshock and so on...)

[Spiwak]

Originally Posted by wilco

After all, like we saw on E3 all the REAL games are still on PC (Supreme Commander, NW2, Spore, Bioshock and so on...)

Mass Effect.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Originally Posted by SoccerDude28

Folks here (except SJH) are forgetting how Microsoft was hammered after last year's E3, with people saying ("these games don't look next-gen", "XBOX 1.5", MTV showing how lame), yet when the console hit the market, people were paying 1200 + dollars on eBay to buy one? So E3 does not mean anything. It is not even followed by the majority of the mass market.

Soccsie

Hey shut up, you! I haven't forgotten. I already stated that these companies, in their scramble to be first and best, are willing to sacrifice a bunch of things, including giving enough time to devs to digest the hardware and take advantage of the new features to incorporate into the next gen games. In the end they screw themselves over.

And am I one of those who was stupid enough to pay $1200 or more for a 360 on launch?

Watching HD quality DVD's is a good incentive for some people to buy a console especially when they have already spent so much money on an HD TV. Sony proved that was the case 6 years ago when they released the PS2. Yeah Sony is taking a big gamble, but I think, like last time, it will pay for them. And then of course we have Japan which will still be dominated by Sony.

But sometimes it's the other way around. Many people still don't own HDTVs!! I mean, I had to buy one shortly after I got my 360 so I could take advantage of the feature.

What I f***ing hate is the artificial dichotomy created by these companies in their efforts to snag as big a share of the market as possible, it makes it much harder for us consumers and we have to do our research and take risks ourselves. Blue-ray or HD DVD? Which will be the dominant medium? It's annoying.

[artwking4]

I have a feeling that the HD DVD 360 attachment will cost at least $200.

[wilco]

Originally Posted by Spiwak

Mass Effect.

Sooner or later Bioware will bring to PC, at least I'm counting on it.

[insane_cobra]

Originally Posted by artwking4

I have a feeling that the HD DVD 360 attachment will cost at least $200.

Well, MS representatives said an Xbox 360 with a HD-DVD attachment would cost less than a PS3.

But does it really matter? I'm not so sure people will be too crazy about switching to a new format. What do Blu-Ray and HD-DVD offer over DVD? More space, meaning clearer picture and better sound. That's it! Do many people care for that so much they would spend $1000+ on a HD player and a HDTV? Not to mention HD dicsc are likely to be more expensive than DVDs. DVD was much better than VHS, no more rewinding, more fidelity, less susceptible to damage, cheaper to produce, smaller form factor, media with no moving parts etc. Comparatively, it wasn't substantially better than LaserDisc (as far as movie distribution goes) which was very popular in Japan so DVD adoption was much slower there, even after PS2 appeared. What do HD formats have oved DVD? More space. So I don't see any HD format becoming a new standard in forseeable future, unless movie companies stop supporting DVD altogether, but I don't think that would happen as many people (worldwide, not just in the States) still can't afford the transition to HD.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Yep, the ubiquity factor would most likely be gradual. Only the early adapters buy the latest tech shit, and they are not your standard suburban family, many of them are geeks to start who can afford a ridiculously priced $600 console with technology so new and novel that it won't be common for another several years. It's really commerce and marketing that's driving all this now, not actual world demand. The demand is artificially created by the industry to prey on people's social insecurities: "Buy this latest piece of insanely expensive technology that nobody uses yet so you can be the first on your block with bragging rights and you can be bigger, better, and sexier than everyone!"

[SakSquash]

Excited about Splinter Cell?

Hope you like loading screens as well...

[artwking4]

Originally Posted by insane_cobra

Well, MS representatives said an Xbox 360 with a HD-DVD attachment would cost less than a PS3.

Well, alright then. I hadn't heard that. I was kinda worried there. Considering that the Core 360 model that doesn't come with a hard drive would force a purchase of a $100 20 GB drive if the owner decided to upgrade (it is $100, right?), it didn't seem too much of a stretch to guess that an HD DVD drive would cost about twice as much, given that it's a new technology as well, and an accessory. Accessories tend to cost way more than they should, I think.

I think it's possible, though, they could mean that the drive attachment and a Core Xbox 360 would cost less than the premium PS3, giving them a window of $300 to play with the drive price. That would be just a little too crazy, though, but I wouldn't put it past Microsoft or Sony or any other company for that matter to do that.

I cetainly never adopted new media technology right from the beginning. It's too much of a risk. My first DVD player, though, was the PS2. Of course, by that time, DVD's were pretty standard. If Sony manages to actually use Blu-Ray for its games and not just for movie playing, then I can see the benefit of including it and making it a standard launch component (I wish Sony had thought it through and given the PSP a hard drive and a second analog nub).

As things stand, I'll probably wait until the PS3 has more games on it before I pick one up. Maybe get a XBOX 360 this summer. I want to play Oblivion.

[insane_cobra]

Originally Posted by artwking4

I think it's possible, though, they could mean that the drive attachment and a Core Xbox 360 would cost less than the premium PS3, giving them a window of $300 to play with the drive price. That would be just a little too crazy, though, but I wouldn't put it past Microsoft or Sony or any other company for that matter to do that.

Yes, that's certainly possible. However, it's also possible, if not very likely, that the price of Xbox 360 will go down in time for PS3's launch. That would also give them more room to work with.

[RLacey]

I suspect that Toshiba and Microsoft will work to keep the drive price as low as possible - they need to offer it as a lower-cost alternative to Blu-ray...

[SoccerDude28]

Originally Posted by insane_cobra

Well, MS representatives said an Xbox 360 with a HD-DVD attachment would cost less than a PS3.

But does it really matter? I'm not so sure people will be too crazy about switching to a new format. What do Blu-Ray and HD-DVD offer over DVD?

They have quality. Why would you play a game in HD over say on a normal TV?
Same reason why you would watch ESPN on HD or watch the latest movie on HD. There are other advantages too of course, for example more highly durable DVD's that don't scratch as easily, and lengthier ingame footage, but the main reason I would use it is to watch the latest movies how they are meant to be watched.

[squarejawhero]

Originally Posted by insane_cobra

Yes, that's certainly possible. However, it's also possible, if not very likely, that the price of Xbox 360 will go down in time for PS3's launch. That would also give them more room to work with.

MS reps in the UK have been telling customers that it will go down in price this autumn, and with the cheaper chips being introduced early next year it'll tumble further.

[Spiwak]

Originally Posted by insane_cobra

What do Blu-Ray and HD-DVD offer over DVD? More space, meaning clearer picture and better sound. That's it!

You make it sound like that's not a big deal.

[Lucien21]

Sony UK says it will be £425 at launch.

Interestingly they have only released one price as rumour has it they 60gb model is the only one that will be released over here.

UK gamers will not be able to purchase the cheaper model.

[squarejawhero]

Really? Gamestation has both.

[Catbert]

GG X360 & PS3.