Posted by CMorrison on Feb 8th, 2008
Despite an admittedly slow start out of the gate, 2008 could very well be the turning point for Sony’s Blu-Ray player (that just happens to play games as well, from what we’re told). There’s no question that Sony’s been embattled from day one with both Nintendo and Microsoft to deal with, but if Sony plays their cards right, they could pull up right alongside their rivals and turn this console race into a dead heat.
As well as a recently-developed Blu-Ray laser assembly smaller than the current version, the upcoming shift to a 45nm process for the PS3’s Cell processor means cheaper manufacturing costs, and (hopefully) cheaper PS3s. I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that $299 40gig PS3s would fly off the shelf, back-compatibility or no (seriously, just because you’re buying a new system, does this mean you’re gonna throw out the old one? I think not). Consider that even at $399, the PS3 is a great deal for what you’re getting: a Blu-Ray player, media hub and next-gen gaming system. The problem thus far with the PS3 has been the perception that it’s little more than a really expensive game console with few exclusive games worth playing; a $299 price tag would undoubtedly go great lengths to change that image, especially with the newer, better wave of games coming in.
Speaking of better games, this past holiday had some great exclusives such as Ratchet and Clank, Uncharted, and Unreal Tournament 3 (which is console exclusive, at least for the moment). This year could prove to be a good one for Sony if titles like Metal Gear Solid 4, Killzone 2, and Little Big Planet make the sort of impact that they’re expected to. If Sony’s smart, a line of $ 29.99 Greatest Hits titles such as Motorstorm and Heavenly Sword would also be a boon for attracting new customers to the system, offering a wider variety of games at more affordable prices.
Aside from all these things, Blu-Ray may well be the one thing that truly pushes the PS3 ahead. Once thought by many to be a risky endeavor, the format appears to be paying off for Sony, especially in light of Warner Bros going Blu-Ray exclusive in May of 2008, as well as Paramount recanting HD-DVD exclusivity and resuming dual-format publishing (this appears to once again leave Universal as HD-DVD’s sole exclusive publisher). As more and more people move to HD televisions in preparation for the shift to fully-digital broadcasting, they’re going to want some shiny new discs to justify their big-screen investment; if Sony manages a PS3 price drop within the next few months, I can see no reason why the PS3 can’t do for Blu-Ray what the PS2 did for DVD, which is to get inexpensive format players into people’s homes, and in a big way.
In closing, it seems that Sony is poised to make a major turnaround in 2008 if they play it smart and take some short-term losses (in the form of a PS3 price cut) in exchange for long-term gain (better software sales and the expansion of the Blu-Ray movie market). My feeling is that $299 is the price that will open the floodgates; we’ll see if Sony agrees, and whether or not I was right. While I don’t believe that Sony will have the commanding lead they did last generation with the PS2, I do believe that they can turn it around to make it the closest three-way race we’ve seen in years, and that can only be good for everyone involved: developers, publishers, and consumers.
Posted in games, geek
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Don’t forget that Sony’s version of Second-Life, “Home”, will also make its debut later this year. For those not in the know, you’ll have a virtual avatar that can wander around Sony’s virtual world, where you can interact with others and visit hubs dedicated to games, movies, music, and so on. All of this, including online multiplayer, will be free of charge across the table. That will make those of us paying $50 a year for the right to play our 360’s online stand up and take notice — and hopefully Microsoft, as well.
Backwards compatability is important for people who lack the room or TV connections to hook up multiple systems. That’s one reason the Virtual Console for the Wii was a draw for me and some people I know (once all the games I own are available I’ll pack up the SNES). When I bought a PS2 I immediatley gave my PS1 to my friend because I didn’t need both anymore.
The lack of backwards compatability is partially keeping me from buying the cheapter PS3s, while the hefty price tag for the more expensive model isn’t doing anything to convince me. I would also like to see a larger catalog of quality games this year before I invest in another system, especially since FF13 is likely coming out in 2009 (I’ll be surprised if they slip it in this year).
It’s inevitable that I’ll get a PS3 in one form or another, but backwards compatability is a huge plus for me. But at $500-600 I still can’t justify the purchase with the little content on the machine.
BTW, question: with the rumored 120-160 GB systems coming out, someone told me all PS3s will lose backwards compatability. Anyone else hear this? I’ve yet to see anything indicating the more expensive machines will lose it, and this same person said the 80 GB doesn’t have it (I know that’s false).
In the latest issue of EGM (#226), Sony VP of Marketing Peter Dille had this to say about backwards compatibility: “It’s important to us; if you want it there’s a model in the marketplace that offers it, and I think our stance on backward compatibility stands in stark contrast to our competitors’.”
And…
“What we said is, based on all of our research, price was the single biggest issue that people wanted to address with PlayStation 3. With an eye toward reducing the price, backward compatibility was one of the attributes that was addressed. Having said that, there’s still a model in the marketplace that supports it. If it’s important to you, you can pay the additional $100.”
Straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak — if back-compat is important to you, buy the 80 gig, as it looks like future systems won’t include it to keep costs down.
Hrm… What I’m curious about is if the 80 GB will still be on the market. If the future systems with larger storage don’t have backwards compatability, that might be a problem. Best Buy has stopped carrying the 80 GB and now there’s indications Gamestop might be next, so if they take it off the market that would be it.
Backwards compatability won’t completely keep me from buying the system (I have a 360, after all) and if there’s no other option I’ll buy a cheaper system. But if the option exists I’m definitely more inclined to wait and see if prices come down. Even if they discontinue all backwards compatability models I just can’t see me justifying $500 on it.
(BTW, thanks for the quotes ^__^)
I should also note that when the 360 came out I said I would never pay $400 for a system. A year later I bought it when it was $350 and that’s only because I happened to find it on sale (I was going to buy it anyway). So I say I won’t buy a $400 PS3 without backwards compatability, but, y’know…
…I’m a video game whore. I’m so ashamed of myself.
I have never, and will not, pay more than $300 for a console. Anything more than that and I can get myself a significant PC upgrade.
Here here! If I pay more than $300 then I might as well boost my PC or put down a payment on a car or something. Gaming is supposed to be a hobby, not a second job that you have to shell out the cash to do.