playstation 3 launch date w/ other crap.
Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2006 3:44 am
PS3: (Release Date: 11/2006, est. cost $499 [20 gb] - $599 [60 gb]) --
The PS3 is arguably the most powerful of the 3 next-gen consoles, from a brute force CPU power perspective. How much that will translate into gaming experience remains to be seen, but it has been a major selling point Sony has been pushing. Although it's reputedly currently beleaguered by overheating issues, these will all be solved before its official release.
In addition, the PS3 has the benefit of an established repetoire of incredible games. Overall, games for the PS2 are consistently ranked as more entertaining and better designed than those for the xBox. Frankly, when it comes down to it, it's the games that matter most and the PS2 has been the industry leader because of its massive game selection. With full backwards compatibility, that transfers over to the PS3.
The PS3 has a number of interesting, but possibly never-to-be-used, features. For example, dual HD ports allow you to have TWO HDTVs going side-by-side. You will also be able to access the PS3 from the internet as a hub for pictures/mp3s/etc.
The biggest selling point so far has been the inclusion of a next-generation DVD format in Sony's HD Blu-Ray format (which has purportedly been the cause of the delay in release date). While the hands-down standard for the next version of DVDs hasn't been decided (think Betamax vs VCR), this feature is still a plus in that with so many PS3s to be sold, Sony's Blu-Ray format will most likely prevail (Plus, it's better technology than HD-DVD), meaning you won't have to buy a new DVD player in the future as the PS3 can easily fill that role. Stand-alone Blu-Ray DVD Players are expected to cost nearly $1000 when they come to market in late 2006, which many point to as the reason for the higher price of the PS3 versus the xBox 360. The PS3, however, will sport a standard 19-pin HDMI connector, which will limit HD output to 1080i, a hinderance not likely to be built in to stand-alone blu-ray players. Unless you have a upper-level HDTV, however, this isn't a major concern.
The PS3 does have a slight possible shortcoming in online game play, as Sony does not have an established platform like xBox Live to build on. However in March, Sony announced that they will be offering some semblance of a free online service that will provide chat and e-mail capabilities, with a pay system for actual networked gameplay which is expected to be similar to the Live 360 system. This is a change from their earlier company line, which previously made no mention of a unified online system.
There are additional features that make the PS3 an attractive console, including support for up to 7 controllers (via Bluetooth), interconnectivity to the popular PSP handheld (via Wifi). The primary sell-point, however, remains the HD Blu-Ray DVD Drive.
The PS3 will be approximately 325mm (W) x 98mm (H) x 274mm (D) and weigh approximately 5 kg according to their latest press release
The PS3 is arguably the most powerful of the 3 next-gen consoles, from a brute force CPU power perspective. How much that will translate into gaming experience remains to be seen, but it has been a major selling point Sony has been pushing. Although it's reputedly currently beleaguered by overheating issues, these will all be solved before its official release.
In addition, the PS3 has the benefit of an established repetoire of incredible games. Overall, games for the PS2 are consistently ranked as more entertaining and better designed than those for the xBox. Frankly, when it comes down to it, it's the games that matter most and the PS2 has been the industry leader because of its massive game selection. With full backwards compatibility, that transfers over to the PS3.
The PS3 has a number of interesting, but possibly never-to-be-used, features. For example, dual HD ports allow you to have TWO HDTVs going side-by-side. You will also be able to access the PS3 from the internet as a hub for pictures/mp3s/etc.
The biggest selling point so far has been the inclusion of a next-generation DVD format in Sony's HD Blu-Ray format (which has purportedly been the cause of the delay in release date). While the hands-down standard for the next version of DVDs hasn't been decided (think Betamax vs VCR), this feature is still a plus in that with so many PS3s to be sold, Sony's Blu-Ray format will most likely prevail (Plus, it's better technology than HD-DVD), meaning you won't have to buy a new DVD player in the future as the PS3 can easily fill that role. Stand-alone Blu-Ray DVD Players are expected to cost nearly $1000 when they come to market in late 2006, which many point to as the reason for the higher price of the PS3 versus the xBox 360. The PS3, however, will sport a standard 19-pin HDMI connector, which will limit HD output to 1080i, a hinderance not likely to be built in to stand-alone blu-ray players. Unless you have a upper-level HDTV, however, this isn't a major concern.
The PS3 does have a slight possible shortcoming in online game play, as Sony does not have an established platform like xBox Live to build on. However in March, Sony announced that they will be offering some semblance of a free online service that will provide chat and e-mail capabilities, with a pay system for actual networked gameplay which is expected to be similar to the Live 360 system. This is a change from their earlier company line, which previously made no mention of a unified online system.
There are additional features that make the PS3 an attractive console, including support for up to 7 controllers (via Bluetooth), interconnectivity to the popular PSP handheld (via Wifi). The primary sell-point, however, remains the HD Blu-Ray DVD Drive.
The PS3 will be approximately 325mm (W) x 98mm (H) x 274mm (D) and weigh approximately 5 kg according to their latest press release