PS3 General Discussion

[Jedi2016]

Don't forget, it'll access the internet and download and store games, movies and music. I'm sure you'll be able to make family photos like in photo shop with this thing, though nobody has said anything about this. Remember, it's a computer, not just a game console. I'm sure we'll be able to do a lot of "computer like" functions on it, too, though, I'm sure it wont replace the average home's PC.

I'm interested in only one PC function... video. I want to be able to stream video files from my PC to my PS3 over the Wi-Fi and watch them on my television.

Why? Simple.. my TV and sound system beats the hell out of my 17" monitor and tiny little computer speakers.

 

[tha_con]

I do find it interesting that Sony has begun refering to the PS3 as more of a computer now than a console, making them seem much more upmarket in a "Mac" sort of way than the rather "PC" 360 and Wii. I suppose that it is indeed a sign of the times, and the realization that far older people are playing videogames at a rate larger than that of some kids.

I'm all for Sony capitalizing on this market, as it is indeed a place at which they can make some huge gains. But they also need to think of little Timmy in Topeka, Kansas who is 13, and still relies on his parents for his gamming needs. Granted, if they have the money, they will buy it, but others may not.

I'm going to agree with Duck at the PS3 is only a good deal if you will use everything, but for most of the market, they won't. It will be interesting to see things play out in the near future, as the entire market could either remain much the same, or become radically different in less than a year.

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BTW: Has Sony said anything yet on IBM's story about the low Cell-Processor yeilds? I think the story had said less than 30% of most batches passed standards, which had DL.TV a bit worried the other day.

...Didn't know if anyone else had herd anything from Sony on it...

Again, these are reasons why you should not listen to terrible sources such as DL.TV.

The 10-30% yeilds are on FULLY FUNCTIONAL yields.

This means Cell Processors with all eight SPE's functioning properly.

The PS3 was designed around low yield specs, which is the main reason why it only requires 7 SPE's to function. When IBM produces the Cell, around 30% hit with all 8 working. By implementing low yeild (aka burn in) from the start, you nearly DOUBLE your yield from the get go.

DL.TV, however, is staffed by extremely unintelligent individuals who obviously do not understand fabrication processes and the industry as a whole.

You're welcome for the information.

 

[YSSMAN]

Yes, thanks, as it clears some things up. I belive they were focusing more on the effect of the deffective chips as a whole, given that it has been said that they will not be used in just the PS3, but also PCs, mobile phones, etc.

I enjoy DL.TV, as it can be a very informative show on occasion. With "The Screen Savers" all but gone, its the last remains of the once great "Tech TV."

 

[tha_con]

Yes, thanks, as it clears some things up. I belive they were focusing more on the effect of the deffective chips as a whole, given that it has been said that they will not be used in just the PS3, but also PCs, mobile phones, etc.

I enjoy DL.TV, as it can be a very informative show on occasion. With "The Screen Savers" all but gone, its the last remains of the once great "Tech TV."

Screen Savers was great...I'm sad that it died in place of shows like X-Play and Attack of the Show, which are terrible and transformed the channel into what is now G4 and sucks...

But yes, any Chip that yeilds more then 7 SPE's will be used in the PS3.

The way the system works, is factories are tooled to pump out Cell Processors. If it passes the yield test (meaning it has 7 functional SPE's, which is all that is tested, meaning Cell's with 8 will also pass) then they are packaged and sent for assembly into a final PS3 unit.

Anything that *doesn't* pass the yeild test (less than 7 functional SPE's) is kept, labled, and sent to IBM, as far as I know, for later use in other devices.

This is the wonderful thing about the Cell processor. It's yeilds are significantly higher than other processors because even if they are "defective" in a sense, they still serve a purpose for smaller devices, making it one of the most cost effecient processors in history.

 

[Jedi2016]

Anything that *doesn't* pass the yeild test (less than 7 functional SPE's) is kept, labled, and sent to IBM, as far as I know, for later use in other devices.

This is the wonderful thing about the Cell processor. It's yeilds are significantly higher than other processors because even if they are "defective" in a sense, they still serve a purpose for smaller devices, making it one of the most cost effecient processors in history.

That's a very good point, I hadn't really thought of that before. When the average processor chip fails initial testing, it's worthless.. a Cell with only three functional SPEs can still be used. I imagine the only thing that would actually ruin a Cell chip is if the PPE or memory fails testing.

 

[tha_con]

That's a very good point, I hadn't really thought of that before. When the average processor chip fails initial testing, it's worthless.. a Cell with only three functional SPEs can still be used. I imagine the only thing that would actually ruin a Cell chip is if the PPE or memory fails testing.

Yep.

 

[tha_con]

Looks like PS3's first big MMO just got canceld (Endless Saga).

I can see why though, there was no hype for it, lol, and Korean developers are popping out MMO's like crazy, so it was cancelled.

For those wanting to check out IGN, there's a bunch of new screens, mainly Heavenly Sword and Resistance: Fall of Man.

Also a new Virtua Tennis trailer which looks pretty good. All on IGN.

 

[slackbladder]

For those in the UK the question of which PS3's will be available for launch remains unknown even though www.gamesindustry.biz have an interview with SCE's David Wilson.
I feel the 60GB PS3's will be released first with the 20GB PS3's released early 2007.

There's also speculation over a possible £150 deposit for PS3 pre-orders. www.computerandvideogames.com
It's been suggested by retailers and my help stop people buying PS3's and immediately placing them on Ebay. Not sure if it'll work though. I'm sure PS3's will appear on Ebay all the same.

 

[Dave A]

Oh yes, I'm sure one or two that do appear will be mine.

 

[YSSMAN]

People will stand to make a big chunk of money by re-selling PS3s on the internet. Considering that it happened with the 360's launch and the PS2's launch, it will happen again, I guarantee it.

...Maybe we should be placing bets on what the highest price will be on Ebay once they go on sale?

 

[opendriver]

People will stand to make a big chunk of money by re-selling PS3s on the internet. Considering that it happened with the 360's launch and the PS2's launch, it will happen again, I guarantee it.

...Maybe we should be placing bets on what the highest price will be on Ebay once they go on sale?

Thats pretty much what im going to do, the use the money to buy a freiken car

I think some nut bought a 360 for $4,000, not to shure, but it was some absurd ammount.

 

[LaBounti]

whats worse is the poor chap who paid $1200 for the system only to get one of the faulty ones. People have been beat and robbed for 360's i can image the mayhem will be worse for the ps3.

 

[Jedi2016]

whats worse is the poor chap who paid $1200 for the system only to get one of the faulty ones. People have been beat and robbed for 360's i can image the mayhem will be worse for the ps3.

Hehe.. I didn't think of that. Makes me wonder if I should take a gun with me to the store to pick it up...

 

[tha_con]

I'll be working at the local GameStop the day of release, which sucks kinda, lol, but, the only reason I work console releases temp for them (I used to work fulltime) is because I get to check out all the games I want hahaha.

Usually we all check out two games and have a huge game fest the day of release.

 

[Solid Lifters]

Recently, Next-Gen.biz wrote up a snippit relating to the Taiwanese manufacturer, Asustek, who are major producers of the Playstation 3. Relating to the leaked reports of completed PS3 units being shipped to Sony, Asustek gave a mighty wag of its finger to the media for leaking such information. The report may damage their clients, they say. But, how would the report of shipping completed units before deadline be damaging? Perhaps other clients were supposed to have projects completed first but Sony got dibs?

Asustek refused to comment on the actual shipping of units. If they did start shipping retail units to Sony, who would want to grab one right now? Not much to do with it... perhaps display it on a shelf, play a Blu-Ray movie or two, or test its endurance. Perhaps Asustek's shipped units are for use at the Tokyo Game Show, since no actual numbers were released, it could have been a handful.
-PS3Fanboy.com

 

[YSSMAN]

^ I herd about the story there on GameSpot today, and I was quite surprised. They didn't make a huge deal out of it, other than pointing out Sony started production on the PS3 twice as soon as what Microsoft did on the 360, that is assuming the PS3 production news is true.

The good part of the whole thing is that it appears that Sony wants to make sure that the channels are full to meet the demand of the various markets on launch day. I think they learned their lesson from the 360 and the PS2's launches, as they need to have product to keep their grip on the market. And with the Wii and 360 getting argueably positive press as compared to the PS3, Sony is going to have to fight for marketshare just as they did all those years ago with the origional PlayStation.

 

[Tornado]

For a considerably different reason, however. And the fight for the market of the PS3 is going to be far more intense than the one with the original Playstation or the PS2.

 

[YSSMAN]

Of course. The thing is with the PS3 is that because of it's price and it's generally more complicated persona, it will have to ride on the pocketbooks of hardcore gamers and those who are looking to be on the cutting edge of technology. Kids are going to want them, and given that most of them will be relying on their parents for the purchase price, it will be the parents who are researching the product, and they may not come across the most positive stories out there.

Of course, everything can and probably will drastically change four months from now. Some reports continue to peg Microsoft's 360 nearing 15 million units by June or July 2007, and I belive now two think-tank groups have pegged the Wii to be the surprise hit.

We really can't predict anything unless of course something happens. Sony will have success, but the question becomes how much it will be. Microsoft's leg up has been the one-year jumpstart and the fourthcomming "flood" of AAA titles this holiday season, and the Wii stands to do well with it's low price and overall user-friendly nature. The PS3 is going to sell on gizmos and gadjets and the fact you can say "I've got a PS3," but everything is still up in the air for the most part.

 

[Tornado]

Things also have to be taken into consideration that this is the first time that Sony will be selling the undeniable most powerful console on the market, which is countered by the fact that this is the first time that Sony has ever really had any competition.
I am going to buy a PS3, yes. But I think it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Yes Kuturagi is right in that Sony has never launched a new generation console first, but they have also not had that much in the way of competition before.

 

[DuckRacer]

Now this is a Wii controller rip-off.

July 20, 2006 - Japan's Nikkei Net reports via its "Tech On" technology site that Sony Computer Entertainment has filed for a patent which could end up being an answer to Nintendo's Wii controller.

The patent describes a technology for reading three-dimensional positional and directional information for an input device using a single two-dimensional camera. The patent specifically states that this technology could be used to control action in a videogame. It even goes so far as to suggest a use as an alternative for a joystick when creating game interfaces.

According to Nikkei, the special feature of the Sony technology is that it manages to grab 3D information about an object using a single camera rather than a pair of cameras.

Sony filed for the patent on December 5, 2005, Nikkei reports, but the information was made public only on the sixth of July. The following image was included as part of the filing.

E3 saw the unveiling of two motion-sensing PS3 products from Sony. The system's controller was shown for the first time with motion sensors, allowing it to detect limited motion. Additionally, Sony demonstrated its next-generation EyeToy camera, using the device to recognize player-manipulated cards as part of a card-based RPG.

Presumably, if the technology mentioned in this patent becomes a part of the PlayStation 3, it would be through the EyeToy.

 

[Dave A]

I don't see how that's a Wii rip off.

 

[Tornado]

And if it runs through the Eye Toy, I don't see how it would work. So Nintendo really has nothing to worry about.

 

[Jedi2016]

Um.. that's nothing like the.. er.. Wi... W.... Revolution controller.

The Revolution's controller uses sensors built into the controller itself. The controller senses when it's being tilted, and it transfers that data to the console. The "sensor bar" that goes on top of your TV merely records the controllers position in 3D space, using multiple sensors and triangulation.

What Sony is proposing is completely different. Tracking a static, non-interactive "stick" using a single video camera. The "controller", as it were, isn't a device like the Revolution's... it's just a stick.

The results may be similar, but the methodology is completely different.

 

[Pebb]

I don't see how that's a Wii rip off.

I reckon the Wii is a waste of people's money, while the PS3 is a bargain.

 

[slackbladder]

I reckon the Wii is a waste of people's money, while the PS3 is a bargain.

Oooh, I think that's asking for trouble! Saying that is the metaphorical equivalent of dangling your tackle in a Lions mouth and flicking a wet towel on his love spuds!
In terms of pure hardware yes, the PS3 is a bargain. But not everybody wants a Blu-ray player. The Wii will almost certainly cost £200 or less and it will receive decent amounts of support from 3rd party developers like EA. In terms of gaming the Wii is a bargain. But to be honest Nintendo simply does'nt appeal to me.

 

[YSSMAN]

I reckon the Wii is a waste of people's money, while the PS3 is a bargain.

Whoa whoa whoa, I wouldn't say that is completely true...

Now for someone like you and I who likes to play games, watch movies, share photos and music, etc the PS3 is a reasonable console for purchase, assuming of course you have the money to buy it.

But take someone like my 5 y.o. brother, and the Wii is perfect. All he plans to do is play games, and thats it. Movies? Nope. Music? Nope. Pictures? Nope.

...Most families (and I'm talking about the AVERAGE American family with two kids, no HDTV, and an internet connection) would be better suited with the Wii, especially those who aren't hardcore technofiles or gamers. The Wii will watch movies, connect to the internet, and obviously play games, and in most situations, that is more than enough...

 

[Evo7GTA]

I don't see how that's a Wii rip off.

Speaking of Wii rip offs, look what I found.

http://www.playstationmuseum.com/Unlicensed Hardware/tiltforce2.htm

Guess Nintendo ripped off Sony's idea.

BTW If this was posted before, I apologize, but I'm not able to read though over 100 pages of posts.

 

[Jedi2016]

Speaking of Wii rip offs, look what I found.

http://www.playstationmuseum.com/Unlicensed Hardware/tiltforce2.htm

Guess Nintendo ripped off Sony's idea.

BTW If this was posted before, I apologize, but I'm not able to read though over 100 pages of posts.

Nintenowned?

I guess Sony's controller isn't quite the ripoff we thought it was. They've been saying it, too.. "We had one of these years ago", but nobody listened.

Interesting that that old controller has both tilt and rumble...

 

[tha_con]

Nintenowned?

I guess Sony's controller isn't quite the ripoff we thought it was. They've been saying it, too.. "We had one of these years ago", but nobody listened.

Interesting that that old controller has both tilt and rumble...

I think this has to be explained in more depth to be understood.

The tilt function of the PS3 is not the deciding factor for having rumble or not. The true "interference" comes from the sensor that picks up on translational acceleration. You can look it up, it's a physics term, basically it means that the sensor is capable of picking up the changes of force from one direction to another (i.e. up down left and right)

With vibration, you pose the risk of damaging, interference, or reducing the functionality of said features.

However, with simple gyroscopic functions, vibration does not interfere as much, since gravity is the driving force for this sensor (unlike translational acceleration, where motion is the driving force for the sensor, hence vibration poses the possibility to interfere).

 

[Tornado]

That, and the lawsuit that Sony lost.

Speaking of Wii rip offs, look what I found.
http://www.playstationmuseum.com/Unl...tiltforce2.htm
Guess Nintendo ripped off Sony's idea.
BTW If this was posted before, I apologize, but I'm not able to read though over 100 pages of posts.

Hardly. The fact that that was a 3rd party (and it even says that it is unlicensed at the top of the page), and that it was also out for the N64 means that Nintendo didn't copy jack squat. Saying that is like saying that Sony was the first to come up with the dance pad because DDR was on the PS1, which is not only factually incorrect but it's also not a Sony product. The Sony controller is more a rip-off of this than the Wii controller.
In addition, I've been looking at this "Sony Camera Wand," and I've found out two things:

1. Sony has actually held the patent since 1999.
2. It basically functions like a Menacer without a trigger, which means that Sega had the technology first since the Menacer was a first party product.