[Hawkeye_a]

An awesome article here imo. It might be something many of us wouldnt want to admit, but it's worth a look.

My opinion ? it could swing either way. but if Sony over estimates what it's customers (18-35 yr old males) are willing to pay for a home console they could find themselves in deep do-do. After all their current fan base are gamers, would thay pay $100, 200 or even 300 more for the ability to play HD movies on non-HD tv sets ?

With the PS2, prices were on par with the Xbox and the GCN and the DVD drive made sence, since all uy needed was a regular SD-TV set to exploit it. but with the PS3, would u really want a unit whos SECONDARY purpose is to play HD mvovies on essentially SD-TV sets ? (yes i know there are a few exceptions out there who own HD TVs) but would the vast majority of others be willing to play a premium for something they wouldnt be able to use, when they could get their gaming fix on an XB360 or NRS for a lot less $$$ ?

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=3047

I think the factor that will make or break the PS3 at this point is the pricing(hardware, software and services(online gaming)).

it's nice to have those bells and whistles and toasters, but are people (people includes not just gamers), willing to invest that sort of money into what is essentially a glorified console ? PSP anyone ? it seems to have settled in quite a niche of the market if u ask me. prohibitively expensive, unclear function..... uninterested public.

Seems like theyre doing the same with the PS3.

If Nintendo does with the NRS what it did with the NDS..... they stand to gain a lot of ground. Microsoft has a 12 month head start and could find itself in a healthy position. I hate to say it, but i think Sony has taken on a little too much a little too fast for them or their fans to swallow.

Cheers

[ghporter]

Vaporware is still vaporware. And if it ever DOES hit the shelves, the PS3 will have to compete with an entrenched XBox 360 userbase for sales. Sony really didn't do well by missing their earlier release dates with this. Even if it does do everything it's supposed to superbly well, it will face an uphill battle for users.

[ort888]

I expect Sony to win the next generation as well, but by a smaller margin. I think Microsoft is going to give them a real run for their money in the states. I have no idea how well Nintendo is going to do, but lately I've been feeling more optimistic about their chances for survival.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by ghporter

Vaporware is still vaporware. And if it ever DOES hit the shelves, the PS3 will have to compete with an entrenched XBox 360 userbase for sales. Sony really didn't do well by missing their earlier release dates with this. Even if it does do everything it's supposed to superbly well, it will face an uphill battle for users.

The PS3 will own in Japan. It will do well in the US. Blu-ray on the PS3 will help it immensely (and vice versa). Indeed, that's why I haven't bought the Xbox 360. Had it shipped with HD-DVD stock I would have considered it. Now I'm waiting for the PS3.

I still think the design of the Xbox 360 is probably superior for gaming (at least in practical terms especially for game development), but the PS3 is pretty close, and I think the overall PS3 package is a winner unless there there is some sort of deal-breaker defect, or Sony prices it far too high.

You may call it vapourware, but at least the components have already been demo'd, and it's not as if it's some fly-by-night company backing this. It's Sony, who already has the PS and PS2 under its best, and who owns large amounts of movies too.

Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a

it's nice to have those bells and whistles and toasters, but are people (people includes not just gamers), willing to invest that sort of money into what is essentially a glorified console ? PSP anyone ? it seems to have settled in quite a niche of the market if u ask me. prohibitively expensive, unclear function..... uninterested public.

The PSP is a different kettle of fish. It's a portable, and it's a crippled one at that. I think the best comparison for the PS3 is not the PSP, but the PS2.

P.S. That article link goes to something about GeForce 4 Ti cards.

[Hawkeye_a]

I hate to drag Nintendo into this discussion, but seeing as how its about gaming.....

I wouldnt dismiss Nintendo so early. there are factors at play outside the realm of just your typical gamer(18-35 yr old male) here. Nintendo clearly has a price advantage(or so it may seem at this point). they are courting a more universal fanbase, the way they did with the NDS. So, i think looking at the 'potential' market as a whole....Nintendo stands a good chance. I hear Nintendo saying...."you want to cater to just your fans...go ahead....we wont make that mistake again...we're going to TRY to get em all. it's going to be a gaming console...for the rest of us" it might not be a winner in the traditional gaming demographic, but i think we will see a lot of people outside the 18-35 male niche get into gaming with the NRS. it's got price and innovation on it's side (as far as games anyway). XB360 has the time advantage this time around. Sony of the other hand has none of the above.

Now im sure we all know which one we're hoping to get. But try and look at it from an economist's perspective. price, target audience, useability, brand, value, etc....

If Sony cannot match the price of the XB360....it'll have a very tough battle to catch up with Microsoft (and potentially Nintendo).

As far as comparing the PS3 to the PSP.... someone mentioned Japan will swallow a lot of PS3s..... well Japan also seems to be the center for portable devices....and look what happened to the PSP (compared to the competition).

It's interesting to see how market is reacting to these products and the way the companies are going about marketing their wares.

Cheers

[itai195]

I agree that it's all about price for the PS3. Lesser factors include the actual consumer interest in Blu-Ray (I think Sony overestimates it) and the quality of their online service. But either way, I expect Nintendo and Microsoft to do much better this generation than last.

As far as the PSP goes, much as I've been disappointed with it, it's not like the product has been a total failure. And there are finally some good games coming out for the thing... but Sony seems to be reacting rather slowly to the PSP's problems, publicly at least.

[Rumor]

I still think Sony is trying to jam too much technology into this machine. Keep an eye out for features to continue to be dropped.