i agree with this. when i see this thread hit 3 pages or so, i just head over here to catch up on all my console news/hilarious arguing. very enjoyable

I get drawn in by Mizzou BB Fan, and some wierd compulsion I feel to try to balance out his info. I said once before I was going to stop posting in these threads, and I intend to do so now.

Exactly.

This is comedy gold here. After professing that the reviews were way off for a couple of weeks, Lair lead developer now suddenly thinks it was a bad idea to 'force' motion control.

http://www.gamesradar.com/us/ps3/gam...88000000020735

I don't disagree with that.

The only reason I post 360 news here at all is because they actually email it to me. Nintendo's got a press site where they post their press releases, and Sony has shifted from email to PlayStation.Blog. In both cases, pretty much anybody can go there and read those.

I leave my mailbox open in case stuff I'm expecting comes in, and every once in a while, I'll get a press release from Microsoft that is either actually interesting, or has a bearing on a topic under discussion.

If the other two companies actually emailed me their news, I'd post the interesting tidbits from them, too.

Totally agree. I certainly post information about the 360 and the Wii as do the other posters listed above, hence the reason I mentioned them as being good sources of info. They do a good job of putting up info and, if they have an opinion, do a good job of backing it up with actual information.

Not sure what's going on with the Wii in Japan this week. One month ago, it was selling 65K a week. This week, it's expected to continue to drop in sales, only selling 27K units. Not sure if they're diverting units to other countries in the region or if the demand is just off for some reason. Will be interesting to watch to see if the downward trend continues.

It's the lull before the big holiday season.

We had 90 Wii's in stock at work over this past weekend, and then got another 15 in today (half of those were gone at the end of my four-hour shift).

Wouldn't surprise me a bit if diversion is happening en masse.

They've already basically said it was.

No, I mean in massive quantities. Like, MASSIVE quantities.

They haven't mentioned extent, only that it is happening.

like TOTALLY massive?

Yay Star Wars game coming to Wii where you can use your wiimote like a lightsaber!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/n...fm?artid=14424

"wielding the Wii Remote™ as a lightsaber while using the Nunchuk™ controller to torment foes with their Force™ powers."

That is FUCKING AWESOME!!

Agreed, I look forward to this thread every month.

Please don't.

Yeah. Like your mom.

;)

Damn, that's cool :D

SI

Yeah, but if we've learned anything from this thread, it's that it's a lot easier to just beat up on one person :rolleyes:

SI

Ooh, BURN! ;)

SI

I don't care at all for the Sixaxis Aftertouch controls in Heavenly Sword.

On the other hand, I'm quickly becoming a believer in Sixaxis being the only way to play Warhawk.

I'm just the opposite on Warhawk. Like using the analog sticks. I am glad that they gave the option to use the sticks or motion control to fly the Warhawks. It's just a bad design decision to only allow one or the other.

How does the motion control work in Heavenly Sword? Didn't even know they were trying to do something like that. Doesn't sound like a good fit.

New MGS4 news coming out of the Konami TGS press conference. MGS4 and Metal Gear: Online will be packaged as a bundle. It appears that MG:O is a 'starter pack' and that expansions for that online pack can be purchased. I'm not sure I'd be interested in buying add-on content, but it is nice that the game will be on there to try out for everyone who buys MGS4.

No word on if MG:O will be packaged separately for purchase.

Two new videos of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune from TGS:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/25057.html

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/25060.html

I was reading about Drake's Fortune in PSM yesterday. It looks good.

IGN at TGS reporting that Burnout 3 booths have wireless rumble controllers. Full DualShock 3 announcement expected later tonight.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/821/821010p1.html

Info on total length of Mass Effect......

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/m/ma...ainterview.htm

Research firm predicts video game industry will grow to $47B by 2009.......

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/820/820687p1.html

Oh, don't get me wrong, I absolutely agree that there needs to be an option.

But using the Sixaxis controls means that the navigation analog suddenly becomes a free-targeting reticle. If you're good with the Sixaxis, you have much more freedom in targeting enemy craft.


Well, there's some basic stuff like 'jerk the controller if you get knocked into the air,' and you recover by attacking an enemy on the ground.

That's fine. It's basic, it works, and it's not that disruptive.

"Aftertouch," though, where you can guide a projectile...doing that with the Sixaxis sucks balls. You can turn that off and just guide it with the analog sticks, which isn't nearly as big a pain in the ass, but Sixaxis Aftertouch is the default.

Good point. Forgot that was an option.

I'm a huge fan of land mines and missile turrets. I've put a lot of people out of commission with those two defensive weapons.

New gameplay footage of Little Big Planet at TGS:

http://au.media.ps3.ign.com/media/85...80/vids_1.html

FYI to those in the UK. Street date for Halo 3 has been broken by a store called Argos. Here's a list of some of the voices used in the game per the credits.

Nathan Fillion (Malcolm Reynolds in Firefly)
Adam Baldwin (Jayne Cobb in Firefly)
Alan Tudyk (Wash in Firefly)
Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica)
John DiMaggio (Bender in Futurama and Marcus Fenix in Gears of War)
Terence Stamp (General Zod in Superman II)

New MGS4 trailer just released on the internet. It's getting hammered right now, so might want to wait until later.......

http://ruliwebfile.empas.com/mpeg3/t...gs4_pr_hdv.wmv

Info on early release of Halo 3.........

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/09...layers-banned/

More info about Dead Rising 2 from TGS. It appears that it may be multiplatform.

http://www.xbox360wire.co.uk/2007/09...360-exclusive/

I've done the same thing with this thread (not concerning any one single person) but I think it ends up being the nature of console discussions - cause it happens everywhere online. Video games usually not so much. Like the NBA2k8 thread is a good read to keep up to date on it (my fav game) but I try reading through this thread for game/console info since it's centralized and I can't help but sometimes end up chiming in despite knowing better.

but but but rumble is last-gen technology! ;)

If the customer base demands something, does it matter whether it's last-gen tech or not?

I happen to think the initial rationale for why there was no rumble is a load of bunk and hooey...but even if it weren't, if the potential customer base is demanding it, and your sales are struggling, doesn't it make sense to include it, even if you consider it "last-gen"?

There was no rumble because they didn't want to pay for it. They finally reached an agreement.

Of course, Sony is the same company that tooted their backwards compatibility hardware as a huge advantage over Microsoft, then dropped it less than a year after release and went the Microsoft route. Which I think was the point of the original post, they are backtracking on many things they touted at the start.

I know that. What I'm saying is that even if you take at face value their statement of it being "last-gen tech" - which I don't - that status doesn't mean that, if the customer base demands it, you shouldn't find a way to appease that.


Yes.

Big difference between PS3 and Xbox 360 here? I've plugged nearly every PS2 game I own into the compatibility checker Sony has up, and while there are a handful of games that have issues on the 80 gig (that don't on the 60 gig), they'll at least play. The software emulation for Sony isn't by any means perfect, but it does encompass a far greater scope of the PlayStation library than does the Xbox 360 software emulation.

It's a backtracking, but Microsoft would do well to learn from Sony's implementation there.

I gotta say, I wonder what these guys know (or think they know) that most of the rest of us don't that suggests to them that the PS3 is going to end up blowing past the 360 in sales.

I'm just not seeing any reason on the horizon for that speculation to have any merit.

Japan.

If the PS3 ever gets up off the mat, it's got three territories to draw from, just as the Wii does.

The Xbox 360 is strong in the US, and in solid (but not spectacular) shape in Europe.

Japan? Another story entirely. That's a big part of why the Wii caught up so fast. Nintendo and Sony have credibility in Japan. Microsoft is trying hard to achieve that, but results have been mixed at best.

Problem has been, every time Sony starts to get it together, seems like, they shoot themselves in the foot again. Hard to maintain any kind of momentum when you do that.

If Sony gets it together in reasonably short order, yeah, I could see Xbox 360 finishing a "distant 3rd." The longer that takes, though, the harder that becomes - both because of Xbox 360 sales in the US and Europe, and because it gives Microsoft time to catch lightning in a bottle in a "Sonic the Hedgehog" way.

What I mean by that is, Sega captured early market share from Nintendo in the late '80s when Genesis hit the market, but the reason they finished with ~45% was because Sonic the Hedgehog was a hugely successful franchise for them. Nintendo's leisurely jaunt to the market with the Super Nintendo gave Sega time to find that foothold.

Similar situation here. Right now, Wii is blowing everybody out of the water right there, and as soon as Sony rights the ship, I'd expect them to do the same...but the longer that takes, the more opportunities Microsoft has to hit on something that resonates in Japan in a way they haven't been able to accomplish yet.

That doesn't seem hugely likely in the short term; Blue Dragon and Trusty Bell/Eternal Sonata haven't been the sales drivers Microsoft hoped for over there, but that might also end up being a war of attrition. Maybe Japanese gamers won't buy a 360 *just* for Blue Dragon, or *just* for Trusty Bell, or *just* for Lost Odyseey...but eventually prices come down and the combination of that and an amalgamated library might spark some interest.

It doesn't have to spark Wii-level interest, either. I know VGCharts isn't the most reputable tracker out there, but let's use the chart they have up at:

http://vgcharts.com/page5.html

Pretend those numbers are accurate. The numbers PlayStation 3 has there? Probably not acceptable from Sony's standpoint. I have to think, on the other hand, that Microsoft would cheerfully take the year Sony's had in Japan, and if they ever manage to do that, it will make them much harder to pass for second place, especially if Sony hasn't managed to get the motor running before that happens.

With a 4.5-1 sales advantage in Japan, though, if Sony gets off the mat before Microsoft begins to see sustainable movement, that's going to be the roundhouse blow that puts Microsoft in the global caboose again.

The problem is, if, if, if. There's a lot of "ifs," and every day that passes is a day off the calendar for this generation.

I'm not buying it. Look at the breakdown of Japan as part of the overall market, both last gen (PS2, Xbox, Gamecube) and current gen (PS3, 360, Wii):

Last Gen:
Japan = 29.97M (18.2%)
US = 76.91M (46.8%)
Other = 57.36M (34.9%)

Current Gen:
Japan = 5.21M (19.1%)
US = 13.73M (50.4%)
Other = 8.31M (30.5%)

So basically the Japanese market constitutes 18-19% of the worldwide home console market. That's a decent-sized chunk, but consider that to this point, the 360 has been kicking the PS3's ass in the U.S. (with the notable exception of the month after the PS3 price dropped and before the 360 price dropped), a market which comprises 47-50% of the overall worldwide market. There's still a 6+M unit gap between the 360 and PS3 currently.

Even granting that the 360 will get creamed in Japan, the PS3 is going to have to close the notable edge the 360 has displayed in the U.S. in weekly sales in order for their edge in Japan to make a significant difference - and that's just to draw even. They will also have to start pulling ahead in the non-U.S., non-Japan market as well - currently the 360 and PS3 are roughly equal since the PS3 launched on weekly sales (and the 360 has made a big jump recently since their price cut).

So, yeah - the 360 will lose badly in Japan, much like the Xbox did. But that still leaves 81-82% of the worldwide market, and so far the 360 is winning those areas (outselling the PS3 in the U.S. on a weekly basis and about equal elsewhere, with a recent surge favoring the 360) and it already has a 6+M unit lead.

What makes anyone think that the PS3 is going to reverse their disadvantage in the U.S. market and pull decisively ahead in the European/Australian market? Is there some list of PS3 exclusives in the next 1-2 years that trumps the 360 exclusives? Is there some reason to think Blu-Ray demand is going to jump through the roof and be a reason for driving PS3 sales? Does anyone think MS is going to let Sony price drop their way into the race without matching them?

I don't see it either

The trump cards are still in the deck for Sony. MGS4 is going to be a key indicator for whether Sony can make headway. There are multiple titles for Sony that have similar pull, but MGS4 is the first big one to be released. If MGS4 doesn't provide a significant boost on release in Feb/March, then the analysts will likely switch their discussion to 'if MGS4 couldn't draw in the consumers, will FFXIII, FFXIII Versus, GT5, etc. do any better?'.

Blu-ray is already a big advantage in Japan and Europe with a 96% share in Japan and roughly a 3:1 ratio of sales in Europe. The U.S. remains the sole battleground in that regard. The PS3 is regarded by most video review websites as the best BR player. Quality is great and the ease of pushing firmware is a big benefit. With that said, I still don't think that this will be what decides whether the PS3 does well or not.

New trailer released for The Last Remnant.......

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/25174.html

List released of current and upcoming titles for the PS3 that will have rumble enabled. Rumble controllers have a release date of Winter 2007 for Japan and Spring 2008 for EU and North America......

What is MGS4

Sorry. Metal Gear Solid 4.

Who was the one that said something about what it takes to be a hardcore gamer?

Lost Odyssey expected to ship on 4 DVD's. Game time is roughly the same as BioShock, but the extra CG scenes in Lost Odyssey appear to be the main cause for the increase in number of discs.

TGS interview with president of BioWare.........

Very interesting market analysis on the console war in North America. Amazing how a PS3 and 360 price drop can reduce Wii demand by 17% in just two months. 360 demand increased by 20% and PS3 demand increased by 40% during those same two months.

http://blog.compete.com/2007/09/19/x...ii-demand-ps3/

Makes sense to me. People knew that 360 and PS3 price cuts were coming, so they waited for them. Now that they are here, demand has increased. Bioshock and Halo 3 have not hurt either.

I don't think that anyone expects the Wii to have a price cut anytime soon, so people have been buying at a constant rate. That might be declining as people either figure that they will get one for Christmas or the market is just naturally drying up.

I still don't know how much what the 360 does changes what people will do with the Wii. They seem like different machines serving different markets.

On a realted note, I wonder how much of a bump the 360 will get once word breaks online that the stock of RROD 360s is off the shelf and all of the new cooler 360s are on the shelf. Are there a lot of people waiting for that moment? Or is the fact that I only talk about this with game obsessed people slanting my view of the situation?

MS is in a pickle in that regard. The 'game obsessed' as you call it will know about it pretty quickly. It's going to be a lot tougher for MS to get that info to the general public and 'casual gamer' (which appears to be the latest catch phrase). They can't openly promote the change to the publice without admitting that there were problems previously, which they've only passively admitted thus far by extending the warranty. However, the general public will never know any different if some form of communication isn't done. They can't rely on word of mouth.

I agree.

Still, there has to be a group of people who have said to themselves, "I am going to buy a 360, but I will wait for the cooler units." And they are keeping an ear at least half to the ground to see when those will be out. I just wonder how big of a group that is. In the hundreds? The thousands? The tens of thousands?

The "casual gamer" issue is also important for MS, of course. I just wonder about the more in-touch gamer who has made the express choice to wait.

To be clear (while splitting hairs), the new DualShock 3 controller is different than past 'rumble' controllers. The controller actually has multiple mechanisms in the controller that allow for directional feedback. For example, if someone were to shoot at you from your character's left and you are hit, the left side of the controller will vibrate to give you instant feedback that someone is shooting at you on your left hand side. Here's an article with MGS4 demo impressions where they discuss how the rumble works.......

http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3162991

That's cool. Maybe the blind can play some games?

It's just like the PS2 in that regard. Early release units had some big problems with disc read errors. Those people eventually bought a PS2 to replace their early one, but I don't think there's going to be any sudden jump for a 'second launch day' when the new systems come out. It will just gradually happen over time as the 3 year warranties run out on the old units and they go and buy a new 360 rather than pay to repair the old one. I would guess that people would likely wait to make that jump, assuming the longer they take to replace their old one, the better chance they have of getting a new one that won't have similar problems.

(insert IGN article detailing how blind gamers will cause PS3 sales to skyrocket)

:)

If Microsoft couldn't increase demand with a price drop, Madden 08 (being exclusively advertised for 360), and Bioshock both coming out then something would have been terribly wrong.


360 - hardcore gamers
PS3 - hardcore gamers
Wii - hardcore and casual gamers

They are competing, Wii just gets some extra sales on the side. Most Wii owners have been playing games for years, a few months ago Nintendo came out and said that 10% of Wiis sold went to first time console owners, 90% had bought a PS2, PS1, SNES, or whatever else at one time or another.

Yeah, but I don't think a significant chunk of that 90% buys a Wii as an either/or proposition.

I don't think anybody goes in saying "well, this is it. I'm not going to fool with a PS3 or an Xbox 360, the Wii's got everything I need!"

I mean, some of the 10% probably do. Why not? It's fun, it's easy to play, and it's cheaper than the other options.

But somebody who's a "hardcore" gamer is probably not going to throw away MGS4, FFXIII, Eternal Sonata, Mass Effect, Halo 3, etc because Wii is where it's at.

The competition between Wii and the other two is more for development resources than for market share, IMO. Especially with the discrepancy in costs between the PS3/360 and the Wii. Lots of money for PS3/360 doesn't freeze Wii out, but lots of money in Wii development might cause some hitches in 360/PS3 development if the company in question isn't either huge or aggressively expanding.

New game announcement.........Motorstorm 2. Will be released in 2008.


http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=28820

I decided the PS3/360 was not for me, and went with the Wii only for this generation. And, I really don't see that changing, but I guess it could happen.

If we call your definition the "new hardcore" gamer, then I guess I would be an "old hardcore" gamer. I have easily purchased several thousand PC games since 1991 (SimEarth was the first one). And, I have over 150 PS2 games. Those would be my main systems. I don't own an XBOX. I don't have a blue-ray player or HD-DVD player. I don't own a cell phone (I mention this, since you can play games on them.) or a high definition TV. I do have an enhanced TV (480p) which is the highest output for the Wii, PS2, and standard DVDs.

I do see myself having a large library of Wii games once they establish their platium/greatest hits/player's choice/cheap price line-up of games, but at the moment I have less than a handful of games. Though, there are about a dozen games out for the Wii that I would like to get once their price drops.

I just have a Wii, and although the 360 has some games I want to play... I can't see myself buying one right now. I have a crappy 19" Citizen TV in my room, and a messed up 36" JVC in the basement. Both are regular tube TVs, so I won't see a huge benefit with the next gen graphics really. Plus no sound systems. If I had a better setup, maybe I'd be a igger next-gen fan.

I've always thought the same thing. I never understood why someone would pay so much money to upgrade to a 360 or PS3 if they don't have a HDTV or HD monitor to play it on. You're buying a corvette with a one cylinder engine when you do that.

Especially given the continued support for the PS2 and the Wii, there's really no reason to upgrade without an appropriate TV.

Dear God! That's, ummmmm, a lot of games. :)

They do take up a lot of shelf space. Especially, the game manuals.

You keep them all? Yikes!

I had about 30-40 old PC games that had just been lying around. I just posted them all in one eBay listing and sold them as a group to get rid of them. Pocketed a couple hundred dollars and had a lot more space on my desk as a result.

Trailer released at TGS for new Metal Gear Online game........

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/25132.html

Also, new gameplay footage of MGS4.......

http://www.gamersyde.com/news_5097_en.html

I agree 100%. I saw no reason to buy a 360 or PS3... that is, until I bought a 50" plasma this summer, then it made sense. My friends would bring their 360's over sometimes and it was almost frustrating playing on my 27" TV. It was almost worse than playing the Wii or a last-gen system because it was sometimes a struggle to see all the little details that are jammed into the screen.

I have an HDTV and still don't want a 360 or PS3 :D

Me

Latest hardware numbers out of Japan. Wii sales continue to plummet, now only a 2:1 sales lead over the PS3 (was 6:1 only 3 months ago).


It should be noted that it's not a case of the PS3 making up ground, but when Wii weekly sales fall from around 80,000 to 25,000 in 3 months, that's got to be a concern.

Some have suggested that some Wii's were rerouted to North America. I went hunting for a PSP Daxter pack at multiple stores last night here in Kansas City. I was surprised to find that Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Circuit City all had at least 6 Wii's in stock. Wal-Mart actually had 11. I'm wondering if Nintendo is oversupplying North America in the hopes that there will be enough Wii's to handle at least some of the holiday rush. Regardless, if you want a Wii to give as a gift for X-mas, now is likely the best time to buy it while it's still available.

Playstation Home delayed until the spring:

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=8977

We got 90 Wii's in late last week, prior to the Sunday ad. We got another 18 on Tuesday (I'm told we actually got 24, but I can only visually account for 18), and another 15 or so yesterday.

I'm guessing that, yeah, there is significant diversion going on. Only 21k Wii's may have sold in Japan, but hey, how many are still on the shelves over there? That's the bigger question before the word 'concern' trickles in.

Oh ok. It rang a bell... did you consider yourself a hardcore gamer? If so, I think that should be revoked since you didn't know what MGS4 stood for. :)

There are limited numbers in stock in Japan, but nothing like the large stock we're currently seeing in the U.S. As I mentioned, the surplus will be be sucked up as we move towards the holidays. It will be interesting to see how stock numbers change over the next month or two in both regions.

Good move here by Microsoft. Moving their focus to Europe as Japan appears to be a lost cause. Only question here is why it took so long to move those resources to Europe.......

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=a0FYuTjLAMec

Phil Harrison says that the rumble tech is the same as in the Dual Shock 2.

http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=17519

Not sure if that means the stuff discussed in the preview has been technically doable on the PS2, or if this is just an expansion of how the DualShock 2 tech is used.

Also, apparently Beautiful Katamari isn't coming to PS3, but PS3 will be getting a Katamari game of its own.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3163131

Exclusives for everybody!

(Yes, I'm bored. Waiting for my umpire clothes to be ready to go into the dryer so I can sleeeeeeeeeeeeep.)

I don't think the declining Wii sales in Japan are all to do with supply. There hasn't been much released on the Wii over there in the last month or two. If gamefaqs.com is right October won't have any big games either but count on Wii sales shooting back up when Galaxy, Smash Bros., and WiiFit come out.

More important than Japanese sales is that MLB Power Pros is coming out next week, right in time for the beginning of the playoffs. If anyone reading this is somewhat interested but not fully convinced the game will cost $40 instead of $50. I hope they tack on a player editor because I'm sure I'll find some issues with the player ratings but that's my only big concern with the game. Hopefully this game sells enough that this North American release isn't a one-time thing, the more competition in sports games the better.

This week at TGS a trailer was released for King's Story, formerly Project O, a Wii game that kind of reminds me of the Settlers with some RPG elements. I really like the art style and the game's music should be good going by the Bolero variation in the trailer. This game won't be out for awhile even in Japan but it looks great.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/25389.html

More info about the new Tecmo Bowl game. Editable jerseys, helmets, and player names.........

http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Sto...0851.49147.htm

Yep, was confirmed on another site. That's what I get for reading a IGN opinion. :)

Pachter believes Little Big Planet will be a system seller for the PS3:

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=28926

New details on Saints Row 2...........

http://www.thq-games.com/uk/news/show/2750

Halo 3 likely to gross around $300M on opening day...........

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/...881838207.html

"Tecmo Bowl is straying from the sim-type game, and it will be an arcade-style game"

Hm...

SI

Let's be honest. I'm not sure how much of a sim it was before. Anyone who's seen the Bo Jackson 5 minute touchdown run (which was the entire quarter in a Tecmo Bowl game) would probably note that it was always arcade-style. The fun in Tecmo Bowl was that you could get some relatively accurate stats in head-to-head matchups without giving up the 'fun factor' in the game.

Unsurprisingly, Gamespot gives Halo a 9.5.

The Bad

* Rewinding saved films doesn't work quite like you'd expect it to
* AI-controlled Marines can't drive to save their lives (or yours)
* Inevitable flood of prepubescent online players sure to hamper your enjoyment of the online modes.


LOL

For those looking for a HDTV and a Xbox 360, Best Buy is offering a free Xbox 360 with any Samsung DLP TV this week.

The first 2 games that were on the NES were definitely arcade and what people remember the most, however, when it ported over to the SNES the game was becoming more and more of a sim that included a fairly impressive franchise mode for the time.

Interesting. Seems to me like Sony's giving up on pitching it as a game machine, and still trying to push it as the crossover box.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/723678f8-67a...%3DPlaystation

'giving up on pitching it as a game machine'

They don't have to do one exclusive of the other. There's plenty to offer on both sides. Right now, it's accepted by most video review sites that the PS3 is the best Blu-ray player on the market. I certainly don't think it's a terrible move to emphasize the strength on that front. If it gets more PS3's sold, great. But they're not downplaying the gaming end by any means and the article doesn't say anything in that regard.

Sony released it's quarterly financials today. Overall game division sales are up 60%. Fiscal year-end goals for all Sony consoles remain unchanged.

http://www.123jump.com/earnings-call...gs-Call/23285/

They can push it all they want as a Blu Ray player, but they are going to undoubtedly piss off retailers who sell actual blu ray players in the process. There's virtually no margin on a game console, whereas there is an okay one on the stand alone players.

The PS3 is prominently displayed in the 'Video Games' section of all stores. When it is moved to the 'Home Entertainment' section, then we can have this conversation. It's still a gaming console and I would guess that few would hear 'Playstation 3' and think anything other than gaming.

You don't know how many times I hear a week, "well, I want a blu ray player, but i'll probably just buy a PS3"

Isn't that a win for Sony in that case? If they sell the console by means other than gaming, that would seem to be a positive. Granted, some people don't like the decision to include BR in the console, but now that they've already gone down that road, I would think that any sales via BR are good for Sony. The vast majority of sales are still for gaming in regards to the PS3.

Your comment would seem to make perfect sense when combined with the article that Fozzie posted. They know that there are some people who are buying it as a BR player. Pushing that as an advantage with a marketing campaign makes perfect sense. It still doesn't mean that they are doing it by disregarding the gaming part of the system as Fozzie implied.

Another Wii game with no online gameplay. This time, it's Table Tennis........

http://loot-ninja.com/2007/09/24/tab...o-online-love/

The Wii has shown how important online play is.