As we approach the Christmas holidays and Sony has showed what they are bringing to the table (lower PS3 price, PS3 slim), it is natural to see reactions from their competitors and Microsoft has aimed to fight back aggressively, and the battle between PS3 Slim and Xbox 360 Elite will be brutal. For the first time in the history of the two console wars, gamers have a chance to pay the same price for very similar configurations. For $299 an elated gamer can land themselves a PS3 Slim or an Xbox 360 Elite. For many, this will not be a straight forward decision.

Microsoft’s bundle contains the Xbox 360 Elite, a 120GB hard drive, two wireless control pads, and a copy of the game. The Sony offering contains the new Playstation 3 Slim, complete with a 120GB hard drive, one wireless control, and a copy of the game.

The “Blu-ray” format won against the 360’s HD-DVD format.

The PS3 Slim has an entirely new processor. The new cell processor jointly developed by IBM, Sony and Toshiba, is said to be faster, cooler and less power hungry than the previous PS3 CPU. For the end consumer this will clearly mean a cooler, less noisy machine, and potentially better frame rates in the most intensive games.

In terms of reliability, the Xbox console gets the Red Rings of Death (RROD) far more frequent than it should. Even with the release of the new chipset, Xbox still gets RROD. This is a design flaw that Microsoft appears to have acknowledged. Many Xbox gamers have reportedly encountered the RROD problem.

With its lowered price tag and leaner form-factor, the decision to buy PS3 Slim offers great value. Consumers get a fantastic gaming machine, no-charge online support, and a high quality Blu Ray player, which is deemed as a high value item in terms of hardware configuration.

The Xbox 360 Elite console is the most powerful variation of the console to date. However, even with a price drop, still struggles to compete feature-for-feature. The most glaring omission is the lack of on-board wifi adaptor. The wider portfolio of game software does help to cover it’s shortcomings in hardware.

On one hand, the PS3 had built-in BluRay, wireless internet and browser but just as compelling the Xbox 360 Elite has NetFlix and a better online experience. For gamers, it is not certain if the Blu-Ray which is a big aspect in terms of hardware, is a huge gamers selling point. Moreover the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth may not be the top priorities for gamers as well.

Should you buy Playstation PS3 Slim Console this Xmas? Or is the Xbox 360 Elite a smarter decision? It depends on what you are looking for, as far as hardware is concerned PS3 hands down is a better purchase. The Xbox 360 Elite does however have the advantage when it comes to exclusives, online play, and perhaps as the gamers ultimate console.

As we approach the Christmas holidays and Sony has revealed what they are offering (cheaper PS3 price tag, PS3 slim), it is natural to see response from their competitors and Microsoft has strategized to counter hard, and the battle between Xbox 360 Elite and PS3 Slim is expected to be heated. For the first time in the history of the two console wars, gamers have a chance to pay the same price for very similar configurations. For $299 a happy gamer can land themselves an Xbox 360 Elite or a PS3 Slim. For some gamers, this is not an easy decision to make.

Microsoft’s bundle contains the Xbox 360 Elite, a 120GB hard drive, two wireless control pads, and a copy of the game. The Sony bundle contains the new PS3 Slim, complete with a 120GB hard drive, one wireless control, and a copy of the game.

Hardware-wise, the PS3’s BD-ROM aka “Blu-ray” is superior to the 360. BD-ROM is now the de facto format of digital HD media. The “Blu-ray” format won against the 360’s HD-DVD format.

The Playstation PS3 Slim has an entirely new processor. The new cell processor jointly developed by IBM, Sony and Toshiba, is said to be cooler, less power hungry and faster than the previous PS3 CPU. For the end user this will obviously mean a cooler, more quiet machine, and likely superior frame rates in the most demanding games.

In the reliability department, the 360 Elite console gets the Red Rings of Death (RROD) far more frequent than it should. This is a design flaw that Microsoft has acknowledged. The RROD problem has been reported by many Xbox gamers and many appear to have been plagued by it.

With its much reduced price tag and slimer form-factor, the decision to buy PS3 Slim is a bargain. Consumers get a great gaming machine, free online support, and a high quality Blu-Ray player, which is deemed as a high value item in terms of hardware.

The Xbox 360 Elite console is the most comprehensive variation of the console to date. However, even with a price drop, still lacks in features compared to PS3. The most glaring omission is the lack of on-board wifi adaptor. The wider portfolio of game software does help to cover it’s shortcomings in hardware.

For gamers, it is not certain if the Blu-Ray which is a big aspect in terms of hardware, is a huge gamers selling point. Moreover the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth may not be the top priorities for gamers as well.

Should you buy Playstation PS3 Slim Console this Xmas? Or is the Xbox 360 Elite a wiser choice? It really depends on what you are looking for, as far as hardware is concerned PS3 undoubtedly is a better purchase. The Xbox does however have the upper hand when it comes to online gaming, exclusives, and perhaps as the gamers ultimate console.

PlaystationX: Should Sony And Microsoft Join Forces?

The enemy of my enemy is my friend…

by dkpatriarch

© 2009 David Hilton

I have previously argued that both the Xbox and the Playstation must survive and that the competition between them is beneficial to gaming.  However, with the current economic crisis worsening and with Nintendo happily counting its blessings (and money), perhaps the old adage “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” is something both companies may eventually consider.

Recently we’ve seen reports that Microsoft has cut 5000 jobs (according to Dean Takahashi approximately 30 percent of Microsoft’s internal video game testers have been laid off), closed another game studio (FASA, who made Crimson Skies for Xbox and Shadowrun for 360), and reported one of the worst quarters in its history in a surprise, pre-market disclosure, which includes an 11% slump in net income for the second quarter.

Sony isn’t faring much better either: after recently cutting 8000 jobs in December and promising more cuts, it expects to report a record annual operating loss of nearly US$3 billion because of the rapid deterioration of the global economy.  Sony chief executive, Howard Stringer, told reporters at a news conference in Tokyo that business worsened across every major line, including games.  It is no secret that Sony’s PS3 is trailing the console race.

There are, though, some analysts who point to the fact that the gaming industry should not be suffering from the recession as badly.  First there is the fact that video games had their biggest year yet in 2008, eclipsing combined DVD/Blu-ray sales.

Then there is the opinion of Vancouver-based gaming industry analyst Steve Boscka, who says:

“”The industry is seeing great sales right now. Any company that’s attributing layoffs to the economic downturn is looking for excuses, because the numbers don’t back it up.”

However, it has to be said that though much of the sales success has been due to the incredible quality and value-for-length entertainment that gaming provides, it is Nintendo who is grabbing much of the success with their Wii and DS consoles.  Nintendo accounted for 55% of all hardware sales in the U.S. last year, and saw its own sales figures jump 59% year-over-year.

Microsoft and Sony are companies with varied products beyond gaming and are increasingly under the financial pump and it could make sense for them to join forces in the gaming sector, cutting the expense of having to fight each other.

Of course they are each other’s greatest enemy in the console ‘war’ but by banding together they would be fighting two other common enemies: the economic enemy (the current crisis and the increasing costs for game console and software development) and the clever, rapidly rejuvenated Nintendo gaming empire, with its almost single-handed creation of a new casual gaming market with the Wii and DS.

There are thousands of practical reasons why this will most likely never happen and they would rather stubbornly fight until the other abandons console hardware as Sega did, but it is an interesting hypothetical if the economy continues to hit them hard and Nintendo keeps trouncing them in sales.

What if Microsoft and Sony were able to co-operate and form a new gaming-only focused company, each holding equal shares and influence?

What if, instead of planning Xbox Next or PS4 they banded together to create a ‘PlaystationX’ console, the greatest console collaboration ever?

They would streamline production and marketing costs, reduce their market competition, and keep both bands of loyal fans.

The Wii market may be different, but they may together do what each other separately has so far failed to do: seriously attract both the new and old gaming markets together for one console and pose a threat to Nintendo’s sales dominance.

This is ‘pie in the sky’ of course- each wants victory for itself, and I still wonder how innovative and powerful a console only competing with the Wii would be, but one thing is very attractive about this idea:  I’d love to see the end of the ‘Fanboy Wars’  between the Xbots and Sony Droids which has divided gamers so much lately. (ed: Amen to that mate)

What do you think?

• Do you think a ‘PlaystationX’ console would be a good idea or a disaster?  Comment below.

© 2009 David Hilton

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PlayStation 3 80 GB Metal Gear Solid 4 Pack Purchase Policy

As you may know, the PlayStation 3 80 GB Metal Gear Solid 4 Pack (“PS3 80GB MGS4 Pack”) is in great demand, and there are limited quantities of this product across the U.S. In an effort to provide as many customers as possible with the opportunity to purchase a PS3 80GB MGS4 Pack, we are limiting the total number of PS3 80GB MGS4 Packs that can be purchased. As a result, each household may only purchase one PS3 80GB MGS4 Pack total.

Under the Hood of the PS3
The PS3 features IBM’s “Cell” processor and a co-developed Nvidia graphics processor that makes the system able to perform two trillion calculations per second. That’s approximately 320 times more calculations per second than the PS2. Along with the traditional AV and composite connections, it also boasts an HDMI port, which delivers uncompressed, unconverted digital picture and sound to compatible high-definition TV and projectors. The system is capable of 128-bit pixel precision and 1080p resolution for a full HD experience.

Playstation 3 Features

• Blu-Ray is the New Way
  Sony’s PlayStation 3 games are encoded onto the Blu-Ray disc media format, which can hold six times as much data as traditional DVDs. This increase in capacity–combined with the awesome power of its processor and graphics card–promises mind-blowing games once developers have learned how to fully harness the new console’s power. The PS3 will also support CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R formats. In addition, PlayStation 3 system software update version 2.20 and up includes BD Live support. With this you can now play discs that support Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0 (BD-LIVE) and you can also connect to the Internet while playing discs that support this format so that you can obtain additional features. Features that are available vary depending on the software in use.
• The Dualshock 3 Rumble Wireless Controller
  The Dualshock 3 Rumble wireless controller for the PlayStation 3 system provides the most intuitive game play experience with pressure sensors in each action button and the inclusion of the highly sensitive SIXAXIS motion sensing technology. Each hit, crash and explosion is more realistic when the user feels the rumble right in the palm of their hand. It can even detect natural movements for real-time and high precision interactive play, acting as a natural extension of the user’s body. Dualshock 3 wireless controller utilizes Bluetooth technology for wireless game play and the controller’s USB cable to seamlessly and automatically charge the controller through the PlayStation 3 system at anytime.

• Plays All PlayStation Games
  The PlayStation 3 will be backward compatible with PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games, which means you’ll be able to play all your favorite games without keeping all the old systems. The console will have slots for Memory Stick Duo, an SD slot and a Compact Flash memory slot. It comes with a pre-installed hard disc drive, which allows you to save games as well as download content from the Internet.

• Included in this bundle Metal Gear Solid 4!
  Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, is a next-gen experience complete with top-of-the-line graphics and surround sound designed for the Sony PlayStation 3. Featuring the most revealing display of Kojima Production’s premier title, MSG4 details the world where Snake must under go his final mission. In a world overrun by private military companies (PMCs), wars are no longer fought over nations or ideologies. Instead, the wars of the future are micro-managed by overarching PMCs, right down to the bullet. New gadgets and abilities fuel Snake’s journey deep into the enemy domains of the Middle East, South America, and beyond. New gear includes “Metal Gear Mk. II,” the ultimate reconnaissance tool, and “Solid Eye,” which gives Snake real-time information on enemies and his surroundings. Joined by a familiar cast of characters, Snake must once again return to the battlefield to confront his lifelong rival, Liquid Ocelot, who is manipulating the world’s wars from the one world where soldiers will always have a place. But Liquid Ocelot is not the only one who will be able to manipulate the world’s wars–Snake can destabilize opposing forces by working behind the scenes, supporting the local militia as they fight PMCs, creating a smokescreen that allows Snake to move freely within the war-zone.

• Online
  Sony has stated that the PS3 will have similar online connectivity and services as the next generation of Xbox Live. Calling it “an always on, always connected device,” SCEI’s chief technical officer Masa Chatani said the PS3 would be constantly in touch with a “PlayStation World” network “fundamentally based on community, communication commerce, and content.” Technically, the infrastructure is there to make that connection. The PS3 supports 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T Ethernet, as well as IEEE 802.11 b/g wireless networking protocols.

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Better late than never, right? Sony has just announced that it will be releasing a massive firmware update for the on-board PS3 Blu-ray drives. The biggest change will be the upgrade to Blur-ray Profile 2.0, which will bring full online support for any Blu-ray titles that offer Profile 2.0 content. read more | digg story