|
| |
|
PS3 Watch
Predicted months ago, after and interview with Epic's Mark Rein, plans are shaping up for Sony to go with an open architecture for its online model. What does that mean to the consumers and the rest of the world? In simplest terms, Sony's already successful online gaming plan impleted currently on the Playstation 2 will be carried over to the upcoming Playstation 3 gaming console, set to release November 17, of this year. Harrison has admitted that the Xbox Live online gaming service is one of Microsoft's better achievements. Sony manifesto for success in online gaming entails letting the publishers setup and regulate their own means for getting consumers online and gaming. This will also allow publishers to interact with consumers directly instead of using Sony as an intermediary in the online gaming experience.
Following this model, could still cause problems for Sony down the road, such as only a few games have had much online success in the online area on the Playstation 2. Games such as SOCOM, and Final Fantasy XI, are the only few games to see any high amount of online action during the Playstation 2 lifespan. Perhaps if Sony can manage to do a far better job of promoting the online experience of gaming like the Xbox has, and attempts to have some kind of unifying structure, Sony could see far better success this time around.
The Multiple-Sku Scenario
Microsoft as planned released two different version of their popular Xbox 360 console in November of 2005. One version was give the name Xbox 360 core system, package only included that basic such as the console, a standard controller and a faceplate, Standard Tv hookups, and a sliver membership to Xbox live, which does not actually allow you any online game play, but does give you access to most game updates and add-ons. The other system, the more complete package in addition adds a wireless controller, a headset, a media remote, these extras will only run the gamer and extra 100 dollars to truly enjoy there gaming.
Many loyal Gamers to the Xbox, are worried that this strategy would cause a division in the Xbox market much similar to the situation Sega faced almost a decade earlier when they introduced upgrades to their console, but were also selling a new console. "While we designed a no-compromises game system, a huge percentage of our customers are not like [hardcore users]," says J Allard, a corporate vice president at Microsoft. "Recognize that more than 75 percent of the folks on Xbox have not played Halo. By introducing the core system, we are sending a signal to the market that we are committed to this part of the market, just as we are committed to [the hardcore market] with the Xbox 360 premium bundle."
In comparison, Harrison stated at the Gamer Developers Conference Europe that the current plans is to only have one version of the Playstation 3 a launch, but the company still plans to start selling different versions of it down the line as new peripherals such as the EyeToy become available, but not before then. Due to Sony's massively overpriced, price tag for the system, SCE's own president, Ken Kutaragi, it might not be such a bad idea for Sony to offer different version, similar of that to Xbox. One problem that Xbox will face that Sony wont, is the fact that one version of the Xbox 360 will include a hard drive but the other will not, this will make it harder for developers to games, they will have to choose to use the hard drive advantage or leave a sector of the gamers out, who don't already own the hard drive, this most likely cause consumers to buy the hard drive anyways, Sony will not have this problem, with there one version marketing strategy.
Again at the Game Developers Conference Europe proved to be a focal point of PlayStation 3 discussions thanks to Sony Computer Entertainment Vice President Phil Harrison, who revealed a broad range of information, ranging from online play to the multiple-SKU strategy that Microsoft has chosen to use with the Xbox 360. Also discussed is how the Playstation 3 will compete with the popular Xbox 360.
To the Rescue
The original Killzone featured some pretty decent online multiplayer game play, but the average gamer really wouldn't know it since Sony has not done a particularly good job of pushing online play for its games or for the PlayStation 2 in general. Online game play has been a struggle for the Sony Playstation 2 since it release in 2000, the consoles was quickly put in its place when it was found out that it would not include a internet adapter of the shelf, however the extremely popular Sega Dreamcast did include online game play and was free for the initial run of the console. With any luck Sony has learned its lesson and will kick off the PS3's online features the way it was meant to be done-with potentially great games like the next Killzone and Unreal Tournament 2007. But only time will tell if the open-structure model will be enough to give online PS3 games their due and take on Microsoft's excellent Xbox Live service, this generation of gaming console will for sure hold the most surprise for everyone.
|
|
|
|
Click a thumbnail to watch a video
Loading...
|
Macworld: Iomega Releases new Home Media drive - PC Magazine
Read more...
Everyone's free Linux: DeviceVM's Splashtop - Computerworld
Everyone's free Linux: DeviceVM's SplashtopComputerworld, MA - Jan 6, 2009One of the neat things about Linux has always been that you can run it on just about anything: iPhones, xBoxes, PS3, you name it, you can run Linux on it. ... |
Read more...
Hands On with Sony's Answer to the Netbook - PC Magazine
Hands On with Sony's Answer to the NetbookPC Magazine - Jan 7, 2009Rather than wait a full minute for Vista to boot up, Sony's Linux pre-load can do it in 20 seconds. The interface looks eerily similar to the Sony PS3's ... |
Read more...
Xaitment launches BrainPack AI solution - Develop
Xaitment launches BrainPack AI solutionDevelop, UK - 19 hours ago... for use by studios in the early stages of development needing flexible and affordable tools, and is available for Windows, Linux, Wii, 360 and PS3. ... |
Read more...
Meet Google Linux - TechRepublic
Meet Google LinuxTechRepublic, KY - Jan 5, 2009That’s not surprising since Android is Linux and Linux can run on everything from a toaster to a PS3. What is surprising is that they discovered Android was ... |
Read more...
|
| |
|
|
| Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
|
 |
|
