PS3

[TheBeast]

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To all of you who think there are problems with the PS3, go ahead and believe what you will. This is only, and I repeat ONLY, a ploy by Sony to drive up demand for the PS3 before the launch date to ensure massive sales when the systems finally reach stores en masse.

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Have fun with your whimsical ideas. Stores are not going to raise prices on products of course. This is just a tactic by Sony to insure high sales of their product. I don't need to justify this to you, it is happening, and Sony is doing it.


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It doesn't make any sense for this to be a ploy by Sony to drive up sales.
"I know what we'll do, let's put out a system that doesn't work right in limited numbers instead of a good one with more numbers. That way we will have people going to the competition to buy a system that is proven and works and no lines to get them."
This is exactly what you are saying Sony is doing trying to drive customers to the XB360 by telling people their system isn't ready for realease yet. Bob is exactly right with his summation that this has nothing to do with supply and demand with this product being a good and not a commodity. Supply and demand would only be applicable if there wasn't another readily available product that is virtually the same thing and Sony was able to price the PS3 whatever they wanted and putting out limited numbers would able them to price it $2000 for these 400K. Having a set price putting out negative press about the system and then dropping the number of units to be sold is only a good thing for Xbox and the people who buy them and put them on ebay. Demand is built into the system just by producing it since their is a whole world of consumers just waiting for the newest one on the market, Sony doesn't have to try any ploys as you say, they are gonna sell as many as they can produce, and having a fixed price it is more beneficial for them to produce millions than to produce less than half a million. The more you produce the less the cost of each one and the more profit over-all. This is not some coal company we are talkin about that will limit production of coal to drive the price up which is what you are used to seeing. I may not have graduated at the top of my calss but I do have a Bachelor's degree in Business and Public Administration and do understand the basic rules of supply and demand and they do not apply here.

[R0cketer]

Anybody remember Cabbage Patch Kids? The company doesn't have to increase the price to increase the furvor. Same thing with the PS3. If you limit quantity, the news will be filled with people in lines to buy them, people who weren't thinking they needed one start thinking hey that must be pretty nifty if that many people are lining up to want one and your demand increases. As long as they follow up the limited supply with more numbers fairly quickly and the product isn't shot full of negative reviews too quickly.

If there was 3 millions units released, people wouldn't be in such a hurry to get it, they would wait, see if there was problems, is it worth it, will there be good games, let them get the kinks worked out, etc. Putting a lower number, people can't wait and see, if they have the chance they have to get it.

[imported_Counts]

Here is a Link to CNETs review

http://reviews.cnet.com/Sony_PlaySta...?tag=pdtl-list

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Even by the considerable standards of past next-generation consoles, the Sony PlayStation 3 has been subject to almost ludicrous levels of prerelease hype and hyperbole. The system was unveiled at E3 2005, where it faced derision for having a glut of unsubstantiated CGI demos of games that weren't running on any specific hardware. Information trickled out over the course of the next year until the company's press conference at E3 2006, where Sony presented the system's final design, release date and price, and first wave of titles--to once again face derision. The PlayStation 3 is due out November 17, 2006 in North America (Japan gets it about a week earlier, while Europe and Australia won't see it until March 2007) in two different configurations: a $600 model with a 60GB hard drive and built-in wireless networking and a $500 version with a 20GB hard drive but no Wi-Fi--HDMI was originally absent from this model but was added in September. Based on the PS3's launch details and our own hands-on experience with the console, we've collected the positive and negative points for Sony's third stab at console dominance.

Upside: Like the PS2 did for DVDs, the PS3 hopes to give a boost to the nascent Blu-ray movie format. The console's built-in Blu-ray drive allows it to double as a high-def movie player, making its otherwise hefty $500-to-$600 price tag seem like a bargain compared to that of dedicated stand-alone Blu-ray players, which bottom out at $1,000. Every PlayStation 3 will come with an HDMI port, which guarantees high-def playback of Blu-Ray movies and PS3 games. Blu-ray will be the format of choice for PS3 games, and the high-density discs offer much more storage space than those of Sony's competitors; Blu-ray discs max out at 50GB and can theoretically go to 100GB or 200GB, while the Microsoft Xbox 360 and (as far as we can determine) Nintendo Wii use standard DVDs, which top out at a comparatively cramped 8.5GB. The end result? The PS3 has the potential to offer more expansive games, with better graphical textures, more full-motion HD video, and plenty of extra content. Sony is also planning to do away with region coding for games, partly because multiterritory releases (with region-specific languages, for instance) will fit all the versions on one disc. The PlayStation 3 will be the first commercial device powered by the ballyhooed Cell processor, a 3.2GHz chip that Sony developed with help from IBM and Toshiba. The chip's seven synergistic processing elements (SPEs) will work in parallel to churn out a staggering 218 gigaflops, or 218 billion floating point operations per second. In practice, that should make the PS3 especially adept at such processor-intensive activities as upconverting video and emulating past PlayStation games. You'll be able to play your PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games, right out of the box, on the PlayStation 3. Even though it seems as though every household on the planet owns a PS1 or PS2, it's still a pretty big coup for the system to have such an extensive backlog available from the start; comparatively, the Xbox 360's backward-compatibility list is being built from the ground up in a piecemeal fashion, and Nintendo is offering GameCube disc playback but will likely charge for downloading games from the company's earlier consoles, including the Nintendo 64 and Super Nintendo systems.

Like the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii, the PS3 supports multiple wireless controllers. Sony gets props for supporting up to seven simultaneous gamepads, as well as the Bluetooth wireless standard; the controllers will likely employ an internal battery that can be charged via mini-USB cable. The controllers use the same Dual Shock design as the company's customary PS1 and PS2 controllers, with a few notable differences--the PS3 controllers utilize motion-sensitive movement as a method of control, much like the Nintendo Wii, while the force-feedback rumble technology has been removed. There will be some connectivity between the PS3 and Sony's PlayStation Portable handheld system via USB (and possible Wi-Fi). The most novel usage shown so far was for F1 06, a racing title where the PSP acted as an external real-time rearview mirror.

Downside: As great as a price of $500 or $600 will be for a Blu-ray player, it's awfully high for a console. It's twice the price that the PS2 was at launch in 2000, and it's $200 more than the core and high-end Xbox 360 models. Another pricing flub that Sony's been fleeced for was the decision to include a neutered PS3 for $500. While the company originally explained the difference as a simple memory disparity, further research has uncovered that the $500 model will lack built-in Wi-Fi and a built-in flash-memory reader. Microsoft caught some flak for releasing a bare-bones Xbox 360 Core System, a version that was easily upgradable to the exact same specs as the more expensive deluxe version with the purchase of a few expensive accessories. The PS3 should be able to do the same, though the upgrade path for the hard drive, the flash-memory reader, and Wi-Fi compatibility remains vague.

While the six-direction motion sensitivity of the PS3 controller worked well when we tried it, it pales in comparison to the Wii's more fully realized 3D motion control. It probably didn't help that Sony announced the PS3's new controller the day before the Wii's playable debut. Moreover, Sony's Warhawk was the only motion-based game on display at its E3 booth, compared to the two dozen or so Nintendo games that utilized the Wii remote.

The PS3 games shown at E3 2006 looked really good, but quite frankly, we expected better. Perhaps it's a case of the overambitious prerendered videos from last year's show coming back to haunt the company, but none of the dozen or so PS3 games showcased looked much better than second-generation Xbox 360 titles. Granted, that system is hitting its stride while this one's still incubating, and the PS3 should be capable of much better visuals further down the line.

With nearly all of the specs and release info nailed down, Sony's been relatively quiet about the PS3's online functionality, specifically the available downloadable content. Sony will be joining Nintendo and Microsoft in the microtransaction market, but the company's entire backlog is already playable on the system in its current form. Nintendo's Virtual Console has garnered an unprecedented amount of hype, and the Xbox Live Marketplace is one of the surprise success stories of the Xbox 360. If Sony's last in implementing it, the company may have a difficult time establishing an online economy. On the plus side, unlike Microsoft, Sony has indicated that its online service will be free for online competition (Xbox Live requires a $50-per-year fee for Gold membership to play games head-to-head).

Once again, launch allocations will be a major problem for a Sony console launch. The company set a precedent by chopping initial shipments of the PlayStation 2 in half roughly a month before the console's release, and Microsoft's Xbox 360 faced similar shortages. Sony's PlayStation 3 debut looks to be on par with both botched launches, as the company drastically reduced launch quantities of the PlayStation 3 to 400,000 units. Even more distressing is the attitude Sony has taken post-E3. In what may be the worst case of damage control ever, Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi has made many a distressing prognostication regarding the PS3--one of the more poorly received ones being that he believes the system will undergo evolving specifications. Other execs haven't been immune either; Sony Computer Entertainment Europe CEO David Reeves claimed that the PS3 will sell out on brand recognition alone, and Sony CEO Howard Stringer assured gamers that their $600 was "paying for potential." This odd blend of bizarre business practices and cockiness in the face of tough competition could sour the public's image of the current king of console development.

Outlook: Last time around, the original Xbox came out later than the PS2 and, thus, wielded a significant hardware advantage. This time, PS3 seems to have the technological edge, but Xbox 360 will have a 12-month head start in the marketplace. But the release dates, gigahertz comparisons, and Blu-ray boasts will likely take a backseat to the two most important factors: games and pricing. The Xbox 360 is slowly but surely amassing a roster of impressive titles and will have even more when the PS3 becomes available. Furthermore, the 360 will also be priced at least $200 less than the high-end PS3. The burden is now on Sony to justify the massive price tag (for a gaming console) while it captures an exclusive, must-have freshman title that sells the system. The most likely candidate for that honor lies with Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4. The company didn't do itself any favors by drawing undue comparisons with the half-as-expensive Wii when it incorporated less impressive motion-sensitive technology in the controller. Sony's betting that hard-core gamers--and high-def fanatics looking for a sub-$1,000 Blu-ray player--will be happy to run up their credit card debt come November 17. But for parents searching for a holiday gift, the cheaper Xbox 360 and Wii will be tough competition, indeed.



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The Wii

http://reviews.cnet.com/Nintendo_Wii....html?tag=also

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It's a safe bet that the Nintendo GameCube won't be remembered as the gaming company's finest hour. Despite a handful of great exclusive titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and Metroid Prime, the console limped to a third-place finish against the Sony PlayStation 2 and the Microsoft Xbox. Among the reasons: lackluster support from third-party publishers, no real online gameplay, and a kid-friendly stigma. For its GameCube successor, Nintendo went back to the drawing board and took some cues from its popular dual-screen portable. Like the DS, the new Nintendo Wii (it was developed under the name Revolution) has a focus on fun, accessible gameplay, and a unique control system. The Wii will make its worldwide debut on November 19, 2006 in North and South America, with additional worldwide distribution in the weeks to follow. The system will retail for $250 in the United States, and include one game--Wii Sports--in the box.

Upside: The GameCube's gameplay experience wasn't particularly distinguishable from that of its competitors, but the same can't be said of the Wii. The heart of the new system is the Wii Remote. Unlike the gamepads that you'll find on previous and current Microsoft and Sony consoles, the Wii Remote looks more like a wandlike remote control you might use to change the channels on your TV. In fact, it uses a motion sensor, so the movements in your hand can be translated onscreen. For instance, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess allows you to use the Wii Remote to aim your bow or cast your fishing pole, while Super Mario Galaxy will use the controller to collect out-of-reach objects. Ubisoft's Red Steel, meanwhile, allows the player to use the controller to aim and swing a sword, while EA's Madden NFL franchise uses it to perform passing, kickoffs, and running tricks. In addition to the motion sensor, the controller features a four-way directional pad and two sets of buttons, including an over-under trigger configuration. Flip it on its side in a horizontal orientation, and the controls revert to old-school Nintendo: the D-pad on the left, two buttons on the right, in a configuration recognizable to any Game Boy or NES player. It also features an expansion port that allows for various other control options. The most notable expansion is the Nunchuk controller, which houses an analog thumbstick, two action buttons, and tilting motion sensitivity.

Another control method that should prove popular is the traditional gamepad, designed like an amalgamation of the Super Nintendo and PlayStation controllers, which should aid in the ability to play the system's vast backward-compatible catalog. In addition to Wii-specific titles available at retail, the new console is also fully backward-compatible with all GameCube discs. Moreover, the system's Virtual Console will allow users to download a bevy of classic titles from past Nintendo consoles, as well as games originally released for the Sega Genesis and NEC TurboGRAFX. There will be about 30 classic games available on the Wii at launch, including such fan favorites as Donkey Kong, Super Mario World, and Super Mario 64. Approximately 10 additional backlist titles will be added every month. Games will be purchased with Wii Points, a proprietary currency that will work much like Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360. The games will run between 500 and 1,000 points; the initial "exchange rate" looks to be 100 points to the dollar.

The Virtual Console games will be available as "Wii Channels," the system's onscreen interface. But the channels aren't just limited to gaming. Among the offerings will be a forecast channel (weather), a news channel, and a message channel, which will allow you to send messages to other Wii owners and e-mails to friends. There's also a photo "channel," which lets you view and manipulate digital images--just pop an SD card in the console's front slot. You can even browse the Web--if you purchase the Opera Web browser, which will be available through the Wii for a still-undisclosed amount of Wii Points. Rounding things out is the Mii Channel, which lets you create your own digital avatar, save it to your remote, and bring it to other Wii consoles, as well as use it in games such as Wii Sports.

Nintendo has managed to pack the Wii full of features without creating an exorbitant price tag. For $250, you can snag the console (available only in white at launch, though additional colors are sure to follow at some point), Wii Sports (a compilation of games including tennis, golf, bowling, baseball, and boxing), power and A/V cables, one Wii Remote, one Nunchuk controller, and one remote sensor (for detecting the Remote's movements). Considering that the fully featured Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles sell for $400 and $600 respectively, Nintendo has made the Wii an attractive option for gamers that don't wish to break the bank.

Downside: One area where you'll definitely see the price difference is in visual quality. Unlike the PS3 and the Xbox 360, the Wii will not will not support high-definition output, though the system will offer 480p progressive scan and a wide-screen mode, so it has the potential to look at least as good as a DVD on an HDTV. In addition to the diminished resolution, the Wii won't have the graphical horsepower that you'll find under the hood of Microsoft and Sony's systems. The games we've seen so far are closer to the last generation of consoles than the current ones. In fact, the Wii's flagship launch title, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is being concurrently developed for the GameCube, with the controls--not the graphics--being the major difference between the versions.

While we were pretty impressed with the Wii's price point, the accessories for the system are a bit expensive for our liking. The Wii Remote will run $40 and the Nunchuk will cost $20, so to get the same controller accessories that are sold with the system, you are looking at a hefty $60. The classic controller is another $20. While we're all for innovation in control, we could see the Wii becoming a wasteland of one-off accessories that work with a small number of games. As popular as the DS is, Nintendo does have a track record of releasing innovative products that didn't quite catch on: ROB the Robot, the Power Glove, the e-Reader, and the Virtual Boy were all unique ideas that didn't quite pan out.

Outlook: Could the Wii be the latest in that line of failures? We doubt it. While we have a few qualms, Nintendo's combination of unique control features, an ultra-affordable price, and a huge back catalog of retro games make the system appealing for casual and enthusiast gamers alike. It's priced very attractively for holiday buyers, and the buzz for the console has been hot. With Sony's PlayStation 3 shipping in scarce quantities and the Xbox 360 continuing to aim for a more adult audience, Nintendo has a chance to reclaim the console crown with the Wii.



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And even though it is already out the 360

http://reviews.cnet.com/Microsoft_Xb...?tag=pdtl-list

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CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: David Carnoy, John P. Falcone, and David Rudden
Edited by: David Katzmaier
Reviewed on 11/18/05 Updated on: 5/24/06 Release date: 11/22/05

Console and PC gamers have long been divided into two camps. Sure, there are those of us who play on multiple platforms, but hard-core PC gamers tend to be, well, hard-core PC gamers and eschew "mainstream" console games, while committed console gamers can sometimes be heard bashing PC gamers as elitist nerds. While there's nothing wrong with drawing your own distinction, what's clear--at least for the moment, anyway--is that Microsoft's Xbox 360 makes the line between PC and console gaming a lot fuzzier. Yes, this is a console, with game controllers and A/V cables that are designed to interface with your TV--preferably of the HD variety--but Microsoft has essentially packed a high-end PC gaming rig into a relatively small box that fits into any A/V rack or cabinet. That the Xbox 360 also has a user interface that rivals TiVo's in terms of slick presentation and ease of use, plus a host of digital media and networking features, helps elevate the already-good Xbox experience to a whole new level. Naturally, the 360 is not without its flaws. Many launch titles simply rehashed their PC or console counterparts, and we're only now seeing developers shift focus away from the PlayStation 2 and Xbox1 and creating truly next-gen looking games. While Microsoft is finally amassing a good library of games, Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii will launch in a few short months. At this point, the $400 Xbox 360 has a major price advantage over the PS3--its premium package will cost $200 less than Sony's (the company is planning on selling $600 and $500 models of the system), though the Wii may boast just as big a price differential in the opposite direction. Whether either or both will be better is anybody's guess. All we can say is that both companies better hurry because the Xbox 360 will be a hard temptation for gamers to resist for too long.


Design of Microsoft Xbox 360
When laid horizontally, the 8.8-pound Xbox 360 is 12.15 inches wide, 3.27 inches high, and 10.15 inches deep and is actually slightly smaller than the original Xbox, which also weighed in at 8.8 pounds. Unlike the original, the Xbox 360 can also be propped up in a vertical position and, as you're probably aware, can be customized with interchangeable faceplates that cost up to $20. Neither the original Xbox nor the 360 are terribly sexy, especially compared to the slimmed-down PlayStation 2, but at least the 360 is less boxy than the original, and you can always slap on a funky faceplate to liven things up. Custom faceplates aside, it's worth pointing out that the beige color of the system tends to clash with the silver and blacks of typical A/V components.

One of the reasons Microsoft was able to keep down the 360's weight is that instead of building a standard, desktop-style hard drive into the unit itself, it's gone with a smaller--and more expensive--laptop-style hard drive that's detachable from the main unit. The hard drive (included with the $399 Xbox 360 premium bundle, sold separately for the $299 Core System) is 20GB, but we assume significantly larger capacities will become available from Microsoft--or more likely--third-party manufacturers.

As part of the $399 bundle, you'll also get a wireless controller--the 360 has built-in wireless capabilities but only for controllers, not Wi-Fi (more on that faux pas in the Features section). Each 360 console can support up to four wireless controllers, and unlike with third-party wireless controllers for earlier consoles, you won't have to have to plug any dongles into any ports. You'll also like that a green LED on both the 360 itself and the controller indicates exactly which controllers (1 through 4) are connected. This is also true if you are playing with a mixture of wireless and wired controllers; you know who has which controller. All in all, we really like the design of the new controllers. They feel good in hand, and the shift of the Start and Back buttons to the top middle of the controller is a good move, as is the addition of a set of shoulder buttons on top of the right/left trigger buttons. And no, Xbox1 controllers do not work with the 360.

On the front of the unit, you'll find two USB ports hidden behind hinged doors in the faceplate, as well as two memory-card slots that allow you to take saved games and other content on the go. Those ports are where you'll plug in any wired controllers and other USB accessories that will become available, as well as cables to connect a digital camera, MP3 players, or even your iPod or Sony PSP. Many USB keyboards are compatible, but for the most part, they are strictly relegated to communication and data entry functions, not gameplay. While Microsoft clearly hopes you'll go wireless and thereby free up USB ports for other accessories, we were disappointed there was only one USB port on the back of the unit--and that one is meant for Microsoft's optional wireless networking adapter, which conveniently clips on to the back of 360. Another small design gripe: You won't be able to connect some thumbdrive-style MP3 players, such as the Apple iPod Shuffle, to the USB port in back. You'll need a USB extension cable to connect them because the entryway to the port is too narrow.

The 360 sports an infrared (IR) port on the front panel, which lets you use compatible remote controls without the need for an external dongle. Furthermore, you can power the console on and off and open the disc tray with a remote or a controller--another convenient improvement over the old Xbox.

The Xbox 360's onscreen Dashboard interface is truly stellar, and it's clear that the folks at Microsoft looked less toward Windows and more toward the vaunted TiVo interface for their model. Yes, the 360 interface certainly has some ties to that of Windows Media Center PCs, but it's slicker and more user-friendly, with color-coated tabs for the system's various features, including gaming, media, system settings, and Xbox Live. To page through the various activities, you simply move the directional keypad on your controller (or the remote) left to right. With the increased processing power, windows open quicker than they do on the original; the system and interface as a whole just feels zippier. Like the faceplates, the Dashboard is customizable, with a host of themes preloaded on the hard drive and many more available to download.

Continuing the Xbox 360's customization kick is the Gamer Card, which consists of a personal avatar--a picture chosen from a batch of Microsoft approved images--as well as a motto 21 characters or less in length. The centerpiece of the Gamer Card is the Gamerscore: a point-total representative of predetermined goals, known as Achievements, met in each and every game. It's a nice way to foster offline competitiveness between gamers, as even completely single-player games such as Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion include Achievements.

Not to end the Design section on a down note, but we would remiss not to mention the Xbox 360's power supply. There's a reason they call these things power bricks--this one truly is the size and weight of a real brick. We're not kidding. Furthermore, the 360's exhaust fan is audibly noisy in a quiet room--not a problem when gaming, but it could be a factor when you're using the 360 for media playback.


Features of Microsoft Xbox 360
As mentioned previously, there are two versions of the Xbox 360 available. The $299 Core System delivers the bare basics: the console, a single wired controller, and a standard composite A/V cable. The $399 "premium" bundle (known officially, and confusingly, as simply the Xbox 360) includes the console, along with several key accessories that you'd otherwise have to purchase separately: a wireless game controller, a communications headset for Xbox Live, a component A/V cable, an Ethernet networking cable, and--most important--a snap-on 20GB hard drive. Though it's more expensive, the premium bundle is easily the better deal in our book. With it, you're getting at least $210 worth of accessories for only $100 more. The hard drive--which alone retails for $100--is a must-have accessory. Not only is the 20GB hard drive a far more capacious solution than the memory cards that will set you back $40 apiece and hold only a paltry 64MB of data, it's absolutely necessary if you want to play games designed for the old Xbox console and enjoy the 360's more advanced media features.

Unlike previous game consoles, the Xbox 360 was designed from the ground up to be ready for the HDTV era. As such, all the games have been designed to at least 720p resolution (1,280x720 wide-screen), which the system can also upscale to 1080i (1,920x1,080 wide-screen). In order to see the graphics in HD, of course, you'll need to be connected to an HD-ready TV or monitor via the component-video adapter, which is included in the premium $399 Xbox bundle. Alternately, you can pick up VGA video adapters from Microsoft ($40) or Joytech ($20), which let you connect to HDTVs and PC monitors that offer a standard 15-pin VGA/RGB connector. The VGA adapter offers a handful of other PC monitor-friendly high-def resolution choices, including 848x480 and 1,024x768. At this point, however, the 360 offers neither DVI nor HDMI digital video connections, nor a 1080p resolution option. By contrast, Sony has pledged to include 1080p support and an HDMI output on the console's $600 "deluxe" package when it's released in November 2006. Don't worry if you don't have an HDTV--the Xbox 360's component adapter includes a fallback composite output, and the system can output good ol' standard 480i resolution with formatting for squarish 4:3 (non-wide-screen) sets.

Just like the old Xbox, the new system offers top-notch Dolby Digital audio. In-game soundtracks are rendered in full real-time surround, creating an immersive sound field that envelops you in the game world. All of the A/V cables include an optical audio output, but you'll need to supply the optical cable, as well as the compatible A/V receiver or home-theater system. Each A/V cable also comes with standard analog stereo connections for connecting to a TV or stereo, but you'll lose the surround effect, of course.

While it's primarily a game machine, the Xbox 360 is a formidable digital media hub as well. Plug a digital camera, a flash card reader, a thumbdrive, or a music player into the Xbox 360's USB port, and if it's compatible with a Windows PC, you'll likely have plug-and-play access to browse your photos and listen to your MP3s. Digital media on your home network are similarly accessible: just install Microsoft's Windows Media Connect software (a free download) on any PC running Windows XP, and the 360 will be able to stream music and photos from the remote PC. If your PC is running Windows Media Center Edition, the integration is even tighter. The 360 doubles as a Media Center Extender, letting you access your TV recordings--including those in high-def--from the networked MCE PC.

One of the major successes of the original Xbox was Xbox Live. The online gaming and communications network is an even more intrinsic part of the Xbox 360. Every model (assuming access to a broadband Internet connection and a storage option--either the hard drive or a memory card) has a base-level membership called Xbox Live Silver. That offers the ability to create a list of friends, view their gamer cards, and communicate with them outside of a game via voice chat and voice messaging using the headset; text messaging is also possible. Later this year, an EyeToy-like video camera will be released for the 360, allowing face mapping and video chat in a few games. Silver members also have access to the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's online bazaar. In order to play multiplayer games, you'll need to upgrade to Xbox Live Gold, which is basically the same $50-per-year service from the old Xbox. Existing Live subscribers can easily transfer their subscription to their new 'box. While the Xbox 360's online experience is quite impressive, Sony promises to deliver a similar-scale service for free on the PS3, though it remains to be seen whether the company can deliver (a few of the PS3's original features have been scrapped). For its part, Microsoft periodically offers free full subscription weeks and weekends to Xbox Live Silver members.

The Xbox Live Marketplace offers up free movie trailers and game demos, as well as premium content, such as Dashboard themes, gamer tag pictures, and extra content for full-featured games. Items are purchased by using Microsoft points, which is the proprietary 360 currency that's purchasable through the system or via prepaid cards (the going rate for 1,600 points is $30, for example).

Arguably the biggest draw for the Xbox Live Marketplace is the wide range of titles available for Xbox Live Arcade. There's a healthy mix of completely original titles and classic PC and arcade games freshened up with high-def visuals; some even include online multiplayer. Each of the games are playable as free demos, but in order to compete online and earn achievement points, you're going to have to pony up the Marketplace dough.

While the 360's library is slowly growing after a long, postlaunch lull, it can also play more than 200 games designed for the original Xbox. The backward compatibility is enabled through downloadable emulation profiles; they're free, but you'll need the hard drive to install them. In fact, the software for Halo and Halo 2 compatibility is preinstalled on the hard drive. Unfortunately, while 200-plus sounds like a high number, that leaves more than 400 old Xbox titles unplayable on the 360 for the time being. Microsoft is working to broaden the list--it's added about 10 new titles since launch--but there's no announced timetable as to when the remaining games will be ported over, and it certainly seems as though not every game will be included.


Performance of Microsoft Xbox 360
The guts of the Xbox 360 comprise what is, for all intents and purposes, a very powerful computer. The customized IBM PowerPC CPU boasts three processing cores running at 3.2GHz each, each offering two hardware threads, while the ATI graphics processor is said to be able to pump out 500 million triangles per second. We could go on, recounting the 360's supposed 16 gigasamples-per-second fill rate using 4X antialiasing and 48 billion shader operations per second--not to mention, of course, the 48-way parallel floating-point dynamically scheduled shader pipelines and the 9 billion dot product operations per second. But, frankly, even if we understood what half those impressive-sounding specs meant, we'd have no way to verify or benchmark them.

What we can say is the Xbox 360 graphics varied widely from game to game. With its amazingly lifelike cityscapes and photorealistic Ferraris, Project Gotham Racing 3 offers what's probably the best example of the 360's HD-enabled graphical prowess--you could almost smell the exhaust of the cars as they darted over a dead-on re-creation of the Brooklyn Bridge. Similarly, Call of Duty 2 had us ducking for cover as we slogged through some of the toughest firefights of World War II. Meanwhile, the boxers in Fight Night Round 3 looked astonishing--when a knockout blow was landed, a close-up replay would reveal the copious amount of spit, sweat, and blood emanating from the victim of pugilistic brutality. On the flip side, though, was Tony Hawk's American Wasteland; what was an average-looking game on the Xbox1 and PlayStation 2 suffers in the translation to the 360, with every low-res texture and graphical glitch painfully apparent on the unforgiving high-def screen.

The backward compatibility on the Xbox 360 has its benefits and drawbacks. Microsoft claims that it's pumping up the resolutions and adding antialiasing effects to the older games, and both tweaks seemed in evidence while playing Halo 2. Also, playing an online-enabled Xbox1 game (such as Halo 2) lets you seamlessly interact with other Xbox Live players still using the old console. On the other hand, some games such as Fable: The Lost Chapters have brought along new graphical glitches and none of the Xbox1 custom soundtrack-enabled games (for example, the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy) will recognize the songs imported onto your 360. Finally, there is no way to transfer your Xbox1 saves to the 360, so you'll have to reconfigure your workout regimen in Yourself Fitness.

Xbox Live is much more integrated throughout the 360 than it was in the old Xbox. At any time, you can punch the Home button on your controller to bring up the Live message center. In theory, you can be playing an offline, single-player game of, say, Condemned: Criminal Origins, get an invite from a friend (think instant messaging), and quit out back to the Dashboard while you swap over to Burnout Revenge.

The in-game Xbox Live experience hasn't changed drastically, but then again, the service was already near-impeccable on the Xbox1. By virtue of the system's processing power, games should be able to support more players online. Perfect Dark Zero, for example can handle 32 players, more than all but a few Xbox1 games. Some games, however, offer up paltry multiplayer options, such as Quake 4's eight-player deathmatches, while others, most notably Dead or Alive 4, have some problems with lag. As developers learn the ins and outs of the 360's hardware, expect to see more players and less lag.

On the media front, the 360 worked as advertised. We were able to pull photos from several digital cameras, as well as a camera phone Memory Stick Duo plugged into a stock Lexar USB card reader. We were also able to stream music from our Samsung YP-U1X flash MP3 player. And true to its word, Microsoft is playing nice with its competitors; we were able to stream MP3s from the 20GB Apple iPod and the Sony PSP. Unfortunately, you don't get access to the iPod's playlists, and you can't play back copy-protected songs purchased from the iTunes Music Store--the result of Apple's intransigence, not Microsoft's. Digital media streamed just as easily from XP PCs on our local network, but those with Media Center PCs will find the best experience: the 360 is a full-fledged extender, giving you access to the Media Center's look and feel, as well as access to its recorded videos, music, and photos.

Of course, the 360 is a capable CD/DVD player as well. You can't copy music files from connected or networked devices, but you can rip CDs straight to the 360's hard drive, then use those songs as soundtracks for pretty much any native Xbox 360 game. On the DVD front, the 360 finally plays movie discs in 480p progressive scan and without the need for an additional remote à la the Xbox1. But 480p is so 2002, especially for a box that touts its HD street cred. This is where the lack of HDMI or DVI output hurts because those connections would offer the possibility of upscaling DVDs to 720p or 1080i resolutions. Moreover, DVDs represent the pinnacle of the 360's optical disc capabilities, meaning these next-gen games will need to be squeezed into just 8.5GB of space unless they're supplemented by downloadable content or made into a multidisc game. By comparison, the PlayStation 3 will use the next-generation Blu-ray format, which holds at least 25GB per disc--the potential for significantly more high-def graphics, gameplay, and so forth. The Xbox 360 won't work with Blu-ray or HD-DVD discs in a game-playing capacity, although movie fans can look forward to the 360's forthcoming external HD-DVD drive, which will be out before the end of 2006. No price was specified, though Peter Moore claimed at E3 2006 it would be "a better bargain than anything else in this new entertainment format," which leads us to believe it'll be less than the $500 Toshiba HD-A1. The bigger mystery remains in regard to the HD-DVD player's output--no HDMI or DVI cable was announced for it, leading many to believe that Microsoft may be hoping that studios don't use image constraint to clamp down on component-enabled next-gen video.

Since it was announced, the knock on the Xbox 360 has been that it's really more of a 1.5, rather than a 2.0, version of the Xbox and that Microsoft was pushing it out the door so quickly to get the jump on Sony's PlayStation 3. The truth is probably less dramatic. The fact is, the original Xbox is still a great gaming machine, with a massive library of fantastic titles and formidable processing power. The old Xbox is a like a comfortable old shoe for software developers; even cutting-edge PC games such as Half-Life 2 can be ported over to the four-year-old console with admirable results. The exact opposite is true for the Xbox 360--most of the first wave of games hadn't tapped into its full power; some games, such as Madden NFL 2006 sacrificed gameplay features to ensure a graphically powerful game at launch. With titles such as Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion available now, though, it's obvious developers have become more accustomed to the challenge of programming for the 360, and we'll see much more impressive titles as a result. Once those games begin to comprise the majority of the new releases, the Xbox 360 will be ready to strut its stuff and hit its stride just in time to go up against the freshman lineups for Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii.



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[TheBeast]

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If there was 3 millions units released, people wouldn't be in such a hurry to get it, they would wait, see if there was problems, is it worth it, will there be good games, let them get the kinks worked out, etc.

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That's the thing the demand for 3 million is there and would be sold. There is no wondering if there are problems, they do have problems and thus the numbers went from 2-3 million to 400K to work out the problems. Using the Cabage Patch as a comparison isn't plausibel since there was no demand and the company had to build the demand, with Sony and the PS3 the demand is there and realy doesn't need any help, the whole gaming world is waiting for this thing to come out so they can go and get it. Limiting numbers and confessing faults as the reason for the number limitation is gonna take away from the demand and turn people to the 360 which is plentiful, just as good, proven, and has all the kinks worked out. Like I said the only people this helps is Microsoft and the ebay'ers.

[1inStripes]

They are mainly having problems with the Blu-ray server. That is why their $1K Blu-ray DVD player is still not out to market also, although it was supposed to be in July.

[steer]

EB games had a in store pre-order today.. Went quickly..extremely quick...

[MikMo]

Good for you.

[SWVA-Football]

Wii sales predictions twice that of PS3.

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October 10th, 2006

"We think it is important to note that we expect total U.S. software sales of only $144 million for the PS3 and only $288 million for the Wii, with additional European software sales of $156 million for the Wii in 2006. These figures are based upon an estimated sell-through of 1.2 million PS3s in the U.S. and a tie ratio of only two (given the likely limited release slate), and sell-through of 2 million Wii hardware units in the U.S. and 1 million in Europe with a tie ratio of three. Nintendo has announced that approximately 24 games will be available at launch with another six by year-end. Based on confirmed titles, we expect Ubisoft to deliver the greatest number of launch titles with nine, followed by Activision with five (two are budget titles), and Electronic Arts and Nintendo with two apiece. We note that these publishers and others have several additional titles planned (but unconfirmed) for release at or near launch. Most titles are expected to be priced at $49.99, although it is possible that a handful of premium titles will be priced higher. We believe that software sales for the next generation consoles will increase dramatically in the March quarter, when both are expected to be widely available in the U.S., and when the PS3 launches in Europe. We expect PS3 and Wii combined software sales to grow by 50% during the March quarter."? - Wedbush Morgan Securities Michael Pachter

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