More Devs join the X-box 2 queue... [Archive]

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Fats

04-05-2005, 02:37 PM

Even more big name Japanese game developers are succumbing to the lure of the big green Microsoft machine and are producing games that will stun the videogaming world when the system launches.

That's according to ex-Capcom dev-star Yoshiki Okamoto, who has already signed up to create Xbox 2-exclusive games. Speaking to Microsoft's Official Japanese Xbox website, Okamoto-san expressed his delight and surprise at some of the other unannounced industry leading lights doing the Xbox 2 shuffle.

"There are lots of surprises," said Okamoto-san, "I find myself saying, 'What, this development studio? This game? These people?"

While no specific names were mentioned, Okamoto-san did refer to the mysterious mass as "a powerful fleet of Japanese designers."
These comments will no doubt cause loosening bowels amongst executives at Nintendo and Sony who may fear their triple-A developers could be about to jump ship.

Microsoft is definitely acting aggressively Earlier this year it pulled off a nifty next-gen coup by revealing Okamoto-san, Rez creator Tetsuya Miziguchi and Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi had all agreed to create Xbox 2-exclusive games with Microsoft Games Studios.

The move was particularly surprising considering the current Xbox's low profile in Japan, but it seems other famous Japanese developers are particularly attracted to the next-gen Box.

And it seems technical reasons - rather than the brown paper envelopes stuffed with cash suggested by some cynics - is the reason for that attraction. "Xbox 2 has specs that mean we want to develop for it," said Okamoto-san, who has previously worked on the Zelda, Mega Man and Devil May Cry series, and is currently finishing third-person beat-'em-up Genji at new studio Game Republic.

Okamoto-san also talked enthusiastically about the Xbox 2's game line-up and suggested it'll rock the videogame world like a niner on the Richter scale. "If the current Xbox 2 line-up was revealed it would not only surprise gamers, but the entire industry."

Strong words, but take them with a teensy pinch of salt: remember, these comments were posted on Microsoft's official Japanese website and this final quote has a suspiciously strong sniff of salesmanship about it. "There probably wouldn't be any Japanese gamer that would not be interested in buying Xbox 2 when they see the line-up."

Are you sold yet, Japanese gamers?

More news on Xbox 2's all-star dev line-up and the all-important games themselves very soon. Come on, E3!

www.computerandvideogames.com

Grandia

04-05-2005, 07:36 PM

The_One

04-05-2005, 07:55 PM

Okay... PS3 is as good as lost next-gen :(. I've given up all hopes... *sigh*

Fats

04-05-2005, 07:56 PM

Chris Metal

04-05-2005, 08:57 PM

Sony do need to get their ass's in gear though! They need to look what Microsoft is doing, unless there's a rather huge Ace up their sleeve. Common Sony, you better have something at E3 to trump the competition. :roll:

xbdestroya

04-05-2005, 09:03 PM

Yeah I'm hoping for an ace up their sleeve myself. I have some faith though - let's wait until E3. Sony is a very secretive company on the whole. Remember how many months we spent debating their graphics chip, only to find out that NVidia was providing it, and that it had already been in development for 18 months? :wink:

Let's see what Sony has ready to pull out of their hat.

One thing we can agree on though, is that MS is coming on strong.

HGwells

04-05-2005, 10:38 PM

LOL, this is the exact same thing the head of Temco did with the Xbox when Microsoft poured money into his team three years ago. I'm still waiting for the "powerful fleet of Japanese designers." developing for the Xbox.

Re: lack of PS3 information you should be use to it by now. Sony did the same thing with the PS2 & PSP.

Grandia

04-06-2005, 01:57 AM

We don't have a clue what Sony is doing, and for that reason alone we shouldn't jump to any conclusion. Just sit tight and wait for E3 as I'm sure Sony will have a few things up their sleeves which will surprise both their fans and potential customers! :)
I know that it's too early to jump to conclusions, but it is getting rather annoying. Little Xbox 2 blurbs are being released daily. We haven't heard anything about the PS3 from Sony other than the fact that it's supposed to be easier to develop for than the PS2. I'm trying to be patient, but I'm not sure how much longer it can last. I want Sony to dominate Microsoft next generation, (I believe in competition, but the last thing, I, and I'm sure others would want, would be for Microsoft to dominate another industry.) but it's starting to seem their chances are declining every second.

At the moment, the only thing that Sony seems to have over Microsoft is the PlayStation brand.

Sony won't have much, if any of a lead in terms of hardware. (In fact, I heard that the X2 might be even more powerful than the PS3, with its 1 TeraFlop of power)

There is no way that Sony could create something like XNA (If they could have, they would have been hyping it by now), so it's safe to say that Microsoft wins when it comes software.

Xbox Live seems to be miles ahead of its competition. I've even heard that Sony doesn't even have anything for their online system.

Third Party Support? Microsoft has over 3000 kits out to developers, and have had them in the hands of developers for over 2 years now. Sony is just getting them out. (Japanese developers may have had them for a few months.)

And if after all of this waiting, Sony only briefly mentions the PS3 at E3, as in, not focus on it, show titles, you know, the whole shebang, showing hordes of titles, show their online system, features, etc. etc. etc., while Microsoft is doing all of that, I will be mad. Not just mad, pissed.

(Now if someone is an insider, and I mean, you really have contacts or are in the industry, and can guarantee that I will be pleased with the PS3 at E3, in other words, tell me not to worry, and that Sony is focused, and there is a lot that we don't know, I would greatly appreciate it. But please don't get my hopes up for nothing.)

xbdestroya

04-06-2005, 02:05 AM

Microsofts 1 TFlop of performance is just an imaginary number out of nowhere incorporating the flops of the video card among other things, so I wouldn't sweat that too much. Cell will still be more powerful than the CPU inside XBox 2, which as far as flops are concerned is really all that matters.

As for the rest of it, I'm no insider, but I have a feeling that Sony is just being that quiet guy in the corner while Microsoft acts all drunk and boastful. All I'm saying is, Sony shows their hands in May - let's wait until then to pass our judgements. I agree that Microsoft is leading the hype-wars this time around - they're good at it. But if their software releases are any indication, they're going to fall short themselves of where they are trying to lead the consumer mentally right now.

If Sony doesn't act all arrogant with their traditional devs, and gives some ground in matching some of Microsofts offers to them, I can't see the companies we know and love abandoning the PS3. And thus, though all the talk right now is of the exclusives XBox 2 will have, I have no doubt that PS3 will have the games we're looking for.

Mordecaii

04-06-2005, 03:59 AM

I agree, the teraflop of power statement could actually be taken to mean many things... in fact, most people agree that the statement actually meant that Microsoft was saying their system would be more balanced all around and would outperform a 1 teraflop CPU because that system wouldn't be as balanced.

As far as software development goes, quite a few developers really aren't hugely impressed by XNA, and Cpiasminc even said that it wouldn't be as helpful for the Xbox as it is for developing PC games due to the fact that the Xbox hardware is static. Sony has put together COLLADA which is a joint venture between quite a few companies to make content creation easier, and Sony is working with nVidia and IBM to release tools to make their system easy to program for.

Sony does have an answer to Xbox Live, and they have mentioned it but haven't really explained it... I assume this will be done at E3. Keep in mind that Sony's online service had more subscribers than Xbox Live.

As far as Microsoft having development kits out to developers, 2 years ago all the developers would have had is a software kit that they really couldn't work on the graphics and such with. Sony has more advanced hardware kits out to the developers currently with some of the actual hardware in it, whereas the Xbox kits still aren't using the real Xbox hardware. As far as the 3000 number I'm not exactly sure if that is accurate (I know I've heard either 200 or 2000, I can't remember which) but that doesn't mean there are that many developers working on their stuff, there will be many development kits for each developer so that number is misleading.

I really think that we should just wait until E3 before allowing ourselves to get frustrated. I know that I'm having the same problem because I want to hear more about how Sony is countering all of this but I also have a feeling that once E3 rolls around the floodgates of information will be opened and we'll get a more ACCURATE view of where each company truly is.

Grandia

04-06-2005, 04:04 AM

:) Thanks for the posts, Mordecaii and xbdestroya, really helped cool my nerves.

RolandG

04-06-2005, 04:04 PM

this is really making me angry. Seems like I have to buy an Xbox 360 now.

I simply can not pass on titles created by Tetsuya Miziguchi (REZ, Lumines), Yoshiki Okamoto and Hironobu Sakaguchi.

Now the sad thing is that this thing isn't even backward compatible. So when I get it I can't even get those few good Xbox games that I always wanted (Jet Set Radio Future, PD:ORTA).

damn it.

RichardCypher101

04-06-2005, 05:31 PM

Domination

04-06-2005, 07:25 PM

Good for Microsoft, I guess.

You know, I'm getting fed up with Sony. Now, I'm an avid Sony fan, and most likely will continue to be, but this is ridiculous. Are they purposely letting the Xbox 2 win next generation? We haven't heard barely anything about the PS3, hardly any developer comments, hardly any games in development, or anything on their online plans. Now, we're basically hearing that the Xbox 2 won't again get the best western support, but now they'll be taking a big bite out of Sony's exclusive titles. Microsoft doesn't even have to hype their console, we are hearing news about it every day. Not to mention the fact, it's obvious they're going to blow Sony away at E3. (From what I've heard, Microsoft will have a lot of playable games at E3, while PS3 will only have tech demos, more than likely shown behind the scenes)

:cry: Not helping any of your fans there Sony. (I wouldn't be surprised if they lose next generation to Microsoft, everything so far makes it appear as if Microsoft is doing everything perfectly, and thought out. I'd be surprised if they don't beat Sony. Well, at least it might give Sony some pointers.)

(Sorry for the rant, but it has been bothering me for a while, and it did help to rant away! :D )

http://community.the-underdogs.org/smiley/happy/laugh2.gif

Has it occur to you yet that the Xbox is launching before both the Nintendo and PS3? Of cource you're going to hear more news from Microsoft first. It would be completely stupid of any competitor to show their entire hand (or even half that) first just so other competitors could capitalize -- making their news look not-so-appealing any more.

EDIT:

Sony won't have much, if any of a lead in terms of hardware. (In fact, I heard that the X2 might be even more powerful than the PS3, with its 1 TeraFlop of power)

There is no way that Sony could create something like XNA (If they could have, they would have been hyping it by now), so it's safe to say that Microsoft wins when it comes software.

Xbox Live seems to be miles ahead of its competition. I've even heard that Sony doesn't even have anything for their online system.

Third Party Support? Microsoft has over 3000 kits out to developers, and have had them in the hands of developers for over 2 years now. Sony is just getting them out. (Japanese developers may have had them for a few months.)

Tell me you're kidding?

I don't mean to sound optimistic, but this is ridiculous. Microsoft claims a teraflop and people pin it as a fact. Sony claims a teraflop and all of a sudden it's hype. Correct me where I'm wrong, but Microsoft did this before with the Xbox by claiming it could perform at levels of Toy Story - something the Emotion Engine was touted to do. Yet, Microsoft never delievered this. But when Sony claims something similiar, it's wrong as well as false. Does that make any sense? :? Microsoft is simply feeding off of Sony's hype and are being praised for it, or hadn't you notice.

That's only half the problem, though. Now, although you may see different, it's pretty much a well known fact. Sony is an electronics company. Microsoft is a software company. Both have their own weaknesses and flaws. In Sony's case, they know the hardware field much better than Microsoft and vice-versa. How is it so easy for you to believe that Microsoft could creat better software tools than Sony and not believe that Sony could creat a better electronics device than Microsoft even though the two are working in the best of their own dominate field? I'm confused. I used this example before:

Although Microsoft is a very wealthy company, they can only buy the best hardware offered to them at that time which may not necessarily be the best. This eliminates flexibility and quantity. Blu Ray and HD-DVD are good examples. Suppose Microsoft licensed HD-DVD from Toshiba with Blu Ray being completely unheard of. HD-DVD would look grand to anything on the market. However, when placed side by side, the situation is all of a sudden contraversial.

What this boils down to is Microsoft launching early to a firm that specialises in this field. I am less convinced if at all that Microsoft could do the two and still succeed. There is a breaking point somewhere, and this is where I see it. Now, if you were to say that Microsoft could build a product at least competitive to what Sony could come up with around the time of their launch, then that would make a lot more sense.

Concerning everything else you said, it has to do with launch dates more than anything.

Grandia

04-06-2005, 09:26 PM

[quote=specialpro](Now if someone is an insider, and I mean, you really have contacts or are in the industry, and can guarantee that I will be pleased with the PS3 at E3, in other words, tell me not to worry, and that Sony is focused, and there is a lot that we don't know, I would greatly appreciate it. But please don't get my hopes up for nothing.)

Do not worry. -Coming from many objective facets.

-Rich
Thanks Rich.

http://community.the-underdogs.org/smiley/happy/laugh2.gif

Has it occur to you yet that the Xbox is launching before both the Nintendo and PS3? Of cource you're going to hear more news from Microsoft first. It would be completely stupid of any competitor to show their entire hand (or even half that) first just so other competitors could capitalize -- making their news look not-so-appealing any more.
I completely understand that Microsoft should have more information floating around than Sony. What I was upset about was that we've heard so little from Sony, or even developers about the PS3. (The Xbox 2 is coming out this year, but according to Elpida, the PS3 should be coming out in the beginning of next year, for Japan.)

Tell me you're kidding?

I don't mean to sound optimistic, but this is ridiculous. Microsoft claims a teraflop and people pin it as a fact. Sony claims a teraflop and all of a sudden it's hype. Correct me where I'm wrong, but Microsoft did this before with the Xbox by claiming it could perform at levels of Toy Story - something the Emotion Engine was touted to do. Yet, Microsoft never delievered this. But when Sony claims something similiar, it's wrong as well as false. Does that make any sense? :? Microsoft is simply feeding off of Sony's hype and are being praised for it, or hadn't you notice.
I know all of this, but I guess I've been hanging around TeamXbox forums for too long. :cry:

That's only half the problem, though. Now, although you may see different, it's pretty much a well known fact. Sony is an electronics company. Microsoft is a software company. Both have their own weaknesses and flaws. In Sony's case, they know the hardware field much better than Microsoft and vice-versa. How is it so easy for you to believe that Microsoft could creat better software tools than Sony and not believe that Sony could creat a better electronics device than Microsoft even though the two are working in the best of their own dominate field? I'm confused. I used this example before:

Although Microsoft is a very wealthy company, they can only buy the best hardware offered to them at that time which may not necessarily be the best. This eliminates flexibility and quantity. Blu Ray and HD-DVD are good examples. Suppose Microsoft licensed HD-DVD from Toshiba with Blu Ray being completely unheard of. HD-DVD would look grand to anything on the market. However, when placed side by side, the situation is all of a sudden contraversial.
That's what I assumed, that Sony was bound to be able to create better hardware, than Microsoft could get. But, again, the folks at TXB are going on about how minute the difference will be, and that we won't even be able to see it, while XNA and Xbox Live is leaps and bounds over anything Sony could dream of creating. (Now, after reading some more posts here, I'm starting to think differently).

What this boils down to is Microsoft launching early to a firm that specialises in this field. I am less convinced if at all that Microsoft could do the two and still succeed. There is a breaking point somewhere, and this is where I see it. Now, if you were to say that Microsoft could build a product at least competitive to what Sony could come up with around the time of their launch, then that would make a lot more sense.

Concerning everything else you said, it has to do with launch dates more than anything.
Ahh, ok.

Well, I think it would do good for me to avoid TXB for a while. :wink:

Domination

04-06-2005, 11:10 PM

Has it occur to you yet that the Xbox is launching before both the Nintendo and PS3? Of cource you're going to hear more news from Microsoft first. It would be completely stupid of any competitor to show their entire hand (or even half that) first just so other competitors could capitalize -- making their news look not-so-appealing any more.
I completely understand that Microsoft should have more information floating around than Sony. What I was upset about was that we've heard so little from Sony, or even developers about the PS3. (The Xbox 2 is coming out this year, but according to Elpida, the PS3 should be coming out in the beginning of next year, for Japan.)

Microsoft is launching late 2005. The month ranges from mid to late October to an early December to beat the holiday shopping spree. Launching early development kits for their console is a MUST inorder to meet schedule. Sony isn't concerned about the holidays otherwise they would have been right behind Microsoft. Their last launch should have clearly explained this since the PS2 launched over in Japan on a March. Seeing how their launch is set later than Microsoft, they are just now getting out kits to developers, and even those are mainly held by first party developers.

Tell me you're kidding?

I don't mean to sound optimistic, but this is ridiculous. Microsoft claims a teraflop and people pin it as a fact. Sony claims a teraflop and all of a sudden it's hype. Correct me where I'm wrong, but Microsoft did this before with the Xbox by claiming it could perform at levels of Toy Story - something the Emotion Engine was touted to do. Yet, Microsoft never delievered this. But when Sony claims something similiar, it's wrong as well as false. Does that make any sense? :? Microsoft is simply feeding off of Sony's hype and are being praised for it, or hadn't you notice.
I know all of this, but I guess I've been hanging around TeamXbox forums for too long. :cry:

I'm sure that's the case then.

That's only half the problem, though. Now, although you may see different, it's pretty much a well known fact. Sony is an electronics company. Microsoft is a software company. Both have their own weaknesses and flaws. In Sony's case, they know the hardware field much better than Microsoft and vice-versa. How is it so easy for you to believe that Microsoft could creat better software tools than Sony and not believe that Sony could creat a better electronics device than Microsoft even though the two are working in the best of their own dominate field? I'm confused. I used this example before:

Although Microsoft is a very wealthy company, they can only buy the best hardware offered to them at that time which may not necessarily be the best. This eliminates flexibility and quantity. Blu Ray and HD-DVD are good examples. Suppose Microsoft licensed HD-DVD from Toshiba with Blu Ray being completely unheard of. HD-DVD would look grand to anything on the market. However, when placed side by side, the situation is all of a sudden contraversial.
That's what I assumed, that Sony was bound to be able to create better hardware, than Microsoft could get. But, again, the folks at TXB are going on about how minute the difference will be, and that we won't even be able to see it, while XNA and Xbox Live is leaps and bounds over anything Sony could dream of creating. (Now, after reading some more posts here, I'm starting to think differently).

Team Xbox is not a good indication to a well balanced source. Let me just tell you that now. A lot of those people still believe that because the Xbox was able to out muscle the competiton in hardware this gen, the same must apply to the next. That's garbage as well as a fan boy rumor, and if that logic ever meant anything legit it would also mean that Microsoft would be on the verge to losing the same amount of money on their next console as they did for this one. But that's not the case this time since it's natural for companies as large as these to learn from their mistakes. Point is, the Xbox was almost a half a generation ahead of the PS2's hardware. There was no way the PS2 console could have even equaled that of the Xbox in raw power with an advantage that huge. However, it did hold its own and even surpassed the Xbox in some smaller areas, but it didn't really show on screen much at all when you're looking at overall performance.

All this minute difference is complete nonsense. As I said before, the DS launched one week ahead of the PSP, ONE WEEK, and already the PSP is a full generation ahead on the DS in raw power. It does not matter when a product launches; it matters what that company wants from that product, and I must say that Sony's ambitions are much higher than Microsoft with twice support/engineers as well as more time in development stage. Now, you may think because Nintendo cuts cost, that applies to equal hardware, too. Again, that's false. Not even Nintendo is crazy enough to hold their console back just to turn around and launch with the very same specs as the early supplier. It would defeat the purpose of launching late. The SNES, N64, and Game Cube should have proven this up against the early suppliers. If the Revolution launches later than the next Xbox, expect it to have a tad bit more ump. If Sony is to compete directly with Nintendo on launch, they must also out do them as well in the hardware since this isn't a Microsoft & Sony war. So where does that place the Xbox? There's going to be a difference between the PS3 and Xbox 360, we just don't know how big. But I suggest you remain open to the possibilities in which could take place.

Rallyracr420

04-07-2005, 01:30 AM

We don't have a clue what Sony is doing, and for that reason alone we shouldn't jump to any conclusion. Just sit tight and wait for E3 as I'm sure Sony will have a few things up their sleeves which will surprise both their fans and potential customers! :)

I hope so. Right now MS is building up their hype machine and it seems to be working very well. I'm definitely sold on the XBox360. And since I don't have alot of money and the XBox360 is coming out sooner than the PS3, I think I might have to pass up the PS3. The most advanced console I have is the PSTwo and technology that exists today is putting it to shame.

I guess what's really putting me over the edge is Sony's lack of a centralized gaming network. I've recently been trying to play TimeSplitters 3 online and have consistently failed. If you play any game made by EA online, you have to create 3 profiles and this means 3 screennames (yes they can all be the same but you still have to go through 3 different sign-ons). You have your local profile for your local saved games, a profile to sign-on to the EA server, and then yet another profile to play the actual game. WTF!?

Besides I have to wait for the levels to load at which point if I instantly get kicked from the game I then have to wait even longer for the menus to load back up. I mean 32MB of ram?! Talk about shitty! Sony should have gone for 64MB right from the start with PS2. This would have helped tremendously with load times.

While I hope Sony can pull this next gen system off, I don't see it happening. Sony is missing out on the 2005 holiday season. Sony hasn't said jack about their online plans. Sony is losing exclusive developers to XBox. Sony hasn't done anything to puch back MS's hype machine.

I think Sony got lazy because of the huge success of the PS2 and now they're gonna miss the boat.

xbdestroya

04-07-2005, 02:01 AM

The_One

04-07-2005, 02:23 AM

All the hype of Xbox 2 is getting to me... AHHH!!!
Even I'm beginning to believe Xbox 2 > PS3 :roll:...

If Sony is going to prove that they can beat Microsoft's hype AND their actual Xbox 2, they'd better do it this May, this E3. If they miss E3 (and come up with some lame explanation that the PS3 still isn't ready), then I will have officially lost all hopes of having PS3 see the light of the day :evil:.

Oh well, I'll still get a PS3 even if Xbox 2 pwns it again, provided that it'll still have all the cool RPG's and Japanese games that I like ^_^.

nemesis121

04-07-2005, 03:34 AM

Online structure Xbox has it, playstation don't, I am going on my third year with xbox live and it's great, and it will only get better with new technology ps2 online structure is garbage, plus well i am not typing it again just gonna paste what i said on gamefaqs:

Sony has the upper hand with there game library, but let me tell u one thing most of the games that made ps2 a great hit are third party games, alot of people think that sony goes to these companies and pay them money to make sure that there games stay on ps2, but that's wrong the truth is Sony has very loyal third party developers that see the playstation as a cashcow, and know that they can make a easy profit by putting MGS3 or tekken 5 on ps2, it's the same with square and nintendo in the 16 bit era, but square betrayed nintendo and went to sony.

It's real easy if MS stays close to sony or lead this console war, then these same companies that are loyal to sony will betray sony in a heartbeat, and make games for X2, it's all about money and right now the playstation brand brings in the most amount of money out of all three systems, soon the console war will start again and if MS can do better this time around expect to see great games on xbox 2 that normally would be a ps3 exclusive.

Grandia

04-07-2005, 03:42 AM

While I hope Sony can pull this next gen system off, I don't see it happening. Sony is missing out on the 2005 holiday season. Sony hasn't said jack about their online plans. Sony is losing exclusive developers to XBox. Sony hasn't done anything to puch back MS's hype machine.

I think Sony got lazy because of the huge success of the PS2 and now they're gonna miss the boat.

I don't agree Rally - I am certain in my mind that there is no way that Sony will be complacent this gen, considering I think they are quite aware that Microsoft is serious now, if they didn't know it before.

I can't speak to your console decisions - I think if you go for XBox360, you certainly won't be dissapointed, but as far as 'pulling it off' I don't see one holiday season as meaning much of anything in the long run to Sony. PSP missed the holiday season, but it's looking to sell well.

And I think Sony will have a REAL online strategy this time around; watch what they do for PSP as time goes on for insights and clues. Though I must say, if money is a factor for you, I imagine Sony's mediocre online at the moment must appeal to you on the level of it being free, if nothing else - whereas with Live you have to pay.
I'm not too sure about that...According to the Huxley developers, Sony hasn't mentioned anything about their online strategy. Now, assuming that they haven't mentioned it to more developers, doesn't that seem a little strange? I hope Sony has something though, I'd be satisfied with a ripoff of Live, just name it PlayStation Network (PSNet), or Cyber World...

(Does anyone else remember Sony's plans for the PS2? AOL Instant Messenger, this:

For its new online plans, Sony claims it won’t interfere with online PS2 titles, allowing developers to keep control and keep their intellectual property (a jab at Microsoft's heavy involvement with Live-enabled titles). "The content creator controls its own destiny," said Hirai. But Sony does plan to build an infrastructure around a standard protocol that developers can use and plug into their games, help developers with billing, and offer mini-transactions that mimic the iTunes model -- gamers will be able to purchase downloadable content, user-created content (GT4 experts could sell souped-up cars to newbies), episodic content, access to persistent worlds, and other entertainment content. No launch details or specifics were given for this new PS2 online model, but it is under development. To help with the storage of this content, Sony will also be releasing a larger-format memory card -- again, no details there either. Hirai sums it up: "We must evolve the experience of online gaming. Non-revenue-generating online gameplay is the norm, but not for long."

Obviously it was for the PS3, but we haven't seen anything like it. So, do you think that this is probably what they're working on for the PS3?)

xbdestroya

04-07-2005, 05:35 AM

Whatever the case, whether it's been worked out with the developers or somethign else, I'm positive Sony is goiing to have some sort of semi-cohesive strategy for online. It may never be as strutured as Live - I myself don't know - but it should be a good deal beyond what there is now I imagine.

Of course I have nothing to prove any of what I'm saying! :D

Just the knowledge that Kutagari and the crew would have to be idiots to completely ignore the one area in which Microsoft has won their accolades - and I don't think they're idiots. :wink:

Mordecaii

04-07-2005, 06:27 AM

It's starting to get to me how every single day people are like "OMGZ the fanbois at Team Xbox are saying this and they must be right and Microsoft is gonna rulez and I know all this just cuz Sony hasn't said otherwise so it's gotta be true right??!!!!11!!1" Seriously guys, stop believing that just because Sony hasn't decided to fill you in on every little detail they are falling behind and going to lose. Ever heard of keeping things quiet so you don't give people a chance to copy your ideas? If Sony were to reveal all their cards right away, it would give the other companies time to either copy them or adjust so they could compete better. If that happens then what everyone is saying will be true and there won't be as big of a difference between them.

Another thing that bothers me is because 3 people joined the Xbox development team, all of a sudden they have "all the great games and Sony is losing support"??? 3 people hardly make up for Xbox's lack of support. Plus, if you knew anything about those 3 people you'd know that 2 out of the three were fired because they weren't doing anything good, and 1 of them was even turned away by Sony because of this. Also, Epic has said that they are making 2 games for the Playstation 3 this time around.

If there is one thing Sony knows, it is how to keep developers. Just look at the Playstation 1 and 2. With the PS1, Sony somehow managed to steal away a ton of support from both Nintendo and Sega, a feat that many people thought impossible! Withe the PS2, Sony managed to keep that support even though their console was the least powerful and the hardest to write for. This time around, the PS3 will have a Blu-Ray drive in it which will cause a lot of people to buy it, backwards compatability which will cause even more people to buy it, the most powerful hardware, and much easier development along with some of the best development tools on the market!!! I hardly think all of this means doomsday for Sony. One of the reasons that the Xbox got developers this time around was because some games couldn't be made on the PS2 or wouldn't look as good, but this time around the PS3 will be better and Sony will get those developers. Plus you know that Sony has the money to throw into this. Everyone says that Microsoft has deep pockets but Sony's are just as deep or even deeper.

In conclusion, I just wish that people would stop getting nervous and saying that they'll have to get an Xbox 360 because it's going to be better when we don't even know all the details. Hype is all well and good, but in the end it comes down to what each company delivers and we've seen that Sony has delivered time and time again. Sony isn't getting lazy, and they aren't going to just roll over and die just because another company is giving them a little competition. Sony knows what they are doing and has shown that they are willing to change and adapt for the better (based on the shuffling around of its leadership). They will improve their online service, they are making it much easier to create content and giving their developers the tools to make better content. Sony is using open-source products and technology which have the potential to be much better than Microsoft's because it is constantly being improved upon by a much larger group of people. Just give things a little bit of time and let's see how things turn out at E3... We could all be blown away but we won't know if we make our decisions so early into the game.

Domination

04-07-2005, 12:31 PM

You people are unbelievable. It's like kids going after candy: the one with the most vivid colors are purchased first without even having to go through a taste test.

Sony is launching late. There is no reason in the world for them to go revealing anything major to Microsoft just so they could turn around and capitalize on their strategy. It's utter nonsense. If they haven't revealed anything about their console, it's most likely due to them not wanting to. Breaking records everyday is what they do. So when they do come up with something ground breaking or phenomenal, it's almost normal for them - making it easier to remain secretive. But it's amusing how some of you listen to a few fanboys and go into a panic mode then after.

Sony has a lot riding on the success of the PlayStation - not necessarily income wise,but rather their position as a leading hardware supplier in general. Right now, they have stiff competition breathing down their backsides from various other divisions. With this console, they are able to pentrate the market a lot faster with their merchandice. Expecting anything but a fight from them is crazy talk.

When Sony first started working on the next-gen PlayStation project, Xbox fanboys first claimed that the Xbox would be more powerful than it. The waters look a little different now. Then it moved onto the PlayStation being a difficult console to develope for. The waters look a little different their as well. Now it's moving into content and online capability and as usual, those same fanboys crawl right back out of their holes to stir more rumors and hype, and it's scary how a lot of you eat it up. Both Sony and Microsoft are learning from their pass mistakes. With Microsoft being a much stiff competitor than the others, do not expect Sony to give the same performance they did this round.