Playstation 3 Launch in Spring - "Impossible", says Bandai

[Borys]

Another day, another Playstation 3 launch delay story. This time it's Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/) reporting Bandai's president (Takeo Takasu) wording. Sony's spokeperson, Nanako Kato, says it's still on track for a spring release.

March 8 (Bloomberg) -- Namco Bandai Holdings Inc. President Takeo Takasu said it was "impossible'' for Sony Corp. to start sales of the PlayStation 3 game console in spring as scheduled, which may delay a recovery in the software industry.

"Without any announcements so far, the spring release is impossible,'' Takasu said yesterday in an interview in Tokyo. "We are developing titles for PlayStation 3, but the release of the games depends on the timing of the hardware.''
You can read the whole article here (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=aXWe_tSEBpyE&refer=asia).

Well no sh*t, Sherlock.

[Borys]

Any of you guys (especially Sony fans) still believe in a Japan spring release?

[ECM]

Any of you guys (especially Sony fans) still believe in a Japan spring release?

I'm no Sony shill, but did anyone actually believe this was coming in Spring? Anybody?

[Deathbane27]

I'm still wondering at the price. :p

[sTubbs]

I am seriously wondering about this year. As for the price, I am expecting it to be quite high on the manufacturing end, certainly higher than the 360. It will be interesting to see how much of a hit Sony is willing to take per console in order to competitively price it with the 360.

[Dirty Harry]

I'm a super sony fan boy and even i dont think its going to be released this early. Im not even disappointed either.

[Heretic Machine]

Unless they can come up with something as good as the 360's dashboard and Live, I'm not sure I care at this point... I think I've been spoiled. Personally, I think they are delaying it specifically to come up with something to compete with a lot of the features that Microsoft has packed into the 360 so elagently. Hopefully they succeed, the lack of polish on the PS2 really turned me off of their products. But I'd welcome a fourth platform to my new generation of gaming.

[Borys]

Unless they can come up with something as good as the 360's dashboard and Live, I'm not sure I care at this point... I think I've been spoiled. Personally, I think they are delaying it specifically to come up with something to compete with a lot of the features that Microsoft has packed into the 360 so elagently. Hopefully they succeed, the lack of polish on the PS2 really turned me off of their products. But I'd welcome a fourth platform to my new generation of gaming.

1) Didn't you get your 360 for free?
2) Fourth? Name the other three because I'm puzzled :?

[Heretic Machine]

1) Didn't you get your 360 for free?

Did you make a point with this statement?

2) Fourth? Name the other three because I'm puzzled :?

1. PC
2. 360
3. Revolution
4. PS3 (possibly)

[Borys]

Did you make a point with this statement?


I tried.


1. PC
2. 360
3. Revolution
4. PS3 (possibly)

Thanks, that's a lot of money :|

[Heretic Machine]

Thanks, that's a lot of money :|

Yup, you gotta take it in strides, not all at once.

[TRiLoGY]

Im a big Sony fan, but I dont mind waiting until next year if that is what it takes..

[Vandenh]

The nVidia GPU inside the PS3 will need to be upgraded end of the year :) It will be a budget PC card by then.

[Deathbane27]

The nVidia GPU inside the PS3 will need to be upgraded end of the year :) It will be a budget PC card by then.

That reminds me, has ATi announced any plans for bringing the unified shader architecture to PC video cards?

[Borys]

The nVidia GPU inside the PS3 will need to be upgraded end of the year :) It will be a budget PC card by then.

What does it make the one year old 360 GPU then?

A $150 low-end crap?

:)

[fnname]

Maybe when Sony says spring they mean spring of 2007 to mislead people into not purchasing a 360.

[Vandenh]

>What does it make the one year old 360 GPU then?

Also a budget PC card... and please stop pretending the PS3 GPU is in some weird way next gen compared to 360 GPU.

At least in the 360 case it will have had a nice 1.5 year next gen advantage over high end PCs. PS3 won't ever have that.

[ECM]

At least in the 360 case it will have had a nice 1.5 year next gen advantage over high end PCs. PS3 won't ever have that.

Uh, the base of the GPU (along with the unified shaders) in the 360 will be in ATI's next video card--coming this year (R600)--and will likely be more powerful than the 360's version of it (higher clocks, better cooling, etc.)

The PS3 GPU is based on NV's G80--also coming this year--which, as yet, nobody knows much about.

I take it you are what's known as an Xbox fanboy, yes?

[Borys]

>What does it make the one year old 360 GPU then?

Also a budget PC card... and please stop pretending the PS3 GPU is in some weird way next gen compared to 360 GPU.

At least in the 360 case it will have had a nice 1.5 year next gen advantage over high end PCs. PS3 won't ever have that.

You start shit - I reply.

I think you got backwards the bolded part.

[bapenguin]

Maybe...just maybe this is better for Sony. What if they DO get an updated RSX chip. What if they get a faster cell chip? I mean, honestly most people and developers have said the power difference between the 360 and PS3 are negligable.

But...if the PS3 comes out and off the bat is more powerfull...and has more capability...it could be huge for Sony.

I'm glad it's not coming out this spring. Between Oblivion and a handful of other games my plate will be full. :)

[TRiLoGY]

Maybe...just maybe this is better for Sony. What if they DO get an updated RSX chip. What if they get a faster cell chip? I mean, honestly most people and developers have said the power difference between the 360 and PS3 are negligable.

But...if the PS3 comes out and off the bat is more powerfull...and has more capability...it could be huge for Sony.

I'm glad it's not coming out this spring. Between Oblivion and a handful of other games my plate will be full. :)

Good Post, I totally agree! Im also gonna be busy with lots of other games, so I'm quite happy to wait at the moment..

[Yeti2005]

Maybe...just maybe this is better for Sony. What if they DO get an updated RSX chip. What if they get a faster cell chip? I mean, honestly most people and developers have said the power difference between the 360 and PS3 are negligable.

But...if the PS3 comes out and off the bat is more powerfull...and has more capability...it could be huge for Sony.

I'm glad it's not coming out this spring. Between Oblivion and a handful of other games my plate will be full. :)

I think it would be awesome if Sony did get an upgraded GPU to compensate for the delay but that won't happen. You don't change horses in the middle of the race. Besides I believe devs are already working on near final hardware.

I agree with baps though I have plenty of upcoming games to keep me busy until the PS3 is released (GRAW anyone? :)

[Vandenh]

Uh, the base of the GPU (along with the unified shaders) in the 360 will be in ATI's next video card--coming this year (R600)--and will likely be more powerful than the 360's version of it (higher clocks, better cooling, etc.)

Err... yes.. that is what I said dude. End of the year PCs will get the same levels as the 360/PS3. ????

I think it would be awesome if Sony did get an upgraded GPU to compensate for the delay but that won't happen

I think more RAM could be a possibility. If PS3 comes in 2007 Sony can add some extra RAM for the same price.

[bone_matrix]

Ya know, I wish Sony would just come out and say that the PS3 is going to be delayed already. This stuff is getting old. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bitching about anti-Sony stuff being posted, and how you are all Xbox fanboys, I just feel that the world knows Sony is going to delay it, and as a consumer, we are going to be the last to know (besides all of these articles :D )

[Serapth]

I think it would be awesome if Sony did get an upgraded GPU to compensate for the delay but that won't happen. You don't change horses in the middle of the race. Besides I believe devs are already working on near final hardware.

I agree with baps though I have plenty of upcoming games to keep me busy until the PS3 is released (GRAW anyone? :)

See, thats the WORST thing that can happen to Sony. People having the mindset "Meh, delay the PS3, Im already having enough fun with my Xbox 360". Wait until after fall with people having shiny new Rev's, if the PS3 still isnt out, even more people will me saying "Meh, im having fun with my 360/Rev, I can wait on a PS3".

See what happens... they lose their hype. Sony thrives off hype. Eventually a good chunk of people will start to think "Why do I even need another console".

Hell, im normally the type to buy all of them ( I passed on the Gamecube simply because there was never a killer app for me, but I did buy one for my nephew ). This gen, if Sony doesnt frickin wow me, Im not seeing alot of reason to buy a PS3 this time. Especially not if they are more expensive then the other systems. Last Gen GT3 was the killer app that convinced me to take the plunge... this time, it may not happen.

[Yeti2005]

Ya know, I wish Sony would just come out and say that the PS3 is going to be delayed already. This stuff is getting old. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bitching about anti-Sony stuff being posted, and how you are all Xbox fanboys, I just feel that the world knows Sony is going to delay it, and as a consumer, we are going to be the last to know (besides all of these articles :D )

It doesn't benefit Sony at all to come out and say there's a delay. Right now the word is a spring launch so people may hold off on other purchases (360, PCs, etc.) because they believe the PS3 is right around the corner. As soon as they say, the PS3 will launch this fall/winter (or maybe next year for certain countries) then they potentially lose customers.

[saran_js]

Am I the only one who thinks that this could actually be a very good move on the part of Sony ?
Holding off the launch may actually allow more developers to produce more games and better quality ones at that, so looking at this, I do think that it would be very rewarding for all parties concerned in the future.

I have a theory that one of the reasons for their not launching in Spring 2006 (Very loose definition of Spring, if you ask me) is that there is not enough games going around. Another issue may actually be all this ding dong between the Blu-ray members, and allowing said members to launch their movies on Blu-ray format.

Another reason could be that they are trying to meet a price point which may only be achievable at end of the year. ie. Price of hardware coming down over time ?

What do you guys think ?

[Watership]

Unless they can come up with something as good as the 360's dashboard and Live, I'm not sure I care at this point... I think I've been spoiled. Personally, I think they are delaying it specifically to come up with something to compete with a lot of the features that Microsoft has packed into the 360 so elagently. Hopefully they succeed, the lack of polish on the PS2 really turned me off of their products. But I'd welcome a fourth platform to my new generation of gaming.

That maybe why the PS3 is late. It evaluated the 360, and they said.. Okay. We have to be better. Let's have a better interface, lets have a better system. Being 2nd or 3rd gives you the upper hand.

Or if sony is stupid, they would act like their PR department thinks. Which is: Xbox is not next gen, and the next gen only starts when we say it does.

[Reanimated]

I just find it funny that sony continues to lie about this.

[Major Dan]

No Spring launch. Maybe a summer launch in Japan and if they are lucky a fall launch in the US. But more likely now a fall launch in Japan and a '07 launch in the states. I am still on the fence about PS3, I am really happy with the 360 and I own a PSP which cost a lot, so I don't know if I can afford the PS3. Well I know I could buy it, but do I want to?

[gojira]

I'm no Sony shill, but did anyone actually believe this was coming in Spring? Anybody?

Apperently Microsoft did. Why else would they rush a simultaneous launch in all regions when they clearly weren't ready?

[Serapth]

Nah, Microsoft would have launched then anyways... it was the pre-holiday launch window. Much like that quote from Nintendo from a week or so back saying " We need to launch by november or else!".

[Mason]

Maybe...just maybe this is better for Sony. What if they DO get an updated RSX chip. What if they get a faster cell chip? I mean, honestly most people and developers have said the power difference between the 360 and PS3 are negligable.

But...if the PS3 comes out and off the bat is more powerfull...and has more capability...it could be huge for Sony.

I'm glad it's not coming out this spring. Between Oblivion and a handful of other games my plate will be full. :)

I don't know, those would seem like huge undertakings which could introduce even more delays and further overhead cost. It'd be pretty nutty. It might work, though, if Sony were really stubborn about its "PS3 and 360 aren't the same generation" thing. We just never thought to ask Sony which generation the PS3 would be released in!

People should in theory already have their games far into development, and so they really couldn't spring a new processor or GPU without letting the developers know in advance. Which, given everyone's fondness of viewing Sony's NDAs as polite yet quaint requests, would mean we'd hear about it.

The fact that Sony won't own up to anyone about this is really getting problematic.

[Mason]

Nah, Microsoft would have launched then anyways... it was the pre-holiday launch window. Much like that quote from Nintendo from a week or so back saying " We need to launch by november or else!".
True. And remember that it was in Microsoft's benefit to get the next gen started, as the XBox wasn't going to touch PS2 sales. And now that the 360 is picking up steam on its titles, it seems like the strategy worked pretty well.

Plus, it makes sense from gamer consumer patterns. We don't go out and pick up every game we like. Most tend to buy a game a month or something, and then pick what seems like the best unplayed game when they're through with the old one. Releasing a ton of good games at once virtually ensures that people will just buy their favorite one.

If MS had launched at the end of March with all their launch titles, GRAW, DOA4, PGR3, Oblivion, etc, it sure would've looked impressive, but it would've probably resulted in fewer overall purchases.

So basically, MS didn't "rush to launch" to beat Sony, they had plenty of legitimate reasons for not sitting on the 360. Although if someone is an unquestioning Sony apologist and has somehow accepted the wisdom of not releasing new consoles, I can see how this would be confusing for them.

[Vandenh]

Plus, it makes sense from gamer consumer patterns. We don't go out and pick up every game we like. Most tend to buy a game a month or something, and then pick what seems like the best unplayed game when they're through with the old one.

Weird.. that is exactly what I do ;)

[Dirty Harry]

Uh, the base of the GPU (along with the unified shaders) in the 360 will be in ATI's next video card--coming this year (R600)--and will likely be more powerful than the 360's version of it (higher clocks, better cooling, etc.)

The PS3 GPU is based on NV's G80--also coming this year--which, as yet, nobody knows much about.

I take it you are what's known as an Xbox fanboy, yes?
This was very witty, good job and i hope to see you more around these parts. Logic Ftw.

[ruprect]

I was wondering when the gaming companies would start calling out Sony on its hard-line "spring release" PR.

Consider that these companies are trying to meet their own financial goals and they are tied to what titles they put out and when. If Sony isn't forthcoming and honest with them, they can't plan their year.

I think they were all plenty pissed at MS for releasing 360 without sufficient supply for the demand, thus all the articles recently about how the 360 hurt the gaming industry.

Now, however, Sony is hoping to prolong this slump and keep everybody waiting to start buying 360's so they can gat a the PS3 which is "just around the corner". Of course, if it wasn't, people might not wait.

Who does that hurt? Microsoft for sure, because people are taking a "wait and see" attitude before buying a 360. But it also hurts the gaming companies. . . maybe even more so than Microsoft because MS has huge cash reserves and doesn't really need the 360 to meet their numbers.

So, I'm surprised more haven't called them out publicly.

[Serapth]

I think they were all plenty pissed at MS for releasing 360 without sufficient supply for the demand, thus all the articles recently about how the 360 hurt the gaming industry.


I agree with pretty much everything else you said, but this last quote defines everything that is wrong with internet journalism/hype.

There was one (1) editorial, exactly one about how the 360 is hurting the industry and it was from a lame group ( 1up I think ). See, the use of the word "all the articles" makes it sound like the world was decrying Microsoft. (Note, the only other bit that could be looked at to support this theory was EA blaming MS numbers for not hitting targets, which was a crock based on the fact that every other 360 publisher did quite well, and Activision did exceedingly well ).

This is what sucks most about the internet... things get bandied around as fact, then eventually somehow become fact upon which a whole new generation of misinformation can be spread.

[fitbabits]

"Sorry, you can not add yourself to your own ignore list." -- EA Control Panel nicely telling me I'm an idiot.
I love that!

Anyway, the PS3 will come out in November or my name is not fitabits. :)

[gzsfrk]

Anyway, the PS3 will come out in November or my name is not fitabits. :)

Might I suggest your replacement monniker be "stibatif"? I kind of like that...

Seriously... it's looking more and more conceivable that the PS3 could slip to 2007, at least here in the states.

[ruprect]

Serapth: agreed, and I did and generalize on hype on that "point". My bad.

You're right, that is how bad info spreads on internet. Another example was the 15% failure rate that people were reporting on XBox 360's. The source as best I could tell was a teamxbox forum "poll". The number was slashdotted, NPR quoted it directly as "initial reports", and the rest is hype history.

[aversion2k]

Perhaps they mean spring in the southern hemisphere :D