PS3 Still on Track for Spring Launch

[bapenguin]

Amid speculation that the PS3 would be delayed due to hardware and software issues comes Sony's reassurance via Reuters (http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyID=2005-12-09T022250Z_01_MCC908534_RTRUKOC_0_US-MEDIA-SONY-PS3.xml) that the PS3 will launch this Spring.


Larry Probst, chief executive of the No. 1 video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc. said last week that he believed Sony's console would not be available until fall 2006.

A spokesman for Sony, the No. 1 provider of game consoles, said it was still targeting a spring 2006 launch for the PS3, which is key to maintaining its lead in the game console market against Microsoft Corp. which recently launched its competing Xbox 360 console.

No word whether or not the PS3 launch will attempt a global scale or not.

If Sony is under the crunch like Microsoft on chip manufacturing and the like could we see another XBox 360 shortage fiasco with the PS3 come Spring? I guess it depends on whether or not Sony tries a global launch.

[Vandenh]

In this case EA sounds more plausible... they make the games, they have the devs kits. Sony *needs* to say that... there are people right now holding out buying a 360 to wait for spring, if Sony said now end 2006 they are gonna give the 360 an extra boost.

If PS3 is out in 2006 in Europe I will eat my shorts! ;)

[fitbabits]

Egads! I can't help but get the feeling that Sony is doing some serious scrambling behind the scenes to save face. I think the relative success of the Xbox 360 has taken them by surprise. I'll bet they were just sitting in their ivory towers thinking 'we'll watch in the wings as the 360 fails then we'll come out and say that we felt all along that it was too early to launch and that is why we're delaying the launch of the PS3'. Essentially, their hand has been forced by Microsoft and they now realize they have no hand to show.

I would love for them to prove me wrong, but it's looking increasingly likely that they won't.

[Yeti2005]

We would have seen a lot more screenshots and movies of PS3 games by now if it was going to be released in the Spring. I mean why wouldn't Sony show some stuff off in November to take the steam out of the 360 if they were only a few months away from launching themselves.

I seriously doubt Sony will attempt a global launch (expect to see the PS3 and Revolution in the US around Thanksgiving 2006).

[OUX]

Yeah Sony has not wriggle room on this one it either has to be out spring or they have to keep people from spending their money on the 360. Once spring time come the 360 will be established and actually be able to be found, so Sony either has to deliver or eat some potentially hefty losses.

[darkwarrior]

FItbabits, do you pull this stuff out of your ass or have pre-prepared anti-sony notes?

It was always rumoured to be released in Spring, I don't see any scrambling, and a worldwide launch with very limited numbers and a , in my opinion and those I've spoken with, poor launch title line up does not, a successful launch to scare Sony, make.

[AlmostSente]

Who cares about the console, give me some dates on PS3 only titles! =)

[bean19]

fitabits - Well, I don't think we can call the X360 a success yet. After all, they still haven't met the demand of the 100% certain to buy early adopter group, and they won't do so by Christmas, so they are going to miss the boat for sales to parents this holiday.

Still, I think the X360 WILL do well in the long run. Some really fun games at launch, but they also have a lot of upcoming titles that should really get people excited:

Halo 3
Gears of War
Huxley - First Person Shooter MMO
The 2 Mistwalker games - from the original Final Fantasy creater and composer
Mass Effect - Bioware's RPG
Dead or Alive 4
Resident Evil 5

If the PS3 actually ships in the spring. . . will there be any games made for it yet? I think this is just Sony's odd strategy to try to get people not to purchase the X360. . . Thing is, they shouldn't be doing it as they will probably NOT ship in the Spring and they aren't hurting the X360, because Microsoft simply isn't making enough of them to get much advantage from their lead.

[KamaItachi]

There's still the supposed event in February in Akihabara next year. There are supposed to be actual playable demos at that, but I'd have hoped that Sony would say more about that by now... only a month and a half away...

[Vandenh]

>I don't see any scrambling

Well we haven't seen *anything* at all really. For a company that killed the DC with hype I was expecting a bit more.

[bapenguin]

If anything...the 360 has been a failure so far from Microsoft's standpoint. They NEED to get as many consoles out to consumers as fast as possible...and right now...as fast as possible isn't fast enough.

[AspectVoid]

I actually don't think Sony is going to be hurt when it comes to the console race until after the PS3 is released. I've got a feeling that when the PS3 is released, Microsoft will cut the 360's price (probably by $50) and when people see the PS3 games, they'll see that they're at the same graphics level that the Microsoft games are at (we all know that the mass market loves pretty graphics), and people will buy the cheaper 360. That's when Sony will start to hurt in this generation's race.

[darkwarrior]

360 is already taking a massive loss, you really think they'll lose a further $50 after only 7-8 months at Market? The first 3-4 months being actually filling the orders?

[Vandenh]

>you really think they'll lose a further $50 after only 7-8 months at Market

Of course because they know Sony will be bleeding even harder.

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

The Microsoft fanboyism around here is astounding. The 360 is a total failure so far imo and that goes for other people as well. In no way has the launch or console itself been succesful other than selling out, which proves nothing, no need to explain.

I doubt Sony would do a global launch it just doesnt seem like something they would do. As for "scrambling", thats load of bias bs...

[fitbabits]

FItbabits, do you pull this stuff out of your ass or have pre-prepared anti-sony notes?
Actually, I get all my pithy comments straight from J. Allard. We talk about it in bed each morning before I come to work! Although I do occasionally have to pull the answers from J's ass. :rolleyes:

[fitbabits]

fitabits - Well, I don't think we can call the X360 a success yet. After all, they still haven't met the demand of the 100% certain to buy early adopter group, and they won't do so by Christmas, so they are going to miss the boat for sales to parents this holiday.
Which was why I said 'relative' success. It is a success from the standpoint of there being much more consumer interest than Sony perhaps foresaw.

Edit - And please, it's fit-ba-bits! :)

[bone_matrix]

Now, I don't post to often, but when I do, it is because I feel I have something worthwhile to add to the conversation, or when someone says something that just bugs the hell out of me.

The Microsoft fanboyism around here is astounding. The 360 is a total failure so far imo and that goes for other people as well.

I'm glad you think it is, but that does not make it so. I feel it hasn't been a total failure, and that also doesn't make it so. I would also like to know what other people believe it to be a total failure, and why that makes it true also.

In no way has the launch or console itself been succesful other than selling out, which proves nothing, no need to explain.

So, if the console was sitting on the shelves at stores, it would be the same failure as what it is doing now, which is being sold out everywhere? I don't think that makes sense. It being sold out means people want it. Does it make it the biggest success ever? No, but it certainly makes it at least somewhat a success. The console itself on the otherhand is a great system. The dashboard is more than I could have hoped for, and Xbox Live is great. Again, not a failure, unless you hate every other system except your one and only.

I doubt Sony would do a global launch it just doesnt seem like something they would do. As for "scrambling", thats load of bias bs...

I don't believe thats BS. If Sony was ready, we would be seeing in-game movies and pics, hell, even playable demos. We have none of those. Spring is at most what?, 5 months away? We had playable demos at E3 in May, 6 months before the 360 launched.

People were bitching that Microsoft didn't give us enough details abouth the system and games after E3, and up until about a month before it launched. Why is no one doing the same here? When we do bitch about it, it is because of the "blatant fanboyism" we have at EA, not because we want info. So please, the 360 is doing good (they just need the systems on the shelves) and Sony has not given us any info about anything yet, other than the PS3 is going to be the most powerful console to date. Now, stop with the fanboy crap (everyone) and go play a game.

[joruussuun]

Edit - And please, it's fit-ba-bits! :)
Your eye seems to sweep right over that first 'b'... it's like cloaked or something. Or else people have a preconceived notion in their heads, subconciously, when they read your name that fitabits makes more sense and therefore is 'right'. At least I did. I had been lurking here for two years before I started posting, and one of my first posts I believe I was responding to something you said. I had put 'fitabits', and I hadn't even realized until I went back and read your post that there was a 'b' there. Everytime I type it too I forget the 'b' and usually have to go back and edit it back in. So bean19 isn't the only one!

[Kelegacy]

Actually, I get all my pithy comments straight from J. Allard. We talk about it in bed each morning before I come to work! Although I do occasionally have to pull the answers from J's ass. :rolleyes:
LOL.

Is he bald in other places, too?

[drakkarim]

i agree with darkwarrior, sony has no reason to be scared of anything yet.

a move i wouldn't be surprised to see is Sony doing is focusing their initial launch on north america, and then bitch slapping microsoft by being able to sell more PS3 units in that initial release period then microsoft sold 360's in the X months up till then...

[fitbabits]

LOL.

Is he bald in other places, too?
Like a newborn baby's arse! Smooooooooth! And baby powdery! :rolleyes:

[Groo]

Mark my words: the PS3 will launch this Spring in Japan. It will have no quality titles worth mentioning, but the Japanese will line up for it anyway.

Sony will then release it in the US Fall of 2006. Again, there won't be any quality titles to play, but Americans will line up for it anyway.

[Paranoia]

All Sony has at the moment is hype.

Meanwhile, some gamers are actually playing a X360.

[TRiLoGY]

All Sony has at the moment is hype.

Meanwhile, some gamers are actually playing a X360.


They are? ;)

[fitbabits]

They are? ;)
I am, and I'm having a terrific time doing so. :)

[TRiLoGY]

I am, and I'm having a terrific time doing so. :)

Yeah.. im just jealous because I cant get hold of one at the moment.. :(

[fitbabits]

Yeah.. im just jealous because I cant get hold of one at the moment.. :(
I would be going absolutely bonkers-cuckoo right now if I didn't have one. What's the availability situation like back in Blighty?

[MrMeatshake]

i think the fanboyism for the 360 is kinda understandable in the US - this is the first major console with a chance of global success designed in the US, and therefore closely aligned to what american consumers want - as opposed to the japanese consoles, which are closer aligned to japanese tastes, for obvious reasons.

my opinion on the console war? i think there's still room for 2 players at the moment. *** has already said (and done it, re-entering the market after a huge loss in the last gen) they don't mind losing a lot of $$$, i think they'll be here to stay for a good few years - which is what it's going to take them if they ever hope to seriously dent the playstation brand familiarity with main-stream gamers. and it'll be an interesting time while they try :)

[TheHulk]

I guess everybody has forgotten how wonderful the PS2 launch was and all the incredible games available for it for the first 6 months. Unless something changes I see the same thing for the PS3 as well. There's quite a bit of Sony fanboyism going on too.

[Vandenh]

>at the moment. ***

Hu? What??? You lost me after that $

[fitbabits]

I guess everybody has forgotten how wonderful the PS2 launch was and all the incredible games available for it for the first 6 months.
Erm, that would be you! :rolleyes:

[bapenguin]

I guess everybody has forgotten how wonderful the PS2 launch was and all the incredible games available for it for the first 6 months. Unless something changes I see the same thing for the PS3 as well. There's quite a bit of Sony fanboyism going on too.

Well....here's the "facts" (http://jasoncross.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=6192351&publicUserId=5694478) on everything.

[Paranoia]

I guess everybody has forgotten how wonderful the PS2 launch was and all the incredible games available for it for the first 6 months.

I didn't forget anything, I just didn't buy the PS2. :rolleyes:

[TRiLoGY]

I would be going absolutely bonkers-cuckoo right now if I didn't have one. What's the availability situation like back in Blighty?

Basically, there are none currently available and those that are available are only the odd Core systems, but i've been told in a couple of stores that there are not going to be any more Premium systems until March..

[Grifter]

I have bought every console on launch day since the NES and every other generation of video card since the origial diamond 3Dfx card for the pc. I love games and do not give a shit what platform they are on, untill now. The 360 is easily the best console yet and I am not just talking graphics. What you get with xbox live is amazing and well worth the $400.The launch line up is deffinately better than any console in the past (even though half are crappy EA ports.) And the potential large Japaniese support has me excited.

I see at this point absolutely no reason to buy a PS3, we have no idea what games are going to be exclusicive to the system, nor do we have any solid data on what the system is going to be able to do. I dont trust Sony at all when it comes to their hype, this company lies more than any company I have ever seen it's insulting. Right now I am going to ASSume based on the PS2 launch that the PS3 will be underpowered and not even close to what sony said it would be untill the last year of it's life. Of course I do hope I am wrong because even though this generation of console wars will be neck and neck unless Sony makes such a huge mistake thet even all the Sonyites cant ignore it Sony will win, most of the japanese games will be on the PS3 and the multi platform games will be designed with the PS3 in mind with a possible port later on which means that like this last generation if the PS3 is as under powered as the PS2 was we will see very few games that utalize the full potential of the 360 and all gamers will suffer. Now if Sony is actually telling the truth (Sonys idea of the truth any way) about their console then the PS3 will be just as powerfull as the 360 (give or take) in terms of hardware (thats a good thing) So if the latter is the case because of game devolpment costs 98% of games in development will be cross platform (possibly even Squeanix games) with that in mind I would much rather have the silver Live feature on the 360 than some half assed online feature tagged on at the last seconed for the PS3.

So in light of that information Yeah I am a 360 fanboy because the 360 is doing everything right so far and if Sony wants me back they will actually have to do some work and make some intellagent choices this time around and stop trying to ride out the success of the PS1. (2nd best console ever and yes the original Nintendo is 3rd)

This is just my opinion I am not saying that anyone that likes sony is wrong I just dont see why, oh and ignore my spelling.

[Balthasar]

Well....here's the "facts" (http://jasoncross.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=6192351&publicUserId=5694478) on everything.

Wow, "fair and balanced" reporting on Evil Avatar. I'm flabberghasted. Being neither an X-box or Playstation fanboy, I can say pretty accurately that when I got my PS2, I didn't really buy any games for it initially (played Chrono Cross and Final Fantasy IX instead). And if I had an Xbox 360, I likely wouldn't buy anything for it either (I might have given PGR 3 and BOA 2 a rental, perhaps). Morrowind would have been a great way to start the system. But now, I really wouldn't be surprised to see it pop up on the PS3 too.

[Morratut]

I don't believe thats BS. If Sony was ready, we would be seeing in-game movies and pics, hell, even playable demos. We have none of those. Spring is at most what?, 5 months away? We had playable demos at E3 in May, 6 months before the 360 launched.


<clap clap clap clap>

Very true bone_matrix. Sony have been wrong footed and they aren't ready yet.

All we have seen from Sony is some pre rendered bullshit footage of various titles. I have to admit I was impressed with the beads of sweat on that Tekken video. Wow :rolleyes: Oh and not forgetting the fantastic KillZone 2 video, wow that was amazing :rolleyes:

Nothing playable. Sony not even showing gameplay videos of titles, thats bad for a system launching so soon.

[Balthasar]

I see at this point absolutely no reason to buy a PS3, we have no idea what games are going to be exclusicive to the system, nor do we have any solid data on what the system is going to be able to do. I dont trust Sony at all when it comes to their hype, this company lies more than any company I have ever seen it's insulting. Right now I am going to ASSume based on the PS2 launch that the PS3 will be underpowered and not even close to what sony said it would be untill the last year of it's life. Of course I do hope I am wrong because even though this generation of console wars will be neck and neck unless Sony makes such a huge mistake thet even all the Sonyites cant ignore it Sony will win, most of the japanese games will be on the PS3 and the multi platform games will be designed with the PS3 in mind with a possible port later on which means that like this last generation if the PS3 is as under powered as the PS2 was we will see very few games that utalize the full potential of the 360 and all gamers will suffer. Now if Sony is actually telling the truth (Sonys idea of the truth any way) about their console then the PS3 will be just as powerfull as the 360 (give or take) in terms of hardware (thats a good thing) So if the latter is the case because of game devolpment costs 98% of games in development will be cross platform (possibly even Squeanix games) with that in mind I would much rather have the silver Live feature on the 360 than some half assed online feature tagged on at the last seconed for the PS3.


Wow. The only analogue to reading that paragraph, that I can think of, is listening to someone who just drank 8 cups of coffee trying to explain why he likes his favorite band. Commas, bro. They want to be friends with you.

[see colon]

history has shown that sony is incapable of having a solid launch lineup. but that's ok, because they have a fantastic hype machine and excellent developer support. they lauch the hardware and then work with developers to get the software. that's why backwards compatability is such a great feature.

[motor]

This conversation has morphed into whether the xbox 360 launch was successful or not, and I'm starting to think the answer is no. The machine is great, Live arcade is the future, but think about it this way: There are two groups of people who are going to buy the 360, us, the hardcore gamers, the box could come out july 17th and we would buy it. Then there is another group, say, upper-middle class parents, "interested" games (less then hard-core, but still willing to pay $299-$399 for something that is shiny and new that they feel they will buy someday anyway). My feeling is this second group is MUCH MUCH larger then the first, and the availability issue is going to mean that they won't be able to buy until after xmas. Now these people are different then us, if they don't have xmas as a reason to shell out the $299-$399, they won't do it in feb, or mar, or whenever. For them the next time they will buy it is for a birthday or next xmas. And by then it is too late for microsoft, I personally don't think that the ps3 will be available in the US until next fall, but I do think that in a few months the ps3 will have close to the same mind-share as the xbox360 in a potential buyers mind, and it is going to be very hard to make up the lost sales.

What could microsoft have done about it? I'm not sure, maybe take a bigger loss per box at start to outsource more initial production. Somewhere, someone made a choice to have N number of boxes before xmas, I think that they made a mistake in that number.

[TheBrainKills]

The only reason why you would buy a PS3 is to replace your dead PS2. Sony has how many out there? A 100 million? I think 90% of those are owned by kids and hicks who wouldn't know what 1080p is. I don't think there are 100 million HDTV's out there yet so why would you buy a super expensive HD game machine for your crappy 20" 1980 RCA? Oh ... maybe you would buy it for its Blueray HD drive, ya that will look real good on that 20".
I am not saying that they won't sell a lot of them, just not as many as the PS2.

[bean19]

I guess everybody has forgotten how wonderful the PS2 launch was and all the incredible games available for it for the first 6 months. Unless something changes I see the same thing for the PS3 as well. There's quite a bit of Sony fanboyism going on too.

What???

Good launch titles (some only decent):

DOA2: Hardcore (Tecmo, Fighting)
Dynasty Warriors 2 (Koei, Action)
Madden NFL 2001 (EA, Sports)
NHL 2001 (EA, Sports)
Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 (Midway, Sports)
Ridge Racer V (Namco, Racing)
SSX (EA, Sports)
Tekken Tag Tournament (Namco, fighting)
TimeSplitters (Eidos, First-Person Shooter)

Swill (particularly bad swill is highlighted):

Armored Core 2 (Agetec, Action)
ESPN International Track and Field (Konami, Sports)
ESPN X-Games Snowboarding (Konami, Sports)
Eternal Ring (Agetec, RPG)
Evergrace (Agetec, RPG)
FantaVision (SCEI, Puzzle)
Gun Griffon Blaze (Working Designs, Action)
Kessen (EA, Adventure)
Midnight Club (Rockstar, Racing)
Moto GP (Namco, Racing)
Orphen (Activision, RPG)
Q-Ball Billiards Master (Take-Two Interactive, Simulation)
Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 (Midway, Sports)
Silent Scope (Konami, Shooter)
Smuggler's Run (Rockstar, Racing-Adventure)
Street Fighter EX3 (Capcom, Fighting)
Summoner (THQ, RPG)
Swing Away (Paradise Golf in Japan) (EA, Sports)
Unreal Tournament (Infogrames, First-Person Shooter)
Wild Wild Racing (Interplay, Racing)
X-Squad (EA, Action)

Altogether, this was not a bad launch at all. In fact, there were some pretty good games up in the top list, and I really enjoyed owning my PS2 as an early adopter. It was a very fun system.

However, they had these games in line to create the hype. We've barely seen any games for the PS3. History has shown us that not every launch is equal for the same company, just as not every console is equal.

I hope that Sony will prove us wrong, and deliver at least as well for the PS3 as they did on the PS2 at launch. I'm a multi-platform gamer, so I want all the consoles to suceed and give me lots and lots of different and fun games to play. So, hopefully, you can understand why I am skeptic about the PS3 launch and wonder why we aren't seeing a media storm detailing the coolness of all the awesome titles we can expect in "the spring". :)

[Twigz'N'Berries]

360 is already taking a massive loss, you really think they'll lose a further $50 after only 7-8 months at Market? The first 3-4 months being actually filling the orders?
Can u link to an article that verifies the cost of the 360 to make? I would like to see this because I have heard everything from taking a moderate loss to gaining a slight profit per premium sold.

Second, I really find it amusing that people can spin the MS launch as a failure. By all indications, they have sold every system they have sent to retailers. Some of those have been resold at exhorbitant prices. The demand is there. Friends who were on the fence about the 360 are now going to get one after playing PGR3, COD2 or NBA2k6...not to mention PD0. Seeing how MS didn't release any target numbers for how many 360s they planned on selling before today's date, it is funny to hear people say the launch wasn't a success. When you have a lot of systems sitting on the shelf, unsold, then you can say that it was unsuccessful. They would greatly benefit from increased production, but so far, they are doing quite well. I know several people (check out their accomplishments/achievements) have purchased Xbox Live games...360 is going to be profitable.

[TRiLoGY]

Second, I really find it amusing that people can spin the MS launch as a failure. By all indications, they have sold every system they have sent to retailers. Some of those have been resold at exhorbitant prices. The demand is there. Friends who were on the fence about the 360 are now going to get one after playing PGR3, COD2 or NBA2k6...not to mention PD0. Seeing how MS didn't release any target numbers for how many 360s they planned on selling before today's date, it is funny to hear people say the launch wasn't a success. When you have a lot of systems sitting on the shelf, unsold, then you can say that it was unsuccessful. They would greatly benefit from increased production, but so far, they are doing quite well. I know several people (check out their accomplishments/achievements) have purchased Xbox Live games...360 is going to be profitable.

I think its a failure... but only because I cant get my hands on one, so therefore i'm bitter and Twisted lol...

[motor]

...

Second, I really find it amusing that people can spin the MS launch as a failure. By all indications, they have sold every system they have sent to retailers. Some of those have been resold at exhorbitant prices. The demand is there.
...


Look, I'm a game developer and I like to think I'm pretty unbiased about this stuff (if not a little pro ms because of there easier development environment), but no one is saying that there isn't demand, the thing that is potentially bad for MS is that they are satisfying demand, and I believe that a lot of that demand is soft (ie I think a lot of people would buy a 360 for xmas, but not after xmas). So it is important that you give those people an opportunity to buy it now or else you might not get them again until you are competing against the PS3.