The Gamer's Quarter

Ryan - SuperWes' Bane

Japan's release was last Friday I believe. I didn't buy one of course, and wouldn't have even been able to buy one in my town if I had 60,000 yen to spend and spoke Japanese well enough to play the games. But it sounds like it's a right spectacular system.

- Has difficultly playing some of the older games, some not at all (seemed like that would be a given)
- 4 Launch titles only
- Limited supply (100,000 systems only)
- systems on eBay for three times the amount so far

Shaping up to be one of the worst launches for a system possibly? Hmmm. Probably not. However Sony really needs things to go there way and the limited supply is gonna hurt them,

BUT. Look on the good side. At least nobody has reported a problem with the BluRay system, had their system explode or crash, or any other hardware problems just yet. That would cripple Sony this holiday if that was the case. Kind of sucked what happened to Microsoft last year when quite a few of their systems went on the fritz, but they recovered well in the USA.

Anybody picking one up this upcoming Friday in the states? Or are you waiting for the Wii? And I think it would be a good idea to have a article in a future issue about systems launches, ie which ones have been failures, which launches were good, etc. This a Possibility?

Lestrade · Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:40 am Post subject:

Why would I pick one up? The PS3 is shit.

Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

In any case, I don't see the PS3 holding any appeal this year. We'll see how things go in the future.
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"This is the most fun I've ever had without being drenched in the blood of my enemies!"

wourme · . Joined: 01 Jul 2005 Posts: 362 Location: Maridia

No game I've heard about so far has interested me in any of the next-generation consoles. Remember when Super Nintendo was coming, and Nintendo Power had that huge fold-out poster filled with screenshots of games that you just knew were going to be great? That's the last time I remember a console launch being the least bit exciting.

friedchicken · . Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 496 Location: Port Land, OR

It's almost like it's too easy of a target.

The price and the scarcity has pretty much thrown a wet blanket over any excitement I might have had for it. It's funny though, that at a local retailer while I was trying to track down some Wii info yesterday, they had a Wii set up, with a monitor playing a demo. There was also some commentary playing, but I couldn't hear any of it due to the enormous 30+ inch screen directly above it showing PS3 footage and blaring music. Plus, I've seen MUCH more TV advertising for the PS3 that I have for the Wii. All this for a system that probably won't be in too many hands this year. Wes has convinced me that Sony knows what they're doing, but still, ugh.

As an aside, I was a little shocked to see how huge it is in comparison to the 360. Heavy, too, allegedly.

dark steve · . Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 1110

man what a bunch of miserable launch games this thing has.
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OtakupunkX · . Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 730

I'm writing an article for my school newspaper's Christmas Issue called "Why I don't care about the PS3 (and why you shouldn't either)". It's going to be part of this anti-PS3 "propoganda" spread I'm doing.

Ketch · . Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 420

dessgeega · Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 12:18 pm Post subject:

"the ps3:

it hasn't exploded yet."

what makes me sad is that sony is charging sixty-thousand yen for a videogame machine that does nothing new because they're certain that gamer-identified people will buy anything for any price and, sure enough, gamer-identified people are wasting no time in proving sony right.

it makes me loathe "gamers". the wii could not come sooner.
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player 2 · . Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 585 Location: Madison, WI USA

dhex · Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 12:32 pm Post subject:

valuation is a tricky thing. (with or without feathers)
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Neal · . Joined: 13 Nov 2006 Posts: 36 Location: Tennessee

I drove by a Best Buy this afternoon and saw like 12 tents set up and it pouring rain out. I kind of felt bad for em but figured if they had the 600 dollars to drop on the thing, then whatever.
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simplicio · . Joined: 03 May 2005 Posts: 1091

Neal · . Joined: 13 Nov 2006 Posts: 36 Location: Tennessee

True Enough
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player 2 · . Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 585 Location: Madison, WI USA

I still totally want a PS3.
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Wii #: 8749 9109 9732 3653

"It is a peaceful way of understanding life, to play"
_Marcel Duchamp

Swimmy · . Joined: 16 Sep 2005 Posts: 990 Location: Fairfax, VA

I want one. I just don't $500 want one.
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"Ayn Rand fans are the old school version of Xenogears fanboys."
-seryogin

SuperWes · Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 4:05 pm Post subject:

I have a few plans and I'm hoping one of them works!

-Wes
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player 2 · . Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 585 Location: Madison, WI USA

Neal · . Joined: 13 Nov 2006 Posts: 36 Location: Tennessee

If nothing else you could maybe sabotage someone's tent.
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Scratchmonkey · . Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 1439

They are pretty ridiculously heavy. And glossy, like PSP-level glossy.

DonMarco · . Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 349 Location: 33903

I'm the first person to look to defend the PS3. So what if the systems got a "bad start"? Four launch titles? Boo-fucking-hoo. How many US launch titles are not ports or braded by the letters "E" and "A"? For the most part, much like the PS2, it will be a high-end media player and/or status symbol. Give it some time, and they'll buy some games every now and then. It's not like they own a 360 or anything like that. For kiddy games they'll buy a Wii and for next-gen HD binges they'll buy the PS3 version.

The Japanese are basically thinner versions of Americans with more disposable income living in a country that is on the business end of 10% of all the earthquakes recorded in the entire world. Sucks to be us, huh?

Even if one in ten launch PS3s were but on the eBay site, that would be 40-50 thousand listings. Which may not sound so bad until you realize that "one in ten" isn't going to happen. No way. More like one in five, or 80 to 100 thousand units. Time will tell, but that's my guess. My store got in less than ten systems and 40 games of the various titles. We recieved twice as many Wii systems and are already sold out of three games for it. Any one who still thinks the PS3 is selling because of the games should be dragged out in the street and thrown into traffic. The Wii is a gaming console. The PS3 is a status symbol and/or multimedia center.
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Collector of over 1,538 strategy guides. That's weird, right?

player 2 · . Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 585 Location: Madison, WI USA

third time's a charm?

SuperWes · Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 2:35 am Post subject:

My own personal justification for wanting a PS3 is that (much like 80% of the rest of the people on these boards), I'm going to get one eventually so it might as well be now. If I don't get one at launch I won't be crying about it like I would with the Wii (played it last night at the mall!), but if I do get one I'll be happy.

-Wes
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Ryan - SuperWes' Bane · Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 3:06 am Post subject:

Does Sony, our should it HAVE TO, even have put out commercials for something like the PS3? When you have a system in such short supply, what's the point of putting out tons of marketing when you can't even capitalize on the demand for the product? Seems like a waste of money to me. If you're trying to sell 10 million systems this Xmas, MAKE 10 million systems. Of course you want the demand to remain high and create more demand than the actual supply, but how many people like having to wait 2-3 months for the next shipment to come in? I'll buy a PS3 Xmas 2008. Wii next year for Xmas, and this year I'm cheaping it out preowned games and my DS. Should be just as good nonetheless.

I still dont' understand why people buy something just to be the first to play it, or beat it. Like buying clothes. You wait long enough, the seasons change and you can get that $40 shirt for $5 now at the store. It's still the same shirt, nothing's changed about it, but it's $35 cheaper. But then again, if we didn't have all these people buying the initial offering, Sony wouldn't make any money, wouldn't be able to make more systems and manufacturing, and therefore wouldn't push the price down with the increased supply. Freaking economics . . .

player 2 · . Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 585 Location: Madison, WI USA

Sony's always been a luxury item seller.
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Wii #: 8749 9109 9732 3653

"It is a peaceful way of understanding life, to play"
_Marcel Duchamp

dhex · Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 9:29 am Post subject:

Harveyjames · the meteor kid Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636

Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

Why bother purchasing quality when you can afford to purchase quantity?
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"This is the most fun I've ever had without being drenched in the blood of my enemies!"

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

This is not a troll.

I think Sony has won already. The sheer amount of press associated with the launch has put the words "sony playstation" in the minds of every single newswatching parent and potential game buyer. The wii launch on sunday won't garner a tenth of this press. No one is going to get shot over a Wii, and I mean, if people aren't getting shot then who really cares? Moreover they're launching with a sports game (maybe a basketball one?) which is a good portion of the target market there. It doesn't matter that there's no supply, everyone (being people who don't read forums like this one) knows now that the PS3 is in extreme demand and when the actual supply rolls around sometime next year I think Sony will blow Nintendo and Microsoft's sales numbers out of the water.

I still think Nintendo will do well, and Microsoft has been doing an all right thing, but Sony is going to come out on top again.

SuperWes · Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 10:54 am Post subject:

Press doesn't get average people to fork over $600 (or more). You're a pretty hardcore gamer and you're having trouble justifying $300 for an Xbox 360. Things don't automatically change when you introduce the word Playstation.

At any rate, I wanted to mention that Auction prices are falling and greedy people who put up crazy reserve amounts are missing out on prime sellers as the prices continue to fall. It's pretty interesting. I'm guessing by mid-next week the system will be going for a much more reasonable price on eBay, and most of the profiteers will end up disappointed.

-Wes
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Lestrade · Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 11:01 am Post subject:

I'm hoping the profiteers crash and burn. The PS3 launch has been a sad reminder of how greedy and petty people are. See this week's 1up show for some very telling, disturbing footage.

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

Ryan - SuperWes' Bane · Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 6:29 am Post subject:

Launches mean shit. Come two weeks before Xmas is when it really matters. You sit a kid down with a PS3 or Wii, and also a parent, and I bet you they'll buy the Wii for the kid 6-10 times. It's going to depend on what both systems can get out in terms of games in the next month that will decide everything for the Holiday season and for the month afterwards. By the way, what IS scheduled to be released before Xmas on both systems?

Redeye · . Joined: 02 Oct 2006 Posts: 986 Location: filth

This is almost certainly not true. But I wish it was, and I wish I had video.
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I felt sheer anarchic joy when I ran over my first pedestrian.

Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

And then he bought a PS3!

Ha-ha!
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"This is the most fun I've ever had without being drenched in the blood of my enemies!"

Harveyjames · the meteor kid Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636

I think it's true, he doesn't seem bright enough to make up a story like that. I liked that story before I decided

1.) Those nerds probably didn't deserve that. They'd waited in line for about three days more than him. He says they were being jerks, and maybe they were, but I don't trust his judgement entirely since

2.) He is a jerk. His ebay page says 'NO NIGERIANS'. And personally, I couldn't do something like that to another human being without considering their feelings. I was rubbish in fights in school because I would pull my punches, like when you go to stamp on a balloon and you just end up planting your feet either side of it each time, you just can't bring yourself to do it. This guy wouldn't pull his punches. He would probably shoot a person given licence to do so.

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

This is like that smashmyps3.com video in that I cannot figure out what is so funny about it.