Zune Video, streaming on Xbox 360 from Ars Technica on Vimeo.

The next Xbox Live update will bring a bevy of new features, including Twitter, Facebook, and Last.fm access. I’m particularly interested to see if Last.fm works as well all the previews say. Another feature that’s getting less press is the ability to stream 1080p films from the renamed Zune Store. As an owner of an original 20GB Xbox 360, the notion of downloading 4GB+ files is becoming more and more of an impossibility, so a good streaming solution is key for MS.

I’ve been wondering if the service is as instant as Microsoft says it is (the fastest streaming we’ve seen on the Xbox thus far is 720p HD Netflix content), and according to the Opposable Thumbs blog at Ars, it definitely works as advertised. Video proof is above, and while it may be blurry, you can clearly get a sense of how fast the streaming works. Let’s just hope this quality keeps up when released to the public.

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1080p Xbox Movie Streaming Works as Advertised

• Finally, Netflix Streaming is Coming to the PS3
• The Roku Netflix Player, The Shape of Things to Come
• Why Xbox Live Can’t Be Free… Yet
• Will Sony Ever Stop Playing Catch Up with the Playstation 3?
• Digsby Opens Up with Public Beta, Adds Twitter & Voice/Video Support

If there’s one thing that’s annoyed me most about PC gaming, it’s all the work that goes into keeping up with the hottest video cards on the market. It’s sort of a crazy experience, especially for average consumers, and it’s something that I’ve always felt has kept significant portions of the PC gaming market far too exclusive to survive in the long run.

The Lucid Hydra 200 doesn’t solve all of these problems, but it makes it possible for people with less hardcore computer rigs to throw in any video card they choose to get a bit more power. Effectively, you could have an ATI and an nVidia card running in tandem without having to worry about their multi-GPU nonsense (Crossfire or SLI). It also seems like it’s not that expensive for motherboard manufacturers to implement this feature, which means we can see adoption spread quite quickly. Over time, perhaps the costs could even be driven down to fit the $100-$150 motherboard market.

Moreso than PhysX, this is the sort of innovation we need to see in the PC gaming segment.

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The Lucid Hydra 200 Makes Multi-GPU Gaming Across Video Card Vendors a Reality

• What nVidia’s Tegra Means for Mobile Devices, and Why You Should Care
• Why The Magic Mouse is the Most Important Apple Announcement Today
• Asus Starts the USB 3.0 & SATA 6Gb Hype Train
• The iPhone 3G is a Call to Arms for Mobile Computing
• Windows Mobile 7 with Zune Integration Coming Soon?

In a recent post over at CNet Digital Home,  Don Reisinger argues that Microsoft should make Xbox Live free. To an extent, I actually agree with him. Of course, I don’t think the situation is as clear-cut as Reisinger believes. Yes, Xbox Live will eventually be free, but that won’t happen until Microsoft has a legitimate reason to do so. And no, the current multiplayer implementations by Nintendo and Sony in no way compete with XBL.

Wii vs 360

First off, let’s just forget about Nintendo. It’s clear from their ridiculous friend code system that they have no interest in achieving the same sort of seamless multiplayer integration that Microsoft has done with Live. Nintendo is far too steeped in their irrational “family friendly” corporate philosophy–to the point where I don’t believe they want to help gamers connect with one another.

Case in point: Nintendo made a big announcement last year declaring that they were going to simplify Wii online play by using Gamespy’s technology. But for some strange reason, I can’t find any further reference to that partnership besides the initial press release. And even if they did secretly start implementing Gamespy’s technology, it’s still based on friend codes–the biggest part of Nintendo’s multiplayer failure thus far.

PS3 vs 360

So Nintendo is out, but what of Sony? I’ve written recently about their underwhelming E3 showing, and my biggest complaint was that Home was nowhere to be seen. Sure, the latest PS3 updates let you have game-specific friends lists on certain games, but that’s a far cry from Microsoft’s XBL friends implementation. Friend list support needs to be standard, not a developer option, and it needs to be universal. Home has the potential to correct these mistakes for Sony, but given that it’s release is still undetermined somewhere in 2009, it’s evident that PS3 users will be stuck with sub-par multiplayer for some time.

The failure of Home and the PS3’s overall multiplayer strategy is really the biggest argument against making Xbox Live free. After all, why would Microsoft make XBL free when so many 360 users have made it clear that they’re willing to pay $50 a year for the privilege, and there is no real competition to the service?

Breaking it down, Xbox Live costs $4.17 monthly, and that rate is reduced even further if you get a discounted 12-month card online. To most people who want to play online, it’s simply a drop in the bucket. That money also leads to better development and an overall more stable service as well. And of course, it also helps to weed out annoying kids (not that the service is free from jerkwad teens and adults).

When Will Xbox Live Be Free?

Once Sony (or in some bizarro-world, Nintendo) offers a legitimate competitor to Xbox Live, then Microsoft will be able to justify making the service free. Of course, another possibility is that we start to see MS slowly giving benefits to Silver members, while also adding goodies to Gold members. Perhaps Silver members could be restricted to unranked player matches, and actual ranked games for Gold? In my opinion, that would actually be a more than fitting compromise–at least until they were forced to make XBL completely free.

For now though, I’m content with spending money on a service that I can rely on, and one that’s clearly a cut above the rest.

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Why Xbox Live Can’t Be Free… Yet

• Will Sony Ever Stop Playing Catch Up with the Playstation 3?
• Finally, Netflix Streaming is Coming to the PS3
• 1080p Xbox Movie Streaming Works as Advertised
• Windows Mobile 7 with Zune Integration Coming Soon?
• Gamestop Dropping Zune, What Exactly is Microsoft’s Zune Strategy Now?

Today Sony announced that they would be selling and renting video content over the Playstation Store, and I suppose if this was a year ago, that news would have actually been somewhat interesting. But coming off the recent Netflix/Xbox 360 announcement, wherein the 360 would become a Netflix streaming device this fall a la the Roku, any impact from Sony’s announcement has been practically nullified. The sad thing is that this isn’t a new trend for Sony with the PS3, and along with the constant delays of Home, it’s clear that this situation isn’t going to improve anytime soon.

As I’ve stated before, Sony’s main competition this generation is Microsoft. Nintendo is clearly off in their own territory with the success of the Wii, and neither Microsoft nor Sony would gain much by competing directly with the Wii’s low price, motion controls, and mainstream appeal. Instead, they need to scrap it out for dominance among the more regular and hardcore gaming crowds.

In this particular fight, it seems the Playstation 3 will always be left behind. Sony started off a year after the 360, and they also didn’t have the benefit of a strong online platform in the PS2 generation like Microsoft did with the Xbox 1. MS learned a lot from the original implementation of Live, and in doing so they were able to craft a much more polished product for the 360. We may take it for granted now, but I’ll always consider the 360 Live’s focus on online multiplayer to be a major turning point for console gaming.

The notion of just being a few clicks away from gaming with your friends, aided by Microsoft’s uncharacteristically wise implementation of an easy-to-use global dashboard, is something that should now be considered standard for all future gaming consoles. That Sony has yet to mimic the experience is inexcusable. And no, I don’t care how “revolutionary” Playstation Home may be. The multiplayer experience should have been sorted out first–not tied to an unproven Second Life clone.

Microsoft (and arguably Nintendo) have also succeeded at building up strong game libraries this generation, something which the PS3 is still currently struggling with. While they’ve had their share of very good titles, the only real system seller that the PS3 has had so far is Metal Gear Solid 4. Final Fantasy XIII was another important exclusive (and potential system seller as well), but of course Microsoft put an end to that on Monday when they announced that FFXIII is coming to the 360 this Fall in North America and Europe.

At this rate, I suspect Sony will announce a similar Netflix deal as MS next year, but of course by that point many people would have already invested in 360’s and Roku boxes instead. And while it’s cool that your PSP can also play downloaded PS3 videos, that’s really only going to benefit the folks who actually have PSPs. It’s also yet another move by Sony that takes the PSP away from its core gaming functionality, and brings back dirty memories of their failed UMD platform.

Thus far the only great success from the PS3 continues to be its Blu-ray functionality, but of course that comes at the expense of all other similarly priced Blu-ray devices. The 80GB PS3 price drop to $400 is clearly a sign of desperation by Sony, given that most console price drops occur at about $50 every year. The loss of backwards compatibility from that 80GB model is also not a good sign, but considering their consistent efforts to diminish the importance of BC, I suppose it was inevitable.

I believe all of Sony’s current issues with the PS3 stem from their confused direction for the product. Is it an entertainment center, or a game console? I suppose the same can also be said for the PSP, but given how long that device has taken to really find its stride, this similarity is not exactly heartening. Despite all of the 360’s many features, it never felt as if MS ever strayed too far away from the goal of making it a console first, and an entertainment device second.

That’s a lesson Sony would do well to learn.

There is nothing I hate more than a foregone conclusion. Beneath every vicious (that is to say, factual) statement I have ever made regarding the company, there has existed the indubitable truth of their ultimate victory. This certainty extends, yea, even unto the company itself, which is why they have done so little to earn your love. The rumble-free controller with built-in batteries, the one that turns off while you’re updating your console every other week, that one that inexplicably loses signal from time to time but everyone is too chivalrous to discuss it, the one that is now obsolete because two years ago they tried to save money on something they knew they would have to pay anyway – this “six axis” is the icon of a system coasting on global brand inertia.

Announcing features that your competitors have had for coming up on two years does not a riveting presentation make. Exclusive PSN content (like a movie length Ratchet and Clank game, or thatgamecompany’s Flower) is still the company’s most compelling asset.

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Will Sony Ever Stop Playing Catch Up with the Playstation 3?

• Finally, Netflix Streaming is Coming to the PS3
• Why Xbox Live Can’t Be Free… Yet
• The Roku Netflix Player, The Shape of Things to Come
• Gamestop Dropping Zune, What Exactly is Microsoft’s Zune Strategy Now?
• Why The Magic Mouse is the Most Important Apple Announcement Today

The console might not have sold the most units or captured the attention of the mass media, but as a platform, it’s provided the most complete experience of the year while executing titles with the most successful track record.

Looking back at 2007 I can’t help but agree. While not all of my predictions in my original post came true, the gist of the article rang true throughout the year. It was clear that Nintendo was content with their now usual crap third party support, and Sony’s lineup throughout the year was sadly lacking of many “system sellers”.

Kotaku points out that the 360 had more quality games and a vastly superior networking component in Xbox Live. They also mention the innovative Xbox Live Arcade Releases, although in that respect I believe Sony is putting up a decent fight with Microsoft. PSN has actually done a decent job of putting out creative independent games. It’s just a shame that they tend to be much more compelling than the vast majority of the PS3’s actual game lineup.

So what will 2008 bring? The PS3 will become more of a competing force, and the Wii will get a healthy injection of long-awaited Nintendo titles. It’s certainly going to be much more difficult for Microsoft this time around. More on this soon…

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360 Wins 2007, Says Kotaku

• Why Xbox Live Can’t Be Free… Yet
• Will Sony Ever Stop Playing Catch Up with the Playstation 3?
• Finally, Netflix Streaming is Coming to the PS3
• 1080p Xbox Movie Streaming Works as Advertised
• The iPhone 3G is a Call to Arms for Mobile Computing

Image by Omeburo via The Rabbit Snare

Engadget is reporting on a recent Nintendo business presentation wherein company President Satoru Iwata announce his plans for more “practical” applications on the DS. The announcement implies that the big N wants to move even further away from games and at the same time strengthen their relationship with casual and non-gamers. You may recall my previous post on the their enthusiastic contentment with the Wii’s board-game characterstics — this just drives that point home even further.

Of course it’s just good business to grab even more unclaimed market share, but is anyone at Nintendo as concerned as I am about these new trends the company is taking? While the DS has certainly seen it’s fare share of real games, the Wii is looking to end up just like the N64 and Gamecube with its dearth of third-party support. It probably won’t die the same ugly death, though, because it will survive on its current appetite of casual and repetitive party games.

From the WSJ article:

Mr. Iwata said he would consider practical uses for the Wii and DS, but that it made sense to focus on the DS first, because it has sold far more.

“This is the first device that is portable and wireless and anybody can use. And with so many devices out there, it would be wasteful to not turn it into a tool,” he said.

The article is fairly short so I may just appear to be grasping at straws, but honestly anything that proves that Nintendo is really thinking less about games has me worried. On the one hand I’m excited to see what Nintendo can do by using their hardware in more creative ways, but on the other I know that if Nintendo casts a wider scope in their purpose, the games we’ve grown to love will suffer.

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Nintendo Moves Further Away From Games

• Will Sony Ever Stop Playing Catch Up with the Playstation 3?
• What nVidia’s Tegra Means for Mobile Devices, and Why You Should Care
• Looking Forward to the Android Takeover
• The Roku Netflix Player, The Shape of Things to Come
• My Thoughts on the Palm Pre

I’ve had a thought mulling around my brain for the past few weeks regarding the Nintendo Wii, but I thought it too crazy to bring up here. After all, I’m trying to run a somewhat legitimate blog here–or at least something better than the blogs owned by your average gaming board troll. But after running across the above release for the Wii, I think I just have to say it: The Wii’s focus on casual games rather than traditional games have led to a sad truth — the Wii is a glorified board game.

Now take note that I am not a Nintendo hater. I grew up on the NES and SNES, and have been a fan of the Wii since the name change. I covered the launch announcement of the Wii in Amherst Bytes with fanboyish enthusiasm, and my thoughts on the console remained generally favorable until I realized that Nintendo is paying considerably more attention to the casual game market than the gamers who have grown to love them.

The specific reasons why I feel the Wii is a board game are as follows:

1. You generally only use it when friends come over: Nintendo made a smart move by including Wii Sports with every Wii, as most Wii owners will find themselves spinning it up whenever company comes over. Once you finish the handful of decent single-player games for the Wii, you too will find yours gathering dust until you have friends over.
2. It’s being marketed as something you play with others in your living room, rather than online: It’s no secret that the Wii is the most backwards console when it comes to online play. Instead, Nintendo pushes local multiplayer in most of their PR material. Just look at the game cover above! Their inane game code system could arguably prove this point as well. They’re making online play too difficult so most people don’t even try.
3. The plethora of party games available for the Wii are essentially modern board games: The Wii has seen far more party games than any other game console, all of which can arguably be considered fancy board games. This is also especially significant because we’re still in the first year of the Wii’s lifespan. Imagine what the Wii game lineup will look like in a few years if it keeps up its current pace for party game releases…

I also had a bad pun in mind regarding my board game theory and Wii Fit as another point, but I think I’ll spare you the horror.

I can’t fault Nintendo for trying to tap into a previously untouched gaming market, but when that means we get more party and casual games on the Wii than we do traditional games, I honestly have to wonder if Nintendo is forsaking real gamers. I’m sure Nintendo remembers them, after all they were the only ones who stuck with them during the dark days of the N64 and Gamecube. But seeing as how Zelda, Metroid Prime 3, and Super Paper Mario are really the only traditional games on the system worth owning, a year after launch no-less, I think it’s high time to call shenanigans.

At this point I can’t really think of any traditional Wii games, aside from Mario Galaxy of course, that I find myself looking forwards to. Is it sad that I’m more interested in Wii Fit than I am for the actual games coming out for the Wii next year?

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Why The Nintendo Wii Is A Glorified Board Game

• Why Xbox Live Can’t Be Free… Yet
• Will Sony Ever Stop Playing Catch Up with the Playstation 3?
• Asus Starts the USB 3.0 & SATA 6Gb Hype Train
• Cuil and The Trouble with Tech Blogging
• Finally, Netflix Streaming is Coming to the PS3

Perhaps the worst kept secret in recent console gaming history, we now know that the $499 60GB PS3 is soon-to-be extinct. The newly announced $599 80GB PS3 (with Motorstorm bundled) well then remain the only PS3 package in stores. Still, a glaring question remains unanswered:

Will the 80GB model drop to the $499 price point once the 60GB models are gone?

We know that there are supposedly a few months worth of 60GB stock left, but is that enough time to justify a price drop on the 80GB model? This is perhaps the best outcome of this whole fiasco, and honestly the most likely. They can minimize the price to $499 very easily by simply ceasing to include Motorstorm in the future.

If, however, the 80GB remains at $599, then it becomes yet another PR debacle for Sony. After all, they knowingly led us to believe the $499 60GB was a “price-drop”, not a “clearance sale” (as Joystiq puts it). Even if they never said anything directly many people on Sony’s end knew that this was going to happen — clearly making it a lie of omission.

The aftermath of this announcement to execute the 60GB model has yet to be fully seen, but I suspect that even the prospect of losing out on the $499 deal is enough to convince informed gamers that they need to get the 60GB unit. Could this be exactly what Sony wanted? The complete lack of demand for the 60GB unit at its former $599 price point is certainly well-documented — could this be a sort of artificial jump-start for demand?

All Sony has to do to drive these desperation-induced sales is to stay quiet on its real plans for the 80GB PS3. Given this recent announcement from Dave Karraker at SCEA, it sounds like that’s exactly what’s going to happen:

“We won’t be making any further announcements regarding our PS3 model hardware strategy in North America until the 60GB model is exhausted and market conditions are evaluated.”

Hell, they could probably even continue to secretly produce the 60GB unit until there’s a convenient time for them to cut it loose… At this point, could you really put it past them?

Upgrade 1: 7/15/07 11:00AM

Also, let’s not forget that this is the last PS3 model with the Emotion Engine chip built-in, making it the last PS3 that is fully backwards-compatible with PS2 games. That gives the 60GB unit more than just a price-point advantage, it actually has a hardware advantage over the 80GB unit. Personally, I’d much rather have guaranteed backwards-compatibility than a mere 20GB extra of space — especially when the hard drive is user-upgradeable as well.

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Sony Drops the 60GB PS3: Brilliant Marketing Scheme, Or Are They Insane?

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Sure, the new 80GB model comes with a free copy of Motorstorm, one of the few must-have PS3 titles thus far, but even then you’re paying $40 for an extra 20GB of storage which you will most likely not need. Unlike the 20GB/60GB models, wherein the more expensive model featured Wi-Fi and media card slots, the only difference between the new 80GB model and the 60GB is the disk space. That’s it.

I predict we’ll see history repeat itself, and this 80GB model will go the way of the 20GB model simply because there’s very little reason to justify the extra cost if you don’t want Motorstorm. If Motorstorm is on your radar, then the deal may be a bit more tempting.

Let’s not forget that the PS3 is expandable with any 2.5″ (laptop-sized) SATA hard drive. You could just as easily buy the $499 60GB PS3 and upgrade in a year or two when you find yourself running low on disk space. At that point, you’ll probably be able to find a 200GB laptop hard drive for $100 or under. Right now you can get a 120GB laptop drive for that price.

Despite the existence of the 80GB option, the 60GB model will remain the more important one because it’s now that much closer to being price competitive with the $399 Xbox 360 Premium and the $480 Xbox 360 Elite. It’s a vast improvement over the previous premium for being a PS3 owner, that’s for sure.

Update 1: It seems that the $499 PS3 has it’s days numbered, so I suppose that answers the question posited in this post. Everyone will be buying an 80GB PS3 for $599 because Sony has gone completely mad.

Note: This post is a semi-prequel to “Sony Drops the 60GB PS3: Brilliant Marketing Scheme, or Are They Insane?“

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Who the Heck is Going to Buy the $599 80GB Playstation 3?

• Finally, Netflix Streaming is Coming to the PS3
• The Roku Netflix Player, The Shape of Things to Come
• Will Sony Ever Stop Playing Catch Up with the Playstation 3?
• Surprise? Bluray Adoption Slows, Upconverting DVD Players Find Success
• Cuil and The Trouble with Tech Blogging

The Dreamcast was the perfect system for a sprite lover like me. While it pushed the boundaries of polygonal graphics, it was also perfectly suited for advanced 2D games such as Street Fighter 3, Guilty Gear, and the Marvel vs. Capcom series. Of course then the Dreamcast died a lonely death and somehow the less-capable (at least as it seemed at that time) PS2 ended up owning that generation.

It amazes me that most teenagers today grew up during the beginning of the 3D console era with the Playstation, Saturn, and Nintendo 64. I recognized even back then that the mad rush towards everything polygonal would mean certain doom for my beloved 2D sprites.

Now we’re in the high definition era, and those sprites aren’t looking as hot–until now. With the recently announced Super Street Fighter 2 and Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix versions, Capcom is doing more than increasing the length of the already unwieldy game titles, they’ve farmed out a complete revamp of the game’s sprites to the talented Udon Entertainment folks. As you can see, courtesy of this image from Racket Boy, the results are stunning:

Click for a larger image.

I cannot wait to see what an entire game filled with these massively detailed sprites will look like. Also, if Capcom is expending so much effort by making these remake sprites look good, I can’t imagine what we’re going to be seeing in Street Fighter 4.

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An Ode to Sprites, and Sprites Go High-Definition

• Apple’s New Anti-Windows 7 Ads Hurt My Brain
• Will Sony Ever Stop Playing Catch Up with the Playstation 3?
• Finally, Netflix Streaming is Coming to the PS3
• Surprise? Bluray Adoption Slows, Upconverting DVD Players Find Success
• Asus Starts the USB 3.0 & SATA 6Gb Hype Train

I implore any of you the least bit interested in video games and the effects it has on our society to read this article. It’s a quick PDF download from the above site, and is more than enough information to shoot down any ignorant technophobe regarding the dangers of gaming.

(via Ars Technica)

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The Connection Between Gaming and Violence

• Cuil and The Trouble with Tech Blogging
• 1080p Xbox Movie Streaming Works as Advertised
• The iPhone 3G is a Call to Arms for Mobile Computing
• Lamenting the Death of Helio, and How the iPhone Helped Kill It
• Surprise? Bluray Adoption Slows, Upconverting DVD Players Find Success

It’s not hard to make fun of Sony–not anymore at least. Every day brings another PR debacle that any clear-headed company could easily have avoided. The recent Kotaku incident is just one example. While it’s easy to lambaste Sony for every stupid decision they make, I think we’re better off trying to understand the events that led to this current state of affairs. Looking back, I believe there is one particular thing to blame for all of Sony’s current problems: Blu-ray.

More-so than just the technology, it seems as if Blu-ray is more significant to Sony for what it represents: The possibility of complete domination over the high-definition movie disc market. After the astounding success of the DVD platform, Sony must have realized that they would become kings by controlling the next generation disc market. Why else would they refuse to work together with the DVD Forum, a group they helped create, to create a unified HD disc platform?

Greed led them to split the HD disc market in two with HD-DVD in the opposing corner. It was a move which has hurt them in the past with Betamax and Super Audio CD (SACD). Betamax is a fairly common reference for failed media formats in the consumer space, but I find SACD to be the more interesting example because it’s so obscure that most geeks have never heard of it! Simply put, SACD is a successor format to CD that offers multichannel and higher resolution audio. Its rival is DVD-Audio, a technically similar format backed by opposing companies. Sound familiar?

Although both formats have been out since 2000 they have failed to attract any support outside of audiophiles due to the high cost of hardware on both sides, and a public shift towards downloadable (and lower-quality) content. We are just now beginning to see inexpensive players that support both formats which will most likely lead to the end of this particular format war. Deja vu? Indeed. History has shown us that multiple formats cannot survive in the market place; one will either have to die (Betamax), or there must be convergence among opposing formats before consumers begin to adopt them.

Given this historical framework you’d have to be crazy to split up any next generation media market again, but then that’s just what Sony did. But why? What made them so cocksure as to think they could fight this battle again and win? Enter the Playstation 3.

Remember that part of the reason the Playstation 2 was initially popular in Japan was that it also served as a very cheap DVD player. (By the time the PS2 reached our shores it was less competitive in that respect.) Sony must have figured that they could repeat the same sort of success with the PS3. So what better way to make your shiny new (but as of yet unproven) format a success than to bundle it with a product that’s sure to have massive market penetration? I’m sure somewhere along the line, this thought process was shared by many the Sony elite. Sadly, I still think they believe their scheme will succceed despite the mounds of evidence to the contrary.

Forcing a new standard on people is always harder than having them willingly adopt it. With the PS2 and DVD people finally saw an escape from unreliabe and grainy VHS tapes, and it was also supported by the majority of TVs. With the PS3 and Blu-ray, Sony was faced with convincing people that it’s worth upgrading their standard definition TVs and away from DVDs, both of which are already “good enough” for most folks.

Even though the DVD platform has been mainstream for years now, I’m fairly certain most folks still don’t take full advantage of it. How often do you come across someone actually using a surround sound setup with their DVD player? (Let’s not even get into progressive scan video.) While this may be an anecdotal observation it is still something worth thinking about. If so few people take full advantage of DVDs, why would they need to upgrade to an HD disc platform right now?

This is where I believe Sony’s prognostications failed them. You cannot force such a new and expensive format on consumers and expect them to bite. Things like this need to happen naturally out of demonstrated need at the consumer level. Now the Playstation 3 is the ugly red-headed step child of the next generation consoles. Just like the Playstation Portable, Sony diluted the console by pushing movies to it when nobody wanted them, and because of that the games sufferred.

Consider how many PS3 issues are directly related to the inclusion of Bluray. Most importantly, that the shortage of blue-laser diodes led to a massive hit in PS3 production, and the inclusion of Blu-ray led to the extremely high cost of the PS3. This is just speculation of course, but considering that the Blu-ray stand-alone players still retail for $700-$1000, it’s not hard to fathom that without Blu-ray the PS3 would have actually been price competitive with the Xbox 360. Perhaps, even at the same $299-$399 price points! Despite having a bigger hard drive and the new Cell processor, it’s obvious from the stand-alone players that Blu-ray is a significant factor in the PS3’s high cost, if not the most significant.

And for what? How exactly did Blu-ray help the PS3 as a gaming console? Sure the games have a lot more room to breath but it’s still going to be a long while before they actually need all that space. That’s pretty much it. Blu-ray discs will not offer any significant advantage for PS3 games until all of that space is needed. The glaring reality is that Blu-ray isn’t in the PS3 for games, it’s there for movies.

The big problem with this is that the gaming community is ready for the PS3, but the home movie community isn’t ready for Blu-ray. PS3 owner’s don’t have a choice though–they unwittingly pay for Blu-ray technology despite whatever their impetus to watch Blu-ray films may be.

One good thing that may come out of including Blu-ray with the PS3 is that Sony has future-proofed the console moreso than the Xbox 360 or the Wii. I’m still not sure if that’s necessarily a good thing though. HD-media probably won’t really hit it off for the next few years, and in that time both the 360 and Wii will drop in price while the PS3 will have to maintain the higher price point. If Sony honestly expects the PS3 to last longer than the 360 or Wii then they’ll have to worry about newer consoles from both MS and Nintendo in four years or so.

Given everything they’ve already sunk into the PS3, Sony may not even be able to afford to build a new console in time to compete. When faced with that situation a few years down the road, they’re only going to have one thing to blame…

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Blame Blu-Ray: How Sony’s Hubris is Killing the PS3

• Will Sony Ever Stop Playing Catch Up with the Playstation 3?
• Finally, Netflix Streaming is Coming to the PS3
• Surprise? Bluray Adoption Slows, Upconverting DVD Players Find Success
• The iPhone 3G is a Call to Arms for Mobile Computing
• The Lucid Hydra 200 Makes Multi-GPU Gaming Across Video Card Vendors a Reality

So 2007 is upon us, and with all the next-generation systems out and fighting for dominance I figure that now is the best time to start making predictions. It’s pretty obvious that the Playstation 3 is in the losing spot right now (I can’t remember the last time I’ve read good news about it), but should we expect that to change as the console matures? Will Sony be able to manufacture the consoles more efficiently and make up for its sloppy launch? And what of the 360 and Wii?

Honestly, it seems as if gaming and tech pundits are currently overly enamored with the PS3’s fate, and for good reason I suppose. It’s hard not to criticize Sony’s hubristic handling of the PS3 launch, and watching their further screw ups with the console is like watching a car accident in slow motion–you really can’t help but stare at it. Still, looking at the upcoming 2007 releases for the PS3, I was surprised at how few major releases there were: Virtua Fighter 5 and Assassin’s Creed look great, but will also be out for the Xbox 360. There is of course Final Fantasy XIII, Heavenly Sword and Metal Gear Solid 4, but a few major exclusives don’t really make for a successful year in my book.

The Wii was the surprise success of 2006, but will Nintendo’s wunderkind stay that way throughout 2007? I hate to say it, but it seems as if Nintendo may be making the same mistake with the Wii as they did early on with the Gamecube. The first-party titles worth owning, namely Smash Bros., Mario Kart, and Zelda, came out within a year or so of the systems launch, and afterwards the system received only a few notable titles. According to the IGN Wii release date list, in 2007 Wii owners only have a few games truly worth looking forward to: Metroid Prime 3, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Paper Mario, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Then again, since the Wii is backwards compatible with all Gamecube games, I suspect many Wii owners will be catching up on four-star GC titles that they’ve missed as well. If I were Nintendo, I would market this capability much more to clueless parents. The Gamecube has a wealth of family-friendly titles that also happen to be great games (see Paper Mario, Zelda: Wind Waker, the Metroid Prime series, and pretty much every first party Nintendo game). The failure of the Gamecube may actually help the Wii: Instead of being faced with a game drought, Nintendo could just direct people to already existing titles.

Then there is the Xbox 360. In terms of games alone, 2007 looks like the “best year ever” for the system. Must-buy titles abound (again, according to the 360 IGN release list): Lost Planet, Alan Wake, Too Human, Bio Shock, Mass Effect, and let’s not forget Halo 3. Then there are the jump-ship titles that used to be PS3 exclusive, including Assassin’s Creed, Virtua Fighter 5, and I’m sure more to come.

If we were to judge the value of these consoles solely on the number of quality games in 2007, the Xbox 360 is the clear leader. Of course, this does nothing to predict the actual success of the consoles or games. It’s a well known fact that casual gamers (those whose game collections mainly consist of the various incarnations of Madden) often have incredibly disparate tastes than gaming enthusiasts. The big problem is that there are far more casual gamers than enthusiasts, so all of my theorizing may end up being for naught. Even taking casual gamers into account though, I think the 360 may end up having a much stronger year than most suspect.

Update 2:The fact that so many developers are second-guessing former PS3 exclusives is a definite sign that things did not end up as Sony wanted. In the end, this added developer support is nothing but good news for 360 owners. Historically it’s been developer support that truly makes or breaks a console, just look at the Gamecube, Dreamcast, and Xbox 1 performance in Japan. As soon as the developers begin to leave things look grim. That’s not to say any developer is really going to give up on Sony, but the loss of exclusives could hurt Sony just as much.

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2007: Year of the Xbox 360?

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• 1080p Xbox Movie Streaming Works as Advertised

I can’t help but smile when I hear tales of Wii’s being dominated by grandparents, aunts, and uncles at family gatherings. Ease of use is key to new technology, and Nintendo, in making what can technically be called “psuedo virtual reality” as easy as picking up a television remote, should be commended for handling this as gracefully as they did.

I’m sure there are other aspects of the Wii that contribute to its approachability: Changing the consoles name from “Revolution” to “Wii” is obviously the biggest one. Nintendo pulled an Apple by creating a brand that was more than reminiscent of the iPod–but in this case Nintendo also co-opted a commonly used word that’s also identifiable across several languages. While it honestly sounded silly at first, the name has really grown on me and has allowed Nintendo to push the console as something more than just a mystery box for hardcore gamers.

So now I guess the question is where can Nintendo go from here? Will the Wii’s successor continue along the path of semi-virtual reality? In terms of backwards compatiblity, I suppose it would have to–but should we expect any major improvements? Sadly I think the potential for true virtual reality is limited by the living room space. Nintendo is already dealing with cases of people throwing their Wii controllers, I would hate to think what would happen if they took this any further. Will the next Nintendo console just be a Wii with HD graphics?

Honestly, given all of the good will they’re gaining right now I think that would be enough. But Nintendo, being the industry innovators they are, will obviously try and throw something new into the mix. Any ideas?

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The Wii, Revolution, and Beyond

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• Finally, Netflix Streaming is Coming to the PS3
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• Why Xbox Live Can’t Be Free… Yet
• Gamestop Dropping Zune, What Exactly is Microsoft’s Zune Strategy Now?

Anyway, MS just announced that they will be offering HD content on-demand for the 360. Who knew they could keep a secret so well? In a world starving for HD content, this is exactly the sort of spot MS needs to be in. They could very well turn this into the iTunes of HD video–it’s certainly the perfect time to be jumping into this sector.

So of course we can expect an HDD upgrade in the 80GB-100GB range. Pricing will be another issue; I’m not quite sure if I want to shell out for a new HDD as well as an external HD-DVD drive, but I can’t deny that the availability of hundreds of hours of HD content isn’t making me contemplate the move. This is new to everyone and my mind is reeling with possibilities, so more on this later–

Microsoft’s Xbox Live Video: HDTV and HD movie downloads for your 360 – Engadget

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HD On Demand for the Xbox 360

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• Why Xbox Live Can’t Be Free… Yet
• 1080p Xbox Movie Streaming Works as Advertised
• The Roku Netflix Player, The Shape of Things to Come

You can read more about this at the Phantom Wikipedia page.

Update: Penny Arcade has put up their take on the situation.

Infinium Bags $5 Million From 1UP.com

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Will Infinium Labs Ever Die?

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It wasn’t until a few months before launch that we learned that the system will be released with a standard DVD drive. This is understandable; since the battle between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray is still in progress, Microsoft would not have been able to release the console this year if they opted for a next-generation disc format. It’s certainly surprising that Microsoft is actually playing it safe.

Despite all the new features in the up and coming disc technolgies, their main feature basically boils down capacity. A single-layer HD-DVD disc is about 15 GB, compared to the 25GB single-layer capacity of Blu-ray. We can expect both of these technologies to support dual-layer capacities when they launch, effectively doubling their capacity. Comparatively, a single-layer DVD is about 4.3GB.

Obviously 360 games will be much more limited when it comes to disc-size, but it’s not as if we haven’t had multi-disc games in the past. If the big advantage the PS3 has over the 360 is simply disc size, I really don’t think Microsoft has anything to worry about.

There is talk of eventual HD-DVD support, either through a revamp of the console, or some sort of upgrade, but I don’t actually expect Microsoft to take this route. We all know that console upgrades don’t work, just look at the Sega CD and the 32X. No one in their right mind would want to alienate their userbase in such a way. Sure Nintendo was somewhat successful with the RAM upgrade for the N64, but that was a fairly negligible upgrade both in terms of cost and supported games. In the end, HD-DVD isn’t something that will make or break the 360, at least when it comes to games. Sony is betting on Blu-Ray support because they want the PS3 to support HD movies as well as games, which is really the only notable advantage the PS3 has over the 360.

Should Microsoft decide to support HD-DVD with the 360, I’m almost certain that they will do so by releasing a new version of the console that will only offer HD-DVD movie support. Releasing HD-DVD games will only hurt Microsoft; it will be a literal slap in the face to gamers who bought the original 360, and publishers won’t flock to the format because it alienates the majority of 360 users. Basically, I don’t think current 360 owners have anything to worry about, nor do I think gamers should wait for the fabled HD-DVD Xbox 360.

No HD-DVD for Xbox 360 in 2006 News Story From 1UP.com

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Does the Xbox 360 Need HD-DVD?

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• Surprise? Bluray Adoption Slows, Upconverting DVD Players Find Success

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess delayed into 2006

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Nintendo Fails Again: Zelda Delayed Until 2006

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Is Sony ahead of its time with this new console? All signs point to yes it seems. Admittedly, the hardware is ambitious, and the fact that Kutaragi wants this system to last for around 10 years (more than twice the lifespan of the typical console) makes me think that they’re going to try and throw as much high-end hardware into the system as they can. This is a different route than Microsoft, who recently announced that the XBOX 360 will not ship with an HD-DVD drive, something they will later offer as an upgrade. Historically console upgrades have not been good news, but in Microsoft’s case it’s understandable. Remember, they want to get the 360 out this year whereas Sony isn’t launching the PS3 until the holiday season of next year, and the DVD format should be perfectly acceptable until the move to HD-DVD.

Back to Sony, I find it interesting that they have come to terms with the fact that the PS3 may be out of the range of households, but they probably don’t have much to worry about. Hubris aside, the PS3 will sell well even if it is a few hundred dollars more than the competition. It will be interesting to see how much MS’s yearlong head start will affect Sony’s dominance. The 360 will be cheaper and available earlier, and their list of Japanese developer support is nothing to laugh at. Sony may actually have to fight this time around. Well, atleast they won’t have to worry about Nintendo ;)

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PS3 and Kutaragi

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Despite having a Spring release date, I think Sony is poised to be an even bigger force this time around. Even though the Playstation 2 hardware was technically inferior to the XBOX and Gamecube, they were still able to remain popular with their strong developer support and marketing. This time around their specs far surpass the competition–we can only imagine what the combination of strong hardware and developer support will do for Sony. Can they get any bigger?

Despite the overly stylized look of the device, I have alot of hope in the XBOX 360. While some old-school gamers refuse to acknowledge Microsoft as a console presence, we’ve pretty much gotten to the point where we can’t ignore the big M. The biggest thing MS has going for it this time around is the early release date. If the machine comes out around October or November, they may still be able to get a 6 month lead over Nintendo and Sony. MS surprised us with the plethora of great games available for the original XBOX, now it looks like they’re going to land even more Japanese developer support. Backwards compatibility seems to be a bit of an issue with MS, they can’t confirm if it will be technically possible yet, but I think it can only help the 360 in the end. The PS2 was the first console to be backwards-compatible with its predecessor, and was all the more successful because of it.

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The Next-Gen Consoles Revisited

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• Will Sony Ever Stop Playing Catch Up with the Playstation 3?
• Did You Hear? I Think Apple’s Releasing a Tablet!
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• Finally, Netflix Streaming is Coming to the PS3