# UK PS3 Pre-orders



## Lenny (Feb 11, 2007)

I thought this was worthy of a brand new thread. And I'm sure a number of UK gamers waiting for the PS3 will agree.

First a run down of what we'll get on March 23rd, along with prices:

PS3 Console (60gb) - £425
SIXAXIS™ Wireless Controller - £34.99
Blu-ray Disc Remote Control - £17.99
HDMI Cable - £17.99
AV cable - £17.99
Component AV cable - £17.99
S video cable - £12.99
Game - £50

At launch there will be 1million units released in Europe, parts of Asia, and Australia. Each and every unit will be the 60gb version of the PS3. Of the 1million, a predicted 220,000 will be released in the UK - nearly three times the number that was released in Japan (80,000), and around 20,000 more than N.A (197,000). In a recent interview, one of the Sony execs (might have been Harrison at the D.I.C.E Q&A session) hinted that these units were already on a boat to the UK. The PS3 will also be released with over 30 games, including 8 or 9 downloadable games. So far that number is still at 30, which is a relief as for the American launch something like 21 games were announced, but the number fell to 11 by Nov. 17th - developers dropped out, and games were cancelled due to lack of time.

It was also announced today that a new firmware patch will be coming out at launch - v1.51 which will, among other major things (again, a Harrison quote), allow multitasking. For the moment, just like the 360 when it released, the PS3 either plays games, music, or downloads something. Now it can download something, and play music or games. Multitasking for the win!

---

But anyway, on to the main thread subject.

A week ago HMV put up a deal on their site - the PS3 console bundled with a 4gb PSP pack and two [PSP] games. That has since been taken down.

It has been announced by Amazon that they will start their PS3 pre-orders on Thursday 15th February, at 0900 hours GMT.

I'm expecting Game, Play, and Gameplay to announce pre-orders within the next week, too.

Background downloading in March firmware update | PlayStation Universe (PSU)
Amazon UK pre-orders begin soon... | PlayStation Universe (PSU)
HMV pulls PSP-PS3 bundle deal | PlayStation Universe (PSU)
Finally confirmed: PS3 Euro launch date 23rd March, pricing & number of units | PlayStation Universe (PSU)

Sorry that they're all links from PSU - it's late and I don't want to sift through IGn, 1up or Gamespot for articles which are so easy to find on an almost exclusively PS3 site.


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## HappyHippo (Feb 11, 2007)

Lenny, I'm not really big on computers, but that seems like an waful lot of money for a games console! Nearly £600....What exactly will the PS3 do?

I'm always kinda sceptical about the next big thing... I have fond memories of the dreamcast flopping quite badly. Why is the PS3 so special? And will the graphics be better than the ones onn the Wiiiiiiii, which look a bit naff.

(did you see the add banner offering a 'totally free ps3'? have you gone for it?)


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## Frozeninja (Feb 11, 2007)

Damn, I know for sure I won't be getting one of those for a long long time. For £600 I would expect it to serve me breakfast in bed.


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## Lenny (Feb 11, 2007)

You'll both think I've lost my mind when I tell you I've got £1300 in the bank, from working full-time for 11 weeks last summer, for a HDTV, and the PS3 and games.

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> Lenny, I'm not really big on computers, but that seems like an waful lot of money for a games console! Nearly £600....What exactly will the PS3 do?
> 
> I'm always kinda sceptical about the next big thing... I have fond memories of the dreamcast flopping quite badly. Why is the PS3 so special? And will the graphics be better than the ones onn the Wiiiiiiii, which look a bit naff


 
And this is where 2 years of obsession comes into play... and an extremely long post. So bear with me. 

The PS3  is primarily a games console, secondarily a full media centre, and thirdly a Linux-running ubercomputer.

The first two more or less go hand-in-hand:

The PS3 sports a Blu-Ray drive - this is a drive that reads a new format of disc, which is one of the two contenders in the "format war" (the second being HD-DVD). Blu-Ray discs can, for the moment, hold 50gb of data on a dual layer disc, and there is a 200gb, 8 layer disc, being produced by a company called TDK (a forerunner of Blu-Ray). The disc, with so much storage, can store hours and hours of high def audio and video, which makes it the perfect candidate for high def gaming. If you've seen any videos of PS3 games such as Motorstorm, or the PS3 version of Oblivion, you'll see what I mean when I say the quality of the games is immense.

Your typical Blu-Ray player in America is $1000 (compared to a $600 PS3), and around £600 over here. PS3 reviews from online sites around the world all agree that it is among the best Blu-Ray players on the market, and it is the only one that will play ALL Blu-Ray discs - some players don't have the codec’s to play older discs. So even if you don't use the PS3 as a games console, you've got a Blu-Ray player that is cheaper, and probably a lot better, than any other you can buy on the market. If you want to know how Blu-Ray works – it’s to do with the laser that reads the disc being a lot finer and more accurate than the DVD laser. The Blu-Ray diode for the laser is also the reason why the PS3 was delayed over here.

Staying with the quality theme - the PS3 has 3 connections on the back for visual display: AV-out, Digital-Out, and HDMI (and HDMI 1.3 no less. This is the most current HDMI, and as a result, the best quality). Even with a normal television and a scart lead, everything looks very good. But when you get it hooked up, with HDMI, to a HDTV, you'll never want to go back to a normal TV and scart.

As for other media, well, the PS3 has a built in graphics thingy (like in Windows Media Player) that shows on the screen when you play a music file (quite a few formats are supported), and it also has a quaint little picture viewer - you can either view them normally, as a slideshow with various effects or in real time as photos being flung on to a white surface, with light shining off them, the photos moving about, etc... and it looks real!

The insides of the PS3 contain the RSX graphics card made by nVidia, which it's new 8800 cards are based on. It also contains the Cell Broadband Engine - an amazing feat of engineering, designed by Sony in collaboration with IBM. It's a multi-core processor, with 8 different processors running in parallel with each other. Not only is that amazing in its own, but each processor can work on a different thing to it's fellows, and make games really come to life. Usually 7 processors are in use at once, with the 8th as a spare should any fail, working on things like the AI, Physics, Graphics, Real-Time calculations, in fact anything that the game needs doing.
I think I’ll move on to the other things the console does, now. The 60gb version of the PS3 (there are two versions – 60gb and 20gb – one of which does more than the other… no guesses which. Only the 60gb version is being released in PAL territories) has built in WiFi, card readers (Memory Stick, SD, Compact Flash) and a nice chrome stripe, as well as everything the 20gb version has – HDMI, AV-out, Digital-out, 4 USB ports, Blu-Ray drive, a 1 gigabit Ethernet port (should you ive in Hong Kong and need to utilize your 1gigabit internet connection), a Bluetooth. With the WiFi you get a permanent connection to the net – either to browse with Sony’s browser (up to 8 tabs open at once, with most plugins (such as Flash) working), or to connect to the PlayStation Store where you can download free demos, arcade games, PS1 games (for the moment only playable on the PSP) or paid content for games. One of the free demos is GT HD, and for a _demo_ it looks spectacular!

Anyway, on to the controller. It has gone through an extensive styling process, and now has the futuristic design of………. everyone’s favourite PS2 controller. But seriously, it is different. There’s a picture on IGN of the two compared, and the PS3 controller is slightly smaller, and is more ergonomic. The L2 and R2 shoulder buttons are now bigger, and proper triggers. Where the “Analog” button on the PS2 controller was, there is now a PS button, which takes you back to the main PS3 menu – much like the PSP (not only in the fact that the button takes you to the menu, but also that the PS3 has a XMB menu, just like the PSP). The controller is completely wireless, and connects to the PS3 via Bluetooth from a maximum of 20 metres away. The main difference is the lack of Force Feedback (otherwise known as rumble) and, instead, the inclusion of SIXAXIS (which is why it’s called the SIXAXIS controller). This is a six way axis which will take note of movement – up, down, left right, forward, backwards – and translate it into on-screen movement (much like the Wii, except only on a six way axis. The Wii uses a gyroscope for full movement on all axes). So you could drive a car with it (Motorstorm), fly a plane or dragon (Warhawk, Lair), or even shake it manically to throw off an attacking alien (Resistance: Fall of Man).

Just over 1,000 words, and I move on to the games! Whoo! Now the games for the PS3 are already on level par, graphics wise, with the 360. Developers have had a full year of tinkering with the 360 to start squeezing as much as the can out of the console, as well as the years before the console released, to get things looking as amazing as Gears of War. Developers for the PS3, however, have not had the same amount of time, nor the same level of support from Sony as from Microsoft, yet even a few months after launch there are games coming out that are as good-looking as 360 games, if not better. There are also a few which use extremely advanced engines. On the graphics side of thing – everyone has probably heard of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It came out on the PC early last year, then the 360, and now it is coming out on the PS3. And there is a definite difference in graphics, far surpassing those of the PC and 360. I don’t know if anyone has played Oblivion, and seen the annoying draw-point on objects in the difference (I haven’t, so only know that objects in the distance seem to shine with an unnatural light, and look jaggy), but that has been completely smoothed out in the PS3 version. Now it really does look as if there is something in the distance.

Then there are games such as Motorstorm – developed by a Liverpool studio, it is a racing game, set in Monument Valley, that completely redefines “racing dirty”. Not only is it one of the more beautiful games out at the moment, but the physics engine is one of the more advanced. Your cars blow up in spectacular crashes and the rider goes flying with acrobatic finesse. But that’s not the best part. This is, rather perversely, mud. Whereas many current racing games have you racing on what looks like mud, that’s all it does – look it. In Motorstorm it ACTS like mud. The cars dig grooves into it, which stay there. The mud gets churned up, and harder to drive on. And it flies all around, coating everything. Same for the dust. Add to all this the fact that each racetrack is open (you can drive one of seven builds of vehicle, from motorbike to lorry-cab, and you can take any number of routes on each track), and you’ve got an amazing game.

There are a lot more games coming out this year, that even though they look amazing, still don’t come anywhere near the full power of the PS3 – games like Assassins Creed, MGS4, Lair, Warhawk, Killzone, and then FFXIII and versus XIII next year.

This may look like a whole lot of detailed writing, but I’ve honestly only scratched the surface of what the PS3 can do… and I’ve not even got on to the fact that it runs Linux… meh.

Sorry to ramble for so much, but you did ask what the PS3 does. 

I hope I’ve answered your questions. But feel free to ask some more.


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## HappyHippo (Feb 11, 2007)

darling, thank you so much for the info...

now, in english?

I hope you enjoy it, you've saved for it, so enjoy! Will you be needing an extra few hours in theday?


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## sanityassassin (Feb 11, 2007)

As much as I want one I think I'll wait a while for the price to drop and to make sure any little bugs get ironed out


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## Lenny (Feb 11, 2007)

> darling, thank you so much for the info...
> 
> now, in english?
> 
> I hope you enjoy it, you've saved for it, so enjoy! Will you be needing an extra few hours in theday?


 
Haha, not a problem. 

I would give you a few links to some of the reviews, but they're also 3 or 4 pages of things like my post.

And yes, I will need more time in the day... it comes out on a Friday, and you can theoretically go for a week without sleep, so a weekend should be just fine.

---



> As much as I want one I think I'll wait a while for the price to drop and to make sure any little bugs get ironed out


 
Now the great thing is, is that Sony make hardware that works. You'll be very hard pressed to find a PS3 with hardware bugs. What you will find, however, are lots of software problems - which can be fixed with firmware updates, thankfully.

Sadly you'll have to wait until the end of the year at least before there is a significant drop in price.


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## dustinzgirl (Feb 12, 2007)

I can ALMOST see spending 300 on an xbox 360 

I can see spending 200 on a nintendo wii----

but unless the ps3 can make coffee, do dishes, and wash laundry, it doesn't seem worth 600 plus dollars---and then you have to buy the cables.


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## The Ace (Feb 12, 2007)

Sorry, I don't know games consoles, but I do know SLR cameras.  These days, multiple exposure modes are a way of life, but in the early '80s this technology was new and exciting, many amateur photographers, ordered these cameras months in advance as manufacturers geared up for what they felt was a lucrative market.  What actually happened was;

 Minolta XD-7 limited programme mode, needed new lenses to work properly. (Minolta didn't make another multimode until the autofocus 7000).

Canon A-1, used existing lenses, but was extremely difficult to operate. (The T-70 a decade later was a total redesign.)

Mamiya ZE-X no meter in manual mode, electronics not up to the job, lenses, developed specifically for it with TEN electrical contacts between lens and body. (Mamiya moved out of the 35mm market altogether).

Fujica AX-5 probably the best of the bunch apart from its rare lens mount (Fujica cameras all-but collapsed).

This new console technology promises many things, but maybe you should wait and see if it delivers.


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## Lenny (Feb 12, 2007)

Only a HDMI cable... and the Sony HDMI cable is a lot cheaper than anything else on the market.

I can see what you're getting at, though, dustin.

Unless you're an absolute hardcore gamer, then there is no point spending so much on something that you'd probably only use a handful of times a month... maybe even less.

---

I can see what you're getting at too, Ace.

Even I, blinded in all my gadget loving fan-boyishness, can see that the PS3 isn't going to really take off for at least another year.

I would wait and see if it delivers, too, but my mum is forcing me to go to school.  Sorry, couldn't resist. 

I truly believe that the PS3 will deliver. There is so much riding on it for Sony, that they'd have to be stupid to not deliver - if the PS3 does fail, then Sony will be crippled. They are predicting something like a 2 billion dollar loss because of this machie.


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## dustinzgirl (Feb 12, 2007)

Lenny said:


> Unless you're an absolute hardcore gamer, then there is no point spending so much on something that you'd probably only use a handful of times a month... maybe even less.



Yes, now I just have to convince my three boys and the hubby of that.........


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## The Ace (Feb 12, 2007)

Lenny, my main camera is fully manual and older than you, I have flirted with more modern equipment, but I have always gone back to something I know I can rely on.  This is a big investment without backup.


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## Lenny (Feb 12, 2007)

Haha! Just be glad that there's not a chance that they'll be able to buy 4. 

---



> Lenny, my main camera is fully manual and older than you, I have flirted with more modern equipment, but I have always gone back to something I know I can rely on. This is a big investment without backup.


 
I understand where you're coming from, Ace, but cameras are a world apart from gaming.

Nowadays digital seems to be King, but you will still find films, and companies who will develop the films. Consoles are different. How can I put it... computers. Right. On top of my wardrobe I have an Olivetti 486; 16mb of RAM, 600mb HDD, no CD drive, and slower than a sack of potatoes. Sure, I can stay with the computer, it still works... I can boast using Windows 95 until I die, but I cannot, say, play Crysis on it. Or WoW (not that I'd want to, mind). I can just about run Office 97 on it. Next to me I have my computer that I built in September - in a couple of years time it will still be a good computer; dual core 64-bit processor, a lot of room for imporvement, and it'll handle Vista with no problem.

Consoles ARE computers - I have the PS1, which works, and plays PS1 games like a beauty! I have two PS2's (one is a bookend, admittedly, and missing the majority of its innards), and the working one plays PS1 and PS2 games like an absolute pro! But both of them are, sadly, dated. Sure, the PS2 is still outselling the Wii, 360 and PS3, and it's games are coming fast and thick, but it is dying. By the end of this year it will be a shell of it's former glory. You wouldn't believe how angry I was, back in '01, when I read that the new Spyro the Dragon game was coming out on the PS2. What if I want to play MGS4? FFXIII? Assassin's Creed? I can't play them on my PS2. So I need a PS3. I know I can rely on my old consoles to play games, and give me days of pleasure, but I can't have the current gen pleasure. I cannot go back to them and expect them to still do the same old job they do, at the same level.

Sorry to snap a little, you've said you don't know much about games consoles, but that's how it works. Think of it this way - can you use a memory stick in your faithful old camera? I guess you probably wouldn't want to, but if the need becomes great, will you be able to? Or will you have to go out and buy a digicam, or switch to on you already have?

Technology moves at a blistering pace... and sadly the consumer has to keep up. With my love of technology and anything computer-related, I want to be one of the first 22,000 people in the UK to be at the forefront of technology. And I want it with a passion.


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## Lucien21 (Feb 12, 2007)

Currently at this point I don't see the PS3 as an essential piece of kit.

It's too expensive and all of the games with the exception of First party titles can be found on the Xbox360.

Exclusives are going to be rarer and rarer as publishers and developers can mitigate the developement costs by the scattergun approach of multi format releases. Usually programmed to a set standard which means the PS3 and 360 will be identical (The extra cost to make one format better can't be justified by the smaller install base)

Perfectly happy with my 360 and Wii at the moment.

There may come a time in about a years time when MGS4 is released when PS3 is attractive to buy (unless it comes out on the 360), but Resistance Fall of Man is the only launch title vaguely interesting that I don't already have and I ain't paying £500 for it.


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## Rane Longfox (Feb 12, 2007)

Lenny, thats a crazy amount of money to pay for the cables! Is that for HD-TV only?


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## Lenny (Feb 12, 2007)

The HDMI is for HD-TV only. And most good HDMI cables can cost upwards of £30.

In the box you'll get a Stereo AV Cable, which I think is what the PS2 came with.

Then again, if you have a PS2, and don't have a HDTV, or are going to get one, then I guess that whichever cable you've got to connect your PS2 to your TV will work with the PS3. But that's only an educated guesstimate.


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## Rane Longfox (Feb 12, 2007)

Cunning.


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## Evolution (Feb 12, 2007)

The PS3 does looks very very good, but then, having to shell out over £500 to play a game, well that's dam right robbery.  

I think i'll wait till it reduces in price.


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## PERCON (Feb 13, 2007)

I would love a ps3 and wouldn't have hesitated to pay the £350 that was originally stated about 6 months ago for one. It was raised after the US launch and as it stands £425 is a bit much imo, those that desperately want it won't care about the price though. The two games I wanted a ps3 for come out in the autumn (Late October I believe), those are Metal Gear Solid 4 and GTA4. MGS4 is to be exclusive to the PS3 but GTA4 will be on the 360 as well.

The one thing the PS3 has that the 360 can't hope to match is the blu-ray drive. I could store my entire laptop hard drive on one blu-ray disc (40GB), compared to 4.7GB for a DVD. The amount of information the game developers could fit on there is revolutionary. Considering a blu-ray drive would cost £400 to fit in a PC the PS3 is a bargain.

The future games list is impressive, but the games currently available are also quite tasty. Resistance:Fall of Man is apparantely the game to play if you get a PS3.

Here's the summary:

-60GB Hard drive to save stuff on.
-Wireless controllers (Rechargable in console)
-Wireless broadband ready for easy net access
-Blu-ray drive for films, music, saving lots of stuff onto, increased capacity for games.
-HD-ready for those privileged enough to have a HD-TV.
-Many great games will be released by the end of the year to get the game count up a lot higher.


After all that my advice remains to wait until the price drops...


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## Lucien21 (Feb 13, 2007)

There are currently rumours going about of MGS4 on the 360.

Metal Gear Solid 4 Substance maybe.


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## Lenny (Feb 13, 2007)

I haven't seen the rumours yet, but I can say that Kojima has said time and time again that MGS4 is a PS3 exclusive. There may be a spin-off or two going to other consoles, but the main game is exclusive.

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> The one thing the PS3 has that the 360 can't hope to match is the blu-ray drive. I could store my entire laptop hard drive on one blu-ray disc (40GB), compared to 4.7GB for a DVD. The amount of information the game developers could fit on there is revolutionary.


 
I'm just waiting for GTA4 to come out on 4 or 5 DVDs for the 360, and a single Blu-Ray disc for the PS3... maybe even one of the first games on a dual layr BD-R. I know it's awfully....fnaboyish of me, but who cares? I mean, who doesn't want to see the look of pure hatred on the 360 fanboy faces when one can walk into Game and buy a single disc for a game?

Talking about GTA4, it makes you wonder how long it's actually been in development. Rockstar has said that it's coming out on 19th October 2007, and as far as I know, they never miss a date. They announced it, what, middle of last year? Unless they're running a slave labour camp with all their programmers on black coffee 24/365, then they must have already been some way into the development stage before they announced it.

Then again, take Killzone. The amazing CGI trailer was shown at E3 2005, when the PS3 was officially announced, and the dev's have recently said that they're doing pretty well - with a demo ready to come out within the next couple of months. Yes, it might be two years or so since they announced Killzone, but two years is a relatively short amount of time when games are concerned.

Fo example, take Oblivion. Bethesda have been developing Oblivion since the start of the millenium. It took them six years to get it out on the PC, another 6 months to get it up and running on the 360, and a further six months to get it working for the PS3 - 7 years for one game. But damn, it looks like it was more than worth it.


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## Lucien21 (Feb 13, 2007)

Currently the disc space on the PS3 is wasted.

None of the games come close to filling them and infact due to the slower speed of the blu-ray drive developers have actually taken to duplicating the program in various parts of the disc to speed up access.

But to be honest, Who cares? The Final Fantasy games on the PS were multi disc games, didn't stop me enjoying them. Having the game on 1 blu-ray rather than a couple of DVD's doesn't make the game any better.

The only 360 game that uses multi-discs at the moment is "Blue Dragon" which has 3 discs I believe.

------

P.s Hideo was quoted recently saying that MGS4 could run on the 360 and he has a strong interest in the 360.


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## Lenny (Feb 13, 2007)

Currently, yes.

In fact, I think the closest that any game gets is Resistance, with 15gb of 25gb used up.

I'd honestly prefer games on one disc - take GTAIV as an example again. If it's as big as everyone reckons it's going to be, then on DVD-9's, which is what most 360 games are on, I think, it will be multiple disc. Say you had an island/city per disc. What would you be thinking if you left a city on a mission, you drove over a bridge, and this message popped up:

Please Insert Disc 2.

It's all fine and groovy if you're going to visit the city once, but if it's a major city (which cities are in GTA), I can imagine you'd get pretty ticked off if you had to change the disc every single time you left or entered the city. You might get used to it in the end, but if you had half the country's police force after you - cars, bikes, tanks, couple of fighter jets - and the message popped up? I'd be more than ticked off.

You've probably played Vice City - how annoying was the simply loading screen popping up? Thankfully they got rid of it in SA, but if it came back in the form of "Please insert disc"...

For something like Blue Dragon, or an FF, in fact any RPG, multiple discs is no biggy. In fact, it shows that the game is a biggy. You'll change the disc to further the story line, and chances are you won't need to put in the first disc again (am I right there? Or is the world map split up onto the discs?). Now that wouldn't bother me at all, whereas the same happening on a GTA game would.

---

IGN: MGS4 Possible on Xbox 360

^ Saying it is technically possible.

MGS4 for Xbox 360 Debunked | PlayStation Universe (PSU)
Kojima reveals more MGS4 | PlayStation Universe (PSU)

^ Both saying that MGS4 is a PS3 exclusive. Particularly the last dashed point in the second article.


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## bruno-1012 (Feb 13, 2007)

I suppose I could get one now if I wanted but I will wait until the price drops.  (In the shops but the question is always what region)

I don't have HD TV so the full benefit of these consoles is missing.

I won't be getting HD as I can't receive Sky or other HD services at home so not worth the cost.

The offer of a Samsung 19" widescreen monitor for £100 was more tempting at the moment as I upgraded my C box but I'm still using the CRT with dvi adapter.


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## Lenny (Feb 13, 2007)

Region as in different counties, yes?

Personally I think that there's more chance of buying one online, at somewhere like Amazon, Gameplay or Play, than in a high street shop.


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## bruno-1012 (Feb 13, 2007)

They are on sale in Dubai which is where I am for the moment.

Got to check things out with electronics as the deals can be great but watch the small print...caveat emptor is the phrase, i think.


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## Lenny (Feb 13, 2007)

Ah! Regions as in region coding!

For games it doesn't matter - all PS3 games are region free.

However the console will be region locked for DVDs, Blu-Ray films, and all the PlayStation Network settings.

Sadly Dubai is in Region 3:


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## bruno-1012 (Feb 13, 2007)

Exactly - same problem with the PSP I bought last year.

Had to confirm it was europe compatible.

Don't intend getting movies for it but I want the option.

If I get a PS3 I will want to play movies on it at some point.


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## Lenny (Feb 13, 2007)

Talking about playing films on it:

Casino Royale Blu-ray for first 500,000 Europeans | PlayStation Universe (PSU)

More reason to buy a European PS3.


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## bruno-1012 (Feb 14, 2007)

Lenny,

You might want to brush up on some geography.

The map you show has the UAE clearly in region 2.

It is more about where they get supplies from.


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## Lenny (Feb 14, 2007)

Well I'll be... I think I'm thinking of Mumbai, not Dubai.  

In fact... I always think of Mumbai instead of Dubai.

Meh, Geography of the world has never been my strong point... now, Geogrpahy of San Andreas, on the other hand...


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## Winters_Sorrow (Feb 14, 2007)

I must say I haven't noticed much hype on my high street shops for the PS3. Ok, so it's still over 4 weeks before launch day but I can't even recall any TV ads for it. The Wii and XBox360 were on for about 6 weeks prior to launch. It may be cheaper online but I bet you'll be able to buy a PS3 from the shops on launch day in Newcastle - the only reason they might be sold out IMO is people hoping to make a quick buck on eBay. To contrast, the Wii is _still_ sold out in most stores however.

Oh, and about your map Lenny, I thought that Japan was in Region 2 as well?


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## Lenny (Feb 14, 2007)

Even I'm confused by my map... it came from IGN. Let me find the original article.

It may just be that for Blu-Ray Films the regions have been changed?

IGN: PS3's AU Region Locks Explained

Yep, Blu-Ray regions are different from DVD.

---

I don't watch Television much, and when I do it's the BBC channels, so I can't comment on TV ads, and me? Leave the house? Though I was in Burnley two weeks ago, and Gamestop had an ikkle yellow poster in the window saying "PS3 Pre-Orders Inside". Game had absolutely nothing.


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## Rane Longfox (Feb 14, 2007)

Lots of japanese game imports gonna be popular in America then, looking at that map...


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## Lenny (Feb 14, 2007)

The map is only for Blu-Ray Films. The actual games for the PS3 are completely region free - so the Japanese imports will work on European consoles, Japanese consoles, American consoles, Asian consoles, etc.


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## Lenny (Feb 15, 2007)

Sorry for the double post, but I've got to say it:

Amazon are -ing useless! I've been on the site since 8:30, F5ing and just waiting for the "Buy" button to pop up... and what do I get instead?

Amazon.co.uk: Sony PlayStation 3 Console (60GB Premium Version): PC & Video Games

That damn message saying "Oh, we're sorry, but we don't have any to sell"...

For heavens sake you're the biggest damn onliner retailer in England! Get your act together!!

Instead I've bought the console and wo games from Woolies, and the third game, a controller, and HDMI cable from HMV.

It'll be just my luck that I get the HMV order on the PS3 launch date, and then the PS3 after the weekend... bet you... 

Ah well, at least I've bought the swine.


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## Lenny (Feb 15, 2007)

If only I could still use the EDIT button. 

Amazon have finally updated their site to allow PS3 pre-orders... they're only 5 hours late.

If anyone is going for it - go to Woolies and HMV instead. It's not completely guaranteed that it'll come on the day, but you save some money. Instead of £628, all from Amazon, I've managed £588, from Woolies and HMV.

Good luck to anyone else who is getting it!


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## Lucien21 (Feb 15, 2007)

I don't see it selling out on day one.

There is no Xmas rush from parents, it's too expensive to be an impulse buy and Sony claim to have a decent supply coming.


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## Lenny (Feb 15, 2007)

Amazon started there pre-orders at 2. I don't know when they'd all gone, but when I checked again at 6 they'd sold out.

I'd guess that most other sites (like Play, Gameplay, GAME - major online retailers), will have sold out quickly, too.

Don't forget that the UK only gets 22,000 units.

I also got e-mails from both Woolies and HMV confirming my order, which is reassuring.


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## Stenevor (Feb 15, 2007)

Ive heard that Amazon are only taking orders between 9 and 5(read it on other forums, dont ask me why) and will have more of their allocation for sale tomorrow.

Im not much of a gamer anymore, very casual you might say. I have owned computers and consoles going back to a Grandstand pong and a ZX81 to a Game cube, Xbox and PS2 and many inbetween. I just cant get any excitement up for gaming any more, I read game forums regularly looking for something to spark my interest but I am totally cynical to all the rubbbish that comes out of Sony and Microsofts  PR departments, ive heard it all before and know they will spout any old crap to get at my custom.      

However, I might be on the lookout for a new console towards the end of the year but Im not convinced by either Sony or Microsoft. For me the PS3 is too expensive, I cant see how it will appeal to anyone but hardcore gamers, I cant see a decent pricedrop for a long time either. The Bluray V HDDVD could go either way or no way for the time being and I certainly wouldnt be replacing my DVDs with more expensive newer versions. Not  sure how Sonys online service will match up to microsoft either. 
As for the Xbox 360 if it gets a bit of a price drop it would almost become an impulse buy though it reputedly has a shocking reliability record, and by the time youve factored a HDDVD drive for it its almost as expensive as a PS3.

I also dont like the way both firms are going with so many games downloaded to the HDD which in the longrun looks to be designed to kill the preowned market, £45-£50 for a new game is far too much. I dont feel any alliegence to either company, IMHO fanboyism towards major multinational electronics/computer firms is madness. 

I might even just make do with a Nintendo DS which is probably a better bet for a casual gamer. Good luck with the PS3, lets have a few unbiased opinions when you get it.


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## Lenny (Feb 15, 2007)

9 to 5 are their "opening hours", I think.

Now I could go off spouting loads, now... for example, one Australia's biggest retailers, JB Hi Fi, is stocking Blu-Ray films only. Not a single HD-DVD film in sight, though they are stocking the MS HD-DVD add-on.

I'll definitely post my own thoughts and a review of the PS3 once I get it, and I'll try to get as many unbiased points in as possible. So watch this space.

Talking about the DS - Japanese analysts, and a few Americans, too, reckon that this year is going to be the year that DS really breaks into the European market. This year will be the year that its sales peak.


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## Lucien21 (Feb 16, 2007)

Lenny said:


> Don't forget that the UK only gets 22,000 units.


 
220,000 units I think.


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## Lenny (Feb 16, 2007)

Oh figs... that's the trouble when you're a self-confessed PS3 geek - you get it wrong, and boy do you get it wrong.

Yes, 220,000. And I'd even got it right in my first post and everything.


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## Lucien21 (Feb 25, 2007)

GameTrailers.com - User Movie: The PS3 Song by averageg

LOL


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## Winters_Sorrow (Feb 25, 2007)

Lucien21 said:


> GameTrailers.com - User Movie: The PS3 Song by averageg
> 
> LOL


 
It was quite well produced, if a little pro-microsoft


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## Lenny (Feb 25, 2007)

Certaintly well produced... and only a _little_ anti-Sony.


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## WickedChaos (Mar 6, 2007)

I'm super pumped for the PS3. I live in Canada so it's already come out here, but this last month I've been saving up money. I already have 450$ in my pocket, which my brother is going to contribute 150$ so his friends can play it when they come over and I'm not there. I'll be seeling my PS2 at the EB here for the 100$ deal, and then my games and other stuff for another 100$ to my buddy. Which will afford me a ps3.


To the person who said Blu-Ray wasn't taking advantage of games this gen... I can see where you're coming from, but then why would all the developers praise it? There's a reason all 360 games have been one 1 disk - developers hate to put out multi-disk content. The 360's DVD9 has games already at around 7 gigs. Now take into consideration that the original Tekken Tag for the PS2 launch was only 512mb, as opposed to the newly released Tekken 5 for PS2 which clocks in at 5gigs. That's over a 5x increase. I do think Blu-Ray will be needed for games, how soon I can't say. All I know is Hideo Kojima has  been asking for the 50gigabyte Blu-Ray disks, which leads me to believe the 25gigger isn't cutting it. So... despite the fact that the game could run on the Xbox... it can't fit.



I have an Xbox360 (well, my brother does) and I'll be getting a PS3 soon. I love all consoles equally and this is just my opinion as I see it. The only console I probably won't be getting this gen is the Wii, which I don't see what all the fuss is about. It's fun at first, but once you've played HiDef games on the 360 and PS3 with thousands of textures on the screen... it can be hard going back to the graphics of the original Xbox, especially when I have to pay 250$ to do so. It's like paying for the original Gamecube but getting a new control method.


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## Lucien21 (Mar 22, 2007)

Soooooo

Only a few hours to go.

Is anyone actually getting one of these?

I saw someone from Sony Europe already making excuses about it not selling out tomorrow. something along the lines of "If supply is greater than demand it proves that it's a successful launch"  ?? LOL

In related news Devil May Cry 4 is now coming out on 360 and PC. How many more exclusives can Sony lose?


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## Lenny (Mar 22, 2007)

No Lucien, no-one is getting one... which is why I've been raving about it for so long.

Can I ask, why so against Sony?

You might like this site:

UK:RESISTANCE. Not making a difference since 1996http://www.ukresistance.com


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## Lucien21 (Mar 22, 2007)

I'm not against Sony.

The PS and PS2 were fantastic machines.


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## Lenny (Mar 22, 2007)

OK then, let me re-word it.

What have you got against the PS3?


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## Lucien21 (Mar 22, 2007)

If it was £100 cheaper......nothing.


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## Lucien21 (Mar 23, 2007)

Free £2,500 46" TV with your PS3.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Sony rewards patient gamers

Jammy gits.


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## Lenny (Mar 23, 2007)

Damn... I wish I'd gone down, now.


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## Winters_Sorrow (Mar 23, 2007)

Lucien21 said:


> Free £2,500 46" TV with your PS3.
> 
> BBC NEWS | Technology | Sony rewards patient gamers
> 
> Jammy gits.


 
An excellent publicity ploy by Sony which was, quite frankly, sorely in need of some "good news" press releases.


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## Rane Longfox (Mar 23, 2007)

46" HDTV! For free!

Wow.


The cynic in my says they really _must_ be desperate


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## Jason_Taverner (Mar 24, 2007)

so who bought one


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## Lenny (Mar 24, 2007)

I did.

It's alright, I 'spose.....

Oh who am I kidding? It's amazing!!! The console itself is beautiful! The wireless controller is superb! The new triggers are great. The games... man alive!

Motorstorm is every bit as good as it's been made out to be! The Sixaxis control is extremely good, especially with the bikes and smaller vehicles.

And as for Resistance... it blows my mind! A launch game? A game that the devs say they had to rush a bit? _And it's this good_?!

I'll post a full review when I can tear myself away. Even now I'm playing Motorstorm whilst I type! 

Too many exclamation marks.


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## Lucien21 (Mar 24, 2007)

I caved. *shame*

After having bought the PS and PS2 at launch I couldn't resist. Didn't have to pre-order or anything.

Even though I do think it is overpriced and that Sony have seriously stuffed up this round of the console war it will probably win in the end and have a great depth of games than the 360 (Particulary from Japan).

Console ---- Weighs about a ton (or so it feels) Easy to set up and the PSP style menu is familiar. Six axis is extremely light and easy to use. Also it doesn't sound like a helicopter taking off when playing games(unlike the 360)

Games ----- Motorstorm- Superb. Fantastic opening movie and the music rocks. Superb graphics and sloshing about in the mud is great fun in single or multiplayer.

Resistance -- Not so superb. Can't say i'm bowled over with this. Havn't got that far yet (Just got Bulleye), but seems fairly bog standad rail shooter so far. No a patch on Gears of War. Nice enough graphics.


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## Lenny (Mar 24, 2007)

Yay! Welcome to the dark side! 

When it gets to the Christmas, then it should really take off. Especially with MGS4 probably being just around the corner from then.

Resistance gets a lot better. The Bullseye is the second level in York? Right? Just wait until you hit the later cities. And some of the weapons! Whoah!

I've had two friends over today, and we took it in turns doing Resistance levels. Great fun. 

Methinks we'll have to start up a PSN ID thread, just so we can all get together and blow each others brains out, or race each other into the ground.


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## Jason_Taverner (Mar 26, 2007)

guy you are tempting me I have to say, I think I will wait until RE5 which I think is out in Oct,


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