PlayStation Conference News: PS3 worldwide, PSP > PS1 Emu

[MarkMan]

Worldwide PS3 Launch, November 2006.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/696/696062p1.html

"March 15, 2006 - Sony Computer Entertainment and its impending PlayStation 3 console made headlines tonight for the first time in a big, big way since May. While the business presentation may not have been the megaton-blast of game and hardware news that some had hoped (no games were shown at the event, with SCE still planning in the future for playable PS3 demonstrations), a number of fantastic and potentially shocking announcements were made at the event. Not to be left out, SCE's successful PSP handheld system was also given reason to shout about with announcements of new features and future plans. And even SCE's workhorse PS2 system was given mention at the event, although not in the way that some might have expected.


Below is a breakdown of all of the news live from SCE's 2006 PlayStation Business Briefing. We'll have further news in the near future on all of these stories, and stay tuned -- the dam has broken on some big, big news, and hot news for PlayStation fans may finally start flowing now that Sony has started the rush."

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PSP: PSOne Emulation

http://psp.ign.com/articles/696/696052p1.html

"March 14, 2006 - Sony's Ken Kutaragi continues to drop PlayStation Portable news during the company's PlayStation Business Briefing 2006 as he's just announced that the PSP will see "E-Distrubution" features added sometime in the future.


Users will be able to boot software directly from their Memory Stick, all official-like this time around (you know what I mean). The first major announcement for use of this will be a series of PSOne games - yes, you will be able to download classic PlayStation titles and play them on your PSP. No word yet as of whether or not you'll be able to transfer games directly via disc or not, or which games we should see first, but more news on this as it comes in."


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More tidbits here and there, overall a very impressive showing by Sony at the conference. How they will hold true to their word is yet to be seen, E3 should show us more on both ends. Also a new core pack has been announced for the PSP which will be priced at $199.99 by the end of March.

[njiska]

God damn Sony really kicked the hype machine into high gear. The PS3 will be gaming in 4D? What the fuck does that mean?

Not to Mention aiming at 1 million a month is ridiculously high.

[MarkMan]

4D and LIVE!

They could have come up with something better lol.

[njiska]

Confusing logic and trademark theft. Sounds like Sony to me.

Yeah they could've done much better.

[JJNova]

Copy/Pasted from my comments on HCG -

It all sounds really neat and interesting, but after a few hours I have realized that sony just announced that they are adding PERIPHERALS to the PSP lineup. I'm not sure how many accessories it takes in order to prolong a devices lifespan, but it didn't work to well with the GBA. The GPS thing just reminds me of the Gizmondo, which had it built in already. VoIP is really cool, and I wonder if they just made this announcement in order to compete with the similar announcement Nintendo made last year. The new firmware update supporting Macromedia Flash is really cool, but I don't surf the web on handhelds.

As far as PS3 information goes, there's still some shakey stuff. They announced a global launch in November, but I remember the last global launch they promised....and we got our PSP's months later. Putting their media on strictly Blu-Ray discs is a smart business move, since so much of Sony's finances are going into PS3 developmental costs. I also think free online gaming will swing some consumers their way also. Reading Kutaragis transcript though, and comparing it to what manufacturers and developers are saying, shows quite a few contrasts. I mean, Sony can't get teh Cell processors to work all the time, Blu-Ray drives are having manufacturing difficulties, they recently got in trouble with Rootkits, Studios are backing out of PSP and UMD support, and then they recently lost that lawsuit with Immersion. I thoroughly respect what the Playstation has done for gaming (making it "cool" and mainstram) and hope Sony success.... just not at the expense of consumers. I guess since their emotion engine didn't deliver, and Microsoft succeeded with online gaming, and Nintendo developed their own rumble technology, Sony decided to just stamp the Playstation name on other companies ideas. Online gaming with lobbies and players stats? Sure, we can do that. Downloadable content featuring our past catalog of games? Sure, we'll do that too. Free online gaming? Why not.....

Sounds more like the PlaystationMe2 (later released in a smaller version as the PSMEtoo)

[Diatribal Deity]

It states that the hard drive is required to play the PS3 games, yet it was not confirmed that the system will have it included. Wouldn't this be a given?

[keiblerfan69]

Whats that sound?...... Its the hype train coming to town.


Sony is out of its mind. 1 million a month? Yeah didn't they promise something crazy like that for the PS2?

[Cmtz]

THE PSP Episode

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0Dvq...anboy%2Ecom%2F

[Nature Boy]

I guess since their emotion engine didn't deliver

Just out of curiousity, what do you mean by this? The EE was hype, for sure, but the PS2 itself has done well, so I'm not sure EE hype means anything.

[sabre2922]

Once again Sony is depending on their all mighty hype machine and once again it will work - TO AN EXTENT.

The thing is that Sony has a hungry (determined to win no matter the cost) and stronger competitor($$$) than ever before with Microsoft and they are underestimating their main competitors determination with their overblown egos and sales numbers of the PS2 wich promise NOTHING when it comes to what happens in an upcoming next-gen console race , JUST ASK NINTENDO OR SEGA.

Of course they can get away with this bullshit in Japan but the fact is that the Xbox360 is becoming more popular on a daily basis especially here in the U.S. and is becoming more and more readily available on store shelves every month.

By the time Sony actually does get the PS3 out prob LATE Nov. U.S. the 360 will have a larger lead in the next-gen console race than Sony ever thought possible IF Microsoft ups the production and avialability of the 360 wich does seem to be happening.

The late launch (when compared to the 360) and the high price - it WILL be EXPENSIVE - will put Sony in a position that they have never been in before in that there is an actual threat to their throne that Sega or Nintendo could never truly contend with in a fiscial way =$$$ and Microsoft has that in spades and is throwing EVERYTHING at the 360 to make it succesfull.

The numbers that Sony is spouting off about the so-called "worldwide" launch is nothing more than smoke and mirrors and is basically freaking IMPOSSIBLE especially if they really plan on launching the PS3 in the 3 countries/markets the US/Japan/Europe at once within November of '06.

NO freaking way they can or could have more than a couple hundred thousand units in each individual location for the initial launch.

Dont get me wrong I find this entertaining as hell but I would be just as entertained if the almighty Sony ended up shooting thierselves in the foot with the launch of the PS3 especially if the 360 keeps selling as well as it has been -wich I for one think it will sell BETTER now with this announement.

Many of the higher-end hardcore gamers are ready for the next generation NOW and the Xbox360 keeps getting more and more good to great games everymonth and once the 360 has 3-5 units on storeshelves on a constant basis it could gain a lead that Sony might not be able to recoup as easily as they think.

Then there is the Revolution I have a have a feeling that Nintendo could very well up the release date of the Revo WITH the launch of the LEGEND OF ZELDA: Twilight Princess but that may be more of wishfull thinking on my part.

[Neo Rasa]

Then there is the Revolution I have a have a feeling that Nintendo could very well up the release date of the Revo WITH the launch of the LEGEND OF ZELDA: Twilight Princess but that may be more of wishfull thinking on my part.

Nintendo's already got it covered in Japan. They removed the MSRP for the Gamecube there last October. So a store could sell them for 1,000 yen if they wanted to. Nintendo hasn't really been manufacturing that many in the US anymore either. Hell our store still has six from last fall. I doubt they'll be making many more since poor Gamecube sales are the direct reason for their profits going down 7% (other great thing about Nintendo, it's never a matter of "did we lose money" but "oh we ONLY made ____ million this quarter").

So Gamecube could well be gone from Japanese shelves by the time Zelda comes out.

But wait! The Revolution is out and will play it just fine along with new Revolution games along with all the old Gamecube games that are dirt cheap in Japan now!

I don't know if Nintendo intentionally planned that, but between that and the Revolution coming out at a lower price than the 360 and PS2 as they keep assuring us, it WILL be everyone's second system, no doubt.

Brilliance Points: Nintendo.

[ahamilton0953]

Isn't 500 bucks a bit pricey ? I'm a cheap ass in that respect, but, damn, that seems like it would price out quite a few people from buying it. What is the game cost going to be like ? And are the new games going to more expansive as well as better graphically or is the storage on the new disks going solely to graphics? I mean some RPG's now on PS2 get 30 to 50+ hrs of game play, I can't imagine what one of the new ones would be like.

[sabre2922]

God damn Sony really kicked the hype machine into high gear. The PS3 will be gaming in 4D? What the fuck does that mean?

The 4th dimension has to do with time, so obviously the PS3 will double as a time machine... of a sort.

Here's another link to the news conference

time to break out the delorean and Mullets

[poloplayr]

But...will it have Blast Processing capabilities??!!

[le geek]

Of course they can get away with this bullshit in Japan but the fact is that the Xbox360 is becoming more popular on a daily basis especially here in the U.S. and is becoming more and more readily available on store shelves every month.

Well their presentation worked for me in that while I'm saving up for next gen, I might as well wait until E3 to see what's what. Don't care about High Def or Blue Ray, I want to see the games! :P

But yeah I remember the PS2 emotion engine crap, so I take Sony PR with a whole salt shaker

For me the big draw for 360 is the live arcade and Neon. The games are looking tasty, but I haven't seen one that I "must have". GRAW sounds awesome, but it's really not my style of game...

It's funny, if I can't decide between x360 or PS3 come xmas, I could end up getting a rev first and waiting to see on the other two...

Cheers,
Ben

[Haoie]

I'd just like to add, with the PSP missing 2 buttons, it's not like any/every PS1 game will work with it. And you certainly can't pop a CD in. Actually the majority won't work, and what can work will have to be reworked. And don't expect much 3rd party support on that either [copyright issues again].

You can bet the old games will cost you too.