More Sony Woes

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

Yet Another Delay for Blu-Ray Players, Says Chinese Paper


And the delays keep coming for Sony's Blu-ray high-definition DVD system. China's Commercial Times newspaper is reporting that Sony's production facilities have not been able to meet the demand for the diode that generates the blue laser at the heart of the HD system. Both Sony's own plants and those of Japan's Nichia Corp., the only two suppliers of the diodes, have been plagued by production problems, the newspaper said. The supply problem, it observed, could not only delay production of Blu-ray DVD players for Sony and other manufacturers, but could also delay the release of PlayStation 3 models, now scheduled for November.

Sony having trouble on two major fronts? What a treat. Maybe they'll lower the launch price of the PS3. I can see it now:


"PS3, now at a low low price of $399! Wait, did you want to play games? You'll have to buy the add-on when it comes out. In February. For $250. It's not like you greasey American nerds are going to spend your hard earned cash on girls or something ridiculous like that. Powered by CELL technology, PS3 rendered women are proven to be 53% hotter than real chicks, and are 100% guaranteed to obey your every command. As long as that command is either jumping or hitting a volleyball."

[jessethe2nd]

W00t!! Sony is dying, go secret squirrel chewing on wires of sony's manufacturing plants go! Squirrel?

No if anything sony will just throw in HD DVD drives and call em Blu Ray drives and work blu ray drives to the point where they can play both HD DVD and Blu ray discs thus jacking up the price of the future PS3 consoles when they are released in 2012... DUN DUN DUUHH!!!

[MottZilla]

Um, HD DVD and Blu Ray BOTH use Blue Laser diodes. Neither technology will exist without these parts. The main difference between BluRay and HDDVD is the wave length/laser spot size. BluRay stores more data because the laser pin points a smaller spot.

Anyway, if they problem is not solved you could see major shortages for the PS3 and all Blue Laser technology or even higher prices for such.

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

The reason why Toshiba's competing HD-DVD players aren't having trouble is that the diodes aren't being supplied by the same people. I sincerely hope that they get smashed into the ground on both fronts. I can't imagine how much it will shake the PS3 sales if Blu-Ray looses the format war and makes the $600 box useless as a next gen DVD player.

[MottZilla]

Well that's really uncertain, because Sony has a movie publishing/making division so certain Sony Pictures films come out on DVD and Blu Ray, not DVD and HDDVD. So Sony could put up a fight, but if problems like these persist, it may be another of many dead Sony formats. That wouldn't bother me really. All that bothers me is HDDVD's inferior capacity to BluRay.

[MacWeirdo42]

Oy... You know, the only problem is, the worse things get, the more we're going to be hearing from Sony fanboys screaming "ZOMG Gaytendo SUX!"

[Dechipher]

Yeah, and we've got enough problems with the Nintendo fanboys screaming the same about Sony.

[Cloral]

lol

One of the big problems for the PS3 is Sony is assuming that they can ride the Blu-Ray technology. When the PS2 came out, DVD players were pretty expensive. So you could either buy a standalone DVD player, or one that could also play games (i.e. the PS2) for about the same price. That really boosted PS2 sales. And now they think the same will happen with the PS3 and Blu-Ray. Problem is, Blu-Ray (and HD-DVD) don't make that big of a difference if you don't have a HDTV. And at this point in time, not that many people do. So for most people, there's really no reason to get a Blu-Ray player.

[Aegix Drakan]

and lurking in the shadows in Bill Gates, waitng for the most crippling moment to strike...

BAM!

"allright sony, we gotcha. We now OWN you! it's par tof our nefarious scheme to take over teh world!"


but seriously, I can't believe that people bash the Wii so much, and sing the praises of the PS3, which, by all acounts, is gonna bomb really badly.

I'm a devoted Nintendo customer, but you don't see me running around yelling "WTFWTF!!! PS3 = crap!"

[MottZilla]

lol

One of the big problems for the PS3 is Sony is assuming that they can ride the Blu-Ray technology. When the PS2 came out, DVD players were pretty expensive. So you could either buy a standalone DVD player, or one that could also play games (i.e. the PS2) for about the same price. That really boosted PS2 sales. And now they think the same will happen with the PS3 and Blu-Ray. Problem is, Blu-Ray (and HD-DVD) don't make that big of a difference if you don't have a HDTV. And at this point in time, not that many people do. So for most people, there's really no reason to get a Blu-Ray player.

Exactly man. If HDTVs were affordable, ya you'd see BluRay/HDDVD take off. But its extremely expensive and critics say the improvement in movies is not all that great. For TV it certainly can be nice. But movies thanks to DVD have looked great for some time now. DVD is still perfectly viable too. Really I think Blu-Ray is too early. Blue Laser technology is horribly expensive, and it's purpose is widely not adopted (HDTV).

[Nicholas Steel]

something i dont like (this is all an assumption... i have no idea what im talking about) is that since blue ray discs are higher capacity/density it will make them lots more fragile... (but i think there in plastic cases kinda like a hdd.)

[Darth Marsden]

Yeah, and we've got enough problems with the Nintendo fanboys screaming the same about Sony.
Hey! It's not just us. There's also XBox fans. Although I will admit there aren't many of them. ;) While I admit there are a lot of 'OMFG Sony suxors! ' on the net, I like to think that people here on AGN take a bit more thought and care explaining their views.

I'm going to get a Wii because I think it'll be a lot of fun to play, and it'll have some killer games on it, and I think that Sony will fail with the PS3 because they're trying to force all this new technology on us when we're clearly not ready. If they hadn't been so obsessed with trying to convert us all to Blu-Ray, then they might have come up with a decent, competetive console. But as things stand, theyre just digging deeper and deeper.

[Nicholas Steel]

maybe everything is a lie about sony and it is all a ploy to surprise us when they release a cheap non blue ray console instead?

[goKi]

A regular DVD via component HD (i have a HDTV, but not HDMI compatible), looks amazing. I may eventually use a HD-DVD or Blu Ray disc for a good data storage capacity when the writer kits are < $200. Until then, not interested. I hope that Sony's venture into this technology ends up costing them dearly. Betamax, UMD, it's about time they learn their lesson.

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

Goki is right. When my brother bought my parents our DVD player a few years back, he had the foresight to buy component cables. Then he played my mom's VHS copy of Robin Hood: Prince of Theives at the same time as the new DVD copy he bought her. After a little bit of explaining for my grandparents sake, he flipped between the two channels, and the difference was incredibly obvious. Sound and picture were incredibly superior.

The high-capacity disc technology is great, but only if people can actually use it to a worthy end. And from what I've heard, you practically need a 40' HDTV in order to notice. I can't even recall if the sound quality was much better or not.

[MottZilla]

something i dont like (this is all an assumption... i have no idea what im talking about) is that since blue ray discs are higher capacity/density it will make them lots more fragile... (but i think there in plastic cases kinda like a hdd.)

TDK developed a new disc surfacing technique to combat this potential issue. BluRay discs won't require a special caddy. They are still as fragile as CDs or DVDs, maybe more so, but what do you expect. It's meant to be cared for like that.

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

Right on, Mott. I could never understand why people would be so abusive to their CD's. I care for them each like newborn infants, fresh from the womb of some beautiful woman. But then again, I'm crazy.

[MottZilla]

Actually, you probably treat them like an array of tiny invisible to the naked eye bits of data that could be ruined and rendered useless with ease. Oh wait, that's what it really is. While they are infact durable to some extent, some people really don't understand how "durable" that means. They should always be located in a jewel case or in a properly working drive. They are ofcourse most likely to be damaged outside of those.

About Sony again, apparently there is ANOTHER lawsuit coming this time said to involve the entire playstation line (ps1,ps2,psp). Fun fun. And more reports that Cell chip yeilds are still dogshit levels.

[goKi]

I agree with the whole 'taking care of DVDs thing'. I no longer to go blockbuster to rent movies, as every second movie i rent is scratched so severely it will not play correctly. I can't understand what the hell people do to these things. I'd be absolutely shocked if i were to walk into someone's house and see DVDs scattered on the floor, being kicked around as they walk. The fact these are rental discs (read: not even their property), it sickens me even more.

[DarkDragoonX]

Ugh, no kidding. I treat my disc-based media as though they were the most delicate things on the planet. Every time I buy a used DVD or game, and there are visible scratches, I can't help but wonder How the hell people manage to get them that way. The only time a disc needs to be out of it's jewel case is when you're in the process of putting it in the drive.

Incidentally, am I the only person who *HATES* it when PC game discs comes in paper/cardboard sleeves? I'm rather miffed when just sliding the disc in/out of it's original case can damage it. Would packaging the disc in a nice, plastic case REALLY be that hard?

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

I don't mind flexible cases so much, but then again, I'm more concerned about scratching my discs on the sharp plastic corners of jewel cases. Go figure.

Taking care of a CD is like taking care of a pair of glasses. Subtle wear and tear is inevitable, but deep gouges and scratching are a result of simple neglect. I've had the same pair of glasses since 2001, and they're showing wear and tear because I've dropped them, handled them, used coarse materials to clean them, etc. I've had my copy of StarCraft: Brood War since 1998, and I dare say, while it does show signs of gentle use, it's probably in better shape than my specs.



EDIT: Sony's video game investments continue to flop...


Target Dropping UMD Movies
Target department stores removed movies in the UMD format from its shelves last week, several websites that track home-video releases reported Thursday. UMD cartridges can only be played in Sony's PlayStation Portable devices. In recent weeks, there have been reports that the cartridges have found few buyers. Some websites have suggested that Wal-Mart, the nation's largest home-video retailer, may be the next to clear out its UMD supply.

[Gerudo]

i wanted a PSP, and it looks like soon that buying UMD's will be dirt cheap. yes, in many eyes the PSP may suck endless amounts of balls, but if i can get one for 1/2 to 1/3 the price, then i'm hittin that.

[MottZilla]

My StarCraft CD has NO scratches at all. It looks brand new to this day. ;)

[Darth Marsden]

My StarCraft CD has NO scratches at all. It looks brand new to this day. ;)
Yeah, well you're just freaky.

I have had a grand total of ONE game stop working due to being scratched beyone belief, and even then with a bit of care (and a disk repair kit) I was still able to get it working. Then I downloaded another copy of it and the original has never left the case since. I like to take care of my discs.

Back on topic: Sony suck. Die Sony, die. Etc.

[Aegix Drakan]

Incidentally, am I the only person who *HATES* it when PC game discs comes in paper/cardboard sleeves? I'm rather miffed when just sliding the disc in/out of it's original case can damage it. Would packaging the disc in a nice, plastic case REALLY be that hard?

and that is why I always have some empty CD cases ready. Paper cases are just too damn flimsly.

I take pretty good care of my CDs. None of them have any big scratches.

[Grasshopper]

I agree with the whole 'taking care of DVDs thing'. I no longer to go blockbuster to rent movies, as every second movie i rent is scratched so severely it will not play correctly. I can't understand what the hell people do to these things. I'd be absolutely shocked if i were to walk into someone's house and see DVDs scattered on the floor, being kicked around as they walk. The fact these are rental discs (read: not even their property), it sickens me even more.

I don't understand either. My sister wanted to borrow one of my PC games, and sweared to it that she wouldn't scratch it up. I gave her the game in its CD case, and told her to always put it back in there. A year later, I find the disc is in a sandwich bag in the bottom of her computer desk, and looks like sandpaper was rubbed all over it. Where did the freakin' CD case go?

Really, is it that hard to put these things back and take care of them? Thats the last time she borrows anything of mine.

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

Really, is it that hard to put these things back and take care of them? Thats the last time she borrows anything of mine.

Tell me about it. My sister borrowed my GBA SP four months ago to play Wario Ware, and half an hour ago, while I was playing Yoshi's Island on my DS, the following dialogue takes place:

Sis: "I thought you were using the other one."
Me: "The SP?"
Sis: "Yeah."
Me: "No. You borrowed that around Valentines day."
Sis: "Oh."


She forgot she even had it.

[Nicholas Steel]

I agree with the whole 'taking care of DVDs thing'. I no longer to go blockbuster to rent movies, as every second movie i rent is scratched so severely it will not play correctly. I can't understand what the hell people do to these things. I'd be absolutely shocked if i were to walk into someone's house and see DVDs scattered on the floor, being kicked around as they walk. The fact these are rental discs (read: not even their property), it sickens me even more.

i leant 3 ps2 games to my older sister (moved out from home) and they came back scrathed to blazes.... its because there kids are retards.... but i woulda thought that my sis would have done something about it rather then look at them sit on the floor outside of there cases.... but in the end i got 60$ aud to replace them.... it should only cost like 10$ to replace them and she can keep the scratched copies...

[Warlock]

Kids are lazy, it's as simple as that. I don't know how many times I left my NES games outside their sleeves when I was a kid. Granted, back then they were carts and not easy to wreak like that. CDs weren't even invented yet. But it is sad to see CDs/DVDs treated so poorly, considering they are so much more delicate.

[MottZilla]

Kids are lazy, it's as simple as that. I don't know how many times I left my NES games outside their sleeves when I was a kid. Granted, back then they were carts and not easy to wreak like that. CDs weren't even invented yet. But it is sad to see CDs/DVDs treated so poorly, considering they are so much more delicate.

Really now, CDs were introduced in 1982. ;p

As far as cartridges, you have to actually put crap in the slot to fuck up the copper contacts. But ya, that's much better for kids, atleast the no good PoS kids like today. I mean really... it's not hard to take care of discs.

[Cloral]

And Laserdiscs have been around since '78. Of course back then, they were not widely used. And CDs weren't used as storage media for quite a while after they were introduced due to the cost.

I once took one of my cartridges and hit it with a hammer and dunked it in the pool. It still worked. I still say that CDs and DVD should come in a protective casing that the player slips it out of to read it. I know we had this discussion before and people were saying that someone would try to pull the disc out of the case and it would get damaged that way, but I still say that it would help prevent the sorts of problems that were discussed above.

[Dechipher]

And Laserdiscs have been around since '78. Of course back then, they were not widely used. And CDs weren't used as storage media for quite a while after they were introduced due to the cost.

I once took one of my cartridges and hit it with a hammer and dunked it in the pool. It still worked. I still say that CDs and DVD should come in a protective casing that the player slips it out of to read it. I know we had this discussion before and people were saying that someone would try to pull the disc out of the case and it would get damaged that way, but I still say that it would help prevent the sorts of problems that were discussed above.
Yeah, after you fucked up your first CD you'd learn your lesson too.

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

It's cheaper the way it is now, and the easier it is to ruin something, the more copies the consumer has to buy to replace them. It's simple marketing. Besides, casette tapes are technically like that, and they're still easy as crap to break.

[jessethe2nd]

It's cheaper the way it is now, and the easier it is to ruin something, the more copies the consumer has to buy to replace them. It's simple marketing.

^ *cough* Sony *cough* PS2

[Warlock]

Really now, CDs were introduced in 1982. ;p

As far as cartridges, you have to actually put crap in the slot to fuck up the copper contacts. But ya, that's much better for kids, atleast the no good PoS kids like today. I mean really... it's not hard to take care of discs.

Not really mainstream. I was also speaking more of music CDs which weren't introduced until the 90s. I had kind of forgotten about PC CDs :P

But that does bring up a good point. Even as a kid I at least remembered to put my damn CDs back in their jewel cases.

[Grasshopper]

I still say that CDs and DVD should come in a protective casing that the player slips it out of to read it. I know we had this discussion before and people were saying that someone would try to pull the disc out of the case and it would get damaged that way, but I still say that it would help prevent the sorts of problems that were discussed above.

Yeah, I think it might have been me that mentioned that because I've seen UMD cases come back split apart because people thought they had to take the actual disc out of its case to play it. I've also seen them come back cracked or almost faling apart from just wear and tear.

[MottZilla]

Not really mainstream. I was also speaking more of music CDs which weren't introduced until the 90s. I had kind of forgotten about PC CDs :P

But that does bring up a good point. Even as a kid I at least remembered to put my damn CDs back in their jewel cases.

Nope... Compact Discs were introduced in 1982 to replace LPs in music. Certainly it took awhile to catch on. 1985 was when yellow book (Data CD-ROMs) were established. The original use of the Compact Disc was audio storage.

Anyway, Cloral, I actually agree with you. Discs should come in caddys and drives should accept such. It would provide some protection to the disc that is obviously needed seeing how some people never put the damn things in their cases. But such a change is too great and too expensive to do now, but to newer formats perhaps.

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

Caddy's would be very difficult to use for CD players, no doubt. Maybe that's why they were left unprotected, because they were more familiar that way? After all, a CD looks just like a record, and if they were to try and switch to some sort of technologically awkward looking medium, it might not have caught on as well or as fast.

[MottZilla]

Uh, no they would be difficult to introduce NOW. Back then, they certainly could have made it standard. At first PC CD-ROMs used caddys. For certain things nowdays though, you might be able to do it. But retro fitting such to older uses is a no no. Originally Blu-Ray (pre TDK protective coating) needed a caddy to protect it as it was so much more weak against scratching.

[gdorf]

In my experience CDs are pretty durable. I've only had a couple of them become unusable (I cracked them) and I don't pamper mine at all. I leave them in stacks around my desk or in my car. If a cd becomes scratched I clean it with a disk doctor. If I still can't use it after that, which has only happened a few times, I buff it out with some (1500-2000 grit) sandpaper and polishing compound. Works every time.

I'd rather keep cd's the way they are than build a protective cassette around them. That would just give companies justification to charge us more for "materials".

[goKi]

I hope the PS3 gets delayed until after christmas. That would be murder on it's sales. I think for the sake of gaming, the PS3 needs to fail. If this becomes a winning formula, causing even Nintendo to follow, Console gaming will be all but doomed.

[Darth Marsden]

Harsh Goki, but (in my opinion, at least) I have to agree with you. Sony keeps pushing and pushing with the PS3 and I want them to push so far they fall over a cliff. Seriously, there's so much wrong with what they're doing it beggars belief.

But Nintendo will always do their own thing. You know it, and I know it.

[goKi]

http://kotaku.com/gaming/top/kutaragi-obsessed-with-tech-internal-sony-strife--ps3-seen-as-risk-187680.php

Further proof that Kutaragi is insane.

Don't get me wrong, i've grown up with Nintendo. I'm not a fanboy. I'll only be buying a Wii this generation though, due to complete disinterest in the X360 (mostly price related), and i just quite simply HATE Sony. A consumer electronics market without Sony would progress much better, without them trying to push their crap onto everyone. I just realised i'm probably coming across as fanboyish, but really, i just despise Sony's strategy. Seems like alot of others inside Sony do too.

[Aegix Drakan]

XD

sony is SERIOUSLY gonna bomb if what goki said is true.

and I agree, I SERIOUSLY hope it gets delayed past christmas.

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

Nice article, Goki. On the one hand, it could be easily dismissed as being a fake, which, for the traffic it will generate, is not a half bad scheme, despite being completely unethical. On the other hand, I don't doubt it's truth, because obviously Sony is not firing on all cylinders when it comes to the PS3. Hearing that small and medium developers are switching to Wii and DS, and even X360, that's good news. Especially considering that the cost of PS3 games is still not nailed down.

[goKi]

That article is more than likely true. Kotaku are a pretty reliable source, i can't remember anything they posted of that manner turning out to be fake.

[MottZilla]

I'd think that's true. They've said in the past how different it is to develop for the Cell and such. Plus when you mix the fact that the development tools aren't all there, it's hard to build games. Smaller developers can't afford such BS. That is probably why developers would go to 360, Wii, and DS. All the development tools to make your games are already done and ready for you. Sure beats waiting around in the dark hoping you'll be able to finish your game someday.

[Orion]

Harsh Goki, but (in my opinion, at least) I have to agree with you. Sony keeps pushing and pushing with the PS3 and I want them to push so far they fall over a cliff. Seriously, there's so much wrong with what they're doing it beggars belief.

But Nintendo will always do their own thing. You know it, and I know it.

I don't think they are so much pushing. I think they just bit off way more than they can chew. I don't think anyone is dumb enough to believe that a console that expensive with that many potential problems is going to do well. But when Sony realized that maybe thye were trying to do too much and commited to it, what were they supposed to do? Change everything. Now they are kinda stuck with what they have.

Granted, I'm not a huge Sony fan, I'll admit that freely. I am truly glad Nintendo is going the cheap route. Imagine what would happen if Nintendo was going to be as expensive as the 360 and Wii. What would stop the game prices from continuing to go up?

[MottZilla]

I agree with your Orion, Sony bit off too much and can't go back on it now. They could no forsee the problems they are experiencing now. No one knew such issues would come up. However I do think they had chances for changes. One of the biggest things in my opinion is the Blu-Ray. It's just not lining up with the timing for the PS3 production well. I think the technology is still far too new and expensive. But actually the Cell processor is proving to be a real problem. I'd say changing that would have been too hard to do seeing how old this Cell BS is. They still keep trying to push on us how great it is. I don't think it's special at all.

[goKi]

I still can't imagine what the hard drive will need to be expanded for. 60gb is a huge amount of space. Unless someone finds a way to play illegal movies on a PS3. But hey, why not just use your PC for that.

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

Coming up with a new processor design (unless they have some contingency to fall back on) would murder the PS3. They're stuck with CELL, for better or worse, until PS4. Changing the console now might actually be a good idea though, for all the trouble it's worth. They'd miss out on the current race, but if they held out for a little while, they could potentially recapture the market with a newer, better console in two years. It would damage their reputation considerably and hinder them for generations, but at least it wouldn't be a colossal flop, right? Would any of you be interested in buying the PS3.5 if Sony did something like this?

[goKi]

It certainly looks like Sony were riding on their wave of success with the PS2, and rightfully so, but that allowed for Nintendo to take focus away from the ailing Gamecube, and focus attention towards the next generation (new generation). It looks like Nintendo's efforts will pay off.

[MottZilla]

Actually, did you hear the first PS3 units are going to be ready within the month? So it is far too late for changes now... They really have no choice whatsoever.

I totally agree they were riding the wave that was the PSX and PS2. While they were busy counting the money, Nintendo and Microsoft were busy tuning their strategy. I hope it pays off for both M$ and Nintendo.

By the way, thanks for the name fix goKi. ;)

[Warlock]

I agree with your Orion, Sony bit off too much and can't go back on it now. They could no forsee the problems they are experiencing now. No one knew such issues would come up. However I do think they had chances for changes. One of the biggest things in my opinion is the Blu-Ray. It's just not lining up with the timing for the PS3 production well. I think the technology is still far too new and expensive. But actually the Cell processor is proving to be a real problem. I'd say changing that would have been too hard to do seeing how old this Cell BS is. They still keep trying to push on us how great it is. I don't think it's special at all.

Exactly, it's hubris. They are so confident that Blu-ray is going to be "the next big media format" that they will take the risk in order to get it into homes. The problem is, I have a feeling Blu-ray is not going to fare any better than their dumbass UMDs (which incidentally Target has already decided to stop carrying entirely - I'm sure other stores will follow). It's all about controlling the market. And frankly, the leap from DVD to Blu-Ray vs. the leap from VHS to DVD is not nearly as profound - not to mention it assumes people have HD TVs which not too many do.

Don't get me wrong, I generally like.. or liked.. Sony, but lately they have been to put it bluntly "pulling a Nintendo".

Incidentally speaking of Nintendo, notice how good Nintendo is doing now that Yamauchi is out of office? It took a couple years for Iwata to be really effective, but I blame most of that on GC launching under Yamauchi with too many fundamental problems to be successful vs. PS2/Xbox. But starting with the Nintendo DS, and looking at the extremely positive reaction to the Wii (even from people who have generally hated Nintendo), then add some luck for them with this blunder by Sony, things are really looking up since Iwata took charge.

[Cloral]

The 360's hard drive is 20gb, the same size as the smaller PS3 hard drive. And that's plenty. There is no reason you would need an extra 40gb.

edit:
Damnit, I didn't realize there was a whole other page of discussion. This post looks horribly out of place now.

Well, as far as the cell processor goes, not many are looking forward to developing for it. Everyone is used to developing for a 2 core system (CPU and GPU), so learning to develop for a multi-core system effectively is going to take some time. And yest the 360 has 3 CPUs, but the way they set it up you don't really have to write your program around that fact - you can take your existing code and rework it slightly to make it work across processors. I don't think that'll work as well on the PS3.

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

The problem is, I have a feeling Blu-ray is not going to fare any better than their dumbass UMDs (which incidentally Target has already decided to stop carrying entirely - I'm sure other stores will follow).


I quoted IMDB on this on the first page (http://www.armageddongames.net/showpost.php?p=1081601&postcount=21), back when the discussion turned to CD scratching for a while.

A curious thought... what if both Blu-ray and HD-DVD fail? I mean, I don't think it's possible to so completely fail that we won't see either format ever again, but faced with the facts that many of you have listed, about high prices, low amounts of HD TV's owned by the general public, etc., wouldn't it be hillarious if neither format becomes a success for years to come?

[MottZilla]

Actually, in my opinion that is exactly what will happen. It's too early for both formats. Blu-Ray has a better chance of success though since it'll be tied to the PS3 hardware. Really though, it's too expensive and insignificant of technology. Wow, higher resolution video. But wait, it'll cost you an arm and a leg, plus you need to spend the other arm and leg on a TV to watch it! Now you have no arms or legs but atleast you have a slightly better picture for your 30$ or more movies!

I do think for archiving purposes or storage purposes that technology like Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are needed. But for movies, no way. Music, nope. Games? Maybe in a couple years. But ya, too soon is just all I have to say about that.

And like Cloral said, developing for Cell is alot different and perhaps very difficult for smaller developers. Plus the lack of support/dev tools could make it even more frustrating for smaller devs. Anyways, really it's looking good for M$ and Nintendo, and I just hope it stays that way.

[Cloral]

I quoted IMDB on this on the first page (http://www.armageddongames.net/showpost.php?p=1081601&postcount=21), back when the discussion turned to CD scratching for a while.

A curious thought... what if both Blu-ray and HD-DVD fail? I mean, I don't think it's possible to so completely fail that we won't see either format ever again, but faced with the facts that many of you have listed, about high prices, low amounts of HD TV's owned by the general public, etc., wouldn't it be hillarious if neither format becomes a success for years to come?
That's kinda what happened to Laserdisc. It took over a decade before they were widely available, and even then they were never too popular.

[MottZilla]

Weren't laser discs like the size of LP records?

[Warlock]

Weren't laser discs like the size of LP records?

Bigger I think.

[Cloral]

They were 12" across. My dad had a huge collection of them.

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

Sony Online Entertainment has chosen not to comment on EverQuest II's current subscriber numbers; MMOGchart.com has the game clocking in at around 175,000.

Not related to the PS3, PSP, or Blu-Ray blunders at all, but I found this very funny while reading their article on the current state of EQII. World of Warcraft, if you aren't interested enough to do the math yourself, currently outnumbers EQII 34 times over at least, if not 35-36, depending on how far over the six million mark their list of subscribers is. I find it funny that a number that size used to be considered a commercial success. And then, you consider that Blizzard is making a billion dollars a year on WoW. Humorous, no?

[solyphon]

yeah, sony does suck... i hope it goes bankrupt, and the theives go into deep debt due to suing and lawsuits.

EDIT: oops, i thought i was posting on the first page. oh, well.