Next-Generation Systems

Microsoft's Greatest Quotes!

2007-06-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here are some of Microsoft's greatest quotes:

"Ya know, things break"
-Peter Moore on the subject of system failures

"Whatever format wins it is highly likely we will offer a solution. The only debate is if you want to watch Blu-ray movies and pay the extra money for that feature. We prefer to offer the consumer choice,”
"We’re fully committed to HD DVD and have absolutely no plans to support other optical formats,”
-John Rodman and Neil Thompson on the subject of "choices" and blu-ray

"I would go back and say the vast majority of people love their experience. We continue to go back and address all of these issues on a case by case basis. There is a vocal minority out there. We go off and try to address their issues as quickly and as pain free as possible."
-Todd Holmdahl on the question of system failure

" We don't feel like the Wii customer and the Xbox customer are the same thing. We think that as soon as the Wii customer turns 14 they want something else."
-John Rodman on the subject of Elite.

"I know it sounds expensive to a lot of consumers but we are comparable to those types of drives and also we have to go through a lot more testing and security."
-Aaron Greenberg on the subject of hard drive pricing.

"Oh, wait a minute, 800 points, we want it for free!"
-Major Nelson sarcastic remarks on the subject of Epic releasing Gears of War maps for free.

"The $59.99 for Xbox 360 and $49.99 for Windows Vista price points are our standard pricing for each platform.'
-Shane Kim on the subject of Shadowrun pricing.

"On behalf of the Zune team at Microsoft, I'd like to issue an apology to the residents of Ludlow Street (between Stanton and Houston) for the loud noise at 3:00 AM last Sunday (24 Feb)"
-I find it funny.

"You dont need HDMI. Our system is fully futureproof"
- Microsoft

Sony's Greatest Quotes!

2007-06-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some of Sony's greatest quotes. Most of them are about their gaming division and the competition, but there a couple other gems in there, too.

"Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?"
- Thomas Hesse, Sony BMG's president of global digital business, responding to the outcry over Sony's DRM Rootkit spyware uncovered on its music CDs

"You can look at the software that they sell. All their licensed kid stuff. So, what we're doing with the PlayStation Portable is really establishing a new marketplace, and establishing, frankly, a new beachhead."
- Peter Dille, Sony US Senior Vice President of Marketing, on comparing PSP to DS

“The idea of a handheld rivalry with Nintendo is an irrelevance. Those formats don't appear in our planning. It's not a fair comparison; not fair on them, I should stress. That sounds arrogant, maybe, but it's the truth. With the DS , it's fair to say that Nintendo stepped out of the technical race and went for a feature differentiation with the touch screen. But I fear that it won't have a lasting impact beyond that of a gimmick - so the long-lasting appeal of the platform is at peril as a direct result of that."
- Phil Harrison, president of Sony Worldwide Studios, on comparing PSP to DS in an interview with MCV

"It’s probably too cheap…"
– Ken Kutaragi, Regarding the $499 to $599 price point

"(the PS3) is not a game machine…"
- Ken Kutaragi, Regarding the machine’s beefy hardware architecture

"The name of the game is not market share, it’s how fast we (Sony) can grow the industry."
– Ken Kutaragi, regarding competition from Microsoft and Nintendo

"…for consumers to think to themselves ‘I will work more hours to buy one’. We want people to feel that they want it, irrespective of anything else."
– Ken Kutaragi, explaining their marketing goals for the PS3

"We do not care."
– Kaz Hirai, current President of Computer Entertainment, regarding competition from Microsoft and Nintendo

"I don't think the battle would be any different with or without Grand Theft Auto... I don't think it (losing Grand Theft Auto would) hurts us. No, I really don't."
- Jack Tretton, Sony Computer Entertainment America president and CEO

"If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that's been on shelves for more than five minutes, I'll give you 1200 bucks for it."
- Jack Tretton, Sony Computer Entertainment America president and CEO

"The first five million are going to buy it (PS3), whatever it is, even [if] it didn't have games."
- David Reeves, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe CEO

"Microsoft does not concern us. Microsoft is not a technology company."
- Nobuyuki Idei, Sony chief corporate adviser in an interview with BBC NEWS

"A bit pricey."
- Michael Ephraim, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia, speaking about Nintendo Wii in an interview with the age.com.au

"We have a lot of respect for Nintendo, but with a December launch, how much stock are they going to get at a AU$400 price point? What is the consumer offering? So I don't think anyone will do more units than a PS2 this (Christmas)."
- Michael Ephraim, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia, regarding the launch of Nintendo Wii

"Sorry you didn't have the opportunity to buy a PS3 this year, but I'm sure it beats lining up in a queue for hours on end only to be told the store has sold out."
- Michael Ephraim, Managing Director of Sony Australia in an interview with the age.com.au

"There’s this sort of misunderstanding that the Blu-ray disc player for movies is somehow burdening the console with unnecessary cost. That is completely not true... Once we had that storage capacity on Blu-ray Disc, adding the movie playback functionality was extremely cost-effective, [the cost] is actually non-existent."
- Phil Harrison, regarding the wholesale cost of the system’s Blu-ray player

"Nobody will ever use 100% of PS3's capability"
- Phil Harrison, president of Sony Computer Entertainment's Worldwide Studios speaking with MTV news.

"The PlayStation 3 is a computer. We do not need the PC."
- Phil Harrison, president of Sony Worldwide Studios, in an interview with GameSpot

"I have no concerns about the competition."
- Phil Harrison, president of Sony Worldwide Studios speaking at the Game Developer Conference

"I don’t think we’re arrogant."
– Phil Harrison, regarding consumer perception of Sony

"We're certainly not interested in Gimmicks."
- Kaz Hirai0 E32k6, right before showing off Eye of Judgement.

"Nintendo knows its target audience, because it has really narrowed that down; and it’s pretty much defined by a boy or girl’s ability to admire Pokemon."
- Phil Harrison, president of Sony Computer Entertainment's Worldwide Studios

"But I fear that it won't have a lasting impact beyond that of a gimmick."
- Sony executive Phil Harrison cuts to the chase with his incisive analysis of the Nintendo DS in gaming paper MCV.

"Consider the US with its massive land and cheap people. Then you look at the UK - a little island where rent and rates are at an absolute premium, and the cost of people is a lot more."
- Sony's take on the consumers, as told by UK Managing Director Ray Maguire to website gamesindustry.biz

Pros and Cons of Each Next-Generation System

2007-06-18T04:47:00.001-07:00

As an owner of all three next-generation systems, I'm going to list some of the pros and cons of each system for those still deciding on a purchase.

Xbox 360:

Pros:

- Significantly cheaper than the PS3, and only $50 more than the Wii for the Core version (though I would recommend the Elite at this point).
- Tremendous graphics for the price... as of writing this, I believe the 360 has the best looking game on the market with Gears of War.
- Best online system with Xbox Live. Live Messenger is a nice addition.
- Has the best library of games on the market, and a strong lineup for late summer / fall. While the PS3 continues to sit idle, the 360 is pumping out games like Forza 2 and Shadowrun.
- Options. An HD-DVD drive isn't required, so you don't have to spend the extra $200 for it if you don't want to.
- The marketplace is a great way to rent HD movies and other content.

Cons:

- First generation 360s lack HDMI, and have trouble outputting 1080p and alot of HDTVs.
- As not including a HD-DVD drive is a pro, it is also a con. DVDs may limit the 360's power in future games. In linear games, having multiple DVDs won't be too bad, but what about a couple years down the line when bigger game "open world" games come out. Will the next installment of GTA (after IV) fit on one DVD? Will I have to change the DVD every time I want to enter a new city?
- The red lights of death. They happen far too often for a console. Don't expect to go the full 5 years of so of this generation without experiencing it at least once.
- Xbox Live costs $50 a year. While the service is indeed better than PSN, I don't believe it justifies a $50 price tag per year.

Playstation 3:

Pros:

- Has the most potential of the three systems. It's the most powerful console out there, so developers looking to make the most out of their games will choose the PS3.
- Has a great lineup for the fall, and an even better looking lineup for 2008.
- In my opinion, the PS3 has the best two exclusives with MGS4 and FFXIII.
- Playstation Network is free. Also, the PS3 can be used as a dedicated server with games (including Warhawk), so there won't be the host advantage like with Xbox Live if played on these servers.
- Sixasis. There has yet to be a game that uses the tilt sensors well, but hopefully games will start to take advantage of it and it will add a new dimension to gameplay.

Cons:

- Expensive. The PS3 is by far the most expensive of the three consoles with a $600 price tag.
- The PSN has very little content compared to Xbox Live. Demos are rare.
- No AAA games out yet. Still waiting for that must-have game.
- When will the first system-selling game come out? There are a few good-looking games coming out this fall (Uncharted being the best, IMO), but will it sell systems? Or will we have to wait until 2008 for MGS4 and FF13? By then, how many developers will have jumped ship over to the 360 where there is a solid userbase?
- No rumble! Rumble will be in future PS3 controllers, but for us original PS3 owners, we'll apparently have to buy new controllers.

Wii:

Pros:

- Cheap. Of the three consoles, the Wii is by far the least expensive of the three consoles at $250.
- Controllers are great. Even though alot of game don't use the motion control well, the games that do are very fun. Wii sports is probably the best example.
- A great party system. If you can spend an extra $180 for 3 extra controllers, 4-player games are great and can waste hours of your time.

Cons:

- Last-generation graphics. From what I've seen, the Wii seems about as powerful as a PS2, so don't get this system thinking the graphics are going to blow you away.
- Lack of games. A few great titles (Zelda, Wii sports), a couple mediocre games, and a slew of bad games on the Wii. How long can they milk Mario games for? A few good titles coming (Super Smash Brothers, Metroid, Mario Galaxy), but for the most part the lineup is disappointing. Don't expect to get the longevity out of this system as you would with PS3 and the 360.
- The Wii is great with 3 friends, but by yourself? Not so much. Playing by yourself just isn't much fun with the Wii, though that could change with some upcoming games.
- The online system. Or lack thereof. Almost no online-capable games. Online is a great way to give longevity to a game, so hopefully we'll see some online games soon.

There you have it, the major pros and cons of each system. In my opinion:

360 > PS3 > Wii

I find myself playing the 360 much more than my PS3 and Wii. My PS3 only gets dusted off for Resistance and the occasional Motorstorm race. My Wii pretty much sits on the floor not getting used at all, unless if one of my friends want to play a game of Wii tennis. With the 360, I still play Gears of War often, I've been playing alot of Forza 2 lately, a ton of Halo 3 (though the beta is now over), and even my fair share of Crackdown. There always seems to be something to do with my 360.

Perhaps, though, things will change this Fall....