I Played a PS3.

[JohnCrichton]

So... played Cade's PS3 aaaaannnd.... still not impressed. Thought Warhawk would make me jealous, but yeah... not a world changer.. seems like a nifty toy, which ain't a bad thing or a slight. Just not the epic battle game I thought.

Guns don't hold much weight and blazing fire across the battle field just doesn't have enough of much of a visceral feel to it.

Main complaint... what's up with the PS3 controllers? Compared to the 360, Wii and even the Logitech PS2 controllers, the PS3 controller feels fwickin' out of date. The bottom triggers are best desribed as "slippy". They got smart people over at Sony and while the boomerang wasn't hot, they could have stood to at least try and re-design the controller for added comfort and better usage. With the Dual Shock 3, now with "outdated" rumble.... why not punch up the design a bit.

And the rechargable battery in the controller....... once that runs out, do you just have to buy another controller?

PS3's no doubt got the power, but for me it's still got a long way to go for me to consider the bucks worth it.

Sony's got all the money in the world. Why would they just leave their controllers so basically the same with no tactile improvements? And why would they have those triggers sloping inward like that, making it easy for the fingers to slip off?

I like Resistance, but I noticed at this moment what I felt was missing from the experience. The lack of rumble when your blasting a biggy gun like what I saw on the screen does kinda disconnect you from the experience. Great visuals and graphics and gun choice... all good, but yeah, the lack of rumbling while your swinging and gunny is definately noticable.

The game "Blast-a-tron" that's their version of Geometry Wars, I forget the name, but yeah.... that was pretty farkin' cool. I love me some Geometry Wars as I enjoy the zen feeling of becoming one with the music, sound and gameplay, but "Super Asteroids HD" looks far more involved and impressive. The ability to change your guns, charge through targets and the arrival of bosses was nothing short of nifty. GW is said to be the next gen of Asteroids, but "Super Defenise Hyper Ship" would be the holder of that title. Will this be PS3 exclusive forever?

Anyway, there's my take... I'm betting on a two year time period where the PS3 will finally be stacked to the point of needing it, but for now... I still want a Wii.

[Swordfish_II]

S
And the rechargable battery in the controller....... once that runs out, do you just have to buy another controller?It charges through USB, I believe.

[Tanooki]

And the rechargable battery in the controller....... once that runs out, do you just have to buy another controller?
my guess is you'd recharge it. not throw it out :P

and from what your wrote, my guess is you're selling the system too short. as with all new systems, they need a little time to develop to their full potential. give the ps3 a year or two to develop and we'll see what happens

[Strollymonster]

my guess is you'd recharge it. not throw it out :P

and from what your wrote, my guess is you're selling the system too short. as with all new systems, they need a little time to develop to their full potential. give the ps3 a year or two to develop and we'll see what happens

I believe he's referring to what happens when the battery is worn out and won't recharge anymore.

[Tanooki]

I believe he's referring to what happens when the battery is worn out and won't recharge anymore.
ah. well, in that case you'd throw it out, unless there's someway to open it and replace the battery

[SNS]

ah. well, in that case you'd throw it out

Why? I'm sure it would still work as a wired controller.

[Tanooki]

Why? I'm sure it would still work as a wired controller.how do you attach a wire to a wireless controller? does the ps3 controller allow that?

[Swordfish_II]

how do you attach a wire to a wireless controller? does the ps3 controller allow that?A USB cable, which is how you charge the battery.

[Wonderwall]

My PS3 controller is wired to the machine. I'm a traditionalist, but the PS3 comes with the wire for people who don't want to play wireless or if the battery is wasted to the point of not being able to recharge.

[Stuckey]

I picked the PS3 over the XBox360 and even I agree that it's not a must have yet. If you're approaching it strictly from a gaming standpoint I'd go with the 360. But I'd just gotten a new TV and since I knew I'd eventually go HD with DVDs I went with the PS3 since it came with the Blu-Ray installed (I know alot of people dislike that feature).

[Chad Bonin]

I own a PS3, and the most I've played of it was the free Gran Turismo HD Concept... which reminds more than anything that I hate Gran Turismo.

I still have yet to put a Blu-Ray disc in there that's not 300, and the only disc games I've played in there have been from the PSone and PS2 era, which have been disappointing thanks to the lack of rumble.

I'm still working on getting Linux installed on there, but tthe first disc PS3 game that will be played in there is Verminium's free copy of Heavenly Sword... by Verminium.

[Stuckey]

I own a PS3, and the most I've played of it was the free Gran Turismo HD Concept... which reminds more than anything that I hate Gran Turismo.


Good to see someone else shares my hatred for that series. I loathe racing sims. Give me Burnout.

[JohnCrichton]

ah. well, in that case you'd throw it out, unless there's someway to open it and replace the battery

I was talking about once it won't recharge anymore, but I did hear on another forum that there are instructions that one can safely open up the controller and change the battery.

I know the system will take time, but I was just laying down my impressions. My friend who owns it turns his nose up in the air at things non-Sony and he sometimes is possesed of opinions I share. I wanted to finally give the system a real go and found it to be pretty poor overall given the hype and the snobbery my friend touts.

I've said before, that in two years, I'm betting the PS3 will be formidable. But I don't buy things for how they'll be in the future. I buy for what's good that I can do with it now.

I keep starting paragraphs with "I". Anyway, I think Sony's betting on the long run. Like they don't mind losing the game at all out of the gate, but once they have all the games stacked and they hit the future two or three years for now, they'll be such a powerhouse hardware-wise that no other system will be able to keep up with what they have and their regular games will far out pace the 360's best and they can take the victory in the future. They also know they'll win Japan (or at least second place... go Wii!) by default so they just aren't trying right now.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

I own a PS3, and the most I've played of it was the free Gran Turismo HD Concept... which reminds more than anything that I hate Gran Turismo.

I still have yet to put a Blu-Ray disc in there that's not 300, and the only disc games I've played in there have been from the PSone and PS2 era, which have been disappointing thanks to the lack of rumble.

I'm still working on getting Linux installed on there, but tthe first disc PS3 game that will be played in there is Verminium's free copy of Heavenly Sword... by Verminium.

So basically...you're telling us that you frivolously wasted $500 or so on a system you don't use.

I can't imagine you'd be surprised by how little you're using this PS3, so why the hell did you spend money on it in the first place?

I mean, I want a PS3, but even I'm not going to get one until I know there are a few more games on it that I'll get play time out of. And even then, it's a huge purchase to consider.

If I were you, I'd start spending my money more carefully.

[Joe]

I keep starting paragraphs with "I". Anyway, I think Sony's betting on the long run. Like they don't mind losing the game at all out of the gate, but once they have all the games stacked and they hit the future two or three years for now, they'll be such a powerhouse hardware-wise that no other system will be able to keep up with what they have and their regular games will far out pace the 360's best and they can take the victory in the future. They also know they'll win Japan (or at least second place... go Wii!) by default so they just aren't trying right now.

Well, I'm sure that's they're best case scenerio right now and it has real potential to be a great system, but I think it Sony will still be struggling for 2nd place in the long run.

[Mynd Hed]

Anyway, there's my take... I'm betting on a two year time period where the PS3 will finally be stacked to the point of needing it, but for now... I still want a Wii.

To be fair, the Wii isn't really a must-own yet either. I've got one, and I like it, but there are still far too few really good games out for it. And the games that ARE good don't tend to have much in the way of legs-- you can get all the fun you're likely to get out of Wario Ware, for example, out of a weekend rental.

The 360 has more stuff I'm interested in, but I'm hesitant to take the plunge until they switch over to 65 nm chips and hopefully finally put the whole Red Ring of Death debacle to rest. Plus I don't have an HDTV yet, so much of the extra graphical juice would go to waste anyway.

Right now, my PC gets more play time than any of my consoles, and I'm still catching up on PS2 games that I never tried out last gen (I only just played God of War II for the first time last weekend).

In my always-humble opinion, none of the current-gen consoles are really fully baked yet. Thankfully, this holiday season's lineup is looking to go a long way toward changing that, but I'll probably still hold off on any big purchases until next spring or so, when my finances are in better shape and a consensus has been reached on what's actually worthy of the hype.

[Strollymonster]

To be fair, the Wii isn't really a must-own yet either. I've got one, and I like it, but there are still far too few really good games out for it. And the games that ARE good don't tend to have much in the way of legs-- you can get all the fun you're likely to get out of Wario Ware out of a weekend rental.

The 360 has more stuff I'm interested in, but I'm hesitant to take the plunge until they switch over to 65 nm chips and hopefully finally put the whole Red Ring of Death debacle to rest. Plus I don't have an HDTV yet, so much of the extra graphical juice would go to waste anyway.

Right now, my PC gets more play time than any of my consoles, and I'm still catching up on PS2 games that I never tried out last gen (I only just played God of War II for the first time last weekend).

In my always-humble opinion, none of the current-gen consoles are really fully baked yet. Thankfully, this holiday season's lineup is looking to go a long way toward changing that, but I'll probably still hold off on any big purchases until next spring or so, when my finances are in better shape and a consensus has been reached on what's actually worthy of the hype.

Agreed on all counts. I, too, own a Wii, and I only own one game (MP3, of course) outside of Wii Sports. Most of the games I've rented have been fun for a day or so, but don't have much in the way of deep play value. The vast majority of my Wii playtime is spent either watching old episodes of MST3K via the Internet channel, or playing my VC game collection.

That's the primary reason I'm looking at the 360 as my next console purchase. I'd really love to play Bioshock and give Halo 3 a try, as well as get Castlevania: SOTN from Live. I do miss the fun of online gaming, as I haven't played an online game since Starcraft, like 6 years ago. That, and most of the big name titles like GTA 4 and Turok are headed out on the 360 as well. The PS3 just doesn't have enough exclusives (save the inevitable new God of War) to make me want it over the 360.

Alas, I don't have much in the way of money. I did request one as a birthday present, but I'm realistic enough to know that it's not terribly likely.

I, too, bought a PS2 over the summer to play the last-gen games I missed, and I'm glad I did. I got through both God of War games, and I also found my new second-favorite game of all time (following OoT): Okami. Absolutely loved every minute of the experience, sank 46 hours into it. I really hope that it gets remade sometime, it deserves a much greater audience than it got before.

Keeping on topic, the totality of my experience with the PS3 consists of five minutes playing around with The Darkness, and twenty minutes playing (or trying to play) Lair at my GameStop. So, I really don't have a terrifically positive wealth of experience with the thing.

[Mynd Hed]

That's the primary reason I'm looking at the 360 as my next console purchase. I'd really love to play Bioshock and give Halo 3 a try...

Bioshock alone is easily worth buying a system over. If there hadn't been a PC release (or if my PC hadn't been new enough to run it), I probably would've had to suck it up and buy a 360 for it. (-: Luckily for my pocketbook, most (but not all) of the 360's best titles are available or will eventually be available for the PC as well. Can't wait for Gears of War... just hope they don't pull the same crap they did with Halo 2 and make it Vista-only.

[TKnHappyNess]

I played Tony Hawk on the PS3, and let's just say the physics in it were just plain weird like they said on X-Play. I even heard some guys say they'd rather play the 360 version.

[Chad Bonin]

So basically...you're telling us that you frivolously wasted $500 or so on a system you don't use.

I can't imagine you'd be surprised by how little you're using this PS3, so why the hell did you spend money on it in the first place?

I mean, I want a PS3, but even I'm not going to get one until I know there are a few more games on it that I'll get play time out of. And even then, it's a huge purchase to consider.

If I were you, I'd start spending my money more carefully.
I spent around 70 bucks after going through my game collection and culling useless items out. Still, I'm working on getting Yellow Dog Linux working (apparently, my friend who installed it notes that the WiFi deal sucks so far) on it, to get a media center PC running. Also, I have it for Blu-Ray purposes, and to have an HD PS2.

Never said I was buying it for PS3 games.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

I spent around 70 bucks after going through my game collection and culling useless items out. Still, I'm working on getting Yellow Dog Linux working (apparently, my friend who installed it notes that the WiFi deal sucks so far) on it, to get a media center PC running. Also, I have it for Blu-Ray purposes, and to have an HD PS2.

Never said I was buying it for PS3 games.

Well, couldn't you have spent that money on something you'd get more use out of then the PS3?

I mean, yeah it's nice to have a Hi Def PS2, but you pointed out yourself that the lack of rumble makes them disappointing.

Essentially, you could have spent that money on getting quality games, but instead you chose to get a machine you can't really be getting much use out of, and then complain about it.

It's not like you should be surprised, so you only have yourself to blame.

[Chad Bonin]

Well, couldn't you have spent that money on something you'd get more use out of then the PS3?

I mean, yeah it's nice to have a Hi Def PS2, but you pointed out yourself that the lack of rumble makes them disappointing.

Essentially, you could have spent that money on getting quality games, but instead you chose to get a machine you can't really be getting much use out of, and then complain about it.

It's not like you should be surprised, so you only have yourself to blame.
Have I complained? I never though I WOULD be buying PS3 games. It's just, in case something does come out, I CAN play it. Why limit yourself?

I run Windows, OSX, and Linux. I own most major consoles. I read both Marvel, DC, and indie stuff. For the five or six Capcom games I enjoyed on my now-traded in (ironically, towards PS3) PSP, I might grab a PSP Slim doubly discounted to play.

[Eidan]

Neither the PS3 or the Wii are really worth owning right now. I own all three consoles, and the 360 is the only one that has been pulling it's weight. The Wii (and by Wii I just mean Wii Sports) is fine when I have company and we just want to ******** for a couple of minutes, but the games are ultimately shallow, and all the arm waving and wrist jerking in the world can make mini-games fun past 30 minutes.

And the PS3...it really does feel like a gaming desert. The 360 seems to be landing killer app after killer app, and while the PS3 has decent games on it, it has yet to receive games that I wouldn't outright ignore last gen (action hacky slashies were never a favorite of mine).

[sdp]

I seem to disagree with most people.

I think the Wii has plenty of games out there and I also think the PS3 is a good system.


Yeah the price is out there and I do see many things like the blu-ray unnecessary, that I think is the biggest problem.

The fact that the controller will now have rumble and the PS3 is backwards compatible (even the new ones are like 89% compatible) makes it a nice upgrade. Too bad the controller has barely evolved since the PS1 days but at least playing old games shouldn't be a problem with it. The games look great and it has a lot of power to be untapped. I like my Wii a lot more and I'm glad to see it winning however if I was a PS2 fan I don't see that many shortcommings on the PS3.

Mainstream gamers are not the brightest when making console making decision. Everyone has a PS2 and the name "Playstation" is what is selling PS3s, forums don't represent real life even with all the bad press Sony has gotten.

The Wii is selling because of word of mouth, people didn't know what Wii was around my town/stores 2 days before it launched. If the PS3 was 300-400 included no blu-ray, not as powerful as a 360, maybe even no HD and it would have outsold the 360 easily. Its the price that is alienating the mindless "casual" gamers who just go for the brand name they know.

[Squall]

Main complaint... what's up with the PS3 controllers? Compared to the 360, Wii and even the Logitech PS2 controllers, the PS3 controller feels fwickin' out of date...

What's wrong with the PS3 controllers? The PlayStation controller has changed little since the PS1 days, and for good reason; it's very comfortable and easy to use, IMO. Like the old saying goes, "If it isn't broke, don't fix it!" :sweat:

I hated both the original XBox and the XBox 360 controllers. And while the Wii controller is fun at first, the fun wears away when you're playing a long lasting game (like Mario, Zelda, Metroid) and your arm starts to get tired, and you start to get a headache, from aiming constantly at the TV.


And the PS3...it really does feel like a gaming desert. The 360 seems to be landing killer app after killer app...

Most consoles are sparse on games that fall into the "destined to be classics" category when they're new. Both the PS3 and Wii are less than a year old; the XBox 360 is almost two years old. Give it time; in five years, there will be more good PS3 games to play than you'll ever have time to play. :p (Same goes for the Wii and XBox 360, too.)

For example, here's the list of PS3 games I'm looking forward to playing, to date:

Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy Verses XIII
The Last Remnant
Kingdom Hearts III
Metal Gear Solid 4
God of War III
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
LittleBigPlanet
Heavenly Sword
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Earth No More
Devil May Cry 4
Burnout 5
... and the usual list of EA Sports / 2K Sports games.

Throw in features like the usual online console content, Home, PSP connectivity, PlayTV, and future good games that the PS3 will get as the years go by, and you've got another awesome Sony console in the making. Patience! :cool:

P.S. -- Before you label this post as that of "Sony fanboy," let me say (1) Yes, I'm a huge Sony fan. I loved the PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP, and the engineering behind them; the innovations Sony pioneered, like being able to play audio CDs and movie DVDs on a console, for example, have revolutionized the video game industry. (Just ask any college student who's on a limited budget, and gets a PS2 because it's a CD player, DVD player, and video game player, all in one. Saves limited dorm space, too. :anime: )

(2) I'm also a huge Nintendo fan. As long as Nintendo keeps making great Mario, Zelda, and Metroid games, I'll be a fan. In fact, I've still got my NES and Super NES, the Wii was the first current generation console I bought, and I bought a DS Lite as soon as they hit the market.

(3) While I'm pulling for Sony to do well, I'm not "anti-Microsoft." I like Microsoft too! I've been a DOS/Windows user since the late 80's, and I hope that the XBox 360 does well. Heck, I plan on owning all three consoles when I get the money. Why can't someone hope all three consoles do well? In a marketplace as big as the U.S. & Canada, Japan & South Korea, and the European Union, there's more than enough customers and money to go around to make everyone winners in the end. :D

[Stuckey]

What's wrong with the PS3 controllers? The PlayStation controller has changed little since the PS1 days, and for good reason; it's very comfortable and easy to use, IMO. Like the old saying goes, "If it isn't broke, don't fix it!" :sweat:


Agreed. They haven't needed to make major changes because it was so good to begin with. I like that I don't have that "new controller learning period" to deal with.

[JohnCrichton]

I find the PS controller design to be too good or comfortable anymore. I recently picked up a Logitech PS3 controller and was blown away by how much more comfortable it felt in my hands and was left wondering how a 3rd party company was able to make a better controller than the first party. As far as I've ever experienced, 3rd party controllers are alwasy "the poor man's" controller.

Sony would do well to take a look at Logitech's scheme and work on some much needed improvements.

Also, all the above sounds nice, well and good. But as I've heard many times in the past, all the PS3 is is AAA titles to look forward to in the years to come and that doesn't get my cash. What gets my money is games that are here and now.

[Chad Bonin]

I find the PS controller design to be too good or comfortable anymore. I recently picked up a Logitech PS3 controller and was blown away by how much more comfortable it felt in my hands and was left wondering how a 3rd party company was able to make a better controller than the first party. As far as I've ever experienced, 3rd party controllers are alwasy "the poor man's" controller.

Sony would do well to take a look at Logitech's scheme and work on some much needed improvements.

Also, all the above sounds nice, well and good. But as I've heard many times in the past, all the PS3 is is AAA titles to look forward to in the years to come and that doesn't get my cash. What gets my money is games that are here and now.
Eh, I've always hated Sony controllers, due to the segmented D-Pad. RetroCons were all I played 2D games with on the PS2.

[Squall]

Well, each to their own! That's why there are so many 3rd party controllers on the market -- everyone can find the one they like, and stick with it.

Personally, my three favorite controller styles are (1) the Sony PS3/PS2/PS1 style controller; (2) the Wii controller; and (3) the Super NES controller.

The three controller styles I hated the most were (1) the Nintendo 64 controller -- I sold my N64 in large part because I got fed up with that controller. Also, when I found out there was not going to be a Metroid game on the N64. (I did make sure to finish Super Mario 64, Zelda: Ocarnia of Time, and Castlevania 64 first, though. :sweat: ) (2) The original XBox controller. You know, the "fat" one. And (3) the Sega Genesis controller.

[Captain Highwind]

The three controller styles I hated the most were (1) the Nintendo 64 controller --

You know, I never did use the left-half of that controller.

[Bic]

I guess I'm the odd man out. I got my PS3 earlier then I expected (was planning to get one around x-mas originally), but I got it for Blu-Ray/upscaled DVD playback first, games second. And you know what, it's one of the best buying decisions i made this year. My only complaint is on how crappy my PS2 games look on my 1080p set since I have a half dozen JRPGs to finish and God of War to start. I have a 360 as well and beyond some Forza and DOA, it's also spending more time as a HD-DVD player then a game console.

Ah, a side note: While I like the look of the 360 Media remote for the HD-DVD, the PS3 media remote is much more user friendly.

[Chris Sanders MSX]

I simply have an issue spending over 600 bucks on games, controllers and other add ons included for a system that MIGHT be good in 2 years.

We already knew out the gate that Wii was getting Zelda, Mario, Smash, Mario Soccer, Mario Kart, Wario Ware, Wii Sports and a host of other quality games and franchises that made it less of a gamble to buy, especially at the low price. Thats why it made more sense to me, I hardly even saw anything coming out for PS3 that wasn't coming out for 360 that could justify a hefty price tag like that.

If you need HD/Blue Ray blah blah then more power to you, but I wanted a gaming system....as I' sure many who purchased PS3 expected, considering there are slightly cheaper blue ray players on the market that also have no games on them.

[Chris Sanders MSX]

Well, each to their own! That's why there are so many 3rd party controllers on the market -- everyone can find the one they like, and stick with it.

Personally, my three favorite controller styles are (1) the Sony PS3/PS2/PS1 style controller; (2) the Wii controller; and (3) the Super NES controller.

The three controller styles I hated the most were (1) the Nintendo 64 controller -- I sold my N64 in large part because I got fed up with that controller. Also, when I found out there was not going to be a Metroid game on the N64. (I did make sure to finish Super Mario 64, Zelda: Ocarnia of Time, and Castlevania 64 first, though. :sweat: ) (2) The original XBox controller. You know, the "fat" one. And (3) the Sega Genesis controller.

It's funny you hated that since it became the standard that every system decided to rip off.

[Squall]

It's funny you hated that since it became the standard that every system decided to rip off.

Do you mean the Nintendo 64 controller's design philosophy?

[email2003]

And the rechargable battery in the controller....... once that runs out, do you just have to buy another controller?
Are you serious!? Did you even read what you wrote?

[SilverKnight]

Are you serious!? Did you even read what you wrote?>flick< Did you read what he wrote? He meant what do you do with the controller once the rechargable battery stops taking charges and becomes a big hunk of worthless plastic. There are ways to get to the battery, but it involves cracking into the controller to get to it--as far as I know--and could cause you to break the thing if you don't do it properly.

From what I've gathered at work, it seems like the 360 is winning the console war so far. They have the most bang for the buck, even with the Red Ring of Death. PS3 has no titles that justify a $500 price-tag yet, and the Wii is still, for the most part, frolicking in Niche-land until something that really takes good use of the motion control crops up. (I'm hoping Super Smash Bros. Brawl will be that one. Considering I reserved it already.) At the moment, it appears that the PS3 is a cheap Blu-ray player with a game-system attatched; just like the PSP is more of a mobile entertainment system that just happens to play some games on it.

I still wouldn't buy either, unless something supremely awesome comes out. Though, damn them, the FFT remake is making me almost wonder.

[SNS]

and becomes a big hunk of worthless plastic.

As I mentioned before, you would still be able to use the controller as a wired controller. So it won't be a "big hunk of worthless plastic".



until something that really takes good use of the motion control crops up. (I'm hoping Super Smash Bros. Brawl will be that one. Considering I reserved it already.)


It won't use the motion control, the game is going to be played like the other Super Smash Bros. games (you get the option to use GameCube controller, the Classic controller, the Wii Remote on it's side or the Wii Remote with Nunchuck attachment).

[JohnCrichton]

As far as I'm seeing, Wii and DS are winning the race with a smile and a wink, 360 comes in second with content that makes the price worth it, and PS3 is biding it's time since it's in no hurry.... PS3 knows that it owns a good portion of Europe where the 360 is dead and it KNOWS it will own Japan once its killer content hits the system in about 1-2 years. It can take its time because they are doing pretty good with the PS2 still and the PSP is gaining steam, especially with the release of Crisis Core.

So... from where I'm sitting all systems will be sitting pretty, but right now the 360 is the only one worth owning since it has the best library currently... at least for my tastes.


I simply have an issue spending over 600 bucks on games, controllers and other add ons included for a system that MIGHT be good in 2 years.

What I've been saying since the PS3 launch. ^__^

And one other thing... I played Resistance: Fall of Man multi-player and it was pretty good, but was it me, or did my guy not always jump when I wanted him to jump? O_o

[Squall]

As far as I'm seeing, Wii and DS are winning the race with a smile and a wink, 360 comes in second with content that makes the price worth it, and PS3 is biding it's time since it's in no hurry.... PS3 knows that it owns a good portion of Europe where the 360 is dead and it KNOWS it will own Japan once its killer content hits the system in about 1-2 years. It can take its time because they are doing pretty good with the PS2 still and the PSP is gaining steam, especially with the release of Crisis Core.

I agree 100%. I remember reading in EGM and at IGN.com that Sony's execs said they were on a "10 year plan" for the PS3; they built the PS3 to be in its prime from at least 2007-2017. So, though the first year has been kind of tough, Sony saw it coming, since the PS3 is already built to specs a console generation ahead of the others. Once all the games I listed above, and more, Home, and PlayTV are all out, Sony's vibe to the general public will be totally different than it is now.

I've gotta admit, when the XBox 360 Elite came out, and it didn't play HD-DVDs right out of the box, I was shocked. I figured that all XBox 360 games that came out from that point on would have been on HD-DVD, too. Why didn't they do that, anyway? It was the perfect opportunity to do so.

As for the PSP, it's is in a similar position to the PS3; while technically superior to the DS, its first couple of years were kind of rough. With games like Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy Tactics: War of The Lions, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, Silent Hill Origins, and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, things are definitely looking up.

As for Nintendo, I don't think they're in the "arms race" anymore that Sony and Microsoft are locked in; they seem to have decided to go the "consumer electronics route", like Apple has with its iPod and iPhone. So who knows how many years the Wii and DS will be around?

Anyway, video games are such a huge global industry now, that I think all three companies are going to be "winners" in this video game generation. I don't think Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo are in any kind of life-or-death struggle with each other anymore; I think now they're just fighting over who gets to be in 1st place, and maximize their profits.

[Swordfish_II]

I've gotta admit, when the XBox 360 Elite came out, and it didn't play HD-DVDs right out of the box, I was shocked. I figured that all XBox 360 games that came out from that point on would have been on HD-DVD, too. Why didn't they do that, anyway? It was the perfect opportunity to do so.
They didn't want to completely alienate all the consumers that had bought an Xbox in the past two years?