Will missed target numbers shift any format suppoft from the studios? (1 Viewer)

[Mark Butler]

FYI, the PS3 hard disk is changeable. It takes any standard 2.5" laptop drive and it even shows you how to change it in the manual and doing so does not void your warranty.



However both the Turbo-Grafx CD and Sega CD were add-ons much like the 360 Add-on, not integrated into the actual console. Plus neither were considered as part of launching a new format (ala Blu-ray or HDDVD). They were simply used to integrate with already established formats not to help create new ones. It goes back to the support question for Microsoft, I really don't think that they want either Format to succeed and that siding with HDDVD is just because Sony is the backer of Blu-ray. I mean when most of the computer manufacturers are on side with Blu-ray, Microsoft goes away from supporting them. All of them (Sony, MS, Toshiba) have completely FUBAR'd everything.

 

[Scott Walburn]

I agree, I don't think Microsoft cares who wins this war. I think the add on is an attempt to hurt sony. I mean really what is stopping Microsoft from coming out with a Blu-ray add on drive. I would buy one in a second, and actually it makes a lot of sense. Say they priced it at 299. You could pick up a 360 for 300 and both new formats for 500. For 800 bucks you would be purchase proof. We all know it is just a matter of time before microsoft comes out with a much bigger hard drive than 20 gigs. They will have too if they want there new services to succeed. I really feel that their sole motivation for the external drive is to try to hurt Sony. Just my 2 cents.

 

[ppltd]

I think MS very much cares about who wins the format battle. The release of the HD add-on was a way to keep pace the the PS3, and has nothing to do with 'hurting' Sony, other than additional market share they can gain.

 

[Mark Butler]

Microsoft has stated (Mr.Gates in fact) that they believe that downloadable content is the future, to either remain on you home media server (X360) or to be taken portable (see Microsoft's new Zune). Microsoft views Sony as a threat to their business and if the opportunity is there and it won't hurt Microsoft's position in anyway, which releasing the add-on drive isn't, they will take that opportunity to either impede or hurt the competition (Sony) even if it doesn't directly interfere now but it might in the future. It is easy to see this practice in Microsoft's past transgressions. Anti-trust anyone?

 

[ppltd]

This is just standard operating of any company. It is always a wise choice to ensure that the competetion does not get a foothold. This is still a war of consoles, for which MS has the place to lose and Sony is the underdog.

 

[Mark Butler]

I think that Microsoft is trying to cut out the PC companies by positioning the 360 as a media hub. This is Microsoft's way of building a PC and selling it by not building a PC outright and calling it that. The same can be said for the PS3 as well. The convergence is coming into one center to rule them all, so to speak.

As for this generations console wars, putting all this Blu-ray/HDDVD nonsense aside, it has just begun now with the release of the next-gen PS3 and Wii. Just because Microsoft has more units now doesn't really matter because they were the only next-gen available. In fact because Sony has been the champ with the PS1 and PS2, I would say that MS is still the underdog and will need that big lead to keep the market share that they have enjoyed with the original XBox. Then again the Wii could succeed and knock both Sony and MS down

 

[Ryan-G]

I agree, sort of.

It's more like MS knows the only thing that's held PC computing back is the fact that it's open box. Any and all components can go in, in any combination, unchecked. Compatibility problems and maintainance are the two biggest hurdles for the common man to use a PC, from the "Use" point of view.

The other consideration is cost, which MS also solves by selling at a loss and making their money on revenues.

PC's aren't going to die, don't get me wrong, but they'll only be in the hands of those who truly use them. Developers, people who actually use complicated software, and such. The internet, word processing, chat software, and gaming only crowd will migrate over to the X-box where they won't have to deal with the technicalities of PC's.

Kinda like a Nascar car vs a Cavalier. Most people don't need Nascar for what they use a car for, a nice safe easy to maintain Cavalier meets their needs. But some people's proffessions lead them to Nascar cars, and some people use them proffessionally.

That's MS's game. A rather brilliant one if you consider it. MS knows where the future is going, and they're making a fairly decent play at being the centerpiece of it.

BR and HD-DVD are just placeholders, because the bandwidth isn't quite there yet for VoD. It just so happens, MS has found it also makes a terrific weapon in their war for the center of the living room.

 

[Mark Butler]

I agree. The masses will end up with the Microsoft Mac. To go along with their iZune.

 

[ppltd]

Again, I doubt that this will happen. I don't even see it as a viable option to these gamming systems, and I certainly do not see MS jeapordizing there PC software business for a little gamming business by alienating PC manufacturers, which is exactly what you are implying.

 

[ppltd]

New number on the sales of the Video game systems current 12/5/06:

 

[Ryan-G]

I don't think this is at all true. In fact, IMO, this is one of those things that popped up in a high-profile internet arguement and caught on because it sounded plausible(It does sound plausible, until you consider it logically).

For gamers to not be interested in HD film releases, if they have the ability to take advantage of them, then it goes to follow that gamers are not interested in film releases in general. If one is willing to spend ~$600+ on a new console that has no outstanding games, it goes to follow that one is interested in the cutting edge of technology. There's no compelling reason to own a PS3 right now, as there's no significant number of titles for it.

So, PS3 owners must collectively be interested in cutting edge technology, and they are very highly likely to be interested in Film, solely based on the fact that the majority of people enjoy film.

As such, there must be another limiting factor present in the equation. While one could argue it's pricing of titles, and in some cases I'm sure that's accurate, overall we're still talking about a group of people who dropped a large amount of money to buy a console to play games available on a much cheaper console.

I contend that the actual limiting factor is neither gamers propensity for films, nor cost, but the lack of HDTV installed base. We know for certain that HDTV penetration is very low, we also know for certain that HD media is fairly useless without a HDTV, so the most likely limiting factor at the moment is the HDTV installed base.

As such, given that gamers have a tendency to own similiar hardware and often multiple consoles, it's really unreasonable to expect PS3's effect to be any greater than 360's HD-DVD drive sales. The market should be so comparable between the two, that the percentage of use should be nearly identical. I.e. If 10% of 360 users purchased the add-on, then it's very likely that ~10% of the PS3 users would use it for BR.

It's my opinion that if investigated, I think there'd be a direct corrolation between the number of console owners with HDTV's and the use of the consoles as an HD Player, when you stop to think about it, it makes perfect sense.

As we can expect 360 add-on's and PS3 BR usage to have a similiar curve, then the sales curve that was present before their release should stay identical. I.e. 3 to 1 in favor of HD-DVD, because usage patterns between the two consoles should be identical or nearly so.

 

[ppltd]

Different opinions, same conclusion. It seems to me that if the 3 to 1 sales rate continues, there will soon be an end to exclusivity. Financial losses are going to begin to grow and be noticed by the studios.

 

[chuckamuck]

I've never subscribed to the notion that gamers won't purchase movies -- either downloaded or in the form of optical disc -- for their gaming system of choice.

I have a big circle of West-coast friends who own various gaming systems. The XBox owners have or are hoping to purchase the HD DVD add-on, and even those guys are ready to plunk down their money for a PS3 as soon as they can find one. We talk about HD DVD and Blu-ray all the time, even though they're more into gaming and I'm more into home theater.

They'll also download HD content from Microsoft and eventually Sony because they love trying out new features like that and keeping up with what's out there. They use their systems constantly and this gives them even more to play with.

Having purchased their new LCDs and Plasmas and their new PS3s and XBOX 360s, they -- like anyone else who would be excited by these new toys -- are always looking for new, exciting HD content to feed these devices.

 

[ppltd]

At this point, when the novelty of the Blu-Ray drive should have transposed into volume sales of BD disks, or at least a large initial spike, especially with the lackluster game releases, it doesn't seem to hold water. The percentage of PS3 movie watchers will probably be very close to the percentage of 360 owners that purchase the HD add-on.

I am certainly not making a blanket statement that the video gamers will not buy HD content, but it will be a much lower percentage than those that purchase these game machines to play games.

 

[ppltd]

It is the day before Christmas, and this is my final post relating to the number count of sales of the PS3 as related to the other systems on the market. Real numbers should be out within the next two to three weeks that should allow us to actually begin evaluating the impact of the video gamming consoles have on the HD and BD formats, and the news from CES will help qualify the numbers. So here they are in order of sales from the releases of the PS3:


Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of my new friends on this forum. It has been an interesting 4 months since I joined, and some of the discussions and/or arguments have both been fun, and in many cases have given me insight that I had not thought of before.

To all of you that have invested buying acquiring one format or the other, or both, have an enjoyable holiday catching up on viewing that you may not have had time to watch before. I know I will be.

For those that have not made the jump, I don't believe you will make a mistake with either choice. And once you make that decision, I can promise you that you will not be disappointed.

Again, thanks to all for the reading my posts and correcting me when I have been wrong. See you all after the holidays.

 

[Tim Glover]

Merry Christmas to you too Thomas....I have enjoyed your perspective on HT stuff....