gamescom SCEE Press Conference Recap

@Lorghe, Belgium is on the list of getting vidzone

just looked at pictures of the actual ps3 slim on kotaku and nowhere can i see the Divx logo. Is the PS3 losing its Divx certification?

@96.

Surely you mean under users, settings and friends aswell?, i mean if they’re gonna spam it they may aswell spam it properly.

@canand, UK is not the only European country using their own currency, not to imagine the rest of the world, then Sony should name up price in all currencies. Just check your national online stores they’ll soon put a price down.

GamesCom has just started so maybe they’ll explain more about the details later this week. I hope bar code won’t be the option. A) You can easily cheated with it (getting the code from the store) and B) I no longer own the boxes… serious, all my UMD games are in official Sony PSP cases. I no longer have the space to store all my game boxes

A sad day for Open Platform. The rumor was true: OtherOS (Linux) feature is removed from the new PS3.

Kaz Hirai did not tell us the truth.

http://www.scee.presscentre.com/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID =4842&NewsAreaID=2

“Ø Removal of “Install Other OS” feature
The new PS3 system will focus on delivering games and other entertainment content, and users will not be able to install other Operating Systems to the new PS3 system.”

Sorry, that’s no reason.
Tell us the truth. I can’t imagine a technical reason. The need for a few kernel patches or new drivers would not justify this step. There must be more behind.

I really liked the PS3 because it was more open than others – what a sad move.

@GatoVolador24 the CPU Cell processor is slimmed in size as well, therefore means less heating which results in the 32% less power consumption

@Racedriving you can always get something worse… like a Wii…

Hey James and Jem, I have a question for you guys… I just read on Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5340286/sony-market+boosting-slim-ps3-will-phase-ou t-old-models) that James Koller, SCEA’s director of hardware marketing, talking about the new PS3 Slim, said “Backwards compatibility is off the table”. Does that mean there is no hope for BC… ever? Even software BC? Can you confirm that?

From my point of view, that would be a major error for Sony in the long term since I know many PS fans that were actually waiting for that feature (even if it an expensive one for Sony). I do own an “old” 60 Gig PS3 so that’s not a problem for me for the moment (until it dies) but really, you can’t compare playing Shadow of the Colossus on a HD TV upscaled by the PS3 through HDMI with what you get with an old PS2 and an analogic signal. Can someone explain that to this James Koller? Or did this guy fall of the table?

What is complicating releasing the Video Store in Australia?

There’s no language problems. Is it rights holders? Or the ratings body?

Or does Sony Australia just not actually do much?

Why did you remove the “Other OS” thingy so it’s not possible to install Linux anymore?

And when will we see the return of PS2 backwards compability?

The 34% lower energy consumption is extrely nice, though.

putting the hardware back in the PS3 in order to facilitate PS2 compatibility is not cost effective right now. sony’s been trying to reduce production costs on the console from the very start, and have managed to do it by 70% to the point where manufacturing costs are now comparable with retail prices. each console was making a massive loss until this year. reducing costs has allowed sony to make its price reductions on the PS3.

as for software emulation, it could be a lot more difficult than it may seem. i’m fairly sure it’s been considered, and i think sony filed (or intended to file) a patent for software emulation of the emotion chip, but maybe they haven’t got it to perform very well currently?. although the PS3 has the cell processor, it’s only got 256Mb of RAM, and any emulator programming would have to remain in RAM the whole time, thus reducing the amount of free RAM for actual game.

since i never owned a PS2 i have no software for it, so it’s not a big deal for me. anyway, i think they would rather you spent money on new stuff.

As I didn’t think… you can exchange the HDD from the “front”

See this: http://ps3.ign.com/dor/articles/1015007/gc-2009-ps3-slim-and-price-dro p-announced/videos/gcom09_ps3slim_opening_081609.html

for anyone wondering if you can switch the hard drive engadget have confirmed that you can http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/18/playstation-3-slim-unboxing-and-han ds-on/
“The PS logo above the disc drive does not rotate for vertical use, and yes, the hard drive is swappable — as you can see from the pictures, there’s a screw on the bottom, hidden by a panel, that lets you take off part of the front for access.”

@21
I agree,
They could of at least, made a new Logo for the Video store icon.
Would’ve be a lot nicer.

need an edit feature on the blog. :p

now that i think about it, wasn’t it only the original US/japan consoles that had hardware for PS2 compatibility? the PAL 60gb consoles came out about 4 months later and used software for it, though it didn’t work 100% from what i recall. maybe they’ve just stopped R&D on it.. :-/

@twistedintoform
yeah they do lol i just noticed Onna76′s post about the slim hard drive lol

and yeah the PAL 60gb’s didn’t have full backwards compatibility but im pretty sure the ntsc ones didn’t either yeah they did have the emotion engine but im not sure if it had full bc

i think this new SLIM isn’t shiny enough to beat the FAT design and elegance.

James, with this new firmware 3.0, can the PS3 run games from PS2? or it will be added next?

thanks

@115:
Quote from John Koller (Sony Rep) today regarding BC:
“It’s not coming back, so let me put that on the table,” Koller says with an air of finality. But it’s all people ever talk about!

“It’s not as big as a purchase intent driver as you may be hearing,” he claimed. “We’ve got such a substantial lineup of titles on the PS3; most people are buying the PS3 for PS3 games. They’ve buying it for PS3 games and Blu-ray movies.”

“That won’t be returning,” he repeats.

Here’s the recap: no Vidzone for EU, no ps2 bc, no Katamari, and continued delays on all releases – but glitter on the background wallpaper.

So basically, the strategy is to increase the amount of people who will buy a bit of the little content you have, by selling the console at a loss? And shafting people who have been buying the console so far, who have been hopeful about your promises of more services.

Terriffic. But let me guess – all of you are 100% convinced that the PSN is super- great? Isn’t that right? That it’s so good that nothing more is needed to be competitive, except a decreased price? What about the colour? I’m sure that’s what your shareholders will complain about next. Because the entire package – is superior, right? Nothing wrong with it, in any way whatsoever.

Not too few games, not missing online services across half the world, and not prohibitively sucky online servers in some circumstances. Doesn’t matter! Because now the price is right – so now you can just offer the product and not promise to fix the eminently fixable things in it. Brilliant!

dammit sony why are you making the psp go so damn attractive??

@Croopnick_PL

I have just confirmed with local Sony representatives in Malta that PSPGO will NOT be sold in countries with NO Playstation Store!!!!!

Needless to say I find this offensive – the big countries get the latest consoles and the smaller ones, even if in the EU have to put up with old [DELETED]

Ummmm price in Aus????

@45
Naaah, I’m pretty sure we’ll get the cards too

It was a great conference!
Good move, with the PS3 Slim and its new price.

Firmware 3.00 is pretty nice as well (I guess you guys skipped 2.90 because 3.00 just sounded better on a conference? ), although I’m a bit dissapointed in the new features.

Come on guys, let’s be honest here. You know the #1 requested feature is cross-game voice/partychat. THAT should be your #1 priority.

I realize it’s not an easy feature to develop, but I’m sure you’ll find a way.

Personally, I’d suggest to use Skype and make it available for use while in-game. You just need to link your current Skype account to your PSN account, or create a new one, so we don’t have two seperate friendlists to choose from when we want to voicechat with someone.

@121

I think their Number 1 priority should be backwards compatibility like all of their other consoles! :@

where are the tv shows?
have itunes got exclusive rights to every tv show outside the us or something?

@122

Unfortunately, BC will never return.

From an interview on Arstechnica:
——————–
- Do we need to stop yapping about backwards compatibility?

“It’s not coming back, so let me put that on the table,” Koller says with an air of finality.

Full interview: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/08/sony-answers-our-questions- about-the-new-playstation-3.ars
——————–

So, let’s focus on the future instead.

There are a lot more things that should be addressed which concern the PS3′s user interface.

• The Game Launch-feature from Home should extended and added to the XMB as a ‘widget’, so it can be accessed all the time. It should also be mandatory for future games.
• When a notification pops up in the upper-right corner (new message, or friend online), pressing the PS button should take you straight to it
• User profiles (gamercards) need more info (short biography, age, clan name/tag, favorite games, URL, etc). It would also be nice to see some game-related themes to decorate your user profile with

I could go on all day…

I was wondering if the offer for a free copy of GT PSP would apply to people ordering a PSP Go in America as well. If not that would be a little disappointing. Anyway thank you for your time.

@wing126:

actually, the PAL 60gb models still had modified versions of the PS3 graphics synthesizer chip, so the backwards compatibility was not entirely done by software, but a combination of hardware/software, only the emotion engine was software emulated. new models don’t have any of the PS2 semiconductors, making a software emulation the only method for BC, but it’s not going to happen:

“[New models are] not equipped with any of the semiconductors from the PS2, and backwards compatibility would therefore have to be achieved by software emulation alone.

The sheer numbers of PS2 titles available, together with the increased complexity of using a software only solution for each and every title means that to ensure accurate software emulation for the majority would be technically challenging, time consuming and costly. As we have mentioned on several occasions, our engineering resources are now focused on developing new and innovative features and services for the PS3″

YES PEOPLE the new ps3 has a removable HDD check the ign unboxing

Thanks for the live blog! really enjoyed it.

Personally i think the presentation was very good, much info, new things we really wanted (PSN cards, PS video store). Also a new PS3 with a great price!

just one question: will the comics also be available on PS3?

Overall it was a very good press conference!

Nothing new for Australia except the slim and maaayyyybbeeee PSN cards. Totally worthless for Australians once again. Nice work Sony!

Good moning all, tis the day after yesterday of i think a so-so conference not poor at all, home by now should have up the video of the conference, im gutted of what jack.k says but thank god he not SCEE rep so i dont take his advice i only take advive from a scee rep, yes sometimes a firmware update is announce by scea & we scee get it, i 100% agreed with som1 said on here scee should split all the english speaking county under the scea banner that way we get our games quicker that way no need to localisation just 1 language the rest can be under scee & just focus on they language & localisation that way they get the vidstore & vidzone, without all the redtape.

Awesome, loving the update. Got to try and resist getting a slim PS3 as I already have two in my house. Cant wait for all the new features, video store etc. Loving it Sony!

Cheers
GreenMekon

@Croopnick_PL

I have just confirmed with local Sony representatives in Malta that PSPGO will NOT be sold in countries with NO Playstation Store!!!!!

Needless to say I find this offensive – the big countries get the latest consoles and the smaller ones, even if in the EU get NOTHING.

No HOME
No Playstation Store
No videos
No anything

Will you be able to download movies direct to the psp?

Sigh, i’m this close to crying out really loud, sniff. Over a long time saving money, waiting and being hyper over the PS3 for two years, I finally could buy one at 6th’t of August. I’m really happy with it, love the machine. But now this news…. What is Sony going to do for me and the others in the same situation? A refund? Some free game or whatever? I really don’t have much money, atleast not anymore after I bought the PS3, so for me it’s a real pain to see I I could have got it for 100 euro’s less…. Sniff :’(

HELP!

The Reader makes a PSP Go even more attractive. I like how you’re enabling music play while reading. Hopefully you’ll get the full bookstore as well to maximize the potential with your reader devices, and challenge Amazon’s hegemony.

You guys NEED to talk with 2000AD – I’d love to read Judge Dredd on a handheld on the way to work!

I expect everything to be DRM free, of course, otherwise I won’t be spending a cent on these downloads.

Koller on BackwardsCompatibility, hmm. Is that the same Sony tactic as earlier showed by Howard Stringer on Activisions ps3 price cut uproar?

That was July, we’re 2 months down the line and voila.

@nsv94, how about “welcome to the real world”. Everything you buy reduces in price eventually. Same if you buy a television and drops in price 2 weeks later, same with clothes, cars and other things. Plus PS3 Slim rumors have been going on for months so you could also have waited.

@Skookie, its John Koller, not Jack Koller, that’s Jack Tretton and Jack is the president and CEO of SCEA John is Director of Hardware marketing.

@Darkos87, maybe I should watch then because the SCE press conference made sure I stayed awake until 3am

@AUSSIERACER1, check online stores in Australia, the regular PS3 should be reduced in price by now and the PS3 Slim will have the same price tag attached to its package.

PS3 Slim: RIP Linux OS

Well the price cut is nice…
But video store only be avaible on the rest of the europe on 2010!? why? Spain is going to have it and Portugal doesn’t? ok =/
Also I hope that sony doesn’t bring any exclusive content for the PS3 Slim like they did with the psp… plz make the content universal for all ps3 plz!

@twistedintoform, may I ask where you got that post and who made that comment?

grundmoon, the content for Portugal is managed by SCEE Iberia (Spanish).

So no surprise that the Spanish (I have nothing against them), always receive the content before us, has happened many times in the past, happened now, and will continue to happen.

Everyone is calling Microsoft, but they got a good thing. The content is all in the world.

@Onna76_NL : i’m amazed with what you said about slims cell… where did they say that? i lost that part

RIP PS3 linux . i was going to install it when i changed my hardrive to a bigger one

Last year was already announced that IBM the Cell processor provider for the PS3, was working on a 45nm CPU Cell processor for the console. In the end, the smaller the processor, the less power it consumes, as its the power source of the PS3. Which results in less heat and less costs of course. The PS3 needs less ventilators and therefore the console can reduce in size as well, not to imagine… in price.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2008/02/ibm-shrinks-cell-to-45n m-cheaper-ps3s-will-follow.ars

Pretty logical isn’t

Hmmm… link doesn’t seem to work properly when copying and pasting completely. Just type in Google “45nm cell PS3″ and the mentioned website mentioned should appear.

Why is Bravia Sync exclusive to the new Slim? I bought a PS3 less than a month ago and thought it being a “Sony”, it would work with my Bravia KDL-40W4000 bought last summer, but it didn’t. Now you launch the Slim and update firmware to 3.0 but only include Bravia sync for the slim? Why???
I was informed the original PS3 has HDMI 1.3, so there should be no hardware issue.