SCEA's marketing generalissimo talks about the console's new video store, Final Fantasy XIII 360, Sony's fall game slate; clarifies the 80GB's lack of BC.
Though it was the last of the three console makers' press conferences, Sony's E3 2008 event had a series of major announcements that were more than newsworthy, including the PlayStation 3's now-available video store and a new $399 80GB PS3, due in the fall. After attendees from the conference filed out, GameSpot caught up with Peter Dille, Sony Computer Entertainment's senior vice president of marketing, to discuss the revelations.
Several things will differentiate Sony's video store from similar content offered on Xbox Live Marketplace. Mainly, the electronic giant will offer a variety of films and shows for purchase, rather than for mere rental or streaming via Netflix.
"We heard about some of the announcements with Microsoft and Netflix, but the thing with the 360 is that you don't have a hard drive in every unit, so you're only left with the choice of a streaming service. We can offer consumers a choice: Let them download it to own if they want to or just have a VOD [Video on Demand] model for that rental experience."
The new video store is also a major factor Sony is releasing the new, larger-capacity PS3. "Once we got down to $399, that really ignited sales, but we've found people would spend the extra $100 for the 80GB model. ... This new 80GB PlayStation 3 is perfectly suited to this new video download service, give them more storage capacity."
As for the 40GB model, it is no longer in production and will soon vanish from store shelves. "It's starting to dry up today, and will be harder to find as we go forward. The 80GB will be the de facto standard SKU* in September," he said.
As previously reported, Dille also confirmed the new 80GB PS3 will have the same lack of backward compatibility as the 40GB model. "Most of our user base that's worried about backwards compatibility has a PlayStation 2," he said, "So if they want to enjoy their old games, they can do that. But I think what we showed today is there's some really great PS3 content, and that's what's driving the market."
Dille also addressed some E3 2008 news that alarmed many PS3 loyalists: namely, that Final Fantasy XIII is coming to the 360 the same day and date as Sony's console. "The game will be available on the PS3 on day one as well," he said, unfazed. "To me it's a little bit analogous to the GTA announcement. Microsoft spent a lot of money to get the development on their platform. And if you look at what happened in May, you could see there was a pretty even split between PS3 [and 360], so I'm not sure that it had the impact that Microsoft was banking on, to spend all that money to get a cross-platform game."
*Stock Keeping Units, a retail term for an individual retail product.
Why bother, I have really good PS2 games, and what?! I don't touch them, Why? 'cause I used to PS3's better graphics. Can't even look at PS 2 games, aspecialy shooter games I can't really see my apponent from far like PS3 game. But that is just my opinion.
I think the major feature that people buy a ps3 is the backward compatibility (other than blu-ray player) with all of Sony's gaming previous console. Meaning PS3 can play ps1 and ps2 games, well at least it used to. But now it can't.
honestly I have been looking for a used 60gb PS3 forever cuz the lack of 4 USB ports, SD slots, and PS2 backwards compat is a HUGE blow for us gamers...(I could care less about Sony's profit struggles). I don't feel like re-hooking up my faulty PS2 to play classics...its just so much easier to have EVERYTHING on the same system. Oh well...at least PS1 has more classics so I guess I'll be stuck playin those.
i want B-C on PS3. Its just simpler and easier than using 2 consoles and would get rid of the hassle of switching mem cards. couldn't they make an emulator and put it up for download on PSN???
I hate the lack of backwards compatability...I have a ps2 but it was one of the first ones that got basically ruined by playing dvds, so now I can't play ps1 or half my ps2 games...
hey grantsplace, I just read over some stuff and ya your right. bungie split from microsoft about a year ago, but the thing is microsoft still owns the copy right to halo so even though bungie can make a game for ps3, it cant b a new halo game or a remake, should they want to make a game on ps3
flux-moogle, I agree with u but is bungie still technically owned by microsoft? Microsoft is still able to pull some strings but I'm pretty sure bungie is independent now and have just remained loyal to the 360.
Ps3 is getting some good games coming. I see Versus XIII is still looking great as usual. I think they will give 360 the stinky one, and leave the PS3 with the awsome one lol. I mena, that is my opinion. Anyways, off of FF. I want more RPGs. Once Sony gets more of those, we'll be aok. Also, keep updating the PS3, with good stuff.
ya hey kudri, it doesnt work like that, microsoft can take ff13 if they want to because square is a 3rd party developer where as bungie is owned by microsoft which therefore gives them the ability to make all their decisions, 1 of them being that they arent aloud to make a game on ps3 o ya and to cbz, its possible microsoft didn't have to bribe square that hard because i've read in interviews that squares chairmen doesn't like scei's chairmen and thinks developing a game on ps3 is more complex then developing on 360,
dcmdream... why are you talking nonsense?! don't try to compare both systems as they are completely different!
Just to clear this up with some PS3 owners...the PS3 does not have 8 cores, it's not an 8 CORE processor. Do some research please. It has 1 Core at 3.2 GHz and 7 x SPE @ 3.2 The 360 has 3 Cores at 3.2 GHz The 7 SPE's work very differently than a CORE and this where some developers a still strugling. Thank you.
Companies like Square want to put their games on the 360 because it has a bigger installed base. THEY WANT $$$$$$$$$$$. Is this hard to understand for some poeple?
There are a bunch of good looking ps3 games that are coming out, but honestly, I'm not so sure about killzone. The little I saw of it, it just seems to be a glorified shooter. I'll just have to wait until it comes out to decide whether there's something special about it.
My PS2 just stopped reading disks and I was banking on the fact that I'd be able to play my old games on the PS3. Sony gets on my nerves. Now I am going to have to get one of those mini PS2 dealies just to play my games. And FF on XBOX? Gross.
@ dim You are the idiot. True FF fans want to play all the FF they can get their hands on. Who wants to play one game of FF and not even know whats going on on the other FF game on the other system. My bet is sony releases both versions in a pack and it will def sell insane amounts of copies.
I read people saying FF Versus 13 is coming on the X360. You dont know that, Microsoft never said anything about it. They Only said FF13 is coming on the X360 too. FF Versus 13 us an entirely different game its only set in the same universe as FF13. Honesty I think it was a bad move on Microsoft part, they must have spent some really serious money to get FF13 on there console but its not going to sell enough copies on there platform to make up for, let alone make profit from the game. They got it for the few(compared to all those psone,ps2 and ps3) X360 users that would actually want it but mostly just to say hey we got final fantasy 13 world! so next time you buy a next gen console think about the xbox if you like rpg's cuz we got Final Fantasy! For Square Enix to agree to make a X360 version they would have had Microsoft pay minimum the development costs of making there version. Then to have it come out on the same day as the PS3 version probably a little extra which is probably why there is still no release date for the game cuz they just recently started working on the X360 version. Anyway the game im looking forward to on the X360 is Star Ocean and Fable 2, they are going to be so awesome!
I think it's completely wrong for Sony to refuse to realize that maybe people want to have the option of playing their favorite PS2 games on a new console instead of having to keep the system hooked up. I have a PS3, PS2, Nintendo Wii, and a 360 all hooked up to the same TV. While Sony will definitely have a brighter looking 2008-2009, their refusal to support BC is ridiculous.
Huracan24, it's really not the BC that has so many people fired up, not really. It's the significant slap in the face that Sony execs. put on their dyed in the wool fan base that's pissed so many people off. I've been to Duke/NC basketball games that are more tame then face offs between Sony and MS fanboys at Gamestop. Sony did a lot to develop an incredible fan base, and if you were part of that back in the beginning you remember the whole premise of Sony was to give you the best gaming experience for your dollar. The PS1 was expensive, but it too gave you better then PC 3D visuals (that was a looong time ago :) and CD quality music. It stood up against the technically superior N64 by being more budget concious, catering to gamers tastes by promoting tons of game development (and just like the Wii, it had tons of crap). The thing that differentiated it, and still did during the PS2 era, was the development of this idea that it was made for gamers and not just the bottom line. Sure, the business model was all about the green, but the presentation to the consumer was great. In one generation people stopped calling all games "nintendo cartridges" and started calling all gaming "Playstation". Sure, stuff like the PS2 HDD showed that Sony is only out for the bottom line, but they never showed such stupidity and contempt for their own fanbase as they did during the buildup and first year for the PS3. Jack Trenton telling GameInformer that you should buy a PS3 because they treasure the life-long dedicated Sony fan, and they will always provide BC for all PS products! The littany of BS that came from their mouths is too long to list, and besides I'm too busy going to that second job they told me to take so I could afford my PS3.
shut up Sony. some of us would love the backward compatibility. having one machine that can play over 1000 games from the start is just brilliant. oh well.
.....[As previously reported, Dille also confirmed the new 80GB PS3 will have the same lack of backward compatibility as the 40GB model. "Most of our user base that's worried about backwards compatibility has a PlayStation 2," he said, "So if they want to enjoy their old games, they can do that. But I think what we showed today is there's some really great PS3 content, and that's what's driving the market." ]..... fanboys must love this type of slap in the face..lets see what else...Gran tourismo 5 WAS a partial game, sony lied about rumbble interfering with motion controls, every new PS3 sku has an option deleted, the console gets as many updates(ie patches heh) as a poorly run PC...ect ect. Why put up with Sony's bad behavior? There is potential but they are hellbent on screwing customers. Better luck next console generation if Nintendo could make it back to the top so can Sony ,but right now I could care less.
It's really not that big of a deal, not everyone wants to play PS2 games. I look towards the future of gaming, not living in the past with games that don't look good anymore and lose its replay value. Why is everyone so emotional, just get over it. IF you really need the BC, just buy a 80gb PS3 now. You don't need to complain and act like you represent everyone.
So when do these bad 80 GB PS3 arrive in stores and replace the good 80 GB PS3'S? I thought $599 was too much $499 was better but not great $399 is great but NO BC=NO BUY at any price. If the $399 40 GB were BC I would have bought it a long time ago.
I own a 360 and obviously support it because of that, but I would still be surprised if the 360 version of FF XIII sold more than the PS3 version. GTA was different because it didn't have such a huge Japanese audience, Final Fantasy will sell like crazy in Japan, giving the PS3 version a huge boost in sales. Also some people may be loyal to the playstation FF. Needless to say I'll still get it for 360 because of the faint possibility of downloadable content, but I don't see any particular reason that the 360 version would outsell the PS3. If that does happen, itll mean that sony is losing their grip on their target audiences.
The point is NOT that I have a PS2 to play my older games on. The POINT is that I have too many frickin game systems hooked up right now and I'd like the older ones out of the way! BOTH the 360 AND the Wii support backwards compatibility, which is why I still play those games. Why should I have to hook up the old systems when my new ones are FULLY capable of playing the old games? COME ON SONY! We care about backwards compatibility on PS3!!!!
I can guarantee you 100% Final Fantasy XIII will sell more copies on the 360 just like GTA4 did! SkullXero, you once again prove you are an idiot. True Final Fantasy players grew up playing on something called the NES/SNES. You need to remember that not everyone is a 12 year old brat like you that grow up on your PlayStation2.
Dude I had an N64 during the 5th gen, and it had some great games but was held back by Sony running wild in the market. Sony sorta curb stomped Nintendo back then. I loved Diddy Kong Racing tho =D
mztazmz : Is there even a need to explain the amount of doltishness you just spewed? Microsoft may be 'attempting' to monopolize the industry, but isn't EVERY company in any industry trying to accomplish the same thing..in a sense? Microsoft probably realizes FF13's potential, and therefore buffed against such a blow from Sony. It's a business strategy. If I recall correctly, didn't Sony sell / is selling over 230+ million units of the PS1 and PS2 combined (which, collectively, is practically a monopoly)? In your feeble mind, is Sony somehow exempted from the, "Evil Giant Monopoly," stereotype? Didn't Sony nearly choke Nintendo to death during the 5th generation? They're all evil, not just Microsoft. I don't feel 'sorry' for any of them, especially Sony. So, do us all a favor and quit being a ghoulishly, repressed fanboy. It's pretty annoying when I read biased remarks such as yours.
One of the bigest advantages Sony touted over MS was it's backwards compatability, out of the box (no need to download patches like xbox). Now there are problems and it doesn't work... and his fix is to just say "Most of our user base that's worried about backwards compatibility has a PlayStation 2, So if they want to enjoy their old games, they can do that." Not cool Sony.
wow, if my ps2 breaks down, ILL BE SCREWED. I don't want to waste my library of ps2 games and there is no way in hell that i'm dropping $130 for a new ps2 and then getting a ps3 (yes, even with GOWIII coming). My bro and I have a 360 so anyways so at least there is gears 2 and ff13.
What you all need to realize is that Sony will make the most money out of this, as many people still are loyal to the FF experience on a playstation as that is what they grew up with. Also I know most of us can see both games being offered together in one pack for ps3. For sony not to do this would be silly and sumb. Of course offering it at a slight discount when they are together too. The thing is that many FF fans will of course want to experience both games, as they both have completely different stories and characters So true Final fantasy fans will still go out and buy that PS3 so they can indulge in both games. We know this is something to be true.
@ChickenHounk911 It's disappointing that the new 80GB PS3 won't have BC for PS2 games but what the heck are you talking about the 360 having BC and selling your original Xbox? The 360 has horrible compatibility with original Xbox games. Over half the Xbox games I have won't play on the 360, so I don't see how you would of wanted to sell your original Xbox. You must not have been much of a fan of the original Xbox or its game line-up. My experience is exactly the opposite of yours. I had to keep my original Xbox in order to play some of my favorite original Xbox titles (Otogi 1 & 2, Chronicles of Riddick, Tenchu RFD, etc). On the other hand, I was able to sell my PS2 because the PS3 I got plays all the PS2 games I have thrown at it. I agree that it is a mistake for Sony to no longer offer at least one console model with BC for PS2 games. But it was just as big of a mistake for Microsoft not to include decent BC on the 360. I don't know why it is so hard for fanboys to admit that. At least there are still PS3s out there to buy that have backwards compatibility if it is really important to you. But there is no such option for Xbox 360 owners. If I want to play most of my original Xbox games, I have no choice, I must keep my bulky original Xbox.
I hopeFFXIII and FFXIII versus will come in a one box for the PS3....and am sure that its impossible to do with 360....10GB is not enough
This is what happens... when the 360 offered backward compatibility, I sold my old Xbox, there was no need for it. When the Wii offered gamecube compatibility, I sold my Gamecube, there was no need for it. If I buy a PS3, I would like to get rid of my PS2 (and possibly help me pay for the PS3), not have BOTH systems! Removing BC on the PS3 is a HUGE mistake. Cool games are still coming out for PS2. Persona 3: FES or God of War II anyone?
@ mztazmz: Your point on Square-Enix's past financial achievements is correct but you're forgetting to take a look at the scope of here and now. In the past consoles weren't $400 a pop and games weren't $60 a pop. Because of that you can looks at microsoft's move(s) as, yes, either A) trying to monopolize/become an industry giant by making sure they have everything everyone else has (and more) or B) they're trying to provide all the entertainment options possible to their customers because their customers are making a large investment in their product. Key word there being an investment. I don't see this so much as an attempt at an anti-competitive practice rather than Microsoft saving Final Fantasy fans & Xbox 360 owners $400.
If Final Fantasy XIII was still an exclusive he would probably choose that instead of Killzone.
@ kalipekona I said they were better than Sony not that they were perfect. The majority of their major releases hit their release date; of course there will always be exceptions.
@Gao_Wuji I wish more gamers would see what you and I see, that MS is trying to monopolize console gaming. It's unhealthy competition. The mainline FF series has never been multiplatform(except XI) for 21 years. All those games were developed on one console first before they were ported to PC and handhelds, etc. MS must have thrown Square a ton of cash for them to mess with a proven formula of making the games exclusive. FF 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12 all sold at least 5 million copies each on playstation platforms and all were AAA. And I think the PS3 version will be better for a few reasons, so good choice!
The lack of backwards compatibility is a HUGE mistake for Sony to make. As a PS2 gamer it gives me no reason to choose a PS3 over an X360 right now.
While I own a 360 but not a PS3 and am a huge FF fan, I think I'll still go with getting a PS3 to play FFXIII on. The main reason for which is that I don't want to be one of those people who scrap their plans to get a PS3 over this issue. Because I worry about a future of gaming dominated by Microsoft. I can see it.... and it's not a pretty sight.
Dille doesn't know what he's talking about when it comes to FFXIII, but whatever, FFXIII will sell better on PS3 and it will be better on PS3. During the FFXIII conference SE even said so themselves and the game won't be out for A LONG time and when it does it will be the PS3 version 1st then, they will work on the 360.
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