Sony PS3 in big trouble?

I wrote the article below for the magazine and submitted it on June 19th. I thought I reprint it here today and then in my next blogs talk about any progress Sony has made.

Sony was unprepared for the competition this E3. Both Nintendo and Microsoft have their sights set on the leader and can claim a victory in the prominent E3 public relations war. To recover from the E3 fiasco, Sony is going to need to address a few issues.

Issue #1 - Sony needs an “Extreme Image Makeover!” Today, I asked on the forums (http://www.2old2play.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=15429), “What do you think of Sony?” Most of the answers were quite negative. If you were to compare these answers to a year ago or in the pre X-Box days at the height of the Playstation 2, the answers would be quite different. Sony has an image problem. Whether Sony believes it or not, they are being perceived as the giant corporation that thinks they can drive the marketplace. Lately, this has been evident with Sony’s rootkit copy protection scheme. Rootkits permanently alter your computer’s operating system and are difficult if not impossible to remove without wiping and reinstalling. Sony released Audio CD’s that, without your permission, install a rootkit copy protection program. This has been shown to cause problems in other areas on your PC. Sony’s insistence on proprietary hardware, although a nuisance at first, has become increasing displeasing to consumers. If you buy a Sony product, you need to use their memory stick format or their UMD disk for your PSP. Likewise, marrying the PS3 to the Blu Ray HDDVD system will further divide the gaming community. Is the PS3 being made to push the Blu ray format? Ultimately if Blu Ray wins the fight for HD DVD, Sony will make more off players than they will on Playstations. Sony’s products are traditionally priced high. The expected costs of the PS3 ($499 for a 20 gig Hard Drive or $599 for a 60 Gig hard Drive) are significantly higher than their competitors. Sony needs to hire a good public relations firm and launch an advertising campaign to reconstruct their image. I truly believe that Sony does not grasp the size of this problem.

Issue #2 – Nintendo. Nintendo is on a roll. It started when “Nintendogs” came out for the DS and rolled into E3 with their spectacular demonstrations of the new Wii system. Nintendo targeted their device for the casual gamer on an average budget but with enough guts to please the hardcore gamers. The image they portrayed and conveyed at E3 is that Nintendo is about having fun in new and creative ways. Sony’s PS3 was touted as a game machine with superior processing capabilities that also does HD DVD and has media capabilities. They failed to show any creativity in the way you play the PS3 games. They look nicer but in essence they play the same as your PS2 games would. Nintendo’s wand will make their system unique. How do you rebound from this dilemma? Is it time to go back to the drawing board and rethink the user interface? The PS3 controller can sense motion but doesn’t allow you to point and aim at the TV like Nintendo’s wand does. Perhaps an innovative add on controller could be released later but marketed at launch. By touting the high end processing and graphics of the PS3, Sony seems to be targeting the hardcore gamer. Nintendo is targeting new, casual and hardcore gamers. This is a tough issue for Sony. In fact both they and Microsoft have said that they would be the second console in each household after Nintendo.

Issue #3 – Microsoft. Microsoft has a master plan to grab the market from Sony. The earlier release date of the X-Box 360 was timed to get a jump on the next generation console market. Sony responded by putting together a more powerful machine but with each day, especially here in the US, Sony is slowly loosing the battle. Sony’s advantage with exclusive titles is slowly being eaten away by Microsoft. Most notably Rockstar’s Grand Theft series has now jumped ship to Microsoft. Although Microsoft has a somewhat dubious image, they have worked hard to gain the respect of gamers. Sony will be hard pressed to put together anything close to Microsoft’s X-Box Live. Microsoft unveiled their “X-Box Live Anywhere” plan at E3 where you would have one gamer tag across Windows Vista, X-Box and Windows mobile. It will be possible to start a game on the X-Box, play it on your phone on the way to work and then on your Office PC. Microsoft’s OS advantage is huge! To rebound from this position Sony needs to get their PS3 out as soon as possible. If they miss the Christmas season this year and Nintendo goes ahead with their launch as scheduled Sony will be in trouble. The PS3 has to come out by Christmas for them to have a chance of catching Microsoft. Sony may have to lower their price to be competitive.

Issue#4 – Where is the WOW factor? WOW factor is what I call seeing something and you think “WOW I gotta have that”. Nintendo’s Wii has WOW factor with its wand. Microsoft’s X-Box 360 has already given gamers the WOW factor graphically and with its seamless integration into X-Box Live. So far I have seen no WOW from Sony. Even the PS3’s interface is much the same as the PSP’s. I have no doubt Sony’s hype machine will crank up full speed as they near launch but what will they tout to give them the WOW factor! Sony needs to find something to generate that “I gotta have it” mentality in gamers.

Sony is in a tight spot. They only have 5 months to fix their image, combat Nintendo and Microsoft’s superior position, and get that “WOW factor”. If Blu Ray catches on and becomes the dominate format then many may buy the PS3 just to watch movies. Even though the Blu Ray has more storage, history has shown us that superior technology doesn’t always win. Sony should know this from their Beta - VHS format war. Perhaps Sony and Microsoft concentrated on each other and forgot about Nintendo. Although Nintendo’s E3 strong showing has damaged both companies position in the gaming market, Sony is going to be hurt the most since they have no product on the shelves. As gamers, we consistently reap the benefits of the three way competition for our dollars. If Sony fails, then perhaps the next generation of consoles will not be as imaginative, innovative, and exciting.

Posted by Derf @ 11:02 pm EDT | Permalink | 0 Comments

Could troubles in Diggville mean less press for 2OLD2PLAY?

“Political blogger Michelle Malkin was one of the first to complain that groups of conservative or liberal Digg users were acting to remove posts from pundits on the other side. More recently, another blogger analyzed Digg home page stories and concluded that a small group of powerful Digg users, acting together, control a large percentage of total home page stories.

To some this is troubling because it removes the supposedly democratic nature of Digg. Unlike newspapers like the New York Times, where a small group of editors decide what is “news” and therefore included in the paper, Digg is a more meritocritous and democratic process where the readers actually decide what is newsworthy. If Digg is being corrupted by a relatively small group of users, the difference between Digg and the NYT becomes less clear.

Others respond that these groups are just very hard core Digg users that spend much of their day scouring the web for good stories to promote on Digg. Digg ranks users based on how successful their submitted stories become, and a handful of users are hyper-competitive about their Digg ranking. The argument is that these users are simply more proficient at finding stories.

Today Digg co-founder Kevin Rose responded to these complaints. He takes both sides of the argument. Kevin says that groups of people recommending stories to each other is actually a good thing. But he also says that Digg will soon be implementing a new algorithm that weighs a diversified group of Diggers more heavily than groups acting together:

This algorithm update will look at the unique digging diversity of the individuals digging the story. Users that follow a gaming pattern will have less promotion weight. This doesn’t mean that the story won’t be promoted, it just means that a more diverse pool of individuals will be need to deem the story homepage-worthy.”

If I read this right - when a great gaming article surfaces like the one’s from our writing contest and we as gamers go to Digg and digg them and since we are not a diverse group but a group that mainly scours gaming and technical Diggs, our votes won’t count as much.

Let’s admit it. When we have one of our writers put up something good many of us tend to bounce over to Digg and help that article move up the standings so it will be noticed by the more “diversified” Diggers out there. Once it gets up high enough, then the articles are left to stand on their own merit. Many continue to head up the Digg list. I’m guessing that most articles get a 30 – 60 Digg push from our loyal 2OLD2PLAY members. What I fear is that the new “algorithm” will make that initial push to be recognized a more difficult affair. I’m assuming most people are like me and don’t have time to read a 10 – 20 person Digg. Perhaps I’m wrong there; at least I hope I am.

Should we be concerned about this? Does this group really need any more publicity? I wish I could answer those questions but I like many have joined the group late and don’t really have a feel for what that core group that founded 2OLD2PLAY have in mind. I do know that this group is doing an excellent job and I’m glad to be here,

Posted by Derf @ 1:24 pm EDT | Permalink | 3 Comments

The Greatest Video Game Movie Ever Made!

The Greatest Video Game Movie Ever Made!

 

I’ve listened to the 2OLD2PLAY pod casts where they claim that there have never been any good video game movies. I was in agreement until the other day when I ran across a VHS in the back of my old movie drawer. It was a weird time – my family was gone – so I thought  “What the heck – lets watch this thing”. So I popped it in my VHS and that awesome music started.  I was swept back to 1984 and the Starlite Starbrite Trailer park.  Yup - The Last Starfighter has got to be the best video game ever made.

I still remember going to that movie back in 1984. It was pretty hyped. Everyone wanted another Star Wars type movie experience.  We enjoyed it although it was no Star Wars. It was definitely low budget and the rudimentary CGI graphics, although revolutionary, were a let down.  Having been compared to the Lucas releases, The last Starfighter was given lukewarm reviews.

What the movie did have, unlike most Video Game Movies was a Story. There was the love story between Maggie and Alex, mixed with the standard boy coming of age story, mixed with the space opera, and supported by great characters. Great comic relief was strewn throughout the movie. The little brother Louis spouting “Diarrhea” when Alex was kissing Maggie is spouted frequently in my house. Robert Preston, the music man, was even in the thing. One of my favorite quotes I tell my kids when they bring home marginal grade or when they don’t turn in the paper work for getting in to college is:

Alex’s Mom – “You can still go to City College with your Friends”.  Believe me – my kids didn’t want to go to City College!

The beta of the video game surfaced and was spread across the internet, but the game was never released. I played it and it was a pretty good space shooter for that day.

Of course the movie has a happy ending. Alex shows us that all of us can make a difference in life – no matter where we start from. If you have kids that are old enough – warm up the VHS or grab a copy on DVD and watch it as a family. My 21 year old asked me to loan him it the other day. He was remembering the back yard overnighters in the tent watching this movie and playing board games.

It ain’t Oscar, It ain’t George Lucas, but its plain old fun.

Derf

Posted by Derf @ 6:09 pm EDT | Permalink | 2 Comments

SlingBox Review.

I wrote this news item several months ago but I thought I'd start posting some of my reviews here on my blog as well. Some are news articles and some are from the magazine. Eventually I'll have all my writing in one place. So lets start with the SlingBox review:

Slingbox Review

One of the advantages of truly being too old to play is that you have the income to try out interesting new technology. The Slingbox is something I didn’t think would either work well or be a technology that I would use on a regular basis. Much to my delight, I am wrong on both counts. Just what is the Slingbox?
Slingmedia (www.slingmedia.com) describes it: “Slingbox enables you to watch your TV programming from wherever you are by turning virtually any Internet-connected PC into your personal TV. Whether you’re in another room or in another country, you’ll always have access to your television.” For the technology minded, the Slingbox connects to your TV or DVR and converts the signals into streaming media which is transmitted via broadband locally, or wide area to any pc running the SlingPlayer Software.

Connecting the Slingbox.
The Slingbox comes with everything you need to connect to your video systems. This includes S-video, coaxial, composite, and Ethernet cables. I plugged the composite cables into the video out of my Tivo Series 2 and into the Slingbox. Next you place the IR emitters near the infrared sensors on your DVR or Television and plug them into the Slingbox. Lastly connect the Slingbox to your router via the Ethernet cable. In my case I have a wireless network so I used my old Microsoft Wireless Game Adaptor. Next you connect the power adapter and give it about 30 seconds to link up and get an IP address. When both LEDs on the front of Slingbox are lit, you know you have a valid network connection.

Installing the SlingPlayer Software.
The Slingbox comes with a cd that has the SlingPlayer software on it but the easiest way to go to the support section at www.slingmedia.com and download the latest version. Run the install and follow the setup instructions. The SlingPlayer software will locate the Slingbox on the local area network and allow you to name, password protect and configure it. From there you run the SlingPlayer software to connect to your Slingbox and start watching your TV or DVR.

How does it look?
I was disappointed that the full screen mode is blocky although comparable to TV cards I have used in the past. The smaller “normal size” video is sharp and looks great. Depending on your monitors resolution the size of display in normal mode will vary. On my 19in flat screen the display is about 4in by 4in. This is a great size to lock the window to the side and continue to work. In “full screen” mode the display doubles in size and distorts accordingly. The best picture I was able to get was on my daughter’s computer with an old 14 in dell monitor. I am unable to tell a difference between watching the Slingbox on LAN or across the internet at my office. I suppose that has to do with buffering.


Controlling your DVR or TV from your computer.
My TIVO series 2 remote is duplicated exactly. All buttons are functional. When you click on a button on your virtual remote expect about a 2-3 second delay before the actual changes happen on your TIVO. I am able to program, record, watch live TV or recorded video, just like at home. It’s fun to be able to see what the kids are watching and if you’re in the mood change channels on them.

Connecting from work.
To do a remote access you need to open your router with port forwarding. If you are comfortable with reprogramming your router, it is simple and well documented in the installation program. When you get to the remote computer, download and run the install program. Next you enter the password you set up along with the finder ID number that the original installation program gives you. From there you hit connect and start watching. I see no noticeable degradation in viewing quality from the local network to the remote one.

Great ways to use your Slingbox.
The obvious use is to watch TV while you work or play on your PC. In fact while writing this review I have had X-Play running from home in the SlingPlayer window. If you want to watch something from your DVR but it’s in another room or in another state – just run it on your laptop. You can find out what the kids are watching at home while you slave away at work. My daughter has a PC in her room and uses it to watch TV from time to time. I have copies of the SlingPlayer software on all my PC’s so it’s like having 4 more TVs in the house. I can catch up on Lost or Battlestar Gallactica here at work if I have the time or record a show from a remote location. Tivo has a new feature where you can listen to podcasts. Today, I was able to listen to Diggnation today at work through the TIVO - Slingbox connection.

Things that don’t work well.
As I mentioned earlier, a full screen display isn’t possible. Also with the delay between clicking on a button on your virtual remote and it happening on the DVR makes complicated programming and searching are quite slow. Only one person can be connected to the Slingbox at a time.

Final thoughts.
I paid $199.99 for it at Best Buy. I took me only 15 minutes to get it up and running. To access your Slingbox from a remote location you have to do some port forwarding. The documentation is excellent to walk you through this but anytime you program your router you better know what you are doing. I give the sling box 4.5 out of 5 stars. My only complaint is that I would have liked a clearer, larger, full screen mode. I doubt that is possible with current broadband limitations.

Derf @ 2old2play

Posted by Derf @ 11:42 pm EDT | Permalink | 0 Comments

Suxor Reason #4 New Game Addiction

Suxor Reason #4  New Game Addiction

 

I’ll admit it. I have this thing about new games. I love them…. I love the way they feel ….. I love the way the smell…. I love cracking them open and installing them and reading the manual… Yeah – I actually read the manuals. The first time you weave your way through a new interface or game is sweet. My wife is extremely jealous of that other woman (The New Game).

 

The gaming industry loves guys like me. We drive the industry. It’s true! We have to have the newest game, the newest console, the newest gaming PC. In the 60’s it was the space program that drove technology. Since the invention of the PC and the console – it has been me and others like me that have pushed technology to new heights. I’m not kidding – I should get some of kind of reward from mankind for making this world a technological wonderland.

 

The reason I suck at games is I never seem to stay on one game long enough to master it anymore. I bought the X-box 360 in a bundle from gamestop and it came with 6 games!. That nearly killed me. How do you play one when another is calling you……. OMG then Ghost Recon comes out. Give me a break! In any event – I rarely play a game long enough to truly master it and move from suckdom to competence, forget l33tness!

 

Then there is the problem with seasonal suckitude. The Christmas season for video games and console releases! There is no way to keep up with the things that come out during this season. My good old standby games disappear in the back of the game cabinet while one after another new one appears and occupies my psyche for an undetermined period.

 

New games = perpetual suckitude…. You can quote me on that one !

 

Suxor Reason #4  New Technology Addiction

To be continued…

Posted by Derf @ 12:16 pm EDT | Permalink | 0 Comments