Sony Press Conference update

by: John - posted: 5/8/2006 7:51:00 PM

Chuck will have a greater report later today or so but here's my take on the press conference as it happens.

• Kaz Hirai takes the stage and begins talking about the PS3.. com'on gimme something good.
• Talking about some great titles at the Sony booth.. Me want God of War 2 and Guitar Hero 2
• Kaz talks about the PSP and delivering in their promise.. the promise of what? Another failed media format in the UMD?
• Various PSP titles are shown and I don't know but none seem to impress me that much.
• PSP greatest hits titles are announced. Are there that many titles for the PSP to warrant this?
  
• Have to ship 250,000+ units and been on the market for more than four months.
• Kaz talks about added functionality to the PSP. Now, I will give them that. They've added some great features such as the RSS channel and web browsing via updates. RSS Video,VOIP , camera, and GPS coming soon.
• Ok now on to the PlayStation 3 news. Kaz is going over the info we already  know.. like the Cell and Blu-ray.
• What I like about the hardware besides the basics? Pre-installed HDD and GIG-E. You see that Microsoft?! They are still saying they support 1080p in games but haven't seen some announced yet. Gran Turismo HD will be running at 1080p!
  
• Blu-ray's being heavily pushed right now. They better hope it doesn't go the way of the UMD.
• Every PS3 will be shipped with the hard drive. Thank you Sony. No stupid two SKU crap. Ok there are two SKUs but atleast the only difference is the HDD size and not that one has a different hardware configuration than the other.
  
• They are still touting a November worldwide launch and clear black will be available at all locations
• Final dev kits are being shipped now six months before launch with some titles on the show floor running on the kits
• Playable game titles will be showcased at the booth so no more pre-rendered smoke and mirrors this time around.
• President Phil Harrison takes the stage now. He gives way to....
  
• Gran Turismo creator is now on stage
• They show Gran Turismo HD running at 1080p, which the final game will run at with 60fps
  
• Assets of GT4 were used for the demo
• The game sure looks purty though. Roughly twelve times the amount of info is being shown on screen than the PS2 game.
• Loading times are cut from 10-15 seconds to 2 or 3 seconds using the HDD to help.
  
• Boy this is a long presentation on Gran Turismo HD. They are hoping to have the game out not too far from the launch of the PS3. Don't hold your breath I say.
• Phil takes the stage again. Are we going to see some ducks??
• IToy creator is now on stage showing some interactivity with the camera attachment. As cards are layed down on a table monsters appear.
• Phil lays down a card and the duck appears. I can see the future.. really I can.
• Kaz is back to talk about the online feature.  So far everything that the Xbox 360 can do the PS3 seems to have as well with an emphasis on a virtual society. Basic services are free..
• Content for both the PSP and PS3 will be offered. Kaz pulls out a PSP where a game downloaded on to a memory stick from the Sony Online service is being run. Hey, it's Ridge Racer.
• Microtransactions are offered of course. Maybe I can own Joust on the PS3 as well.
• Phil's back to show the online GUI.
• The transitions for albums run horizontally and in an arc rather than vertically such as Media Center. It looks pretty slick with the transitions and menu design. As you move from menus to menus, the on screen objects fade towards you and disappear to be replaced with another menu from behind.
• A nice Japanese fighting game and Formula 1 game is being shown. I'm going to have to pick up a PSP cause the PSP, being used as the controller, shows what's behind you while PS3 shows what's ahead of you in the Formula 1 game.. shades of the Dreamcast VMU uint.
• Lair looks like what Reign of Fire should've been.
• Oh no! Not another Hot Shots Golf! Just what the next-generation console needs.
• Eight Days