Is Blu-Ray The PlayStation 3's Ultimate Determining "X Factor?"
At first, many industry journalists didn't quite acknowledge the impact the Blu-Ray format will have on video games; we only saw it from the high-definition and movie angle. Essentially, once Blu-Ray trounced HD-DVD, the PS3 became the only video game console that would support true high-definition movies.
But then, that 50GB space on Blu-Ray began to come into the limelight a little more. The naysayers would make fun of it, saying it was already "out-dated" when Konami and Kojima almost jammed it full with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. But we could always fire back, "yeah, how many DVDs would you need for a 360 version? 6?" Then, Sony said they used about 43 gigs of space for LittleBigPlanet (the one big reason why it'll never come to the Store, by the way), and just recently, people have noticed that Square-Enix's The Last Remnant is - perhaps not surprisingly - a multi-DVD game for the Xbox 360. It will eventually come to the PS3 and of course, it'll only take up one Blu-Ray disc, which has prompted further discussion regarding Final Fantasy XIII. We know it'll be headed to the 360 as well as the PS3, but how many DVDs will Square-Enix need...? The point is, as the generation progresses, developers will want to do more and more with any platform, and the PS3 already has the edge in terms of raw processing power. But it seems very much like Blu-Ray is going to play a major role in this advancement.
We're not saying DVD will fall tomorrow - clearly, Blu-Ray has a long way to go before it becomes the choice of the majority - but for game devs, who seek to push the envelope all the time, Blu-Ray appears to offer far more than what amounts to an outdated format in this day and age.
11/23/2008 Ben Dutka
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Comments (58 posts)
WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, November 23, 2008 @ 10:38:27 PM
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On a semi-related tangent:
I've been surfing today and noticed the abysmal status of The Last Remnant due to technical issues; most are blaming the 360. Now, usually the crappy old unreal engine runs better on 360 so I'm a little worried, but it's entirely possible that forcing that active a game to work on 360 is what destroyed the framerate and caused the pop-ins in the first place. Also I think it was rushed out the door to meet with M$ timed exclusivity deal. I REALLY hope they are able to solve these issues on the PS3 version so we can actually have the superior game. Me no own no 360 so haven't played but it's lookin rough. Like Squeenix is giving death rattles.
What do you guys think of it's problems and bad reviews?
Qubex
Sunday, November 23, 2008 @ 10:47:34 PM
AntDC
Sunday, November 23, 2008 @ 10:52:25 PM
Daedusian
Sunday, November 23, 2008 @ 11:07:53 PM
But maybe this will show M$ the pressure they are putting on dev's shoulders when they demand a game early? The fact that it will have its fair share of flaws because the game is being pushed out so quickly. But, meh, this will go right over their heads like nothing ever happened. ZZZerooooom!!
Last edited by Daedusian on 11/23/2008 11:10:18 PM
coverton341
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 10:29:29 AM
Qubex
Sunday, November 23, 2008 @ 10:46:40 PM
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What may be manifesting now is that people who may have not felt it to be the primary reason to own a PS3 initially, may now think it is a great Blu Ray player as well as being a great games machine. I think there are two distinc camps here, and the Blu Ray player capabilities of the PS3 will sit as either a primary reason or secondary reason, depending in which category one falls in.
For me it was both, both reasons were equally important to me. On the game playing side it is only in recent months that I have felt the Playstation 3 is shaping up to what was promised, however I think there is a way to go. If Killzone 2 is anything to go by, together with other AAA titles on the horizon, "next generation" has truly come home.
Blu Ray movies are still too costly to own at the minute, so my cash will go to games... about 3-4 a year, that is what I am aiming for, and only games that score 8.5 and above depending on the genre!
Q!
"i aM hOMe"
Last edited by Qubex on 11/23/2008 10:48:49 PM
Daedusian
Sunday, November 23, 2008 @ 11:16:02 PM
Aftab
Sunday, November 23, 2008 @ 11:40:41 PM
Qubex
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 12:49:54 AM
Cost per game = per hour value; it needs to make economic sense if one is playing games rather than spending 30 dollars or more at the movies for 2 hours of entertainment (if that) and a bit of food.
So far I see the value, and to make it worth while, reading in-depth reviews at PSX Extreme does of course help with that decision making process...
I would have bought Dead Space and one or two more, but I am holding back to add to my PSP purchase for Christmas; now that is value... a gadget like that instead of 3 full priced PS3 games!
Q!
"i aM hOMe"
Aftab
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 9:59:54 AM
sabitrulz
Sunday, November 23, 2008 @ 11:03:34 PM
Reply
1)Extremely Reliable
2)Cell's Raw Processing Power
3)Blu-Ray[50GB space]
4)Sexiest looking AV-Hardware ever made
5)Sony's In House Exclusives
XBOX-360 Pros:
1)GFX Chip that works on Direct-X
2)GFX Chip that supports Unified Shedder
3)Gears Of War and Halo
4)Backed up by a bag full of bucks
GoldenShadow
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 8:24:18 AM
Aftab
Sunday, November 23, 2008 @ 11:36:40 PM
Reply
Last edited by Aftab on 11/23/2008 11:46:35 PM
Zorigo
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 2:19:48 AM
karneli lll
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 12:21:26 AM
Reply
LightShow
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 10:28:54 PM
analog is like a guy with a marker reading instructions like "red dot, then blue dot, then red, then green..." etc. It works fine for SD signals and you dont need any computing power to analyze it. the problem is, the more pixels you put into the equation, the longer it takes to render the picture, and the lower your framerate is. This makes it unacceptable for HD formats.
now a digital signal is like the one a computer uses, it's a VERY fast sequence of 1s and 0s. If you have a newer tv, then your TV has the computational power to take this binary code and translate it into the picture you want to see. Because the code is relatively simple, you can dedicate one frequency to reds, one to blues, (and so on), so that, instead of having just one signal (analog), you have multiple signals. This makes it much easier to use with HD formats, especially at high framerates.
so, in short, the quality ceiling is much higher for a digital signal, but the word "digital" doesn't mean HD.
millermayhem
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 2:29:04 AM
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It will be more popular than Laserdiscs (I wrote off VHS in 1994) but DVD will remain the main stay. I am currently working in a store that rents and sells books, movies and games. The average customer does not care about blu ray. They see it every day and it does not effect them personally so it is dismissed. I have met numerous people who do not know if they own a HD set! I have spent 5 years as a theater manger/projectionist and had went to a broadcast tech college. I calibrate my own set... CRT... convergence and stuff. I am on a budget but I don't mess around. and joe sixpack is ignorant of Bluray.
THEN.. the DBS satellites ( I was also a DirecTV tech) and the crummy bitstream (half of bluay and HD-DVD output) gives that darn macroblocking when the action hits. Nobody seems to care. boggles my mind.
as of digital tv vs analog. Japan had a HD analog back in the 80's or so. Digital can look like junk also. remember quicktime back in 1995?
even the current broadcast from sat and cable companies. I have seen analog that would beat DVDs down. This came as the source of a 100k broadcast camera. Anyways you get the idea. The general public has just spent the last decade buying the movies on DVD from VHS. The upscaling DVD players do a commendable job. enough that the cost of Bluray does not justify the means of upgrading. bluray will remain a niche market in home theatre.
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 3:40:31 AM
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 10:22:45 AM
the_importer
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 5:45:03 AM
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FLYING_APE
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 7:33:24 AM
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internet porn is in hd
gameing websites like ign and gametrailers
movies
next gen games
tv channels
BD is the next dvd belive me just because it's not selling like wii doesn't mean it's a epic fail.
Also if last remnant is multi dvd, final fantasy 13 will be on 4 discs. Microsoft are paying for development costs and multi dvd costs. Thats why square enix decided to port to xbox 360.
Sir Shak
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 7:36:38 AM
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frankly i wouldnt mind that happening cause i want the best games to look as good as possible.
imagine GOWIII in 1080p native running on 60fps.swapping a disc once in the whole game isnt a problem for me.i would like devs really push the limits.
Memphis
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 8:03:23 AM
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"TDK has announced a prototype Blu-ray disc that can store a massive 200 GB of data. The single-sided, six layer disc can store up to 18 hours of high definition video."
Now THAT would change the face of gaming!
coverton341
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 10:40:10 AM
CH1N00K
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 8:11:28 AM
Reply
MetalHead09
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 10:24:44 AM
CH1N00K
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 10:45:03 AM
MetalHead09
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 8:44:46 AM
Reply
LightShow
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 10:36:09 PM
karneli lll
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 9:25:43 AM
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ps1 - Cds..... ps2- Dvds..... ps3- Blu ray..... ps4- the next best thing!
Last edited by karneli lll on 11/24/2008 9:28:39 AM
CH1N00K
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 10:22:22 AM
As for counting out Nintendo and 360? I wouldn't yet. Keep in mind that Sony is still struggling right now agains M$. Sure the 360 has problems, but they've also got a better marketing team. And rumours already out that a new M$ X-Box is already in the works...They'll have a few years of lead time and sales on the next Sony Product.
And Nintendo has always found a spot in the market to hang out in. They won't fade away just yet. Although it will be interesting to see how they do in the next gen consoles. Up until now the people that grew up playing Nintendo were buying Nintendos for their kids. Now though, there are a lot more young parents that grew up playing PS1 and X-BOX instead of Nintendo....What system they buy for their kids will be affected by what they know. But the Wii is doing really well, and there are going to be a lot of kids now, who will have fond memories of playing Wii with their Grandparents...a concept that was unheard of 5-10 years ago. So it's all going to come down to: When it comes time to chose a brand to buy...where will your loyalties lie?
Myself? I've always been happy with the Sony brand, and as long as my PS3 is as reliable as my PS2 was and my PS1...I'll be buying a PS4 as well....And although I don't have any kids yet, who knows in 8 years time, I might have a good start of raising another Sony Minion...
Odd Child
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 3:06:29 PM
Wage SLAVES
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 1:39:58 PM
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tlpn99
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 2:18:11 PM
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No hardship is it.
I have yet to get a film on blu ray though, I still have all of my videos and not even upgraded them to dvd.
Imagine the game thats gonna be so awesome on the PS3 it takes 2-3 blu ray disks or even that alleged 200 gb one. Now that will be a decent game :)
Odd Child
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 3:09:33 PM
Jed
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 8:56:00 PM
LightShow
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 10:32:33 PM
bearbobby
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 3:58:21 PM
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I'm sure he brought that up to take a quick jab at my console choice cause at the time a lot of people were playin the "I'm anti-sony and sooo cool" role, and I'm sure a lot of people out there think the same thing. Now I can't tell people how to spend their money, but I can tell you how I will spend mine. I won't replace my dvd collection. Why? because there's no reason. The PS3 upscales dvd images well enough to not warrent any replacement.
It's not the same as the transition from VHS to DVD as Blu-ray drives can obviously still play the older discs. It might be old tech, but certainly not completely obsolete.
However I am more than willing to purchase a new movie on Blu-ray if the movie earns that honor, as most new movies are filmed in such a way as to maximize the viewing potential and bring the best experience possible.
Also the type of film definitely plays into the choice of medium as well. Movies with a lot of cgi, usually Sci-fi, fantasy, or all those wonderful Pixar films truely shine on Blu-ray. Other film genres don't really benefit too much from the improved resolutions, I personally wouldn't spend money for films like Superbad or The Departed on BD but for films like Iron Man or Transformers Blu-ray is the way to go.
Sorry, long rant.
bearbobby
Tuesday, November 25, 2008 @ 3:31:44 PM
Jed
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 8:51:31 PM
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BD now is much like DVD was in the beginning. It is a little expensive now, but all the movie studios are signed on, and it's only a matter of time until it takes over.
Am I old if I can remember the transition from VHS to DVD?
Dingodial
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 9:29:01 PM
CH1N00K
Tuesday, November 25, 2008 @ 8:51:04 AM
millermayhem
Tuesday, November 25, 2008 @ 2:36:19 AM
CH1N00K
Tuesday, November 25, 2008 @ 8:52:38 AM

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The_Vandelizer
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Sunday, November 23, 2008 @ 10:34:32 PM