XBox Live: Can Sony slay the Dragon?

[Leon Retro]

The PS3 isn't going to do anything the 360 can't do though. In fact we also have no idea how well built the PS3 is going to be.

When Microsoft decided to get in on the console scene, they didn't have time to create a custom machine, instead they just bought easy of the shelf components, that though expensive got the job done quick.

MS has made an impact on the console scene, and have learnt a lot of lessons. The 360 is the machine MS have been dreaming of for years, a fairly compact powerful unit that does everything they want, but can be built at a much lower cost than a pc style unit.

Sony have always traded on peoples perceptions that they make the best technology. They are masters at marketing and propaganda and this is one of the most important abilities to have in business.

The PS3 will probably be marketed more and more as a revolution and the most significant machine ever created. I expect the propaganda machine to go in to overdrive soon, and really get people hankering for the machine however high the price( ?299 being my bet )

The PS1 was a fantastic machine and lived-up to the hype in many ways. The PS2 was over-hyped and the resulting machine( though good ) didn't live up to expectations( the reality engine bull**** wasn't needed ) - The PS3 situation has already seen Sony prepared to use extreme manipulation to build an air of superiority, the publics expectations are now ridiculously high, but will it matter if the final machine fails to deliver everything promised?

[Ady]

Then we should never have moved beyond PS1 quality textures for 3D then, CD busting art assets being superfluous crap.

Now that's just silly. Bigger storage doesn't directly equate to better textures. I just don't see the point in having incredibly large storage mediums just for the sake of it, particularly if they cost money (which they do).

This whole BIGGER=BETTER mentality that's so popular now could slowly strangle this industry to death.

Why? What's the barrier to entry? They have the infrastructure and the PS3 comes with ethernet built in. It's not like the hard drive argument where you need an expensive hard drive, customers will get all the bits out of the box it's just up to Sony to build a front end. Developers who Microsoft worked to convinced to go the Live route won't have to be persuaded to get on board.

Perhaps, but it's still way too early to say if you ask me. As yet, no-one knows how Sony's online PS3 soultion will pan out or how it will function in comparison to Microsoft's.

Either way, I can't see everyone suddenly abandoning Live and flocking to Sony just like that.

To be honest it's not that obvious this time around at all. They stripped out the hard drive and made it a $100 add-on. That's a big step away from the PC not towards it.

Not really. Had they done away with the HDD completely, then I'd be inclined to agree. Again though, at this early stage, it's difficult to predict the outcome for either Sony or MS.

The fact that they currently have one of the most popular console based online services is beyond dispute, but is there some technical reason that Sony couldn't match and eliminate that advantage in the coming generation?

No.

But does the lack of technical issues on Sony's part guarantee their trumping of Live?

Again, no.