I would rather spend my money on Blu-Ray.

Digital Bits gives a really good impartial analyses of why HD-DVD is going to lose the format war:-

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/soapbox/soap060107.html

These guys know what their talking about. I think its best to go Blu-Ray now to end this format war asap - or else the HD disc market could fail we dont want that do we?

I spotted this story on Google this morning:-


""Sony to make a cheaper PS3 available to consumers soon? Another game delay...

First the 60 GB PS3 dropped in price, then Sony announced the package wont be out for long, and now gamers that have no PS3 are loosing hope that the price cut will ever happen at the right time. Well Game Informer might have some reliving info for those gamers and not so relieving info for the rest.

First off Game Informer has suggested that Sony is planning to release a new 40GB PS3 package that will only cost 399 dollars USD, 100 dollars cheaper than the current price dropped 60 GB PS3. The catch behind the price is the model will not have backwards compatibility with past Playstation console games. Game Informer suggested that the announcement was supposed to be made at E3 and was surprised when the announcement wasn’t made.

The second rumor Game Informer is suggesting is the new Final Fantasy game could be delayed until 2008. FF XIII: Word is under going several problems that may take a year to fix and get together. Along with problems the game also has several other features that are not developed as of yet.

Game Informer also suggested that PSN could be receiving a awards program similar to the one offered in Xbox Live and all games coming out this fall will feature the program. Not much more info was given other than Sony is trying to work with third parties to incorporate the feature.

3 rumors is good enough for one day but stay tuned to PSU in case any become official.

Source: GameInformer Magazine and Gamers-Creed.com""


God, I hope this turns out true because this would really Kick-Ass!!!

Maybe becuase they dont want to wait and maybe because they want 5 free Blu_Ray movies. You can upgrade the HDD later or add a cheap exernal drive, when required. Again why wait?

"the PS3 has had trouble selling."

Its outselling the 360 and Wii on Amazon.com
Its outselling the 360 in Japan and Austrailia
Its begining to outsell 360 in Europe
The 360 has been out 2 years and its sold 11 million, but accoriding to the high failure rate that figure could be as low as 8 million (re-33% Failure Rate).
PS3 has only been out 8 months, give it a chance!

"Once the 60GB PS3s are gone, they still have a serious problem: how to get people to buy PS#s. And on this point, I agree with the author that an extra 20 GB plus a game (minus the EE that allows me to play my PS2 games) ain't gonna do it. Sorry."

I have the UK model and all my ps2 games work fine on it. I think you should buy a ps3 first before spinning yarns like this.

I think people are making mountains out of molehills here (Joystiq and other blogs included).
Unfortunately its fashionable to bash Sony these days. Cynicism aside, the story is:

Sony anounces price drop of 60GB sku to $499 @ E3;
They introduce a new, more cost effective (to them) 80GB bundle, retail $599 with bundle;
Euro Sony Exec says 60GB production has ended in North America, price drop is basically a sale;
Hirai-San confirms demise of 60GB and 80GB is replacement (the 60GB PS3 wont sell out anytime soon though);
Sony anounce once 60GB sku clears, they will look at the cost of the 80GB sku (official anouncement).

When you cut out the bullshit its clear that Sony are working to lower the production cost of the PS3 (cheaper produced 80GB sku) and are offering the older sku at a Sale Price to clear. Because of poor communication within Sony people are trying to turn it into a huge scandal.

The 60GB it $499. thats $100 cheaper than $599. That's a DROP IN PRICE, End of Story!

At the moment people have a choice, they can buy a PS3 for $499 or $599. Does this hurt anyone?

The 80GB will not be cut until the 60GB is sold out because basically many people would get confused and it could potentially hurt 60GB sales: The 'One is better than the other but costs the same' perception if you know what I mean. Sony feel that bundling the 80GB with Motorstorm at a higher price is the best solution to avoid this confusion without losing more money by cutting the 60GB further.

Though Sony wont ever say it now (they would be retarded if they did) they will drop the price of the 80GB to $499 or $450 before xmas (when 60GB clears).

I think people should calm down and wait until the 60GB sells out before crying foul. The important thing is if you want a PS3 for $499 you can get one (with 5 free movies) in the next 2 months. Speculation beyond that is meaningless.

As a die hard ps3 owner (and a little angry with Sony at the mo) you will probably expect me to slate the 360 here but I honestly welcome the news of the new Falcon 360. The heat issues is the only
thing keeping me away from the 360 and its good to hear it will also sport hdmi. Now maybe I can look forward to Gears, Bioshock, Ice Planet, Mass Effect...as well as Killzone 2, MGS4, and GT5, UT3 ;)
M$ is making all the right noises to win people over to its platform. Sony seems hell bent on driving its fanbase away.....We wont stick around for ever Kaz so sort it out!!!

"Sony's sales are not good at all."

PS3 is now the #1 selling console on Amazom.com:-

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/videogames/ref=pd_ts_vg_nav/102-5801343-3148145?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=left-1&pf_rd_r=0J82QRMX8RYWAR3XKK9K&pf_rd_t=2101&pf_rd_p=221591101&pf_rd_i=home

"We won't be making any further announcements regarding our PS3 model hardware strategy in North America until the 60GB model is exhausted and market conditions are evaluated."

Sounds to me like they will cut the 80GB SKU when the 60GB clears, maybe late November. My money is on 80GB @ $399 1 sixaxis - no games; or $450 with Killzone 2.

There's a world exclusive cover feature of Assassin's Creed in this months Official Playstation Magazine, UK. These guys have had hands on experience and they rate it very, very highly.

Some weird stuff mentioned though:-

"Here's the deal: there are nine people the Assassins want dead - nine bigwigs manipulating the Crusades for their own ends. There's a conspiracy to uncover a secret sect running the show from behind the scenes. And this conspiracy may well stretch out into the modern day and beyond . Early trailers hinted that the game might be about genetic memory - specifically a theory that our genes hold autobiographical information about our ancestors. In one infamous trailer shown last year, Altir is killed, the screen fades out and suddenly the player appears to be in a high-tech lab, looking at a computer screen that's telling him a genetic memory simulation has just ended. What does that mean? There has been a mass of specualation, but Ubisoft won't say anything. Then things get really strange. As Patrice (Desilets) guides Altair through the streets in front of us, certain characters he passes regularly glitch and break-up like hologrmas; around them strands of indecipherable data appear, scroll and blibk into the ether. We ask the obvious question. "We're not talking about that," laughs Jade (Raymond).

"Patrice wont divulge anything about the secret at the heart of Assassin's Creed - he and Jade won't even show us the game's HUD, which gives you handy information about enamies in your vicinity, including their line of sight - but it gives away something about the game we're not supposed to know. He's indiscreet though; at one point revealing that an earlier design for the game involved twin assassins - a male and female. Apparently, a dedicated co-op spin-off title is a definite possiblity. On that subject, there will be no multiplayer or co-op mode in this iteration of Assassin's Creed. It's sinlge-player only."

The first bit reminds me of Michael Crichton's 'Timeline'. This game will not suck anyway Tony!

I think its a timed exclusive on ps3 so yes :) (spoilt gits, GoW not enough for ya!)