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Phil Harrison boasts PS3's progress
Phil Harrison has reassured us lately that more than 100 games are in development for the PS3. Not all are launch titles, of course. He reiterated the fact 10,000+ dev kits have been shipped and the company is in full swing for the November launch. This isn't exactly breaking news, but to hear him say as fact the rumors and speculations going around is sort of nice. Especially about the negative press on Blu-ray, he countered: "Right now there are more than 100 Blu-ray movies available today, in the US. More than 100 games are in development, and all the major third-party publishers have pledged their strategic support for the platform."About the developers, he said, "Developers now have final hardware in their hands, though there will be some upgrades to the operating system - there's nothing unusual about that. The new controller is now in developers' hands, so all the pieces of the puzzle are there." All the pieces, except the OS upgrades. Whatever. Here's an interesting bit about the developers: they have working PS3 Blu-ray drives, so they can burn their games onto Blu-ray discs and check 'em out that way, as opposed to running the games off the hard drive or some other media format. At the Tokyo Game Show, we'll see how well the Blu-ray versions stack up. Hopefully some developers will have a decently running beta of a game off of the final hardware and such.
Sony's Harrison: Everything fine here, nothing to see
Sony's Phil Harrison spoke to the Guardian and said that the PlayStation 3 is definitely on track in the gaming community with more than 100 titles currently in the works:"More than 100 games are in development, and all the major third-party publishers have pledged their strategic support for the platform."Harrison continues to douse any other potential flames by saying, "It's all going well. We are in full swing, from a developer point of view, and over 10,000 development kits have been shipped. Developers now have final hardware in their hands, though there will be some upgrades to the operating system -- there's nothing unusual about that. The new controller is now in developers' hands, so all the pieces of the puzzle are there."
Sony's Phil Harrison arrogantly denies arrogance
Phil Harrison, big boss of Sony Computer Entertainment, sat down for a short session with Joystiq's Conrad Quilty-Harper and cleared up a couple of the more embarassing quotes from other members of Sony. About Sony's arrogance, he said: "There's always going to be a risk when you are market leader for ten years that we start to lose perspective; and we have to make sure that we don't lose perspective." He then reassures Conrad Sony is not being arrogant, but are always in the spotlight and any quotes will be dissected into whatever spin is being sought.About the statement "Microsoft is copying Sony"? Phil claims the quote was taken out of context, which is kind of hard to do when it was practically verbatim. Even so, as being the leader in the industry for about ten years, not only is it easier to get more hate than praise (if you think bashing President Bush is bad now, imagine how it would spiral out of control in four more years!), but it's also easier for the leader to get an inflated ego. As such, less people may support the PS3, but saying Sony's arrogant? Taken out of context, indeed. Really, this interview with Phil Harrison did not seem to clear much up at all except the people at Sony really believe in what they say. But should we?[via Joystiq]
Sony's Phil Harrison: "I don't think we're arrogant"
At the end of the final keynote of the Develop Conference in Brighton, Jennie and I walked up to Sony Computer Entertainment big boss Phil Harrison, with the intention of a) thrusting a Joystiq t-shirt into his hands and b), asking him two questions on the topic of the company's perceived arrogance. What he said is below, but the most interesting part for me was what he said off-tape.What would you say to the suggestion that Sony is being arrogant?There's always going to be a risk when you are market leader for ten years that we start to lose perspective; and we have to make sure that we don't lose perspective. But I don't think we're arrogant, I think we have to recognize that we're in a highly competitive industry and that anything that we say will be eternally editorialized by professionals and consumers alike. So we're always in the spotlight.
Sony gets realistic, but remains confusing
More PR strangeness from Sony: Niall O'Hanrahan, a representative of Sony Computer Entertainment in Ireland has added his words to the boiling pot of Sony sound bites. Speaking to the Irish Times, his words offer a slightly more pessimistic tone. Regarding tasks that Sony has set itself with the PS3, O'Hanrahan said "we have a marketing challenge from now until launch. This is not a done deal. It will require a lot of effort from us." He also referred to the extra competition that the PS3 has to face due to its role as more than just a game console: "Competition is now not limited to direct competition. We compete with MP3 players. We noticed at E3 that games for PCs are back."It's nice to see someone from Sony remaining realistic about the challenges the company faces as it tries to sell the PS3 to early adopters, especially considering the jolt that the value of the PlayStation brand must have taken after the console's price was announced. However, we have to point out an obvious contradiction in his words. Wasn't it Phil Harrison that said a few days ago that the PS3 will make the PC irrelevant? Who are we supposed to believe: Phil's harsh words for the PC, or O'Hanrahan's word of warning about PCs being "back" (in town)?
Phil Harrison sez PS3 will make you ditch your computer
Once again, we're hoping something is missing in translation here, but we've got the latest from the trenches in Sony's never-ending hype war of attrition; Phil Harrison, Vice President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, apparently told Spiegel, the following, which was translated from English to German, then back as the following (which we cleaned up a tiny bit): "We believe that the PS3 will be the place where our users play, watch films, browse the Web... The PlayStation 3 is a computer. We do not need the PC." Seriously? We translated the page a few different ways and times, same result. Do you really mean to say the PlayStation 3, which, granted, will run a flavor of Linux, will make us drop our PCs off at the corner because it can browse the web and play back movies? Phil, c'mon, work with us here. As long as you and your cronies are going to keep on making these crazed, bombastic Sim Wong Hoo-like statements, we're gonna keep reporting it; and then our kind readers are gonna think we're all hating on Sony and stuff, but really we're trying to expose the folly of what's really at hand. Seriously Sony, Phil, Ken, you guys need let the product stand on their own two feet. We're gonna suggest the Nintendo method on this one; enough with the superlative language and let the product sell itself.[Via VideoGamesBlogger]Update: thanks to our dear, sweet German speaking audience (yes, we're read internationally -- who knew?) it's becoming increasingly glear that our translation-bot didn't facilitate an accurate quotation here, (surprise, surprise). Essentially the answer Phil gave was along the lines of using the PS3 to attack some of the more commonly used PC functionalities, and that Sony's emphasis is on entertainment, not just gaming. Ok, that's cool, but that's still a helluva money quote.
Sony picks Wii as running mate vs Microsoft
It seems supporting Nintendo has become the popular trend among next-generation console makers. After Peter Moore rather surprisingly considered Nintendo Wii as the second console of choice (alongside an Xbox 360), Sony's Phil Harrison shot back by telling GamePro, "I think Peter Moore is exactly right. I think Nintendo will be the second system consumers purchase after PlayStation 3."As our tipster pointed out, if Nintendo was everyone's second console of choice, wouldn't that make it the top-selling console with the most market share? Regardless, statements like these are sure to put Nintendo's corporate offices in good spirits.[Thanks, Sense; image inspired by Dueling Analogs; via Gamasutra](Update: pointed link back to original source.)
Phil Harrison's media Q&A video from GDC
Can't get enough Phil Harrison in your life? Check out this video from the media Q&A following his GDC keynote for 20 minutes of Phil-y love (and maybe a few furtive glances from Kaz Hirai sitting in the background).We just love how Phil "swerve[d] a couple of the questions" regarding the hard drive and other hardware-related issues, but we also like how he managed to clarify those questions regarding "content offerings" that will be charged at a "premium," though he did say that there were "no plans to charge for [multiplayer gaming] at the moment."But, yeah, Mr. Harrison wasn't as combative in his answers as some media outlets portrayed him, which is another great step for platform executives who tend to make rather grandiose statements and fiery claims. If you want to see as well as hear the Phil handle all comers, this is one of your best chances yet. We'd love to hear it all clearly in English at E3, too.[Thanks, Fan; video courtesy of Jean-Baptiste Su of Citizen Valley]
Warhawk, MotorStorm, & other bootleg GDC PS3 videos
So, are you tired of bootleg stills from the upcoming PS3 titles featured at GDC? (Or bootleg videos from current-gen titles like God of War 2?) Well, it looks like you're in luck, as we've got a few fuzzy PS3 videos from Phil Harrison's speech, courtesy of the embargo-ignorin' folks at Multiplayer.it.What we have above is a clip from the developer demo of Warhawk for the PS3. A voiceover describes the "ambient warfare" to be used in the air-combat simulation game, as well as the innovative mix of "Cell-based software rendering with RSX-based hardware rendering" to produce the graphics. For all you coders out there, it was also interesting to note that the programs running on the Cell's SPUs were not written in low-level assembly (easing development, but possibly degrading performance).While we wait until E3, when a playable version of Warhawk was promised to be delivered, here are a few more PS3 videos from GDC that you might find interesting (with a few unfortunately quite incomplete): Streamed video of MotorStorm GDC footage, also with a voiceover. Streamed speeded-up video clips (no audio) of Warhawk, Getaway 3, Lair, the Havoc physics demo from Heavenly Sword, the bullet-ridden car model demo, and even that video concerning Rachet & Clank. Streamed (basically) audio-only video from Resistance: Fall of Man. [Thanks, Reaktorleak89, Fan, & Da'Cheez; via PS3 Fanboy & QJ.net]See also: MotorStorm, Resistance and more: pictures from Sony's GDC keynote God of War 2 GDC video leaked online Multiplayer.it's report on Phil Harrison's GDC keynote (in Italian)
God of War 2 GDC video leaked online
No one was supposed to be recording at the time, but it appears that the trailer for God of War 2 (from Phil Harrison's keynote at GDC) has managed to find its way onto the intarwebs and into our hearts.There you can observe good ol' Kratos jabbin' and choppin' and doin' his thing with his mythological Greek friends. Of course, if you haven't played (or finished) the first God of War game, be aware that a minor spoiler is revealed early on by the trailer's narrator. (Didn't see that one coming, didja?)But, yeah... who do we have to thank for breaking Sony's embargo on this footage? Apparently some guy named "Element" who helps out at playsyde.com. Will Sony act against YouTube for hosting such a video? We'll have to see now, won't we? Whatever the case, an official direct-feed version would certainly be appreciated if it can be managed.[Thanks, David; via digg]See also: Playsyde cam-footage post thanking "the great Element" for this clip Sony confirms God of War 2 worldwide Q1 2007 Unreal Engine 3 and other PS3 tech demos from GDC floor [no GoW?] GDC: The PS3 keynote blow by blow [a few GoW 2 details]
Unreal Engine 3 and other PS3 tech demos from GDC floor
Sony may have prevented pics of God of War 2, MotorStorm, and Resistance: Fall of Man from being taken during Phil Harrison's keynote speech yesterday, but they did let folks take video footage of the other PS3 tech demos on the GDC floor.So here you have not only the "Lots of Ducks" tech demo all the way from last year's E3 presentation, but you've also got a user-manipulated look at Unreal Engine 3 (which will purportedly power Unreal Tournament 2007 on PS3 next year), a performance-analysis app that flips a face around, and the underwater fish demo also seen during Phil's address.Of course, there's only so much nudging around of heavy barrels with the Unreal engine that you can take without wondering what juicy UT tidbits will turn up at E3 2006. What's nice, though, is if you're sick and tired of seeing more rubber duckies in Sony's bathtub, you can watch for them in that fishy underwater video resting at the bottom of the sea. Wow, those ducks went down... permanently! Just remember that these technical demos are not representative of final playable games. (Darn.)See also: GDC: The PS3 keynote blow by blow [Chris gets his "wrist slapped"] An in-depth look at Unreal Tournament 2007 Sony confirms God of War 2 worldwide Q1 2007 Engadget & Joystiq's live coverage of Sony's PlayStation 3 launch
Chris Grant co-host on Gaming Steve podcast
Joystiq's very own Christopher Grant is not only posting from the 2006 Game Developers Conference, he's also starring in a podcast.Okay, so technically he's just co-hosting an episode of an ongoing podcast with Gaming Steve, but you can't miss this opportunity to hear Chris's laid-back, sweetly smooth voice. (There are reports that Chris also sounds somewhat like a stoner, but we wouldn't be able to tell you what those kind of people sound like anyway, so what can we say?)As for the podcast itself, Chris and Steve go into the events of the last day, enthusiastically sharing about Microsoft's bloggers breakfast with Peter Moore (inset), Phil Harrison's PS3 keynote, what the new Battlestar Galactica might have to do with games, and everything else that they saw in San Jose. And, hey, maybe if we're lucky, we'll get another guest Joystiqer co-hosting with Steve today. More from GDC as we get it...See also: Direct download link for the podcast in question [55 minute-long MP3] Gaming Steve's "Day 3" report on GDC 2006 [where we got the pic] Joystiq @ GDC: In the beginning... [w/a little bloggers breakfast info] GDC: The PS3 keynote blow by blow
Region-free PS3, free online multiplayer confirmed
During a Q&A session with media over lunch after yesterday's GDC keynote, Sony's Phil Harrison confirmed that PS3 software will be region free and that multiplayer gaming will also be free.While we'd heard rumblings of the region-free set-up for games back in early November, we hadn't heard any official confirmation outside of Australia until just the other day. Importers (as well as online gamers) should be quite pleased with the development, though this move likely won't follow for Blu-ray movie discs. It's good to see the region-free status of PSP games spread to the PS3's.If online multiplayer is included as part of Sony's free basic service (known internally as the "PlayStation Network Platform"), then what would constitute Sony's premium service besides the typical content downloads for games? Subscriptions for movie and/or music services, perhaps? And going back to the region-encoding news, it's heartening for our friends on the Continent to hear Phil's following statement: "It's possible for developers to put all the TV formats - PAL, NTSC, HDTV, and so on - on the disc." Can Sony bring the world together with games?[Thanks, DarkFlash; image taken from Final Fantasy Odyssey]See also: Free basic service on "PlayStation Network Platform" GDC: The PS3 keynote blow by blow ["P(S)NP" just an internal name] PS3 region encoding unlikely? [from Sony Computer Ent. Australia] PS3 to share region encoding on Blu-ray [for the U.S. and Japan?]
Major press conference set for March 15th by Sony
We all knew that Sony's Phil Harrison was going to deliver a keynote at the GDC next week, but it looks like we might get "some details" early thanks to a major press conference set in Tokyo for this Wednesday the 15th.After a hint about just such an event from a certain Koei executive, gaming news site Ferrago claims Sony is "conceding that a major press conference will be held" on that date. It is hoped that further details concerning the PS3's launch schedule and its upcoming games would be revealed if the event actually takes place.[Via Joystiq]
GDC Director confirms new PS3 info at show
In an interview with GameDaily, GDC Director Jamil Moledina has confirmed that Sony's Phil Harrison will reveal some much needed details about the PlayStation 3 during his keynote. In response to being asked if there would be new info, Moledina bluntly replied, "The answer is yes," before going on to promise the keynote would "contain significant editorial value and developer takeaway."It's worth noting that Phil's keynote is titled, "PlayStation 3: Beyond the Box," so this only confirms what was already a reasonable expectation. Joystiq will be on hand, keyboards at the ready, eagerly listening for anything of value. If they somehow manage to reveal nothing during a keynote with "PlayStation 3" in the title, then we'll eat a (slim) PS2.**This offer not good in real life.[Via Gaming Horizon]
