Xbox One – One machine to change your living room forever?

Posted by Tiberius Jonez
email @ tiberiusjonez@gmail.com
Twitter: TiberiusJonez@GameJonez

Still a box, but a pretty one.

Depending on your point of view, Microsoft's big reveal yesterday meant different things to different people. Early opinions and impressions from around the net seem to range from “Holy Cow, that thing is bad-a$$!!”, to “Big deal!?” to “Where were the games?” and an occasional “Nintendo is dead either way!”. Regardless of your overall opinion of the presentation though, there is no denying, parts of it were pretty darn impressive while other parts were a bit underwhelming. Oh, and while they didn't reveal pricing or an exact release date beyond "later this year", they did show an actual final-design console and controller! Wink, wink.

On Sunday, prior to the big show, I speculated on what to expect from the big reveal and, as is par for the course, I was right about a couple things, and wrong on a couple others.

The name: Virtually everyone, including myself, seemed to think the name was surely going to be Xbox Infinity, but in what I considered to be somewhat of a surprising turn, Microsoft chose to go with the name Xbox One; the stated implication being that their new box is a one-stop-shop for all things games, TV and entertainment.

I found this interesting because prior to the Xbox 360 being released, several game journalists at the time suggested that, even though the console would be only the second offered by Microsoft, the company might find themselves at a competitive disadvantage if they named their pending console without alluding to the number "3" in the name, simply because Sony would surely be following them with their own third-generation console which everyone assumed (correctly) would be named the PS3. Surely, it was suggested, if MS named their console the Xbox2 instead of something akin to the eventual actual name, Xbox 360, the uninitiated (specifically parents purchasing for their kids) might mistakenly assume the MS machine were inferior to the competition simply because the name suggested being a generation behind.

While reflecting on the name Xbox One, it occurred to me the name suggests a couple things; first, that Team Xbox is now self-assured enough in their ability to compete with, and differentiate themselves from, Sony, that they are comfortable allowing their newest offering to be judged solely on its own merits, name be damned. Secondly, they are going ahead with their assertion that the name should be suggestive of the console's feature set, rather than what it may or may not suggest console-generation wise. Judging by the roar of applause from the audience in attendance, the console's name and physical appearance, which were revealed simultaneously, were both a hit.

Regarding the look of the console... I thought the Xbox One's physical design was simple, elegant and functional. However, I was more pleased by the 40 plus improvements they've reportedly made to the Xbox One controller, most notable of which are, 15% quicker responsiveness overall, and triggers that feature programmable levels of feedback. Whether this simply refers to force feedback, or, as many have assumed, something much deeper, such as different levels of resistance (say, for different gas and brake pedals of different cars) was not exactly spelled out. Point being, if they've managed to make significant improvements to what many already consider to be the most functional and comfortable controller on the market, then kudos to them!

Always on required or not: Confirming my expectation, the Xbox One does not require an always-on internet connect to function. However, you certainly reap the machine's greatest rewards by being connected. So, was this point a moot one from the outset? Certainly not. If Microsoft had “forced” consumers to have an always-on internet connection to function, the backlash would likely have been swift and severe, especially in the U.S., where consumers simply don't like being told what they can or can't or should or shouldn't do.

I thought MS demonstrated a keen understanding of the marketplace; by not requiring always-on internet they appeal to the “games only” crowd, while making it clear to those looking for a much more robust experience that if you are always online, then this thing has the potential to truly revolutionize the way you interact with all of your entertainment experiences.

A quick note about the new Kinect-centric Xbox One interface: what was most impressive to me and, judging by the applause, those in attendance, was just how intuitive and responsive it is in action. When Xbox Design Exec, Don Mattrick, in real time and using only his voice, switched between different functions of the Xbox One, going from playing the new Forza, to live TV, to a movie, to music, then to Internet Explorer and back to the Home page, the transitions were seamless and virtually instantaneous. This part of the demonstration made it clear that the Xbox One does indeed have some serious horse power under the hood. It was very slick and impressive.

The final two points I speculated about are so intertwined that it makes more sense to address them in tandem, rather than separately. Entertainment vs Games and Differentiating the Xbox One from the PS4: If you go back and look at much of the pre-reveal speculation around the net, the single biggest question for most people seemed to revolve around whether or not MS would take an approach focused on games and gamers or one focused more on overall entertainment possibilities. Additionally, I speculated that if it were true, as rumored, that MS intended to include a cable box in the Xbox One's hardware, depending on what features it made possible, that it alone could be a real differentiator for MS and possibly an instant game changer with the potential to tilt the field in their favor vs Sony, at least early on.

As it turns out, MS is indeed taking a decidedly entertainment focused approach with the Xbox One. That's not in any way to say it will be inferior to the PS4 as a gaming console, as some have suggested, we simply don't have enough information at this point to make a determination either way. It didn't help that at the reveal, very little actual game play footage was shown, clearly disappointing the crowd in attendance.

When they did show footage, which was clearly not in-game, but more likely replay footage, of the four new Xbox One sports offerings from Electronic Arts (Microsoft exclusives, by the way), the crowd's underwhelmed reaction was evidenced by a palpable moment of silence which hung in the air for a good three seconds. Game-play footage shown from a few other games, including the new Forza and even Activision's Call of Duty: Ghosts, was so brief that, again, it was nearly impossible to come to any conclusions regarding the Xbox One's gaming-only potential.

The one piece of game-centric news that did produce an instant and genuine show of appreciation from the crowd (and myself) was the fact that, of the 15 Microsoft-exclusive titles scheduled to be released within the first year of the Xbox One's launch, 8 of them are brand-new IP's. From the research I was able to do, no other console in any previous generation has debuted so many new, exclusive IP's in it's first year. The fact that the new next-generation Forza would be available at launch was also met with clear approval.

Converse to the underwhelming reaction to what little was shown of the console's games, when it came to overall entertainment, the functionality of the new Kinect-centric Xbox One interface combined with many new functions and features, including a new exclusive partnership with the NFL and real-time integration of fantasy league stats from all the major sports during live TV broadcasts, while providing just a glimpse of this new technology's potential, were impressive and well received.

So, what does all this mean in the early battle for market supremacy between Microsoft and Sony? Is it all just a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing? It's too early to answer that question. According to Team Xbox, we'll have a much better idea in just under three weeks when at E3, much more will be revealed about the Xbox One, specifically, a lot more exciting game-play footage and game related news and information.

Assuming Sony is prepared to show more of the PS4's features and functionality at E3, as well as an actual console, everyone should be in a much better position to start forming some concrete impressions and opinions of both console's relative positioning prior to their respective launches later this Fall.

For now, I would say the only clear winner is E3. With a bit of fan-fatigue setting in recently for the industry's annual blowout, anticipation of what Microsoft and Sony will show there now has gamers around the world once again pumped up for what could be one helluva show, and showdown.

So, what did you think of Microsoft's big reveal? Comment below and let us know. As always, thanks for visiting GameJonez and Game On!!

 

NO MORE CONSOLES AFTER THE PS4 AND XBOX720. Believe it!!

Posted by Tiberius Jonez
email tiberiusjonez@gmail.com

The following excerpt was taken from the final paragraph of a story I wrote in November 2007:

'My belief is that by 2010, Microsoft and Sony will own a roughly equal 35% share of the gaming market, with the Wii holding a solid 30% market share. My reasoning is pretty simple; different management philosophies will determine the outcome for everyone. The real showdown comes in 2011-2012 when the next "Next Generation" begins.'

 -Tiberius Jonez, Editor of GameJonez, Nov 5, 2007 

FIRST OF ALL, I LOVE GAMES!

It's no secret that I love gaming. It is my favorite source of entertainment. When done right, gaming has the potential to offer up an amalgam of experiences unlike any medium to come before it. What other form of art or entertainment can you think of that has the potential to deliver an "audience" all the feelings of having been entertained, inspired, moved, tested - not just mentally and physically, but morally and ethically and still leave room for the simple reward or pain of victory or defeat?

Videogames are also an incredibly flexible medium. These complex experiences can run their course in the span of a few minutes or be sustained over a period of days, weeks or even months, allowing for infinite creative possibilities. What other medium can do all this? I challenge you to name one, because I can't.

I think there are two things that fundamentally distinguish videogames from other forms of entertainment. For one, videogames are possibly the only medium of entertainment where the audience is an active participant in the entertaining without ever having complete control over the outcome. And secondly, no other medium stimulates more senses. At any given moment, a good game may be simultaneously stimulating your eyes, ears, sense of touch, cognitive and problem solving abilities, emotional core and even your psyche. With all that going on, I
don't know how many neurons must be firing simultaneously in your brain, but I imagine a cat scan would look like a Kansas thunderstorm. To be sure, games today can be incredibly engrossing, but the medium does have it's fair share of problems, and they begin with...

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MUHHH-NEEE!!

It's true, the experiences videogames can give us are far richer in many ways than anything else out there. Unfortunately, I see several forces conspiring together to create an environment where we, as gamers, may have to be far richer to continue playing them.

I believe the gaming industry is at a crossroads of economics and content. To understand what I'm talking about, you have to first understand just how expensive it is to make games these days and how these guys make any money at all. So, let's take a look at a current example.

Activision's highly anticipated game "Destiny" from Halo developer Bungie, will be released on current and next generation consoles and will feature continuing development that will span ten years. To say the least, Destiny is an extremely ambitious project. The estimated budget for the initial release is slated at $140 Million, and that's assuming no significant delays or problems along the way.  According to the contract between Activision and Bungie, Destiny will be released first on the Xbox 360/720, and then the PS3/4 and, because of it's colossal budget,  it will need to sell approximately 5 million copies just to break even. By comparison, within 24 hours of being released, Activision's last Call of Duty: Modern Warfare game sold approximately 6.5 Million copies in the U.S. and U.K. alone. So, while I suppose it's technically possible Destiny could sell that many copies, you have to bear in mind that COD is a very well established franchise with a huge, loyal and rabid fan-base, and while Bungie does have an established track record of success, that was with the Halo franchise as an Xbox exclusive; Destiny is a brand new intellectual property (IP) being released on both platforms with no established track record on which to base expectations.

What do all those numbers really mean? They mean that at some point developers have to pass the cost of development onto consumers to maintain their bottom lines and deliver profits to their investors. Games now cost $60 and the pricing structure of the next generation of games has yet to be revealed. With development teams for next gen games numbering as many as 500 people, some analysts are predicting prices as high as $100 for a single game! If history is any indication, I seriously doubt prices will skyrocket that dramatically, but $70 seems like a reasonable expectation. Here's why...

SOME PERSPECTIVE

Historically, videogames have actually been quite inflation-resistant when compared to other forms of entertainment, especially movies. In 1981 I paid $2.00 to see a matinee showing of Raiders of the Lost Ark the weekend it opened. That same week I used my hard-earned snow-shoveling cash to buy Atari Football (screenshot below - yeah, that was actually supposed to represent football - and we were happy to have it!!) for the Atari 2600...which, as you can plainly see is one of the most simplistic games you could ever imagine by today's standards, and I paid $50 for it back then. Thirty years later a movie ticket in my area costs between $12 to $24 depending on whether you want to see a standard flick, a 3-d show or an IMAX film. So, let's just take the standard flick; an increase from $2.00 to $12.00 is an increase of 600%. Video games going from $50 to $60 in the same period represents an increase of only 20%...an absolute bargain by comparison...even more so when you compare today's Madden NFL to that Atari atrocity. I think I'm more than getting my extra ten bucks worth of product. If you had to pay $60 to see a movie, I suspect you'd skip the opening of the next big summer blockbuster. So, how have game prices stayed relatively flat for so long?

Atari Football - $50 in 1981
VS
Madden NFL 2013 - $60 in 2013

In the early 80's video games were exploding! They were new, exciting and represented the cutting edge of technology, but in many cases, the games were being churned out by "teams" of one or two people in a day or two for a few hundred dollars. So, as you can imagine, Atari and other developers had ridiculously HUGE profit margins built into that $50 price point, and people were happy to pay it. Nowadays, developers are lucky if they make $2 or $3 per game after all their costs are factored in, and game retailers typically pay $55 for a new game that they sell for $60. Their real profits come from used game sales. Game developers also don't have the luxury of the additional revenue streams afforded movie studios, like DVD sales, cable and public T.V. royalties, On Demand access fees and more.

And so we come closer to the point of this whole story...what all this means to console makers, specifically Sony and Microsoft, and why I believe this is the last generation of consoles we'll ever see released. To understand where we're going you have to first understand where we are and what these two mammoth companies are trying to accomplish.

WHERE DO THE PLAYERS STAND TODAY?

In 2012, Microsoft reported earnings down $1.1 Billion from the same period a year earlier, but I wouldn't feel too sorry for them, they still reported a net profit of roughly $6.4 Billion, and with an interesting footnote; the Xbox division reported $98 Million spent for research and development in the final fiscal quarter alone, a clear indication that they've been seriously ramping up R&D efforts for the Xbox720. As creators of Windows, the most popular computer operating system in the world, Microsoft could literally afford to view their Xbox division as a hobby if they wished. They could pull up stakes today, leave the gaming space entirely and hardly feel it; but don't worry if you're an Xbox fan, Microsoft isn't going anywhere. Their plan, spelled out by Bill Gate's with the release of the original Xbox, was then and remains today to gradually transition the Xbox hardware from a gaming-only console to a unified "set-top box" that would eventually allow consumers to control everything from the lights and thermostats in their homes, to their use of the internet and all other audio/visual entertainment with one device, using only their voice as a controller; and Forbes agrees with me. Solid evidence that their plan is working came recently when Xbox live reported that 2012 marked the first year that the majority of people connecting to Xbox Live were doing so to take advantage of services other than online gaming.

Sony entered the current generation of consoles as the undisputed industry leader. It was estimated during the last generation of consoles that Sony's Playstation 2 controlled an overwhelming 70% of the global console market. However, due to a series of strategic missteps with the PS3 and perhaps by underestimating their competition, as I predicted in 2007, their lead has all but vanished and, depending on whose numbers you trust, they now find themselves in a virtual deadlock with Microsoft with each company now controlling roughly 35 to 40% of the market with a floundering Nintendo claiming the rest with the Wii and the thus-far disappointing Wii-U.

In stark contrast to Microsoft's $6.4 Billion profit of a year ago, Sony reported a staggering LOSS of $4.8 Billion in the Sony Computer Entertainment division alone...that's a swing of more than $10 Billion between the two companies!! Sony's electronics division hasn't been helping much by barely breaking even for the past 5 years. Sony as a whole reported a net profit of $404 Million.

Bloomberg recently reported Kazuo Harai, Sony's new Chairman, wants to generate 70 percent of revenue and 85 percent of operating profit in Sony's electronics from games, digital media, and mobile devices by March 2015. To say Sony has a lot riding on the PS4's success would be a massive understatement. While they are down-playing it publicly, internally, Sony execs know this might be their last best chance to make SCE profitable once again. The very survival of Sony Computer Entertainment could be on the line and the changes they've made in their approach so far with the PS4's release vs the PS3's release reflect a keen awareness of their precarious situation. From firing Ken Kutaragi, to announcing their console first, to embracing a more developer friendly x86 architecture with the new hardware, Sony is attempting to correct past mistakes in hopes of, at the very least, maintaining a level playing field between themselves and Microsoft.

FINDING AN IDENTITY

The biggest problem for Sony in the current generation is the fact that even though they entered the race a full year after Microsoft, they really did nothing to differentiate the PS3 from the Xbox360. As Forbes points out in their article, aside from a very few exclusive titles for both consoles, and the obvious differences between Xbox Live and PSN, for most consumers, both consoles occupied the exact same space and it was really just "a choice between blue pokemon and red pokemon."

But now I see a clear line being drawn in the sand between Microsoft and Sony that could actually end up benefiting everyone.

Sony made it clear with their "reveal" of the PS4 in February that they are getting back to focusing on games, games, games and eschewing many of the other entertainment features offered by the PS3 and Xbox 360. At the same time, recent rumors out of Redmond, Washington suggest that Microsoft has every intention of offering a powerful gaming system while continuing to advance their agenda of an all-purpose entertainment one-stop-shop of services that could eventually end the need for cable.

I see this as a possible win-win. If Sony is successful in reestablishing themselves as the best games maker on the planet, then they have a legitimate opportunity to regain their supremacy in that space.

If Microsoft were to successfully introduce a more inexpensive console that further expands their variety of entertainment offerings, while perfecting voice control and still being a good, if slightly inferior gaming machine to the PS4, they could fill a niche wholly separate from Sony. The end result could be a situation where consumers are adequately motivated to own both systems in order to have access to all the combined features on offer.

The danger for Sony lies in Microsoft's advantage of knowing what the PS4 is going to offer processor specs-wise and possibly being able to simply one-up them. If they can do that then the PS4 would be in trouble indeed. And if the new Xbox's gaming specs are only slightly inferior to the PS4 but they offer a bunch of other features that consumers want, that could also bode poorly for Sony as consumers will often sacrifice a small difference in graphics if their is a perceived value-gain with everything else included in the package.

THE END IS NEAR...NO MORE CONSOLES AND NO MORE GAMESTOP

And finally, regardless of what happens in the battle to dominate this upcoming generation, I believe this will be the last generation of true consoles for several reasons, and I'm not alone. One of the "experts" that agrees with me is well-known Wedbush Securities Industry Analyst Michael Pachter, who also  predicted in 2009 that there would be no more consoles after the Xbox360 and PS3. I didn't agree with that assessment at the time. I had already predicted in 2007 we would have a PS4 and Xbox 720 and that by the time they rolled out, Microsoft and Sony would be virtually tied in market share; and apparently I was clairvoyant that day, because I was pretty much spot on with one exception; I thought the next gen would arrive a year sooner, in 2012.

Now it's 2013 and the environment surrounding the industry has significantly changed, thanks in large part to the one thing that is always toughest to predict; the astounding rate of technological advancement. With the continuing improvement of streaming technology, cloud processing and Nvidia's GPU processor technology, six years from now it will literally be possible that the only hardware Sony and Microsoft will need to offer consumers is a controller(s) that will plug directly into your TV. The "consoles" will exist completely in the cloud.

One immediate result of this transition will be the almost-overnight destruction of Gamestop and all other brick and mortar videogame retailers, and trust me, nothing else would make Sony and Microsoft happier. Whether they admit it publicly or not, stopping the sale of used games and ending piracy stand at the very top of both company's long-term agendas. Streaming everything solves both of those problems instantly while greatly reducing publishing costs.

No more consoles means no need to manufacture hardware for every consumer. Factor in the elimination of all the costs associated with production, servicing, warranties, packaging, shipping, energy and real estate costs as well as all the salaries and benefits of the employees required to run all those operations; in the final analysis, I just can't see how both companies can avoid coming to any other conclusion...producing more consoles simply no longer makes good business sense.

So, enjoy your physical discs while you can because I don't think you will see them anymore after this generation.

I would love to hear your comments below.

As always, thanks for visiting GameJonez. Game on!!

Emulators: Console Gaming's past has never looked better

Posted by Tiberius Jonez
GameJonez Blog Founder and Editor

Final Fantasy XXII never looked so good.

LEGAL DISCLOSURE: I am not an attorney, and as such, the contents of this article should, in no way, be construed as legal advice. I am not offering legal advice in any form or fashion and GameJonez Blog and it's contributors do not accept responsibility for the results of any action taken by any reader of this blog or of any other person. If you have any questions about the legality of any action you're considering taking, always consult an attorney licensed in your state of residence prior to acting. By continuing to read this article, you acknowledge that you have read and understand this disclosure, and that you agree to hold GameJonez Blog and it's contributors harmless for the results of any action taken by you as a result of reading this article.

Now that that's out of the way, onto the fun!!

As I'm sure you're keenly aware, the current generation of consoles is winding down to its inevitable conclusion, and like a sports fan stuck in that depressing vacuum of time between the end of football season and the beginning of baseball season, I've been looking for other outlets to spend my entertainment time. As a result, I've found myself diving (back) into videogame emulation so that, before moving forward with the new consoles, I might play some of my favorite games from the past, the memories of which still burn brightly but whose hardware, sadly, has long since fizzled out.

I've spent a large chunk of the past week or so getting familiar with PCSX2, the best Playstation 2 emulator currently available, and the focus of this article. For those of you not familiar with videogame emulation, here are the very, very basics: there are essentially four parts to videogame emulation; the emulator, a game rom, a BIOS file from the original hardware and a computer. An emulator is a software program that mimics (or emulates) computer hardware. Rom is short for "read-only memory" and is a game's programming code, and a BIOS is essentially a programming environment that sets the rules of how any given computer hardware and software function together. If you have a decent PC with an internet connection, an emulator, a BIOS for the hardware you wish to emulate, a compatible game rom and some patience, then you have all the necessary components for reliving the memories of games from your past.

While emulators are generally easy to find and download using your search engine of choice, roms are a different story, requiring a bit more effort; mainly because,  under the vast majority of circumstances, possessing the rom of a game you don't already own is illegal - a federal offense no less. Hence, the disclosure above. Essentially, for any software that is not free-ware or share-ware, if you don't own a copy of the original game, then you are not legally permitted to possess the rom. The same basic rules apply to a console's BIOS. In order to legally use it for emulation, you have to "dump" (transfer) the BIOS from a console you physically own to your computer. The practical result is, you will never find emulators, BIOS's and roms simultaneously available on the same website.


God of War 2 on PCSX2 running at 60 FPS

Of all the emulators out there, MAME is probably the best known and best supported. It primarily runs classic arcade games from the 1980's, and has been in active development for at least 15 years. If you want to get your Galaga or Pacman groove on, you can't go wrong with MAME. However, if arcade classics are not your flavor of choice, fear not friend, there are a wide variety of emulators out there, spanning virtually every videogame console ever released since 1980, up to and including the Sega Dreamcast, Playstation 2 and the original Xbox. Sorry, despite the claims of some unscrupulous and fraudulent websites and YouTube videos you may come across, to date, no one's figured out how to successfully emulate the Xbox 360 or the PS3. Furthermore, the general consensus is, for various programming reasons (especially as it relates to the PS3), they probably never will.

If this is all new to you, you're probably wondering, "Why isn't everyone using emulators and why haven't I heard of it before now?" It's pretty simple really; playing games with an emulator requires both some effort and a degree of patience and, as a result, is not for everyone. Even the best emulators run only a fraction of their parent console's total game library well enough to play. The percentage of playable games for any given emulator is, for the most part, directly proportionate to the amount and quality of development hours invested in improving the emulator's programming code.

Okami. Simply gorgeous!

Emulators are, as far as I've ever seen, free-ware and open-source; so you're usually free to, and, in fact, encouraged to, tweak them to your little hearts content if you think you can do a better job than the developer. Generally, whenever a new emulator first appears, it will not run any games well enough to actually play. That's where Geek Nation comes in; the best emulators are almost always the result of cooperation between the original developer/programmer and the gaming public, which often takes the software and improves upon it, usually in an effort to play a specific game that the emulator may not run well, if at all. For example, when PCSX2 debuted around 2005-2006 it could only run one game, and only at a pitiful 1-3 frames per second. At the time, it was really no more than a "proof of concept" offering, demonstrating that a PS2 emulator was at least possible. Fast forward to the present day (as of this writing) and the official PCSX2 website currently lists 1,866 PS2 games as "playable", with more games being added and/or improved upon every day. Without the benefit of any corporate funding, that, in my opinion, represents a staggering rate of improvement for a team of programmers that has fluctuated between just 2 to 6 people at any given time.

Of course, impressive as that number is, it still represents less than half of the 3,852 total Playstation 2 titles ever released as of May 2011, according to Wikipedia. That being said, if you're looking for the most popular PS2 games, you're likely to be pleasantly surprised. In the past week I've played Kingdom Hearts 2, Final Fantasy XII, Okami and God of War 2; four of the highest rated PS2 games ever released. Of course, you have to understand that playing those games was not as easy as simply placing a disc in a tray and hitting the power button; far from it! While you don't necessarily have to be a rocket scientist to be successful, emulation is not for the lazy or the completely computer illiterate.

If you don't know what a "noob" is, then, yep, you guessed it, you're the noob. If you don't know how to download and open a compressed file or how to "mount an ISO" and you want to run emulated games, then you're either going to have to learn how by searching the net like the rest of us, or you can simply give it up now and go buy another, working console on Ebay. In fact, one of the main downsides of emulation and what turns many off from using it is the fact that no two titles ever seem to run equally well with the same settings. As a result, tweaking, experimentation and trial and error are all par for the course if you plan to spend any appreciable time using emulators. Fortunately, for those willing to put in the time and effort, most emulators (at least the good ones) have active forums populated by passionate members sharing their experiences (and settings) in an effort to help each other get the most out of the emulators with the fewest possible problems.

Kingdom Hearts II

So, after varying degrees of tweaking of the different emulator settings for each of the games mentioned above, with one exception, all of them ran perfectly (some, better than "perfect") on my laptop with full gamepad support using PCSX2. I say "better than perfect" due to the fact that because most modern PC's (laptops and notebooks included) are far more powerful than the original PS2 hardware, many games can be played at resolutions far higher than the console's native resolution. Final Fantasy XII running at full 1080p is a site to behold and Okami will simply take your breath away.

In the interest of full disclosure, and in an effort to demonstrate how a modern low to mid-range PC can handle PCSX2 emulation, the screenshots here were all taken (using FRAPS) with the games running at 1024x768; roughly 70% higher than the PS2's native resolution, and as you can see, they all look pretty spectacular. All these games consistently ran at between 50-60 frames per second except for Gran Turismo 4, which I can't seem to get above 35 FPS in-game, despite my best efforts. To my credit, I'm not alone; PCSX2 is known to still have many issues running GT4 and GT3. Aside from these titles, I only own about 10 other PS2 games presently, so I was somewhat limited in what I could play with emulation as, since I'm writing about it publicly, I couldn't take a chance on playing anything outside the letter of the law. Some of the other PS1&2 titles I own and plan to try are Bully, Grand Theft Auto 3, Gran Turismo 2 (to test backwards compatibility with PS1 titles) and Maximo: Ghosts to Glory. I will report my results with those in a few weeks.



Gran Turismo 4 Opening Movie

In the meantime, if you have an itch to play some of your old games but your console is dead, whether it's a Sega Genesis, Nintendo NES, SuperNintendo, N64, Playstation 1&2, Xbox or most any other console, with some determination and time, emulation might just be the ticket to keeping your favorite games alive!!

Have you ever tried emulation? If so, please share your experiences and, as always, thanks for visiting GameJonez Blog. Happy gaming!!

GameJonez Blog is back by popular demand!

WELCOME BACK!!

Posted by Tiberius Jonez
GameJonez Blog Founder and Editor

Well, hello there GameJonez readers. Long time, no see. I've received quite a few requests over the last several months to write some fresh material and breathe some new life into GameJonez Blog. So, by popular demand, and after an extended absence, here I am, out from under my proverbial rock.

I want to thank everyone who has emailed me encouraging me to resume my participation in GameJonez Blog. After more than a two year hiatus, it is gratifying just knowing someone out there even remembers me or this little gaming blog of mine. As long as you keep coming back and commenting, I'll try to keep finding interesting things to talk and/or occasionally rant about.

So, here we are. The first thing you'll notice is our new look. I hope you like it. I doubt anyone will confuse GameJonez Blog with the IGNs and Gamespots of the world, but considering I'm only using free Blogger tools, I'm pretty happy with the result. I think the new look is more elegant than the old and most importantly, it's even easier to navigate. Each picture represents a story. Simply click and enjoy. All the old content has been preserved, and amazingly, some of it is actually still worth reading. With any luck, I will hopefully give you plenty of new reasons to stop by often. As always, I welcome and look forward to your comments!

So, where to begin...hmm. So much has happened in the world of videogames over the past couple years. In short, with the current console generation coming to a close, Nintendo seems to be fading fast, Microsoft is kicking butt in the sales arena and Sony is hoping to reclaim their previous status as market-leader as we move into the next generation of hardware this Fall. Meanwhile, PC gaming keeps chugging along despite an environment of rampant software pirating and copyright infringement and in spite of the naysayer's seemingly never-ending pronouncements of doom and gloom.

I finished Bioshock: Infinite and Mark of the Ninja a couple weeks ago. Both were absolutely outstanding for different reasons. Bioshock: Infinite, aside from being visually stunning, left me contemplating and discussing with others, it's controversial subject matter and compelling plot for several days after the final credits rolled. Mark of the Ninja was a refreshing take on stealth mechanics and the Ninja approach to combat wrapped in a package of slick graphics and uber-tight controls.

Everyone's favorite annual gaming event, E3, is right around the corner, and with new consoles from Microsoft and Sony on the horizon, it should be a whale of a show. All in all, there's certainly lots to talk about and we will get to much of it, in time. Over the next few weeks I plan to gradually work my way up to once again contributing to the global conversation surrounding gaming on a regular basis. For your part, I would love to hear some suggestions for topics you'd like me to explore or gaming related things that have been on your mind.

For today though, I want to briefly talk about my favorite past-time and, I assume, the reason you're here...playing games! Specifically, playing older console games on your PC. So, please, read on to the next post. And, as always, thanks for visiting GameJonez Blog. Game on!!

Killzone 2 Reviewed

by Brendan Rose

Now, I know that a lot of people like Killzone 2, but a lot of people like crack, as well. Killzone 2 proudly sports many features which have become standard in the current generation. Like the iron sights, two weapon limit, and automatic regeneration. Iron sights just makes your normal aim pathetic, I prefer the dot in the center of the screen that actually hits the target. I don't really like any of these, but I may as well be complaining about cell phones.

I suppose there's nothing really WRONG with it. The graphics are fine the music is fine it's all fine...but it sucks... It's just androgynous fighting with no real satisfaction in killing anything. You go from fight, to fight, to fight, to fight, slowly advancing, solving whatever goal of the minute is bothering your comrades, and it's just boring. I don't see the appeal. There is very little blood, and there's nothing really tactical about it. It's terrible.

Some people might point out that the multiplayer is better, which I might believe, but will let sit for now. I don't want to play it. Now, everything I said there was actually about Call of Duty 5. The difference is, Killzone 2 is good, and Call of Duty 5 is tripe. What Call of Duty does wrong, Killzone 2 makes work anyway. It's very generic, and at the same time better than anything it seems to imitate.

There are two deaths in Call of Duty 5. You die normally, and you also die when you shoot your own people. It will say "Friendly Fire will not be tolerated" and then starts it again. I hate that, not only do I want to kill these people, half the time in the middle of a firefight they look the same. There is also the little death every time you have to play it. Thankfully, Killzone 2 doesn't have this problem.

Upon completion of Call of Duty 5, you are rewarded with an endless, ultimately unwinnable zombie shooter set inside of a house that just makes you wish you were playing Left 4 Dead. I'd rather eat broken glass than play Call of Duty 5 again. I'd rather pluck off my fingernails one by one than play Call of Duty 5 for one more minute. I'd rather live in a pile of dog doo. That dog's feces would be like manna from heaven pouring over me rather than playing that festering stinking pile. I'd rather eat raw mold. I don't want to play it. Call of Duty 5 is not even worthy of piracy. HELL is having to play Call of Duty World at War over and over for the rest of eternity.

The first thing I noticed about Killzone 2 is how much livelier and cooler the enemy are. The good guys are instantly repulsive. I think I will enjoy playing as the Helghast in multiplayer. Damn right, get the f*@% off my homeworld!

Okay so the story is that your high school football team, is fighting a space Adolph Hitler. You are invading his home world. No matter how many times you try you cannot kill your teammates, so eventually you start killing space Nazis with glowing red eyes instead that populate most of the game.

Killzone 2's graphics are really great, probably the best I've seen on consoles so far. The AI is smart and the Framerate is good. It's fun, and YES, we have physics. To me physics are as beautiful and important as the graphics themselves, which is why I crave fire and destructible buildings. The audio is excellent, including enemies chattering to each other. The gameplay is strong, cogent, and satisfying. It's really excellent, almost triumphant, and I haven't even gotten to the multiplayer portion.

I can't believe my name is Sev. They swear a lot. You move slowly, but there's a sprint. The weapons are kind of modern, assault rifles mostly, and there are also flame throwers and electricity weapons and RPG’s and shotguns. You can only carry one pistol and one main weapon. The pistol is functional.

What's cool about the multiplayer is how it changes objectives in the middle of a match, going from CTF missions to Assassination to Control points to Team Death-match to Search & Destroy, over and over. It's arguably the best multiplayer game on PS3 so far. The multiplayer graphics are spectacular, there's character progression as you play through the game, and it's just a lot of fun. It's great. There's up to 32 player multiplayer and you can have the extra space taken up by bots or play skirmish missions on your own. The red eyed Nazis are just great, real dark and fascist looking, very fun. The ISA are also good, and their chatter is less intrusive. No complaints on the multiplayer, except that a Nazi gives these weird propaganda speeches when you lose as the Helghast.

Overall though Killzone 2 is a really excellent multiplayer game. It was extremely rewarding to earn my first promotion, the "killing specialist" and "good conduct" ribbons. The first promotion is Corporal which allows you to create a squad. Sergeant lets you create a clan, eventually unlocking new weapons and classes. The multiplayer maps are great, and the overall level design is really good. There are eight online maps and lots of trophies to unlock. The boss characters are pretty cool.

So, how do I sum up Killzone 2? I suppose that I could weakly complain about the story, but that would be verging on pointless. This game is better than the sex act. It rocks. It's first-rate - too polished to bitch about the slightest missteps. Soon the gathering darkness will sweep over us and hover for many months, but this title, right now, just makes me glad I have a Playstation 3.

Presentation (10)

Graphics (10)

Sound (9)

Gameplay (10x2)

Lasting appeal (9)

Overall: 9.6

Sony working on “wii-mote” for PS3

By Tiberius Jonez

Sony’s PS3 is slowly starting to outsell the Xbox 360 and now they are aiming to steal some of Nintendo’s thunder by creating a new motion-sensing controller that will break apart into two pieces similar to the Wii-Mote.

While Sony declined comment, it is rumored that the new controller has already been shipped to developers who are working on some Wii-like titles.

With Blu-Ray now the standard High Definition DVD format, the slow roll-out of HOME expected later this year and this move designed to target the casual or non-gamer, Sony is hoping to position the PS3 as the best value for a home entertainment system currently available.

When Sony will officially announce the new controller is unknown, but you can be sure they will make it public at this year’s E3 expo, if not sooner.

PS3 RED RING OF DEATH?

Last Monday I fired up my PS3 in anticipation of watching Superbad on Blu-Ray, which the wife had so graciously picked up for me. Unfortunately, when I put the disc in nothing happened. No title screen, no indication that the PS3 knew the disc was present at all. I'm not a noob, so of course, I cycled the power on and off and tried again...no luck. O.k., I tried shutting down with the all-powerful black switch in the rear that essentially resets everything on the PS3 and still no luck.

Now I was genuinely concerned. I took out Superbad and put in Call of Duty 4...nothing. "Oh no", and several other choice phrases unfit for print rolled from my tongue, then I went to my computer hoping to find a simple solution online. Instead, I found a wide assortment of posts on various forums reporting the same problem - a sudden inability of the PS3 to recognize any disc - and the solutions weren't exactly what I was hoping. Apparently the problem is caused by leaving a game or movie paused for an extended length of time, or even leaving a disc in at the title screen. Eventually, that fancy Blu-Ray laser burns out forever. Goodbye $600.

Every report invariably lead to a return of the console to Sony for a replacement with varying degrees of success or failure. Worse yet, there were many reports of posts being taken down from Sony's own forums in an apparent attempt to keep the problems out of the press. Unsubstantiated reports said the problem was as common as 25% of all consoles sold. What?!

This was beginning to sound just like my experience with the Xbox 360's red ring of death.

With great trepidation, I called Sony's customer support line.

After waiting on hold for nearly 20 minutes, I was greeted by an American-sounding woman. The next five minutes were spent getting all of my personal information, literally one letter at a time. It was extremely irritating to have to spell out the word "road", but whatever...if it helps me receive the correct service the first time through, then I'll put up with it. After all that, I explained my problem and the rep told me they would send me a prepaid shipping box with detailed instructions on how to box up my console and prepare it for pickup. Turnaround time, she said, would be approximately two weeks for me to receive a new console.

She explained that I could copy all the information I had on my console, including game saves, to a memory card so I would not lose my all-important save data. Then, the genius that is my wife noticed the Best Buy receipt said I still had four days to return or exchange it there since it was a holiday purchase. I explained this to the Sony Rep and she gave me an incident number in case I needed to call back and have the box sent anyway.

I copied all my PS3 data to a mini USB drive, packed up the PS3 and headed to Best Buy with my receipt in hand.

After the Geek Squad checked out the console and verified it was, in fact defective, they told me I could exchange it with no problem as long as they removed the UPC code from the new box - since I had already mailed in the original code for my Blu-Ray movie rebate - and the Spiderman 3 Blu-Ray movie, since I had forgotten to pack it in the box. "Sounds great", I said.

I then decided to purchase the two-year replacement plan for the console for $59.99, which I normally never do. In this case I decided if I had a problem in the future it was worth $60 for the convenience of not having to return it to Sony, plus it bought me an extra year beyond the Sony one-year warranty period.

Once I got home I restored my wireless settings, restored all my save data, and then put Superbad in...hallelujah, success! Of course, I had to re-download all my PSN purchases, but that was no big deal as I set them up to download overnight.

Now, I just hope this one doesn't go bad.

I'll let you know if it does. In the meantime, anyone else had a similar experience? Let us know in the comments.

Motorstorm getting new vehicles

Senior U.S. producer for MotorStorm, Felice Standifer, announced on the PlayStation Blog that today's PlayStation Store update will include two new MotorStorm vehicles to download and enjoy. For $1.99, you can be the proud owner of a Mohawk Roadhog Bike and a Lunar-Tec Buffalo BigRig. The Lunar-Tec, pictured above, would be particularly intimidating if seen in your rear view mirror. The pack will also feature two new skins to slap on to any of the available vehicle classes: QuickFoot and Crazy Samurai. At $1.99, does anyone else think this smacks of a certain much-derided horse armor pack?

Now, if they would only release more tracks for the game. Oh well, we can dare to dream. We'll have more on the full PlayStation store update later today.

'Krazy' Ken Kutaragi to be honored with AIAS Lifetime Achievment Award

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has chosen 'Krazy' Ken Kutaragi as the recipient of the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award. The award will be presented at this year's Interactive Achievement Awards on February 7th at the Red Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, in conjunction with next year's D.I.C.E. Summit. Regarded as the father of that fad known as the PlayStation, Kutaragi was squeezed out of the Sony hierarchy this past Spring after the PlayStation 3's sluggish start.

Kutaragi's unpleasant departure from Sony in no way diminishes his impact on the business of video games. In fact, it would be difficult to imagine the modern gaming landscape without his very significant contributions. The former Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. President and CEO was instrumental in the creation and launch of the PlayStation brand, and that alone cements his place in the history of the industry. Besides, if nothing else, we are all but guaranteed at least one good quote between now and the award ceremony.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune - The PS3 has arrived

With all these blockbuster games hitting in my birthday month (Nov 20th, thank you Mass Effect!), it's been a busy two weeks of gaming at my house. In the past two weeks, I've finished Call of Duty 4, Assassin's Creed, I'm working on Super Mario Galaxy and Saturday saw me complete Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.

It's no secret that my Xbox 360 gets a lot more play than my PS3, but let's face it, if there were more games for the system I'd spend more time on it. Well, if Sony can bring more games like Uncharted to the system, I'm going to have a tough time ignoring it in the future!

I've seen a lot of footage of Uncharted over the past six months, so my anticipation was running high before I put the disc in the console. I had read reports of how it could only be developed on the PS3, and while I took those with a boulder-sized grain of salt, I was curious whether the final product would validate those claims. In short, it does.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is everything a great game should be. It grabs your attention with the opening frame and holds it firmly to the end credits. It's filled with memorable characters, both pro- and antagonists, that drive the story forward and leave you wanting more. Technically, it is a showcase for the hardware it is designed for, in this case, the PS3. For the first time, I finished a PS3 game and wondered if it could have been done on the Xbox 360. Honestly, I don't know the answer to that question, but the fact that I even wondered about it is a testament to the quality of Naughty Dog's work on Uncharted.

Is the game perfect? What is perfect? If you are looking for things to pick apart in the game, you could do that with anything. The Mona Lisa has a crooked smile, but isn't that what gives "her" her charm? Yeah, the grenade explosions could be bigger in the game, but then you couldn't avoid them as well. There could be more platforming in the game, but I only say that because the platforming that's there is as good or better than in any previous game. It could be a bit longer, but only because when it ended I wanted to keep playing. It could be a bit more difficult, but that might detract from the fun. Clearly, the developers want you to finish Uncharted and they give you help to that end.

When I form my opinions of a game there are a few basic criteria I look to as the basis of comparison. Graphics, gameplay, ability to mesmerize, story, and replay value. On all these fronts, Uncharted is an unmitigated success. Rarely does a game with no multiplayer component warrant subsequent play-throughs, but Uncharted does.

Excuse the cliche, but if you're one of the 94 million or so gamers straddling the fence of buying or not buying a PlayStation 3, Naughty Dog has just made you an offer you can't refuse. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is a game worthy of the $460 you will spend for the combination of a PS3 and the game.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune extended gameplay Video

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is out in a few days, and I've played through the PSN demo a few times now. It's been fun experimenting with different ways of approaching enemies and such and I thought I'd share an extended video of part of a play through of the demo. The video is after the break.

The video is about five minutes long and takes place in the full game's fourth level. It gives a good idea of what you can expect from the gun play and hand to hand combat in Uncharted. One of the things that makes this game so fun is the way Nate says little things under his breath while fighting...when combined with the staggering number of animations he has, it all comes together to create a level of immersion that is very satisfying. Enjoy!

PS Eye user created possibilities astound

Sony's PS Eye for the PS3 is a very nice camera, and it offers gaming possibilities far beyond just video chat. Just how far beyond may surprise you.

Playstation.blog filmed the creation of some tech demos created by one of their new programmers to demonstrate the PS Eye's potential as a tool for making user created content for use in games in real time. The videos show some pretty incredible (and incredibly fun looking) stuff.

In one example, a staffer draws a spaceship and a planet surface on a sheet of paper and the PS3 generates an impromptu game of Lunar Lander with them on the fly. In another, a Combat-style game is interrupted when a player decides to scan his own hand-drawn tank into the game. Another guy takes it a step farther by having the "Eye" scan an actual model tank.

So far, this is just some fun R&D for the boys, which is why they have only focused on simple games that they can code for the PS3 in a day or so, but clearly the potential for this kind of thing is huge! Even though these games are pretty old school, they look amazingly fun again when you get to add your own content to them. The multiplayer possibilities alone are mind-boggling.

Apparently the PS3 can add physics to your content as well, making things even more interesting! (say it with me...Little Big Planet!) I was impressed with how fast the PS3 was able to scan the images and objects and then almost instantly add them into the game for use in real time. It was very cool. I want this, and I want it now!

via Playstation.blog

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Metareview

Sony and their fans have had a tough year with lost exclusives, delayed blockbusters and a continuing stream of top flight games appearing on non-Sony platforms. Now, Naughty Dog, the developer responsible for the Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter series' is giving those fans one last basket to place their remaining eggs of hope in in the form of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Gamers want to feel like the $600 they spent on a PS3 was not wasted, and Sony needs to move consoles this holiday season. To say there is a lot riding on the success of Uncharted would be a major understatement. Can it fulfill the vast promise of the beautiful screenshots we've been ogling for the last six months? Our metareview has the answer!
IGN (91/100) A lot of times we as an industry like to wax on and on about how videogames rival movies, but rarely do we have an example as well done as Uncharted. Nate is funny as he laments over yet another wall he needs to scale, Sullie is loveable as he tells the same traveler's tales over and over, and Elena's fire for her story and give-and-take with Nate is endearing. When these characters interact and you watch their relationships grow, you feel like you're part of their circle. You feel like they're your friends. Uncharted does what few titles manage -- it completely immerses you in its experience. From the moment the game begins with a sweeping camera move through the waters off Panama, a rich score and the words of Sir Francis Drake etched on screen, Uncharted will have you hooked. It'll maintain that hold with its story, style and gameplay.
Eurogamer (90/100) In a game where the split between combat and platforming is about 50-50, you don't want one aspect of the game to be any less fun than the other. Such imbalances nearly always cause you to resent the disparity, and it's evidently something that Naughty Dog has worked extremely hard to avoid. Rather than the game's ongoing narrative and action feeling like a sequence of vaguely connected set-pieces, most of the chapters in the game flow expertly into one another. It feels like a journey, albeit a particularly fraught and dangerous one where imminent death lurks around every crumbling corner. By starting with a great control and camera system, building on that with excellent combat and a wonderful spin on Ico's platform adventuring, and then topping it off with a decent storyline, Naughty Dog has cooked up one of the most relentlessly entertaining, fat-free games to emerge in ages. Topped off with the most stunning use of the PS3's underused technical prowess yet, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is, for my money, the first must-have PlayStation 3 title.
Gametap (90/100) The game borrows platforming elements from the Prince of Persia games (minus the wall running), shooting mechanics from Epic's Gears of War, and the subject matter of a Tomb Raider game. Visually, it's a stunning game, with extraordinary textures. Drake's character is fascinating to watch, and he's full of gestures and quips motivated by context. When he walks the wrinkles of his shirt move and crease appropriately. When he swims, all the material gets wet, and eventually dries off. He even breathes heavily from the workout a swim gives him. And those are just the surface details--it's the nuanced features that make make you appreciate Drake as a human being. He curses and gets visibly irritated when he runs out of ammo in the middle of a firefight. When he's hiding behind cover, he flinches as bullets graze the wall he's hiding behind. And thanks to an innovative technique that blends various animations together at random, when Drake shoots and takes cover, the pose he comes back to tends to look a little different each time. When all of these details accumulate, it makes for a pretty rich experience. This game is one of the most immersive gaming experiences I've had this year, and it's definitely a great reason to own a PS3. The mix of platforming and gunplay worked really well and left me craving the next title in the series. Hear that, Naughty Dog? Get to work!

Review - Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

I've been blowing stuff up in Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction on the PS3 for the better part of the past three days and now I am ready to share my thoughts on the game with you. Is the series getting stale? Is it worthy of a PS3 exclusive? Most importantly, will it give those not yet invested in this generation of consoles a reason to go out and buy a Sony console that just happens to play Blu-Ray movies?

My first thought when starting the game was that I found it to be more graphically impressive than I expected. Yes, I know it's a Playstation 3 game, but what little I had seen of it in commercials and online hadn't left me drooling or anything. The lighting and particle effects are excellent, and with a ton of objects on screen at once, the frame rate rarely dips, and never enough to be any kind of hindrance to game play.

The cut scenes are truly laugh-out-loud funny. The writing is top notch; worthy of anything Pixar has put out in theaters.

The game's fundamental game play mechanic is using outlandish weapons to destroy all the little (and large) minions on your way to a boss battle at the end of each level. Certain weapons are only effective against specific foes, and learning the combinations is the difference between being an apocalyptic warrior or a grease spot. There are some puzzles thrown in for good measure as well as some mini games, ranging from a "hacking" game similar to the one found in Bioshock, only instead of using tubes filled with water, R&CFTOD has you moving a metallic ball on a motherboard to make electrical connections. The most notable mini games involve rail grinding while avoiding obstacles and enemies and some flying ones that actually play out as semi boss battles themselves. There is usually a pattern to be learned for each boss, and once you've gotten it down, beating them is fairly simply.

In fact, simplicity is probably my only real gripe with the game. Most of your weapons are so grossly over-powered that defeating even the toughest bosses is child's play. That's not all bad as it keeps the story moving forward and gives you the opportunity to view another hilarious cut scene.

All in all, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction has been a pleasure to play and an excellent diversion from the darker and more "adult themed" games I often play, such as Call of Duty 4 and the like.

I highly recommend it for anyone who owns a PS3, and for those that don't, it's not a bad reason to get one!

Xbox 360 outsold PS3 in Japan Last Week

The end is nigh! Repent! Duck and cover! Pucker up and kiss your...ok, you get it. If the numbers from gamesindustry.biz are correct, the apocalypse is surely at hand. According to their report, the Xbox 360 outsold the PS3 in Japan last week, sparked by Namco Bandai's Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, which debuted at #2 behind Super Mario Galaxy, which sold nearly as many copies as the rest of the top ten combined.

The PS3 sold 17,434 units compared to Xbox 360's 17,673. Yes, it is a tiny difference of only 200 units, but considering Microsoft's well documented difficulties breaking into the Japanese market, it is huge news for them. The dramatic increase in sales for the 360 represents a nearly five-fold upswing from the previous week when only 3,718 units were sold. What will happen with Call of Duty 4 releasing this week? Oh yeah, they will probably ignore it.

Sony's Kaz Hirai Candid on PS3 - Really!

Yes, you read it right. Kaz Hirai, Sony Computer Entertainment's President and CEO spoke candidly regarding the present and future of the PS3 in this months issue of Famitsu magazine. 1UP dishes on the interview, and I have to say, it is a refreshing change from the spin machine we've become accustomed to from Sony over the past ten years.

The interview spans topics ranging from the delay of Sony's online service, Home, to the decision to drop backwards compatibility from future PS3's and the selling off of cell chip production.

I found the most notable statement came when Hirai was asked why the 40GB PS3 was not announced at the recent Tokyo Game Show just days before it was released to stores. "What was most important at TGS was to appeal to everyone our software lineup. A library of games is what consumers look for on a game console, and it is our mission as a console maker to fulfill that. Therefore, we put the focus on software that our third parties have been working on, as opposed to the new PS3 models." he said.

This focus on software instead of hardware is exactly the kind of fundamental strategy change that can get the PS3 back into the race against the Xbox 360. Ever since the PS3 was first announced, all Sony has done is tout the consoles' hardware..."it has the amazing new cell processor, it will change gaming forever, it has Blu-Ray which is the greatest media ever, bluetooth, memory card slots out the wahzoo...yada, yada, yada; everything except games! That lack of software is exactly what has kept the PS3 on store shelves and out of peoples living rooms.

Apparently, they are starting to realize that great hardware means nothing without equally great software. Hardware only exists to showcase software, not the other way around.

Kudos Kaz. Give me some more reasons to get excited about my PS3 please.

Hirai also spoke candidly about the delay of Home, explaining that it was not meeting his expectations, and that was the key reason for the delay. He said, "This is a very big project for the PS3 and we want to make sure that we deliver to our hearts content." He reiterated that Home will go online in the Spring of '08.

READ

PS3 Firmware 2.0 Available Tomorrow

It's not officially official, but you can bet the latest update for the PS3's firmware (version 2.00) will be available tomorrow. Following is a list of the additions/changes coming in version 2.00.

The PlayStation 3 system software version 2.0 update includes the following:

* Users
o You can now password-protect user accounts.

* Settings
o [Dynamic Normalizer] has been added as an option under [Sound Settings].
o [Energy Saver] has been added as an option.
o [Equalizer] has been added as a feature under [Music Settings].
o [Full] has been added as an option for [DVD Wide Display] under [BD / DVD Settings].
o [Photo Settings] has been added as an option.
o [PS / PS2 Settings] has been added as an option.
o [RSS Channel Settings] has been added as an option.
o [Sample Rate] has been added to [Audio CD Import] under [Music Settings].
o [Screen Saver] has been expanded under [Display Settings].
o The method of selecting an output resolution has been changed in [Video Output Settings] under [Display Settings].
o [Theme Settings] has been added as an option.
o [Zero Unused Disk Space] has been added as an option under [System Settings] > [Format Utility].

* Photo
o Additional slideshow effects have been added.
o [Photo Effects] have been added as a feature.
o Wallpaper feature has been added.
o [Zoom] has been added as a feature.

* Music
o Additional visualization effects have been added.
o CD information can now be entered.
o Three-speed fast forward and fast reverse has been added as a feature.

* Video
o Files can now be played sequentially.
o Three-speed fast forward and fast reverse has been added as a feature.
o You can now select [Zoom] under [Screen Mode] when playing video files saved on the hard disk or storage media.*.
*An appropriate USB adapter (not included) is required to use storage media with some models.

* Game
o Support for PLAYSTATION®3 format software titles has been expanded.
o XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) is now accessible during gameplay.

* Network
o [RSS Channel] has been added as a feature.

* Friends
o You can now have multiple chat sessions.
o You can now select an image to use as your Avatar from [Photo].

* Other
o Date and Time is now shown when the PS button is pressed.
o File sorting has been changed.
o [Help] has been added as a feature.
o Playability status with the PS3™ system has changed for some PlayStation® and PlayStation®2 format titles.
To check on the latest status, visit the search site for compatible titles.
o [Secure Delete] has been added as an option.
o Some PLAYSTATION®Network features have been revised.