Hmm, is there much difference between different Blue-Ray players? Is one significantly better then another?
Yes, vastly. If you are to buy a Bluray player right now, you only have one choice if you are not a retard: the PS3.
The earliest bluray players can only play Bluray 1.0 movies; ie. movies that are just high definition video and sound. Later bluray players with certain hardware features could play bluray 1.1 discs, which have picture-in-picture features (e.g. you can watch video commentary at the same time as the feature film; two hi-def video/audio streams going at once). Bluray 1.1 compatible players require a second video decoder and at least 256MB of local storage. Last I checked, only the PS3 can handle bluray 2.0, which includes online capabilities. Bluray 2.0 requires 2.0 compatible players (also known as Bluray Live) to have 1gb of local storage and an ethernet adapter.
To put it simply, the PS3 is the only future proof bluray player.
This is the biggest problem I see with getting average people to buy into blu-ray and it's a self-made problem! How much confidence do people have in a $500 product that's rendered obsolete every 6 months? Seriously, the way you're supposed to develop this sort of thing is:
1. Design the specifications.
2. Build the product.
3. Sell the product.
4. Do nothing.
5. Profit.
They're making it more complicated than it needs to be.
Marketing wanted to get the product out the door before R&D was done with it, and this is what happens. And it's not like this is exclusive to Blu-Ray, here. Look at 802.11n, for instance.
I don't doubt the triple core cpu could handle their decoding, what I think is the problem is the licensing. MS probably paid the licensing fees for hd-dvd. But they haven't paid the licensing fees to decode for the same codecs on bluray. You can bet your arse there will be some contractual thing covering this, where if MS wants to decode the same video codecs on bluray they have to pay all the fees again.
Plus there is the point that they'll need to create a JAVA runtime interpreter. So, for practicalities sake they'll problably license one from Sun.
It all adds to the cost.
Well, Microsoft created one of those codecs (VC-1), so I doubt they'll have problems there. That leaves MPEG2, which they're already licensing for DVD playback, and H.264, which they've already licensed for HD-DVD but as you said, they might need to re-license for Blu-Ray, probably at a per-player cost. I doubt one codec is really going to kill them.
And there's Java, but Microsoft has written a Java interpreter before, you know.
Don't you know that having a huge number of confusing SKUs is the new trend?
I think the real business plan looks like:
1) Confuse customers
2) Price players to high
3) Price media to high
4) ???
5) Profit!
By the way Sony's game division has lost ALL of the profits they gained in the PS2 era by launching the PS3. Now they are eating into profits they made on the PS1.
They better hope that Blu-Ray makes some insane profits for them. Insane.
lowlylowlycook on
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Hmm, is there much difference between different Blue-Ray players? Is one significantly better then another?
Yes, vastly. If you are to buy a Bluray player right now, you only have one choice if you are not a retard: the PS3.
The earliest bluray players can only play Bluray 1.0 movies; ie. movies that are just high definition video and sound. Later bluray players with certain hardware features could play bluray 1.1 discs, which have picture-in-picture features (e.g. you can watch video commentary at the same time as the feature film; two hi-def video/audio streams going at once). Bluray 1.1 compatible players require a second video decoder and at least 256MB of local storage. Last I checked, only the PS3 can handle bluray 2.0, which includes online capabilities. Bluray 2.0 requires 2.0 compatible players (also known as Bluray Live) to have 1gb of local storage and an ethernet adapter.
To put it simply, the PS3 is the only future proof bluray player.
This is the biggest problem I see with getting average people to buy into blu-ray and it's a self-made problem! How much confidence do people have in a $500 product that's rendered obsolete every 6 months? Seriously, the way you're supposed to develop this sort of thing is:
1. Design the specifications.
2. Build the product.
3. Sell the product.
4. Do nothing.
5. Profit.
They're making it more complicated than it needs to be.
Marketing wanted to get the product out the door before R&D was done with it, and this is what happens. And it's not like this is exclusive to Blu-Ray, here. Look at 802.11n, for instance.
Urgh, don't get me started on 802.11n. So many compatibility issues not only between different manufacturers but actually with manufacturers own products. (for example WMP300N and WAP4400N are totally unreliable pieces of junk, I now hate Linksys because of these two)
GrimReaper on
PSN | Steam
---
I've got a spare copy of Portal, if anyone wants it message me.
Don't you know that having a huge number of confusing SKUs is the new trend?
I think the real business plan looks like:
1) Confuse customers
2) Price players to high
3) Price media to high
4) ???
5) Profit!
By the way Sony's game division has lost ALL of the profits they gained in the PS2 era by launching the PS3. Now they are eating into profits they made on the PS1.
They better hope that Blu-Ray makes some insane profits for them. Insane.
Where did you get that they are eating in to PS1 profits? You really just dont get how much money corporations like Sony and MS have do you? Your just fisting your colon to come up with this crap arent you.
*splurg* *blork* *squeeeeeeeee* "Heys guyses look whut I found out!"
Don't you know that having a huge number of confusing SKUs is the new trend?
I think the real business plan looks like:
1) Confuse customers
2) Price players to high
3) Price media to high
4) ???
5) Profit!
By the way Sony's game division has lost ALL of the profits they gained in the PS2 era by launching the PS3. Now they are eating into profits they made on the PS1.
They better hope that Blu-Ray makes some insane profits for them. Insane.
Where did you get that they are eating in to PS1 profits? You really just dont get how much money corporations like Sony and MS have do you? Your just fisting your colon to come up with this crap arent you.
*splurg* *blork* *squeeeeeeeee* "Heys guyses look whut I found out!"
Which is exactly why he said: "GAME DIVISION". Sony as a whole makes a lot of profit, but their game division is losing teh monies.
I'd really hate to be a non-early adopter and still get screwed in reference to having outdated hardware.
This is why I bought a console, console makers. Please try and keep this in mind.
I'd really hate to be a non-early adopter and still get screwed in reference to having outdated hardware.
This is why I bought a console, console makers. Please try and keep this in mind.
I doubt the Wii will come out with another SKU in the future.
Why would having a built in player hurt compatibility? It isn't like Blu-ray players can't read DVDs.
oooh. I could of sworn at one time Blu-ray had issues with dvds but that might of been a whole nother deal. My bad.
Yeah, that's just ridiculous. Whoever told you that was messing with you.
I'm thinking its more of either a blatant lie that the diode on the Blu-ray player would have issues with DVD's or I mistook information when the whole war heated up. There was a lot of mis-information during this blu-ray/hd-dvd war.
Personally, I would prefer it to be an add-on. Just to reduce the amount of wear and tear on the primary drive. I could easily see someone sell a Blu-ray add-on for the 360 and make a killing off of it. I think sony would be the biggest hurdle since it is one of the driving forces on blu-ray player market.
It's not that simple, bluray is more than just a optical disc. It's also a complex standard. You've got to have a java runtime, ability to decode VC1, h264, mpeg2, ac3 and lots of other stuff. It's not easy to implement all of that. You'd have to license a lot of it, plus you can't rely on a hardware decoder chip because the 360 doesn't have any for those. So you'd have to pay lots of money for the licensing for them (or make them yourself).
There isn't going to be such a thing as a cheap blu-ray addon for the 360.
So realistically the only party who could make a bluray addon for the 360 is Microsoft, a third party could do it but it'd cost. I could see somebody like cyberlink make a piece of 360 software that you can buy from the marketplace or that comes on a dvd with the bluray drive but I don't think it'd be cheap.
I don't doubt this for a second. I think the question here will be if they will try. As for the decoding, I didn't think of that and I do see how that could be an issue. Just a thought (kinda throwing this out there) it is possible that this could be for the next generation of consoles because they had to start planning that after the 360 shipped.
I assure you all that the 360's CPU is more than beefy enough to handle all the video decoding. Yes, it doesn't have dedicated ASICs to do all the heavy lifting like standalone players do, but it's got a big fucking triple-core general purpose CPU in there that can handle quite a bit of math. Besides, the same codecs were used on HD-DVDs, remember?
I don't doubt the triple core cpu could handle their decoding, what I think is the problem is the licensing. MS probably paid the licensing fees for hd-dvd. But they haven't paid the licensing fees to decode for the same codecs on bluray. You can bet your arse there will be some contractual thing covering this, where if MS wants to decode the same video codecs on bluray they have to pay all the fees again.
Plus there is the point that they'll need to create a JAVA runtime interpreter. So, for practicalities sake they'll problably license one from Sun.
It all adds to the cost.
With Microsoft owning Windows, you're not goingto outright GOUGE them, otherwise you run the risk of retribution. You DO want Windows to remain compatable with future Bluray updates even after digi distro becomes viable, no?
MSoft are not small time. They'll get a decent deal, and whatever it is, they can afford it.
Don't you know that having a huge number of confusing SKUs is the new trend?
I think the real business plan looks like:
1) Confuse customers
2) Price players to high
3) Price media to high
4) ???
5) Profit!
By the way Sony's game division has lost ALL of the profits they gained in the PS2 era by launching the PS3. Now they are eating into profits they made on the PS1.
They better hope that Blu-Ray makes some insane profits for them. Insane.
Where did you get that they are eating in to PS1 profits? You really just dont get how much money corporations like Sony and MS have do you? Your just fisting your colon to come up with this crap arent you.
*splurg* *blork* *squeeeeeeeee* "Heys guyses look whut I found out!"
He's talking about the long-term net from the game division.
You don't understand how corporations operate, do you? There isn't just one giant piggy bank in the center of the HQ. Finances are broken down to see how different pieces are functioning.
I'd really hate to be a non-early adopter and still get screwed in reference to having outdated hardware.
This is why I bought a console, console makers. Please try and keep this in mind.
I doubt the Wii will come out with another SKU in the future.
I'd really hate to be a non-early adopter and still get screwed in reference to having outdated hardware.
This is why I bought a console, console makers. Please try and keep this in mind.
I doubt the Wii will come out with another SKU in the future.
Oh, I'll bet it will.
It'll be a different paint job. :-P
They'd be crazy to do that! Maybe in 2-3 years when the demand finally dies down. :P
Honestly, this sounds shallow, but part of me is waiting for more colors for the Wii before buying.
I really liked the green one they showed in promos before launch. But I'd probably get a black one to match my Elite and my eventual purchase of a PS3 (for MGS4 basically).
To tell you the truth, aside from the 120GB HDD, I basically paid 100 more for the black 360. And I was comfortable with that.
Am I a consumer whore?
It WILL be an add-on, with the intention to keep current 360 owners from feeling the need to pick up a PS3. It won't be so much about enticing new users (although they'll run that angle through marketing a little, since it's there) but it will be primarily about maintaining the status that the 360 is "good enough", and that you don't need to replace or suppliment it with a PS3.
Don't you know that having a huge number of confusing SKUs is the new trend?
I think the real business plan looks like:
1) Confuse customers
2) Price players to high
3) Price media to high
4) ???
5) Profit!
By the way Sony's game division has lost ALL of the profits they gained in the PS2 era by launching the PS3. Now they are eating into profits they made on the PS1.
They better hope that Blu-Ray makes some insane profits for them. Insane.
Where did you get that they are eating in to PS1 profits? You really just dont get how much money corporations like Sony and MS have do you? Your just fisting your colon to come up with this crap arent you.
*splurg* *blork* *squeeeeeeeee* "Heys guyses look whut I found out!"
He's talking about the long-term net from the game division.
You don't understand how corporations operate, do you? There isn't just one giant piggy bank in the center of the HQ. Finances are broken down to see how different pieces are functioning.
I understand that thank you for stating the blatantly obvious... Yet show me anywhere where sony's game division is losing so much that its cutting into PS1 profits (which in a sense is also absolutely impossible because profits from the past dont scale in a linear timeless fashion).
Don't you know that having a huge number of confusing SKUs is the new trend?
I think the real business plan looks like:
1) Confuse customers
2) Price players to high
3) Price media to high
4) ???
5) Profit!
By the way Sony's game division has lost ALL of the profits they gained in the PS2 era by launching the PS3. Now they are eating into profits they made on the PS1.
They better hope that Blu-Ray makes some insane profits for them. Insane.
Where did you get that they are eating in to PS1 profits? You really just dont get how much money corporations like Sony and MS have do you? Your just fisting your colon to come up with this crap arent you.
*splurg* *blork* *squeeeeeeeee* "Heys guyses look whut I found out!"
He's talking about the long-term net from the game division.
You don't understand how corporations operate, do you? There isn't just one giant piggy bank in the center of the HQ. Finances are broken down to see how different pieces are functioning.
I understand that thank you for stating the blatantly obvious... Yet show me anywhere where sony's game division is losing so much that its cutting into PS1 profits (which in a sense is also absolutely impossible because profits from the past dont scale in a linear timeless fashion).
Ummm...
If you are collapsing a couple of decades in to a long-term net gain/loss, then it makes perfect sense that it COULD be eating in to PS1 profits, from that sort of "life time" vantage point.
I never said that his information was correct, I just called you out for being wrong yourself when you tried to call him out. What he claims, while the facts remain to be seen, is a structurally sound statement.
Don't be jerk while calling some one out unless you are 100% right. That's the take-away here.
Don't you know that having a huge number of confusing SKUs is the new trend?
I think the real business plan looks like:
1) Confuse customers
2) Price players to high
3) Price media to high
4) ???
5) Profit!
By the way Sony's game division has lost ALL of the profits they gained in the PS2 era by launching the PS3. Now they are eating into profits they made on the PS1.
They better hope that Blu-Ray makes some insane profits for them. Insane.
Where did you get that they are eating in to PS1 profits? You really just dont get how much money corporations like Sony and MS have do you? Your just fisting your colon to come up with this crap arent you.
*splurg* *blork* *squeeeeeeeee* "Heys guyses look whut I found out!"
Uh, you can look up Sony's game division's financials here. For instance here you can see that their profits in 2003 (year ending March 31 2004) the game division made a profit of 650 million US$.
You can see from the second column that the game division has less total profit now than it did at the end of 1999. In the third column puts it more explicitly and you can see that running things backwards, the game division doesn't pay off the losses from 07+08 until 1999.
Now the PS1 continued to sell well after the PS2 launched in 2000, so the PS3 was eating into PS1 profits even before then.
lowlylowlycook on
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Are those ammounts indexed by anything, or is each ammount nominal to its given year?
Nominal. Really everything should be done in Yen, I guess, and then indexed based on Japanese inflation. But inflation isn't exactly a huge problem in Japan. Maybe in that case the PS3 has only started to eat into yr 2000 profits.
lowlylowlycook on
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
"As we have stated, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-ray drive for Xbox 360," said a Microsoft official in an email to GamePro on Monday. "Games are what drive consumers to purchase game consoles, and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available."
Yeah, I know that "a Microsoft official" and "GamePro" aren't really official sounding, but I couldn't find a more legit link.
"As we have stated, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-ray drive for Xbox 360," said a Microsoft official in an email to GamePro on Monday. "Games are what drive consumers to purchase game consoles, and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available."
Yeah, I know that "a Microsoft official" and "GamePro" aren't really official sounding, but I couldn't find a more legit link.
Huh. I wonder why Microsoft is buying a fuck-ton of Blu-Ray drives from Asustek, then.
"As we have stated, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-ray drive for Xbox 360," said a Microsoft official in an email to GamePro on Monday. "Games are what drive consumers to purchase game consoles, and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available."
Yeah, I know that "a Microsoft official" and "GamePro" aren't really official sounding, but I couldn't find a more legit link.
Huh. I wonder why Microsoft is buying a fuck-ton of Blu-Ray drives from Asustek, then.
Because they are.
Maybe this is the whole "denying comments because we want to make the announcement ourself" tactic.
Gyral on
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ViscountalphaThe pen is mightier than the swordhttp://youtu.be/G_sBOsh-vyIRegistered Userregular
"As we have stated, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-ray drive for Xbox 360," said a Microsoft official in an email to GamePro on Monday. "Games are what drive consumers to purchase game consoles, and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available."
Yeah, I know that "a Microsoft official" and "GamePro" aren't really official sounding, but I couldn't find a more legit link.
Huh. I wonder why Microsoft is buying a fuck-ton of Blu-Ray drives from Asustek, then.
Because they are.
Maybe this is the whole "denying comments because we want to make the announcement ourself" tactic.
Thats a Microsoft standard tactic. I was digging around in some news sites and I found something that made sense. http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/05/05/xbox-360-overhaul-come-august
Someone speculated that the newer ATi graphics chips may assist in Blu-ray playback. Seems plausible. I mean, initially they say "No" Then they go all tight lipped about to a "no comment" Then an order for blu-ray players from asustek shows up. The circumstantial evidence is enough. I would still call it a rumor until something fully solid shows up though.
"As we have stated, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-ray drive for Xbox 360," said a Microsoft official in an email to GamePro on Monday. "Games are what drive consumers to purchase game consoles, and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available."
Yeah, I know that "a Microsoft official" and "GamePro" aren't really official sounding, but I couldn't find a more legit link.
Corporations tend to make official announcements when they want to and will directly contradict such announcements minutes before they make them. I.E. Are you going to release X? Company Spokesman, "We have no intention of releasing X." The very next day; Company Spokesman, "We're very pleased to present you with X."
Even if it is something a company is very obviously going to do they will deny it until they're ready to announce it. Which kind of sucks, because if it isn't painfully obvious you can't be sure if the rumor is true or false until after the fact. Well, unless the rumor comes from an extremely sketchy source (e.g. a crazy hobo*).
"As we have stated, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-ray drive for Xbox 360," said a Microsoft official in an email to GamePro on Monday. "Games are what drive consumers to purchase game consoles, and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available."
Yeah, I know that "a Microsoft official" and "GamePro" aren't really official sounding, but I couldn't find a more legit link.
Huh. I wonder why Microsoft is buying a fuck-ton of Blu-Ray drives from Asustek, then.
Because they are.
First off, having no plans is different from having plans not to.
Secondly, Microsoft makes more than just video games.
It's just good business. You don't want to announce anything before it is finalized. If MSoft announced that they were looking in to it, and then changed their minds, that might make it look like they some how "failed", wheras if they say nothing, there's no negative public perception.
Btw, this practise is probably the most important thing that Peter Molynheux needs to learn (by his own admission.)
This wouldn't be a horrible upgrade to the old Elite model; in its current state it's a fairly minor upgrade from Premium, but if they are going to phase everything out to use new chipsets anyway then they can throw in a blu-ray drive and make it a legitimately upgraded "media center" 360 model for around the same cost as the low-end ps3
Secondly, Microsoft makes more than just video games.
As far as Microsoft's hardware business is concerned, they make the 360 and related accessories, they make the Zune, and they have a line of fairly high-quality PC input devices.
Of those three things, I'm seeing one that would be able to make use of a Blu-Ray drive.
Secondly, Microsoft makes more than just video games.
As far as Microsoft's hardware business is concerned, they make the 360 and related accessories, they make the Zune, and they have a line of fairly high-quality PC input devices.
Of those three things, I'm seeing one that would be able to make use of a Blu-Ray drive.
Those are the items that Microsoft currently has for sale in the mass-market.
It is not impossible for Microsoft to be working on something else.
Personally, I am expecting a BD add-on for the 360 to be announced within the next few months, but there ARE other possibilities.
Secondly, Microsoft makes more than just video games.
As far as Microsoft's hardware business is concerned, they make the 360 and related accessories, they make the Zune, and they have a line of fairly high-quality PC input devices.
Of those three things, I'm seeing one that would be able to make use of a Blu-Ray drive.
Those are the items that Microsoft currently has for sale in the mass-market.
It is not impossible for Microsoft to be working on something else.
I just don't see Microsoft getting into the standalone player market. I mean, I suppose it's technically possible, I just don't see it as even a remote likelyhood.
Daedalus on
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ViscountalphaThe pen is mightier than the swordhttp://youtu.be/G_sBOsh-vyIRegistered Userregular
Secondly, Microsoft makes more than just video games.
As far as Microsoft's hardware business is concerned, they make the 360 and related accessories, they make the Zune, and they have a line of fairly high-quality PC input devices.
Of those three things, I'm seeing one that would be able to make use of a Blu-Ray drive.
Those are the items that Microsoft currently has for sale in the mass-market.
It is not impossible for Microsoft to be working on something else.
I just don't see Microsoft getting into the standalone player market. I mean, I suppose it's technically possible, I just don't see it as even a remote likelyhood.
I think that is what makes this rumor so delicious. There are no clear indications of what it is going to be used for. Rumors claim its for a built in Blu-ray player but that seems off. I doubt the standalone player theory myself but I can't seem to make a competent claim what the blu-ray order will be used for.
The current theorys out there are
1.360 add on
2.360 replacment drive
3.Stand-alone drive
4. Something way out of left field which is not visible to any of us.
5. Nothing at all. Scrapped project.
I would bet on theroy 1 personally, If I were betting.
(*edit* irony of bullet list talking about a microsoft product just dawned on me)
Posts
Marketing wanted to get the product out the door before R&D was done with it, and this is what happens. And it's not like this is exclusive to Blu-Ray, here. Look at 802.11n, for instance.
Well, Microsoft created one of those codecs (VC-1), so I doubt they'll have problems there. That leaves MPEG2, which they're already licensing for DVD playback, and H.264, which they've already licensed for HD-DVD but as you said, they might need to re-license for Blu-Ray, probably at a per-player cost. I doubt one codec is really going to kill them.
And there's Java, but Microsoft has written a Java interpreter before, you know.
I think the real business plan looks like:
1) Confuse customers
2) Price players to high
3) Price media to high
4) ???
5) Profit!
By the way Sony's game division has lost ALL of the profits they gained in the PS2 era by launching the PS3. Now they are eating into profits they made on the PS1.
They better hope that Blu-Ray makes some insane profits for them. Insane.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Urgh, don't get me started on 802.11n. So many compatibility issues not only between different manufacturers but actually with manufacturers own products. (for example WMP300N and WAP4400N are totally unreliable pieces of junk, I now hate Linksys because of these two)
---
I've got a spare copy of Portal, if anyone wants it message me.
Where did you get that they are eating in to PS1 profits? You really just dont get how much money corporations like Sony and MS have do you? Your just fisting your colon to come up with this crap arent you.
*splurg* *blork* *squeeeeeeeee* "Heys guyses look whut I found out!"
Wii: 1056 1549 1957 0345
Part Time Gamer.com | My Game Collection | Flickr: Video Game Photo Mode | Flickr: Game Rooms
Which is exactly why he said: "GAME DIVISION". Sony as a whole makes a lot of profit, but their game division is losing teh monies.
This is why I bought a console, console makers. Please try and keep this in mind.
I doubt the Wii will come out with another SKU in the future.
With Microsoft owning Windows, you're not goingto outright GOUGE them, otherwise you run the risk of retribution. You DO want Windows to remain compatable with future Bluray updates even after digi distro becomes viable, no?
MSoft are not small time. They'll get a decent deal, and whatever it is, they can afford it.
He's talking about the long-term net from the game division.
You don't understand how corporations operate, do you? There isn't just one giant piggy bank in the center of the HQ. Finances are broken down to see how different pieces are functioning.
ohnohedi-ent.gif
Oh, I'll bet it will.
They'd be crazy to do that! Maybe in 2-3 years when the demand finally dies down. :P
I really liked the green one they showed in promos before launch. But I'd probably get a black one to match my Elite and my eventual purchase of a PS3 (for MGS4 basically).
To tell you the truth, aside from the 120GB HDD, I basically paid 100 more for the black 360. And I was comfortable with that.
Am I a consumer whore?
THIS is MSoft's goal, should they do bluray.
It WILL be an add-on, with the intention to keep current 360 owners from feeling the need to pick up a PS3. It won't be so much about enticing new users (although they'll run that angle through marketing a little, since it's there) but it will be primarily about maintaining the status that the 360 is "good enough", and that you don't need to replace or suppliment it with a PS3.
I understand that thank you for stating the blatantly obvious... Yet show me anywhere where sony's game division is losing so much that its cutting into PS1 profits (which in a sense is also absolutely impossible because profits from the past dont scale in a linear timeless fashion).
October 2007
Losses over 1 Billion as of late.
Ummm...
If you are collapsing a couple of decades in to a long-term net gain/loss, then it makes perfect sense that it COULD be eating in to PS1 profits, from that sort of "life time" vantage point.
I never said that his information was correct, I just called you out for being wrong yourself when you tried to call him out. What he claims, while the facts remain to be seen, is a structurally sound statement.
Don't be jerk while calling some one out unless you are 100% right. That's the take-away here.
Any further questions, refer to my sig.
Uh, you can look up Sony's game division's financials here. For instance here you can see that their profits in 2003 (year ending March 31 2004) the game division made a profit of 650 million US$.
In table form:
You can see from the second column that the game division has less total profit now than it did at the end of 1999. In the third column puts it more explicitly and you can see that running things backwards, the game division doesn't pay off the losses from 07+08 until 1999.
Now the PS1 continued to sell well after the PS2 launched in 2000, so the PS3 was eating into PS1 profits even before then.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Are those ammounts indexed by anything, or is each ammount nominal to its given year?
Link
PS2 launch AFAIK.
Loss leader strategy and all.
Nominal. Really everything should be done in Yen, I guess, and then indexed based on Japanese inflation. But inflation isn't exactly a huge problem in Japan. Maybe in that case the PS3 has only started to eat into yr 2000 profits.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Huh. I wonder why Microsoft is buying a fuck-ton of Blu-Ray drives from Asustek, then.
Because they are.
Maybe this is the whole "denying comments because we want to make the announcement ourself" tactic.
Thats a Microsoft standard tactic. I was digging around in some news sites and I found something that made sense. http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/05/05/xbox-360-overhaul-come-august
Someone speculated that the newer ATi graphics chips may assist in Blu-ray playback. Seems plausible. I mean, initially they say "No" Then they go all tight lipped about to a "no comment" Then an order for blu-ray players from asustek shows up. The circumstantial evidence is enough. I would still call it a rumor until something fully solid shows up though.
Corporations tend to make official announcements when they want to and will directly contradict such announcements minutes before they make them. I.E. Are you going to release X? Company Spokesman, "We have no intention of releasing X." The very next day; Company Spokesman, "We're very pleased to present you with X."
Even if it is something a company is very obviously going to do they will deny it until they're ready to announce it. Which kind of sucks, because if it isn't painfully obvious you can't be sure if the rumor is true or false until after the fact. Well, unless the rumor comes from an extremely sketchy source (e.g. a crazy hobo*).
*Hobos are always right!
First off, having no plans is different from having plans not to.
Secondly, Microsoft makes more than just video games.
It's just good business. You don't want to announce anything before it is finalized. If MSoft announced that they were looking in to it, and then changed their minds, that might make it look like they some how "failed", wheras if they say nothing, there's no negative public perception.
Btw, this practise is probably the most important thing that Peter Molynheux needs to learn (by his own admission.)
As far as Microsoft's hardware business is concerned, they make the 360 and related accessories, they make the Zune, and they have a line of fairly high-quality PC input devices.
Of those three things, I'm seeing one that would be able to make use of a Blu-Ray drive.
Those are the items that Microsoft currently has for sale in the mass-market.
It is not impossible for Microsoft to be working on something else.
Personally, I am expecting a BD add-on for the 360 to be announced within the next few months, but there ARE other possibilities.
I just don't see Microsoft getting into the standalone player market. I mean, I suppose it's technically possible, I just don't see it as even a remote likelyhood.
I think that is what makes this rumor so delicious. There are no clear indications of what it is going to be used for. Rumors claim its for a built in Blu-ray player but that seems off. I doubt the standalone player theory myself but I can't seem to make a competent claim what the blu-ray order will be used for.
The current theorys out there are
1.360 add on
2.360 replacment drive
3.Stand-alone drive
4. Something way out of left field which is not visible to any of us.
5. Nothing at all. Scrapped project.
I would bet on theroy 1 personally, If I were betting.
(*edit* irony of bullet list talking about a microsoft product just dawned on me)