90 replies to this topic

[RetroBob]

Ok ya'll, so there's kind of  a thread that mentions this, but I think that this is a big enough topic to merit it's own thread, feck, these things come around once in a blue moon. Fuck it, I'm making this a 720 announcement thread, they can't be that far off showing it.

 

So, who stayed up and watched it, what did you think?

 

I watched it on my phone in bed - was impressed with most of what they showed, colour me interested for November. Bring on MS' announcement too!

[Tachikoma]

Seeing as the PS4 rumour was almost 100% spot on, and the 720 rumour is it's almost exactly the same machine under the hood, I can't see that there's a lot to be excited about. 360 slowly been moving away from games to media consumption for years now, so I would imagine the 720 is going to be a TiVo box first and a games console second.

[Ginja]

Underwhelmed. Still.

[Somerset_Bumkin]

It has a Facebook button. So I can share my 1337 sk1llz with friends, family and work colleagues. Awesome. I don't want it, but I can't imagine my life without a console!

[RetroBob]

LOLASAURUS

 

[Al]

best ever!

[SlyEnemy]

I haven't watched any of this shit but I guarantee one of these new consoles will sell more than the other.

 

I register my opinion right here, right now as not knowing which one it will be.

[Mr Rich]

So let me just get this clear.

 

It's mid-level PC, with a blu ray player.  It's not backwards compatible with anything.  You can stream demos.  And you can have people watch what you're doing and put you right over the internet?  And they have a product launch where they don't even show the product?

Fucking amateur hour.  Do you think Apple would have had a launch where they don't actually have the product there?  Surely that's the point of a launch.

 

Far more interested by the 720 at the moment, at least they might be a little more innovative.

[RetroBob]

Cos they want to cock tease it out between now and then - including, you get to pay for online now!

[marthagogo]

maybe thats why they called it a "meeting".

[Tachikoma]

I would imagine it was more to do with stealing Microsoft's thunder, apparently they doubled the RAM to 8GB after the 720 leaks said it had 8GB. That's why the (early) dev kits only had 4GB.

 

If the machines really are the (relatively) same inside, then being first to the post is important.

 

I don't get all the "ZOMG they didn't show the box!" stuff, it's a Playstation... here's what it's going to look like:

 

Black (then ltd edition white and red)

 

Rectangular with rounded edges

 

Some sort of chrome trim

 

It's going to sit under your TV, not be hung on the wall of the Tate, the only time you are going to pay attention to the casing is when you swap discs or dust it once a month.

[RetroBob]

Haha, yep, a black rectangle - that had been making me laugh too but I understand people want to see the beast.

[Jusatsushi]

The concern that they havent even finalised the form enough to show a prototype what - 6 months before release - and at the big corporate announcement just makes me even more convinced that the launch units will be fragile test units ready to go *poof* at any given minute.

[Tachikoma]

More like 9-10 months before release, but I get your point.

 

The thing is, this is a full on mid-range PC, so the heat this thing is going to pump out is going to be significant, I would imagine the only reason they have not shown a final hardware design is partly due to sorting out a cooling solution that is as compact as possible but doesn't sound like a leaf blower, and the other will be waiting to see what Microsoft show at E3.

[RetroBob]

Does anyone think that MS will announce before E3, or save it up to then? Personally I don't, I think they will want two bites at the cherry like Sony. From what Major Nelson said (was surprised they didn't show console), MS will show the unit itself.

[Tachikoma]

If they do have a final case design, I would imagine M$ will save it all up for a big reveal to out-show Sony.

[Idaho]

  Do you think Apple would have had a launch where they don't actually have the product there?  Surely that's the point of a launch.

Wasn't a launch though.  Apple launch products about 2 weeks before release or even without any lead time.  This an announcement.  Also you gotta think it's a very different type of product.  It's not an Apple product which will be replaced in 9 months time.  This is something they want you to by and keep for the next 10 years or so.  I would say whatever tech they announced in it is subject to improvement depending on what they can get in the next 9 months and what they announced is a minimum.

 

Also I think the only reason they announced is cos of the lead times on games and dev's wanting to announce shit but not being able to because they would be announcing for an unannounced piece of hardware. 

[toneeblair]

Does it matter that much what the console itself looks like? The way I see it, they announced all the important stuff inside the box, the means of input and interaction the player has with the games and the system, and their philosophies for the games that will come out on it in the near future.

 

Sure, the box should look good sat under/beside your TV, but if they'd shown the console itself I don't think it would have benefited them at all. If anything, it may have taken away from the focus on what the kit can do. At the end of the day, it's what's inside that counts.

 

Mind you, I've been on the developer side of the wall for a while now so my views may be skewed versus those of a pure consumer.

 

PS - The Dev Kit didn't make much noise at all, and was still quite a bit smaller than your usual PC case.

[Sly Reflex]

You running stuff from media or HDD?

[Tachikoma]

It will be HDD or network streamed to the dev kit, you generally don't burn to disc until late into development.