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PS3 nabs Haze, likely a timed exclusive {Joystiq Xbox}
May 23rd 2007 10:20PM Ubisoft said there has been no announced exclusivity, so we should believe them.
Both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions of the games will likely be released at the same time.
Think about Ubisoft said similar things about Assassins Creed, but we now know that Assassins Creed will be released simultaneously on both systems, but the Xbox 360 version will have better artificial intelligence and include rumble features not included in the PS3 version.
And think about Unreal Tournament 2007, now called Unreal Tournament 3. When it was called Unreal Tournament 2007 they wouldn't mention an Xbox 360 version; they only mentioned PC and PS3. When the game was renamed Unreal Tournament 3, we found out it would be released FIRST on Xbox 360 and PC, and last on PS3.
So, I think there is a great chance this is nothing to be concerned about. This will be on Xbox 360 soon enough.
This Week in HD DVD: The Matrix lives edition {Joystiq Xbox}
May 21st 2007 5:14PM HD-DVD looks a lot better than Blu-ray.
The reason for this is because HD-DVD uses a video compression codec called VC-1. VC-1 is the newest and best video compression codec, and it is used by all HD-DVD discs.
The Blu-ray format has only a very small number of discs that use VC-1 or MPEG-4. The only Blu-ray movies that use VC-1 are the movies released by companies when the discs come out on both HD-DVD and Blu-ray. For example, the new Superman movie uses VC-1 on both HD-DVD and Blu-ray. But the HD-DVD version is still better because it includes extra sound formats not found on the Blu-ray version because the HD-DVD version is a 30GB disc, while the Blu-ray version is only a 25GB disc.
There are very few dual-layer 50GB Blu-ray discs, because the defect ratio is so high for those discs, and it makes it so they have to cost $35 instead of $25 at the retail stores.
The overwhelming majority of Blu-ray discs use the outdated MPEG-2 video compression codec on 25GB discs, which is the same MPEG-2 video compression codec that regular DVD's use.
This is the reason why people don't notice much of a difference between a 1080p MPEG-2 Blu-ray movie and an MPEG-2 DVD that is upconverted to 1080p; they end up looking almost identical.
The MPEG-4 video compression codec looks similar in performance to VC-1; it looks much better than MPEG-2. However, MPEG-4 is very inefficient; it takes up a lot of space on a disc. MPEG-4 would require a dual-layer Blu-ray disc, which is why very few Blu-ray movies use MPEG-4 video compression. The overwhelming majority of Blu-ray discs are 25GB discs, whereas virtually all HD-DVD discs on the market are 30GB discs.
HD-DVD versions of the discs almost always include a lot more bonus features than Blu-ray, too. The reasons for this are because HD-DVD has extra space, because VC-1 is the best video compression available; it leaves the manufacturers with a lot of space to add bonus features.
VC-1 simply looks BETTER than MPEG-2 or MPEG-4. That is the bottom line. That is the reason why HD-DVD is better than Blu-ray or upconverted DVD movies.
People don't notice much of a difference between an upconverted DVD and a Blu-ray movie, but people notice a big difference in quality when they watch an HD-DVD. HD-DVD is the best format, because it has the highest standards in terms of both visual and audio quality. Both HD-DVD and Blu-ray had a chance to be selected as the Official Successor to the DVD format, but only HD-DVD won, because HD-DVD is the best format available.
By the way, I noticed that Best Buy has HD-DVD players on sale for only $299 this week, after a $100 rebate. And you get to select two free movies when you buy an HD-DVD player.
Halo 3 four player co-op confirmed? {Joystiq Xbox}
May 20th 2007 10:31PM 4-player Co-Op in Halo 3 for the Campaign mode would be excellent!
PLEASE, Bungie, let this be true!
I want to play 4-player Co-Op SO MUCH in Halo 3!
Graphics war: Halo 2 vs Halo 3 {Joystiq Xbox}
May 18th 2007 3:02PM Halo 3 has SO MANY improvements in the "little things" that you can see. Things like lighting that were never there on Halo 2. Also, things like surface reflections that were never there on Halo 2 make an appearance in Halo 3, but it happens in such a wonderfully realistic way that you don't notice it right away. After you play it for a few times you notice something is different and you say, "Hey, now I know that lighting is there but it wasn't in Halo 2!"
The word out there is that we will see the TRUE graphic improvements in the Single Player version of Halo 3, because that is when we will see more detailed versions of aliens and some of the new alien races, along with new bosses that look incredible.
Only the multi-player aspects are being tested in the Halo 3 beta right now. Gameplay is the most important part of a multiplayer game like that, and the gameplay in Halo 3 is AWESOME!!!
Dj vu: PGR3 image used to promote Sony {Joystiq Xbox}
May 17th 2007 9:44PM Reasons like this are why Sony PS3 is called, Fony BS3.
Sony has been doing this for a long time, though.
Remember when Sony kept showing Assassins Creed and saying it was on a Playstation 3, even though there was an Xbox 360 under the table.
And remember when Sony kept saying all of the EA Sports games were running on a Playstation 3, when they were really running on an Xbox 360.
Sony doesn't deserve the business of gaming enthusiasts. That is one of the reasons why the Playstation 3 isn't selling well in any part of the world.
It's funny listening to Sony's Japanese people say that the reason the system isn't selling well in Japan isn't because the system has crap for games, but because they system is "too large for the Japanese culture."
Sony lies...that's all they do.
Ubisoft says Conviction can't be done on PS3 {Joystiq Xbox}
May 7th 2007 7:49PM Here is a hyperlink that proves Ubisoft is making the right choice by acknowledging it wouldn't be a good idea to release Splinter Cell: Conviction for the Playstation 3:
http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3158930
If the Playstation 3 versions of games like F.E.A.R. are so much inferior to the Xbox 360 and PC versions, it really would be a dumb decision to release a game like Conviction for the Playstation 3.
It would be selfish for PS3 owners to ask for a game like Splinter Cell: Conviction to be released multiplatform, because the PS3 version of the game wouldn't look nearly as good as it does on the Xbox 360, and the developers would be forced to lower the graphic standards in the Xbox 360 version.
I would rather have the game as an exclusive for the Xbox 360 and make sure it stays so incredible in ways that only the Xbox 360 can offer, in terms of both graphics and online play!
Ubisoft says Conviction can't be done on PS3 {Joystiq Xbox}
May 7th 2007 7:37PM James,
I suggest you read what William was saying a second time.
William was NOT saying that the Xbox 360 has TWICE the amount of total RAM that the Playstation 3 has. William was simply pointing out how the Xbox 360 has a much better RAM architecture than the Playstation 3.
William specifically said that the Playstation 3 has a bottleneck of only 256MB of CPU RAM. He specifically pointed out that many games currently have a need for more than 256MB of CPU RAM. When needs like that arise, the Xbox 360 has the ability to use its much better 512MB of Unified RAM to help the CPU out, giving it more than 256MB of RAM when the need arises.
Yes, it’s true that when the Xbox 360 CPU has a need for more than 256MB of RAM, it reduces the amount of RAM potentially available for other uses; that goes without saying. But CPU RAM is CRUCIAL! There are MANY times when more than 256MB of CPU RAM is needed, often times when FAR less than 256MB of Video RAM is needed. The Playstation 3’s Non-Unified RAM is NOT efficient and NOT flexible when compared to the superior design of the Xbox 360 Unified RAM.
Think of it like this: The Playstation 3 will never be in a position where all 512MB of RAM are being used in the perfectly balanced way the developers would want; there will always be some RAM that is not being used, which means it is being wasted. But the Xbox 360 will always be in a position where the developers can use all 512MB of RAM in any way they want. No RAM is left unused or wasted with the superior architecture of the Xbox 360.
The lack of CPU RAM is what hurts the Playstation 3 more than anything else when there is all of that slowdown with all of the framerate problems. James, in case you haven't noticed, Motorstorm on the PS3 has a choppy framerate. Motorstorm is considered a disappointment because it didn't live up to the hype. The reviews for Motorstorm specifically point out that "graphics are not the strongpoint of the game."
Resistance: FOM on the Playstation 3 isn't even in the same league as games like Gears of War, Lost Planet, and Crackdown. Resistance was given a 6 out of 10 by some of the reviews; it's not an impressive game. Just look at the way the Independent Playstation Magazine did a side by side comparison of the Playstation 3 games and the Xbox 360 games, and they showed Resistance: FOM next to Gears of War. The editors said Resistance does NOT come close to the best games on the Xbox 360. It showed a side-by-side picture of how Gears of War looks MUCH better than anything on the PS3. Gears of War is a PERFECT example of how the Xbox 360 has access to 500,000,000 polygons per second, while the Playstation 3 only has access to 275,000,000 polygons per second.
There are TWO other reasons why the Xbox 360 has RAM superiority over the Playstation 3.
First, the Xbox 360 Operating System is dedicated to gaming when it is functioning. It takes up only 32MB of RAM. The Playstation 3 Operating System takes up a whopping 96MB of RAM! That is a HUGE waste of RAM! It leaves the PS3 with only 416MB of RAM to work with, while the Xbox 360 has 480MB of RAM. That is one of the reasons why the multi-platform games end up worse on the Playstation 3, particularly with the disappointing framerates. Playstation 3 really is developing a nasty reputation for having poor framerates because of a lack of CPU RAM and a lack of polygon power.
Second, the Xbox 360 has 10MB of eDRAM that is incredibly efficient at helping the Xbox 360 display graphics. Playstation 3 doesn't have anything similar to eDRAM like that; it is a big advantage to help the Xbox 360 with framerates and polygon display smoothness.
I agree with people who say that we just need to look at the performance of the games. The multi-platform third-party games are better on the Xbox 360. Many times, the third-party games released on both systems are a LOT better on the Xbox 360. For proof of this, just look at how awesome the PC and Xbox 360 versions of F.E.A.R. are, but how worthless the Playstation 3 version is. When you look at third-party multiplatform games like F.E.A.R. and Xbox 360 exclusive games like Lost Planet, Crackdown, Gears of War, Mass Effect, and Splinter Cell: Conviction, then there is no doubt that the Xbox 360 offers better graphic performance. And when you look at how much better the online performance of Xbox Live is, it really isn’t even worth a debate. The bottom line is that the Xbox 360 has the best games and Xbox Live is the best online service. If you want the best, the Xbox 360 is the best.
Ubisoft says Conviction can't be done on PS3 {Joystiq Xbox}
May 7th 2007 3:26PM Ever since the 2006 E3 when we saw the final specifications for the Playstation 3, it has been common knowledge that the Xbox 360 has more processing power when it comes to what can actually be applied to videogames.
Xbox 360 has more General Purpose CPU power than the Playstation 3, because the PS3 CPU isn't diverse enough; it's ideal use isn't for videogames, which is the reason why Sony originally wanted to have two Cell CPUs in the PS3, but couldn't afford to do so.
Xbox 360 has three CPUs, which is why the Xbox 360 has a lot more General Purpose CPU power. This is the reason why Ubisoft and Tecmo have repeatedly said that games like Assassins Creed will have better artificial intelligence on the Xbox 360.
stephentur, is 100% correct when he talks about the superiority of the Xbox 360 RAM. The Xbox 360 RAM advantage of being able to use up to 512MB of RAM for the CPU at any time is a very large advantage. The Playstation 3 CPU can never access more than 256MB of RAM at a time, which is why so many Playstation 3 games have framerate problems. Games that are perfectly smooth on the Xbox 360, like Call of Duty 3 and F.E.A.R. are terribly choppy on the Playstation 3.
ShaleX, you should know that the developers of Lair were recently interviewed and they pointed out that it is quite easy to port an exclusive PS3 game to the Xbox 360, because the Xbox 360 is more than capable of handling anything designed to run on the Playstation 3. However, those developers also go on to say that it is often very difficult to port an Xbox 360 exclusive game to the Playstation 3, because the Playstation 3 is much more difficult to program games for and doesn't have the necessary hardware resources. An great example is the way the Xbox 360 can display 500,000,000 polygons per second, while the Playstation 3 can only display 275,000,000 polygons per second. Another example is the way an Xbox 360 exclusive game would often have the CPU using a lot more than 256MB of RAM, while the PS3 would always be limited to 256MB. This is one of the reasons why Epic said Gears of War could never be achieved on the Playstation 3.
The Xbox 360 is getting so much more third-party support than the Playstation 3. This really is a great time to be an Xbox 360 owner, and a poor time to be a Playstation 3 owner.
I sure am looking forward to Splinter Cell: Conviction, Mass Effect, Halo 3, Command & Conquer 3, and Two Worlds!
Microsoft Game Studios grows European arm {Joystiq Xbox}
May 4th 2007 3:14PM This is very impressive news that Microsoft is expanding its European gaming workforce by such a large amount of employees due to the growing popularity of the Xbox 360 in Europe, just like in North America, and Asia.
Ironically, many of the new employees may be employees who used to work for Sony, because Sony recently was forced to fire 10% of its European workforce because of all the financial problems that Sony Computer Entertainment is having in Europe, since the Playstation 3 is doing very poorly in Europe, just like in North America and Asia.
Saints Row and Lego Star Wars II are platinum {Joystiq Xbox}
Apr 28th 2007 12:40PM Star Wars Lego 2 and Saints Row are fine additions to the Xbox 360 library of Platinum Hits.
Saints Row isn't as good as Crackdown, but it is still a fine game if you are into those Grand Theft Auto style games. Crackdown is the most fun game of all, though!
