[PS3] PlayStation 3 Discussion Thread

Tommorow's schedule, according to GAF.

Quote:

11.30-1 p.m: Developer Roundtable "Developing Games for PlayStation 3"
1 p.m: Travel to XXXX Studios
2 p.m.-3 p.m. Presentation at XXXX studios
3 p.m. - 5 p.m. PlayStation 3 Arcade (i.e. Hands-On with PS3, I'm looking forward to this part)
5 p.m.- 8 p.m. Cocktails and Live Musical Performance

Looks like the real news will begin by the time I'm out of work. Good timing.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Metal Sphere

Edit: More stuff confirmed:

Yeah, I saw some of those for myself. The menu had a "Register Bluetooth device" selection, as well as options for mouse hand, and USB keyboard key repeat speed and interval.

http://www.ps3blogi.fi/images/ps3_14_1161119322.jpg

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Whoa, great find Qwarky! That's the best shot I've seen of the keyboard/mouse/pointer setup area of the XMB.

Got anymore? Oh and it looks like we're going to be in for a treat tomorrow from 2-5

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

This reminds me of that one episode where Homer buys a ton of crap for his car, including a DVD player, mini oven, and fog machine.

"Even I find this excessive."

I really don't see the use in a cellphone headset, unless it's a cheaper and smaller alternative for online voice chat.

One thing I hope they create is a wireless version of the Logitech keyboard controller made for PS2. It's an absolute neccesity for MMORPGs like FFXI, but it's also a pain to use with 3 wires connected to my system.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Metal Sphere

Whoa, great find Qwarky! That's the best shot I've seen of the keyboard/mouse/pointer setup area of the XMB.

Got anymore? Oh and it looks like we're going to be in for a treat tomorrow from 2-5

Why thank you, I'm pleased people like them.

And yes I do, but the text I wrote is in finnish, unfortunately. If you see any pic that needs explaining, I can go into detail.

http://www.ps3blogi.fi/171006213859_omfgps3wtf.html


Or alternatively, if there's any specific thing you'd like me to take a shot of, I can try tomorrow or Friday when I'm at work.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Awesome, downloading the PSM dealy

Just wanted to let folks know... If you're lacking an HDTV, but you have a monitor with DVI input, there are HDMI->DVI cables out there that should let you connect the PS3. Only about 25ish bucks for a 3 foot cable, which should be long enough.

The only problem though, is that well, my computer uses the monitor's DVI in And if I wanted to get some sort of switchbox, the only option I've been able to find is a DVI KVM Switch which is 160 bucks... Does anyone know of a potentially cheaper solution?

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Qwarky

Why thank you, I'm pleased people like them.

And yes I do, but the text I wrote is in finnish, unfortunately. If you see any pic that needs explaining, I can go into detail.

I've got a few...

• In the closeup of the slot loader, the arrow facing the drive, is that a button or some kind of sensor? Is the power button also a sensor or some kind of button? It could either be pressure or heat sensitive. If you don't know, just say that, no biggie.
• Does the PS3 controller's "PS" button have a name that you know of, and does it glow red during use or after you press it?
• In the picture where you're holding the Sixaxis with one hand, did it feel too light? I never got to hold it in one hand at the show, and I was too busy getting Resistance impressions to pay too much attention to it.
• How responsive is the XMB? Any bits where it chugged or lagged?
• In the resolution menu, I see all the expected resolutions but in the Japanese photos, there seems to be a custom option after 1080p. Is that present anywhere in the model you have available?
• Have you tried the following items on the PS3:
  
  - Digital Camera
  - MP3 Player/Ipod
  - Keyboard/Mouse
  
• What's with the controller charge screen? How did you get there and what exactly do you do while seeing it?

Sorry for all the questions.

Quote:

http://www.ps3blogi.fi/171006213859_omfgps3wtf.html


Or alternatively, if there's any specific thing you'd like me to take a shot of, I can try tomorrow or Friday when I'm at work.

Hmm, could you try and get us a look at the console's vents to try and see what's cooling this thing? Everything else is just great, the quality of the photos is excellent, so any more photos you take is entirely up to you.

Oh, one last question Qwarky. That television... Did you have hot sex with it?
Seriously is that the European version of the XBR3 seen in the Japanese photos? How's the image quality? Screen Door Effect? Color Uniformity?

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Has anybody gotten a PS3 kiosk in at their local Best Buys yet? Weren't you guys saying that they were supposed to start going up today? I'm curious to go check it out and see if they have a playable PS3 up and running...

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by BlueBomber

Has anybody gotten a PS3 kiosk in at their local Best Buys yet? Weren't you guys saying that they were supposed to start going up today? I'm curious to go check it out and see if they have a playable PS3 up and running...

There's one impression going around online, but it sounds too much like a schill or at least too biased to really take seriously. If you want, I can put it up. The official roll out for the kiosks is the 20th.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Metal Sphere

In the closeup of the slot loader, the arrow facing the drive, is that a button or some kind of sensor? Is the power button also a sensor or some kind of button? It could either be pressure or heat sensitive. If you don't know, just say that, no biggie.

I really don't know what exactly it uses. I can't imagine Sony would be stupid enough to start blowing money on something like heat sensing sensors, but they both felt part of the surface, not clickable buttons. We're still debating whether the power buttons does the reset/power off thing the same way as the PS2, or whether it differentiates between a quick tap and a proper press down.

Oh and pressing eject while the tray is empty makes the PS3 beep like it's very crossed at you.

Quote:

Does the PS3 controller's "PS" button have a name that you know of, and does it glow red during use or after you press it?

I've no official name for it, no. I just use "PS" button for it myself. I'm not entirely sure when the red light activates. It seems to go red when you charge the controller, and when you connect to the console (that is, press the PS button to get a connection to the console).

Quote:

In the picture where you're holding the Sixaxis with one hand, did it feel too light? I never got to hold it in one hand at the show, and I was too busy getting Resistance impressions to pay too much attention to it.

I'm not sure what your idea of too light is, but it did seem uncomfortably light to me. I figured it's due to the wireless, since I'm so used to cables weighing controllers down. The new L2 and R2 buttons felt very flimsy to me and I kept wishing they and the analogue sticks were stiffer.

Quote:

How responsive is the XMB? Any bits where it chugged or lagged?

It's very much like on the PSP. You can go back and forth and sometimes very randomly it might hold for a very small pause. It doesn't lag quite as much as on the PSP, but it was there (though rare and short).

Oh and the controller has ridiculously long signal reach. We must have had like 15 meters between us and the console, besides a good three or four walls (from a different hallway) and a game stand and it still worked.

Quote:

In the resolution menu, I see all the expected resolutions but in the Japanese photos, there seems to be a custom option after 1080p. Is that present anywhere in the model you have available?

I vaguely remember seeing a custom option in the Settings resolution. The pic in the blog entry was from the game resolution and that only listed that. It's possible that the custom option appears for games in a later firmware.

Quote:

Have you tried the following items on the PS3:

- Digital Camera
- MP3 Player/Ipod
- Keyboard/Mouse

I said this in my (journal) entry, but we didn't get to try much because the firmware in the PS3 didn't really have anything. We got the PS3 online, but that was absolutely no use at all since there was no browser

We put in a Memory stick pro duo and though the console seemed to recognize it (a light next to the reader came on), there was no browser so we couldn't check content.

We're upgrading the firmware soon and playable code arrives on Monday I think so I'm definitely going to do another entry and more shots.

Quote:

What's with the controller charge screen? How did you get there and what exactly do you do while seeing it?

That was me fooling around. If you hold the PS button for like five seconds, that screen pops up asking if you want to shut down the controller (I guess it disconnects (powers off) and thus charges faster) or shut down the console. After you shut the console down and press the PS button, the PS3 powers back up. I'm told the 360 has the same feature.

What's odd is that there is no properties screen for the controller. On the PSP you can check battery charge status and it'll show you the charge level in percentages, but this screen only shows whether the controller is like completely empty or half empty. Maybe there'll be a separate screen for each bluetooth device connected, who knows.

Quote:

Hmm, could you try and get us a look at the console's vents to try and see what's cooling this thing? Everything else is just great, the quality of the photos is excellent, so any more photos you take is entirely up to you.

I can try taking a pic of the big fan which you can see through the slightly see-through bottom. The cooling system works like on a laptop, in that it activates every now and then and even then it's really quiet. Well no, that's wrong. It does pump out (very) hot air continuously, but you hear a slightly louder (still quiet) whir every once in a while for a short while.

EDIT:
I wanted to steal that TV so fucking bad, I swear. It's the most gorgeous thing I've seen in ages, especially when we switched to 1080i. And usually I hate how TVs like this look.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Qwarky

I really don't know what exactly it uses. I can't imagine Sony would be stupid enough to start blowing money on something like heat sensing sensors, but they both felt part of the surface, not clickable buttons. We're still debating whether the power buttons does the reset/power off thing the same way as the PS2, or whether it differentiates between a quick tap and a proper press down.

Hmm, so you guys are currently torn between what seems like either a shallow button or a pressure sensor. I can see why you'd need to fiddle with it a little more to figure out which side it falls on. Keep us posted.

Quote:

Oh and pressing eject while the tray is empty makes the PS3 beep like it's very crossed at you.

If it isn't too much to ask, could you record the PS3's beep?

Quote:

I've no official name for it, no. I just use "PS" button for it myself. I'm not entirely sure when the red light activates. It seems to go red when you charge the controller, and when you connect to the console (that is, press the PS button to get a connection to the console).

So the PS button lights up when it's charging and when you're syncing with the console. Speaking of sync, do you have to do that every time the console starts up?

Quote:

I'm not sure what your idea of too light is, but it did seem uncomfortably light to me. I figured it's due to the wireless, since I'm so used to cables weighing controllers down. The new L2 and R2 buttons felt very flimsy to me and I kept wishing they and the analogue sticks were stiffer.

Yeah, this seems to be the consensus. That the triggers feel kind of loose and the sticks don't have enough resistance built in.

Quote:

It's very much like on the PSP. You can go back and forth and sometimes very randomly it might hold for a very small pause. It doesn't lag quite as much as on the PSP, but it was there (though rare and short).

Oh, good to hear. Were there any parts of the XMB that you had trouble with? Or maybe some areas that you could see problems arising (for example, audio files?)

Quote:

Oh and the controller has ridiculously long signal reach. We must have had like 15 meters between us and the console, besides a good three or four walls (from a different hallway) and a game stand and it still worked.

Good Lord, that's huge. This thing must be chewing through that battery to produce a signal that strong. Any battery life tests yet?

Quote:

I vaguely remember seeing a custom option in the Settings resolution. The pic in the blog entry was from the game resolution and that only listed that. It's possible that the custom option appears for games in a later firmware.

Ah, so there's 2 resolution settings you can change? 1 for the Dashboard and the other for the games themselves? Can you take a picture of the dashboard resolution settings menu (as well as the custom setting)?

Quote:

I said this in my (journal) entry, but we didn't get to try much because the firmware in the PS3 didn't really have anything. We got the PS3 online, but that was absolutely no use at all since there was no browser

Heh, hopefully that changes soon. Maybe Sony will put something up online for PS3s after the event tommorow? Have you seen the photos of the Japanese PS3s and their XMB? They say it's the final version to go into the PS3 and was wondering if you've heard anything about the firmware upgrade.

Quote:

We put in a Memory stick pro duo and though the console seemed to recognize it (a light next to the reader came on), there was no browser so we couldn't check content.

Browser? You need the browser to view memory card images?

Quote:

We're upgrading the firmware soon and playable code arrives on Monday I think so I'm definitely going to do another entry and more shots.

We'll definitely be looking forward to those, especially given what looks to be a dramatic difference between the build you've shown us and the small shots of the final version from Japan.

Quote:

That was me fooling around. If you hold the PS button for like five seconds, that screen pops up asking if you want to shut down the controller (I guess it disconnects (powers off) and thus charges faster) or shut down the console. After you shut the console down and press the PS button, the PS3 powers back up. I'm told the 360 has the same feature.

What's odd is that there is no properties screen for the controller. On the PSP you can check battery charge status and it'll show you the charge level in percentages, but this screen only shows whether the controller is like completely empty or half empty. Maybe there'll be a separate screen for each bluetooth device connected, who knows.

Ah, thanks for the confirmation about the button's function. Would including the charge percentage help or is it fine as is?

Quote:

I can try taking a pic of the big fan which you can see through the slightly see-through bottom. The cooling system works like on a laptop, in that it activates every now and then and even then it's really quiet. Well no, that's wrong. It does pump out (very) hot air continuously, but you hear a slightly louder (still quiet) whir every once in a while for a short while.

Wait... WHAT?! The fan turns off and on every so often and isn't on constantly? Wow, this definitely sounds like the PS3 has some kind of liquid cooling inside if the fan is being throttled by the console. May I ask your opinion on this: Do you think the low noise output is due to this or what's rumored to be noise dampening material inside the machine?

Quote:

EDIT:
I wanted to steal that TV so fucking bad, I swear. It's the most gorgeous thing I've seen in ages, especially when we switched to 1080i. And usually I hate how TVs like this look.

Amen, brother. I was at DigitalLife and just watching those sets play Resistance and BR movies at 1080p was enough to get my mind thinking of ways to snag one. Thanks for answering my questions!

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Where should I start?

The whole linux deal sounds pretty cool, I wonder if that will be the main way to get homebrew stuff working on the ps3. I wonder how Sony will regulate this stuff, they will proably definitely want a say in what gos on in there consle. This theory just comes from Sonys previous actions.

The only thing i'm worried about is the controller.

Quote:

I'm not sure what your idea of too light is, but it did seem uncomfortably light to me. I figured it's due to the wireless, since I'm so used to cables weighing controllers down. The new L2 and R2 buttons felt very flimsy to me and I kept wishing they and the analogue sticks were stiffer.

Quote:

Yeah, thisbuilt seems to be the consensus. That the triggers feel kind of loose and the sticks don't have enough resistance

Hopefully these issues will be ironed out by launch... if Sony even sees them as problems.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by TheXeno

Where should I start?

The whole linux deal sounds pretty cool, I wonder if that will be the main way to get homebrew stuff working on the ps3. I wonder how Sony will regulate this stuff, they will proably definitely want a say in what gos on in there consle. This theory just comes from Sonys previous actions.

It's been covered before, but Linux is getting installed on a completely different part of the console and being kept seperate from the PS3's OS by several software features as well as security features designed right into the architecture itself. If there are going to be any hackers, they're going to have to make mod chips as well as hack the console itself to get the two together.

Quote:

The only thing i'm worried about is the controller.

Hopefully these issues will be ironed out by launch... if Sony even sees them as problems.

Unfortunately, that's probably the least likely of things that could change from here to launch.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Other bad thing about the controllers: No user-replacable battery.

It's a permanent recharable battery. When the controller can't keep the charge as well anymore, you'll have to buy a new one. Apparently.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by JazzFlight

Other bad thing about the controllers: No user-replacable battery.

It's a permanent recharable battery. When the controller can't keep the charge as well anymore, you'll have to buy a new one. Apparently.

That they have to fucking fix tommorow at their event. There's literally no reason why the battery can't be user replaceable except to wring more money out of people with eventual replacement controller sales.

Here's the Yellow Dog FAQ:

Quote:

Will YDL run on all Sony PS3 models?

Yes.


Will YDL come pre-installed on PS3s at retail stores?

No. As an end-user of the PS3 you will install YDL on your PS3. This is a relatively simple, painless procedure.


Is PS3 support for Linux improved over that of the PS2?

Definately. Sony has designed the PS3 to run Linux. Your experience as an end-user will be optimal.


Where do I purchase YDL for the PS3?

Terra Soft's On-Line Store or via a YDL.net Enhanced account.


Can I download YDL for the PS3 for free?

As all versions of Yellow Dog Linux are distributed under the GPL, yes, once made available to the public mirrors.


Is source code included with YDL for the PS3?

Yes, on the second DVD, or from YDL.net accounts, and from the public mirrors.


Can I develop games for the PS3 GameOS from YDL?

No.


Will YDL support the Japanese version of the PS3?
Yes.


Does YDL support the Japanese language?

As with the previous 2 versions of Yellow Dog Linux, Terra Soft's Japanese partner Amulet will create a special version of YDL which defaults to the Japanese language. Furthermore, Amulet works to optimize this Japanese language selection beyond that of the standard Fedora Core defaults, optimizing the experience of Japanese speaking persons.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

It's likely that replacing the battery would probably be more expensive than buying a new controller anyway. The question lies whether it would be cheaper than buying double A's, but I suspect that it is. I honestly don't see what the problem is here.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Qwarky

Oh and the controller has ridiculously long signal reach. We must have had like 15 meters between us and the console, besides a good three or four walls (from a different hallway) and a game stand and it still worked.

Quick question about something I remember hearing a long ass time ago - do the controllers utilize Bluetooth? Or do they use some other kind of signal as a medium? I remember hearing something about this like literally over a year ago. Is this possibly one of the reasons why Bluetooth devices are compatible with the PS3?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I'm pretty sure it's bluetooth, because the ps3 support up to 7 bluetooth accessories, so yes up to 7 wireless controller or 1 controller and 6 other things etc...

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Yup, the PS3 and its controllers use Bluetooth Spec 2.0 ED or whatever it's called. Reduced battery consumption is one of the features of this version, among other things.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Well, seems as though they updated the firmware while I wasn't there, and this newer one (still oldish) doesn't have separate resolutions for game and dashboard.

I did get to play the TGS code of Motorstorm and Genji 2 though, so I was quite pleased. The fan at the bottom is difficult to get a shot of cause the surface is so shiny. There's not a dark enough surface here to reflect from it to get a good enough shot.

I'll update what I have when I get home from work, though. People can say what they say about giant enemy crabs, but Genji 2 was so lovely ._.

Also, it seems as though my pictures have caused some stir on the internet =/ An english language blog called hinjang used a few of them wholesale (of course, linking to my blog first), much to my surprise. Are blog photos of the PS3 usually so crap? =/

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Qwarky

Well, seems as though they updated the firmware while I wasn't there, and this newer one (still oldish) doesn't have separate resolutions for game and dashboard.

Can you take some shots of the updated XMB when you get back? And answer a few of the questions in the post I left up at the top of the page? Strange that now there's only 1 resolution setting menu, does it still have custom?

Quote:

I did get to play the TGS code of Motorstorm and Genji 2 though, so I was quite pleased. The fan at the bottom is difficult to get a shot of cause the surface is so shiny. There's not a dark enough surface here to reflect from it to get a good enough shot.

Well, keep at it. I'm sure you'll get a good shot of it. I've heard the machine is hard to take good pictures of due to how shiny the console is.

Quote:

I'll update what I have when I get home from work, though. People can say what they say about giant enemy crabs, but Genji 2 was so lovely ._.

I was just watching PSM's Podcast video and it looked pretty good. Definitely a step up from what it once was, just like Motorstorm. Any impressions you have of the games, let us know, alright?

Quote:

Also, it seems as though my pictures have caused some stir on the internet =/ An english language blog called hinjang used a few of them wholesale (of course, linking to my blog first), much to my surprise. Are blog photos of the PS3 usually so crap? =/

You have no idea. Apparently the photos caused chaos over on GAF and that likely led to a ton of people putting them up in various forums on the internet.

And yes, usually photos of the PS3 are terrible quality, just look back a few pages in the thread.

Edit: Aww, looks like since the vast majority of gamers don't have HDTVs, the PS3 only comes with composite cables. If you have PS2 component cables, they're still compatible with the PS3, but this isn't welcome news to many:



What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Metal Sphere

Can you take some shots of the updated XMB when you get back? And answer a few of the questions in the post I left up at the top of the page? Strange that now there's only 1 resolution setting menu, does it still have custom?

Yeah, I also took a shot of the custom screen, not that it was that informative.

Quote:

I was just watching PSM's Podcast video and it looked pretty good. Definitely a step up from what it once was, just like Motorstorm. Any impressions you have of the games, let us know, alright?

Well, the TGS code of motorstorm really does have slowdown when there's a lot of cars on screen at once, but it didn't stop it from being a lot of fun. I absolutely love that the AI drivers crash and bump each other as much as you do, there's constantly vehicles flying off cliffs or burning in the way.

As for Genji, the demo was so short, but being a fan of the original, it was bliss. The counter attack timings work outside Kamui, just the way I like it, but I couldn't for the life of me get Benkei to do his regular three-strike combos. Shizuka moves wonderfully, though her weapons take getting used to.

Quote:

You have no idea. Apparently the photos caused chaos over on GAF and that likely led to a ton of people putting them up in various forums on the internet.

Wait, my photos? Can you give a few links, cause I'd love to see where I get mentioned.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Qwarky

Yeah, I also took a shot of the custom screen, not that it was that informative.

Not much in there? Did it have strange resolutions, or what? For example, a lot of LCD HDTVs have a native resolution of 1368 x 768 or something odd like that.

Quote:

Well, the TGS code of motorstorm really does have slowdown when there's a lot of cars on screen at once, but it didn't stop it from being a lot of fun. I absolutely love that the AI drivers crash and bump each other as much as you do, there's constantly vehicles flying off cliffs or burning in the way.

Yeah, I've heard. Apparently there was 1 build for the first day and then they brought in one that fixed the problem (DCharlie and Wollan from GAF attended the show at different times and reported wildly different accounts of the slowdown). Looks like you got the first one, but I'm glad to hear it's fun.

What vehicles did you try? I want to know, since they mentioned each type has their own "heft" to them, something you can feel while controlling them. Did you purposefully cause any crashes?

Quote:

As for Genji, the demo was so short, but being a fan of the original, it was bliss. The counter attack timings work outside Kamui, just the way I like it, but I couldn't for the life of me get Benkei to do his regular three-strike combos. Shizuka moves wonderfully, though her weapons take getting used to.

If PSM is correct and what I saw in the podcast was the TGS demo, doesn't it pop up How-to menus with little pictures telling you how to pull off a move?

Quote:

Wait, my photos? Can you give a few links, cause I'd love to see where I get mentioned.

Sure thing!

Link 1

Link 2

For two places where I've seen your pics.

How ya doing, buddy?

Well damn. They could have linked to the god damn blog for source. I could use the hits.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Qwarky, your photos have also been featured on gamefront.de, Germany's top source for videogame news. They also link to your blog.

You are now officially an internet celebrity. ;-)

There's nowhere I can't reach.