Features// PlayStation 3 - First Impressions - IMAGE UPDATE!
Behold! It's our PlayStation 3
The images of one of the first PlayStation 3s in the UK have been rushed to SPOnG, and are of the quality you'd expect of an over-eager professional trying to get as many angles as possible. Stay tuned for some 'super-model' shots soon.
Without a doubt, the week’s most exciting (and unexpected) occurrence has been the arrival of a PlayStation 3. Yes, there are some (very few, apparently) in the UK – a fact that makes the conspiracy theorists who opined that the PS3 will struggle to even make its March ’07 release date look as foolish as, well, they obviously are.
What you get
The anonymous (and surprisingly small) cardboard box the PS3 came in contained the machine a (large-format kettle-lead) power cable – the power supply is built into the console, hence its size and bicep-sapping weight -- a controller, a mini-USB-to-USB lead (for charging the controller), a Component Video connector (no HDMI cable, unfortunately), and a network cable (somewhat superfluous, since Sony says the PlayStation Network won’t be up and running in the UK for approximately a fortnight).
It’s undoubtedly a beautifully finished, handsome machine – much better in the flesh than in pictures – with a classy piano-black finish and a chrome strip (which, we’re told, will only feature on the 60Gb retail machines). The ports are: Video Out, Optical Out (blanked on our machine), HDMI out and Network on the back; on the front, you get four USB port plus, under a flap next to the Blu-ray drive, Compact Flash, SD and Memory Stick.
Firing up the beast is a pretty satisfying exercise, thanks in part to some very snazzy shenanigans involving multi-coloured LEDs. There are two of these next to the Blu-ray slot. Flip the (PS2-style) rocker power-switch on the back and they glow red. Touch the touch-sensitive on-off switch between the LEDs and the Blu-ray slot, and they glow green; when the machine fully powers up, one glows green and the other blue. Start shoving a Blu-ray disk into the slot and a servo-motor takes over, sucking it into the PS3’s insides.
Similarly to the Xbox 360, you have to press the new PlayStation button in the middle of the controller so that it communicates with the console (no pressing and holding required, though). On the back of the controller are red LEDs marked 1 to 4 which show your player number. The controller, divested of its rumble hardware, is strikingly light, and the triggers, although the same size as those of the PS2, now protrude from the controller like fingernails. They have much longer travel, as they’re now analogue. We can confirm that the motion-sensing works, as we tested it with MotorStorm – and swiftly turned it off, as it rendered the game unplayable.
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Comments
mrFloppy 26 Oct 2006 11:45
1/11
who did SPOnG have to blow to get your greasy, ps3-sweat-dripping mits onto this bit of kit?
DoctorDee 26 Oct 2006 13:12
2/11
mrFloppy wrote:
who did SPOnG have to blow to get your greasy, ps3-sweat-dripping mits onto this bit of kit?
We'll blow almost anyone. For almost any reason.
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Joji 26 Oct 2006 18:20
3/11
Very nice but I care not for Sony right now. Its grudge time.
Games look cool, but Sony still suck.
Games look cool, but Sony still suck.
RiseFromYourGrave 26 Oct 2006 20:42
4/11
SPOnG wrote:
it in no way feels like anything other than a PS2 game with rezzed-up visuals
that describes the general whiff in the air around the ps3s games for me
PreciousRoi 26 Oct 2006 20:52
5/11
Resistance sounds impressive.
The tradeoff, if such was even required, in favor of motion sensing versus DualShock capapbility doesn't seem to be a good one. But time will tell.
I'd like to see some photos of the controller close up and from various angles, as well as more impression of its feel...
The tradeoff, if such was even required, in favor of motion sensing versus DualShock capapbility doesn't seem to be a good one. But time will tell.
I'd like to see some photos of the controller close up and from various angles, as well as more impression of its feel...
LUPOS 26 Oct 2006 22:10
6/11
PreciousRoi wrote:
Resistance sounds impressive.
yea it does, specialy the massive multiplayer battles.
However form a game play stand point what i hear is that its very, sameish. Putting it against GOW is prolly bad, however if you look at it int he context of a launch game it beats the s**t out of Perfect Dark.
PreciousRoi wrote:
The tradeoff, if such was even required, in favor of motion sensing versus DualShock capapbility doesn't seem to be a good one. But time will tell.
If i had to pick one, i think i woudl take the motion control, but i still think its BS that they coudlnt do both due to customer expense.
PreciousRoi wrote:
I'd like to see some photos of the controller close up and from various angles, as well as more impression of its feel...
Havent touched one since E3 but it feel just like a dual shock. Though i have to say, and i have hear this repeated elsewhere, the convex triggers are kind of troublesome because its to easy to slip off of em. Mind you they look better on the controller than a convex one would, but controllers need to be more about substance than style.
Bentley 27 Oct 2006 02:09
7/11
If PS3 has a life span of 10 years or so like they're suggesting, Sony are bound to pull their finger out at some stage and stick rumble back in there. I wonder if the games are being future-proofed for this... it's inevitable. The feedback on dropping rumble thus far has been so negative. I can imagine motion sensing is alright, but some games, like Metal Gear Solid, Black, and any fighting game, demand a bit of rumble. They'd just not be the same without it.
PreciousRoi 27 Oct 2006 02:17
8/11
Perfect Dark does two player System Link coop. Even if it does feel a bit forced at times, and its not the best game in the world, the effort is greatly appreciated.
This makes me happy even as it rekindles my anger at Halo 2 mot offering such.
Feeling "just like a DualShock" is good for the PS2 faithful, I'd prolly find it a step back. I found the asymmetrical layout of the Xbox sticks inelegant to look at, but natural in use. DualShocks have felt wrong ever since, to me. But then I get messed up after playing a FPS (or any game with a look function) without an inverted y-axis for any length of time at all. Screws with me up for days...
This makes me happy even as it rekindles my anger at Halo 2 mot offering such.
Feeling "just like a DualShock" is good for the PS2 faithful, I'd prolly find it a step back. I found the asymmetrical layout of the Xbox sticks inelegant to look at, but natural in use. DualShocks have felt wrong ever since, to me. But then I get messed up after playing a FPS (or any game with a look function) without an inverted y-axis for any length of time at all. Screws with me up for days...
king skins 27 Oct 2006 10:39
9/11
I've always found it really hard to play FPS with the DuelShock, it kills my thumbs. They just don't like being in that position for extended periods of time (15+ minutes)
I'd like some more info on the online functionality SPOnG, sign up and tell us all! :)
Driving games will miss rumble loads... just imagine all those ruts that you create in motorstorm vibrating the pad! :)
PS. I quite enjoyed Perfect Dark... wasn't the best game ever but I completed it...
I'd like some more info on the online functionality SPOnG, sign up and tell us all! :)
Driving games will miss rumble loads... just imagine all those ruts that you create in motorstorm vibrating the pad! :)
PS. I quite enjoyed Perfect Dark... wasn't the best game ever but I completed it...
fluffstardx 31 Oct 2006 18:53
10/11
I too get cramp from PS2 pads after extended periods. The 360 pad is perfect for me, though, and as such I'd have to get a third-party pad if I ever ended up with one.
Well, I'm glad to hear you've been a bit more cautious in your views. So far, I've read 3 reviews (this the third) and the others positively drooled over it, talking up the translucent casing and "lifestyle design". One even went as far as to say it was "quite small", which I hope was a joke.
So... how does the menu system hold up versus the blade system? Does motion sensing screw people like me who already jig the pad during play up?
Well, I'm glad to hear you've been a bit more cautious in your views. So far, I've read 3 reviews (this the third) and the others positively drooled over it, talking up the translucent casing and "lifestyle design". One even went as far as to say it was "quite small", which I hope was a joke.
So... how does the menu system hold up versus the blade system? Does motion sensing screw people like me who already jig the pad during play up?
thegavsters 10 Nov 2006 08:43
11/11
I think you will find that the lack of rumble is nothing to do with the motion sensing or the cost to the consumer,
It's to do with sony not wanting to be sued by immersion technologies for breach of patent. Thats the one and only reason there is no rumble on the ps3.
As immersion is strongly linked with microsoft and sony would have to license the technology to legally use it, they would be putting money into the pockets of microsoft with every ps3 controller sold.
It's to do with sony not wanting to be sued by immersion technologies for breach of patent. Thats the one and only reason there is no rumble on the ps3.
As immersion is strongly linked with microsoft and sony would have to license the technology to legally use it, they would be putting money into the pockets of microsoft with every ps3 controller sold.