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Sony have confirmed it. Blu-Ray will be a featured component in what is set to be their most lucrative bussiness move to date.
For those that don't know, DVD is already becoming outdated. Already you can get view high definition TV, that even surpasses that of DVD. In other words you can be watching Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and it'll look better than the latest Star Wars DVD's.
Does this seem right to you? No indeed it doesn't and 2 major companies also agree this. These 2 major companies have developed 2 new forms of movie media, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD.
Sony, along with a whole host of other top names, back the Blu-Ray medium to be the next big thing in home entertainment. It is a massive 50GB in size, looks pretty funky and with it being included in the Playstation 3 will autmatically put Blu-Ray in millions and millions of homes worldwide. Hollywood would almost have to support the Blu-Ray system simply because the popularity of the Playstation brand will mean millions will have the ability to play them already. Sony will add pressure with their Tri-star, Columbia and MGM studios... Spiderman, Terminator and Bond already on Blu-Ray. Watch the new system fly.
Unless something incredibly unlikely happens, such as the PSP flops and the PSTwo fails to start then it is likely Sony will be looking at a steam rolling win for the next generation of consoles.
There is one negative aspect of Blu-Ray. Because it doesn't use the simple red laser system for DVD's (something that is now very cheap to implement) and uses Blue laser, it'll mean the cost of the system will be jacked up. Either Sony will have to release it at a high price, wait an extra amount of time or just suffer a loss on the system. The latter isn't something Sony have ever been willing to do.
It is this PS3 decision that makes the Blu-Ray's competitor, the HD-DVD, look bad. Although the system is cheaper to implement the size of the medium is a mere 22GB, under half that of Blu-Ray.
But hope may remain. It is possible that Microsoft's next system, codenamed Xenon, will use it. Microsoft are desperate to release a cheap system out of the box and not to suffer the price point themselves like they are with the X-box. Already they are removing the Hard drive and to incorperate something like Blu-Ray will mean the Xenon will launch at a very high price. In fact Microsoft are hoping to get a years head start (late 2005) on the competiton and Blu-Ray will be even more expensive to use. If Microsoft want a competitive medium HD-DVD may be the only way.
Microsoft with the weaker system is almost a complete role reversal from the current generation.
What of Nintendo? Who honestly knows. No one. Rumours persist that Nintendo will continue to go their own way and buck the trend of the industry. It persists that Nintendo will play down third party support and stick to first party software, that Nintendo will use a totally new system and won't offer movie playback at all.
These rumours are counteracted with the DS almost entirely. Nintendo now base more emphesis on third parties especially with the latest system and the recent GBA Videos indicate Nintendo willingness to develop video viewing means.
But it is also likely that Nintendo will want to fight piracy in such a way that games will be on a totally different form of medium (A.K.A Gamecube/DS) but it is also likely Nintendo will offer a "second medium". Already confirmed is that the Revolution will be backwards compatible. Which points to the inclusion of either very cheap to implement DVD system or slightly more expensive "HD-DVD".
If both Nintendo and Microsoft use "HD-DVD" then there maybe trouble ahead for Blu-Ray after all. Sure Sony may have the sales advantage, but with Nintendo set to launch simultaneously with Sony and Microsoft a year early. It already kick starts a proper war between the two mediums.
On the other hand, with DVD gaining a firm position in society how likely is it that Blu-Ray and HD-DVD will be replacing it by 2006? Surly it'll take a good 5 years to properly take off? Is Nintendo likely to just stick with DVD movies? Especially as they lack the experience of it. But launching the system next to the Playstation 3 indicates that Nintendo are being really competitive this time, and they will want that to right down to the specifications and what the system offers.
Sony have a brilliant stratagy in place. Something Nintendo and Microsoft will have to be very clever to counteract. Recent reports indicate Nintendo are on the offensive, and it is likely we will see a far more agressive stance from the legendary developer... with the added bonus of brilliant and innovative "DS style" features. Microsoft are stripping down their system and offering in advance of the competiton. It is a surprise risk from Microsoft, hoping that releasing the system early will mean they get a stranglehold on the industry.
Didn't work for the Dreamcast did it.
For those that don't know, DVD is already becoming outdated. Already you can get view high definition TV, that even surpasses that of DVD. In other words you can be watching Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and it'll look better than the latest Star Wars DVD's.
Does this seem right to you? No indeed it doesn't and 2 major companies also agree this. These 2 major companies have developed 2 new forms of movie media, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD.
Sony, along with a whole host of other top names, back the Blu-Ray medium to be the next big thing in home entertainment. It is a massive 50GB in size, looks pretty funky and with it being included in the Playstation 3 will autmatically put Blu-Ray in millions and millions of homes worldwide. Hollywood would almost have to support the Blu-Ray system simply because the popularity of the Playstation brand will mean millions will have the ability to play them already. Sony will add pressure with their Tri-star, Columbia and MGM studios... Spiderman, Terminator and Bond already on Blu-Ray. Watch the new system fly.
Unless something incredibly unlikely happens, such as the PSP flops and the PSTwo fails to start then it is likely Sony will be looking at a steam rolling win for the next generation of consoles.
There is one negative aspect of Blu-Ray. Because it doesn't use the simple red laser system for DVD's (something that is now very cheap to implement) and uses Blue laser, it'll mean the cost of the system will be jacked up. Either Sony will have to release it at a high price, wait an extra amount of time or just suffer a loss on the system. The latter isn't something Sony have ever been willing to do.
It is this PS3 decision that makes the Blu-Ray's competitor, the HD-DVD, look bad. Although the system is cheaper to implement the size of the medium is a mere 22GB, under half that of Blu-Ray.
But hope may remain. It is possible that Microsoft's next system, codenamed Xenon, will use it. Microsoft are desperate to release a cheap system out of the box and not to suffer the price point themselves like they are with the X-box. Already they are removing the Hard drive and to incorperate something like Blu-Ray will mean the Xenon will launch at a very high price. In fact Microsoft are hoping to get a years head start (late 2005) on the competiton and Blu-Ray will be even more expensive to use. If Microsoft want a competitive medium HD-DVD may be the only way.
Microsoft with the weaker system is almost a complete role reversal from the current generation.
What of Nintendo? Who honestly knows. No one. Rumours persist that Nintendo will continue to go their own way and buck the trend of the industry. It persists that Nintendo will play down third party support and stick to first party software, that Nintendo will use a totally new system and won't offer movie playback at all.
These rumours are counteracted with the DS almost entirely. Nintendo now base more emphesis on third parties especially with the latest system and the recent GBA Videos indicate Nintendo willingness to develop video viewing means.
But it is also likely that Nintendo will want to fight piracy in such a way that games will be on a totally different form of medium (A.K.A Gamecube/DS) but it is also likely Nintendo will offer a "second medium". Already confirmed is that the Revolution will be backwards compatible. Which points to the inclusion of either very cheap to implement DVD system or slightly more expensive "HD-DVD".
If both Nintendo and Microsoft use "HD-DVD" then there maybe trouble ahead for Blu-Ray after all. Sure Sony may have the sales advantage, but with Nintendo set to launch simultaneously with Sony and Microsoft a year early. It already kick starts a proper war between the two mediums.
On the other hand, with DVD gaining a firm position in society how likely is it that Blu-Ray and HD-DVD will be replacing it by 2006? Surly it'll take a good 5 years to properly take off? Is Nintendo likely to just stick with DVD movies? Especially as they lack the experience of it. But launching the system next to the Playstation 3 indicates that Nintendo are being really competitive this time, and they will want that to right down to the specifications and what the system offers.
Sony have a brilliant stratagy in place. Something Nintendo and Microsoft will have to be very clever to counteract. Recent reports indicate Nintendo are on the offensive, and it is likely we will see a far more agressive stance from the legendary developer... with the added bonus of brilliant and innovative "DS style" features. Microsoft are stripping down their system and offering in advance of the competiton. It is a surprise risk from Microsoft, hoping that releasing the system early will mean they get a stranglehold on the industry.
Didn't work for the Dreamcast did it.
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Damn straight.
What I'd like to see is a massive Zelda game like OOT and a nice little, dark adventure like Majora's Mask.
Funk it lets just look forward to the new Zelda, it is bound to explode with goodness.
3 year development time. Oh yes.
What I'd like to see is a massive Zelda game like OOT and a nice little, dark adventure like Majora's Mask.
Funk it lets just look forward to the new Zelda, it is bound to explode with goodness.
3 year development time. Oh yes.
I never went QUITE as far as calling it naff.
At the worst I said it wasn't quite in the same league as the other Zelda games, and was sort of baffled whenever you said it was better than OOT.
It's funny isn't it, we can't agree on what's "best" - something we judge by looking at it technically, but when we come to choosing our "favourite" which is purely opinion, we happen to agree.
Majora all the way! :-D
At the worst I said it wasn't quite in the same league as the other Zelda games, and was sort of baffled whenever you said it was better than OOT.
It's funny isn't it, we can't agree on what's "best" - something we judge by looking at it technically, but when we come to choosing our "favourite" which is purely opinion, we happen to agree.
Majora all the way! :-D
I might accept it as a Zelda spin off game in a way. A proper adventure done in a unique style that mostly worked. A bit like Sunshine.
The only thing is I just don't like the concept of the game being called naff.
As it isn't.
The only thing is I just don't like the concept of the game being called naff.
As it isn't.
I think my brother hit it on the head when he said that Windwaker was a decent game, it just shouldn't have been Zelda.
Partly because other than the link to the classic Hyrule, and the fact that Link, Gannon and Zelda are characters, the game wasn't very Zelda at all.
Also, people were expecting the next OOT, so we were bound to be disappointed with the spin off.
I mean, including Zelda music was wrong (I know that OOT used ALTTP music, but it matched - Kakariko music in Kakariko village, field music in the field etc...) and just seemed out of place in the sea setting.
It seemed more of Zelda theme fit into a sailing game rather than a sailing theme fit into a Zelda game...
Big difference, you know? :-)
Partly because other than the link to the classic Hyrule, and the fact that Link, Gannon and Zelda are characters, the game wasn't very Zelda at all.
Also, people were expecting the next OOT, so we were bound to be disappointed with the spin off.
I mean, including Zelda music was wrong (I know that OOT used ALTTP music, but it matched - Kakariko music in Kakariko village, field music in the field etc...) and just seemed out of place in the sea setting.
It seemed more of Zelda theme fit into a sailing game rather than a sailing theme fit into a Zelda game...
Big difference, you know? :-)
Both are right in your own way.
From the scenes we saw I saw an epic fight and Link pushing blocks around in a very "zelda" puzzle element.
This game really looks like the more traditional Ocarina of Time.
What a total departure from the fun Wind Waker game?
One day we will look back at Wind Waker and remember it as a fun, different style of zelda game.
That is far better than Zelda II (which isn't awful) at least.
From the scenes we saw I saw an epic fight and Link pushing blocks around in a very "zelda" puzzle element.
This game really looks like the more traditional Ocarina of Time.
What a total departure from the fun Wind Waker game?
One day we will look back at Wind Waker and remember it as a fun, different style of zelda game.
That is far better than Zelda II (which isn't awful) at least.
I know what you mean, but when there's so many hordes of enemies so you've got no choice but fight, well that's the ones you want to save for a special occasion..., like that bit we saw in the preview where hundreds of enemies were attacking the castle and Link was taking them out on Epona, remember?
no, that would be rubbish if you could only fight enemies in scripted events. THEN it would too much like the LOTR games. What we need is the same constancy that's always been in Zelda - no scripted events. So you can go into the forest any time, or into the fields any time and have a huge fight. That's what makes Zelda better - you didn't just fight the skeletons in the fields on your first night - you coul fight them EVERY night - those wolves before the Forest Temple - they were ALWAYS there if you went back - the aliens attacking the farm at night - there EVERY night, not just once.
As long as these epic fights that we see aren't just one off cutscene wrapped moments of joy, the new Zelda will be great.
As long as these epic fights that we see aren't just one off cutscene wrapped moments of joy, the new Zelda will be great.
Ok, rather than his personal mentality, the team's combined mentality.
I think they'll know better this time though.
Any Zelda title has potential, but I guess that Windwaker showed me that I can't assume it'll be fulfilled.
But would you agree that the chances of the new game impressing us as much as OOT are VERY slim. Simply because OOT broke so much ground for it's time, is there that much possible ground to break again?
I can see that the new Zelda will push atmospherics. Very Lord of the Rings it looked, with the epic battle and the fighting.
So long as they save this for events and don't get tempted to turn the whole things into a hack and slash adventure. ;-)
I think they'll know better this time though.
Any Zelda title has potential, but I guess that Windwaker showed me that I can't assume it'll be fulfilled.
But would you agree that the chances of the new game impressing us as much as OOT are VERY slim. Simply because OOT broke so much ground for it's time, is there that much possible ground to break again?
I can see that the new Zelda will push atmospherics. Very Lord of the Rings it looked, with the epic battle and the fighting.
So long as they save this for events and don't get tempted to turn the whole things into a hack and slash adventure. ;-)
Just because he's the head designer does not mean there weren't other designers involved. Nintendo hold meetings with all top designers to discuss the directional decisions made towards franchises.
Dringo wrote:
> I don't think it was a step backwards that's my argument. More of a
> step to the side.
>
> Yes we wanted a step forward. The next one seems to offer it. The
> realistic "epic" graphical effect of OOT mixed with the
> combat system of Wind Waker.
>
> Oh yes.
AND A DECENT ADVENTURE.
please. :-)
> I don't think it was a step backwards that's my argument. More of a
> step to the side.
>
> Yes we wanted a step forward. The next one seems to offer it. The
> realistic "epic" graphical effect of OOT mixed with the
> combat system of Wind Waker.
>
> Oh yes.
AND A DECENT ADVENTURE.
please. :-)
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