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The Playstation 3 has been out since the end of March now but it’s come in for some stick since the launch price was announced, mainly due to Sony’s decision to include a fully featured Blu-Ray player inside. Despite the initial hesitation over the lack of software, I went ahead and bought one at the end of June.
My God, It’s full of stars.
First impressions were that the console was a) pretty bulky and b) very shiny. So shiny that just letting your fingers hover over the top of it was asking for trouble from fingerprints and marks. In all, it reminded me of a more shapely monolith from 2001, just as opposing and full of potential.
Six out of Sixaxis
Plugging it in and turning it on was fairly simple, but I was surprised by the fact I had to plug in the wireless Sixaxis controller via a USB lead in order for the PS3 to recognise and register it. This also charged the controller up so I could then take it off the lead and use it wirelessly. Talking of the controller, it’s far lighter than the Wii or 360 controllers, mainly because it has a built in rechargeable battery, rather than separate batteries. The downside of this would be having to change the controller altogether when the battery dies, but I can’t see that happening for a while and it’s a welcome change to be able to charge a controller up without buying separate hardware. Looks-wise, it’s pretty identical to the old Dual-shock bar the two lower buttons at the rear being more like analogue triggers, again something it has in common with the 360.
Back to the Front-end
Booting up, the welcome screen has a nice orchestral ring to it and then you’re in to the menu. This will be familiar to anyone who already has a PSP, it’s pretty much the same. A long bar of icons appears and this then expands in to a list of further options when you choose one. Basic, but workable. It’s faster than the 360’s system of blades, but it doesn’t look as impressive and you can’t (yet) have wallpapers. The first thing it asked me to do was to perform a system update, another familiar feature from both the PSP and the Xbox 360. With that done, I signed up for the PS3 Registration then went to the Playstation Store.
What’s in Store?
The Playstation Store is Sony’s answer to Xbox Live Marketplace. It’s graphically more pleasing, but this comes at the price of speed and manoeuvrability. It does take a little while to get used to moving the pointer with the analogue stick. At the time of writing there are a few playable demos, some short trailers for films and games and some old arcade games, as well as a couple of new games created especially for the system. The Demos and games seem to be in a compressed format when downloaded (to save time and space, no doubt when downloading) and take a while to install after they’ve downloaded. I tried out all the demos and also Super Rub a Dub, the duck game which gets you used to tilting the sixaxis controller.
Worried about (Blu)Ray?
I’ve only tried Blu-ray discs on my own SD TV at present, but the menus are a big improvement over DVD and the picture is nice and sharp. Seeing them running in store, you can tell the difference between this and DVD, but luckily the PS3 will upscale your standard DVDs as well, presenting them in better quality on a High Definition television. The Blu-ray menus were easy to navigate with the Sixaxis, but far better with the Playstation 3 Blu-ray remote, which is Bluetooth, just like the controllers.
Let’s Play!
Despite Sony’s insistence on getting us to buy a PS3 for Blu-ray, the games are what matters. Motorstorm and Fall of Man were both great examples of what the machine can currently do with first generation games. Both are well made, solid games, but do lack some of the magic of later Xbox 360 titles. Motorstorm is great fun, especially online, but the single player lacks anything more than a basic game and a (new) ghost mode.
Given time, the PS3 will have some good second generation games out to match the 360, at the moment it matches up to the 360’s first batch of games quite well.
All in all…
Despite what people have said, I can see myself spending a fair few hours on the PS3. Design could have been a bit better, but the build quality looks pretty solid. The Blu-ray player is well featured and at the moment worth the money alone. Games are on a par with the 360 launch titles and the system as a whole is well thought out.
There are some interesting developments with online gaming and the Home function which should see the PS3 finally pick up the pace in the months to come. If you can wait for more games and fancy a High Definition player with Upscaling DVD support, the PS3 is certainly a good starting point.
My God, It’s full of stars.
First impressions were that the console was a) pretty bulky and b) very shiny. So shiny that just letting your fingers hover over the top of it was asking for trouble from fingerprints and marks. In all, it reminded me of a more shapely monolith from 2001, just as opposing and full of potential.
Six out of Sixaxis
Plugging it in and turning it on was fairly simple, but I was surprised by the fact I had to plug in the wireless Sixaxis controller via a USB lead in order for the PS3 to recognise and register it. This also charged the controller up so I could then take it off the lead and use it wirelessly. Talking of the controller, it’s far lighter than the Wii or 360 controllers, mainly because it has a built in rechargeable battery, rather than separate batteries. The downside of this would be having to change the controller altogether when the battery dies, but I can’t see that happening for a while and it’s a welcome change to be able to charge a controller up without buying separate hardware. Looks-wise, it’s pretty identical to the old Dual-shock bar the two lower buttons at the rear being more like analogue triggers, again something it has in common with the 360.
Back to the Front-end
Booting up, the welcome screen has a nice orchestral ring to it and then you’re in to the menu. This will be familiar to anyone who already has a PSP, it’s pretty much the same. A long bar of icons appears and this then expands in to a list of further options when you choose one. Basic, but workable. It’s faster than the 360’s system of blades, but it doesn’t look as impressive and you can’t (yet) have wallpapers. The first thing it asked me to do was to perform a system update, another familiar feature from both the PSP and the Xbox 360. With that done, I signed up for the PS3 Registration then went to the Playstation Store.
What’s in Store?
The Playstation Store is Sony’s answer to Xbox Live Marketplace. It’s graphically more pleasing, but this comes at the price of speed and manoeuvrability. It does take a little while to get used to moving the pointer with the analogue stick. At the time of writing there are a few playable demos, some short trailers for films and games and some old arcade games, as well as a couple of new games created especially for the system. The Demos and games seem to be in a compressed format when downloaded (to save time and space, no doubt when downloading) and take a while to install after they’ve downloaded. I tried out all the demos and also Super Rub a Dub, the duck game which gets you used to tilting the sixaxis controller.
Worried about (Blu)Ray?
I’ve only tried Blu-ray discs on my own SD TV at present, but the menus are a big improvement over DVD and the picture is nice and sharp. Seeing them running in store, you can tell the difference between this and DVD, but luckily the PS3 will upscale your standard DVDs as well, presenting them in better quality on a High Definition television. The Blu-ray menus were easy to navigate with the Sixaxis, but far better with the Playstation 3 Blu-ray remote, which is Bluetooth, just like the controllers.
Let’s Play!
Despite Sony’s insistence on getting us to buy a PS3 for Blu-ray, the games are what matters. Motorstorm and Fall of Man were both great examples of what the machine can currently do with first generation games. Both are well made, solid games, but do lack some of the magic of later Xbox 360 titles. Motorstorm is great fun, especially online, but the single player lacks anything more than a basic game and a (new) ghost mode.
Given time, the PS3 will have some good second generation games out to match the 360, at the moment it matches up to the 360’s first batch of games quite well.
All in all…
Despite what people have said, I can see myself spending a fair few hours on the PS3. Design could have been a bit better, but the build quality looks pretty solid. The Blu-ray player is well featured and at the moment worth the money alone. Games are on a par with the 360 launch titles and the system as a whole is well thought out.
There are some interesting developments with online gaming and the Home function which should see the PS3 finally pick up the pace in the months to come. If you can wait for more games and fancy a High Definition player with Upscaling DVD support, the PS3 is certainly a good starting point.
Ridge Racer 7 is probably too similar to the 360 RR6, so it's possibly out of Full Auto 2, NBA2K7, NBA Courtside, Singstar (in a few weeks), Ninja Gaiden Sigma and then Heavenly Sword (when it appears), Haze etc after that.
Then it's a case of weighing up the multi-format releases for the best version between the 360 and PS3 and waiting for E3 next week for news on more titles.
Then it's a case of weighing up the multi-format releases for the best version between the 360 and PS3 and waiting for E3 next week for news on more titles.
Grats on completing your next gen console collection!
Out of interest, what's the next PS3 game you'd like to buy?
Out of interest, what's the next PS3 game you'd like to buy?
The Playstation 3 has been out since the end of March now but it’s come in for some stick since the launch price was announced, mainly due to Sony’s decision to include a fully featured Blu-Ray player inside. Despite the initial hesitation over the lack of software, I went ahead and bought one at the end of June.
My God, It’s full of stars.
First impressions were that the console was a) pretty bulky and b) very shiny. So shiny that just letting your fingers hover over the top of it was asking for trouble from fingerprints and marks. In all, it reminded me of a more shapely monolith from 2001, just as opposing and full of potential.
Six out of Sixaxis
Plugging it in and turning it on was fairly simple, but I was surprised by the fact I had to plug in the wireless Sixaxis controller via a USB lead in order for the PS3 to recognise and register it. This also charged the controller up so I could then take it off the lead and use it wirelessly. Talking of the controller, it’s far lighter than the Wii or 360 controllers, mainly because it has a built in rechargeable battery, rather than separate batteries. The downside of this would be having to change the controller altogether when the battery dies, but I can’t see that happening for a while and it’s a welcome change to be able to charge a controller up without buying separate hardware. Looks-wise, it’s pretty identical to the old Dual-shock bar the two lower buttons at the rear being more like analogue triggers, again something it has in common with the 360.
Back to the Front-end
Booting up, the welcome screen has a nice orchestral ring to it and then you’re in to the menu. This will be familiar to anyone who already has a PSP, it’s pretty much the same. A long bar of icons appears and this then expands in to a list of further options when you choose one. Basic, but workable. It’s faster than the 360’s system of blades, but it doesn’t look as impressive and you can’t (yet) have wallpapers. The first thing it asked me to do was to perform a system update, another familiar feature from both the PSP and the Xbox 360. With that done, I signed up for the PS3 Registration then went to the Playstation Store.
What’s in Store?
The Playstation Store is Sony’s answer to Xbox Live Marketplace. It’s graphically more pleasing, but this comes at the price of speed and manoeuvrability. It does take a little while to get used to moving the pointer with the analogue stick. At the time of writing there are a few playable demos, some short trailers for films and games and some old arcade games, as well as a couple of new games created especially for the system. The Demos and games seem to be in a compressed format when downloaded (to save time and space, no doubt when downloading) and take a while to install after they’ve downloaded. I tried out all the demos and also Super Rub a Dub, the duck game which gets you used to tilting the sixaxis controller.
Worried about (Blu)Ray?
I’ve only tried Blu-ray discs on my own SD TV at present, but the menus are a big improvement over DVD and the picture is nice and sharp. Seeing them running in store, you can tell the difference between this and DVD, but luckily the PS3 will upscale your standard DVDs as well, presenting them in better quality on a High Definition television. The Blu-ray menus were easy to navigate with the Sixaxis, but far better with the Playstation 3 Blu-ray remote, which is Bluetooth, just like the controllers.
Let’s Play!
Despite Sony’s insistence on getting us to buy a PS3 for Blu-ray, the games are what matters. Motorstorm and Fall of Man were both great examples of what the machine can currently do with first generation games. Both are well made, solid games, but do lack some of the magic of later Xbox 360 titles. Motorstorm is great fun, especially online, but the single player lacks anything more than a basic game and a (new) ghost mode.
Given time, the PS3 will have some good second generation games out to match the 360, at the moment it matches up to the 360’s first batch of games quite well.
All in all…
Despite what people have said, I can see myself spending a fair few hours on the PS3. Design could have been a bit better, but the build quality looks pretty solid. The Blu-ray player is well featured and at the moment worth the money alone. Games are on a par with the 360 launch titles and the system as a whole is well thought out.
There are some interesting developments with online gaming and the Home function which should see the PS3 finally pick up the pace in the months to come. If you can wait for more games and fancy a High Definition player with Upscaling DVD support, the PS3 is certainly a good starting point.
My God, It’s full of stars.
First impressions were that the console was a) pretty bulky and b) very shiny. So shiny that just letting your fingers hover over the top of it was asking for trouble from fingerprints and marks. In all, it reminded me of a more shapely monolith from 2001, just as opposing and full of potential.
Six out of Sixaxis
Plugging it in and turning it on was fairly simple, but I was surprised by the fact I had to plug in the wireless Sixaxis controller via a USB lead in order for the PS3 to recognise and register it. This also charged the controller up so I could then take it off the lead and use it wirelessly. Talking of the controller, it’s far lighter than the Wii or 360 controllers, mainly because it has a built in rechargeable battery, rather than separate batteries. The downside of this would be having to change the controller altogether when the battery dies, but I can’t see that happening for a while and it’s a welcome change to be able to charge a controller up without buying separate hardware. Looks-wise, it’s pretty identical to the old Dual-shock bar the two lower buttons at the rear being more like analogue triggers, again something it has in common with the 360.
Back to the Front-end
Booting up, the welcome screen has a nice orchestral ring to it and then you’re in to the menu. This will be familiar to anyone who already has a PSP, it’s pretty much the same. A long bar of icons appears and this then expands in to a list of further options when you choose one. Basic, but workable. It’s faster than the 360’s system of blades, but it doesn’t look as impressive and you can’t (yet) have wallpapers. The first thing it asked me to do was to perform a system update, another familiar feature from both the PSP and the Xbox 360. With that done, I signed up for the PS3 Registration then went to the Playstation Store.
What’s in Store?
The Playstation Store is Sony’s answer to Xbox Live Marketplace. It’s graphically more pleasing, but this comes at the price of speed and manoeuvrability. It does take a little while to get used to moving the pointer with the analogue stick. At the time of writing there are a few playable demos, some short trailers for films and games and some old arcade games, as well as a couple of new games created especially for the system. The Demos and games seem to be in a compressed format when downloaded (to save time and space, no doubt when downloading) and take a while to install after they’ve downloaded. I tried out all the demos and also Super Rub a Dub, the duck game which gets you used to tilting the sixaxis controller.
Worried about (Blu)Ray?
I’ve only tried Blu-ray discs on my own SD TV at present, but the menus are a big improvement over DVD and the picture is nice and sharp. Seeing them running in store, you can tell the difference between this and DVD, but luckily the PS3 will upscale your standard DVDs as well, presenting them in better quality on a High Definition television. The Blu-ray menus were easy to navigate with the Sixaxis, but far better with the Playstation 3 Blu-ray remote, which is Bluetooth, just like the controllers.
Let’s Play!
Despite Sony’s insistence on getting us to buy a PS3 for Blu-ray, the games are what matters. Motorstorm and Fall of Man were both great examples of what the machine can currently do with first generation games. Both are well made, solid games, but do lack some of the magic of later Xbox 360 titles. Motorstorm is great fun, especially online, but the single player lacks anything more than a basic game and a (new) ghost mode.
Given time, the PS3 will have some good second generation games out to match the 360, at the moment it matches up to the 360’s first batch of games quite well.
All in all…
Despite what people have said, I can see myself spending a fair few hours on the PS3. Design could have been a bit better, but the build quality looks pretty solid. The Blu-ray player is well featured and at the moment worth the money alone. Games are on a par with the 360 launch titles and the system as a whole is well thought out.
There are some interesting developments with online gaming and the Home function which should see the PS3 finally pick up the pace in the months to come. If you can wait for more games and fancy a High Definition player with Upscaling DVD support, the PS3 is certainly a good starting point.