Sunday, November 14, 2010

Is PS move a Wii clone? Or is xbox 360 kinect a PS2 eyetoy clone?

There's been what seems like a smear campaign against the playstation 3 move, or perhaps just ignorance calling it a "wii clone". Yes every new console has some similarities. Believe me, although the idea of using your hands for motion may be the same, other than that it is completely different. What's important is the gameplay and the experience that you get either completely change the way gaming is played like with first person shooters. FPS take use of a navagation controller (or you can use a regular sixaxis controller in your left hand and it's actually easier than it sounds) to move your character forwards, sideways, or backwards, while using the move to aim, shoot, and also use the buttons to switch weapons. Or in the case of other sports games, it makes the game feel like you're actually doing it in real life, like with sports champions table tennis. Play pingpong on wii sports resort and then play table tennis for PS move and you will be blown away at how more realistic the experience is. If you were to play wii sports plus, I imagine your actual pingpong game would not improve much. But if you do it on the PS3, It's so real that your actual pingpong experience improves. Go back to Wii and it just isn't like you're actually playing, but is more like a videogame again. Granted Wii motion plus does add a little something and make is have some aspects that seem somewhat realistic but it does NOT compare as it still uses 2 dimensional infrered technology ultimately to determine it's input even with the ability to detect tilt it's not enough to compare.

The future of gaming is not always games, but simulations and real life experience of things people either can't do given the situation (it's hard to get a game of table tennis going at the drop of a hat, and try playing a game of golf when it's dark out, you can't do it), or things that people don't want to do in real life due to risks they may not take. (Personally, I don't feel driving 200 MPH in nascar, or near 200 in gran turismo's windy roads is something I would feel comfortable with in real life, nor do I wish to fight in wars in real life, or fight a dogfight in the sky on a f16, but a simulation of the experience where I can blow up and walk away without an injury, awesome!). Playstation move makes it a simulation. Kinect is great because it can do some things like soccer and dancing games, but lets face it, the games that involve your feet aren't going to give you full emersion into that experience because you cant run full speed without smashing into a tv. You can run in place, you can kick if you clear enough room. But when you want to rest and play while you sit down, there are plenty of games that let you do that for the playstation move that aren't there for the kinect. Kinect definately offers somethings. I do find it interesting to play without a controller but it's not something that I would do all the time for every game, and I personally don't think it is the future of gaming. If the future of gaming is without a controller it will be because of brainwave and brain feedback with EEG machines that figure out your brainwaves, and also electrodes that stimulate back your brain so you experience the sensations. I cannot see people wanting to "air drive" a car, or "air ping pong" with their hand unless they're playing hand ball. Yes there's plenty of games for the kinect if you want it that add something.


Now if you think the Playstation move is a wii clone, or your sick of those who claim that, you may find this funny.

Playstation Eyetoy for playstation 2 had a toy called "kinetic" not kinect, "kintetic". Not only does it sound similar, but look at it.



Does that not remind you of the kinect? LOL, it does to me. Yes, it's completely tue that this is a technology that is inferior and is only a motion sensor camera. If you are moving to touch something on the screen it doesn't matter if there's depth or not. But for actual gameplay can someone tell me what the kinect adds other than disassociation from the character? (Rather than you being the character you are more like the controller performing a sort of voodoo on the character to make him move as you move) The timing of it probably means the kinect will sell more than the eyetoy did because after the breakthrough in playstation 1's dance dance revolution, and PS2 following up along with other systems, and Nintendo Wii gaining momentum with a major advancement in motion technology, the Nintendo Wii brought a ton of NEW people into gaming that had never heard of PS eyetoy and got them accustomed to motion gaming, and so the kinect SEEMS new. And people that see a commercial don't really get that the playstation move has a camera that can detect 3d exact 1:1 gaming, meaning you get the exact motions you make, rather than just timing a release point and hoping the game doesn't glitch and think you're putting spin on it when you're not and guessing about your motion, it's exactly 1:1, it knows everything you do. As for xbox kinect vs playstation 3 move, let alone playstation eye toy, I don't really see how the actual gameplay of kinect is that different from playstation 2 eyetoy games. Yes the xbox 360 is an upgrade even though both play at 60 frames per second, the xbox360 has better graphics than the PS2 as does the PS3. Xbox360 has voice recognition and facial recognition (but eyetoy had gesture recognition). But seriously when you're playing a game, what does it really add? I see some potential what it could add, but I haven't seen it yet. If you were to play kickball it wouldn't just measure whether or not you kick the ball but how hard, what direction and what was the timing of it. Soccer is definately a game that if I liked, I would love the kinect. Outside of that though, I haven't seen enough to convince me that xbox kinect is that great yet, especially to justify a higher price tag than the move. I admit some games would be cool for awhile, but I really think novelty will wear off eventually, and the game that is the most versitile about controls, that can just be a camera, that can be a controller, that can provide feedback and everything else is going to be the one that wins. Time will tell.

I can certainly tell you what playstation move adds to gameplay. It can add the realistic graphics of the playstation 3 that the wii does not have, yet provide everything the wii has in motion gaming... PLUS it adds a whole new level of accuracy and percision making the games go from games to actual simulated experiences. The kinect is going off out of the blue taking a huge risk for something that only adds something for foot based games. Globally soccer is very popular so I wouldn't completely be surprised to see the Xbox kinect have a lot of success, but as an american company selling primarily to the market of americans, who probably care the least about soccer, I think microsoft would be better suited selling to the playstation which has more global exposure, but I don't blame them for looking to expand in their global markets, and this could be the thing that helps. Additionally dance games are popular and may bring gaming to more female markets and will compete more in the family market.

The playstation move is stunningly accurate. It also can make your first person shooter games MORE precise movement than a mouse for aiming, while giving you buttons to press when needed, a trigger button like a joystick, percise aiming and a completely different, but still natural feel to your play, and realistic gaming. A mouse is 2 dimensional corresponding to a 2 dimensional screen that attempts to show 3 dimensional depth. But a mouse cannot always move, especially on an old pad where you want to, you have to pick them up and move them around, and it's just not the future. For kinect, I don't think aiming my finger at a camera making "pew pew pew" noises or saying "shoot shoot shoot" seems like something I want to be doing. Driving might work while putting my hands in front of my face and "air driving" but seriously is that really going to feel like driving if you have to stand up and  pretend to half sit while not feeling vibrations when you smash into cars? How do you gas and break? Some games need buttons. Yes wii has motion gaming plus buttons, PS3 has motion gaming plus buttons. But if you honestly believe the playstation move is a wii clone, than it is no more so a wii clone than an xbox kinect is a playstation eyetoy clone.

Now for a bit of a history lesson. Although in the late 1980s Nintendo started motion technology with the "power pad" it wasn't until playstation 2 had the dance dance revolution pad and playstation eyetoy that motion gaming really took off. In 1999 the eyetoy was demonstrated at a game developers conference. In 2003 the eyetoy was released in some places in the world such as europe and US and 2004 it was released in japan. In 1999 DDR was made for arcade use and later convered to playstation 1 where it sold over 3 million copies. It was then later made for PS2 and other gaming platforms.

Nintendo Wii then responded by recognizing this craze, and they created an entire system dedicated to motion gaming. Playstation just continued it's progression of the eyetoy only blew both their own and the wii out of the water.

This next video is a bit harsh towards the xbox... Xbox Kinect offers great things for soccer games, leg sports (soccer, track and field, kickboxing), running games, family games, and if you don't mind "air driving" as opposed to getting feedback through buzzing, driving games work fine as do other hand motion games. But it shows briefly some of the percision accuracy you can get with playstation.







What the video doesn't show is the experience you can get. I played table tennis on sports champions for playstation move and I felt like I was actually getting the exact experience of playing. When I hit the ball the controller vibrates based on how I hit it, but with 1:1 accuracy it means the paddle moves wherever I move. There's only 2 hundreths of a second delay and it's only enough to barely be consciously aware of if you REALLY REALLY move fast and you really watch it carefully it's almost not detectable. Old TVs are said to be closer to 4 hundreths of a second delay which could be problematic, but my TV is 6 or 7 years old and I expected to see a delay and I couldn't even tell until I really looked and even then, I'm still not convinced there is one.



You get a real expereince. You can play sitting down if you want. You can play standing up if you want. You can play games that only need subtle movements. Really the plystation 3 move adds a lot. Wii technology is 2-dimensional infrered sensors. Xbox kinect uses infrered scanning but because it maps your whole body rather than just the end of the controller and because it can process a lot of info, it can actually do a good job of mirroring 3d movement, but not quite precise.

IGN posts a fair review about the playstation move, claiming that the PS move is a balance of both the wii and the kinect having the best of both worlds, however I feel it's a bit critical in some parts. Personally I've never experienced any kind of noticable delay, or had any problems with lighting and at times I've had a light right behind it. Maybe sunlight responds differently because the room in which I play does not have any sunlight at all. I also find the game responds perfectly in the dark as well. The thing about the games having issues I can't comment on because I've seen none. The games I have played are Mag and sports champions, and I've also played every game in the demo pack. The game TV superstars is ridiculous, and is not my thing, but I suppose some people will like that sort of thing, and it is funny how you can personalize the character. It takes a picture, puts your face on the player and has it in game. Sports champions allow you to take a picture of yourself after the play and it will add in an object such as a ping pong paddle in real time and take a picture. The camera quality isn't great, but it serves it's purpose.

On interesting idea. If you have the playstation eye toy, and take the playstation move controller with the playstation 2 eyetoy games, you can use the light so that it can detect the motion. The light from the bulb makes your playstation 2 eye turn into a kinect essentially. Of course the playstation eye games maybe aren't the same and are more about pictures of objects being superimposed in front of yourself in a 3d environment, rather than you becoming a player which you see on screen.

Ultimately if you're going to call a playstation move a wii clone, you're going to have to call xbox 360 kinect a PS2 eye clone, which means Playstation wins here. If you don't call the PS move a wii clone, and respect the advancements that make it oh so much better, you can at least respect the advancements in technology that were brought just as the xbox kinect wouldn't be here if it weren't for Nintendo (power pad) and Playstation 1 DDR and playstation 2 eye toy and ultimately Nintendo Wii. Then you can say, the Playstation move is great, but I prefer kicking the air and punching the air and putting my hands up to "air drive" or "air tennis" or to play a game and say "look ma, no hands". Or "I don't care about gamplay I just want to have a system that responds to my voice and knows who I am so I can tell it what movies to watch and not have to pick up a remote and press a button". At least then you don't sound like an ignorant xbox fanboy who's just overhyped about his system too much to consider that the xbox kinect is more similar to the playstation eyetoy than the playstation move is to the wii. And when it comes to experiences, playstation move offers superior gaming and more realistic simulations of the actual experience.

What's the truth? No, The PS move is not a wii clone, and the xbox 360 kinect is not a PS2 eyetoy clone. By the way, playstation move offers 3d gaming so if you want the ultimate gaming experience and you're willing to buy a 3d TV, check it out.



Yes, now you see how excessive the claims are exagerated.
Bottomline: Kinect is for soccer and dance and "foot" based games, but also movie watchers that like verbal navigation. It's also for people that like things "outside the box" but if you really want to step outside the box, check out emotive's thought controller based games. Wii is a step and a half behind now until they come out with something else. PS move is for all else, and it has more titles set to release.

As for fighting games? I guess kickboxing isn't that great so far.


Haven't seen a review of the actual gameplay but everyone seems to like everything else about it. Motion tracking is not 1:1 in kinect though and there seems to be too big of a delay. However, soccer, track+field, dancing games... kinect is dominant in these and will remain that way.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Open Letter To Sony Regarding The PS4 - updated 11/12/2010

Originally posted 3/9/2009. This is open in more ways than one. This letter is open to all to read, but it also is open for addition, and open for you to comment on things you would like to see with the PS4.


In light of the economy being in difficult shape, how is the PS4 going to be able to make things easier for themselves without sacrificing quality?


1)

WHAT

First, go digital. Sony has already seemed to drop some hints that the next system might not even use DVDs, but as a consumer I am in full support.


WHY
It is expensive to do things the "old" way so it makes sense for Sony. Why would I like it? Easy... It's more convenient. I don't want to go out to the bookstore to buy a book, so I use amazon. I don't want to go drive 15 miles to the retailer like Best Buy and back so I would rather just buy at home.


Sony shouldn't have to "pay the middlemen". The wholesalers, and the retailers eat up costs for shipping. In addition, they will raise prices on the already "crunched" consumer.

The consumers can't afford to pay higher prices due to the additional costs that you normally would pass on, but even if they can, the wholesalers are taking money away indirectly by raising the prices to cover their costs of shipping to retailers, and to package and to also make a profit. When they pass it onto the retailers, the retailers must also hike up the price to make a profit.

When the consumer has to pay $80 for a game when Sony sold it to the wholesaler at $40, that's indirectly costing you up to as much as $40 as that $40 could potentially go towards buying another game.

Of course, that ignores the costs of making the game and shipping it out to the wholesalers.

In addition, if developers can only create the game by using your network on the sony digital platform, you may be able to consider collecting fees. The game makers won't mind, because the profit margins for a digital game will be higher anyways.

Oh yeah, and the gas prices are kind of expensive, less driving means more money in my pocket, which means more money for video games... Not to mention that some people go out shopping and they end up coming home with a whole lot more than they intended on buying, most of which is not the video game they set out to buy. Add in all of the impulse buyers and this is just so obvious, it's a no brainer.


HOW

This could be done a number of ways, The games could be installed in some digital memory drive similar to Sandisc memory sticks. It could use cartridges, or it could use a more innovative way of a small chip it could be placed inside the front of the console and read. But I think the best option would be to use an online store where people can buy games for reasons already mentioned.


This is probably already something Sony is working on. Afterall, they have the Sony Store in PS3, it would make sense for them to just expand that completely for PS4.


2)

WHAT

MANY New Features in the Sony Store


WHY?

If buying at the Sony Store is how you're getting your game sales, you better make sure you do everything to keep them there.


HOW

When they turn on the game, they automatically log on. They are brought to a page with a reminder of NEW games. They are told what coupons and discounts they qualify for, or how close they are to the next "level" of discounts. Earn X more points and your discounts are twice as good, or Earn X more points and you get a free game!


All sorts of promotions could be run, buy 2 get one free or buy 1 get the 2nd half off. You could get points for purchases which could be used for special offers, or converted into cash. You might even give them points for playing longer to reward their loyalty to you to ensure they're not off playing nintendo's or microsofts games instead.


Make sure to have all sorts of free ads for the games, but in some cases you can even charge for them to see "full length demos".

One of the best negotiating techniques is "nibbling" this is where you might buy a car and agree to it and then right before you go to sign you say things like "that does come with a free tank of gas right?" "okay, well how about a free warentee?".

From the other side, someone might get you to buy a completely stripped down car with no features for a "really good deal" but then as you go to buy it, they say "for only this much extra you can have this" and so on.

How does Sony use this?

The way The Sony store could run it, is have cheaper games, but then in order to buy additional characters, you'd have to pay extra, then in order to buy additional levels, you'd have to pay extra. You might still give them to have the option to "buy the full game" but have "upgrade packs"

Let all the major game makers know of all the built in features you have to make this VERY easy for them.

Allow people to rent games at this store, and have reminders when they are running out of time, and ask them if they want to renew. Once you have their credit card once to buy one game, they will not need to take it out again to buy, they can just use their account password and verify their actions.


Customers might be a little ticked off at first at all these additional costs until they understand this is how things are done, but will actually learn to like it even more if you take into account the reduced value in the pricing. I hate buying a game that I get bored with, I'd much rather pay $30 for an incomplete game that might end up costing $60, then find out It's too difficult, and I don't want to "upgrade". I might not even buy a game because it seems like too much, and don't want to take the time to go out to a store and rent it. Major successful companies win because of convenience. However, I would pay for a "trial" of several games, and I might even subscribe for continuously new trials.

update: One new feature I have thought of and have been mentioning lately is a netflix style subscription but only for video games instead.Different subscriptions might represent different time lengths you are allowed to play for or the number of new games you get to try and play instantly each month.

3)

WHAT: Make the users involved in the development of the game

WHY: I get tired of all these extentions on game release dates. With this system, they could release sneak previews of the game, then a beta version of the game, and then the complete game, and then bonus games. Every step along the way they could get feedback.

Diehards would love to pay every single step along the way, some might even pay additional amounts to get automatic updates. But with the user providing feedback the games would fit their tastes, and you would make sure they don't continously get disapointed with lack of a real high quality game... if they don't like it they can provide better feedback!

Going along with what was mentioned before, there could be additionl fees for upgrades, but rewards for those who already own the previous game, especially if they have provided a lot of feedback.


Not only that, but you have access to tons of beta testers who are willing to PAY for the games. (sorry beta testers, don't hurt me, just an idea!)


HOW: You can reward them if you want quality feedback with "points" if they are willing to submit reviews about the game, and you can actually track how long they tested the game for to reward them more. This perhaps will be the best part of it. It will provide a lot of hype as well as people will be talking about the games, and brainstorming in forums together about different ideas.

This complete integration will be excellent. An EA Sports game like Madden, may never have to stop being created. Simply pay for an upload of the new features, the new draft class, the changes in teams, and everything else. If they want to play online, they MUST have the latest stuff, and they must occasionally pay for new updates or find someone else who has fewer updates or agrees to play the less complete game.

Some people want the game as soon as possible... others don't even want the game at all if it isn't complete and end up being disapointed that certain glitches aren't fixed, that certain features aren't added. With this method they get to say exactly what they want, and if they don't get it, they can continue to suggest the idea, let other people know until everyone else agrees and the game maker can better suit their customer.

With games made for the gamer, BY the gamer, who wouldn't want to own a PS4?

Update: Seems like Playstation 3 has already integraded some of this stuff to the best of it's ability. But isn't quite there yet. I'm talking about being able to download a beta version of the game

4) What: Remain backward compatible - this may seem to contridict the whole going digital thing but it doesn't have to be. Also, it might be more expensive to provide disc technology when all the new PS4 games are digital.

WHY? People aren't going to be as willing buy the new system if Sony changes their policy and suddenly doesn't support at least the previous game console. But how can this be addressed if it's digital?

It would be more expensive if it was a digital console that also had a dvd

Here's how...

You could go with an additional device a external DVD player, but I don't think that's the best option. The best option I think, is to use the PS3 sony online and hard drive, and have the ability to convert all games to their online account. They could then transfer their old games (only once or twice to prevent theft) to the online store, and login with their new device.

If you allow an external device as an option, people can use that to upload and store it online as well if they wish. People could pay for larger storage that they could access. This way anyone can use their account without lugging around their game console. They simply visit a friend who also has it, and login and play. Some serious gamers have huge Lan parties where they bring over all their friends and have everyone bring a console, they all hook up and connect to lan to play. This makes it MUCH more convenient.
How do you prevent people from not buying a console and just creating an account at their friends and then using that wherever they go? Simple, only one household per account, and only a few accounts per household. There may be a few, but what's to say they wouldn't have done that anyways?



5) What

Protect hackers and mods stealing games from other networks...

Why? It's obvious,

How

Easy... Since all games are controlled on the PS store, you simply hire people to encrypt it, then to make sure the programmers don't leave themselves the backdoor and later leak the encryption codes, you hire someone else to encrypt the encryption. Of course there will still be people who try to hack it, but making it much more difficult will help

Another solution is to just somehow allow it.
update: I think a subscription gaming would make it easy as no one would have a need to hack to get different games if they can pay $20 a month and play any game they want.


Innovate, Innovate, Innovate: I want to see ground breaking technology, I want to have it revolutionize the way I do things. I want to be able to plug in electrodes and to have all 5 senses stimulated, But I also want to be able to use my 5 senses and my thoughts to have the game react in a different way. I want a simulation of real life. Why not life itself? Because I want to try stuff, knowing that if I fail, I won't die, knowing that if I mess up, I can "reset". I want realism. I want the game to recognize my behavior and anticipate my moves to force me to consciously think about the way I'm thinking. I don't just want this game to change how I think about gaming, I want the gaming to change the way I think about thinking.


I also want an outer experience as well. I want there to be lights that I can turn off with a wave of the hand, but that interact with me, that shine like a flashlight in the dark when I'm playing a game. I want to almost live my fears, and then go on to defeat them walking away knowing there's nothing to be afraid of because I have learned how to outsmart my own thoughts. I want to look death in the eye and walk away feeling victorious. I want a platform so real that businesses will actually PAY you to have access to it's players and choose the person that can handle the simulations. I want the dream that NASA might just contact me about an astronaught, that I can get my pilots license just by playing enough realistic flight simulations, I want NFL teams recruiting me to be a coach just because I can run their offense, or my own offense to such perfection. I want to have investors paying me to invest in real estate because I beat donald trump in the newest real estate game. I want to compete online in tournaments to win cash, or opportunities. I want to be able to transfer everything I've learned by becoming a better gamer toward life, knowing with full confidence that simulation was realistic enough where I actually possess the mental ability under emotional pressures to succeed if that were actually real.


I want to know that the game is a network of everyone's thoughts and it is learning how to adapt, learning how to perhaps even automatically making suggestions to changes in it's own programing for the game to simulate more how the players play, where it models the players that can defeat it, where it models the worst players so they can beat it so new players that choose a low difficulty level can still enjoy winning, and so that even the best players can have a challenge as the game forces you to continue to grow in your abilities to be able to beat it.

6) What: 3d technology
Why: It's cool!
How: PS3 already is implimenting 3d technology, but what I am refering to is an advancement of it. More virtual reality type technology where you put on eyewear and it shades out as much external light as you choose, and you can see the game in 3d. The headwear could also be motion gaming so that in addition to the playstation move, it could also respond to more subtle head movements. Additionally this technology could provide the groundwork to take it portable via virtual reality eyewear. Eventually the technology would be something that could just be a very transparent image that also has features similar to what an iphone has. The advancement of nanotechnology will further be able to allow people to wear a simple contact lense. Of course, there would have to be some sort of way to interact with it and I'm not sure if the thought technology will be discreet enough for people to use everywhere without looking embarasingly weird. So instead perhaps small touchpads that go on the finger so people can type on an empty desk or table or use a desk or table as a touchpad as long as they have the clear possibly even disposable touchpad that can stick to their finger like a peice of tape.



7) Micro Projection -
What: Ability to use something to project the game onto the wall
Why: Gamers can take the game where they want, they can also see it on a bigger screen if they have small TVs, or transfer their game over if someone else in the household needs the TV. Additionally it can provide more convenience and again lay the ground work to make gaming portable and more accessible.
how: This technology exists at least in the early developmental stages already. There is real nano technology that allows someone to use a pen to project a keyboard in front of them, and a monitor for the screen as well. I want PS4 to harness this technology. Maybe this can be more for the future of perhaps the PSP3 as I understand the release of PSP2 may be forthcomming soon. Once the technology in #6 has advanced enough maybe it would make this obsolete, maybe not.
If anyone wants to add something please make a comment!
UnOfficial PS4 site

Friday, November 5, 2010

Ideas for the PSP2

If I were to describe the perfect PSP2 I would want it to be more simple, and I would want it to function as a controller for all games, not just playstation store PS1 and PS2 games. I don't care if the quality is a little bit worse, I want the PSP2 to function as a playstation move controller. Maybe they intend on the PSP phone being a regular playstation controller, but the playstation portable 2 if it is in fact a seperate device could have motion sensor technology and be used to control your PS3 games remotely even if you're halfway around the world as long as your PS3 is on. If the PS3 isn't ready for this, it could at least be a feature that will be available once the playstation 4 gets released. Maybe that means you have to come up with a USB port and a place to plug in that ORB into your PSP2 so that you can use it as such. However, think of how an iphone has a camera and inertial scanning devices to detect movement. I think it shouldbe able to work as a playstation move controller even if you are away from your TV. But if it is annoying you simply turn the motion portion off, and you use it as if you would a playstation 3 controller.

The difference of course is that aside from automatically syncing via wireless and playstation network login to your game consol, it has a screen and the ability to play and save on your PS3 hard drive. I mean I want to take my playstation 3 gaming experience with me as best as I can. There's always a cycle of technology. Make something easy to make small scale, then commercialize it, then make it bigger and better, then make it portable at similar quality and make it bigger and better so it's as good or better than the original, and make it more and more convenient, and then integrate it with another technology and then make that portable and so on.

Additionally, I want the ability to use my PSP2 as a phone, even if the PS Phone is one too. I don't know, maybe it's a touch phone like iphone, maybe you select a name from a list and you have a keyboard which you can use your thumb as a controller to a mouse. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out how to make phone access, regardless of whether it's similar to an iphone or an ipad in size. I don't have a preference on whether it's like a laptop or like an iphone, but if it's possible to sell the same device in two sizes, with maybe a few extra features on each, more sales for you.

A main idea I have is subscription gaming! If playstation is smart, they will not only cut into apple's market but netflix as well! I mean there's a reason netflix is successful and growing at a breakneck speed! They have great business model, they have done great advertising and promotional things, and their idea of having people pay a subscription service and allow them to watch all they want streaming, and no late fees is great... Now some people rent video games, do you think it would be hard to make your playstation "store" a subscription service instead? First you give it away free. Nothing excites people like free! You don't have to even have this subscription service debut when the PSP2 does as you can add it later just like you added the PS move! This way people pay $10 or $20 per month and get all the games they want. Then you expand and you start allowing them to have all the movies and TV shows they want. When you begin adding features, then you charge for it, and then you increase the price once you have attracted enough loyal customers. So at that point people pay maybe a little bit more than netflix or even the same amount and they get both games and movies streaming.

Forget about physical delivery of DVDs, that way you don't have to worry about shipping and you are capturing a market that uses their PS3 (which you should be able to wirelessly load the movies and video games onto remotely)... and you are keeping costs low. Remember you already have a partnership with netflix so they can watch movies on your device by streaming it, but It's not neccesary to get into a physical disk drive market when you've already said the future of playstation may not include a physical disk drive. Well... here's your chance, if you want to plan for the future, the movies will be temporary uploaded to your hard drive. Think about it, people are on break at work, and they want to download a movie or game to watch or play tognight... So they open up their PS phone app, select order movie, and they order it for free if they pay their monthly subscription. digital copies of data is virtually almost no cost, why do you have to worry about how many games people play? Instead, you can charge them more per month if they go over their storage on your server by saving not on memory cards but storing their games on the internet on your server/network instead.

They can have movies ON the actual PS phone and PSP2, but you are also able to download it TO the playstation 3 and then watch it from there. The PSP2 could easily be a very smooth transition into the future of gaming and start really having features that the PS4 will have.

I believe the PS4 will take 3d gaming to the next level and take 3d gaming portable. The PSP2 is probably too early for such technology. But PSP4 could have an eyewear device that projects either in front of you or directly onto your eyes so that you can see in 3d. It's more of a virtual realityeyewear with motion sensors to detect head movements. The playstation 4 can be portable, and maybe the PSP2 can be made good enough so that all that's needed is an accessory like the playstation motion so that the PS4 can be delayed and made to be much more of a breakthrough in the areas of thought technology. This one instead would be eyewear and can also be an added feature that works with the PS3 so that aside from seeing games in 3d, you can also move your head back and forth and the game will detect this movement. dodge punches that are coming at you in 3d by moving your head to the side, then fire one back by actually punching the air with your playstation move accessory, then hit a switch on your eyewear and go elsewhere in your house and you can still play the game. The improvements may have to come from the server, but I'm thinking that eventually, maybe 5 years or so, there will be a need to process information even faster... I'm thinking our thoughts are going to have to become evolved at some point. I'm thinking that the experience will have to feel more real. The vibrations will have to feel more like actual sensations that would occur rather than a simple buzz. Maybe even put on nodes on your body so you can have a sensation like a small electrical zap felt when whatever part of your body is hit. Full on emersion in the game.

Much of the ideas I have about playstation 4 that I have mentioned many times on this blog could easily be applied to the playstation portable 2 if it is done right, or possibly the PSP phone.

Given that the release date could be sometime in 2011, I am leaning towards PSP2 being pretty much like an iphone or ipad only with it's core focus on gaming. We know that PS phone is to be released in 2011 but it's unclear whether or not the PSP2 IS the playstation phone or not. I believe that the PSP Phone will be made to compete with the Iphone, and the PSP2 is to compete with the Ipad but we shall see.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Gamer Of The Future

Hey Gamers,
I know I haven't really updated this blog, unfortunately I haven't been as active as I would have liked. I will keep this blog up, as I think it will be a useful reference to look back on in the years to come. However, in the meantime I have started something that is called Gamer Of The Future... The problem with this blog that you're reading now is that once the playstation is already here, the site doesn't have as much value. Certainly I can still talk about playstation 4 and everything, but what then? What happens in 10 years? I think the important thing is that I build a site with a community that is dedicated towards all the information about gaming of today, and gaming of tommorrow.

I have started to update this blog a little bit more, and I haven't really updated gamer of the future. However, I think you want to bookmark that site as eventually once the playstation 4 is released, the site will only talk about current games and technology. Since you're probably here because you like the innovative thoughts and groundbreakingly new technology information, you're going to have to go elsewhere for that type of content. Sometime in the future, the gamer of the future site will be used for just that, but I have a lot on my plate at the moment. Either way, I thought you would like to here about it. Well, the playstation move just arrived so I'm off to try it out!

Friday, October 29, 2010

PSP2 release date: Coming Soon To Bring In A New World Of Entertainment?

There are many rumors going around. It looks like I've been away for far too long. Is the PSP2 the same as the PlayStation phone? Or is this a separate device coming in 2011 to compliment the PSP Phone (PS Phone? Name pending)

Is the PSP2 release date really in 2011? Could it actually be that PlayStation is soon going to release a new device or console? In fact the PlayStation portable was a hit, but could use an upgrade. The PlayStation portable release is going to be like a gamer's ipad it seems, as the rumors are that Sony is going after apple's market share. I don't know everyone loves games on their phone now, but what about evolving it? PSP could go in the direction of a smart-phone, or an ipad, or perhaps somewhere between. Personally, if it's a gamer phone I would like it to be twice the size of an iphone, but the problem is, that would be bulky in the pocket. If you go larger than an iphone, it's less portable. If you go iphone size, it's tough on the eyes to seriously consider games on it. However, I think they can pull off an iphone size screen with additional buttons on the sides or bottom.

So after much consideration of the impact of PlayStation motion and PlayStation 3 in 3dTV has, I realized that, wow... much of what I thought could have been possible with the PS4, is already possible with the PS3 thanks to software updates and accessory add-ons. I mean, even thought technology such as Emotiv's device could be added as an add on accessory provided a software update was done, and the games were made to support it. So what in the world can be the future of gaming? I have a few ideas still, but clearly the PSP2 is next on the list and should be released well before the PS4.

From my perspective the PlayStation move along with the 3d gaming patch to integrate with 3ds and special thanks to Netflix and Hulu plus for making themselves available with a simple download to the PS3 and the PS3 suddenly has an entirely new look and it's like it's a new console. You might as well call it PlayStation 3 2.0 or PlayStation 3 2nd generation or something.

As it turns out the PlayStation portable 2 release date could be as soon as 2011?! How's that for soon?

All I have to say is with PS move, PS3 in 3d, and an upcoming PSP2, is "in your face competitors."

The next post will brainstorm some ideas for the PSP2.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Play Station Phone PS Phone to be released in early 2011 or earlier!

In case you haven't heard the recent news, the Playstation Phone will be released very soon. Meanwhile the PS move is gaining some steam and is converting the playstation into an entirely different game unit.

Combine Netflix or hulu plus with PS3, add in a 3d TV with a 3d game, add a little Playstation move game and you have the ultimate gaming experience. The way I see it, the playstation 3 has been replaced by the playstation 3 2.0! It's not quite playstation 4, but this is still a major advancement that basically transforms the PS3 into a machine that many would have guessed the PS4 would be like.

With this recent news my outlook on the PS4 being released any time soon is that it will be awhile. However, I will say that technology seems to be improving at an extremely fast rate. Look at how the Iphones came out of nowhere and suddenly everyone's got a smartphone.

But the Playstation 4 is probably going to be awhile. I just wasn't thinking. Why update the software or hardware when the playstation 3 console is already top notch? They simply can make updates to accessories, and to software updates via online system updates. Looking forward I am thinking that it's very possible that the playstation 4 is a ways away. Regardless, the PSP2 and the playstation phone (whether they are two different devices or not or whether the PSP2 is coming after the PS Phone has yet to be determined) should certainly pave the way and help give us some insight into what the future of the playstation 4 will look like!


UnOfficial PS4 site

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Playstation 4 Still Not Here Yet

Yes, I know you've been anxiously awaiting. Yes, I know many believed that the release date would be the end of 2010 or early 2011. Suffice to say that the PS4 release date is probably still going to be a ways away. All I know is I have heard nothing as to when the playstation 4 will be released, I don't know how far along they are, and all I can tell you is it still will be awhile.

Foretunately when it does get here, there may very well be a major breakthrough and this could be the most revolutionary system yet. How can I say that? Because there are actually systems out with the power to read your mind and operate controller free. Yes, it's in the primitive stages, but you may be able to play a game just by thinking about it, and playstation 4 will have the technology to do that. Altohough it's a bummer to wait this long, the longer we wait for a PS4 release date, the better the liklihood is that the technology will be superior as technology continues to improve. One of the most optomistic things is Japan's investing more than anyone else in nanotechnology, and Sony, a Japan based company will benefit greatly. That means if you want to have a system that works better and faster than ever, you will just have to wait it out. However, the possibilities for the capabilities of the next greatest system as a new generation hits are endless. Until then, grab a playstation 3 console system and a few games and use that to keep you busy while technology continues to advance.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Playstation 4 Scam

Anyone claiming that you can buy or preorder the playstation 4 right now when it's not even invented is scamming you. I talk about how you can monitor the situation and potentially preorder it as soon as possible, but even that is more of being notified when you can preorder it.

However, there's another scam once the playstation 4 is actually out. When The playstation 4 is released, I expect there to be the same old scam that has been delivered since the playstation 2 was released. Actually, even prior to it's release people may attempt this.

The scam is when the ebay seller provides a product and has the title like "playstation - 4!" or "4 playstation" or "Playstation unit 4x" "playstation 4 units!. Then in the fine print the seller says "the winning bidder receieves 4 units of playstation 1 game console."

The scam is that you do not get playstation 4 unit as you may have suspected from the title and potentially misleading picture. Rather than getting the PS4 game console, you instead receive the PS one 4 times.

This was repeated with the PS3 and PS2, but also with the Xbox, where the winner won a box with the letter X on it.

In many ways some will view this not as a scam because the seller will actually go out of his or her way to clearly indicate that the item is not as it may seem, however because people have a tendency to trust with blind faith and no verification; expecting entities such as the better business bureaus and governement agencies to protect them, they get caught up in the excitement of the bidding and fail to realize what they have done.

To avoid this scam simply do your due dilligence. First, check the ebayer's score (or other online auction), then check the ebayers description thouroughly. Also, be aware of what ebay tells you to do to protect yourself. Ebay makes it possible to not have to pay if your product is not delivered, however they will likely not refund you due to your own lack of attention.