[OT] XBox, Wii, PS3

I don't care much about the Microsoft/non-Microsoft angle for these game
systems, but I noticed these prices in Sunday brochures:

Xbox $199
Wii $249
PS3 $399

How can PS3 maintain such a high price?

Just curious, really?

--
Actually, the probability is 100% that the elevator will be going in the
right direction. Proof by induction:

N=1. Trivially true, since both you and the elevator only have one
floor to go to.

Assume true for N, prove for N+1:
If you are on any of the first N floors, then it is true by the
induction hypothesis. If you are on the N+1st floor, then both you
and the elevator have only one choice, namely down. Therefore,
it is true for all N+1 floors.
QED.

On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 10:01:00 -0500, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
[color=blue]
> I don't care much about the Microsoft/non-Microsoft angle for these game
> systems, but I noticed these prices in Sunday brochures:
>
> Xbox $199
> Wii $249
> PS3 $399
>
> How can PS3 maintain such a high price?[/color]


Checking locally... PS3... 80GB drive... $399 Cdn.
Includes BluRay.

Prices on the 360 vary with disk size, with the 60B model being some $299
Cdn.

Meaning for your extra $100 compared to the XBox 60GB model, you're
getting both 20GB more disc space and BluRay instead of regular DVD.

Which explains the pricing, no?

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____/ Kelsey Bjarnason on Sunday 02 November 2008 22:53 : \____
[color=blue]
> On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 10:01:00 -0500, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
>[color=green]
>> I don't care much about the Microsoft/non-Microsoft angle for these game
>> systems, but I noticed these prices in Sunday brochures:
>>
>> Xbox $199
>> Wii $249
>> PS3 $399
>>
>> How can PS3 maintain such a high price?[/color]
>
>
> Checking locally... PS3... 80GB drive... $399 Cdn.
> Includes BluRay.
>
> Prices on the 360 vary with disk size, with the 60B model being some $299
> Cdn.
>
> Meaning for your extra $100 compared to the XBox 60GB model, you're
> getting both 20GB more disc space and BluRay instead of regular DVD.
>
> Which explains the pricing, no?[/color]

MS dumping. That's the reason.

- --
~~ Best of wishes

Roy S. Schestowitz | Useless fact: There are five regular polyhedra
[url]http://Schestowitz.com[/url] | GNU is Not UNIX | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
[url]http://iuron.com[/url] - proposing a non-profit search engine
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After takin' a swig o' grog, Kelsey Bjarnason belched out
this bit o' wisdom:
[color=blue]
> On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 10:01:00 -0500, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
>[color=green]
>> I don't care much about the Microsoft/non-Microsoft angle for these game
>> systems, but I noticed these prices in Sunday brochures:
>>
>> Xbox $199
>> Wii $249
>> PS3 $399
>>
>> How can PS3 maintain such a high price?[/color]
>
> Checking locally... PS3... 80GB drive... $399 Cdn.
> Includes BluRay.
>
> Prices on the 360 vary with disk size, with the 60B model being some $299
> Cdn.
>
> Meaning for your extra $100 compared to the XBox 60GB model, you're
> getting both 20GB more disc space and BluRay instead of regular DVD.
>
> Which explains the pricing, no?[/color]

So it sounds like the BluRay also brings the PS3 a lot of costumers, then.

Thanks for the response!

--
There is no comfort without pain; thus we define salvation through suffering.
-- Cato

On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:45:57 -0500, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
[color=blue]
> After takin' a swig o' grog, Kelsey Bjarnason belched out
> this bit o' wisdom:
>[color=green]
>> On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 10:01:00 -0500, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> I don't care much about the Microsoft/non-Microsoft angle for these
>>> game systems, but I noticed these prices in Sunday brochures:
>>>
>>> Xbox $199
>>> Wii $249
>>> PS3 $399
>>>
>>> How can PS3 maintain such a high price?[/color]
>>
>> Checking locally... PS3... 80GB drive... $399 Cdn. Includes BluRay.
>>
>> Prices on the 360 vary with disk size, with the 60B model being some
>> $299 Cdn.
>>
>> Meaning for your extra $100 compared to the XBox 60GB model, you're
>> getting both 20GB more disc space and BluRay instead of regular DVD.
>>
>> Which explains the pricing, no?[/color]
>
> So it sounds like the BluRay also brings the PS3 a lot of costumers,
> then.
>
> Thanks for the response![/color]

It may well. That said, the second-generation XBox isn't quite as bad as
the first, and they are coming out with a BluRay add-on, so for about the
same price (that's a guess) you should be able to get about equivalent
hardware.

Kelsey Bjarnason <kelseyb@lgisp.net> espoused:[color=blue]
> On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:45:57 -0500, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
>[color=green]
>> After takin' a swig o' grog, Kelsey Bjarnason belched out
>> this bit o' wisdom:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 10:01:00 -0500, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
>>>
>>>> I don't care much about the Microsoft/non-Microsoft angle for these
>>>> game systems, but I noticed these prices in Sunday brochures:
>>>>
>>>> Xbox $199
>>>> Wii $249
>>>> PS3 $399
>>>>
>>>> How can PS3 maintain such a high price?
>>>
>>> Checking locally... PS3... 80GB drive... $399 Cdn. Includes BluRay.
>>>
>>> Prices on the 360 vary with disk size, with the 60B model being some
>>> $299 Cdn.
>>>
>>> Meaning for your extra $100 compared to the XBox 60GB model, you're
>>> getting both 20GB more disc space and BluRay instead of regular DVD.
>>>
>>> Which explains the pricing, no?[/color]
>>
>> So it sounds like the BluRay also brings the PS3 a lot of costumers,
>> then.
>>
>> Thanks for the response![/color]
>
> It may well. That said, the second-generation XBox isn't quite as bad as
> the first, and they are coming out with a BluRay add-on, so for about the
> same price (that's a guess) you should be able to get about equivalent
> hardware.
>[/color]

The PS3 has some other excellent features, including the capability to
playback uPnP served content from Bubba & Mythtv. Perhaps Xbox & Wii
can do this, although I don't know.

Also, the PS3 is a reasonable enough Linux computer when you install a
suitable distro on it.

Neither of these might be so mainstream, though.


--
| mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
| Cola faq: [url]http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/[/url] |
| Cola trolls: [url]http://colatrolls.blogspot.com/[/url] |
| Open platforms prevent vendor lock-in. Own your Own services! |

In article <zvtPk.60472$De7.36271@bignews7.bellsouth.net>,
Chris Ahlstrom <linonut@bollsouth.nut> wrote:[color=blue]
> After takin' a swig o' grog, Kelsey Bjarnason belched out
> this bit o' wisdom:[color=green]
> > On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 10:01:00 -0500, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
> >[color=darkred]
> >> I don't care much about the Microsoft/non-Microsoft angle for these game
> >> systems, but I noticed these prices in Sunday brochures:
> >>
> >> Xbox $199
> >> Wii $249
> >> PS3 $399
> >>
> >> How can PS3 maintain such a high price?[/color][/color][/color]

The most common theory offered in the video game industry press is that
they are stupid. The second most common theory seems to be that they
don't want to piss off the manufacturers of stand-alone Blu-Ray players.
[color=blue][color=green]
> >
> > Checking locally... PS3... 80GB drive... $399 Cdn.
> > Includes BluRay.
> >
> > Prices on the 360 vary with disk size, with the 60B model being some $299
> > Cdn.
> >
> > Meaning for your extra $100 compared to the XBox 60GB model, you're
> > getting both 20GB more disc space and BluRay instead of regular DVD.
> >
> > Which explains the pricing, no?[/color]
>
> So it sounds like the BluRay also brings the PS3 a lot of costumers, then.[/color]

A better statement would be that a lot of the people that want Blu-Ray
choose PS3. But not a lot of people want Blu-Ray, so it's probably not
accurate to say it brings them a lot of customers.

Blu-Ray has run into several problems:

1. A big fraction of the disc buying public doesn't have TV's that show
much, if any, difference between Blu-Ray and DVD.

2. Upscaling DVD players have gotten very good and very cheap, so that
many people who DO have TV's that can benefit from Blu-Ray find that a
good DVD is nearly as good.

3. There are plenty of other ways to get HD content:

A. Cable and satellite both have plenty of HD, on scheduled
channels, on pay-per-view, and on on-demand services.

B. A rapidly growing segment of TV watching is done via the internet,
either on a computer, or via a computer hooked up to a TV. There are
several internet TV streaming sources with HD.

C. Microsoft's XBox Live service sells and rents HD content. They've
just announced a deal with Netflix to make Netflix's HD streaming
service available on the 360.

--
--Tim Smith

"Roy Schestowitz" <newsgroups@schestowitz.com> wrote in message
news:1723327.AN95DSSD7v@schestowitz.com...[color=blue]
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> Hash: SHA1
>
> ____/ Kelsey Bjarnason on Sunday 02 November 2008 22:53 : \____
>[color=green]
>> On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 10:01:00 -0500, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> I don't care much about the Microsoft/non-Microsoft angle for these game
>>> systems, but I noticed these prices in Sunday brochures:
>>>
>>> Xbox $199
>>> Wii $249
>>> PS3 $399
>>>
>>> How can PS3 maintain such a high price?[/color]
>>
>>
>> Checking locally... PS3... 80GB drive... $399 Cdn.
>> Includes BluRay.
>>
>> Prices on the 360 vary with disk size, with the 60B model being some $299
>> Cdn.
>>
>> Meaning for your extra $100 compared to the XBox 60GB model, you're
>> getting both 20GB more disc space and BluRay instead of regular DVD.
>>
>> Which explains the pricing, no?[/color]
>
> MS dumping. That's the reason.[/color]

You're a moron. How's that for a reason.

Don't let the *FACT* that MS actually makes a profit on the XBox360 hardware
and that Sony actually loses about $200/unit get in the way of your nonsense
about "dumping." The only "dump" here is the **** you have for brains in
your head.

[snips]

On Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:28:31 +0000, Mark Kent wrote:
[color=blue]
> The PS3 has some other excellent features, including the capability to
> playback uPnP served content from Bubba & Mythtv. Perhaps Xbox & Wii
> can do this, although I don't know.[/color]

Apparently it can, but it's limited in the formats it supports. As long
as you're willing to convert your Myth recordings to, say, .wmv format,
should work no problem.
[color=blue]
> Also, the PS3 is a reasonable enough Linux computer when you install a
> suitable distro on it.[/color]

I understand that XBox is, too, despite some apparent attempts by MS to
throw sand in the gears of doing that sort of thing.

On 2008-11-03, Kelsey Bjarnason <kelseyb@lgisp.net> wrote:[color=blue]
> [snips]
>
> On Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:28:31 +0000, Mark Kent wrote:
>[color=green]
>> The PS3 has some other excellent features, including the capability to
>> playback uPnP served content from Bubba & Mythtv. Perhaps Xbox & Wii
>> can do this, although I don't know.[/color]
>
> Apparently it can, but it's limited in the formats it supports. As long
> as you're willing to convert your Myth recordings to, say, .wmv format,
> should work no problem.[/color]

More notably, the PS3 can't handle digital TV content captured
straight from the airwaves. This something that I find to be rather
disapointing. If you want to watch TV captured from the big networks
then you will have to transcode it before you can watch it on a PS3.
[color=blue]
>[color=green]
>> Also, the PS3 is a reasonable enough Linux computer when you install a
>> suitable distro on it.[/color]
>
> I understand that XBox is, too, despite some apparent attempts by MS to
> throw sand in the gears of doing that sort of thing.[/color]


--


The average IT manager is a less effective mentor than a
Spongebob Squarepants cartoon.


Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
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After takin' a swig o' grog, Ezekiel belched out
this bit o' wisdom:
[color=blue][color=green]
>>
>> MS dumping. That's the reason.[/color]
>
> You're a moron. How's that for a reason.
>
> Don't let the *FACT* that MS actually makes a profit on the XBox360 hardware
> and that Sony actually loses about $200/unit get in the way of your nonsense
> about "dumping." The only "dump" here is the **** you have for brains in
> your head.[/color]

So Sony would actually have to charge $599 to break even?

You really think Sony is that dumb?

P.S. No need call Roy names, dude.

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____/ Chris Ahlstrom on Monday 03 November 2008 23:12 : \____
[color=blue]
> After takin' a swig o' grog, Ezekiel belched out
> this bit o' wisdom:
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>
>>> MS dumping. That's the reason.[/color]
>>
>> You're a moron. How's that for a reason.
>>
>> Don't let the *FACT* that MS actually makes a profit on the XBox360 hardware
>> and that Sony actually loses about $200/unit[/color][/color]

Who was talking about Sony?
[color=blue][color=green]
>> get in the way of your nonsense
>> about "dumping." The only "dump" here is the **** you have for brains in
>> your head.[/color][/color]

Your brain is running out of batteries, Scott. Change it up with some
more "****sticks" that you love so much.
[color=blue]
> So Sony would actually have to charge $599 to break even?
>
> You really think Sony is that dumb?
>
> P.S. No need call Roy names, dude.[/color]

That's just Scott Douglas being an aggressive Munchkin. It's funny how they
play the "them too" game whenever Microsoft blows it.

Microsoft down? "Do does IBM" (another proprietary software company)

Microsoft screws customers? "So does Sony" (DRM felon, maker of exploding
batteries)

Etc. etc.
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After takin' a swig o' grog, Tim Smith belched out
this bit o' wisdom:
[color=blue]
> In article <xyLPk.56820$rD2.30540@bignews4.bellsouth.net>,
> Chris Ahlstrom <linonut@bollsouth.nut> wrote:[color=green]
>>
>> So Sony would actually have to charge $599 to break even?
>>
>> You really think Sony is that dumb?[/color]
>
> Sony's costs should have come down some since launch, but the numbers
> originally were:
>
> $600 60 GB PS3: $840 to build (loss of $240/console)
> $500 20 GB PS3: $806 to build (loss of $306/console)
>
> At the time, an XBox360 with hard disk cost $323 to build, and was
> selling for $399, for a profit of $76/console.[/color]

That must explain why they tended to catch fire <grin>.
[color=blue][color=green]
>> <http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=194400596>[/color]
>
> <[url]http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/[/url]
> showArticle.jhtml?articleID=194400596>
>
> More recent data can be gleaned from Sony's financial reports. The
> games division lost $1.2 billion on the last full reporting year (which
> was an improvement over the $2 billion loss the year before).
>
> Any, this gives us at a minimum a $130 loss per console. How much
> bigger the loss is depends on how well the PS2 and PSP are doing. I've
> seen estimates that those two would be up to a billion profit on their
> own, which if true would indicate a PS3 loss of around $250/console.
> The truth will be somewhere between $130 and $250.[/color]

[url]http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/96355[/url]

Sony's losses on PS3: $3 billion and counting

Fri Jun 27, 2008

Yikes!
[color=blue][color=green]
>> P.S. No need call Roy names, dude.[/color]
>
> ..., Ezekiel was wrong
> to call Roy a moron--that implies Roy was too dumb to know Roy was
> wrong. Roy fully knows what he posted was wrong, so Ezekiel picked the
> wrong name to call him.[/color]

I was talking about the "****" word, mostly.

--
The Beatles:
Paul McCartney's old back-up band.

JEDIDIAH <jedi@nomad.mishnet> espoused:[color=blue]
> On 2008-11-03, Kelsey Bjarnason <kelseyb@lgisp.net> wrote:[color=green]
>> [snips]
>>
>> On Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:28:31 +0000, Mark Kent wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> The PS3 has some other excellent features, including the capability to
>>> playback uPnP served content from Bubba & Mythtv. Perhaps Xbox & Wii
>>> can do this, although I don't know.[/color]
>>
>> Apparently it can, but it's limited in the formats it supports. As long
>> as you're willing to convert your Myth recordings to, say, .wmv format,
>> should work no problem.[/color]
>
> More notably, the PS3 can't handle digital TV content captured
> straight from the airwaves. This something that I find to be rather
> disapointing. If you want to watch TV captured from the big networks
> then you will have to transcode it before you can watch it on a PS3.[/color]

Mine plays the digitally captured content directly and without problem,
and has done through all the firmware versions.

What it didn't used to be able to play was AVI files, but seems
competent with those, now, as well.

Mythtv records the programme, offers it as UPnP, and PS3 plays it, no
problem.

I wonder why yours doesn't work?

--
| mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
| Cola faq: [url]http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/[/url] |
| Cola trolls: [url]http://colatrolls.blogspot.com/[/url] |
| Open platforms prevent vendor lock-in. Own your Own services! |

[snips]

On Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:32:02 +0000, Mark Kent wrote:
[color=blue]
> Mythtv records the programme, offers it as UPnP, and PS3 plays it, no
> problem.
>
> I wonder why yours doesn't work?[/color]

My Myth setup uses paired hardware MP2 encoders to produce the videos,
does quasi-lossless modifying of them to rip commercials and streams the
results, quite happily, to my DSM-320 media player.

Which means I can play the videos locally on the Myth box, remotely via
file shares on any of the desktop PCs, even on discs burned for playing
in my DVD player... but XBox *will not* play them. Wrong format.

Meaning every freakin' device in the house will play a common format,
except, of course, MS's offering.

Big freakin' surprise.