Xbox 360 vs. PS3: Multiformat Face-Off, Round Two

It's early days in the great next gen console war, and the commercial reality of development is very simple - the cost of making games on more advanced hardware has skyrocketed meaning that publishers get the best returns from their investment with multiformat development. Eurogamer typically reviews these games on the lead platform (more often than not, the Xbox 360) but we've got plenty of love for the PlayStation 3 - enough to bring you the all-important info on any differences between the versions, even when review code arrives somewhat belatedly.

In comparing the games we concentrate first and foremost on the gameplay experience, with objective commentary on new game modes and control methods that have been added or tweaked since the initial review. And as there is such a large cost difference between the two gaming platforms, we think it's fair game to point out any differences between versions on a technical level too. This makes these ongoing features as much a commentary on cross-platform development as they are aiding in a purchasing decision.

Complementing each piece is a series of screenshot galleries at full HD resolution 24-bit RGB using the PS3's HDMI digital output and the Xbox 360's precision VGA display mode, both professionally calibrated and captured losslessly using state-of-the-art grabbing equipment - indeed the only kit available that can handle full colour-depth and 1080p when required. Console analists can then debate the minutiae we expose and exercise the full unbridled talkback POWER of the Internet to give voice to their thunderous displeasure.

Top 10 Playstation 3 missteps

The Playstation 3 has had a bumpy ride thus far. Over the past few months I've opined about various wrong turns and I even offered Sony a piece of my mind, for free (I'm still waiting for that 32" Bravia as a thank you...geez), called How to save the PS3.

Today, however, I figured I'd come up with a nice, easy-to-read top 10 list of the missteps Sony has made. So, without further adieu, here we go...

10 - The "Spiderman" font. Why choose a font that already stands for something? It only serves to distract the gamer and make him/her think about Spiderman when they should be thinking about the PS3. On another note, I'm very excited about this week's debut of Spider-Man 3. See, I'm already thinking of something that's not the PS3 by just mentioning the font. My spidey senses are tingling...in a bad way.

9 - Lack of force feedback (vibration) in the controller. Much was made about Sony's decision to emulate the Wii's tilt motion controls. Whether or not you think Sony ripped it off is beside the point. The fact that they couldn't figure out how to get vibration and motion control into the controller, and then, as cover, came out and said vibration is overrated and not necessary, really rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.

8 - Lack of HD cables. Yet another poor decision by Sony who ostensibly claimed that the true HD buff would want to purchase their own cables when it seems Sony was just too cheap to throw in the very cables that would make the PS3's highly touted HD visuals come to life. This is an example of how being cheap actually ended up costing Sony money.

7 - Underestimating the Wii. Sony should have been more prepared for a battle for the hearts and minds of gamers, which Nintendo has definitely won. The $250 Wii should have been on Sony's radar as a potential threat, but their hubris allowed them to ignore it and put it down. Sony, therefore, effectively put down the gamers who would buy a Wii, thus making many of us not want to buy a PS3, just out of principle.

6 - The constant putting down of the customer. Number 7 leads into this one. Sony, throughout much of last year, continually put down their customers, saying, and I'm paraphrasing here, that they should shut up about the price and stop complaining. The PS3 is a good value, they constantly reiterated. Then, there are a variety of classic quotes including one referring to US gamers as "cheap".

Blu-ray Disc Sales Surpass One Million Mark

HOLLYWOOD --(Business Wire)-- Blu-ray Disc has become the first high definition format to sell more than one million discs, a milestone it has achieved in less than a year. Blu-ray Disc sales also accounted for 70 percent of the high-definition movies sold during the first quarter of 2007, according to sales figures published today by Home Media Research.

Blu-ray Disc titles accounted for eight of the top ten selling high definition titles in the first quarter of this year and since the introduction of both high definition formats, seven of the top ten selling high definition movies are on Blu-ray Disc.

New Game Releases for the Week of April 23, 2007

Things are starting to pick up a bit this week, as the big news is the release of Pokemon (Diamond & Pearl) for the Nintendo DS. All three next generation consoles have a release, while PC gamers look forward to the highly anticipated Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar.

Check out the latest list of new video game releases (USA) for the week of 4/23/2007 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 (PS3), Nintendo Wii, Sony PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS, and PC (USA)!