Historically, Sony has used excellent marketing tactics to ensure massive demand for their consoles to great profit and market share for this technology leader. Unfortunately, many unscrupulous people try to cash in on the pre-Christmas demand by buying a console and then reselling it via Ebay or other online auction sites for two to four times it's list price to get consumers to part with their money and line their own pockets.
In 2001, a Father and Son team managed to rack up nearly $144,000 in funds as they offered PS2's online though Ebay auctions and others for between $400 and $700. They never had any consoles to sell, but netted the money. This team got caught and convicted on wire fraud. Also, many groups operating out of the former Soviet Union and other places where crime is rife with corruption will be climbing onto the bandwagon to try and fleece the consumer out of their hard-earned money for a promise that never will come to pass.
Ebay has passed new rules to ensure to the best of their ability fraud will not happen, including only allowing console auctions if the seller's rating is over 98% and requiring sellers to provide a photograph of the console with the seller's screen name visible on the photo, as well as a copy of the sales receipt. This should cut down on the fraud somewhat, but people are still going to hunt up the best deals and demand for the PS3 is going to be very high.
The best and really the only way to protect yourself is to ensure the buyer you are bidding with has the best possible rating and also they can provide you a current datestamped picture of the unit along with the sales receipt. Otherwise, and if they delay in any way - avoid that auction, because it is quite possibly fraud and you will lose your money. Most of the fraud occurs with overseas sellers and once you send the money, it leaves the country and there is NO way to get it back, you are out of luck and out of pocket.
In all cases, caveat emptor - let the buyer beware - be warned, be cautious, and be guarded - there are plenty out there who will steal you blind if you let them, so don't let yourself be taken in by The Next great deal or Cheap Playstation 3 if it's not sold by a reputable reseller, it's not worth it.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Next-Gen Consoles: Avoiding The Online Auction Blues
Friday, November 17, 2006
The Keys to Sony Playstation 1 and 2 Success
Sony Playstation 1 & 2 sold over 214 million units. Whew that is mind boggling! Ever wondered how Sony managed to reach this level of success? Success is about technological superiority, branding, costing, and popularity. Sony has over the years established and maintained a world-wide credibility. In the gaming world, Sony has gained and maintained a strong presence. It addressed in totality the four Ps: Product, Price, Promotion, and Placement.
Market watchers who have kept their finger on the pulse of the gaming console market feel that Sony Playstation will maintain its lead as:
1. The conglomerate has created an indelible “brand” recognition. In the 80s and 90s the No1 slot was held by Nintendo, today gaming is synonymous with Sony PlayStation. Even the launch of Xbox 360 has not moved Sony Playstation from its popularity or position as market leader. Playstations 1&2 have established a loyalty in gamers and PS3 will benefit from this established presence. Creation of a strong and sustaining brand presence just ensured that a large number of customers will stick with the brand they know, trust, and love.
2. Sony has created a product that satisfies a need. The Sony Playstation satisfies all gaming needs. Its user friendly, exciting, affordable, and innovative. Sony has pulled out all stops in the creation of playstations 1, 2, &3. The company employs developers who understand the very needs and pulse of world wide gamers. Games in the Sony series are popular and have long term use. The games are chosen to satisfy Eastern as well as Western Gaming needs. The aim of Sony was to be “king” of multimedia entertainment and so, the gaming consoles became all in all with great sound, online connectivity, and realism. The playstations became the game machine that took gaming from the confines of the living room to different corners of the world via the internet. What is more the playstation is designed to play DVDs and music too.
3. Sony has ensured that the playstations become household names by pricing the consoles competitively and creating an aggressive advertising foray. Clever positioning of the playstations as a must have and dream come true in the ad campaigns has played a crucial role in increasing sales. The success lay in the creation of a cachet brand.
4. According to industry leaders, the crux lay in Sony striking the right balance between image, marketing, and branding. It tapped third –party publisher talents and gained access-all-areas support and royalties. It also used the technique of stealth positioning to diffuse prejudice about the playstation and encourage acceptance about the value of the products.
Sony playstation has charted a success story that moves from strength to strength and what is impressive is that SPS2 and SPS3 are backwardly compatible with previous playstations. This means that gamers can continue to enjoy favorites on older playstations thus establishing a continuity.
According to Sony’s chief executive, “the future of the company is in the creation of champion products that are runaway hits that translate into profits and help maintain the No 1 position for the company.”
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Must Have Sony PlayStation 3 Accessories Reviewed and Explained
The way games are played has changed drastically over the years. From simple board games to handheld games to TV games to sophisticated gaming consoles. And games are not exclusive to kids, teenagers, adults and seniors are hooked by the games and are investing in the sophisticated gaming devices and elaborate accessories.
Gamers competed with designers and manufactures to take gaming to new levels of excitement. This has lead to the creation of state-of-art accessories for the Sony play station. Here we take a close look at 3 accessories.
• The 8MB memory card for Sony Playstation 2: Most games are not completed in a single sitting and as an avid gamer if you want to save your game mid-way to play later, or you want to save characters you have unlocked or levels you have jumped then you just cannot do so on the CD. To write data and save games you need a memory card.
Most techies will tell you that a memory card is vital to a devoted gamer, it’s the very heart of a gaming console. The market has original Sony as well as third party memory cards which can be used on the playstation. An original Sony memory card retails for approximately USD 15-USD 20 and has 15 blocks on which games can be stored. The immediate advantage or an original versus a third party card is that the original Sony Playstation cards rarely crash and cause loss of valuable gaming data. They last more that four years and you can write and overwrite data with no problems at all. If you are just a casual gamer then you may just need a 15 block Sony original memory card that will offer great security and dependability.
• Logitech Driving Force Pro Steering Wheel for Sony Playstation2: Gamers who are avid driving game players just cannot function without this Force Pro Steering Wheel. According to players using the steering wheel with the Sony Playstation 2 brings realism into the game and gives immediate force feedback. When playing driving simulator games the wheel introduces realism and the gamer can feel the torque and turn when confronted with different weather and road conditions during a game. It clues the player on how to reach new gaming levels by giving an indication of when to change tires, speed, and so on. It is made of durable material and offers a great grip and brings realism and comfort into driving games. The set up can be customized to suit individual needs. The wheel can be used for the playstation as well as PC, all a player has to do is download the USB steering wheel drivers from the Logitech site. The driving wheel retails at USD 129.99.
* Sony Network Adaptor : This allows players to play with gamers online. Using this accessory a Sony PlayStation gamer can expand his gaming base and test his gaming skills with gamers all over the world. The Network Adaptor permits gamers to compete against others, evolve in games, learn new tricks, and reach new levels of excitement. Costing around USD 35.49, the adaptor supports broad band as well as dial up internet connectivity. The CNET editor’s review rated this accessory as 7.3 out of 10 which means very good.
Every gaming console has a parallel accessory market and gamers need to weigh the pros and cons of Sony Playstation accessories before spending valuable money. Two great sites that give in depth and informed reviews are CNET.com and Eopinions.com. Learn all about gaming accessories and only buy the best.
Hardware Inside Sony Playstation 3 Reviewed and Explained
The Sony PS3 is creating headlines in the techie world. And, watchers all over the world are reviewing the much awaited product. It is all set to storm the gaming world The CNET Editor has awarded the PS3 8.8 out of 10 with 9/10 for design; 9/10 for features; and 8/10 for performance.
There are two versions of the PS3 and the 20GB version retails for USD 500 while the 60GB version for USD 600. According to gaming gurus it is too early to say what the PS3 will achieve, the sane advice is to wait a year before passing any judgments.
The hardware is state-of-art and impressive. The PS3 has:
• A cell processor that is very advanced and is all set to support GenX computer entertainment. And instead of using off the shelf Pc components the PS3’s 3.2 GHz Cell processor was built from scratch just for the PS3. A joint effort between IBM, Sony, and Toshiba the processor has a core with seven synergistic processing units. The power extended by the cell will provide spectacular realism to the games and realistic effects.
• Dolby sound of 5.1 ch with DTS and LPCM.
• Giga-bit Ethernet with a pre-installed hard disk drive. This will enable downloading of content from the World Wide Web and play online with competitors all over the world.
• Output and input ports support displays from NTSC, PAL, and HD relays.
• A noise level matches that of PS2 and is incredible.
• A cell processor that can play from a blue ray disc at bit rate of 48Mbps.
• Controllers that are high precision, with sensitive six-axis motion, and technologically perfect sensing. The controllers are wireless and as many as seven controllers can be connected to the PS3 via the blue tooth. What more the controllers have a range of 65 feet. The controllers can be recharged easily by connecting the USB cable. The player can continue to play while the controller recharges. The L2 and R2 buttons are larger giving greater game control. The increase in tilt of the analog joy sticks allow for greater control and wider range of motion. The most welcome feature is the six axis motion.
• An interface that is user friendly and aesthetic. However, certain features are hidden below several levels.
• A digital media hub with a blu-ray player. The 60GB PS3 can read digital photos from USB devices, digital cameras, CDS and more. The system has an impressive internal media reader, photo and album viewer, and the Wii. The hub supports an astounding variety of music files including MP3s. ATRAC, AAC, and WAV. What more the PS3 will play Blu-ray disc with high definition and clarity.
As far as first reviews go the PS3 is all set to be the greatest gaming and media entertainment console. It will take home entertainment to the next level of excitement and challenges.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
10 Reasons Why Sony PlayStation 3 Will Beat Out Xbox
In the techie world the race for supremacy just got hotter with Sony computer Entertainment President Phil Harrison stating, “The Playstation 3 is a computer. We do not need a PC.” And, the news is that the PS3 has reached for new horizons it is not just a game console. Although many tech gurus are rooting for the Xbox360 here are a few reasons why the PS3 may gain an edge.
According to analyst Shawn Milne, even though Xbox360 will get a head start, the PS3 will outsell the Xbox every year after 2006. Bu 2010 the PS3 will according to predictions have sold 23.3 million copies in the US.
1. The PS3 can be used to see movies, play music, and surf the web.
2. The GPU is powerful and fast. The downside is that it is bound to be hard to program.
3. The memory is 256 MB XRD for the cell and 256 MB DDR3 for the GPU.
4. The PS3 has a dual Ethernet, built in wi-fi, Bluetooth, flash memory slots, and blue ray.
5. The PS3 has hardware that is more powerful than that of the Xbox 360 and will be able to produce real to life visuals.
6. The games in PS3 will be stored on Bluray discs which store 54 gigs while game space in the Xbox360 is just 9 gigs.
7. The PS3 will have international appeal and be popular with both foreign game developers and consumers. According to market whispers games on the PS3 are all set to be exciting and different.
8. The PS3 has immense expandability and connectivity options. The compact flash, SD card, memory stick, Bluetooth, USB you name it and the PS3 will say yes please. Designed to accommodate just about everything in the universe.
9. Visionary the PS3 aims for dual screen and 1080p support. The display technology is an eon ahead of any gizmo man has even dreamed of. Imagery will be synonymous with PS3. Imagine playing games like formula 1 racing and Killzone in panoramic splendor.
10. The HD IP camera peripheral or the EyeToy 2 will transmit crystal clear images over the internet as well as feeds over the Intraweb.
What is more the PS3 is designed to be backwards compatible and so you will be able to play games old and new. The PS3 will allow playing of games on the PS1 and PS2 libraries so, even with the latest console you can boot up old favorites like Tobal or Shattered Soldier are relive old times. According to CBSNews.com Tech Analyst, Larry Magid, “The graphics processor in the new Sony PlayStation is pretty impressive. It rendered images during the game that looked almost as if they came from a movie studio."
PS3 is all set to make dreams reality. Imagine Metal Gear, Warhawk, Tekken, i-8, Gran Turismo, Killzone, and Dante among zillion other mind blowing games all coming alive! Whatever the whispers are about the reality will surface when the PS3 is launched and consumers get first hand experience.
Sony PlayStation 3 vs. Microsoft Xbox 360
Regardless of the interest you have at heart or the business you are in there is always a rivalry between the best in anything. Pepsi vs. Coke. Wal-Mart vs. Target. Coors vs. Budweiser. You get the point, when it comes to being the best it doesn’t matter who you are, there is always a rival and there is always somebody ready to take up the argument of the “other guys”.
- Xbox was released over a year ago with no competitor as Sony had yet to release its new PlayStation 3, delaying it over a year to make it competitive. PlayStation 3 seems to have done so with a Cell Broadband Engine to power its newest entry into the video gaming arms race. Whether you know which is better without playing both is solely based on if you are a computer genius or not. If not, which most of us are not, understand that both are based on having multiple processors running at the same time.
- Just as you would expect, both manufacturers offer different packages for buyers in retail outlets across the country. Generally, each is offered in a “core” package and a “premium” package with names varying at different retail outlets. Basically, what you have to choose from is a basic system with no hard drive, but everything else. A system that provides you with 20GB of hard drive and a different system that offers 60GB of hard drive. Xbox 360 is generally around $100 cheaper in all categories at the moment, but it has also been around for a year longer.
- Where PlayStation 3 is separating itself from Xbox 360 at the time being is in the game discs or capability with Blu-Ray technology. Blu-Ray technology allows for more space on each disc which means that developers and designers can go deeper and more sophisticated with game play in each game. This is exclusive to PlayStation 3 at the moment, but you can bet that all systems will have it in the coming years.
- Both video gaming giants offer an online gaming service to allow gamers to be able to compete with each other across the world. Xbox Live is currently the more well known of the two services, but it does cost money in the form of a monthly subscription to be able to use it. PlayStation 3 is preparing to have a massive online community along with the launch of the system itself, with the difference between them and Xbox being that PS3’s online service will be offered without charge.
Xbox vs. PS2 Game Consoles
There has been a great deal of discussion regarding the two most popular gaming consoles currently on the market: Playstation 2 (PS2) and Xbox. PS2 is a Sony product, while Xbox is owned by the software giant Microsoft. Many different people have worked with these gaming systems inside and out, attempting to determine which system provides the best performance for your hard-earned gaming dollar. Here we take a look at each gaming system and compare the specs and performance of each. We will attempt to answer that age-old question: which is the better gaming system, Xbox or PS2?
You can take a look at a table comparing hardware specs here.
There are many specs in addition to the ones listed above, but these should give you some idea of just how close these two game consoles really are. If you are looking for pure processing power and graphics capabilities, the Xbox appears to have a slight advantage. In addition, its computer-like features, such as a built-in hard drive are nice to have. With the PS2 you must purchase a memory card if you run out of storage room. When comparing raw power and extra features, the Xbox wins - but you have to keep in mind that the PS2 was released first, and there are additional things to consider besides system specs.
What about Multi-player Capabilities?
Both the Xbox and PS2 have multi-player capability. You can hook up a series of both consoles so that you and your friends can play games together at the same time. The Xbox may be connected using a home LAN system, much like your home computers (here's another example of how the Xbox is more like a specialized gaming computer). The PS2 may be connected using a link cable, not a LAN. This system may be cost prohibitive for some gamers, since you have to own multiple consoles, seperate TVs for each, and several copies of the same game (yep, that's expensive).
Of course, you can always ditch the local network and play through the internet. Bboth PS2 and Xbox allow you to play online against a random assortment of opponents. Xbox uses Xbox live, a fairly well supported online gaming network. PS2's network is not as popular as Xbox Llive, but it works fairly well all the same. If you are really into multi-player, it seems that Xbox is probably the best console for you.
Xbox Games vs. PS2 Games
When deciding which of these two game consoles is best for you, you should certainly take into consideration what types of games each offers, and which games you are most interested in playing. PS2, having been around a little while longer, tends to have the larger game library, but Xbox is not terribly far behind. In addition, Xbox tends to produce games geared more towards adults than children. The graphics seen on the new Xbox games are also clearly a step ahead of PS2 graphics. There is, however, nearly a PS2 game for everyone, and there are lot of PS2 games geared towards teenagers. If you are looking for games for kids, the Nintendo Gamecube may actually be a better choice than either of these two - and it's cheaper.
Other Considerations
Some other things you may want to consider when comparing PS2 and Xbox is the controller provided by each. These may not seem like a big factor at first glance, but people usually prefer one type of controller over the other. The Xbox controllers tend to be slightly larger than PS2, mainly because Xbox is designed with older gamers in mind. You can always buy a converter in order to get one game console controller to work with another.
As far as price goes, PS2 has typically been cheaper than Xbox. As of the time of this writing (Dec. 2004), PS2 retails for about $150 and Xbox $100. Game prices are very similar for both game systems, with most new games costing about $30 - $50.
The bottom line is, PS2 is a little older than the Xbox, and is geared for a younger gaming crowd. If you are buying this console for a teenager, the PS2 may actually be your best bet - they have more games, the console is cheaper, and the games are more appropriate for that age group. The Xbox is a little more expensive, has fewer games, but it out-performs PS2 and has more adult-oriented games.
Video Game Console History
During the early years of video games, it was incredibly popular for young children to go down to the Arcades and play video games.
In the modern ages, children now save themselves the journey of a five to ten minute walk and now easily plug in and play their desired games in their very own home.
Playing video games at home began in 1977 when the company, Atari, released their video game system, ‘VCS’ (later known as Atari 2600) for a princely sum of $249. In the same year, Nintendo released their console, TV Game 6, to rival the Atari 2600.
Arcades were very popular in those days, as it still is in the modern world, as Midway released the first video game that could keep high scores.
It’s name? The world-renowned ‘Space Invaders’.
In 1980, many classic arcade games were made. Video games such as Atari’s ‘Asteroids’ and Namco’s ‘Pacman’ which can now be easily played in handheld consoles such as the Nintendo DS.
By 1994, many sagas of Video Game history came and went. There was a Video Game Console market crash which made many companies pull out of the business leaving Nintendo, Sega and Atari – the leading competitors of the market.
In 1995, Atari pulled out of the market and a new competitor emerged – Sony – which would famously go on to lead the console market. In that year, Sony released the ‘Playstation’ – a 32-bit CD-based video game console, Sega released the ‘Saturn’ and Nintendo released the ‘Nintendo 64’ which was the last video game console that used cartridge media.
By the year 2000, Sony had a firm grip on the Video Game Console market as it released the Playstation 2 with many loyal game developers such as Namco (Ridge Racer, Tekken) and selling over 100 million units. The Playstation 2 was the first console which was able to play games of its predecessor.
In the following years, Microsoft entered the market with the ‘Xbox’, Nintendo released the ‘Gamecube’. Nintendo led the handheld console with the release of Gameboy Advance which could play Gameboy and Gameboy Color cartridges.
Sega eventually left the Console industry, happily residing to be a software-only designer.
Now in 2006, there seems to be a gradual switch of the market leader with Microsoft releasing their Next-Gen console faster than Sony and Nintendo.
The ‘XBox 360’ features razor-sharp graphics and enables users to play online with each other. It was released at Christmas 2005 but many consoles were sent back to the manufacturers because of faulty parts.
The Sony Playstation 3 is set for launch on the November 2006 after the delay of its original release date Spring 2006 because of copyright complications. It is rumoured that there will be over 30 launch titles. It is also rumoured that Sony has invested over $800 million in development, research and production.
Nintendo will release its console ‘Revolution’, now renamed as ‘Wii’ (pronounced We) shortly after the PS3 with its release date being scheduled for Christmas 2006.
The end of 2006 will certainly entail some turning points in Video Game History.
Playstation 2 Games
So you like playing playstation 2 games do you? You’re a gaming vidiot who absolutely addicted to video games. Well this little write up will give you some history about video games. They truly have progress in the last 20 years. The graphics and game designs are unbelievable nowadays. There certainly is no comparison to the type of video games we had growing up. You basically can now enjoy a home arcade. Combine a big screen tv and a sweet surround sound you may never leave the house.
Do you remember the video games we played as kids? I mean the ones in the 80s. We had the ever-popular Pac-Man, Asteroids, and Centipeed. Those outstanding innovations were the bomb! I can recall playing Pitfall on my Atari and thinking, it doesn't get any better than this. Okay, so I was wrong. Apparently it gets a lot better than that. In fact, it continues to get better as time moves on.
Are you a big PS2 fan? I was astounded when this console came out. The big pitch didn't only concern the playstation 2 games, but also the DVD option. That's right; you could actually use your PS2 as a DVD player as well. Folks loved this convenient option. Suddenly they didn't need to purchase a DVD player. It was an all-in-one deal. What a bargain! I recall the first time I headed over to my brother's humble abode to check out his PS2 and his new playstation 2 games.
No doubt about it electronics are always continuously improving. It's a never-ending cycle of fun and amusement. For example, check out some of the more recent playstation 2 games. Wow, what a difference from the old-school Atari. I mean, the game depths alone are amazing. People around the world enjoy these new-age playstation 2 games on a daily basis. Do you have the latest ones?
Wow can you believe how much video games have evolved. I truly can’t believe the overall progression of video games. We covered games such as Pac-man and Pitfall. Back in the day if you didn’t have Atari you lived under a rock. Remember how you use to change the speed level of the game on Atari. You would switch it from slow to fast. All it did was speed up the processing of the game. I found lots of great recreational information at this site. http://www.cmminformation.com. How about playing pong? I actually bought Atari about 5 years ago at a flea market. It cost me like $20 bucks and it came with like 50 games. It was fun playing Asteroids on a big screen Tv.
Considering I lost touch with the video game craze since my first Nintendo, I was utterly flabbergasted at the realistic graphics and sound effects. These new playstation 2 games are just so real. The people are so much different than the classic Atari figures. No more stick men. There was anything from martial arts games to sports games to spy adventures. Who wouldn't love playstation 2 games?
These days children across America take great pleasure in playstation 2 games. They contend with their peers, and battle the bad guys for as long as their parents will let them. One of the great benefits of the PS2 is the versatility. Regardless if you had a PS1, you can play all those old games on your PS2 as well. How cool is that? If you're on the lookout for new playstation 2 games, you can browse your local Best Buy and Target stores, or simply delve into cyberspace for some incomparable deals. Buy used playstation 2 games for half the price. With the world at your fingertips, you will surely find that playstation 2 game you're searching for.
Video game nation is what we should call our country. Playstation 2 games absolutely are in a league of their own. There is absolutely no comparison between Playstation 2 games to the Atari games we played as children. You practically have to peel your kids off the video games just to get their attention. The realistic graphics that playstation 2 games provide is simply amazing. Nothing compares to this level of graphic detail. Will the video game market or playstation 2 market ever plateau you ask? Only time will tell.