Support NeoGAF

[APF]

So you're saying we should have more love story videogames?

Sign me up!!!!

Yes that's f'n sarcasm.

I think there should be more "love story videogames" as you say. You won't play them? Good for you. I won't see "Bridget Jones' Diary" either. Yet potentially half of the adult movie-viewing public may.

 

[Shinobi]

I saw Allard and Moore talking about making such games in Time Magazine in order to help grow the industry further, but certain people insist 360 will be nothing but the same ole' thing.

 

[sasimirobot]

Most of us on this board will own 6 or more DVD players (as gaming consoles) by next year. Is this a feature we really need?

They should at least have an option to leave some things out like HD drives/DVD player/Wi-Fi/etc...
Not everyone wants to pay the extra 10$-15$-50$-100$ (nickle and dimes add up) for stuff they never use or want.

 

[FortNinety]

I have to say, this is one of the best mainstream pieces on the industry that I have read in forever.

 

[Spike]

I agree with the article. No shit that games will look better on an HDTV, but I'll be damned if I'll be buying one any time soon. I'm not willing to spend upwards of $1000 just to enjoy gaming.

 

[COCKLES]

I agree with this 100%.

I want to know what all this HD shit means to me, a "normal" TV owner.

How the fuck does MS plan to reach hundreds of millions of people when they are basically making you feel like to enjoy X360 you are required to blow $1000+ on a new TV?

Well everyone said same thing about broadband when MS announced it for the Xbox.

Look at BB uptake since.

Funny enough, I expected UK to be the last place HD TVs would take off - but what should pop out of my newspaper today, but an advert from one of the big supermarkets who had a HD ready 38" widecreen for £799 quid. Which is a shit load cheaper then they were this time last year. So who knows. Proof will be in the pudding. If the HD image difference is *that* different (I've yet to see an Xbox game running in 720dpi) then that factor alone will being to sell sets.

 

[CygnusXI]

I just read the quotes from the initial post and all I can say is that CBS (or whomever was quoted) is a luddite with no grasp on how technology progresses.

If it were up to him, we'd all be playing pong... Cause god forbid we put any new shit on the next gen crap.

 

[Roland Hood]

"E3 left us dazed and confused...because none of us here at CBS are under 69 years of age."

:lol

I love E3 girls; I get older, they stay the same age.

:lol

It's a good article, I think.

Isn't the videogame game buying demographic still predominately males 18-25? I'm sure it's shifted a bit, but I don't think you stop catering to your core audience - and for games that means sports, cars, sex and violence - preferrably in the same game

Everybody else is 'niche'

 

[Azih]

I liked the article. Played the alliance between Samsung and MS up too much but damned if I wasn't extremely irritated by the endless ranting about "HD-ERA" from MS as well. Plus Sony's "HAHA we do 1080p suckit xbox" didn't help either.

And really movies walk all over games in terms of the scope and diversity of stories told and themes tackled.

 

[ImNotLikeThem]

Well everyone said same thing about broadband when MS announced it for the Xbox.

Look at BB uptake since.

whoa whoa whoa, hold on there. You can't honestly compare Broadband market peneteration to HD tv penetration, it just doesn't work that way. The fact is there is still a significant portion of the country, and even more in the world, without ACCESS to broadband still, let alone having it. You think HD television is going to grow anywhere near as fast as broadband? It's not as easy as adding a new charge to your cable/phone bill like with broadband. The average American household simply isn't ready for HD, be it lack of access, or the simple fact that they are the cost of the cheap used car in some cases. While in theory it sounds good, it's nowhere near that simple in practice. A lot of things have to change before HD is anywhere near mainstream.

 

[radioheadrule83]

It's a good article. It's not saying we should all have been happy with Pong, it's saying that all of this PR bullshit about new and mature experiences is, well, bullshit. I think games are (and rightly so) moving with technology, but they're not becoming more sophisticated themselves -- the methods to convince people to buy are becoming more sophisticated. The deal-making scrambles VS putting effort into new games and/or new audiences is an angle I haven't really read that much before, but it's a good one. Video gaming won't reach its true potential providing for us alone. This paragraph is great:

The video game industry believes that it is being taken more seriously, but it is not. The money that gaming makes is garnering recognition, but the crucial lesson developers and publishers need to learn is that money does not equal maturity.

All we’ve gotten from the moneymaking is MTV specials and businessmen thinking that they understand what video games are about.

If the game industry wants to sit at the adult table, it needs to act like a grown-up and not a speed-freak teenager. Obsessions with sex and violence do not exemplify time-told experience. At the same time, pandering to such obsessions shows nothing but a childish plea for attention.

 

[Particle Physicist]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/05/24/tech/gamecore/main697595.shtml

Some pretty interesting commentary I thought. Slaps the industry as a whole around a little.

:lol.. i know this guy.

 

[acoustix]

I think its a good article. Definately way above average for a mainstream company like CBS. IMO they are basically exagerrating legitament concerns.

Im currently in the "broke-ass gamer" catagorie, so there is no way in hell Ill be owning an HD-tv anytime soon. Like someone else said Im just going to keep using my 5 year old 32" stereo tv until it starts smoking. Maybe I dont really fit in here, but for me buying component cables was a special occasion.

So thats my situation and I dont really care that MS and Sony are pushing HD. So what? Most people dont have HD tv's either, problem is Sony and MS are currently engaged in a tech-spec wankfest of global proportions and HD rhetoric fits right in. Fact is, if Sony and MS werent talking about HD support, then people would bitch about them not having any forsight.

 

[vitaflo]

Ok wait.. wait.... so you need a internationally recognized awards show or an indy show to be considered legit? I have no response to that.

...if you don't think there are experimental games, or good niche games that aren't T&A then you are not looking past the best seller list enough.

You're not getting what I'm trying to say Darien. I don't need an awards show, no. I know there are experimental games, etc. But what I mean is Hollwood can make movies like Hotel Rwanda or Lost in Translation, those types of deeper films. The emotion and thought provoking nature of such films (and there are countless films like this) are what is missing from gaming, IMHO. I'm not saying these movies would make good games, they wouldn't, but what you *get* out of them I think is what is missing from gaming. Games seem to pander to the basic insticts. There is a much larger gamut of emotions and thought out there that gaming hasn't really touched. When was the last time a game made you cry, or even made you feel sadness for example? I think that's the difference between Hollywood and gaming of today.

 

[Shinobi]

So thats my situation and I dont really care that MS and Sony are pushing HD. So what? Most people dont have HD tv's either, problem is Sony and MS are currently engaged in a tech-spec wankfest of global proportions and HD rhetoric fits right in. Fact is, if Sony and MS werent talking about HD support, then people would bitch about them not having any forsight.

:lol So true...

 

[DarienA]

You're not getting what I'm trying to say Darien. I don't need an awards show, no. I know there are experimental games, etc. But what I mean is Hollwood can make movies like Hotel Rwanda or Lost in Translation, those types of deeper films. The emotion and thought provoking nature of such films (and there are countless films like this) are what is missing from gaming, IMHO. I'm not saying these movies would make good games, they wouldn't, but what you *get* out of them I think is what is missing from gaming. Games seem to pander to the basic insticts. There is a much larger gamut of emotions and thought out there that gaming hasn't really touched. When was the last time a game made you cry, or even made you feel sadness for example? I think that's the difference between Hollywood and gaming of today.

I'd put forth that games such as the MGS' and the Silent Hill's of the world do a good job at drawing emotions.

 

[Teddman]

These CBS guys had never been to an E3 before? Couldn't they find some veterans to write their coverage... It would have been a much better perspective.

As it is, they're trying to sound worldly wise about the show while simultaneously admitting that it overwhelmed them and they weren't prepared for it. Not very convincing for people who are familiar with the convention.

 

[Razoric]

The problem with gaming awards shows is they are stuck in the MTV / G4 mentality (be hip, playa, coo) and not in the Acadamy Award (at least a little bit of class) mentality. It's all "for the kids", it's all "lets be as cool as possible"... hell even half of you guys drool over the E3 chicks every year. Gaming is still at the bottom of the 18 year old virgin barrel. Sometimes I question if it will ever leave it. One can only hope though.

 

[Azih]

Dude did you just compare MGS to Hotel Rwanada?

 

[DarienA]

Dude did you just compare MGS to Hotel Rwanada?

...no I compared it to Lost in Translation.

 

[Roland Hood]

Dude did you just compare MGS to Hotel Rwanada?

Don Cheadle would make a great Snake

 

[Lindsay]

Yeeeeeow you guys.....happy with big ol' 20+ inch TV's w/stereo sound instead of HD-TV's.....well man. That's nothing! My TV is 13" with MONO sound. :lol

 

[WasabiKing]

haha, damn, 13" TVs

Anyway, I wouldn't pin all of gaming for an HDTV, I do have a decent collection for DVDs, but I don't think I'm home enough to drop that kind of cash for a HDTV. The boozer in me would not comply. To REQUIRE an HDTV is foolhardy, but to use one to enhance your experience is A-OK.

 

[The Faceless Master]

"E3 left us dazed and confused...because none of us here at CBS are under 69 years of age."

:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

did you not see the pictures of the guys that wrote the article on the left?

 

[HokieJoe]

Well everyone said same thing about broadband when MS announced it for the Xbox.

Look at BB uptake since.

Funny enough, I expected UK to be the last place HD TVs would take off - but what should pop out of my newspaper today, but an advert from one of the big supermarkets who had a HD ready 38" widecreen for £799 quid. Which is a shit load cheaper then they were this time last year. So who knows. Proof will be in the pudding. If the HD image difference is *that* different (I've yet to see an Xbox game running in 720dpi) then that factor alone will being to sell sets.

Sony has already said that they're going start marketing heavily to Europe. You can be sure that others will follow.

Here's the article:

Sony's comeback strategy bets heavily on displays

Junko Yoshida
(04/13/2005 11:22 AM EDT)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle....cleID=160702204

BORDEAUX, France — Sony Europe is betting the farm on advanced flat-panel displays and other high-end consumer products as its seeks to shed criticism that it has "missed the boat" in consumer electronics.

According to Sony executives gathered here for a high-profile media event, the company is also betting on HD products and new hard disk drive-based networked portable MP3 players.

Stressing that Sony is armed with plenty of high-definition content, advanced display technologies and clever connectivity products, Chris Deering, president of Sony Europe, added, "Sony won't be simply a technology company. We will become a digital entertainment brand of the 21st century that delivers new emotional experiences to consumers."

The jury is still out, however, on exactly how the Japanese consumer electronics giant will succeed as competition stiffens from a growing number of digital consumer electronics manufacturers.

Despite the scant availability of terrestrial HDTV broadcast in Europe, Sony said it would no longer sit on the sidelines of the HDTV market. Fujio Nishida, Sony Corp.'s executive vice president, said pay TV operators in Europe such as Sky in the U.K., Premiere in Germany and TPS and Canal+ in France are rolling out HDTV broadcasts.

"The HD world is also coming to Europe," said Nishida, noting that Sony is committed to the fledgling HD market here. "We pioneered HD cameras for TV production. We have a number of HD-ready flat panel products. Consumers can edit HD content on Sony's Vaio computers and Blu-ray drives. We've even rolled out the world's first consumer HDTV camcorders," said Nishida.

One Sony survival strategy for competing in the commoditized consumer electronics market is an aggressive foray into "upstream" markets such as HDTV. "We will promote the emotional values of Sony products, backed by technology, experience and style," said Nishida.

Backed by an unprecedented European marketing budget of 1 billion euros over the next three years, Sony also hopes to establish its presence in Russia and Ukraine and all of eastern European while strengthening its position in the Western Europe, Deering said.

Seeking to rebuild its tarnished reputation as a leading flat-panel TV supplier, Sony will also roll out 25 new LCD-based HD models this year in Europe. Seventy percent of the models will feature both an HDMI-based, copy-protected digital interface and an analog component input.

Sony also unveiled here a new HD, 46-inch LCD television integrated with Sony's proprietary three (red, green, blue) LED backlight system called Triluminos. The LCD TV offers a roughly 150-percent wider color gamut compared with a conventional LCD backlight display, the company claimed.

Triluminos technology can expand and maximize color purity, according to the company. The new LCD TV also features Sony's proprietary WEGA engine HD, designed to create a sharp video signal with less "noise" or signal imperfections. The WEGA engine also enables the LCD TV to display a full HD signal (1,920 by 1,080 pixels).

Sony is also pushing a micro display system using another proprietary technology called SXRD, for Silicon Crystal (X-tal) Reflective Display. The reflective display device has more than 2 million pixels contained in three 0.78-inch SXRD panels, providing over 6 million total pixels.

Since interline spaces between pixels are so narrow, the display creates "a truly 35 mm film-like image with no visible scanning lines," claimed Nathalie Muijtjens, senior product marketing manager of front projector group at Sony TV Marketing Europe.

Sony, which came late to the flat panel display market, continues to rely heavily on its proprietary technologies to differentiate its products. Sony announced earlier this year it will invest $97 million in its Kokubu plant alone to begin producing LCD drivers and SXRD panels for projection engines in spring 2006.

 

[djtiesto]

Next-gen is totally wanting me to upgrade from a 27" JVC CRT to a flat panel HD display and a whole 6.1 setup... but who the hell am I kidding? Even if I had all that, I'd just use it to play SNES and Saturn games like always =P

 

[Yusaku]

I think Sony and Microsoft need to do a better job (over the next few months) explaining how their consoles will still look "next gen" on regular TV's because of the extra horse power and new features. They also have to show them as being "future proof" so that once people do upgrade their TV's, the consoles will fully take advantage of them and look even better.

I think focusing too much on all this HD talk will confuse and alienate alot of the mainstream gamers. It should be made clear that the 360/PS3 will work great on regular TV's as well!!

A great looking game isn't going to magically look like crap on a SD set. HD owners will just see more detail.

The fact is HD is important because it's just kind of a waste to have all that power and only use it on a SD set. It's like playing Half-Life with dual 6800s and running at 640x480. The game will still look great, but you're going to get a more crisp and detailed image at a higher resolution.

HD lets these new consoles show off their power, and that's what E3 is all about, hence all the HD talk. HD might be some minor fringe thing now, but it wont be towards the end of these console's lifecycles, and we'll all be thanking that Sony and MS couldn't shut up about HDTVs in 2005.

 

[tsp_gatmog]

Whats this about the DS? It's a FEATURE. just a "yeah, if you're filthy rich, and have nothing to do, play with 2 displays"
The DS is in the fucking title. Nintendo DS.
It's not a PSDSHDTV3.

 

[Insertia]

I agree with this article. Once I heard of PS3's HD features and Blu Ray I was already planning ahead to buy $1000+ HDTV around its launch.

Then again, I don't really give a shit. I want the best visual experience possible and if it means I have to go out and shell tons of money on a TV, so be it. I'm doing it for my enjoyment. I'll pick up surround sound speakers too.

 

[DrLazy]

The "HD era" is bullshit. Next sales pitch please.

 

[JackFrost2012]

Proof will be in the pudding.

OH NO YOU DIDN'T!!

 

[Wafflecopter]

Couldn't have said it better really.

Are you a Ninty fan?

 

[human5892]

:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

did you not see the pictures of the guys that wrote the article on the left?

I did. They're obviously doctored.