Questions from a potential PS3 owner

Hi,

I´m pretty sure you guys are pretty tired of the little, sometimes obvious questions by n00bs about the PS3 and all that, but I wanted to get some info from actual owners:

- I´m worried that, even though of the humongous graphical capabilities of the PS3, I won´t be able to enjoy them as I don´t have a HDTV (although I do have a flat-screen with component ports). Is that really the case?

- Obviously, I want to save as much money as possible in my purchase of the console, so I pretty much decided to get it from eBay rather than physical sellers (I will save some money, and I'll evade sales taxes). When do you think is the best time to get it? Right now, or when the bonanza starts (Fall and Winter)?

- The loss of all those exclusivity deals doesn´t really affect me because I´m trying to be as much Microsoft-free as possible, so there´s no way I´m getting a 360, no matter the circumstances, but, beyond those popular games, what are the chances that the PS3 will get many fresh, actually original games like LittleBigPlanet?

- I´m a Wii owner, and I´ve noticed that Nintendo draws a whole bunch of money from you in accesories that are somewhat necessary. Is this the case with the PS3 too?

- Finally, what´s the status on the online functionality on the PS3? I´ve heard that it´s the weakest of all the next-gen consoles right now, but that Sony is planning to put up Second Life-like interactivity between users, and that they are refining all of the internal things like the browser, PS Store and PC-PS3 interaction. Is all of this true?

Sorry if the questions are a bit complicated, but I really want to get all of my doubts out of the way before I make a huge investment like this one.

Thanks!

Hi,

I´m pretty sure you guys are pretty tired of the little, sometimes obvious questions by n00bs about the PS3 and all that, but I wanted to get some info from actual owners:

- I´m worried that, even though of the humongous graphical capabilities of the PS3, I won´t be able to enjoy them as I don´t have a HDTV (although I do have a flat-screen with component ports). Is that really the case? I own a PS3 without an HDTV, and I'm still blown away from the graphics. Though I know I'm missing out, you'll still be amazed by Motorstorm and Resistance.

- Obviously, I want to save as much money as possible in my purchase of the console, so I pretty much decided to get it from eBay rather than physical sellers (I will save some money, and I'll evade sales taxes). When do you think is the best time to get it? Right now, or when the bonanza starts (Fall and Winter)? Since I don't believe that there will be a price drop anytime soon, I don't see the point in waiting. If you are interested in the PS3, then buy it.

- The loss of all those exclusivity deals doesn´t really affect me because I´m trying to be as much Microsoft-free as possible, so there´s no way I´m getting a 360, no matter the circumstances, but, beyond those popular games, what are the chances that the PS3 will get many fresh, actually original games like LittleBigPlanet? Just look at the PS and the PS2: those consoles had soooooooo many games that came out for them that I don't think the PS3 has anything to worry about...many people talk about the heavy hitter games, but there will be so many underrated game released in the future that you won't know what hit you

- I´m a Wii owner, and I´ve noticed that Nintendo draws a whole bunch of money from you in accesories that are somewhat necessary. Is this the case with the PS3 too? If you buy a 60gb, the only accessories you need is an extra controller if you plan on playing with others and maybe a wireless bluetooth headset if you plan on talking online...other than that, you have everything you need

- Finally, what´s the status on the online functionality on the PS3? I´ve heard that it´s the weakest of all the next-gen consoles right now, but that Sony is planning to put up Second Life-like interactivity between users, and that they are refining all of the internal things like the browser, PS Store and PC-PS3 interaction. Is all of this true? I have both the 360 and the PS3, and I will admit that Xbox Live is better right now. However, the PS Network is not far away. The problem is that it's so new that there isn't much to do with it yet...however, Sony is on the right path and I have no doubt that eventually it will be a great service. Resistance with 40 players and no lag is pretty impressive already.

Sorry if the questions are a bit complicated, but I really want to get all of my doubts out of the way before I make a huge investment like this one.

Thanks!

SdeS

Depends what your looking for.  I really dont have that much time to play, but games like Fighnight, Motorstorm, Resistance, call of duty? Q-bert, Grand Turismo, and some others can keep you really busy until things get flowing. 

Of course you will need online to get what alot of what these offer and some ps store stuff like movie and game trailers and demos.

Its an awsome system for gaming even if its a flat screen with component cables, does depend what resolution the TV can do, 1080i or p.

But so far I like it alot and am still waiting for things to get rolling but cool stuff on x-box like talking to someone while playing a game while your friend plays a different one sounds cool as well as achievements.

SO far the ps3 is doing a great job and getting stronger and stronger

Since I don't believe that there will be a price drop anytime soon, I don't see the point in waiting. If you are interested in the PS3, then buy it.NextGen86

Well, that's not exactly what I was talking about. Sony is not cutting the console's retail price until at least 2009, but in eBay you can get one within a price range between $460-540, excluding shipping, which is well below the $650 I would be paying if I bought it at a GameStop or something like that (I live in TX and we have a 8.25% sales tax). I worry about the timing as, I believe, demand for the PS3 will grow when the hot games come out, so you'll see higher bidding on eBay, therefore raising the average price of a PS3 there (I predict that you'll be seeing consoles selling for $700 or so). I personally think that getting it now would be the better move, but I couldn't be sure of that, because supply could increase and match (or hopefully, outstrip) demand by then and prices wouldn't shoot up as much as I think they will.

Anyway, thanks for the help!

[QUOTE="NextGen86"]Since I don't believe that there will be a price drop anytime soon, I don't see the point in waiting. If you are interested in the PS3, then buy it.SdeS

Well, that's not exactly what I was talking about. Sony is not cutting the console's retail price until at least 2009, but in eBay you can get one within a price range between $460-540, excluding shipping, which is well below the $650 I would be paying if I bought it at a GameStop or something like that (I live in TX and we have a 8.25% sales tax). I worry about the timing as, I believe, demand for the PS3 will grow when the hot games come out, so you'll see higher bidding on eBay, therefore raising the average price of a PS3 there (I predict that you'll be seeing consoles selling for $700 or so). I personally think that getting it now would be the better move, but I couldn't be sure of that, because supply could increase and match (or hopefully, outstrip) demand by then and prices wouldn't shoot up as much as I think they will.

Anyway, thanks for the help!

Ok, now I see what you're saying, and I agree with you. I think the prices will go up as well, though not too much, but a little. However, I am always skeptical of ordering big purchases off of Ebay, so make sure you get insurance. 

Hi,

I´m pretty sure you guys are pretty tired of the little, sometimes obvious questions by n00bs about the PS3 and all that, but I wanted to get some info from actual owners:

- I´m worried that, even though of the humongous graphical capabilities of the PS3, I won´t be able to enjoy them as I don´t have a HDTV (although I do have a flat-screen with component ports). Is that really the case?

- Obviously, I want to save as much money as possible in my purchase of the console, so I pretty much decided to get it from eBay rather than physical sellers (I will save some money, and I'll evade sales taxes). When do you think is the best time to get it? Right now, or when the bonanza starts (Fall and Winter)?

- The loss of all those exclusivity deals doesn´t really affect me because I´m trying to be as much Microsoft-free as possible, so there´s no way I´m getting a 360, no matter the circumstances, but, beyond those popular games, what are the chances that the PS3 will get many fresh, actually original games like LittleBigPlanet?

- I´m a Wii owner, and I´ve noticed that Nintendo draws a whole bunch of money from you in accesories that are somewhat necessary. Is this the case with the PS3 too?

- Finally, what´s the status on the online functionality on the PS3? I´ve heard that it´s the weakest of all the next-gen consoles right now, but that Sony is planning to put up Second Life-like interactivity between users, and that they are refining all of the internal things like the browser, PS Store and PC-PS3 interaction. Is all of this true?

Sorry if the questions are a bit complicated, but I really want to get all of my doubts out of the way before I make a huge investment like this one.

Thanks!

SdeS

Even on a standard definition television you will see a big differnce between the PS3 and previous consoles. If your flat screen has component hookups pick up a set of cables to use them for best results. The ones made for the PS2 will work and save you a few bucks.

Going for ebay? make sure the seller is going to send you the receipt with it- you'll be needing it for warranty purposes if something goes wrong with it. Also make sure you get one for your particular region to get all the functionality (Blu ray playback, DVD playback, backward compatibility).

The accessory front hasn't been overly filled with definite necessities other than the PS2 memory card adapter if you want to transfer saves over. It's pretty much a one-use only item (can't transfer back) so borrow one if possible instead. Also consider the Blu-Ray remote if planning on using it as a BD player a lot as well as a bluetooth headset for online chat in games that support it.

The number of original games will be growing- we have flOw now and coming soon on the downloadable front are calling All Cars (David Jaffe of God of War headed this one) and Super Rub-a-Dub coming (remember the rubber duckie demos? based on that a bit). The makers of flOw have another game in the works, too.

It's true the online is not as good as the 360 yet but keep in mind they had longer to build things up. Sony is making improvements and over time should have things going smoothly. One thing i would like to see is centralized servers for worldwide online play- as it is now the online play is mostly regionalized going by the version of game you get (North American, UK, etc.). Still, it's free to play online compared to paying 50 bucks a year so the price is right. ;)

They are very easy to find in stores.  Even when demand increases once better games come out and during the 07 holiday season, there is still not going to be a mass shortage driving ebay prices up.  Your probably safe getting it whenever.Hoosr70

That's true. Sony would be very stupid to let what happened at Launch take place again, but I don't think that a mass shortage would be the reason for a hike in bidding. People can get very competitive on eBay, and sometimes, even if they are not going to get a better deal than if they got it somewhere else, they will keep on bidding and inflate the price of whatever they want. Of course, this would happen frequently and in various circumstances, so the sellers are going to see a trend and say "It seems that people are willing to pay more for the PS3 now than ever. Let's raise our starting bids!," therefore causing the average closing price to rise by a least $60. My only regret is that I didn't get this sudden urge to buy a PS3 back when the console was getting really bad publicity, but I guess that now, with the exclusivity quagmire going on, it's not a bad time either XD.