#2) A good example of how this works in action can be seen in GTA IV: the Xbox 360 version had a tighter frame-rate, and full 720p resolution, whilst the PS3 had less pop-in and slightly more refined graphical effects. And this was from a developer smart enough to code to each console's strength - others haven't been so successful, resulting in sluggish frame-rates, and jaggies galore. So far, so pedestrian - you might possibly know this info already, especially if you have even a rudimentary understanding of how consoles work. But what if there was a solution.
So now we get to the big question: would you buy a RAM expansion pack for the PlayStation 3? 256MB in this day and age would be relatively cheap (512MB will cost you less that $20) and could even be bundled with a high profile exclusive for almost no added cost. This would be a simple, yet affordable, solution to the PS3's extensive bottlenecking.
It was only a couple of generations ago that we were asked to do the same thing with the N64, with an expansion pack bundled with Donkey Kong 64, and certain aspects of Perfect Dark remaining unplayable without the pack. Had Sony bundled a RAM expansion pack with a high profile exclusive like MGS4, for example, very few gamers would have complained about shelling out an extra $10 bucks for an experience that could have obliterated anything seen on the Xbox 360.
In fact talking of the Xbox 360, Gears of War developer Epic Games was actually responsible for the console's additional RAM. After showing Microsoft what Gears looked like with 256 MB of RAM, they petitioned for extra by showing MS what a quantum leap the game would make if they doubled the RAM. Had Kojima pulled the same stunt with MGS4 the console war may have already been over? We sense a real missed opportunity here - will it be too late if Polyphony Digital or Square Enix would push the same demand for Gran Turismo 5 and Final Fantasy XIII respectively?
Ultimately, at this stage, a RAM expansion seems inevitable. With the PS3 already struggling to compete with the Xbox 360, Sony's promise of the PS3's 10 year lifespan already seems laughable - but with an extra injection of RAM, the gap between the PS3 and its competitors would be more than tangible, allowing the console to fulfil it's lofty potential, becoming the stellar, high end product we were initially promised all those years ago.
A good example of how this works in action can be seen in GTA IV: the Xbox 360 version had a tighter frame-rate, and full 720p resolution, whilst the PS3 had less pop-in and slightly more refined graphical effects. And this was from a developer smart enough to code to each console's strength - others haven't been so successful, resulting in sluggish frame-rates, and jaggies galore. So far, so pedestrian - you might possibly know this info already, especially if you have even a rudimentary understanding of how consoles work. But what if there was a solution.
So now we get to the big question: would you buy a RAM expansion pack for the PlayStation 3? 256MB in this day and age would be relatively cheap (512MB will cost you less that $20) and could even be bundled with a high profile exclusive for almost no added cost. This would be a simple, yet affordable, solution to the PS3's extensive bottlenecking.
It was only a couple of generations ago that we were asked to do the same thing with the N64, with an expansion pack bundled with Donkey Kong 64, and certain aspects of Perfect Dark remaining unplayable without the pack. Had Sony bundled a RAM expansion pack with a high profile exclusive like MGS4, for example, very few gamers would have complained about shelling out an extra $10 bucks for an experience that could have obliterated anything seen on the Xbox 360.
In fact talking of the Xbox 360, Gears of War developer Epic Games was actually responsible for the console's additional RAM. After showing Microsoft what Gears looked like with 256 MB of RAM, they petitioned for extra by showing MS what a quantum leap the game would make if they doubled the RAM. Had Kojima pulled the same stunt with MGS4 the console war may have already been over? We sense a real missed opportunity here - will it be too late if Polyphony Digital or Square Enix would push the same demand for Gran Turismo 5 and Final Fantasy XIII respectively?
Ultimately, at this stage, a RAM expansion seems inevitable. With the PS3 already struggling to compete with the Xbox 360, Sony's promise of the PS3's 10 year lifespan already seems laughable - but with an extra injection of RAM, the gap between the PS3 and its competitors would be more than tangible, allowing the console to fulfil it's lofty potential, becoming the stellar, high end product we were initially promised all those years ago.
http://www.gameplayer.com.au/gp_documents/PS3-Broken.aspx?Page=1
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