I've got a thirteen year old daughter who's a pretty avid gamer. There are some games we both play, and some that are more for one of us than the other. Anyway, we're talking the other day about the stupid behavior of some of the boys in her class. She's interested in boys, but they're still playing "mine's bigger than yours". I'm standing there trying to explain that they'll grow out of it, etc etc, when the Sony press conference started. We both sat down and watched it, and I started to realize, not only do boys not grow out of it, but evidently neither do major corporations.
The progress of technology like all science is based on expanding the ideas that have come before. However I find a funny trend in the way Sony has done that with thier game consoles. First, Nintendo designed their game pad after the Intellivision pad, but with the SNES they put triggers on top. Sony brings out the PSX with controllers that have...2 triggers on each side. Nintendo introduces an analog stick for acurate 3D control. Sony responds with... 2 analog sticks! Nintendo brings out the rumble pack, and the Playstation gets... 2 rumble mechanisms in each controller.
Fast-Forward past the unfulfilled hype of the PS2 (the emotion engine+network adaptor+HDD never equalled the promises I read and was told by SCEA reps in '99 of a X-box Live type game experience plus the promised downloadable movies and music at the touch of a button, all on the PS2!!). No, lets get to '05, when Microsoft is promising an HD game experience. Sony says not only will the HD world only start when they say it will, but it can only be done with 1080p (twice the instant scan lines shown on screen), and even better, only when your machine has 2 hdmi ports so you can use 2 HDTVs at the same time (I'm still struggling with my DS, and those are...never mind). The Playstation 3 will have... twice the power of the 360! The only thing they said the wouldn't have twice of was the sku's, because 2 versions of a console with different features would be confusing. Don't worry though, I'm sure the network they offer will be just like Microsofts, but twice as good, and just as free as the one I'm using on my PS2. Plus, with the new controller thats twice as good because it can do all that the 360's can do, plus what the Nintendo can do, twice the controller in one!
Sure, and with all that extra money you have left over after spending the price of 2 other consoles in order to get your PS3, I've got a beautiful bridge to sell you!