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If I were to buy a new computer today (May 2008)

Friday, May 23rd, 2008

Welcome to the fourth “If I were to buy a new computer today” feature. There was a bit of silliness over Intel CPU prices in between this and the last feature, in that CPU prices actually went up. Some of the parts are still overpriced compared to February, but most have come back down to normal levels now. I guess with AMD’s line up being a bit weak, and Intel’s pricing being very competitive, stock shortages and the like might have been responsible for the price fluctuations.

Back in September 2007, I first wrote about what I would be looking for in a computer if I were buying one today. To get a better idea of the kind of system I’m looking for, please refer to the original blog entry, but to sum up, it would be a system for playing the latest 3D games as well as a system ready for Blu-ray and HD DVD playback, but one that is reasonable in price and without the need for overclocking.

So let’s not waste any time. Here are the specs of the computer, including comparisons with the last specs from February (as compared to February: upgraded parts in blue, lower prices in green, higher prices in red):

Type:	February Part:	May Part:	February Price ($AUD):	May Price ($AUD):
CPU:	Intel Core2Duo 8400	Intel Core2Duo 8400	$264	$253
Motherboard:	Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R (Rev 2.0)	Gigabyte GA-EP35C-DS3R (Rev 2.1)	$156	$146
RAM:	Corsair 2 GB PC-8500 C5D	Corsair 2 GB DDR3 PC-10600	$213	$160
HDD:	2 x Seagate 500GB 7200RPM 32MB SATA2 (AS)	2 x Seagate 500GB 7200RPM 32MB SATA2 (NS)	$312	$256
Video Card:	NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512 MB (XFX)	NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 512 MB (Gigabyte)	$365	$325
Sound Card:	In-Built	In-Built	N/A	N/A
Optical Drive:	Pioneer BCD-S02	Pioneer BCD-S02	$215	$215
Monitor:	Samsung 22″ 226BW	Samsung 22″ 2243BW	$397	$309
Case:	Antenc Sonata III	Antenc Sonata III	$178	$176
Total Price ($AUD):			$2,100	$1,840

Look at all the blue (upgraded parts) and green (lower prices) above … a sight to behold! It seems the May system has had most of the internals upgraded to better parts, and with almost every item’s price dropping at the same time. It’s a savings of $AUD 260 ($USD 250), except we have a much better system than the February build. Let’s go over each specification.

CPU: Remain unchanged from the February specs, prices have dropped, but only by a very small amount.
Alternatives:You can get the Intel Q6600 quad-core processor for slightly less, or almost any of the AMD Phenom processors for lower price. I’m sticking with the E8400 due to the superior efficiency in the Intel chip.

Motherboard:Giga-byte have upgraded the P35C-DS3R from revision 2.0 to 2.1. The EP35C-DS3R is basically the same board as the revised P35C, with the enhancement being more environmentally friendly features. I’m sticking with the “C” motherboard due to support for DDR3 memory, which is much more important this month than previously (see below).
Alternatives:If you want DDR3 using the P35 chipset, then you don’t really have much choice in terms of Giga-byte motherboards. There are X38 and X48 chipset enabled motherboards, but these are for enthusiasts as opposed to the mainstream public, and are a lot pricier as a result.

RAM:DDR3 memory pricing have dropped considerably since February, so much so that I think it’s the right time to include them in the system specs. I’ve gone for Corsair C9G DDR3 memory rated at PC-10600 (1333 MHz) to match the FSB of the 8400/P35 chipset.
Alternatives:If you plan on overclocking your system, faster DDR3 memory can be had. At this stage, there isn’t much benefit to get DDR3 anyway until faster FSB speeds are available, so you might save a bit of money and get DDR2 instead (the motherboard we’ve chosen does support both types of memory). You can also opt for the C9DHX range of DDR3 memory from Corsair, with has enhanced cooling, but it’s mostly unnecessary if you don’t overclock your memory.

HDD:There’s been a slight upgrade from the AS type to the NS type HDD, but still a Seagate 500 GB SATA2 with 32 MB of cache. The price difference between AS and NS was minimal, so I went with the slightly more expensive model.
Alternatives:You can save around $50 by getting two 400 GB drives (with 16 MB cache). Or you can break the bank and get two 750 GB drives for double the price. My thinking is that if you need the additional space offered by the 750 GB drives, you’ll be better off buying external SATA or NAS drives, which is cheaper and much more useful.

Video Card:A slight upgrade from the 8800 GT to 8800 GTS 512 MB (don’t get the 320/640 MB version, as they use an older architecture). The GTS has better performance and comes close to the newly released 9800 GTX (basically any game that plays on the 9800 GTX will play on the 8800 GTS, but games that can’t play smoothly on one won’t be more playable on the other). And we’re also concerned about reports that the 9800 GTX has some noise related issues. Unfortunately, the 8800 GTS is being phased out apparently and it might be hard trying to secure one.
Alternatives:If you can’t find a 8800 GTS, then a 8800 GT for $75 less is great value. But perhaps the 9600 GT at $50 less than the 8800 GT is even better value, especially if playing the latest 3D games isn’t a priority or if you don’t care about gaming at all. If having the best performance is what you want, then the 9800 GX2 or ATi’s HD3870X2 might be what you are looking for, but it will cost you (not just in price, but noise and heat levels as well) – but compared to both of these dual GPU cards, the 9800 GTX is still better value with similar performances at most games apart from Crysis at the Very High setting, and at almost half the prices of the GX2.

Sound Card: Still going with a on-board solution. Until HDMI audio output gets sorted out, it’s probably not worth getting a new sound-card for your PC. HDMI audio output would allow the pass-thru or decoding or several of the new HD audio formats, which is not possible through SPDIF/optical due to insufficient bandwidth.

Optical Drive:Still staying with the Pioneer Blu-ray reader and DVD writer drive. People might be tempted to get a Blu-ray writer drive, but writing speeds are slow and media is expensive, so I say avoid for the moment. By the time media prices come down, writer drives prices will be much more affordable and writing speeds (as well as reliability) will be much improved. I would have gone with the LG dual format drive (see below), but I’m assuming most people don’t have HD DVD movies (and don’t plan on getting them), so while the LG is only a couple of bucks more expensive, it’s still unnecessary if you only need Blu-ray playback.
Alternatives:If you don’t need Blu-ray playback, then any old DVD writer drive would do. If you also need HD DVD playback, then LG GGC-H20L Blu-ray/HD DVD reader combo drive is the way to go, as it’s about the same price as the Pioneer. LG are discounting it as they will no longer be making HD DVD drives, so this might be a last chance to grab a dual format drive.

Monitor:I went with the Samsung 226BW last time, but this model has been superseded by the 2243BW at least here in Australia. I won’t complain because the new model is cheaper, and at 22″, it’s neither too big nor too small (and the resolution of 1680×1050, while not quite at 1080p for Blu-ray, is close enough for a monitor of this size (you really need 55″ or above to fully appreciate 1080p, anything less and the difference between it and 720p @ 1280×720 is minimal).
Alternatives:If you want to spend a bit more, then try and find a 24″ with 1080p support, perhaps with HDMI and DisplayPortinput as well. I can’t really justify the extra money over only 2 more diagonal inches, and as mentioned above, the extra resolution won’t make things that much more clearer. A better alternative may be something like the Samsung 225MS – it’s almost $200 more expensive, but for that, you can more consumer friendly features like HDMI, component input and a set of speakers. A good use of these connections may be for connections to a game console (Xbox 360 or PS3).

Case: Again, I’m sticking with the Antec Sonata III case, because it’s good value as it comes with a high quality 500W power supply (designed for quietness), and the overall build quality of the case (and Antec cases, in general) is quite good. Building a quiet system is essential if you plan on using the machine as your Blu-ray/HD DVD player. Of course, a quiet PC depends much on the type of cooling you have for your CPU and GPU.
Alternatives:There are lots of alternatives to cases, and it depends largely on taste. The one that I’ve seen lots of good reviews for is the Antec P182 case, but the style is not really to my taste and it costs more than the Sonata III despite not including a power supply unit.

So there you have it. $AUD 1,840 ($USD 1,760) for a system that plays all the latest games at 1280×1024 at full framerates and at 1600×1200 with acceptable framerates, and also plays Blu-ray movies without breaking a sweat. It also shouldn’t be too noisy either. But most importantly, this new “May build” represents a saving of more than $250 compared to our last system despite it being a much better system. With DDR3 prices dropping, lots of choices right now in terms of Nvidia or ATi graphics cards, now may be a good time to buy a system (and I’m really tempted, except I have no money).

See you in a few months time …

Posted in Computer Buying Tips, Computing, Gaming, High Definition (Blu-ray/HD DVD/4K) | 1 Comment »

Weekly News Roundup (18 May 2008)

Sunday, May 18th, 2008

If I was a bit negative towards GTA IV last week, then I apologise. After another week with the game, I must say I’m now hooked. It’s always this way with games, first impressions can be a bit weak because you’re still finding your feet within the gaming world, but after a while when everything becomes second nature, it all feels like a much better experience. The one problem I have with the game so far (only 30% complete) is that there’s not a lot of things you could buy, no assets, only 3 different types of clothing store so far … I’ve got nothing to spend the couple of grand I’ve already saved up, only on ammunition which doesn’t cost that much. I’m sure I’ll have a different experience next week. Okay, onto the news.

In copyright news, in a preview of what a DRM infested future might be like, NBC-Universal accidentally enabled what is known as a “Broadcast-Flag”, which prevents recording of the content through software that supports the flag. One such software was Microsoft Windows Vista Media Center, and when it detected the flag, it immediately shut off the recording function, forcing many people to miss out on NBC programs that they had planned to time-shift (time-shifting means recording and then viewing programs after their original airing date, which is perfectly legal and a protected right under US law). NBC says it was an accident, and perhaps that’s what it was. But the design and incorporation of Broadcast-Flags into software is no accident, and in this case, it worked exactly as it should have. A worrying sign for the future, I’m afraid.

Before moving off to HD entirely, in a possible bid to fight against piracy, studios are planning to offer HD Video-On-Demand shortly after their theatrical debut, long before the movie becomes available on DVD or Blu-ray. Will it work? If the price is right, anything could work. Unfortunately, I suspect the price won’t be right.

High Definition Onto HD news proper, Wal-Mart will soon offer a sub-$300 Blu-ray player, possibly from Japanese firm Funai. The player will be Profile 1.1 compatible, but as you would expect from a budget model, would be missing out on a few features. Considering that HD DVD broke the sub-$100 barrier back in November of last year, this isn’t really something to get excited about, and with fully featured Samsung Profile 2.0 players and even Sony players to be available at retail for $50 to $100 more, this “budget” player may not find a market. Once Blu-ray reaches the sub-$200 mark, adoption rates should increase dramatically. For those using the PS3 as their Blu-ray player (me included), I still believe it is currently the best Blu-ray player on the market. Performance (quality and speed), features (Profile 2.0, large storage, wireless connection) and format support (decoding of all major audio formats to PCM 5.1) is what sets it apart from other players. Pricing is a bit higher, but remember you also get a media center/hub, Internet browser and of course, games machine for the price. But the PS3 as a Blu-ray player does have some limitations, but if you click on the link and see the comments, you’ll find that these are minor irritations at best. The one thing that the article has not mentioned and which I think is the biggest drawback of the PS3 as a Blu-ray player is that it’s not a standalone Blu-ray player … everyone knows it’s a game machine, it looks like a game machine and it just doesn’t fit in with your other HT equipment (there’s no LED display on the machine, for one).

While somewhat related to Sony’s victory in the HD format war, their profits are up as well to almost record levels. This is despite them still losing money on every PS3 sold, with claims that it is as high as $260 per unit. With PS3 software sales fairly limp (and software sales are where money is made in terms of game consoles), it would explain why PS3 price drops are just not happening at the moment, at least not as frequent as Xbox 360’s. But as a Blu-ray player and as a player that helped Sony win the HD war, the loss is probably worth it, because defeat in the format war was unthinkable.

But winning the HD war may have only decided which format loses the war against DVDs and downloads. A survey by well respected Harris Poll indicated that only 9% of non Blu-ray owners wanted one in the next year, despite being told that Blu-ray is the definitive HD format. Polls, stats, lies, damned lies and all that of course, but the general apathy is understandable as many people don’t know or care about the difference between composite and HDMI (I even know people who connect their PS3 using composite to HDTVs with HDMI inputs). It’s hard for people like me and people reading this to believe, but when you add in the good quality picture you get from upscaling DVDs, Blu-ray’s higher prices doesn’t seem all that attractive. And speaking of polls, I recently ran a few and while they are hardly scientific, but they do paint an interesting picture just before and just after the collapse of HD DVD … a future blog entry will hopefully analyse the results in detail.

While Blu-ray uptake might be relatively sluggish, the uptake of H.264, one of the video formats used by Blu-ray (actually, it’s now the most favoured format used by Blu-ray) is doing well. A couple of months ago I reported DivX purchasing MainConcept, which developed their own H.264 codec. The takeover is beginning to bear fruit with a beta program now available to test DivX’s own H.264 decoder, which is said to be even faster than CoreAVC. A decoder is only a step away from a encoder, and it’s easy to see where DivX’s future is headed (and one that I predicted long ago … pat on back for myself!). The project is codenamed “Project Rémoulade”, which is a reference to Project Mayo, the one that started the modern DivX codec.

And Blockbuster have turned a profit despite the video rental industry suffering a bit recently. The profit comes from sales of PS3s, Blu-rays, video games, which is in growth right now compared to the slowing video market. Why is this important news? It is important because it shows the convergence of the key video, electronics and video games markets, with the PS3 a prime example of “swiss-knife” type gadgets that aims to do everything. This very website/blog/newsletter is example of this convergence, as it’s hard now to cover Blu-ray but not the PS3, for example.

And so we converge seamlessly onto gaming news, there’s still no concrete solution to the GTA IV freezing problem on the PS3, which seems to only affect older models. A firmware update was released for the PS3 with “stability fixes”, but it does not relate to GTA IV, although it does add YouTube integration with a Japanese only game, which may be signs of future YouTube integration (allowing you to record and upload gameplay video, for example). Your best bet is to contact Sony support if you’re having the freezing problem, as they might have some solutions which they do not yet want to release publicly until further testing.

And so with good timing, April’s NPD US video game sales figures have been released while GTA IV is still the topic on everyone’s lips. So did the PS3 out-sell the Xbox 360 that analysts like Michael Pachter have predicted for two months running? Unfortunately for Mr. Pachter, he was wrong for two months running as the Xbox 360 out-sold the PS3 again, although only by a thousand units. So that’s 16 out of 18 weeks since the PS3 was available in which the 360 has reigned supreme, but will they be able to keep this up as the PS3 is catching up rather quickly. But the real shock of the NPD figures was that the Wii out-sold both the 360 and PS3 combined again, and not only that, it increased its lead in a month that should have been dominated by the 360/PS3 exclusive GTA IV. Both 360/PS3 sales were actually down quite a bit, so it looked like GTA IV had no positive effect on hardware sales at all.

Of course, April included the Easter holiday period which traditionally don’t sell well in terms of game consoles, and perhaps May will be more indicative of GTA IV led hardware sales, but the Wii express is not slowing down. In software sales, GTA IV dominated the software charts as expected, with the Xbox 360 version out-selling the PS3 by 1.85:1 also as expected (1.85 million units versus 1 million on the PS3). More information and analysis on the NPD figures in my blog post.

Despite what looks like two victories (one clear, one not so clear), Microsoft should be a bit worried about the Xbox 360’s performance. They need to compete with the PS3 not only on content, in which they are winning both for games and their multiplayer community, but also on “coolness” of the console. Jasper based Xbox 360’s will be available soon, and after that, Microsoft plans Opus and Valhalla codenamed redesigns that should make for a quieter, cooler and more reliable Xbox 360. I can see plenty of people upgrading their 360 consoles if the new builds are indeed quieter. And perhaps when the 360 is quieter and better able to stand up to comparison with the build quality of the PS3, we will finally see that Blu-ray add-on drive. And while it’s a bit late, the Spring update for the Xbox 360 should be coming soon and you can tell because the rumours have started flying around the Net. It’s pointless to guess what’s going to be in it, since most guesses have turned out to be completely wrong. Time will tell …

And that’s it for this week, good night and good luck.

Posted in Copyright, Electronics, Gaming, High Definition (Blu-ray/HD DVD/4K), News Roundup, Nintendo Wii, Wii U, Switch, PS3, PS4, Video Technology, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Comments Off on Weekly News Roundup (18 May 2008)

Game Consoles – April 2008 NPD Sales Figure Analysis

Friday, May 16th, 2008

The April 2008 NPD game console sales figures for the US has been released. This is the first month to include GTA IV numbers (albeit only the last few days of April), and there’s also Mario Kart on the Wii as well. A bumper month that is dominated by GTA IV in terms of software sales, but the hardware figures tell a different story. My prediction last months was this:

… the 360 will do very well in April due to GTA IV, if not in hardware sales, then in software sales … What’s really interesting is to see if the Wii will continue to have another good month, or will it suffer from not being on the GTA IV bandwagon? But then there’s Mario Kart, so you never know.

I think my prediction could be considered correct, although barely. It’s certainly more accurate than that guy Pachter over Wedbush Morgan, who predicted twice in a row that the PS3 would outsell the 360, but has been wrong twice in a row. You can read last month’s analysis here. The figures are from NPD, a marketing research firm that releases games console sale data every month.

The figures for US sales in April are below, ranked in order of number of sales:

Wii: 714,200 (Total: 9.5 million)

DS: 414,800 (Total: 19.6 million)

PSP: 192,700 (Total: 11.5 million)

Xbox 360: 188,000 (Total: 10.1 million)

PS3: 187,100 (Total: 4.2 million)

PS2: 124,400 (Total: 42.1 million)

NPD April 2008 Game Console US Sales Figures

NPD Game Console Total US Sales Figures (as of April 2008)

From the hardware results, it looks like that April was another great month for the Wii and that GTA IV had no positive effect on hardware sales at all. In fact, hardware sales for both PS3 and the Xbox 360 were down compared to the previous month. This is something no analyst had predicted, and it is a bit of a surprise. Perhaps May will tell us more, as maybe people were waiting for buy GTA IV hardware bundles which will be available in May. It is also worth noting that March included 5 weeks of sales results, whereas April only includes 4 (but this alone does not explain the 360/PS3 drop).

Whatever the reasons, the 360 again out-sold the PS3, although by only 1,000 units or so. There hasn’t been this GTA led surge in PS3 sales as some have predicted due to people upgrading their PS2’s to play the previously PlayStation signature title. Again, perhaps that will materialize in the May figures instead. Another explanation could be that people who are likely to buy GTA games are those more likely to have already bought themselves a PS3/360, and so there’s no hardware sales surge coming. My opinion in that May will be the month to watch if you want to see GTA related hardware sales figures, as people without a PS3/360 will look at the GTA related fanfare, wait until the expected price drops/bundles occur, and then get themselves a new console with GTA IV included. This would explain why the software chart was dominated by GTA IV, yet the hardware chart went the opposite way.

What can you say about the Wii that people haven’t already said? Amazing sales performance and seems to be getting stronger the longer it goes. The Wii almost double the sales of the PS3 and 360 combined (that’s nearly four times the sales of each of these consoles). Aiming a game console at the non gaming market was a stroke of genius (of course had it failed, we would call it something else entirely). Wii sales have been helped by Wii Fit and Mario Kart, two hit titles that was arriving in late April/early May and which may have laid the foundations for April’s Wii hardware performance.

Now onto software sales, where as mentioned before, GTA IV dominated. And it’s a huge victory for the 360, when most analysts expected a close race between the 360 and PS3 versions of the game, with some even suggesting the PS3 will benefit more. Here’s the top 10 chart:

Grand Theft Auto IV(Xbox 360, Rockstar) – 1,850,000
Mario Kart w/ Wheel(Wii, Nintendo) – 1,120,000
Grand Theft Auto IV(PS3, Rockstar) – 1,000,000
Wii Play (Wii, Nintendo) – 360,000
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii, Nintendo) – 326,000
Gran Turismo 5: Prologue(PS3, Sony) – 224,000
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (DS, Nintendo) – 202,000
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time (DS, Nintendo) – 202,000
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Wii, Activision) – 152,100
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, Activision) – 141,000

While GTA IV certainly dominated, it was Nintendo again the winner as they had 4 titles in the top 10. The Xbox 360 had 35.7% of all software sales, closely followed by the Wii on 35.1. PS3 software sales remain relatively poor at 22% while the DS rounded out things on 7.2%.

The Xbox 360 version of GTA IV sold 1.85:1 compared to the PS3 version, which is a little bit less than the 2:1 ratio some analysts have claimed. This is not as bad as it seems for the PS3, as the Xbox 360 has a 70/30 lead over the PS3 in hardware sales, but only a 65/35 lead when it came to GTA IV sales. But I suppose that’s little comfort for Sony whose fortunes where definitely helped by the GTA series being timed exclusives on the PS2. As for all those that predicted the PS3 version would outsell the Xbox 360 version due to people upgrading their PS2’s, that may happen but it won’t be sudden and I think if people are happy with their PS2’s, they won’t upgrade to PS3’s no matter what (unless it becomes dirt cheap).

What could be considered disappointing for Wii is that third-party games don’t seem to sell well on the platform. All the best selling titles are first-party games by Nintendo, and this can’t go on for too long without developers turning their resources to the other consoles. You will have to admit that nobody really knows how to exploit the Wii as well as Nintendo, and the Wii is an extremely difficult system to get things right on (ensuring games work well with the Wii-mote and nunchuck is a much bigger design challenge than most developers are used to).

So it’s all eyes on May yet again. Will the Wii continue to perform as well, or will the GTA led hardware surge materialize? Can the Xbox 360 version of GTA IV retain the 1.85:1 sales ratio compared to the PS3 version, or as some emerging reports tell us, could the lead actually grow wider? My prediction? I’d rather not, since most of us got it wrong for April when it came to GTA led hardware sales. But predictions are free, and I have no reputation to protect anyway so here’s goes: I predict there to be a 360/PS3 sales surge compared to this month (well it can’t go any lower, can it?). But the Wii sales will remain high, if not go higher thanks to Wii Fit (does that count as a software or hardware, or accessory?). GTA IV will continue to dominate the software charts, with the 360’s lead slightly narrowed compared to the PS3 version. Mario Kart and Wii Fit will sit highly on the software sales chart too (assuming Wii Fit counts as software). So it’s yet another wiin for Nintendo, I suspect.

See you next month.

Posted in Gaming, Nintendo Wii, Wii U, Switch, NPD Analysis, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | 3 Comments »

Weekly News Roundup (11 May 2008)

Sunday, May 11th, 2008

I’ve played GTA IV for a week now, and while I think it’s a great game, it does have some flaws. I think people got too excited handing out the 10/10 scores, and as with the Net media these days, one site does it and then everybody does it. It’s a great game no doubt, but perfect? Or even the best game in the last year? For a sandbox game fan and GTA maniac like myself, perhaps it is the best game of last year, but I’m sure there are games that are up there with it. It’s old, it’s cheap and it doesn’t have a storyline, but Crackdown on the 360 is an awesome game … makes GTA IV feel 2D by comparison (although I agree that giving Niko Bellic Spider-Man like abilities is a bit too much). I’m also not a big fan of the judder in the game, which some say is normal, but it’s something I can’t stand.

Despite my time wasting in Liberty City this week (I’m now awesome at GTA darts, BTW), there was actually quite a bit of news, and only half of it was GTA related.

In copyright news, the news of the week has been a good one for the MPAA. They won a judgement awarding them $110 million in damages to be paid by the owners of TorrentSpy. That got them all fired up and now their next target is The Pirate Bay, having asked for several million from them too. It’s unlikely the TorrentSpy people will not appeal this decision, and even more unlikely that they will have to pay anything, but neither compares to the impossibility of the MPAA getting their hands on TPB, or stopping torrent based piracy on the Net. Their other lawsuit involving IsoHunt is still going on, and both sides are awaiting a ruling which will finally decide if having .torrent files is the same as hosting pirated content.

While the MPAA might be enjoying the victory, the news has been less good for the RIAA. After their humiliation in court last week over what constitutes piracy, they have also suffered from the public backlash against DRM. But the RIAA is standing firm and claiming that DRM will make a comeback soon. Yeah right.

New York’s AG recently proposed new anti-piracy laws. In case you’re wondering why so many new anti-piracy laws are being passed, then look closely at the lobby groups spending huge amounts of money getting their issues to be heard. Something fishy going on behind the scenes, perhaps happening in New York? And it’s not just New York, the US House of Congress also introduced a new crack down on copyright violations. Studios are spending huge money to get laws passed in their favour, but are they really that concerned about piracy or is it more about having more control over users and having laws that allow consumer rights to be stripped away bit by bit. We’ll report, you decide.

Microsoft, at the brunt of DRM related controversy last week, has once more angered anti-DRM activists by suggesting a new update that will force copyright control on their Zune players. Did you hear that? That was the sound of the Zune dying a horrible death and the iPod taking full control of the portable player market. What is it with companies doing things that will hurt them more than it helps? Electronics Arts will introduce a new type of DRM on its new PC game releases, including the widely acclaimed Mass Effects. The new DRM will require an Internet connection that will dial back every week to ensure the serial used isn’t a pirated one. No Internet connection? No play! The public outrage was swift and vicious, and EA backed down by toning down the Net-based authentication required, which again raises the question of why introducing it in the first place if only to back down in a week and causing a lot of negative publicity in the process? Will companies ever learn?

High Definition In HD news, not much going on in the world of Blu-ray this week. Some “doom and gloom” articles are still being spun thanks to the sales figures from January to March, which recorded a huge drop and was reported on earlier here as mainly due to seasonal variations. Blu-ray is definitely not doing as well as it should, compared to DVDs at the same stage and now that it has no competitor. But it’s far from over yet, and without a competitor, time is no longer an enemy. Still, the latest Nielsen VideoScan results (for the week ending 4th May) aren’t looking too rosy, with Blu-ray vs DVD sales down 1% for Blu-ray to 5% vs 95%, with Blu-ray sales dropping 23% compared to the previous week (which was 7% down compared to the week before). But again, this is far from doom and gloom as Blu-ray sales are still up quite a bit compared to the same time last year, and that Blu-ray sales, unlike DVD sales (which was also down 5% compared to last week) are much more dependent on new releases, and no new major releases in that week meant worse sales. But Sony’s claim that they will raise the 5% to 50% in the next 7 months seems quite ridiculous now. Lies, damned lies, and statistics indeed.

Perhaps 3D movies will help Blu-ray. Samsung is set to release a new 3D TV that will aim to bring IMAX style 3D movies to your home, and I’m sure they will look great on HD as well. Perhaps it’s a gimmick like this that will drive Blu-ray sales, especially if the 3D components can be somehow integrated into Blu-ray players (HD DVD players supported mandatory USB connectors for just this sort of thing, but USB is not required on Blu-ray).

And as expected, Microsoft once again denied rumours of a Blu-ray enabled Xbox 360. This must be the third time this year already. You have to wonder who is coming out with these rumours, if they are indeed false? Perhaps someone who wants to create some positive news for Blu-ray, and at the same time, highlight the major difference between the PS3 and Xbox 360? Gee, I wonder who that could be. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, I’m highly skeptical that the 360 will ever have a Blu-ray drive. The next Xbox console maybe, but I just can’t see it in the 360. One, because the drive would only be used for movies, not games like on the PS3, so it’s kind of a pointless addition to anyone who doesn’t use the noisy 360 to play movies. Two, by including a Blu-ray drive, that’s Microsoft basically admitting the PS3 is superior and it wants to copy it. The Xbox 360 will never be as good a Blu-ray player as the PS3, so why make the comparison when you don’t have to? The Wii doesn’t even play DVDs, and nobody is saying it needs that capabilty to compete with the 360/PS3, so why does the 360 need Blu-ray to compete with the PS3? I will say this though, that there are a lot of people who are quite bitter at the moment because the PS3 isn’t doing very well in the format war, not because it’s losing badly, but because it’s not winning handsomely as they had expected. And everyone knows the delay to the release of the console due to delays to Blu-ray was what caused it (or rather, the earlier release of the 360 allowed it to gain crucial market share to win over consumer and developer confidence). The same people are the ones trying to suggest Blu-ray will help the PS3 win the console war, but in actual fact, it was the other way around (PS3 helping Blu-ray to win the format war). If the 360 gets a Blu-ray add-on or a built in drive, then it would represent the ultimate victory for these people. Which is why I don’t see it happening.

(cue Microsoft announcing next week Blu-ray is coming to the 360)

In gaming news, as expected, GTA IV broke all sales records. This was always going to be the title that bought the “next-gen” into “this-gen” (and this will be the last time I use the term “next-gen”, unless I’m talking about the PS4 or Xbox 720 or WiiII or something). Microsoft was quick to point that that is has won the GTA IV war, having sold more copies and having seen hardware sales jump as a result too. Some will say that one shouldn’t believe MS’s claims, and I would normally agree, but there’s a lack of any noise from the usually spin-tastic Sony PR department about GTA IV, which leads me to believe that MS is telling the truth. Microsoft was also quick to point out that the only console you can play GTA IV in full 720p glory is the Xbox 360. This, plus the freezing issue which a patch is now available for but apparently doesn’t fix the problem, at least not all occurrences of it, means that GTA IV’s release could definitely have gone a lot smoother for Sony. And then there’s the issue of exclusive downloadable content for the Xbox 360, but Sony is trying to muddy the waters by suggesting they will get DLC too. These two possible facts actually don’t conflict with each other … nobody has ever said that all DLC is exclusive to the Xbox 360, just two episodes worth. But if Sony is suggesting future DLC will be PS3 exclusive, then that’s just misleading because there’s no evidence of it and I’m sure Rockstar’s contract with Microsoft won’t allow it.

So while Sony PR can’t talk much about GTA IV without getting attacked for having a lower res, broken and exclusive lacking version, then they will have to talk about something else. The PS3 has done well in Europe, and total sales have exceeded the Xbox 360 figures even though the PS3 was released much later. No spin there, just facts. What could be considered spin is Sony saying they will overtake all others, including the Xbox 360 and Wii, both of which are miles ahead of the PS3 in the US. I always find it funny to hear Sony talk about their 10 year plan and that the PS3 hasn’t reached its full potential yet. It is true that there is more to come from the PS3, but three years ago, nobody could have predicted the rise of the Wii, so even if the PS3 can squeeze out more in the next 5 years or so, will it still be an attractive console by that time? For one, they can’t predict what Microsoft and Nintendo have up their sleeves, so if Sony are going to rest on their laurels and rely solely on developers getting more out of the PS3, then I think that’s a disaster waiting to happen.

And speaking of what’s up Microsoft’s sleeves, a new Xbox 360 build could be here by August with a new GPU chip codenamed Jasper. It promises lower heat production, and hence, lower noise and more reliability. Microsoft will probably introduce the Wii like controller for the 360 at the same time as well. A cooler, more reliable and quieter Xbox 360 is exactly what Microsoft needs right now to compete with the PS3, and not a Blu-ray drive in sight! The GTA IV related victory has given Microsoft a lot of confidence, and some analysts have already concluded that the 360 will win the “current-gen” console war, mainly due to a superior games library and multiplayer community. I’m not so sure about that, but you can’t argue with the 360’s games choice and Xbox Live, and not letting Sony maintain 80% of the market is a victory of sorts already.

Of course, the real winner could be the Wii. While everyone is talking about GTA IV, Nintendo has been quietly selling loads of Mario Kart and Wii Fit, making Wii Fit the best selling exercise equipment of all time. What, even more popular than the Thighmaster I hear you ask. Yes, more popular than that and Jane Fonda exercise videos … COMBINED!!

Ok, that’s that for this week. I’ll have more for you next week. More of what? I don’t know. Will it be interesting? Probably not. But there will be more …

Posted in Copyright, Gaming, High Definition (Blu-ray/HD DVD/4K), News Roundup, Nintendo Wii, Wii U, Switch, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Comments Off on Weekly News Roundup (11 May 2008)

Weekly News Roundup (4 May 2008)

Sunday, May 4th, 2008

Finally got my copy of Grand Theft Auto IV from gamehubs.com (quick delivery, at a great price … good customer service too, well recommended). It is certainly very impressive, but since this is the first GTA game I’ve not played on a PC, I’m still getting used to the controls and playing it on a big screen TV (which to be honest, is making me quite nauseous). The city feels much more real and alive compared to previous GTA games, although I’m a bit tired of being thrown through the windshield all the time while driving (don’t they have seat belts in Liberty City?). Anyway, a lot more play time is needed before I can truly say that it is my favourite game of all time. As expected, news this week has been dominated by GTA IV.

In copyright news, and while on the subject of GTA IV, pirated Xbox 360 copies of the game are already available on several torrent sites. I understand that some people only downloaded those so they can play prior to the release date, but it’s a shame that people are not paying for a game which has reportedly cost over 100 million dollars to make and received great reviews. If you like the game, buy it!

On the other end of the scale, there’s the RIAA claiming that making music files available in “shared folders” constitutes piracy. Fortunately, a judge has ruled that this act alone does not mean piracy, and many other steps afterwards (such as other people actually downloading the shared music files) must happen before piracy can be declared. There was another ruling which said that the burden of proof must be on the RIAA’s side (you mean innocent until *proven* guilty? What a novel concept!), and that third party anti-piracy agents must first download the pirated file from the defendant’s hard-drive before they can accuse anyone of piracy. Some common sense at last!

Now that RIAA’s “everyone should use DRM” crusade is at an end (with DRM being defeated quite comprehensively), only now are some of the bad side effects of DRM are beginning to show. The MSN music store, which made way for the Zune Marketplace, sold many DRM’d files and with the closing of the store and the DRM validation servers, these files no longer play because it cannot connect to the store to authenticate the license. That’s the trouble with DRM, especially those that from time to time require online validation … the content owners at any time could decide not to give you rights to play the file, or even make you pay for them again if you want to “re-activate” your license. Thank goodness that DRM is dead, for music files at least.

High Definition In HD news, Paramount, the last studio not to announce their Blu-ray plans, has finally done so with big titles such as Bee Movie and Cloverfield, as well as the Oscar nominated There Will Be Blood, all making their ways onto Blu-ray by the end of May. Universal has also announced that they will use the lossless DTS-HD MA format for their releases (Paramount wants to use Dolby TrueHD, also lossless). This should help Blu-ray, although reports suggest that the only company it will really help, more than any other at least, is Sony. The in-fighting amongst the other Blu-ray backers could actually hurt the format, since the BDA is far from a united front and consists of companies that have conflicting interests (as opposed to the HD DVD people, which really didn’t have that many supporters and only one major one in each field). Another problem identified is that Blu-ray is too dependent on the PS3, and not all PS3 users are movie fans that are willing to buy lots of Blu-ray movies, even though Blu-ray usage on the PS3 has increased. And the expected surge after HD DVD’s demise has not happened, and sales even dropped 40% from January to February. Of course, seasonal variations means that February (and March) are always slow months, but the victory certainly hasn’t been a catalyst for mass acceptance of Blu-ray … that will take another year or two at least. And to further prove this, the latest Nielsen VideoScan data (which is now updated weekly on our forum) shows that with only 6% of the market compared to DVDs for top 20 titles by volume on both formats, Blu-ray still has a long way to go. In fact, the 6% is actually generous, because a large percentage of DVD sales occur outside the top 20 titles, whereas Blu-ray sales are much more concentrated in the top 20 – I don’t have exact figures, but Blu-ray probably only accounts for 2 to 3% of all sales at best).

And just before moving onto gaming, the rumour that never seems to die resurfaced again, with an OEM partner of Microsoft claiming that a Blu-ray enabled Xbox 360 is on the way. I’m fairly certain we will see a new Xbox 360 model by the end of the year, with new GPU and possibly CPU parts to aid cooling and noise reduction. Will this model, codenamed Jasper I think, include Blu-ray playback? I’m 100% certain there won’t be Blu-ray games on the 360, so is including the drive and thus increasing the cost a sensible thing to do for Microsoft? Time will tell …

In gaming news, or more precisely, GTA IV news, the first set of sales figures from the UK have been released, and the Xbox 360 version is holding the lead. Somewhat surprising because, while the 360 has sold more overall, it is the PS3 has been selling more than the 360 for month to month figures for quite a while now. Microsoft themselves have announced that, for US sales, GTA IV on the 360 is outselling the PS3 version by 2-to-1, no doubt helped by stores like Amazon offering GTA IV/360 bundle deals of their own in absence of an official one from Microsoft. Sony countered by saying that GTA IV has helped to sell loads of PS3s, as expected. Neither of these statements conflict with each other of course, and so with Sony not arguing against Microsoft’s claims, then 2-to-1 is not bad for a series that has been synonymous with the success of the PlayStation brand. Sales of the PS3 version has not been helped with reports of freezing problems (and while the 360 versions has had a few freezing reports, it is not as bad as on certain older models of the PS3). It was also revealed that the PS3 version is only 630p, while the Xbox 360 versions runs at a higher resolution. Some of the shadow effects are extremely harsh on the higher resolution 360 version, which probably explains why the slightly more blurrier PS3 version looks better according to most reviews. If you want to see a video comparison of the two versions for yourself, then Gametrailers.com has the HD version up.

Meanwhile, Mario Kart is probably selling loads on the Wii, but nobody cares (well I do, since I might buy a copy).

That’s all folks for this week. I think shall spend the next week in between doing some work and a lot of time spent ~~playing~~ researching GTA IV.

Posted in Copyright, Electronics, Gaming, High Definition (Blu-ray/HD DVD/4K), News Roundup, Nintendo Wii, Wii U, Switch, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Comments Off on Weekly News Roundup (4 May 2008)

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If I were to buy a new computer today (May 2008)

Weekly News Roundup (18 May 2008)

Game Consoles – April 2008 NPD Sales Figure Analysis

Weekly News Roundup (11 May 2008)

Weekly News Roundup (4 May 2008)

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