Harrison: Blu-ray Vital For PS3, Better Integrated Than DVD On PS2

[wraggster]

via gamasutra (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=13169)

When asked: "Do you think that Blu-ray will be as important to the PS3 as DVD was to the PS2, or is it a slightly different scenario?", Harrison was clear in his initial reply: "I think that Blu-ray Disc as a movie format is vital for PlayStation 3, but it's more necessary as a game format."

He continued of the Blu-ray format: "We need that storage space. You know from talking to developers who know what the demands are for next-generation games, in terms of storage space. They are having to compromise on other systems in order to fit their games onto DVD."

The president of Sony's Worldwide Studios organization then commented, in frank style: "I think what the difference between PS2 as a DVD player and PS3 as a Blu-ray Disc player -- and I'm going to get shot for saying this -- but on PS2, we didn't make the best DVD player. On PS3, it's the best Blu-ray Disc player. So that is a big difference."

[Demibeard]

So 8.5gig is not enough? I do relish having a BD player, apart from having to save up for a true HD telly (1080p).

But to effectively say that developers have to compromise to squeeze their games onto DVD is a bit daft, maybe if they reduced the number of cut scenes there would be more room for game play / textures etc.

I know I'm probably going to get flamed for this but I didn't think the PS2 DVD player was that bad, considering the time it was released. You had to pay quite a lot for a stand alone deck (my Sony DVP-336 cost £250) and the updated software that came with the official remote added a bit more functionality to it too.

[muffinman]

i still use my ps2 as my dvd player :P i dont really find much wrong with it

the BD player is probably going to be very useful in coming years though.

[808]

But to effectively say that developers have to compromise to squeeze their games onto DVD is a bit daft, maybe if they reduced the number of cut scenes there would be more room for game play / textures etc.

But with 25 gigabytes of Blu-ray storage sitting there you don't even NEED to think about reducing the number of cut scenes, you can have all your textures in a larger size, you can have more uncompressed music, the list goes on.

There really is no point of having a next-gen machine with a last-gen storage medium.

[mavsman4457]

But with 25 gigabytes of Blu-ray storage sitting there you don't even NEED to think about reducing the number of cut scenes, you can have all your textures in a larger size, you can have more uncompressed music, the list goes on.

There really is no point of having a next-gen machine with a last-gen storage medium.

I agree with you completely and I usually agree with you. In fact, I have come to a conclusion: you love PS3 and you might even be a bit of a fanboy (kind of like me :)).

[808]

I agree with you completely and I usually agree with you. In fact, I have come to a conclusion: you love PS3 and you might even be a bit of a fanboy (kind of like me :)).

Let's just say March 23rd is going to be the greatest day of my life :)

[Tree]

Let's just say March 23rd is going to be the greatest day of my life :)

Same here :P but i wont be on the PS3 too long :( School and i also dont want to spend to long on it because it does me in gaming to long i need exersies :P

[muffinman]

lol tree im taking a day off like i do at every consle launch :)

[ish420ism]

still don't have a hd tv. but i want my ps3
and wii

[VFerg]

I feel bad for all you guys that don't have the system out by you! I got mine in the US launch and must say the Blue Ray format is honestly my favorite part of the system. It is a ton better then ps2's dvd drive although the options for navigating are the same its absolutely one of the only things I have been using my PS3 for lately probably because of it's *caugh caugh* lack of games to play on it. I have seen some reviews stating how the picture is weaker then other blue ray players and blah blah blah about all this other minor stuff but from what I have seen personally is one of the best pictures I have ever seen in my life. Hope all you guys enjoy yours next week! Hopefully when its out there this place will start picking up on some more news about the system to.

[SSaxdude]

I don't see why Blu-Ray or HD DVD are necessary for next gen games. If a game (take MGS4 for example) ends up being 17 or so gb, why can't the developers just split the game into 2 DVD 9s? I'd rather have to change discs half way into the game than have to spend an extra $200 on the console, and don't forget that the Blu-Ray drive in the PS3 reads data slower than the DVD drive in the Xbox 360.

As for movies and Blu-Ray/HD DVD, what's the point? If a 44 minute tv show (take Prison Break for example) can have 1 gb tv rips in 720p (in Xvid format,) why can't there be DVD players to read 720p/1080p in Xvid format? That way we could still use DVDs, but just have to buy a new player. And I'm sure a DVD player that could play Xvid videos would be much less expensive than a Blu-Ray/HD DVD player.

Just my two cents.

[F9zDark]

I don't see why Blu-Ray or HD DVD are necessary for next gen games. If a game (take MGS4 for example) ends up being 17 or so gb, why can't the developers just split the game into 2 DVD 9s?

MGS4 wont, because Kojima has stated time and again that he wants a 50gb, SINGLE LAYER BluRay disc for MGS4. And to quote him:

"Its not so much about the graphics, but the sounds. We can do some amazing things with sounds."

Point is, he aint taking any shortcuts with this game and a DVD just isn't feasible for a game that the director of is aiming at filling 50gb. Knowing Kojima, he'll get it close.

Resistance is also 16gb which is more than twice that of a DVD. Assuming that that used space isn't dummy data or padding and is actual data, then its fairly safe to say that BDs are necessary.

And as 808 said:

"There really is no point of having a next-gen machine with a last-gen storage medium."

[briyan]

2x Speed, Redundant Data filling up 25-50GB to compensate for the slow speed (read: 2x), sub=par Blu-Ray player? The PS3 is a perfect example of a bare-bones Blu Ray player with enough capabilities to play movies (w/o real noticeable lag) and read repeated data..and this is supposed to be the Next-Gen medium? Blu-Ray for me, is Sony's guinea pig, and they're testing out the waters with their baby and hoping to beat everyone else. Come on, they declared Blu-Ray as the winning format already before anything has been decided. If Blu-Ray stands alone and ultimately replaces DVD then call yourselves the Champs but as of right now, y'ain't nothing but pretenders..

[F9zDark]

Actually, there was an article on here a while ago, stating that the BD player in the PS3 is in fact better than the stand alone players out currently...

And who cares about the read speed? Loading on the PS3 is fast enough for me not to care about it; so really, why should read speed even matter?