10 Worst PlayStation 3 Reports

As we near November and I go on a little writing vacation, let's go back in time and revisit some of the fine reporting that has been done on the PlayStation 3. Slowly as the console approaches launch - blogs and game sites seem to be warming up to the machine. For so long, though, it's been a punching bag. Let's peruse.

10. Gizmodo disapproves of the size of the PS3's package
I'm willing to chock this up as more funny than anything else, but I doubt we will see many holiday shoppers concerned about the heft of the PS3 box.

9. Peter Moore doesn't like the PlayStation 3
The above is a Eurogamer article on Moore dissing the PS3 controller, but that's because there are too many examples to pick from. To this day why anyone is suprised why a paid Microsoft shill might not like the PS3 is beyond me. I guess everyone just likes a good catfight. What's sad is watching a company utilize its headstart mostly to spread FUD around the blogosphere (and the blogosphere happily going along with it).

8. Joystiq decides ex-Nielsen analysts are "small and obscure"
Entirely not sure why the big J felt the need to belittle a perfectly respectable analysis firm putting out a valid survey, but I guess it's not kosher to report good news for Sony without doing such.

7. Sony's production delays are outrageous
It's true that Sony's launch is going to be kicked in the kneecaps with hardware shortages and supply problems. What's funny is how angry everyone is about this fact when they were so polite about Microsoft doing the same thing a year ago. On the last Next-Gen podcast it was even asserted that this behavior was simply unfair to the customer. It's odd how this console that much of the gamesphere insisted nobody would want will be such a problem not to have.

6. Kotaku estimates PS3 Games To Cost $60 - $90
This was actually widely reported - but I didn't want Kotaku to feel left out. Following a Japanese report, many people leapt to the conclusion that games would average out at about $80 or so. This turned out to be false ($60 is still in there though), but was fun while it lasted.

5. Gizmodo predicts PlayStation 3 flop - sees it in the LCD TV's
Citing a "snowball effect" from dropping their LCD TV line, Gizmodo assumes that Sony knows the PS3 will be a flop. Using similar logic, news about exploding batteries assumes the PS3 will self-combust after the first play. No ... wait, that one actually makes more sense.

4. Guardian reports PS3 may not play used games
To be clear, Aleks K of the the Guardian Gamesblog did the right thing and actually vetted this after they reported it - and found it to be completely false. Still, it was shocking to read a blog of the Guardian's stature fall for this rumor - which started when someone was bored and read a patent request for a completely unrelated (and to date unknown) product.

3. Boing Boing determines HDMI costs $100 (sans cables)
Cory Doctorow isn't a big fan of Sony, Apple, Microsoft or any other company which apparently uses any kind of DRM. He has a particular dislike for Blu-Ray. That's all well and good, but he instantly jumps to the conclusion that including HDMI is not only unfriendly to the customer - but also really expensive. Sadly, his math doesn't pan out since he ignores all the other differences between the two PS3 skus.

Which now both have HDMI, if I recall correctly.

2. LA Times reports PS3 may not play used games
I get to list this twice because nearly a year after the Guardian corrected itself, the L.A. Times returns to report virtually the exact same myth - only with more length and even less facts (the patent would appear to have been pulled at this time). Even G4's Attack of the Show would go to report this - ignoring that the concept behind it is physically impossible for the PlayStation 3.

1. Boing Boing declares that the PlayStation 3 won't play Blu-Ray movies
That's right, people - megablog Boing Boing read an article on C|Net about the troubles PC's might have with next-generation decoding for movies and assumed that meant Sony's PlayStation 3 would not be able to play Blu-Ray movies. Even though the article never mentions the PlayStation and it's clear to pretty much everyone on the planet that Sony has a major yen to get everyone playing Blu-Ray movies in their living room with the PS3. Cory would later go on to realize his mistake and post a correction - but I'm pretty certain he still used the word "cartel" a couple of times.



What's sad about this list is that there is so much to knock Sony about ... why go making stuff up? They have their crazy ad campaigns and absolutely boring press conferences. They decide to name their next generation online service nothing ... nothing at all ... and I can barely find a snarky comment on it anyway. What, a "Who's on first" comparison is too much of a stretch here? Sony is exploding laptops and once probably installed a rootkit on the machine of someone you know. Rootkit people -rootkit. Whenever you feel the need to kick Sony in the gut - and I know we've all been there - just say rootkit ... because honestly you can simply not beat a company enough for a mistake like that one.





tagged: sony, playstation 3,game, gaming