The death of the Playstation 3

People have for some time been saying that there was one thing that would save the Playstation 3 from failure, and that thing was its blu-ray disk player. However, it seems that instead of Blu-Ray being its saviour, it may well be the thing that kills the PS3.

With the collapse of HD-DVD, the only rival format for high definition DVDs a few months ago, it seemed Sony had a clear run and was therefore the only console that could offer both a high def DVD and a games system, and with Blu-Ray players themselves being so expensive at the time, the PS3 started to see sales pick up because the PS3 was, in effect, the cheapest blu-ray player on the market.

So this Christmas promised much for the PS3. It looked as if Sony might actually start to make money from its games division whilst the PS3 finally had the stand out title that was unique to the PS3 and would make people want a PS3 in order to buy the game. The game in question, Little Big Planet, is indeed a great game. But it has not been the outstanding seller that Sony had hoped for. Indeed figures show that in the US the biggest selling PS3 title last month was a multi format game that still only sold half the number that were sold for the XBox 360. Figures like this will make game developers wonder about whether supporting the PS3 is financially viable.

Perhaps most worrying though for Sony is the fact that PS3 sales were down last month. As the online version of the Wall Street Journal makes clear

"But early results from this holiday season aren't promising. U.S. sales of the PS3 fell 19% last month from a year earlier, while sales doubled for the Wii console and rose 8% for the Xbox 360, according to research firm NPD. Analysts say they expect PS3 sales for this month to be flat or lower than last year, while sales for its rivals are likely to rise"

So what accounts for this decline for PS3 whilst Wii and XBox 360 sales continue to rise, even in a recession ? The answer is Blu-Ray.

The fact is that you can now buy an excellent Panasonic (or even Sony) Blu-Ray DVD player for about £100 less than a Playstation 3. So people are no longer buying a PS3 for Blu-Ray.

So the PS3 with few unique games has lost its unique selling point. As is pointed out by many tech sites now, Sony are really on to a loser which will cost them dear.

So whilst the console wars might not be over, this might be the beginning of the end of Sony's claims to be able to win the war. What is absolutely clear is that Nintendo are the winners.

How bloody clever are those people at Nintendo ?

I have to say as a "gamer" sinfe the age of 12 when my parents bought a Sinclair ZX Spectrum, I have loved computer games and in particular I love everything that Nintendo do. So watching the clip at THIS link just makes me even more impressed with Nintendo.

Why do I need Windows 7 & what exactly is wrong with a mouse ?

Microsoft have announced details today of the next version of Windows, called simply Windows 7 but it will probably get a fancy name before its release.

So why do we need a newer version of Windows ? Well I am asking that myself. I upgraded to Vista some months ago as I was having some problems with networking and sharing files in XP and Vista has done everything I have asked of it easily and without fuss, and more importantly without glitches and crashing.

Well apparently Windows 7 uses touch screen technology, and demo of it in action can be seen on the BBC website. Essentially, you will (with the right hardware) be able to do to a computer what you can already do with an Apple iphone (no, I don't mean take poor pictures and rely on very slow downloads). That's great surely ? Well no.

The problem is that touch technology is good when it replaces something that is awkward or slow. So having touch technology on a phone is great because your phone does not have a mouse and using a keyboard for some functions can be awkward. But with a computer a mouse is just what is needed. A mouse is pixel perfect, a mouse is very responsive and what's more, unlike the end of my finger, it is precise. I like sitting two feet away from my monitor but I don't want to have to lean across my desk to touch my screen all the time.

It's odd that when Nintendo have created the Wii-mote (their Wii controllers) which in effect act like a mouse in terms of responsiveness and the ability to use them away from the screen with precision, that Microsoft feel the need to go for touch screen when there simply isn't a need.

Microsoft say that Windows 7 will be out in 2009 or 2010, which in Microsoft talk means 2011 or 2012, so I guess it won't be an immediate concern. However, it does seem that Microsoft are rattled by Linux open source operating systems and are trying to put clear blue water between Windows and Linux. But in my opinion they are trying too hard. Too much clear blue water could leave them in to deep water.

Another reason why Fakenham is still a great place

I used to live, teach and do my politics in Fakenham for a number of years and despite moving away from the North Norfolk town, still go there to shop regularly.

Now I know I am biased because the people of Fakenham once elected me with 66% of the vote, but I think Fakenham is a cracking place to live. Sadly I was cut up by a Tesco delivery lorry whilst I was there travelling along a road that Tesco promised they wouldn't use, but otherwise its a safe place to live with all the shops you would need.

So why eulogise ? Well I have been trying all week to get hold of Wii Fit, the latest offering from Nintendo, and it appears that there is a shortage of them right across the country. You cannot even order them of the internet. So it is another feather in the cap of Fakenham that I should go in to Woolworths today and be able to buy Wii Fit when you cannot get it anywhere else in the country.

Oh Nintendo Wii - Is there anything you cannot do ?

In recent months it has been revealed through various tests that Nintendo Wii's are used in care homes as a good way of exercising for the elderly, they can be used to help you lose weight, they are used to help train the brain, and now it has been revealed that they aid surgeons as a tool for warming up before operations.


If there are not enough reasons there for you to go out and but one, there are two other reasons that I forgot to mention, firstly they are relatively cheap at £180, and secondly they are enormous fun.

You know Sony have problems with the PS3 when ...

Sony are claiming a breakthrough in their sales with 100,000 units being sold of their Playstation 3 console in the last month. Put in to context, this is probably still only 50% of the numbers that Nintendo are doing pf their Wii console. However, it appears that this breakthrough has less to do with people wanting a PS3, and has more to do with a shortage of Nintendo Wii's in shops.

When you also take account of the fact that Nintendo have upped production of the Wii whilst Sony have hundreds of thousands of unsold PS3's in shops and Sony make a loss on every PS3 whilst Nintendo make a healthy profit on each Wii, you start to realise how desperate Sony are getting.

Computer games can be good for kids says research

A survey has shown that playing computer games can sharpen up a child's mind, can improve classroom behaviour and improve their maths skills.

It might shut up those people who constantly want to have a pop at the computer games industry or those who play games regularly. And with recent evidence showing that regularly playing on a Nintendo Wii can be beneficial in both keeping you fit, helping you lose wight and sharpening up reflexes, perhaps the rather outmoded view that all computer games are bad might just go away.

The first signs that Sony realise the PS3 is a flop

After months of hailing the success of the Playstation 3, despite poor sales showing it to be selling less than half the number of XBox 360's and barely a fifth of the number of Nintendo Wii's sold, Sony is showing signs that it cannot keep the facade of a "great success" going, and have announced a new cheaper and much slimmed down version of the PS3.

Losing some of its more advanced functions, the ability to play Playstation 2 games and removing some connection points to be able to reduce the price to less than £300 might win a handful more sales, but the console is still considerably more expensive than the XBox 360 and £120 more than a Nintendo Wii.

I won't be trading in my Wii or XBox for one, that's for sure.

Sony give slap in the face to UK customers

The Playstation 3 has had a price cut in the US, but in the UK Sony have failed to offer the same deal to British customers.

The EU version of the PS£ is already an inferior machine, with the PS2 emulator not doing what the US version of the machine does, and now UK and EU customers have to pay more for less than the US customer gets.

Given that the Nintendo Wii is outselling the PS3 by a rate of 6 to 1 in Sony's home market of Japan, Sony really ought to be showing a bit more care to their European customers.

I guess there is a simple and clear message to potential Playstation 3 customers. With the PS3 set to become the Betamax of the games console world, avoid it like the plague and get an Xbox 360 and a Nintendo Wii, which will cost you the same price as a the PS3.

With Sony treating their customers with contempt, its the ideal opportunity to buy both the other consoles.

How companies spin like politicians

With the launch of the utterly overpriced Playstation 3, I was amazed to hear Sony's "spin" on the launch of the console.

Unlike the XBox 360 and the Nintendo Wii, there are no shortages of Playstation 3 at launch. Sony claim that this is because "They have seen the mistakes made by their rivals and they have ensured that demand has been more than met".

The real story is, of course, rather different. Whereas Nintendo Wii's are still unavailable unless pre-ordered due top the continued staggering demand for them, Sony simply do not have enough buyers out there who want to pay £425 for a console when they could get something similar for £250 from Xbox or for £180 form Nintendo.

Far from "meeting demand", quite simply "demand has not met supply". You could credit Sony for this or ask, why aren't the people out there buying Playstation 3 ?

Quick - Playstation 3 (PS3) pre-orders are available through ebuyer

In the same way as I was able to alert potential buyers about the availability of Nintendo Wii consoles before Christmas, I'd just like to make potential buyers aware that ebuyer have PS3 consoles (only 20) available to pre-order.

Am I getting one ? No. I have an X-Box 360 and a Wii. I don't want to pay £450 for a PS3 when they appear to be trying to use the console to also push their Blu-Ray High definiation DVD system on to people. I am not prepared to pay through the nose in ordr for Sony to try and sell me two things when all I want is a games console.

And why should I get one ? After all the Nintendo Wii is awesome.

You can lose weight playing computer games

Fabulous news for owners of the Nintendo wii games console.

new research shows that playing on the "wii" can lead to significant weight loss. Read more about it HERE.

For me personally, I don't know that I've lost weight, but on a cold evening, rather than turn the heating on, I play on the Nintendo for 20 minutes and I'm sweating and as a result, nice and warm, so perhaps there are some benefits in preventing global warming as I am sure it uses less carbon to have my wii on for 20 minutes than it does to burn gas for 20 minutes.

Am I there first to blog from a nintendo wii ?

I often read other peoples blogs and see that they have blogged remotely using a blackberry or mobile phone. However I think I can at least claim a political blogging first by being the first to blog using a Nintendo Wii.

I would add that it might also be the last time I do it too as it takes too long to write the messages out.

Wii share your pain

I read that a new blog has been set up called www.WiiHaveAProblem.com (pronounced "we have a problem", which looks at some of the bizarre and funny stories about people and their new Nintendo wii consoles.

The problem for many is that they simply forget to keep hold of the wii-mote controller (the motion sensor device that controls the games, meaning that windows, TV's and heirlooms are broken by playing too violently.

I can share some of the pain with fellow wii owners as I have pulled a muscle in my arm playing ten pin bowling on my own own machine, at least that is my excuse and I am sticking to it.

QUICK - ebuyer.co.uk have got Nintendo wii packages

Yes, surfing through some of my favourite gadget and gizmo online stores today, I found that www.ebuyer.co.uk have got about 50 Nintendo wii consoles on order and have yet to sell out their pre-orders. Click HERE to get to the wii page.

If you want one, you have to but the whole package (extra controllers, games, etc), but it's all good value and you have to set up an ebuyer account.

This has been a public service announcement !

P.S. Only 32 left now (16.40 - 27/11/06)