PS3 fanboys invade another Xbox 360 site

PS3 fanboys spend more time invading Xbox 360 forums than playing games on their PS3. Maybe that’s because the Playstation 3 doesn’t have any games?

Well maybe they can go watch Blu-Ray movies since that is essentially what it is; an overhyped Blu-Ray player.

The masses are not falling for Blu-Ray

According to NPD sales numbers standard DVDs are still outselling the hyped, up High-Definition DVD Blu-Ray(Yep, it’s still a DVD. Not much of an improvement eh?). Standard DVDs account for 90% of DVD sales and the trend does not appear to be changing anytime soon. Whereas DVD was an entirely different format than VHS, Blu-Ray is still a DVD. It’s just a High-Def DVD. How are people dealing with this? Well many that still want physical media are getting DVD upconverter which upgrades standard DVDs which they already own to High-Definition. Apple TV, Netflix, Amazon and Xbox Live are forging ahead with the revolutionary digital downloads. Meanwhile Sony is left pushing what is arguably a dying format; many say physical medias days are numbered.

If you went out and bought a Blu-Ray player believing Blu-Ray was something grand we feel sorry for you. It’s just a DVD on steroids and is nothing revolutionary. We will admit that Sony had a good plan to use the Playstation 3 Blu-Ray player as a trojan horse to get fanboys to invest in Blu-Ray right before it gets rumped by some other medium. Good job Sony on screwing your fanbase…again.

PS3 Hardware slow and broken

AFTER BREAKING THE news to me about PS3 RSX speeds earlier on the flight to Japan, my row-mate said ‘if you think that’s interesting, wait till you see this. Cell is hurting, badly’.For those of you that believe in religions with karmic tendencies, scoops like this meant one of two things, the wings of the plane are about to fall off and I am going to die in a fiery ball, or worse yet, the movie selection will be worrisome. Cell memory access appears to be broken, RSX has half the triangle setup rate of the ATI chip in XBox360, and the true horror, Big Momma’s House 2 and a Queen Latifa movie.With the movie selection still making my brain throb from the glances I caught, I furiously took notes on what the source was saying. He started out saying that the RSX can only write about half as much vertex data as it can fetch, not an ideal situation by any stretch, but survivable.

Then came the horrible news, RSX appears to be limited to setting up 275 Million triangles/second, anemic compared to the 500+ million in XBox360. When asked about this apparent thumping dished out by MS, the reply from one notable ISV relations boffin was a terse ‘What a Piece of Junk’. Talk about a steak in the heart.

Half the triangle setup capability in the PS3, could things get worse? Yes, far far worse, how about another disparity of three orders of magnitude? No, I am not joking, looking at Sony’s own figures, Cell appears to be pretty badly broken.

For main memory, it looks like Cell has about 25GBps of main memory bandwidth, and RSX is about 15-20GBps. Achievable bandwidth is between about two thirds of that and nearly 100%, clearly the elves in the caves surrounding Rambus central did something right with XDR. That is the happy news.

For local memory, the measured vs theoretical bandwidth is missing, I wonder why? RSX is at a solid 22.4GBps for both read and write, good job there green team. Then comes the blue team with Cell. Local memory write is about 4GBps, 40% of the next slowest bandwidth there. Then comes the bomb from hell, the Cell local memory read bandwidth is a stunning 16MBps, note that is a capital M to connote Mega vs a capital G to connote Giga. This is a three order of magnitude oopsie, and it is an oopsie, as Sony put it “(no, this isn’t a typo…)”.

If you can write at 250x the read speed, it makes Cell local memory just about useless. That means you do all your work out of main memory, and the whole point of local is, well, pointless. This can lead to contention issues for the main memory bus, and all sorts of nightmarish to debug performance problems. Basically, if this Sony presentation to PS3 devs shown to us is correct, it looks like PS3 will be hobbled in a serious way.

The next slide goes on to say “Don’t read from local memory, but write to main memory with RSX(tm) and read it from there instead”, and repeats the table numbers. This is very very bad. The number of times the presentation goes on to say that it is correct, and the lack of anything like “this will be fixed by production steppings, so take measures X, Y and Z” say to me that it is not a fixable snafu. Remember at E3 when I said that the PS3 demos there were object sparse? Any guesses why?

Someone screwed up so badly it looks like it will relegate the console to second place behind the 360. All the devs I talked to were lukewarm on the 360 architecture but universally negative on the PS3. Revelations like this go a long way to explain why you keep hearing about simmering problems from the Sony devs.

You end up with a console with half the triangle setup rate of the 360, a crippled CPU that is a bitch to program, and tools that are atrocious compared to the 360. To make matters worse, you have an arrogant set of execs telling us that twice the price is worth it for half the power, a year late. If it isn’t already too late, Sony had better do something about this recto-cranial inversion or it may very well sink the console. µ

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Wow! Seems to me like Sony just keeps getting caught in lies. The only people that are still promoting the “all-powerful” PS3 lie are fanboys and people Sony has paid off. According to the facts the Xbox 360 is a more powerful system. We already knew Sony’s GPU was old and less powerful than the 360 Xenos; now it seems the entire console is slow and broken. Yet Sony and the fans keep lying.

Pathetic to say the least.

PS3’s RSX GPU was underpowered and outdated 12 months before the PS3 launch.

The RSX ‘Reality Synthesizer’ graphics processing unit is a graphics chip design co-developed by NVIDIA and Sony for the PlayStation 3 computer console.

Specifications

• 550 MHz G71 based GPU on 90 nm process [1][2]
  • 300+ million transistors (600 million with Cell CPU) [3]
  • Multi-way programmable parallel floating-point shader pipelines[4]
    • Independent pixel/vertex shader architecture
    • 24 parallel pixel-shader ALU pipes
      • 5 ALU operations per pipeline, per cycle (2 vector₄ or 2 scalar/dual/co-issue and fog ALU)
      • 27 FLOPS per pipeline, per cycle
    • 8 parallel vertex pipelines
      • 2 ALU operations per pipeline, per cycle (1 vector₄ and 1 scalar, dual issue)
      • 10 FLOPS per pipeline, per cycle
    • Maximum vertex count:1.1 billion vertices per second
      • polygon count: 366.6 million polygons per second
    • Maximum shader operations:100 billion shader operations per second
    • Announced: 1.8 TFLOPS (trillion floating point operations per second) (2 TFLOPS overall performance)[5] [6]
  • 24 texture filtering units (TF) and 8 vertex texture addressing units (TA)
    • 24 filtered samples per clock
      • Maximum texel fillrate: 13.2 GigaTexels per second (24 textures * 550 MHz)
    • 32 unfiltered texture samples per clock, ( 8 TA x 4 texture samples )
  • 8 Render Output units / pixel rendering pipelines
    • Peak pixel fillrate (theoretical): 4.4 Gigapixel per second
    • Maximum Z sample rate: 8.8 GigaSamples per second (2 Z-samples * 8 ROPs * 550 MHz)
    • Maximum anti-aliasing sample rate: 8.8 GigaSamples per second (2 AA samples * 8 ROPs * 550 MHz)
  • Maximum Dot product operations: 51 billion per second [7]
  • 128-bit pixel precision offers rendering of scenes with high dynamic range rendering (HDR)
  • 256 MB GDDR3 RAM at 700 MHz[8] [9]
    • 128-bit memory bus width
    • 22.4 GB/s read and write bandwidth
  • Cell FlexIO bus interface
    • 20 GB/s read to the Cell and XDR memory
    • 15 GB/s write to the Cell and XDR memory
  • Support for OpenGL ES 2.0
  • Support for S3TC texture compression ^[1]

 Press Releases

Staff at Sony were quoted in PlayStation Magazine saying that the “RSX shares a lot of inner workings with NVIDIA 7800 which is based on G70 architecture. Since the G70 is capable of carrying out 136 shader operations per clock cycle, the RSX was expected to feature the same number of parallel pixel and vertex shader pipelines as the G70, which contains 24 pixel and 8 vertex pipelines. ^[2]

In August of 2005, an nVidia spokesperson was quoted in PlayStation Magazine as saying “the RSX GPU is basically a slightly less powerful GeForce 7800″ [[10]]

NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang stated during Sony’s pre-show press conference at E3 2005 that the RSX would be more powerful than two GeForce 6800 Ultra video cards combined. ^[2]

PS3 fanboys and the “inclusion tactic.”

The Playstation 3 is arguably one of the worst systems ever released; anyone with common sense know this even the Playstation 3 owners. This is why you see so many Playstation 3 owners invading alternate console forums attacking the posters and utilizing what I call “The Inclusion Tactic.”

Basically since the Playstation 3 has had such a hardtime this go around Sony fanboys are now making statements such as the following:

“TRUE GAMERS own all three consoles!”

“Hardcore gamers would own the Playstation 3 too!”

This is a last minute ploy to boost Playstation 3’s install base by convincing weak-minded consumers that they must own a Playstation 3 Blu-Ray player too if they want to be considered a “true gamer.” Bear in mind this ridiculous belief is usually only spread by Sony Fanboys that are looking for some way, any way, to increase their failing consoles install base.

Hence the term “inclusion” tactic. The point is to make one believe that if they don’t buy all three consoles(which would mean wasting money on the worthless Playstation 3) one is not a “true gamer/hardcore gamer.” This is quite false. True gamers/Hardcore gamers aren’t console crazy they are “game” crazy. Thus a “true gamer” would always purchase the gaming console that has the best GAMES; not all three. Spending money on extra consoles which do not contain a good library of games would be counterproductive as that would decrease the amount of money that could be spent on expanding the library of the gaming system that has the games. A “true gamer’s” bottom line is games and the gaming play itself; they are not and I repeat are NOT about running around buying every console out.

 A true gamer would say the $600-$400 I would waste on the PS3 Blu-Ray player could be spent on buying 7 to 4 new 360 games and would thus blow off the PS3.

 If you go around buying multiple consoles just to say you have all three and play the small amount of lackluster games and handful of good ones on the Playstation 3 you’re not a hardcore gamer. You’re a PS3 fanboy that just got ripped off by Sony. 

Running out buying tons of systems makes you a true consumer — and a multiple console owner – not a true gamer. True gamers spend more money on games than on hardware. That’s why the 360 attachment rate for games is so high. Hardcore gamers buy the best games not multiple consoles.  As of right now the largest amount of hardcore gamers own Xbox 360s and Nintendo Wiis not Playstation 3’s.

The Playstation 3 is a Blu-Ray player first and a gaming console second. Sony sacrificed it’s hardcore gaming system status for Blu-Ray. Hardcore gamers are about games not Blu-Ray. Next time you hear a Sony fanboy use the “You have to buy all three” tactic tell him/her to fuck off and go fool someone else with that fanboy bullshit. 

NPD: Xbox 360 and Wii software outsell PS3 software in January.

January 2008 Software Sales

1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360) — 330,900
2. Wii Play w/ Remote (Wii) — 298,100
3. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Wii) — 239,600
4. Rock Band (Xbox 360) — 183,800
5. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360) — 182,700
6. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) — 172,000
7. Burnout Paradise (Xbox 360) — 144,100
8. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PlayStation 3) — 140,000
9. Mario Party DS (Nintendo DS) — 138,500
10. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Nintendo DS) — 133,000

 At least the Playstation 3 managed to get ONE GAME on the top 10 list.

Unknown poster says “Are ps3 fan boys jealous of the wii because its passing it in sales?”

The short answer “Yes.” You’ll hear everything from how the Wii is supposedly “silly” to how it is “just a fad” coming from the Playstation 3 crowd. The source of this hatred coming from PS3 fanboys is obvious, compared to the Nintendo Wii sales the Playstation 3 sales figures are absolutely dismal.

This means more people are interested in the Wii which is supposedly “just a fad” than the Playstation 3 and all of the overly done coverage concerning DVDs on steroids(Called “Blu-Ray” to disguise the fact that it is still just another DVD, but in high definition.) as opposed to where the real future lies, which is online. I’ll say this once and once only; Nintendo is the first video game company that made having a gaming console in the home worthwhile. Sony fanboys are angry because Nintendo has come back to claim it’s crown and it has a new partner Microsoft. Sony’s position in the gaming world is mediocre at best now and having formerly been the king it is now relegated to the slave quarters.

Why the Playstation 3 has already lost the console war.

 Go to any forum talking about the format war — which is now over — and you are bound to hear tons of Playstation 3 fanboys proclaiming the Playstation 3 is making a comeback. They base these claims off of Blu-Ray’s recent victory(against HD DVD, which many say was the superior format; Blu-Ray was inferior in comparison. HD DVD has a better picture and was an all around better product and many agree.), NPD sales from early this year that had PS3 sales abit higher than 360 sales(bear in mind no console sold over 300K in this period and the early months of the year are following heavy holiday sales which left many retail establishments with shortages of their Nintendo and Microsoft product) and overall from the online rants of Sony/PS3 fanboys who will argue till the world has ended that their console is the best.

 There is only one problem with the claims made by the Sony/PS3 fanboy crowd; they are not very realistic. For one, Blu-Ray’s victory against HD DVD – which was never established anyway(HD DVD was vying for the market just like Blu-Ray is) – really means nothing when Standard DVDs still account for 90% of movie sales, secondly the black market which sells DVDs for $5 has already put a hole in the pockets of the movie companies(DVD has been hacked and so has Blu-Ray…already); who is going to pay full price at the store when the can get the same movie for only $5, third movies are in a slump noone is buying them TV lost over 2.5 million viewers last spring alone to the internet which brings me to my last reason Blu-Ray will have a hardtime.

 Physical media is dying. CDs are being trumped by downloads as is television itself. Everything is moving to a digital format; the new Macbook does not even have a disc drive due to the fact that so many people simply download media now. Blu-Ray is not a huge improvement over DVDs as a matter of fact Blu-Ray is still in fact a DVD. The only difference is it is a High Definition DVD. Not much of a reason to buy the same movie twice; DVDs was a huge step above VHS tapes but Blu-Ray is nothing revolutionary as a matter of fact with the digital realm quickly becoming the norm Blu-Ray’s days may be numbered. For those that believe Blu-Ray is the topnotch physical media for High Definition I must introduce you to the Tera-Disc which has over 20 times the amount of storage a Blu-Ray disc does and embodies cutting edge physical media technology should physical media last that long.

As far as the NPD sales numbers go no console sold more than 300K showing that noone was really buying consoles at all after the holidays. Pointing to a month or two of sales after a period(i.e. Jan, Feb or even March) where both the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 sold over 1 million consoles in the U.S.(and the Playstation 3 did not even break 1 million sales during the holiday) and denying — or ignoring because you’re a fan of Sony and/or the PS3 – that the consoles that had tremendous sales(i.e. The 360 and the Wii) during December would of course experience shortages in the months that follow such a huge turnover seems shallow, petty, fanboyish and quite ignorant.

Lastly, Sony’s PS3’s main support is from fanboys online and in the media. I once even heard a fanboy on some unknown news channel lie and say the Playstation 3 outsold the Wii in the United States last December. Anyone with a brain that has been watching the console wars knows this is a blatant lie and can verify this by simply pulling up the actual sales numbers which can be found here: http://www.digitalbattle.com/2008/01/17/npd-hardware-sales-for-december-2007/

According to these numbers the Playstation 3 came in last. I guess in Sony/PS3 fanboy world it’s number one eh? Moving on, the Sony camp — and those they have paid off obviously – are now claiming the PS3 is going to win the console war due to Blu-Ray(Part of the now dying physical media and movie industry which is nowhere near as successful as they used to be with the internet around, even Apple does not believe in Blu-Ray and has chose to go digital with their Apple TV technology built for delivering digital HD to your television set) and a few video game titles actually being released for the Playstation 3. The Sony fanboys are also claiming the PS3 is going to be a 10-year console which is laughable. Some base this off of the fact that the Playstation 2 is still going strong. What they fail to realize is that even though the Playstation 2 is going strong this did not prevent the Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 from being created. The Playstation 3 is not the Playstation 2 they are two different consoles. One is doing poorly while the other is selling well. Also, the reason the sales for the Playstation 2 are still strong is because when the Playstation 2 came out they took advantage of the most widely utilized format, standard DVDs, and because the Playstation 2 is a gaming console(with some amazing games) first and foremost. The Playstation 2 was not utilized to market what the producer hoped would be a widely utilized revamped high definition version of the “same format”(Like the Playstation 3 did) instead it took advantage of one that already existed. Kind of like the Wii and 360 is doing now. Notice how in December sales the Playstation 3 — which is the only Blu-Ray player – comes in dead last? This is very telling.

The next generation of consoles is due soon and trust and believe they are going to be even better than the ones we have out now(with the exception of the Playstation 3 which was pretty much just  trojan horse to force Blu-Ray onto consumers. They even went as far as packaging the Playstation 3 with HDTVs. Yes the sales were that dismal and Sony is that adamant about forcing a dying physical format down our throats.) By the time people actually start thinking about High Definition players in mass the next generation of consoles will be out and digital formats will be on the rise. The Playstation 3 lost the console war because even if it does gather a few sales as a Blu-Ray player it will be too late. By next year we will start hearing about the next consoles and their release dates. What the Sony fanboys fail to realize is that consoles only last about 4 maybe 5 years before the next group of consoles are released. Keeping that in mind remember this iteration of the console war began in late 2005 with the release of the Xbox 360; this is now the third year of the console wars. Next year makes four years which will pretty much be the end and the next consoles will be on the way, the Playstation 3 came too little, too late to the arena and the Wii and 360 stole the show. Blu-Ray is not the norm, people still use standard DVDs and playing the role of a Sony fanboy for a moment even if it does become the norm in say a few years by then people will be playing the new Nintendo and Microsoft consoles leaving Sony once again in third place making outdated, ridiculous claims.