Following Michael Ephraim will be Rose Lappin from Nintendo Australia at 3:30PM AEST, and shortly thereafter it will be Microsoft's turn to take to the stage at 4:10PM AEST, where David McLean will present a keynote on convergence and the Live Anywhere concept.
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13:57:
So we're sitting down ready to begin, having managed to secure a front row seat. Right in front of us are three PlayStation 3s, some of the only units in the country. They look incredibly shiny. We're expecting some pretty impressive speeches.
14:17:
The expo has officially opened now and we're only minutes away from beginning.
14:22:
The official opening is now taking place. We've been informed that there is a large line to even get into the expo. It's estimated that there will be 15,000 people walking through the doors for the next two and a half days.
14:27:
Michael Ephraim is about to walk onto the stage to provide his keynote speech, during which we'll get an opportunity to take a closer look at the PlayStation 3.
14:30:
Ephraim is explaining that today was supposed to be the launch of the PS3. Due to a shortage of the Blu-Ray drives, it wasn't possible to launch this year. As a company Sony was disappointed by this, but believes that there are benefits of delaying the launch, namely more games and movies available by the time the machine does appear.
14:32:
Michael explains that the PS3 launches in America tonight, and now he's going through some of the features of the console: Blu-Ray, Wifi etc... He asks whether consumers care about specifications or the games? The answer is the "entertainment experience". Michael wants to use today to demonstrate what is possible for the Cell chip, and why it makes for entertaining gameplay.
14:33:
Sony Computer Entertainment has been very vocal about the specifications and the power of the Cell. The Cell is the heart of the PlayStation 3 and Sony is very proud of this technological achievement. Apparently it's the size of a fingernail, and will deliver a "unique experience". The PlayStation 3 is 30 times more powerful than the PlayStation 2.
14:34:
After 6 years of 110 million sales and 2 million in Australia, some developers have found themselves limited by the specifications of the PlayStation 2. The developers now have an opportunity to add more than they ever imagined and now they're working out "how to" rather than "if".
14:35:
Michael is talking about the introduction of games and how far games have come in the world. (Meanwhilie the PlayStation 3 GUI is being displayed on the two screens.) Michael is using the Atari as an example of how far games have come. Starts discussing the, er, Atari 2600.
14:36:
And now we've switched to 1995, the launch of the original PlayStation. The PlayStation introduced 3D gaming in the home console market, and also launched disk-based formats. Using CD media the console was capable of playing high quality soundtracks. For example, in WipeOut one of the main drives for the game was the audio.
14:37:
Now we switch to the PlayStation 2, which features a new format, DVD. The processor (Emotion Engine) allowed for more improved AI, and games such as Gran Turismo 4 and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas took advantage of the console.
14:38:
The PlayStation 3 will provide the "best" graphics, with visuals which will display five times better than on standard definition televisions. The PS3 features a Blu-Ray drive and features a web-based interface which lets you browse many different websites at one time. The entire presentation is being done from the PlayStation 3. On a sidenote, James believes he saw a game on the screen called "Lucky You" whilst Michael was browsing through the PlayStation 3.
14:39:
Bill Dixon, a technology manager at Sony, provides us with the following definition of the Cell: The Cell is at the leading edge of multicore processors. Chips with more than one processor are burnt onto the same piece of silicon, and the Cell chip has up to nine cores, each of which can run massive amounts of separate calculations. It provides an obscene amount of processing power to enhance performance and render in real-time.
14:42:
Michael is currently showcasing a trailer for Resistance: Fall of Man, which he says will be a launch title. The trailer looks impressive and is in high definition. The weapons in the game will have a few more hardcore qualities. The team have explored the power of the console, the environments are all intelligent. Each individual bullet produces pieces of shrapnel, and each of these pieces are aware of what it is and what it is doing. This is an environment which simulates reality.
14:46
Ephraim is explaining a real time situation, which wasn't able to be demonstrated here for "insurance reasons". He explains that the PlayStation 3 is able to calculate how an object will react in a game. For example, a rock hitting a window wouldn't take out the entire window, but just a little bit of the window. The console is able to work out the speed and trajectory of a rock hitting a window. For every action there is an equal reaction, this is the same with the PlayStation 3.
14:49:
The AI is the most challenging part of a game to code. It is often the most demanding on the unit, yet the specs of the PlayStation 3 mean we can forget about the demands on the unit.
14:50:
If you're playing a game of soccer, it is fun. It is fun because your opponent is able to react to your movements, it is a human opponent. The PlayStation 3 has the power to make the games more lifelike.
14:52:
My favourite game Motorstorm is now being displayed on the screen, it's a very impressive trailer and showcases the carnage you can get up to in-game. We had an opportunity to play the game today and the trailer is representative of even the early build we had an opportunity to see. Even though it's once again set on just the one track.
14:53:
"What makes Motorstorm fun?" This is answered by looking at things you may not notice at first in a game. Motorstorm is as entertaining to watch as it is to play. It has "rewritten the rule books, so that in Motorstorm you're provided with the feeling of watching people, not just buggies and bikes." The developer behind Motorstorm is Evolution Studios, who are behind the extremely popular WRC series.
14:54:
Michael is moving onto the high definition capabilities of the PlayStation 3. The high definition games (Ridge Racer 7, Lair etc..) can display in 1080P. (While scrolling through the PlayStation 3 GUI, we realised that a trailer for The Getaway was also an option).
14:55:
A trailer for Heavenly Sword is now being displayed. It looks very impressive and the environments look extremely deep and interactive.
14:56:
The PlayStation 3 is a high spec machine, and it is the specifications that will facilitate the things that people won't notice. It will be the experience that the PlayStation 3 provides that people will remember.
14:57:
"We're looking forward to March 2007." So are we Michael, so are we.
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