Sony Issues Detailed PS4 FAQ Ahead of Launch 312
Sockatume writes "Sony has released a detailed FAQ for the PS4 system, which launches in coming weeks. Of particular note: although Bluetooth headsets will not be compatible, generic 3.5mm and USB audio devices will work; the console will require activation via the internet or a special disk before it will play Blu-ray or DVDs; media servers, MP3s, and audio CDs are not supported. The console's "suspend/resume" and remote assistance features are listed as unavailable for the North American launch, implying that they will be patched in before the console launches in Europe later in November."
No media servers? (Score:3, Insightful)
What ever?
Seems like a backward step to me. If Sony thinks that 1000s and 1000s of its devices are being used solely as media servers, they are right.
If they think that omitting that feature will mean more games sales, they are mistaken.
Conflict of interest (Score:5, Insightful)
the console will require activation via the internet or a special disk before it will play Blu-ray or DVDs; media servers, MP3s, and audio CDs are not supported
This is why Sony needs to spin off its media division, as Dan Loeb has proposed.
As long as Sony is both a consumer electronics company and a major movie/recording studio, the consumer electronics division will always be compromised by the need to serve the overall corporate goals rather than the customer's needs.
You just know that the "no media server" and "have to activate on the Internet for DVD/Blu-ray" restrictions were added at the insistence of the suits on the studio side. These restrictions do nothing for customers, and a pure consumer electronics company would have no reason to hurt the functionality of their product by inflicting them.
Re:No media servers? (Score:5, Insightful)
True, if people were buying consoles as media boxes then you are right, they won't sell more games this way, but they might sell less consoles are loss making prices so they would still be better off financially as a result.
Re:Halo 2 ended (Score:5, Insightful)
Which, if you'd read my entire post where I said I don't play games on-line, you wouldn't be suggesting.
For some of us, video games are played alone/with friends in our basement or living room, with no networking involved -- the way it was meant to be done. ;-)
For me (and I realize I'm a relatively smaller minority of gamers), on-line gaming carries absolutely zero appeal. And all of the 'social' aspects (like badges and winning coins and spending real money to get better stuff) is equally meaningless to me.
To me, when I'm in the mood and have time, I'll fire up the video game, play a while, and then turn it off. Driving games, Tiger Woods, Skyrim, the wife's dancing games for the Kinect ... none of these are the kinds of things I want to play against someone on the internet.
My video game console doesn't get connected to the network, and is completely air-gapped. And I can't say I've ever felt I was missing out on anything. In fact, the brief period I had it on-line was enough to convince me that I definitely don't want it.
Re:If you want Linux instead of Sony (Score:4, Insightful)
And regardless of religious background, it is still impolite to use such language.
Impolite? They're mere strings of letters, just like any other words. The only difference is that some people are irrational enough to be offended by these words and expect others to stop using them simply because they don't like to hear them.
Re:Brazil charges prohibitive import duty (Score:5, Insightful)
Depends on how you define "works". If you mean funds the state pretty well and protects some industries at the expense of everyone else, then yes they work great.
not at the expense of "everyone else". That is an over simplification.
For instance, If the price of imported electronics goes up (via an import tariff), this creates an opportunity for local electronics producers to benefit. The local cost of electronics increases, and the profit margins of local electronics producers increase. But the only people who have any increased expense are those who buy electronics.
If you don't buy electronics then your costs are unaffected. And if you buy electronics your costs are affected only in proportion to that specific item.
However the local manufacturing of electronics creates jobs, and creates demand in many sectors, not only electronics (for instance a factory requires construction and machines which are not necessarily made exclusively of microchips). the people with those jobs are now going to spend their money throughout the entire local economy, which in turn benefits everybody locally. In turn this creates more incentive for local investment and even greater local prosperity.
Protectionism has a proven history of working. And every wealthy powerful nation started off as very protectionist. There is not 1 single example of a country becoming wealthy and powerful by starting as a completely open free trade zone.