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I'll be using it mostly as a Blu-Ray player (unless I can scrounge up a copy of Valkyria Chronicles at this late date...), and odds are I'll never hook up its online capability. Is there any reason to spend an extra $50 on the 250GB HD version instead of the 120GB?

Also, do I recall correctly that they don't actually give you the cables you need to connect it to an HDTV?

I got the 120GB version a month or so ago and it came with an HDMI cable for connecting to an HDTV.

EDIT: upon further reflection , I may have bought my own HDMI cable for it. I can't remember specifically if one was included.

I can't see you ever using 150gb much less 250gb. The media players / way you play ends up being too clunky to use the drive space for actual video. The only thing that will get used on the internal PS3 drive is data from games copied to the hard drive for faster loading. Unless you plan on preloading 60+ games you're never going to run out of space.

http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=16985.0

Damn it, how come that didn't show up when I searched the forums for "buy PS3?" >.<

I just got a ps3 with Demon Souls  as an early christmas present from my sister and her fiance.  It was the 120GB.  It did not come with a HDMI cable; just the regular yellow/white/red standard AV out (plus power and controller cord.)

No HDMI cable is included, just composite (ugh).  Monoprice has 'em cheap, though - I still don't get how people get suckered into buying HDMI cables for $50+.

http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=18164.msg739258#msg739258

I had to upgrade the 20gb in mine, didn't take nearly as many games as I expected to fill it up. But I'd expect 120gb to be fine for the forseeable future.

That said, the drive change is simple.

Bought mine a couple weeks ago and it didn't have an HDMI cable.

Haha, I buy industry grade HDMI cables for 15 bucks for 3 meters, and 5 meter cables for 21. I turn around and resell those 3 meter cables for 100 bucks and not one customer ever even has a problem with that.

Congratulations on joining the dark side!

I have had a PS3 since the third day they were offered for sale.  It has been a great blu-ray player and I started to use it as a media center a few months ago to play AVIs.

I just bought my first games for the system today, Oblivion game of the year edition for me and Monsters vs Aliens for my daughter.

Costco has a HD TV kit that has 2x12foot HDMI cables a soft cloth and some cleaning spray for like $30 or so.  I just received a ps3 120gb for my 40th yesterday and the only cables included were composite.  Also, I haven't had a console since the sega genesis and man the ps3 menu system with it's 40+ options makes me feel like a retard, I guess I need to L2PS3.

Given that they want another $50 for the 250GB drive, you would be as well buying an external USB drive when you fill up the smaller model.

Just swap the existing 120GB drive out and put a giant (320-500GB) SATA laptop drive in - it's a pretty straightforward process.  I say this because I've got just under 80GB filled on my PS3's drive just in mandatory game installs and save game files.

I noticed it's a best seller on gamestop.com now. So you can probably find it easier. Funny seeing it sell well after all this time. Certainly deserves it though. The more I think about it, it's the best game on the system.

I'm sure dropping the price down to $20 helped sales a bit.  I'd probably pick it up if there wasn't so many games coming out in the next few months.

As good as it is, and as great a price as that is, I honestly don't know if you'll like it. You've hinted at not liking at anime before, which is part of it's charm. Then again, it's so good that it just might turn you over to the dark side.  :hello_kitty:

[edit] don't mind the derail!

I was more interested in the gameplay than the story.

The game doesn't devolve into using up all action points on just one soldier to quickly get to the victory goal?  I wanted to pick it up a while ago but when the Gamestop manager "borrowed" it between the time I saw it in-store online and the time I got there I read that tidbit and passed.

You can min/max the game if you want but the game doesn't force you to play that way. Basically if you want to get the maximum grade and therefore the most points on each mission there are usually only one or two strategies that will get you that which often entail using only a handful of your characters as speed is of paramount importance in getting the highest grade and the fewer characters you spend action points on moving the further they can move (up to a certain point). Or you can play however you like and not worry about completing each mission in the fewest number of turns and if for some reason you need some extra points to level up or buy things you can play a few skirmishes.

Do the points actually mean anything, or is it just the typical JTRPG-type system of giving you a rating for each mission? Advance Wars does this too, but the ratings don't appear to mean anything (and I think you can replay them as well, from memory).

Can you replay them in VC?

Part of the exp and money you earn at the end of a mission is based on your mission grade.

You can replay some of the missions (slightly altered) as skirmishes if you feel like leveling up your characters more or you need more money to research (buy) new equipment, etc.

Not really possible, I think? A good deal of it is sitting through cutscene chapters/storyline. It's not anything you just jump into like Advance Wars or something like that. Besides that, I would go so far as to say that it's the best example of a game where you feel like you're in a battle/shonen anime. The pacing and drama and presentation and the way things ramp up within the gameplay mimics the style of those battles perfectly. It's an interactive anime series if there ever was one. More true to the genre than beat em ups and fighter styled games.

Damn, I was unaware of that part (Only played the Demo). Is that shit skippable? Because tragic war-torn Anime drama with a side helping of R&J thrown in really isn't my cup of tea. I outgrew 90% of Anime in my early-mid 20's. Now it grates as hard as all of those shit shows they show on Fox 8. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox8#Programming)

Umm, well it's not exactly "tragic". It has both drama and lighthearted stuff. [edit] And no you can't skip it. The whole game is done from the perspective of you, the player, reading a book (there's nothing so obviously telling you the importance it's placing on "story" than a "book" ;) ).

Each turn in the story is a chapter in the book. Each chapter contains one or two battles it's retelling, and that you play through -- but the chapters as a whole consist of little mini cutscenes you must get through as well. And they're not long or burdensome. Anyways, stop worrying. It's fun.

From the (admittedly very well done and visually attractive) video montage that's part of the Demo, it seemed there's a romantic love story between some cutesy little anime chick  (typically a 16 year old Lieutenant in the armed forces in these things) and a tank driver, who may or may not be on the opposing side. Which indicates either a tragic love story when he dies towards the end, or some kind of Romeo & Juliet tragic love story thing if he's on the opposing side.

I mean, the game art is very well done, and I don't mind it being the wrapping for a good tactical wargame, but I don't want to be watching endless cutscenes of (what I wil no doubt consider) badly-acted badly-written anime.

Please tell me it's not like this. (Yes, I have bought it, was waiting for some time off work to crack it open and play it).

The love story is only part of it and they are both on the same side so there's no Romeo and Juliet thing going on there.

I think the story is actually the best part of the game. The hero is like the anti-JRPG-hero -- he's intelligent, thoughtful and articulate (if he didn't have to fight he'd be studying to be a naturalist) and doesn't whine about the responsibilities forced upon him. The other characters are like that too -- they aren't your typical JRPG caricatures. You can skip the story "episodes" but to me I wouldn't play the game just for the combat system.

Turned out every store in the area was sold out of the 120GB. So I bought the 250 after all, reasoning that it only meant buying one less game this month that would only sit on my shelf while I play LotRO.

(Also, one of my wife's Christmas presents required Blu Ray.)

EDIT: Valkyria's Alicia may be my favorite character design of the last 2-3 years. It's the combination of kerchief and ponytails (and a little bit of rifle). Before I knew what her name was, I called her "hot sniper peasant girl." A friend from BW even bought me a figure when he visited Japan:

Like trippy indicated, very un-angsty. He's just an eccentric bird watcher. Nor is it badly acted, be it the JP version or the Eng. I would say the English is just as good. And again, it's not "wrapping". It's very much a story based game. If you were suspecting just a chess board and an occasional anime character popping up and talking, then no, that's not it.

Ummmm...................why?

As much as I appreciate bullshitting online, I do not use the online capabilities of the PS3 myself. Umm, not with games much at least. Online gaming is overrated.  :awesome_for_real: The Playstation Store services are worth it, and of course.... updating ^__^ I don't know what it'd take me to become an bonafide online gamer with that thing tho.. or the Xbox for that matter. Sadly, a decent MMO might do it. Shooters are out of the question. I'm trash.

Maybe you should check out Demon's Souls.

I truly dislike playing games with strangers. With friends? Sure. But no one else in my circle of friends owns a PS3, and fuck PUGs. Fuck them in the ear.

Which is fine, because the only multiplayer PS3 game I found interesting was Warhawk. I mostly play turn-based strategy and roleplaying games, not action games. My level of interest in, say, Call of Duty is nearly zero.

Whilst driving all over northern Maryland this morning trying to find a snow shovel, I stopped at every Gamestop until I found a copy of Valkyria Chronicles. A winnar is me.

I like the game, but don't care for the online play there either. That's a little too de-personalized for my tastes.

/groan

I said an MMO might drag me into participating into more online play on the PS3. Not sure what the groaning is about. I like Demon's Souls well enough, but what does it have to do with anything I said? There's nothing massive about it. Groan about the guys here taking too long to buy Valkyria Chronicles.

The groan was simply because your post was silly. Too de-personalized? What are you even trying to say. Not to mention the multiplayer there is 100% optional, so much so that I wouldn't even call it online play. There are henchmen, they can hurt you or help you. It's basically a single player game with a stone labeled "I suck and need people to know" and another that says "I rock and need people to know."

The notes and blood splatters are just flat out brilliant innovations - neither of which is really "multiplayer." It's like garfield minus garfield.

Why is it silly? I never said anything bad about it. I was talking about MMO's on PS3. Someone suggested it, and I'm basically just saying it isn't one. It's fine for what it is, but something that would draw me into more online play would give me a lot more opportunities to be social, have more to explore, build, and even make a lasting effect etc.. [edit] tldr : It's "Depersonalized" in terms of what I said. MMO. I'm not going to get into an argument about something I never even addressed. I never said it was a bad online game in some general sense.

Demon's Souls is an MMO?

I got PSN hate mails from people I "met" there, so at least it generates as much emotion as one  :grin:

Wait, PSN has mail?

(Sorry, my PS3 is about 5 days old so I truly am clueless)

I can repeat schild's comparison.  Demon's Souls is to a MMO as Garfield Without Garfield is to Garfield.  Mainly this means the most annoying bits are removed, revealing something wonderful.

That doesn't make sense. Although I'd agree it removes annoying bits. But MMO's are by definition annoying. And sometimes great for the very same reasons.

The one hate mail I got was from an invading black phantom I killed twice in a row in 1-4.  He actually called me cheap for waiting out his warding spell by dodging around his spells and then attacking when warding faded.   :uhrr:  

I sprung a trap on him the first time and when he invaded the second time I changed hiding spots and watched him check every nook and cranny before advancing while constantly recasting warding.  He literally checked around every pillar where the dragon breathes fire (I had already killed the dragon).  I couldn't stop laughing.

Edit:  And watching how other people do things either as blue phantoms or black phantoms is one of the draws that keeps me playing the game despite having memorized everything about the levels.  That's MMOish.

It's worth hooking your PS3 up to the Internet to be able to watch YouTube on it if nothing else.  To say nothing of streaming Netflix, Hulu, movies from your PC's hard drive, etc.

My wife, in all her glorious angelic awesomeness, bought me a PS3 for Christmas then let me open it early. Seriously. I don't deserve this shit. But I'll certainly take it!

Anyways...

Can't get Hulu to work and some brief searches around the 'net tells me that Hulu blocks PS3. Anyone got more info on that?

Are you using Playon for this?

I use Play On for Hulu support. it's dreamy.

It is what it is.  Hulu blocked the PS3 browser a couple of months back.

As other say, use PlayOn.  I use it to stream Hulu to both my 360 and PS3.  I believe it supports Wii as well, but I've never tried.

Gotcha. Thanks.

I use PlayOn for Hulu, which occasionally fritzes out when Hulu changes their movie format but is usually fixed within a couple of days.  And if you're a subscriber Netflix will send you a magic blu-ray disc that streams their instant content.

I'm unsure of the official nature of your MMO definition :oh_i_see:.  But I know what you are saying.

I'll steal ffc's comment:
"watching how other people do things either as blue phantoms or black phantoms is one of the draws that keeps me playing the game despite having memorized everything about the levels.  That's MMOish."

and call this Garfield without the Garfield of having to listen to them /yell 'sow plz' or /ignore them.  So, using your own definition of MMO = annoying, let's agree (I hope) that Garfield comics are annoying.  Who knew that when you took the Garfield out of Garfield that you'd be left with something awesome?  Same when you take the MMO out of a MMO.  It all falls into place like a house of dominoes.  Check mate.

My official definition would be "highly annoying" to most. The prototype for any ideals I have about MMO's is probably Shadowbane. Let's forget the obvious annoying shit like sb.exe for a second. I still like the annoying elements of shittalking and harassment (as opposed to mere "PSN Hatemail"), corpse looting, guild vs guild social dynamic (as opposed to faction), city building, city razing, and complete cockblockage of valuable resources. Almost everything else is basically "Garfield without Garfield".  :oh_i_see: Otherwise, I'm going to lose interest and would rather play single player games.

Que?

When I think of MMO's, I think of worlds.. and all the annoying shit that goes with them. Places where I can build things, socialize, even ways to have a "rep".  :roll: I don't really care to play online solely for co-op or competition's sake, and merely get my hate mail in a PSN mailbox.  :awesome_for_real: I'd rather just finish Demon's Souls single player bit, and move on to complete different game. I do the same thing with shooters.

You sunk my jenga ship!

I'm still waiting for a sweet deal before I pick up a PS3. Hopefully there's a nice boxing day sale on and I can nab one.

I can think of more than one game you might be playing right now, if this is true.

Keep on top of slickdeals. They occasionally have PS3 deals (such as the one I got, which was 20% bing cash back at overstock.com. made the PS3 $250)

Watch Ebay too, I managed to snag a CECHA01 model a few days ago for $250 total, including shipping.

Awesome, ain't it?



I'm always really wary about buying electronics through eBay, or through the post at all. Software, hell yeah, just not things they play on. Warranties and all that.

Turns out Wal-Mart's boxing day sale includes a PS3 Slim + Batman: AA and InFamous for $299. Looks like I'll be getting a PS3.

Wow, nice deal. Although I haven't played Batman, and got motion sickness from Infamous.. Those games are fresh.  :grin: