That's exactly why I dropped PC gaming almost entirely, in favor of consoles. No, I'm not knocking PC games, but I'm now able to get the experience I want out of consoles.

It's ironic, tho: One of the knocks on PC games has been the constant update/patch process. Newer consoles are like small PCs; soooo....

Hopefully, this is an isolated incident.

We all have a common hardware setup. No secrets or oddities that can misshap... I see no reason to make this to sucha joke this really seems to be. Rushed and stressed to market. That's what happends when you get a console connected. Take the good with the bad?

I haven't loaded a PC game in awhile, but I remeber having the option to load the entire game or just parts of it onto the HD(minimum recommended for decent performance).

Thanks for the explanation!

>> same data in different sectors of the disk to improve reading speed. <<

That is not sucha big factor actually. If you read some 'aftermath' interwievs with Bethesda software programmers. True is Ubisoft f@cked up with this update (update?!! wtf)

PS3 has 256MB XDR RAM, 256MB GDDR3 RAM, and 128MB Flash Memory for Firmware. Just letting you know. I'm sure 360 devs would love to do the same thing with their hardware, but since the HDD doesn't come standard on the 360 they can't rely on it for heavy-duty functions. Bethesda and a few other devs brought this info to light.

He talks a lot of crap. He it trying to find (false) ways to prove that the ps3 is greater than the 360. Why are you so desperate? Be happy with the game(s) you own.

The Xbox 360 has 512MB of revolutionary new Unified RAM that is much more advanced than the Non-Unified RAM used in the Playstation 3.

The Xbox 360 is the ONLY videogame console to use the new Unified RAM format. In an effort to keep costs as low as possible, the Playstatation 3 was forced to use the same old outdated Non-Unified RAM technology that has been used for decades.

Game developers are the ones who decide how to partition the fully optimized Unified RAM in any way they want. You can read about that here: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/h...

One of the reasons why the Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty 3 is better than the Playstation 3 version is because the Xbox 360 RAM is so much superior to the Playstation 3 RAM.

Both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 have 512MB of RAM; however, the Xbox 360 uses revolutionary new Unified RAM technology that is fully optimized to work with both the Unified Shader GPU and the tri-core CPU.

Like I previously mentioned, the Playstation 3 uses the same old Non-Unified RAM technology that has been used for decades.

Basically, what this means is that the Non-Unified 512MB RAM in the Playstation 3 has two separate sections of RAM. The first section of RAM is 256MB of System RAM that is optimized to work with the CPU. The other section of RAM is 256MB of dedicated Video RAM that is optimized to work with the GPU.

Although the Playstation 3 GPU does technically have access to the CPU System RAM, it is VERY important to remember that the CPU RAM is NOT optimized to work with the GPU; that is NOT its primary function.

Whenever there is a need to use more than 256MB of Video RAM, the Playstation 3 is at a MAJOR disadvantage when compared to the Xbox 360, because the Non-VRAM CPU System RAM of the Playstation 3 offers a very ineffient level of performance when used by the GPU, simply because of the fact that the CPU System RAM is NOT a form of fully optimized Video-RAM.

Also, it is important to remember that no matter what happens, the Playstation 3 CPU can NEVER access the 256MB of Video-RAM that is dedicated to the GPU. And no matter what happens, the Playstation 3 GPU can NEVER use more than 256MB of dedicated Video-RAM that is optimized to be used as Video RAM.

The Xbox 360 uses 512MB of 100% Unified RAM that is optimized to be used by both the CPU and the GPU. This means that the RAM can be used whenever and wherever the developers need it at any point in time.

Here is an example that looks at things from the point of view of the GPU:

If there is a need to use over 256MB of RAM for Video-RAM, the Xbox 360 can devote more RAM to Video-RAM in a fully optimized way. In a graphically intense section of a game where there is a need for much more detailed graphics, but a lower amount of Artificial Intelligence because there are fewer enemies on the screen, there might be a need for 384MB of Video-RAM, while using only 128MB of RAM to control things like Artificial Intelligence of the enemies. A boss encounter with only one enemy on the screen--a GIANT boss with awesome graphics--is a perfect example where the Xbox 360 has a HUGE technology advantage, because it would be able to apply 384MB of RAM that is optimized to function as Video-RAM.

Here is another example that looks at things from the point of view of the CPU:

If there is a need to use over 256MB of RAM for the CPU System RAM, the Xbox 360 can devote more RAM to the CPU System RAM. In a stealth game that requires high-quality Artificial Intelligence when there are lots of intelligent enemies hiding behind trees in a jungle, there might be a need for 384MB of CPU System RAM.

In a situation like this, the Xbox 360 might devote one of of the three CPUs in its tri-core design to controlling the artificial intelligence of the large number of enemies. Game developers at Tecmo and Ubisoft have talked about how games like Assassins Creed have superior Artificial Intelligence on the Xbox 360 because of the Unified RAM design of the Xbox 360 that works so well with the tri-core processor design of the Xbox 360.

The bottom line is that several things are VERY clear:

1. The Xbox 360 Unified RAM is FAR superior to the Non-Unified RAM of the Playstation 3. It makes life much easier for developers for one very simple reason; it is very efficient--RAM is NEVER wasted! The RAM of the Playstatoin 3 is outdated and inefficient. There are times where the Playstation 3's CPU needs more RAM, while the GPU is not using all 256MB of the available Video RAM. This literally means that Playstation 3 RAM is wasted because it is needed, but not being used.

2. The Xbox 360 Unified Shader design is superior to the Non-Unified Shader design of the Playstation 3. This is already an advantage seen in many games, but the fact that Windows Vista gaming with DirectX 10 is nearly identical to the Xbox 360 in the way it is based on the Unified Shader design means that it will be VERY easy to port Windows Vista PC games to Xbox 360, but much more difficult to port PC games to the Playstation 3. In two years time when Windows Vista is the standard for PC gaming, this will be a HUGE advantage!!!

3. Xbox 360 has much more General Purpose CPU power than the Playstation 3. IGN has said many times that the tri-core CPU design of the Xbox 360 is much more flexible and developer friendly than the Playstation 3's very outdated parallell processing design that is very difficult to work with, just like the Sega Saturn, which used a similar design. Playstation 3 can perform more Floating Point math calculations than the Xbox 360; however, it's important to remember that Floating Point math calculations are primarily used in things like spreadsheets; they are not optimized to work with videogame graphics and sound like the Xbox 360 customized hardware is.

4. The Xbox 360 customized GPU from ATI has much more polygon power than the Non-Customized GPU in the Playstation 3. The final versions of Xbox 360 development kits were completed this summer of 2006, just like the final versions of the Playstation 3 development kits. 1st Generation Xbox 360 games were programmed by developers using unfinished development kits that only used a small percentage of the power that the Xbox 360 system actually has available; the game developers had access to only one of the three CPUs of the Xbox 360. 2nd Generation Xbox 360 games like Gears of War are released in a way that allow a much larger percentage of the Xbox 360's power to be used! Never forget that even the Independent Playstation Magazine said that 2nd Generation games like Gears of War are the reason why the Playstation 3 will NOT have the best graphics.

Sorry this post isn't about what you want to believe nor is it based off of what if? theories it's based off of a collective understanding from tech gurus and Pro-developers, if its not true im sure Sony will be quik to diss prove it even if it does go against devs understandings. MASS EFFECT, GoW, Halo3, Elvoen, Lost Oddessy, Forza2, Too Human are just the begening of the proof. I'll post many links if needed links only fuel flame wars even more.

...on the server or the network that was causing the downloads to drop halfway through, so the Playstation had to restart the DL from the beginning.
Can't imagine a path so big it needs 45 minutes worth of broadband.

In all fairness it was Sony who was thumping its chest at the E3 2005 when it announced the PS3. It was going to have the most amazing graphics, Basicallly CGI but render in realtime on the fly. The most powerful system period. It was going to have 2 HDMI outs and run all games at 1080p @ 60FPS. So its not all been MS by a long shot. Remember it takes two to tango!

I think you are confused, we are not talking talking about patch updates. Not like the one released for the Resistance the other day. We all all that will happen and that's a good thing. You see... a patch update existant files/data and update them to improve or update the game. But what's happening here is that, data from the disk is being copy to the drive. The xbox 360 does not do this. If the PS3 drive would be faster (specially now that data stored in disk is larger) this installation will no be necesary. Is this becomes a trend, what will be the difference between a PC and a console? It's obvious that Sony was not kidding when they said that the PS3 is a PC. It will suck if I have to install and wait the first time I play a game.

You don't install PS3 games on the hard drive. I believe 2 games where released that offered a partial install to improve loading times but since then developers have found better ways to resolve the probelm. The 3 games I own, Resistance, Motorstorm and Virtual Fighter 5, do not require nor give an option to install on the hard drive.

Typically if it's sudden and without fanfare, it was them being fired, Jims case was so bad they didn't even wait for a replacement, that's pretty severe.

Yoshida didnt run sony. So if the share holders wanted him gone, he had to go.