Sony on PS3 Date Finally

[Wizard]

[uPDATE] Sony confirms delay for next-gen console, says it will support an Xbox Live-like online gaming service; console will require a 60GB Linux HDD--but will it be sold separately?

 

TOKYO--Today at the 2006 PlayStation Business Briefing in Tokyo, Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutagari made it official--the PlayStation 3 has been delayed. The news confirmed widely circulated Japanese newspaper reports, which said that the delay was due to copyright-protection problems with the next-generation console's Blu-ray drive. For his part, Kutaragi would only say the delay was due to "Blu-ray spec finalization."

 

Kutaragi told the crowd at the event that the PS3 would now launch in November 2006 worldwide. That dispelled fears that the console would make it to Japan in time by the fall, but would miss the all-important holiday shopping season in the US and Europe. In fact, Kutaragi explicitly told the crowd of game retailers and journalists present that the PS3 would arrive before Thanksgiving in all territories.

 

Besides the delay, Kutaragi also made official another widely reported aspect of the PS3. He said that Sony is indeed preparing an Xbox Live-like online gaming service for the console, which would be called the "PlayStation Network Platform." Though he was short on specifics, the executive did say that currently Sony planned the service to be "free."

 

While the simultaneous tri-territory PS3 scheme may sound much like Microsoft's international launch of the Xbox 360, Sony plans to avoid the shortages that befell its competitor. Kutaragi said that the company plans on producing at least one million units of the console each month in order to keep the supply channel full. He said the goal was to ship 6 million PS3s worldwide by March 2007.

 

[uPDATE] The SCE president also told the crowd that the PS3 would use a 60GB 2.5" hard disc drive (HDD). A slide show during the presentation said the HDD would will be loaded with the Linux operating system versus Microsoft's Windows OS. The show also said it could be used as a "home server" and be directly connected to the Internet, and be full "upgradeable."

 

Kutaragi also made it clear that the hard drive will be necessary to play games, as it is telling developers to make games assuming every PS3 had a hard drive installed. "We view the Hard Drive to be mandatory for the PS3," he said. "Rather than to have developers create games for the PS3 with or without the HDD, we will be asking them to develop them as though all PS3s have the HDD installed."

 

However, Kutaragi revealed that Sony had not decided whether or not the PlayStation 3 would come with the hard-drive pre-installed. "We might end up installing it in all PS3s, though that depends on the market," he said. This raises the possibility that the PS3 could be sold without a piece of hardware needed to play PS3 games--in effect forcing consumers to buy a peripheral for basic functionality.

 

Kutaragi also said that PS3 games would only be released on Blu-ray discs, as DVDs have become too easy for software pirates to duplicate. The high-capacity format is capable of storing around 50GB on a single disc.

By Tor Thorsen, Brendan Sinclair, Henry Niizumi -- Gamespot

 

Pre-determinded fate for Sony? Will they fall? Will they rise again? Are they going to get knocked off the mountain? If history has taught us anything, they get super cocky, then BOOM, crash.

[BlackKnight]

The backwards compatibility, free ( ? ) online service and the possibility of digital distribution of old titles are all good draws.

 

Strangely enough the most touted BluRay media capabilities I find the hardest to get excited about.

 

All in all I dont think Sony will fall this time. But well see.

[Inky]

still no price.

Kutaragi also made it clear that the hard drive will be necessary to play games, as it is telling developers to make games assuming every PS3 had a hard drive installed....

However, Kutaragi revealed that Sony had not decided whether or not the PlayStation 3 would come with the hard-drive pre-installed. "We might end up installing it in all PS3s, though that depends on the market," he said. This raises the possibility that the PS3 could be sold without a piece of hardware needed to play PS3 games--in effect forcing consumers to buy a peripheral for basic functionality.

 

WTF is up with that? you have to have a HDD mandatory, but we might not include one with every ps3 bundle?!?!? at least MS made the Hdd optional.

Edited March 15, 2006 by garageink

[Daeval]

still no price.

Kutaragi also made it clear that the hard drive will be necessary to play games, as it is telling developers to make games assuming every PS3 had a hard drive installed....

However, Kutaragi revealed that Sony had not decided whether or not the PlayStation 3 would come with the hard-drive pre-installed. "We might end up installing it in all PS3s, though that depends on the market," he said. This raises the possibility that the PS3 could be sold without a piece of hardware needed to play PS3 games--in effect forcing consumers to buy a peripheral for basic functionality.

 

WTF is up with that? you have to have a HDD mandatory, but we might not include one with every ps3 bundle?!?!? at least MS made the Hdd optional.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, this is odd. My best guess is that they're going for more of a media-center approach. The box will have some use other than games even without the hard drive (home theatre, etc). If you want to play games (or run a "server," whatever that means, etc), you'll have to get an HDD, which they might sell in a variety of flavors for different levels of user (they said it will be "upgradeable"). This is wild speculation, of course, but it sounds preferable to having vastly different versions of the console on the market, as MS has talked about.

 

Not packaging the HDD with the system solves this problem: I know I want a PS3 and I want a 120GB HDD in it. They've decided to package a 60GB drive with the system. Now I have to buy the 120GB seperately and hope I can pawn the 60GB on eBay.

Edited March 15, 2006 by Daeval

[Gryph]

If the games require an HDD and the system doesn't come packaged with one expect A LOT of angry customers. I don't know why Kutaragi even said that, he should have just not said anything like that.

 

Simultaneous launch sounds cool though. Although, it says 6 million units by March 2007. That means the launch is going to be even worse than Xbox 360s. It seems the best case scenario would be 2 to 3 million at launch and I think the demand for PS3 is going to definitely be higher than XBOX 360 in Japan and probably Europe. That's of course if they meet their production target. Time to preorder and put it on ebay.

 

I'd wait till E3 for any price info at the earliest.