CONSOLE NEWS: Sony PS3 News

Sony Computer Entertainment leader Ken Kutaragi revealed Thursday afternoon his company's plans to hold a "PlayStation Conference" in Japan in February of 2006. Kutaragi stated that this conference was to be held on the "eve" of the PlayStation 3 launch. Which suggests, of course, that the PS3 is closing in on a March launch in Japan, just like the PlayStation 2 before it. Continuing an announcement-filled PlayStation Meeting in Tokyo, Kutaragi shared an updated schedule of events that will happen as the PS3 nears release. The two entries at the top of the chart are of most interest to game players. The Tokyo Game Show, scheduled from 9/16 to 9/18 will see the PS3 show face in some form, likely with playable games. The PlayStation Conference will follow in February of next year, according to the chart, with the PS3 launch following after that.

In related news, SCEI has also revealed that it has entered a strategic alliance with AGEIA Technologies. Through the agreement, Sony has obtained the sublicensing rights for the AGEIA PhysX SDK (aka NovadeX) for use in its own PlayStation 3 SDK (software development kit). Apparently, the reason Sony wanted to incorporate the PhysX SDK into its own toolset is because of the kit's multi-threading capabilities (which make it ideal for the multi-tasking beast that is the Cell processor). The licensing agreement gives Sony and AGEIA the opportunity to optimize PhysX for PS3 use, while frontline support will be provided by SCEI directly.

Sony chief warns about PS3 price & expects 10-year life cycle

According to Kutaragi, the main purpose in choosing the expensive Blu-ray technology as well as offering HDTV support is to aim for a 10 year life cycle. This means that consumers will not have to upgrade to a high definition or higher capacity model throughout the Playstation's 3 life cycle.

Playstation 3 meeting 2005

Coverage on GameInformer

Playstation Magazine claims to have an inside source on some interesting new Playstation 3 tidbits. excerpts:

#1 No More Memory Cards - All of those old memory cards you have won't be usable with PS3. Okay then, what's the solution? Sony has actually decided to only use Memory Stick Duo cards(the same format PSP uses) for PS3 save data. However, if you play a PS1 or PS2 game on PS3, the system will treat the Memory Stick like it's a normal memory card). This is different from the PS2, which requires you to use a PS1 memory card for PS1 saves. What this means is that you won't be able to use any of your old saves if you play PS1/PS2 games on PS3(wonder if a DexDrive will work...). But there's an upshot to all this: Downloading and sharing saves via PC for all three Playstations and PSP(hint, hint) will be easy as pie.

#2 Peripherals Passed Up - PS3 won't have old style memory card slots, and we can confirm that it won't support PS1/PS2 peripherals that used the controller port. You will be able to play PS1/PS2 games just fine using the new PS3 controller (bizarre as it looks), but things such as dance pads and third-party controllers won't be officially supported. Of course, it's highly likely some PS2-to-USB adaptor will be made(there's already one for the PC) allowing for such a thing. The question, then, is when.

#3 The Specs Aren't Set - Sony revealed some impressive PS3 tech specs at E3, but they apparently weren't set in stone. Developers have begun to tell us about actual improvements being made to the system's specifications, including more system memory and other low-level upgrades that we won't physically notice, but are making the people producing the games simply giddy.

#4 The HDD Won't Be For Games - There were plenty of moans heard when Sony started talking about an add-on hard disk drive for th PS3. We all know how well the PS2 HDD did. Still, there will be a micro HDD released for PS3 at some point in time. The first capacity being pitched is 80 gigabytes, but developers are being told it won't be for use with games. Instead, Sony is planning to use it as pure storage; you'll do things like put downloaded movies on it, copy MP3s to it, and store your digital photos on it. Then, using the PS3's network hub capability, be able to watch/listen to it all on any capable device hooked up to your home network, like a PC, PSP or even another PS3.

#5 The PSP As A "Remote" - A lot of folks were left scratching their heads after Sony talked about using the PSP as a "remote" for the PS3. Well, here's how it works at present: Even if your PS3 is in "sleep" mode, you will be able to access it via a PSP using Wi-Fi. You can then manage media stored on it, control movie playback from another room, or simply turn it on. Whee!

#6 There's A TiVo-like Add-on - Plans call for PS3 to eventually receive a USB video input box that will make it capable of recording video and television programming to the optional micro HDD. In other words, TiVo. Sony is also making a lot of behind-the-scenes noise about being able to go on trips and download shows you've missed from your PS3 to your PSP -- over the internet. We imagine using a USB cable would work just fine, too.

#7 Most games will be 720p - Although many PS3 games will feature 1080i and 1080p high-definition modes, a majority of developers are using the 720p standard as their target resolution. This is great news because the majority of HDTV's out there don't support 1080p yet, and the ones that do are hella expensive. It's pretty, though.

#8 Speed OR Quality: It's Your Call - It's something PC gamers have been able to do for years: Run their games at a lower resolution in order to speed them up. As it stands, Sony is leaving the door open for developers to offer players the ability to make their games run faster and smoother by using lower resolutions like 480p(progressive) or 480i(the standard "regular" TVs use). Sony obviously wouldn't want to abandon the majority of gamers who have non-HDTVs do by forcing all games to run at 720p. It's nice to hear that HD-less folks will get a little speed (can't read) from the lower resolutions, but if you're like us, it's all about resolution, baby.

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Famitsu publisher president is saying that Playstation 3 games will likely be priced $70 to $80 when they hit and don’t forget that buying the PS3 is going to require a second job.

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Well now, its further off than the Xbox 360, games are as expensive if not more, I think Sony are going to lose quite a few customers before they finally release the PS3

Playstation 3 Blu Ray drive will cost Sony $100+

It turns out that at the release of the console in the first half of 2006, Sony will have to pay more than $100 per drive it builds in Playstation 3. This is a lot of money, because even in retail you can buy a DVD +RW drive for less than $50 now.

PS3 to Have Mouse/Keyboard Support for UT2007

The Inquirer has learned that Sony's upcoming PlayStation 3 will have USB keyboard/mouse compatability for games such as the upcoming Unreal Tournament 2007.

IGN has a list of all the revealed games that will be coming to the Playstation 3. The list has word that both the Gearbox-UbiSoft WWII tactical shooter Brothers In Arms and the Atari driving action series Stuntman will both be coming to the PS3 at some point.

Have they made any decisions of how much teh console itself will cost?

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The in a recent news report, the BBC has claimed Microsoft is launching the Xbox 360 "22 months before the Playstation 3". This is in stark contrast to Sony's official line which is that they are planning to launch in spring 2006. If true, it would mean that Sony's next generation console would not arrive in Japan until September 2007. Taking the launches of the PSP and Playstation 2 into consideration that could mean a Christmas 2008 launch in Europe. While it is possible that the BBC got their information wrong, there is no smoke without fire, and it is entirely plausible that they are in possession of information that the games press is not.

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MS is going to grab alot of customers away from Sony, with the difference in launch dates.

Damit :grin: i was planning on getting that this spring. Bu till stay true to Sony because of my hate of the Hexbox.

- Eurogamer has confirmed that the BBC's report of a 2007 PlayStation 3 launch was "just speculation." The journalist responsible for the report told Eurogamer that the 22-month figure did not originate from an official source.

Sony has apparently decided not to take on Xbox Live with an umbrella online service for the PlayStation 3:

The Official Playstation Magazine reported that Sony has elected not to use a central online gaming service for its upcoming PS3 console. Instead of using a unified system like Microsoft's Xbox Live or Nintendo's soon-to-be-launched Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Sony is taking the same path as it did with the PS2. This means that it will be up to publishers themselves to provide players with online features and, likewise, for the players to have a separate account for each publisher in order to play online.

While this means that Sony's publishers will have more freedom to do what they want in terms of their online content, it also means Sony will have a more difficult time controlling the quality of the online experience.

Source: TechReport

- Rumours that PS3 games will not be able to be rented can now be put to rest as Sony officially states that PS3 software will not be copy protected to a single machine.

Source: PS3Focus

Sony spokesperson said that their Playstation 3 game console is still due to launch this spring, although there is no word on whether it will launch worldwide in that time frame or just in Japan:

Sony on Thursday said it remained on track to roll out its PlayStation 3 game console by spring 2006 despite industry speculation that the scheduled launch could face delays.

The timing of the release of Sony's updated PlayStation console has become a matter of speculation in the $25 billion video game industry and among the studios, hardware makers and other companies looking to handicap the battle over next-generation DVD technology.

A spokesman for Sony, the No. 1 provider of game consoles, said it was still targeting a spring 2006 launch for the PS3, which is key to maintaining its lead in the game console market against Microsoft, which recently launched its competing Xbox 360 console.

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Originally Posted by TechZ

- Rumours that PS3 games will not be able to be rented can now be put to rest as Sony officially states that PS3 software will not be copy protected to a single machine.

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:eek2: .. now why doesn't this surprise me ?

But I'll give Sony a clap for doing the right thing with DRM & saying that enough is enough on trying to 'over enforce copyright' :thumbs: ..

Saying that stuff should be 'uncopyable' is one thing (or at least making it difficult, as if you can code it out, you can code it back in :devil: ) but then attempting to say that one peice of software is tied to a specific bit of kit, will bring software makers into a 'war' with the EU legislators over here (& their own domestic legislation as the Japanese think like the EU on this), who know what Free Trade is, perverserly unlike the US who seem to have forgotten, unless it suits them !

(& besides which I know they haven't worked out how to do it ! :D - this was their own patent version of EFI )

According to NextGen, Sony's unified online service for the PS3 is going to be called the HUB. Developer sources are also suggesting that PlayStation 3 is currently scheduled to launch in September.

According to well-placed industry sources, PlayStation HUB will offer PlayStation 3 owners much the same services as Xbox Live, including chat, downloadable demos, independent games and online play. The service is also designed to support PSP online play as well as PS3. It's a departure from PlayStation 2's online strategy, widely regarded as vastly inferior to Microsoft's.

PlayStation HUB is being described to developers as a 'subscriber service' suggesting a monthly charge. We understand the service is being created by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, although this is unconfirmed. Sony boss Howard Stringer is pushing for all media content to be available for distribution over PlayStation HUB, such as music and movies, thus opening up a powerful iTunes-like distribution network for Sony.

Sony Corp.'s next-generation PlayStation 3 video game console might not appear in key markets this year and could cost the company $900 per unit to produce initially, according to Merrill Lynch analysts quoted in the Financial Times on Sunday. Sony has indicated a spring launch for its console in Japan and the industry is not expecting a North American launch until November, the FT said.

But Hitoshi Kuriyama of Merrill Lynch in Japan said there are reports that the PS3 could be delayed by between six and 12 months, meaning an autumn launch in Japan and a late 2006 or early 2007 launch in the US, the FT said. Merrill Lynch analysts in San Francisco have estimated that the initial bill of materials for PS3 could approach $900, falling to $320 by three years after launch, the FT said.

Full story: Reuters

Sony Computer Entertainment just announced that it would launch Playstation 3 in early November 2006 in Japan, North America and Europe simultaneously. With a monthly production capacity of one million units, SCEI will push forward a powerful product launch to spread the platform rapidly throughout the world, together with a strong and attractive lineup of PS3 game titles.

All software will be released on the Blu-Ray format for the purpose of preventing piracy. Apparently the HDD is not necessarily standard, Sony is telling developers "develop for it (or it will not succeed)", and encouraging them to use it. The drive itself will be 60GB, upgradeable, and it will support Linux. The HDD will also act as a home media center and allow users to store various forms of media to be viewed elsewhere (similar to the Xbox360). The final development kits will ship sometime in June, Sony said.

As for backwards compatability, Sony announced that the PS3 will be 100% backwards compatible, and all PS2 titles will be displayed at high-definition resolutions (like the XBox360). Sony will also launch the PS online network with the Playstation 3. The basic service will be free, more details coming. We can assume for now that "basic service" is equivalent to the Xbox Live Silver service. The service will be run by Sony Online Entertainment. That is all the info Sony has revealed on this subject. As for price, Sony has said the unit will not cost less than 50,000.00 JP YEN. This equates to $425.607 USD.

Sony President Ken Kutaragi confirmed that the Playstation 3 (PS3) has been delayed, at a press conference in Tokyo earlier this week. Kutaragi additionally confirmed that the gaming console will ship with an upgradable 60GB hard drive pre-installed with Linux, according to in-depth coverage at 1up.com. Additionally, the PS3 will have network interfaces, and will avail users of network-based services such as "matchmaking, messaging, rankings, friends lists, voice/video chat, in-game shopping, and game downloads," according to 1up.

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Originally Posted by TechZ

..the gaming console will ship with an upgradable 60GB hard drive pre-installed with Linux ..

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Well I suppose I've been trying to make my computing platform into a games machine for years & not really ever suceeding, so making my games machine a computing platform seems far more sensible :thumbs:

Sony has confirmed that its next generation Playstation three will be region free, at least for gaming.

The move was not unexpected, as SCE had previously mentioned considering the possibility of opening up the region structure for PS3 games recently (the newly-released PSP system has but does not use a region code system for games, but that's more a standard for portable games than a new development for region-free gaming.) The system is, amongst other things, hoped to help combat piracy - many import fans "chip" their consoles with region-free mod chips to play import games, and while that desire has some legitimacy, it also opens the doors for pirates to release illegal copies of games. (Funnily enough, it's most often easier to run illegal games on a console than it is to run legit games from other countries due to the way most mod chips work, leading to a slippery slope for importers hoping to stay legit but finding the road difficult to maneuver.) Region-free gaming also allows game publishers to release games across the globe simultaneously, either through e-distribution or on disc. The capacity of Blu-Ray had previously been mentioned to allow for multiple languages of a game to be encoded onto the same massive-capacity disc.

The one caveat of this new region-free structure is that games made for specific regions' electrical and TV standards may have problems on your TV set. A PAL PS3 game, for instance, will have difficulty running on an NTSC TV, unless the developers have thought ahead and planned for that issue. It is currently unknown how the PS3 will cope with this problem (whether there will be a warning when you run an import about possible TV incompatibility, or if possibly there might be a no-play screen for incompatible games depending on your PS3's TV settings.) Luckily, modern HDTV standards go a long way towards making that problem moot. Also, games made in other countries will naturally only have the text and dialog it is programmed with, so don't put your pre-orders down so fast on all of those Japanese RPGs and Dragon Ball if you don't know a lick of kanji, because English will only be in if the developers have planned for it. (It's unknown if there will be any type of "patching" system for multi-language releases, although that might be possible on supported games post-release now that the PS3 is carrying its massive HDD and flash memory support.)

The word is out. Yesterday, Vice President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe George Fornay let the PS3's European price slip. According to Fornay, the PS3 will cost between 499 and 599 euros. That translates to between $613 and $736 for us in the States.

Sony has been saying that the PS3 will be expensive for months now, and Fornay followed up his blunder by insisting that these price points are a quality deal for a Blu-ray player. Nevertheless, all previous attempts at selling videogame consoles at this price point have been rather dramatic failures, even when the systems incorporated 'new' multimedia features.

Full story: gear.ign.com

In a press conference at E3 on Monday, Sony Computer Entertainment finally announced the launch date and pricing for its upcoming PlayStation 3 console. SCE America President and CEO Kazuo Hirai said the console would launch in two flavors on November 11 in Japan and on November 17 in North America and Europe. The cheapest version of the console will feature a 20GB hard drive and will retail for $499 in the U.S., €499 in Europe, and $549 in Canada. A variant with a 60GB hard drive will also ship for $599 in the U.S., €599 in Europe, and $659 in Canada. Hirai did not mention any differences other than the extra storage space between the $499 and $599 flavors.


In addition to the launch and pricing information, Sony also revealed the PlayStation 3's new "redesigned" controller.While the controller looks virtually identical to the current PS2 controller, user wrist movements can also be translated into onscreen movement. In a demonstration, a virtual duck was made to jump out of the water by moving the controller upwards. Sony is following in the footsteps of Nintendo, which has opted for a one-handed motion sensitive controller for its Wii console.

IGN just posted this comparison detailing the differences between the two controllers

Sony Computer Entertainment UK MD Ray Maguire has revealed that PlayStation 3 will retail for GBP 425 when it launches in the UK on November 17th, but has defended the price point as "a bargain" for consumers.

I don't think it's an expensive machine; I think actually, it's probably a cheap machine," he commented. "If you think a Blu-Ray player by itself might be GBP 600-700, and we're coming in at just GBP 425 - it's a bargain."

"The point is that most people don't realise what they're actually getting with PlayStation 3," he said. "Number one, it's a games machine and we all know that. But also it's a high definition video playback device through Blu-Ray, and a lot of people don't really understand that part of the functionality either. There's a big story to tell people and a lot of information to be taken on board."

In the latest public blow against Sony's upcoming Playstation 3 console, the editor of the US Official Playstation Magazine, Dana Jongewaard, has admitted in her official blog that she won't be buying a PS3 on launch day thanks to the $600 price:

$600 might be worth it if there were several huge titles on the near horizon that were PS3-exclusive. But for the first year at least, there are very few big titles that are PS3 exclusive. GTA4 and Assassins will be available for the 360 at the same time. And most of the big guns--FFXIII, MGS4--won't be hitting for quite some time after the launch.

The other big reason for people to shell out $600, BluRay, is frankly something I don't care about. I have a crummy 12-year-old 21-inch very-non-hi-def TV sitting on my stand at home, and while we've been talking about upgrading it for the past three years, we always end up walking out of stores TV-less. And I don't buy movies; I rent non-BR discs from Netflix. Much like I've never been an audiophile--as long as I can hear it, I don't care if it's mono, stereo, 5.1, 7.1--I really don't care how high-res the picture is. My bottom line is that as long as it has color and is free from static, I'm good to go.

So ultimately, I can't justify it. $600 is a lot of money, especially when I can get what--for me at least--will be a very similar experience for $400. I would like to own a PS3, and I hope that the price drops soon so I can consider it. But until then, this Official PlayStation Magazine editor will have to join the dark side.

Sony just announced the price of PS5, I wasn't planning on buying one since I expected it to around 500$ but now with its price at $399, I'm definitely buying one.

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Originally Posted by Sporkren

Sony just announced the price of PS5, I wasn't planning on buying one since I expected it to around 500$ but now with its price at $399, I'm definitely buying one.

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I also plan to buy PS5 this month, part of this amount will be covered by the sale of PS4.