""New PlayStation 3 Details Emerge"

[JTK]

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/10795/...etails-Emerge/

The latest issue of PSM has revealed new details about the PlayStation 3. While CNN’s Chris Morris claims that Sony won’t announce a price for the PS3 at E3 2006, PSM says the PlayStation 3 is expected to sell for about u$s399 in the U.S., €322 in Europe and ¥45,965 in Japan.

The magazine also claims that the console will come standard with a 60GB, non-removable hard drive.

For those who care about backward compatibility, PSM also revealed that PSO and PS2 games will run on the PlayStation 3 in 720, 1080i and 1080p.

The magazine also confirms some info we already knew. First, all games will come in Blu-ray Disc media and there won’t be regional lockouts. Second, the launch line-up, as well as the final design for the controller, will be revealed at next month’s E3 expo.

Finally, the console will launch in the first half of November with the PlayStation Network Platform service launching simultaneously with the console and offering free online gameplay.

1.) How?!

Believe me, I would love for that to be true, but...THIS kind of hardware?!

2.) This has to be a critical deathblow to HD-DVD IF it ends up being true.

[zombie]

I'll wait for official confirmation but I've been thinking all along the PS3 would be priced between $399-$499. Not a penny more!

[zombie]

Kind of funny that an XBox site posted this info.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by nyg

Kind of funny that an XBox site posted this info.

Right?! I couldn't believe that link when I saw it!

[The Don]

............wow....

[Shadowself]

US$399 ???

There will be many, many pleasantly surprised people (consumers and Blu-ray advocates) if this is true.

There will be many unhappily surprised people (Blu-ray player manufacturers) if this is true. It will be very difficult for them to sell players significantly more costly than this. US$1,800 for a BD player? Only if it serves coctails and gives a backrub too!

There will be many truly ticked off people (the entire HD-DVD supporting group) if this is true. This price, if true, effectively will be a multi mega-ton nuke detonated in the middle of the HD-DVD group.

Personally, I hope it's true. But those things that seem too good to be true usually are just that -- too good to be true.

[Xanog]

I hope that's true, as I've been really hyped about the system.

[AV_Integrated]

Ha - we get a lot of guys from AVS Forum over here don't we?

I would have to say that this, once again, flies in the face of everything (EVERYTHING!) the HD-DVD camp has been saying for the past 6 months. It comes in at a very reasonable price with all that is expected.

Really, it is still just rumor and $499 wouldn't suprise me at all. Yet, the reality is that Sony wants HD-DVD to disappear. They want a Blu-ray base of 10 million+ players in homes ASAP. They want the 40%+ of PS3 owners who will use it for movies as well as gaming.

Heck, E3, June 25th, November 1.... None of it can come soon enough for me this year!

[garyc]

€322 here?! wow - i'm buying!!!

[thunderhawk]

UPDATE

Randy Nelson, the Executive Editor of PSM, contacted us to clarify some of the info posted in this article. Nelson was kind enough to provide the actual quotes frome the magazine. He explains:

First off, our story doesn't specifically list any price as confirmed. On our piece, we write: "According to Sony, the price of the system 'will not retail for under' about $425 Japanese yen. Since game consoles are typically a little cheaper here in the U.S. than in Japan, it's reasonable for us to expect to see a price tag of $399."

Secondly, we don't say that the 60GB hard disk drive is "non-removable"; specifically, we write: "Every PS3 will come standard with an upgradeable 60GB hard drive."

€322 is a too bright future sorry We'll probably see the PS3 selling for $399 and for €399.

However, since PS3 is selling for $399 in the US, this equals ~€319 (actually 318.15 EUR). This means Europeans pay €80 or $100 more then US residents. Quite unfair in my eyes since PS3 will launch worldwide at the same date... The japanese retail price is the same as the US retail price. Quite a pity for us, European residents.

I used the latest currency data:
1 USD = 0.797725 EUR

[Blackraven]

Originally Posted by AV_Integrated

Ha - we get a lot of guys from AVS Forum over here don't we?

I'm one of them (although I say too often in the Sony Bravia LCD TV threads :P)

Still glad to see that I'm not a lone AVS forum member here in the Blu-ray forums (and I'm not a techie/geek as well, only 16 yrs old :P)

Anyways, I'm surprised that they can make an announcement of USD$399. I wouldn't mind if it was 599 US Dollars (which is around 30k-36k Philippine Pesos) for a super hi-spec machine.

IF EVER they do release it at that price point, then I can already get a Black PS3 at a price that won't exceed 20,000 pesos (after 4 months or so).

However, true or not, fact or fiction, I'm liking the idea of a standard Hard Drive though (can be used as a boot device or for security checking, etc.)

[no_wei]

two points:

1. If it does retail for $399 US, I'm sure I can expect to pay $499 in Canadian dollars. While this type of mark up made a certain amount of sense when the PS2 was launched (which may have even retailed for 299 US, I can't remember, but I'm sure someone can correct me) and the Canadian dollar was worth about 65 American cents, the Canadian dollar is now worth almost 90 American cents and who knows where it'll be by Novemeber. But hey, that's life.

2. I don't know how much of a strain a "bargain-priced" blu-ray player in the form of a PS3 will actually put on manufacturers of just straight players. I guarantee the initial shipments of PS3s will be sold out within the first week of its release, if not the first day, and the people buying these will be buying it because it's a PS3 not because its blu-ray player (even though, in many cases, the fact that it is a blu-ray player might be a contributing factor in the decision to purchase). So, unless people looking for a blu-ray player at the best possible price are going to be extremely proactive in pre-ordering a PS3 or standing in line for hours or even days on end, I'd be willing to bet you'll see very few people who end up with a PS3 as a cheaper blu-ray solution.

/no