Nice surprise – Sony will release the pS3 this year in November and it’s a worldwide launch. There is coverage everywhere but Joystiq have pulled most of it together. It’s really quite a mixed bag of news. Main points for me…
- As already mentioned there will be a global release in early November. Early money on Nov 11th. Pre-order to avoid disappointment and e-bay sharks who have already started.
- Blu-Ray. Every game will be supplied on a Blu-Ray disk – lot’s more room than a normal DVD. More importantly this will be the cheapest way of getting a Blu-Ray player for the foreseeable future.
- Hard disk….60Gig. Linux OS will be pre-installed.
No clarity on whether it’s a standard feature or an add-on.Now confirmed as a standard feature with rumour that a larger disk may be optional. Make it standard Mr Sony – bump up the price but give us one standard platform rather than the Xbox Core and Premium fiasco. - Mmmm – Linux. At the same time Sony have talked about the PS3 as a home server that you can store media on and play from elsewhere (PSP?). This could be a killer feature if you can also play media (of any type) from anywhere in the house. Sony would have almost certainly THE best media center player and games console in the one device.
- HDMI….time to upgrade the amp
- Online service. Sounds like Xbox live. Basic free service included. Voice chat, messaging etc etc.
- Backwards compatible
- Price at least $425. Sounds reasonable given the technology to be included.
No screenshots, no (hopefully redesigned) controllers. Yet another console launch just before my birthday. Joy. Roll on E3 for actual screenshots.
Tres interesting indeed. Will they have globally adjusted PRICES though, or will we get a dollar = pounds price.
I’ve not succumbed to any other game platform, from PlayStation to PS2… so this will probably be next for me. The BIG question: how soon after launch will Pro Evo be ready!
I would expect dollar = pounds with a little bit added. 360 was $399 and £280 when launched. It’s not the gaming that makes me grin- it’s the ‘what else can it do’. So much potential coupled with so much Sony hype.
As for Pro Evo, it’s usually launch in November in the UK. I would expect a 360 title and a PS3 unless Konami get ties up with a Sony exlcusive.
As a very occasional gamer, Sony certainly have my attention with their products, in particular the “what else can it do”. 1st the PSP as a portable web browser and movie player – now the PSP3 running Linux. Of course the fact that the hardware is often subsidised so that you’ll buy software means that in the past hardware manufacturers haven’t been too keen on the likes of me buying hardware when there’s not a whole load of games I’m going to buy for it. As for price – I’ve said before, it’s usually VAT that’s the real killer, rather than the pure dollar/pound conversion.