PS3 Price, Rev Assassinating Controller Info, also Atlus and Squeenix News.

[Velorath]

Didn't see this posted anywhere else yet, but it looks like the pricing of the PS3 has officially been announced.

It will be available in two versions: one with a 60GB hard drive, and one with 20GB. It will launch in the US on November 17 for $499 ($549 CDN) for the 20GB version and $599 ($659 CDN) for the 60GB one. The machine will launch in Japan on November 11 with the 20GB version fetching 59,800 yen, and the 60GB one bearing an "open price," which means retailers will set the price themselves. Europe and Australia will also get the mahcine on November 17, with the 20GB version running for 499 euros, and the 60GB configuration going for 599 euros.

[schild]

Get your infoz here. Weened from about 10 sites worth of press information.

Also, having read a bunch of other sites - live blogging makes bad writers even worse.

Merging other thread with this one.

[MrHat]

Awesome.

Just awesome.  I'm more than willing to dish out $500 for a PS3 that is backwards compatable, comes with a blu-ray player, has a controller that is bluetooth (pc compatable maybe?), and will let me watch my tv in all it's glory.  I don't think the extra 100 will be worth it for the 60 gb hdd to anyone except schild, who already admits he has a spending problem.  Wonder what movies will be released in Blu-Ray formats first, and what the cost will be.

Also: yea to free online play.

How many of us are planning on free ps3's?  Buy 2 like the government!

Couple Pics:

[Moaner]

Found this on another forum.  No HDMI, memory stick/SD/compact flash slots, or WiFi on the cheap version. 

Heavenly Sword looks amazing.

[Velorath]

$500 isn't as bad as I was expecting.  I'm sure some people will find all kinds of uses for 60GB of space but I'm not one of them so when I pick one up (probably after the first price drop) I'll probably just stick with the 20GB, unless of course they've changed the configurations by then.

Oh, and a note to Square:  Stop milking the fucking FF shit already!  I remember when the release of an FF game used to be a special occassion and now they've got almost a dozen of them in the works.

[schild]

Found this on another forum. No HDMI, memory stick/SD/compact flash slots, or WiFi on the cheap version.

Thanks, frontpaging the graph.

Heavenly Sword looks amazing.

I'll tell you when I play it.

[schild]

Press sheet cutout.

[MrHat]

Good .pdf find, guess I'll have to find another hundred bucks.

I wonder how many sales sony will lose to microsoft because of the people who have already blown their my-money wad on the 360.

[schild]

I'm more worried about a launch lineup that doesn't warrant $600. $400 I can think, ok, mediocre lineup, par for the course - 360 plz. $600 makes me step back and say - mediocre lineup, HOW MUCH? Fuck off.

[Miasma]

So the new controller looks just like the old controller but without vibration and this goofy motion detection, is that right?  And can someone give me the lowdown on the whole three different versions of FFXIII please, what are they doing there?

Finally, those photoshop nintendo fans sure are fast (not the real controller).

[Moaner]

I'll tell you when I play it.

/rude

I'm jealous.  If it plays as smooth as it looks like it does I think we are in for a treat.

Also, those pics are sexy.  Too bad the thing is so damn big, 5 kilos.

[schild]

Vibration, for the most part, sucks. 99% of the games don't use it well. In fact, the only thing that does is Fishing controllers and lockpicking minigames.

What's funny is now there will be PS3 exclusive games and games that come on the 360 and PS3 and games that come on the PS3 and Rev, but not games on all three systems.

Sony is smarter than words can convey. And Nintendo should have waited longer.

[Velorath]

I'm more worried about a launch lineup that doesn't warrant $600. $400 I can think, ok, mediocre lineup, par for the course - 360 plz. $600 makes me step back and say - mediocre lineup, HOW MUCH? Fuck off.

Maybe they figure watching Blu-ray movies will balance out the mediocre lineup of games.  Partial list of movies that will be available....

[schild]

Maybe they figure watching Blu-ray movies will balance out the mediocre lineup of games.  Partial list of movies that will be available....

$30 a pop. How fun.

[Velorath]

Maybe they figure watching Blu-ray movies will balance out the mediocre lineup of games.  Partial list of movies that will be available....

$30 a pop. How fun.

I feel the same way about $60 video games for the amount of entertainment they give.

[MrHat]

Ya fuck that.  Maybe we'll all have to buy into sony's shares so that we can get some sort of vicious money cycle going.  Spend money on sony, get money from sony -- repeat.  This is the same reason I don't buy any games any more.  That shit is way too expensive.  Digital distribution save us!

Anyone have a compiled list of PS3 release titles? I'm tired of sitting at my computer reading and not playing games, so I'm gonna fire up BF2 for a while.

[Signe]

Sheesh... everything is getting so expensive!  These new consoles better do something other than just run games.  Like housework or sex.

[Moaner]

Seems like an odd list of titles.  I was disappointed when I noticed Silent Hill is not on the list.  I really enjoyed it and it is the type of movie I'd actually want to see in HD.  Who the fuck needs a Blu-Ray version of Blazing Saddles?  Great movie, but...

I'm tired of sitting at my computer reading and not playing games, so I'm gonna fire up BF2 for a while.

Same here.  Silent Hill 3 ho!

[MrHat]

Sheesh... everything is getting so expensive!  These new consoles better do something other than just run games.  Like housework or sex.

The future is now!

But seriously, the controller wireless, vibrates, has a port for expansions, and a gyroscope for motion sensing.  Skin that thing in rubber and sell it at a sex shop.

Edit: It doesn't vibrate.

[Trippy]

So the new controller looks just like the old controller but without vibration and this goofy motion detection, is that right?.

It's not full motion detection, it's more like a tilt-sensor -- i.e. it's not the same as the main Wii controller. Also it has Bluetooth and also works wired through USB which also charges the controller.

Edit: Actually I take that back, it does have an acceleration sensor so it can do some motion sensing. How much it can do relative to the Wii controller remains to be seen.

And can someone give me the lowdown on the whole three different versions of FFXIII please, what are they doing there?

FF XIII - story about a girl that looks like a guy
FF versus XIII - story about a guy that looks like a girl
FF agito XIII - story about who TF cares, it's a mobile phone game

[Fabricated]

That's about the price I was expecting. What a fucking ripoff charging more for HDMI output and memory stick/SD/etc support since that takes absolutely nothing to add in cost terms. No WiFi is super weak too.

[schild]

HDMI definately does cost more. Not enough to warrant how they're handling it though.

[MrHat]

The $100 is justified in my opinion.  Wifi adapters run $50 retail (or 100 if you bought that 360 one), more HDD space, and hdmi.  Memslot should've been included in the low package too.

I like that Sony is doing stuff that warranted the wait.  I mean, copying what others do and just including them. 

[Velorath]

Why the fuck are they making console purchasing so complicated these days?  I barely understand what HDMI is so I can imagine how the mother who is picking the system up as a Christmas present is going to feel when the sales person starts talking about the $600 configuration with the HDMI, WiFi, and all that shit.  As it is I've seen people struggle to understand what the Hard Drive in the X-box 360 is for.

But yeah, looking at it all it looks like the $600 model is the best bet.  I'll be holding off on buying one for quite a while though (but then I told myself that with the PS2 also and ended up buying it at launch).

[Fabricated]

I seem to recall Sony stating that the Blu-Ray standard will not downscale image quality if HDMI is not used. Pretty recently as a matter of fact.

So uh, what's the point of HDMI again since decent component cables can put out the exact same quality image?

[Trippy]

Blame Microsoft (or thank them as the case may be). The Xbox 360 doesn't have built in wireless networking ($99 accessory as MrHat mentioned), standard memory card slots ($40 for a 64 MB memory card? Hell I can get a 1 GB CF card for that much money) or HDMI output. In other words the "base" PS3 is as close to the Xbox 360 as possible, except with a Blu-ray drive of course. With the 60 GB PS3 you get all the goodies that are costly accessories for the Xbox 360 plus HDMI output plus a bigger hard drive to boot.

[MrHat]

The price point should've been $449 $499.

Would've made for happier people.

[Trippy]

I seem to recall Sony stating that the Blu-Ray standard will not downscale image quality if HDMI is not used. Pretty recently as a matter of fact.

So uh, what's the point of HDMI again since decent component cables can put out the exact same quality image?

It's up to each publisher to decide what to do with the non-digital, non-copy protected outputs. They've sort of vaguely said they will not use the special AACS flag that downconverts analog outputs for a while to give time to the thousands upon thousands of people who don't even have digital inputs to yet again drop a huge chunk of change on a brand new TV.

[Fabricated]

I seem to recall Sony stating that the Blu-Ray standard will not downscale image quality if HDMI is not used. Pretty recently as a matter of fact.

So uh, what's the point of HDMI again since decent component cables can put out the exact same quality image?

It's up to each publisher to decide what to do with the non-digital, non-copy protected outputs. They've sort of vaguely said they will not use the special AACS flag that downconverts analog outputs for a while to give time to the thousands upon thousands of people who don't even have digital inputs to yet again drop a huge chunk of change on a brand new TV.

I don't recall Sony saying that they were not going to use the flag for only a period of time. That, and I don't know how many consumers would be happy about their games and movies not being able to play in high def if they got the cheaper PS3.

[Trippy]

The price point should've been $449 $499.

Would've made for happier people.

Yes, though I think $100 for a Blu-ray drive is already a steal so making it +$50 instead of +$100 would've cost Sony another $200 million or so this first year alone (assuming they can actually crank out 4 million units by the end of the year). I'm personally happy with the pricing and am willing to plunk down $600 once some decent games are available. At best they could've shaved off maybe $50 from the 60 GB model without hemorrhaging more money than they already will be but I'm sure they padded that extra $50 in there just to stem some of the losses.

[Trippy]

I don't recall Sony saying that they were not going to use the flag for only a period of time.

This is Sony we're talking about here (note the "forseeable future").

That, and I don't know how many consumers would be happy about their games and movies not being able to play in high def if they got the cheaper PS3.

It's not an issue with games, hence the reason why the Xbox 360 doesn't have DVI/HDMI output.

Edit: Oh and I guess Sony gave up on the idea of dual HDMI outputs.

[Litigator]

On one hand, a high launch price makes sense because launch demand always exceeds launch supply. If you have a million units at launch and can sell a million at $600 and five million at $400, it doesn't make sense to have frustrated gamers lined up around the block, only to be disappointed. Economically, when demand exceeds supply, a seller should raise the price. This means that all consoles should launch at a higher price than they do, and then the price should be cut when the demand at that price tapers off. There's an obvious publictity hit to be taken by a game company that screws early adopters by cutting the price within a few months of launch, but the companies get plenty of heat for being unable to meet launch demand. Sony effectively captures the Ebay booty for itself, while it loses the benefit of hype and news stories about lines and the desirability and prestige that attaches itself to highly scarce products. It's also possible that a launch price lower than the market will bear subsidizes the third-party developers who create launch titles, since buyers paying less than they might be willing to will spend the difference on software. 

However, the market for a $600 PS3 is smaller than the market for a relatively comparable $400 XBox, which means that all the people who are, to some degree indifferent between the two options will likely choose the Xbox. The PS3 will also take some heat for being substantially more expensive without being substantially more powerful.  The goal of console design, as I see it, is to pack the most powerful gaming device possible into the low-price box. If this was a $600 with an exceptionally powerful computer, or tons more memory, that would be one thing, but the decision to tie up that much cost in the drive is a really questionable one, if the goal is to sell a game console. 

As a marketing strategy for Blu-Ray, PS3 is excellent, but as a design decision for PS3, Blu-Ray is probably a bad call. A dual-layer DVD holds 9GB, and I have never seen a game that needed a second DVD disc. 

[sigil]

Not a Nintendo fanboi, but I think they're laughing at Sony's attempt to to steal their innovations, at least with this iteration.

The Sony controller didn't change, it's still that bajilliony buttoned multi joystick contraption that is the barrier to entry for  people who don't play video games. Sure it may have motion sensing capabilities, but it's still an awkward little thing.

And I'm sorry,  six hundred dollars is fine if you're a total moron who has to buy on launch day,  but in  a time where a lot of peoples expendable income is now being diverted to paying for their SUV's drinking habit it makes a lot less sense.

Paying five bills for a high def dvd player may make it worthwhile, but again, thirty dollar movies just don't sound like something I want to buy, no matter how many pimples you can see on Clint Eastwoods nose when he's training the next karate kid girl to be the best female boxer in the world. I admit I may be alone on that, or just a cheap bastard.


This does not expand the market. At all.

The Wii, still can't get used to that name, does a better job of that by its design. Wether it actually will or not, that's going to depend on the software.


That said I wouldn't but a Wii either  until I see some solid results in their library.


edit: Add Wii to the splling dictionary :)

[Trippy]

As a marketing strategy for Blu-Ray, PS3 is excellent, but as a design decision for PS3, Blu-Ray is probably a bad call. A dual-layer DVD holds 9GB, and I have never seen a game that needed a second DVD disc. 

It's getting there though. We babbled about it a bit over here but just to add another another data point, Tomb Raider: Legend takes up 7 GB on my PC. I'm not sure why it takes up so much space since it's a relatively short game but it does. So it won't be long before PC games uncompressed will take up more than 9 GB. Of course compressed it can take up less space but then on a console you are trading off space for CPU cycles to uncompress the data on the fly. Now there's probably some fancy way to do that on the Xbox 360 and PS3 given they have multiple CPUs/PUs but that's still cycles they aren't using for other purposes.

HD video also takes up a lot of space (720p encoded with H.264 takes up roughly the same amount of space per minute as MPEG-2 480p DVDs do) so if you want a lot of prerendered video in your game you are going to have to make compromises if you want to squish it all onto a single DVD. So I'm sure companies like Square Enix, which ditched Nintendo for Sony because of storage issues back in the day, is loving the roominess of Blu-ray.

[Merusk]

All I know is I sure as hell won't be buying one for myself for at least 2-3 years at that price.   Now, will I buy one on launch day and sell it on E-bay around the day after Thanksgiving? You bet your sweet ass.