Kutaragi keynote address yields a PS3 surprise
by Nick Doerr 
{ Sep 21st 2006 at 11:45PM }
- The basic PS3 will retail for around 49,800 yen... that's about $425. Will North America get it at said price? Translation was rough and it remains a mystery, but chances are... no.
- Sony is including HDMI in the console. Kutaragi preceded this with saying that HDMI was unheard of in most TV's at the time of E3, but has become more available and so it is being included with the console... we're assuming he means that the lower-end PS3 will now have HDMI abilities.
[via Joystiq]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Roy @ Sep 22nd 2006 1:31AM
DUH!!! YO MAN yall need to find out if North America will get the 20 Gig for 425 AND if it will have HDMI!!! also FIND OUT if they also lowered the price of the 60 Gig... duh... lol
pipe @ Sep 22nd 2006 1:10AM
First they're sour then they're sweet
Oh I love Sony
Patrick @ Sep 22nd 2006 1:17AM
1) Compulsory region free on ALL 1st and 3rd party software.
2) PAL launch dates, none of this “launch window” BS
3) Australia getting pink PS2/PSP?
Nic @ Sep 22nd 2006 1:43AM
Stuff we should know
How will Linux make the PS3 like a PC? Will we be able to install our own office suite and other programs? Will we be able to install printers and other USB devices?
Strike Man @ Sep 22nd 2006 1:50AM
"1) Compulsory region free on ALL 1st and 3rd party software."
Seconded. Phil Harrison said that PS3 "Software will be region-free" at GDC, but since Sony hasn't gone on the record about this since MARCH, and with PSM's new issue stating otherwise, I fear that this won't be in the final product. At best, I worry that it may be like the 360, where it's "region free"....unless the publisher decides to not make it so.
Ritchie Nolasco @ Sep 22nd 2006 3:22AM
Before, Ken Kutaragi stated that the $499/$599 price points for PS3 were "cheap."
Yet he went back on his word by making a complete reversal and admitted that the new console is actually too expensive for Japanese gamers.
Despite the price cut, PS3 is still exorbitant and has no good games launching with it.
Butterball @ Sep 22nd 2006 4:21AM
"HDMI was unheard of in most TV's at the time of E3, but has become more available and so it is being included with the console"
Wow...the Sony hype machine boldy going at it yet again. HDMI is no more prevelant today then it was six months ago at E3...he acts like the world has drastically changed in 6 months.
I'm guessing that Sony corporate just came up with this idea yesterday after Microsoft announced that the 360 will be able to support 1080p as well. It's their only chance at 1 upping microsoft in some way. HDMI is the only thing they have left that they can say "here's something we have that you don't"
Problem is...last minute changes like this could lead to even more delays. I wonder how quickly the hype machine will kick into gear as Sony retracts everything they said about Component cables being just fine before. But I guess the last six months there has been some magical movement that suddenly makes that all moot.
Truth is though, the Xbox 360 still has 720p, 1080i, and 1080p.
What does this mean for the value of the second sku? I think the HDMI was the only worthwile addition in the second sku that the first was lacking.
Andir2.0 @ Sep 22nd 2006 9:51AM
"Problem is...last minute changes like this could lead to even more delays."
I don't think this is last minute... Did you ever think that this could have been the reason for the cut in production? Many will attribute it to the diode shortage, but I have to imagine Sony knew about this change MONTHS ago. That or they planned it all along, testing the waters (per say), with the non-HDMI version.
The second SKU is just an upgraded version, larger hard drive, wireless ethernet, memory card reader... think of it like a bundle package.
Cage @ Sep 22nd 2006 7:12PM
"Did you ever think that this could have been the reason for the cut in production? Many will attribute it to the diode shortage, but I have to imagine Sony knew about this change MONTHS ago. That or they planned it all along, testing the waters (per say), with the non-HDMI version."
Some people can spin stuff worst than Fox news...
the_pwnerer @ Sep 22nd 2006 11:37PM
"Despite the price cut, PS3 is still exorbitant"
Umm... for 25 bucks more than you'd spend on a 360, you get backwards compatibility with PS1 and PS2 titles, HDMI, guarantee that your games will use the included HDD (you are paying for a hard drive, after all), and you don't have to pay to play online. Also, no need for "extra content" payments because almost everything fits on a Blu-ray disc. And that's not to mention the fact that it is a Blu-ray player. Perhaps the lower price point for japan on the lower end model is a response to microsofts offering of the lower end 360 model that has no HDD, no HD-DVD games, no HD-DVD movie player, and no HDMI (just one game). Oh, did I mention it is impossible to completely upgrade the 360 to meet *any* of the two models of PS3?
"and has no good games launching with it. "
Anyone that states this has played the games and must know the absolute truth (and therefore can make the absolute statement of classifying every game as "non-good"). If that's not true, then anyone stating that is a dipshit; especially because they forget that the Xbox 360 had only mediocre games for launch. But hey, I'm a reasonable man, so I will assume you have indeed played all the games.