View Full Version : Sony, date and price for PS3 at last
Speaking at the E3 games show in Los Angeles, Kaz Hirai, head of Sony Computer Entertainment America, said that the long-awaited PS3 would go on sale in Japan on November 11, with US and European sales set to begin on November 17. Sony said it would sell two different models of the console: a machine with a 20GB hard drive that will cost $499 and a 60GB version that will sell for $599.
Microsoft, which stole a march on Sony by getting the Xbox 360 to stores last November, sells a base model for $299 and a premium version that includes a 20GB hard drive for $399. Justifying the decision to put a hard drive in every machine, as well as a player for Sony’s own Blu-ray DVD format, Hirai said that the expensive technology was essential to high-definition video, which Sony hopes will help sell the machines. :smashin: Not that expensive:clap:
http://www.advanced-television.com/2006/news_archive_2006/may8_may12.htm
Not that expensive:clap:
http://www.advanced-television.com/2006/news_archive_2006/may8_may12.htm
Sony indicated about £425 for the UK in a BBC report for the HDMI model so not as cheap as the £299 many predicted. Also if I've undetstood the reports there is no upgrade path from base to deluxe features. But still cheaper than the $999 Sony BD player. I wonder how they and the other $1000+ BD players will justify the difference?
AVI
shaithis
10-05-2006, 10:49 AM
I wonder how they and the other $1000+ BD players will justify the difference?
Superior PQ, better features/interface/remote etc.
The PS3s BD playback isn't going to be as good, I am pretty sure of that.
Superior PQ, better features/interface/remote etc.
The PS3s BD playback isn't going to be as good, I am pretty sure of that.
Possibly...But what about the difference in PQ with a $499 HD DVD player ......
AVI
boksbox
10-05-2006, 11:47 AM
As somone who left gaming behind years ago, I was suprised to see that most XBox 360 games seem to be of the order of £50, waht price the Sony games be, it won't take long before £1K is spent on a console and 10 games, if I was a parent little Jane or Johnny wouldn't stand a chance of aquiring one of these income disposal units.
jimihifi
10-05-2006, 11:47 AM
Possibly...But what about the difference in PQ with a $499 HD DVD player ......
AVI
But thats the whole point in that HD-DVD will be cheaper.
I doubt there will be any difference in PQ between HD-DVD and Blu-ray standalone players, its just that HD-DVD is cheaper to make.
The PS3 will in no way match a standalone Blu-ray player otherwise makers would never shift any of thier expensive machines.
But thats the whole point in that HD-DVD will be cheaper.
I doubt there will be any difference in PQ between HD-DVD and Blu-ray standalone players, its just that HD-DVD is cheaper to make.
The PS3 will in no way match a standalone Blu-ray player otherwise makers would never shift any of thier expensive machines.
That's my point....:devil: BTW I already have the Tosh A1 and delivered to my door it cost £346. Loving life in hi def now !:thumbsup:
AVI
Packetfront
10-05-2006, 12:10 PM
Will be neglible difference between BD and HD-DVD.
Cheapest format will win as usual today with everything else.
Toasty
10-05-2006, 12:12 PM
As somone who left gaming behind years ago, I was suprised to see that most XBox 360 games seem to be of the order of £50, waht price the Sony games be, it won't take long before £1K is spent on a console and 10 games, if I was a parent little Jane or Johnny wouldn't stand a chance of aquiring one of these income disposal units.
I recall 45quid for playstation one major titles, I also recall my brother spending 55quid on a Nintendo 64 game. Fairly standard to have high game prices at the launch of a new console.
bigbadmuller
10-05-2006, 3:31 PM
That's my point....:devil: BTW I already have the Tosh A1 and delivered to my door it cost £346. Loving life in hi def now !:thumbsup:
AVI
I take it that when you say you're "loving life in hi def now" you mean you're "loving watching serenity and the last samurai again and again and again and again"? :grin:
I take it that when you say you're "loving life in hi def now" you mean you're "loving watching serenity and the last samurai again and again and again and again"? :grin:
No M8 -
Serenity
Million $ Baby
Doom
TLS
Phantom
Apollo 13
Swordfish
again and again and again ........
and on route Training day, Assault on P 13
AVI
I take it that when you say you're "loving life in hi def now" you mean you're "loving watching serenity and the last samurai again and again and again and again"? :grin:
:rotfl: Yea- I have all those in DVD and I can't say watching them in HD could make me watch them again and again :boring:
I reckon the non HD base model and the lack of upgrade path could be a fatal flaw in the plan. A non-HD blu ray drive? What will they think of next!
richard plumb
11-05-2006, 7:22 AM
I reckon the non HD base model and the lack of upgrade path could be a fatal flaw in the plan. A non-HD blu ray drive? What will they think of next!
base pack isn't non-HD. And as I mentioned in the MS HDDVD add on thread, component could be fine as a HD output for bluray.
As for quality of playback, actual quality of a 'games machine' and whether videophiles actually buy it, don't necessarily correlate. Some videophiles will instantly dismiss it without seeing what it can do, simply because it isn't a 'proper' player.
It could be pants, but could also be great.
As for lowest price winning - well I'd suggest most/best content with most marketing dollar spent winning - providing the price differential isn't too high.
Ah, I have the Sony story on BBC online now. So, like the 360 and HD-DVD, we have another device that offers HD on component video. Have they seen sense? I guess, like Microsoft and Sky then, they have realised that 95% of their market has no HDMI. Hysterically funny really.
Having backed off HDMI and content protection, what are they going to do in future? Will the component outputs eventually be turned off? Downgraded to a 1/4 HD signal? That will cause another storm. We have to ask ourselves, is HDMI a dead duck? Premature to answer that now, obviously.
I recall 45quid for playstation one major titles, I also recall my brother spending 55quid on a Nintendo 64 game. Fairly standard to have high game prices at the launch of a new console.
Are you sure about £45?
I am sure they were £30-35 in high street shops.
I think also the support of the studios is vital with BR getting 7/8 major ones.
Toasty
11-05-2006, 8:00 AM
Are you sure about £45?
I am sure they were £30-35 in high street shops.
I think also the support of the studios is vital with BR getting 7/8 major ones.
The Final Fantasy games were 45 quid when they first came out, and there were some other premium titles also. The mainstream were 35 as you state, but then not all 360 games are 50quid at the moment.
I swore I'd never spend 45 quid on a game after FF8, then spent 45quid on Jet Set Radio on the xbox :grin:
Evil Engineer
11-05-2006, 10:13 AM
Game prices have been totally static for the last fifteen years (apart from a brief dip at the end of the PS1 era).
£40-£45 was standard price for Megadrive/SNES carts with the original SNES Street Fighter II coming in at a glorious £65 on it's "massive" 16MBit cart.
When you think of the man hours involved in producing modern games that run into Giga Bytes compared to the typical early nineties 8/16 MBit cartridge I don't think it's a bad deal.
pinkprobegt
11-05-2006, 10:37 AM
I for one will be quite happy to try Blu-Ray and the PS3 once it's been out a couple of months. If it all looks ok and I can watch stuff over component I'll be a happy bunny to start with :) I'd still go for the high-end model.
I still don't understand why people moan about price. My first DVD player was £600!! That was Sony's DVP-S715 many years ago. I then had to pay >£100 to get it region modified. It can't output DTS streams either as they hadn't been put into the spec. Strangely enough it's outlasted 3 other DVD players and is being used now as my 2 month old Pioneer is going back for repairs.
£425 for a games console and hi-def video player in one is a bargain compared to that!
Game prices have been totally static for the last fifteen years (apart from a brief dip at the end of the PS1 era).
£40-£45 was standard price for Megadrive/SNES carts with the original SNES Street Fighter II coming in at a glorious £65 on it's "massive" 16MBit cart.
When you think of the man hours involved in producing modern games that run into Giga Bytes compared to the typical early nineties 8/16 MBit cartridge I don't think it's a bad deal.
So that means we are getting a good price for games due to inflation. WOW that sounds crazy.
Harket
11-05-2006, 2:04 PM
.......even though people are moaing about the price - they'll buy one.
I reckong people just like to whine & moan - an english thing methinks ! :devil:
As for game prices I was spending saved up pocket money to by games at £30 a go,...................in 1980 - that was ALOT back then for a 10 year old !! £50 now is not nearly as much in relative terms!
garothb
11-05-2006, 4:55 PM
.......even though people are moaing about the price - they'll buy one.
I reckong people just like to whine & moan - an english thing methinks ! :devil:
As for game prices I was spending saved up pocket money to by games at £30 a go,...................in 1980 - that was ALOT back then for a 10 year old !! £50 now is not nearly as much in relative terms!
I remember buying games for the C64 and speccy in the mid eighties...£1.99 for a budget title, and £9.99 for a "blockbuster" (more than 12 copes sold...)
Mind you, they were all rubbish - I'd rather pay £39.99 for the likes of Ghost Recon on the 360 any day....
an english thing methinks ! :devil:
More like scotish!
No wait, it has to be english as the scotish fans will have spare money left because they don't need to buy SkyHD or World Cup Tickets :rotfl:
I'm joking.
Zeddy
13-05-2006, 10:39 PM
As to an earlier comment on cost justification between players, it could be that the PS3 will only output 1080i, whereas the upmarket BD players will of course do 1080p... :(
Knyght_byte
13-05-2006, 11:51 PM
i think that N64 game at £55 was Zelda Ocarina of Time......fairly sure i remember telling mum that it was all i wanted for Xmas, her/dad and grandad and my sister were welcome to team up and buy it as one pressie for me...i didnt care, i just wanted it....lol
Well, i'll be getting a Sky HD box first to watch more recent films i dont own yet in HD sometime at the end of the summer, then beginning of 2007 i need to buy a good CD player (something around the £1k-1.5k mark...bleah)......so i figure i'll ask for the HD-DVD drive for the 360 for Xmas just to get the best out of my PJ, then sometime around the end of 2007 i'll buy a proper dedicated HD-DVD/BR combi...heh
Craig_E
15-05-2006, 9:07 AM
As to an earlier comment on cost justification between players, it could be that the PS3 will only output 1080i, whereas the upmarket BD players will of course do 1080p... :(
Where have you got this from? I don't think it's true tbh.
From the Sony E3 2006 press release:
Equipped with basic input/output ports, PS3 supports a broad range of displays from conventional NTSC/PAL standard TVs to the latest full HD (1080i/1080p) flat panel displays, offering the joy of the most advanced computer entertainment contents to homes around the world. For use in living rooms, maximum heat and noise reduction has been achieved with a noise level equivalent to that of the current slim-line PlayStation 2.
With the overwhelming computational power of the Cell processor, PS3 is capable of playing back content from Blu-ray (BD) disc at a bit rate of multiplex 48Mbps with ease, the maximum bit rate defined in BD standards.