[The News Bot]

Super Audio CD, Sony’s favoured high resolution audio format, has suffered a significant blow with the news that SACD compatibility will be dropped from the new, cheaper PlayStation 3. The 299 pound console revision also has a smaller 40GB hard drive, two USB ports instead of the four and no memory card port. It [...]
More...

[ramalho]

Wow,these guys really want to **** people off don't they?I mean instead of the new 80 GB version the US gets,people in the UK get an even smaller hard drive than the one that was available,no PS2 compatibility,no SACD,two USB ports less and no memory carr port.
For this new price you can buy a new one from the US with all the things this doesn't have,plus...it's an 80GB.

[Cool-hand]

SONY are in deep s**t and they are now cutting their own throats!! May they loose everything including the format war!

[Yanners]

Most people tend to give out about sony formats like sacd, atrac etc, that they are not needed and a waste and now that they remove the sacd feature you give out. It seems for a lot of people no matter what sony do they will continue to go on pointlessly giving out. I work in a Games shop where we sell as many ps3's as we do xbox 360 and a little less than the wii and can tell you that because we regularly ask customers how they use their consoles that one has yet to tell me they use the sacd from ps3. It is mostly kids who play games and get their music from itunes and other places for their mp3 players and could not give a dam about sacd and half dont care anymore about cd's. We also have a lot more interest from bluy ray than hd dvd but that is another matter but seen as you seem bent on sony failing im sure this is also a crap feature. Anyway not looking for an argument as their are plenty of forums for fanboys from different consoles etc to cut throats but get tired of people bashing companys on silly pointless little matters/features that are very rarely if at all used by the regular punters. If sacd is something you are into then you probably already have a player as it has now been out many years and people didnt wait for a ps3 to come along and provide this feature.

[macking]

I can't believe they cut SACD support from the Playstation 3 now what are those millions of people who listen to widely available SACD albums going to do?!**end sarcasm**

The 360 costs a lot more in Europe than it does in America too, the same applies to all appliances due to our taxes.

That argument makes no sense at all.

In all honesty who gives a crap about SACD, less USB ports(since you can get a dongle with more USB ports for a few quid) and a memory card port when you can buy a memory card add on device that supports dozens of types of memory cards for a few pound.

This is a masterstroke for Sony theyr on track to ship as many consoles as the 360 did in its first year and thats with a console that costs twice as much as the 360.

[James Baker]

Originally Posted by Yanners

I work in a Games shop where we sell as many ps3's as we do xbox 360 ...

Thats odd as all the local Game and Gamestations near me (north wales) say they sell 20 times as many 360's as the do PS3s...

As for the SACD - I cant imagine this makes the new 'economy' ps3 cheaper - I would imagine its just 'disabled' in firmware to make people who want this feature shell out the extra...

As for only having 2 USB ports ... How much do you think a surface mount usb port ACTUALLY costs sony to solder onto the board (by a machine)?????

Its all pointing to a SONY that is loosing its grip and trying every trick in the book...the only trick they should try is to bring some games out on the ps3 people ACTUALLY want to play....

[Cool-hand]

Sony has been a very dominant player in the electronics industry for a long time and are always looking for ways to monopolise the world by either software or hardware implimentations! I had this need for total control in any company inc. Bad Boy Billy Gates!

Monopolies create unfair competition, higher prices and general pee every on off. SACD has proven to be unsuccessful (note that doesn't mean not superior), along with dvd-audio. Except in audiophile groups. Bluray will probably do the same, with the more rounded hd-dvd becoming ever more popular. Although it could die also, but in mho when people can see an obvious improvement ie. pic quality, they more likely to contribte.

So I say DIE Sony DIE...

[patrober]

Originally Posted by Baldybouncer

As for the SACD - I cant imagine this makes the new 'economy' ps3 cheaper - I would imagine its just 'disabled' in firmware to make people who want this feature shell out the extra.....

True, but they probably save on licencing costs rather than manufacturing costs.

[sibeer]

Well I for one would have happily lost those features and paid £125 less for my PS3. In particular the obsession with backwards compatibility gets my goat. If you have a number of PS2 games you want to play then you probably have a PS2, why do you need Sony to put compatibilty into your PS3?

It is still better equiped than any other console due to the inbuilt BluRay playback and Wireless LAN (two features which are worth having IMHO). Come on MS, when are you going to make the true Elite with HD-DVD and Wireless Lan built in? In a direct features to cost comparison the PS3 at £300 is clearly better value than the 360 Elite for the same money. Hopefully the top games will continue to flow and we will have a real competition on our hands.

[TechnoSapien]

Originally Posted by sibeer

Well I for one would have happily lost those features and paid £125 less for my PS3. In particular the obsession with backwards compatibility gets my goat. If you have a number of PS2 games you want to play then you probably have a PS2, why do you need Sony to put compatibilty into your PS3?

It is still better equiped than any other console due to the inbuilt BluRay playback and Wireless LAN (two features which are worth having IMHO). Come on MS, when are you going to make the true Elite with HD-DVD and Wireless Lan built in? In a direct features to cost comparison the PS3 at £300 is clearly better value than the 360 Elite for the same money. Hopefully the top games will continue to flow and we will have a real competition on our hands.

Well said, up until now I had been saving for the 360 because it was the cheaper next gen console, it wasn't offering me stuff I didn't need, I would happily have the playstation at even cheaper without bluray playback, unfortunately at this time I feel the 360 still has the better games, Bioshock, Halo3 (sorry a fan). I am not a console fan boy I have had sega, PS1 on release, N64, have a DS a wii and an xbox at the moment.

[Jonstone]

Originally Posted by Baldybouncer

As for the SACD - I cant imagine this makes the new 'economy' ps3 cheaper - I would imagine its just 'disabled' in firmware to make people who want this feature shell out the extra...

As for only having 2 USB ports ... How much do you think a surface mount usb port ACTUALLY costs sony to solder onto the board (by a machine)?????

Its all pointing to a SONY that is loosing its grip and trying every trick in the book...the only trick they should try is to bring some games out on the ps3 people ACTUALLY want to play....

Its not actually about what they save in production, its about having a model they can put out at a competitive pricepoint without losing more lucrative (or less loss making ) sales from people who want the extra features and are willing to pay for them, or overly annoying people who have already paid more for the better specced machine.

Car manufacturers have always done it, limited edition models that are stripped down of certain features and sold at a cut price in order move stock. Alloy wheels and air con etc don't actually cost the manufacturers what they charge for them as optional extras, same principal here.

Its about having different products in different price brackets to capture the highest numbers of customers whilst still maximising revenue. Microsoft did this with the xbox360 and now sony have seen the error of there ways and are doing it with the PS3 (despite what they say I am sure they will off two different specs of machine in europe for the forseeable future, probably replacing the 60gig model with a 120gig one or similar).

The difference in Sony is that the basic elements of the two machines is similar, I think MS made a mistake with the xbox360 in releasing one version without a hard drive.

As for games? As soon as GT5 and MGS4 are available sales of the PS3 will take off and as I assume they will have demo versions of both running in shops on the new £299 PS3 this christmas that will be a very strong push for sales

[TechnoSapien]

I would love to know the split on sales of the three models of 360, the core must sell because they keep marketing it, the standard one looks the best value to me, where as the elite looks poor value (IMHO), wrong thread for this discussion really....but the basic PS3 looks poor value to the 60 gig model, which for 50 quid more is being offered in loads of shops with 2 games and 2 blurays/extra controller.

[GrahameD]

dont knock SACD until u try.

Simple minds greatest hits SACD simply rocks.

I agree though unless u get hidef multi channel downloads from itunes what gamers are going to bother.

The games dont use SACD features.

The PS3 is rapidly becoming a games machine and not a home media center.

[frankmsl]

I don't really see what the fuss is all about. yes, the stripped down PS3 is losing features, but it will be available at €399 or £299.Thats great for those who want to use the machine mostly as a games machine.

However don't forget about the price drop of the 60GB machine. It is SACD compatible etc and will come with 2 games for £349. Which if you want the games is the same price. Don't worry about the 80GB machine. If you want a bigger harddrive you can always have one fitted at a later stage. Maybe a 200GB one.

I think Sony is right to make 2 versions. I don't understand why they drop PS2 comaptibility (it was software anyway).

I am thinking of getting a second PS3, just to use as a Blu-Ray player in the living room and do occasional web surfing.

[Legendary]

I want Sony to have 2 PS3

one is low budget PS3 with small hard drive and no memory card stuff and backward compatability

and

one is deluxe PS3 with 160g HD, full backward compatabilty with any region and memory card stuff. No region coding on DVDs, Blu Rays or PS1 or PS2 games at all.

It should be like this.