Over the past month Sony has let a lot slip about their upcoming gaming console, the PS3. Firstly, they finally admitted to the already widely believed fact that the PS3 would indeed be delayed. Even the most die-hard Sony fanboys knew deep down in their hearts that Sony wasn’t going to make the Spring 2006 shipping date, and it was just a matter of time until Sony admitted this themselves. Well on March 15th they announced that the PS3 would be released early in November 2006. Sony claims that Blu-ray’s copy protection (AACS) was the main reason for the delay.
Sony has also revealed that the PS3 will come standard with a 60GB hard drive, something which should make developers and users quite happy. Microsoft’s stand on the subject has been a little different, allowing the Xbox 360 to be purchased either with or without a hard drive (if purchased without, it can be added in later). The 360’s 20GB HDD is definitely not enough, considering quite a large portion is not useable to the user. It’s not all good news that the PS3 will have a 60GB HDD though…This won’t help with bringing down the already high price point.
Speaking of price, the latest rumours suggest the PS3 will sell for a minimum of $425 US, although other reports have been surfacing which see an additional $300 added to that figure. One thing is forsure, it won’t come cheap.
Sony has also confirmed earlier reports that the PS3 will be region free! That means that you can buy a game in any country, and be able to play it no matter which region your PS3 was purchased in. This is definitely good news for consumers, as region codes have been inconveniencing people for quite some time now. Sony has also announced its online serviced aimed squarely at competing with Microsoft’s very successful Live service. Dubbed “PlayStation Network Platform”, Sony’s online service will allow users to use video chat, create avatar, view player rankings, and partake in other community activities. It will even allow non-subscribers to play some multiplayer games.
Lastly, Sony has also revealed that their boomerang shaped PS3 controller is being re-designed. This is great news, as the controller didn’t look too great, and it didn’t look like it would feel to good in ones hands either. Could it possibly look like the concept controller below?
