E3: PS3 launch details
by Blake Snow 
{ May 8th 2006 at 9:49PM }
Sony just announced PS3 launch details as follows from the conference floor: "Today we're pleased to announce the global PS3 launch details. We will make PS3 available via a two-configuration plan. One with a 60GB HD. And the other with a 20GB hard drive. Japan's date: Nov. 11. In Japan 59,800 Yen. The 60GB PS3 will have an open price which retailers will set. In North America [to launch Nov 17]: 20GB for $499, 60GB for $599. Europe has 20GB for 499 Euro, 60GB for 599 Euro. 2 million to ship worldwide during the launch window. 4 million by end of calendar year 2006. By March 31, 2007 they'll have shipped 6 million worldwide."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
PaleGringo @ May 8th 2006 9:52PM
Wow... Kutaragi was right. It's pretty dang expensive.
Think we'll be seeing a $349 Xbox 360 in November?
Grendel711 @ May 8th 2006 9:52PM
LOL. Sony is screwed.
Whodaimen @ May 8th 2006 9:54PM
Little steep for stolen technology. XBL copy, Wii tilt copy.. I didnt see anything interesting there.
Joe @ May 8th 2006 9:54PM
...and Sony just gave Microsoft the gift of a lifetime.
PS3=3rd?? Depends on the Wii's price tomorrow. But there's no way I'll be buying a PS3 until AT LEAST Winter 2007, where they'll scramble for a better price. Half a grand... no way.
Someone @ May 8th 2006 9:54PM
I guess it is sort of expensive for a console, but if you need Wi-Fi, that brings the 360 up to $500 anyways, and that's not including all other features the PS3 has.
captain_duck @ May 8th 2006 9:55PM
Motherfucking sony bastards. Burn in hell.
The cheapest PS3 costs 500e in europe, and 500$ in the US.
Thats a price difference of $137 dollar. WTF IS UP WITH THAT. WHO IN HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE SONY BASTARDS.
raaaaaa @ May 8th 2006 9:55PM
THEY ARE CRAZY SOMEONE GIVE ME A HAMMER FOR SONYS COFIN.
600.00!!!!!!!!! IT CAN COME WITH A 200GB HARD AND STILL NOT WORTH 600.00
Marco Cano Jr @ May 8th 2006 9:55PM
Well better start working lol. Its obviously expensive but I have plenty of time to save up.
Donutta @ May 8th 2006 9:55PM
Wow. That's an amazing way to drop the ball.
SickNic @ May 8th 2006 9:56PM
$500 wouldn't be so bad if the games backed up the price. But I didn't see $500 graphics and games. I saw $300 graphics and games. Glad I picked up anXbox360. I'll wait to see what the PS3 will be like.
adam @ May 8th 2006 9:56PM
Hmmmm....Thats a little on the pricey side, what do you think Sony will do if Microsoft cuts the price of their console by $50 bucks????
TxdoHawk @ May 8th 2006 9:57PM
Wow. Just wow.
Tom @ May 8th 2006 9:58PM
wow. Those graphics were a little underwhelming for 600 bones. Don't get me wrong, some of them were amazing, but not for 200 dollars more than xbox 360. I was with them up until that moment. Sorry Sony, too much, and I was really excited for this and am a hardcore gamer too.
DidYouLoseASock @ May 8th 2006 9:59PM
holy crap... getting a 60GB system is $600 + a $60 game = $660 and that is not including taxes, which were i live the sales tax is about 8.2% so thats another $54.12 in taxes alone = $714.12
David @ May 8th 2006 9:59PM
You guys are a bunch of haters, they always said it was going to be more expensive then previous installments, and somehow I kinda doubt that they just 'threw' in motion sensing(tilting? w/e) when nintendo announced their package. It seems to me this is something that had to have been in development and talk for quite a while beforehand...
Chris @ May 8th 2006 10:00PM
looks like i will be broke in nov
TyBo @ May 8th 2006 10:00PM
After seeing all that I really wish SEGA was still making consoles right now
Evdawg @ May 8th 2006 10:02PM
Man, retailers are going to gouge everyone for the 60GB in Japan. It's really retarded that Sony is letting them set their own price, it's like a lisence to print money.
onelove @ May 8th 2006 10:02PM
I am definetly buying a WII now
Jon @ May 8th 2006 10:05PM
LOL @ poor kiddies
Tim @ May 8th 2006 10:05PM
I've already had over $500 saved up for the longest time. I couldn't care less that it's $500 now.
AJ Ballou @ May 8th 2006 10:05PM
Wow! It's totally worth paying $500 for another FPS, but with better graphics! Wait! Let's take the same concept as Doom, but change the setting . . . How's London in 1951? Oh, and let's update Gran Turismo with some better graphics . . . this'll totally be worth $600.
/sarcasm
jaemz @ May 8th 2006 10:05PM
joystiq, thanks for the coverage
sony, no thanks... might get one of your tvs tho
Arrey @ May 8th 2006 10:07PM
500 euros?!!?! ($630) That's a markup way beyond the included tax rate.
No doubt this means the 20gb version will be 350 minimum.
Really disappointed by the keynote, just seemed liked they stold xbox live and marketplace, had similar graphics to xbox 360 and put in motion sensing as an after thought to make the Dualshock 3 look a little bit different, will the games even support it fully?
Not impressed with the notion of paying 50 ($92) in the UK for a PS3 game and then have to buy the rest of the levels/characters/weapons etc on thier marketplace.
Lack of new games was shocking. Drive, shoot, shoot, drive, usual EA tripe, shoot.
Lookin' forward to the Wii...
Uglypimp @ May 8th 2006 10:07PM
I'm not a Sony hater, but 499-599 is simply ridiculous. Also, are the hard drives removable? Mums been the word which makes me feel its not.
None of the demos were that much better than the 360 too. The card demo was really neat, but it's not exactly a generational leap in graphics as the price tag would warrant.
Here's to hoping Sony stays in the game this round.
kcsants @ May 8th 2006 10:07PM
$500... no big surprise.
Considering the 360 will probably be that much once you add the HD-DVD it equals out.
Donutta @ May 8th 2006 10:07PM
AJ Ballou: I know! When I saw that FPS (so impressive I forgot it's name) I was thinking, 'It's Black! No wait, it's Medal of Honour! Call of Duty? Oh I give up.'
Boooooooooring. Like I need another fucking first-person shooter.
Phil @ May 8th 2006 10:08PM
When you consider that it offers a real next-gen console with everything included from the start instead of asking you to buy addons a year or more after the console's release only to end up with a console that cost as much and yet that has non-standard features that cannot be used by developers, it's worth the price. Just don't buy it on day one.
Graham H. @ May 8th 2006 10:12PM
wow, that really divides up the console wars in VERY interesting ways, although i do have to question sony's idea of including every single possible bell and whistle. that extra minimum $100 over an xbox360 is going to be tough to justify (irregardless of all the extra stuff sony has tacked on for that cost), especially since microsoft should be dropping the price $30-50 on the 360 in the next six months. the price doesn't change my purchase decisions (wii on launch day, xbox after price drop), but it proves once again that sony has invested alot in the continued explosive growth of the games industry and the media-centric living room idea. i wish them luck.
masterwerk @ May 8th 2006 10:12PM
pretty nifty stuff, but $600 is alot for any system.
>_> @ May 8th 2006 10:12PM
Lol... 2 SKUs, 2 prices. I'm laughing. Where is your damage control now, Sony fans?
Oozer @ May 8th 2006 10:12PM
What a stylish way to drop the ball. David, there is NO way that the motion sensing funtionality has been in the mix for long. They probably added it when they got a whiff of what Nintendo was doing (which was probably before the public found out since people in the same industry tend to take to each other, hence Dreamworks and Disney coming out with similarly themed movies within months of each other multiple times). There was nothing stopping them from showing just still pictures of the controller months ago to quell the boomerang fiasco. They wouldn't have to have revealed the motion sensing, but they could have at least shown the controller. No, this reaks of them hearing Nintendo's plans and then scrambling for months to squeeze the technology in the current form factor while keeping the controller to a reasonable price and weight.
VaultedCeilings @ May 8th 2006 10:12PM
Well I do agree with you guys that the price is high, especially for games that seem to be nothing but rehashes, and personally I am looking forward to the Wii the most, but in Sony's defense you are getting a Blu-ray player for $500 which by itself is a great deal. Personally Blu-ray isn't that interesting, I don't have an HD tv and won't for some time, but that said if you can get a Blu-ray player for just $500 and have it play games, well that's pretty amazing. So don't forget about picking up a PS3 thinking it only plays games.
Walter @ May 8th 2006 10:13PM
"When you consider that it offers a real next-gen console with everything included from the start instead of asking you to buy addons a year or more after the console's release only to end up with a console that cost as much and yet that has non-standard features that cannot be used by developers, it's worth the price. Just don't buy it on day one."
They didn't say anything about what it comes with? Your optimism is kind of cute though.
The1 @ May 8th 2006 10:13PM
Sony copied MS model and now making people pay. I will get the highend PS3 but I will be pissed.
Alex @ May 8th 2006 10:13PM
$500 doesn't seem *that* bad considering you're getting a state-of-the-art Blu-Ray player/media server. If you take out that hard drive and Blu-Ray, you're probably talking a $300 console; and PS2 launched six years ago at $300. Unlike gasoline or coffee, the price of videogame consoles holds relatively steady over time.
skyrous @ May 8th 2006 10:15PM
Sony: "Go away you crummy poor people!"
I was never gonna get a PS3 but i do know people that were big hyping the thing simply can't afford that kind of money.
And lets not forget about the hdtv ready games taking entire blue disks, they aren't cheap either so add a few $60-$70 games on top of that price.
PS3 = 3D0... in price anyway
legacydevice @ May 8th 2006 10:15PM
Did anybody here buy an XBOX 360? Core package anyone? And you bought the WiFi addon? And a wireless controller? And the hard drive, which you basically couldn't even get at launch?
How much did that cost you?
Let's see... 500 odd bucks maybe?
The PS3 isn't costing much more than the 360, really. Plus, and I'm sure alot of you don't care about this, but you're getting a Blu-Ray video player, in the deal... which if you were to buy one of those stand alone in November, it'll cost you probably, let's see... 600 bucks or so.
That was a major part of Sony winning the first couple of years of this generation: next-gen video playback, out of the box, without having to make an additional purchase like with the Xbox. Sony DID screw up on the PS2 by not bundling a hard drive, and blowing it when they finally did release the damn thing; but they seem more prepared this time around.
By the way, points for not redesigning the wheel with the controller. I don't care about the fact that it's X/Y/Z/Pitch sensitive. I do care that it's basically the Dual Shock 3, heir to the throne of the best controller lineage ever.
striderhayasa @ May 8th 2006 10:16PM
Geez, this after Sega announces that VF5 is exclusive to the PS3. This sucks. I absolutely love VF but there is no way in hell I'm spending a a "half a stack" on a game console. Once you buy a second controller, and a game or two, you're talking almost a thousand dollars. You know you're going to need to get the warranty to for when that thing overheats or tries to eat someones baby...
Brianb @ May 8th 2006 10:19PM
That will cost over 700 dollars with tax in Canada, no thanks... I'm going to buy a Wii if it's under 300 dollars.
brook @ May 8th 2006 10:19PM
way way waaaaayyy too expensive.
legacydevice @ May 8th 2006 10:19PM
Oh, and by the way, does anybody here actually think the HD/DVD drive addon from M$oft is a good idea?
Seems pretty ill-thought out to me, this coming from someone who bought 2 360's on launch day.
SurfMurph @ May 8th 2006 10:21PM
Sony didn't copy Nintendo with their tilt controller...they ripped off Microsoft! No one remembers, but there used to be a Sidewinder Freestyle Pro controller for the PC that Microsoft sold like maybe 6 or 7 years ago. The Freestyle Pro utilized the exact same type of tilt control. There was a motocross game (can't remember the name) that took advantage of this controller.
Wanna bet Microsoft is checking their patent on the Freestyle Pro right now?
ziper @ May 8th 2006 10:21PM
$600 is pretty much, but it doesnt change my purchase decidions (360 on launch day, ps3 on launch day, wii on launch day). :)
sonofnone @ May 8th 2006 10:22PM
$500 aside - and that is a big aside - I'm still left with the distinct impression that Sony is simply doing whatever they can to make sure that their systems is "the best." Not that it is or isn't, but after finding out about their "psuedo-Wii" (just about sounds as bad as it really is), their basic online services (Xbox Live anyone?), and their "need" to put a hard drive in every PS3 it seems like their execs are listening more to what competitors are doing than they are to what their consumers really want.
I won't say they showcased nothing new and exciting (that EyeToy card game looked pretty sweet), but between the price upfront and price after the fact (games, controllers, MONTHLY FEES...) it makes me wonder if it's really going to excell in any one area. I guess we'll just have to see how well those game demo over the next few days.
Graham H. @ May 8th 2006 10:23PM
yeah, i forgot to mention the controller - total letdown. i was excited for the possibilities of the boomerang, but now they've decided to keep it going with the tired old dual shock. still can't get into the partitioned d-pad, the quad shoulder buttons, or the small handles. in terms of overall console design, sony kind of dropped the ball. then again, the thing probably has to be about 60% heat sink. NEVERTHELESS i'm anxious to finally see killzone 2 in action, as well as the next-gen versions of the "Big 3" sony platformers.
ZaBlanc @ May 8th 2006 10:24PM
$600? They have to be joking. This is suicide. 3DO, Neo Geo anyone?
Why the frick would I buy a $600 PS3 when I can buy what will likely be a sub-$400 XBox 360 that will pretty much have the same games?
I hate Microsoft, but even I'm staying away from Sony for at least a year. Give me a Wii, and if I need it, a 360. :-/
Dan @ May 8th 2006 10:25PM
I wasn't planning on buying it one day one anyway, but I wonder how they expect to triumph by whittling down their early adopter base with that price...
idioteraser @ May 8th 2006 10:26PM
Blu-ray isn't worth 500 bucks. It has no real advantages to DVD. It just causes you to rebuy everything.
The motion sensor isn't a motion sensor. It's a tilt sensor. It's garbage compared to the wiimote.
Graphics didn't look any better then a 360 game.
And gamecube games built directly for the gamecube hardware look better on average then a 360 game does.
Amazing how ignorant sony fanboys were dissing Nintendo for the motion control but are praising sony for it's crap version.
Just goes to show you that Sony is all hype and is driving the industry to it's grave. All Nintendo hate is because they refuse to admit inside that Nintendo is the only company that takes gaming to heart.
idioteraser @ May 8th 2006 10:29PM
Nintendo's tilt controller actually worked on the games it was made for. People turned off the stupid tilt sensor on the sidewinder joysticks because they found out it interfered with them playing the game.
Tilt is just one part of the wiimote and in a dual shock tilt sucks. This won't attract nongamers like the wiimote. It doesn't sense motion at all.