PS3: November $499 & $599 Configurations (1 Viewer)

[Kyle_D]

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/705/705742p1.html

Scroll to the end for launch details.

Is PS3 still Blu-Ray's trojan horse, or will gamers shun the system in favor of the cheaper XBOX360 and Nintendo Wii?

 

[Kyle McKnight]

I'm thinking that will depend on if Microsoft drops the XB360 by $100...or includes an HD-DVD drive for the $400 price point...Damn how I wish the base system for the PS3 came in at $400...

 

[Kyle_D]

My opinion is now solidified. Sony just priced themselves out of the mainstream. They'll sell units but, in the US at least, only to the truly hardcore gamers and technophiles. My feeling is Microsoft takes over the US and European console markets while Nintendo retakes the reigns in Japan.

In other words, the PS3's potential effect on the format war in terms of getting Blu-ray drives to the mainstream has been extremely curbed.

 

[Cory S.]

You really think so, Kyle?

 

[David Galindo]

Lets see, do I want a Toshiba HD-DVD player for $499 or a Playstation 3 w/Blu-Ray for $499?

The battle just got even more heated.

 

[Jean-Michel]

Specs

No HDMI on the cheap model. Ouch.

 

[Nick Graham]

Ouch indeed....if they are going to cut out that many features, and slash the hard drive by 2/3, I'd say that they would be wise price the crippled version at $399 and attempt to be competitive with the 360 (though I'm willing to bet the 360 Premium hits $299 this fall).

 

[Ryan-G]

I'm going to agree with Kyle.

But I think MS has locked themselves out of having an effect on the format war as well. The add-on drive will be 720p and maybe 1080i. It's a little fuzzy if it'll do 1080i, definitely no 1080p.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=2194

 

[Kyle_D]

Agreed. The next-gen console war won't have much effect on the format war. PS3 will sell more than the HD-DVD add-on drive though; console add-on historically have not sold.

 

[Ryan-G]

This is true, but it's also important to note that it seems the low end PS3 will be component only as well, which means by the time the HDTV market is present the PS3 may be limited by the downcoversion flag and everyone who opts for the low end PS3 will be limited to near SD-DVD resolutions. Which may in turn limit PS3's impact on BR Media sales.

 

[Zack Gibbs]

The reactions to the games were tepid. They no longer have support for dual independent monitors. The price is ridiculous. The $499 one even more so for its crippled nature, the 360 was simply a matter of bundling. The controller is, once again, a Dual Shock (worst controller out there, it was nice for the PS1, but don't they understand the concept of improvement?). Their online program is uninspired, too greedy, too little too late.

Gee, and I thought I was actually going to buy a playstation for once in my life.

 

[Mark Butler]

I don't know if anyone noticed this but the specs for both the $499 and $699 machines for AV output is 1080p. This leads me to belive that the PS3 is going to be modular and that you will be able to upgrade to HDMI and a larger HDD if you wish to later. As I live in Japan the downconversion isn't going to effect me for a least 5 more years but I dont think Sony would leave itself open to PO'd customers that are unable to use their machines to their full specifications because of the studios ICT decisions.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Also the tilt function of the controller is limited to 6 axis and the controller has no rumble feature.

 

[Juan C]

Unless mechanics have changed since I was a student, a rigid solid object has only six degrees of freedom (XYZ + pitch / yaw /roll).

 

[Pete T C]

If you planned to buy a PS3 as a Blu-Ray player, you need to spend $599 because the cheaper model does not have HDMI output:
http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/rele...f/060509ae.pdf

Sony seriously crippled the $499 PS3. (Wireless and memory stick support is also not available in it.)

 

[Richard Kim]

There's already a thread about the PS3 in the HD Hardware forum.

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

Lots of ifs and maybes about encryption on component. No one can say until it happens ... which may be soon or not at all ...

It's all speculation. Most PS3 owners won't care anyway since the unit is there to play games as priority one. (12-15 year olds don't care about BD capability nor will their parents who buy this for them.)

I don't use the PS2 to watch my DVDs ...

Low cost alternative ... maybe ... but you probably get the equivalent quality as on the PS2. It plays an HD image ... and without comparison to other BD units, it will still look darn good. (Obviously speculation on my part)

Regards

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Forgive my clarity - I mentioned this to differentiate its capabilities against the Wii controller that Nintendo has.

 

[Garrett Lundy]

100% backwards compatability! I'm sold (since I don't want to abandon my favorites of PS & PS2). And yes, I really do still play PS1 games: 3-D supergraphics cannot compete with the funness of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night or Tempest X.

 

[rich_d]

I wonder whether Sony messed with the output specs (on the $499 unit, of which I have no clue what the real result is) to placate the other Blu-ray hardware manufacturers?

Either way, the public's perception might be just as you state. Why buy a stand-alone unit for virtually the same price you can get blu-ray plus a premier gaming system?

If so, I think there will be some unhappy hardware "partners" come Winter.