New PlayStation to Go on Sale in August

Post by **Martrae** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:35 am

Monday July 9, 7:41 AM EDT

Sony Corp. slashed the price of its current PlayStation 3 by $100, or 16.7 percent, and introduced a high-capacity model in an effort to spur sales of the struggling video game console. Starting Monday, the current 60 gigabyte model will cost $499, down from $599.

The Japanese electronics maker also said it is introducing a new version of the PlayStation 3 with a bigger hard drive for storing downloaded content such as video games and high-definition movies.

The new PS3 increases the system's storage capacity to 80 gigabytes from 60 gigabytes and also includes a retail copy of the online racing title "MotorStorm," a company spokesman said. It will be priced at $599.

The larger capacity machine won't be available in the United States and Canada until August.

It plays into the company's upcoming strategy of eventually offering downloaded high-definition movies, video games, movie trailers and demos, Sony spokesman David Karraker said.

Karraker said further details on high-def movies for download would be released at a later date.

The announcement comes two days before the E3 Media & Business Summit in Santa Monica, Calif., where dozens of industry heavyweights including Sony rivals Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co. are expected to show off their latest games and related products.

Sony has said it sold 3.6 million PS3s in the fiscal year ending March 31 and expects to sell another 11 million in the current fiscal year. Microsoft said in its most recent quarterly earnings report filed in April that it had shipped 11 million Xbox 360s.

Nintendo, meanwhile, claims it has sold nearly 6 million Wiis worldwide as of March 31, and more than 40 million Nintendo DS handhelds. The company has predicted it will sell another 14 million Wiis and 22 million additional DS systems by the end of the current fiscal year.

The Wii and PS3 were released within days of each other late last year. Microsoft had a head start in the current generation of consoles, having launched its Xbox 360 in 2005. Last week, the software company announced an extension of the warranty due to the high number of systems suffering from hardware failure, also called the "red ring of death."

In April, Microsoft began selling a version of its Xbox 360 with a 120-gigabyte hard drive and a souped up high-definition video connection. Called Xbox 360 Elite, the black-colored system sells for $479.99.

Xbox gamers who already own the $399.99 20-gigabyte model can buy a snap-on 120-gigabyte hard drive for $179.99.

Karraker said Sony would use the E3 show to focus on two areas: ways to increase the number of consumers who own PS3s and other products such as the PlayStation Portable handheld system, and expanding the system's library of available games.

He said Sony would be releasing 100 new video games during the current fiscal year, including 15 titles that are exclusive to the PS3 such as the hack-and-slash action title "Heavenly Sword."

Reynaldo · Post by **Reynaldo** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:58 am

I thought I read somewhere that the PS3 hard drive was swappable with over the counter hard drives, so an extra 100 bucks for another 20 gigs sounds pretty asinine.

Ginzburgh · Post by **Ginzburgh** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:33 am

If I was for sure that Blue Ray would win the HD format war I would invest.

Tikker · Post by **Tikker** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:56 pm

Reynaldo wrote:I thought I read somewhere that the PS3 hard drive was swappable with over the counter hard drives, so an extra 100 bucks for another 20 gigs sounds pretty asinine.

it also comes with the new motion sensitive rumble joysticks

Post by **Lyion** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 7:15 am

Ginzburgh wrote:If I was for sure that Blue Ray would win the HD format war I would invest.

If the 499 version still comes with 5 Free Bluray discs, it's a pretty good deal.

Ginzburgh · Post by **Ginzburgh** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:08 am

Eh...i just can't justify spending $500. I know one guy that has a PS3 and he said he played in like five times since he bought it, which was the day it came out.

Reynaldo · Post by **Reynaldo** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:27 am

I'm looking at it for my birthday next month for a few reasons.

1 - Madden 2008 of course
2 - replace my outdated DVD player and CD player in my component rack
3 - with MMOs blowing the big cack recently, might as well make a shift to console gaming, and it upconverts PS2 games to look relatively nice on HDTV's no?

500 to save me space and give me a blu ray player, plus play games sounds like a decent deal to me.

I still have a month before my birthday to "buyers remorse" my way out of it though and just get a new PC instead!

Kramer · Post by **Kramer** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:57 am

i think i would save for a new PC...

of course i just sold my 360 cause i never played it, and i needed to buy a decent pickup for my guitar....

Ginzburgh · Post by **Ginzburgh** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:09 am

I guess I could ask for it for christmas but I think I'll opt for a 32" LCD Sony Bravia for my bedroom.

Kramer · Post by **Kramer** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:39 am

good call.

Reynaldo · Post by **Reynaldo** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 9:10 am

I've been hearing rumors of the 60gb model having features stripped to go along with the price drop, such as backwards compatibility with older games?

Any of this true, or is the 80gb version just a 20gb upgrade with identical everything else?

Post by **Tossica** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 9:14 am

PS3 is an overpriced, overhyped piece of shit.

Harrison · Post by **Harrison** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 9:43 am

If the playstation was more appropriately priced it would dominate the market.

Ginzburgh · Post by **Ginzburgh** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 9:56 am

The majority of the games would still suck though.

Harrison · Post by **Harrison** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 9:59 am

Final Fantasy 13 is almost enough to make me drop the cash for it.

Post by **Lyion** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 10:29 am

Ginzburgh wrote:The majority of the games would still suck though.

The PS3 is a better deal than the 360. It comes with it's own OS. You don't have MS jacking you for online play. It has a Bluray player. It has the PS2's massive library.

The 360 sucks ass as a value by comparison. Not to mention the Xbox 360 is a flaky, faulty piece of shit.

Ginzburgh · Post by **Ginzburgh** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 10:52 am

Between WoW, DS (with access to it's entire catalog via M3 simply) and the Wii, I probably don't have time for a new system.

That and I started a Tauren Druid on Draenor because all I ever do anymore is PVP and I'm tired of being on the losing team.

Post by **Tossica** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 11:02 am

Everyone I know with a PS3 has a really expensive doorstop.

Post by **Lyion** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 11:05 am

Ginzburgh wrote:Between WoW, DS (with access to it's entire catalog via M3 simply) and the Wii, I probably don't have time for a new system.

That and I started a Tauren Druid on Draenor because all I ever do anymore is PVP and I'm tired of being on the losing team.

Yeah, my boy lives on the Wii. Once in a blue moon he fires up Crackdown, Halo 2, or GOW. I'd trade my 360 and all it's games for a PS3 in a heartbeat.

Draenor, eh? I am going to fight the urge to go back to WOW, dammit...

Tikker · Post by **Tikker** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 11:07 am

360 is great if you're also using it as a v2 extender

as just a gaming system it's over priced

as just an extender is overpriced

if you use it as both, it's a pretty good value

Ginzburgh · Post by **Ginzburgh** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 11:35 am

Draenor, eh? I am going to fight the urge to go back to WOW, dammit...

Name is Ginz if you feel the urge to play.

Zanchief · Post by **Zanchief** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:15 pm

I was almost tempted to roll a blood elf with you, but then I got flash backs from the PVP server with Cap and how quickly I got hooked back in.

I'll just keep lvling my Warrior at a snails pace.

Ginzburgh · Post by **Ginzburgh** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:17 pm

Draenor isn't a PVP server.

Zanchief · Post by **Zanchief** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:23 pm

I know but it was just fun lvling with some people is all. I just had a flashforward of me throwing my name in the hat then Lyion getting going than 6 Spartacus' later I'm in the exact same situation. Six hours a night and I burn out in two weeks.

Kramer · Post by **Kramer** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:26 pm

sorry it's off topic, but Zan, who the hell is that i your avatar?