PS3 will launch simultaneously in Europe, Japan and North America in early November 2006, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. has announced.
Finally, finally confirming a release date for its next-gen console in Tokyo earlier - to much rejoicing around the globe, no doubt - SCEI claimed that it has a monthly production capacity of 1 million PS3 units. The company "will push forward a powerful product launch to spread the platform rapidly throughout the world, together with a strong and attractive lineup of PS3 game titles," it stated.
A November release for PS3 might be later than Sony originally planned, but the company unsurprisingly wants to ensure it gets things spot on with its next-gen console. "Instead of rushing it, we want to make sure we execute a solid launch... We wanted to make the Thanksgiving sales," Sony big wig Ken Kutaragi has said.
David Reeves, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has added: "We are absolutely delighted that we will be able to bring PS3 to gamers in Europe and Australia before Christmas. This is an exciting first for Europe, and is a huge endorsement and vote of confidence in the strength of the European market and its importance globally."
PS3 in Australia too then before we bid farewell to 2006? Feel the Sony love, all you folks 'down under'.
Meanwhile, no doubt in an effort to rob Sony's launch announcement of some of its thunder, Microsoft was happy to fire off a warning that a late arrival into the next-gen console war could cause significant problems for the Japanese giant. Craig Mundie, Microsoft's chief technical officer, is quoted as saying that if "they [Sony] slide too far [with PS3's launch, we assume] they'll find themselves in the same situation as the Xbox did when they launched the PS2 a year before we entered... That's a hill to climb.''
Anyway, SCEI went on to say in its announcement on launch plans that PS3 incorporates the final specifications of the Blu-ray disc format and that it will be compatible with standard definition and high definition TV sets. It additionally mentioned that consumers will be able to connect PS3 "to high-speed broadband network through Gigabit Ethernet and comfortably enjoy a wide-range of rich and exciting content and services over the network."
Well, we've got launch confirmation, so what we need now is pricing information. It's highly possible we'll be slapped with this at GDC next week, where Sony's Phil Harrison is delivering a keynote speech entitled 'PlayStation 3: Beyond the Box'.
They say they can produce 1 million units per month - but when will they actually start that? I'm guessing they will aim for about 1 million units per territory 0excluding Australia) perhaps to avoid a similiar 360 shambles.
That's a bit of a surprise, the worldwide launch, and this year as well, I was willing to wager that it would have been next year before Europe saw it. I think that they'll have learnt from Microsoft's mistakes and have more units ready for the launch, the price is still a worry although I expect that plenty of people will be willing to pay £400 or £500 if it does turn out to be that. At least we won't see import machines going for over £1000 this time but I shudder to think what the ebay prices will be if there's a shortage.
If I find sellotape or gum holding my PS3 together I'll be writing a stiff letter to watchdog or something. Don't cut corners on build quailty! I sure as sh1t do not want to be buying a replacement in 12 months.
Well then. Price. What do you reckon, £499? Higher or lower? Wheres Bruce Forsythe when you need him...
Wait and see if that stays worldwide, remember how much Sony tells the truth, and sticks to it.
exactly what i was going to say, i still would put money on some of the claims made today not staying "on track"
nates predictions:
Price:£499 Release in Europe: Christmas but with unbelievably massive shortages Games at Launch: Pants Amount of people s**tting there pants at launch selling their grandmas to get one on Ebay for £XXXX: a fair few im guessin
Given the track record for previous shortages I'm expecting loads (10's of 1000's) of units for Japan, 5 units for the States and 1.5 for everyone else (who?), since you can launch a product with one, or in the case of NVIDIA or ATI you can launch on paper and supply nothing for months.
Final dev kits delivered in June, giving the developers a whopping 5 months to finalise code, test and regionalise. Crap or missing launch titles.
With the greater demand that there'll be initially for the console, I expect it to be a very bloody Christmas.
Definitely a major plus point if they can do a Full World Wide release and stick to it, so that we can all benefit from getting the consoles at the same times. Obviously, there will be a lack of consoles, but that is beside the point. Even if they released 10,000,000 for the release date, there would still be an outcry of lack of consoles.
As long as they can keep there word and make it so there are enough to cover initial amounts required, and keep to there 1,000,000 consoles a month, this could be one of the biggest releases in Console History and could well put shivers down the backs of the opposition.
I look forward to the rest of the information being released over the coming weeks and especially what games will be released for launch day.
The only gripe I have, is the prices. Whenever we get worldwide releases, most of the time it's $500 = £500 and it's only the Japanese that get it cheaper. For some reason we, here in both Europe and Australia get severely burnt with price hiking, and all the BS which relates to shipping, VAT's etc etc. With the strength of the European economies against both the Japanese and US, we should expect to pay a lot less than they will probably charge us. We always seem to be funding the cheaper consoles in those 2 territories.
I will wait and see what happens, and may well eat my words, but seeing how it is always like this as far as i can tell, this is the only major gripe I have with these major releases.
This info has been great and long waited. I like the idea that SONY is taking their time to do it right. I also hope the ship it with a HDD and not have a core/deluxe package.
Well they had said something about KillZone 2/3 and Vision GT. Personally, GT3 was meant to be a launch title (GT2000 at the time) but was delayed for a further 8 or so months. I wouldn't be expecting a concrete games list at this stage.
i doubt they'll keep to this, at least outside japan & US. its basically the same trick as the PS2/DC battle - they're just screaming "don't forget us, we'll be there one day!"...trouble is, last time it worked a treat.
With 6 more months before the launch, I know all the developers are very happy to hear this. Now, they can get more time to develop their games and create better launch titles. It's a win-win situation for us gamers.
With 6 more months before the launch, I know all the developers are very happy to hear this. Now, they can get more time to develop their games and create better launch titles. It's a win-win situation for us gamers.
Yeah right. Launch games are rushed piles of poo no matter how much time they are given.
The PS2 launch was one of the better ones with SSX, Timesplitters and at a push Tekken Tag. Anything else was a major disappointment. Gradius III/IV for example? That was a port at best of a 10 year old game at the time.
And you have to remember that the PS2 came out months after the American and Japanese launches so it's not as if time was a factor.
Providing Sony get the motherboard makers to start suppling at the end of june, and that their isn't any problems with them, if they can also get a good amount of graphics chips and cell chips, i would say one million consoles made per month would be in the up most limits of what they can do, they must have improved the yeilds of cpu in the fab.
So lets say they make about 500,000 thousand throught july, and again in august, and in september they manage a million and the same again in october, that's about 3 million for a worldwide launch date in 4 terriotes around the world, methinks major shortages again, better pre-order and then watch on ebay as they go for crazy money again.
Bare in mind that's only if productions goes smoothly in the 4 months before it gets released. I think sony are being a bit opptismistic of a million units made straight away, i don't doubt they could do it, but not at the start when production lines are just starting out, give them 6 months before they get into the swing of it, specially since chip supplers can and often miss shipment dates.
Who would have thought sony releasing worldwide at the same time, did they get scared into doing this by a certain company, you bet they did....
It will be interesting to see the price of the machine, then by all accounts the cost of the hdd that you might have to buy just to play games.
£349? £399? £450? or will sony shock the world with a price tag of £299?
There online service sounds familiar aswell, wonder where they got that from, ps they need to change the controller, it looks utter crap.
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