PS3 Price and Release Date

[Variance]

It's a tad steep.

----

E3 2006: PS3 Date and Price Announced

System to come in two configurations, will cost up to $599.

by Jeff Haynes

May 8, 2006 - In a last minute bombshell, Kaz Hirai announced the specific date and details of the PS3 launch. The PS3 will be arranged in two separate system configurations: a 20 and a 60 gigabyte hard drive system. What's more, Japan will see the PS3 first on November 11th, at a price for 59,800 yen for the 20 gigabyte system setup. The 60 gigabyte system will be open ended and set by retailers. North America, Europe and Australasia will see the system six days later on November 17th. The price? $499 dollars or 499 Euros for the 20 gig version, and $599 dollars or 599 Euros for the 60 gig version. In Canadian dollars, that will come to approximately $549 dollars for the 20 gig and $659 dollars for the 60 gig version.

Hirai also announced that Sony will try to get a grand total of six million units shipped by March 31, 2007, which is Sony's fiscal date: 2 million PS3s will be available during the initial launch window, another 2 million will be shipped before the end of 2006, and finally another 2 before March 31st.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/705/705838p1.html

[griff7774]

Ahh yes the cost of blu-ray tech

[Flybrian]

That's f@#king nuts.

[04monteintimidator]

um... yeah anyone else realize a long time ago that videogames are just a huge waste of time?

[AAS]

um... yeah anyone else realize a long time ago that videogames are just a huge waste of time?

[capriceman]

*pauses Gran turismo and Forza and madden* wha.

I feel i have no need for a new PS For i have PSP and Ps2 and a Xbox. Ill i play now is either Racing games, Sports, or GTA SA to relive stress.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

um... yeah anyone else realize a long time ago that videogames are just a huge waste of time?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Time for some Geritol, huh?

[capriceman]

someone will have to send him some PONG then work his way up to NBA Live 06

[Guest YellowJacket894]

^ Nah, I think in order to rehab him, we'll have to send a pinball machine first.

[capriceman]

bring him over i have a 1979 Williams Laser Ball or Lazer Ball. My manuals say either spelling. it all works except for a burnt out light that take 3 seconds to fix and a sound bored and speaker. But you can play with out sound its easier on him we dont need to rush him.

Edited May 10, 2006 by capriceman

[04monteintimidator]

no seriously... i actually used to play alot... like all the time... i would play for a solid 3-4 hours at a time... but i slowly lost interest as i got older an started getting alot more serious into gymnastics... not to mention the whole hanging out with friends thing... if i have free time i tend to go outside most of the time... video games arent worth it... as far as im concerned its a waste of time and money... there are no proven positive effects... an if its not even fun while your playing it then whats the point? id rather go outsie an play tackle football with some friends than sit at home an play madden all night... but thats just me...

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Now, c'mon. We all know how stupid it is to play video games for 6 hours straight can be, but what's wrong with maybe an hour or two on a slow day?

But, there was something in that post that made me realize something: I gotta get out more often.

[04monteintimidator]

YJ: im not saying theres anything wrong with it... its just not something i personally find enjoyable... if you like to do it thats fine... as for me... i dont like it so i dont do it thats all

wmj: nice... i make that joke all the time when my brother tries to tell me hes actually benefiting physically from playing vieo games

[capriceman]

Its ben proven video game players can read and understand material faster and make quicker decisons.

But I only play late at night or with a group of buddys. When your old tho buying gmaes is a bit creepy.

[Paolino]

I'm going to hold out. When they remake Final Fantasy VII, I'm in trouble though--that's going to be a must-have for me.

[daves87rs]

Its ben proven video game players can read and understand material faster and make quicker decisons.

But I only play late at night or with a group of buddys. When your old tho buying gmaes is a bit creepy.

Nah, I've seen 50 year old buying them....

[04monteintimidator]

Its ben proven video game players can read and understand material faster and make quicker decisons.

and so can people who read books alot... an reading is much healthier for you because it allows you imagination to operate freely...

as far as the quicker decisions... thats really just dependant on how you think while making decisions... an indecisive person will still make slower decisions than a person who jumps the gun... no matter how much video games the former plays... and its not like you dont need to think fast while playing any sport ever... thats pretty much the whole point of plays...

thats not to say it doesnt do those things... im not going to argue that... but im just saying videogames is not yur exclusive source for speed reading an quick-decision skills... whereas physical activity is your sole source for exercise...

[Paolino]

whereas physical activity is your sole source for exercise...

Nuh uh... remember that electic belt that electrocuted people to work out their muscles? There ya go. LOL

[04monteintimidator]

haha of course of course... how could i have forgotten... lol

[Flybrian]

I can't believe just how much time in a day people waste in front of electronics. Can you imagine just sitting in one spot all day, clicking aimlessly while staring at a screen for hours on end? What pathetic shills of people these losers are.

*Continues updating C&G*

[capriceman]

Fly has a point.

I know 04monte Sports and reading is way better for you than playing games.

I heard this excuse and its true but how lame isnt it. Im into more of Xtreme sports they say. kayaking and mountain/road bikes and Dirt bike/ATV. more of an adrediline junky.

[FAPTurbo]

$549 Canadian for the cheapest model?!

Sad thing is, they'll be lining up the blocks to get their hands on these things.

These console wars are getting worse each week. Nintendo just changed their system's perfectly good name "Revolution" to... "wii"... FYI, "wii" is pronounced 'wee'.

With a name like that, Nintendo may have alienated themselves from people aged 6 and up.

[Cory Wolfe]

What... the... f@#k? $499? Are you freaking serious? I thought the PS2 was expensive... Holy mother of all things that seriously f@#ked up. Damn.... No PS3 for me. Not worth it anymore.

[Intrepidation]

For those who don't thin any phyical activity can come from video games, I have 3 words for you: Dance Dance Revolution

For those who think there's no imagination in video games, play Final Fantasy

For those who think you can't be imaginiavtive, go play RPG Makeror a Tony Hawk game where you can build tracks.

Video games a great way to releave stress, and on top of that, they let you do things you can't phisically, or legally do in real life. GTA anyone?

Plus, most people I know wouldn't have a garage of 400+ cars, ie. Gran Turismo

Try pulling the driving stunts you can in Burnout in real life...well you won't live long enough to tell which is the smarter thing to do.

And for thos eof you who think video games are mindless, you obviously have never seen how sharp a gamer's reflexes can be...and no not just their hands.

I can't wait for the PS3, though I dunno if I'll be able to afford one for a while. Still, I'll get one eventually

[Croc]

I'm actually far more interested in the Nintendo Wii than whatever Sony has to offer.

[TheMattMan]

Yeah I might wait a while till I buy a PS3.

One game though I'm waiting to see on PS3 - Gran Turismo 5. Hopefully they'll wise up and put maybe 24 cars on there at least instead of just 6.

[CSpec]

The PS3 certainly costs much more than $499 to produce. However, since stand-alone BluRay players are going to cost about $1000, the PS3 is a bargain player with an amazing video game system bolted on.

[Cory Wolfe]

Well... give me one without that Blueway or whatever it is, then... I only play for games like Gran Turismo, which isn't worth that much at all. I mean, how many people actually need this technology? Seriously? They should offer it for people who want it.

[CaddyXLR-V]

Will it actually continue to work after a year? My PS1 stopped reading the games after a year, so I bought a PS2, now that one stopped reading the games also. My cousin has a PS2, and his no longer reads the games. Will PS3 be any different?

[Cory Wolfe]

My PS2 is 4 years old now... it still reads discs just fine. So does my 10 year old PS1 at my grandma's....

[RBB]

um... yeah anyone else realize a long time ago that videogames are just a huge waste of time?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/fun.games/05/...s.ap/index.html

Poll: Four in 10 Americans play video games

Monday, May 8, 2006; Posted: 1:35 p.m. EDT (17:35 GMT)

(AP) -- Rather than reach for the television remote control when she wants to be entertained, Karalyn Valente goes online to play "EverQuest," "Ultima Online" and other video games -- a gaming habit shared by millions in the United States.

Valente, a 29-year-old graphic artist from York, Pennsylvania, said she devotes about 30 hours a week in vast online worlds and spent more than $1,500 on games last year.

"I watch less and less TV. I turn it on and the shows are just idiotic," Valente said. "When I play the games, I actually look through the character's eyes. I actually become the character."

According to a new AP-AOL Games poll, 40 percent of American adults play games on a computer or a console. Men, younger adults and minorities were most likely to play those games.

Among those who describe themselves as gamers, 45 percent play over the Internet. And more than a third of online gamers spent more than $200 last year on gaming, compared with nearly a quarter of those who don't play games online.

Online gamers also spent more time playing those games.

Forty-two percent of online gamers said they spent at least four hours playing games during an average week, compared with 26 percent of those who don't play online. About one in six online gamers play more than 10 hours a week.

The survey results come as Sony Corp., Nintendo Co. and Microsoft Corp. prepare to push their new consoles this week at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. All three are hoping to make broad online features such as multiplayer games, video conferencing and downloadable content a core element of the video game experience.

Casual games like board or card games were the most popular, followed by strategy games, action sports, adventure, first-person shooters and simulations, the poll found. Casual, strategy and role-playing games were most popular among online gamers.

And that game playing can be expensive.

Cameron Wright's gaming cost more than $4,500 last year, most of that on upgrades to two of his four PCs.

More than a fourth of gamers say they spent nothing on that hobby last year and slightly more, 31 percent, spent $100 or less.

Only 11 percent spent more than $500 last year. Online gamers are more likely to have spent more than $500 last year compared with gamers who don't play online. Six in 10 hardcore gamers -- those who play three or more hours per week -- spent $200 or less on games last year.

Although Wright usually spends about two hours a week on gaming, he said he sometimes makes extra time for adult-themed military strategy games like "Command and Conquer," which he plays online with friends.

"Once you start, they get quite intricate," said Wright, a 44-year-old investment manager from Indianapolis. "You're looking at four to five hours a night."

Of those who play online games, nearly one in five said they had formed ongoing friendships or relationships with fellow gamers they did not know before, the poll found.

Valente said she met her roommate and her boyfriend in online games and regularly uses special computer software called TeamSpeak to talk with teammates and friends in the game worlds.

"I've met a lot of strangers online and become friends with them," she said. "I have friends that have been online for years."

Wright, meanwhile, said the family PlayStation 2 has become the center of entertainment for him and his four young children.

"With the PS2 we find ourselves sitting down and passing it around from one person to another doing round-robin tournaments," Wright said. "The kids just eat that up. The big competition is who gets through that level first."

The AP-AOL Games poll of 3,024 U.S. adults, including 1,046 gamers, was conducted by Ipsos, an international polling firm, on April 18-20 and 24-27. For the gamers, the poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

-RBB

[Intrepidation]

I'm actually far more interested in the Nintendo Wii than whatever Sony has to offer.

Ah the Wii (wee), we all know Nintendo wants you to play with their Wii...and their vibrator

[04monteintimidator]

For those who don't thin any phyical activity can come from video games, I have 3 words for you: Dance Dance Revolution

For those who think there's no imagination in video games, play Final Fantasy

For those who think you can't be imaginiavtive, go play RPG Makeror a Tony Hawk game where you can build tracks.

Video games a great way to releave stress, and on top of that, they let you do things you can't phisically, or legally do in real life. GTA anyone?

Plus, most people I know wouldn't have a garage of 400+ cars, ie. Gran Turismo

Try pulling the driving stunts you can in Burnout in real life...well you won't live long enough to tell which is the smarter thing to do.

And for thos eof you who think video games are mindless, you obviously have never seen how sharp a gamer's reflexes can be...and no not just their hands.

I can't wait for the PS3, though I dunno if I'll be able to afford one for a while. Still, I'll get one eventually

DDR is just one game... and ontop of that... do you really think anyone plays it outside of arcades? i doubt it... and im not talking about arcades im talking about home videogame consoles such as PS2...

i never said there was no imagination in video games... i said books let you imagine more because you arent presented with a visual representation of the story you are partaking in... you hafta picture it yourself

okay you can also relieve stress by, ya know... working out... going for a jog, reading, bike riding etc... many things that are much healthier than sittin around playing games

what does a garage of 400+ cars hafta do with anything? you cant feel any of the power of the car while yur playin gran turismo... so its not like a full simulation now is it?

yet again... why would you try any of the driving stunts in burnout? thats just stupid... same for GTA... not to mention once again... yur not actually feeling anything... your pressing a series of buttons an watching your character do it... if there was a feeling/touch sensation involved then you might... might have a point

hahahahahahahah the reflex thing.... oh i love this... i have numerous friends who play video games who claim to have "enhanced reflexes" an yet my reaction times are consistently better than theirs... why? well lets see a videogame junkie try to swing around a steel pipe... let go of the pipe, do a flip and catch it again...

and let me finish by saying this... i never said people are stupid for playing videogames... i dont understand why you got so defensive... are you 7? i simply said that for me... they arent enjoyable... i much prefer physical activity an other forms of entertainment... chill out man...

[loki]

$549 Canadian for the cheapest model?! 

Sad thing is, they'll be lining up the blocks to get their hands on these  things.

These console wars are getting worse each week. Nintendo just changed their system's perfectly good name "Revolution" to... "wii"... FYI, "wii" is pronounced 'wee'.

With a name like that, Nintendo may have alienated themselves from people aged 6 and up.

first, nice avatar pic!

and anyone dissing the Wii(other than the name) posibilites must think games must look and feel as realistic as possible to be good. yes there are games like that that are good, racing games yes, and sports possibly. but videogames were not pioneered to have to have bleeting edge graphics or have to caitter to the "rich" or just hardcore people. the Wii will push innovation with it's controller's 3d motion sensors versus the ps3's one. and sony couldn't get the rumble feature to work in the controller, nintedo has it along with more features. people that have to have the Square games will buy the ps3 along w/ the sports fanatics, but nintendo's sytem will definatly sell many many more units because it will beable to expand thier "player base".

yes i'm biased, but i'm sure lots of other people would agree too. and with what sony has tried to do to it's customers from various departments (like the xcp on music cd's) you should realize that something similar could easily happen again.

(hoping sony would just die allready ) yes sony makes fine electronics, but that by no means makes them good.

[ShadowDog]

I've a collection of PS2 and PS games that I've been slowly getting through. I picked up about five games over the last couple months that I've yet to really begin playing. Since I tend to play long-term games like Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy, I like to finish a game before starting another. The problem is now that I don't always have the time to play them...at least, not as much as I'd like. In the winter it was easy, since there was little to be done outside.

Isn't that the ironic thing now, that when we were teens, we'd get annoyed that having to do yardwork or chores for the parents would interfere with our game time. Now, I pray it doesn't rain just so I can actually GET to working in the yard in the evening and weekends. Gaming is now just a rainy-day luxury, if we've caught up on our recorded shows that we miss because of work.

Oh, to be a kid again.

My wife loves the stories in the Final Fantasy series, so I've been playing them all from #2 (Nintendo), a.k.a. #4 (Japanese release). Will I consider buying a PS3 so I can continue the trend and enjoy other games? Whew! At that price, I'll really have to think about it. I'll likely be playing the other ones still, buying the PS3 when a newer generation will be hitting the market.

Edited May 10, 2006 by ShadowDog

[loki]

I've a collection of PS2 and PS games that I've been slowly getting through.  I picked up about five games over the last couple months that I've yet to really begin playing.  Since I tend to play long-term games like Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy, I like to finish a game before starting another.  The problem is now that I don't always have the time to play them...at least, not as much as I'd like.  In the winter it was easy, since there was little to be done outside.

Isn't that the ironic thing now, that when we were teens, we'd get annoyed that having to do yardwork or chores for the parents would interfere with our game time.  Now, I pray it doesn't rain just so I can actually GET to working in the yard in the evening and weekends.  Gaming is now just a rainy-day luxury, if we've caught up on our recorded shows that we miss because of work.

Oh, to be a kid again.

My wife loves the stories in the Final Fantasy series, so I've been playing them all from #2 (Nintendo), a.k.a. #4 (Japanese release).  Will I consider buying a PS3 so I can continue the trend and enjoy other games?  Whew!  At that price, I'll really have to think about it.  I'll likely be playing the other ones still, buying the PS3 when a newer generation will be hitting the market.

don't forget that you'll need a DS to play #3 from japan when it's released here later, this year maybe?...it will be "enhanced" though with 3d graphics..