Japanese Crowds

- Check out this video taken outside of a store called Yodobashi Akiba in Electric Town, Akihabra.
- All of these people are waiting to hear if their ticket number is pulled from a hat, meaning they get to buy one of the few PS3s (previously) in stock.

Japanese PS3 Unboxing

- Engadget Japan have got their hands on a 20GB PS3. I guess they decided to settle for that rather than nothing since, by all accounts, all 80,000 launch units are long gone from stores.

XMB Video Walkthrough

- Engadget has pasted a tasty video of the PS3's OS with a complete walkthrough of all the menu and option goodness you can expect.
- In a totally unrelated note, after seeing a final form factor PS3 test kit in person, I can say that the thing is really shiny. Don't go moving it around too much or it will look as nasty as your PSP with all the finger print smudges after a few minutes play.

Preorder A PS3 Tomorrow

- Pre order news:

"Limited PlayStation 3 Pre-order
GameStop and EB Games will begin accepting limited pre-orders for the PlayStation 3 console on Tuesday, October 10, on a first come, first served basis. Due to extremely limited supply, we expect to deplete this allocation very quickly, most likely in minutes. We will not accept additional pre-orders at this time. To avoid an unnecessary trip we strongly recommend you call your local store to determine availability. A $100 reservation deposit is required, which can be funded with cash, credit or trade. As we cannot control production and shipping issues by the manufacturer, a reservation deposit does not guarantee receipt of a system available to purchase at launch. Reservations/Purchases are limited to 1 per household.

Our limited online pre-order program will be announced at a later date, after software and accessory availability dates are confirmed. Online product pricing and availability will vary and will be fulfilled independent of store reservations."

Accessories Priced

- Despite the gaming community at large generally adopting "Dual Shake" as the name of the new PS3 controller, Sony have called it "Sixaxis", for obvious reasons, (that is "six degrees of freedom" if you haven't heard yet.)
- As we know, the rumble-less controller works in Bluetooth wireless mode and USB wired. Japan will get them for ¥5,000 ($42).
- Also announced were the PSX/PS2 memory card to PS3 adaptor to copy data to PS3's hard drive for ¥1,500 ($13) and a Blu-ray/DVD remote for ¥3,600 ($31), both also available at launch.
- Check for pics.

PS3 Demo Kiosks

- Check out what the PS3 Demo Kiosks look like. They should be popping up in stores sometime soon-ish one would hope.
- This is in a Japanese store and notice that you can only watch the demos/video, not acually pickup a controller and play.

Suprise! PS3 Delay

- So this should have been obvious from a mile away, but Sony has finally admitted defeat and announced a delay until March 2007 in Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa, and Australasia.
- The reason Sony gave was:

"The delay in the mass production schedule of the blue laser diode within the Sony Group"

- The Japanese and North American release dates are unaffected, still set as 11th November and 17 November 2006 respectively.
- Sony is also sticking to it's forecast of shipping 6 million units worldwide between March 06 and 07.

No HDMI Cable Included With PS3. Big Deal.

- People are complaining that the PS3 will apparently not be shipping with a HDMI cable.
- This is important to those that want to watch full 1080p Blu-Ray content which is copy protected through the requirement of an HDMI connection to your TV.
- These cables are only as expensive as you want to make them, (you can spend hundreds on cables if you want, or just $10,) just like you would for any other piece of A/V kit.
- Plus, how many people really have a 1080p TV and Blu-Ray discs that they have to play on their PS3? A small minority of the potential PS3 owners in my opinion, however, it is still sad to hear there is another expense involved for the full experience.

PS3 - This Is Living

- Unveiled by Sony at the Leipzig Games Convention recently was the official PS3 slogan for Europe, and it sounds like an ad for butter or something...
- Anyway, "This is living" is to the PS3 as "Jump in" is to the Xbox 360. In Europe at least.

Sony Will Show 35 PS3 Games At TGS

- By this time next month we will finally be getting opinions on how the PS3 games really play.
- The Tokyo Game Show, September 22 to 24, will have Sony showing off 27 playable PlayStation 3 titles, along with 8 more non-playable.
- These are the titles known so far:

* Devil May Cry 4
* Blade Storm: Hundred Years War
* Mahjong Taikai
* Coded Arms: Assault
* Fatal Inertia
* The Eye of Judgement
* Warhawk
* Gran Turismo Series
* Genji
* Formula One World Championship
* Heavenly Sword
* Everybody's Golf 5
* MotorStorm
* LAIR
* Resistance: Fall of Man
* Mobile Suit Gundam
* Ridge Racer 7
* Armored Core 4

Site Updates

- We have updated the PS3 Games page, Blu-Ray Movies list and put the PS3 itself on the Hardware & Accessories page.
- We aim to be your top PS3 resource on the web!
- Oh, and anyone want a Free Video iPod?
- Just read the instructions on our Conga Page

Amazon Preorders

- Amazon now have preorder pages up for multiple Playstation 3 titles, as well as a page for the console itself, although it is not up for preorder yet.
- Here is everything they have so far:

Download HD PS3 Game Trailers

- Want some 720p HD PS3 trailers? Well Playsyde has you covered.

"Some of the trailers are edited from the E3 versions, with sometimes more footage or some scenes removed."

Singstar (39.56 MB) (1280x720) - Streaming version
Everybody's Golf (27.91 MB) (1280x720) - Streaming version
Lair (28.01 MB) (1280x720) - Streaming version
Genji 2 (18.72 MB) (1280x720) - Streaming version
F1 2006 (29.93 MB) (1280x720) - Streaming version
Warhawk (19.79 MB) (1280x720) - Streaming version

Singstar (8.27 MB) (640x360) - Streaming version
Everybody's Golf (17.35 MB) (640x360) - Streaming version
Warhawk (4.64 MB) (640x360) - Streaming version
Lair (7.46 MB) (640x360) - Streaming version
Heavenly Sword (12.42 MB) (640x360) - Streaming version
Monster Kingdom (6.79 MB) (640x360) - Streaming version
Genji 2 (6.84 MB) (640x360) - Streaming version
F1 2006 (13.75 MB) (640x360) - Streaming version
Eye of Judgement (9.54 MB) (640x360) - Streaming version

Video Of PS3 Dev-Kit

- 1Up went to check out Full Auto 2 at Sega. While they were there they took this video of a Final version PS3 dev-kit.
- Big and loud, here it is. Interested? Have a look-see.

Both Versions Of PS3 For UK After All?

- GamesIndustry.biz have this tidbit:

SCE UK's David Wilson has told GamesIndustry.biz that both the 20GB and 60GB versions of the PlayStation 3 are likely to go on sale in the UK - but not neccessarily on the day the console launches.

According to Wilson, Sony is currently in "a period of open consultation with retail and consumers to decide on the best way to approach the impending launches of both skus."

When asked if this meant that Sony had definitely decided to launch both models in the UK, despite earlier reports that only the 60GB model would appear in this territory, Wilson replied: "No. The likelihood is that both will be made available. But at launch? I don't know."

Developers Getting Behind PS3

- In a comment in another story, Next-Gen.biz has a qoute from SCEA PR manager Ryan Bowling about PS3 support.

"He noted that top publishers and developers are still strongly tied with SCEA. "The best and brightest development teams are hard at work creating familiar franchises and original IP for the PS3 including – EA, Konami, Sega, Rockstar, Activison and our own internal studios just to name a few," Bowling stated.
He also offered the latest PS3 dev kit shipment figures, in an effort to exhibit Sony's commitment to developers. "To date we have shipped more than 10,000 development systems to 208 companies in 11 countries, the largest number ever for a PlayStation platform.""

- Just to recap: 10,000 devkits at 208 companies around the world in 11 countries!

US PS3 Site Launches... With Apple Logo?

- Weird story of the day comes from Joystiq who noticed the Apple logo appearing on the US PlayStation 3 website.
- Speculation is on a trial version of some Apple software being used to produce the website, but this is still unconfirmed.
- The logo has gone now though, so don't go thinking iTunes is coming to PS3 or anything!

Download And Play Sony Games For Free

- You should check out GameTap. It is pretty sweet.
- Right now they have a 2 week free trial which gives you unlimted downloads and playtime of their games, of which there are over 500 so far.
- And these are decent games too, such as:

Galaga
Sonic & Knuckles
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Virtua Fighter 2
Virtua Racing Deluxe
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six series
Tomb Raider series including The Angel of Darkness

- Even better, there is no commitment. So signup, play the games and quit if you don't like it!

New PS3 Website

- Official EU Sony PS3 Website has now been launched.
- Not much more than a flashy brochure, but hey, it's all we got.

PS3 Preorder In UK

- While not something I will be taking up, someone out there may be interested.
- Play.com is offering PS3 preorders along with three games, (Formula One 06, Warhawk and Singstar,) for £549.99 delivered.
- Oh and:

Due to an expected European shortage of the PS3, we are unable to guarantee delivery of your PS3 before Christmas. All pre-orders will be fulfilled on a first come, first served basis and game titles in this package may be changed, subject to availability.

Best Buy Lists PS3 Games

- BestBuy have gone ahead and listed PlayStation 3 games as available for pre-order.
- Incidentally, they have Wii games too.

Controller Comparison

- Interesting read over at GameDaily: Next Gen Controller Breakdown, their impressions after getting their hands on all three consoles' offerings now, after E3.
- Here are the three conclusions if you don't want to read the whole thing:

"Overall Xbox 360: The Xbox 360 controller isn't anything blazingly new in terms of control, but a fine modified version of the Controller S pad into wireless form that provides a great deal of comfort and ease of control. Something could be done to prolong the battery life or at least give an indication as to when it needs a change, but past that little setback, this is a great controller that works with a number of game types, be it a complex first-person shooter like Gears of War or a simple card game such as Uno.

Overall PS3: Sony's PS3 controller has a long way to go. Despite the fact that it has gyroscopic features built in and returns to the same old Dual Shock formula that the previous controllers did, it feels cheaply put together and seems to have most of its innovation borrowed from that other competitor, the Nintendo Wii. There's not really an original hook here to keep gamers thinking that the PS3 is innovative, even though the controller has that sense of comfort. Fortunately, the very final edition will see Sony giving it a little heft and a push of originality.

Overall Wii: The Nintendo Wii-mote is a solid controller and a greatly designed tool that should help boost the company back into the next-generation race. The system itself could use a little more of a technical boost to live up to this peripheral's potential, and some of the games aren't as smooth controlling as others (playing Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam with a sideways Wii-mote takes getting used to), but it still plays wonderfully and could lead the way for a new direction as to how games are played. Hell, even Sony's stealing some ideas."

Tekken 6 Teaser

- Some pure eye candy in this Tekken 6 teaser trailer from E3 on YouTube.

PS2Dev Open PS3Dev Forums

- Homebrew development forum PS2Dev has now opened their PS3Dev Forum ready for all the tinkerers out there on launch day.
- In the mean time, why not practice on the PSP?

Linux And SDK On PS3

- Check out this Joystiq post.
- SCE Network System Development Manager Izumi Kawanishi has said the PlayStation 3 will ship with a built-in Linux OS, (already known,) complete with compilers and other tools, (previously rumored and great news!)
- But how far will we be allowed to take the PS3? Will Sony provide any PS3 specific API's to help us along?

Videos Of PS3 OS

- Two movies of the PS3 interface in action, (as previously reported to look alot like the PSP OS.)

No PlayStation Points Cards In UK

- In that same MVC article, the following quote can be found:

"We won't be launching the pre-pay card for online that was demonstrated at the [E3] press conference. It's not right for the UK - too difficult to launch or manage."

- So, credit cards it is then for purchasing content through the PlayStation Network.

No "Core" PS3 For UK?

- MVC, a trade magazine for the interactive entertainment industry, has an interview with Sony Computer Entertainment UK boss Ray Maguire and he has the following to say:

"The lower-end 20Gb version of PlayStation 3 has no wi-fi, no HDMI and none of the other slots in it, so it'’s really a question of where we would position it. It'’s more likely that we will only launch the 60Gb version [in the UK.]"

- The means the only option left is the the "Premium" version, priced at £425, ($800,) by Maguire.
- While I wouldn't pick up the budget version myself, I doubt I would want to spend £425 either, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Sony Turns 60

- May 7th 1946 was the day Sony started their plan to take over the world. Happy 60th Birthday Sony!

Tour Sony's E3 Booth

- Go on a tour of Sony's E3 booth through pictures and the magic of the Internet. Engadget has it all ready for you.
- I like the "PSP's on a subway" setup.

PlayStation 3 Interface

- Engadget has an image up of the PS3 interface, and it looks just like a black version of the PSP.
- Not a terrible choice, but I find the PSP OS to be a little slow sometimes, (too much scrolling around.)

Wiimote Vs DualShake

- Engadget lays down their initial impressions of both the new controllers from Sony and Nintendo in an attempt to find a victor.
- If you don't want to read it, they basically say the motion detection was added to the PS3 at the last minute, (like two weeks before E3.) That means it was probably in response to Nintendo's move and also meant only one game supported the motion detection, Warhawk. It seemed a little slow, but that could just be the way the demo was coded, or the rushed SDK.
- Either way Nintendo won this round.

Assassins: Creed Demo Running On 360?

- We have no idea, but IGN had this story up a while ago...

"Ubisoft Montreal revealed its next incredible project, Assassins: Creed, exclusively for PlayStation 3 at E3 this year, much to the delight of Sony console fans and to the dismay of Microsoft consoles fans. Ubisoft officially would not comment on a possible Xbox 360 version.

According to sources close to the company, however, there are potential plans for an Xbox 360 version at Assassins: Creed sometime in 2007. Additionally, Microsoft sources who asked not to be mentioned by name, claimed the demo, hidden behind closed doors at E3, was running on an Xbox 360 using a third-party USB PlayStation controller. The game system was hidden in a stand covered by a sheet. Again, Ubisoft officials would not comment."

John Carmack On 360 Vs PS3

- A video clip from an interview with John Carmack, co-founder of id software, gets his opinion on the difference between the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Some Truths About The PS3

- It is not all happy days and sunshine over at the PS3 camp. More like smoke and mirrors in my opinion.
- First the price. Pretty high, but you can save $100 if you only go for the 20GB hard drive. Oh, but Sony failed to mention in their speech that you will also lose out on HDMI output, MemoryStick, SD card & CompactFlash slots and 802.11 b/g wireless. Not so great for that $100 saving...
- Also, the first things Kaz said at the briefing was Sony didn't do gimmicks (poking at the Wii and the "Wiimote",) and didn't rush (obviously referring to Microsoft's one year headstart with 360.) Then they go and add motion detection to the controller. This one has been swimming around in my head and could be a good thing for Nintendo, (publishers can now create games for Wii and PS3 more easily, meaning Wii gets more games via PS3 ports,) and a bad thing for Microsoft, (they are left with the only non motion detecting controller right now, but that is an easy fix,) with Sony doing pretty well either way, (players may not like the idea of waving, but they can be introduced to it, or publishers can ignore it.)
- But something not mentioned about the "DualShake" controller is that the rumble feature has been removed. This is blamed on the vibration which "interferes with information detected by the sensor." Funny... I thought it was because of the lawsuit that said Sony had to pay up for each rumble controller produced now and you needed a new "gimmick" to fill the hole... Oh, and the Wiimote still rumbles.
- Another gimmick: using the PSP as a second screen, (in this case a rear view mirror in a rcing game.) Something else Nintendo have already tried with the GBA/Gamecube connection.
- The small online demo does look promising though and could be huge for Sony. It looks like they have taken some of the most sucessful online ventures (iTunes Music Store, MySpace, Xbox Live!) and put them all together for PS3 and PSP. If they can get downloadable content priced correctly, (they keep putting $0.00 next to everything in the demos so far,) then this will probably be the most exciting part of the PlayStation for me.
- The games look cool too, but they are very same-y. Everyone out there seems to be making games that are either "Lord of the Rings" style epic battles with hundreds of enemies, or are "God of War" rip offs with flashy moves and easy to use combos. "Eight Days" looked like a lot of fun, (almost like an action movie,) if it really plays as shown. "The Resistance: Fall of Man" looked like "Call of Duty" with aliens.

E3: Sony Press Conference Video Stream

- In the last few minutes GameSpot have released their free (lo-res) stream of the entire Sony Press Conference.
- Coming soon is a downloadable version too. Signup to GameSpot Plus for hi-res versions.
- UPDATE: Download just released to watch at your leisure. Warning, it is a 2 hour presentation so the download may be large and the stream takes some time to watch, (I just got finished up and it was pretty cool!)

E3: Game Screenshots

- Lots of images of PS3 games from Engadget's PS3 event live coverage.
- In order of appearance: Gran Turismo HD demo, Gran Turismo HD menu, The Eye Of Judgment (EyeToy enabled card battle game), a shot of the Online Store and Metal Gear Solid 4.

- Just some of the other games announced: Assassin's Creed; Gundam: Mobile Suit; Coded Arms: Assault; Ridge Racer 7; Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway; Tekken 6; Sonic The Hedgehog; Virtua Tennis 3; Virtua Fighter 5; Stranglehold; Fatal Inertia; Bladestorm; Amored Core 4 and More!
- Expect more from the playable games on the showfloor soon.

E3: PS3 Controller

- The final design is here at last!
- Engadget shows us that the new control pad is an updated version of the Dual Shock 2 as expected.
- What's new? Bluetooth wireless and 3D motion detection, (tilting the controller for pitch, yaw and roll.)
- Here is the old one, incase you forgot:

E3: PS3 Launch Details

- All you need to know:

"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."

- Via Engadget.

Pricing From PlayStation Magazine

- Team Xbox is reporting that the latest issue of PSM has the following PS3 details:

* $399 in the US, €322 in Europe and ¥45,965 in Japan.
* Launching first half of November along with the PlayStation Network Platform service offering free online gameplay.
* 60GB non-removable hard drive included.
* PS and PS2 games will run on the PS3 in 720p, 1080i and 1080p.
* Games not region blocked on Blu-ray Discs.
* Launch line-up and final controller design expected at E3.

- However, CNN's gaming writer Chris Morris thinks Sony will not announce a price for the PS3 at E3 in a couple of weeks since they can get more media attention at a later date by announcing it then.

More GDC Video

- More GDC video, this time featuring Phil Harrison and the media Q&A following his GDC keynote.
- He avoids a few questions about the hardware but did talk about "content offerings" that will be charged at a "premium." Also, there are "no plans to charge for [multiplayer gaming] at the moment."

Pricepoint Confusion

- Engadget and Joystiq commented earlier on a radio interview on Generations Europe with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe VP George Fornay. He mentioned that the PS3 will cost between €499 and €599 euros, which is around $613 and $736 USD.
- Joystiq said that if the prices were real, it would be for the EU and the US was likely to see a range of $499 and $599.
- Problem is that it seems the piece was badly translated.

"Sony has stated that the comments made by Sony Computer Entertainment France boss Georges Fornay yesterday regarding the price of the PS3 were "not an indication of PS3 pricing" and were "mistranslated or misunderstood". He was in fact speculating that if the PS3 were to launch between €499 and €599 it would be considered cheap in comparison to dedicated Blu-Ray drives (which start at around 700 euros) but that "current video games machines" (excluding the Xbox 360, natch) would still be significantly cheaper than the PS3.

Gamesindustry.biz says that this correction suggests the PS3 could launch from anywhere between €150 and €800 euros, but if you ask us that range is about as useful as anywhere between one and infinity. Move along folks, nothing to see here."

GDC Videos

- Above is a video from GDC about an upcoming PS3 game, Warhawk.
- Below is a great on for Motor Storm.
- You may also want to check out this sped-up video, (with no sound) which has clips from Warhawk, Getaway 3, Lair, Heavenly Sword, the shot-up car from an unannounced title and Rachet & Clank

Nvidia Working On New Sony Product

- Engadget tell us that Nvidia are working on a GPU for a new Sony product that is not the PS3.
- So what is it? A PSP2? A cell phone? A DVD player? Who knows.
- I'll guess its Sony's version of a handheld PC.

PS3 Games Region Free

- IGN reminds us of another GDC tidbit. All PS3 games will be region free.
- That means all those crazy games that only the Japanese get can be enjoyed by PS3 owners everywhere.
- Chances are, Blu-Ray movies will still be locked out though.

Download Old Games

- GamesIndustry.biz tells us that Sony intend to allow PS3 owners to download some PSone and PS2 titles to their PS3 hard drives.
- They are also allowing PSP owners to play PSone titles from Memory Sticks.
- Not a bad feature to have when Nintendo are improving their library of downloadable titles for the Revolution all the time.

GDC Wrap Up

- Having returned from GDC we can finally update you with what we learned.
- The console is shipping world wide, including Asia and Australia, in November.
- "PlayStation Network Platform" is just an internal name, not the name consumers will be seeing.
- There will be free online multiplayer. So what will the premium subscription be for?
- The keynote demos were projected in 1080p. Warhawk looks pretty cool, Motor Storm even better.
- God of War 2 will be for PS2. But PS3 is fully backwards compatible.
- The hardware running the demos on the show floor was huge. Like the first DVD player.
- Here are Joystiq's notes.

Congas

- Remember that we mentioned some of our conga lines have a 90 day limit now? Well FreePay who run those free gift sites has let us know why.
- If you don't want to read the below, just be safe in the knowledge that it does not affect most users since they get their gifts really quickly. Most in around 6 weeks.
- So sign up to some of our congas now and score a Free PlayStation 3, Free Sony PSP, Free Xbox 360 and a Free iPod Nano.
- There are more options if you follow the links on the sidebar to the left.

"We instituted the 90-day change so that our operations would work in tandem with the way people actually use our sites. The bottom line is: You move fast and we want to do the same.

We did a survey and found that 93 percent of our users complete their offers within 90 days of opening their account - and a sizable majority of those users (about two-thirds) actually complete their offers within six weeks or less.

It seems that if you're using a Gratis site to score a free iPod, or flatscreen or PlayStation 3 or whatever - there are 15 offers in all, check out freepay.com to see them all - you want to get the whole thing wrapped up pretty quickly - and that's fine with us.

Another reason we've made the 90-day change is that, without having an "end date" for accounts it was impossible for us to figure out where we were financially or to make accurate plans about ordering new goods to ship to our users. Sure, only about seven percent of our users had these never-ending (but never completed) accounts, but how many were going to finish the process and get their free item? None?, 10 percent?, 50 percent? More? Less? You get the picture. Too many loose ends and none of them actually doing anyone any good. So we made the switch to a 90-day structure.

However, we wanted to make the change in a totally fair and aboveboard way. Rather than instituting some kind of retroactive approach - i.e., "Hey there, wanted to let you know your account has been cancelled!" - we decided to set the clock evenly for everyone.

As of March 1, 2006, and going forward, all accounts need to be completed within 90 days of being opened. If you have an older account, whether it was started a couple of months ago or several years ago, you have until June 1, 2006 (i.e., 90 days on from March 1) to complete your account. So far, no one seems to mind, as (like we said) the vast majority of our users complete their offers within 60 or so days, sometimes less. If you're one of the few people who is disappointed by the change, then we're sorry, but we hope you now see why the change needed to happen."

PlayStation Business Briefing 2006 Summary

- Joystiq has a great summary post on all the news from the PlayStation Business Briefing today.
- Details on the PS3 launch, new PSP price, PS2 staying at $150, online plans and more.

First Game Details

- Right after Sony finished talking up their PS3 launch they announced "Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom", a hack-and-slash RPG, would be among the PS3 launch titles.
- It is also expected that Microsoft will launch "Halo 3" and/or "Gears of War" around the same time to try and knock some of the wind out of Sony's sails, (but how effective can these games really be against the rabid Sony fan base?)

Finally! Some PS3 Details!

- - Ken Kutaragi, president of Sony Computer Entertainment, finally unveiled some new PS3 info at the PlayStation Business Briefing 2006 in Japan.
- Here are the main points:

* The PlayStation 3 is delayed because the copy protection for Blu-ray is not ready.
* A worldwide launch, (North America, Asia and Europe,) begins within the first ten days of November 2006.
* Expect a production rate of 1 million units per month, with 6 million units released by the end of March 2007.
* Final versions of the PS3 development kits will be shipping to developers in June 2006.
* All PS3 games will be released on Blu-Ray discs only to prevent piracy.
* The console will still be able to read PS1 and PS2 CDs, PS2 DVDs and DVD movies.
* The PlayStation 3 will be 100% backwards compatible with PS1 and PS2 games.
* All titles played on the system (PS1, 2 and 3,) will be displayed in HD.
* The PS3 will require a hard drive, (upgradeable.) It will come with a stock 60GB HDD out of the box.
* The HDD will support Linux and can act as a home server for media.
* The PS3 will include built-in Wi-Fi and can act as an access point for the PSP.
* The rumored PlayStation HUB is now official and known as "PlayStation Network Platform."
* At launch the console will get community tools, such as lobby matching and voice chat, along with commerce features like in-game shopping and game downloads to the hard drive.
* Just like Xbox Live! on the Xbox 360, the basic service will be free.
* No price details, but Phil Harrison is making a keynote about the PS3 next week at the GDC and PSP-Files.com will be there.

New Details On PS3 in Under 2 Weeks

- It is well known Phil Harrison from Sony is giving a keynote speech at this year's GDC entitled "PlayStation 3: Beyond the Box".
- But now, in an interview with GameDaily, GDC Director Jamil Moledina has confirmed that some new details about the PlayStation 3 will be revealed.
- Moledina also mentions the Nintendo keynote is well worth attending too.
- Also of note is this Joystiq post that hints of a March 15th PS3 announcement from Sony in Japan.

PS3 Begins Manufacturing In June

- Compeq, an electronics manufacturer from Taiwan, are supposedly going to start manufacturing parts for the PS3 this June.
- Compeq manufactured parts for the PSP will be making the PCBs for the PS3 now that they have been given orders from Sony.
- Compeq have not said when they were planning to start manufacturing the boards but Chinese website, Mydrivers, says they have a source in the company who said that things have to be underway by June or July, ( at least that is what The Inquirer says.)
- That would put the PS3 in stores for Christmas, at least in Japan.

PS3 In Spring? "Impossible"

- Games Industry has a quote from Namco Bandai president Takeo Takasu:

"Without any announcements so far, the spring release is impossible. We are developing titles for PlayStation 3, but the release of the games depends on the timing of the hardware."

- Another source of bad news.

Sony CEO Still Leaves Release Date Questions

- Variety have an interview with Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer. We don't learn much new about the PS3 launch with just the following mentioned:

"Sony's new PlayStation 3 was widely expected to be introduced this spring, but will be delayed as the company fine-tunes the chips that are crucial to the success of the console's Blu-ray function... Sony will roll out the PS3 by year end, in time for the holidays. If PS3 "delivers what everyone thinks it will, the game is up," Stringer boasts."

No PS3 At Sony's PlayStation Event So Far

- Joystiq are pointing out the following:

"With just one day remaining before the end of Sony's invite-only "Destination PlayStation" event in Miami, video game industry insiders at the event remain "very much in the dark" about Sony's launch plans for the PlayStation 3 console, reported Consumer Electronics Daily.

This could be interpreted as another data point supporting the theory that the PS3's launch schedule has slipped. Or it could just be all part of a master plan to catch the world by surprise with a surprise unveiling. Either way, our impatience grows."

Blu-Ray News

- Engadget have reported that Blu-Ray hardware and movies are to finally hit USA stores May 23rd.
- A second wave will appear around three weeks later on June 13th.
- Movies are expected to be priced $23.45 for new titles and $17.95 for catalog titles.
- Interestingly, Sony and NEC have established a joint venture for their optical drive business, named Sony NEC Optiarc.
- Joystiq reminds us why this may be important:

"Sony is firmly embedded into the Blu-ray camp and is somewhat banking the success of the format with its upcoming PlayStation 3 console. NEC, however, supports HD DVD, so on which format will Optiarc focus? Our guess is Blu-ray, since Sony owns a majority (55%) and the joint venture is to be run by a Sony exec. This would be a major blow to the HD DVD camp, who might have just lost a major player."

Conga Changes

- Freepay, who run some of the offer sites for our congas, have changed their terms and conditions as of yesterday.
- You now have to complete all requirements within 90 days of signing up.
- That should mean our congas start moving faster than ever before, so it is a great time to sign up.
- Lines affected are:

Free PS3
Free PSP
Free Xbox 360
Free iPod Nano

- Conga pages are here:

Free PlayStation 3
Free PlayStation Portable
Free Xbox 360
Free iPod Nano

Another New Site!

- PS2-Files.com now joins in on the fun, for those still in the "current-gen."

PS3 Components To Cost $725-$905

- CNet have tried their hand at pricing the components that will appear in the PS3.
- They compare this to an Xbox 360 and things do not look good for Sony.
- While the price of most things like memory will be the same, the Blu-Ray drive and Cell processor send the cost sky high. This will reduce over time, but the damage will be done early on.
- Microsoft are making the losses they are incurring on their consoles, (around $100,) by selling the peripherals at a high cost, (around 75% profit on a $50 wireless controller.) There are also the development license fees, (even for making third party peripherals.) Will Sony do the same?

Sony Not Taking PS3 Orders Yet

- More guessing games on the launch date. Kyodo News spoke to an SCEJ spokesman who said the PS3 could see a delay until Autumn due to a:

"failure to set the specifications of the Blue-ray [sic] DVD technology."

- If they mean the AACS delays then things should be fine since they pretty much announced an interim plan so as not to delay anyone's launches.
- The AACS make the copy protection standard that both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD will use. They haven't finalized the standard, but have basically agreed to a beta version so that people like Sony can start making drives.
- Also in the piece Hirokazu Hamamura, president of Enterbrain Inc. Japan, said:

"Sony has not begun taking orders early this month, that means that it would be difficult for the company to begin sales in May."

Slight Delay Not A Terrible Loss

- Troy Wolverton has written a piece on TheStreet.com, a financial website, covering the likely delay in the PS3 launch which will otherwise happen this Spring.

"As long as the console is launched this year, it would still be on the shelves for the holiday season, when the lion's share of game hardware and software purchases are made. This means a slight delay wouldn't result in significant lost sales, especially with Microsoft still struggling with supply issues of its own with the Xbox 360."

- Miss this holiday season however and Sony would be gifting Microsoft a huge chunk of market share. Many parents and kids would not make it through another Christmas without a new console, (assuming they did not get a 360 this previous Christmas.)
- Apparently, if the rumors of a delay are true, the system is now expected to see a September 2006 release.

Offical PS3 Game Download Service

- Tetsuhiko Yasuda of Sony Computer Entertainment Asia recently discussed a planned game download service for the PS3.
- Japanese gaming site GameWatch interviewed Yasuda-san during the Taipei Games Show, and he said the download service will "combat the widespread pirating of Playstation games in certain regions of Asia."
- Machine translated version of the GameWatch interview.

The PS3 Is/Is Not Coming 2006

- OK, lets start at the beginning. Merrill Lynch, (a huge investment firm for those that do not know,) posted an article (PDF document) analyzing the cost of manufacturing the PS3 for launch this year.
- They came up with a figure of $800 which mostly comes down to the Blu-Ray drive and Cell processor. These are new components and there is a limited amount of manufacturing throughput.
- Because of this, Sony may choose to delay the PS3 to lower losses since they could not possibly sell the PS3 for $800, (rumors right now have reached upto $500 as the starting price.)

Merrill Lynch's Tokyo-based analyst Hitoshi Kuriyama on Feb. 17 downgraded Sony's stock to "sell" from "neutral."

- But now Sony have denied the findings in the Merrill Lynch report, as reported in a Bloomberg piece.

"There is no change in our original plan to release the console in spring 2006 in Japan," said Kei Sakaguchi, a Sony spokesman in Tokyo

- The BBC on the other hand has a report which seems to flip flop all over the place, but here are some important clippings:

Sony said if industry specifications on some of the PS3 were not decided soon "the launch could be pushed back".

"We're aiming for spring, but we haven't announced specific regions," a spokesman for Sony Computer Entertainment said.

They said Sony was waiting for final specifications - which are decided by industry consortiums - on some of the technology in the PS3, including that connected to the Blu-ray disc drive and to input and output video and sound.

"We're waiting for them until the last possible minute, but the launch could be pushed back if they're not decided soon," the spokesman said.

- Joystiq picked up a piece that gives another clue as to the release date. Nvidia, the graphics chip manufacturer for the PS3, are not claiming royalties from Sony this quarter, which means there are not being any GPUs produced, which means there is no way they could be out in time for this Spring or even Summer.
- This is getting complicated!

Controller In The Wild

- Although Sony have clearly labeled the PS3 units and controllers as prototype, or concept devices when on display at trade shows and the like, someone out there is touting this image as a real PS3 joypad.
- Decide for yourselves and then go back to working out when we will see these for real.

God Of War 2 & SOCOM 4 At E3 For PS3 And PS2

- CVG have been talking to some interesting people and have come away with some interesting info on upcoming PS3 titles:

"CVG's very own deep throat went on to reveal further hot info on PlayStation 3 titles that will be actually be there and in the flesh at this year's E3, with an 'absolutely gorgeous looking' SOCOM 4 confirmed for the show and likely to be a PS3 launch title.

You want more PS3 loving? Well, you'll get it in the form of a newly confirmed PS3 God of War title [which] may not actually make it to E3, but is apparently well into development; and interestingly, both it and SOCOM 4 will also be appearing on PS2, underlining Sony's commitment to its favoured current-gen son for the next few years.

Finally, we've got one last nugget of PS3 goodness to share with you, as we can exclusively reveal that Ratchet and Clank developer Insomiac's amazing looking PS3 shooter I-8 - and one of Sony's biggest PS3 titles - has been renamed. Prepare to meet ....(sound of drum roll) Resistance."

PS3 To Launch September With Online Service?

- This Next-Gen article got the Internet buzzing this week announcing Sony's supposed plans to release an Xbox Live! beating multiplayer service.
- Not only will this subscription based service cater for the PS3 but the PSP too.
- From the article:

"We understand the service is being created by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, although this is unconfirmed.

Sony boss Howard Stringer is pushing for all media content to be available for distribution over PlayStation HUB, such as music and movies, thus opening up a powerful iTunes-like distribution network for Sony."

- Apparently HUB is just one of several possible names for the service which should launch with the PS3 in Japan and North America in September, according to credible industry types.

Optional Hard Drive?

- This Official Sony PlayStation website has a product specification of the PS3, (drag the arrow slider to the right.)
- Everything looks pretty normal... Cell Processor, 256MB RAM, 256MB VRAM, 5.1 Surround Sound, Blu-Ray drive...
- But then we start hitting the interesting stuff:

* PSone and PS2 backwards compatibility
* HDTV output upto 1080p
* Ethernet, sure, but Wi-Fi and Bluetooth?
* Controller types listed as Bluetooth (up to 7), USB 2.0, Network (over IP) and Wi-Fi (using the PSP!)
* Memory card reader for Memory Sticks, but also SD and CompactFlash cards
* Oh, and then there is the removable 2.5" hard drive.

"PS3 Definitely Released This Year"

- Another DigiTimes story. The PS3 was on display at the Taipei Game Show this Thursday, but only behind a glass case.
- Only three mockups (white, silver and black,) of the console and controllers, along with video of some games, were on display but Tetsuhiko Yasuda, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Asia, still says the PS3 will definitely launch this year.
- Still no word on pricing or date.

"Sony May Consider Working With Microsoft"

- DigiTimes has a quote from SCEA's Tetsuhiko Yasuda.

"Sony does not regard Xbox as a competitor. Rather, the company may even consider working with Microsoft to develop games together."

- Not gonna happen any time in the foreseeable future, but hey, Sega make games for Nintendo now right?
- But since Nintendo have previously stated they are not fighting for market share with Microsoft or Sony, it looks like no one is fighting anyone. So does that mean there are three winners or three losers?

PS3-Files.com Opens

- Hello and welcome to PS3-Files.com.
- While we finish setting this site up, be sure to visit PSP-Files.com and Xbox360-Files.com.