Sony May Be Planning 80GB PS3 107
narramissic writes "Included in a filing made by Sony to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) earlier this month regarding a change to the PlayStation 3's Bluetooth module is notification of a new PS3 game console with a higher-capacity hard-disk drive. From the cover letter: 'The model CECHE01 to be added by the difference of the capacity of hard disk.' It then says the new model will have an 80G-byte drive. Of course, Sony is downplaying these rumours, saying that 'Application to the FCC has been made with various possibilities in mind, however, it does not lead to a new product announcement at this time.'
Nothing New (Score:3, Interesting)
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But seriously, I've got a PS3 and a Wii, and storage space was the last thing I was thinking about when I bought them. An 60GB or a 80GB PS3 translates to a $650 and a $700 PS3 (or most likely some other price over $650) as far as I'm concerned, and I think a lot of people feel the same way. Is that extra 20GB going to be worth the extra money? If the
Price War (Score:5, Funny)
After Microsoft announced an increase in the price of the price of the XBox 360, Sony decided to get into a price war with Microsoft so they're releasing a $679 Super-Duper PS3. Nintendo, obviously being the odd ball out of the three, refuses to get into this type of a price war.
Re:Price War (Score:5, Funny)
inside Sony HQ
Exec 1 : "Microsoft released a more expensive console. It costs only $20 less than our low-end system!!!"
Exec 2 : "$20? Unacceptable... add a larger hard drive tack on another $100 to the price! We'll show them who's console costs more.
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I can't find the link but a recent rumor about the PS3 supporting 7 controllers simultaneously based on the FCC report was wrong...it just meant 7 simultaneous bluetooth channels: meaning headsets, joysticks, and any other peripherals were all included.
The PS3 does support up to 7 controllers. The manual even explains how the two of the four lights on the controller will light up to indicate numbers past 4. So if positions 1 and 4 are lit, then that means it is the 5th controller.
I don't know of any games that actually use 7 controllers though.
so is this the FIFTH version of the PS3? (Score:1, Interesting)
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The only difference between the 499 and 599 PS3 is the drive space, card reader, and Wifi. Otherwise they are exactly the same machine.
The newer PAL PS3s still have PS2 hardware inside. The EE half of the EE/RS combo has been moved to software emulation. All PS3s will soon move to EE software emulation with the PS2 RS still included.
Regardless, nice try at trying to spin this future minor drive upgrade as some 'bewildering and frustrating explosion of PS3 models'.
Re:so is this the FIFTH version of the PS3? (Score:5, Interesting)
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What's the point? (Score:4, Insightful)
Are you sure? I think 360 reads twice as fast (Score:2)
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Multiple 500+ meg demos
Large game caches to accelerate game loading
Downloaded movies - about 700 megs to 1.5 gig each
A bunch of music and audio files
A 10 gig Linux partition
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Say I have 200 CDs and I want them on a PS3 (it is a "digital hub" after all) and I want them compressed without loss. There goes a big chunk right away.
Perhaps I download a few films, or more likely tv episodes if the likes of Battlestar Galactica get iTunes speed releases, 25 episodes all in HD would take a big chunk too.
As this is
Throw in a few games (the parent makes the mistake of assuming that all games wil
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It's about the video. (Score:3, Informative)
Frankly I still don't understand why you can not take video from the 360 and put it on your Zune.
Microsoft and Sony see the console as a way to get into the living room and replace TV. Nintendo sees consoles as way to play games.
I keep wondering when Sony is going to let you take video from the PS/3 and put it on your PSP.
It seem logical the PS/3, 360, Zune, and PSP all have wifi seems like a
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You can already do this.
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The next question is will Sony or Microsoft be the first to let you add an external HD for content? I know that you can put an External HD on the 360 but the 360 will not use it for content yet. A PVR/Hardrive add on plus the ability to sync the Zune could be very interesting.
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Sony already does sort of. You can hook up a USB external and mount it as a linux disc or you can just add a SATA HD to the machine since the HD is upgradable. You can go from 60 to 240 easily.
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And, you know, make and dress up virtual dolls. Check the weather, vote on stuff. Browse the web. Leave messages for people. All that entirely gameplay oriented stuff. (sarcarm off)
There are NO purely game-playing consoles any more. Even the GBA has an optional MP3 player, and there have been non-interactive cartoons (Cartoon Network stuff) released as GBA carts, effectively making it a video player. The DS has pictochat built in and an optional web browser and
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Yes, people really are downloading that much content.
Yes, downloaded movies really are that popular and its not that surprising why when you think about it. I like many 360 owners have a HDTV, but I, like most, do not have the HD-DVD add-on or a stand alone player. Therefore the only ways currently for me and many others to watch a high-def movie on my high-def tv is to:
a) catch one on cable when its
Point (Score:5, Informative)
Xbox offers game demos at ~1 Gig each. They have an impressive & growing library of TV shows, Game & Movie Previews, and movies you can download as well. Much of it is offered in high def. High def video takes up some major disk space. I had 20 gigs filled on the Xbox very quickly. Since I don't have any hi def cable or disk drive, I'd like to download certain things just to check it out. However, I can't because I'd have to delete a bunch of stuff I don't want to.
The PS3 allows you to add any media you want to it. You can rip DVDs on the computer and put them right on the drive. (Xbox isn't as easy) Fills up pretty fast.
Also, the hard drive isn't exactly a very expensive part of the machine, no need to skimp on that, especially since a larger drive encourages users to download premium content.
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And that's even before
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PS3 Drives Easily Upgradeable (Score:1, Interesting)
Very cool.
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Without voiding the warranty? I don't have the same degree of faith in the hardware's longevity as the average hardware hacker, so I'd rather not be out six benjamins when the fan dies on one of these things.
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Right on the main Sony PS3 overview page it shows where you can upgrade the harddrive. Sony execs have been talking about user upgradeable harddrives since the PS3 was first introduced.
The PS3's power supply is designed to handle larger harddrives - that's why there have been these erroneous power draw reports for the system because people see the max power draw for the system and assume that is what the 20 and 60 gig standard models draw. The PS3 is right aroudn 190w when
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Link? I can't find it. I'm especially interested in finding out how to move my current data to a new drive...
Someone please educate me. (Score:1)
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That should be enough (Score:1)
Seriously, can't they just put the base OS in flash and put a small removable drive on the box? That way if I wanted 80 I could buy 80, if I wanted bigger, I could buy bigger.
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I have a 250 gig iomega drive attached to mine, full of mp3s and wmv's. It works fine. The PS3s drive is user replacable/upgradable.
I like that the 360 can operate (play games, thats what I bought it for - convergence
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I plead ignorance (Score:1)
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New 80gb HD (Score:1, Insightful)
80gig (Score:1)
PS3 wasn't expensive enough! (Score:5, Funny)
Analysts are saying that the PS3 needs a price drop.
So how do Sony and MS respond to this? By releasing a MORE EXPENSIVE VERSION of their existing consoles.
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They are making it cheaper (Score:2)
Price is at the top of their concerns but they can't just downgrade the current components or subsidize it further. They are just going to need more time for a pr
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According to a press release several years ago the Ps2 was profitable "several months" after release. Only the Xbox and Dreamcast were known to sell at a loss for most of their lifespans. The Ps2, Wii, Gc etc.. all had profit margins soon after launch. also analsysts tend to over inflate their numbers. With vertical integration and without counting sunk costs like R&D the Ps2 was easily profitable. The Ps3 is likely th
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I do disagree onthe ps3 though, they've never taken such a hit with the ps2 or psx on hardware costs plus sales are weaker then the ps2. I wouldn't call it the same situation.
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> So how do Sony and MS respond to this? By releasing
> a MORE EXPENSIVE VERSION of their existing consoles.
Sony currently sells a 20 GB and 60 GB model. The 60 GB version
is outselling the 20 GB by a considerable margin. Admittedly Sony
has limited themselves to the hard-core gamer niche market. But their
action makes sense in terms of that market segment.
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Won't be any more expensive (Score:2)
Currently the cost of manufacturing a 40 gig 3.5inch drive and 120 gig 3.5inch drive using one platter is almost the same. The ps3 does infact use a 2.5inch drive and i'm not quite so sure how big the platters on such a drive is bu
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That's nice, Sony (Score:4, Insightful)
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This is great... (Score:5, Insightful)
Why not from the get-go? (Score:4, Informative)
This goes for both Sony and MS. Both machines are not only game consoles, but hi-def multi-media machines as well. Why in the world would they skimp on hard drive space to begin with. MS should be truly ashamed. You can't even find a 20 gig HDD anymore. They just aren't functional. And out of all the system components, the hard drive is one of the cheapest parts. It is especially bad considering that MS has a huge lineup of downloadable media and demos that are at minimum 250 MB each. I'd say it was a horrible move for both the PS3 & Xbox not have 100Gig+ right from the start. At very least Sony started with 3X more disk space than the Xbox.
Personally, I can't make any sense out of why either would sell with such small drives. There isn't much difference in price between to jump to a 120 Gig drive, and there isn't a shortage or lead time problem with making such a drive. All you are doing is pissing off customers and preventing people from downloading premium online content because they are out of disk space.
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second, they can get idiots to buy the super duper upgrade piecemeal costing more.
third, I want a wii.
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Because now they can charge you the extra money for the 120gb drive instead of 20gb. Sale price isn't necessarily related to costs of manufacturing. They want to sell at the most profitable price, and if that means selling at a higher price with a low difference in cost, they'll want to do just that. People who want to pay more for the 120gb will be paying the company the extra mark-up for that feature.
Assuming I didn't already have an XBox360, if I was offered the choice of buying an Xbox360 premium or
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The same reason Microsoft went ahead and released a 360 that didn't even HAVE a HDD at all!
Price. Price. Price. Price.
It was very important to Microsoft to have their console priced lower than than Sony's. Although to be honest, I think Microsoft expected Sony to price the PS3 at $400 and $500, instead of the current $500/$600... So now Microsoft can release the 360 Elite, which adds HDMI, comes with a larger HDD AND a HDMI cable while STILL costing less than the PS3.
For those of you......... (Score:1)
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Smaller, not bigger, you idiots! (Score:2, Offtopic)
Everyone's got the same problem: General Motors, George Bush, and now Sony. The populis screems to have less of something, and what do they do? Put out MORE and BIGGER things! It's like how GM saw a fall-off in sales of low-gas-milage vehicles, and in their struggle to keep alive, how do they respond? They put out a brand new line of HUGE SUVs! Similarly, the voters asked Bush to start pulling troups out of Iraq, and what does he do? He sends even more in! Now Sony's facing platauing sales of the PS
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Well J Paul Getty, that was quite the diatribe on Econ 101. Did you miss the part where Microsoft is putting out a 120GB black console for more money? Seems like that is NOT just like an 80GB (no mention of a price increase, btw) version of the PS3... and since Microsoft's putting the word "elite" on theirs and making it "super KEWL!" with HDMI...
It seems odd that GM, which is making money hand over fist in the REST OF THE WORLD, isn't doing so well in the US where the legacy union and contractu
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But in my hatred, I still have room to buy some of their junk, because, well, me alone (or the slashdot readership alone) probably wouldn't make a dent in the great unwashed's hoarding of products....
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Symmetry (Score:1)