Kutaragi: PlayStation 3 "is an expensive toy"

Ah, in the grand tradition of taking execs' statements totally out of context, we present to you the latest bit of hubris from PlayStation father Ken Kutaragi. Speaking -- once again -- in defense of the PS3's, um, luxurious price, Kutaragi-san apparently told game magazine Famitsu, "PlayStation and PlayStation 2 were both ¥10,000 [about $90 US] more than their competitors at launch. Yet they both sold to shortages." Yes, well, it looks like the PS3 is going to be a little more than $90 more expensive than the Wii. But he's not done yet: "If you consider the PlayStation 3 a toy, then yes, it is an expensive toy. However, it is more than a toy. It is a PlayStation 3. And it is the only PlayStation 3. I hope that those who understand this will gladly purchase it." And there you have it; those who understand the PlayStation 3 is the PlayStation 3 -- and the only PlayStation-freaking-3 that there is -- should gladly want to purchase one. We're hoping something got lost in translation there. We really are.

[Theo @ May 29th 2006 11:47AM]

Shoudn't that be 'context' and not 'contest'? I mean, it would pass spell check but some extremely anal readers might think its a tad off. ;-)

[gamerguy @ May 29th 2006 11:51AM]

I don't think the translation is incorrect...I think he's simply saying "there's more to it than a game console". In any case it'll be interesting to watch them try to pull a rabbit out of their hat to get past the myriad of bad consumer mojo since the price announcement.

[Skid @ May 29th 2006 11:53AM]

Man, that guy is so arrogant.....
I know he is just trying to sell his damn product but still..
And anyone who agrees with him is an obvious fanboy

[Simon @ May 29th 2006 11:55AM]

This guy is the most unbelievable, egotistical scumbag in business. He sounds like he thinks he's our Dear Leader and overlord, what with his, "It's more than a toy. It's a Playstation 3."

I'm hoping right there with you, though this would hardly be out of character. Even Microsoft, that bloated, inefficient behemoth, can control the PR flow. Sony can't even manage that much.

[John Hinds @ May 29th 2006 12:00PM]

And thus concludes the month that Sony killed the Playstation brand.

[Jamie @ May 29th 2006 12:01PM]

I remember the good ol' days when Engadget was where I came to read about tech news. Now, it is turning into a site where almost every post is designed to inflame fanboyism. Sad. I know it looks great when you have hundreds of posts/bickering going back and forth but never forget there are still thousands of us that just want to read tech-stuff without the obvious flame-bait angle. We may not post, but we read. Trust me, we read. And I for one, I am slowing getting turned off by it. Ok, I'm done.

[Beefthing @ May 29th 2006 12:01PM]

I swear, everywhere I turn to a PS3 article, I would see people bashing it. And come on, Ken is just doing his job to advertise for a console. Does he HAVE to get blamed simply because he is advertising for a PS3 (emphasis on the PS3).

[Some guy @ May 29th 2006 12:05PM]

Jamie - you are just an anti-fanboy fanboy

[Ryan Block @ May 29th 2006 12:08PM]

Jamie, I don't agree at all. Engadget's run by the same people it's always been run by (myself and Peter), and we choose what news to run the same way we have since the start. I find things like this Kutaragi quote to be very interesting, telling, and important to what Sony's doing -- it's not flamebait (though the flamers will always invariably react). Remember this post from over a year ago? (http://www.engadget.com/2005/01/21/ken-kutaragi-and-sony-finally-admits-to-the-folly-that-has/)
Seems similar -- were we flamebaiting then, too?

Best, Ryan

[Paul Cosgrove @ May 29th 2006 12:08PM]

"However, it is more than a toy. It is a PlayStation 3. And it is the only PlayStation 3."

Aren't there *two* versions of it, though?

Personally, the only way they could justify that $600 proce tag to me would be if there was only a single PS3 that had to recoup the entire development costs itself. $600 for a gaming device might as well be several million as far as I'm concerned - I'm about as likely to buy an entertainment device at either end of the scale.

[JaysinC @ May 29th 2006 12:10PM]

I agree with #1 who suggests that the translation is probbably not wrong, just loses some of it's context.

He probably not only views the PS3 as more then a gaming console, but also as an heir to the most successful (in terms of sales) console hardware brand of the past decade. What I think he is suggesting is that Sony believes the brand is strong enough to be able to carry the console through the disadvantage of a higher price.

[steve @ May 29th 2006 12:11PM]

yes it is more than a ps3
it can play ps3 games and do many things a cheap computer could do
like play music
but ya theres only one 360 and one wii too
and i dont see the msoft or nintendo spokesmen announcing it to the world
its the kind of thing people realize on their own

[cobalt @ May 29th 2006 12:12PM]

I thought it was the beginning of a fairly interesting, almost Heideggerian ontological argument.

[simon @ May 29th 2006 12:16PM]

Ironic that we have people complaining about the price of PS3 yet a couple stories below on the engadget homepage we see an advert for BMW. Could it be that like that other company Sony is making PS3 a standout product and charging appropriately? Of course for this strategy to work it has to be a standout product and supported by appropriate marketing. If it is not a standout product no amount of marketing will help it or Sony.

[heyhow @ May 29th 2006 12:23PM]

oh man ... a ps3 is a ps3 ... what? is that possible? - people who understand that ... who could that be? ... perhaps - jesus?

[Jorge Salvador Caffarena @ May 29th 2006 12:23PM]

What is lost in translation is that the PlayStation 3 is their only hope to win the blu-ray war, and they need their customers to (not)understand that and buy it. Or something ...

[Caz @ May 29th 2006 12:28PM]

Arrogant? Egotistical? No way. Just applying the same rule than with PS2.
Everybody wanted "PS2" because they knew "PS" and "PS" was the market's leader. Now Sony's facing what seems to be the same situation (PS2 a leader, PS brand still better known than any other), so they expect the market to react the same.

I remember some places where people fought in front of TV cameras just to get hand on the first few PS2 displayed in stores.
Most buyers actually disregarded other options (so long Dreamcast) waiting for PS2.

That's why Sony did not feel the need to actually innovate, rather presenting HD and Blu-ray as actual selling points and just barely playing "me too" (me too online, me too motion sensors...) on the gaming features front.
Being PS3 is actually a major selling point, lots of buyers will eventually ignore the competition waiting for PS3 to be available.

[iwit @ May 29th 2006 12:28PM]

so, there's only 1 ps3?

[six2one @ May 29th 2006 12:30PM]

after owning a 360, ive really lost intrest in these type of game system. i will buy a wii just because there is no loss in 250.00 and it seems very inovative compared to the other consoles. im bored with the videogame industry.

[elmer @ May 29th 2006 12:34PM]

What the hell is happening?

It's like a total PR inversion has occured in the last few months.

We finally realised we hate Sony because they're bastards despite how cool they may be, and we finally remember that we loved Nintendo because they were quality and not because we were kids.

To be honest, even as a Nintendo fanboy I was kind of hoping for the PS3. After all it was the trojan horse to bring 'afforadable' supercomputing and massive data quantities to everone's living room under one unified architecture and brand.

I feel Sony really could have evaded this fiasco like so:

Make the tard pack $450 WITH HDMI and wifi
Make the premium pack PREMIUM at $650!! having 300GB HD and Tivo functionality.
Stop ripping off Nintendo controllers..poorly

Thus it would appear a good deal AND a supersystem, with meaningful differentiation between SKU's. Too late now. I fear the result will be a fragmented market:

Sony may take Europe, Microsoft may take the US and Nintendo may take Japan. Such a result will benefit Nintendo and their partners, as games for the Wii demand lower production costs. Exclusives will thrive on that system and be a problem for the other two. Since most companies favour the other two (often times unreasonably: eg PSP vs. DS), most developers will continue their downward spiral of bracketed figures.

[uclatommy @ May 29th 2006 12:35PM]

I'm putting my money on the nintendo wii. No really, I bought nintendo stocks. NTDOY, buy it while its cheap.

[Ben18 @ May 29th 2006 12:37PM]

I guess I have kept quiet on this for a while now. I don't plan on owning a Playstation 3 until the end of its lifespan, when hopefully it will have gone down in price. However, it is simply because a poor college kid like me can't afford it, not because I don't want to, or that I think the pricing is unfair. I feel unfortunately that Sony is pushing an expensive format (Blu Ray), and if by some miracle such hi-def graphics could be condensed on to a DVD you would see a very large price drop(I think). I know that's not going to happen, nor do I think it's possible (although X360 seems to make a good case). Either way, if you sell the public a $400 game console that plays your video games, then say there is a mandatory $200 add on for a blu-ray player, it doesn't seem like quite the apocalypse everyone wants it to be. That said, Ken is an idiot, and is really frustrating his fan base, and if the games DON'T live up to expectations I think Sony will have a hard time selling PS4. Right now Sony is riding of the back of the PS2, so I guess we'll just have to see how it all plays out.

[Jason @ May 29th 2006 12:43PM]

The PS3 is nothing more than a non-standards based PC that will lose support from developers just like Linux did... When you put something out there not many can, or are willing to afford you are shriking you market right away... when you make it the hardest Console EVER to write software for you shirnk your market even further... I would bet you will some decent 1st party games on the PS3 but other than than there wont be anyone banging down the door to write games for it.

Developers are interested in making money... not games... and the more people who can buy your games the more money you can make... Hard Core gamers use PCs not 600 game consoles...

Why do you think 3/4 of microsofts strategy lies around making the 360 and its online service compatible with the PC gaming market? If you write games for the PC it is just as easy to make them work on the 360!

[Rob Green @ May 29th 2006 12:43PM]

I can't be the only person that is sat here thinking that Sony has completely missed the boat on this one.

Microsoft, though plagued by a few problems to start with, have managed to get a fairly kick ass console out there with heaps of features.

Sony are way beyond the life line of the PlayStation 2 and still have not released their next generation console, and they are constantly slipping behind the times with their delays.

In all honesty, the console design is pretty identical shape wise to the last one, the controllers will probably have to be the same if they want to keep any of their market, and the launch titles will be new versions of old Sony classics with prettified graphics.

Sorry Sony, you've lost the plot. For the first time ever, I'm going with Nintendo... the Wii is the first console to have me excited about gaming in a long time.

[piggy @ May 29th 2006 12:46PM]

The sad thing about this whole situation is that there are thousands of consumers who are going buy the PS3 just because it's "Sony" and it's the "next-generation PlayStation." These people do not need any more rationale. Sony has their brand loyalty--whether it's warranted or not--and they will stand in line on a cold fall morning to purchase a PS3.

I've heard fanboys at Walmart talking about how they "can't wait for the PS3" and how it's going to be "so much better than the 360." A friend of mine in strategy guide business also commented to me that "Sony is going to run away with the next-generation." When I pressed him to explain why he thought that, well, turns out that he spent a lot of time at the Sony booth at E3. Wouldn't wait in line to see the Wii, and didn't even bother to look at upcoming titles for the 360. He has basically already assumed the PS3 was going to be the best, the most powerful, the "console to have," and had blinders on to everything else.

Sony has the mindshare, and I'm not sure it's arrogance is going to change many minds.

[kmr @ May 29th 2006 12:46PM]

Well, the PS3 is going to be pretty cheap blu-ray drive ( compare its price to the 999.95 price tag of the Sony player -that can only play movies- and it becomes a pretty good deal).

[g @ May 29th 2006 12:47PM]

For the life of me, I can't understand while someone would spend 400 on a video ipod and cry about what you will be getting in a 600 ps3 package:

1. Gaming console
2. Blu-Ray Player
3. DVR
4. Streaming Media Hub
5. Internet via Wifi

[Bob @ May 29th 2006 12:49PM]

So.... They're only going to make one, and have all potential customers engage in a massive bidding war for the Ken-given right to buy the amazing PS3?

[Butch @ May 29th 2006 12:49PM]

Meh, people will buy PS3s like they bought iPods. Both are expensive mass-appeal boutique items, if that makes any sense. I'm pretty sure the PS3 will do pretty well because Sony, like Apple, are going after people that don't have time to be that creative in their purchases, that don't have time to weigh up all the options--they just wanna get on with buying the stuff that has been directly marketed to em. And in that case, those people are the kinda guys that buy Mercedes even though they live in the ghetto or silly wannabe designer types who read one article about Sony's 8-processor powerhouse and must have it.

There are some people who will even know what the PS3 and feel like it is an okay price for it--I guess it depends on how you value stuff. But come on, if you don't like Son'y pricing, vote with your wallet.

I, myself, will instead work on my correspondence instead of playing video games in future.

"Dear Tangy,
I found the yellow bar shirt like you asked! I hope you like it! Did you see the new extension on my house? I put a simple painting in it with my pear wardrobe, but the Academy doesn't seem to like it. They are all philostines. Do you have their friend code? I will go and steal all their stuff and sell it to Tom Nook.
Another sea bass!?!
Butch"

[Jason @ May 29th 2006 12:51PM]

#23 (kmr) That will make it that much hard for Blu-Ray drives to sell now... they are due out in a few weeks and if the mindset of people is "lets just wait until November and get a Blu-Ray player for $300 less" then Blu-Ray as a format will suffer until November... that big of a lead for HD-DVD might start to cause problems for the Blu-Ray format. Not to mention how it will effect the other HW manufacturers who decide it is pointless to try to compete with Sony when they are overpriced by $500!

[David @ May 29th 2006 12:53PM]

Each announcement seems to dig Sony deeper and deeper into a hole.

Everyone must understand that eventually consumers catch on (it takes them a hell of a long time but they catch on)
Steve Jobs Statement in buying an Ipod every year to have the latest and greatest was just as ridiculous.

Consumers will not just upgrade their pc's or consoles because of companies like sony bragging about graphics (and no new innovative products or gameplay) and technologies that consumers just dont' understand.
Explain Blu-Ray to a consumer who see's HD on practically every video and audio product out there.
Explain to a consumer why the PS3 console will have games that will be more fun to play than the Nintendo wii and how different will the PS3 graphics and gameplay be than that of the xbox 360 (which I am not buying instead of the ps3)

Sony once again is heading toward DOOM (not the game, but to a terrible end) because they lack an understanding of a saturated market and what the consumers really want. In the end, Microsoft with the xbox 360 can really win this one easily. Peripherals (new controllers like the wii) and new games to take advantage of them are not terribly difficult to achieve (if you have dedicated and creative programmers) with the xbox 360 add-ons (like the hd one showed at e3)allow you to build the system you can afford.
How can anyone miss that? I absolutley applaud nintendo's efforts with the Wii, but graphically it falls short of the xbox 360. Microsoft has the dollars to pump into development to mimic anything coming out of the nintendo wii camp, Microsoft has already begun to price themselves back into the game with the new consoles at 299 and 399. All they have to do is bring the costs of new games back down to 49.99, make their own innovative controller to match the wii with similar games and they'll sail off to the sunset while nintendo happily resides alongside it and Sony once again losing a market it once dominated because of adapting big money corporate tactics which alienates their loyal customers.
They lost the portable audio device market to Apple (minidisc, UMD) Let's not forget about vhs and betamax. The consumers spoke loud and clear for both of those technologies. Betamax priced most consumers out and when it became more affordable the consumer just didn't understand what the hell betamax was (had they re-branded it betamax-vhs, they might have had a chance)
They might even same some face by hyping blu ray with a new name that consumers might understand
(BLU-RAY HD)A/K/A S-HD (SUPER HI DEFINITION)
They gotta do something!

[Jason @ May 29th 2006 12:55PM]

#24 (meh) You are forgetting that the mindless slobs who buy iPods atleast dont have to worry about software to a certain extent... all MP3 players play MP3s... with game systems the games are what matters... there is a REALLY good chance that the games WILL be better on the Wii and the 360... and that is what sells consoles! Not Blu-Ray players...

Oh and don't think people are going to be running out to buy games for those PS3s that they bought just because it was a cheap blu-ray player... my father will NEVER buy a $50 video game just because his blu-ray player also plays games... in the end that WILL hurt Sony.

[Tim @ May 29th 2006 12:56PM]

So let me get this straight. The true gamers that will be buying this "game console" are the true gamers that have been use to the playstation line for nearly 15 or so years. And Sony's gift to its fanbase is a $600.00 markup ??? Uhm. Last time I checked, gamers were losing their programming jobs to India, Korea, and China, and now they want to stab us in the back again with a blue ray player that will probably be riddled with as many bugs as the infamous CD READ error on the PS2. No thanks. I aint buying anymore nextgen consoles until I see actual talent creating the video games.

[RazorElite @ May 29th 2006 12:57PM]

Kutaragi is one of the main reasons I hate Sony. It's quite sad. I mean, can't they really find a better PR person? Look at Microsoft, look at Nintendo. Peter Moore nor the guys over at Nintendo boast about their systems so damn much. They may give their opinions on why they feel it's better than the competition, but you don't hear them coming out and saying the competition is crap (like Kutaragi has done countless times). People don't like that arrogant attitude. Couple that with an unnecessarly expensive system and nothing as yet to blow anyone away, you wonder how Sony is gonna survive. Stop being such a bitch Kutaragi, that way you won't alienate the few fanboys Sony has left.

[MaX PL @ May 29th 2006 1:01PM]

why the hell do people still compare game consoles to ipods?

does everyones girlfriend own a game console?

do businessmen and metrosexual city boys own game consoles?

haha.

you people are so dumb.

[tito @ May 29th 2006 1:06PM]

they're just milking the most money the can get out of us....and most of us will end up paying those high prices

[g @ May 29th 2006 1:19PM]

The PS3 product is designed to be a value proposition for a HD TV owner period. If you don't own a HD TV than your really not going to want to migrate over to the PS3 which would be overkill.

With that saying, Nintendo's Wii will be a huge hit this Christmas. Many folks with money to buy a HD TV will no doubt have a Wii and a PS3 in the home. Sony would be smart to make a Bluetooth add on to it's PS2 platform and add Wii functionality which would no doubt keep the PS2 thriving for hard core gamers who wouldn't care for the multimeda functionality, and use it as a breeding ground for fun simplistic games ala Nintendo.

[js @ May 29th 2006 1:21PM]

I am a student, and I have absolutely no income. I think PS3's pricing is a bit expensive to just right (not expensive and not cheap either). Kutaragi is implying that PS3 is more than a gaming device: it's an all-around multimedia hub. You can purchase online content with it. If you compare it with standalone Blu-ray players, PS3 is a steal.

If you complain about the price then why don't you wait until the MSRP drops by $150, then make a judgement how great/crappy the console is?

[undertonex @ May 29th 2006 1:23PM]

Playstation 3 costing $600.00 reminds me of the Neo Geo. ($649.99 snagged you a Neo Geo, 2 Controllers, memory card and Magician Lord!) As for his comments of it being an expensive toy only time will tell if that is a bad translation or not, but regardless six hundred dollars is still a hell of a lot of money. It’s like Sony is basically saying. Lets market this to the hardcore gamer and screw everyone else.

Personally I don’t even own a HD capable television yet (yeah I know stuck in the stone ages, but I’m also not filthy rich either!), so I guess for me I’m not too excited for the $600 expensive toy as others are… (Are they?!?)

I just hope for their sake that Sony manages to produce a great game that makes people want to buy their system over others. It also looks like there is no way they can cut the price down either. This defiantly looks like a case of you can’t undercut your hardware retail price and rely solely on your software to make a great profit. I am defiantly not an expert in any way shape or form but I have to assume that most profit is made from the games for any platform and not from the actual platform itself. (Is that right?)

So throwing back to the days of the Neo Geo a system that back in nineteen ninety no one could really afford but everyone had that one friend that had it if you were lucky.

The obvious difference here is that we are talking about Sony and not SNK, but the fact remains six hundred dollars is a lot of money for anyone and that really does not cover the price of admission when you add in the factors of you will still need to buy a game, and you will most likely purchase a controller as well. Bottom line is at least one person you know will plunk down the cash for this system. One person you know will plunk down the cash for another system. Your mission is to find these people play the games and find out what game system does it for you. They all have various qualities that are worth looking into. It’s just a matter of what feels right to you. The consumer that every company is after in one way or another! Just make sure you don’t choose Playstation 3 because it’s uh ummm Playstation 3! :-D

[OMAC @ May 29th 2006 1:31PM]

I would really like to be able to justify the purchase of a PS3, but I can't, not yet at least.

My love affair with consoles started back with the Sega Saturn. The only reason I bought it was because of Virtua Fighter. I had played VF for a couple of years in the local mall arcade (before it filled up with crane machines and skeeball). I was soooo stoked about being able to play VF at home. It literally brought the arcade home for me. I bought it the week it came out, and I paid $399 for it. Back then, I didn't have a car payment or mortgage, and I hardly had any bills. It was very easy to justify spending that amount of money on the Saturn, especially since VF was bundled with it.

Over the years I bought around 30 games for the Saturn. The Virtua Fighter series, Bug, Virtual On and the Panzer Dragoon series stand out as the games that gave me the most enjoyment. I went on to eventually buy the PlayStation 2, Dreamcast and most recently, the XBox 360. The only reason I bought the PS2 was because it could play DVDs. It was my first DVD player. The only reason I could justify the XBox 360 was because of its media center extension capabilities. The only game I have for my 360 is Dead or Alive 4.

The only game that interests me in Sony's lineup is Virtua Fighter 5. However, I am not interested to the tune of $600. I can afford it, but I have other obligations now. I have a mortgage and car payment, I have bills to pay and other responsibilities. I am not poor, I just have other priorities. The $700 or so I would spend on a PS3 and a couple games equals 2 car payments or a single mortgage payment.

When the Saturn came out it was an easy decision. I had very few repsonsibilities, I wouldn't miss $400 and it came bundled with Virua Fighter.

When I bought my PS2 ($299), it was equal to only a single car payment, again, easily justifiable under my circumstances at that time, and it had DVD.

Now I am faced with another decision. Is the PlayStation 3 worthy of me plunking down $700 for the console and a few games? The answer is no. I can't justify spending a mortgage payment to play Virtua Fighter 5. If it was half that I would seriously consider it, but the reality of the situation is much different. When the PS2 came out $300 was a high price, but achievable. I have to question Sony's corporate mental state because of the high price. Yes it has Blu Ray, and the Cell processor, but who gives a crap? Seriously! Everything can be done with a DVD drive and current off-the-shelf chips.

Sony is using the PS3 and its included Blu Ray as a hedge against current losses by hopefully making Blu Ray the replacement for DVD. Everyone knows this already, even the Sony fanboys. If Blu Ray succeeds, Sony comes out looking good.

Now, if Sony had gone the conventional route, and used a normal DVD drive and regular chips, the PS3 would already be out and I might be sitting here with a PS3 instead of an XBox 360.

Nintendo isn't worrying about any format wars, and MicroSoft is supporting HD-DVD, but then again, MicroSoft won't be manufacturing HD-DVD devices on the same scale Sony will be making Blu Ray devices. As a result, Nintendo is able to concentrate on cool things like gameplay and innovative control design. MicroSoft has XBox Live going for it and a growing library of games.

Because Sony is so focused on being cutting edge with the Cell and Blu Ray, they have lost the focus on what makes a good game console. Sony has way too much riding on the PS3, and as a result, it has become bloated. The fact that they are playing catch up with Nintendos controller design and MicroSofts XBox Live makes them look desperate.

I took a business class many years ago, and one thing has always stuck with me. The instructor was talking about a hypothetical restaraunt, and we had to come up with a business plan or somesuch. After it was all said and done, most of the business plans focused on expensive restaraunts with high menu prices. I won't bore you with the details, but the end result was that there are far more people that can afford a $1.00 hamburger than there are that can afford a $10.00 steak. I predict that the sticker shock of the PS3 will force many people to one of the cheaper alternatives, with the plan on getting the PS3 when the price drops.

I can wait a year or more to play VF5 for $299 or less, and I suspect that there are many other people in the same situation.

Sorry for the ramble, but I had to say it.

[i.e @ May 29th 2006 1:34PM]

If people can pay $400 for a stupid ipod "with video" I don't see what the big deal is. It would be hard to justify plunking down $600 for the ps3 but I'd rather do that than buy a $400 ipod.

[mwx @ May 29th 2006 1:42PM]

"Only one" playstation 3?
What about the crappy "less expensive" version?

[Justin @ May 29th 2006 1:47PM]

Re #21: I have no idea what you're talking about with Linux in there. I'm gonna assume that was a typo.

I remember reading a lot before the 360 was released.. a lot of people were saying that the PS3 wasn't all that much powerful at all, as compared to the 360. I really haven't heard much of that lately--has there been some hard benchmarks released since then?

[MacroEQ @ May 29th 2006 1:58PM]

As usual, the UK will get it last, be the most expensive and will have little stock.

We should not suck up to Sony because after all, it's us, the consumer that made them who they are.

I will wait patiently till the price drops.

[Ben Hobbs @ May 29th 2006 2:01PM]

The iPod is a bad analogy, most of the people I know that own high-end iPods are very well off businessmen types. Certainly not in any way the market that Sony will be capturing with the PS3.

The only market for a $599 PS3 is gonna be the fanboys, its never going to be a casual buy. People will NOT buy this as a standalone Blu-Ray player, most adults don't want to use a games machine and a joystick to watch movies. I wouldnt be surprised if it turns out the Blu-Ray is just for storage, How can the PS3 be 1/5th the size and 1/2 the price of any other Blu-Ray player and be decent, either that or Sony will have locked certain features.

[David @ May 29th 2006 2:02PM]

Sony has such a humble way of telling stories.

[Laurent Debacker @ May 29th 2006 2:05PM]

M Kutaragi is really right. The PlayStation 3 is more than just a game console. Xbox users are locked down with their console, because Microsoft does everything possible to prevent customers to fully use their console. The PS3 can be used as a computer, a super-computer for number crunching, as a movie player, and as a ... game console. Look at the paper "The Potential of the Cell Processor for Scientific Computing" from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, they show that the CELL is about as fast (and somtimes up to twice faster) than the Cray's X1E super-computer!!! Let me expose things like this, do you think that $600 would be much for a computer? I suppose not, since it's the price of a good DELL computer. Please note that I'm not a fanboy, the only PlayStation I ever owned was the original, I never played a single game on it, and sold it 2 months later.

[Emceay @ May 29th 2006 2:21PM]

You guys, I don't think you should be talking about our dear fearless PS3 like that. It's not a toy. It can hear your thoughts and it will come get you with proprietary technology in your sleep.

"If you consider the PlayStation 3 a toy, then yes, it is an expensive toy. However, it is more than a toy. It is a PlayStation 3."

Was I the only one who sub-vocalized this sentence in my head with the voice of Mojo-jojo?

[JJ @ May 29th 2006 2:26PM]

I dont get all the complaints really... teh 600 dollar PS3 is for people who have high end HDTVs with 1080p and HDMI... if you have one... i somehow doubt a 600 dollar video game system is too much for you.

Conversely i love how people say the 360 is ag reat deal but the ps3 is a ripoff considering its only 100 dollars more for the HDMIless version. Yeah it doesnt come with a card reader... but how many people bought memory cards ofr the xbox and 360? otherwise the cheap ps3 isn't near the worthless functionality of the cheap 360.

You buy the 300 360 and you pretty much HAVE to buy the hard drive JUST to be able to use most things. I mean with the memory cards for the system costing like 30-40 dollars... you'd be stupid not to spend the extra 100 for the 20 gig harddrive.

you buy the cheap ps3... the only thing you're not getting is built in wifi and the HDMI and a card reader... otherwise yous till have the FULL functionality.

I just think its funny that on a blog that talks about the latest and greater gadget items... people have to bitch about price. If you cant afford it, fine move on, (although a 500-600 system is too much but a 400 one is the sweet spot apparently... i dont get that at all).
Fact of the matter is video games are a luxury.. not a neccessity and people need to stop treating it as such.

Sony is no more an evil company than MS is. If anything nintendo will over take both of them as the 360 barely has any good games out other than Oblivion (which is better on PC) and Fight night and Graw. It has maybe... 4 or 5 mroe GOOD games coming out... otherwise its a waste of money. I mean why pay 10 dollars more for multiplatform games that are the same on Ps2 and xbox? Take Xmen3 for example... 40 dollars on ps2 and xbox.. yet 60 on 360...why?

People seem to forget that gaming is not cheap in anyway shape or form and to complain about price.. well... is like complaining about a 30 dollar oil change on a 30,000 dollar car.

and for the record... yes i have a 360/ps2/xbox/gamecube and will buy a ps3 and wii...why?Because gaming is my hobby, and i dont think i'd ever buy one system just to buy it because another one is "more expensive" that just seems stupid to me.

[Emceay @ May 29th 2006 2:27PM]

UCLAtommy, NTDOY.pk is like 12% higher than about a month or two ago, if you didn't buy the stock before e3, be prepared to be disappointed for a few months in the lull before the hype machine starts pumping wii commercials again.