Wal-Mart spreadsheet claims 40GB PS3 "will be replaced" in August
By Darren Murph 
posted Jul 9th 2008 9:36AM
posted Jul 9th 2008 9:36AM
[Thanks, Khattab]
Please note: If you're a current Engadget commenter, you do not need to re-register. Simply login and you will be prompted to select a username.
Bring back backwards compatibility.
Otherwise every new PS3 model since the 60 and 20 STILL SUCKS.
While the 80GB version and the 60GB PAL version use software emulation, they are still backward compatible. So I don't get what you mean.
I personally own the 60GB hardware version but yet to see a difference between it and my brother-in-laws 80GB regarding playback of PS2/1 games.
I have the 80GB Motorstorm Bundle and love it. Haven't had any problems playing PS2 games, but then again...how often do I play PS2 games now that I have a PS3. :-P Once a month at most.
@Kiwi616
Probably has something to do with the fact that the 40GB model has zero backward compatibility at all.
Damn right, in Europe we've been without a BC model for ages (that said, I'd probably buy one immediately, in spite of my precarious finances, so maybe it isn't such a good idea!)
OMG when will we ever get the Silver PS3 or PSP in the UK?!! Why do we always get treated like horse manure. Even the French have a silver PSP. Somehow we are always at the botton of the list when it comes to new things being released. Been holding back since the PS3 and the PSP slim came out for silver versions. Mean while the Japs have a rainbow of colours and recently a lime green and a blue PS3 have been added on the shelves along with several colours for the PSP. They might as well drop the price down to compensate (but heeeell no).
IBM and Sony did say that a 45nm Cell is in the work (but to have 3 different processor revisions on a console for the past 2 years gets to show how they didn't think it through when they were making it). Sony are really milking it now and testing the boundaries of the fanbase they have (much like Asus with the EEE, prices keeps escalating)
Can't be a new model of PS3 as there is nothing at FCC and it would have to be there by now, I would think, if there was an August release date.
Could be a new 'bundle' or the White 40GB that already went through FCC a few months back.
I'd like to see a 40GB with a PSP pack in for $449!
Just because its not visible in the FCC doesnt mean it isnt in the works. The FCC now allow companies to offer the products to not be put in public view until a certain date. A good example is the iPhone 3G, it didnt show up on FCC until after the announcement by Apple. Sony could be doing the very same thing.
I kinda hope it is a smaller and lower cost model though, with PS1/2 playback. Would definitely be nice to have a few friends afford to buy the console now lol.
I think it's a new model and would definitely explain why Walmart offered that $100 gift card on the recent sale of PS3's. (The 40GB model) I think a bigger drive is coming, along with that new cell processor. It will cost more, but the current 40GB model will have a price drop.
actualy there was a fcc report and long time ago on a new 40gb model a ceramic white model...it may be this ..we may hear more at e3
http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/01/22/fcc-filing-for-ps3-updated-with-white-model/
Besides the FCCs help with keeping products secret, why would a new playstation 3 require another approval if all they did was change the harddrive and/or accessories and controllers? Wouldn't they just have to test the systems if new RF components were added? and if it includes new controllers, if they have already been screened separately, then they surely wouldn't cause the whole system to have to be tested again, right?
My 80GB plays almost everything thanks very much and I'd gather that the majority of PS3 owners have a PS2 kicking around for the odd title that doesn't play (GH for me for instance)
Why would I want to keep a PS2 "kicking around?" Backwards compatibility is better than keeping some old console around for many reasons.
1) Improved graphical capabilities. Look what the PS2 did for PS1 games. Just something as simple as texture smoothing worked wonders on many old titles.
2) Space saved. You don't need another damn box sitting under or next to your television.
3) HDMI connection for PS1, 2, and 3. Rather than take up a component video slot with a PS2 and an HDMI with a PS3, you can kill them all with one stone. A nice digital stone one.
4) The hard drive. Now I can back my saves up to a hard drive and cut down on the memory cards I have all over the place.
Pochi @ Jul 9th 2008 10:00AM
Why would I want to keep a PS2 "kicking around?"
-----
"for the odd title that doesn't play"?
I thought it was answered quite well in the first post by BSTKiller.
Not to mention the ability to hook it up to a second TV...and if you already have one (which I would argue most ps3 owners have), then... why not?
Then again, if you have a fat PS2 you can install a hard drive and HD Loader and run all your games from the HDD, which not only lets you pick all your PS2 games from a menu, but also substantially reduces loading times. It's for that reason that I'm not all that concerned about backward compatibility in a PS3 - I'd rather run them on my fat PS2. Oh, and then there's the fact that the PS3 doesn't have any PS2 controller ports, which makes playing games like Dance Dance Revolution (which is key for me) problematic. As far as I can tell, 3rd party controller adaptors don't work very well.
Having said that, I do think they need to have backward compatibility across the line. Also they need to pack-in a dual-shock controller instead of six-axis, lower the price to $350 and drop the higher end model so there is only one model to buy. If the price is $350 I'll be getting one for xmas this year. :)
Nice points...
we can probably add far less power consumption to the PS2's selling points if we wanted to lower our carbon footprint, too :) The slim ones in particular. Perhaps noise level too. I dunno how it compares to the PS3.
BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY vs. KEEPING OLD CONSOLES
argument C: one box has a modchip, the other does not.
FIN.
Yeah, so let's see...
@tekdroid: Noise levels? Are you joking? Keep a whole other box under my TV with a whole other set of inputs - as well as completely kill off all the benefits I mentioned above - to cut down on some fan noise? Really? And arguing for a "second TV setup" is completely ridiculous. That has nothing to do with the debate here. So wow, yeah, if you want to use another TV besides your best one for playing PS2, well I guess YA GOT ME. You do need a PS2!
@SteveJ: If DDR is key to you, then yes keep your PS2 because you'll be too busy being not laid to use it anyway.
@neofolklore: The minority, the extreme minority, of console owners use modchips. Doesn't change the fact that a BC PS3 is the best option.
I can't believe you people are arguing against better backwards compatibility for the PS3. A POSITIVE FUNCTION with no negatives whatsoever is being argued against. You fucking people will argue anything at this point, won't you...?
@ Pochi
Gee buddy, you seem slightly irked. Tell us how you REALLY feel...
@Rogue_Genius
Engadget'll do that to a guy... hehe...
Pochi, calm down mate.
We're merely stating there ARE benefits to keeping a PS2 around. YOU might not find them useful and that's fine. I quite like the small sexy PS2. I quite like its lowwww power consumption and unobtrusiveness.
And frankly backwards compatibility is NOT perfect. Not to mention games controllers built for the PS2, as mentioned. If you don't find any of this useful then that's fine, but frankly I found your response a tad.... hostile.
The point is a real living breathing PS2 is not in every way inferior to the PS3 for the above reasons. Of course the PS3 has its own benefits too, some of which you mentioned.
Cheers.
@tekdroid
The argument was NEVER about PS2 VS PS3 though. It was about PS3 with BC VS PS3 without BC.
PS3 with wins every time. So bring it back. The end.
I don't know why people care so much about backward compatibility anyway? Do you actually play PS2 games on your PS3?Because they look awful on an HDTV.
Because it's expected of a console, rather than asking 'why people care' how about asking why sony don't include it.
Thats not true at all man.
A lot of PS2 games look awesome on a HDTV. And those that support widescreen look pretty good if not better then the PS2, especially with the upscaler.
And those that support progressive output look awesome too, one game for example that supports it is God of War 2. Theres a list online with all the games that support 16:9 and 480p so go and take a look.
The trend seems to be coming down in the size of hard drives so... PS3 10GB? :P
Why is that low ranked? People wanna check their facts?
The trend has been for the hard disk size to go up. 20GB to 40GB and 60GB to 80GB.
I know that Sony takes a loss with each sold unit, but there seems to be a great opportunity being lost here.
Sony could really take the lead by shipping PS3's with much larger hard drives. I see retail prices for a 160GB at $65. I don't even see 40GB drives available anymore. And once these lower capacity drives are passe, they actually end up costing MORE to obtain them because they are not made in quantity anymore.
Stick a 160-250 in there right off the bat and it would seem like a very good selling point to many consumers. The cost of a few dollars more per unit might be offset by the small increase in number of units sold.
I think you're on the money with that comment.. Nothing comes with a >40G drive anymore and are probably hard and useless to find.. Though I can't see this going well with people who just purchased the MSG bundle in that they are sort of getting screwed on a possible price and or upgraded HDD.. All these changes to their system prob are not benefitting the sales as much as it could right now.
Maybe it's not that simple when they do contracts with suppliers for guaranteed availability of x quantities at x price - and have to fulfil their end (ie. using all they've bought).
Even increasing the cost by $1(which I would argue going with 160GB would do) wouldn't go down well with management. That would mean millions of dollars lost per year (on x million sales) on a bigger HD which might be nice but won't have an appreicable positive effect on sales, IMO.
I don't think there's any doubt that sometime in the future they will drop the 40GB, but now is probably not the time.
mid august for the BD remote for the ps3???
they are avaialbe in every games/electrical shop here in the UK.
who at wal-mart does the ordering? as they may need to get a kick up the backside.
I don't think this is a list of new products, probably just an order list including stock up dates. For example they're ordering in wii points cards too which have been sold for ages.
Probably just the new cell formfactor.
Just give me a damn price drop!
Perhaps a we'll get a new console with a new 65nm chip vs the current 90nm?
http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/13/ibm-begins-production-of-65nm-cell-chip/
...or it's a new bundle to move old units before the newer chip versions are released.
@ Dr. Evil
An evil chip version?
I just recently bought the MGS4 80gb bundle even though I figured there will be some type of price drop or new 40gb bundle for around E3. Easily one of the best pieces of hardware I have ever purchased...
Please add a scaler so I can buy one to hook up to my still awesome 65"1080i Mits Diamond.
Rumors everywhere, there will be a price drop after E3 for PS3 & 360. So if you haven't bought one yet,just wait.
Sony will drop the hdd altogether and give away a memory card or a USB memory stick, just like MS has done with the Arcade. Why not? It'd save Sony plenty of money, while screwing their customers. That's the one thing I hate MS for nickel-and-diming us on everything, from rechargeable batteries that require dedicated chargers ($19+) and $40 for 512mb card that actually cost ($5), to hdd that cost $100 over their actual cost. I have two 360s, but MS has been giving us the finger big time. I haven't bought anything for them other than what came in their respective boxes.
Correct me if I'm wrong but you do know the typical ps3 game install is around 5gb right...
Funny thats exactly what the PS2 was doing when Xbox was out (selling crappy add-ons to make a great console less desirable)
why microsoft followed this route for the 360 god knows...
My money is on the speculation that it's just the same 40gb with dualshock 3 instead of SIXAXIS. I don't foresee a price drop or hardware/hdd upgrade for the 40gb anytime soon. Sony is still losing money on every console sold yet they are beginning to sell very well so why lower the price or upgrade the hardware?
In terms of PS2 backwards compatibility, I can see them offering a firmware update in the future that adds BC to the 40. If not, I still have my PS2 that I have connected to my SD big screen tv. And ps2 games still look MUCH better on SDTV than HDTV.
Whats more disturbing is how this spreadsheet got into someone's hands and over to Engadget. We always seem to look the other way when we want to.
Please, stop releasing SKUs and just release one unified model with a large hard drive, wi-fi, and backwards compatibility. Then KEEP IT FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. Damn.
That's not a spreadsheet, just a list that comes down through corporate email telling us the approximate times we can expect items to be available for order in our warehouse again. And the number to the far left is the item code for internal lookup, which references the 40GB being permanently replaced by the 80GB. More than likely there is another one coming out, but whoever jumped all over this one just wants to fan the flames.
It is most likely just a switch to the DualShock 3 controller.
It's the Ceramic White PS3. Gotta be. The FCC approval went thru in January and there was speculation then of a late-June/July release. This has to be it.
In Australia Sony as announce a promo where buy a HD LCD TV and get free PS3 limited next 35,000 customers, A quick way to clear stock for a new model and not upset customers as most remaining units will sold as part this promo http://www.sony.com.au/homecinema/article.jsp?id=4129
I wish Sony would make up its mind and stop flip flopping with different model introductions. The 40GB should have been BC from the start. Sony shot themselves in the foot with the high price and multiple models of the PS3. Not to mention thousands of people bought the 40GB thinking it was BC and sadly they were disappointed to find that it wasn't.
The PS2 has sold well over 127 million units so there's plenty of people who still enjoy their PS2 games. Why Sony wants to neglect that fact is beyond me.
If you buy a $400 piece of electronic equipment and can't be bothered to READ THE BOX which clearly states that it doesn't play PS2 games that is SONY's fault?
JFYI - it'll most likely be the new 80GB model that will be for $399 which is basically like the 40GB but with double.. and no not BC either .. but i thought it was set for october...there will still be the BC 80gb version i believe ... I actually like the fact that you can choose between backwards or not... when i play ps2 games i just simply switch my RGB connection that is hooked up to the ps3 into the ps2 and turn power on... same amout of time to turn on the ps3 and insert ps2 game, I don't really need sd slots... I use winamp remote to transfer files from the pc to ps3 which is really useful! can even stream music/videos from the pc through the ps3! so it's pretty clever IMO cause if you read from other posts.. not everyone needs BC/sd slots/extra usb slots ... look at it as win/win for sony and /or the lower budget people who just want a ps3 to play next gen games:):)