SCEA announces immediate availability of 80GB PS3
SCEA has announced that the new 80GB PS3 with the MotorStorm pack-in is available immediately from brick-and-mortar stores as well as online merchants. For $599, you get a the new downloadable-content friendly 80GB PS3 as well as a 'free' copy of MotorStorm, one of the most popular online games on the PS3. From the sounds of it, you also get a slightly more accurate Sixaxis controller as well (wonder if that will make Super Rub-a-Dub any easier to control).
The release of the new PS3 now puts North America back into the 'dual-sku' position that we we thought we had finally escaped from. At least this time around, we have two fantastic options as opposed to one fantastic option and a crappy gimped option. Plus, considering the 60GB PS3 has a limited life-span we can expect to go back to $599 single-SKU in the future. Hopefully, Sony will listen to their consumers and realize that as much as we like a single-SKUs, we also like $499 PS3s.
Full Press Release after jump.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) today announced the availability of a new 80GB PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) at online and brick-and-mortar retailers in the United States and Canada. The system, available immediately for a suggested retailer price of $599US/$659 CND, comes with the hit online-enabled off-road racing game MotorStorm(TM) packed in the box.
Featuring an expanded hard disk drive, the new 80GB PS3 is designed to appeal to the online gaming and entertainment enthusiast, providing ample storage space to download more games and other entertainment content from PLAYSTATION(R)Network. There are currently more than 60 playable games and game-related downloads available through PLAYSTATION(R)Store, with expanded entertainment content coming soon. The new model features the million-selling game MotorStorm in the box, allowing up to 12 players to play online at one time, hitting the dirt in this visually-arresting, fast-paced racing title.
"The 80GB PS3 offers expanded options in the PS3 family of products for those who want to enjoy more downloadable content," said Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing, SCEA. "The new model will provide ample storage space to meet the appetites of those who wish to download content today, and for many more years to come. With the expanded disk capacity and dynamic system upgrades, we have effectively created a system that is 'future-proof', providing consumers an exceptional entertainment value that will stand the
test of time."
The 80GB model joins the existing 60GB PS3 that has been available at retail since launch last November. The 60GB PS3 is currently enjoying a surge in sales following a price reduction in the US and Canada on July 9 of $100 to $499/$549 CND. Since that date, unit sales at the company's top five retailers have jumped 113% when compared to the average sales of four weeks prior to the price drop. SCEA will continue to sell the 60GB in the US and Canada at the new, reduced price until current inventory is depleted, which is predicted to be this fall based on current consumer demand.
Throughout the holidays and this fiscal year, more than 120 new first and third-party software titles will be available for North American PS3 users to enjoy, in addition to the more than 40 software titles currently available. Key upcoming first-party titles include Folklore(TM), Heavenly Sword(TM), LAIR, NBA '08, Ratchet & Clank(R) Future: Tools of Destruction(TM), SingStar(TM), SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, THE EYE OF JUDGMENT(TM), Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, PAIN, and Warhawk(TM).
Both the 80GB and 60GB PS3 models come standard with Cell Broadband Engine(TM) (Cell/B.E.), built-in hard disk drive, 1080p high-definition output, Wi-Fi connectivity, SIXAXIS(TM) wireless controller and Blu-ray
Disc(TM) player. According to Nielsen VideoScan, there are currently more than 270 high-definition Blu-ray Disc(TM) movies available at retail, including the recently released "300," "Shooter," and "Ghost Rider."
