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80GB landing in stores on August 12th - Probably
According to Amazon.com the 80GB PS3, that was announced at E3 earlier this month, will be released on August the 12th. While pre-orders are not yet available, you can sign up for email alerts for when they finally are. The 80GB package will contain Motorstorm in the box to go with your extra 20GB. Is that worth an extra $100 dollars over the price of the 60GB model? We're still not convinced.So if you're desperate to spend, arguably, more money than perhaps you should on a PS3 then you only have twelve days to wait. Having said that, however, we wouldn't be surprised if the release date changed once or twice before final release. They're fickle like that.
80GB PS3 available for pre-order from EBGames
EBGames is now offering the 80GB PlayStation 3 for preorder with the free limited edition pack-in copy of Motorstorm and the now-standard-but-still-cool five free Blu-ray movies included as well. As previously mentioned the new top-end SKU will run you $599, for 20 GB more storage space and one of the top selling PS3 games. Not exactly the hottest deal ever, but better than a kick in the crotch.The new PS3 start shipping out tomorrow, though EBGames does warn of a 1-2 day turnaround time for initial deliveries so expect some delays. Anybody actually interested in getting this? Or are you all waiting for the expected price drop as well?
40GB PS3 for $399 on the horizon? Everybody say "wheee!"
The PlayStation 3 price rollercoaster reaches another peak today as Game Informer puts the rumour out there that a new 40GB SKU is on the cards. The price? $399. We've also heard ourselves that this has been in the planning stages for a number of months. When asked for confirmation, Dave Karraker stonewalled us with the following statement: "We won't be making any further announcements regarding our PS3 model hardware strategy in North America until the 60GB model is exhausted and market conditions are evaluated."It's clear, then, that we won't be seeing any new price drops or SKUs hit the market until the 60GB PS3s are sold out. Once that happens, as Pachter said, we'll see the 80GB system drop down to the price of $499. If not, we'll see a new 40GB SKU come in at a price of $399. There's no reason why both of these things couldn't happen, but we're not convinced that's the case. Since the rollercoaster started, we've been saying that the problem Sony is facing is that people can't afford the PS3, not that they won't buy it. A $399 ticket to the PS3 party would be excellent, especially if it were to start before the Christmas buzz hits. However, all this price craziness is making things confusing for potential buyers who keep up to date with PS3 news. Once the mainstream have bought out all of the 60GB models (All 2 to 3 million of them; It could take a while) we'll see something happen.
Pachter expects $499 price to remain, even when 60GB PS3s do not
Will they? Won't they? This is worse than Ross and Rachel. Ah, the 90s. Simpler times. Since Thursday, we've been questioning whether the 80GB PS3 will drop to $499 once the 60GB version sells out. We're fairly comfortable with our prediction that it will and Michael Pachter, of Wedbush Morgan, agrees. Pachter states that "the Sony entry level price of $499 is here to stay" and that "there are presently 2 – 3 million 60Gb PS3s produced and not yet sold." This number constitutes up 75% of PS3s in the hands of consumers right now, so the idea of that many selling out before the end of the month, as Reeves suggested, is ridiculous. Pachter's reasoning for why he expects the 80GB model to drop in price is similar to most people's. The 80GB PS3 should cost Sony as much, if not less, to produce than the 60GB model thanks to removal of the Emotion Engine (which, at this point, is the PS3's equivalent of the appendix). Not to mention that Motorstorm is included in the 80GB box, so removing the game will allow the bundle to drop in price by at least $50. Pachter ends his report by saying that he expects "the $499 price point to be maintained until early next year, when the 80Gb model will likely be cut again to $399." We're not so sure about this ourselves, but we'd definitely like to see it happen.
PS3 price cut will stick, says industry analyst
Adding a negligible amount of fuel to a fire which should probably just burn out already, industry analyst Michael Pachter predicts that the 80GB PS3 will drop in price to $499 once the remaining stocks of the 60GB version have sold through. Of course, Sony has flip-flopped so much on this issue that it's hard to take this sort of "news" with anything other than a massive grain of salt. Regardless, according to Mr. Pachter, "the Sony entry level price of USD 499 is here to stay." So frugal PS3 fans, take heart... or don't take heart. Honestly, it's just really tough to say right now.
Sony have "ample supplies" of 60GBs available for the foreseeable future
Dave Karraker has updated the PlayStation.Blog today with a clarification about today's "60GB phase out" murmurings. The post begins with a "thanks to the fans" for their E3 support and ends with a explanation about the current situation regarding the 60GB PS3 and its place in the US lineup. Karraker states that there are "ample supplies of both models to meet the needs of consumers for the foreseeable future." Nowhere in his post does he deny that the 60GB is being phased out, though his post does infer that what David Reeves said was incorrect. The 60GBs won't sell out for the foreseeable future.This makes sightly more sense than the 80GB being introduced just as the 60GB is removed, as Reeves suggested was the case. Instead, the 80GB system can retail for the higher price, allowing the 60GBs to sell out (which we hope to see happening at the end of the year, at the latest, as a result of the Christmas rush). We would then like to see the 80GB model having its price lowered to fill the gap that the 60GB leaves behind. We could say that we "expect" this to happen but the fact is that, with Sony, you never know what they're going to do.We have faith in Sony's pricing strategy. Making such a big deal about a price drop, then removing it three weeks later would be ridiculous. These "ample supplies" should last for a couple of months, at least. We'll keep you updated as and when developments occur.
SCEE boss predicts 60GBs will be sold out by month's end - After that? No more
Gameindustry.biz has stated that SCEE president David Reeves has clarified that the 60GB PS3's days are numbered. At an E3 event in which Reeves revealed the PlayStation 3 Starter Pack for the European region, he was questioned over whether SCEE should have given Europe a price cut, as has happened in America. Reeves claims that "they aren't really" getting a price cut "because what the US are offering from the 1st of August is a USD 599 version with one game."Reeves went on to say that "all they're doing is taking their stock in trade that they've got at the moment of the 60GB model, marking the price down and it will all be gone by the end of July." When asked whether this was truly the end of the 60GB model, Reeves replied with "in America, yes."We see this as a very strange move on SCEA's part. Why undermine your announcement of a price drop by phasing out the lower end unit? Because the 80GB systems have had their Emotion Engine removed (which means PS2 games will now be software emulated, as in Europe) they are cheaper to build than the current 60GB models. Will we see this saving passed down to the customer with another price cut before the end of the year? This doesn't really bode well for those waiting for it to drop below $500 dollars. Our solution? Drop the 80GB to $500 in a couple of months, in time for the big Christmas releases. Then bring back the 20GB system, without the Emotion Engine, for $400 dollars. Things would make a lot more sense if that were to happen.
Blinky red lights to feature in new Sixaxis controller - will rumble join it? [UPDATE]
Dutch site PS3Focus.nl has a section of a TV report about today's price cut. The interesting thing about this piece of footage is that it includes a couple of seconds close up on someone using a Sixaxis controller. Not particularly exciting normally, but in this instance there's something a bit new. A bit glowy. Check out the image above. We speculated about the glowing red PS button on the 80GB box this morning, but seeing the flashing red button in someone's hands makes us even more ... speculative. It's clear, then, that another controller is on the cards and will be released before too long (if not for the 80GB launch, then before). The question is, does the upgrade just include a bit of extra illumination, or will we see rumble joining the party? It's probably a fair bet to say yes, but we're not going to say anything definite until confirmation happens at E3. Which it should. Mixed messages? We like to keep you guys on your toes.The other question is whether that light is going to be blinking on and off constantly during gameplay. If so, that could get quite annoying. What do you think? Check out the video footage and let us know.[UPDATE] Patrick Seybold has posted a comment on his post stating that the red light "is not a sign or indication of a new/different controller with the 80GB model." It is a feature of the debug model. This doesn't change the fact that we know that the rumbing Sixaxis is on its way at some point in the future. Just not necessarily bundled with the 80GB PS3. [Thanks Tesley!]
Sony's 80GB PS3 to include SIXAXIS with rumble?
It's all coming so fast. No sooner does Sony fess up to August price cuts than we start hearing tell of a response from the 360 camp, and now it sounds like Sony has even more goodies for the PS3 faithful. First off is a Circuit City memo that got forwarded to us showing those price cuts indeed happening today. It'll get advertised next week, but if those shelf jockeys are doing their jobs, you should supposedly be able to walk into a Circuit City right this minute and walk out with a brand new 60GB PS3 for $499. To add further drama to the situation, people are taking clues from the 80GB PS3 box as proof of the inclusion of a "Rumblaxis" (fancy new word courtesy of PS3 Fanboy) controller being included with the new system that's set to launch in August. People are conjecturing the red light on the Home button is a clue to such rumble functionality, and eagle-eyed readers have also noted that the "Contents" section of the box has more text describing the SIXAXIS item than can be found on the 60GB box. To be honest, we're not spotting the difference, but feel free to make up your own mind with the links provided below. Check out the Circuit City memo after the break.[Thanks, Vagrant Pistol]Read - Red light Rumblaxis theory [Via PS3 Fanboy]Read - Contents flap Rumblaxis theory [Thanks, Jeremy]Read - Original box photos
Confirmed: $100 price drop, new 80GB PS3 coming August
The PS3 is now $499, effective immediately. In addition, a new SKU will come out in August, ringing in at $599. It will include the previously exclusive-to-Korea 80GB PS3, as well as the full retail version of Motorstorm.While it is interesting that Sony is moving back to two SKUs, the new $599 package doesn't sound particularly enticing. Motorstorm is a fantastic game and the extra 20 GB is nice, but paying an extra $100 for it seems a bit expensive. How does it tickle your fancy?[Thanks Myke C!]
Sony cuts PS3 price to $499, new $599 80GB model to hit North America in August
Despite denials, Sony has made official the new $499 price point for the PlayStation 3 that we've started to see appear in retailers across the US. The 60GB model's new price point will indeed be $499, with a new 80GB model going on sale for $599 in the US and Canada in August. As a small bonus, the 80GB version will include a "free" copy of MotorStorm. So there ya' have it kids: in one quick swoop, Sony has made the PS3's price a whole lot more competitive.Update: Looks like the cat's out of the bag. Here's the release.
PS3 launches in Korea with 80GB hard drive
The translation from Korean to English is a little icky, but it looks like the PlayStation 3 launch in Korea which took place earlier today went ahead with an 80GB hard drive, in line with previous reports from Sony. It still confuses us as to why Sony is so adamant that the rest of the world won't be enjoying this same capacity anytime soon: it's not a justification to say that Korea has better broadband and therefore more capacity is required (Europeans and North Americans will just have to wait longer to fill the drive!) But hey, we're not ones to get all huffed and puffed about a measly extra 20GB of space; you've already "freed your hard disk" by now, right?[Thanks, Jayoung]
Sony says PS3 80GB may come to US
That was quick. Following the announcement Monday of an 80GB PS3 model for South Korea, the AP was informed by a Sony official today that the model is being considered for the US and elsewhere. The quote that the AP uses is a bit ambiguous and really isn't much different than what we've been hearing since Monday. Sony spokesman Satoshi Fukuoka says, "Increasing capacity for models is one of the options ... We make such decisions depending on the needs of the market, and every country is different." Although they didn't get it in a quote, the AP says further on that Fukuoka did say they are considering the 80GB model in the US and other markets.An 80GB model is great, but would this be a horrible time to mention the Xbox 360 Elite? Although being a rip-off of an upgrade compared to the regular Xbox 360, it still has a 120GB hard drive and HDMI. Even if the 80GB PS3 model enters the market at the 60GB model's current price, the Elite still has it beat by 40GB and being around $100 less. Yes, yes, add the HD DVD drive and it's practically the same price -- touché. Also, if it's just about a hard drive upgrade, you could simply do it yourself. At least the 80GB model is coming, we wonder what other changes Sony will place under the hood before release.[Via Engadget]
80GB PS3 -- US bound?
While it's not exactly confirmation of a US-bound 80GB PS3, Sony is providing a glimmer of hope this morning for a beefier domestic release. Satoshi Fukuoka, spokesman for Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. said that they are considering the 80 gigger specifically for the US and "other markets." He also shed light on the decision making process which includes the popularity of online gaming coupled with the availability of broadband connectivity. Fine, but considering the dismal performance of Sony's gaming division last quarter, you'd think they'd also be slathering some preferential treatment onto their largest marketplace(s). After all, gamers are nothing if not a fickle bunch and we wouldn't them feeling slighted now would we? Hey Sony, why not drop in a 120GB disk and we'll call it even.
Sony announces 80GB PlayStation 3 (in South Korea)
That 80GB PlayStation 3 that's been kicking around the FCC's filing cabinets for awhile isn't just being considered, it's finally going to see a release. In South Korea. According to a press release on Sony's South Korean site, the 80GB version will be released on June 16 for KWR 518,000, or $556. That's less money for more geebees!While Sony denied a European release to GamesIndustry.biz, we can't help but think all that FCC paperwork wasn't someone's idea of a good time. With the 20GB model out of the way, and a cacophony of critics asking for price drops, it sounds like an opportune time to add this second SKU to the PlayStation 3 lineup worldwide.[Via Engadget]
Sony announces 80GB PS3...for Korea
Well we have to admit, we sure didn't see this one coming. There have been rumors of a higher capacity PlayStation 3 for several months now, but no one figured that the first 80GB model would drop not in Japan or the US, but South Korea. And yet that's exactly what's scheduled to go down June 16th, when the previously-denied, Euro-spec'ed PS3 (but no 20GB or 60GB models, it seems) will hit the land of Samsung and LG for a pre-tax 518,000 won -- or just $556. While we don't want to get your hopes up, we can't help but think that this move bodes well for US consumers too; after all, the 80 gigger is already through the FCC, meaning that price drops and unimaginable storage space could be right around the corner. Update: Not that this means much in a world where companies tell bold-faced public lies in order to protect their business plans, but Sony has informed GamesIndustry.biz that there are no plans to sell the 80GB PS3 in Europe, or anywhere else outside of South Korea for that matter. In other words, we expect word on an international release any day now. [Thanks, Alex]
Sony fesses to "considering" larger capacity PS3
It's the small moral victories that count, and after Sony ruined all of our fun the other week with that "we don't have any plans at the moment" non-denial denial of an 80GB PS3, it's nice to see 'em fess up to "considering" a larger drive for the console. That's really all the dirt we have at the moment, though. The comment was made by Satoshi Fukuoka, a Sony Computer Entertainment spokesman, and he didn't seem keen on elaborating. It could mean a new, higher-priced SKU (think the Elite) or a price drop to the 60GB model, which now stands alone in the USA and Europe, and insertion of the new, larger model at the current 60GB price point. It's anyone's guess, so take your best crack at it in the comments.[Via Joystiq]
Sony now 'considering' 80GB PS3
In a reversal of Sony's March assertion that they "don't have plans" to increase the PlayStation 3's hard drive size, Sony spokesman Satoshi Fukuoka now says the company is "considering" a version featuring a drive bigger than the 60GB existing model (and 20GB model that was discontinued in the USA five days ago). Does this mean a pending price drop for the 60GB PS3? Or will Sony blow our minds and bank accounts with a new $700 SKU?[Via Fragland]
Sony denies impending 80GB PS3, let the games begin
We're not sure why Sony is playing so coy with the PlayStation 3 storage upgrades -- after all, the 360 Elite is cheaper than the 20GB PS3 yet offers six times the capacity -- but the company is already denying reports of an impending 80GB model, despite those telling FCC documents we saw earlier today. In an official statement, Sony spokesbots said that "the 80GB we're not making a comment on, but we don't have any plans at the moment," which sounds like a rather weak denial to us -- but a denial nonetheless. Since, as Eurogamer points out, you can already swap out your own higher capacity PC drive anyway, we're not sure that even if there is an eighty gigger in the wings, it's that big of a deal. Anyway, keep your eyes peeled, because you can probably expect a lot more of this back and forth until Sony finally reveals the new model with a lot of fanfare but to little surprise.[Via Joystiq]
Sony working on new 80GB PS3
Xbox 360 Elite is Microsoft's attempt at matching PLAYSTATION 3's impressive hardware features. While the Elite doesn't provide wi-fi support like the premium PS3, nor does it feature integrated HD disc support, it does offer a whopping 120GB of hard disk space, dwarfing the 60GB PS3 hard drive.According to a recent FCC filing, it appears Sony is going to modify the current PS3 and include a larger 80GB hard drive: "The model CECHE01 to be added by the difference of the capacity of hard disk." Although this doesn't match the Elite's hard drive, it does add even more value to the $599 PS3. Current users need not feel short-changed, though. Unlike 360 users, PS3 owners are free to install almost any hard drive into their system, without having to pay ridiculous prices for proprietary peripherals ($180 for 120GB hard drive?!).[Via Engadget]
