PlayStation 3 Hard Drive: 60 GB and Upgradable
Secret out as SCEE confirms Kutaragi slip
Tekken for PlayStation 3
The issue of mass storage for the PlayStation 3 was settled today with a statement from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe adding weight to what looks like a slip from president Ken Kutaragi from last week.
Reports emerged which claimed Kutaragi had noted to journalists attending the PlayStation 3 meeting last week, a full report from which you can catch here, that a hard drive would be included inside the box with every PlayStation 3 sold.
Speaking to Next-Gen, SCEE explained, “We [SCEE] didn't confirm it, but it was confirmed at the media briefing by Ken Kutaragi. It's a fully upgradable, 60 GB hard drive that will come pre-packaged with the system.”
The size of the drive has taken industry watchers by surprise, with most pundits expecting either no HD as standard or a smaller drive as a taster, a technique Sony pioneered with the rollout of minuscule Memory Sticks with its compatible devices. News that a whopping 60GB wil be doled out as standard does point towards a considerable media convergence plan likely to deliver movies, music and games on demand as well as TIVO-esque functionality.
The last issue raised by the announcement is the escalating specification of Sony's new console and the possible cost of raw hardware to the consumer. Indicators suggest the the PlayStation 3 will be an immensely powerful unit, able to perform as as the ultimate home entertainment device. As to whether Sony is planning to offload this cost on its userbase or swallow a considerable hit at launch remains to be seen.
Expect some sort of PlayStation 3 rumblings to echo out of this week's GDC.
Reports emerged which claimed Kutaragi had noted to journalists attending the PlayStation 3 meeting last week, a full report from which you can catch here, that a hard drive would be included inside the box with every PlayStation 3 sold.
Speaking to Next-Gen, SCEE explained, “We [SCEE] didn't confirm it, but it was confirmed at the media briefing by Ken Kutaragi. It's a fully upgradable, 60 GB hard drive that will come pre-packaged with the system.”
The size of the drive has taken industry watchers by surprise, with most pundits expecting either no HD as standard or a smaller drive as a taster, a technique Sony pioneered with the rollout of minuscule Memory Sticks with its compatible devices. News that a whopping 60GB wil be doled out as standard does point towards a considerable media convergence plan likely to deliver movies, music and games on demand as well as TIVO-esque functionality.
The last issue raised by the announcement is the escalating specification of Sony's new console and the possible cost of raw hardware to the consumer. Indicators suggest the the PlayStation 3 will be an immensely powerful unit, able to perform as as the ultimate home entertainment device. As to whether Sony is planning to offload this cost on its userbase or swallow a considerable hit at launch remains to be seen.
Expect some sort of PlayStation 3 rumblings to echo out of this week's GDC.
Companies:
Sony
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Comments
schnide 22 Mar 2006 12:39
1/6
w00t!
This is the way to go - including a HD as optional with the 360 was a terrible mistake and fractured the market. There are plenty of historical examples that M$ could have learnt from this, and I'm pleased that Sony actually did.
This is the way to go - including a HD as optional with the 360 was a terrible mistake and fractured the market. There are plenty of historical examples that M$ could have learnt from this, and I'm pleased that Sony actually did.
thane_jaw 22 Mar 2006 13:29
2/6
Indeed, MS really dropped the ball with that. I guess that the people who would intentionally go out and buy it find that it serves their need (e.g. basic functionality and the ability to play next gen games) although given how much presitge is placed on the marketplace (especially with those whopping 500 mb+ demos), I'm really suprized that MS didn't increase the size of the hard drive (again, weird considering we can't even use more then 13 gig). I'm hoping for some kind of modular hard drive which I can slot inbetween my current one and the 360.
Although this is a strange move for Sony, considering that their proprietry blu ray discs are going to be such an important market for them - I don't think it would make business sense to include such a large hard drive for a digital media distribution system whilst driving a new dvd format (if that is what they're doing).
Although this is a strange move for Sony, considering that their proprietry blu ray discs are going to be such an important market for them - I don't think it would make business sense to include such a large hard drive for a digital media distribution system whilst driving a new dvd format (if that is what they're doing).
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TwoADay 22 Mar 2006 15:00
3/6
I personally foresee the early lifespan of the PS3 os being remarkably similar to the PSP: many movies, few games. The early adopters of the system won't care, as we've all said, because those people have enough disposable income to poop out for a system that doesn't *do* much early on.
So, Sony can use their movies to keep people occupied while the games come trickling in. That helps them to corner the movie market while at the same time carve out their space for game systems. About 4 to 6 months after launch, the first "must buy" game will appear.
Basically, Sony can afford an early release with fewer games because they own lots of movies, ship them on the Blue Ray, have that media start to take off, and then the games will start churning out. It's an attempt to corner, in my opinion, primarilly the media outlet (HD-DVD vs Blue Ray) as they feel confident enough to already claim the title in the games area.
So, Sony can use their movies to keep people occupied while the games come trickling in. That helps them to corner the movie market while at the same time carve out their space for game systems. About 4 to 6 months after launch, the first "must buy" game will appear.
Basically, Sony can afford an early release with fewer games because they own lots of movies, ship them on the Blue Ray, have that media start to take off, and then the games will start churning out. It's an attempt to corner, in my opinion, primarilly the media outlet (HD-DVD vs Blue Ray) as they feel confident enough to already claim the title in the games area.
fluffstardx 22 Mar 2006 15:52
4/6
And, of course, <a href="http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/13/samsung_hd_ready_crt_tv/">cheap HDTV is on the way</a> to make it merely £1k leap to HD movies and gaming.
The pricepoint is the last issue. For that, we have a long wait.
The pricepoint is the last issue. For that, we have a long wait.
soanso 22 Mar 2006 17:36
5/6
MS confused me with 360 and their HD.
An upgradable harddisk is one thing. an optional (but you really actually need one) harddisk is another.
And then they say they'll bring out a blu-ray player for it in the future.
No microsoft!!
That shows everyone that you F***ed up in the first place.
An upgradable harddisk is one thing. an optional (but you really actually need one) harddisk is another.
And then they say they'll bring out a blu-ray player for it in the future.
No microsoft!!
That shows everyone that you F***ed up in the first place.
thane_jaw 22 Mar 2006 21:14
6/6
soanso wrote:
MS confused me with 360 and their HD.
An upgradable harddisk is one thing. an optional (but you really actually need one) harddisk is another.
And then they say they'll bring out a blu-ray player for it in the future.
No microsoft!!
That shows everyone that you F***ed up in the first place.
An upgradable harddisk is one thing. an optional (but you really actually need one) harddisk is another.
And then they say they'll bring out a blu-ray player for it in the future.
No microsoft!!
That shows everyone that you F***ed up in the first place.
Wrong. They catagorically denied that they were going to bring out the blu-ray for the 360. They were attempting to demonstrate the modularity of the 360.
But yes, silly to have removable hard drives.