PS3: Newest Info?

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PS3 Hard Disk Sold Separately
IGN said:
Sony to keep hard disk separate from main system, according to magazine.
by Anoop Gantayat

June 30, 2005 - A recent issue of Famitsu contains confirmation that the PS3 will ship with a slot for a hard drive, but no actual hard drive included. The magazine has a feature in which all facets of the next generation systems are presented for the non-technically inclined (this is done through some hilarious cartoon drawings -- pick up issue 864 to see for yourself!). As part of a section detailing the hard disk functionality of the systems, the magazine states that, while Xbox 360 will ship with a 20 gigabyte hard disk included out of the box, the PS3 hard disk will be sold separately from the main system.

Sony Computer Entertainment has been hinting at this approach for some time now, but hasn't specifically stated its intentions one way or the other. In a recent interview with Nikkei Electronics, a bi-weekly electronics magazine in Japan, SCE president Ken Kutaragi hinted that we could expect an 80 gigabyte size for the PS3 hard disk. Given the added cost of such a large hard disk, Kutaragi's comments seemed to all but confirm that the device would be sold separately.

The question now turns to the cost of the hard disk peripheral. In Japan, Sony currently sells the PlayStation BB unit, which bundles a network adapter and 40 gigabyte hard disk together, for 12,800 yen.

Famitsu is a Japanese magazine, of course, so this confirmation applies only to the Japanese market. We'll have to wait for comment from Sony Computer Entertainment America on the possible stateside inclusion of a mass storage device with the PS3
Sony to lose $100 on every PS3?
Big Tech said:
The manufacturing cost of a single Playstation 3 could be as high as US$490 despite an expected retail price of US$399 when it hits the shops in 2006, according to financial analysts Merrill Lynch Japan. The hundred dollar subsidy would cause Sony to lose more than US$1 billion on hardware sales in the first 12 months - a pill tough to swallow even for the mighty consumer electronics giant.

Beancounters at Merrill Lynch Japan estimate that the first US$100 is absorbed by the Cell processor, the NVIDIA-designed RSX graphics chip and Blu-Ray optical drive alone. Factor in the cost of other components, case and final assembly and the final cost price balloons to 54,000 yen (£271 / US$490).

Launching after the introduction of Xbox 360 means there is little chance Sony would risk pricing PS3 at the breakeven £299 / $499 level; Merrill Lynch reckon Microsoft will sell Xbox 360 for US$299, forcing Sony to position themselves at US$399. Working on estimated first year sales of some 14 million units worldwide, the report suggests Sony would bend over to the tune of more than 130 billion yen (£652m / US$1.18 billion).

(article continues if interested http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2005/06/29/sony_ps3_loss/)
Thoughts, opinions, beefs?
 
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im glad sony had the balls to face cash loss for a small time, they know they'll easly make it up with the huge amount of games, the seperate HD, gizmo's and new pads (only reason i see ps3 pads are so pants, more profit!). this way they keep there console in an affordable range for most people with many options branching out the those with a wider budget, i doubt anyone can see a negetive point on it D:
 
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Well, I think I saw the second bit of news posted elsewhere (or did I read it on another site? I can't remember =X)

As for the separate HD - well, if it isn't needed for the PS3 to function properly, then I won't complain. When I get a PS3, I'll be looking to shave as much off of the cost as possible, so I likely won't be buying the HD right off the bat (I still don't have an HD for my PS2). If it is "strongly recommended" to have an HD with your PS3, I'd probably begin to form a few beefs. Otherwise, it's just another accessory for the PS3 that I probably won't get right away.
 
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I'm a bit dissapointed that I'll have to buy a hard drive. It was one of the coolest things about the Xbox, as it gave you pratically infinite save space, plus other cool things such as downloadable content and ripping your music onto the hard drive. As for the second quote, well, meh. Sony know what they're doing marketing wise.
 
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I thought Xbox 360 was also selling at a loss, and that they hoped to make it up in game and peripheral sales.
 
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I've never really was the kind of person to save music and stuff to a game consol when I have my ipod :S, but, it is good to see Sony take a less profitable option for the sake of the consumer's budgets.

Now...I wonder how Revolution is doing..
 
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Chakra-X said:
Now...I wonder how Revolution is doing..
Probally ****-tastical!

But the PS3 IS going to be a big bad hit. I mean, their making a loss for US. The gamers. Whats cooler then that?
 
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whats the harddrive do... i dont have one for my ps2, and dont plan on getting one.
 

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ZeroNightmare said:
whats the harddrive do... i dont have one for my ps2, and dont plan on getting one.
What does your HDD in your pc do?
 
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I've never really was the kind of person to save music and stuff to a game consol when I have my ipod , but, it is good to see Sony take a less profitable option for the sake of the consumer's budgets.

It's profitable but not profitable enough. And as if the price of the console wasn't bad enough even though it well deserves to be more then the price expected. And knowing now it will probally be $400 when it hit stores already kinda assures bad sales in my opinion no matter the amount of advertising (I never said it was fact though keep that in mind).

But now, i cant even get the hardrive with it on release day?? without shelling another $100 during times that arent even holidays when most people have that kinda money for a console and add-ons that shouldve came with it in the first place?!? but i guess if it's not essitential then it dosent matter all that much i guess people can get it later or maybe people wont even care about that much. I think sony has just made only 2 terrible marketing decisions in my opinion at this point with the PS3 but i could be wrong.

1. The Price
2. The Set Release Date

As much as im looking forward to the PS3 and Revolution, i see them both making bad descions right now. I think there both about to give mircrosoft the number 1 spot right off the back and i pray that dosen't happen :( . O hope Sony drops the price abit more though just for most of us poor casual gamers sake anyway.
 
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The price will be fair enough. I think over here in the UK, all consoles except the Gamecube have been £300 on launch day. It sounds as though the PS3 is going to be priced similarly, and so I can't see a problem with that, except for the fact that it won't be as easy to pay for during that time. Not selling the HD with the console isn't a console breaking decision. I get the feeling that it'll end up being just a small accessory with little use when it is available anyway, and the general consumer probably won't care. The set release date could go either way at the moment.

First of all, this will be the first Christmas after the PSP's launch, and so Sony have their bases covered with a Christmas product. If they drop the price, it could possibly hurt Microsofts Xbox 360 sales aswell. The Xbox 360 is still going to be full price this Christmas obviously. The PS3 however, will have the advantage of staying full price until just before Christmas 2006 at which point they will undoubtedly drop the price for the first real competition, whereas Microsoft will no doubt lower their prices around the point PS3 is released in fear of losing sales.

So from a marketing point of view, Sony are playing it quite well in my opinion, so I don't really think they're making bad decisions.
 
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all consoles except the Gamecube have been £300 on launch day.
UK Money translates into $300 US right as well or what?!? sorry im not big on other countries money symbols i heard some are diffrent.

The PS3 however, will have the advantage of staying full price until just before Christmas 2006 at which point they will undoubtedly drop the price for the first real competition, whereas Microsoft will no doubt lower their prices around the point PS3 is released in fear of losing sales.
Well let me try and example right quick and maybe u can help me understand more. Let's say the PS3 is released in March/April/May of next year, which is after the xbox360 had a most likely strong release during the holiday season. How does starting a full price give them any advatage up to the holiday season exactly espically in such an akward month?!? Not only that, you have nintendo planning to rival there console near the same exact release date?!? can sony really afford to release it during any day other then the holiday season?!?

Also the PSP could hurt 360 sells but the way the 360 is planning to be hyped up (Its already hyped up in the US), i seriously doubt it itll do much of anything even with the price drop. There are not many gamers would take a handheld over a new game console that's being hyped up to the ends of the earth.

Which brings me to my point, the reason i say there release date time is bad is because look at the PSP, sales just arent up to par with DS right now in US or JP, there good but there not ahead, and i seriously doubt nintendo will be slacking during the holiday season either as well and there PSP is behind DS more or so because they released it during an awkard month when the holiday season is where the money is right which gave nintendo the advatage in the first place.

I dont know maybe u could explain it alittle better for my understanding but i just dont see the smartness in there descions during these events If the price was about $300 or 350 then that would be great. I see what u mean about the real competition starting during christmas in 06, but at that time and point, do u really think they will catch up with microsoft?!? after all that time they had?!? and lets not forget nintendo could possibly be a threat for them as well...i think...and im sure even during the 06 holiday season, the price drop for the PS3 wont be that huge since they would be losing even more then there planning. And mircrosoft lowering there prices would just make it that much more worse for sony wouldnt it!??
 
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Now that I think about it...It's defiantly a wise choice to lower the price, because you actually have to buy a game for it to be worth anything and people usually buy 1-2, sometimes more game when they first get their console.

I also assume the games with cost more than playstation 2 games did, so thats 60-70 dollars right there. And even if it is the same price, it's not really losing 100$ per system when they will need to buy at least one game once they purchase it.
 
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Let's say the PS3 is released in March/April/May of next year, which is after the xbox360 had a most likely strong release during the holiday season. How does starting a full price give them any advatage up to the holiday season exactly espically in such an akward month?!?
Because it's likely that PS3 will spend longer at full price on the shelves than the Xbox 360 will. Generally, people who are willing to pay full price for it anway, will pay for it in any season. The big sales will be the following Christmas, where I've got no doubt Sony will lower their prices.

There are not many gamers would take a handheld over a new game console that's being hyped up to the ends of the earth.
You've made the mistake a lot of people make. Assuming that everyone who buys this stuff are gamers. I'm betting, 80% of people who are going to buy this stuff in the Christmas season, aren't really gamers, they're just the "average" consumer. A big part of the Christmas market is no doubt parents buying stuff for their kids. I get the feeling that a handheld is going to look more appealing to an average consumer than a new console, that's considerably more expensive. You make a good point about them having strong competition with the DS, especially considering it's got a lot of games aimed at younger people. Over here in the UK though, around Christmas shopping time the shops will probably still be littered with PSP advertisements from the launch, which will make it more appealing to shoppers.

I see what u mean about the real competition starting during christmas in 06, but at that time and point, do u really think they will catch up with microsoft?!?
Yes. I wouldn't understimate how important the '06 Christmas will be for the new consoles. I'm betting that more units will be shifted during that season, than in the entire year preceeding it. I seem to remember reading figures similar to this with the Xbox and PS2, but I don't really know how to look into it. Look at it from the perspective of someone who isn't a hardcore gamer. By '06 Christmas, all the consoles will probably have dropped into a reasonable price range, tempting everyone to buy one, rather than just the gamers.

the price drop for the PS3 wont be that huge since they would be losing even more then there planning. And mircrosoft lowering there prices would just make it that much more worse for sony wouldnt it!??
While according the that article (which you should remember, only suggests that they'll be at such a loss), they'll lose out on money as it is, their plan is obviously to make money through other means. But to do that, they still need to sell lots of consoles, and so I get the feeling they'll take the risk and reduce the price to compete with whatever the other consoles are selling for at the time. For all we know, manufacturing costs may have gone down by this point aswell, allowing Sony to reduce their prices more comfortably. As for Microsoft reducing their price by PS3's release, that could go either way depending on the success of Sony's ad campaign. As I've said, at the time of the PS3's release, the average guy isn't going to go out and spend £200-300 on a new console. I would say, that a lot of people who would be buying one of the consoles at this time, would either

A) Know their stuff, and know that the PS3 is more powerful (if it ends up that way)
B) Have lots of cash to spend, and go for the most expensive console and newest console.

If I'm right in this, that would mean that throughout '06, Sony could end up selling more units than Microsoft. Then they might be on even ground, or at least close, for the Christmas battle of '06.

If any of this doesn't make sense, please point it out and I'll try to be more clear. Marketing on such a scale is hard to get my head around, and it's 1:22am which doesn't make it any easier.

Edit: Could someone inform me just how much Sony makes from people publishing games on their system? Obviously this would make the biggest difference if indeed Sony are at a $100 loss per unit.
 
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Gameinformer313 said:
UK Money translates into $300 US right as well or what?!? sorry im not big on other countries money symbols i heard some are diffrent.
more like £300 = $530
 

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Unless i'm mistaken, don't all home consoles get sold at a loss to the company? I ive always thought it was through the sale of the software by way of licensing that they make their profits.
 
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From what I've seen of the systems, Xbox 360 can handle integer math better, and the PS3 can throw more triangles at the screen (floating point math). The Revolution is still vaporware as far as I'm concerned. Just thought I'd throw that in. At the very least, none of the systems seems to have kneecapped themselves, it should be good for the consumer so long as prices come down.
 
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KyoKusanagi said:
Unless i'm mistaken, don't all home consoles get sold at a loss to the company? I ive always thought it was through the sale of the software by way of licensing that they make their profits.
Yup, that or they break even. They make a good chunck of their money from accessories, and a little bit from software. I knew that Sony would be taking a loss if they wanted the system to sell. Hopefully they'll cut down the price on the PSP a little as well, but I know that's asking too much.
 

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