Sony Drops PS3 Price, Removes Some PS2 Compatibility
Sony announced today they will be releasing a new 80 GB Playstation 3 at the 60 GB PS3's price: $599. Additionally, 60 GB units are dropping to $499. These prices take effect in August. But hold your horses, folks. Remember Sony saying they were removing the
Emotion Engine, the key to almost 100% Playstation 2 game compatibility, in their European consoles? Well, it appears that change has finally reached U.S. shores. So, if you're looking for a PS3 with excellent PS2 compatibility, you may want to stick with a 60 gig unit. What's 20 gigs between friends, anyway?
I'm also curious about the "40 titles" available for the PS3... Is that true in the United States? I've checked Fry's and Best Buy and doubt I could count more than I have fingers and toes.
Here's the full press release:
Sony Computer Entertainment America Introduces New 80GB
PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)); Announces New Price on Current 60GB Model - 80GB
System Designed for Today's Connected Gamer, 60GB Price Now $499
FOSTER CITY,
Calif., July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA), Inc.
today announced a new 80GB model of its PLAYSTATION(R)3
(PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system. Beginning in August, the new PS3 model will
be available in North America for a suggested retail price of
$599/$659 CND and will be sold with the popular
online-enabled racing game MotorStorm(TM).
In conjunction with this news, the company also announced that effective
immediately, the current 60GB PS3 model will be available in North America for
$499/$549 CND, or $100 below the original launch price.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070709/AQM083)
By featuring an
expanded hard disk drive (HDD), 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.
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 and Warhawk(TM).
Numerous
third-party titles, including several exclusives, will also be available such
as Devil May Cry(R)IV, Dynasty Warriors(R):GUNDAM(R), Grand Theft Auto IV,
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hellboy, Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of
the Patriots, Ninja Gaiden Sigma(R), SEGA Rally(R) Revo, Stranglehold(TM), The
Darkness, TimeShift(TM), Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas and Tom Clancy's Ghost
Recon Advanced Warfighter(TM) 2.
Additional
games and services will also be available for PS3 system owners through the
PLAYSTATION Network including PlayStation Home, a state-of-the-art 3D online
community that serves as a meeting place for PS3 users around the world, as
well as numerous downloadable games including the highly-anticipated title
PAIN.
"As we
move into the next phase of PS3, it's important that we continue to evaluate
our product line, offering consumers the technology and features that meet
their growing needs for new forms of media and the way in which it is
delivered," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO of SCEA. "The introduction of the 80GB PS3, the
new pricing for the current 60GB model, the availability of more than 100 new
software titles this fiscal year and, finally, the expansion of services for
PLAYSTATION Network, will provide even more options for users and will help
bring new consumers into the PS3 fold."
Both the 80GB
and 60GB PS3 models come standard with Cell Broadband
Engine(TM) (Cell/B.E.), Blu-ray Disc(TM) (BD) player,
built-in HDD, 1080p high-definition output, Wi-Fi connectivity and SIXAXIS(TM)
wireless controller.