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Gadgets PS3 European Launch Set For March 23
Brandon Hill (Blog) - January 24, 2007 8:32 PM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 49 comment(s) - last by borowki.. on Jan 25 at 9:04 PM
Sony's PS3 gets to get a wider audience in late March

Sony's PlayStation 3 will be made available to a larger audience starting on March 23 of this year. While PS3 fans in Japan and the United States have been had access to the console since mid-November 2006, consumers in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Australia were left in the dark.

Sony announced back in early September that the European launch of the PS3 would be delayed until March 2007 due to production problems with blue laser diodes. Now that the problems have been worked out and Sony has settled into its grove with PS3 production, it's time for the rest of the world to enjoy Sony's bundle of Blu-ray fun.

Over one million units of the 60GB PS3 model will be available launch -- the 20GB model will be introduced later this year. Sony also states that over 30 games will be available for launch including headliner Resistance: Fall of Man.

All of this gaming goodness will come at a hefty price though -- especially for those in the United Kingdom. The 60GB PS3 will retail for £425 ($842 USD) in the UK while the 20GB model will retail at £350 ($694 USD) when it is launched later in the year. Potential customers in Australia have it a little better as the 60GB model will cost $999 AUD ($790 USD).

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From the Brits..
By Frosen on 1/24/2007 11:20:48 PM , Rating: 5
I phoned up my buddy still living in the UK and told him the good news. His response "Who cares?", this coming from someone who had been beating on me for the past year and half about how much better PS3 would be than my 360. I asked him about his change and he said that everyone he knows has gone out and gotten a Wii or a 360. He said they were all sick of waiting and had liked one of the other systems enough to pick it up instead. He then spent 20 minutes whining about the price (it's okay though, I've got unlimited international because of business) and then he asked to play a game of Gears which I accepted.




RE: From the Brits..
By MrSmurf on 1/24/2007 11:42:22 PM , Rating: 1
At least they'll have plenty of units available since they can practically stop production in Japan and North America.


RE: From the Brits..
By Samus on 1/25/2007 12:54:30 AM , Rating: 2
Wow, $800 bucks huh? I bet you guys will be as reluctant as we were too. Apparently, it hasn't been very successful here.


RE: From the Brits..
By JimFear on 1/25/2007 3:49:49 AM , Rating: 2
Yeah we get stung in the wallet for everything so don't worry about it. My TV over here set me back £2000, the same model on your side of the pond was $1800 (which equates to about £1100), Petrol/gas equates to about £4 a gallon, so you'd be talking $7 a gallon. I could make a happy living on my money over in the states :)


RE: From the Brits..
By tuteja1986 on 1/25/2007 8:28:51 AM , Rating: 2
Sony wants to dig its grave even more by not releasing the 20GB model PS3 in australia. I mean how the hell would want to pay $999AUD ($781UD)for a console with no decent game except for tech demo motor storm or Virtual Fighter 5. I know some people would have bought the console if they would have released the 20GB model for arround $700AUD.


RE: From the Brits..
By UsernameX on 1/25/2007 2:30:33 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
At least they'll have plenty of units available since they can practically stop production in Japan and North America.


I thought they were selling decently in Japan?


RE: From the Brits..
By heffeque on 1/25/2007 12:34:43 PM , Rating: 2
Yes, they are selling well in Japan. Sony's strong there but definitely not in the rest of the world.


RE: From the Brits..
By borowki on 1/25/2007 3:43:05 PM , Rating: 2
No, they are not. Just take a look at the Media Create numbers. Sales in Japan are lower than that in America. Over 1 PS3s shipped, around 600K sold. That's really bad for a console only a couple months old.

One needs to remember that after a decade of recession, the Japanese are not as spendthrift as they used to be. Years of deflation have put them into the habit of waiting for prices to drop. Already, some stores in Japan are discounting the PS3s--which incidentally, were sold at a lower price to start with.

It'll be interesting to watch the disaster unfold in Europe. By that time the console will have taken such a beating in the media that few would want to buy it, especially at a higher price point. But who knows, maybe the Brits will want to watch Bond in hi-def so badly that they'll fork over 400 quids (Casino Royale is said to be the bundled Blu-Ray disc).


RE: From the Brits..
By heffeque on 1/25/2007 5:26:54 PM , Rating: 2
Sony has sold in Japan more PS3s in weeks than Microsoft in months. That's what I meant, not the absolute number of units sold.


RE: From the Brits..
By BadKarma on 1/25/2007 6:12:26 PM , Rating: 2
lol.
I dunno if you can compare the PS3 numbers to the pathetic performance of the Xbox 360 in the Japanese market and call it a success. I don't think Sony is breaking out the champagne over it. Regardless, the true test for Sony will come when they release their tripple A titles at the end of this year and next year.


RE: From the Brits..
By borowki on 1/25/2007 8:05:17 PM , Rating: 2
Even in comparison to the Xbox 360, things are not going that well. The software sales figures show a disturbing trend. There hasn't a PS3 game in the Japanese top 10 since launch, and even then sales were weak. Meanwhile two 360 games (Blue Dragon and Gears of War) have done so. Microsoft's console is starting to gain some traction in the market. Sales have gone from ~1000 a week to ~10000.


RE: From the Brits..
By borowki on 1/25/2007 9:04:01 PM , Rating: 2
For perspective, here are some numbers.

The next-gen market share in Japan as of last week:

59% - Wii
27% - PS3
14% - X360

Percentage of Xbox 360s in Japan bought after PS3 launch: 46%

The PS3 isn't completely blowing away the 360. Sony will have a tough time shaking off Microsoft from second-place.


RE: From the Brits..
By dome1234 on 1/25/07, Rating: -1
RE: From the Brits..
By bunnyfubbles on 1/25/2007 2:03:18 AM , Rating: 3
friends actually tend to talk to one another...


From an Aussie
By stmok on 1/25/2007 2:09:18 AM , Rating: 4
Like the Europeans, we use the PAL standard. And thus, according to Sony's way of defining the regions, we suffer the same delay.

Its not likely that you will find a mass adoption down here either. Hell, the majority of people don't care about HD content, let alone expensive consoles. (Its up to the point where the Govt has pushed back the cancelling of analog TV broadcasts)...Most of us just don't care if the existing equipment does the job. (Its a different story in electrical stores where they try to hype up the situation).

Anyway, I was taking PS3 into consideration, but a few factors turned me off. I seriously doubt I would bother with a console any longer.

(1) Cost.
Pretty obvious. Why the heck should I spend about $1000 Aussie Dollars on a console with limited computing capabilities? And don't talk about Blu-ray. This and HD-DVD hasn't come out in force here in Australia. I ain't touching a single standard device. If anything I'll wait for dual format ones.

We pay US$180 more than the US folks, and US$100 more than the UK folks! The only folks that pay more than us is Mexico, Denmark and Finland.

(2) Current lack of good content that exploits PS3.
MGS4 isn't out, and I have no idea of the actual gameplay. Gundam Crossfire is a big let down...Can you say jerky frames? Granted, Xbox360 has a good headstart, and the game devs aren't up to speed on the capabilities of the PS3...It merely tells me one should wait for something like 3 yrs until things mature.

(3) Overhype.
They just put too much marketing into the product. The delay for PAL regions has turned off some people. Its run out of momentum. (The discovery of pre-rendered demos, delays in production, etc has raised doubts)...Don't expect me to queue up on the night of its release!

(4) Linux.
Yeah, I'm a Linux user. But after seeing the restrictions of what you can do on the PS3, its just more beneficial to buy a cheap PC. (Maybe get one of those Mini-ITX ones that run a Core 2 Duo from an Industrial mobo maker?).

You can't access the GPU, so there's no 3D acceleration. RAM is limited and fixed, and the CPU isn't suited for desktop role...The apps aren't optimised to take advantage of the Cell. (To Linux, its just a PowerPC).

Yeah, they made it much easier to install Linux on, but they've restricted you on what you can do. (Nvidia is absolutely no help when it comes to open-source. They won't open their drivers OR even provide the docs to write our own...The latter doesn't involve revealling any secrets).


Effectively, I've lost all interest.

If Sony decides to secretly make a "PS3 Plus" in the future, then I may take more interest.

Such improvements should include:

* Provide docs on how to develop an open driver for the GPU.
* More system RAM. Screw it, bump it up to 1GB.
* Increase Cell processor speed? Maybe a dual-core variant? What about two Cells in SMP?
* Two External SATA connections. (provides an option for HD-DVD or DVD burning external drive. Supports more HDDs.)
* Ability to capture content in DVD resolutions in MPEG2 formats. (No DRM encoded crap)...Basically "timeshift" recordings. Hell, add MythTV to the PS3!
* Fix up previous related issues of the first PS3.

IF they want me to spend AUD$1000, they better give me good, solid reasons to. This may sound like asking for too much, but if Sony wants to re-gain that reputation back, they have to be generous about it.




RE: From an Aussie
By Alaa on 1/25/2007 2:31:31 AM , Rating: 2
I totally agree. I think that most of your PS3 Plus requirements are meant to be in PS4!


RE: From an Aussie
By RobFDB on 1/25/2007 5:34:54 AM , Rating: 2
Actually, according to the article you're paying $999 AUD ($790 USD) and us Brits are paying £425 ($842 USD), so actually we're paying $50 USD more than you. Also £425 is $1,073.96 AUD! Ain't numbers swell?


RE: From an Aussie
By stmok on 1/25/2007 2:53:07 PM , Rating: 2
That sucks...Does that include the UK version of our GST? What do you folks call it? VAT? (Its something like 17% isn't it?)


RE: From an Aussie
By Aikouka on 1/25/2007 8:22:03 AM , Rating: 2
I really didn't have much reason to reply, until I read your cheap shot at nVidia's support of Open Source software. The one thing nVidia has been known for is their active support of a Linux driver for their video cards ( http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_display_ia32_1.... ). Also, it's Sony who locks people out of accessing the GPU not nVidia. As for drivers... the RSX is just a modified G70 series, and it may be possible with some tweaking to get a normal linux driver to work on it (if we had access to the PS3's GPU).


RE: From an Aussie
By stmok on 1/25/2007 2:50:51 PM , Rating: 2
Cheap shot? Its FACT.

You clearly aren't aware of the difference between providing support to open-source, and supplying binary blobs that runs on open-source.

Nvidia has made NO attempt to help the open-source community directly. (no advice, no docs, no donation of sample cards...Even ATI did the last one for the GATOS project!). Nothing.

They want you to download their drivers. Heck, you provided a link to the binary drivers!

What if Nvidia's drivers are the cause to a security issue? Are you gonna wait weeks until Nvidia fixes it? Because the open community can't, as they have no idea what's in there!

Do you want a single driver that covers every Nvidia card from TNT era to today's GF8xxx series? Because the Nvidia binary blob you linked does NOT support a certain era of cards. (TNT/TNT2, GF1, early GF2)

Have you wondered why there is an open 3D driver for Nvidia cards under development?

Its right here. Its being worked on, and we can expect the first alpha to be out in early 2008.
=> http://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/

This project gets no help from Nvidia. All Nvidia employees do is monitor the IRC, mailinglists and forums. They're keeping an eye on it, but not saying a single thing. They have offered NO HELP in any way, shape, or form.

This is why I'm pissed at Nvidia. They have a chance to really set an example, by providing an open driver themselves and showing the open community how it works, etc. Maybe even help form a community of programmers who specialise in Nvidia hardware. Nvidia doesn't lose anything, they make money selling hardware, consultation on graphics, etc.

Intel already does this with their IGPs!


You can't get to the GPU in the PS3 because there is a hypervisor in the way. You can't use the binary blob from Nvidia because you can't modify it. (Unless you break Nvidia's license...Do you want Nvidia's lawyers throwing a "cease and desist" letter at some project?)...Which means you depend on Nvidia providing a PS3 driver. NOT GONNA HAPPEN!

Thus, there is no way in hell you can install an Nvidia binary driver on a PS3.

You have to write an open driver, overcome that hypervisor that is trying to protect access for the RSX chip. That's the only way that the open community can do it.

And don't think all this is easy, it isn't. Its tough as hell.

The first stage we must do, is help the Nouveau Project by running their tools on our boxes with Nvidia cards running the Nvidia binary drivers. What they do is run a number of tests and generate results. Send your results to them.

Or pledge a donation such that it provides them the money to get new Nvidia cards. (Its not for themselves, as they don't need the money).

Eventually, there will be a need to work around obstacles of the PS3 itself, if you want the open-source community to get Linux working fully to exploit the PS3's potential.

BTW: I made no mention of Sony locking the RSX in my original post. You brought that up by assumption.