It was always going to be hard to follow up the hugely successful PlayStation 2, so Sony’s offering in the next-gen consoles war, the PlayStation 3, was always bound to be something special. Originally announced at the May 2005 E3 conference, the PS3 has undergone a few changes and Shinohan.com will keep you updated with the news as it happens. Meanwhile, here is a summary of the PS3 specs, games and the console’s reception.
The PS3 is chock-a-block with impressive features – do not let that simple glossy black exterior fool you, the insides rumble with new technology. The system’s CPU runs at 3.2 GHz with one PPE and seven SPEs – for those of you who are not familiar with those terms, it means it is very good and possibly the best, technology-wise, out of the three current next-gen consoles. Of course, if you want to see it in its full splendour in 1080p high definition, be prepared to shell out some more money first for an HDMI cable because it is not included in the console packaging.
There are four basic models of the PS3, divided by their hard drive sizes: the 20 GB, 40 GB, 60 GB and 80 GB. The 20 GB model was never released in Europe due to its unpopularity in Japan and recent announcements indicate that the 60 GB model will also be shelved, leaving the 40 GB and 80 GB consoles as the only ones still being produced. However, the 80 GB console is only available in the NTSC-operating areas, ie. Japan, the USA, Canada, Mexico and some of South America and Asia.
Predecessors of the PS3, the PS2 and PS1, respectively operated as DVD players and CD players as well as game consoles, so it is no surprise that the PS3 does the same, offering Blu-ray Disc DVD players on all its models. In fact, the Blu-ray Disc DVD option is so impressive that it has been said to be able to stand its own ground against other standalone Blu-ray Disc DVD players.
Additionally, the 20, 60 and 80 GB models play Super Audio CDs, said to be the new format of audio CDs. Internet browsing is offered on all consoles, wireless features are also included on the 40, 60 and 80 GB consoles and the 20, 60 and 80 GB models can play PS1 and PS2 games. The consoles, however, are all region-locked so NTSC consoles will not play PAL DVDs or PS1 and PS2 games.
As for the controllers, they look very similar to the PS1 and 2 ones, except for one major difference: they are now wireless via Bluetooth. Also, the L2 and R2 buttons are bigger, but that is much less impressive than the wireless feature. This feature allows for up to seven controllers playing at the same time, although there have not been any games yet which offer the opportunity to use all seven controllers. Still, it opens up potential for mass-gaming options.
Enough about what the console can and cannot do – how is it for games? Well, the PS3 has a slightly different system of purchasing games; as well as disc-based games from retail outlets, you can also buy brand-spanking new PS3 games online from the PlayStation Store. The online games tend to be puzzle-based games such as Lemmings, Sudoku and Rub a Dub, priced between £3 and £15, while the games available in retail stores are the more typical gamer’s games such as Resistance: Fall of Man, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Assassin’s Creed for around £30 to £50. The online store also offers the nifty option of downloading demos of upcoming games and movie trailers to get a feel for it before you put your money down.
The PS3 first went on sale in Japan on November 11 2006, followed by North America on November 17 of the same year. Europe’s launch, however, was delayed and eventually the PS3 was made available on March 23 2007. So far, sales figures have indicated that the PS3 trails behind the Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii, although a recent announcement from Sony shows that 1.2 millions PS3s were sold in the US over the Christmas period. I guess it can’t be doing that badly then.
While the PS3’s offerings can turn into a bit of a pro/con argument, it certainly throws its weight in the next-gen console war. And as games such as Final Fantasy XIII, Metal Gear Solid and Gran Turismo expected in 2008-2009, sales of the PS3 are set to shoot up.
The PS3 is currently available at around £300 for the 40 GB model and $500 for the 80 GB model with a game included.
