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(from CVG)
SCEE President drops bombshell: two versions of PS3 planned, broadband distribution model revealed
20:40 SCEE President and COO David Reeves has made astonishing remarks on his company's plans for the next generation of console hardware, in a revealing interview posted on the official PlayStation website. With Microsoft having unveiled its software-driven strategy for next-gen at last week's GDC, Reeves revealed incredible plans for the future of PlayStation, setting the scene for a thrilling battle which will see the two rivals fight it out from markedly different strategic positions.
On the subject of PSP, Reeves suggested that games on Sony's forthcoming PSP handheld will be region free - that is, a title purchased in one territory, like Europe, would be playable on a machine from another territory, such as Japan. No suprises there.
It seems that PSP movies will likely remain region protected however, although this is yet to be confirmed.
Speaking on the potential of PSP's movie playback functionality, Reeves said: "I think they [the movie distributors] will come up with quite a few surprises, so that you'd want to buy a movie on UMD as well as having it on DVD. Maybe."
Now for the real meat. Speaking on Sony's next generation home console, Reeves said: "There might be a normal PS3 for gamers, who just want to play the movies and have better games," he commented, suggesting that a "home server" version of the PlayStation 3, "maybe with a hard disk drive", could retail for "whatever it might be, 600 or 700 Euros."
A standalone games machine could obviously be sold at a more competitive price, with Reeves using the example of those gamers who would prefer to "pay 200 Euros for a new generation games machine".
Two versions of PS3? A gaming version retailing for 150, and a 'deluxe' version for over 400, designed to be integrated into a home entertainment set-up? Sweet Jesus, the war is on.
Talking about the coming E3 presentation in May, Reeves hinted that the PSX and PSP might not be the only new products to be showcased.
"Something we haven't talked about, is that we made a change from PlayStation to PSone, so we may, in the course of time, make some cosmetic changes to PlayStation 2 and come out with something that's a little bit sexier, but probably no changes to specs or anything like that."
Sony has already registered "PStwo" as a trademark.
Reeves spoke further on PSP, disputing the comparison between Sony's forthcoming handheld and Nintendo's long established GBA. "It's not, as people have said, a new Game Boy," he said. "There are so many other features that you can add onto it."
Reeves also confirmed that the PSP has had its memory capacity boosted; the PSP "will have 30MB of RAM, now, which it didn't have before."
Talking up the power of the handheld, Reeves suggested the PSP was a potential PS2-beater. "I think what Phil [Harrison - head of Sony's London studios] would say is that people who get an early start - probably someone like Square - will take it beyond PS2," he claimed.
Crucially Reeves also mentioned Sony's "ultimate goal" for PlayStation 3: "To get into electronic broadband distribution". By 2006, when Reeves anticipates that all of Sony's currently in-development hardware products should be available, Sony hopes users will have always available online access along with viable broadband distribution.
"It's going to have to be 2Mb or 3Mb, something like that," he said. "Ken [Kutaragi]'s even talking about 30MB! And when it gets to that, then it is broadband distribution, and people then can just download whatever game they want. But it's got to be secure, and that's where DNAS [Sony's online security protocol] comes in."
This massive statement has huge potential ramifications for the industry at large and is likely to cause a storm among retailers, with the suggestion that Sony plans eventually to sell its games as downloads, cutting overheads, cutting out the middle men and, ultimately, cutting the cost to the consumer.
We suggest taking a long, deep breath and thinking about all that for a moment.
We contacted Sony Europe for clarification of the above key issues: a spokesperson had no initial comment and said they would get back to us, but no response to our enquiries had been received at the time of writing. The original interview, which is believed to have been posted up to two weeks ago on Sony's Irish PlayStation site, has now been removed, fuelling speculation that it was posted by mistake, resulting in a massive leak.
Microsoft says the next-generation is about software not hardware; for Sony the opposite could well be true. Either way, gamers may well have a choice between two clearly disctinct options come the release of Xbox 2 and PS3. The fight is on.
SCEE President drops bombshell: two versions of PS3 planned, broadband distribution model revealed
20:40 SCEE President and COO David Reeves has made astonishing remarks on his company's plans for the next generation of console hardware, in a revealing interview posted on the official PlayStation website. With Microsoft having unveiled its software-driven strategy for next-gen at last week's GDC, Reeves revealed incredible plans for the future of PlayStation, setting the scene for a thrilling battle which will see the two rivals fight it out from markedly different strategic positions.
On the subject of PSP, Reeves suggested that games on Sony's forthcoming PSP handheld will be region free - that is, a title purchased in one territory, like Europe, would be playable on a machine from another territory, such as Japan. No suprises there.
It seems that PSP movies will likely remain region protected however, although this is yet to be confirmed.
Speaking on the potential of PSP's movie playback functionality, Reeves said: "I think they [the movie distributors] will come up with quite a few surprises, so that you'd want to buy a movie on UMD as well as having it on DVD. Maybe."
Now for the real meat. Speaking on Sony's next generation home console, Reeves said: "There might be a normal PS3 for gamers, who just want to play the movies and have better games," he commented, suggesting that a "home server" version of the PlayStation 3, "maybe with a hard disk drive", could retail for "whatever it might be, 600 or 700 Euros."
A standalone games machine could obviously be sold at a more competitive price, with Reeves using the example of those gamers who would prefer to "pay 200 Euros for a new generation games machine".
Two versions of PS3? A gaming version retailing for 150, and a 'deluxe' version for over 400, designed to be integrated into a home entertainment set-up? Sweet Jesus, the war is on.
Talking about the coming E3 presentation in May, Reeves hinted that the PSX and PSP might not be the only new products to be showcased.
"Something we haven't talked about, is that we made a change from PlayStation to PSone, so we may, in the course of time, make some cosmetic changes to PlayStation 2 and come out with something that's a little bit sexier, but probably no changes to specs or anything like that."
Sony has already registered "PStwo" as a trademark.
Reeves spoke further on PSP, disputing the comparison between Sony's forthcoming handheld and Nintendo's long established GBA. "It's not, as people have said, a new Game Boy," he said. "There are so many other features that you can add onto it."
Reeves also confirmed that the PSP has had its memory capacity boosted; the PSP "will have 30MB of RAM, now, which it didn't have before."
Talking up the power of the handheld, Reeves suggested the PSP was a potential PS2-beater. "I think what Phil [Harrison - head of Sony's London studios] would say is that people who get an early start - probably someone like Square - will take it beyond PS2," he claimed.
Crucially Reeves also mentioned Sony's "ultimate goal" for PlayStation 3: "To get into electronic broadband distribution". By 2006, when Reeves anticipates that all of Sony's currently in-development hardware products should be available, Sony hopes users will have always available online access along with viable broadband distribution.
"It's going to have to be 2Mb or 3Mb, something like that," he said. "Ken [Kutaragi]'s even talking about 30MB! And when it gets to that, then it is broadband distribution, and people then can just download whatever game they want. But it's got to be secure, and that's where DNAS [Sony's online security protocol] comes in."
This massive statement has huge potential ramifications for the industry at large and is likely to cause a storm among retailers, with the suggestion that Sony plans eventually to sell its games as downloads, cutting overheads, cutting out the middle men and, ultimately, cutting the cost to the consumer.
We suggest taking a long, deep breath and thinking about all that for a moment.
We contacted Sony Europe for clarification of the above key issues: a spokesperson had no initial comment and said they would get back to us, but no response to our enquiries had been received at the time of writing. The original interview, which is believed to have been posted up to two weeks ago on Sony's Irish PlayStation site, has now been removed, fuelling speculation that it was posted by mistake, resulting in a massive leak.
Microsoft says the next-generation is about software not hardware; for Sony the opposite could well be true. Either way, gamers may well have a choice between two clearly disctinct options come the release of Xbox 2 and PS3. The fight is on.
if you're looking to import us games...then www.videogamesplus.ca
new games there are around 30 quid (with postage and packaging included). it has a useful currency converter thing on the side
if you're looking for an actual ps2 console...then i don't really know. got mine from ebay
new games there are around 30 quid (with postage and packaging included). it has a useful currency converter thing on the side
if you're looking for an actual ps2 console...then i don't really know. got mine from ebay
Ye, I have just upgraded to 1mb from BT and I have to pay bloody £38 for it!
By the way, know any good import sites for US PS2's?
By the way, know any good import sites for US PS2's?
Broadband distribution can't happen - maybe in Japan where 30MB connections are reasonably common, and 8MB is standard... but in this cr@ppy country? Not a chance.
An expensive version of the PS3 would be a mistake I think. The PS2 only sold at £300 because it was the only console on the market, well only serious candidate anyway. When the Xbox came out at £300 it bombed. At £160 it started to do rather well.
Nintendo have taken cheap hardware to the extreme with the Gamecube, and it had a huge rise in sales. I just don't think all that many people would want an expensive PS3. Even if it can do all sorts of fancy things, after all, the newly released PSX isn't going down so well in Japan.
Nintendo have taken cheap hardware to the extreme with the Gamecube, and it had a huge rise in sales. I just don't think all that many people would want an expensive PS3. Even if it can do all sorts of fancy things, after all, the newly released PSX isn't going down so well in Japan.
(from CVG)
SCEE President drops bombshell: two versions of PS3 planned, broadband distribution model revealed
20:40 SCEE President and COO David Reeves has made astonishing remarks on his company's plans for the next generation of console hardware, in a revealing interview posted on the official PlayStation website. With Microsoft having unveiled its software-driven strategy for next-gen at last week's GDC, Reeves revealed incredible plans for the future of PlayStation, setting the scene for a thrilling battle which will see the two rivals fight it out from markedly different strategic positions.
On the subject of PSP, Reeves suggested that games on Sony's forthcoming PSP handheld will be region free - that is, a title purchased in one territory, like Europe, would be playable on a machine from another territory, such as Japan. No suprises there.
It seems that PSP movies will likely remain region protected however, although this is yet to be confirmed.
Speaking on the potential of PSP's movie playback functionality, Reeves said: "I think they [the movie distributors] will come up with quite a few surprises, so that you'd want to buy a movie on UMD as well as having it on DVD. Maybe."
Now for the real meat. Speaking on Sony's next generation home console, Reeves said: "There might be a normal PS3 for gamers, who just want to play the movies and have better games," he commented, suggesting that a "home server" version of the PlayStation 3, "maybe with a hard disk drive", could retail for "whatever it might be, 600 or 700 Euros."
A standalone games machine could obviously be sold at a more competitive price, with Reeves using the example of those gamers who would prefer to "pay 200 Euros for a new generation games machine".
Two versions of PS3? A gaming version retailing for 150, and a 'deluxe' version for over 400, designed to be integrated into a home entertainment set-up? Sweet Jesus, the war is on.
Talking about the coming E3 presentation in May, Reeves hinted that the PSX and PSP might not be the only new products to be showcased.
"Something we haven't talked about, is that we made a change from PlayStation to PSone, so we may, in the course of time, make some cosmetic changes to PlayStation 2 and come out with something that's a little bit sexier, but probably no changes to specs or anything like that."
Sony has already registered "PStwo" as a trademark.
Reeves spoke further on PSP, disputing the comparison between Sony's forthcoming handheld and Nintendo's long established GBA. "It's not, as people have said, a new Game Boy," he said. "There are so many other features that you can add onto it."
Reeves also confirmed that the PSP has had its memory capacity boosted; the PSP "will have 30MB of RAM, now, which it didn't have before."
Talking up the power of the handheld, Reeves suggested the PSP was a potential PS2-beater. "I think what Phil [Harrison - head of Sony's London studios] would say is that people who get an early start - probably someone like Square - will take it beyond PS2," he claimed.
Crucially Reeves also mentioned Sony's "ultimate goal" for PlayStation 3: "To get into electronic broadband distribution". By 2006, when Reeves anticipates that all of Sony's currently in-development hardware products should be available, Sony hopes users will have always available online access along with viable broadband distribution.
"It's going to have to be 2Mb or 3Mb, something like that," he said. "Ken [Kutaragi]'s even talking about 30MB! And when it gets to that, then it is broadband distribution, and people then can just download whatever game they want. But it's got to be secure, and that's where DNAS [Sony's online security protocol] comes in."
This massive statement has huge potential ramifications for the industry at large and is likely to cause a storm among retailers, with the suggestion that Sony plans eventually to sell its games as downloads, cutting overheads, cutting out the middle men and, ultimately, cutting the cost to the consumer.
We suggest taking a long, deep breath and thinking about all that for a moment.
We contacted Sony Europe for clarification of the above key issues: a spokesperson had no initial comment and said they would get back to us, but no response to our enquiries had been received at the time of writing. The original interview, which is believed to have been posted up to two weeks ago on Sony's Irish PlayStation site, has now been removed, fuelling speculation that it was posted by mistake, resulting in a massive leak.
Microsoft says the next-generation is about software not hardware; for Sony the opposite could well be true. Either way, gamers may well have a choice between two clearly disctinct options come the release of Xbox 2 and PS3. The fight is on.
SCEE President drops bombshell: two versions of PS3 planned, broadband distribution model revealed
20:40 SCEE President and COO David Reeves has made astonishing remarks on his company's plans for the next generation of console hardware, in a revealing interview posted on the official PlayStation website. With Microsoft having unveiled its software-driven strategy for next-gen at last week's GDC, Reeves revealed incredible plans for the future of PlayStation, setting the scene for a thrilling battle which will see the two rivals fight it out from markedly different strategic positions.
On the subject of PSP, Reeves suggested that games on Sony's forthcoming PSP handheld will be region free - that is, a title purchased in one territory, like Europe, would be playable on a machine from another territory, such as Japan. No suprises there.
It seems that PSP movies will likely remain region protected however, although this is yet to be confirmed.
Speaking on the potential of PSP's movie playback functionality, Reeves said: "I think they [the movie distributors] will come up with quite a few surprises, so that you'd want to buy a movie on UMD as well as having it on DVD. Maybe."
Now for the real meat. Speaking on Sony's next generation home console, Reeves said: "There might be a normal PS3 for gamers, who just want to play the movies and have better games," he commented, suggesting that a "home server" version of the PlayStation 3, "maybe with a hard disk drive", could retail for "whatever it might be, 600 or 700 Euros."
A standalone games machine could obviously be sold at a more competitive price, with Reeves using the example of those gamers who would prefer to "pay 200 Euros for a new generation games machine".
Two versions of PS3? A gaming version retailing for 150, and a 'deluxe' version for over 400, designed to be integrated into a home entertainment set-up? Sweet Jesus, the war is on.
Talking about the coming E3 presentation in May, Reeves hinted that the PSX and PSP might not be the only new products to be showcased.
"Something we haven't talked about, is that we made a change from PlayStation to PSone, so we may, in the course of time, make some cosmetic changes to PlayStation 2 and come out with something that's a little bit sexier, but probably no changes to specs or anything like that."
Sony has already registered "PStwo" as a trademark.
Reeves spoke further on PSP, disputing the comparison between Sony's forthcoming handheld and Nintendo's long established GBA. "It's not, as people have said, a new Game Boy," he said. "There are so many other features that you can add onto it."
Reeves also confirmed that the PSP has had its memory capacity boosted; the PSP "will have 30MB of RAM, now, which it didn't have before."
Talking up the power of the handheld, Reeves suggested the PSP was a potential PS2-beater. "I think what Phil [Harrison - head of Sony's London studios] would say is that people who get an early start - probably someone like Square - will take it beyond PS2," he claimed.
Crucially Reeves also mentioned Sony's "ultimate goal" for PlayStation 3: "To get into electronic broadband distribution". By 2006, when Reeves anticipates that all of Sony's currently in-development hardware products should be available, Sony hopes users will have always available online access along with viable broadband distribution.
"It's going to have to be 2Mb or 3Mb, something like that," he said. "Ken [Kutaragi]'s even talking about 30MB! And when it gets to that, then it is broadband distribution, and people then can just download whatever game they want. But it's got to be secure, and that's where DNAS [Sony's online security protocol] comes in."
This massive statement has huge potential ramifications for the industry at large and is likely to cause a storm among retailers, with the suggestion that Sony plans eventually to sell its games as downloads, cutting overheads, cutting out the middle men and, ultimately, cutting the cost to the consumer.
We suggest taking a long, deep breath and thinking about all that for a moment.
We contacted Sony Europe for clarification of the above key issues: a spokesperson had no initial comment and said they would get back to us, but no response to our enquiries had been received at the time of writing. The original interview, which is believed to have been posted up to two weeks ago on Sony's Irish PlayStation site, has now been removed, fuelling speculation that it was posted by mistake, resulting in a massive leak.
Microsoft says the next-generation is about software not hardware; for Sony the opposite could well be true. Either way, gamers may well have a choice between two clearly disctinct options come the release of Xbox 2 and PS3. The fight is on.