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An update to the PS3™ system software was
released on March 22, 2007. If you update your PS3™ system,
the system software will be version 1.60.
After queuing for as much as a few days, gamers
in North America have finally gotten their chance to buy a PlayStation
3 (PS3) console. The machine sells in two models priced at $499
and $599. Approximately 400,000 consoles have been made available
for the North American launch. "We're going to try and get
as many units into the North American market as possible."
Kaz Hirai, chief executive of Sony's American games division said.
"Usually most companies would boat the product
in, but we're actually chartering airplanes to bring them into the
North American market to try to shorten that lead time, so we get
as many units into the hands of consumers as possible." he
added. In Japan last week, less than a quarter of the North American
figure of the consoles went on sale.
While some consumers lined up for days to buy
a PS3 for themselves, some others have turned the launch into a
business opportunity, lining up to get a console to sell later.
James Salterio, 27 is an example. "I'm gonna sell mine,"
he said, estimating he could fetch up to $4,000 for it.
European gamers will have to wait until
March 2007 to get their chance to own a PS3, prompting many PlayStation
fanboys to look for any import options they can find.
Bid on the
PS3 now at Auctions4aCause.com - or bid on the Playstation
2
PlayStation 3 is an engineering masterpiece
that sets a new high mark for computing price/performance. With
the PlayStation 3, you are getting the performance of a supercomputer
at the price of an entry-level PC.
Some of the more advanced features
of the PlayStation 3's design include:
The dual Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), i.e.
the RSX Reality Synthesizer from Nvidia Corp. and the Emotion Engine
& Graphics Synthesizer from Toshiba Corp. The RSX Reality Synthesizer
delivers cutting-edge high-definition graphics - while the Emotion
Engine provides backward compatibility with PlayStation 2 game titles.
With their design wins, Nvidia and Toshiba control 12 percent and
11 percent of the total PlayStation 3 materials and manufacturing
costs respectively.
The Cell Broadband Engine from IBM, which serves
as the central processing unit of the PlayStation 3, provides the
equivalent computing power of eight individual microprocessors.
The Cell is what endows the PlayStation 3 with its supercomputer-like
power, Rassweiler observed. IBM's Cell processor accounts for 11
percent of the PlayStation 3 costs. The use of four Samsung Electronics
Co. Ltd. 512Mbit DRAMs that employ high-speed memory interface technology
from Rambus Inc. This marks the first use of the advanced XDR DRAM
technology that iSuppli has detected. Samsung's memory represents
11 percent of PlayStation 3 costs. Samsung and Elpida Memory Inc.
are dual sources for the XDR DRAM.
Rassweiler cited the PlayStation 3's inclusion
of a power supply that packs a whopping 400-watts - yet uses a very
compact, low-profile design. At $37.50, this power supply costs
about twice as much as an average unit found in a PC.
While many of the major components found in the
PlayStation 3 were already known, iSuppli's Teardown Analysis team
reported some surprise part selections in the game console that
could boost the fortunes of their suppliers. These include:
International Rectifier Corp., which contributes
several power-management devices to the PlayStation 3. This gives
International Rectifier a 3 percent share of total PlayStation 3
materials and manufacturing costs.
Marvell Technology Group Ltd.'s 802.11 b/g module
chipset, which provides wireless local area networking capabilities.
With this design win, Marvell owns 2 percent of the PlayStation
3's costs.
CSR plc's BlueCore 4 solution, which supports
version 2.0 of the Bluetooth wireless standard, plus Enhanced Data
Rate technology, giving it a transfer speed three times faster than
current Bluetooth devices, according to CSR. This gives CSR a 1
percent share of the PlayStation 3 cost.
Spansion Inc, which contributed an 8Mbit NOR flash
memory chip for the PlayStation 3's Bluetooth module, and a 16Mbit
NOR flash part for the console's Blu-Ray module. This gives Spansion
ownership of less than 1 percent of the PlayStation 3's costs.
Sony has suffered some well-publicized problems
meeting its PlayStation 3 production and delivery goals.
Sony's Blu-Ray DVD read only optical device in
the PlayStation 3 has dual purposes: up-converting the game console's
output to high-definition resolution, and allowing viewers to watch
high-definition movies using the console, according to Krishna Chander,
senior analyst, storage devices, for iSuppli.
Sony's strategy was not lost on Microsoft, which
plans to offer a separate add-on high-definition DVD system for
the Xbox 360. This should be available around the holiday season
this year. Nintendo has no plans to offer a next-generation DVD
system in its game consoles.
Given that more studio movie releases now are
supported by Blu-Ray disks, Sony's PS3 has a slight advantage. However,
Microsoft plans to offer some network television movies for download
into the Xbox 360 system.
While many fret over the high cost and price of
the PlayStation 3 compared to the competition, iSuppli believes
the console provides more processing power and capability than any
consumer electronics device in history.
Have you seen the bargain prices
on PS3 and PS2? This unique bid
auction takes 80-90% off the retail price for many electronics.
Browse the site and bid.
Some recent developments:
An analyst report released by DFC Intelligence
today predicts that videogame software sales will increase on an
annual basis from $18 billion in 2004 to approximately $26 billion
by 2010. The extensive report contains "best case" scenarios
for each of the upcoming next-generation consoles while stating
that, no matter the scenario, annual videogame software sales will
reach $25 billion by 2008.
According to DFC President David Cole, "The
video game industry continues to exceed our expectations."
Cole also goes on to state that there is "room in the marketplace
for all three major systems" and that this is not a "winner
takes all situation" for the competing console makers.
However, the report does clearly have Sony's Playstation
3 as the favorite under all three scenarios. Cole states, "Until
Sony makes a major mistake we have no reason to believe they will
not continue that success with the PlayStation 3." Despite
this, the DFC report does show both Microsoft and Nintendo encroaching
on Sony's now-dominant pure market share position with their next-generation
systems.
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In the latest issue of Japanese magazine Toyo Keizai, Merrill Lynch
Japan Securities revealed details that point to Sony selling the
PS3 for approximately $399 US and losing approximately $103 per
system before shipping expenses. With estimated 1st year losses
of approximately $1.18 Billion US.
With some rough calculations based on these numbers,
one can assume that Merril Lynch Japan has predicted Sony will sell
11 - 12 Million PS3's within the first 12 months on market at the
estimated price point of $399.
Below are some of the comments from Ken Kutaragi
concerning the PS3
"Whether consumers think a product is expensive
or cheap all depends on the balance between its appeal and price,
our ideal is for consumers to think to themselves, 'OK, I'll work
more hours and buy it.' We want people to feel that they want it,
no matter what."
"When Nintendo was selling its 16-bit
machine at around 12,500 yen ($114), we sold the first PlayStation
at 39,800 yen ($364), the press was saying that it was expensive,
but it was a huge hit. It's the same thing with the PlayStation
Portable from last year. The Game Boy Advance is a same handheld
gaming machine, and it costs less than 10 thousand yen ($91). On
the other hand, our PSP had cost 25,000 yen ($229). But people lined
up overnight to buy it, and it sold out on the day of its launch.
It all depends on whether people want it. Of course, I'm confident
that the PS3 is a product that people will definitely want."
Click for great deals on Playstation 3
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Click here for information on X-Box 360
Read about PSP developments
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