Overview
The PlayStation 3 (officially marketed PLAYSTATION 3, commonly abbreviated PS3) is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game systems.
A major feature that distinguishes the PlayStation 3 from its predecessors is its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network, which contrasts with Sony’s former policy of relying on games developers for online play. Other major features of the console include its robust multimedia capabilities, connectivity with the PlayStation Portable, and its use of a next-gen optical media, Blu-ray Disc, as its primary storage medium.
The PlayStation 3 was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November 17, 2006 in North America, and March 23, 2007 in Europe and Oceania, with two stock keeping units (SKUs): a basic model with a 20 GB hard disk drive (HDD), and a premium model with a 60 GB HDD and several additional features. (The 20 GB model was not released in Europe or Oceania.) Since then, the console has had several revisions made to its available SKUs and has faced stiff competition from the other seventh generation consoles. As of December 20, 2007, the PS3 is in third place in home console sales for its generation.
Hardware
The PlayStation 3 is convex on its left side when vertical, (the top side is convex when horizontal) and has a sleek black finish with the Playstation logo on the left side. Playstation designer Teiyu Goto stated that the Spider-Man-font-inspired logo “was one of the first elements [SCEI president Ken Kutaragi] decided on and the logo may have been the motivating force behind the shape of PS3.”[105]
The PlayStation 3 features a slot-loading 2x speed Blu-ray Disc drive for games, Blu-ray movies, DVDs, CDs, and other optical media. It was originally available with hard drives of 20 and 60 GB (only the 60 GB model was available in PAL regions). An 80 GB model has since been introduced in NTSC regions, and a 40 GB model has been introduced in all regions. All PS3 models have user-upgradeable 2.5″ SATA hard drives.
The PlayStation 3 uses the IBM-designed Cell microprocessor as its CPU, utilizing seven of the eight “synergistic processing elements” (often shortened to SPE). The eighth SPE is disabled to improve chip yields i.e. chips do not have to be discarded if one of the SPEs is defective. Only six of the seven SPEs are accessible to developers as one is reserved by the OS. Graphics processing is handled by the NVIDIA RSX, which can output resolutions from 480i/576i SD up to 1080p HD. The PlayStation 3 has 256 MB of XDR main memory and 256 MB of GDDR3 video memory for the RSX.
The system has Bluetooth 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0 and HDMI 1.3a built in on all currently shipping models. Wi-Fi networking is also built-in on the 40, 60 and 80 GB models while a flash card reader (compatible with Memory Stick, SD/MMC, and CompactFlash/Microdrive media) is built-in on 60 and 80 GB models.
Numerous accessories for the console have been developed including the wireless Sixaxis controller, the wireless DualShock 3 controller, the BD Remote, the PlayStation Eye camera and the upcoming PlayTV DVB-T tuner/digital video recorder accessory.
At its press conference at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show, Sony announced the DualShock 3 (trademarked DUALSHOCK 3), a PlayStation 3 controller with the same function and design as the Sixaxis, but with vibration capability included. Hands-on accounts describe the controller as being noticeably heavier than the standard Sixaxis controller, and capable of vibration forces comparable to the DualShock 2. It was released in Japan on November 11, 2007, and is scheduled to release on April 15, 2008 in North America and in Spring 2008 in Europe.
The PS3’s hardware has also been used to build supercomputers for high-performance computing. Terra Soft Solutions has a version of Yellow Dog Linux for the PlayStation 3, and sells PS3s with Linux pre-installed, in single units, and 6 and 32 node clusters. In addition, RapidMind is pushing their stream programming package for the PS3. Also, on January 3, 2007, Dr. Frank Mueller, Associate Professor of Computer Science at NCSU, clustered 8 PS3s. Mueller commented that the 512 MB of system RAM is a limitation for this particular application, and is considering attempting to retrofit more RAM. Software includes: Fedora Core 5 Linux ppc64, MPICH2, OpenMP v2.5, GNU Compiler Collection and CellSDK 1.1.
On March 22, 2007, SCE and Stanford University released the Folding@Home project for the PlayStation 3. This program allows PS3 owners to lend the computing power of their consoles to help study the physical process of protein folding.
SKU Timeline:
Prices:
Japan
The PlayStation 3 was launched in Japan on 11 November 2006 at 07:00. There were reports that many of the initial consoles were obtained by businessmen who paid mainly Chinese nationals to buy the console without any software to resell on eBay, as a result of this there were more hardware units sold than there were games, Ridge Racer 7 was the highest selling game on launch day. 81,639 PS3 systems were sold in the 24-hours of its introduction in Japan. Sony has opted to go with an open pricing scheme for the 60 GB model, allowing retailers to set a price point themselves.
North America
The PlayStation 3 was launched in North America on 17 November 2006. Presales on eBay reached a high of just over US$3000 on November 17. During its first week of release in the United States, PlayStation 3 consoles were being sold on eBay upwards of $2000. The following day, no units were posted on eBay, none of them sold. It was originally announced that there would be 400,000 units available, however less than a week before launch reports emerged that Sony did not meet its shipping quota in time, resulting in about 40% of consoles not appearing at launch. It is not known exactly how many consoles were available on launch day.
As of 16 January 2007, nearly two months since the US launch, at least 1,000,000 consoles have been shipped to the US, and a further 1,000,000 have been shipped to Japan, plus more elsewhere in Asia.
Singapore
The PS3 launched in Singapore in March 2007, with the price of 60 GB announced as S$799, without games. Singapore, although using PAL for broadcasting, uses NTSC for gaming.
The 80GB model was released in Singapore in September 2007.
South Korea
The South Korean launch took place on 16 June 2007. The only version sold is the 80 GB version, equipped with IPTV. This is the first time that the PlayStation 3 released with an 80 GB hard disk, and South Korea is currently one of the two regions with an 80 GB PlayStation 3 (North America being the other).
Mexico
PlayStation 3 20GB and 60GB models (NTSC-UC Zone 1) were released in Mexico in 2007. The 80GB model bundled with Formula One Championship Edition is now on sale in Mexico for $7,990 as well as a 40GB version with Formula One Championship and Ratchet and Clank Future Tools of Destruction for $6,990(MXN). Local PS3 game standard price is $899 (MXN).
Europe
Sony announced on 6 September 2006 that the PAL (European and Australian) launch had been delayed until March, 2007 due to a shortage of diodes used in the Blu-ray Disc drive. At midnight on January 24, 2007, Sony announced that the Playstation 3 would go on sale on March 23, 2007 in Europe, Australia, the Middle East, Africa and New Zealand.
Sony stated that there would be 1,000,000 PS3’s in Europe for the launch period, including at least 220,000 in the UK.
The high launch price of the PS3 has been subjected to criticism from analysts, developers and consumers. Sony executive Phil Harrison has defended the price by citing its Blu-ray Disc support and overall value. The production cost is estimated to be US$805.85 for the 20 GB model and US$840.35 for the 60 GB model.
Sony announced that first party games would retail for £40/€60.
After the violence that occurred during the American launch, UK retailer GAME announced that it had cancelled its midnight launch and instead would launch at seven in the morning, providing a small breakfast for all people in line. HMV also opened with a morning launch after following the advice of the police. However, Virgin Megastore went ahead with a midnight launch, allowing customers to stay inside the premises rather than braving it in the cold.
According to Financial Times, PS3 sold 600,000 units in the first two days of its release in Europe. It became the fastest-selling home console in the United Kingdom with 165,000 units sold in two days, and became the second-fastest-selling console in the UK overall, the fastest being the PlayStation Portable. Some British retailers claim that the PS3 was subjected to as many as 20,000 pre-order cancellations, while others cited a “huge demand” for the console. Console sales for the following week were down 82%, selling 30,000 units, with a 60% drop in sales of the two most popular titles, MotorStorm and Resistance: Fall of Man.
In continental Europe, Sony sold over 600,000 consoles in two days estimating that about €400 million revenue was generated by the hardware and software combined on opening weekend. According to Sony, France PS3’s sales were “around half of the UK, with Spain and Portugal slightly behind that. Germany, too, saw strong sales of around the 50-60,000 mark.”
Despite Sony asking retailers to wait until 23 March to sell the PS3, Italian retailer Datel started selling the PS3 earlier. Datel said in an ad that they would start selling on Wednesday 21 March. Sony’s reaction was: “Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is deeply disappointed by the unilateral decision of some Italian retail chains to commence the sale of PlayStation 3 to consumers before this official launch date.”
Australia
The 23 March 2007 midnight launch of the Australian PlayStation 3 console was considerably less impressive than expected by retailers and media alike this was most likely as people were expecting the PS3 to be around the same price as the Xbox 360 but most customers turned away after noticing the hefty AU$999 price tag on Australian PS3s. Media flocked to shopping centres and retailers expecting to catch a media extravaganza and flurry of activity as anticipated PlayStation 3 gamers were to buy their consoles. However, very little in the way of such activity occurred.
Around 2,000 people turned up at the Sydney CBD Myer store on Pitt St where Casino Royale was playing to entertain the crowds before the launch.
Gamers and media arrived hours before the midnight launch period and were able to get front positions in what were small queues for the console. Several media outlets, including 2Day FM, asked the few gamers who did turn up to feign enthusiasm and excitement over the console.
Over 27,000 units were sold over the course of the first ten days of sales and nine of the top ten best-selling games, including consoles and handheld, of the week were for the PS3; overall, software and hardware sales resulted in A$33 million netted for Sony. One analyst called it “a spike in retail spending not previously witnessed at the launch of any other console in Australia”. In New Zealand, over 4,800 units were sold in the first week generating “over NZ$6.8 million dollars in hardware and software retail sales.”
Middle East
Sony Gulf announced that Jumbo Electronics and Carrefour stores in the Mall of the Emirates would open their doors at midnight on March 22, 2007 to sell the first PlayStation 3 in the UAE.
The PS3 retailed for AED2499, a price slightly less than Europe.
As an added incentive, the first 100 customers who bought a PlayStation 3 were rewarded with a pair of tickets to see Shakira live in concert at the Dubai Autodrome.
India and Pakistan
The PS3 officially went on sale in India and Pakistan on 27 April 2007, priced at Rs39,990/$1000 for the 60 GB version, however imported units were available as early as December 2006 and were easily sold around $1,500. Games cost about US$60.80.
Disc Size:
Normal Size Blu Ray Disc.
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