If you don't want to pay 100 extra for 40 more gigs and don't want to play PS2 Games just buy the 40 gig version and you can swap it out with any 2.5" form factor SATA hard drive.

WTH are they thinking? being a PS3 owner, I love my PS3, but SERIOUSLY SPEAKING the game library is just ... sad for PS3. and wtf is the point of the 40gb PS3 ? They're still trying to get people to get the more expensive one. same idea when they first released the 20 gb model, add 100 you get *a lot more*.

the 40 gb model will attract a lot of blu-ray player buyers. but not gamers.

and 80 gb model is a total rip off.

Anything else Sony ? if you want to die in this market, just keep on doing what you're doing now.

This seems kind of fishy to me. I'm still on the fence as to which system I'll get. I know I'm going to get a Wii, as soon as I can find one, but I do want a "true" next gen system too such as a Xbox 360 or PS3. The ability to play PS2 games would have been nice especially at the 399 price point, but now they have lost that advantage. Now I'll just have to wait and see how the games on each system measure up to decide which route to go.

Actually this might attract does who didn't buy a ps2 and don't really care much for the compatibility.

A note to the editor, I believe I read somewhere else that the 40GB model doesn't have the card readers either.

The 80GB model doesn't have the emotion chip for PS2 game play either. To get backward compatibility you have to buy the original 60GB PS3 which just came down a further $100.00, from $549.00 to $449.00. There are still a lot in stores that have them in stock, just call around a bit. There a many PS2 games that will play without the emotion chip and most of the PS1 games will still play. The new PS3 uses software emulation instead of the emotion chip.

I want a PS-3 with more than 512 MB of ram. 4 gig would be cool, 8 would be better. Sony needs to understand that not everyone uses a PS-3 for games and movies. It is a very inexpensive platform to play with Cell code. Yellow Dog Linux rocks, but it needs more ram.

I was one of the poor saps with one of the first ones *that I already had to have sony replace* and I am sick of them trying to cut prices here, limit functionality here, Come out with some darn games for the system!! There are only two title thus far that have even sparked my interest, Heavenly Sword I bdefeated in two days, and warhawk seems like an ATARI game compared to Halo 3... You want the PS3 to sell, stop making PS2 games and focus all your energy on your current platform; it is kinda like Microsoft putting more money and development into windows 2000....

omg you can't play ps2 games.

if you want ps2 games save 300 bucks, buy a ps2.

if you want a ps3 to play blu-ray, and ps3 games. then get a 399 ps3. If you want all in one get a 499 ps3.

For all those that say that sony wasn't giving you a choice, and that they should have the blu-ray drive because it inceases the cost 200 dollars.

well now you have a choice, and your crying.

outside of missing the ps2 inside, the only other thing missing is memory card reader. which frankly is not that usefull. It still comes with wi-fi. a 100 dollar opiton on the 360.

This news will probably cause a sales vacuum for the next few weeks. Things will pick up big-time come Nov. 2. -- I don't know how long that will last, however.

At this point, cheap Blu-Ray playback for the impatient is the biggest selling point of the machine. None of the potential blockbuster titles are near release and 360 is a better gaming option by a longshot. I have a 60GB because I'm an early-bird launch sucker. I already had a 360, which combined with the PS3's lackluster lineup and relatively lesser perform on multiplatform titles renders the PS3 a bust for me -- save for Blu-Ray (oh, and the backward compatibility, of course).

Even considering blind loyalty and a hard-on for Blu-Ray, I don't see why a "gamer" would by the PS3 AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

Chick0n, your here to complain no matter what, everybody knows it. Just keep you PS2 stupid. When the PS2 came out it wasn't PS1 compatible either. I have owned them all, and in my opinion the PS3 is the only one worth buying as I felt disappointed with the performance of the previous models. So stop crying, and buy the 60GB version if you want backward compatibility on your PS3. There are still a lot around and guess what? They just came down a further $100.00 in price along with the 80GB version as well.

Rodney, you posted here before, you’re an Xbox owner! Why are these Xbox and HD DVD owners trying to make out as thought there not already? The Xbox will still be around if that’s good enough for them and even HD DVD will be around too. Evan Bata was around for years after the war. For some reason they feel threatened.

I have the 60GB model now for almost a year and never used more than 20GB. 40GB is lots, I think Sony finally realised it. If you really think you need more just swap it out with a larger 2.5" SATA drive. It's easy and it doesn't void you’re warranty

As Anosh said already the card readers gone. It also only has 2 usb ports (instead of 4), and has lost the Graphics Synthesiser chip. The GS chip was usued for the PS2 backward compatibility, so it's not just Sony cutting out the sofware support. From what I hear these changes reduced the cost by ~$80 so if you're not worried about PS2 support it's a good deal.

EVEN if i'm interested in PS3, I'll definitely wait for I-dont-know-what-im-waiting-for. They change prices, and hardware specs WAY too frequently.

They are like testing the water every month. If this doesnt work, then will go for the next one. The way they are doing this looks very unprofessional to me.

I feel sorry for those who bought PS3 that they keep getting screwed over by frequent hardware upgrades and price changes. Older models depreciate so fast because Sony cant make up their mind on, 1 or 2 specs with 1 reasonably consistent price for a DECENT amount of period, not 1 or 1.5 months.

I know they want to gain back some grounds in this fight, but what they are doing is pretty disgusting and irresponsible to previous PS3 owners (ie their supporters)

It's a fairly common name.

Unlike the PS2 generation there is no one perfect console. As an owner of all 3 I still won't buy a PS3 if I had to pick just one.

Main Reasons:
1.) Game library is poor and I don't see that changing by the holiday rush.
2.) Online game play is far Inferior to that of the 360. However is not existent on the wii so it has it beat there.
3.) I won't and don't use my consoles for movies. It only shortens the life of the console's optical drive and it's not worth it. Having to pay extra for something I don't want to use just makes me mad. BTW most if not all games on the ps3 are not BD there DVD.

All that being said it does have the best graphics of the 3 and is a decent media player. However it's my least favorite and least played of the 3. If the 360 didn't have so many problems it would hands down be my favorite console, but games lock up and you get the 3 ring of death (which the supposedly have fixed now) it's not very fun. The PS3 is not immune to the game lockups either so beware. The Wii has it's flaws too. It's great for fun little fun games (think Mario) but struggle with more in depth and mature games.

Anyway if you on the fence I hope this helps.

Sam, are you implying that only Sony fanboys are allowed to make comments about Sony articles?

Anyhow, I agree with whoever said they should redirect their efforts into making some actual decent games. Sony makes tons of headlines but unfortunately none of them are about great games…. Just price drops, new PS3 versions and Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD sales ratios. I’m sick of my PS3 just sitting there collecting dust.

The 2 extra USB slots were just not needed for most people, and now that the games are starting to arrive there is no need for backward compatibility. Just because your a moron and can't imagine why these changes were made doesn't mean they weren't made for good reason. There are plenty of the original 60GB PS3 now selling for 449.00 to be had. But I think the 399.99 model is all you need. Manufactures don’t guarantee specs and they never have…..ever. I believe all the NA Sayers are Xbox and HD DVD owners that are upset that they're stuck with the red ring of death for Xbox and no support for HD DVD. I guess cheaper wasn’t the best way to go after all.

where's the five star R&CF:TOD?
MGS4?


- checks Canadian price
$499 for the 80GB
"F***ing A"
some one woke up and saw our dollars are comparable.

can't wait until boxing day!!!

..as to how this new console is any different [read, better] than the 20GB launch console that they axed due to poor sales? If I'm not mistaken, that one had the PS2 compat., the card reader, etc..
Sure, this one is $100 off I believe, but the price has reduced to natural progression (meaning the original 20GB could have been this low by now if not lower). Overall, I don't see how the value comparison is different than between the launch consoles.
Perhaps someone can provide an answer. All I know is that if they keep chopping $100 off the price every month or so, they're bound to get some market share. Question is if they are really able to sustain increased losses on the hardware.

Seriously, how is this next gen?

"This one is expensive and features everything!"
"This one is just as expensive, but we removed a couple of things."
"This one is cheap, but has next to nothing."
"This one doesn't work since we removed the processor, but it's priced at only $100!"

I loved my PS1 and my PS2, but there's no way I'll get a PS3. I guess I'll end up getting an XBOX 360 for GTA IV cause I definitely don't want a PS3 if it can't do what it SHOULD have been able to from the start at a respectable price.

I would have to disagree about one having better graphics than the other. I have seen them the same game on the two consoles on the same tv. The PS3 and the 360 are almost equal in the graphics dept. They are pretty much a mixed bag. The 360 will have better HDR but the PS3 will have a few less jaggies. Or the 360 will have more vivid color, and the ps3 will have few less jaggies. Also, I have seen games that also had less jaggies on the 360 than the ps3. You can also look a lot graphical reviews up comparing the two consoles.

Dan,

Just because someone doesn't agree with you doesn't make them liars or nay sayers. Get a grip man. The PS3 still doesn't have the library that the 360 has, the graphical differences are so minute they are virtually equals, and my 360 hasn't ever had any problems. Also, I really don't care to play HD-DVD or Bluray movies right now, especially not on my console. Playing movies on the console drives have caused them to fail prematurely in the past, I will just use a standalone when they are revised, less expensive, and more reliable.

Actually, the 20 gig version had no card reader and no WiFi. That's why it didn't sell.

I'm waiting until January 2008 when they release the $299 PS3.

While this new model won't play Playstation 3 games, Sony is justifying this move by saying "there aren't any Playstation 3 games anyway."

I intend to use EBworld to trade in my PS2 10 games for a PS3 discount.

What difference does it make to me when I dump all that stuff?

Sure I might be able to get more money by selling it all myself, but the time involved doesn't justify the cost to me.

You can't just say I compared an Xbox and a PS3 side by side with out the details. From the sound of you, I doubt you even have a good High Definition TV. Xbox is only 720p and the PS3 is 1080p and 5 times more powerful and doesn’t come with the red ring of death. You’re a moron and if Xbox is good enough for you that's great. But for some people the Xbox is a poorly designed, out of date game consol and they want more than that, so they buy the PS3. If you don’t believe me go to Wikapia.com and look up Xbox and PS3. You’ll get the down low on both.

Thanks, "B".

So, WiFi & a little extra space are the bonuses, sacrificing compatibility. Seems like an "ok" trade.
WiFi is neat, but does anyone have problems with online game lag due to mega packet loss on the WiFi? [Yes, I realize this is Wireless LAN, which technically trumps any Internet connection but generally you still get big time packet loss compared to wired.] Just wondering if this is a nuisance that reduces the appeal of the WiFi or not. I know I've seen it happen on my PC.

wes, PS3 has only been on the market for 6 months so no wonder it doesn’t have the same amount of games. PS3 games are also a lot larger and more complex which takes longer to build. But the games are coming. You talk as though Sony isn't planning to make or sell any games. You argument is so stupider and full of holes you better just shut up because your embarrassing. Don't worry; I don't think Microsoft is going to stop making Xbox. I don't see the HD DVD add on lasting to long though, even at the $179.00 price point, they've only managed to sell 150,00 units world wide. The PS3 will sell 3 to 5 million world wide over Christmas alone.

Actually, the 20 gig version had no card reader and no WiFi. That's why it didn't sell.
B

In response I have a 40 gig and it doesn't have built in wifi, I have to use my external adapter *for the 360 no less*

Jeremy, I can't wait to see what you’re going to complain about once all the great PS3 games arrive. Just admit it; you’re an Xbox, HD DVD loving Sony hater who can't get anyone to listen to him so you come here to print your BS in the said hope of discouraging anyone from making a better decision than you about which system they should invest in. You’re a great big loser!

I'm having a problem with the lower prices PS3 reasoning with the lack of PS2 support. If they cut out a chip (hardware) I could see that. "We cut the chip out to make the system cheaper" type of argument. But it's software! It's not like it costs Sony any more money to add this to the machine (unless there is some type of licencing fees from a 3rd party), so why cut it?

I was under the impression that Sony got a cut from all PS1/2/3 games sold, that's how the systems used to work, so why cut potential sales. It's not like anyone is going to go out and buy a PS2 & a 40GB PS3, they'd go out and buy the 80GB version. If you have a PS2 now, maybe but given the number of great PS3 games vs PS2 games, why buy now and not next year. I must be missing something. While I don't have any PS2 games, given the PS3's list of good/great games I'd want to have the option to play select PS2 games at least until the PS3 developers started to put games that fully utilize the system's potential.

I'm just not getting Sony's marketing department's idea on this issue.

How many Xbox 360 models are there anyway? According to the reposts I've read 20% of the Xboxes on the market don't even have a hard drive at all. Now Microsoft is telling us that next year the new games are going to require a hard drive because the DVD doesn’t have enough space to hold the new games, so they will be coming out with multiple DVD’s to store the games on. Now you can’t stop in the middle of the game to change discs, so they will have to be installed on a hard drive which 20% don’t have and most of the rest aren’t big enough to install more than a few games. I won't even mention anything about the fact that the internet gaming is free on the PS3, and Xbox makes you pay a subscription fee every single month. I understand the red ring of death comes free with every new and used Xbox. Don't figure!

I never get in these debates..but ..uhm...the 2 systems are pretty even when it comes to delivering games. We've already seen multiplatform games look roughly the same on all the systems. Xbox can do 1080p via software update. Each system has strengths and weaknesses in processing power but I doubt any would be a deal breaker for anyone buying a nextgen system or wanting to play a fun game. So in the end it comes down to features (online play)..and games. I'm assuming late 2008 and 2009 is when the PS3 actually hits it's stride..so IMO there is little point in buying one at this time given the inevitable continued price reductions. Anyone else either wants to replace their PS2 (which has been taken away at $300), is an early adopter, or wants a "cheap" blue ray player. That still misses the target range of average joe consumer who cares less about system specs and wants to pick up a game every now and then for themselves or their kids.

We have the 40GB PS3 already and its $400(NZ) cheaper than the 60GB model

http://www.bondandbond.co.nz/gaming/ps3/ps3-consoles/playstation-3-ps340gb-40gb-console-98248/index.html

QEFX emulation was not purely software..the 80gig ps3 still requires hardware to run PS2 games..i forget which component. They eliminated it completely on this new model. I own a PS1 and a PS2..kinda dissapointed about the lack of atleast emulation on the cheaper models b/c it doesn't bode well for future SKU's (it will be atleast 2 yrs before I buy one...360 first). I retired my PS1 years ago and I would like to do the same for my PS2. I can imagine a few old PS2 games I'd still fire up once and awhile. Having said that I like the PS3 personnally as I'm sure most do...just that games selection is iffy and Sony keeps dropping features. I'm not going to complain about price i guess..cheaper is better.

David Bird your mistaken on the PS2's backwards compatability with PS1 games. I own a launch day PS2 and it plays PS1 games just fine.

As for PS2 compatability being stripped out of some PS3 models I'm a little disappointed and don't think there won't be any confusion about that over the holidays. You know someone will end up getting a PS3 without BC when they wanted one with it.

I totally couldnt find any connection on your post related to mines. I didnt go in depth about what features have been removed leading to price drops or whatever. What I'm saying features is not even a selling point already to a PS3. I never even hinted in my initial post that I dont see why changes or... heck, who even cares what did they do to lower the cost of the production.

What I'm simply saying is, the additions and removals, raise and price drops are so frequently that it's confusing and also no respect to the previous owners. No one wants to buy something to find in a month or TWO they drop $100. I know technology items are bound to drop in prices ... eventually. But they are way too frequent to give new buyers a piece of mind that their investment will last for more than a week.

I didnt even say I expect manufacturers to guarantee specs, I was saying.... "They are like testing the water every month. If this doesnt work, then will go for the next one." It means if 80gig doesnt work, in a month we'll go for 100gig for the same price, then in a month 120gig, then 140gig.. until something works then we'll stop. I never mentioned about manufacturers guarantee specs.

I really dont understand PS3's marketing tactic in testing-the-water so frequently and I dont recall a well-known technological product updating their price this frequently. Maybe amd processors... but still.

I suggest you reread my post, or maybe completely forget about it. I dont think we are even on the same page.

Having played a few games on both consoles, I can safely say the following:
PS3 has better graphics and smoother motion, free online play, and the upcoming Gran Turismo 5 which will boost sales by what, 20% by itself? There are enough hard-core players out there that would get PS3 just for that. But other than that, the future is bleak with hardware omissions and price cuts.

The Xbox 360 has been here for a while, and the new circuitry has eliminated the red ring of death and lowered heat output (which caused said ring). It has the most games and alot of online support, but you have to pay for it, buy add-ons, that scimpy 20GB harddrive, lack of standard features, etc. etc. much like the 20GB PS3. I just got my Xbox and it already has 10gb taken on the harddrive. Also, non-pressure sensitive buttons? wtf? just the shoulders? PS2 had pressure sensitive buttons all over. Also, graphics and movements are a little disappointing. I have true Hi-Def, I can see the difference. It's also hard to play racing games with the shoulder buttons as gas and brake since my thumbs have been trained for sensitivity more than my forefingers.

...come out for the 360 first and go through very little change for the PS3, they don't put any effort in upping the graphics for the PS3's capabilities; native PS3 games show this.

The PS3 and Xbox are not comparable at all. PS3 has Blu-ray with a storage capacity of 100GB, compared to 8GB for the DVD in Xbox. PS3 is 1080p and the Xbox is 720p. The PS3 is 5 times more powerful and can produce photo quality images. The Xbox comes with assorted problems including red ring of death. Xbox has no backward compatibility and even the new 40GB PS3 will play most PS1 and many PS2 games. You’re embarrassing yourself. Stop with your Xbox, HD DVD card caring 5 cent rhetoric, please!

CJ, give it up! Your already invested in Xbox and HD DVD and your hear doing a little soft selling with your underlying message, don't buy PS3. Nice try. PS3 is vastly superior to Xbox 360, so why would you invest in an Xbox if you’re already a PS2 owner. If you wanted to play your PS2 games you just keep your PS2 player and save the money on the PS3. But the last thing you want is for anyone to know that, as that might encourage them to buy a PS3. Do us a favour and sell your BS on the Xbox website, loser

I approve a lower price. :)
and as someone else said id like to see more ram.

and as yet another person stated taht sony tests the water to much. i aggree.

i played one of their online games for a while. i left because every few months they would dramatically change the combat dynamics,
truth is this company has no idea what it wants. it wants money. but they have no solid plans. and just float in the wind. they borrow what they see selling in other markets and adapt it to suit them. and when it doesnt get them what they can. do go borrow some more :P

given the tech behind the Sony platystation 3 is great. but getting the system out there? i dont see a lot of that.

Dan,

First of all, I do have a good HD TV, it's a plasma Samsung 50" 1080P. Also, you might need to do some more research yourself. Not all the PS3 games even play at that resolution, in fact most of them do not. Most of them play at 720P and are upscaled the same as the 360. You also might want to do some research on actually how powerful the 2 units are. The GPU in the 360 is more powerful than the GPU in the PS3 which is what games depend on for graphics. The Cell, while it is powerful for certain tasks also has it's downfalls. And even with all it's power it does not make a game look any better, it is not powerful enough to render games, hence the GPU. Could you please explain how the 360 is out of date? What is wikapia? If you were referring to wikipedia, well, I am not going to comment if you honestly think that is a reliable source of information.

Jane,

I am sorry my "argument is so stupider and full of holes" and thanks for the advice to "just shut up because your embarrassing", but I don't think I will take it. I didn't say the PS3 doesn't have as many games, I simply mentioned the library. The PS3 IMO doesn't have many good games that I would want to buy. You guys need to lay off of Sony's junk, all I did was compare the graphics of the two consoles, I didn't say PS3 graphics suck, I was simply stating facts. The ONLY thing I knocked the PS3 on was the library, which of course they will improve on you idiots, but I am not going to buy the damn thing until a decent amount of good games come out on it. And as far as the HD movie watching goes, I don't want to ruin the optical drive in the unit like prior consoles had happen.

Stop being blind fanboy's and pay attention to what you are reading.

I am not talking crap about the PS3, I am talking crap about the false information which is being perpetuated in this forum.

There are people saying that the 360 cannot display 1080P. You are wrong, it can. Do some research before you use your opinion as the truth.

Some set tops will accept 1080P from component cables so HDMI is not necessary depending on the television you own(which I think it's retarded to base your TV decision on something like that, it should have had HDMI all along).

Since it seems you guys don't really care to look up reliable comparisons of the two units and instead just listen to the fanboy fodder that gets batted around I will post some links for you guys. All you have to do is either copy and paste them or click the link and it will open a page for your viewing pleasure.

http://www.gamespot.com/features/6171831/index.html
http://www.gamespot.com/features/6162742/p-2.html

Cell Performance Comparison
http://www.geekpatrol.ca/2006/11/playstation-3-performance/

General Comparison (kind of old but the hardware is basically the same)
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=758390

Now if you guys will, stop smoking Sony's member, and lets be honest here for a minute.

TODAY (since MS isn't selling RROD consoles anymore) you should really base your console purchase on the game library IE. exclusive games, and price. I personally wouldn't base it on BD or HD-DVD because I will not be watching movies on either unit for fear the drive would fail faster.

I am not saying the PS3 sucks, I am just saying I would not buy it until more games are released on it that will not be on the 360. Otherwise, the graphics are so close you generally can't tell the difference(some time in favor of the PS3 but more times than not the 360).

This is a forum of types..a little bit of candid discussion is allowed isn't it. I can own both systems if I want..most likely will. But I always look at price/value. Why would I personally want to invest in a system I would get no use from...you may be different. But the amount of emotion you guys invest in a cold piece of hardware is hillarious! What benefit do you get from your chest pounding. I'm a hardware enthusiast and I like to talk about price/value and have no illusional emotional investment like you. Your games will come out..nobody but Sony is going to stop that. lol.

As the loss of profits continue...

Sony can't keep this up, and the losses from selling PS3 is going to start to affect the investor's confidence in the company. As the frist non-Japanese to take over a major Japanese comapny, Stringer is walking a mighty tight rope. If PS3 get's it butt handed to it for the holiday season, massive changes will be imminent.

I just now read the REST of the comments...lol..how old are some of you guys 12?? I guess when you don't have anything better to do with your time you fret over insignificant things. FYI I own Nintendo, SNES, PS1,PS2,Dreamcast,gaming PC, Gamecube...and I have my sights set on PS3 and XBOX. I'm a gamer. Don't try to cover up for the fact you can't afford'em all..hug your PS3 and give it a little kiss. When I was young I remember that Sega vs. Nintendo bullsh*t...it's funny to you guys cry so much about the same thing, grow up..lol.

I agree, I never said the PS3 sucks, never said I wouldn't buy one. I just won't buy one yet. Until there are more games that I like, the price comes down a litte more, and they give me a reason to buy it(once again, games or something of that sort). I like the PS3, I have played the PS3 many times, and it's fun, I just am not going to spend my money on one yet because the 360 has more games I would rather play. BD isn't a selling point for me simple because of my past experience with watching movies on consoles, it wears the drive faster than I would like, so I will just get a player when I feel it's the right time. That's all, you guys need to try to look at things objectively and TRY not to be so damn blind and biased.

too bad consoles can't match PC gaming, why not just build a gaming pc people??? lets see:
ps3/360 hdtv (required for "HD GAMING" lol.)= ~1500$

DIY Computer Monitor = 1500$ (AND YOU GET BETTER GRAPHICS, GAMES, MODS, COMMUNITY, CUSTOMIZATION, REAL GAMES?..)
i'm sorry i just don't understand why people debate over consoles...so funny. good luck with the battle! xD

I like consoles over PC gaming for ONE reason. I can have a bunch of friends over and we can all sit there and play games together hassle free. Halo, GOW, fighting games etc. Other than that I agree.