It's Official: PS3 launching worldwide November 2006

  • By Tor Thorsen, Brendan Sinclair, Henry Niizumi, GameSpot
  • Posted Mar 14, 2006 11:07 pm PT

[UPDATE] Sony confirms delay for next-gen console, says it will support an Xbox Live-like online gaming service; console will require a 60GB Linux HDD--but will it be sold separately?

TOKYO--Today at the 2006 PlayStation Business Briefing in Tokyo, Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutagari made it official--the PlayStation 3 has been delayed. The news confirmed widely circulated Japanese newspaper reports, which said that the delay was due to copyright-protection problems with the next-generation console's Blu-ray drive. For his part, Kutaragi would say only that the delay was due to "Blu-ray spec finalization."

Kutaragi told the crowd at the event that the PS3 would now launch in November 2006 worldwide. That dispelled fears that the console would make it to Japan by the fall but would miss the all-important holiday shopping season in the US and Europe. In fact, Kutaragi explicitly told the crowd of game retailers and journalists present that the PS3 would arrive before Thanksgiving in all territories.

Besides announcing the delay, Kutaragi made official another widely reported aspect of the PS3. He said that Sony is indeed preparing an Xbox Live-like online gaming service for the console, which would be called the "PlayStation Network Platform." Though he was short on specifics, the executive did say that currently Sony planned the "basic service"--which will allow online gameplay--will be "free." He also went on to outline the service in a fair amount of detail.

While the simultaneous tri-territory PS3 scheme may sound much like Microsoft's international launch of the Xbox 360, Sony plans to avoid the shortages that befell its competitor. Kutaragi said that the company plans on producing at least 1 million units of the console each month in order to keep the supply channel full. He said the goal was to ship 6 million PS3s worldwide by March 2007.

[UPDATE] The SCE president also told the crowd that the PS3 would use a 60GB 2.5-inch hard disc drive (HDD). A slide show during the presentation said the HDD would be loaded with the Linux operating system instead of Microsoft's Windows OS. The show also said it could be used as a "home server," could be directly connected to the Internet, and would be fully "upgradable."

Kutaragi also made it clear that the hard drive will be necessary to play games--Sony is telling developers to make games assuming every PS3 has a hard drive installed. "We view the hard drive to be mandatory for the PS3," he said. "Rather than have developers create games for the PS3 with or without the HDD, we will be asking them to develop games as though all PS3s have the HDD installed."

However, Kutaragi revealed that Sony had not decided whether or not the PlayStation 3 would come with the hard-drive preinstalled. "We might end up installing it in all PS3s, though that depends on the market," he said. This raises the possibility that the PS3 could be sold without a piece of hardware needed to play PS3 games--in effect forcing consumers to buy a peripheral for basic functionality.

Kutaragi also said that PS3 games would be released only on Blu-ray discs, as DVDs have become too easy for software pirates to duplicate. The high-capacity format is capable of storing around 50GB on a single disc. Sony reps confirmed the PS3 will still play DVDs and CDs, as well as PS2 and PS discs, as previously announced.

1575 Comments

  • MFbronz

    Posted Oct 26, 2007 1:29 pm PT

    well....guess i better hop in my delorean and go back to last year and buy one since i have the money to now

    lets go back to the future!!!!

  • KoolEmpty

    Posted Oct 26, 2007 1:25 pm PT

    /cheer GS...well done!

  • World0261

    Posted Oct 26, 2007 1:24 pm PT

    Good job gamespot.com!!!!

  • Darrius_Cole

    Posted Oct 26, 2007 1:16 pm PT

    What in the world is this????? This is news in a year old. Actually it is a year and a half old. *Comes in 3 months after Deepcut9 and hits the "WTH" Button*

  • Giff1988

    Posted Oct 26, 2007 1:00 pm PT

    Huh?

  • Deepcut9

    Posted Jul 24, 2007 9:43 pm PT

    Um............................. what is this?

    *hits the "WTF" button*

  • RahKayne

    Posted Jul 24, 2007 9:40 pm PT

    wow this poll exactly shows how negative gs is about the PS3.
    mostly every option is negative

  • PapaGlide

    Posted Jul 24, 2007 9:21 pm PT

    seriously wtf is going on

  • B-boy

    Posted Jul 24, 2007 8:48 pm PT

    wtf is this

  • derangedphoenix

    Posted Mar 25, 2007 10:43 am PT

    This must have been exactly a year ago or something.

  • ufm

    Posted Mar 25, 2007 1:20 am PT

    hello it's the year 2007. the ps3 has just been realesd a few days ago. so wtf thinking put this up

  • x-2tha-z

    Posted Mar 24, 2007 2:22 pm PT

    Old.

  • akuya32

    Posted Mar 23, 2007 10:30 am PT

    initiald411

    What in the world 2006 this is like hella old news we are in 2007 who put this crap up.

    I was thinking the same thing. Why is this post up a year later?

  • weeman19_89

    Posted Mar 23, 2007 9:30 am PT

    wtf it come out 2day in UK and november for USA and JAPAN :s

  • initiald411

    Posted Feb 10, 2007 3:05 pm PT

    What in the world 2006 this is like hella old news we are in 2007 who put this crap up.

  • deathmaster

    Posted Nov 10, 2006 6:25 am PT

    WTF is up with this stupid blu-ray? All is does is add to the cost and cause delays and problems, I don't think just putting in a simple DVD drive would have been any worse.

  • Wormey

    Posted Oct 9, 2006 5:28 pm PT

    It's Official: PS3 launching worldwide November 2006.. RtX_311, lol, what dont u understand about the word '' WORLDWIDE '' hehe

  • RtX_311

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 2:25 am PT

    So its November, is that for Australia to??

  • omarsacca

    Posted Jun 10, 2006 7:24 pm PT

    I thought somewhere in may of 06 but i guess they lied. if sony keeps pushing it's PS3 release date, even sony fanatics, will just get unmotivated. Am I right?

  • eric121

    Posted May 7, 2006 7:54 am PT

    I Can't Wait.... I Need It Damn Urgent...

    WooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooW !

  • killer_00169

    Posted May 6, 2006 8:20 am PT

    yummy.....PS3 lol =P

  • 00Rambol00

    Posted May 6, 2006 5:54 am PT

    hmmmmmmm coooooome on sony, u need to bring the ps3 out nowww!

  • some1usingaim

    Posted May 5, 2006 7:13 pm PT

    Wonder if it will get delayed again...

  • mojahid_1st

    Posted May 5, 2006 4:09 pm PT

    cool... but what's will be the cost...???? and what will it blow out to be with the possiblity of having to buy HDD. I don't even want to guess what games are going to cost..!!

  • thaid

    Posted May 5, 2006 3:52 pm PT

    It's impossible for Sony to be dethroned. Too many gamers are religously loyal to the Sony Brand. I should know, I'm a convert. I bought my XBOX about 2 years before my PS2, but once I started playing the MEGA quality titles on the SONY box, there was no going back. I'm not saying that Microsoft or Nintendo won't be successful, after all I am going to purchase a Wii, and 360 too, but being that neither of the other systems can output 1080p, nor play HD disc content, (Blue-Ray), it's a no-brainer as to where "informed" consumers are going to spend their hard earned dollars this holiday season. Shoot I may just breakdown and buy 2 PS3s just for the fun of it.

  • thaid

    Posted May 5, 2006 3:43 pm PT

    Sign me up for 2 please

  • elwhite

    Posted May 4, 2006 8:52 pm PT

    Hopefully after E3 all the assumption, guessing, rumors, hating, and speculation will come to an end, and we'll finally have some real cold hard facts. But no matter what, I WILL own one. FAT CHIXS RULE!!

  • findecano85

    Posted May 4, 2006 1:28 pm PT

    there is one thing I wonder about... will there be normal ports for old controllers so that U can play like guitar hero...

  • kavadias1981

    Posted May 4, 2006 4:30 am PT

    I think I can wait a little longer for such an ugly console to enter my field of vision

  • Coltback35

    Posted May 3, 2006 7:25 pm PT

    if it doesnt have the hard drive preinstaled im buying the xbox 360!

  • Coltback35

    Posted May 3, 2006 7:24 pm PT

    if it doesnt have the hard drive preinstaled im buying the xbox 360!

  • t_walk1

    Posted May 3, 2006 5:00 pm PT

    Does Sony's changing stories remind anyone else of a politician flip-floping on issues? It seems to me that they have changed things around enough to put a large amount of speculation on just about every aspect of this release. And I'm not sure about any of you, but with the total disregard Sony has shown in the past towards "monitoring" thier customers activities/content the PS3 is the last thing in the world I would want to use as a server. I am hopeing the PS3 will rebuild my confidence in Sony, so far they are falling short of that, but I'm still hopeing

  • Lnrd156

    Posted May 2, 2006 5:15 pm PT

    hope it lives up to the hype

  • leonard_necula

    Posted May 2, 2006 3:11 pm PT

    pc rulz

  • bigbrown69

    Posted May 1, 2006 11:36 pm PT

    its still going to be the bast out there

  • masieden

    Posted May 1, 2006 11:21 pm PT

    That's a lot of units to ship. I don't think these delays (and probable shortages) are going to cost them any sold units. The three companies would like to dissuade people from buying their competition but most consumers probably already had their minds made up long before the first XBox 360 rolled off the line. I believe staggering the release dates from their competitors will ultimately help sales for Sony and Microsoft. The initial sting of buying the first console will probably have worn off in time for customer's with expendable income to save for the purchase of a second console. Nintendo, it seems to me, is barely a part of the equation. They have a tried and tested library as well as a huge fan-base of old and new gamers alike. And, if the speculation of a budget price is accurate, they should have no problem sharing customer's with Sony and Microsoft.

  • gb052000

    Posted May 1, 2006 7:43 pm PT

    can't wait ot buy one!

  • Kera666

    Posted May 1, 2006 4:59 pm PT

    That's all well and good, but what about the consoles price and the game prices?!

  • cat29f

    Posted May 1, 2006 2:57 pm PT

    I can't believe some people are actually upset that it won't be released until November. For me, having a machine that they actually care enough to do right is worth waiting as long as it takes. The PS2 and 360 work fine for me, I'm in no danger of running out of new games to play until it comes out. But when it comes out being able to buy it and have a direct internet connection and a Blu-Ray player and a giant HD and a great set of games at release, not to mention having a solid release dates months in advance to start saving. I'm extremely happy.

  • overcode

    Posted May 1, 2006 11:43 am PT

    P.S. A Linux HDD? Gawd, I love Linux...

  • overcode

    Posted May 1, 2006 11:36 am PT

    Wow, some people seem to be upset? NOVEMBER is the month! Now we all know, they won't back out of this one! Devil May Cry 4 here I come! Let's rock, baby!

  • ezmoney96

    Posted May 1, 2006 11:26 am PT

    All these PS3 hype is just a joke to me. I am having hard time believing that the PS3 is going to hit store shelves in November. They don't really have any games lined up, and Sony is not really giving any information on it, considering they say it is coming out in less than 7 months. I also heard that stores are not even taking pre-orders. Rumor has it that the price of the console is only going to be $399, YEAH RIGHT! This thing is going to have blu-Ray technology, Last I heard blu-Ray DVD players alone are going for over $1,000, if you can even find those(I saw the price of a blu-Ray DVD player over the internet so I am actually not totally sure of the price for a blu-Ray dvd player, but i can assure you it will be more than $400. All Right i am done rambling on about this topic. November '06 no way more like late 2007 if they're lucky.

  • maoonparas

    Posted May 1, 2006 6:07 am PT

    cool!

  • Sandmaester

    Posted Apr 30, 2006 6:08 pm PT

    i wish they'd release it already. they say november but at this r8 they'll release it in 2008. they beter have it out by xmas otherwise i might join the dark side. yes the microsoft side.

  • mikedude

    Posted Apr 30, 2006 11:53 am PT

    the ps3 is going to take it's sweet ass time but check it...if we wait till they take out all the bugs and make it better to keep a long time wont that be better than if they came out with it now all crapy like xbox 360 did....ive been waiting for this system for 3 years...and ill still wait if i have to....ITS GOING TO BE WORTH IT!!!!

  • BaBy_Jo

    Posted Apr 30, 2006 9:37 am PT

    Blue-ray disc as more space then my hard drive of my computer....but it normal i only gote 38GB space that suck dont u think? lol

  • BaBy_Jo

    Posted Apr 30, 2006 9:22 am PT

    I hope de ps3 wont sell seperate part...except that I HOPE I GONNA HAVE ONE xbox 360 Suk Bad

  • Zanthrus

    Posted Apr 29, 2006 3:56 pm PT

    I'm reallu pleased but y would they sell an essential part of the machine seperatly....

    makes no sence watsoever

  • ridersown

    Posted Apr 29, 2006 2:33 pm PT

    that thing better not be seperate otherwise this thing is gonna be so expensive!

  • retrotom

    Posted Apr 29, 2006 1:41 pm PT

    if a blu-ray disc can hold up to 50gb, why does the ps3 need a 60 gb hard disc?

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