Sony to start selling 40GB PS3 in Europe Oct. 10, Australia Oct. 11
Sony has announced the availability of a new 40 GB PlayStation 3 in Europe on Wednesday, October 10. The new model of PlayStation 3 will carry a lower-than-ever price tag of 399 euros in the European market and 299 pounds in Britain.
“The introduction of the new PS3 has been the result of extensive research into the entertainment needs and preferences of the next generation of PS3 owners,” said David Reeves, President of SCEE.
“It has allowed us to deliver an extremely advanced, yet highly affordable High Definition entertainment system, configured to the needs of the next generation of European PS3 owners. PS3 has always been the device of choice for the discerning gamer and entertainment seeker, and the new PS3 is more than ever the perfect High Definition entertainment system.”
The lower price tag, however, comes at the cost of a few features. The new model won’t feature any backwards compatibility with Playstation 2 titles, it will feature two USB ports instead of four, and the slots for SD Cards, Memory Stick, and Compact Flash have been removed.
The decision to drop PS2 compatibility is “reflecting both the reduced emphasis placed on this feature amongst later purchasers of PS3, as well as the availability of a more extensive line-up of PS3 specific titles.”
The coming release of the lower price tag PS3 model seems to help Sony stay competitive, especially during this coming holiday season. However, the company has not made any announcement about whether similar model will be available in US, Japan and Australia in time for the holidays.
Update: Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Australia) has confirmed that the new PS3 model will be available down under from October 11, and will cost gamers A$699.95, Gamespot writes.
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October 8th, 2007
..hmmm… no mention of Phil Harrison’s claims last year that backwards compatibility is a “core value of what we believe we should offer”… figures.
Given the fact that compelling PS2 titles have continued to be released since the release of the PS3 (God of War II, anyone?), surely the lack of PS2 compatibility merits some minute amount of concern?
Ok, sure, who doesn’t have a PS2 already? And yet… what sense does it make to abandon the most wildly successful platform in gaming history (that may be hyperbole, but not by much) for those newcomers who do not own a PS2 or those who do but do not have any room for it now that Mongo has moved in.
This is just stupid and shortsighted. No, PS2 titles are not going to move PS3 consoles, but considering the losses that Sony is taking on the PS3, those titles would provide a welcome cushion and would provide PS3 owners with a wealth of fantastic titles while they wait for the new catalog to get some meat on its bones.
But hey, I know you guys are tired out from railing Nintendo for not doubling production on that console nobody wants anyway. Don’t strain yourselves with critical thought.
You might pull something.