Sony reveals future plans for PlayStation

[NickSCFC]

Source - www.eurogamer.net

SCEE president and COO David Reeves has indicated that PSP games will probably be region-free, that PS3 will be intrinsically linked with PSX and may appear in home server and standalone gaming versions, and that Sony may announce a stripped down, PSone-style PlayStation 2 product at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo.

In a revealing interview with the official PlayStation website, Reeves spoke candidly about Sony's hopes and ambitions for its key gaming products, and cleared up a number of issues surrounding each of them.

Most interesting for gamers will be news that "probably [..] games will come out with no regional coding" on the PSP handheld console. Any PSP movies, however, will probably have to remain region protected, even if Hollywood decides to back the UMD format for distribution, although there may be other incentives to buying movies this way. "I think they will come up with quite a few surprises," Reeves said of his colleagues, "so that you'd want to buy a movie on UMD as well as having it on DVD. Maybe."

Reeves further suggested that in addition to a PlayStation 3 "intrinsically linked with PSX", "also there might be a normal PS3 for gamers, who just want to play the movies and have better games." The "home server" version of PlayStation 3, which has "all-singing, all-dancing features with maybe a hard disk drive", could retail for "whatever it might be, 600 or 700 Euros" according to Reeves, while the alternative might be for people who "just [want] to pay 200 Euros for a new generation games machine".

Lighting the fuse on SCEA's E3 presentation, Reeves also indicated that PSX and PSP might not be alone on the podium. "Something we haven't talked about, is that we made a change from PlayStation to PSone, so we may, in the course of time, make some cosmetic changes to PlayStation 2 and come out with something that's a little bit sexier, but probably no changes to specs or anything like that."

Unsurprisingly Reeves came out strongly in defence of the PSP as its own product and not a Game Boy replacement. "It's not, as people have said, a new Game Boy," he said. "There are so many other features that you can add onto it, whether it's GPS or GPRS even." As for games development: "Emulators are out, and I think dev kits will probably go out in March or April - the full dev kits, with analysers and things like that." Asked about concerns over the PSP's memory allocation, Reeves confirmed "it will have 30MB of RAM, now, which it didn't have before." He also admitted that the PSP concept image we've all seen was just that. "I think it was made of fibreglass or something like that. I honestly don't know if it'll look like that or not."

The Sony Europe boss also commented on the power of the handheld, responding, when asked if it would fit between the two existing Sony formats in terms of power, "That's about where it is," before adding "I think what Phil [Harrison] would say is that people who get an early start - probably someone like Square - will take it beyond PS2."

Looking further ahead, Reeves spoke about Sony's "ultimate goal" for PlayStation 3 - "to get into electronic broadband distribution". By 2006, at which point Reeves says all Sony's current crop of hardware products should be available, the platform holder hopes we'll have always online access and viable broadband distribution. "It's going to have to be 2 or 3MB, something like that," he said. "Ken [Kutaragi]'s even talking about 30MB! And when it gets to that, then it is broadband distribution, and people then can just download whatever game they want. But it's got to be secure, and that's where DNAS [Sony's online security protocol] comes in."

[Swordmaster Jehuty]

Wow 200 euro for the PS3 normal version!!??!! That is cheap. Too bad the deluxe version is triple more expensive. Only one question remains unanswerd: Can the PSP be connected to the PS2 or PS3??

[NickSCFC]

More likely it'll connect to PSX and PC to download content. Might also connect to PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 for gaming features.

[gaming ultima]

i asume he means Mb rather then MB for the electronic broadband dis,,,,
but even so 30Mbps!! :D !! :o !!! :D !! :o !!! :D !!!!!!!!, its nothing special for orginisations but for the avg consumer

[NickSCFC]

It's a good three years away anyway.

[Omega Blue]

It's a good three years away anyway.

Looking further ahead, Reeves spoke about Sony's "ultimate goal" for PlayStation 3 - "to get into electronic broadband distribution". By 2006

2 years jerkass. :P

[NickSCFC]

Won't be released in the west till late 2006, so that's 2 1/2 years "jerkass" :mrgreen:

[Omega Blue]

by 2006. its already April 04, you were wrong i was right, can't take the heat get out thre kitchen

Nick = pwned by Omega teh Blue 8) :wink:

[NickSCFC]

They're most likely to release it in November like they have done with PlayStation and PlayStation 2, but that's another topic. If they were both released at the tme time, which would you be most likely to buy?

[Omega Blue]

March 06 for NA, i would get it will try and get the home server. but i can't predict my finacial standing in 2 Years.

[NickSCFC]

Should hopefully be getting a PSX to replace my PlayStation 2 in my room and to give me the extra functions as my room is quite small. I'l most likely give the PSX to my parents (to replace the crap they have in the lounge) and get the "entertainment system" PlayStation 3 for my room.

[gaming ultima]

i can see where u 2 get all your posts from, constant squabbling just like children :lol:
when will the world grow up. if it gets much worse we might start getting wars and civil wars over what the best console is and a famous game beeing delayed :wink:

[JoshD]

I like how I can't find this article anywhere on the site you provided. You do realize it is no longer April 1st, right?

Edit: This is very confusing. Slashdot has a link to The Register. The Register cites a Gamesindustry.biz article. The Gamesindustry.biz article doesn't exist. WTF?

[gaming ultima]

I like how I can't find this article anywhere on the site you provided. You do realize it is no longer April 1st, right?
go here
oooooooo, its not on either gamesi.biz or eurogamer.net no more, there sister sites in case u didnt know
it looks like they have deleted it, its a cover up by sony!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and i think the article was posted today not on the 1st

[JoshD]

Well, I'm looking into it. Sometimes the hardest part of my job is trying to get people to talk to me.

[ultimategamer2004]

Well if the Home server edition is 600 euros i think that is around £500 but i am not sure i will probably wait for it to go down in value to around £350 because thats the most i am prepared to pay.

[JoshD]

The article will be reposted later in a new form.

[NickSCFC]

It's also on www.computerandvideogames.com

[ZipZapPro]

Source - www.eurogamer.net

Reeves further suggested that in addition to a PlayStation 3 "intrinsically linked with PSX", "also there might be a normal PS3 for gamers, who just want to play the movies and have better games." The "home server" version of PlayStation 3, which has "all-singing, all-dancing features with maybe a hard disk drive", could retail for "whatever it might be, 600 or 700 Euros" according to Reeves, while the alternative might be for people who "just [want] to pay 200 Euros for a new generation games machine".
All I want to know is what they mean in the bold. does that mean Kariokee (sp) Revolution and DDR? :? I know I will be allowed to get PS3 but if I asked, I know it'd be the cheap one so looks like I'll end up mowing lawns again to save up! :( :? 8) [/b]

[NickSCFC]

I spend all last Friday explaining it to GamingMonkey2004 and I'm not in the mood to explain it to another idiot, just have a read of this (http://www.playstation3insider.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1332&start=0).

[JoshD]

The source has been found. Turns out the interview was form March 17th? Wow, that is quite a while to be sitting in hiding. Oh well, I posted it with the respected articles.

[KlawHammer]

I want the $200 version or euros or wateva you Euros call it. If i wanted the "entertainment system" then i would BUY A PC!

[KingTalo]

Wow 200 euro for the PS3 normal version!!??!! That is cheap. Too bad the deluxe version is triple more expensive. Only one question remains unanswerd: Can the PSP be connected to the PS2 or PS3??

yes the psp will connect to PC's, PS2's, PS3's, and other PSP's of course.

[Mitri]

you can also read about how sony might be trying to make the ps2 smaller(like the ps1): http://www.1up.com/article2/0,2053,1560808,00.asp

[ultimategamer2004]

you can also read about how sony might be trying to make the ps2 smaller(like the ps1): http://www.1up.com/article2/0,2053,1560808,00.asp

Yes i was wondering a while back now weather sony would try and make the ps2 smaller like they did with the ps1 i had the big version of the ps1 i imagine sony will try and make the ps2 slimmer rather than the overall shape.

[NickSCFC]

With PSX and PSP coming out I don't really see the point.

[shaudeus]

i guess if it gets ps2 to the 99 dollar mark quicker then its a good idea, the cheaper it is the more market it will penetrate

[KlawHammer]

But if they make it samll they might remove some external hardware features like how the PSOne had no "serial or parallel interface" as Sony called it....

[shaudeus]

yeah tru but if you jus want it as cheap as you can get then you cant complain too much :)

[KlawHammer]

Aa, true there.

[NickSCFC]

What's the current price of PlayStation 2 in America?

[Makaveli_786]

150 dollars.

EDIT: I wouldnt mind owning a PS3 which can record onto CD's, DVD's and BD-DVD's and has a 1TB HDD and several tuners which can record from several channels at the same time.

On top of that they said server, I wonder if that means there will be more than one cell in the entertainment edition, I would replace my Desktop with something several times more powerful, a super PC!

[Domination]

I guess Sony is serious about launching two consoles.I mean,it makes sense, and it doesn't make sense.

The advantage I see is them competing against Nintendo and Microsoft.I can pretty much guess that Nintendo will fight Sony with a low price console and concentrate more on innovating it like they did with the DS handheld.Microsoft is likely to follow suit (by Sony's perspective) but not have their console as a complete game machine like Nintendo -- but enough to stay at a costly limit.Sony is trying to make their console as powerful as they can.But,with these other two saving money on their consoles,they can easily sell it at a lower price.If Sony did this,they would probably end up like Microsoft did with the Xbox.So,right there,the plan seems pretty good.

The part that doesn't make sense is releasing two consoles almost completely different from one another.The PS3 all-game machine might not come with an HDD,which kinda defeats the purpose for having down load content and a developers advantage for building games.

The PS3 combo-box will have everything that the down-graded version doesn't,but it will cost triple the amount.If this is the only way to experience these new features,it might turn away a few buyers.People may see that although Microsoft's console doesn't come fully packed as it did last time,it still comes packed with a few non-gaming features,yet cheaper than Sony's product.I say a reasonable price for their combo-box should be atlease $400.00.That way it is set to a price range that buyers can easily afford.I also feel a few of these features should be add-ons for the all-games machine but sold at a reasonable price to where they can be purchased as well as allowing profit to be had.When alls said and done,it might be slightly more than the combo-box,but this strategy allows you to compete with the others while still persuading buyers to purchase your other console.

Maybe I'm looking to much into this.Maybe Sony already has this in mind,...atlease I hope they do. :(

[Makaveli_786]

Lets see what goes into the all singing all dancing version..

The tri-head laser.. Doesnt cost much..

A couple of cells... Still wont break the bank

A 1TB HDD... Alright this could be expensive.

So now we have an entertainment unit which doubles as a PVR with 1300 hours of storage and the ability to record from seven channels at once, A couple of cells which shouldnt cost too much by that time and a tri-head laser which is a cheap way of putting something together that records and plays BD-DVD, CD and DVD.

I dont think it would cost too much.

[ibrooklyn]

I prefer all in one systems.

[Makaveli_786]

This is what I think the PSX2 should be capable of...

The ability to record and playback CD's and SACD's.

The ability to record and playback DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM and DVD-A.

The ability to record and play back MP3, ATRAC, WMA and other music formats.

A 1 terabyte HDD like in the Type-X

The ability to record music onto the HDD

7 Digital TV tuners like in the X-Type

Able to connect it to your PC and send things from the PC to the PSX2

Able to stream things from the PSX2 to other TV's in the household while recording another channel or channels(imagine watching several channels in several different rooms while recording)

Able to record and playback on BD-DVD

Able to play PS3 games(DUH!)

Able to play PS1 and PS2 games(another DUH!)

Able to surf the internet

Able to use programs on the PSX2
************************************************** ***********

Some extra features with a mod-chip..

Able to store emulators on the PSX2

Able to run PC games on a PSX2 when somebody designs a x86 emulator..


It would be a pretty crazy idea, you can tell somebodies going to design emulators as soon as the PS3 hits, well probably be able to emulate the Xbox Next and conquering x86 with 1 teraflop is easy as hell.

Dont know about Nintendo Revolution though, theyll probably use some other kind of disc and some good anti-piracy system.

EDIT: I cant wait to see the PSP used as remote control for the PSX2 :P

[Domination]

I would love to have the all-in-one system as well,but I don't want to be coming out of my pocket with a $1000 to purchase it neither.If Sony wants to sell this thing and keep others from purchasing their competitors' console,they have to keep it at a suitable price tag for atlease the mid teen buyers.

[Makaveli_786]

400 to 500 dollars is a good range, dont forget this is being thrown at the tech market, the dudes who take entertainment serious not kids who get pocket money from there mums.

[Domination]

400 to 500 dollars is a good range, dont forget this is being thrown at the tech market, the dudes who take entertainment serious not kids who get pocket money from there mums.

$400-$500 sounds like a resonable price as long as the pure game machine is $200-$300.And I agree.The all-in-one console is not really something meant for underage kids to purchase but jacking up the cost for those young adults out there because of this is not a good reason.

[Makaveli_786]

Man look at the features in there, most Blu-ray players will cost 200 dollars and then we get something for three times the price but twenty times the features, if you buy everything in the PSX seperately it will cost you about 1000 dollars but were getting it for 400 dollars.

If you buy everything in PSX2 seperately it could easily cost you over 3000 dollars.

[Webmaster]

Now you are probably wondering why would I buy the more expensive of the two versions of the PS3? The reason is because the more expensive one has more quality and will last longer.... They probably put more time in to perfect the more expensive one. :lol:

[NickSCFC]

No, because the more expensive one will have video recording, a bigger HDD, broadband TV...

[KlawHammer]

...the ability to tape DVDs...

[NickSCFC]

Now you are probably wondering why would I buy the more expensive of the two versions of the PS3? The reason is because the more expensive one has more quality and will last longer.... They probably put more time in to perfect the more expensive one. :lol:
Plus it's going to do everything you want, though the importance of this may depend on your PC.

[oxygenuk]

ill go for more expensive ps3 most probably for most entertainment

[freak outcast]

Am I the only one that thinks the artical is bogus? sure it may be real but it sounds like he knows nothing... I mean the whole damn thing sounds like he has no inside info and he is just guessing and really has no clue what hes talking about.. :?

[NickSCFC]

It's an official statement by the way.

[kevindenoyette]

I reckon it would be pretty wise of sony to make two versions. I bet they wouldn't make losses on the all singing, all dancing version. A lot of people would want that one. Me included.

[freak outcast]

It's an official statement by the way.

I know it's official but doesn't it sound like most of the artical is just speculation?!

[Pappy]

There would be to much controvery over the two. Sony is a huge company with lots of money and lots more to come. So what i suggest instead of having two versions of the system have 1 version that can do all that stuff. Sure at first they will spend a lot of money but gain a lot more back.