PS3 HDD REQUIRED to Play Games but is NOT Standard?

[mckmas8808]

Reported by Yahoo.
http://uk.videogames.games.yahoo.com/25/news/ps3-will-have-hard-drive-as-standard-3c0925.html



Surely this will silence the nay-sayers. Or will it...

Not enough for me either. Even though I belive it will be bundled with every system, I'm waiting for Phil to say next week personally.

 

[rounin]

PS3 Harddrive CONFIRMED v2

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=8579

Now we have a true confirmation I think (at least more credible than unnamed sources)

Sony has confirmed to Gamasutra that the PlayStation 3 will come with a 60GB hard drive as standard, removing the ambiguity on the issue, following potentially confusing statements from Sony's Ken Kutaragi at the developer's Tokyo conference last week.

The news was reported today by various news sites, and has been confirmed to Gamasutra by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe PR Manager Jonathan Fargher. The 60GB hard drive will be the default size, with other larger sizes available as separate peripherals. This follows Kutaragi's already acknowledged comments that all games will require a hard drive in order to run.

 

[c0_re]

SWEEEEEEEEEEET


edit: In retrospect I guess this makes sence especially if the BR dirve is only going to be 1-3X

 

[function]

Anyone fancy having a stab at PS3 launch pricing?

For Europe I'll guess ... £350? Europe has always been a goldmine for Sony with their hugely inflated prices. It'll be interesting to see if they follow MS's line in not price hiking, seeing as they've followed them on the global launch thing.

 

[Synergy34]

Question for me is, will the 60gig come in the box or will Sony allow us to pick what HDD we want to buy with the system. So, standard but not in the box. I wouldn't mind grabbing a 100gig instead. But if the 60 comes in the box, I wouldn't spend more money for the upgrade.

 

[Titanio]

I can't shake the feeling this SCEE PR guy may be simply relying on reports, and not internal information from SCEI. It's a little troublesome that all these confirmations are seemingly coming from SCEE. If SCEI in Japan confirmed it, I'd feel better about this!

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Same thing from next-gen but with more clarificaction (which muddies the water...)

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2529&Itemid=2

A Sony spokesperson said, "We [SCEE] didn't confirm it, but it was confirmed at the media briefing by Ken Kutaragi. It's a fully upgradable, 60 gig hard drive that will come pre-packaged with the system."

Although the rep did say that the inclusion of the hard drive was confirmed at the recent PlayStation Business Briefing, it was unclear whether or not Kutaragi's comments about the hard drive being "mandatory" equated to the hard drive being "included".

Sounds more like 'we understood KK to mean' than 'we can confirm such and such'. Now whether they were privvy to this knowledge before hand, and KK's message just got lost in translation or poor choice of words, we don't really know. But the extra 'proof' and confirmation is all going back to KK's brief, which we've all heard or read about and couldn't agree upon.

 

[dizzyd]

I can't shake the feeling this SCEE PR guy may be simply relying on reports, and not internal information from SCEI. It's a little troublesome that all these confirmations are seemingly coming from SCEE. If SCEI in Japan confirmed it, I'd feel better about this!

If it is not true we should see a retraction from Sony soon especially since a Sony source was named in the article.

 

[ROG27]

[Speculation. But bound to happen.]

Sony is bundling a HDD with every unit. This is awesome because PS3 is a 'Location Free Server/Client Unit', meaning you will be able to use another device (i.e. PSP, another PS3, etc.) in some remote location and access files on the PS3 HDD at the home location (because PS3 is always on, probably with some sort of standby enabled, and connected to a broadband network). In this way, the PS3 HDD will not have to be made physically portable (even though it is 'removable') like that of the X360's HDD. If there is ever a reason you need to access content physically stored on your PS3's HDD while at a friend's house playing his/her PS3, you can do so using this 'Location Free' feature. Pure unadulterated awesomeness.

[/Specuation that will come true if 'Location Free' has anything to do with it.]

 

[Sethamin]

I still get this funny feeling like Sony is playing fast and loose with their wording. They keep saying it will be "pre-packaged" and "default" with the PS3, but I still have yet to hear them say whether a HDD will always ship with the PS3 (a la Xbox1). It seems like this is going to be more like the PSP value pack, where it's the only offering but doesn't preclude cheaper offerings in the future. I just can't believe that they'd be stupid enough to not allow themselves some way to ship a SKU sans HDD. Without that, they'll never be able to hit the $199 or $150 price point without selling at a loss, and that's where the bulk of your install base is built up. It just doesn't add up to me.

 

[ROG27]

I still get this funny feeling like Sony is playing fast and loose with their wording. They keep saying it will be "pre-packaged" and "default" with the PS3, but I still have yet to hear them say whether a HDD will always ship with the PS3 (a la Xbox1). It seems like this is going to be more like the PSP value pack, where it's the only offering but doesn't preclude cheaper offerings in the future. I just can't believe that they'd be stupid enough to not allow themselves some way to ship a SKU sans HDD. Without that, they'll never be able to hit the $199 or $150 price point without selling at a loss, and that's where the bulk of your install base is built up. It just doesn't add up to me.

Hey, you stole my logic ....I've been arguing the "PS3 value pack" since the beginning of this thread.

 

[ROG27]

Here check out some excerpts from my posts:

...as the harddrive being removable makes hitting a cost-floor a non-factor (because a harddrive doesn't necessarily have to be phyically included inside every unit...although it could very well be bundled a la PSP Value-Pack, as I was arguing before). Later in the PS3's lifecycle, when Sony is more concerned with cost-reduction, Sony can just start making SKUs without a harddrive bundled. Simple as that. The reason MS had a problem with the XBOX 1 is because that unit could physically not be separated from the harddrive, as the harddrive was internal and unremovable.

The fact that developers must develop as though the harddrive could be present on all machines is not a mutually dependent factor on whether or not the SKU will be bundled with a HDD or not.

This is why there will be a one SKU PS3 Value Pack (including 'bundled' HDD) when PS3 launches...mark my words.

Sony's later iteration of the PS3 SKU may or may not have the HDD 'bundled'...but you can bet the intial one will. The inclusion of such a peripheral makes otherwise expensive hardware seem attractive. It will also lower the demand slightly to keep the limited initial supply in-line with demand, until production can be ramped up to a level where the cost savings can be passed on to the consumer. It is a marketing tactic that worked well with the PSP...Sony will do the same with the PS3.

I think the issue with splitting the user-base is only an issue when there is a divide in the beginning. That's establishing two separate, independently growing user-bases. If for the first year or two, every user who purchases a PS3 is forced to pick up the 'bundled' harddrive, the precedent will be set by the one userbase that every PS3 will have a harddrive...even though, technically, Sony could introduce another SKU (or revise the one SKU) without a harddrive to allow user's more flexibility with harddrive choices as they are introduced and to cut costs on their end. The precedent of an installed user base all having a harddrive is what's important...not the fact that a harddrive is or isn't included with the system over the entire life of the system.

 

[scooby_dooby]

Here check out some excerpts from my posts

What's your point? This still has not been confirmed.

"A Sony spokesperson said, "We [SCEE] didn't confirm it, but it was confirmed at the media briefing by Ken Kutaragi. It's a fully upgradable, 60 gig hard drive that will come pre-packaged with the system.""

Umm...sorry Sony PR guy but no it was not confirmed by KK at the media briefing. He explicitly stated he was unsure.

I know your anxious to believe this, but seriously, do a little critical analysis of the sources before jumping for joy.

 

[rounin]

Well seeing as how a PR manager was named (Jonathan Fargher, you can google him) and confirmed it as standard with the PS3, I think it would be safe to believe that it will be standard (with a reasonable understanding of the word) with every PS3 for now and look forward to it.

 

[mckmas8808]

What's your point? This still has not been confirmed.
Umm...sorry Sony PR guy but no it was not confirmed by KK at the media briefing. He explicitly stated he was unsure.

I know your anxious to believe this, but seriously, do a little critical analysis of the sources before jumping for joy.

Common sense tells us that it will be bundled a la PSP value pack. But then again you never know, Sony could go stupid on us and not bundle it and request everyone to buy one on day one just to play the games made for it.

Let's hope that the stores don't run out of HDD's. If they do that means no PS3 gameplay for me.

 

[dukmahsik]

Consumer Name: David Jones
Consumer Email: cjeblack@aol.com
Message from Consumer:
Hello
In light of recent announcments would it be possible to update your spec page for Playstation 3 here
http://www.playstation.com/products.html
To clearly state the 60GB HDD is standard.
Thanks


Hello David,

Thank you for writing us.

The PlayStation(R)3 (PS3) computer entertainment system will include a slot for a detachable 2.5"
Hard Disc Drive (HDD). The HDD will be sold separately. We do not have any additional details
about the HDD at the present time. For the latest updates and announcements about the PlayStation
3 system, please visit our Press Release section of our website.

http://www.us.playstation.com/PressReleases.aspx

If you have further questions regarding this message, please refer to your email case
number:3334396.

Eric
Multimedia CSR
Sony Computer Entertainment America
Consumer Services Department

Image of email

http://img476.imageshack.us/img476/1999/ps3hdd3uu.jpg

 

[Titanio]

An SCEE rep easily trumps a customer service guy, but I still would query where the SCEE rep is getting his info - from SCEI internally, or from interpretations/translations of Kutaragi's comments?

 

[scooby_dooby]

Well seeing as how a PR manager was named (Jonathan Fargher, you can google him) and confirmed it as standard with the PS3, I think it would be safe to believe that it will be standard (with a reasonable understanding of the word) with every PS3 for now and look forward to it.

do you even READ the words that this PR manager spoke? He says explicitly "we are NOT confirming it, but KK confirmed it a few days ago"

Well, actually no KK did not confirm it a few days ago, all this shows is there is some horrible miscommunication within Sony itself.

 

[dukmahsik]

An SCEE rep easily trumps a customer service guy, but I still would query where the SCEE rep is getting his info - from SCEI internally, or from interpretations/translations of Kutaragi's comments?

sure it does i agree, im just passing along info

 

[mckmas8808]

sure it does i agree, im just passing along info

Thanks for trying though. Smart idea.