PlayStation 3 (commonly abbreviated PS3) is Sony Computer
Entertainment's seventh-generation video game console, third in the PlayStation
series. It is the successor to the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 and competes
primarily against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii.
The console was released on November 11, 2006, in Japan and on November 17,
2006, in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan. It will be released
March 23, 2007 in Europe, Australia and Singapore. It is available in two
initial configurations, the 20 GB Basic model and the 60 GB Premium model.
History
Sony officially unveiled the PlayStation 3 to the public on May 16, 2005, during
the 2005 E3 conference. A functional version of the console was not present at
E3 2005 nor the Tokyo Game Show in September 2005, although at both events
demonstrations were held on devkits (e.g. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the
Patriots) and comparable PC hardware, and video footage based on the predicted
PlayStation 3 specifications was also shown (e.g. Mobile Suit Gundam).[12] It
was not until E3 2006 that games were shown on actual PlayStation 3 systems. At
E3 2005, Sony said the PlayStation 3 would have two HDMI and three Ethernet
ports. This was later reduced to one of each, presumably to cut costs. The PS3
is capable of HD video output at resolutions of up to 1080p (1920 by 1080
progressive). The PS3 is the only console with a built-in "high-definition"
optical drive — both models come with a Blu-ray drive that runs at 2x speed.[13]
In preparation for launch, Sony demonstrated 27 playable PS3 titles during the
Tokyo Game Show in September 2006 on final hardware.[14]
Marketing
In what could be its first big advertising campaign, the PlayStation 3 was
featured in the advertising boards of 16 stadiums across Europe, during Matchday
1 of the UEFA Champions League 2006–2007 Group Stage, on September 12 and 13,
2006. However, on the other matchdays, the advertising was replaced by a PSP,
perhaps as a result of the system's launch delay. Television advertisements also
began airing in the United States, carrying the slogan "PLAY B3YOND - l l l 7."
The 3 that replaces the E in "BEYOND" (an example of leet) hearkens back to the
launch slogan of the PlayStation: "u r not e".
Originally, three ads aired for the console, none showcasing actual games. One
simply featured a baby doll staring at the PS3 and making gestures and sounds —
some of which is eerie laughter — as tears stream from its eyes. Another had the
PS3, in the same white-walled setting, sitting across from a Rubik's cube, which
suddenly levitated, solved itself, and exploded into colors on the four walls.
The third ad used the same white backdrop and, unlike the other two ads,
portrayed the motion-sensing controller by showing eggs rolling across the
floor. There were also two ads between one and two minutes long, which used the
same backdrop as the others, focusing on the capabilities of the Cell
microprocessor and the Blu-ray Disc. Another advertisment starts off in the same
setting before a wall bursts open and we are shown gameplay of Resistance: Fall
of Man.
System configuration
Feature Basic Premium
Upgradeable hard drive Yes, 20 GB Yes, 60 GB
Blu-ray drive Yes Yes
HDMI port Yes[15] Yes
Bluetooth controller Yes Yes
Ethernet Cable Yes Yes
Chrome trim No Yes
Built-in Wi-Fi No Yes
Flash card readers No Yes
The basic configuration of the console has a 20 GB internal hard drive. The
"premium" version of the PlayStation 3 comes with an internal 60 GB 2.5" Serial
ATA hard drive, IEEE 802.11b/g Wi-Fi connectivity, multiple flash memory card
readers (SD/MultiMedia Card, CompactFlash, Memory Stick) and features a
chrome-colored trim.[16] Both consoles now feature a silver-colored text logo on
the top face of the system. The hard drive is upgradeable, using the standard
Serial ATA interface. No official Wi-Fi or flash memory card adapters have yet
been released by Sony, although plans for such add-ons are in place.[17]
Nevertheless, as both models feature four USB 2.0 ports, wireless networking and
flash memory card support can already be obtained through the use of widely
available external USB adapters. No high-definition video cables are included;
instead, a composite video/stereo audio cable ships with the system. While Sony
will soon release an official PS3 component cable, their official PS2 component
cables are compatible with the PS3, as both consoles use the same AV Multi Out
jack.
Release data and pricing
Main article: PlayStation 3 launch
Suggested retail price by region*
Note: Pre-sale VAT was removed from US$ conversions Region Expected pricing at
release
20 GB 60 GB
Local US$ Local US$
Japan JP¥49,980 [15] $414
JP¥59,980 $497
United States[1] US$499 US$599
Canada[1] C$549 $472
C$659 $566
Hong Kong[18] HKD$3,180 $407
HKD$3,780 $484
Taiwan[19] NT$14,980 $454
NT$17,980 $545
United Kingdom[20] TBC GB£425 $830
Eurozone[21]
(excluding Ireland and Finland) €499 $656
€599 $787
Denmark[22] 4295 DKK† $757
5495 DKK† $969
Ireland[23] (Incl. VAT) €529.99 $696
€629.99 $828
Finland[24] €550 $723
€650 $854
Norway[25] TBC 5995 NOK† $974
Sweden[26] TBC 5999 SEK† $862
Switzerland[27]
CHF 749 $604
CHF 899 $725
Australia[28] TBC A$999.95 $785
New Zealand[29][30] NZ$999† $693
NZ$1199.95 $833
Singapore[31]
TBC S$799 $520
Mexico[32] MXN$8000 $732
MXN$10000 $916
Philippines[33] PHP31000 $643
PHP42000 $872
* Prices and release dates subject to change.
† Price not confirmed as official suggested retail priceThe PlayStation 3 was
released in Japan on November 11, 2006, at 07:00. There were reports that many
of the initial consoles were obtained by businessmen who paid mainly Chinese
nationals to buy the console without any software[34] to resell on eBay.
According to Media Create, 81,639 PS3 systems were sold within 24 hours of its
introduction in Japan.[35] Sony has opted to go with an open pricing scheme for
the 60 GB model, allowing retailers to set a price point themselves.[36]
The PlayStation 3 was released in North America on November 17, 2006. Reports of
violence surrounding the release of the PS3 include a customer shot,[37] campers
robbed at gunpoint,[38] customers shot in a drive-by shooting with BB guns,[39]
and 60 campers fighting over 10 systems.[40] In California, two GameStop
employees fabricated a robbery to cover up their own theft of several
PlayStation 3 and four Xbox 360 consoles.
On January 25, 2007, Sony announced that the launch date for the Australian and
European release of the PS3 will be March 23, 2007.[3] However, like the
European launch, the Australian launch will only feature the 60GB model for
AU$999 (including GST).
The official Singaporean release will be in March 2007,[31] with the price for
the 60 GB version set at S$799, without any games. It is expected that Sony
Singapore will sell it bundled with some games, so a price of approximately
S$1000 is expected.
The initial production cost is estimated to be US$805.85 for the 20 GB model and
US$840.35 for the 60 GB model.[41]
On January 7, 2007, Sony confirmed they met their goal of shipping over 1
million units to North America.[6] Just over a week later, on January 16, Sony
confirmed they had shipped 1 million units in Japan, bringing the worldwide
total to 2 million shipped.[7]
It is not yet easy to draw meaningful conclusions from early sales data. Some
journalists have judged the relative ease with which it is possible to buy a
PlayStation 3 in stores in America and Japan, compared with the scarcity of the
Nintendo Wii, as evidence of lukewarm consumer demand for the console.[42] There
have also been reports that some Japanese retailers are already discounting the
console to stimulate demand.[43] Sony, however, has countered that comfortable
levels of stock in store are evidence of its efficient supply chain.
Games
Main articles: List of PlayStation 3 games, Chronology of PlayStation 3 games,
and List of PlayStation Network games
The PlayStation 3 launched in North America and Japan with 15 titles by November
17, 2006. Resistance: Fall of Man had sold the most units after 5 days, and was
heavily praised by many gaming websites, including GameSpot and IGN, who awarded
it their PlayStation 3 Game of the Year award. Several planned launch titles
were delayed, such as F.E.A.R. and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The European
release of the PlayStation 3 will launch with a further 22 titles, including
Virtua Fighter 5, Splinter Cell: Double Agent and Enchanted Arms.
Major first party titles include the upcoming MotorStorm, an off-road racing
game; Heavenly Sword, an action-adventure game that won several awards at E3
2006; Killzone (working title); the sequel to the popular first-person shooter
for the PlayStation 2; Eight Days, a third-person shooter and driving game;
Lair, a fantasy adventure game that sees you take the role of a dragon rider;
and Warhawk; a third-person flying shooter that makes extensive use of the
PlayStation 3's SIXAXIS controller’s motion-sensing capabilities.
There is also an array of third party titles that are scheduled for release
exclusive to the PlayStation 3, such as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the
Patriots, reportedly the final chapter of Hideo Kojima's tactical espionage
epic; Devil May Cry 4, the third sequel in Capcom’s fast-paced
gun-slinging/sword-fighting series; Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus
XIII, a dual installment of the hugely popular Square Enix role-playing
franchise; Tekken 6, the continuation of the popular fighting series; and
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, the sequel to the chaotic third-person action
game.
Game development
The PlayStation 3 is based on open and publicly available application
programming interfaces. Sony has selected several technologies and arranged
several sublicensing agreements to create an advanced software development kit
for developers. In addition, in 2005 Sony purchased SN Systems, a former
provider of Microsoft Windows-based development tools for a variety of console
platforms; including PlayStation 2, GameCube, PSP and Nintendo DS to create
additional GNU development tools.[citation needed]
Open standards for OpenGL, matrix algorithms, and scene data are specified by
the Khronos Group, and are intended to work with nVidia's Cg programming
language. Scene data are stored with COLLADA v1.4, an open, XML-based file
format.[44] Rendering uses PSGL, a modified version of OpenGL ES 1.0 (OpenGL ES
2.0 compliant except for the use of Cg instead of GLSL), with extensions
specifically aimed at the PS3.[45] Other specifications include OpenMAX, a
collection of fast, cross-platform tools for general "media acceleration," such
as matrix calculations, and OpenVG, for hardware-accelerated 2D vector graphics.
These specifications have GPL, free for any use, and/or commercial
implementations by third parties.
Sublicensed technology includes complete game engines, physics libraries, and
special libraries. Engines include Epic's Unreal engine 3.0. Physics libraries
include AGEIA's PhysX SDK, NovodeX,[46] and Havok's physics and animation
engines.[47] Other tools include Nvidia's Cg 1.5 (a C-like shading language,
which HLSL was based upon), SpeedTree RT by Interactive Data Visualization, Inc.
(high-quality virtual foliage in real time), and Kynogon's Kynapse 4.0 "large
scale A.I.".[48]
Sony has considered using IPv6, the next generation of the Internet
Protocol.[49]
Some titles, such as Genji: Days of the Blade and Ridge Racer 7, allow users to
install 4–5 GB of game data to the hard drive, which dramatically improves load
times. In Genji, for example, the cached data apparently reduces load times from
15 seconds to 4 seconds.[50]
Backward compatibility
Sony stated that every PlayStation and PlayStation 2 game that observes its
respective system's TRC (Technical Requirements Checklist) would be playable on
PS3 at launch. SCE president Ken Kutaragi asked developers to adhere to the TRC
to facilitate compatibility with future PlayStations, stating that the company
was having some difficulty getting backward compatibility with games that had
not followed the TRCs. It has been confirmed (image) that initial PS3 units
include the CPU/rasterizer combination chip used in the slim PS2 (EE+GS) to
achieve backward compatibility.[51]
The PlayStation 3 does not include interfaces for legacy PlayStation
peripherals, though IGN.com tested a legacy controller using a PS2-to-USB
adapter, finding that it is compatible, though most other devices (such as the
Guitar Hero controller) may not be compatible.[52] USB devices for PlayStation 2
may be compatible with PlayStation 3. The PS3 supports both the USB EyeToy
camera/webcam and SOCOM Headset for video and voice chat. A memory card adapter
is available so users can save their PS/PS2 data to a virtual memory card on the
hard drive.[53] The PlayStation 3 can also use Memory Sticks to store save data
for PlayStation and PlayStation 2 software.[54]
At least 3% of the games from the previous generations of the PlayStation had
problems at launch such as dropped audio, freezes or controller malfunction[55].
Popular games reported to have this glitch include Tekken 5 and Gran Turismo.
Many games have also been reported to have problems with garbled or unreadable
text onscreen and generally blurry image quality. As of 2006-11-16, a firmware
upgrade has been posted online by Sony that is intended to address some of these
issues.[56] The January 24, 2007 firmware release, which updates the system to
version 1.50, has fully taken care of this problem.[57]
In addition, the backward compatibility function is region-locked.[58]
System software
Firmware
Similar to the PlayStation Portable (PSP), Sony has added the ability for
firmware updates to be downloaded and used on the PlayStation 3. The updates can
be installed via System Update, HDD, or a Game that requires a firmware update.
The latest version of firmware for the US and Japanese PlayStation 3 is version
1.51, released February 2, 2007. This update fixes graphical issues for PS1/PS2
games, adds additional security options, adds Edy payment options for Japan,[59]
and includes other minor XMB updates.[60]
Graphical user interface
Main article: Cross Media Bar
PS3's XMB (Cross Media Bar) InterfaceThe PlayStation 3 version of the Cross
Media Bar (Xross Media Bar, or XMB) includes 8 categories of options. These
include: Users, Settings, Photo, Music, Video, Game, Network and Friends
(similar to the psp media bar). The PS3 includes the ability to store different
user profiles, explore photos, play music and movies from the hard drive,
compatibility for a USB Keyboard and Mouse, a full Internet browser and a
Friends menu. Also, the PlayStation 3 adds the ability to multitask in ways such
as listening to music while surfing the web or looking at pictures.[61] The
PlayStation 3 XMB supports a variety of file formats (audio, image, video).
Because PlayStation 3 is capable of running Linux, other formats can be played
through the operating system, assuming the correct codec is present. In a
separate demo Sony presented the "Marketplace" where users can buy and download
music. The PS3 reserves 64 MB of RAM at all times for XMB functions.
The XMB's default background color changes depending on the current month of the
year, and it changes brightness depending on the time of day.[citation needed]Q-Games
Ltd, a small development company based in Kyoto, Japan, developed the graphics
technology behind the XMB, its stylized background, and the built-in music
visualizers. The PlayStation 3 uses a version of the NetFront browser by Access
Co. as its internal web browser. It is the same browser used in the PSP
(Sony-branded NetFront 2.81) with the same interface, menus and virtual
keyboard. Sony has also worked with Stanford University to bring the
Folding@home project to the PS3.[62] When downloaded, the program will run when
the system is idle.
Linux
Main article: PlayStation 3 linux
Gentoo Linux installed on a PS3.Sony has made an option in the XMB menu to
install other operating systems.[63] Among other Linux distributions, Ubuntu,
Fedora Core 5, Gentoo, Debian, and Yellow Dog have been run on the
PS3[64][65][66].
Sony currently implements a hypervisor restricting RSX access[67], though the
graphics are fast enough for emulation of some old systems. Linux has access to
6 of the 7 SPEs, and IBM provides an introduction to programming parallel
applications on the PlayStation 3 [4].
“ Because we have plans for having Linux on board [the PS3], we also recognize
Linux programming activities… Other than game studios tied to official developer
licenses, we'd like to see various individuals participate in content creation
for the PS3. ”
—on the presence of the Linux in the PS3.[68]
Wikibooks Linux Guide has a page concerning the
PlayStation 3
PlayStation Network
Main article: PlayStation Network
In response to Microsoft's Xbox Live network, Sony announced a unified online
service for the PlayStation 3 console at the 2006 PlayStation Business Briefing
meeting in Tokyo. Sony has confirmed that the service will be always
connected,[69] free and include multiplayer support. However, developers are
permitted to charge a subscription fee, as is common with MMO games.
The Xfire client can be integrated into games to provide various match-making
facilities, at a cost to the publisher.[70]
At the Tokyo Game Show on September 21, 2006, it was revealed that users will be
able to download some of the thousands of PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 titles
from the PlayStation Network for about $5 to $15, starting with those with the
smallest game data. The reason to allow this kind of functionality is that Sony
wants to allow the users to choose the games of their preference. Ken Kutaragi
also announced functionality with other consoles, similar to Nintendo's Virtual
Console, including confirmed Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16 functionality.
However, Sega has replied that Sony has been too hasty with calling it a fact.
Sega is currently reviewing the possibilities, but has not yet made a decision
on it.[71]
The registration interface can only be accessed through the PS3 system
interface.[72] The on-screen input method for the system is a T9 "dial pad"
system (similar to writing a text message on a mobile phone) that predicts words
as they are typed. This is the only method of input available out of the box
(that is, without a compatible USB keyboard).[73] The predictive text does not
predict any capitalized words, causing users that want to make use of this
feature to input all words in lowercase and then go back and capitalize the
first letters (if needed). An alternative is to add words to the system’s
built-in predictive text dictionary; also, the unit automatically keeps track of
any inputted terms.[73]
PlayStation Portable connectivity
The PlayStation Portable can connect with the PlayStation 3 in many ways,
including in-game connectivity. For example, Formula One 06, a racing game, was
shown at E3 2006 using a PSP as a real-time rear-view mirror.[74] In addition,
it is possible to download PlayStation 1 games to the PlayStation 3 from the
PlayStation Store. These games are not playable on the PS3; however, they can be
sent to a PSP, where they can then be played using the PSP's PlayStation
Emulator.[75] Sony has been criticized for making this feature exclusive to the
PSP, given the limited supply available compared to the number of PSP units on
the market.[citation needed]
Sony has also demonstrated the PSP playing back video content, including 1080p
content from the PlayStation 3 hard disk across an ad-hoc wireless network. This
feature is referred to as Remote Play.[76]
PlayStation 3 cluster
Given the computing capabilities of the machine, there is some interest in using
PS3 to build supercomputers for high-performance computing[77] (the NCSA has
already built a cluster based on the PlayStation 2).[78] Terra Soft Solutions
has a version of Yellow Dog Linux for the PlayStation 3[79] and even sells PS3s
with Linux pre-installed.[80] In addition, RapidMind is pushing their stream
programming package for the PS3.[81]
Hardware
Silver PlayStation 3 at E3 2006Unless otherwise noted, the following
specifications are based on a press release by Sony at the 2005 E3
Conference,[82] and slides from a Sony presentation at the 2006 Game Developer's
Conference.[83]
Central processing unit
Main article: Cell microprocessor
The PS3's 3.2-GHz Cell processor, developed jointly by Sony, Toshiba and IBM ("STI"),
is an implementation to dynamically assign physical processor cores to do
different types of work independently. It has a PowerPC-based "Power Processing
Element" (PPE) and six accessible 3.2-GHz Synergistic Processing Elements (SPEs).
A seventh runs in a special mode and is dedicated to aspects of the OS and
security, and an eighth is disabled to improve production yields. The PPE, SPEs
and other elements ("units") are connected via an Element Interconnect Bus which
serves to connect all of the units in a ring-style bus. The PPE has a 512-KB
level 2 cache and one VMX vector unit. Each SPE is a RISC processor with 128-bit
SIMD GPRs and superscalar functions. Each SPE contains 256 KB of non-cached
memory (local storage, "LS") that is shared by program code and work data. SPEs
may access more data in the main memory using DMA. The floating point
performance of the whole system (CPU + GPU) is reported to be 2 TFLOPS[82].
PlayStation 3's Cell CPU achieves 204 GFLOPS single precision float and 15
GFLOPS double precision. The PS3 has 256 MB of Rambus XDR DRAM, clocked at CPU
die speed.
The Cell microprocessor allows programmers to assign SPEs different work by
running individual programs on them. Programmers may also arrange data flow in
different ways, for example using parallel, pipelined or streamed processing
data flow models. As an example for parallel processing performance gains, one
core could work on decoding and multiplexing audio, another core may perform
computations on realistic projectiles ballistics, while another might govern the
activities of the main character. The programmer still has three more cores not
yet assigned but the only remaining tasks are to collect the work performed and
display the results on the screen. Since the program code on each SPE core is
executed from its local store memory, much more Element Interconnect Bus
bandwidth is available to transfers of work data. An obvious downside to this is
that there is a 256-KB size restriction on SPE programs, which may present a
challenge for certain programming tasks.
Graphics processing unit
Main article: RSX 'Reality Synthesizer'
The Graphics Processing Unit is based on the NVIDIA G70 (previously known as
NV47) architecture, which focuses on maximizing per-pixel computation in favor
of raw pixel output. The GPU will make use of 256-MB GDDR3 VRAM clocked at 700
MHz and the XDR main memory via the CPU.
Connectivity
The article Blu-ray Disc contains related information
The PS3 supports numerous SDTV and HDTV resolutions (from 480i up to 1080p) and
connectivity options (such as HDMI 1.3[84] and component video)[85]. In terms of
audio, the PS3 supports a number of formats, including 7.1 digital audio, Dolby
TrueHD, and others; audio output is possible over stereo RCA cables (analog),
optical digital cables, or HDMI. For the optical drive, a wide variety of DVD
and CD formats are supported, as well as Blu-ray Discs. A 20 GB / 60 GB 2.5"
SATA 150 hard disk is pre-installed. In the 60 GB configuration, flash memory
can also be used — either Memory Stick, CompactFlash, or SD/MMC. For
communication, the PS3 has one Gigabit Ethernet port, four USB 2.0 ports, and
supports Bluetooth 2.0 EDR.
Form factor and power consumption
The console has many ventilation holes, a single large fan, and uses heat
pipes;. Physically, the PlayStation 3 is approximately 5 kg (11 lb), 9.8 cm ×
32.5 cm × 27.4 cm (3.9 in. × 12.8 in. × 10.8 in.). The power supply is built
into the console and a standard 3-pin IEC connector is present at the base of
the console. All current PS3 power supplies are Universal 100V-240V/50–60 Hz and
will work worldwide, external power markings only relate to the intended market
area [citation needed]. The power consumption ranges from 150–200 watts during
normal use [5].
Accessories
Main article: PlayStation 3 accessories
The PlayStation 3 Wireless ControllerThe PlayStation 3 SIXAXIS[86] is a
controller that is nearly identical to that of the predecessor's DualShock 2.
The SIXAXIS features finer analog sensitivity;[87] more trigger-like R2 and L2
buttons; a PS (“home”) button; and a USB mini-B port for charging the internal
battery and for wired play. The PlayStation 3 supports up to 7 simultaneous
controllers over Bluetooth.[16] The SIXAXIS is named for its ability to detect
motion in the full six degrees. However, unlike the PlayStation 2's DualShock,
the new controller has no vibration feature. The controller retails for
US$49.99.
The PlayStation 3 Memory Card Adaptor is a device that allows data to be
transferred from PlayStation and PlayStation 2 memory cards to the PlayStation
3's hard disk. The device has a cable that connects to the PS3's USB port on one
end, and features a legacy PS2 memory card port on the other end. The adaptor is
available at a price of US$14.99 in the United States and JP¥1500 (including
tax) in Japan.
Using Bluetooth, the PlayStation 3 BD Remote allows users to easily control
videos and music on Blu-ray Disc and DVD. In Japan, the device was available
starting December 7, 2006, and costs JP¥3,800. The device is also currently
available in North America for US$24.99.[6] However, the PS3 will accept signals
only via its Bluetooth Remote, as the console does not have an infrared
receiver. This prevents the use of universal remotes with the system. The Blu-ray
Disc movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby was included with the
initial 400,000 release copies of the PS3 in North America[88], whilst the first
500,000 European PlayStation Network activations after launch will receive a
free copy of the Blu-Ray release of Casino Royale.[89]
Official PlayStation 3 HDMI cables retail for US$60. No HDMI cable is included
with the PlayStation 3 system. An official component AV cable is available for
US$24.99.
Reception
Initial reaction to the PlayStation 3 in the mainstream media has been very
mixed. Some commentators have praised the console’s technical ability; CNET, for
example, awarded it a high score of 8.8 out of a possible 10 and voted it as the
number one must-have gadget,[90] praising its robust graphical capabilities and
stylish exterior design while criticizing its limited selection of available
games.[91] Also, Home Theatre Reviews has given the console's Blu-Ray playback
very favorable reviews, stating that the quality of playback exceeds that of
many current standalone Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players.[92][93]
Nonetheless other journalists have been sharply critical of the console, often
citing its high price compared to other seventh-generation competitors (faulting
its strategy of bundling the expensive Blu-ray format with the machine), as well
as corporate arrogance from some Sony officials in pre- and post-launch
statements. Todd Howard, the executive producer of Bethesda Softworks, in an
interview with Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine criticised the Blu-Ray Disc
drive’s read speed for being too slow: “Drive speed matters more to me [than
capacity], and Blu-ray is slower.”[94] Bethesda Softworks' Pete Hines however
stated that "reports of data duplication on the PS3 Oblivion disc have been
exaggerated", and that XBox360 also uses the same data duplication strategy.
[95]
The PS3 was given the number eight spot on PC World magazine’s list of “The Top
21 Tech Screwups of 2006,” where it was criticized for being “Late, Expensive,
and Incompatible.”[96] Another review of the same origin stated that the PS3
"truly is technologically superior to both the Xbox 360 and the Wii". However,
it went on to say that to succeed, Sony and its third-party partners must tap
into their traditional strength of delivering compelling games for the
console.[97] The February 2007 issue of EGM featured a main story titled "BattleStation!"
in which the magazine voiced much of the gamer, analyst, and developer criticism
against the PS3 (to be fair, they also included an interview with Sony's US
Chief of Operations.)[98] In an article conducted in early January 2007 (and
published in the February 2007 edition of Electronics Gaming Monthly) Sony
America's President Jack Tretton made statement that he would pay a $1200 per
machine bounty to the interviewer if he found a PS3 available on store shelves:
JT: If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that's been on shelves for
more than five minutes, I'll give you 1,200 bucks for it. I can get any retail
buyer on the phone with you and get them to verify that there's not a single
retail location in America where there's a Playstation 3 on the shelf for sale.
They've all been sold out in a matter of minutes.
EGM called 18 random retailers after this interview, and claims they were able
to find as many as 20 in some stores, and at least half the stores they called
had PS3's available for sale. The writers of Penny Arcade made this a point of
their February 10, 2007 comic strip and posted a larger explanation to their
site. Sony's public relations and high-ranking officials have had many similar
incidents in claiming that the PS3's consumer sales and public reaction are much
better than the reality in the stores.
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