____________________________________________________________________

INTRODUCTION
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LAUNCH DATES:

JAPAN - Saturday, November 11, 2006
USA - Friday, November 17th, 2006

Well, as is custom I've whipped up another one of these threads (exactly one month in advance, like the other launch threads)... to be updated, periodically, with new information as it comes. If you feel something needs to be added, any images that will fit into this format, any information you've got shuffled... say so, I'll do my best to implement it.

The behemoth of next-gen systems, the successor to the throne, Sony's PLAYSTATION 3 looms high on the horizon of the gaming world. There have been a lot of ups, and a lot of downs (a lot of downs) on the road to launch, but there's finally nothing gonna stop this bitch from landing in stores at the above specified date. There will be riots, there will be shenanigans... and there will be GAF, here to suck it all up.

As I indicated in the 360 launch thread, let's keep the KIOSK impressions here. I don't want fifty billion people making "I played a PS3 and made a thread to tell the tale", which happened then. Let's keep it clean, troll-free and a good experience for everyone as we anticipate the PS3.

Let the festitivies begin. And as always, thanks for everyone who contributed to the information gathered here.

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BASICS I: SYSTEM/SKU DETAILS
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PlayStation 3 Core Pack:

Price - JP¥49,980/$499.99

Includes -

(1) Wireless PS3 SixAxis Controller
(1) PlayStation 3 Console
(1) 20GB HDD
Wires/Instructions, etc
HDMI

PlayStation 3 Premium Pack:

Price - JP¥ Open Price/$599.99

Includes -

(1) Wireless PS3 SixAxis Controller
(1) PlayStation 3 Console
(1) 60GB HDD
IEEE 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
MemoryStick/SD/CompactFlash Slots
HDMI

Accessories:

Note: Due to limited information at the moment, this will be updated more at a later date.

● SixAxis Controller - JP¥5000/$???
● PS3 Blu-Ray Remote Control - JP¥3,600/$???
● PS3 Memory Card Reader - JP¥1,500/$???

Press Release

Images


PS3 Blu-Ray Remote

PS3 Memory Card Reader
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BASICS II: SPECIFICATIONS
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HARDWARE:

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.)

CPU: Cell Processor

● PowerPC-base Core @3.2GHz
● 1 VMX vector unit per core
● 512KB L2 cache
● 7 x SPE @3.2GHz
● 7 x 128b 128 SIMD GPRs
● 7 x 256KB SRAM for SPE
● * 1 of 8 SPEs reserved for redundancy total floating point performance: 218 GFLOPS

GPU: RSX @500MHz

● 1.8 TFLOPS floating point performance
● Full HD (up to 1080p) x 2 channels
● Multi-way programmable parallel floating point shader pipelines

Sound: Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell-base processing)

Memory:

● 256MB XDR Main RAM @3.2GHz
● 256MB GDDR3 VRAM @700MHz

System Bandwidth:

● Main RAM: 25.6GB/s
● VRAM: 22.4GB/s
● RSX: 20GB/s (write) + 15GB/s (read)
● SB: 2.5GB/s (write) + 2.5GB/s (read)

System Floating Point Performance: 2 TFLOPS

Storage:

● HDD (20/60GB included)
● Detachable 2.5” HDD slot x 1

I/O:

● USB: USB 2.0 x 4
● Memory Stick: standard/Duo, PRO x 1
● SD: standard/mini x 1
● CompactFlash: (Type I, II) x 1

Communication: Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T) x3 (input x 1 + output x 1)

Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g

Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)

Controller:

● Bluetooth (up to 7)
● USB2.0 (wired)
● Wi-Fi (PSP®)
● Network (over IP)

AV Output:

● Screen size: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
● HDMI: HDMI out x 1
● Analog: AV MULTI OUT x 1
● Digital audio: DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) x 1

CD Disc media (read only):

● PlayStation CD-ROM
● PlayStation 2 CD-ROM
● CD-DA (ROM), CD-R, CD-RW
● SACD Hybrid (CD layer), SACD HD
● DualDisc (audio side), DualDisc (DVD side)

DVD Disc media (read only):

● PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM
● PLAYSTATION 3 DVD-ROM
● DVD-Video: DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW

Blu-ray Disc media (read only):

● PLAYSTATION 3 BD-ROM
● BD-Video: BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE

Source, 1, 2

CONTROLLER:



It is important to note that the SIXAXIS PS3 controller has two noteworthy new additions, outside of the 'home' central PS button, wireless and controller # indicators. For one, it can detect 'six degrees of motion' - thus, the name - and it has no rumble functionality. The controller motion control is utilized in such titles as Warhawk, LAIR and Resistance and offers a new layer of interactivity for those interested. For more in-depth information, read the Press Release.

And as an aside, yes the system does actually have support for up to 7 controllers. Here's an image of the feature being utilized in NBA 2k7: Click

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BASICS III: PLAYSTATION OS/NETWORK
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Since some features are still being revealed, this is also going to receive updates as we learn the ins-and-outs.







FEATURES:

● Username (Multiple)/Account Creation
● Friends List
● Voice and Video chat
● PSP Connectivitity
● Online rankings
● PlayStation "Electronic" Game Downloads (fl0w, Criminal Crackdown, etc)
● PSOne, PS2 and PSP games downloadable
● PlayStation Store (items sold by real currency, not points)
● FREE Online Gaming (except for Massively multiplayer online titles/downloadable content)
● Web Browsing
● Keyboard/Mouse USB support

OS Key Features:

● CD Streaming/Ripping
● Photo Viewing
● Movie Viewing
● Yellowdog Linux Available (!!)
● Backward Compatibility with PS2/PSOne entire back catalog

I will analyze some of the most prominent features a little later.

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BASICS IV: PLAYSTATION ARCADE
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Some titles revealed so far include...

Blast Factor - Developed by Bluepoint Games, Blast Factor brings together “old school” and “new school” arcade action. Supporting true High Definition (HD) at full 1080p and taking advantage of the PS3™ system’s advanced processing power, Blast Factor delivers a visually stunning experience as gamers work their way through each specimen, cell by cell exploring an all-new world and gameplay experience. Includes self-adjusting difficulty, integrated use of SixAxis controller, and global online rankings.




flOw - flOw is the first game ever to come from the university to first-party publishing on a major console. Initially an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) thesis, flOw is a game about piloting an aquatic organism through a surreal biosphere where players consume other organisms, evolve, and advance their organisms down toward the abyss. The stunning graphics and power of PLAYSTATION®3 system set the stage for a truly unique gameplay experience. With an embedded design of DDA (dynamic difficulty adjustment), players with differing skill levels can intuitively customize their game experience and enjoy the game at their own pace. Players can also customize the appearance of their organisms based on gameplay. Includes integrated SixAxis controller use, global online creature sharing and more. Trailer.




Go Soduku - What needs to be said? Sudoku!



Lemmings 2 - Bitch, it's lemmings.



Swizzle Blocks - Uhm, not sure...




Criminal Crackdown - Reported to be David Jaffe's latest game, it's said to be a mix of Twisted Metal and Bomberman. This is what he dropped HL for, so it better be damn good!



Others include...

Gripshift - Includes new levels, enhanced graphics and music and more over the PSP version.
Crash Carnage Ciaos
Wheel of Fortune

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BASICS V: LAUNCH GAMES
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Launch Window is ever evolving, and I'm sure some shit won't make it and others aren't listed here and who knows! I sure as hell am too lazy to worry about it, so here's a tentative list of what to expect...

* November 9 - Call of Duty 3 - Activision - Shooter
* November 9 - Marvel: Ultimate Alliance - Activision - Action RPG
* November 09 - Tony Hawk's Project 8 - Activision - Action Sports
* November 11 - Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom - Sony Online Entertainment - Action RPG
* November 16 - Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII - Ubisoft - Flight
* November 16 - Full Auto 2: Battlelines - SEGA - Racing Combat
* November 17 - Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire - Bandai - Mecha Action
* November 17 - Madden NFL 07 - Electronic Arts - Sports
* November 17 - College Hoops 2K7 - 2K Sports - Sports
* November 17 - Sonic the Hedgehog - SEGA - Platformer
* November 17 - Need for Speed Carbon - Electronic Arts - Racing
* November 17 - The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Bethesda Softworks - RPG
* November 17 - Ridge Racer 7 - NAMCO BANDAI Group - Racing
* November 17 - F.E.A.R. - Vivendi Games - Tactical Shooter
* November 17 - Resistance: Fall of Man - Sony Computer Entertainment - Shooter
* November 17 - NBA Live 07 - Electronic Arts - Sports
* November 17 - NBA '07: The Life Volume 2 - Sony Computer Entertainment - Sports
* November 17 - Genji: Days of the Blade - Sony Computer Entertainment - Action
* November 17 - Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 - Electronic Arts - Sports
* November 17 - Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas - Ubisoft - Shooter
* November 17 - NHL 2K7 - 2K Sports - Sports
* November 17 - NBA 2K7 - 2K Sports - Sports
* December 12 - Fight Night Round 3 - Electronic Arts - Sports

Source

MORE IS COMING

Insert Games

Insert Games 2

Insert Games 3/Conclusion

One more month! YEAH!

Four more month !! Hummmm..Yeah ?

The japanese core price is ¥42k

Tomorrow the announcement of american version price drop.

Sirolf said:

Four more month !! Hummmm..Yeah ?

Click to expand...

In Europe

acabado said:

The japanese core price is ¥42k

Tomorrow the announcement of american version price drop.

Click to expand...

No, it's ¥49k. Click

They call it playstation arcade? Seriously?

elostyle said:

They call it playstation arcade? Seriously?

Click to expand...

No, I don't know what they call it.

acabado said:

The japanese core price is ¥42k

Tomorrow the announcement of american version price drop.

Click to expand...

Don't get your hopes up

In Europe

Click to expand...

**SOB**
Reading GAF will be intolerable this november.:lol

Good stuff!

Some of the features listed under Playstation Network are perhaps a little out of place, but I know you wanted to put them somewhere. The ones I've bolded aren't really network related:

● Username (Multiple)/Account Creation
● Friends List
● Voice and Video chat
● PSP Connectivitity
● CD Streaming/Ripping
● Online rankings
● PlayStation "Electronic" Game Downloads (fl0w, Criminal Crackdown, etc)
● PSOne, PS2 and PSP games downloadable
● PlayStation Store (items sold by real currency, not points)
● FREE Online Gaming (except for Massively multiplayer online titles/downloadable content)
● Photo Viewing
● Movie Viewing
● Web Browsing
● Yellowdog Linux Available (!!)
● Keyboard/Mouse USB support
● Backward Compatibility with PS2/PSOne entire back catalog

Click to expand...

Maybe you could have a seperate "basics" section on the OS? And maybe one for Linux? (I was thinking of making an 'official' PS3 Linux thread..)

what was the bigger price?

awsome. less than 1 month to go

i am so buying:
* November 17 - Ridge Racer 7 - NAMCO BANDAI Group - Racing
* November 17 - Resistance: Fall of Man - Sony Computer Entertainment - Shooter


also. wasnt FEAR delayed till next year for PS3? i am not sure but i think i read it some where.

Yeah, I just mean PlayStation Network as a platform... you know, sort of Sony's answer to XBL type thing so I included all things possible, not necessarily that those things require use of the network

Wait,

Wired controller in 20gb pack

What!!

travisbickle said:

Wait,

Wired controller in 20gb pack

What!!

Click to expand...

Isn't it? I'm sure I read it somewhere that it comes with a wired USB SixAxis controller, but I'd love to be wrong.

Official flOw Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5YPMU5dFJA

Amir0x said:

Isn't it? I'm sure I read it somewhere that it comes with a wired USB SixAxis controller, but I'd love to be wrong.

Click to expand...

i thought its the same wireless blue tooth controller but the wire comes for charging.

there is no wired controller as far as i know

Amir0x said:

Isn't it? I'm sure I read it somewhere that it comes with a wired USB SixAxis controller, but I'd love to be wrong.

Click to expand...

All PS3 controllers are wireless. Well atleast the SixAxis that ship with the system.

I was told my local Gamestop will have a Kiosk the 1st week of November. I have no idea how reliable that information is.

so its a seven controller max or can you have 7 wireless + 2 wired?

Alright, changed

Kabuki Waq said:

so its a seven controller max or can you have 7 wireless + 2 wired?

Click to expand...

7 max. Although, I'm sure it won't ever be used, since the controller has 4 lights and I presume it'll be limited. What game will use even 6 controllers, really?

Amir0x said:

Alright, changed



7 max. Although, I'm sure it won't ever be used, since the controller has 4 lights and I presume it'll be limited. What game will use even 6 controllers, really?

Click to expand...

winning eleven, madden. fifa. etc

Amir0x said:

7 max. Although, I'm sure it won't ever be used, since the controller has 4 lights and I presume it'll be limited. What game will use even 6 controllers, really?

Click to expand...

I thought some sports game had been announced with 7-player support? Not that I'm ever gonna be using that..

gofreak said:

I thought some sports game had been announced with 7-player support?

Click to expand...

I dunno, I can't keep up with every last little announcement. If you can find a link, would love to include it just to hit the features one by one

Amir0x said:

Alright, changed



7 max. Although, I'm sure it won't ever be used, since the controller has 4 lights and I presume it'll be limited. What game will use even 6 controllers, really?

Click to expand...

Winning Eleven fool!



but wait yea 4 lights? how does is support 7 controllers then?

Amir0x said:

No, it's ¥49k. Click

Click to expand...

It was ¥59k....sorry!!!!!!!

Kabuki Waq said:

Winning Eleven fool!



but wait yea 4 lights? how does is support 7 controllers then?

Click to expand...

well, it's possible they could alternate lights to indicate the rest.

aka, lights 1 and 3 lit up indicate controller 7, etc

So close now. I'll be interested to see if the launch hardware has any problems.

Kabuki Waq said:

Winning Eleven fool!



but wait yea 4 lights? how does is support 7 controllers then?

Click to expand...

it doesnt

There's a screenshot of one of the NBA titles going around with 7 controllers enabled.

Can't find it now though, unfortunately.

llTll said:

it doesnt

Click to expand...

? i would like some confirmation.

metdroid said:

So close now. I'll be interested to see if the launch hardware has any problems.

Click to expand...

from what i heard. the system is really good.

ofcourse you will some bad units. but nothing big like some other console that still has problem till this day.

we will see. i am only worried about the quality of the blue ray lense in the long run. giving the fact sony is having problems to crack up enough good working lenses

Amir0x said:

7 max. Although, I'm sure it won't ever be used, since the controller has 4 lights and I presume it'll be limited. What game will use even 6 controllers, really?

Click to expand...

NBA2K7 does

SolidSnakex said:

NBA2K7 does

Click to expand...

sweet.

No launch thread for the system you're actually buying?

Regardless, I'm not sure what games (aside from Sports, which aren't really my thing) could feasibly utilize 7 controllers... Maybe some sort of 'battleship/giant robot/space cruiser' sim where everyone controls a different section of the controls?

Kabuki Waq said:

? i would like some confirmation.

Click to expand...

i dont have link. but as far as i know. for games, only 4 controller you can hook up + another 3 devices at the same time " mobile phone etc " and the last remaining unit is the playstation 3 console it self. which make up to 8. which is the ammount of online the blue tooth can handle at once [ i think ]

EDIT:- SSX proved me wrong i guess. :lol

Pureauthor said:

No launch thread for the system you're actually buying?

Regardless, I'm not sure what games (aside from Sports, which aren't really my thing) could feasibly utilize 7 controllers... Maybe some sort of 'battleship/giant robot/space cruiser' sim where everyone controls a different section of the controls?

Click to expand...

Wii is coming out two days after the PS3, so the Wii thread is going up in two days

Amir0x said:

7 max. Although, I'm sure it won't ever be used, since the controller has 4 lights and I presume it'll be limited. What game will use even 6 controllers, really?

Click to expand...

With 4 lights you could have as many as 15 different light combinations. Thats more than enough to cover 7 players. Pretty much any game that is 4 players could be upgraded to support 6-7 players.

SolidSnakex said:

NBA2K7 does

Click to expand...

YES!

BTW, Fight night Won't make it at launch


IGN reported it October 9th.

The Bookerman said:

BTW, Fight night Won't make it at launch


IGN reported it October 9th.

Click to expand...

Right, it's going to make "Launch Window"

Pureauthor said:

Regardless, I'm not sure what games (aside from Sports, which aren't really my thing) could feasibly utilize 7 controllers... Maybe some sort of 'battleship/giant robot/space cruiser' sim where everyone controls a different section of the controls?

Click to expand...

Multi-TV Gaming from the same Console?

Don't know if the Cell is powerful enough to do it, but I hope it is...

has there been any info on if RR7 is just a port of the 360 RR6?

The trailer didnt fill me with hope

The step by step walk through of Resistance online is relative I think:

VID 1 (menu 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xKWvK0v3J0
VID 2 (menu 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHOkyzElbVw
VID 3 (stat tracking)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2GVuQYXoxs
VID4 (Breach gametype mode)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1O4uZvBmW0
VID5 (Breach continued)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MAE1vgGP3Y
VID6 (Playing as Chimera in Meltdown mode)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkjJpq2dcpw

Safe Bet said:

Multi-TV Gaming from the same Console?

Don't know if the Cell is powerful enough to do it, but I hope it is...

Click to expand...

No really what I was thinking. More along the lines of you seeing the 'dashboard' on the same TV and each of us control a different area of it, while a screen shows how the battle is going. Good teamwork would be necessary to avoid attacks, strengthen shielding, counterattack, etc.

llTll said:

i am only worried about the quality of the blue ray lense in the long run. giving the fact sony is having problems to crack up enough good working lenses

Click to expand...

You are 0 for 2 with the info in this thread. The lenses weren't the problem. It was a global shortage of 405 nm blue-violet laser diodes, not the lenses.