PlayStation 3 Launch Event
Sony holds a media event to kick off the launch of the PS3 with an initial lineup of 21 games and more information on the retail box.
By Russ Fischer
19 Oct 2006
Today in San Francisco, Sony held a large media event to officially kick off the launch of the PlayStation3, now just more than a month away on November 17. We've now seen everything from the retail box to the online functions (most of them) and the full launch lineup of 21 games.
Kaz Hirai took the stage first, quickly lampooning his E3 cry: "Riiiidge Racerrrr!" He promised answers to "questions you didn't know you had," promised the PS3 would be the "foundation for the next 10 years of digital entertainment," and that the system would be "future proof." Those are big claims that can only be proven over time
Launch games
Genji
NBA 07
Resistance: Fall of Man
Blazing Angels
Call of Duty 3
Fight Night Round 3
The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
F.E.A.R.
Full Auto 2
Madden NFL 07
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
NBA Live 07
Mobile Suit Gundam Crossfire
NBA 2K7
NFS: Carbon
Ridge Racer 7
Untold Legends
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07
Sonic the Hedgehog
Tony Hawk's Project 8
We've also seen confirmation of one item of doubt left over from Tokyo: both SKUs will feature HDMI output. The only differences between the $499 and $599 version, as we previously knew, are the HDD size, WiFi b/g capability, and the memory stick/sd/compactflash slots.
While the retail box is, well, just a retail box. There's one bonus for being purchasing early: the first 500,000 units will come bundled with the Blu-Ray disc of Talladega Nights, otherwise not available until mid-December. There are also final details on the Sixaxis controller, which has a 20 meter wireless range, charges through the USB cable, and will have 30 hours of life per charge.
Cables bundled with the console will include an AC cord (with no power brick!), USB mini cable, ethernet cable, and a multi AV cable with composite video cable -- no HD cable will be in the box. First party titles will retail for $59.99, seperate Sixaxis controllers will be $49.99, a memory card adaptor to transfer PS1 and PS2 saves will be 14.99, and in December, the Blu-Ray remote will arrive for $24.99.
Phil Harrison arrived to show off some game demos, which included the debut of new weapons in Resistance (the air fuel grenade and independently targeting dual reaper pistols) and also the option to turn on the PS3 by touching the center button on the controller.
Also demoed was the remote PSP connection, which will allow PSP owners to connect to the PS3 interface, display the PS3 cross media bar and play photo, video and audio content right on the PSP. Initially the devices will have to be on the same network, but eventually a refinement is planned to allow user to remotely connect from anywhere in the world.
Also on hand was Sony Online's John Smedley, who demoed the Sony Store, which has been completely developed within SOE. So far the store looks great -- it's similar both to iTunes and Sony Connect, with a clear layout, well-designed ways to put money in your Wallet (primarily through a credit card or retail Sony card), and tabs for featured items, demos, donwloadable games, top downloads, and new additions. The store API can also be embedded within games, hopefully to create a seamless new content option.
We saw glimpses of Cash Money Chaos, and hints of downloadable PS1 games like Syphon Filter and MediEvil. At launch, donwloaded PS1 games will be playable on the PSP, transferred either over a USB cable or over the WiFi network, if your console is so enabled. And if you own older PlayStation games, backwards compatibility will be 100% for the PS1 and PS2 out of the box, as promised.
We're still vrawling the game demo floor, talking to producers, developers and Sony execs, and we'll have more reports soon.
