40GB PS3 Confirmed... For Europe
Oh, hey all those rumors and flyers and retailers were right! It's coming, and yep, it's gimped.
Published: October 5, 2007
For days now, the internet has been abuzz with the supposed impending release of a new version of the PlayStation 3. What's got everyone talking? Well, plenty, though the biggest news was probably that the system would crack the €400 ceiling, which would put it closer in line with Xbox 360's price. That's a good thing, considering plenty have seen the PS3's prohibitively high price as a major barrier to entry. So hey, the system is now, officially, confirmed to be arriving just under the 400 mark at €399.
Ah, but there's always a catch, isn't there? In this case, it's that the system will ship with a 40GB hard drive, only two USB ports, no card reader slots (like the 20GB version releases in Japan and the US)... and it lacks backwards compatibility with PlayStation 2 titles. Granted, the 60GB version of the system that had launched in Europe already had fairly limited BC because a chunk of the PlayStation 2 hardware that was in the original Japanese and US launch units was left out (with software picking up the slack), but with every firmware update, the list of games that didn't properly work was inching ever-closer to the high water mark left by the original pure hardware-based units.
Whelp, kiss that goodbye, folks, 'cause these new systems have none. Zippo. Nada. What's the official reasoning behind the loss?
"The new model is no longer backwards compatible with PlayStation 2 titles, reflecting both the reduced emphasis placed on this feature amongst later purchasers of PS3, as well as the availability of a more extensive line-up of PS3 specific titles (a total of 65 titles across all genres by Christmas)."
Well then!
Certainly the loss of thousands of some of the best games ever released is a major blow to the PS3's early games lineup, but there's always the possibility that backwards compatibility could be restored with updates later on down the road. Considering the major differences between the two versions of the hardware are 20 gigs of space and the card readers, something had to make the higher-end version seem... well, more high-end. As an extra kick in the junk, the 60GB version of the system will be phased out completely, leaving only one version of the PS3, sans BC, in the EU. Time for more official explanation, no?
“The introduction of the new PS3 has been the result of extensive research into the entertainment needs and preferences of the next generation of PS3 owners,” details David Reeves, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. “It has allowed us to deliver an extremely advanced, yet incredibly affordable High Definition gaming and entertainment system, configured to the needs of the next generation of European PS3 owners. PS3 has always been the device of choice for the discerning gamer and entertainment seeker, and the new PS3 is more than ever the perfect High Definition entertainment system."
So, there you have it, folks. Given that this model is clearly positioned to become the de facto PS3 version as Sony cuts corners to drive down the total cost of making the systems (and in turn make it cheaper for consumers), we wouldn't be terribly surprised to see the same thing happening here in the US and over in Japan too. We'll keep you posted.
Ah, but there's always a catch, isn't there? In this case, it's that the system will ship with a 40GB hard drive, only two USB ports, no card reader slots (like the 20GB version releases in Japan and the US)... and it lacks backwards compatibility with PlayStation 2 titles. Granted, the 60GB version of the system that had launched in Europe already had fairly limited BC because a chunk of the PlayStation 2 hardware that was in the original Japanese and US launch units was left out (with software picking up the slack), but with every firmware update, the list of games that didn't properly work was inching ever-closer to the high water mark left by the original pure hardware-based units.
Whelp, kiss that goodbye, folks, 'cause these new systems have none. Zippo. Nada. What's the official reasoning behind the loss?
"The new model is no longer backwards compatible with PlayStation 2 titles, reflecting both the reduced emphasis placed on this feature amongst later purchasers of PS3, as well as the availability of a more extensive line-up of PS3 specific titles (a total of 65 titles across all genres by Christmas)."
Well then!
Certainly the loss of thousands of some of the best games ever released is a major blow to the PS3's early games lineup, but there's always the possibility that backwards compatibility could be restored with updates later on down the road. Considering the major differences between the two versions of the hardware are 20 gigs of space and the card readers, something had to make the higher-end version seem... well, more high-end. As an extra kick in the junk, the 60GB version of the system will be phased out completely, leaving only one version of the PS3, sans BC, in the EU. Time for more official explanation, no?
“The introduction of the new PS3 has been the result of extensive research into the entertainment needs and preferences of the next generation of PS3 owners,” details David Reeves, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. “It has allowed us to deliver an extremely advanced, yet incredibly affordable High Definition gaming and entertainment system, configured to the needs of the next generation of European PS3 owners. PS3 has always been the device of choice for the discerning gamer and entertainment seeker, and the new PS3 is more than ever the perfect High Definition entertainment system."
So, there you have it, folks. Given that this model is clearly positioned to become the de facto PS3 version as Sony cuts corners to drive down the total cost of making the systems (and in turn make it cheaper for consumers), we wouldn't be terribly surprised to see the same thing happening here in the US and over in Japan too. We'll keep you posted.
