UPDATED: Sony unveils 80GB PlayStation 3 and movie downloads at E3 Expo
UPDATE – Sony has confirmed the 80GB PS3 will hit the UK on August 27th. It will cost £299, the same as the existing 40GB version, which Sony insists won't receive a price cut and will merely be phased-out. We do wonder who would buy a 40GB model over the next month, though...
Sony has launched a new 80GB version of the PS3 at the E3 Expo in California, and is introducing a TV and movie download service for American PS3 and PSP owners. The 80GB model will sell for $399 Stateside, and will offer all the features and functionality of the current 40GB model but with double the storage capacity for the same price.
As with the current model, the new one will have a Blu-ray player, HDMI output, an integrated wi-fi connection, and Sony's Cell Broadband Engine.
Sony America has introduced a new video download service on the PlayStation Store for PS3 and PSP systems in the US. The new video service, available now, allows US consumers to download full-length TV shows and movies to both a PS3 and PSP for rental or purchase.
Hollywood studios supporting the service include 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate Entertainment, MGM Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros.
At launch there will be 300 films and more than 1200 TV shows available, many in both standard- and high-definition. Films available will include 3:10 to Yuma, Rocky, Cloverfield, Spider-Man and 10,000 B.C.
Sony also announced at E3 that Gran Turismo TV will be available from August 1st. GT TV offers downloadable TV shows about cars via Gran Tursimo 5 Prologue. There will be some free content, as well as pay-per-view shows such as Top Gear. Prices are to be confirmed.
Other announcements at E3 include a Ratchet and Clank Size Matters PSP Enertainment pack for $199.99, including a blockbuster movie on USD (Universal media Disc), and a new PS2 family entertainment bundle.
As for when we'll get any of these upgrades here in the UK, a spokesman for Sony UK told whathifi.com this morning: "The announcement made at E3 was specific to the US only.... I'm trying to find out more details about any UK/European initiatives."
Watch this space!
Comments
Oh Joy. Yet again we get left wanting.
News just in - the video store won't launch in the UK until 2009...
I personally prefer to pay less for PS3 and do not have support for PS2 games.
I'm still extremely disappointed with PS3 Online Store. Movie trailers section is a joke.
I don't think an Xbox vs. Playstation competition is required here.
What I would suggest is that the reason figures of people who use backwards compatibility might be low (and I say 'might' because I can't find the figures you quote), is because the PS3 has always had trouble playing PS2 discs.
I for one would have been playing through Metal Gear Solid - Snake Eater last month if my PS3 was capable of running it.
And is backwards compatibility an issue? Hmm, let's see what Phil Harrison, former President of SCE Worldwide Studios had to say about it in the run-up to the PS3's launch:
"Backwards compatibility, as you know from PlayStation One and PlayStation 2, is a core value of what we believe we should offer. And access to the library of content people have created, bought for themselves, and accumulated over the years is necessary to create a format. PlayStation is a format meaning that it transcends many devices -- PSOne, PS2, and now PS3"
Even if it is a little-used feature, it should still be there.
backwards-compatibility is only used by 2% of all Playstation2 owners, with the PS3 it's even lower.
backwards-compatibility isn't important for 98% of the users.
but it is nice you can just upgrade your HDD with any standard 2.5" S-ATA laptop drive, unlike that other console where u have to pay 200% more just to keep online capabilities.
Lets hope we hear something about the Play TV (digital TV tuner) add-on. I'm not holding my breath however.
Yes indeed. They could have taken advantage of this and opened up the PS3 to a whole new market.
Interestingly, it could be seen as a step-back, as the new 80GB model is the same as the 40GB model in that it lacks the backwards-compatibility and extra inputs of the original 60GB version. Seems like a bit of a shame really...
Doesn't seem like a majour step forward with the 80 gig model seeing as the US already had a 60 gig model anyway. Movie downloads sound good, although if it does make it over here I can't image how long it would take to download a hihg def movie on a 1Gb connection.