Posted Feb 06, 2006 at 08:10AM by Jeff C. Listed in: Rumors
Ó


An EBgames employee has leaked that EB and GameStop are going to take pre-orders of the PS3 soon. But to everyone's surprise, there will like be 2 packaging for you to select: $ 599 USD or $ 299 USD (O_O).

He also said the $ 299 version might not have the Blu-ray Video playback function, but the $ 599 version will. But still, both versions are capable of playing Blu-ray games. Now imagine a PS3 that can't play Blu-ray videos... the only word I can find is "Lame".

Ken Kutaragi's words are still in my head even now: "You can buy the PS3 by working overtime for a few days." I wonder if Japanese people are getting THAT well paid, or was he just referring to the $ 299 version?

We cross our fingers about this rumor.

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68 Comments


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   by Anonymous (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » Oh Well....

Oh well, I bet this is because so many people are too cheap to buy a $500 console and everyone got used to the 360 core system. So Sony is trying to be equally competitive by releasing both systems to compete with the both 360 versions. This makes sense, however, I bet it will just be a firmware lockout and people will eventually crack the core system to play back Blu-ray movies.

Well, I don't really care anymore, I am going to get one no matter what. I will get the premium of course and hope that my pre-order is met.

   by Fes (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » me.. i guess.

wow. well this comes as a suprise after son was against the dual sku which microsoft had when they released their console. I personally think this may just be a rumor considering the fact that they have no reason to have a core and a premium. Haz made it totally clear that the system was going to be expensive and i can't imagine how they are going to be able to play blu ray games and not movies. its the actual laser that inteprets the data and not the firmware so despite what lock out they may have.. that particular laser must be present inorder for either blue ray disc to be read. Thus if there is a core package, then Sony is going to be seriously cheated because regardless they are still selling the same blue ray software but just way blow what they can afford to sell it as. Further more, Microsoft used the Dual sku (core and premium packages) as a sample test to simply sell systems until the main stream was confident enough to spend that much money on an proven system. The ps3 will carry hype and prescn

   by kura (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » .

I'm not betting on anything, but it could as well be bundled edition which gamestop will feed you tons of launch titles you don't even want, and 7 controllers:P

SWEET, if that's true, $299 is the price it's going to launch at...:D

and think about the number of launch titles Gamestop will have to place inside the order if they wanted to make a $599 Bundle:D

   by kura (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » .

what the....how come my 399 and 599 got erased?

   by NightShadow (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » About the Firmware...

Remember we have PS3 Firmware UPDATE ! So, wE don“t need MOD-CHIPs ANYMORE!!! a Hacked Firmware can play All Games, All Cheats you want and Play Blu-Ray movies too. A perfect example is The Universal Bios for NeoGeo by Razoola... Cheat for all the games, New features, Slow Mode, save/load, debug, Music mode.... =)

   by Dee.Eff.Ess (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » Stupid...

Am I the only person who really doesn't care if the PS3 plays Blu-Ray videos???

Blu-ray video is not worth $300... I just don't want it...

The only reason I want blu-ray, is because Sony wont have to face those looming Disc Size problems (if there even are any)... Personally, if the PS3 will be $300 for Blu-Ray games only, I'm buying the $300 model, NO QUESTIONS ASKED...


   by www.portalvol.com (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » More Info about that Firmware:

http://unibios.free.fr/

This can be a Example, of a Hacked next generation FIRMWARE for PS3... Imagine a firmware with All Cheats included for all games (and automatic UPDATE by Internet TOO!...)

   by Anonymous (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » Its not going to matter either way

My guess is that there will not be any games released on Blu-Ray anytime within a year (maybe even two) after launch of the PS3.

There are no immediate disc capacity issues that make their use necessary (http://www.gamesfirst.com/index.php?id=1132).

Why would game publishers want to pay the premium necessary to put their games on Blu-Ray when they would easily fit on a smaller, cheaper media like DVD.

Gotta give kudos to Sony for the nice smoke and mirrors job they are doing marketing it (Blu-Ray) though.

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   by iNCREDiPiNOY (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » Core vs Premium

Hmm what should I get? Core or Premium? If its Core, then I can get into Blu-Ray Video Playback with homebrew. If its Premium, then I don't need a homebrew to play Blu-Ray Video Playback. I would say either both is fine, because of firmware update just like the PSP! I'm definetely gonna buy two Cores or 1 Premium, just in case I have enough money for gaming & media player!

   by SuikoSpray (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » People actually believe this?

Wait, an EBgames employee? How are you people taking this seriously? That's like saying "I work at McDonald's so I know the price of the PS3".

You honestly think they're just going to tell this info to some random employee at EBgames? Gimme a break...

   by SNES Link (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » A little off

While I do agree that this information is questionable, Comparing EB knowledge to McDonalds knowledge is a little overblown. I would expect that an EB employee would have more insidr info than McDonalds.

   by Jib (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » EBGames ****

After the way EBGames handle the 360's, i.e. Only honoring the preorders that also bougt a couple games at the same time. I bet this is just EBGames bundling up a bunch of **** together and selling it for an inflated price. Then 'running out of' core machines to sell.

   by ShinFuYux (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » That retarded

Why would sony not put Blu-Ray play back on the 299', PS3.

This is just another nasty rumor from some idiot Xbox360 fanboy...

   by Vietone (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » Doubt this is true

A PS3 that doesnt play Blue-ray, then it would play PS3 games at all. So it wont be a PS3.

WHatever store said this is just bull****ting. Sony cant release two versions of the console because that would be like manufacturing a PS3, make one that has all the features and one that disables features. Its not practical.

the xbox core and premium accually had removeable hard drives that defined it being cheaper. Anyone who believes that sony would make such a stupid move is an idiot.

Disk space is an issue for true HD games. If any console wants true HD content they will need a mssive amount of space. Most movies on DVD9 arent putting out 1080 because they cant, space wont allow it.

games can be the same, PC games have had compress all their files and still use 4gb of space. But PCs are much faster and better at handling compressed files. Most of the recent PC games have broken the dvd9 barrier when you decompress all the files. And they are designed for resolution of 1600x1200.

Consoles dont have t

   by Dudebuddy (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » I can see it now...

This just in! In 2010, Microsoft plans to release the Xbox 1080 in four different variations. Three of which will actually play games. The other will just sit there and warm the general area around it. To compete, Sony will release the PS4 in seven different variations. Four of which will play games, two of which will only play the upcoming and completely unneccessary format of DVDs known as "Purple Ray", and the last one will make waffles branded with the sony logo. Nothing else... just waffles. :D

   by ascharf85 (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » If anbody believe this is true...

Thats the most rediculous thing I have ever heard of. Having a Blu-Ray drive only to play movies. I can understand having two different versions, but that is about it. (One for the HDD and extras and the other one just the main essentianls.)

   by ec (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » For the love...

Quit taking "leaked" information from random EB or gamestop (or ANY retailer for that reasion) seriously. Every GS employee will say ps3 reservations "soon". The fact is, the employees NEVER know themselves until THE DAY THAT RESERVATIONS START or just a couple days before. The only possible way an employee can know is if he is "high up" in the company, in which case, they wouldn't leak the info because they are under NDA.

These blogs that post info they heard from a local employee are just dumb. I worked at gamestop for two years, so I know that these "news" posts are just pointless when the source is "some employee at GS or EB".

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   by stilgar91 (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » bull****

if sony would really not use the blu-ray for movies it would just be a wast of money for them. so i don't think they're gonna do that.

after all, they aren't as stupid as MS

   by BloodWolf (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » yeah right

THis isn't going to happen. I can tell you why very easily, sony is planning on there format blu-ray to succeed and beat out HD DVD. They plan on using the PS3 as a big advatage to beat HD DVD, so if they don't include a blu ray player then that means they will only hinder there chances at winning the format war. Also 600 dollars is too much for a system to cost in the first place. I doubt you would get over 100,000 units sold in the US

This isn't even worth posting here

   by RR (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » difference....

The main difference will prob be Color, HD port, and few other items. The Blu-Ray drive will prob be in both. Now one may/may not be able to play the movies, but still play the games. Remember people there is a difference between the Silver back and the Blue back of the PS2, nano meters difference. So movies and games on Blu-Ray will prob be the same, it will fit, just not "see" it.

And Sony already stated they will out MS MS. They have shown the PS3 in silver, white, and black. As well as stated they will be different. So, it does not suprise me one bit.


   by Kit (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » reads blu-ray but not play??? weird

Able to read blu-ray and not be able to play back video??
that does not make sense

anyways, i think it might be like the PSP
where you have the value pack and standard

   by Grannd (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » Blu-ray

The source of this info is already highly questionable... An employee at a random gamestore (which I guess EBgames is, I'm from Holland)

I think half of it really could be true, like I read here. A normal PS3 and a PS3 with all kind of **** bundled too it.

No blu-ray video playback on one system and playback on the other is very weird for 300 dollars. Especially if blu-ray games are to be read by both systems. The technology would be in there, but only not enabled. I guess there would be cheaper ways to enable it.

Also it wouldn't be a great move to win the race between blu-ray and hd-dvd, making a blu-ray video player more expensive then it could be. Especially 300 dollars...

   by bender (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » ebgames

Well, I was an EB Games employee at one time, and I am very doubtful this information is true. The daily emails head office would send the stores are often wrong, and would usually have a 'follow-up' email days later to fix any crazy rumors the first one started. This is probably just some 17 year old kid trying to start something. but who knows.

   by Anonymous (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » It doesn't make sense

If anything, my guess is the only Blu-Ray media people will be able to get for PS3 will be movies.

Not likely that third parties (Sony might, but I think even that is debatable) will be putting out games on Blu-ray within the first couple of years of the system's release. Extra storage is not necessary at this point and is not worth the premium they would have to pay (and charge) for the media.

   by Lenin (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » Doing this to make the spring relese date?

I think they will relese the core in spring so ppl dont lose interest in the ps3 and then later they will relese the premium.

Still, sounds fake.

   by Anonymous (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » notitle

I didn't read all comments but I would just like to ask one thing you really think Sony is stupid. The blu-ray playback is one of the main features. When I say main I mean its beside the cell technology its one of the ps3's selling points. Plus playback of videos is a software/firmware issue not a hardware issue.

   by Anonymous (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » why would you believe EB

Sony need PS3 Blu-Ray playback to sell their own next-gen dvd format.

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   by Anonymous (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » made me laff

hahahah LOL @ "He also said the $ 299 version might not have the Blu-ray Video playback function, but the $ 599 version will."
i swear thats total BS coming from an "EBgames Employee"

as for this "I wonder if Japanese people are getting THAT well paid, or was he just referring to the $ 299 version?"
as far as i know you can probably earn a few thousand yen in one night by working part-time at a construction site

   by Vietone (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » Japanese are well paid.

Do you realize how well the work structure in japan is? the longer you stay with a company the more you get paid every year and the more bonuses. Japanese people also work alot more then americans. We call 8 hours a full day, they call 14 hours a full day. People die from over-working in Japan, whens the last time you read that someone in America died because they work too much, it happens so often in Japan that it doesnt make it in the newspapers anymore, they get a side colum.

You wonder if the japanese have the money, they definitly do, their pay rate is alot higher then in america. If the PS3 cost 500 bucks, it will sell out just as fast if not faster then the PS2. If it cost more then 500 then it will still sellout. people who arent willing to pay the premium for the PS3 will be shoved aside for people who are.

   by Vecha (Unregistered) - 2006-02-06
 » What?

A PS3 that doesnt play Blue-ray, then it would play PS3 games at all. So it wont be a PS3.

WHatever store said this is just bull****ting. Sony cant release two versions of the console because that would be like manufacturing a PS3, make one that has all the features and one that disables features. Its not practical.

the xbox core and premium accually had removeable hard drives that defined it being cheaper. Anyone who believes that sony would make such a stupid move is an idiot.

Disk space is an issue for true HD games. If any console wants true HD content they will need a mssive amount of space. Most movies on DVD9 arent putting out 1080 because they cant, space wont allow it.

games can be the same, PC games have had compress all their files and still use 4gb of space. But PCs are much faster and better at handling compressed files. Most of the recent PC games have broken the dvd9 barrier when you decompress all the files. And they are designed for resolution of 1600x1200.

Consoles dont have t



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