PS3's Out of the Bag

By John Do, assistant managing editor
Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Sony announced at E3 that the Playstation 3 will be out on November 17, 2006 for $499. Even though it's not for another six months, information has been leaking out and Sony decided to give out everything, from new features on the PS3 and upcoming fall 2006 games.

The PS3 will be sold in the U.S. initially in black. Makers compromised on a simple and sleek design, which resembles a miniature stereo system. Like the 2 nd generation Playstation 2, it can be positioned horizontally or vertically. However, the hefty PS3, which weighs eleven pounds, outweighs the eight-pound lightweight, the X-box. Its dimensions match those of other consoles, despite PS3's three-pound difference.

The PS3 controller resembles that of the DualShock controller from the previous Playstation consoles. Think of Batman's “batarang” except with directional and action buttons. Sony supposedly modified the button and overall design of the controller to improve the gaming experience. Makers humor us by revising the controller's angular hand positions and the size of the buttons. Luckily, Sony added a new feature that sacrificed feedback vibration from the game. With the motion sensing built-in technology, videogame players could tilt their controllers forward to dive their aircraft on TV. The controller is also based on Bluetooth technology that calls for reliable gameplay and long-range distances.

The PS3 release in November will only be built-in with the 20-gigabyte hard drive. The hard drive is used for saving games, network downloads, faster load times, and other additional media functions, which is similar to the system used in the Xbox. Later, Sony will release the 60-gigabyte hard drive that will have even more functions.

Sony further gave insider information on some of the PS3's games, such as sequels of popular originals: Metal Gear Solid 4, Resident Evil 5, and Devil May Cry. For now, only flashy screenshots of the games show what we'll have in store for future generation gameplay. Until then, anticipate the rivalry between the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii (a.k.a. Nintendo Revolution).