Sony Unveils PS3; HDTV Sales Expected to Increase
May 16, 2005
Los Angeles, CA - High-Definition development, sometimes viewed as corporate gamesmanship, took a higher leap forward today as Sony unveiled its successor to PlayStation2 calling it...PlayStation3.
The technological advancements packed inside PlayStation3 (PS3) could become an “instant catalyst” for stimulating mass market purchase of HDTVs, driving mainstream video producers into HD production even sooner than expected to keep pace with the HD transition.
Speaking at a Los Angeles press conference tonight on the eve of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, Ken Kutaragi, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., (SCEI) said PS3 is slated for release in Spring 2006 (unit pricing was not announced). Containing the super-powerful “Cell” chip (the 2 teraflop processor jointly-developed by IBM, Sony, and Toshiba), PS3 is said to be 35 times more powerful than its predecessor.
PS3 will support 1080p resolution as standard, and include outputs for two HDTVs, a removable hard drive, and will allow use of up to seven control pads at the same time. PS3 supports wireless networking and offers backward compatibility with Sony’s PS and PS2 consoles.
Game playing, however, may be just for starters. PS3 includes a Blu-ray DVD drive, and PS3's detachable 2.5-inch hard drive will have slots for memory sticks, SD cards, and compact flash cards. Users will be able to access digital video and audio files, view digital images, and conduct video chats as PS3 will come with a gigabit Ethernet connection. Users will be able to surf the Web and play video games simultaneously.
By embracing 1080p, HD’s highest-resolution, PS3 is prompting a whole new wave of HD video games with picture quality that industry observers insist will be “eye-popping” when viewed on HDTV sets.
The New York Times today reports “the increased sharpness, widescreen format and Dolby Digital Surround Sound, while secondary features of the new [PS3 and Xbox 360] platforms, ‘will be a boon for TV manufacturers’ looking to sell high-definition televisions, said Michael Goodman, senior analyst with the Yankee Group, a research firm."
PlayStation 2 is the best-selling console video game system. Sony notes the PlayStation family of products are sold in more than 120 countries and regions around the world with cumulative shipments reaching more than 102 million for PlayStation, and approximately 89 million worldwide for PlayStation 2.
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