In the $10 billion USD world of videogames, the tagline for the next-generation console from Sony might be “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.”
CNET News Australia noted remarks by gaming legend Ken Kutaragi, president of Sony Computer Entertainment about the forthcoming PS3. He cited a ten-year life cycle for the new console, which will ship with high-definition TV (HDTV) support and Blu-ray DVD technology.
Sony is the proponent of Blu-ray, a DVD format that will use blue lasers to read discs containing up to 50 GB of information. All that space will be needed to deliver HD content like movies or games.
As Sony and HD-DVD proponent Toshiba have not made any compromise on a single blue laser standard, the PS3 might be the way Sony gets Blu-ray technology into households. Toshiba has already announced its plans to manufacture HD-DVD players this year, with several movie studios planning DVD releases based on that standard.
“I’m aware that with all these technologies, the PS3 can’t be offered at a price that’s targeted towards households. I think everyone can still buy it if they wanted to,” Mr. Kutaragi said at the PlayStation Meeting in Japan.
“I’m not going to reveal its price today. I’m going to only say that it’ll be expensive,” he said. That could be a break for Microsoft, and even a strategic point the Redmond Xbox 360 maker might use in 2006.
Microsoft plans to launch its next-generation console in November in the US, and by the end of the year in Europe and Japan. If Microsoft can tap some high demand early, it might be tempted to welcome the PS3 to market by shaving the price of the 360 at that time.
David Utter is a staff writer for murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
