PS3 launch confirmed

[Warlock]

At an impromptu press conference in Japan today, Sony president Ken Kutaragi responded to rumors about the release date of the PS3 and unveiled new material about the rig itself. Here's the current dish:

- The PS3 will enjoy a simultaneous worldwide (Japan, Europe, U.S.) release on November 11, 2006, just in time to drive your holiday spending through the roof.

- It will not cost less than about $425 (U.S.)

- The PS3 will include HDMI support for HD gaming.

- The system will support a 60 GB HD pre-installed with - nerd drum roll please - Linux, although it's currently unclear whether or not that ships with the console itself or will require a separate purchase.

- To combat piracy, every game will be on the new Blu-Ray format.

- To combat, uh, Microsoft, the PS3 will be fully backwards compatible, able to play PSOne and PS2 games with hi-res re-texturing, as well as capable of playing both DVDs and CDs.

- A totally free online gaming service, dubbed the Playstation Network Platform, is in the works.

So there you have it...for now. The PS3 will indeed come out this year, and we'll be updating this page as new info leaks out. Until then, you can always check out our current rundown of PS3 titles, flip through the official PS3 console shots from last year's E3 show, or or dig the official press release below.

PLAYSTATION®3 LAUNCHES WORLDWIDE IN EARLY NOVEMBER 2006
Tokyo, March 15, 2006 – Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) announced today that it would launch PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3) in early November 2006 in Japan, North America and Europe simultaneously. With a monthly production capacity of one million units, SCEI will push forward a powerful product launch to spread the platform rapidly throughout the world, together with a strong and attractive lineup of PS3 game titles.

PS3 incorporates the final specifications of BD (Blu-ray Disc), and with the overwhelming computing power of PS3, it enables to playback BD software at a high bit rate. With a maximum storage capacity of 50 GB (dual layer) and robust security, BD is a highly anticipated storage medium that delivers digital entertainment content such as games and movies at an unparalleled level of image quality.

PS3 is compatible with a vast lineup of television sets currently out in the market, from standard-definition TV to full high-definition TV. Users can also connect PS3 to high-speed broadband network through Gigabit Ethernet and comfortably enjoy a wide-range of rich and exciting content and services over the network.SCEI, together with the support and cooperation of game content creators around the world, will strongly promote the creation of a new world of computer entertainment available on PS3.



Thanks to Gamers revolution for the info