Neowin.net - PS3 hard drive to be sold separately, claims Famitsu

PS3 hard drive to be sold separately, claims Famitsu

Posted by Dice on 01 July 2005 - 15:38 · 36 comments & 13020 views

The hard drive for the PlayStation 3 will not be bundled with the machine, but will instead be sold as an add-on unit, according to press reports in Japan which seem to confirm earlier hints dropped by SCE boss Ken Kutaragi. The latest issue of Famitsu includes a feature about the PS3 hardware which says that the device will ship with a slot for a hard drive - which can be found on the underside of the machine, and is designed to accommodate a 2.5" hard drive package - but not with the drive itself.

The hard drive, Famitsu claims, would be sold separately - much like the hard drive for the PlayStation 2, which is used by a small number of games, most notably Square Enix' massively multiplayer title Final Fantasy XI. The PlayStation 3 is expected to use its hard drive for a wide range of media functionality, such as the ability to download media from online stores and possibly even to rip DVDs to the drive. Kutaragi has previously hinted that Sony hasn't reached a decision on the inclusion of the drive, and has also suggested that the drive may be up to 80Gb in size - compared to just 20Gb for the drive in the Xbox 360.

News source: gamesindustry.biz

Cont...

It's not clear whether Famitsu is simply basing an assumption on the inclusion of the drive on Kutaragi's previous comments, or if the magazine actually has new information about Sony's thinking on the matter.

If PS3 doesn't ship with a hard drive, it will give an edge to the Xbox 360, particularly in terms of massively multiplayer games - an increasingly popular genre which currently requires significant amounts of storage on the client side. Sony may be hoping, however, that the PS3's superior capabilities for removable storage, which includes slots for Memory Stick and other types of high-capacity memory cards, will allow MMOGs to be played on the console even without a drive.

It's also possible that Sony may adopt the approach which many commentators expected Microsoft to follow with the Xbox 360, by launching two versions of the PS3 - one without a hard drive and with limited media capabilities, and a more expensive model with a hard drive and full media functionality.

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#1 Posted by ShadowPHP on 01 Jul 2005 - 15:39: Expected this anyway...

#2 Posted by Island Roots on 01 Jul 2005 - 16:05: *Sigh*

Didn't Sony learn the first time around with the PS2? If you don't include it with the console, it won't be accessed/purchased/used by the masses.

Microsoft has the right idea with including everything in the Xbox (both original and the 360).

#3 Posted by admf on 01 Jul 2005 - 16:13: Bad move by sony, unless this is incorrect.

(1 reply) #4 Posted by SoLiD_MasteR on 01 Jul 2005 - 16:25: $399 and still not full options ?

**** off

#5 Posted by Stef Nighthawk on 01 Jul 2005 - 16:31: Oh god, not this again.

In the end we will see the HDD delayed for a year in the US and Japan and delayed for three years (or completely unavailable) in Europe

Sony better dissmiss this as a complete rumour and that they will ship it with HDD

(4 replies) #6 Posted by majortom1981 on 01 Jul 2005 - 16:53: lol i find this funny everybody was complaining about the gamecube not having a hardrive . Now the revolution is the only system that every console will have onboard storage. Were are all the people praising them ? THe xbox 360 will have two versions, and now the ps3 it might be seperate. Everything people said nintendo did wrong this generation they fixed and people still rag on nintendo. I dont get it

#7 Posted by Blackice on 01 Jul 2005 - 16:55: just because its sold seperatley, doesn't mean it will be released later.

I think its just so that the price can drop a little. Giving people a choice if they don't want/can't afford it. I'm betting it'll come out at the same time, and there will be bundles with the PS3 + HDD for a reduced price. There will also be the two products available seperatley. That's my guess, since nobody's saying it will be released later. That's just the (confusing) assumption made by people on hearing the words "sold seperatley". Sony aren't stupid, putting the PS3 with HDD bundled as default on the shelves for $475 isn't going to sell a lot of consoles. However, seperate the components and drop the tag, and you'll get a lot more (though not necessarily a lot). I'm actually happy about this, since if I can't afford to dish out $550 all at once (game incl.), I can split it up for when I can.

Even if Sony don't bundle the two when they're launched, the retailers will.

(1 reply) #8 Posted by mmm on 01 Jul 2005 - 17:28: Memory cards are sold seperately and people buy them because they are needed. Id probably just buy a harddrive instead of the memory card if thats an option. No big deal.

(2 replies) #9 Posted by djesteban on 01 Jul 2005 - 17:31: make money money, make money money money $$$$$$$$$$$$

come on guys... freakin boycott those hores

#10 Posted by mr_demilord on 01 Jul 2005 - 17:42: to sony

#11 Posted by Dodgy on 01 Jul 2005 - 17:58: i swear we had this news last month?

but its a bad move is the HDD doesnt get released on PS3 launch, its a gd idea if ppl just dont wanna spend too much.

#12 Posted by clwright on 01 Jul 2005 - 18:02: I dont understand why sony exactly would do that to thier consumers, the hard drive is definatly a must have and yet they will let Microsoft have an advantage by giving thier consumers a 20 gig hard drive, I mean the PS3 is going to be 400 dollars already, people will definatly not want to buy one of these if they are... what... over 50 dollars, totally ruins it for the MMORPG's designed for PS3.

#13 Posted by xxdesmus on 01 Jul 2005 - 18:18: wow that's a dumb move (if it's true)... +1 for X360

(2 replies) #14 Posted by SecretAgentMan on 01 Jul 2005 - 18:55: Sony is cheap and this is why their products are basically junk. Nintendo and Microsoft know how to do things the right way.

#15 Posted by STanger on 01 Jul 2005 - 19:01: if this is true, Sony has already made up my mind for me .. I'll be buying an xbox360
if you're gonna make a hard drive add-on available then it should come with the console in my own opinion

(3 replies) #16 Posted by Noveed on 01 Jul 2005 - 20:00: hmmm the xbox360 has a usb port so what wud happen if u stuck a multi media card reader in it wud it read stuff off that lol.....

#17 Posted by Matrix XII on 01 Jul 2005 - 21:39: Hey I'm more of a fan of MS systems than Sony's but seriously, what is sony thinking with this move! Surely they should include a HDD with a price of $399! I'm getting a 360 first for sure, maybe a ps3 in a couple years.

#18 Posted by Epimetheus on 01 Jul 2005 - 22:26

QUOTE

if this is true, Sony has already made up my mind for me .. I'll be buying an xbox360

That's a paradox.

#19 Posted by feelgood13 on 01 Jul 2005 - 23:31: this is stupid.. western digital can sell 80gb hd for $30 retail after rebate

#20 Posted by SlammedGST on 02 Jul 2005 - 00:27: Sony made another mistake. Hell maybe they can come out with the HD 1 year after launch then pull it back and end support for it again...lmao

#21 Posted by deiong15 on 02 Jul 2005 - 00:39: id be surpruised if the harddrive for ps3 does any good. seeing as they (sony) bu** f**k*d the people who bought it for ps2.

(1 reply) #22 Posted by clwright on 02 Jul 2005 - 01:25: want to make any bets that they are going to recall the machine entirely?

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