The PS3: controversial from day 1...
The transition from one generation of console to another is seldom a graceful process, but the move into the seventh generation era has shown the video games industry at its most amateurish and uncoordinated.
According to current plans (and they've changed often enough before now) the PlayStation 3 is due for release in Europe this spring, but will it really be worth the delays, price and inevitable lack of stock?
The PlayStation 3 (usually abbreviated to just 'PS3') was officially announced in May 2005, although its existence had long been an open secret following work begun on the Cell microprocessor as early as 2001.
A joint effort between Sony, Toshiba and IBM, the Cell is the heart of the PS3 and represents Sony's first attempt to ensure they had the most powerful console on the market.
Not only that but the PS3 features a hard drive as standard, an in-built broadband adapter and a Blu-ray disc drive. The latter allows it to play new Blu-ray movies (a standalone player would normally cost at least £1,000) and to use Blu-ray discs for games, which are able to store much more data than the DVDs used with the Xbox 360 and Wii.
Problematic and over-priced...
Although on paper the PlayStation 3 seems to be the perfect video game console it's been shrouded in controversy since its very conception, starting with the CGI trailers for MotorStorm and, in particular, Killzone which were widely criticised for creating unrealistic hopes for the console's graphics.
"The revelation that inspired the most jaw-dropping reaction, for all the wrong reasons, was the PS3's price - £425 in the UK."
The peculiar boomerang shaped controller show in 2005 also didn't go down well, so much so that the final model used exactly the same design as the existing DualShock.
The new "Sixaxis" controller is wireless though , has new analogue shoulder buttons and, most importantly, is able to detect motion in 3D space (like a simplified version of the Wii remote). Thanks to an ongoing legal battle with hardware manufacturer Immersion though, it does not have any force feedback vibration.
However, the revelation that inspired the most jaw-dropping reaction, for all the wrong reasons, was the PS3's price - £425 in the UK. To make matters worse the cheaper version of the console, with a smaller hard drive and no HDTV socket isn't going to be sold here.
Published 21st January 2007
