Games.net

Now that you know "everything" about the PlayStation 3, it's time to find out what you don't. Learn what Sony doesn't want you to know about the PS3.

We love those kooky 1UP guys. They recently drafted up a long-winded article in which they present "Everything We Know" about the PlayStation 3. We love the premise, but the execution sputters out somewhere between The Speculation and The Games.

The 1UP piece boldly declares that "the picture is becoming clearer." We couldn't disagree more--if you weigh the evidence, the PS3 situation looks murkier than ever.

1UP means well, but the article misses the point. We'll save you time and tell you what we really know about the PS3: virtually nothing. It's been ten months since E3 2005, and in that time, Sony has offered no details on their plans for the PS3. What are they hiding? Have they even finished designing the system?

With those concepts in mind, we set about creating a definitive guide to the PS3 secrets we really care about--stuff like price and launch dates. You won't find any new revelations here, only a list of the things Sony doesn't want you to know about. Onward!

The Price

Franklin is not amused

It's no secret that the PS3 is loaded with bleeding-edge hardware: a next-gen Blu-ray media drive, a fancy IBM/Sony/Toshiba-designed Cell CPU, an nVidia-developed graphics processor, and 512 megs of speedy RAM to back it all up. Then there are the fringe benefits, which include 1080 progressive scan with HDMI output, dual-screen support, and integrated WiFi connectivity. But within those killer specs lurks the specter of high prices. Just how much will the PS3 cost?

CNet posits that the chief difference between the Xbox 360 and the PS3 is the Blu-ray disc drive. That makes sense when you consider that a Blu-ray drive is estimated to be ten times more expensive than the standard DVD drive that's wedged inside your spiffy Xbox 360.

But aside from that gleaming nugget of logic, PS3 price speculation is all over the map. Analysts are playing a glorified game of pin the tail on the donkey: Merrill Lynch calculates that Sony will eat $800 for manufacturing every PS3, CNN Money's Chris Morris predicts a $500 price tag, and GameSpot throws out the nebulous range of "between $399 and $799."

Sony, meanwhile, offers no help at all: Ken Katuragi only says it will be "expensive." Thanks, guys. Can't we all just admit we have no idea how much the PS3 will cost and leave it at that? We don't know what the PS3 will cost because Sony doesn't know. It's as simple as that.

The Launch Date

Ready for liftoff?

Is the PS3 really arriving this spring? We'll take the advice of Famitsu president Hirokazu Hamamura: there's just no way in hell Sony's launching the PS3 this spring, be it in Japan or elsewhere. Actually, Hamamura's official comment was "it would be difficult for [Sony] to begin sales in May," but you get the drift.

What makes the topic of the PS3's launch date so endlessly fascinating is that Sony can't seem to get its own story straight. On February 21st, a Sony official declared that the PS3 was on-track for a spring release. The very same day, a BBC story quoted a Sony official as saying that the company was "aiming for spring" but that the PS3 launch "could be pushed back" if technical specifications relating to the Blu-ray drive weren't solved immediately. What gives? On the other hand, a PS3 delay will hardly destroy Sony's next-gen aspirations. In fact, TheStreet.com's Troy Woverton says a delayed launch won't harm Sony financially at all--it could even help.

As of March 3, 2006, Sony is still publically clinging to the notion that the PS3 will somehow launch in the spring. Sony surely knows that a spring launch date is impossible at this point. All that's left is a formal delay announcement. At this point, a fall launch in North America seems like the most prudent bet.

The Controller

Batman's gear gets lamer every time

Sony showed their infamous "boomerang" design for the PlayStation 3 controller at E3 2005. Generally speaking, feedback from fans was not positive. But that hasn't thwarted Sony's plans for the current design--corporate executive Masayuki Chatanai told Famitsu after the E3 unveiling that the controller might undergo a few tweaks, but that the form factor would stay the same.

But we're not buying it. For starters, we've heard tons of technical details about the PS3 itself, but absolutely nothing about the wireless controller itself. None. Zip. Zlich. We suspect that Sony is hiding the truth, because either a) they are considering a redesign of the current controller or b) the controller contains a big secret and Sony doesn't want to tip off competitors. Either way, it doesn't bode well for a speedy release date.

If Sony's stuck working on a redesign, maybe they should take a cue from Joystiq, which recently gave its readers a chance to redesign the PS3 controller as they saw fit. Say what you will, we think a controller made out of Legos will easily trump that current boomerang shape.

The Conclusion

Don't get us wrong: we liked the 1UP piece (snazzy design, guys). And hey, we can overlook a few errors, too--the PS3 will not "also have a 2.5'' detachable hard drive," as the official Sony site clearly states that the HDD will be sold separately.

At this point, speculation far outweighs fact when it comes to the PS3. And until Sony decides to open up and share its plan, that situation is unlikely to change.

Games.net's Countdown to...