Playstation 3
The PlayStation 3 popularly abbreviated as PS3 is simply put the third console of home video game that is produced by the Sony Computer Entertainment Company. The PS3 is also touted as the successor to the previous version of PlayStation 2 and is an addition to the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 as launched by Sony stands as a tough competition for both Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Wii launched by Nintendo. These aforementioned consoles are a part of the seventh generation video games from this trustworthy provider.
A primary distinguishable feature of the PlayStation 3 has to be its unified service of online gaming called the PlayStation Network. This feature bears sharp contrasts with Sony's previous policy that was simply to rely on developers of the game for online play. PS3 is equipped with several amazing features that include several robust capabilities of the multimedia connectivity with the PlayStation Portable. The PS3 also puts in use a high-definition format of the optical disc called the Blu-ray Disc and this Blu-ray Disc is the main storage medium of the console. The PS3 reportedly was also the first ever Blu-ray player with Blu-ray 2.0-compliant found in today's market.
The PlayStation 3 was released for the first time on the 11th of on November in the year 2006 in Japan. The PS3 had an official release on the 17th of November 2006 in North America and 23rd March 2007 saw it being released in Europe and Oceania. This immensely popular console saw the availability of a couple of SKUs at the launch. One of them was a basic model and came with a 20 GB hard drive or HDD and the other one was a premium model complete with a 60 GB hard drive and many other additional features.
This 20 GB PS3 model was not available or rather not released in Europe or in Oceania. From that time many revisions have been made to the PS3. Sony officially released the PlayStation 3 on the 16th of May in the year 2005. This was released at the E3 2005 conference. A real functional version of the same system was absent there just like it was absent at the Tokyo Game Show held in September 2005.
The PlayStation 3 had an initial production cost of around US$805.85. This was for the 20 GB model and around US$840.35 was spent on the 60 GB model. These 60 GB models were priced at US$499 and US$599 and there was a loss as borne on behalf of the company. In the month of April 2007, Ken Kutaragi who is the President of Sony Computer Entertainment wanted to retire due to the loss. On the 6th of September in the year 2006, Sony Company did announce that the PAL region that includes both Europe and Oceania would have a PlayStation 3 soon. This launch would however be delayed will the March 2007, all thanks to a severe shortage of materials that were used in the drive of the Blu-ray disc.