Latest PS3 Slim rumors - Coming in August possibly tied with Madden

[darkrisen2003]

Any updates to the rumors or any new ones sprouting up?

 

[JTsyo]

To add more to the fire:
PS3 price cut

 

[tatteredpotato]

This might be the model of the PS3 that will bring production costs down to being on par with the 360.... the only difference will be the Blu Ray drive, and they have to be substantially cheaper to produce now.

 

[BenSkywalker]

BRDs are waaaaayyy cheaper now. Heh, I didn't realize how cheap they had gotten, that drive is faster then the one in the PS3, and last I was aware Lite-On and Sony optical drives are produced in the same plant.

 

[tatteredpotato]

Originally posted by: BenSkywalker
BRDs are waaaaayyy cheaper now. Heh, I didn't realize how cheap they had gotten, that drive is faster then the one in the PS3, and last I was aware Lite-On and Sony optical drives are produced in the same plant.

A faster Blu Ray drive in the PS3 would really help it to catch up/surpass the 360 in loading times (and without that terrible noise coming from the 12x DVD drive).

 

[Raduque]

PS3 slim? Will it be $100 cheaper?

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: Raduque
PS3 slim? Will it be $100 cheaper?

All signs point to yes.

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: Raduque
PS3 slim? Will it be $100 cheaper?

All signs point to yes.

Well, current and rumored price cuts on the current full-size PS3s could just be to help clear inventory (since retailers, at least in some regions, are no longer able to order more of the current SKU), and a release of the Slim could carry a higher price.

If the rumored EU drop to 299 euros is correct for the 80gb PS3, which with how SCE treats it would mean $299 in the US (poor europeans), the PS3 Slim could enter at $299 or $350. Hopefully there is more to the packaging. Say, it's a 120gb PS3 Slim at $350. Not bad. Or it has a second controlled bundled, or a recent game release.
I'd love to see an 80gb or more PS3 Slim release at $299. Coupled with potentially user-demanded features in Firmware 3.0 (gotta be coming soon, regardless of rumors), and changes to the PSN, and some of the games coming out this season, Sony could position themselves to do very well if they intro a Slim at $299.

If Sony is to play their cards right, I'd say they really need to intro software emulation for PS2 games in Firmware 3.0, and start introducing full PS2 games on PSN. I just cannot imagine them backtracking for this entire generation in regards to PS2 BC. They started with it, then cut it slightly, then dropped it completely. I think they've been both timing the software feature and perfecting it all this time. With a Slim unit, and a cheaper entry price, more people are going to be interested. And a lot of people are going to want the PS2 playback, and including it in software would be about the biggest new feature Sony could offer.

Oh, and Sony seriously needs to discuss StarHawk in Cologne. I want StarHawk. Right meow.

 

[richardycc]

I will buy a ps3 on the day of the price drop...I've waited this long, I could wait another week or so....cmon Sony, bring on the price drop!

 

[Fingolfin269]

Originally posted by: richardycc
I will buy a ps3 on the day of the price drop...I've waited this long, I could wait another week or so....cmon Sony, bring on the price drop!

I'm kind of in the same boat. But at this point I've waited so long that I can wait for the slim to drop too! BTW, how does the quality of the BRD in the PS3 stack up to other solutions available? To be honest that would be one of the main reasons I buy a PS3 anyway so if it is being passed up by quality stand-alones at a cheaper price I may just go that route instead. (though I do want to play some Uncharted!)

 

[destrekor]

Emotion Engine emulation on CELL Processor

Link title explains it all, and graphs from the patent make it pretty clear. Sony has patented the concept of software PS2 emulation on the PS3.

I've been saying for awhile this was going to happen, now the question is when. 3 hour conference before a games convention sound like a good time to announce? I think so, well specifically, I hope so. Even though I have a launch 60gb with full hardware BC, it's a feature that will help the PS3. And when the PS3 gets helped by Sony, and not hurt, I get happy, because that means potentially more system owners, with more software sales, translating to more effort from software developers = potentially better games, or at least more effort on cross-platform development, with maybe even PS3 getting more 'main platform' treatment for multi-platform games. Win win for everyone, well... PS3 owners at least, in the event of shitty ports like PS3 users have had to deal with on a lot of multi-platform games.

But ultimately, with a lot of "insider" rumors relating to discussion of Firmware 3.0, I am really expecting the major firmware release number to mean a major feature, and software BC emulation sounds like a winner, along with the "new" PSN, likely meaning a PS2 games section of the store.
Hopefully 3.0 brings other things, whenever it is released, because the 18th could just be discussion of the upcoming firmware, with release at a later date. Other great features would be more friends features, like voice messaging, and chat across games. More of the "matching what Live offers" type of thing.
All of that happening this holiday season, with a Slim release, and hopefully a price cut... that would be big news for those on the fence, likely draw a lot more interest, and again, lead to more software sales.
I fear the eventuality of PSN requesting a charge, but likely won't be a required charge to play online, rather maybe some kind of game subscription like has been discussed before. But at the same rate, if it doesn't effect anyone who doesn't want to pay, then it's actually an awesome feature. Still play online with no charge, still download games, still have the friends features (the ones currently and possibly upcoming features), etc. Who knows.