In addition, Kutaragi cited delays in the developing and finalizing the specification for the Blu-ray copyright protection scheme as a setback to the PlayStation 3. However, many analysts believe the high cost of components (namely the Blue-ray drive, and ultra complex Cell processor) is a reason Sony is delaying the launch. In its current state, the company would have to absorb a several hundred dollar loss per unit to be competitive until volume becomes high enough to drastically reduce the cost of these components.
However, Sony seems to have taken a page out of Microsoft's book, with an announcement that the PlayStation 3 will see simultaneous launches in Japan, North America, and Europe this November.
Finally, he revealed a few juicy new details on the ultra-powerful system. First, the system will include an upgradeable 60GB hard drive, with a distribution of Linux preinstalled. In addition, Kutaragi announced that all existing PS1 and PS2 games will be playable on the system, and as Microsoft has done with its original Xbox games, older PlayStation releases will be displayed in high-definition when played on the new console.
For gamers that can't wait to get their hands on the newest technology, November is a long ways off. However, this delay will allow Sony to really work out a lot of the issues with the first revision of PS3's, and should be good for the gaming community as a whole.
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