Ken Kutaragi’s keynote speech at the Tokyo Game Show this year was, to put it mildly, a bit of an odd one - but there were two big pieces of news in there. One was a price drop for the 20GB PS3 in Japan, and the other, which affects the rest of the world a bit more, was the announcement that the 20GB model is also going to have a HDMI video connector, which was previously only intended for the 60GB model.
That’s good news, obviously - it means that if you buy the basic version of PS3, you can still hook it up to even the most high-end of flat-screen TVs and get the absolute best picture quality possible. On the other hand, isn’t it a bit late in the day to run around changing the specification of the machine?
Worldwide studios boss Phil Harrison admits that he doesn’t know exactly when the decision was made, but he can shed some light on the thinking behind it. “The reason for the change was in reaction to a market trend, which is that much more displays are being sold with HDMI, earlier, than had been previously forecast,” he explains to us. “Not just Sony, but all the other TV manufacturers.”
In fact, according to Harrison, the decision to move HDMI onto the basic model wasn’t really a surprise at all - it just happened faster than anyone expected. “Although we didn’t say it at E3, I think that the unspoken assumption was that we would always merge everything into HDMI eventually. We just made that decision earlier.”
That’s all very well but if you’re changing the spec of the machine just weeks away from launch, doesn’t that tend to imply that you haven’t actually started building the things yet? Which doesn’t bode well for stocks of the unit at launch (already projected to be thin on the ground, even despite the European delay into next March). According to Harrison, it’s not quite that simple.
“The criticial question,” he says, “is not ‘when do you start manufacturing’, but ‘when do you start assembly’. The HDMI port - whether it’s enabled or not on the machine is an assembly issue, not a manufacturing issue. The parts have been procured, clearly, in anticipation of this announcement. It’s not like we’re going to make a decision of that magnitude and then call up our suppliers and say, ‘oh, can we have a few more HDMI ports?’ Clearly this had been well planned.”
Well planned or not, it’s obvious that Sony has had some big problems with manufacturing. Looking past the question of the HDMI port to the bigger picture, it’s clear that with only 500,000 units available for launch and the European date pushed back four months, Sony has over-stretched itself. Isn’t that a bit, well, worrying?
Harrison nods. “There’s no denying that we’ve had some very public challenges,” he says. “Today, it looks like a very difficult situation - but in the weeks, months and years to come, this will pale into zero.”
“Yes, we have overreached in production of the Blu-Ray component - I can’t deny that. But that’s the price you pay for adopting brand new, leading-edge technologies that will be future proof. We will resolve those issues - we are already catching up. We will continue to catch up on the production, and as you know, we haven’t changed our full-year forecast of six million units, so we’re only talking about a ramp-up issue. We’re not talking about the fundamental design of the product itself.”
Taking the long view, there’s a ring of truth about that. Few consoles have launched without a fairly hefty dose of problems in the first few months - although for the god-knows-how-many people who expected to have a PS3 in their hands this Christmas and now almost certainly won’t, that won’t be much comfort in the next few months.
The HDMI, gigaflops, core’s, - yawn. It’s all about the games. Fact is what ever console you pick HDMI and even HD are still in the minority. I would have taken a PS3 a year ago with a DVD drive, £100 off the price and some decent games.
Comment by shinesevens — Nov 3, 2006 @ 1:05 pm
“Semi-official”? Seems the Three Speech domain is owned by Ramp Industry, who have a history of building similarly try-hard sites for Sony and whose raison d’etre is just this kind of “new” marketing. That doesn’t make it semi-official. When the site is so obviously bankrolled by Sony, that makes it official.
Comment by read KOTAKU meatsacks — Nov 3, 2006 @ 2:19 pm
Im glad they did include all of those things because its for the better, people also always complain about the now but what about next year when they do have a HDTV with a HDMI slot certainly you would want to use it. Thats why Im glad sony went the route they did, you can already see the downfalls of the 360 which should of also included a HDMI slot and they say you can push 1080p over the component cables, they must be kidding. I dont want that mess upscaled 1080p it just doesnt seem right, thats why im glad the ps3 is in native 1080p.
Comment by Regula Oblique — Nov 3, 2006 @ 5:51 pm
Its amusing to read people comments on how, no one has an HD tv and how sony will fail. Its amusing because, that doesn’t mean things will remain the same. one those who want to make the jump to HD will have the option of using the cables and even Play Games that are in a sweet native 1080p. YOu may not want it now but just wait a few years when you have all the equipment.
Comment by Last Exile — Nov 3, 2006 @ 6:28 pm
Color me impressed if Sony actually manages to ship six million units by the end of its fiscal year. The more important thing is just getting new units into stores on a weekly basis so that people don’t get too upset at the shortages.
Comment by Stephen Frost — Nov 3, 2006 @ 8:51 pm
I have a Samsung HDTV with HDMI input. It’s probably HDMI 1.1 or 1.2 but certainly not 1.3, since this set is able to dispkay at 1080i maximum. It does however have billions of colors capability, 4000:1 contrats etc. Will I be able to hook up the PS3 through this HDMI connector even if it is not 1.3 ?
Comment by Frodo — Nov 5, 2006 @ 12:33 pm
Hello Mr Meatsacks,
In response to your comment, and to repeat what we’ve said in other threads, we’re a content creator, not a PR company. Our background is in independent media and PlayStation aren’t controlling what we write/publish on Three Speech. We get some exclusives from them but we certainly don’t get all of the exclusives they dish out; and we don’t run content by them for approval before it goes live.
We haven’t censored any comments thus far and don’t intend to so long as they’re constructive and not overly abusive!
In essence, we’re here to get people talking about the PS3 and other issues to do with digital entertainment. This is a bit of a new one for both us and PlayStation, so we’re not exactly sure what’s in store for Three Speech, but we’re certainly keen to broaden its scope - both in terms of what it covers and how it covers it (we’re looking into holding some offline events, for instance).
If you’ve any fiurther questions, feel free to fire them over. Thanks.
Comment by Three Speech — Nov 6, 2006 @ 1:10 pm
HD & HDMI, BLUE Ray, HD-DVD $·%¡
Is anyone of us really thinking PS3 or Xbox360 could make up to 1080p smoothly?
Guys, do you know what massive computing power you need to proccess massive textures & real time effects to couple with 1920 resolution? I guess not.
I play Splinter Cell DA in 480p in my 32″ LCD (non-HD) TV with my Xbox360 and it´s OUTSTANDING. And I´m a graphic-maniac (I bought the first Voodoo g-card that shipped to Spain).
Let´s demand from the manufacturers more quality and art work in the games and less franchises (LIKE FIFA or else)..
YOU ALL, GIVE IT A SECOND THOUGHT!!
Comment by KILLERMOY — Nov 6, 2006 @ 6:39 pm
[...] Sony’s Phil Harrison talks about the PS3. With less than three weeks before the launch, what unanswered questions could there possibly be? [...]
Pingback by Dont Press Start . com — Nov 6, 2006 @ 8:44 pm
I’ve been writing about this disaster-to-be since the LA Home Electronics show in May, when the flopsweat on the Sony dweebs was so thick that it threatened to create a reverse sucktide and screw up the surfing all the way to Leo Carrillo… Sony has bet the farm on this one, and the gathering Footsteps of Doom surrounding this turkey of a console are audible to even the most fanatic sarariman…
Well, at least they admit that they made mistakes in the Great 3rd Generation Console War … which is more than we’ll get out of the current national gummint or its minions regarding Iraq, etc. Anyway, the HDMI and diode issues still, to me, seem to be the least of the problems with the console. The biggest is that it is way, way late. The most insidious is the way that the music/movie/content guys have freaked all over the map and insisted on installing Crippleware so that nobody can pirate off the platform.
Never mind that the Crippleware is going to mean that nobody’s going to bother to try to pirate the content, since the experience is so shitty that nobody’s going to want to deal with it anyway.
The PS3 is like the greatest roller-coaster ride in the world … only, in addition to paying through the nose for a ticket, you are required to chug down a bucket of watery shit before getting on the ride…
Comment by wordyeti — Nov 7, 2006 @ 12:55 am
[...] Sony Worldwide Studios boss Phil Harrison, in an interview with Threespeech explained why the 20GB PS3 model is also going to have a HDMI video connector, which was previously only intended for the 60GB model. Apparently it wasn’t because of public outcry for the feeling of having to pay $100 more to get all PS3’s feature, but instead because HDMI is coming standard with displays earlier than Sony expected. [...]
Pingback by Sony’s Phil Harisson admits PS3 faults with “we have overreached” - videogamesblogger.com: — Nov 7, 2006 @ 3:52 pm
[...] Harrison claims no-one will remember problems Posted in PS3, Business, Hardware by Rossko UK on November 7th, 2006 at 21:21 Phil Harrison has some bold words to say in response to the rather bad publicity it has been receiving of late, saying that Sony have a lot of problems at the moment, but in weeks, months and years after the launch(es), it will all be forgotten. He also speaks on other matters, particularly Blu-Ray. “Yes, we have overreached in production of the Blu-Ray component - I can’t deny that. But that’s the price you pay for adopting brand new, leading-edge technologies that will be future proof. We will resolve those issues - we are already catching up. We will continue to catch up on the production, and as you know, we haven’t changed our full-year forecast of six million units, so we’re only talking about a ramp-up issue. We’re not talking about the fundamental design of the product itself.†[...]
Pingback by Playstatic » Harrison claims no-one will remember problems — Nov 7, 2006 @ 7:22 pm
Bravo Sony on ur marketing chops. My guess is that Sony planned on including HDMI on all machines all along. Is like this whole thing about not having enough machines 4 launch. My guess is that there is probably a warehouse full of machines somewhere just waiting till after Xmas. Although is disconcerting to see the gaming press turning so anti-Sony all of a sudden. What did Sony do to them to have them turn this way?
Comment by gordynyc — Nov 7, 2006 @ 7:23 pm
Smart move. It would have been easy for Sony to cave to instant-gratifcation zealots and get a lesser machine out sooner but a few months from now we’d all be demanding the next iteration with everything this PS3 will have from the start.
Comment by Scott Hettrick — Nov 8, 2006 @ 12:01 am
[...] Sony admits that the PS3 Blu-Ray decision was “overreaching,” but that it will work out for the best in the long term. I’m sure they’re repeating that like a mantra to make sure they keep believing it. [...]
Pingback by Other Game Systems Link Dump » Various and Sundry — Nov 8, 2006 @ 4:15 pm
[...] After Ken Kutaragi straight up told his rivals that he “didn’t care” about the so-called competition they were trying to provide, and those very rivals laughed in his face over Sony’s countless delays in producing its miracle machine, it seems that we’re finally getting a bit of good ole honesty from Sony’s “worldwide studios boss,” Phil Harrison. Referring to the company’s inability to gather up those ever-elusive “blue diodes,” he stated that the firm had “overreached in production of the Blu-Ray component,” later adding that it was simply the “price you pay for adopting brand new, leading-edge technologies that will be future proof.” While we have sincere doubts about any technology being entirely resistant to successors, we certainly appreciate the proclamation that all this delay speculation wasn’t without merit. Harrison concluded by suggesting that while these perpetual delays seem like a huge public challenge right now, he’s hoping expecting that all the blokes in Europe will be quite forgiving come March of next year, and stated that the entire debacle “will eventually pale into zero.” We’ll just have to see about that, now won’t we? [...]
Pingback by Naik’s News » Sony admits to “overreaching” on PlayStation3’s Blu-ray production, no relief for Europe — Nov 8, 2006 @ 10:23 pm
[...] Phil Harrison says Sony “overreached in production of the Blu Ray component” When Phil calls the PS3 “future proof,” why doesn’t a journalist ever ask him to explain what that means? If by “future proof,” he means “viable for five years,” then that makes sense. If he means the hardware will physically exist for a long time in the future, then, assuming the consoles don’t spontaneously combust, that also makes sense. If he means that the system will continue to work 15 years from now, much like my old VCR, that also makes sense. The problem is that most technology (besides my Sony stereo and discman) meets all three of these criteria. [...]
Pingback by videolamer.com» Blog Archive » Weekly News We Care About Wrap Up - 11.10.06 — Nov 10, 2006 @ 5:29 pm
[...] I worked on the site for a little while, and they never edited a single word I wrote, or prevented me from asking any questions I wanted to ask. I’ve actually been criticised a few times for working on ThreeSpeech, the implication being that I was essentially being paid to be a Sony shill; it certainly never felt that way to me (not least because I was actually only meant to be paid for one of the articles, and I totally forgot to invoice for it - doh). In fact, in the small number of articles I wrote for them, there was as much bad stuff as good about PS3 revealed; for example, an excerpt from an interview with Phil Harrison where he admitted that the company had over-stretched itself by including Blu-Ray, and an article where I interviewed Insomniac Games boss Ted Price and he revealed that Resistance: Fall of Man wouldn’t use the PS3’s built-in buddy lists. Neither of which is exactly what you’d call Good News; both of which broke exclusively on a Sony-funded site. [...]
Pingback by A New Challenger Appears » sony "gets" blogging, at last. — Aug 18, 2007 @ 2:21 am
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