Following Worldwide Studios chief Phil Harrison's opening speech at the GDC in California, the boss indulged in a spot of lunch with the press, over which several new details and specifics emerged beyond what was discussed in his keynote talk. Whilst Harrison refused to be drawn 100% on the issue, he did confirm that all in-house games are being created with a hard-drive in mind, suggesting that one will definitely be present within the new console as standard.

Of the worldwide roll-out he stated that Sony would deliver a 'best ever' one-million systems a month, but couldn't promise that some gamers wouldn't be disappointed following the initial launch. He also brushed-off suggestions that the was building a worrying lead, pointing out that no new Sony next-gen console has ever been first to market in a new cycle. The exciting potential of user-generated content was also mentioned, the Sony boss noting that that the 'Network' has never had such potential previously.

Fielding further questions from the media, Harrison admitted that the was rather difficult to program for, but stated that the was somewhat easier, comparatively, and that the system functioned in a more 'general' manner than the notorious PS2. He also said that he hoped to see the power of the PS3 and broadband connectivity combining to deliver new combinations of TV, and gaming. Though, answering another question, he did admit that not all games would be made available via distribution, and that the disc would still be the main means of delivering 'triple-A' titles to gamers.

Interestingly, Harrison noted that Sony are currently planning to let gamers play titles across their online network for free (unlike Live), but that a decision hadn't been finalised. He also said that the beauty of the Blu-ray media format meant that titles would be 'region free', should publishers wish, allowing for "PAL, NTSC, HDTV, and so on.." on the same disc. The hardware however will still be region specific, to a degree, depending upon voltages, TVs, etc. Finally, Harrison promised a glimpse of the controller, new games and more, at E3 in May. Which sounds increasingly like the most important date on the PS3 pre-launch calendar. We'll keep you posted as we glean more information.

Sources: 1UP.com, Gamasutra.com, GameSpot.com

By Luke Guttridge

Comments

You can use BBCode

No comments here yet. Be the first and use the form on the left!