PS3 launch: This was waiting

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We chart the PS3 story from E3 2005 to this week's Euro launch

June 2005
In the E3 fallout, the question we all wanted answered was: "WillPS3 include a hard drive at launch?". Disappointingly, the answer was "No" - because Sony had decided that whatever size the drive clocked in at wouldn't be enough. Though Kutaragi was quick to point out that PS3 would come pre-loaded with Linux. Ah,brilliant.

Interestingly, the decision to drop PS2's Emotion Engine from the PS3's hefty box was already being raised, while the official word from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe was that PlayStation 3 would arrive for us to buy in Spring 2006. Happy days.

July 2005
Hard drives were back on the discussion menu this month, with Japanese gaming mag Famitsu magazine hinting that an 80GB one would be available, but wouldn't come bundled with the console. In better news, Kaz Hirai revealed that PS3's online service would extend its arms around the existing PlayStation family, like one giant interconnected techno-hug of downloadable movies, multiplayer gaming and web browsing.

But, if Kutaragi was to be believed, PS3 wouldn't be cheap - the senior Sony suit hinting that gamers ought to be working harder if they want to afford entry to the console's brave new world. Kutaragi was again on hand later in the month to stress that PS3 would be really, really worth the cash, honest guv'nor.

Ben_Richardson

Ben Richardson is a former Staff Writer for Official PlayStation 2 magazine and a former Content Editor of GamesRadar+. In the years since Ben left GR, he has worked as a columnist, communications officer, charity coach, and podcast host – but we still look back to his news stories from time to time, they are a window into a different era of video games.