November 15, 2006

Sony Plans 500 PS3 For Taiwanese Launch

Following the announcement that the PlayStation 3 would launch in Hong Kong and Taiwan on November 17th, the same day as the North American launch, an article on technology website DigiTimes suggests that only 500 units of the console will be available on day one.

The information reportedly comes from the Taiwanese branch of Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong (SCEH), which is organizing a launch ceremony in downtown Taipei where 150 consoles will be made available. An additional 350 units are to be sold through thirty-five selected retail outlets – each getting only ten units each. These include seven Tsann Kuen electronics stores, eight Fnac chain stores and Sony’s own franchise stores.

As previously announced, only the larger 60GB version of the console will be launched initially, with the 20GB version due in December. The 60GB version will be priced at TW$17,980 ($545) and the 20GB version at TW$14,980 ($454).

The news follows suggestions yesterday from an analyst at Lazard Capital Markets that Sony’s day one allocations for the PlayStation 3 in North America could be as low as 150,000 to 200,000 units. Proportional to the size of its market, the Taiwanese allocation would be generally comparable to these figures.

POSTED: 05.07AM PST, 11/15/06 - David Jenkins

November 14, 2006

Ziff Davis To Discontinue U.S. Official PlayStation Magazine

U.S. game magazine (EGM, Games For Windows) and website (1UP.com) firm the Ziff Davis Game Group has announced that it will discontinue publication of the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine after the January 2007 issue.

A statement from the company explains: "The Game Group is laser-focused on continuing to expand its rapidly growing digital media presence and on further strengthening its multiplatform properties and powerful integrated network. As such, the Game Group has determined that Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, a property licensed from Sony Computer Entertainment America and limited to print, no longer fits its strategic vision."

According to the firm, Sony Computer Entertainment America will remain a key content and marketing partner for Ziff Davis Game Group, which will cover SCEA's PlayStation 3 and first-party games extensively across all of its media outlets, including EGM, 1UP.com, and GameVideos.com. The Game Group editorial team will also "work closely with SCEA in the development of digital content for the PlayStation Network, accessible only through the PS3."

Due to the long-term decline in the magazine advertising market, Ziff Davis has been gradually transitioning away from print for some time, aggressively building up 1UP.com as its central website portal. The company, which has previously closed magazines including XBN and GMR, most recently posted a quarterly loss of $0.5 million for its game division, citing "a decline in print advertising and circulation revenues", partially offset by online revenue increases.

Scott McCarthy, President of Ziff Davis Game Group, explanied of the overall move: "The powerful online capabilities of the exciting PlayStation 3, coupled with ever- increasing broadband penetration in the U.S., allow for much more efficient distribution of game demos, videos, and trailers. With this next generation of game consoles, the days of having to bundle a disc with a magazine to distribute games-related content are over. And the disc has clearly been a major driver for consumer interest in premium-priced, platform-specific magazines in the past, when the magazine disc was the only way gamers could get such content."

POSTED: 01.11PM PST, 11/14/06 - Simon Carless