Sony PS3, meta format

Phil Harrison, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios was recently (5/21/06) interviewed by Spiegel Online:

Q: Cconcerned about the PS3 competing with the Microsoft's Xbox 360's ability to seamlessly network with PCs via Live Anywhere?

A: "No, this doesn't concern me and I don't think that it concerns the consumer. When you buy a game console, a primarily entertainment device, then you only want that. We believe that the PS3 will be the place where the users will play, watch movies, surf the web, and use other computer entertainment functionality. The PS3 is a computer. We don't need the PC."

Further comment: "The PS3 has a browser, so you can access MySpace with it as well."

Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi shared additional thoughts on the PlayStation 3 (6/7/06):

The PS3 is a "meta format," Kutaragi has stated in previous interviews.

Kutaragi joked in this latest interview that the PS3 could be made on a "Built to Order" basis, although he noted that such a scheme would bring about difficulties in distribution. Kutaragi also joked that new configurations could be offered on a yearly basis, noting that Apple and Dell use a similar business model.

Photograph: U.S.PlayStation.com