Sony officially unveiled the PlayStation 3 (then marketed as PLAYSTATION 3[22]) to the public along with its original returning boomerang style controller [23] on May 16, 2005, during the E3 2005 conference.[24] A functional version of the system was not present there,[25] nor at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2005,[26] although demonstrations (such as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots[25]) were held at both events on devkits and comparable PC hardware.[25][26] Video footage based on the predicted PlayStation 3 specifications was also shown (notably a Final Fantasy VII tech demo).[27] The initial prototype shown in May 2005 featured two HDMI ports, three Ethernet ports and six USB ports;[28] however, when the system was shown again a year later at E3 2006, these were reduced to one HDMI port, one Ethernet port and four USB ports, presumably to cut costs.[18][29] Two hardware configurations were also announced for the console: a 20 GB model and a 60 GB model, priced at $499 (€499) and $599 (€599), respectively.[18] The 60 GB model would be the only configuration to feature an HDMI port, Wi-Fi internet, flash card readers and a chrome trim with the logo in silver.[18] Both models were announced for a simultaneous worldwide release: November 11 for Japan, and November 17 for North America and Europe.[30]
On September 6, 2006, Sony announced that the PAL region (Europe and Oceania) PlayStation 3 launch would be delayed until March 2007, due to a shortage of materials used in the Blu-ray Disc drive.[31]
At the Tokyo Game Show on September 22, 2006, Sony announced that it would include an HDMI port on the 20 GB system, but a chrome trim, flash card readers, silver logo, and Wi-Fi would not be included.[32] Also, the launch price of the Japanese 20 GB model was reduced by over 20%,[33] and the 60 GB model was announced for an open pricing scheme in Japan.[33] During the event, Sony showed 27 playable PS3 games running on final hardware.[34]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_3
