Sony Pre-E3 press conference

Eek, if I expect to get my gaming fix this winter, I'm going to be one broke-ass mofo. Sony held their big pre-E3 press conference tonight and unveiled more juicy info on their forthcoming powerhouse console, the Playstation 3. The controller shown at last year's show is now gone in favor of the familiar dual-shock style, only now it lacks the rumble feature but gains gyroscopic sensitivity. Huh? It's like the new Nintendo Wii controller, it responds to being tilted. Also new is a PS logo button on the front center and bigger analog shoulder buttons. Black is apparently in style again and last year's silver case is gone for the unit itself. Pricing on the system has been finalized: $499 for the base system with a 20GB hard drive, or about $599 for the system with a 60GB hard drive (apparently retailers can set their own pricing on this enhanced version, so expect lots of gouging). This beast hits American shores just in time for the all-important holiday shopping season on November 17th.

Also showcased were very visually-impressive games, including Tekken 6, Gran Turismo HD (in full 1080p glory!), Metal Gear Solid 4 (supposedly the end of the series), and of course the pair of Final Fantasy XIII titles. All of the games showcased looked spectacular, but only time will tell how well they actually play. An interesting thing to note from the Square Enix camp was how happy the developers were with the PS3 while they were working on last year's tech demo. It sounds like it may actually be easier to work with than was previously expected. All in all, it looks like Sony's new system is packing some serious heat, so watch out Microsoft and Nintendo!

Update: I had a chance to watch a recorded copy of the press conference and clear up a few details. The US pricing of the PS3 will be a firm $599 for the 60GB unit, and both units will be available in silver or black with one standard motion-sensitive wireless controller.