There aren't any numbers listed for next-gen, but it's expecting sales of PS3 hardware to drop to 10 million units from 16.5 million (including the PS2) the year before.

ENGADGET

That would let Sony keep the cost down considerably while also easing development for the console since, by then, developers should finally have a handle on the PS3's hardware.

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Each team put its own spin on the numbers, with HD DVD-backing Universal pointing out that despite a 5:1 advantage in hardware due to the PS3, disc sales are still nearly even, while Blu-ray supporter 20th Century Fox sees the format war as being in its "final phase, " and fence-straddling Warner merely noting that both formats are "selling well".

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You may not notice the glossy facade at first, however, as the biggest hardware change in the new PS3 is where you insert disc-based media: a top-loading slider gets moved to the left, revealing a space for your brand new copy of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Game of the Year Edition (bundled with the 250GB console).

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Rendering this in real-time on the PS3 is remarkable given the age of that hardware.

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The upshot is that any internet-connected PS3 (or any other BD-Live capable hardware on the way).

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By launching a vast library of exciting and attractive software titles for PS3 this holiday season and offering customers a line-up of hardware models and pricing to match their preference, SCE will build on the momentum and further accelerate the expansion of the PS3 platform.

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What that means is that the PS3 is now as free to modify as any PC, with the only limits being the hardware under the hood.

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