PlayStation 3 and packaging spotted in the wild

Oh deary us, pictures of the PlayStation 3 before it's launched? Looks a lot like some Sony dudes setting up at TGS when these were snapped, we can't imagine anywhere else in the world right now that would require such a setup. So what if we want our cake (Wii), and to eat it too (PS3) -- we could live with all three next-gen consoles.

[Thanks, Iboro Ekpo]

[peyay @ Sep 21st 2006 3:19PM]

those r the "cheap" 20 gig ones who wants those

[Ron Licata @ Sep 21st 2006 4:01PM]

who wants those? no one. that's why they are using them as display bricks.
;)

[Travis Jenkins @ Sep 21st 2006 3:19PM]

Nice...I'll take one of those puppies!

[ruben @ Sep 21st 2006 3:21PM]

i want one :D, why are they using the cheap ones?

[John R. @ Sep 21st 2006 6:42PM]

Is it me or does the guy in the first picture look like he's about ready to break his back lifting the PS3?

[Major @ Sep 21st 2006 3:24PM]

Nice to see they're actually making these things.

[Michael May @ Sep 21st 2006 4:25PM]

It only shows the boxes...

[Nick @ Sep 21st 2006 3:29PM]

I can't wait for this to his the stores!!! Sony lovers and hatters have waited a bit too long. But the day count is getting smaller and smaller till we can actually use this beauty.

[Iwata @ Sep 21st 2006 3:31PM]

Lol, looks like Miyamoto has joined the dark side!

[Nick @ Sep 21st 2006 3:32PM]

They're using the cheap ones as demo units cause they are cheap. Why would you demo a high end model of somthign is it looked the same and operated the same.

[Rick @ Sep 21st 2006 3:36PM]

. . those boxes do actually have product inside them, right? :)

[David @ Sep 21st 2006 3:37PM]

Is it just me or do some of those ones on the top look dangerously close to falling over.

Nice to know these are actually being made. Packaging is pretty nice too although that really doesn't matter. Now if I could only find this place and get a couple for me and my friends... then sell a few on ebay so I can buy games and extra controllers... hehehehe

[jron @ Sep 21st 2006 3:36PM]

oh noes! that person forgot to lift the ps3 with his knees, not his back!

[funkbass23 @ Sep 21st 2006 3:37PM]

If something looked the same and operated the same, then why is it still called the cheap model? It does exactly what the other model does, only it doesn't have some of the bells and gadgets that never existed on game systems before and were never needed.

It's funny how something that has a Blu-Ray drive, a hard drive, bluetooth and whatever other random stuff that's packed in there could be called cheap. It's all just a marketing gimmic! They want you to buy the $600 model;)

[Pavan Rajam @ Sep 21st 2006 3:40PM]

this looks just like the PSP box

[funkbass23 @ Sep 21st 2006 3:40PM]

Also, those could just be display boxes and not the actual unit box. They do that for Gamestop and those types of stores, it's possible that the same thing is happening here. For instance, the display box for the PSP was huge and not the actual box at all.

[dtrenz @ Sep 21st 2006 3:42PM]

"oh noes! that person forgot to lift the ps3 with his knees, not his back!"

oh man, well done! :D

i've always wondered what the GDP of Germany (as depicted in video game consoles) looked like.

[EdZ @ Sep 21st 2006 3:43PM]

Heh. They're almost certainly empty boxes. Why on earth would they bother packaging the units before shipping them off, then unpackaging them again to display? Notice they're only unpackaging the units from plain brown boxes. The boxes with artwork are just empty mockups (not to say that they're not the final design, just that they have nothing inside them).

[Josh @ Sep 21st 2006 3:48PM]

It should be worth noting, while the boxes are for the 20GB version, the consoles themselves are clearly the 60GB versions. You can tell this from the fact that the front of the console is chrome, and the rest of the console is that clear black plastic and not flat black like the 20GB version. Also you can see Sony's "1080p" logo on the TVs the systems are being hooked up to, so you'd figure they'd want to go ahead and feed the displays the highest quality source via HDMI

[guardian__J @ Sep 21st 2006 3:46PM]

I guess they need to lower their Launch dates estimate to 499,800

Seriously, do they need that many for demos at TGS?

[Regula Oblique @ Sep 21st 2006 3:49PM]

Hey that Does look like miyamoto lol

[Kren @ Sep 21st 2006 3:52PM]

WHY does he have his pants rolled up?!
Did he just get done WADING in PS3's?

[mike @ Sep 21st 2006 4:58PM]

I would LOVE to be wading in PS3's... it's like a sea of bliss! :)

[Uncle Jerry @ Sep 21st 2006 3:53PM]

Actually there's a flood coming and he's trying to use them as sandbags.... (notice his highwater pants)

[TVGenius @ Sep 21st 2006 3:53PM]

They're probably empty boxes, since it looks like Mr. Lift-with-your-back is taking that one from a brown box that seems larger than the pretty boxes. Given Sony's problems so far, that's probably every PS3 in existence right there.

[Alden @ Sep 21st 2006 4:01PM]

Wait, why do they have so many?

They don't seriously think they can sell that amount, do they?

[AG @ Sep 21st 2006 4:07PM]

Damnnnn....I can't wait!

[Dolomite @ Sep 21st 2006 4:07PM]

Looks like Doomsday for the beleagured software giant is right around the corner! This thing is going to kill the Xbox... I want one now!

[Robotron @ Sep 21st 2006 4:08PM]

I read on another blog from someone at the TGS.
They said these are empty promo boxes and if you look at them closely you can see that. Otherwise their weight on top would make them fall.
They also pointed out that the guy unpacking the PS3 units for display is doing so from a brown box not a PS3 box.

[maddcoder @ Sep 21st 2006 4:08PM]

now lets hope they don't explode like the sony batteries. that'll be one heck of a firework show.

[jron @ Sep 21st 2006 4:15PM]

They have to be empty boxes. That many ps3's stacked on top of each other would knock the earth out of orbit.

[@ Sep 21st 2006 4:19PM]

Because when you only release 500,000 consoles worldwide, you can *afford* to have them all packed by hand.

[Lou @ Sep 21st 2006 6:16PM]

wow im just speachless. lol cool tho

[Michael @ Sep 21st 2006 4:25PM]

Isn't that the spider-man font?

[jerseysmell @ Sep 22nd 2006 3:02AM]

These boxes have something in them (don't know if the system, but you can tell in the third pic by just how the sit upon one another; empty boxes seems more "fluffy"), but if there is such a shortage, why open 50+ systems and put them on display (over $25,000)? I guess 50+ of you guys will be receiving "slightly used" PS3s!

[Dignan17 @ Sep 21st 2006 4:31PM]

It's weird to think that in that last image, you're looking at anywhere from $31,500 to $37,800 worth of game consoles (don't know which version they are).

[Persio @ Sep 21st 2006 4:37PM]

Holly f***, the actually DO exist, after all? :D

[Paul @ Sep 21st 2006 4:42PM]

Using Sony's sexy X Series TV - 1080p!

Damm I want a PS3

[marv2.0 @ Sep 21st 2006 4:43PM]

Those boxes look empty to mee. Notice how the one on the bottom are just as crisp and puffy as the ones on top? Not a whole lot of weight crunching the ones on the bottom.

Also, any place that had that many setting out in the open like that are just BEGGING for some kind of riot/ looting frenzy...

[Ryan @ Sep 21st 2006 4:45PM]

The guy's jeans are rolled up because he's about to be wading through the waves of BS that the Sony guys'll be spouting.

And, a little tip to Engadget: let us change our friggin' passwords already!

[Sean @ Sep 21st 2006 4:56PM]

Why do people not realise they're promo boxes, despite 10 comments prior to their own stating so?

You'd think they'd have dropped the god-awful Spiderman font though...

[Adam Williams @ Sep 21st 2006 5:09PM]

If anyone wants one, I've got 5 PS3 20GB Basic packs for sale, $469 each, just comment here with your bank account number, sort code, home address, where you hide your spare key, where you keep your valuables and what time you are most likely to be out of the house. Alternatively, you can have one of the 3 PS3 Deluxe Packages I've got for just three easy payments of YOUR SOUL!!!!!

[yourmommasjuice @ Sep 21st 2006 5:10PM]

ummm, hello?
no wonder it's so delayed, there's one guy working on the assembly line.

little help please?

[TVGenius @ Sep 21st 2006 5:10PM]

I've always found it really strange that they chose to use such a well-known font in the logo. Usually you don't see companies (especially with two well-publicized properties) using the same fonts like that. Then again, it is Sony Pictures doing Spidey 3, so I guess maybe they saved having to buy another license for the font that way.

[Jason @ Sep 21st 2006 5:14PM]

Two things:

1. Yes, Sony is in production, unfortunately, all the PS3s pictured are all the units they've produced.

2. Whether or not the boxes are empty or have a machine in them they won't topple over, their center of gravity is still within the confines of the bottom unit, unless they are weighted extremely (70% of mass) to the side with the 20GB marking - take a physics course.

[Thomas @ Sep 21st 2006 5:27PM]

Playstation 3 looks like they're ready to kick the Wii's butt.

[JC @ Sep 21st 2006 5:27PM]

Empty boxes for empty hopes. These are just the boxes that sit on the shelves at EB Games, saying "Coming soon..."

[LOs @ Sep 21st 2006 5:35PM]

80gb Ps3 - $600
20gb Ps3 - $400
Empty shiny boxes that make everyone think you might actually meet your own timetable for launch? Priceless

[Rick Person @ Sep 21st 2006 5:34PM]

Nice to see you can use a dictionary. Ummm are you smoking something or what?

Dolomite @ Sep 21st 2006 4:05PM
Looks like Doomsday for the beleagured software giant is right around the corner! This thing is going to kill the Xbox... I want one now!

[Matt C @ Sep 21st 2006 5:48PM]

Wow, Sony's taking a big risk putting their entire stockpile of PS3s in one location. What if something happended to them, they might have to push Europe back to '08.