14 DAY TRIAL // Sony might have announced it just a weeks ago, but Famitsu has already managed to get the latest scoop on Torne, the new PlayStation 3 digital receiver and video recorder. The source of the story is none other than Sony Computer Entertainment's hardware planner, Kiyoto Shibuya, so we can rest assured knowing that the facts are accurate. The idea that Torne was build around was to create a DVR that mimicked the PS3 in as many ways as possible.
"Devices like these tend to be these complex multipurpose things, but a lot of sets are just too multipurpose for their own good," Shibuya said. "We built this from the ground up to be a uniquely PlayStation product, and I think the results show that limiting your feature set can be a good thing."
And with multipurpose in mind, as well as the PS3, it looks like Torne will have close tie-ins with video games, as the device will boast many "game-like features." For one, it will be fully compatible with the PlayStation Portable, as you'll be able to transfer the recording for viewing on the handheld, but you'll also be able to use it as a remote control.
The more eccentric part of Torne, however, seems to be its dealings with the trophy system Sony has been working on. According to Shibuya, "It's compatible with the PS3 trophy system, and you can get trophies for things like watching final episodes from a lot of TV series, for example." If Sony links this up for anime shows, at least in Japan, it's going to be an instant hit.
Right now, Sony has a release date planned for Torne sometime next month and it's going to cost 9,980 yen, which is roughly $110. There will also be a special release of it that will include an external, 250GB hard drive for recording, but this one is going to be a bit pricier, as it's tagged at 42,800 yen, which amounts to about $470.
To support these somewhat high prices, at least for the Torne that comes with the external hard disk, Shibuya suggested that the device was family friendly. "In my eyes, it'd be a great if this became a way to convince your wife to buy a PS3," Shibuya jested. "If she says 'no game systems,' just tell her that it's for video recording. We'd all be very happy if it worked out that way."