14 DAY TRIAL // Video game hardware maker Sony has launched a new package called the New Owner's Kit for the PlayStation 3 home console, which includes an extra DualShock 3 controller, an USB charger and a HDMI cable.
The new package will sell for 69 dollars in the United States (which is the equivalent of about 46 Euro) and can now be pre-ordered from Gamestop and Walmart.
Sony is saying that buying the three accessories separately costs 24 dollars more than picking up the new bundle.
Gamers will be able to pick the New Owner's Kint starting on October 25.
The three accessories plug some pretty big gaps in the starter kit for the PlayStation 3 and the HDMI cable is crucial for modern gaming experiences.
A lot of gamers criticized Sony when the PlayStation 3 launched for the fact that it only included a SD cable in the package and forced gamers who wanted higher quality gaming to pay out of pocket for an extra cable.
At the time analysts speculated that Sony was interested in keeping the cost of the PlayStation 3 launch package as small as possible but nowadays, with the normal price of the console at 249 dollars and components cheaper than ever, there's no excuse for putting the HDMI cable in a separate package that requires extra payments.
Sony has always said that it plans to sell the PlayStation 3 home console for at least 10 years, which means that HDMI connection and the presence of the Blu-ray drive are two of the technologies that are crucial to its success.
In recent years both Sony and Microsoft have taken steps to portray their gaming platforms as being media friendly, capable of serving the whole family by delivering television shows and movies on demand.
Sony would be better served by revamping the main PS3 package to include an extra controller and a HDMI cable for the current price.