It’s looking as though the PlayStation 3 will be a somewhat expensive bundle of digital joy when it launches next year, with comments from Sony Computer Entertainment chief Ken Kutaragi again hinting that a new era in hardware pricing looms.

"I'm not going to reveal its price today", Kutaragi-san said at The PlayStation Meeting recently held in Tokyo. "I'm going to only say that it'll be expensive.” This is the second time such a warning (or perhaps an 'expectation-setter') has been heard from the SCEI exec. Only last month, Kutaragi made mention that pricing isn’t seen as that much of an issue, asserting the principle that if a product is good enough, buyers will still come flocking.

At the same meeting, it was also mentioned that this year’s Tokyo Game Show, slated for 16-18 October, is likely to see the final playable unveiling of PlayStation 3. “We hope to use the Tokyo Game Show as a chance for everyone to get to know, or possibly experience, what next-generation entertainment is all about,” Kutaragi said.

We’ll bring you confirmation on both of the above points as soon as it becomes available. Stay tuned and let us know how much you think the hottest next-gen machine could and should cost.