PS3 Price drop....and my question...

[R-Tistic]

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/SonySlashesPlayStationThreePrice.aspx

Sony (SNE, news, msgs) today sliced the price of the PlayStation 3 in the United States by $100, or 17%, a move that should boost lackluster sales of the video-game console.

The PlayStation 3, which includes a 60-gigabyte hard drive and a Blu-ray high-definition DVD player, will now cost $500, still $20 more than the most expensive version of Microsoft's (MSFT, news, msgs) Xbox 360. (Microsoft owns and publishes MSN Money.)

Even at the new price, Sony's console costs twice that of Nintendo's (NTDOY, news, msgs) Wii system, whose $250 price and motion-sensing controller have made it a best seller despite its lack of cutting-edge graphics and hard disk.

"Our initial expectation is that sales should double, at a minimum," said Jack Tretton, the chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment America. "We've gotten our production issues behind us on the PlayStation 3, reaching a position to pass on the savings to consumers, and our attitude is the sooner the better."

The price drop was widely anticipated by industry analysts even though Sony President Ryoji Chubachi had told Reuters last week that the company had no immediate plans for one.

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter said Sony's price reduction would not double sales but could boost them by 50% to about 120,000 units a month.

"The greater significance is that Sony is signaling to the market that we're coming down the cost curve pretty fast in making this thing. It's a pretty consumer-friendly move," Pachter said.

In an unfamiliar position
Sony's move comes two days before the start of the video-game industry's annual E3 trade show in Santa Monica, Calif., where some expect Microsoft to respond with its first price cuts on the Xbox 360.

Nintendo, whose Wii is selling so well that it is still hard to find in stores eight months after its launch, is not expected to budge on pricing.

The Xbox 360 and Wii have outsold the PlayStation 3 by several times in the crucial U.S. market, leaving Sony, whose PlayStation 2 dominated the previous console generation, in the unfamiliar position of playing catch-up.

Sony is counting on the price cut to help it significantly boost sales of the console ahead of the holiday shopping season, which accounts for most of the annual sales of highly profitable gaming software.

Sony is also introducing a new version of the PlayStation 3 that features an 80-gigabyte hard drive and a copy of "Motorstorm," an off-road-racing game that has already sold a million copies. The new model will sell for $600 and is aimed at gamers who expect to download a lot of games and other content from Sony's burgeoning online network.

Sony also hopes the PlayStation 3 will win some converts after Microsoft's admission last week that the failure rate of its Xbox 360 console had been unacceptably high, forcing it to book $1 billion in repair costs.

"We're especially proud of the fact that the PlayStation 3 has the lowest failure rate of any PlayStation product. It's absolutely the gold standard," Tretton said. "The quality of the product and long-term viability is what ultimately wins."

This article was reported and written by Scott Hillis for Reuters.

Most of us saw this coming....now my question is......how much will the price drop be for the ones that initially cost $500?

[Sparegeez]

Most of us saw this coming....now my question is......how much will the price drop be for the ones that initially cost $500?

They don't make those anymore lol.

[R-Tistic]

Most of us saw this coming....now my question is......how much will the price drop be for the ones that initially cost $500?

They don't make those anymore lol.

LMAO, wow! I was wondering....EB Games has the PS3 price drop as the main thing, and I was thinkin...."I SWEAR that shit was $500 two months ago when I got my 360!!!"

That's all I need...I don't do enough to use all 60 gigs.

[Sanford - V. President of the Dangerous Crew Movement]

im gettin one.

[I Am The Anton]

This was only a price drop on the 60GB version. And they have stopped production on those, which means once supplies of the 60GB PS3 are sold out, they are gone for good. Once supplies for the 60GB are gone, they will start producing a 80GB version and the price will go back up to $600. This is just to spike sales for a bit.

[Sparegeez]

This was only a price drop on the 60GB version. And they have stopped production on those, which means once supplies of the 60GB PS3 are sold out, they are gone for good. Once supplies for the 60GB are gone, they will start producing a 80GB version and the price will go back up to $600. This is just to spike sales for a bit.

It's a good idea by Sony but fucked up for the consumer that has to buy a ps3 for 100 more than the other because it has 20 gb more. Which is Bullshit.

[GangstaBoogy]

This system is headed for a dead end.

[bad-n-fluenz supporter of the dangerous crew movement]

i need to pick one up

[Don Jacob]

drop it another 150 dollars and i'll pick it up .

[Nutty]

If you can afford it, get one!

They've finally added a wallpaper option. Hoorah for updates.

Viewing DUBCC on my PS3!! Gyeah...... (only bcoz my laptop's down, lol).

This place is due for a sticky PS3 info thread! Wii fanboys are awfully quiet.

[On The Edge of Insanity]

The wallpaper thing is dope, although I did kinda like the changing colour of the normal background waves.

Hot Shots Golf 5 is out in Japan this week as well (named Minna No Golf 5) and looks to be selling really well. I think this will be the start of the resurgance of the PS3, lots of good games are now scheduled and they are starting to get exclusives of their own from the big companies in the US and in Japan.

[devil_may_care]

Fucked up thing is - they're not sropping UK prices for another 3 or 4 months so they're still high as fuck.

[-Euthanasia-]

Lets hope they srop it soon, at least they havent sraised prices.

[On The Edge of Insanity]

Fucked up thing is - they're not sropping UK prices for another 3 or 4 months so they're still high as fuck.

It kinda has, as they are doing a PS3 + 2 controllers + Motorstorm + Resistance for around £400.

If you want those two games its a good deal, if not then wait for the "official" price drop.

[Trauma-san]

If you can afford it, get one!

They've finally added a wallpaper option. Hoorah for updates.

Viewing DUBCC on my PS3!! Gyeah...... (only bcoz my laptop's down, lol).

This place is due for a sticky PS3 info thread! Wii fanboys are awfully quiet.

I'm a Wii fanboy, so I'll speak up and trash the PS3 for you, then.  The Wii is outselling the PS3 for like 5 to 1.  They can't make Wii's fast enough to keep them in stock, much less drop the price.  The ps3 was overpriced IMMENSELY from the beginning, so it's about fucking time... then, when they do drop the price, they effectively make it a temporary price drop that basically only has the effect of fucking over anybody that already bought a 60gig system.  Then, to further fuck anybody that bought a 60 gig system, they release an 80 gig system for the same price, making your 60gig system (that you didn't get the 100 dollar discount on) effectively second rate, since you now can buy an 80gig for the price you paid for your 60gig.  All this, and shitty games.... for a system that performs at or below the much better 'gamed' xbox 360. 

I feel sorry for you guys, I really do.... Sony tricked you all into thinking this would be the next great thing because the ps2 kicked ass so well... but unfortunately they've become complacent and don't really give a fuck about what the fans want.  Meanwhile, Microsoft and Nintendo are bending over backwards to give the fans whatever the hell they want.

Sony's attempt to give the fans what they want is to release an even MORE powerful system.  Uh... I don't think that's what the fans were asking for, Sony.