PS3 not competing with Xbox 360 or Wii; price cut temporary
By Jonathan Schlaffer
It seems that Sony isn’t at all interested in competing with either Microsoft or Nintendo on the console front. Sony is doing what Sony does best, cutting out its own market segment, losing money and generally making everyone unhappy. The company recently announced a $100 price cut on the 60GB PS3 so it stood to reason that there would be two PS3 consoles on the US market, the 60GB for $499 and the 80GB for $599, not so, says Sony.
Cutting the price on the 60GB PS3 is only so the remaining stock is sold, after that; the US market will only have the $599 80GB PS3 which is bundled with MotorStorm.
With the Wii coming in at $250 and the Xbox 360 Elite with its 120GB hard drive costing just under $480, certainly, Sony could use a $499 PS3 on the market. The Wii doesn’t have HD out or even play DVDs for that matter and the Xbox 360 elite doesn’t have WiFi. The PS3 shines on both counts and ads Blu-Ray to the mix but it’s not worth $599 unless you are looking at a Blu-Ray player.
Where the PS3 does matter is as a Blu-Ray player with some standalone players going for $600 or up, if that’s what you’re considering just buy the PS3 and a copy of Resistance: Fall of Man for gaming in-between movie watching.
Sony says it is not now nor was it ever its intention to sell two PS3 SKUs in the US market. I might have been able to accept that but the 60GB model will be going strong in Europe which will not get the 80GB model. The bundle to be sold in Europe will consist of the 60GB PS3 and two games.
Right now it seems there is a bit of confusion over what Sony is doing, once again it’s becoming a case of the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing and vice versa. Sony has denied that the 60GB PS3 will be discontinued in the US but then said that current supplies will be sold and not replenished.
Given Sony’s track record, let’s just go ahead and not count on the 60GB model being around for much longer so if you want it now, buy it before it’s gone and then we’re all stuck with the 80GB PS3 for $599.
For $499 or $599 I would still rather buy an iPhone or even just that rumored “iPhone like” iPod. At this point in time all I can say is that it looks more likely than not that the US market can say “goodbye” to the 60GB PS3 if you are to believe the article at Gamasutra.
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July 13th, 2007
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July 13th, 2007
BAD Article!
July 13th, 2007
brilliant move by sony….they give the price cut to consumers….but ms wont cut px since sony’s price cut is only temporary. sony will build up their user base since ps3 at 499 will be a better value than xbox…and once they have that…everything else can fall into their places
July 14th, 2007
Quite a clever if a little desperate move for Sony America. They can now expect a steady increase in their install base while consumers grab the bargain $499 model before stocks run out in a few months. Then they may be in the position to alter the price for the 80GB version before Christmas. Good move for a struggling brand.
Sony Europe on the other hand may have made a huge mistake with there ‘bundle’ idea. Not only does it appear nothing has changed, Europeans will no longer have the option to pick one up purely as a cheap Blu-Ray player if the only way to buy it will be with two games and extra controller. I feel David Reeves may have also put Sony America in an awkward position by revealing too much about the US price plans in order defend his own European decisions.
July 14th, 2007
See this move for what it really is. the new 80 gig console has no “Emotion engine” that the original chassis had. It costs less to make.They have simply screwed Europe with this new chassis and the people still purchased them. They are now going to do the same thing in the US, (I wonder the legality of it all). that console was advertised as 100% backwards compatible with the older games, after they pulled the rug on Europe and nobody complained loud enough to care, they simply decided to implement it here.
Why would they say there was NEVER an intention to sell two seperate SKU’s in America, It was introduced as two different SKU’s, and with the new one thats three SKU’s and with three different chassis. The thing has only been on the market 7 months. More double talk and lies from corporate. Whats new…have a nice day.
July 14th, 2007
Bitch-slapped again.
July 14th, 2007
sony sucks get xbox 360.
July 14th, 2007
I am sick and tired of hearing people accuse Microsoft and Sony of illegal actions. For crying out loud, they can gut the machine and sell it for a thousand dollars and they won’t be doing anything illegal. America’s litigiousness is an international joke. Stop making me ashamed to read American postings (I am a U.S. citizen).
July 16th, 2007
$499 is still too much for a console.
The “price cut” will generate a short-term sales spike thats all.