Sony: No PS3 price drop – Microsoft: No motion-sensing Banjo Kazooie
It’s a day of rare happenings here on Blorge today. The games console manufacturers, Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft, usually avoid confirming or denying rumours and speculation. But, dun, dun, dunnnnn, today we’ve had rebuttals from both Sony and Microsoft.
First we have Sony, who have flatly denied any plans to drop the price of the Playstation 3. Speculation has been rife about a PS3 price drop on its way sometime in the near future, after it was all but confirmed that the Xbox 360 would be getting another price drop in the next week.
It’s almost guaranteed that Microsoft will be announcing a price drop for the Pro model of the Xbox 360 on Monday, which will make it $100 cheaper than the Playstation 3. But according to Kotaku, Sony’s Chief Financial Officer Nobuyuki Oneda told investors that the PS3 would not be following suit.
Our strategy is not to sell more quantity for PS3 but to concentrate on profitability…Our plan is not to reduce the price.
So, in effect, Sony are perfectly happy with the price that the PS3 currently sells for, with the current price point allowing the console to sell in large numbers, but still giving Sony the chance to make some sort of profit on it. The Playstation 3 has already cost Sony $3 billion, so profitability has got to be a key concern at this point in time, even if it means sales take a bit of a hit.
Microsoft has also seen fit to put right a rumour surrounding some sort of motion-sensing control methods in the forthcoming Banjo Kazooie title. Just a couple of days ago, Ken Lobb seemed to reveal the motion-sensing future of the Xbox 360 in a video interview about the Rare game, by saying “you basically grab with the wrench and then you twist the controller around and it’ll move different things in the game”.
Now, according to Xbox360 Fanboy, Microsoft has claimed the comments were taken out of context.
There is no truth to this speculation. Ken’s comment is in reference to rotating the left analog stick while hitting the X-button to move different things in the game.
That seems quite clear to me. However, Microsoft is notorious for not usually commenting on rumours, one way or the other, so it seems odd that it has on this particular issue. To add weight to the denial, Microsoft-owned games developer Rare has also flatly denied the claims, telling TVG:
There’s no truth to the Banjo motion control rumour. Banjo has been designed to be played using a gamepad from the outset.
People shouldn’t take rumours that gestate in comments sections so seriously. They can often turn out to be red herrings, as is the case with Banjo and motion controls.
So no motion-sensing in Banjo Kazooie then, but that doesn’t mean a Wii Remote style controller isn’t in development, and isn’t due to be announced at E3 next week. My money is still on an announcement of this kind at E3, and I think the denials say more than if Microsoft had stuck to it’s usual form of “no comment”.
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18 Responses to “Sony: No PS3 price drop – Microsoft: No motion-sensing Banjo Kazooie”
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July 11th, 2008
“So, in effect, Sony are perfectly happy with the price that the PS3 currently sells for, with the current price point allowing the console to sell in large numbers,”
can i get a link to where sony said they’re are happy with the price? thanks.
July 11th, 2008
The Kotaku link is in the article kev. I’m paraphrasing what was said, but if Sony aren’t planning to lower the price of the PS3, isn’t it safe to assume that means they’re happy with the price?
July 11th, 2008
davep- no. you assume only when it may show sony in a positive light. the price is what is creating the 3 billion in losses. that’s a huge number to be “happy” with.
they are leaving the price where it is not out of happiness, but out of necessity in hopes to stem further multi billion dollar hemorraging.
their price (due to bluray) is THE reason it’s sitting in last place. is it safe to assume they’re happy being in last place too? geez…
July 11th, 2008
DaveP- did you sleep with Kevs sister and never call her back or something?
July 11th, 2008
Wylie: Not that I know of, but you never know. It certainly seems like something has crawled up his butt.
kev: I hardly think this article is putting Sony in a positive light.
July 11th, 2008
Doesn’t matter Dave…kev just hates you and will jump in your shxt for any (or no) reason.
July 11th, 2008
lol so david b and DAVE PARRACK aren’t the same person?!!
anyways good news to ps3 owners with burnout paradise, the new update features in game custom soundtracks.
I hope both 360 and ps3 release wii-like motion sensors, that would be a huge embarrassment, especially when they both slate the wii as a childs toy.
July 11th, 2008
sorry that should be ” I hope both 360 and ps3 DONT release…”
July 11th, 2008
DAVEP – thanks for the “butt” comment. apparently you truly are ps3 fanboy. when void of facts, attack the poster. give it up. you’ll never be a writer.
July 11th, 2008
LOL Kevin what would Dave Parrack and gamer blorge be without you?
July 11th, 2008
sorry that should be DAVE PARRACK
July 11th, 2008
How did he attack you Kev? He answered my question. You are the one on the attack. If you don’t like what Dave writes why do you keep reading his articles? Atleast he interacts with us. He even apologized to you in a previous post because you picked apart one sentence in the whole article. Your constant attacks on Dave are getting old, if you can do such great job why don’t you apply for a job? You give opinions and try to claim they are facts all the time. Atleast when Dave writes he knows the difference.
July 11th, 2008
Bourne is still on the attack. She must be on her period.
July 12th, 2008
Wow, thats pretty mature Harry ??
I agree with DP. I don’t think this article puts the PS3 in a terribly great light??.
But according to Kevin, anything that doesn’t place sunshine coming out of 360’s ass, is a negative piece about microsoft…..Give the fanboy crap a rest already.
Is that ok for you Wylie ?? Or am I not qualified to make comment because I don’t know as much about the industry as you?
July 14th, 2008
o i hope they don’t make a motion sensing controller, they are way too late to the game. But the new banjo and kazzoie sounds great (::crossing finger:: hope RARE doesn’t fuck it up liek they did with perfect dark Zero and kameo)
July 14th, 2008
wylie – i simply point out the OBVIOUS and insane bias of this “writer”.
1. he makes a claim that sony is “happy” with the ps3’s price. NOWHERE did sony EVER say that. in fact, stringer has been on record as questioning the inclusion of bluray and “teh cell” as the main hinderances to the ps3 due to price. the fact they went from faaaar #1 to LAST place has to underscore that fact. yet, davep continues to put words into sony’s mouths, and when i point it out, i get called a fanboy. nice job…
2. even leslie (new writer) is on the site talkinga bout how ms is “ignoring” the rrod issue (while he/she ignores the billion ms has set aside to take care of its customers) and that quality should be taken in consideration and ms should be ignored due to poor workmanship. again he/she completely ignores their hypocrisy as sony’s ps2 was so poorly made they got sued, while ms hasn’t.
the point is; you ps3 zealouts are hypocrites. this site supports you with idiocy and unfamiliarity with the market.
wylie- davep doesn’t use facts. i do. that’s the difference. if not, name ONE thing i’ve posted that’s not fact. thanks.
July 14th, 2008
oh..and finally, to prove my point.
when the latest ps3’s d/l was bricking consoles, NO article on it. so what does davep do to detract attention from this fiasco? he dredges up an obscure article on ONE site that address the rrod issue on the 360 Elite instead. he never posted ANY direct article about the damage being done to the ps3. after all, it would show the ps3 in a bad light, so that’s a no-no, i guess.
the guy’s a joke and an insult to writers worldwide.
July 14th, 2008
Kev- I have agreed with you on there should have been an article on the bricking issue. However as a writer Dave can choose whatever he wants to write about. It doesn’t make him a joke. You need to realize that this is a blorge site and take it like a grain of salt. And don’t go overboard here Kev, you may use some facts, but you mix in plenty of opinions and act like they are facts.