PS3 price cut and new non-Blu-ray SKU imminent?
While we may disagree over certain aspects of the PS3, its marketing, how well it’s doing, and the quality of its games, the vast majority of us agree that it’s currently too expensive. There have long been rumors that Sony is going to capitulate and reduce the price, but it hasn’t yet happened. Could the latest speculation indicating a price is imminent prove more accurate?
The last year or so has seen numerous rumors of a PS3 price cut coming soon, all of which have proved incorrect. The need for a hardware price cut increased in September of last year when Microsoft cut the price of the Xbox 360 across the whole range.
Sony has continually deflected the rumors. In September, Sony CEO Howard Stringer claimed there were “no plans to do any price cuts.” In October, SCEE managing director Ray Maguire stated there would be no PS3 price cut because the company had “a business to run.” In November, Sony outright denied the rumors of a March ‘09 price cut, but I stated my belief that it would still happen.
The latest round of speculation has come from Janco Partners’ Mike Hickey, who recently published his latest note to investors. According to GI.biz, he states that there is a high probability of “a PS3 price cut announcement from Sony in the next couple of days.”
He added:
We think the company needs to reduce the current price by US$100 to effectively restart unit velocity at retail. We believe the market is expecting a PS3 price cut in April or by June at the latest.
If Sony does not cut the price of their console, we expect the continuation of languishing PS3 hardware sales and the potential for publishers to accelerate their reallocation of resources away from the PS3 console.
I would say a price cut between April and June is now expected by most people, and would be a good thing if Sony wants to take advantage of the many exclusive games being released on the PS3 during 2009. However, I can’t see developers yet giving up with the console quite yet, whatever happens over the next few months.
Hickey also suggests there is increased talk of Sony releasing a PS3 without a Blu-ray drive as standard in the near future. I don’t know who he’s been listening to but I’d suggest they’ve been smoking too many funny cigarettes of late.
The cost of the Blu-ray drive is a factor in keeping the price of the PS3 high, but who in their right mind would buy a games console that couldn’t play any of the games previously released for it, and which would never be able to play big-hitters such as Metal Gear Solid 4, which use the whole of a Blu-ray disc?
The price cut makes sense, and I can see it happening. The non-Blu-ray Playstation 3? No way.
Related Posts:
35 Responses to “PS3 price cut and new non-Blu-ray SKU imminent?”
Leave a Reply:
You must be logged in to post a comment. Don't have an account? Register today!
February 25th, 2009
Again with the blu ray argument Dave???
February 25th, 2009
A price cut will do nothing for Sony. They are already losing money and Microsoft will only hurt them with another price cut which makes me wonder why they are even going to bother.
When I was deciding between xbox and ps3 price was not the issue for me as a gamer anyway. I bought the elite which was around the same price.
It was the great games, brilliant online, stupid amount of arcade games, rumble (a massive issue for me back then as well as a lot of other ppl, now resolved with dualshock 3) and being able to download episodes of lost in HD from my laptop and play them right away.
February 25th, 2009
Did you even read the article?
February 25th, 2009
We can download lost in HD and play them straight away too. Though around launch some file types that torrents come in were a bit iffy.
So all we need now is a stupid amount of arcade games and we are even stevens.
But yeh BluRay-less PS3….uh what?
February 25th, 2009
Surely the blu-ray less PS3 is some sort of joke, and it’s not even April 1.
I wonder what the boys who kept saying ‘DVD is outdated, games no longer fit on DVD’ will say if the PS3 becomes blu-rayless?
However, in saying that, if somehow taking the blu ray out and selling games in 2 different formats (i.e PC which gives gamers the choice of buying a game on 1 dvd or 5 cds) is going to get more consoles out the door, then maybe it is a good strategy. Could be a little confusing for the consumer, as mums and dads aren’t as tech savvy as their kids and might end up buying a blu-ray version of a game when they should have bought a dvd version etc…
February 25th, 2009
I like Dave’s blogs better than Mike’s. Carry on.
February 26th, 2009
It’s a terrible idea, and it’s not going top happen anyway. It’s one of the worst rumors I’ve ever heard. The difference between the cost of the dvd drive to blu ray drive is too small to create a significant price drop.
February 26th, 2009
FUD glorious FUD…
February 26th, 2009
nice Ice Age 2 reference.
February 26th, 2009
omg..if they release a nonbluray ps3 i’m gonna die laughing….
“but…teh bloooray is needed for magical, eternal worlds never seen before on earth” – (parphrased from every ps3 fanboy on the ‘net)
February 26th, 2009
Damnit kev! Now I’m at odds. Sony making the biggest blunder ever or not having to read your garbage.
February 26th, 2009
their biggest blunder was launching the ps3 with bluray in the first place…. proven by their position in the nosebleed seats…
February 26th, 2009
If a bluray less PS3 came out it would have to support Digital Downloads and all PS3 games would have to be available for digital download. Really that isn’t to hard to do. I would consider a Bluray less PS3 because I have no problems with digital copies.
February 26th, 2009
CAD – idk… really, if they can outsource the dvd lines they can profit much better on dvd while keeping their prices the same.
on a brighter note: Best Buy has bluray players for under $200 this weekend. think i may break down and pony up…
February 26th, 2009
Kev, Why bother? By the sounds of thing you can’t see well enough to know the difference.
February 26th, 2009
yeah… no reason to buy something just so you can bitch about…
February 26th, 2009
On a side note, add that $200 to the price of the cheapest 360 and you have a PS3. My brother spent $50 more than what you’re willing to spend and he got a PS3 with the Playstation Card deal they were running at the end of the year. Now it’s only $100 instead of $150.
February 26th, 2009
don’t need more credit. sitting a >720 and don’t want to jinx the FICO.
ncaisse – there is a difference between bluray and dvd…just not $300 a difference. maybe you’re right tho, i should wait.
if they hit <$200 by this point, they’ll be <$150 by summer’s end….
February 26th, 2009
phranc… I heard that people had to jump through some hoops to get that Playstation Visa card deal… did he get it ok?? did he have any problems??
February 27th, 2009
He went to the Sony Style store in Garden City (Long Island) and they allowed him to get the card and use it to purchase the ps3 there. tax and gas money were to only additional expenses.
February 27th, 2009
dwh- you must apply for the card, a credit app will be run against your FICO and then you get the privilege of paying interest on your brand new, overpriced, ps3…
it’s a lose/lose for the consumer…win/win for sony…
February 27th, 2009
you only pay interest on it if you don’t fully play it off right away. Don’t you know how credit cards work.
Then you never have to use the card again.
February 27th, 2009
phranc- it’s pretty common knowledge that the vast majority of people only pay the minimum due by the due date.
if someone has the $500 needed to pay it off by month’s end, it’s pointless to use a credit card. just wait and buy it cash….
you may never “use the card” again, but the account remains open and can have a negative effect on your credit worthiness.
yes, i know how credit cards work, how they impact your overall credit score and the models used by the credit reporting agencies…
to open a credit card (and the subsequent subprime percentage rates that always follow) simply to buy a toy is stupid…. thus no suprise that you are promoting the idea….
February 27th, 2009
I don’t give a flying fuck what most people do. You are so anti Sony you’re willing to make “free money” seem like a bad thing.
Get approved for the card and get the PS3 for $250 is somehow in your world a bad thing. Pay the thing off outright. Cancel the card after six months. You saved $150.
They’re banking on stupid people to only pay the minimum so unlike the majority you have to do your best and no act like them by paying it all at once (that could be hard for you).
February 27th, 2009
I wouldn’t go holding out too much hope that there’s a load of relatively young lads about to be handed credit cards too readily anymopre either.
Everywhere but everywhere there’s a ‘credit crunch’ going on and credit is harder and harder to get, nevermind the what an ad says, try and get credit right now……but be careful, there are numerous tales of customers going to the banks looking to extend their credit and overdrafts and finding that not only is the bank turning down their application but they then recall their existing lines of credit.
Anyone using a sizeable overdraft should think twice about going anywhere near a bank atm.
The key is, try not to owe the ba$tards any money at all.
February 27th, 2009
If you know what your doing with Credit Cards its not too bad. I paid off the remainder of a car loan on credit cards by movie the remaining balance from card to card that kept offering “no interest for one year” deals. I have pretty damn good credit so taking out a card to save $150 is a no brainer.
Happy is right though. This idea is not for a bunch of kids.
February 27th, 2009
phranc – if it was “free money”, credit cards wouldn’t be in business long. there is no “free money”..only money with strings attached with 19% APR…
like i said, if you had the cash to pay it off, it makes no sense in opening non-used credit lines.
it’s hilarious you know so little about credit that you actually bragged about moving a car note to an unsecured credit card. stupid move, sherlock…but one that’s made everyday by the young and ignorant… exactly the kind of people sony need applying for their cards… you know..the kind that think it’s a good idea to open a revolving charge account at 18%APR just to save a hundred bucks on a toy….
you’ll learn someday…like most people..the hard way…
February 27th, 2009
credit rating of 780.
If you work it right, it’s free money. I understand that you need to paint it into the worst possible way, but not everyone is a credit delinquent. If work the system right you can get shit for it. I’ve received plane tickets for using credit cards. You just need to be smart and pay it all off at the end of the month.
February 27th, 2009
phranc – sure you do… 780? really… *cough*b.s.*cough*
February 27th, 2009
there is no other way to look at it than the “worse possible way”….
forcing someone to gamble at those odds just to save a few bucks on a ps3 is desperate.
besides, if someone has enough to pay it off at the end of the month, they have enough money to pay cash for it.
you should’ve stopped long ago, kid… lmao…
February 27th, 2009
*didn’t mean to hit submit*
..sorry…
..anyway… if you’re under 35 years old, it’s virtually impossible to achieve a 780 credit and that is even IF you even obtained credit on your 18th birthday. you don’t have enough longevity.
when you have to start lying (again) to prove a point, you have no point to prove….
February 27th, 2009
two separate sources. One has it as 770. I’m purchasing a Condo now.
February 27th, 2009
‘young and ignorant… ‘
Could of said ‘young and inexperienced’ something less nobbish.
But I suppose thats what old (flaccid) dicks are like.
February 27th, 2009
sw – you think about old, flacid dicks? eeeewwwwwww….
February 27th, 2009
My mommy told me its perfectly normal.