Xbox 360 and PS3 price cuts coming this fall… maybe
It’s well-known that the price of hardware has a direct effect on sales figures. Most consoles launch at a fairly high price but soon see price cuts in order to provoke sales and squeeze the competition. But this generation has so far been a strange on in that sense. Maybe newly-rumored price cuts for the PS3 and Xbox 360 this fall will get things back on track.
This generation has seen only one console follow the usual course on price. The Xbox 360 was launched at an affordable but relatively high price. It has then been given steady and incremental price cuts in order to reach new consumer groups and squeeze its competitors.
The Wii, on the other hand, was launched at a low price and has stayed at that price ever since. While the PS3 was expensive at launch and remains fairly expensive despite a couple of price cuts. And these two strategies have arguably been key to the success or failure of each console. The Wii is in first, the Xbox 360 is in second, and the PS3 is bringing up the rear.
Sony has consistently refused to bow to the many calls for a price cut in recent months. Industry analysts and consumers are crying out for a PS3 price cut but none has yet been forthcoming. But that could be about to change, and it could force Microsoft to further reduce the price of the Xbox 360 as well.
Ars Technica claims a reliable inside source as revealing plans for big changes to the hardware line-up in the fall. Just in time for a run at dominating the holiday season.
The Ars mole (which sounds like a medical condition) suggests that Sony is currently clearing its inventory of 80GB models of the PS3 in preparation for a new strategy. This would see the long-rumored PS3 Slim getting released this side of Christmas and existing SKUs being dropped in price. No news on how significant a drop in price this well be, however.
Meanwhile, the Ars Mole thinks the Xbox 360 Pro will disappear in the coming months so it can be replaced by the Xbox 360 Elite. The Elite will then have its price dropped to what the Pro currently sells for. Microsoft will also release some nice new game bundles to persuade parents to splash out on an Xbox 360 in time for Christmas.
This could, of course, all prove to be conjecture, but Ars claims its mole knows his (or her) stuff and has been proved right many times before. If that’s the case then it looks like this fall could see a new console pricing war begin in earnest. I wonder if Nintendo will get involved and drop the price of the Wii?
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29 Responses to “Xbox 360 and PS3 price cuts coming this fall… maybe”
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June 29th, 2009
So the 60gb HDD is to go and 120gb will become the middle model, I expected that.
(assuming they keep the Arcarde on sale for those who see not need to bother with one seeing as the Arcade works fine with the several hundred 360 games released to date and as a media hub)
But no news on the coming bigger sized HDD yet?
June 29th, 2009
“Industry analysts and consumers are crying out for a PS3 price cut”
You could have added game developers too.
June 29th, 2009
So basically, everyone and his dog is going to keep guessing about price cutsand slim SKU’s every three weeks until eventually it happens and we can say ‘hey we were right!’
June 29th, 2009
haha @ SW. Well they’re going to be right eventually.
June 29th, 2009
Here’s a good title for a new blog :
‘Microsoft and sony CONFIRM new versions of Xbox and playstation in the next 10 years….maybe’
June 29th, 2009
Happy
Then what happens the the 500 Gig HD?
June 29th, 2009
Still it makes me laugh that people spend close to $100 on a balance board, or $200 on plastic instruments… but the console’s NEED a price cut NOW!
Bobby Kotick can stick his over priced plastic skate board and instruments up his butt-hole.
June 29th, 2009
in other news:
“Move over iPhone, Sony wants their piece of the gaming phone action. Sony will begin developing their own “PSPhone” as early as next month.
According to Japan’s Nikkei business daily Sony will soon begin development on a “cellphone-game gear hybrid”. Starting in July, a team will attempt to “develop a new product that combines functions of its portable game player and Sony Ericsson’s mobile phones.”
June 29th, 2009
CAD
?
What did you mean?
What happens with the 500gb HDD?
My new 500gb external?
I’d still use it for all the things I do now (seeing as I can’t swap saves and play games from it).
You can never have too much HDD storage.
If you mean a new Xbox 500gb drive then I expect it would just come in and gives us the sort of storage that makes sense if we’re seeing them moving to a proper digital distribution model
(for those of us with the bandwidth for it anyhow).
I could see it coming with a good price adjustment on the 120gb drive too (I expect the 120gb drive to drop to the 60gb price & the 500gb drive to sell at slightly higher than the current 120gb HDD price).
Personally I would love to see them go and surprise us all with one of the new 750gb drives – or maybe even that 1tb drive that was rumoured.
That would do us for quite some time.
(and whatever they do I imagine things would not change on the DIY front and those who wanted to save on the official kit will hopefully still be able to find out which specific model of drive they are using and source that separately and install it in the Xbox HDD case themselves……so everybody ought to be happy, right?)
June 29th, 2009
you can get a cheap EXTERNAL 1TB HDD for as low as $150-$200, M$ is charging $150 for their 120GB HDD and $100 for their 60GB HDD.
and u expect them to drop a 1TB HDD for free or for $100 bucks more? come down to earth man.
June 29th, 2009
Happy
Apparently the 1TB does not even exist for the type of HD that the 360 uses and 750 GB is where it’s at now but apparently the 750 GB is rear and expensive. Not enough market saturation yet. Most likely it will be a 500 GB
June 29th, 2009
“I wonder if Nintendo will get involved and drop the price of the Wii?”
Although Nintendo has/had some problems selling at Japan, they were resistant to a price drop. The response was “It´s not time yet”.
I think that Nintendo can drop it considerably right now, but will wait until they are in trouble to do so.
It may be after Sony and MS price drops or when their motion sensing controls hit the market.
June 29th, 2009
Roca,
The PSP Go! Talk!
I’d buy it if it looked the same as the Go and could play as many games. Another year or two and they should be able to fit everything they need in there for a cell phone at the rate tech is shrinking.
Great… a $500 hard drive
June 29th, 2009
Roac (it’s an Aussie thing!)
You can’t get a 2.5″ 1tb drive yet – and I already have a very inexpensive external 500gb drive I use with my Xbox thanks.
CAD
I know 1tb isn’t out right now but apparantly it is imminent (just like the 750gb afaik).
But I imagine you’re right, that or the 400gb drive will be next.
June 29th, 2009
They should just tack on an e-sata port.
Probably cost them next to nothing to do and then you could slap any old e-sata enclosure on that you wanted with whatever you wanted inside. Or if next gen, USB 3.0.
June 29th, 2009
Sony i figure bundles will be the trend for a short while untill some killer titles come out and then a much needed price cut for ps3… as for ms goes i don’t think a price cut will be needed but make the arcade with a 20gb hdd and silver trey and whola
June 29th, 2009
I’ll take the PSP Go! PS3 bundle for $399 please.
June 30th, 2009
haha carl.
June 30th, 2009
Man, getting really sick of all these price drop stories, give it a rest! How about reporting on them when they are official!
June 30th, 2009
yeah, why not have a pants drop story instead?
June 30th, 2009
whats and aussie thing
June 30th, 2009
it’s in my pants.
June 30th, 2009
Wanna see? 10 bucks.
June 30th, 2009
*gives 10 dollars*
Now dance.
June 30th, 2009
Don’t you know what ‘roac’ is?
The sound of a really heavy boozing great night out, often after a spot of the head whirlies and burger/kebab.
June 30th, 2009
lol
June 30th, 2009
I’m sure Paul Hogan used it first.
June 30th, 2009
I’ve suckled at Paul Hogans nipple you know.
June 30th, 2009
His comedic teat?