Analyst predicts price cut for the PS3 this summer
by Colin Torretta 
{ May 15th 2007 at 3:00PM }
Videogame analyst superstar Michael Pachter expects there to be a price cut for the PlayStation 3 by the end of the year, and says that it might even come as early as this summer. GI.biz quotes Pachter, "It is possible that Sony's cost of production for the PS3 has declined to the point that the company may consider a hardware price cut some time this summer, and we may see a price cut for the PS2 before the holidays."
As long as Sony's manufacturing costs have dropped to a reasonable rate, I'd heartily encourage Sony to drop the price of the PS3 as soon as possible. It's very clear that people desperately WANT a PS3, but just can't afford it. Dropping it to $500US and then marketing the hell out of the price drop would do wonders for their sales. Just look at what a 30 dollar price drop did for the PSP.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John @ May 15th 2007 4:41PM
lets hope so
id buy one for £325 (GBP)
no more lol
:)
Darko @ May 15th 2007 3:51PM
No matter how much we all want this to be true, Its not going to happen. Besides, its the lack of games thats stopping me from buying a ps3 not its price.
Killer @ May 15th 2007 3:59PM
That guy kinda looks like Colbert, from a distance. lol
Stef Geiger @ May 15th 2007 4:01PM
No, plenty of people will buy a console regardless of what games are out for it. A huge portion of console buyers are uniformed, or the parents of an uninformed kid who's asking for console x. These people don't even know what games are out for the system, they just want the console. A price drop to the level of the 360 or at least the 360 Elite would REALLY help sales. If the 360 were the same price as the PS3, do you really think it'd be outselling the Sony?
Tiberius Jones @ May 15th 2007 4:40PM
@ Stef
Yes, I do believe the Xbox 360 would still be crushing the PS3. People do want games, and contrary to your statement, most people buying a next-gen console are the one's owning it, not their parents. Parents may be buying a lot of Wii's, but not 360's and PS3's.
Having owned both a PS3 and a 360, I can tell you I sold my PS3 on Ebay after 4 months. I got sick of having no reason to play it. Every game released for both consoles looks and plays better on the 360 and the money I got for it was much better used for a new PC. IF, and it's a BIG IF, Sony gets their shit together and releases a plethora of great games next year (and not just Metal Gear and Gran Turismo - I prefer Forza) AND they institute a pricecut of AT LEAST $100, then I may consider buying another PS3. Until then, it's simply not the best gaming platform available...The Xbox 360 is.
alecks @ May 15th 2007 6:15PM
@ Tiberius Jones
So did you buy your ps3 expecting that because you bought it all of a sudden sony and devs would say "oh hes bought it now, now we can release the good games"
When i purchased my ps3 i had checked the release schedule so i knew when the games are coming. Plus i didnt start crying and sell my ps3 from impatience. "Wah Wah i want to plays that game NOW mummy!! Owies i bit my tongue! Thats sony fault cos no good games yet SELL SELL"
Did you also buy a launch ps2 and then sell it 4 months later cos the good games weren't there yet?
Or was it that big bad sony forcing dvd on you back at that time?
Maybe you should think before you purchase something. Then think again before you sell it and finally think again before you come whinging about it to a site dedicated to it.
There probably would be more games if your beloved M$ stopped throwing bundles of cash at devs, but they wont because people like you keep throwing wads of cash at M$ for crappy overpriced accessories and the like. So in the meantime enjoy your great looking 6 hour games! Im sure they fit your attention span quite well!
I think a price cut would be good to get more ps2 owners to upgrade. I think stef is pretty much right because of the simple fact that most people are realllly stupid, anyone with half a brain knows this.
Once a pricecut makes the price competitive and store clerks get the push to sell the ps3 - just like 360 did, sales would pickup in a huge way. I recall hearing clerks telling uninformed parents fairytales about 360 while waiting to buy games numerous times - i remember cos i was thinking "hurry up AHOLE, theres an actual gamer here wanting to buy some games not listen to your M$ spiel."
I also believe that if the xbox3shitty was so good, people like tiberius and the other xbots that regularly comment here on PS3fanboy would be off playing the shitbox. Instead of constantly searching for ps3 news. You can call me a ps3fanboy all you want but unlike the 360 fanboys, i actually belong at this site!!
If you dont like ps3 dont buy it its as simple as that.
You only research the opposition if they are better than you and you fear their ability!
Dahk @ May 15th 2007 6:13PM
What the hell kind of statement was that fthis.
and lol @ killer.
I dont know. I think dropping the price too early could prove wrong as well. Its a pride thing. And having a big ego, I can say that if Sony dropped the price of the PS3, its like bowing down to the 360 and saying yeah our technology isnt WORTH the extra money (even though people would probably agree with that). And really that gives people even less incentive to buy it.
I like to think that the PS3's time hasn't come yet. The technology capability is now just starting to be realized. HDTVs haven't dominated the market yet (though SDTVs can no longer be found in this city) and theres no SOLID PS3 game yet. Once it all comes together, I think the PS3 will do fine.
But for now I'd like PS3 and Sony to keep the ego.
Real Gambler @ May 15th 2007 6:22PM
"It is possible that Sony's cost of production for the PS3 has declined to the point that the company may consider a hardware price cut some time this summer, and we may see a price cut for the PS2 before the holidays."
You have to love analyst who start a sentence by "It is possible" Sometime they are right, most of the time they are wrong...
Also love the fact that he is finishing the same sentence with "we may see a price cut for the PS2 before the holidays." Wow, a 7 years old console, still outselling next-gen consoles may drop in price... I'm not an analyst, but if the PS2 still sell well by Christmas, there's really, really a big problem with all the Next-gen!!! Both the Xbox and Gamecube came after and are way dead, and this guy is thinking PS2 price drop? C'mon, the PS2 should be dead... Most games made for it today hardly fit on a 9 gig dvd anymore...
Stef Geiger @ May 15th 2007 7:08PM
@4 and 6: No, I'm not a newbie. I stand by what I said. I bought a PS3 knowing there weren't many games on it, because I knew that it would eventually have a huge library. And I certainly stand by my point that a lot of people buying consoles are ignorant to what games are out there. I say this because most of my friends don't keep any track of what comes out for what. They'll see an ad for a game, go to the store all excited, and only then is it brought to their attention that the game is not out on their console. Aside from fanboys and hardcore players (everyone here), casual players will buy a console based on the name, or having seen/heard good things about it. Sometimes that means they saw one good game on the PS3 and figure it's worthwhile.
JimyD @ May 15th 2007 8:10PM
Stef is right. It's a consumer device and it's all about price for the average consumer. Yes, games on the system are obviously important but when mom goes to buy a game console for Jr's birthday, she sure in the hell isn't going to fork over $600 when she can buy a Wii for $250 or a PS2 for $130.
Harold @ May 15th 2007 9:31PM
Where does all this "the Xbox 360 is crushing the PS3" talk come from. In the first quarter of this year the PS3 OUTSOLD the 360 by over 60,000 units if you combine the US and Japanese figures (and by FAR MORE than that if you add in the one week it was on sale in PAL territories during that time span). Sure the 360 has a larger install base but it is not pulling away and the PS3 is expensive and has no games yet. Things are being blown WAY out of proportion!
Killer @ May 15th 2007 10:13PM
"Things are being blown WAY out of proportion!"
^Just like Sony. Enough said. (Microsoft is the same way, but at least Gears of War looked exactly the way they showed it at E3. Can't say that about the great ps3 games, that were extremely CG.)
I swear this guy looks exactly like Stephen Colbert. It's amazing.
scott @ May 16th 2007 2:52AM
It would definitely get me very interested. Especially with Home on the way.
Krazyxazn @ May 16th 2007 10:56AM
@Darko
Yea, its true for me that I haven't bought a PS3 yet because the lack of games out. Not to throw a fit but look whats coming up for PS3 later on this year and early next year. http://www.myarcadeplanet.com/article-130-PS3-Anticipated-Titles-of-07.html
I would gladly play any of these games over Halo 3 or Gears of War 2. Those are are the only games that are riding on 360. Microsoft was fortunate enough to have their flagship games released early.