40GB PS3 for $399 on the horizon? Everybody say "wheee!"
by Jem Alexander 
{ Jul 16th 2007 at 6:00PM }
The PlayStation 3 price rollercoaster reaches another peak today as Game Informer puts the rumour out there that a new 40GB SKU is on the cards. The price? $399. We've also heard ourselves that this has been in the planning stages for a number of months. When asked for confirmation, Dave Karraker stonewalled us with the following statement: "We won't be making any further announcements regarding our PS3 model hardware strategy in North America until the 60GB model is exhausted and market conditions are evaluated."
It's clear, then, that we won't be seeing any new price drops or SKUs hit the market until the 60GB PS3s are sold out. Once that happens, as Pachter said, we'll see the 80GB system drop down to the price of $499. If not, we'll see a new 40GB SKU come in at a price of $399. There's no reason why both of these things couldn't happen, but we're not convinced that's the case.
Since the rollercoaster started, we've been saying that the problem Sony is facing is that people can't afford the PS3, not that they won't buy it. A $399 ticket to the PS3 party would be excellent, especially if it were to start before the Christmas buzz hits. However, all this price craziness is making things confusing for potential buyers who keep up to date with PS3 news. Once the mainstream have bought out all of the 60GB models (All 2 to 3 million of them; It could take a while) we'll see something happen.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Popfrogs @ Jul 16th 2007 6:14PM
I bought a launch PS3 and I personally don't care if they cut the price on it. I've gotten my money's worth already with a handful of games and the awesome Blu-Ray playback. Alot of people scream bloody murder if they buy something a week before the price drops on it, but that's just how it goes.
Titty Pink @ Jul 17th 2007 7:37AM
I hear you Frogs. I have a launch unit as well and am content with what I have, not to mention what is to come. The price drop only helps increase the install base, which means developers will see more $$$$ as they look to work with the PS3. I see more multiple system owners in the future, and not just PSWiis and Wii60s. Just like with the Xbox and PS2, both dominate their own genres, and the price drops will make the PS3 even more of a must have than it is now. Every generation, no matter how much the "new" systems cost, I always know that eventually I'll have ALL of the heavy hitters sitting in my livingroom. The price drop only helps people that feel the same way. Add those killer apps and as I've said many times before, this is going to be a hell of a generation to be a gamer, no matter which system you prefer.
bill @ Jul 16th 2007 6:38PM
Does anyone else think this is stupid.40 gig...60..80 gig.I understand they could be trying to corner every price range...but WTF!
All sony should do is put there name on a laptop hard drive in various sizes like 80...100..120!We already know you can do this but if sony puts there official stamp on it then the warranty can stay intac and they would be giving everyone the option of what size hard drive they want .
Drop the price to $300 bucks with little internal storage!....sell the different size hard drives at various prices and be done with it!One machine..one price..and give everyone the option of how much more money they need to spend!Hey if they need more space later...BAM! Buy another Sony licensed hard drive.
Jldowning @ Jul 16th 2007 6:37PM
Anything to get the playerbase up so we don't keep getting the 360 holding our games back.
(Sorry but that came strait from Rockstars mouth! 360 has caused them to lower the content in GTAIV.... check out the story on IGN!)
humpty @ Jul 16th 2007 6:38PM
Im interested (Sony too i think) in the PS3 sales numbers for July, the price cut has basically been effective for the whole month. I think they will wait and see what happens.
This summer hasnt exactly been stellar for game releases either and the price cut is needed now... the Fall will be big though. So, big game releases + price cuts could be exactly what Sony needs.
TK00 @ Jul 16th 2007 6:59PM
I could care less how many GBs are in any of these things, I'll never buy a TV show or movie off of one of these so called marketplaces. Wake me when I can get a console, 360 or PS3, for $200.
qwerter @ Jul 16th 2007 7:19PM
@6 allright you should wait bout 5 years then unless you want it used buddy
Popfrogs @ Jul 16th 2007 7:19PM
@TK00:
Get a job. The only thing you can get that cheap is a PS2 or a PSP, maybe a Gamecube if you don't want a large selection of games.
JKPierce @ Jul 16th 2007 7:24PM
I don't see how confusion really plays a part. The regular Joe sees the $499 price tag on his site of choice, or has it by word of mouth. There's not much difficulty in wrapping one's head around that. When the SKU dies out, then, "Hey, it used to be $599 for 60 gigs. Now it's 80."
If one were to regularly follow up the hows and whys of price changes, that's a different story. Their interest follows naturally.
Consolcwby @ Jul 16th 2007 7:41PM
@TK00: Wow... =o your being a little bit cheap on that $200 price point, you'll probably be waiting at least 2 years! But hey - whatever works for you...
This rumor will probably be true, especially if the VOD service won't be seeing the light of day until 2008 - but I still can't help but wonder what all that Sony naysaying about having more than one SKU was about if it is true. =/ What a wacky gen this has been so far! =/
Stef Geiger @ Jul 16th 2007 7:41PM
Yeah, I really don't care that they dropped the price. I was an early adopter. I could have waited. I knew the price would go down. If you amortize the $100 you would have saved over how long you've had the console it's like $12 a month. Big EFFin' deal.
sicklesdawg @ Jul 16th 2007 7:41PM
this sucks 60gb should be the standard gaming for the next ten years!
Darko @ Jul 16th 2007 7:53PM
"Sony is facing is that people can't afford the PS3, not that they won't buy it"
No, Im pretty sure I could afford to buy this and every game on the system.... I just refuse to until they release 6 games worth buying (must have games, that I cant play on my 360) EX: God of War 3 and Heavenly sword. So I will buy one sometime in 2008 once the price drops to 400 and there are games worth playing.
Oh and ill buy it sooner if sony stops being so anti consumer... but i dont see that part happening anytime soon.
qwerter @ Jul 16th 2007 7:56PM
@13 how is sony being anti customer? if you mean by anything with online experience remember thats all free plus your alot more with your money
Titty Pink @ Jul 17th 2007 7:39AM
I hear you TK, but you have to give dudes options for their particular set up. I save pix from my camera directly to my PS3 and it takes a bit of space (not 20 GB, but in 5-8 years, who knows). I feel that the PS3 is built for longevity, and also is built for more applications than gaming. I feel that choice is good. Besides, the hardware isn't the selling point in gaming, its the GAMES. You have to build up that install base and move games if you're really going to make the big bucks. I say do whatever it takes. If a dude will buy a PS3 with a 10GB HD for $299 I say sell him/her one. Just more games to be purchased later...
kingofwale @ Jul 16th 2007 7:59PM
>@13 how is sony being anti customer?
of course Sony is anti-customer, of course, those customers just happens to be xbox owners and HD-dvd owners. ;)
399 would be VERY interesting. maybe that's why Reeve said PS3 will win by mid-08. I guess the guy wasn't smoking as much pot as I thought he was. ;)
otsego_undead @ Jul 16th 2007 8:07PM
"Sony is facing is that people can't afford the PS3, not that they won't buy it"
I think this statement is all wrong. People will pay the high price if you give them exclusive reasons to. So far there are close to NO PS3 exclusive content that is worth the system. Sony keeps losing exclusivity to games.. GTAIV, Katamari, Devil May Cry 4, and rumors of MGS4 and FFXIII. Those 5 games alone are completely worth $600 price point for a PS3.
Right now the best games for the PS3 are NG:Sigma, Oblivion and Motorstorm. 2 of those 3 are ports from a WEAKER system (as far as game storage tech).
Sony, if you want to win (by march 2008) You best get on the exclusive compelling content. and for the love of God, hold onto your exlusives!
Darren Tilley @ Jul 16th 2007 8:19PM
Why do PS3 rumors and Speculations always get reported as fact, without so much as logical thought put into it? Kaz Hirai himself said at E3 that Sony are going to be sticking with a single SKU, but I think Game Informer and Patcher know better than he does. He only runs the goddam company.
Figboy @ Jul 16th 2007 8:27PM
Otsego, so you haven't seen
*ahem*
Metal Gear Solid 4 (confirmed exclusive)
Lair - exclusive
Little Big Planet - exclusive
Heavy Rain - exclusive
LA Noire (confirmed PS3 exclusive)
Haze (timed exclusive for 2007)
Unreal Tournament 3 (timed exclusive for 2007)
Warhawk - exclusive
Folklore - exclusive
Pain - exclusive
Infamous - exclusive
Ratchet and Clank - exclusive
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune - exclusive
Eye of Judgement - exclusive
Wipeout HD - exclusive
Socom - exclusive
White Knight Story - exclusive
Echochrome - exclusive
Heavenly Sword - exclusive
Killzone 2 - exclusive
and more.
see, there are plenty of exclusives, just maybe exclusives that don't, personally, interest you. doesn't mean they aren't there.
i don't like Gears of War, Crackdown, Lost Planet, or Dead Rising, yet they are enjoyed by many, and exclusive to the 360. just because i don't like them, don't mean they aren't there. see how this works?
there are plenty of exclusives (timed or permanent), on the PS3, it just boils down to if they're the type of games you're interested in.
for mey, personally, most of the games i've listed (20 in all, 16 that i'm *REALLY excited about)above had my attention, and are more than enough to warrant a PS3 purchase. for *ME.
i think, at this years E3, Sony brought the content (most of it exclusive, and some new stuff as well), instead of regurgitating the same titles we've seen for a year now, or new incarnations of old franchises *cough*Microsoft and Nintendo*cough*
there's a lot to be excited about if you're a PS3 owner, from this year and beyond into next.
Kspraydad @ Jul 16th 2007 8:59PM
Game informer's lead time to print is how long?
Anyway...a 40GB HDD vs a 60GB would be PENNIES different in price (Sony already said its PENNIES between 60 and 80GB)...if they were going to stick with 2 SKUs they could have just gone non EE in the current version (60GB) for 399 and a 120GB for 499 (By Xmas)...
There is no 40GB coming.
battlecat @ Jul 16th 2007 10:41PM
19. the reason you saw more games that are comming in 2008 from sony than the other 2 is because sony does not have enough comming out this year to make anyone exited enough to buy a ps3. I will play 360 this year and mabe get a ps3 next year.
I am not down on the ps3 I have been waiting for sony to sell me one (give me a compelling reason to get one) but there is just not enough for me, especially when there are so many good games on 360. Uncharted has really got me wanting one, but I will probobaly hold off until God of war 3 comes out, by then it may be a little cheaper. I will be getting one, I just don't want to get burned by buying another expensive system with no games like I did with the Saturn.
Ty @ Jul 16th 2007 9:09PM
@20.
Spoken like a true Sony hater.
Popfrogs @ Jul 16th 2007 9:13PM
@#20: Although you have the right to express your opinion, most of the games on that list people *do* care about, and at least one in particular is so incredible that X360 fans won't let a rumor of it being cross platform die.
Oh well, we all make our choices, but it's kinda dumb to bet on only one in this console race. Most hardcore gamers are going to have the 2 big systems to play the best games.
Chris Putnam @ Jul 16th 2007 10:18PM
I'm guessing this would be the successor to the 20 gig version, meaning without wifi and card readers.
I wanted wifi badly enough before that I didn't think the 20 gig was worth it, but at $399 I might start to reconsider...
miguelon918 @ Jul 16th 2007 11:42PM
"Sony is facing is that people can't afford the PS3, not that they won't buy it"
@JonnyBoy2U & Darko:
I cant afford a ps3 but i still want one so badly, not all the people can buy the world like darko.
So anyways im sold with a $400 Ps3
Darko @ Jul 16th 2007 11:55PM
How is sony anti consumer... easy. (And i do not own blu ray or HD-DVD ... yet)
Blu Ray is the reason sony is anti consumer. They refused to work with Toshiba to create a single format and avoid a stupid format war. Sony pretty much told them they could license their format or piss off. This alone has kept me from getting it. I have an HDTV and I love my HD content but it still pisses me off that sony created this stupid ass war.
Curmeo @ Jul 17th 2007 12:32AM
if this rumor comes out true, which im certain it will, excellent news for Sony/PS3/gamers.
PS3 80GB at $499
PS3 40GB at $399
just release both SKUs asap, hopefully September. MS wont be able to give a price cut this fiscal year. They have already set themselves back $1 billion dollars due to the RRoD issue. MS's Entertainment Division is under heavy pressure from the greater MS to turn a profit quickly or else bye bye Xbox: they cant afford a price cut until sometime during the next fiscal year in 2008 at the earliest. if there was no RRoD issue, you would see a price cut this fall.
people are under the illusion that Sony/PS3/Blu-ray are failing. thats simply not true. Sony has started recouping losses from PS3 game/movie sales. in the next 2-3 years, they'll be making a ton of money due to two main cash flows, games and movies: an advantage MS doesnt have.
Jeremy @ Jul 17th 2007 12:42AM
There is a very good reason we are not seeing the 40gb sku yet (besides the need to clear 60gb inventory), they can't make them that cheap yet. I'd agree the price difference between the 40 and 80gb drives is insignificant (maybe not pennies, but certainly no more than $5 and probably much less). However, before they start selling PS3's for $400 they need to get the production costs down even more. They are probably counting on 45nm Cell and video chips to produce most of the savings (even if they are already at 45nm, the yields will get much better.) I just hope they don't remove functionality from the 40gb unit (like the 20gb version.)
ceo1 @ Jul 17th 2007 2:03AM
"Sony is facing is that people can't afford the PS3, not that they won't buy it"
I think this statement is all wrong. People will pay the high price if you give them exclusive reasons to."
I going to disagree with this guys. I know plenty of people who are gamers and would love to buy a PS3, but with that price tag, they can't afford it.
If you have kids and and scrapping by every month, it's kind of hard to justify spending $500 to $600 on a gaming console.
I'm assuming that you guys that are making these comments must either be making a pretty good living, single with no kids, mommy and daddy supports you, or some college kid that's charging everything that he buys.
scotty @ Jul 17th 2007 4:52AM
the 360 didn't lower the content on gta4,that's the problem with people they spread rumors instead of understanding the story or just not wanting to say the truth.
tha truth is that they put what they wanted and intended to put on gta4 but the 360 version will have exclusive download towns or cities that will not be available on the ps3.
scotty @ Jul 17th 2007 5:21AM
to Curmeo
sony is making money and blue ray is selling well but the ps3 and the games on it isn't selling to well the fact is that sony will loose over 500 million dollars in its game division this year and this is a fact that is why the stocks fell for sony this year because of the uncertainly of the ps3 and this christmas will be it for the ps3 .it will decide if the ps3 survive
personly i hope it does well even if i'm not a real big fan and think personly the 360 is better because if they only have one dominate system they will put out crappy games because they will have the only system and people will have to buy the games if they are good or not.
I think the ps3 and 360 are both good system and really are equal in power as a matter of fact i have a article i think at game pro or another web site that say almost the same thing so here it is
c4rlos
Q How can a mediocre 3.2 GHz chip and 8 weaker cores suddenly give PS3 super computer abilities and allegedly blow the 360's CPU away? I'm sure its more powerful, but don't super computers operate at many times the speed of the Cell?
TenaciousMoses
A
The two technologies in question work pretty differently under the hood, but the 360 and PS3 are roughly equal when it comes to real-world performance. The difference, in my opinion, actually comes down to other factors. The PS3 has Blu-ray and HDMI, but it's at a higher price tier. The 360 has component and VGA inputs, but its hard drive is a third of the size of the premium PS3 package. On the other hand, that same package only comes with composite cables
so see they are really eguale in power and for the sony fanboys or microsoft fanboys that hope the other system fell better hope it don't because if it does no matter what system wins it will have nothing but crap for games because of a monoply on the gaming world and people will have to buy the games no matter what
like i said before i think both system are good and people should buy what they like and stop fighting over wich system is better or more powerful because most programmers said that they are really equal in power and as for as needing blueray or hd-dvd i read that we want need it to another 5 to 6 years ,as a matter of fact i read an article that said that oblivion still had room on the dvd 9 left over and most of the games we play now on use an average of half of the dvd9 and when we really will need one of the new format for games the systems now will be out dated no matter what sony or microsoft say as a matter of fact i was reading an other article that said that a company invented another type of dic that is big enough to put a blueray and hd-dvd and with every thing on it from both formats on it and it suppose to be out some time next year
Naaiif @ Jul 17th 2007 6:31AM
Errr where is this mythical article about the 360 holding back content on GTAIV?
ryano @ Jul 17th 2007 10:37AM
anybody think they'll make a 10 gb model for $200 or drop the HD entirely for $150, just so people will by it? LOL
Scott Krueger @ Jul 17th 2007 2:18PM
Got mine at launch too.
While Sony offering more affordable PS3 is great, I really find the PS3 to be a better deal than the 360. However, I think they are doing the cuts to compete with Nintendo and Not Microsoft.
I mean my 360 cost $399 plus $99 for Wireless plus $49 per year for XBox Live... Total is $596 and the Live charges are $49 EVERY YEAR...
Now PS3 with all that + Blu-Ray player is only $499
Now the Wii is $249 and selling well. I personally do not like that most games for it are kiddy games, I don't like Wario and Mario, but I do like Zelda.
So when you look at $249 vs $399 and $499 there is quite a jump. This is why Sony has worked hard to cut the price and good for them. Yet people still find a reason to complain about a good thing.
As far as exclusives go, I hate exclusives. If there were none I wouldn't have to buy more than one console. But since I am such a hardcore gamer, I usually end up with all 3 consoles.
Tehcrusha @ Jul 17th 2007 4:32PM
16 "...Kaz Hirai himself said at E3 that Sony are going to be sticking with a single SKU."
What, like him (or any other video game executive) have never told a lie? They have a very good reason to say there won't be a cheaper PS3, because they want to sell off their stock of the more expensive 60gig version. Would you buy one if you knew there would be a cheaper one out months later? Oh yeah, Sony also said the PS3 would come out in spring 2006, that PS1's didn't overheat,etc,etc. Why would they ever mislead the public. :b