Sony: PS3 price isn't an issue this Christmas
by Jem Alexander 
{ Oct 28th 2008 at 7:00PM }
It seems that sales in the UK are "absolutely on target," despite the disparity between the price of an entry-level PS3 and an entry level Xbox 360. This atitude seems slightly cavalier considering the current economic climate. People will be going for the most affordable option this Christmas. On the other hand, as Maguire states, they've a business to run and shareholders to placate. Will this years' exclusive titles such as LittleBigPlanet, Resistance 2 and MotorStorm Pacific Rift be enough to push people towards the premium product?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Viet Le @ Oct 28th 2008 7:09PM
Ah poo...
Tez @ Oct 28th 2008 7:09PM
Customers: Yes, it is.
Hife @ Oct 28th 2008 7:11PM
I bet they are sick of people asking them about a price drop. Seriously, how many times do we need them to explain to us why they aren't doing it.
If they change their minds, great, but until we start hearing rumors to that effect, let's stop asking them every day.
bleachedsmiles @ Oct 29th 2008 6:51AM
the fact that people keep asking for a price cut should tell them something. The 360 is out selling the ps3 pretty much everywhere these days with its new price cut. And we all know exclusives is what sells one console from the other... Gears of War 2, regardless of what you think of the game, is going to sell, and shift consoles. Little Big planet will do the same.. but nowhere near as many consoles on the back of it cause of sonys price for the ps3 in the uk...which accounts to $600 for a 40gig console.
I personally think they're stupid for not bringing a price cut in time for christmas and alongside the strength of LBP..Its the casual gaming market that both microsoft and sony want to get..and the states show that most people who own a wii now own a 360 too.. because its the cheapest option (priced below the wii now) to get into HD gaming.
Hife @ Oct 29th 2008 10:59AM
I know man. You're right on many points, and I get it. They really don't need us to tell them to bring the price down though, low sells will do just as good of a job.
On Gears, yes it will sell more, but that is because there is already an install base that is twice as large.
And I definitely feel for you on that price in the UK. That's rough.
I guess I should have said I am sick up hearing about it. I'm sick of fanboys complaining non-stop about Sony. I think it's silly. Yeah, I spend a lot of time playing video games, but they're just video games for god's sake. I just want fanboys everywhere to turn it down a notch
(IRE)WOLFMAN @ Oct 28th 2008 7:15PM
I think this is a mistake. They love adding games and xtra's to the package. But a 50 euro price drop is needed. Its been a while since its dropped in price.
Myself owning a launch console find the current price good, but they are losing potential customers. Its the parents that purchase the console out of 1 in every 3.
Also with Bluray available between 100-300 euro, this is no longer a good reason for the PS3's high price(compared to other consoles).
Sony are like people that bought a house with a 90% loan. 2 years later the house is worth half its original price. Other houses are selling cheap, but they(sony) are trying to sell it closer to the price they purchased it for. Thanx to there loan.
Popfrogs @ Oct 28th 2008 7:35PM
Bad house analogy because homes depreciate and fall victim to the whims of the market. Consoles generally don't.
Sure, it'd be great if the PS3 was cheaper, but Sony has eaten alot of losses already. I guess they could produce a gimped model with no hard drive or something, but even then that doesn't shave $50 off the production costs.
It's just an expensive piece of tech, pure and simple. Another year and it'll get a price drop. This Christmas is going to suck for retailers worldwide any way, so it's not like they'll be missing out on gangbuster sales.
Rodz @ Oct 28th 2008 10:31PM
@ Popfrogs
So, basically, it was a huge strategic mistake from Sony, since only few people can afford "an expensive piece of tech" as you said (or care to buy one, for the matter).
And knowing that the competition can provide the same experience for a significantly small amount of money doesn't help....
lorddshadow @ Oct 28th 2008 10:45PM
HAH! i would love to see 360 come up with any experience even close to that of littlebigplanet and mgs4!
Popfrogs @ Oct 29th 2008 10:36AM
@Rodz: You make some good points, but the only console that approaches the PS3's experience is the X360 Elite. People always forget just how much stuff is packed in to the PS3. When you step back and realize how much more stuff it can do besides play video games, it's obvious that Microsoft isn't on the same level.
Hate to say it but Blu-ray > DVD. And the media streaming, photo viewing, live cam chatting, free online, standards-based wireless everything, user-replaceable hard drive...well I'm preaching to the choir here.
And to reiterate my final point, even if they don't sell 2 million this holiday, with the global economy in a bind anyway, they won't be missing a whole lot of sales.
Rodz @ Oct 29th 2008 1:37PM
This is why WE have picked PS3, but the regular consumer just can't see these advantages. Looking only at a console main purpose, which is play games, 360 still seems a better deal. As I said, thinking only about games, it's almost the same experience as PS3 for half of the price.
And c'mon... look at the top games for PS3 in gamespot, for example, and you can count in one hand how many of them are exclusive titles. I know this is supposed to change, since Sony has a huge lineup of really good exclusives coming, but as it is today, there's no appeal for the regular consumer (the one that just wants to buy a console to play games) to choose PS3 instead of Xbox360.
8675309 @ Jan 17th 2009 12:03AM
i agree if they dont remove the hdd there wont be a price drop since a desktop sata hdd costs alot still @ avg. retail outlets(where people usually go to buy them) which means its not viable. also it would be nice to see ps1/2 hardware emulation on it again instead of having to reliy on linux + software emulator since you dont get the improvements since they skimped on the ram not to mention they throttle the cpu & gpu
Nathanical @ Oct 28th 2008 7:21PM
i agree really. While you CAN get a 360 for £125, in order to get it to play games wirelessly online (which is one of the 360's biggest strengths), u have to fork out in excess of a further £100 for the wifi adaptor and the Gold sub. And with that particular model u dont even get a hard drive. Strip all that from the ps3, also the bluray drive (in favour of an external one, sold separately), and then ask for a price cut.
(based on the entry models)
ryan @ Oct 28th 2008 7:36PM
Yes, you do pay for what you get in the PS3, but some consumers just want to game without spending on features they don't really feel is necessary to them.
$199 and $38 for a Gold account (newegg.com) is probably the cheapest way to play Farcry 2 online today (for example).
But, both consoles are great values for different people's needs.
Nathanical @ Oct 28th 2008 7:56PM
I guess its all circumstancial. But from where im standing, on several occasions i have almost been tempted to pick one up (360) based on its low price. But then i stand back and look at the bigger picture. In order to play online (which is essential to me, also a key defining point of gaming this gen), ill have to pay close to DOUBLE that cheap price + further cash for an overpriced HDD.
To me, one of the selling points of a console is the fact that u buy it, plug it in and ur ready to go. A complete package. And while Microsoft stoop down to selling their console 1 part at a time in order to make it look cheap and appealing to ppl with a budget, I commend Sony to sticking to selling only complete systems, as it should be.
I think the biggest issue is (at least in the UK), MS are really good at marketing their incomplete machine, while Sony really suck at doing the same for their complete system, which is much better value for money, if a bit pricy. This is where Sony are missing a trick and need to buck up. They need to make people AWARE that you are getting what you pay for with the PS3, as that for a large chunk of the consumer base, the only obvious difference between the two systems is the price.
Sony dont need a price cut, they need agressive competative advertising! Get the word out there that its alot more than just an expensive 360!
Kspraydad @ Oct 28th 2008 9:49PM
Ryan...I can get a new 80GB PS3 from sonystyle.com for $250 TODAY and never have to pay online into the future...seems as good a deal if not better than the arcade.
Arnon @ Oct 28th 2008 10:14PM
The reason I hold myself back from the PS3 is because of no B/C.. and god I don't want to hear things like "Well if you want to play PS2 games, go buy a PS2!" I shouldn't HAVE to buy one.. why should I go and buy a PS3 and PS2 to play PS2 and PS3 games.. the PS3 should do it all =(.. I have like 20-30 PS2 games sitting here.
parkd @ Oct 28th 2008 10:44PM
Doesn't the 360 have worse B/C compatibility? LOL..
j.howlett @ Oct 29th 2008 12:05AM
if you have 20-30 ps2 games sitting there what do you play them on? now you either want a ps3 or not
ryan @ Oct 29th 2008 2:09AM
Kspraydad...But does Joe Consumer know about sonystyle.com when he's looking to buy a new console at Bestbuy? No, he sees 2 consoles that can play Madden 09 (example) one is about half as expensive.
And both consoles leaving the BC support behind them is just stupid really. Microsoft wants you to buy their 'new' Xbox original titles and Sony just wants to sell their PS2s. For someone who wants to play the entire Metal Gear saga, they have to buy a PS2 and a PS3.
matjet @ Oct 29th 2008 8:50AM
i have a library of ps2 games and refuse to pick up a ps3 that can't play them. currently my ps2 has disc problems and can only play about half of the games.
Arnon @ Oct 29th 2008 9:21AM
I'm in the same position matjet.. and no.. my 360 can play just about all of my original XBOX games.
Tyler @ Oct 29th 2008 11:12AM
BC used to be a selling point for me (why I got early model) But since I got it... I HAVE NOT USED IT!
I have an astronomically large amount of PS2 games just sitting on my shelves now (Including 2 PS2's). I have not played ONE. I thought it would be a selling point when I picked up my console. but it really does not matter, once I got a few PS3 games (RFOM,Warhawk,COD4,Assassins Creed,GTA4,MGS4,Uncharted,I could go on).
I completely forgot it had BC.
@Arnon
for your 360 playing almost all of your XBOX games, I think it is only because you have about 2-8 games for your XBOX... I would also venture to say that they all were "best sellers". which would explain why most of them can play.
Because for the most part, 360 can not play XboX games.
Arnon @ Oct 29th 2008 7:27PM
Um.. actually if you go to xbox.com and look up the B/C list, it can play about 400-600 titles lol.
imdaboss @ Oct 28th 2008 7:51PM
just to let you know since 360 did have a price cut the ps3 didnt lose sales its still at a consistent number and for them to have a price cut and to only rely on that they doing pretty bad they should sell more den the wii since its cheaper and only sale 30,000 more it should be 100,000 since they brag so much about it
Arnon @ Oct 28th 2008 10:15PM
That doesn't make any sense.. The PS3 and 360 have sold neck in neck really.. with very little differences.. for you to state that means the PS3 is doing bad because it's not selling more than the Wii.
iamkid @ Oct 28th 2008 7:56PM
im still feeling like they might have a secret price cut planned, but who knows. plus, doesnt really matter to me if it gets one or not, since i already own the thing
Thomas @ Oct 28th 2008 8:05PM
I was for a price drop this Holiday season, but reading this makes me agree with Sony. Remember the 360 is 199, there's nothing that Sony can do [short of giving away the system for free, almost] to make the PS3 match the sells of the 360. Sony is keeping the price of the PS3 the same, so that they can at least maximize revenue. The PS3 is going to sell, however a price drop isn't going to significantly increase PS3 system sells, when its going directly against a 199 Xbox 360. A price drop has to significantly increase system sells. The best thing for Sony (not for the consumer) is to sell the system for as much as you can, for as long as you can. Sony may not win the Holiday season, however they've been pretty dominate for most of the year.
linton @ Oct 28th 2008 8:48PM
Yeah just leave sony alone will ya!, why the hell should they put the price down - sod it - I say put it up so no wankers buy it, which will leave just people who can play online games well and not put up with idiots!
muir666 @ Oct 28th 2008 8:51PM
the thing about the 360 is that it costs alot less than the ps3 yes but u have to pay to play online.and with sony continually stating that the ps3 will be a 10year console u are still saving money by buying a ps3 in the long run. wether people will actually care about this or even realise this is another matter
linton @ Oct 28th 2008 8:55PM
Thats so true!
bknight @ Oct 28th 2008 11:16PM
Honestly most people don't care about that.
They only care about how much it will cost to purchase.
I have both consoles but i manly use my 360 for gaming and Ps3 for movies.
Ps3 is excellent value for money if you want to play blu ray movies and games, but alot of people don't care for HD gaming.
Arnon @ Oct 28th 2008 10:17PM
So what you're saying is.. is that I could buy a PS3 with the 10 years that I pay for Live?.. That's not exactly saving money, especially if it takes that long.
Popfrogs @ Oct 29th 2008 10:41AM
@Arnon: The simple fact that people (like yourself) find it acceptable to pay to game online is pretty sad by itself. MS is the only one doing this. If they tried this stunt with PC gamers there would be riots in the streets.
Arnon @ Oct 31st 2008 12:18AM
Why is that sad? The NXE is worth $4.50 a month rofl.
Andy @ Oct 28th 2008 9:45PM
Has anybody from Sony or Microsoft ever said when someone asked them "Oh yeah, we're planning a price drop, we're going to hack off $100 next week" or something like that? No. They announce these things and deny them before any announcement. I'm not saying there will be an announcement at all, but if the price was going to go down they wouldn't tell you about it before an announcement.
KurtM @ Oct 28th 2008 9:47PM
whats new? i like my ps3 and all but most of sony's stuff is overpriced compared to other companies, minus a couple of mp3 players and junk, but my dad bought a sony 32" bravia lcd, and i bought a 42" Philips with far better specs and still paid 100 dollars less than he did. Sony sucks. They just happen to have the playstation brand going for them in my mind.
Kspraydad @ Oct 28th 2008 9:53PM
Yeah...and you can buy 20$ mp3 players that play better than $50 shuffles...what's your point. SONY makes quality equipment in most cases...Philips doesn't even MAKE their own..it is made by FUNAI, purveyors of Walmart brands.
KurtM @ Oct 28th 2008 11:03PM
they sell sony tv's at wal-mart too now, douche. Wal-Mart has these products made exclusively for them with poop parts. I did not buy my tv at wal-mart..I'm saying many brands make quality products, and there is better stuff out there much cheaper. Sony was the jam back in the day, not anymore...
Kspraydad @ Oct 28th 2008 11:53PM
A little sensitive about your choice? ... you can by SONY's from retailers other than Walmart and get better components (that is why I said 'in most cases)...Philips however, in North America, are all made by FUNAI...
Makers of such great quality products like:
Durabrand, Emerson, Symphonic, iLo, Insignia...all quality vs a Bravia I'm sure.
I don't own a Bravia...but to piss on SONY for having superior quality LCD and charging for it is BS.
dave @ Oct 28th 2008 11:08PM
forget the blueray player. Price a 60 gb 360 and a year's worth of live along with the wireless internet adapter against a ps3 with the (pain in the...) blue tooth headset.
The bluray costs less than 50 bucks.
Teenagers will get the 360 though.
Greg @ Oct 28th 2008 10:04PM
Maybe they should make a stripped down no frills version without wireless, with a 10 gig hard drive and a really cheap blu ray drive... then maybe it could compete with the XBOX arcade version which doesn't have anything but a dvd drive and that's it...
Jack Tretton @ Oct 28th 2008 10:40PM
"We have a business to run, and we have to make sure we're doing the right thing for the shareholders as well."
In other words: "The PS3 isn't making as much money for Sony as everyone would like it to right now, and lowering the price would push the company even further back from that goal. Sure, we'd like to enter the 2008 holiday season at a sweeter price point, but we're in this business to make money, not placate fanboys. Plus, the economic crisis in the U.S. has extended its slimy tendrils to many foreign markets, so we're up against that too. Maybe at E3 2009 we'll make it easier on your wallet to buy a PS3, but it's not gonna happen right now."
Popfrogs @ Oct 29th 2008 10:43AM
Best translation ever.
*golf clap*
MBO @ Oct 28th 2008 11:27PM
"I don't think the price of the console is going to be an issue at all." It is for me. I got 300 bucks man. Just another 100 to go. Oh, and the tax here in Vancouver is 12%. So I'll just add that on... Lets see... 448 bucks man. Sure, it's definitely worth it, but I get 5 dollars a week for allowance. LOL. And my mom is adamant about how gaming gets me addicted - to which I deny strenuously (but it's probably true) - and she won't get me a ps3. So I'll just have to get it then show her how good it is! PLAYSTATION FTW!
Kspraydad @ Oct 28th 2008 11:54PM
Keep your eyes open for Real Canadian Superstore's tax free weekends.
Riseer @ Oct 29th 2008 8:31AM
Well Ps3 is a really good deal even w/o bc.Personaly bc is something i don't need ''have the 80 gig emulater console''but if u really want to play ps2 games just buy one.No point to play old games on new tech.As far as i can see sony has alot of games atm lbp getting 9-9.5 and resistance 2 got a 9.5 on ign.Those two games alone make the ps3 a great console.Motorstorm pr is another great game.If u want a ps3 now is the best time to get one.The 360 is hardly worth it esp the 199 crappy arcade version.You have to buy the 299 then another 99 on wifi oh and gold membership.So you will pay more at the end.Sony is doing fine console wise,they are giving us great games now so lets all enjoy em.This is why i stuck with sony since psx.
davedrastic @ Oct 29th 2008 4:01AM
I reckon you have your "hardcore" gamers that will pay anything, buy alot of games, spend plenty of time playing and will pay whatever is asked. You also have the much talked about "casual" players that will largely think that the PS3 is too expensive compared to it's competitors, and won't see the benefit of the additional extras the PS3 provides - e.g. who other than tech-heads and audio-philes really understand/need/want Blu-ray - not my mum and dad certainly. And even for me, who is a tech-head, i'm getting tired of Blu-ray as it doesn't look like it will take off or offer the immediate benefits that DVD has.
And then you have a 3rd demographic which includes people like me that if could afford a PS3, accessories and a few games, along with the day to day expenses of bills would buy a PS3 in a shot but are not because they find the price too high to justify.
This is my demographic, and I'm getting more and more tired of wanting something that I can't afford and more and more tempted by the 360 which offers basically the same game play at a significantly reduced cost. The PS3 just had a whole load of blockbuster games released, and frankly I aint impressed. If the games are not significantly better than the 360 games then the reason to pay more to get the PS3 gets diminished.
I aint a market guru, but I would have thought that stockholders would be happy with a system that looks like it has a bustling future, and not one that looks like it's going to be catering for a niche market only.
Frankly, well done Microsoft.
1087 @ Nov 19th 2008 1:22AM
"...This is my demographic, and I'm getting more and more tired of wanting something that I can't afford and more and more tempted by the 360 which offers basically the same game play at a significantly reduced cost."
I believe that I'm in your demographic as well. I don't make much money either (getting paid minimum wage at the moment) and I'm a full time student with loans up the wazoo, but I still bought a PS3. Why? It's the better long term investment. Yeah the final $467 price that I had to pay for it really hurt, but I know that I'm getting a complete package: free online, an 80 GB hard drive, potentially amazing exclusives, and a Blu-Ray player.
Sure I can go for instant gratification and get the 360, but I realize that I'll regret it in the long run. When you look at it, all the peripheral accessories that you're going to have to pay just to make the 360 a "complete" system will just amount to the same price as the PS3, if not even higher.
I'm not even a "techie" but I'd rather get my money's worth on a reliable system than suffer many migraines over an incomplete, and unreliable machine like the 360.
DigDug @ Oct 29th 2008 4:01AM
Cheapskates: Yes It is.
Everyone else can see the PS3 even at it's current price offers by far the best value and also easilly has the best games this season.