Pachter predicts PS3 price drop to $299 in April
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Jan 12th 2009 at 6:30PM }
"Once the PS3 is at a more affordable price point (we expect a cut to $299 in April), we think that sales of that device will once again begin to grow," he states. However, don't expect Microsoft to take that sitting down. "We expect another cut in price for the Xbox 360, with the feature-laden Pro model likely to come down in price to $249 at or before this year's E3 show in June." Nintendo, however, has no reason to lower its price and will unlikely drop the price of the bestselling Wii.
Pachter is right once in a while, so we're optimistic that a price drop will happen. Perhaps it won't be as significant as $100 off, or perhaps it won't happen in April. It'll be interesting to see what Sony chooses in '09: their bottom line, or making a more aggressive attack in the console wars.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
KobeBryunt @ Jan 12th 2009 6:37PM
Still not biting. Needs to be cheaper
Phantom @ Jan 12th 2009 6:42PM
So you can't afford any console at all.
Come on, at 299 it's the same price as a 360.
Levi @ Jan 12th 2009 7:26PM
What confuses me is that if you don't already have a PS3, and you wouldn't get one at $299, why are you at PS3fanboy.com?
Anyway, what he said. It would be the same price as the 360, and offers more features for the price, how is that too expensive? Try to build a computer as competent at gaming loaded with a Blu-Ray drive for less than what the already offer the system at. When you can bring that down to $299, give me a call, wel'l start a business.
I can understand if it's not worth it to you because you already have a 360. That's the reason I don't get a 360 - I already have plenty of gaming with this system, and don't feel like spending $299 just to play a couple exclusives that I can't on my PS3. That doesn't make $299 too expensive for the PS3, that makes it a not worthwhile purchase for someone like you.
francisco @ Jan 12th 2009 8:52PM
Pachter prediction are always wrong. To me he seems like he don't know anything about games. The reviews he says about Fallout 3 are not from his own words. He fallows others reviews. I've noticed them all from GT. He's a Wii man. Not a hardcore gamer so I would not be suprise if he's wrong. Although it will benefit us more if the price did drop. Higher community and more customers for Sony
morningdrive @ Jan 12th 2009 6:38PM
alot of people are holding off getting a PS3 for the exact reason that they think it is too expensive. Many PS2 owners have yet to jump on to this Gen of gaming and will probably be buying a PS3 if the price drops. I hope Pachter is right even though he has been wrong many times in the past.
Mo @ Jan 12th 2009 6:38PM
ATTACK!!
although, I have no problem with the price... its worth EVERY flipping penny
and yes folks, im broke as a joke... As my sis would say, i made another dumb choice going for broke to get my gadget... but i loves my gadgets, loves my g adgets.
Ashkental @ Jan 12th 2009 6:40PM
I'm still thinking that sony won't make any price cuts this year... i'm not sure... but something's telling me that sony won't cut it's price even when 100% of the market predicting it, and that's because they're loosing so much money right now and when PS3 hits profit i think they'lll just improve on the advantages that the PS3 has and tell ppl: "Buy my machine because it offers more" and no price cut until it get it's losing rate even or much less than it is now...
But.. i can always be wrong (hope i am)
IcerC @ Jan 12th 2009 6:45PM
They sure will cut it this year! Next year we will hear hints of the ps4.
NightHawk @ Jan 12th 2009 8:37PM
I'm sory your confusing Sony for Microsoft
Hotaru Tomoe @ Jan 13th 2009 4:58PM
Thats fine and good, but the bottom line is always money. They can turn it into a huge swiss army knife of electronics (which it is already, to a degree) but if you just dont have the money, you dont have the money.
I dont have a ps3; so far the lineup of games hasn't been intresting enough but I for one do want one for anything in the future, and of course the extras like Bluray. I read this site mostly watching for price drops. If he happens to get lucky this time and is right, at 299, it may finally be worth it.
Roto13 @ Jan 12th 2009 6:45PM
I think a $300 price point would be great. That's about how much the Xbox 360 Pro is and The PS3 is definitely a better value than that.
evangi23 @ Jan 12th 2009 6:54PM
G4 said that March is supposed to bring a price drop, but I'm not too sure on that. Even if they do, I don't see it being any more than $50, even though $100 would be great. I think they might hold out because they have a lot of strong games coming up and they might think that people will buy the system at the current price because of those games. I know that I'm going to buy the PS3 at the price it's at now. I have some Christmas money to spend anyway, so I'm not really at a loss.
PSN: Erdie @ Jan 12th 2009 6:55PM
$299? Is that even realistic?
Jerses @ Jan 12th 2009 7:07PM
If they return the 20gb HDD console, then maybe.
PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Jan 12th 2009 7:20PM
its only $100 Cheaper.......
and an 80GB HDD cost around $40 @ New Egg.......I'm sure Sony can get them a LOT cheaper......
PSN: Erdie @ Jan 12th 2009 7:57PM
The HDD isn't what I would pin the bulk of the cost on. I wonder how many people chuck the original HDD straight into the bin when they get it?
Phantom @ Jan 12th 2009 9:36PM
Only hardcore gamers throw their HDDs away and replace them.
Jack Tretton @ Jan 12th 2009 10:12PM
A new HD is an 'add-on' cost Sony fanboys conveniently forget when bickering with 360 fanboys about the "true" prices of their fave consoles. Sony fanboys thumb their noses at 360 fanboys for paying $50/yr. for an Xbox Live Gold account, but think nothing of dropping at least that much on a new hard drive for their PS3s.
Me, I'm not even close to filling the 60 GB HD on my PS3 -- which I've had since launch -- and I've still got almost 5 GB of free space on the 20 GB drive of my launch 360. But if you want to put a 500 GB HD in your PS3, more power to you -- just don't assume everybody else would pay for the privilege too.
dicknjane @ Jan 12th 2009 10:07PM
if the 360 Pro went to $249, Sony will be in deep shit if they dont get it down to $300. and thats not a fanboy statement, thats just the facts, ESPECIALLY with the current economy. people may want a PS3 for Blu-Ray and such, but if they can play most next-gen games for only $249 (or $200 (Arcade)), then they'll pay that.
PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Jan 12th 2009 7:18PM
that price is Laughable at best.......
I'd Believe $350....and maybe later in the year another $50 drop.......
hell I'm still thinking that Sony will try to make a $250 Model mostly for Blu-ray player purposes...........
Levi @ Jan 12th 2009 7:27PM
The PS3 Arcade? Comes with 256mb? that would make me laugh big.
PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Jan 12th 2009 9:30PM
nope........but a 40GB HDD and a few new cheaper components can make it that cheap........
Levi @ Jan 12th 2009 7:35PM
A $100 seems unrealistic at this point, but we don't really know how much it costs to manufacture a PS3. We just know it costs a lot less than it used to. If it costs them under $299, they may just be postponing the price drop to make it easier to reach profitability.
That's actually my theory. They knew that they couldn't compare with the 360 Arcade's price tag for the holiday season, which is why they kept the prices at $400 and $500. They figure they will use the higher profit margin per unit to reach profitability on the system before lowering the price, as well as the margin. This way, they might be able to conquer next holiday season. The $299 price tag wouldn't be losing them money, or putting profitability off even longer, and the lower price would start to make a name for itself before the next shipping season.
Or... maybe they just like to smoke pot, and that's why it's taking so long.
Levi @ Jan 12th 2009 7:36PM
shopping season**. If I'm going to be a grammar nazi, I might as well try to nazi myself into better typing habits...
rohan @ Jan 12th 2009 7:51PM
replying to ur comment above:
a 256MB is not possible as HOME reserves 3GB for itself, the most it can is may be a 10GB HDD and then will will most likely upgrade from there.
Levi @ Jan 12th 2009 8:00PM
Let's not forget that Home isn't an automatic thing. You have to start Home up before it reserves 3gb. A PS3 Arcade would lack or prevent features just like the 360 Arcade does.
kamiboy @ Jan 12th 2009 7:36PM
it will be 50$ and it will happen as soon as this fiscal year is over so that its devastatingly negative effects on SONY's bottom line will not be reflected on the end results for this fiscal year, which is pretty terrible to begin with.
It does not take genius to figure it out people. SONY is a corporation first and foremost and doing things like this instead of giving people a holiday price reduction (which makes sense in most peoples minds) is how a big corporation, with stockholders to satisfy and boardroom meetings to explain itself in, would do it.
Stephen Lang @ Jan 13th 2009 5:55PM
It actually makes perfect sense in their minds too (for obvious business reasons), but they are in between a rock (manufacturing cost) and a hard place (overall economy and Sony financials), so they are trying to put off a price cut as long as possible.
If Sony weren't bleeding money, they would have cut the price already in order to further Blu-Ray movie and PS3 game software sales.
lee @ Jan 12th 2009 10:07PM
patchers an idiot anywayz
anyone who listens to him and believes what he says is a moron
rohan @ Jan 12th 2009 7:49PM
The only way Sony can bring the price out to 299 is to remove the HDD, which will not happen. If they do i think it will be a very bad move (not the first one but it will be in the top 3)
PSN: Erdie @ Jan 12th 2009 7:59PM
They would never do that. Nearly everything this console can do needs the HDD to some extent.
ryking19 @ Jan 12th 2009 8:19PM
Ok, here's what the numbers tell you,
XBOX360 1.35 million units sold
PS3 750k units sold
what they don't tell you and I think it's stupid that everyone is saying that the ps3 is getting anihilated is that they're not showing the revenue.
XBOX360 selling at 1.35 million units sold (avg. revenue is $250 since most ppl are buying the arcade combo)
300 billion in revenue
PS3 selling 750k units (revenue counted at $400 a unit since I'm not counting the $499 160GB version)
337 billion in revenue.
The numbers don't lie do the math yourself. Sure the Wii and 360 have a high install base but revenue wise, the PS3 is still competing, which is why they haven't pulled the plug on the PS3.
I own both systems (360 and PS3) and I feel that there is nothing next gen about the 360. The PS3 is everything I want in a next gen console. I'm not into the games on the Wii, too kiddie for me, and I hate casual games, plus the Wii's graphics are no better than the PS2 to me.
acedoh @ Jan 12th 2009 8:50PM
This year may see a big price drop and it may not... I am figuring by 2010 we will probably be seeing a PS3 slim released by mid to late in the year. When SONY can get that out we will probably be seeing a $199 price point that will make them very competitive. Needless to say I think most PS2 owners have not even moved to the next gen. I am sure there are millions waiting on their favorite franchises to hit like Gran Turismo or Final Fantasy... When that time comes I am sure we will be dealing with a lower price point...
Volomon @ Jan 12th 2009 8:41PM
Aahh come on hell I predicted this like a few weeks ago. Someone pay me money for it. Wtf...
I can even tell you it will correspond with the Killzone 2 release.
Rodz @ Jan 12th 2009 9:04PM
I can't see any price drop untill a real system seller title is out. I can only think of Final Fantasy or God of War 3. A real system seller + price drop = amazing effect on PS3's sales (and even better if they can manage the "momentum" and release these system sellers in a 3 to 4 months period after another).
Phantom @ Jan 12th 2009 9:40PM
MGS4 already released...
Also, when FF14 release the PS3 will pretty much win Japan INSTANTLY.
davedrastic @ Jan 12th 2009 9:15PM
Seems to me that they need a global price cut to stem the momentum of the 360 - otherwise they'll be trailing in 3rd place and risk losing developer support, potentially causing the premature failure of the format. Perhaps the US market will respond to a $50 cut, but in Australia it needs to be more than that, and probably in alot of other countries too. But with the economic climate, and the fall of the Aussie dollar against the green back, that is pretty unlikely.
This generation has been one of delayed price cuts and despite 360s' recent aggressive pricing, I suspect that the delays and mediocre cuts/bundling will continue.
I think this generation has been conceded as an outstanding success for Nintendo, good success and a lifesaver for Microsoft, and mediocre break-even for Sony. Sony got it right 2 out of 3 generations, that's not bad.
kentuckyfried @ Jan 12th 2009 10:07PM
Sony needs to get their manufacturing costs down...the current build is $450, a $100 price drop would leave them bleeding to death.
They do need to do something b/c the uninformed public thinks that the ps3 is the more expensive console, though when scaled up, it's not really the case...those comparison charts are important.
$300 would be ideal. It seems to be the monetary figure fixated into the minds of people who haven't quite made the jump yet on the ps3.
ExMcCloud @ Jan 12th 2009 9:30PM
Sony and inexpensive never go together on any product whatsoever so I don't see them coming down to 299 when there are barely stand alone bluray players that meet that price...But at 400 the Ps3 is worth it just like at 3grand a Sony HD tele is worth it, or a 2Grand lap top is worth it...They make great hardware point blank...I expect Sony to keep the attitude it has with all its other electronics if they do price cut (which sony exec's said they were not doin this spring) I expect 50 dollars at the most and 350 is more than worth it!
andriy @ Jan 12th 2009 9:33PM
who cares that the price is going down, i already have one. i wish they drop the prices on games. they should start at $40. i would buy way more games.
ExMcloud @ Jan 12th 2009 9:33PM
If Sony believes in Killzone as much as they claim they do they'll probably leave the PS3 at 400 bux and expect people to pay 400 because KZ is so awesome...Like MS did with Halo....They did a price drop after the fact because they knew they could squeeze sales out at 350 a pop....lmao
gotFrosty @ Jan 12th 2009 9:36PM
The price will drop and I will get me a PS3. There is no reason the price can't be lowered. The economy sucks and besides they make more on games.
Neo Senku @ Jan 12th 2009 10:20PM
Aside from the fact that they are still loosing about 45$ for every ps3 sold, yeah there is no reason at all.(sarcasm)
h0mi @ Jan 12th 2009 9:57PM
I'd be surprised at a $100 price cut but it's not out of the realm of possibility, we saw the ps3 drop $100 in 2007. It's overdue IMO and I really think there's no good reason for there to be 2 different SKUs of ps3s. If the more expensive one had additional features (BC comes to mind as a good one) then it might make more sense but HDD size doesn't seem to me to be worth it given the ease with which you can update the drive.
Jack Tretton @ Jan 12th 2009 11:04PM
A new HD is an 'add-on' cost Sony fanboys conveniently forget when bickering with 360 fanboys about the "true" prices of their fave consoles. Sony fanboys thumb their noses at 360 fanboys for paying $50/yr. for an Xbox Live Gold account, but think nothing of dropping at least that much on a new hard drive for their PS3s.
Me, I'm not even close to filling the 60 GB HD on my PS3 -- which I've had since launch -- and I've still got almost 5 GB of free space on the 20 GB drive of my launch 360. But if you want to put a 500 GB HD in your PS3, more power to you -- just don't assume everybody else would pay for the privilege too.
Eric @ Jan 13th 2009 2:25AM
A $100 price cut doesn't seem all that likely at the moment. I do agree with others that a $50 price cut is very likely, or perhaps even a small cut to $379. What i think is more important is that Sony shift their marketing focus to the VALUE of the current price. Last week's press release was a good start but the value is not that evident to the average consumer.
Just this last summer I was completely %100 convinced that I wanted a 360 as my choice of console this gen. I'm an average poor college student and couldn't afford much at all. But then I sat down and truly compared the specifics of price and realized I would be spending far more on a 360 over the course of its life, so I waited one more paycheck and got the PS3. Ten minutes of research is all it takes to make an obvious decision on which gives you more for your money. However we all know the average consumer doesn't do this research. Many people think the ps3 is just a total waste of money or a way to show off your bank account.
We need mainstream advertising that shows the true value of the console. Heck the PS3 need advertising PERIOD.
Stephen Lang @ Jan 13th 2009 5:59PM
There are different ways of looking at it, all valid from a consumer's standpoint. You get a bundle of features with the PS3, but the value of each will differ from customer to customer. For example, if you don't really care about Blu-Ray movies, then the fact that it can play Blu-Ray movies is irrelevant (even though it adds significantly to the cost.)
With the economy, a lot of families also have a specific budget for this kind of thing. Now is not the time to have the most expensive console on the market (regardless of what you're getting for your money.)
I say all of this even though my personal first choice for a new console is a PS3 (when I actually end up buying one.)
aMIGA_dUDE @ Jan 13th 2009 4:29AM
The real problem with Sony is where do they advertise. Sorry to say it but true, I thought Sony was going to advertise Little Big Planet but I only watch add on TV ONCE! Where are the add's.
Now I turn on my TV I bet within 30 minutes I will see add's for XBox360 or Will but I will luck if see even one add for the PS3 in a day.
GREATNEWS @ Jan 13th 2009 1:26PM
Patcher's a 360 fanboy, why even listen to him? Have you seen him on GT.com? He even once said the PSN userbase is 1 million while the 360's is 20 million wtf! I think he's a douche & honestly what he predicts has always been douchbaggery, even for 360. mmmkkay?
Evan @ Jan 13th 2009 5:02PM
i really want the $299 price, that would be so great! i've wanted a PS3 for so long now, but i haven't had the money to get one. also if the price did drop to $299 people would probly get PS3's cuz they offer way more. PS3's compatition would be gone quick. ( i am 13 years old)