Sony Cuts Price of PlayStation 3 to $410

[MC]

TOKYO -- Sony Corp. said Friday it will lower the price of its much-anticipated PlayStation 3 video game console, heating up the competition in the next-generation gaming war against rivals Microsoft and Nintendo.

The announcement comes just days after Microsoft Corp. announced that it would roll out an external high definition DVD player for its Xbox 360 in an effort to match the PlayStation 3, due to be released in November with its own Blu-ray DVD technology.

Three different colored models of Sony's new PlayStation 3 video game machine are displayed on the opening of Taiwan's Taipei Game Show, in Taipei, Taiwan, in this February 16, 2006, file photo. Sony Corp. will lower the price of its much-anticipated PlayStation 3 video game console, Kyodo News agency reported Friday September 22, 2006, as competition heats up in next-generation gaming between Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.

Three different colored models of Sony's new PlayStation 3 video game machine are displayed on the opening of Taiwan's Taipei Game Show, in Taipei, Taiwan, in this February 16, 2006, file photo. Sony Corp. will lower the price of its much-anticipated PlayStation 3 video game console, Kyodo News agency reported Friday September 22, 2006, as competition heats up in next-generation gaming between Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.

Sony Computer Entertainment President Ken Kutaragi, speaking at the Tokyo Game Show in Makuhari, just east of Tokyo, said the move was in response to consumer complaints the upcoming console was too pricey.

Sony will cut the price of its basic PlayStation 3 model in Japan to 47,600 yen ($410), from an originally planned 59,800 yen ($515). That puts the PlayStation 3 in the same range as the combined basic Xbox 360 and HD DVD player in Japan, where the duo will sell for 49,600 yen ($427).

In Japan, the PlayStation 3 will hit stores on Nov. 11 and in the United States on Nov. 17. Sony spokeswoman Nanako Kato said there were no plans to lower the price in other markets.

The PlayStation 3 launch, initially planned for earlier this year, has been postponed twice. Sony now expects to ship only 2 million units by year's end instead of 4 million as originally planned.

Earlier this month, Tokyo-based Sony said it would delay the European release by four months until March.

The announcement could give the PlayStation 3 a badly needed boost in Sony's home market at a time of embarrassing delays for the highly anticipated upgrade. Rival Nintendo is also scheduled to release its next-generation Wii gaming system by year's end, while Xbox 360 has been selling in Japan since December 2005.

The price cut affects the basic PlayStation 3 model, which comes with a 20 gigabyte hard drive. Another upscale version of the PlayStation 3 will have a 60 gigabyte hard drive, but Sony is leaving its pricing to retailers.

Xbox 360 was rushed to market last year to get a headstart on its rivals, but it has seen sluggish sales in Japan, which is one of the world's biggest video game markets but one in which players have a deep loyalty to homegrown Sony.

U.S.-based Microsoft's decision to launch an HD DVD peripheral in Japan on Nov. 22, based on a rival format to Sony's Blu-ray, is seen as one attempt to eat into that base. The basic Xbox 360 doesn't come with any high-definition DVD capability.

Nintendo said last week its new Wii game console will arrive on schedule in the final quarter of the year, priced below both rivals, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/21/AR2006092102079.html

 

[SaiyanPrideXIX]

I'm a bit confused. Does this mean it's only less expensive in Japan, and is still expensive here?

 

[Synth]

$350 and we got a deal.

 

[MC]

I'm a bit confused. Does this mean it's only less expensive in Japan, and is still expensive here?

"In Japan, the PlayStation 3 will hit stores on Nov. 11 and in the United States on Nov. 17. Sony spokeswoman Nanako Kato said there were no plans to lower the price in other markets."

Meaning that only the United States and Japan markets will have the Playstation 3 at the new price... I think...

$350 and we got a deal.

That's what I'm saying.

 

[Robby]

I'm a bit confused. Does this mean it's only less expensive in Japan, and is still expensive here?

Mmmm, pretty much sadly. Shaft the Americans!

 

[MF29]

Im still not buying a PS3.

 

[SaiyanPrideXIX]

Thanks for the update, we were all wondering. :0\

rofl, was gonna say the same thing, you beat me to it ~Magus

 

[Promiscuous Girl]

No. The price cut is only for Japan. The only thing we get that Japan is getting is an "HDMI" input in the lower-end model as of now. Also, they left the higher-end model at an open price for Japan. That's it, nothing more.

 

[SaiyanPrideXIX]

That's what I figured.

Well if nothing else we got a release date.

 

[MC]

No. The price cut is only for Japan. The only thing we get that Japan is getting is an "HDMI" input in the lower-end model as of now. Also, they left the higher-end model at an open price for Japan. That's it, nothing more.

I apologize for that, I thought it meant only the Japanese and American markets will get the price cut. Well... that sucks. Then you have a lot of game developers stating that they will aim at a $60 price for their games.

 

[ZeroNightmare]

ouch europe

 

[Tassadar]

ouch europe

"lol europe? wut is that? lol" -pwny

But seriously, this is pretty ***. I was actually pretty excited when I saw price cuts but when I read it's only for Japan I found myself disappointed with Sony again. Why can't Sony make a lower end model in the U.S? Or somewhere besides Japan. Regional favoritism imo. That two hundred dollar difference would have been the difference between me buying a PS3 and me not buying a PS3.

 

[wheres_]

"lol europe? wut is that? lol" -pwny

But seriously, this is pretty ***. I was actually pretty excited when I saw price cuts but when I read it's only for Japan I found myself disappointed with Sony again. Why can't Sony make a lower end model in the U.S? Or somewhere besides Japan. Regional favoritism imo. That two hundred dollar difference would have been the difference between me buying a PS3 and me not buying a PS3.

They made it, they can do what they want with it, they owe you nothing.

You live in america and yet you speak of "regional favoritism"

Lawl.

 

[Tassadar]

They made it, they can do what they want with it, they owe you nothing.

You live in america and yet you speak of "regional favoritism"

Lawl.

Ok fine, fine. I'm sure I have no right to speak of regional favoritism. But when they offer it 200 bucks cheaper than other countries... I mean come on. That's a good size chunk of cash. I know Sony doesn't "owe" me anything but if they want me and others to buy their product they should give a damn about what people outside Japan think.

 

[wheres_]

Well then say "**** sony" like most of us have, they are continualy shafting us and frankly they don't deserve you as a consumer.

 

[Eon]

eh, I wouldn't go that far. at the very least give it a bit more insight, this was just the info released in tokyo, I may need to re-read it, but it didn't say japaon only, it just said japan. the information just may be incomplete at the moment.

 

[Promiscuous Girl]

eh, I wouldn't go that far. at the very least give it a bit more insight, this was just the info released in tokyo, I may need to re-read it, but it didn't say japaon only, it just said japan. the information just may be incomplete at the moment.

SCEA president Kaz Hirai says that Sony has "no plans" to lower the current $499/$599 American PS3 price points; 20GB PS3s will have HDMI worldwide.

"In the US, we're comfortable with the pricing that we announced at E3--$499 for the 20 gigabyte version and $599 for the 60-gigabyte version," Sony Computer president Kaz Hirai told GameSpot. "There are no plans right now to adjust the pricing for the US market."

Though disappointed, potential PS3 purchasers in the US did get a bit of a consolation prize from Hirai. The executive confirmed that every 20GB PS3 worldwide will have an HDMI port, not just in Japan, as some had speculated.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6158499.html

^_^ There won't be a price drop here anytime soon. Their only dropping the price in Japan because the Xbox 360 and Wii will both be selling well under $300(Xbox 360 currently doing it right now). They dropped it solely to compete well in Japan. However, EU might get a break because of the delay--so they might lower the price for them abit.

I apologize for that, I thought it meant only the Japanese and American markets will get the price cut. Well... that sucks. Then you have a lot of game developers stating that they will aim at a $60 price for their games.

^^ An apology wasn't needed MC. You seemed unsure anyway, just as I was a few days ago. As for the prices, I hope all of them aim for the $60 price tag or lower. I suppose it doesn't bother me that much anymore. Afterall, I had to deal with it before, and it might end up being cheaper overall, then paying for bunch of N64 games that I use to purchase.

Most of them ranged anywhere "brand new" from $50 to $70($60 to $70 sometimes, if an certain accessory was included with the game). So I guess $60 would seem abit fair to me. It beats the rumored prices I had initally heard before it. A good side to this, is that it will make me alot more cautious about what game I choose to spend my money on.

 

[Fire Phoenix]

They think that every American is a snobby rich prick =/

I certainly hope they don't think every american can afford a price like that for a mere console. If so, they're sadly mistaken, it would take me a year to get enough spending cash to get that kind of money together.

 

[J-Dude]

A wise move Sony...good show...

 

[SaiyanPrideXIX]

I certainly hope they don't think every american can afford a price like that for a mere console. If so, they're sadly mistaken, it would take me a year to get enough spending cash to get that kind of money together.

Even with the worst jobs in the US, I still see it as plenty possible to afford. We spend more money than this all the time on other junk, though we don't always realize it. This just looks more undoable because it's all in one fat wad.

In a way I am happy about the huge price, though. That means that only a few of us will be able to get the thing for a while, which will make us a sort of elite few. Honestly I like the idea of being an original PS3'er cause of the exclusivity.