As we've seen from the recent generation of gaming, game players have become a fickle bunch of people. This has started fanboy wars that stalk many message boards, industry changes such as EA's debacle with Battlefield: Bad Company (which they still pulled off by offering the same thing in a "Gold Edition" of the game...but that's a whole other issue) and possibly shifts in pricing and market structure as we've seen with retailers and companies trying to find that "Golden Balance" of making the sale while also earning the cash. With E3 right around the corner, this begs the question, does the PS3 need a price drop?
What sony needs right now is to get 80GB model in stock to increase their sales. They also need to start shipping consoles with dual shock. They need to swallow the losses from 6 axis and melt the thing for parts or something but shipping PS3 with sixaxis at this point is simply outrageous. If they are serious about online, they need to start bundling headsets with their big online games. Or have a high end PS3 with headset bundled in.
As is even with 100 dollars less assuming dualshock is included PS3 still stands the better system due to blu ray, free online and wi fi. They need to do a better job at showing this to the public.
Its Sony if anyone can make thing smaller better and cheaper its them...
Id b surprised if they dont drop b4 next year with the release of the new 'slim' lol
...stupid article
A price drop now is almost useless and does not benefit Sony at all. 80gb bundle can't be found in stores still. The best thing they can do right now is pack in a greatest hits game and a dualshock 3 with the 40gb bundle.
I know a lot of people that want a PS3, but can't afford it.
So, yes, a price-cut would probably make a big difference if sony wants to catch the Wii.
I don't think it needs a price drop exactly, but a price drop would stimulate sales. Sony is a business, so they can do whatever they want as long as when all is said and done they have made a profit.
Why must we go through this tedious dance every single year?
@ 2.2
No no, I did read it. I just think that the entire discussion is pointless.
what he said
You and the author agree actually, but the article explains why it isn't needed.
they make a nice comparason
sony doesnt need a price drop if they want to keep the sales at this pace but if they want a ps2 like sales then yes they do! thats just my opinion!
as for 360 well.... a price drop or not will not change anything in this console war! ps3 is the winner 360 is the last
cuz xbox sucks
i like the way u "convey" your idea
That's the sound you make when you hurl rocks at a beehive.
The operations doesn't require a laser scalpel. Instead it needs a Black and Decker table saw.
Price cuts. Look who is cutting the price and you will see who is worried because their sales are slumping.
In fact, everything in this world should get a price drop.
Bubbles for being right.
i have one already.. HuRhUr
still selling like hotcakes..
sell with the PS3 Price tag I wonder that hotcake will turn into lol
O'course, there's always the software angle. If they move an extra million units, they get more Blu-ray players into more homes, and they get an extra million PS3 users buying games. The question is this: can they sell enough Blu-ray movies and PS3 games to make up the additional cost of a price cut, along with the already huge write-off they're taking on every console sold? I'm inclined to think not, but it doesn't matter to me either way. I already own one, and I know it was worth the $400 I paid for it. :D
A price drop would do any console good. But the question is could they afford to do so right now?
If Sony are serious about pushing the console for 10 years it really needs space it's price cuts sensibly to drive growth when it needs it. It also sends the message to MS that Sony are confident enough in their product that they don't need to counter the 360 price drops.
Not at all, and there are many reaosns why
bluray,bluetooth,Built in wifi,standard HDD,Upgradeable Hard drive,Movie player,CD player,HDMI 1.3,5.1 Dolby,Internet browser,folding@Home,Free PSN,Now you got the XMB and trophy stuff to.
and with a 0.2% chance of it "bricking" on you.I think it's well worth the price.
That why i love my PS3 so much....
rather than market share (although it looks like they are doing fine in that respect too)
Which numbers are you looking at.Because the PS3 is not looking good in the market share at the moment or hadn't you noticed.
Fine compared to matching or exceeding the 360's growth at similar points in time since release? Yeah, they are doing OK considering they have a higher priced machine which is (sort of) underperforming in multi-plats, with the unexpected success of the Wii, and a direct competitor in MS that seems to have raised their game.
We can not expect Sony to dominate as it has done in the past. The market has changed far too much for that to happen again.
.... I would love for PS3 to have a price drop. I was a die hard PS2 player, owned over 100 games at one time, I was devastated when my wife came home with an Xbox 360 because "it was more affordable". None the less my 360 has been good to me but you can never have enough sytems and with a significant price drop I can finally get my PS3.
If 360s start flying off shelves, Sony may be more likely to have a price drop sooner rather than later.
Sony depends on brand loyalty, but with gas prices where they are and the perception of a bad economy, price may become a bigger motivation.
However, on the radio, I heard that one industry that did not suffer during the Great Depression was the entertainment industry - Hollywood. People want to be entertained during hard times to forget their woes - same was true for the Roman Coliseum - remember Gladiator?
I have bought exactly ONE game for my PS3...second hand (F1:CE). They really need to get more exclusives out, atleast for me anyway.
Multiplatform games I will get for the 360 because of the controller and Xbox Live and because they often have the edge over the PS3 counterpart (though that finally seems to be coming to an end).
If Sony wants to make money, they have to sell games. They have to make me want to buy games on the PS3 and for that...they need to get those exclusives out!
Fair enough! :p
The PS3 doesn't NEED a price cut, it is selling better than its direct competition at the moment so why would it NEED a price cut?
If it did get one, it would sell faster, sure, but does it need to? No, it does not.
They don't need a pricecut. Even though it would help in some ways, they are not that desperate for a pricecut. Profitability is important right now for Sony and I have no doubt in my mind they'll deliver.
Sony! You better make sure Killzone 2 kicks plenty of ass! :3
am i the only one that saw that ps3 exclusive list?...SHEESH!!!!!....crap... im gonna be broke as all hell.
PS3 is like a Ferrari only the best and the best things always cost more money than others.
I mean you already get 1080P gaming, free online, a blu-ray player built in, exclusive games that already stretch boundaries, free services(Home/Qore), free updates, etc.
How much more do people want?
I didn't complain I went out got a job and bought my own PS3 by myself.
Ofcourse I got mine when Sony had their first price drop in August of 2007 for $500.
I own the 60GB and still happy with it been playing none stop since August 31st to now.
9 months and going...
This is a market, of, market share, they dont need a price drop, they have to drop the price. Its not about well maybe we should its about you better. Stay competetive get those machines in houses at whatever it takes
So true.
The PS3 manages to hold its own perfectly fine with the lower priced competition, excluding the wii and other hand helds of course. Why on earth would sony drop the price of their Game system, Bluray Player, Wifi, HDD, Bluetooth, hardware when it is out selling the 360 worldwide? They will drop the price when it makes financial sense. Not just to combat Microsoft's desperate moves.
Someone riddle me that.
The software solution will improve when more developers start seeing what trophies have done for sales of Super Stardust.