Return of the $339.99 PlayStation 3

Seriously? Sony is still pricing the PlayStation 3 at $400? That was fine when Blu-ray Disc players were selling for about the same price (the PS3 doubles as one), but now that you can snag a standalone player for as low as $150 (and an Xbox Arcade for $170), it's time for Sony to seriously rethink the PS3's price tag.

[wwedx]

not too cheap and not too much

[TheExecutive]

I already have a ps3 (and 360) but I couldnt disagree more. I think this holiday seasons sells were a premise to my point. They need to drop it 100 bucks so more mainstream people buy the console.

I truly believe the only thing holding it back is the price. a 299 price tag is where they need to be this year.

The price now is great for what you get but many people arent willing to throw down the extra money to play on this machine. If the price lowers the sales will increase. However, sony is in a tough spot right now and lowering the price may be harder than we think. Which is why i think the price stayed the way it did through the holiday season. I suspect a drop around GDC but we shall see.

[MAR-TYR-DOM]

ONLY FOR US! :(

[Doppy]

They need to advertise this better. How many people go to dell.com to see what deals they have on PS3's. They need to let people know here's the best deal for buying a new PS3, and not just gaming sites where people more than likely already own one. Post this everywhere you can, just like we did when the 360 hit $199.99 good sales for all the systems mean longer console life, and better games for all of us.

[OOG]

to carry the same price for the PS3... is technically not right... considering like the headline says... Blu Ray players have gotten way cheaper.... So with a decrease in the price of the Blu Ray player and the ps3 staying at the same price..... That means that the value of buying a PS3 is decreasing more and more.....

but that doesnt hurt me since I already have one.... :P

[Kushan]

There's no such thing as "not too cheap". "too cheap" would mean millions of PS3's selling overnight. Of course, Sony needs to make money somehow, which is why the PS3's price is still so high (I think they're still selling it at a loss), but if Sony could drop the price more, they would and they wouldn't care if you thought it was "too cheap", they want to make money after all.

[GWAVE]

These articles are getting so old. The "bu bu bu but stand-alone Blu Ray players are down to $250 or less" is pointless. Anyone notice the "stand-alone" in that statement? The PS3 isn't a stand-alone Blu Ray player, so why should it be as cheap as one??

People don't complain about the 360 Elite being $350. Apparently $350 for a system without Blu Ray or built-in Wi-Fi is acceptable, but $50 extra for a system WITH Blu Ray and WITH built-in Wi-Fi is just TOTALLY unacceptable...

[Torch]

Bubbles for summing it up oh-so-perfectly!

It boggles my mind as to the overwhelming number of individuals who possess such skewed perceptions; many of those critics are the same ones who wouldn't think twice about dropping no less than $400 for a measly f*cken cellphone.

[Sarcasm]

GWAVE

The 360 elite is still $399.99

soooooo... you're post holds more weight than even you know

:)

[AAACE5]

Right now Ps3's are priced at $360 at Circuit city. I am considering buying one now, but then again I wanna see if the price drops lower so I have extra cash for games and stuff. Plus, that rumor of the price dropping to $300 in a couple months is in the back of my head as well.

[jammy_70]

the price is right for what you get
-free online
-blue ray
-HD
but people dont realize this they just look at the price and think, "to much"
so really it needs a few £/$ off it then it'll sell like cheese!

[SL1M DADDY]

That the 150 dollar BD player sucks balls and that the hardware for the 360 is still plagued with defects. All in all, you get what you pay for. If you want a combined package with quality written all over it, you buy the PS3. If you don't mind trading in your console for a new or refurbish one every so often and deal with a mediocre BD player then you go with the two piece package. I would go with quality over quantity.

[FarEastOrient]

The price will not happen until after Final Fantasy VII Advent Children come out in Japan, so for those that are waiting for a price continue waiting. For those that want to play games like Killzone 2, buy the PS3 from Dell for $339 or from Sony for $260! For those of us that are in Asia we know how crazy sales will be for the month the FFVII special edition PS3 is going to be so Sony will be crazy to drop the price before that.

Trust me I'm one of the sheep trying to get one for myself...

[shqype]

When Sony lowers the price to $299.99 later this year, I think that will be the "sweet spot" price for the PS3.

But even at $400, it is definitely NOT overpriced. Worth every penny!

[NipGrip]

The XBOX 360 that *almost* matches what the PS3 brings is also (drumroll) - $400.

XBOX 360 Elite
http://www.newegg.com/Produ...

NO Bluray. NO Wireless. NO FREE ONLINE. Can't plug a 500 Gig HD in it for $100. RROD.

A $400 PS3 is a very nice investment for real gamers.

[NaiNaiNai]

LMFAO then why doesn't it sell to anyone. people don't want it, give up already. and stop trying to justify your waste of money.
-nai-

[NipGrip]

Oh that old bit again.. Man you sure are a tired old joke.

20 million consoles sold, 10 million per year isn't selling to anyone, eh?

Justifying what? It's the same price as an Elite with more features. Nothing to justify, it does that itself. Enjoy HD-DVD, ads on your dashboard, and paying for Live.

[PataponKnight]

Nai why don't you stop trying to justify that you have a small brain, because you've already proven your point.

[Snow]

*takes nai off ignore list*

*Reads comment & wonders why he's still in the gamer zone*

*puts back on ignore list*

[TheExecutive]

ok, the 360 is a great addition to anyones gaming fun. Secondly, lol at your name and picture...

[NaiNaiNai]

its funny you people use the elite for price but you say the 360 had a price drop when the ps3 is behind, im tired of the SDF double standards, i don't get how you people can sleep at night, your like a bunch of christians. you say. the 360 costs more, then why does it sell more, then the ps3 gets ahead in japan, and then lacks later, and you go, well the 360 had a price drop. T_T after you just said the 360 cost more, which is it, make up your minds, oh thats right you can't think, your heads are shoved to far ups sonys ass to even breath. don't worry you'll stop squarming soon and die. just like your console.
-nai-

[NipGrip]

Not sure I understand your "Christian" comment. You seem very angry about all of this. Maybe go outside. Get some air. Take a break from the internet.

[PataponKnight]

Nai stop kidding yourself. You already know yours has already died like 5 or 6 times and still you keep coming back for more.

[Liquid Snake]

i though i might just tell everyone i just added that annoying b!tch NaiNaiNai to my ignore list.

Seriously i just don't get the PS3 hate and trolling from her/him/it. It boggles the mind.

[aftrdark21]

gotta love that ignore button!

[trancefreak]

Nai why do you talk like POG In fact why do you talk at all.Why dont you take angry fanboyism next door >>>>>>>&g t;>>>>>

[Snow]

"you say the 360 costs more, then why does it sell more," -nai

Brace yourself kid,here comes a strong dose of reality.

PS3 outsold 360 for the entire year of 07.While being 100$ more expensive.Take a breath and stay with me..

PS3 outsold 360 for the majority of the year in 08 untilllll
*drumroll* the Price Cut !! ta da !! Nobody wanted the "elite" 360 over the PS3 while they were close in price.

But now that it's cheaper then the Wii it's picking up sales.
After a year & a half beating.

The "elite" 360's never outsold even the 600$ PS3's back in 07.
It's only the gimped consoles A.K.A the "Arcades" that are selling well.
-duh-

[duplissi]

so, um nai if you think "teh ps3 is DOOOMED" and hate it so much then why are you WASTING your time to comment on a ps3 article, its not like you will have anything to add to the discusion because its the same blind stubborn fanboy drivel that all of you closed minded fools spout. your comments dont take into account actual facts like how the ps3 sold more in its first two years than the xbox, and how for last year it had the highest rated exclusives? oh did you also forget that the xbox has had one year up on the ps3?

its not 2007 anymore bub.

and its not like the article was saying that the xbox was doomed, damn it was informing us about a good deal on the ps3 and thats a good thing.

[ultimolu]

I truly feel sorry for Nai. :/

[soxfan2005]

So, if the PS3 begins outselling the 360 after Sony drops the price, 360 fanboys can just use your excuse in reverse - "360 was beating PS3 until - ta da - the price drop". Funny how PS3 fanboys think that the 360 taking the lead after a price drop is somehow meaningless, yet it would be the end of the world for MS if PS3 took the lead after a price drop.

[pumpkinpunker]

except it has no games.

sorry, every real gamer knows the games are on the 360. The casuals buy the Wii; the technophile casuals who like to watch movies more than games and/or show off buy the PS3; gamers buy the 360.

you also fail to mention that the elite has much more memory than the PS3 and better cables but you fanboys always do that. plus, PSN sucks balls compared to xbox live so people don't mind paying for a superior service.

PS3 = third place failure that doesn't sell games

don't forget that the bluray drive in the PS3 is slow and dated compared to the standalones you can buy these days for a fraction of the price. sony fanboys never mention this either.

@jammy

Is cable wireless? No. So it's not a huge deal to run another wire to a gaming console hooked up to your TV, especially when wireless is less reliable even if I had wi-fi I would still use a cable. Wifi only makes sense for something portable like a laptop. that is why Sony is so stupid and in love with it's own useless technology and lost 3.5 billion dollars this business quarter.

[jammy_70]

it has no wifi so its $500 omg people love the 360 to much not to mention it! in some respects its MORE THAN the PS3!!!

[duplissi]

pumkinpumper

how about you crawl back into that hole where u came from?
your fanboy rantings can go with you

[OhReginald]

hey if its still selling good...theres no need for a price drop...yet. When Killzone 2 comes out the ps3 will sell WAY more then the xbox 360 (And probably the wii) for a decent period of time.

[pumpkinpunker]

see you when the sales numbers come out. oh wait, no I won't because you'll be hiding in your mom's basement.

[djroberts]

We know Sony needs to drop the price, this isn't news, stop approving this crap! Secondly, the PS3 is still a better deal than the 36+ a BRD player. Geez.

[NipGrip]

He's comparing an Arcade unit, a joke of a console with no hard drive and no wireless + a bargain bin Bluray player to a PS3? Get real, that's an insult to people who purchase wise investments instead of just throwing money away on junk that is half supported or breaks down constantly.

[thehitman]

Its just the economy that is hitting Sony 3 years ago ps3s would be flying off the shelves. I think the current prices for ps3s are a steal I bought mine 600 60gig.. And 360 is more expensive than ps3 after you gotta purchase all the accessories/peripherals like wifi/live.

[OSIRUSSS]

If you own a PS3...Why do you care at which price it is selling? I could give a Sh!t if Sony raised the thing to 1000 euro.I already have mine.

[shawnsl65]

i'm with u man. don't care what consumers want. They can play the "wait" game til the PS4 shows up. Any real (fps)gamer not buying the ps3 this Feb is not a gamer at all (fps).

[DutyCalls]

Place yourself in their shoes
If they are pushing a $400 console with the current lineup and selling well , the arrival of KZ2 will give them more authority to keep their console at $400 dolars.
Is like a friend of mine who owns an RROD told me: "Is $200 for the Blue Ray and $200 for the gaming console."
That is a sweet deal
If that was packaged as 2 separate products (A PS3 and a Blue Ray player) it would be a steal, so stop the whining and see the PS3 for what it is and stop comparing it with the cheaply made 360. Try this: find a 360 with 60GB of memory, wi-fi ($100), online gaming($8.00 per month) AND a Blue Ray player($200 minimum)for your shinny new HDTV ;the catch: you only have $400. you would find you need an extra $200 (minimum).

Dont want to spend $400 dollar on the PS3, Dont.
I think Sony will keep it at $400 for a pretty long time,and they will keep selling well and better with the ridiculous line up of EXCLUSIVES that are coming this year

[soxfan2005]

So, what you're saying then, is that PS3 is actually being beaten by a more expensive console.

[DutyCalls]

my point is that PS3 value > price

[soxfan2005]

Value can mean many things. Sure, getting all the PS3 offers for $400 is a value to some people. But also a value is buying a system for as little as $200 that, right out of the box, can play about 80% of the exact same games that the $400 console plays. And the 360 exclusives are not too shabby either, including the existing and upcoming games.

[DutyCalls]

what happened to me
i bought a nice hdtv
i wanted Blue Ray
Also i wanted the PS3
i was gonna buy the PS3 any way
but thanks to the value package it is, i have my blue ray too
plus a ton of features for free
$200 gaming console + $200 Blue Ray = satisfied customer :)

[Unicron]

Honestly... how is this news? The guy mentions the prices of the 3 systems in a few paragraphs and... that's it.

N4G's posting requirements suck donkey anus.

[Cyber Gamer]

1. u get a next gen console
2. exclusive game's only tooooooooooooooo many to list lol
3. the best ever console built
4. will last 10 years
5. blu ray player not your old school dvd lol and not your cheap bluray player for $200
6.built in hard drive with all ps3
7.free online

too many to list again i can go on and on

i bought my ps3 60gb when it first came out for $880

its not for the cheap people lol

and what where u playing when there was a ps1 your mega drive lmfao

[pumpkinpunker]

I wouldn't admit that in public.

The blu-ray players you can buy these days for $200 have better, faster blu-ray drives than the ones found in the PS3. The PS3 is already dated. 10 year lifespan? Hell no. I'll say it right now-- Sony will drop support for the PS3 within 2 years and focus on portables.

[Rhoic]

"4. will last 10 years"

I sure as hell hope not. If that were the case, then the new Xbox and possibly even the new Wii could perform better than the PS3. Yay for technology occurring logarithmically?

[IzKyD1331]

Considering you get a Blu Ray player, Wi-fi, bluetooth, 80-160GB HDD, rechargeable controller, internet browser, and free online play, you really get a lot of bang for your buck. It's not the cheapest thing, but you buy a full package with the PS3

[trancefreak]

I paid 599.00 U.S for my launch 60gb which still is my work horse. My 2 40gb 399.00 U.S well worth the money for the rest of the family.

If Sony drops the price great ill probably buy another for my master bedroom. I would love to wait for a slim or color change. either way ill get another.

[NipGrip]

You know if the HD-DVD vs. BR war was still in effect and MS had the Elite 360 for $400 WITH the HD-DVD player add-on and the wireless adapter, it would be called a steal.

[Sarcasm]

What you mean? The 360 is still a steal.

The problem is, the consumers aren't the one getting the steal. Microsoft is.

[Cyber Gamer]

just cause u can't afford to buy a ps3 stop hating and move along or next christmas go seat on santa's lap lmao

[kosovo]

until Sony can release a SLIM playstation 3, there shouldnt be any f@cking price cut.

[rhood022]

And yet there was a 40% rise in total 2008 sales.

[LeGenDx]

and there very valid an informing. i think the ps3 is priced pretty good, i made a topic on the forums stating " the ps3 should take all the usb,wifi stuff out to make it a blt cheaper an call it ps3 core"

anyways, alot of people hate nai huh ? lol

[dredgewalker]

Sorry but Bluray players in the $150 price range are gimped players and you wont have access to all the bluray features plus those models cannot be updated unlike the PS3 which is also the best player out there. I dont find it expensive considering there are celphones out there costing more than a PS3 and those who usually complain are kids who cant work yet and rely more on their parents. Im a grown working guy and the people in my age group that are also working arent complaining because they know its a steal for all its features, reliability and tech, its worth the investment.

[unicorndeathcamp]

this price is unfair considering you need to BUY cloths in HOME. WTF is that?

seriously, 1.99 for a pair of pants at the Diesel store?

riiight and MS is greedy...

[DutyCalls]

its optional

[Expy]

Seriously?

Why buy 2 machines when 1 offers practically the same advantages that 2 machines would offer? This article is stupid. Stop QQing you poor unknown "journalists".

[Droid Control]

I'm not sure if its because they have huge balls, or if it just that they're stupid...

[xc7x]

announce it at GDC or something?

[Droid Control]

disagreeing to? lol

[Enigma_2099]

... is them packing in Spider-man 3 with it... seriously, WTF...

Just give me two Dual Shock 2s, at least 60 GB, and you can call it a day.

[YouNoob]

that there are still enough dumb brandwhores, who are blind to rip off. if today the 360 would be renamed to ps3 and be owned by fony, they all would buy one, just because it's from fony. yep, that's how dumb ppl are these days...

[cryymoar]

because buying a $199-$399 console only for it to fail and scratch your discs is totally NOT a rip off.

/s.

give me a break, you're just a broke ass.
Sony = QUALITY! Remember that you always get what you pay for.

$499 = works.
$199 = fail.

[KrazyFace]

Erm, I haven't read the article yet, what stopped me was the simple maths that 150+170=320. And given the choice, I'd rather have one machine under my tv for an extra 80 that does both. Plus internet and tv and...

Oh, never mind.