40GB PS3 as low as £299 in the UK

CVG has learnt from several sources that PS3 is about to step up to the console war in a big way.

"Speaking off the record (which means we can't name names), we've been told by sources in both the publishing and retail sectors that PS3 is on the verge of receiving a massive price cut - to £299."

[kn]

Maybe Sony is Planning this today or tomorrow to try to counter Halo 3 hype and keep a few people from buying a 360 console...

[nasim]

since a 299 pound ps3 would probably kill x360 in EU and UK (x360 is already dead in JAPAN)

EUROPE is SONYLAND.

If that happens i expect 3--5 m ps3s sold in EU between October and December.

I expect 100 m ps3s being sold in EU over ps3's entire lifetime.

BTW :- 20 gig ps3s were never launched in EU. In UK/EU u just have the 60gig and the 80 gig.

UK consumers want nothing but a price cut

[hazeblaze]

While I'm pretty sure that Sony will sell 1M in Europe regardless of a price cut... I'd say that they may sell an extra 1M with the price cut. However... 3-5M is probably just a tad bit optimistic, lol.

[QuackPot]

Special packages at best for old stock run-out - including non-rummble controllers.
My guess is the TRUE price cut will come Xmas and if they've got rid of all the old controllers, maybe an early arrival of RUMBLE.

The 40G ps3 is a rumour of the worst sort because it defies logic & commonsense. I suspect this is deliberate flame bait for the fanboys to come running once it proves to be false.

Watch this space.

[Trick Nolte]

@NAsim or Mr.Bubble(down to 1 hunh?) LOL - Just 2 years ago America was SONY LAND. Since then Sony has lost its stronghold on America Soil. I dont think it would be wise for Sony to have the same arrogant attitude that they had here in the U.S.

They thought that people would run out and spend 600usd on a Sony product just because it brandished a PS logo.

You cant josh around and assume anywhere is Sonyland outside of Japan and even there its more Nintendoland than Sony.

I've seen your posts and I see how much you adore Sony so dont get offended by this. I dont want Sony to fail either dude but they have GOT to get their asses on the ball before MS waxes their ass like a candle.

MS isnt playing around and they are coming with some quality sh!t, Bio, Halo3, NG2. These are games people can play now and they want to!

I'm extremely excited about the upcoming PS3 AAA titles like MGS4, FF13 and Yakuza(possible AAA). But Ms is striking while the iron is hot and its time for Sony to strike right back HARD brfore its toooo fuggin late! That lax attitude Sony got goin aint helpin sh!t.

[Naruto]

Wow... that would be big

[Real gamer 4 life]

well this pretty much confirms it. they are just waiting for the right momment to announce it. If they announce it on the day that halo was soppust to release you think this might mees up the X box 360 sales?

[AngryHippo]

....think this will mess up the 360 sales. I am a strong believer that software is what is going to drive the sales this Christmas, and Microsofts is second to none. Sony on the other hand are probably going to be reliant on this price drop to sell consoles. I know if i had a choice this christmas, i would pick the 360 due to some great titles on the way and great online service. If PS3 had the software, i would pick that, but quite frankly right now it doesn't. I own both consoles and can firmly say which one is my preference.

[hazeblaze]

Well, I to own both consoles and can firmly say that the PS3 is my favorite. It definitely has the game line up that I'm most looking forward to this holiday. Outside of Halo and Mass Effect, EVERYTHING else is a multiplat game... so I find it hard to believe that their lineup is 2nd to none.

The three games that I'm looking forward to the most this holiday are all on PS3: Ultimate Tournament 3, Uncharted, & Ratchet & Clank: TOD!!!

Greatly looking forward to Haze too... but more so just to see how good of a game it really is. But the point is that, it really is just a matter of opinion. And with a price cut, there are PLENTY of games available (even now) to persuade gamers to pick up a PS3. (Heavenly Sword is the most incredible action title I've played in years... it truly pushes the art form to an entirely new level).

[Delive]

People who are going to but a 360 for halo already have done so. People going to buy halo already have it pre-ordered and have no plans to cancel this. If Sony has/had any plans to counter Halo 3's release, it's too late. I have a 360 solely for Halo 3. I knew that I could only play it one place, so I had to drop the money for it. I play the rest of my time on the PS3 and PC. On occasion, I touch my Wii for brief pleasure.
EDIT:
LOL, sorry. I play with my w..., no. I turn on my w.... no. What can a guy do with his Wii that cannot be taken the wrong way? I let my GF play with it too. She likes the Wii Sports.

[vidoardes]

Delive - Whatyou touch for brief pleasure is your business, this is a public forum, keep it clean :p

Back on topic, I agress that a price cut this late in the game would have absolutly zero impact on Halo 3.

Any one who really wants it would already have it pre-ordered, and if they didn't manage to get a preorder, they would already have a 360 and would buy it later.

Anyone who isn't a massive halo fan, but wants to play it... well, they ain't gonna buy a console for one game, because they simply arn't that into gaming, so they either have a 360 and are umming and arring about getting the game, or they are console-less.

To those without a console yet, it's all about here and now. A casual gamer with £300 to spare wouldn't sit there and look at whats coming, they would pick up a 360 and a game instead of a PS3 on it's own, because it makes sense to them at the time.

But Halo 3 aside, a £300 PS3 would shift serious units in the EU, UK especially because it has always been a Sony territory. At the right price point, brand loyalty does affect consumer decision. So many casual gamers in the UK have had (and still are having) great gaming for 10 years with Sony, and are waiting for the PS3 to fall into their price bracket (although it has to be said a portion of those have picked up a 360 cause they are sick of waiting).

[MikeGdaGod]

good for Europe

[Laxe]

It will be interesting to see how this will increase PS3 sales (if at all).

[AngryHippo]

big move by Sony. Hmm...whether or not this is true we shall have to see....i would rather better games and more of them with no more delays, as i'm sure this would be more beneficial to the people such as me that already own one of the sodding things but have very little decent games to play on it. Getting kind of bored waiting.

[Pika-pie]

Snap! £299 is also the price of the 360 Elite here in the UK. This would be a very interesting move indeed.

I wouldn't imagine they would go a head with it until November or even early next year. A price cut is very well but they need AAA games to substantiate it. Releasing a £299 PS3 along side games like MGS, Killzone, LBP would be huge.

[Counter_ACT]

I hope they follow through with this, because it would utterly own 360 in the UK.

[Lumbo]

I will believe it when i see it, and not a moment before

[vidoardes]

This is a massive price cut, but at what cost? It was already proven that the 20gb didn't work, what are the consumers gonna lose for their £100?

Memory card slots?
WiFi?

Not sure I would miss the slots, but I wouldn't consider it without the WiFi. Too many cables runnign round my house as it is.

This is of course still speculation at this point.. doesn't sound too crazy to be true, but I'll belive it when I see it.

[hazeblaze]

I'm thinking that it will almost certainly lose the wifi. But that actually isn't that bad. Ethernet bridges are more reliable anyway & have faster speeds than wifi... AND you still don't have to have a cables run from your router to your room in order to use one.

[gololo]

Well....sony does need this...I am a PS3 owner and I do love it...but this is a system that is perhaps for hard core gamers not casual gamers, and Halo 3 will bring a huge amount of casual gamers...so perhaps with a price cut people will buy the PS3 more

[THC CELL]

merry xmas ps3

[kingboy]

That`s a more convenient price spot to attract more consumers

[kn]

They really need to step up and clearly and definitively state that there is no price cut, the rumors are false, and threaten the publishers of the rumors -- if they are in fact false... People will put off buying a console if they think they will get it much cheaper in the near future...

If the price cut rumor is true, they need to go ahead and do it. Announce it in a big way and start the media blitz... ads, store promotions, online specials, whatever... but push it in a big way.

Price cut rumors floating about before the last price cut really damaged the sales of the system...

[WAR_MACHINE77]

I agree that the rumors can be damaging to sales but I think at the moment they can't come out and talk about it just yet. The standing rumor is there will be a price cut on the 80 gig as well, and one or more of the SKUs will be packed with Spider-man 3 Blu-ray thru the holidays. Spider-man 3 doesn't drop until 10/30/07. Then we have the fact that a mystery SKU was delivered to the FCC for testing on 9/05/07 and the documents can not go public for 45 days, all that could go public was base info and a model number and it doesn't match any current SKU. They can release documents for this on 10/16/07. I would expect an announcement from Sony then, with the model going on sale beginning that weekend with Spider-man 3 releasing early to just those PS3 buyers. But this is just how I have put all this info together, it seems logical but I may be way off. I guess I find out if I'm right on the week of October 16

[pilotpistolpete]

I don't think the stripped down version will be missing USB, that's just stupid.

[EZCheez]

No kidding. How else would you charge your controller if you didn't have a PC? I do see the Wi fi going because I just don't think most people who use the internet around the house use wireless anyway, and most people aren't above routing a cable.

Of course I use wireless around the house, but I use a wired connection for my PS3. I'm all about the speed even though my wireless router is as good as it gets. I have a Belkin N1 wireless router and it still isn't as fast as a wired connection.

[Pika-pie]

Yeah, i dont see how having no USB would work? Doesnt make sense to take them out. The report also states that BC would be removed which I couldnt see Sony doing.

Alot of people who would purchase a PS3 are currently PS2 owners waiting to come over, and im sure they would want to bring their current gaming library with them. Plus Euro PS3s currently already have software emulation which surley cannot be a major cost.

A smaller hard drive, no memory slots, no wifi and possibly fewer usb ports (who needs 4) are my best guesses.

[Meus Renaissance]

I swear the only thing keeping the sales low there is the damn price $850. A PS3 costing under £300 would turn the UK charts upside down and Europe would follow if Sony had the stellar titles coming out this year.

Sony just need to hit the US with the same shizzle and it's FIGHT TIME.

I wouldn't be surprised if this was announced soon to take the spotlight from Halo 3's release there. But I dont expect this before MGS4 and others are ready. Kaz Hirai already confirmed this is what he has in plan although that could change

[Real gamer 4 life]

So far every single rumor has been true, from the rumble controller down to the price cut of the ps3. I am starting to believe that the ff7 remake rumor is true as well. I think sony has been holding back on us about this ff7 remake. They are very good at keeping this on the down low. But what this prove is that sony does listen to the gamers, gamer said the ps3 is to expensive sony lowers the price, gamers said they wanted rumble sony brings it back, gamer said they want a ff7 remake and sony is probably secretly funding this game to as rumors say..

[projectile]

If its true, what it shows is that sony is getting desperate. They need ps3 for bluray to succeed and they really need that as a company.
But this is great news for ps3 fans waiting to buy a console!

[EZCheez]

As long as their desparation keeps benefiting me, then I'm completely comfortable with them being desperate. They really have no reason not to be considering lackluster sales across the globe.

If you would have told me a year ago that the Nintendo Wii would be outselling the PS3 like this I would have laughed in your face. This really goes to show just how important price is, and how unimportant all the menutia is.

I hope Sony keeps these desperation attempts going when they do catch up because these are the only things that are really keeping my attention.

And where is that damn 2.0 update?

[Mars Attacker]

I guess Sony reads the sales charts too! This is an act of desperation. Too little - too late. At least the PS3 will come in second place in Japan.

[Meus Renaissance]

Too late for Sony? Not even 360 fanboys honestly believe that. What planet are you from?

;)

[hazeblaze]

Perhaps you were the slow kid in math class... but there's still nearly 100M gamers that have NOT bought a 'next-gen' console yet. With the speculation being that most are waiting for a price drop on the PS3 along with more big games (a la MGS4, GT5 & GTAIV).

Well, the games are coming at a steady pace now... the only thing Sony has to work on now is getting the price right as quickly as they can. They may still win this war.

[SabreMan]

You surely don't believe your comment "to little to late" do you ??
A ps3 priced at £299 in the uk would be a phenomenal success and sony know it, so do the people who don't wear blinkers.
If this is true it will be the right thing to do and will see the install base increase massively, time will tell but seriously to little to late is nothing short of delusional

there are millions of ps2 owners who haven't bought into the whole next gen yet, this will see them flocking to the ps3

The Playstation brand is still the biggest name in console gaming, the only thing hurting it is the price

[Keowrath]

Don't shoot me yet, I'm a PS3 only owner.

This could have been a major move to combat Microsofts Halo steam train. Announcing this kind of price a few days before (and doing a large scale ad campaign DAMNIT!) and then releasing the new SKU on the same day as Halo would have caused a major disturbance!

What will happen now is all those People who "could have" gone for this will now buy their 360 and Halo and won't have enough to get the PS3. Sure the system will still sell come christmas but this could have been a major bomb drop if they had announced it and actually processed it at a reasonable time.

Honestly, I think Sonys marketing staff should be beaten around the head with the 360!

This will (if it's true) shift PS3's but could have done so much more...

[hazeblaze]

Agreed. This would have had a far better impact if it could have been announced a month or so in advance.

I'm wondering what regions this new sku is for. I'm thinking that part of the reason in the delay is the fact that they could not announce this until the depletion of the 60 GB... or else those might not move any more units.

Also, they might still be working on cost reduction in order to meet the wanted price point... and obviously they have less control over exactly how fast costs drop.

But the thing is... as long as they get it out by the holiday, they'll still be able to "convert" a significant portion of gamers. After all, less than 1/2M ppl have bought the 360 in the last two months and at least 1/2 of THOSE gamers would have bought it anyway... so Sony has not lost that much by saving this for the holiday battle.

[xg-ei8ht]

299 and in a puff of smoke goes the 360.

ps3 would own holiday season at 299. put a few adverts of uncharted and rachet and clank. and its a done deal.

[CAPS LOCK]

I would hate not to have BC and wifi and USBs lol, But come on just get rid of the mem card readers and I wuold buy it.

[WAR_MACHINE77]

I really wouldn't worry about BC going anywhere. Its been a major selling point for sony for the last 7 years, I just don't see them dropping their trademark feature. I would expect the USB ports to be cut back to 1 and wifi to get the axe, but they will probably just make an add on for it. The card readers will without a doubt get the axe too.

[Naruto]

i don't agree because

1) the 360 will be last in japan

2)MS depends too Much on Halo period

3) what's wrong with correcting your mistakes

4) the wii outsold the 360 in Less than a year

5) if it's too late for PS3 that means it's too late for 360 also

6)Halo 3 is big but SSBB, SMG and GT5 can outsell in no sweat

[Shankle]

Oh you idiot! He said the ps3 would come second in japan, not that the xbox would come first! He obviously is saying that the wii would win in japan, followed by the ps3 with the 360 coming last! Just don't write these posts if you can't read other peoples' properly and all you can come up with is that dribble!

[Naruto]

Too little too late HAAAAAAAAAA

that what people said about PS2 and nintendo when everyone though they was going third party

[Keowrath]

Read my entire post you muppet!

My post explains that Sony could have done so much more if they marketed it better. LOL at you people agreeing.

[PimpHandHappy]

is what it is

its a franchise with a large base...kinda like MGS kinda like Socom kinda like GT5

you cant stop a train and Sony isnt about to try! When have they ever tried to steal thunder from anyone?

on topic: 40GB would be nice for ppl without a PS3 and if its true and the price is 400 bucks or under you will see em sell...

[Mc187]

sounds great better connection less wires?

[crippler666]

If this happens around UT 3 time, things will get real intresting for Christmas.

[sheng long]

this makes sense, sony expects to have shipped 11m by early next year. I'd say with a worldwide price cut and a solid lineup come x-mas, that number does not seem far fetched at all.

[THE_JUDGE]

it would be bonkers! The US should see a nice boost too!

[THC CELL]

u can have a cheaper ps3 and upgrade hardrive later

No what i mean ?

[EZCheez]

enjoy the cost of the PS3? Do you guys know how many 12 year olds have $500 consoles? Not that many.

[sheng long]

EZCheez: only the ones with rich parents.

I didn't mind the cost & paid $600.00 for a few reasons:
-I knew the games would come eventually
-I still have a buttload of ps2 games to play on it.
-I have a 360 to keep me busy
-I wanted a blu-ray player.
based on that, i thought the price was justified, now the games are finally coming out and it's just groovy

[riksweeney]

No USB, what the hell? The backwards compatibility is in the software in Europe.

How will the controllers work?

I'm sure that everyone will agree with me that if anything should go then it should be the SD card readers. If people really need to view photos on their PS3 they could stick them on a USB key...

Get rid of the card readers, the Wi-Fi and the Bluetooth. Job done.

[projectile]

The controllers use bluetooth dont they? ( im not tottaly sure on this one)

[mesh1]

mm this is a odd is i went to the local game shop and the ps3 were still £450 for the 40gig system with games they cost around £500plus so this news is wrong

[Lightning Mr Bubbles]

I've already said a lot on this. The biggest problem with PS3 is it's higher price than XBOX 360.

[sandip787]

man i really should have waited till xmas to get my ps3. i love it so much, but i dont have much chance to play on it with all my work from college, and i only got one game with it. by xmas i would have got much more for the same amount of money...

[gunnerforlife]

wow if this is true than thats it for the halo, if it goes down 2 299 than i know at least 30 people that r gone buy the ps3 40 gig and dats just my bois.

[gerrard]

There are two major things that would persuade people to buy PS3 1. price drop, 2. MGS4 & Sony will deliver on both nuff said

[Meus Renaissance]

Sony are extremely bad at advertising the machine here in the UK. For every 100 Wii commercials and 50 Xbox 360 commercials, you'd be lucky to see just one PS3 advert and that's usually nothing about games but only Blu-Ray.

Also, other than Ratchet & Clank there are no exclusive franchises to carry the sales of the console so, although a price drop is a welcome, I'd have to question the general impact of this.

[MikeGdaGod]

over here in the states, i see commercials for Dirt and Halo all the time but PS3 exclusives are no where to be seen.

i've seen the Heavenly Sword commercial twice, NGS once, and no Warhawk commercials!?!?!

[Assassin4hire]

how much is 299 in us dollars?

[gunnerforlife]

i think its round about 600 dollars

[Trick Nolte]

Without Sony announcing FF7 for the PS3 at TGS I think its time. I really believed that they were going to announce FF7 which IMO would have spawned an enormous increase in PS3 sales.

Not only was the game nowhere to be found, there werent even any in-game photos of FF13. MS is about to go real hard on EU with trying to attract European Gamers to the 360. Given enough sparked interest and MS could lock up another MAJOR region leaving the PS3 to fight a SERIOUS UPHILL BATTLE.

Another price drop is necessary at this point. Rumors of Capcom, Square and Sega(if you can believe that) are allegedly putting projects on hold.

WTF Sony? DO SUMPN!!!