Blu-ray to Unlock True Value of PS3. Possible Price Cut by Year-End

With Warner Bros. (and associated companies like New Line and HBO) committing exclusively to Blu-ray the format war seems to be nearing the end with a likely victory for Blu-ray. Assuming that's the case, we were wondering how much this would boost PS3 sales (if at all). Did Sony's gamble on a proprietary format finally pay off?

"I don't think Blu-ray alone is enough to get people to commit to a game platform," cautioned Cole. "However, if consumers are trying to decide between a game platform and they feel both are fairly equal in terms of games, then I think Blu-ray could be the swinging factor for the PS3. Nevertheless, the key factor is games. I don't think Blu-ray would ever be a swinging factor as big as say a game like Halo 3. The biggest boost for PS3 sales will most likely be 1) lower price; 2) more exclusive game software and only after that Blu-ray."

[Darkiewonder]

Most of sony's resources to support the ps3 solely on blu-ray features will shift back to gaming. They really have been trying to fight 2 wars which if you haven't see, was tough. especially the stuff we don't know about. [the behind-the-scenes stuff].

Price cut is good.

[TANOD]

However i believe SONY would totally kill off competition worldwide with MGS4 + another price cut

By mid JUNE 2008 we can expect PS3 to win the console war too

If KZ2 is launched before APRIL then the war would end even faster

[Maddens Raiders]

and the worst thing was that Kutaragi-san had to leave. I mean the bOts lost Moore but then he went to EA and fvcked PS3 royally so that was like a bonus.

The PS3 has had to literally brawl against the 360, the Wii, late launch, the press, Western prejudice, high price, the blogs, burning batteries, NO GAMES, early ugly shytty blurry 360 ports, delays, stupid articles about dust, lost exclusives, super fvcked up game reviews, railed against in public by Gabe Newell and freakin' Nolan Bushnell said flat out, "Fvck the PS3!" http://www.joystiq.com/2007... - it doesn't get any more sordid than that people. I mean you name it, the list is almost laughable of all the things this one console had to battle through when it's been the champ all along. People forgot and asked where it went. What happened to this supposed "king of consoles?" Little did everyone know that it was there the whole time. Restrained, simmering, bubbling, ready to burst through the roof and ignite the atmoshphere.

Yeah...

It's been here all along under......cover.

[gamesR4fun]

Ya its been a uphill fight for the ps3 like Madden Raiders pointed out they've had nothing but challenges. Still no doubt they will be a major player going forward in 08. With improving numbers across the board for all consoles we are all ready to embrace the new generation in entertainment. Honestly has a gamer first hd/dvd only would've been a real contender if it had been in the 360 or the wii and in the latter case we all know for certain who would've won. Kinda cool we helped make or break the format war with our choice in console. Imo never a better time to be a gamer.

[mikeslemonade]

What patcher said about 1080p TV is not correct. The games that support 1080p on PS3 most are upscaled, so you're content with 720p TV for the time being. 720p TVs online are as cheap as SDTVs in a big box store. You can get a 720p TV now and then buy a 1080p TV for cheap a couple years from now.

[jonnyboy]

there are a lot of 1080p TV's comming out now, and some are not that expensive. Believe me, I just got mine last November (Cheap too!).

[RudeSole Devil]

PS3 and the PSP have set the bar, Microsoft doesn't have a leg to stand on in 2008. All the talk about Microsoft going digital distribution is retarded, anybody with 2 brain cells can see this will never work. Before Xbox fanboys stat bashing, yesterday I wasted 45min trying to download a 23mb Rock Band song, on top of the 2 weeks of shi_tty live service. Heres Microsoft official answer to that

http://www.n4g.com/gaming/N...

Sony has the best plan for digital distribution, this is more convenient to the consumer.

http://www.n4g.com/tech/New...

[Meus Renaissance]

Looks like we got a Sherlock on our hands over here guys

/ end sarcasm

[LightningPS3]

I don't think blu ray is that big of a factor.

I think it's software and price that will be the biggest factors.

They made a huge mistake when they priced the PS3 $200 above the competition. It was complete lack of vision.

That's why I get so impatient with Sony. PS3 doesn't have much time, they have some very exciting software this year. They better be agressive and continue hacking away at that price debacle.

It's not just about what they do, it's about telling people that they're the better option over their competition.

If Sony is stupid, I can see XBOX 360 continuing to make price thier advantage, while Sony waits for Blu ray to be a real factor, which it won't. Because gamers buy consoles for games, not high def movies.

[TANOD]

Keep dreaming .

It is over for HD DVD and X360

expect some serious PS3 pounding in 2008

[crck]

It was the complete opposite. The ps3 cost Sony $840 to make when it was first released. They had to sell it at $600. They took a ton of crap from just about everyone for the price but they knew they had to get blu-ray in there. 1 year later take a look. Manufacture costs have dropped over 50% (latest estimates from analysts put the cost of a ps3 at around $400). The ps3 won the HD format war for Sony creating 2 streams of incomes, software and blu-ray license fees. Did blu-ray help the ps3? Hell no, its the other way around. Lets face it blu-ray would be dead without the ps3. Sony knew it and they had the foresight to make sure it didn't happen.

[Snukadaman]

were you not saying ultimate tournament 3 would also be selling consoles and give this "pounding" you speak of...exactly...you have been the most vocal of these sony droids too always say every exclusive game has been the savior of your ps3...yet we sit here each week and notice that for some reason no one is buying ps3 games in america...and this "pounding" you speak of is pushed back further now too mgs4...talk about delusional..whats next..when mgs4 doesnt sell that million or the next few weeks we dont see a increase in ps3 sales..,what will you do...move onto the next game...ff13? delusional indeed.

[Lord Cheese]

tanod is one of the most utterly insane dribbling fanboy morons i've ever come across - his comments on n4g are about as reliable as george dubyah's comments about iraqi wmds.

what in gods name, in reality, has hd-dvd got to do with the success of the x360, other than it happens to be supported by the same company? NOT ONE BIT. The xbox is marketed far more at gamers - hell, in the uk there hasnt even been a single commercial for the hd-dvd addon - shows how important it is, right? Its such a pointless argument its almost not worth making. Blu-ray has been helped by the ps3, NOT the other way round.

Lets be honest, if the ps3 only had a dvd drive in there, its sales may have been slightly slower (and, a few of its games may be very different) but the strength of the playstation brand and the quality of the product would have carried it forward. HOWEVER, blu-ray would have struggled like crazy. BD1.0 had no online requirement - so players would be obsolete in no time, compared to the HD-DVD spec which made a network connection mandatory. The feature set of the HD-DVD format was far more comprehensive initially (picture-in-picture/online features etc). The hd format war would be decided far more on the feature set, the price and the movies - hence, it might not just have been far closer, it may have finished completely differently.

Of course, these are just "ifs" and "buts" but unfortunately some people (TANOD being a prime example) just dont accept the reality of the situation.

[HarryEtTubMan]

Your "witty" comment really wasn't needed. The reality of the situation is a 400$ PS3 with not one big game released yet...costing 150$ more than the competition, and that Has Blu Ray which will be the next DVD.. has outsold the Xbox 360 since October. And ur ideas are HUGELY wrong. Stop correcting everyone.(Or thinking you are)

REALISM: PS3 WILL GAIN GROUND ON THE 360 IS 2008 but probally not pass it. It does have a very good chance of passing it by the end of 2009. Its really just gaining traction.

When ALOT of people start buying the PS3 is when it doesnt just have MGS4(even though it is going to sale systems...I have quite a few friends that are really excited about MGS4 but also all the other Multiplatforms and Exclusives coming to PS3) its going to pick up next year becuase price will drop(just a little, and being its second year there will be a ton of games and more really big games) The PS3 wont start pulling in the TRUELY Playstation sales figures until 2009 sometime. Possibly even 2010. I mean it has a good chance of outselling the Wii buy then. Not at 400$ with not with one HUGE game(even though there are alot of great games already...just not the big big names) 2008 is just going to set up wayyyyyyy more momentum with MGS4, Killzone 2, Little Big Planet, GTA 4, Fallout 3, Socom: Confrontation and we really dont know what other big Exclusives will make it.

Sony is planning very big things for 2009: 2 Rockstar Exclusives, Final Fantasy 13 and Versus, God of War 3, probally Gran Turismo and Resistance 2....there will be wayyy more games than just those.... but those are HUGEEEEEEEEEE games. 2008 is gonna see the PS3 outselling the 360... 2009 and 2010 is gonna see a cheaper PS3 with Blu Ray becoming very mainstream and with a ton of games... selling on par with or outselling the Wii. Its gonna happen. Peopl are waiting to see more from PS3 because its still so brand new but it is STILL selling well. No other consoles EVER has cam from behind and outsold its opponents except PLAYSTATIONS. Its gonna happen again and even 2009 and 2010 will only be the 3rd and 4th year. Many more years after that....

[Lord Cheese]

I think you're misunderstanding my point. I am not disputing that the ps3 could in all probability catchup and overtake x360 market share in 2008. It has a very strong brand behind it, massive list of features, a number of potentially good high profile releases, and if hd-dvd goes the way of the dodo, plays the only marketable format of hd disk based movies. You're suggesting i have in some way questioned its potential to sell units above and beyond that of its competition. I havent at all (in fact i'd say its inevitable that the ps3 will end up with a far larger installed user base than the 360 - there are too many factors working in its favour)

No product sells if it hasnt got things going for it, and the ps3 clearly has - a fact i never disuputed and in all honesty would be mad to, since i paid out a premium to import one on launch day.

My point was solely around the fact that people make out the percieved failure of hd-dvd is going to somehow hurt sales of the 360, and that somehow blu-ray would have been just as succesful without being included in the ps3. Which is a completely false impression. I am trying to say there that had sony not included blu-ray in the ps3, the format war may have finished very differently. In fact, much of my argument was in support of the fact that the ps3 has an array of features in its favor even if it didnt have bd-rom playback.

And, to be honest, i dont think i was correcting anyone. Rampant playstation fanboyism happens to personify tanod's opinion, and he is very much entitled to that view (despite me being VERY against the constant attempts to force it on everyone who visits this site).

[Skerj]

BluRay video playback was a bonus for me, I do have a 1080p tv but it wasn't that important to have a bleeding edge video player. The fact that I bought a PS3 and have one included in the package is pretty sweet, Divx/Xvid functionality keeps the thing on 24/7. I think once the games start rolling more (oh how they will this year) and the masses realize that fact, the sales will rocket. I'm glad they stuck it in the system though, we're going to see some awesome things this year and in the coming years. Just like the upgrade from cartridges, to cds, to dvds.

And can we please stop using Halo 3 now? Especially in that context it's comparing apples to oranges; a feature to ONE game. I had my 360 before the launch and that game wouldn't have convinced me to get the system.

[Ureval]

Maybe not but it convinced a hell of a lot of other people. The industry isnt based on your personal likes and dislikes. Sorry.

[Skerj]

Thanks Captain Obvious, care to explain the logic in comparing a feature to a game?

[Ureval]

Because Halo unavoidably is why the system sold. It may not be a feature but that doesnt mean its not valid to state its relevance in how well the Xbox has done. OG Xbox stayed afloat because of Halo. 360 hit hard because of Halo. So, guess what? Whether or not 360 needs Halo to continue strong Halo has put the box in a strong place. The fact that its even holding its own against Sony when last gen it was so far behind shows what one good game can do.

So we need more good games. Take heed Microsoft and Sony.

[Lord Cheese]

Halo is an easy target for the fanboys, so unfortunately people wont stop going on about it. Any game hyped as much as halo was, and the key IP for percieved closest competition is always going to be a target for those people who really couldnt spot a coherent argument if one slept with their sister.

It also divides opinion more than a lot of games. People who like it absolutely love it ( i personally havent had as much fun in an online game, well, ever ) and people who hate it act like its the most vile abomination ever to grace the earth. Its like WoW in that respect - it doesnt revolutionise anything - but it takes a lot of things that work, and tries to refine them to a point where they are just plain fun.

Fact is, the people still going on about it are the people who arent proper gamers at all. If they were, they'd appreciate it for what it is, accept that some like it and some dont, and move on.

[INehalemEXI]

They should really make it hard on the competition this spring and have a ps3 price cut the timing would be good.

Home ...Tekken 6 ....GT5 prologue , then MGS4/MGO begining of summer Thats some h4wt sh1t going down all around the same time.

[Ureval]

Someone convince me to buy a PS3. What big exclusives are coming out?

[jonnyboy]

Well, all of the ones worth playing anyways.

[Ureval]

And why do people think MGS is so great? Has it really sold that many copies? I played it once and I thought it was...well... kinda silly. Ridiculous would be closer to the mark.

[macalatus]

It's all about personal taste, my friend.

And oh, as for your question of "convincing" you to buy a PS3, check out my forum post:
http://forums.n4g.com/m_595...

[Dr Pepper]

As macalatus said, it's all about personal taste. Every game appeals to a certain crowd and by no means will everyone enjoy it.

[mazirjones]

I've always enjoyed the fact that the MGS series has never sold as much as say the ("competition") Halo series for the fact that it makes it that much more unique, a rare gem if you will, that few people know about let alone understand. And to be perfectly honest, if history and video game sales have taught us anything, its that the best games, the ones filled with meaningful allegory, replay value, and great art direction (not just filled to the brim with textures) are the ones that sell the worst, or at most are not up to par in sales with the blockbuster selling games of our industry. MGS is truly one of these games and hopefully MGS4 will not take a turn for the worst into the mainstream.

[Ureval]

I dont think MGS is bad necessarily but the long overly dramatic dialogue really turned me off. If MGS4 tones that down a tad I would definately take a look.

[BubblesDAVERAGE]

If you fanboys think sales mean great game by defintion mario is the greatest game out there..and the ds has the best libary.....lol....losers...pla y games plz

[gEnKiE]

Hey douche...can you shut up now? Ohh, wait....your out of bubbles.....moron.

[Partisan]

Divx/Xvid a worthy feature for PS3

Yesterday i loaded all my initial d movie , my next load is Dragon ball z
damn 160GB is gonna run of space with this nice feature

[StormSoldier]

I see more ps3 ppl now then before thats good i guess sony is doing something right.Love the ps3 but wanna play some of those games i been waiting for like socom,K2,GtP,LbP,etc.....
they will come with them and def get us hypnotized in the game.My friends get hypnotized to warhawk,They rly get into it imagine killzone 2 MGS and others lol......

[unlimited]

I agree that games is more important for the ps3, but for the people who is looking for a cheap blu ray player they will buy one..

[Shaka2K6]

Boo Hoo. Sony just happened to develop the best piece of CE to come along in a long time in the PS3. I LOVE my PS3 and I am not a Sony fanboy. Blu-Ray is very lucky to have the biggest player in the game.

[weezeru2]

I dont see Blu-Ray being the huge factor in PS3 sales. It should be all about the games.. Teh movies are just a wonderful bonus. But I agree that once Sony gets more big name titles out there like MGS4, God Of War and Final Fantasy then yes more sales for the PS3... its a shame no one is buying it for Uncharted because that is solid gaming.

[Mr Tretton]

Ureval: "And why do people think MGS is so great? Has it really sold that many copies?"

The main MGS (MGS 1,2,and 3) series alone has sold nearly 20 million units.

The Metal Gear franchise in it's full, contains a larger library of games across many platforms.

Metal Gear Solid 4, is however, ONLY for the Playstation 3 Super Computer.

Jack Tretton

[neogeo]

HD-DVD FTW!

[Snukadaman]

You will probably see price cuts in stand alone players before you see another price cut in the ps3...but there will be several factors IF there will be a price cut in the ps3...for one..microsoft has a price cut...and also the ps3 sales become stagnant even with blu-ray winning this console war...Lets face it...now that sony has won this blu-ray format war it cant lower the price or it will seem like desperation instead of being confident in their format.

@theres no doubt it will do better then 07...but I dont think the astronomical numbers some people on here say...like passing up the wii or even the 360...I dont think so...maybe in 2010?

[GrooveChampion]

If Blu-ray takes off and there is a significant cash flow increase that could give Sony enough of a buffer to justify cutting the price this year. Factor in lower component costs, greater console /software sales, and I think Sony could drop the price later in the year to spur sales.

Think about it, even if only MGS/LBP/KZ2/MS2 all hit like Sony hopes, that would increase sales. Consider what increased blu-ray awareness due to increased marketing pushes for blu-ray products could do to boost sales. I'm not saying they're gonna do '07 Wii numbers, but I'll bet they'll be doing markedly better than '07 PS3 numbers.

[ApocalypseShadow]

knew that it's not just the bluray playback that unlocks ps3's value.

it's the features that come together that unlock it's value.

buy the right ps3 and you get ps1/ps2/ps3/cd/dvd/dvix/bluray playback.

get a psp and take all your content anywhere in the world where there is an internet connection and log into your ps3.

get a pseye camera that does things like this:
http://www.gametrailers.com...
http://www.gametrailers.com...
http://www.gametrailers.com...

use a motion controller for games like heavenly sword(TWING TWANG),turn in motorstorm(it's cool to disturb the desert),and fly in games like lair and warhawk.

look at pictures as a photo album.

and have a planet earth visualizer.

and soon have a 3d community and market place through HOME.

then have DVR capabilities and iptv later on.

ps3 showed it's value as soon as sony announced it.bluray just adds to what is already great about the system.

mag lev....................

[Eamon]

... and is still the cheapest Blu-Ray player. I'd probably get it for the Blu-Ray and MGS4

[xplosneer]

Now that really HDDVD is all but screwed, PS3 is starting to seem AGAIN MORE AND MORE like PS2. Helped mass market and new format. Started off with bad press and really, mostly bad or ported games. Sales picked up greatly at holiday.

Now I am not saying it will match PS2 or beat it in sales. I am saying they are seeming more similar.

[Eamon]

I think its just due to the overlarge fanbase created by the PS1 and PS2. A lot are probably just waiting for price cuts.

[PirateThom]

I partially agree with both of you.

Someone mentioned the PS3s sales are only 1 million behind the PS2s at this point in its life, but I also think the fanbase is waiting for the franchises.

It's why GTAIV will probably boost PS3 sales just as much as 360, if not more, a lot of PS2 owners will make the switch to PS3 rather than 360. PS2 owners didn't buy the PS3 last year, but they didn't buy the 360 either, so the market is still very much there to be taken.

[Lord Cheese]

silly question, but did the ps2 really make that much of a difference to mass adoption of dvd's (this isnt me questioning the facts, i'm curious really)? me and many people i knew already had dvd players well before the ps2 really started gaining momentum, so its effect really werent that apparent.

Not only that, but the majority of people i know would be loathe to use a ps2 for dvd playback (both a few years ago, and now) due to its relatively poor picture quality, normally being region locked, lack of a remote out of the box etc etc etc.

[joydestroy]

i couldn't agree more with this article. '08 still seems to be the year of the PS3 and Blu-ray winning will only boost that.

[lockload]

Microsoft have only cut $50 off the 360 in over 2 years they have a ton of room to match and provably beat any PS3 price cut and like the analysts are saying price is the main factor

Im expecting a 360 cut in time for GTA4, Ninja Gaiden 2 and Too human

[gEnKiE]

Too Human? Is that thing still in production? I thought that went the way of Fable 2.....except Peter Melonhead isnt involved with it...

[bootsielon]

I rather have Blu-ray than Halo 3. Anyway... Price Cut "possible"? By year end? LOL. I bet that PS3 will have another re-shuffling of SKUs, and yeah, PS3 will probably be $249-$299 by years end, but it'll have more value in the box than the current 40GB PS3. Dropping the price just once and by year end on a $399-$499 console is too little.

It'll happen the same as last year; only one price drop, but seemingly two, and SKU re-shuffling. Perhaps Sony would like to bring back the 20GB PS3 right now for $299, and drop its price by year end to $249. But again, my bet is that there will be more value by years end. Maybe even a redesign.

[onyxbox]

the ps3 is formidable value for money if you think about it. blue ray was always 'the one' over here in the eu. in the UK the only HDDVD player i saw in shops was the 360 addon... and quite frankly... seriously... if you care enough about HD films etc. you wouldn't use a noisy 360 and a separate player etc. it's a kludge.

I have a 360 and it's a mess already. Picture a smoked glass stand (you know with the chrome support tubes) a slick black HDTV then put a beige 360 with separate brick power-supply, a wireless thing sticking out of the back a funny shaped hard disk thing sticking out the side then plop a HDDVD add-on next to it and you're the laughing stock of high end media.

ps3 on the other-hand is slick, has 2 wires (mains and HDMI) no buttons or sticky out bits, wireless and hard disk are all hidden, no external psu AND it plays Blue Ray and it can browse the Internet, it's a better media centre and the best bit is it's £30 more than a base 360 (if you were to add the wireless and HDDVD player the 360 would cost about £160 more)!

Even the games playing field is pretty much even now (unless you care about 18 month old games).

I loved the 360 when it came out but I'm done with it now.

Blue Ray was a huge gamble for Sony but they might just have pulled this off. In the face of all the criticism they stood their ground and it starting to pay off now.

[Xbox is the BEST]

aboout the games?

[titntin]

Well I have to agree with you.
I still own both systems and will continue to do so - I've loved many of the titles on 360 this year, there's been so many good ones! Some of the best games ever! But, countrary to bleating MS fans like the poster above though, I've also loved many of the games on the PS3 too (Warhawk, Ratchet, Resistance, Folklore, Uncharted, Motorstorm, Super Stardust, Ninja Gaiden Sigma and many more.) I have played it at least as much as if not more than, my 360.
The line up for games, and the momentum it has, going into this year pretty much assures its going to have a great year, even without the news about Blu Ray - and that can only be good thing for fans of games.

The choice of delivery format for these machines has been crucial to their fortunes. By sticking with DVD, the 360 could launch early and enjoy a considerable cost bennifit and this, together with strong support and last years great line up, has helped them get off to a steller start in the first two years. But now that format choice will start to look restrictive - some games could really use a bit more room, meaning some games are getting shorter and having fewer included maps and other features, as there simply isn't the space to include them. This is the long term price of sticking with the DVD format.

Sony made a gamble by using Blu ray for its machine. In the short term, it was a mighty cost for them to absorb, meaning they had to launch late and at a price that many considered to be too high. If they had stuck with dvd, I'm sure they would have sold many more units at a more respectable launch price. However, now that they have significantly cut manufacturing costs and increased yields, the logic of thir longer term stratagey is becoming evident. Not only have PS3 sales helped win the HD war, which makes the PS3 a more obvious 'media server' box, but games for PS3 can be much less constarined by disc size, and we are already starting to see games with more included content and extra features being released. This trend will continue throughout this coming year, and it will become more obvious that the extra storage is something very worthwhile for gamers.

Both machines have an assured future that I want to be part of, but I have to say I admire Sony for having the balls to push out new technology and get it adopted. I always suspected it would pay off in the long run, but its only been available here in Europe for a little over 9 months so I'm shocked to see the turn-around happening so quickly.
A good year then, for gamers of all creeds, but a particularly fine one for PS3 users I suspect...

[Zinger]

One answer....They will come. I'm pretty satisfied with the first Gen games that i was able to play on the PS3. I've been spending alot of time this past year playing R&C, RFOM, AC, WarHawk, COD4, Motorstorm and Uncharted as well as watching Blu-Ray movies. The install base is growing and having Blu-Ray win the format war can only help boost sales. I know a few people that only currently use the system for Blu-Ray right now, which is completely fine, because they know that the games will come(the system is only in its second year).

Of course one would say that sony is losing money on the system because no one is buying the games (main money maker since they lose money on each system sold). Not the case! Not only are they making up cost in games, but in Blu-Ray movies as well. Face it, Sony took a risk and it is pulling off big for them. They knew what they were doing with the Blu-Ray drive. Xbox had a shot and missed the boat. Instead of waiting to release the system with an HD-DVD drive, they thought it would be better for sales to push it a year early to try and get a leg up. Its slowly being proven that this concept is failing. Not to say that the xbox 360 is a failure as a gaming machine, but it is as a next gen console. Personally i chose the system that could do everything for me, not just play games. I definitely also do not feel like paying $50 a year for a service that i feel should be free for all systems (we pay for the games right, then online should be free).

As the install base grows, because of gaming and Movies, it will force game devs to pay attention because there will be money to be made. The PS3 is slowly but surely becoming again a force not to be reckoned with.