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Sony PlayStation (Games)

PS3 European Launch 23 March, $835 86

Posted by Zonk from the better-late-than-never dept.
Andy_R writes "Sony has finally committed themselves to a European launch date for the PS3, after disappointing European fans by not having the promised worldwide simultaneous launch, then missing the lucrative Christmas period. The BBC is reporting that the console will arrive on the 23rd of March. EU fans will only be getting the 60Gb version at first, and it will be priced at 599 Euros or 425 pounds in Britain. At today's exchange rates, that's US$ 835.99! From the article: 'A problem manufacturing blue diodes, used in high-definition Blu-ray disc drives, forced the Japanese firm to announce another delay but only for European customers. Sony said the decision was made because Europe was logistically the most complex market for distribution."
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PS3 European Launch 23 March, $835 More

PS3 European Launch 23 March, $835

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  • Good plan Sony! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by KDR_11k ( 778916 ) on Thursday January 25, 2007 @09:31AM (#17751282)
    Delay for months, don't sell the version most people wanted to buy and thereby put yourself 200€ over the closest competition (unless you count the MacMini which is more expensive than a PS3). Sony's statement? "Europeans are used to waiting". Gee, thanks for demonstrating that you're not going to do something about that like your two competitors have done (360 and Wii were released less than a month after their US release). Next thing you know SCEE is wondering why we don't buy any PS3s.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by moranar ( 632206 )
      Has to be said, here the Mac mini (basic) is 619,00 euro, just 20 euros more. The superdrive model comes at 799,00 euro. And you can usually get them for less at sales (last Christmas, I believe a big shop in Italy was selling the basic model for 550 euros or so).

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Threni ( 635302 )
        > Has to be said, here the Mac mini (basic) is 619,00 euro, just 20 euros more.

        Yes, but then you'd have a Mac mini, and not a PS3, so you'd not be able to play any PS3 games. Actually, I'm not at all sure what I'd do with a Mac mini. I'd probably hide it when friends game over for a gaming session, to prevent any embarrassing questions.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by moranar ( 632206 )
          You obviously didn't read the parent comment.

        • Yes, but then you'd have a Mac mini, and not a PS3, so you'd not be able to play any PS3 games.

          Uhm... there are more and better Mac games than there are PS3 games. And that's not even counting Photoshop (haha, preventive joke). And you can actually use it as a real computer, without a hypervisor taking away access from graphics card and hd. I have no clue how you could know what to do with a PS3, but not with a Mac mini.

          And how exactly would a Mac make your pals ask embarrassing questions?

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by account_deleted ( 4530225 )
      Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Cue endless complaints about "Rip-off Britain" and high (after tax) prices. Made by people who then still go out and pay those excessive prices, thereby exacerbating the problem. If we didn't buy goods at those inflated prices, we wouldn't have to pay those inflated prices.
    After all, it is our right to buy goods from continental Europe if they are cheaper there.

    • Re:Rip-off Britain (Score:4, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 25, 2007 @09:53AM (#17751666)
      425 quid isn't much if you live in the UK. The current exchange rate is irrelevant unless you are buying a UK model with USD. Your other problem is comparing pre-tax US prices with post 17.5% VAT ones. Add that to the US price and you're over $700.

      However, I fully agree with your message. If you want prices to drop, don't buy artificially inflated priced product. But we all know that isn't going to happen. There's a reason the car manufacturers refer to Britain as the "golden island".

      • Re:Rip-off Britain (Score:5, Informative)

        by AKAImBatman ( 238306 ) * <`akaimbatman' `at' `gmail.com'> on Thursday January 25, 2007 @10:23AM (#17752130) Homepage Journal
        Your other problem is comparing pre-tax US prices with post 17.5% VAT ones

        Mod parent up. The reason why European prices are often higher is not because they're being sold at significantly higher prices. It's because the high tax rates (VAT - Value Added Tax) are computed into the price of the goods rather than rung up separately at the time of purchase. Many Europeans actually prefer this situation as something that costs 200 pounds/euros will still cost 200 pounds/euros at the register. Here in the US we have to calculate the taxes before arriving at the price we'll pay at the register.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by KDR_11k ( 778916 )
          However the markup is usually the difference of value between one Euro and one US Dollar for the systems and even bigger for games (console games cost 60€ normally, add ten for those that cost 60$ in the US). That's a 30% markup for continental Europe (on hardware) whereas the VAT is somewhere between 15 and 20%. It's a 56% markup for games. Especially that latter bit is infuriating since PC games don't even have a markup that makes up for the tax (most cost around 45€ which wasn't much more than

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by robaal ( 1019298 )
          btw. we also usually get both - netto and brutto - prices for the product on price tags/price lists, so it's not like we lose anything, unless you aks for the price, and in that case I don't see why you would care for the one before tax...

        • Re:Rip-off Britain (Score:4, Informative)

          by RyoShin ( 610051 ) <tukaroNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Thursday January 25, 2007 @01:07PM (#17755132) Homepage Journal
          I also like the idea of including taxes in posted prices; it makes calculating things much easier, especially across state lines and even cities where taxes can vary.

          Even so, the PS3 is still more expensive in the EU. Assuming a 10% tax rate in the U.S (which is higher than most places), you're looking at $660 total for a PS3, still far less than what it is in the EU after exchange.

          • Assuming a 10% tax rate in the U.S (which is higher than most places), you're looking at $660 total for a PS3, still far less than what it is in the EU after exchange.

            VAT runs a LOT higher than 10%. It's a unified tax structure that pays for all the health care, schools, and social programs. Several countries have VATs as high as 20% or more.

            Here's a list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VAT#VAT_Rates [wikipedia.org]

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by RyoShin ( 610051 )
              Sorry about that, I meant higher than in most places within the U.S.. Sales tax ranges from state to state, and even then from county to county and city to city, with local governments taking on a percent here or there to cover local expenses.

              Don't worry, I know that the poor Europeans have a much higher tax bracket than anyone in the states. :)
              • Don't worry, I know that the poor Europeans have a much higher tax bracket than anyone in the states. :)

                But we also have free education and healthcare. :))

                I'd rather pay a little extra for goods to get those benefits..

          • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

            by RzUpAnmsCwrds ( 262647 )
            I also like the idea of including taxes in posted prices


            I don't - the tax is not something that you are paying to the retailer, it is something that you are paying to the state. If the government is going to force businesses to take my money on its behalf, it should at least be clear that the government's take is not part of the price from the retailer's perspective.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by PeelBoy ( 34769 )
          Even after VAT the console price is over $100 more expensive than the US price.

      • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

        by Moochman ( 54872 )
        "The current exchange rate is irrelevant...."

        Haha, right now I would be laughing my ass off except it's just too sad. The exchange rate may be irrelevant to you, Mr. I-Spend-$15-on-a-Fish-and-Chips-Every-Day, but for Americans who might want to visit or study in England, it's as if half of our life savings just became worthless. (2:1 exchange rate)

        America really does seem to be becoming a 3rd-world country in the world marketplace. I don't like to think about what will happen when the next depression sets

  • Ouch! (Score:2)

    by iainl ( 136759 )
    That's a BIG price. Really, realy big. Wii60 big (Premium XBox 360 plus a copy of PGR3 is £250, Wii is £180, but what's a fiver at that price?)

    But we expected this. What I really don't understand is why Sony hate the 20Gb model so much? Many of us (most?) don't have any call for the extra features of the 60Gb (drives are swappable, 20Gb is big enough anyway, memory stick readers are about £15 in the unlikely event of us not already having one but needing it, and the wireless is a bit point

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Fozzyuw ( 950608 )

      Many of us (most?) don't have any call for the extra features of the 60Gb

      I wouldn't overlook the benefit of the 60GB version vs the 20GB. Wi-Fi is quite important. Maybe your cable box is near your PS3 now, but will it be in 1 year? 2 years? The entire life of the PS3? What if Wi-Fi costs drop and quality skyrockets. Some cities are giving free Wi-Fi already. You might regret not having Wi-Fi at that point.

      Further, 20GB is not much. This generation of gaming isn't about 'saved games' anymore. It'

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by iainl ( 136759 )
        I don't anticipate any PS3 I buy moving terribly far from my XBox 360, put it that way. So either they will both stay wired, or I'm going to need my wireless router to act as a wireless-to-wired station anyway.

        Right now, the 20Gb drive in my XBox 360 works just fine (around 10Gb free, actually). If I need more in the PS3 over time, I very much doubt that 60Gb will be enough either, so I'm looking at upgrading the drive to a couple of hundred Gb either way.

        The PS3 is an excellent media station, I agree. But

      • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

        by KDR_11k ( 778916 )
        WiFi bridges that get connected to the network port. Those were available for the last gen consoles for much less than 100€ and should work on a PS3, too.

        You can get a 60GB (2.5") HDD for 50€ already and bigger ones for only slightly more. You'd spend the same on a 120GB HDD whether you already have a 60GB one or just a 20GB.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by KDR_11k ( 778916 )
      I think the point is that the additions of the 600€ one aren't worth those 100€. People don't want to pay that much more for minor features while Sony doesn't pay much more to make a 60GB model over a 20GB one so a 60GB PS3 is more profitable.
    • because the make less money on it. The saving they make by removing those features in manufacture is way less than the amount they lose by selling you the cheap, rather than expensive PS3.
      As with the 360, the reason the cheap model exists is so they can advertise a lower price and pull consumers in - once you're hooked the want you to buy the expensive one. Same thing as in car adverts the new blah blah from £x (but if you want one that looks like the one in the advert you'll need to stump up more).

  • American Dollars? (Score:1, Informative)

    by delire ( 809063 )
    To make the data a little more meaningful to Europeans: 835.00 USD = 643.790 EUR.

    Source [xe.com].
    • The price in Euros was in the summary. How is stating it again more meaningful to Europeans?

    • Re:American Dollars? (Score:4, Informative)

      by Maxwell ( 13985 ) on Thursday January 25, 2007 @10:11AM (#17751928) Homepage
      The Us dollar is at record lows w.r.t to the Euro. You can't use Todays spot exchange rate to get a real idea of cost/valu. The reailty is the US dollar does not buy as much in the last few years. Lately, everything looks very expensive when converted to USD!

      In canada, The PS3 60G is listed at $699 at best buy (sold out, of course). Here in Ontario we add the 14% vat/sales tax to that to get a total of $796CDN. In Europe, the VAT is usually included in the price, so a 600 Euro works out to around $900CDN with tax. So there is about a $100 higher price in Europe, not the 200-300 difference the article header would imply. For the additional complexity of serving all those country standards (what, 9 different power cords?) that is not unreasonable.

      I apologize for being rational.

      JON

      http://www.forexblog.org/2006/06/usd_near_oneyea.h tml [forexblog.org]

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Chris_Jefferson ( 581445 )
        No, it's perfectly acceptable to compare the prices in GBP against the price in dollars, for two reasons.

        1) Most (all?) of the PS3 isn't made in America, so the price should be the same once they are imported.
        2) If Sony wasn't such a git, if I wanted one I could just import one from America at America's prices, which would force Sony to make them the same price in all countries (except sales / import tax obviously).

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Bert64 ( 520050 )
        9 different power cords, but it's not like you get all 9 with each machine.
        And it's only one end of the power cord that needs to change anyway. $100 so they can take away the american power cord and replace it with a european one that cost exactly the same to produce? ridiculous.
  • I tried to scalp a PS3 on ebay (from Texas). Where were the bids from England? Do you guys not have Dec. 25th?

    • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

      by The_Mr_Flibble ( 738358 )
      Nope, we canceled it due to a government cutback.
      And they still raised taxes.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Duds ( 100634 ) *
      Because if we got one it couldn't play blu-ray disks here, might not play games in future if they decide to regionalise those and Sony sues anyone that sells Ps3s abroad remember in order to "Protect us".
  • At least, Europeans will have PS3 shipped with latest updated bios. Cooool.
    More expensive, but with less bugs. Happy Europeans !
  • ... but the initial estimate of a cool thousand bucks seems awfully likely. Think I'll get a 360 instead. It'll look nice next to my Wii.
  • I'm not paying £425 for a unit that is delayed, has trouble being even produced and ultimately no different from its competitors (bar the Wii). I'm more tempted to buy a Wii...At least they know what they're aiming for (playability). Hell, i'll just stick to my PC.

  • The only complex thing about logistics is getting it from A to B. What makes Europe complex are the variety of languages and jurisdictions. That's still called localization.

    The real reason why Europe is left behind every time is because Europeans are more critical and don't jump any wagons like the Japanese and US markets.

    If Sony would launch first in Europe and at that price, they could as well write off their whole business plan.

    just my 0.0248 eurocents.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Duds ( 100634 ) *
      Then why did Microsoft and Nintendo both pull it off just fine?

      • My point was that launching in Europe is not "logistically too complex" if you are called Sony, MS and even Nintendo.

        Both MS and Nintendo did not release first in Europe, though.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Duds ( 100634 ) *
          Fair enough.

          And yes while neither was first, they were both so close as to be able to call it simultaneous with a straight face.
  • Wii £180
    Xbox 360 (core) £199
    Dreamcast (ebay) £30
    Total £410
    Vs PS3 £425
    Dreamcast wins ! *Prices correct at time going to press

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Kuad ( 529006 )
      A £30 Dreamcast would generally come with a number of games, as well. I bought a basic Dreamcast (2 controllers + memory thingie) without any games for £15.

  • I am interested in how this will turn out, it is like a bad soap ...

    You can bet that it will be >650 here in Ireland, maybe even hitting the 700 mark. They mention 300,000 units for the UK, so maybe 10K for Ireland.

    Still I know it will be sold out here in Ireland. Some of my friends will buy at launch, I cannot understand it and they are not rich. The only thing is that their GF's might nix it. That is a lot to spend on a console and most guys in the 20-30 bracket who have a better half will have a tough
    • I mean, thats what everyone was predicting here in NA as well... that all the consoles would sell out, and it'd be next to impossible to get your hand on a unit at retail prices until March or later.

      The reality is, the PS3 is FAR from sold out, and you can walk into any major retailer anywhere in North America and see 5 or more units on the shelf, with who knows how many out back. Prices for the unit on eBay have sunk to BELOW RETAIL. Meanwhile the Wii is still nowhere to be found in stores, despite having
  • I suppose that would be an extra fifty bucks. Sony really have lost their minds - mayday, going down, mayday!

  • I can sympathise with those in Europe, but spare a thought for a moment for those of us in NZ. PS3 price is/will be $NZ1199 (incl 12.5% tax). At today's (spot) rate that's about $US835.

    For context, 2005 GDP per capita (in US dollars and adjusted for price differences i.e. PPP):

    US: 41,399

    UK: 30,436

    NZ: 24,797.

    ( Source [wikipedia.org])

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