Both Sides of the PS3 Price Cut Rumor 257
So here's the deal: Kotaku has a flier for an upcoming Circuit City deal on the PlayStation 3, putting the price at $499. There's some confusion about whether this is just a sale from Circuit City, or an actual price drop from Sony. Next Generation has Sony saying 'no', indicating that this isn't a sign of an across-the-board price cut. Meanwhile, GameDaily says 'yes', with sources in the retail industry indicating this is the price adjustment we've heard coming for a while now. "As it turns out, a merchandising manager (who wished to remain anonymous) at one of the world's biggest retailers has confirmed to GameDaily BIZ that the price drop is indeed retail-wide and it's scheduled to take place on July 12, although the first wave of ads to promote the PS3's new price won't kick in until Sunday, July 15. Many analysts have speculated that Sony would drop the price on the expensive console this year, and some even predicted that it could happen this summer. It's starting to look like they were right. We're sure to find out much more next week when Sony holds its press conference at E3." Luckily we won't have to wait long to see what's the real story here.
$499 (Score:3, Insightful)
Sadly, I could probably double the performance of my PC for that price.
I might buy at that price.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:$499 (Score:2, Insightful)
Last I checked, 60Gb hard drives weren't $100 more than 20Gb hard drives.
Re:...zzz...Is it less than $200 yet? No?...zzz... (Score:5, Insightful)
If there was anyone with $500 in their pocket who wanted a PS3 they probably would have bought the 20GB model when it was still available, I'm pretty sure you can still find them lingering around stores today too.
If they want to be competitive they have to match the 360's price point... unfortunately I think if anything this price drop will cause Microsoft to follow suit, they've been hinting at a price drop [thoughthead.com] for quite some time as well.
Re:Nice, but not enough (Score:3, Insightful)
Great Price (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:...zzz...Is it less than $200 yet? No?...zzz... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Nice, but not enough (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Nice, but not enough (Score:3, Insightful)
You are right on one point though: The PS3 and the Wii are not comparable products: One is a console with a bunch of good games, the other is a bad Blu-ray player that has an anemic game library. That's why one is selling well, and the other is tanking. Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, Gran Turismo: all 2008 titles.
Re:Wii (Score:4, Insightful)
Well, both Toyotas and Lexuses use the same gasoline. If fuel was brand-specific, Lexus owners might be SOL.
Re:...zzz...Is it less than $200 yet? No?...zzz... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:$499 (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:I might buy at that price.... (Score:4, Insightful)
That being said, adding the fact that I am not alone in the US (let alone the rest of the world) in this line of thought, DVD's will, in fact, be around for a while. If they are not, then the movie studios are going to notice a sudden drop in revenue as people such as myself forgo purchasing ANY media and get it via the internet instead (legally or not).
Re:$500 is a steal, why are people being so diffic (Score:2, Insightful)
Huh? My PS3 doesn't do this.
Re:$500 is a steal, why are people being so diffic (Score:5, Insightful)
With the exception of the Cell processor and a different selection of "fairly good online content", I already own something that does all of these things. And unless you're also using your PS3 to post on Slashdot, so do you.
Re:$499 (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:...zzz...Is it less than $200 yet? No?...zzz... (Score:3, Insightful)
It was a decent business strategy. But no, the $500 PS3 was kind of a red hearring.
Is there a term for products like this? I'm sure there is... ya know, something that is put out in very small supply, just so that a company can claim it exists?
Re:$500 is a steal, why are people being so diffic (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:$500 is a steal, why are people being so diffic (Score:2, Insightful)
I honestly don't care one flip about all the 'extra' stuff the PS3 can do, and I'd bet most everyone else is the same way. It can run linux? Ok. Then what? My Wii can edit images. I'll never use it.
Using your argument, they could've included a 3D holographic image generator that would project famous paintings on your wall for an extra $1000, and you shouldn't complain about the price because it's another thing it can do.
I honestly don't care. I can do without. Without games, 600 bucks is way overpriced. And even with games, 600 bucks is way overpriced. I bought my 360 for 200 bucks because I considered 400 way overpriced.
The PS3 is a bad deal right now, and I'm not sure it will recover past the point where it's actually worth it to have it AND my 360. And with no games I'm certainly not going to take that bet right now.
Just as an aside (Score:4, Insightful)
1970s: Arcades got cocky, and Atari is kicking their ass for losing sight of the consumer's demands.
1980s: Atari got cocky, and Nintendo is kicking their ass for losing sight of the consumer's demands.
1990s: Nintendo got cocky, and Sony is kicking their ass for losing sight of the consumer's demands.
2000s: Sony got cocky, and Microsoft is kicking their ass for losing sight of the consumer's demands.
Re:$499 (Score:3, Insightful)
Now how about for a console with Blu Ray, DVD, CD, SACD playback, streaming video & audio, H264 video, AAC, MP3, WMA audio, an integrated web browser, wifi, gigabit LAN, bluetooth, USB connectivity, a 60Gb hard disk, HDMI 1.3 output, wirelesss controllers, free online network support, integrated store, web browser, chat & messaging, ability to run Linux and doubtless many other things? AND it is a kickass games console.
Re:$499 (Score:3, Insightful)
But "not-so-new" (by which I mean older movies) DVDs are often in the $10-$15 range just about anywhere, and the "not-so-new" Blu-Rays are still like $25.
And yet... (Score:2, Insightful)