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Sony UK Director: America is "a land of cheap people"

D

devilscallmedad

Banned
Why is the PlayStation 3 more expensive in the UK than it is in the rest of Europe?

Well the first thing that is important is that I want the price to be as low as possible, because the lower the price the more we sell – we're a software model.

If you take the product at the factory gates there are slight variations to price if you're putting out a single sku product, but it's very, very small. But then the differences start to accumulate. If you've got different shipping costs and import duties that makes variation in price. And that's just getting it into a country. Then you have a look at the economic and financial situation in each and every territory. That's where the differences start to vary massively.

If you take what's considered to be the most expensive and the least expensive – consider the US with its massive land and cheap people. Then you look at the UK – a little island where rent and rates are at an absolute premium, and the cost of people is a lot more. The cost of retail is vastly more in the UK than it is in the US and that's before you even stop to consider the US doesn't have VAT at RRP, they put a small amount on afterwards. Whereas, we get stung by 17.5 per cent. And pity the poor Irish and places like Sweden.
Click to expand...
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=23722
:lol
 
T

The Innocent X

Banned
This is the part that really is the clanger

SonyIdiot said:
"But GBP 425 seems like an odd number. Did you think about pricing the PS3 at GBP 399 which would have a different feel to it, psychologically?

No. We did consider GBP 429, but we wanted to get the best for the consumer. "
Click to expand...

Best for the consumer. HAH!
 
H

Hy_

Member
If you take what's considered to be the most expensive and the least expensive – consider the US with its massive land and cheap people. Then you look at the UK – a little island where rent and rates are at an absolute premium, and the cost of people is a lot more.
Click to expand...

It's funny when you take it out of context and use selective quoting!
 
J

justjohn

Member
i saw this on another forum about two days ago, and i have to say i'm surprised its only just been posted on gaf. i thought gaf would eat these things up with the quickness
 
C

Chris Remo

Member
The Innocent X said:
"But GBP 425 seems like an odd number. Did you think about pricing the PS3 at GBP 399 which would have a different feel to it, psychologically?

No. We did consider GBP 429, but we wanted to get the best for the consumer. "
Click to expand...
THANK GOODNESS
 
S

Souldriver

Member
I think the quote was translated badly into the article. I doubt you would just plainly say Americans are cheap. :lol

Oh, and thank god for the price drop!!
 
L

LM4sure

Banned
You can tell Sony really cares for its consumers! It's really shocking that they are getting slaughtered thus far! :lol
 
H

haowan

Member
footinmouthis1.jpg
 
C

Chris Remo

Member
Souldriver said:
I think the quote was translated badly into the article. I doubt you would just plainly say Americans are cheap. :lol

Oh, and thank god for the price drop!!
Click to expand...
Translated from what?
 
F

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
Amazing. It's like if Sony had this urge to counter every good news with two weeks of cluster****s and asinine PR.

I just can't believe it.
 
A

Aaron

Member
I think he's simply stating that it's cheaper for Americans to buy things with all the overhead involved in selling something in the UK. Not that Americans are cheap, perse. Hardly a PR disaster.
 
C

C4Lukins

Junior Member
Aaron said:
I think he's simply stating that it's cheaper for Americans to buy things with all the overhead involved in selling something in the UK. Not that Americans are cheap, perse. Hardly a PR disaster.
Click to expand...

So did he mean to say "Massive people and cheap land?"
 
G

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
In the context of his comment he's clearly talking about the cost of labour i.e. that labour is cheaper in the states than here - for Sony, for retail, for everyone in the chain involved in making the console available. "Cheap people" doesn't sound very nice and he should have put it a better way, but his meaning is clear and obvious.
 
C

Chris Remo

Member
Aaron said:
I think he's simply stating that it's cheaper for Americans to buy things with all the overhead involved in selling something in the UK. Not that Americans are cheap, perse. Hardly a PR disaster.
Click to expand...
gofreak said:
In the context of his comment he's clearly talking about the cost of labour i.e. that labour is cheaper in the states than here - for Sony, for retail, for everyone in the chain involved in making the console available. "Cheap people" doesn't sound very nice and he should have put it a better way, but his meaning is clear and obvious.
Click to expand...
Even the people who think he was saying something reasonable can't agree on what he was saying!
 
C

C4Lukins

Junior Member
gofreak said:
In the context of his comment he's clearly talking about the cost of labour i.e. that labour is cheaper in the states than here - for Sony, for retail, for everyone in the chain involved in making the console available. "Cheap people" doesn't sound very nice and he should have put it a better way, but his meaning is clear and obvious.
Click to expand...

I do not think anyone is personally offended by it. It is just a funny screwup.
 
S

Souldriver

Member
The more I read the quote, the less I understand what he's trying to say. The fact that he says "Brittish people cost more", makes me believe he actually meant to say "Americans are cheap".
Can anyone explain what he's trying to say?
 
G

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
Chris Remo said:
Even the people who think he was saying something reasonable can't agree on what he was saying!
Click to expand...

Well, OK then, his meaning is clear and obvious to me :lol

I think 'cheap labour' is the only interpretation that makes comprehensive sense given the context.
 
P

Pureauthor

Member
The whole world is 'cheap' people.

People naturally want the best possible deal, which is basically having everything for absolutely nothing in return. But that's not possible, so they'll settle for whatever is available.

I dunno how the UK came into having everything costing more than the US, but now when British people spend more than the USA people, it's due to the conditions available to them, not because any guy is 'cheaper' than the other.

(And as long as we're talking, us of Chinese descent could teach Westerners a thing or two about being thrifty.)
 
B

Bodom78

Member
Souldriver said:
The more I read the quote, the less I understand what he's trying to say. The fact that he says "Brittish people cost more", makes me believe he actually meant to say "Americans are cheap".
Can anyone explain what he's trying to say?
Click to expand...

Buy a cheaper console then the PS3?
 
S

Starfire

Member
We're so cheap we need a second job to buy a PS3? *head explodes*

Good thing that $600 dollars was just sitting under my couch cushion.
 
V

Vyse The Legend

Member
mr_bishiuk said:
Minimum wage in US Approx $5 (£2.50) Minimum wage in UK Aprrox £5 ($10)

End of chat
Click to expand...

Exactly. I've lived in London before. Trust me, it's an expensive place, but even with a minimum wage job, most of my friends got by just fine.
 
L

legend166

Member
I understand what he's trying to say, even if he's wrong, but holy crap he couldn't have chosen a worse way of expressing it.
 
9

909er

Member
Pureauthor said:
The whole world is 'cheap' people.

People naturally want the best possible deal, which is basically having everything for absolutely nothing in return. But that's not possible, so they'll settle for whatever is available.

I dunno how the UK came into having everything costing more than the US, but now when British people spend more than the USA people, it's due to the conditions available to them, not because any guy is 'cheaper' than the other.

(And as long as we're talking, us of Chinese descent could teach Westerners a thing or two about being thrifty.)
Click to expand...

Those of the Jewish decent would kindly disagree.
 
M

mr_bishiuk

Banned
mr_bishiuk said:
Minimum wage in US Approx $5 (£2.50) Minimum wage in UK Aprrox £5 ($10)

End of chat
Click to expand...

What that means is that the delivery drivers want more money, the retailers need more money, the people who put the billboards up want more money ETC

This makes things more expensive, Supply and demand, people have more money = price of goods go up.. net effect = zero

Sony have to be more aware of the internet, things can get out of hand and be taken out of context ver easily. I'd suggest only Phil Harrison interviews through Threespeech should do the trick!
 
C

chase

Member
:lol :lol :lol

Oh, god. Watching Sony flail about as its empire crumbles is the most satisfying thing I've ever witnessed on the internet. Don't misunderstand: I don't root for or against companies, but I certainly root against 10 years of unabashed arrogance, especially when the culmination of it is the unforgettable "five hundred and ninety nine US dollars".
 
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