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[Grampa Simpson]

A price drop for Nintendo would make sense if they felt that they had exhausted their potential userbase at their current price or if price differentiation became a factor for potential buyers. A well advertised capable Wii Fit clone combined with a $150 XBox Arcade for example spending more than a month in the top 10 could trigger it for instance. Honestly though, I don't think we'll see that sort of killer combo from Microsoft this year or next. Sony won't manage to get their price down far enough to do anything like that either.

End of next year when they've hit 35 million consoles sold they may do it just to start picking up outliers that are waiting for a drop and those that are undecided.

This year I think we'll see the Black Wii, the inclusion of WSR/WM+, and maybe an increase in the internal flash storage.

 

[DeadGzuz]

Both the 360 Pro and PS3 at $299? MS must be making a ton of profit per system or maybe Sony will be losing a ton.

Or you don't have any idea how much they cost to make.

 

[donny2112]

Or you don't have any idea how much they cost to make.

Just dealing with the PS3 side, Sony was losing 10% on each PS3 sold as of March 2009.

http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2009/05/15/sony_ps3_profitability/

 

[laserbeam]

Sony was losing 10% on each PS3 sold as of March 2009.

http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2009/05/15/sony_ps3_profitability/

Dont waste your time Donny. He tried to call me out on Sonys loses in another thread and when the same thing was shown he vanished never to post again yet here he is doing it all over again.

 

[Scottlarock]

Just dealing with the PS3 side, Sony was losing 10% on each PS3 sold as of March 2009.

http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2009/05/15/sony_ps3_profitability/

thats actually alot, I wonder how much MS is making now with the elite @399.

 

[MoogPaul]

People who buy arcades now don't mind not having a 60GB harddrive but if it's 120GB suddenly it's a "must-have"? A lot of 360 owners don't need a harddrive. How about those who don't play on Live and don't download DLC? If I ever get a 360 it's to play L4D and Halo with friends, and a few RPGs by myself. No need for a harddrive.

Then you will not be playing your games off of the hard drive with greatly improved run times and no airplane landing in your living room.

 

[duk]

299 PS3 phat until 349 ps3 slim comes out? is that how they will do it?

 

[laserbeam]

299 PS3 phat until 349 ps3 slim comes out? is that how they will do it?

They would be losing like $140 per Phat if they did that.

 

[Scottlarock]

Then you will not be playing your games off of the hard drive with greatly improved run times and no airplane landing in your living room.

could care less about the airplane, but installing your games 90% makes a huge difference. I loved LO off disc, but installing it made the battles so much better . If I buy a ps3 again, I hope they give the option of full disc install, I know its blu-ray and all, 25 gigs but I would still install everything just for the faster loading.

 

[duk]

They would be losing like $140 per Phat if they did that.

How else do you think they should clear 2m units on the shelves?

 

[mrklaw]

299 PS3 phat until 349 ps3 slim comes out? is that how they will do it?

no. $299 phat no annoucement of slim. until stocks cleared, then Ps3 slim announced/released at same price.


they can't increase the price. Its not like the PSP go which could be (badly) argued is a 'premium' product because portable stuff gets more expensive the smaller it gets. A home console doesn't attract a premium due to size, its clearly a cost saving measure.

 

[Wollan]

From what I'm hearing stocks are getting thin in Europe already. Could be that the Slim debuts over here but I'm guessing it will be like with PSP Go in that it's dual US/EU with Japan to follow.

 

[Karma]

Or you don't have any idea how much they cost to make.

Well, Blu-Ray Drive vs DVD. Wifi vs no Wifi. You dont agree that the 360 would be far cheaper to make? Add in the fact that Sony is giving away their online and MS is charging for it. I think we can safely say MS is making far more profit per unit.

 

[Firestorm]

People who buy arcades now don't mind not having a 60GB harddrive but if it's 120GB suddenly it's a "must-have"? A lot of 360 owners don't need a harddrive. How about those who don't play on Live and don't download DLC? If I ever get a 360 it's to play L4D and Halo with friends, and a few RPGs by myself. No need for a harddrive.

How do you plan on playing Halo with your friends if they're all on a map that needs to be downloaded to a hard drive? Same goes for Left 4 Dead's Survival Pack DLC... Both games you just named require a hard drive for an up-to-date multiplayer experience.

 

[slider]

I only skim posts cos I'm too important to pay attention but the Elite is the new Pro? What's the new Elite? Being a lustful whore I'd have to give serious thought to selling my Elite and getting the "potential" new beastie.

 

[Grampa Simpson]

Personal anecdote:

I purchased my 360 as an Arcade with the expectation that I had no need for a hard drive to play GTAIV. I was correct. Later the 'Memory Upgrade' program came around, and I purchased a 20 gig for $30 then. I've since come to use it primarily for loading whatever game I am currently playing to the hard drive so that I don't use the DVD drive constantly. I've also purchased DLC for a couple of games - GTAIV and Fallout 3.
If we ever see some good DLC for Resident Evil 5, I expect that I'll be purchasing that as well.

I'm hoping that MS releases a decently sized hard drive at a decent price so that I can stomach the idea of paying for an upgrade. Personally, I believe that they should include a hard drive at a minimal price with all systems given all the utility that I've seen with mine.

 

[H_Prestige]

Well, Blu-Ray Drive vs DVD. Wifi vs no Wifi. You dont agree that the 360 would be far cheaper to make? Add in the fact that Sony is giving away their online and MS is charging for it. I think we can safely say MS is making far more profit per unit.

I doubt WiFi costs much. Even the DS and Wii have it. Blu Ray and XDR are the main culprits IMO.

If the slim ps3 removes all the unnecessary physical baggage (motherboard is already half the size of launch units) and use 45nm CELL, I wouldn't be surprised if Sony can sell it for $300 comfortably.

 

[x3sphere]

299 PS3 phat until 349 ps3 slim comes out? is that how they will do it?

Doubt they will do that. If the Slim comes out it will replace the old model entirely. Just makes sense. The Slim should be cheaper to produce too.

 

[quest]

I doubt WiFi costs much. Even the DS and Wii have it. Blu Ray and XDR are the main culprits IMO.

If the slim ps3 removes all the unnecessary physical baggage (motherboard is already half the size of launch units) and use 45nm CELL, I wouldn't be surprised if Sony can sell it for $300 comfortably.

You are also forgetting the expensive internal power supply and expensive cooling system. They might be able to cut those down a little going to 45nm but they are still going to be much more expensive than the brick and cheapo cooling system of the 360.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

You are also forgetting the expensive internal power supply and expensive cooling system. They might be able to cut those down a little going to 45nm but they are still going to be much more expensive than the brick and cheapo cooling system of the 360.

Highly unlikely PS3 Slim has an internal power supply. And 45nm = less cooling necessary.

 

[jax (old)]

price drops are good

 

[Grampa Simpson]

price drops are good

Did you actually get banned at your 3600th post, or was it just an empty threat?

 

[Karma]

I doubt WiFi costs much. Even the DS and Wii have it. Blu Ray and XDR are the main culprits IMO.

If the slim ps3 removes all the unnecessary physical baggage (motherboard is already half the size of launch units) and use 45nm CELL, I wouldn't be surprised if Sony can sell it for $300 comfortably.

That takes me back to my first statement. If Sony is selling the PS3 at $299 comfortably then MS must be making a ton of profit per system on the 360.

 

[Totobeni]

well so there is Ps3 price cut and Ars Mole track record is very great ...

so yeah

Bobby Kotick won
Bobby Kotick make dreams come true
Bobby Kotick = our only hope
Bobby Kotick is the man
Bobby Kotick > Planet Earth

Microsoft and the Xbox 360

Expect the Xbox 360 Pro to disappear in July or August, but you're going to see some solid bundles to get those systems moving off store shelves. The Halo 3/Fable 2 bundle the Mole previously tipped us off to shows that Microsoft is willing to put some good games into the box to get people buying.

So what are we going to do without the Pro systems? Nothing. The Elite units, with the 120GB hard drive, are going to become the Pro-level system after an early September price cut. We'll be on the lookout for another holiday bundle as well, and that should hit around October. What titles will be included? We should be able to break that story as well, but we don't have the information yet.

well that something , HDD is very important now , Arcade units are/will be more useless than ever , anyway very nice for the holiday with Halo and the gang

 

[donny2112]

the Elite is the new Pro? What's the new Elite?

There was a previous rumor that Microsoft was getting rid of the Elite as a regular SKU and would only bring it back for special game releases or through online sales. In short, I don't think there will be a "new" Elite, just a "new" Pro.

 

[mujun]

Just dealing with the PS3 side, Sony was losing 10% on each PS3 sold as of March 2009.

http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2009/05/15/sony_ps3_profitability/

Fingers crossed if he keeps getting owned he'll disappear forever.

Thanks!

P.S You watch him not respond now and eat the crow he should.

 

[daegan]

Expect to see many more 160GB units on store shelves. Those units have no constraints yet, but if the retailers sell through that supply as quickly as they did the 80GB, Sony is in a good place for the final part of its plan in 2009: dropping the price of hardware and launching the PS3 Slim in the fall.

wat
the 160s have been non-restock for quite a while now.

 

[pseudocaesar]

Well those people wondering why cut the PS3 and lose so much money etc, don't forget they forecast that 30% increase, but also a massive loss again. It just remains to be seen if they can sell enough PS3's slims at hardware profit to recoup losses. They will have to pretty much sell another 20 million units. I think its entirely possible when all things are settled.

 

[Grampa Simpson]

wat
the 160s have been non-restock for quite a while now.

Really? What the hell happened to the retail musings thread anyway. I'd think I should know this type of thing.

 

[Guileless]

So it is going to be in early September...refreshing my recollection, MS also had a price cut on Sept. 4, 2008. In 2007, they did the price cuts in early August in order to promote them in anticipation of the release of Madden.

 

[vicissitudes]

How do you plan on playing Halo with your friends if they're all on a map that needs to be downloaded to a hard drive? Same goes for Left 4 Dead's Survival Pack DLC... Both games you just named require a hard drive for an up-to-date multiplayer experience.

I play with friends offline...no way I'm paying 50 a year for Live.

I think the arcade unit does better than GAF gives it credit for.