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[Mojovonio]

How much of a drop in Canada?

If they drop it 100$ in Canada, it'll be 50$ more than the 360.

360 is 499$ here
PS3 is 650$-100$= $550

That would be SO AWESOME.

 

[itsgreen]

For the doubters:

There shall not be a price drop in Europe.

Think about, the console is only available for 3 months, there would a bitchfest from all the early adopters.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

How much of a drop in Canada?

If they drop it 100$ in Canada, it'll be 50$ more than the 360.

360 is 499$ here
PS3 is 650$-100$= $550

That would be SO AWESOME.

They've already said it will be $550 in Canada. And yes, that does mean Microsoft should pay some ****ing attention to the exchange rate soon.

 

[sangreal]

For the doubters:

There shall not be a price drop in Europe.

Think about, the console is only available for 3 months, there would a bitchfest from all the early adopters.

How long was the xbox available in Europe before the price dropped?

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

How much of a drop in Canada?

If they drop it 100$ in Canada, it'll be 50$ more than the 360.

360 is 499$ here
PS3 is 650$-100$= $550

That would be SO AWESOME.

Since many retailers were selling it for 699 here, it was actually a 150 dollar drop.

http://www.platformers.net/index/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=351&Itemid=33

 

[Busty]

I think that's a little ambitious Segata.

It seems to me that the Motorstorm Bundle was made value add to justify selling a sku that doesn't lose as much money to create.

I think the situation we have here is precisely as Monsterland described it: 60GB is the new "Tard pack" and Sony makes more money (or loses less, what have you) on the 80 gig value add.

Agreed. But I assume that Sony will largely cease to manufacture the 60gig model and will instead use the price cut to shift what's left of the 60gig in the retail channels.

But I think that the 80gig model will see a reasonable price drop come mid-late October when the 60gig is starting to dry up and the rush up to Xmas begins.

 

[mckmas8808]

I think that's a little ambitious Segata.

It seems to me that the Motorstorm Bundle was made value add to justify selling a sku that doesn't lose as much money to create.

I think the situation we have here is precisely as Monsterland described it: 60GB is the new "Tard pack" and Sony makes more money (or loses less, what have you) on the 80 gig value add.

Is the 80GB not a limited model?

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

Ehh, Best Buy/FutureShop were pretty much the only ones left holding the $699 line.

edit: and it would seem even they had abandoned it already.

 

[Joe211]

really?

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/prodd...71&catid=24376&logon=&langid=EN&test_cookie=1
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pr...71&catid=24714&logon=&langid=EN&test_cookie=1

 

[Mojovonio]

They've already said it will be $550 in Canada. And yes, that does mean Microsoft should pay some ****ing attention to the exchange rate soon.

Looks like i'll be getting one VERY soon if this is the case.

MS am screwed.

These things are really going to start selling now.

 

[Wildstar75]

I dont think the 60gb is the new tard pack. If you dont want motorstorm, which I dont, why pay an extra hunny for 20GB? I think segata is right about sonys plans.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

Looks like i'll be getting one VERY soon if this is the case.

MS am screwed.

These things are really going to start selling now.

Honestly I expect sales to still be really pokey up here. At $499 US, the PS3 is still probably too expensive for the US (Though it's certainly in a better place than it was), and switching to talk about Canada, we're typically quite a bit more apprehensive about laying down big money for high end consumer electronics.

 

[Psychotext]

How long was the xbox available in Europe before the price dropped?

True, but when MS dropped the price of the original xbox in Europe they made it so that you could show your receipt (if you bought it before price drop) and get two games for free.

Oh, and the July NPDs are going to be epic. :lol

 

[nofi]

True, but when MS dropped the price of the original xbox in Europe they made it so that you could show your receipt (if you bought it before price drop) and get two games for free.

And a controller.

 

[Mojovonio]

Honestly I expect sales to still be really pokey up here. At $499 US, the PS3 is still probably too expensive for the US (Though it's certainly in a better place than it was), and switching to talk about Canada, we're typically quite a bit more apprehensive about laying down big money for high end consumer electronics.

I know lots of people that were waiting for a $100 CAD price drop. $150 will really get them into the stores.

Lots of them are unhappy with the 360 and its hardware failures and know the PS3 is a rock in terms of durability.

I think we will see a spike, maybe not one as big as it should be, but I see the PS3 out selling the 360 easily.

For that price, it has the far better value.

 

[TheKingsCrown]

Honestly I expect sales to still be really pokey up here. At $499 US, the PS3 is still probably too expensive for the US (Though it's certainly in a better place than it was), and switching to talk about Canada, we're typically quite a bit more apprehensive about laying down big money for high end consumer electronics.

I don't get how anyone thinks this will make a difference in the U.S. The benchmark is the 360 and its sales, I do not think it is realistic to believe that PS3 will catapult forward, even with its perceived differences among the hardcore. The average consumer doesn't see it.

 

[Brofist]

They really needed to buck up and get a $399 model (20GB?) into the market. Ah well, after a short spike in sales it will probably go back to selling poorly, until the next price drop that is.
I can feel good knowing I still got a much better deal on a PS3, at launch no less

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

I don't get how anyone thinks this will make a difference in the U.S. The benchmark is the 360 and its sales, I do not think it is realistic to believe that PS3 will catapult forward, even with its perceived differences among the hardcore. The average consumer doesn't see it.

I don't disagree at all.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

I dont think the 60gb is the new tard pack. If you dont want motorstorm, which I dont, why pay an extra hunny for 20GB? I think segata is right about sonys plans.

Why get the 60GB over the 20 Gig? It's just wireless.

That's why it's called a "value add". The people who want a free game and the extra space will shell for the system. And Value added system's are surprisingly successful (They sell at a faster rate than vanilla systems while being offered, according to the distro I work for.)

 

[DenogginizerOS]

Sony PR is probably pleased with the mix of news this and recent circumstances have created. Most stories out there give mention to 360's reliability issues alongside this news, some even in their headline e.g. "Sony Cuts PlayStation 3 Prices as Many Xboxes Fail".

I think MS will seek to do something to grab headlines in a more positive fashion around E3..a price drop would certainly do it, but such news this week would no doubt continue to reference the whole reliability issue. It'll be interesting to see if they try to immediately wash away that news at E3 or wait until things have simmered down so that it can be received with fewer clouds hanging over it.

Nothing would make me happier than to have game announcements make all these hardware stories go away. I just want to hear about the games. I think the hardcore market is pretty much tapped out at the current prices and the ones who haven't "jumped in" to any new consoles are just looking to be impressed with enough games on a reasonably priced system to make the leap.

 

[Mojovonio]

Now that Sony is on par with MS price wise, they really need to start diving home why the PS3 is a better value.

 

[Huggy]

Double sales = half price.

Come on Sony, basic math. And I'd like a free game as well.

 

[Lazy vs Crazy]

So is the price dropping today or tomorrow?


I've seen both in news stories.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

I don't disagree at all.

Neither do I. Although we never got to see the Playstation sell on the virtue of the 20 gig as it was cut so quickly, I don't think it would have added much to the already anemic sales.

NPD Usually puts the 400 dollar 360 at 170k, so I think the increase will be marginal at best.

 

[AdmiralViscen]

Double sales = half price.

Come on Sony, basic math. And I'd like a free game as well.

Half price puts it at PS2 level, which was selling better than twice as well as PS3 is.

 

[mckmas8808]

Honestly I expect sales to still be really pokey up here. At $499 US, the PS3 is still probably too expensive for the US (Though it's certainly in a better place than it was), and switching to talk about Canada, we're typically quite a bit more apprehensive about laying down big money for high end consumer electronics.

You are right. It's better but still too expensive. But reports say that Sony might be making a profit off of the PS3 this Fall.

 

[RubberJohnny]

Gotta put my sales hat on here,

but how do people see this increasing sales? Will it be a permanent monthly bump, or will it just sell to people on the cusp and then settle to regular levels?

I reckon we'll see it more than double Junes Sales in July, but then a drop off in August to about 1.5 Junes' sales. After that it will fall below 100k again.

 

[NekoFever]

For the doubters:

There shall not be a price drop in Europe.

Think about, the console is only available for 3 months, there would a bitchfest from all the early adopters.

The Xbox price dropped by £100 after like a month, and the same thing happened with the N64. In both cases the early adopters got freebies. MS gave out a free controller and two free games (total RRP more than the value of the drop), and if you bitched enough at Nintendo you might be lucky enough to have gotten a free controller. I didn't even get that but my friend did.

I can't see how this drop will make much of a difference, really. All this does is bring it back to the dual-SKU situation from a couple of months ago when sales were just as bad. And that time the cheaper one got dropped by a lot of stores because people were going for the expensive one.

 

[castle007]

Finally!!!

but doesn't that mean that they will lose even more money??

 

[Evlar]

You know what, let me try here.

Sony currently has a 60gig sku priced at $599. They would like to drop the price of the system to $499, but they are also ready (for economic reasons) to get the ball rolling on replacing the hard drive with an 80 gig model. However, if you put the 80 gig model on the shelf at the same price at the 60 gig model, you'll never get rid of the existing 60 gig inventory. So here's what you do:

1) Drop the 60 gig model to the new desired $499 price. This will continue until the channel is sold out of 60 gig models.

2) Introduce the 80 gig model to the market. Package with a game in a limited edition bundle for $599 to make it worth people's while somewhat. At this point, selling out of the 60 gig models is definitely the priority. Once, the 60 gig models are all sold, stop shipping this bundle package and...

3) Introduce the $499 80 gig model standalone. Existing 80 gig bundles still have the value added of the included game (and possibly might see a price drop at this time to clear the inventory).

Voila. The 80 gig is the new model, the price of the PS3 is now $499, and all of this is done without any "unsellable" inventory glutting the channels.

Capiche, folks?

Of course, none of this is saying a $499 console is going to move like gangbusters or anything, but it's going to sell better than a $599 console is, and it's definitely a step in the right direction.

It's this part that doesn't make much sense to me. Why do they need to release the 80gig now, when their stockpile of 60gigs is still (presumably) so huge? It will take more than a month to sell through them, and more than two months or three months. During that time 80gig is a distraction at best and a poison pill at worst. It's MANIFESTLY a terrible value at $599, it fails in the basic goal of killing the negative consumer reaction to FIVE HUNDRED NINETY NINE US DOLLARS, it unnecessarily multiplies SKUs, and it's obviously going to be a very short-lived package anyway that will be replaced (or worse, supplemented) by a PS3 with a pack-in force feedback controller.

I can't think of any good reason to not simply wait on the non-EE system for two things to happen: let the current 60gig sell BY ITSELF for a few months at $499, to clear out the retail channel, and get rumble-enabled games, patches for existing games, and the new ShockAxis controllers prepared to include with the 80gig. Then release the damn thing at $550 or less and leave the $599 pricetag behind them forever.

 

[spwolf]

It's this part that doesn't make much sense to me. Why do they need to release the 80gig now, when their stockpile of 60gigs is still (presumably) so huge? It will take more than a month to sell through them, and more than two months or three months. During that time 80gig is a distraction at best and a poison pill at worst. It's MANIFESTLY a terrible value at $599, it fails in the basic goal of killing the negative consumer reaction to FIVE HUNDRED NINETY NINE US DOLLARS, it unnecessarily multiplies SKUs, and it's obviously going to be a very short-lived package anyway that will be replaced (or worse, supplemented) by a PS3 with a pack-in force feedback controller.

I can't think of any good reason to not simply wait on the non-EE system for two things to happen: let the current 60gig sell BY ITSELF for a few months at $499, to clear out the retail channel, and get rumble-enabled games, patches for existing games, and the new ShockAxis controllers prepared to include with the 80gig. Then release the damn thing at $550 or less and leave the $599 pricetag behind them forever.

because they are not introducting 80 GB pack right now, but "sometime in August"?

Why would $600 one be distraction? It possibly makes $499 SKU seem like great value. And obviously some people are going be buying $600 one, since 3.5 million already did...

 

[Maverick]

Told my buddy (average gamer w/ PS2) about this news this morning. His response:

"500? Dude. That's still so much f***ing money."

Can't really say it better myself. Eventhough I might bite on this come September, your average consumer is still going to look at this with indifference.

 

[milanbaros]

This gen is so ****ing complicated compared to last gen. MS and Sony both released systems thatwere too expensive to manufacture and now they releasing different skus left right and centre in order to claim some of that money back. Nintendo went the right route by keeping it simple and making a profit on each unit sold.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

because they are not introducting 80 GB pack right now, but "sometime in August"?

Why would $600 one be distraction? It possibly makes $499 SKU seem like great value. And obviously some people are going be buying $600 one, since 3.5 million already did...

Keep in mind that there was already a 499 SKU, and while it was pulled quickly, it still didn't sell gangbusters.

Do you think people were really waiting for an extra 40 gigs and wifi?

 

[BotoxAgent]

hey, better than nothing

 

[Maverick]

Do you think people were really waiting for an extra 40 gigs and wifi?

This is more what I meant to say by my friend's reaction. See, your average person doesn't even know the difference between the 20 gig or 60 gig models. Guys like my friend just want to play MGS4 and Madden, and they're going to look at this and be completely confused, because to them the console will still be $500-600.

But hey, like the other poster said...Better than nothing.

 

[Dave Long]

This is more what I meant to say by my friend's reaction. See, your average person doesn't even know the difference between the 20 gig or 60 gig models. Guys like my friend just want to play MGS4 and Madden, and they're going to look at this and be completely confused, because to them the console will still be $500-600.

But hey, like the other poster said...Better than nothing.

This is exactly what I was saying in the other thread before it was locked and people couldn't come close to understanding that in the minds of consumers there simply is no price cut. The system costs $500 and $600 like it did from the day it first shipped.

I'll be surprised if there's any kind of sales increase. On a graph, it certainly isn't going to be a spike!

 

[Yoboman]

This is more what I meant to say by my friend's reaction. See, your average person doesn't even know the difference between the 20 gig or 60 gig models. Guys like my friend just want to play MGS4 and Madden, and they're going to look at this and be completely confused, because to them the console will still be $500-600.

But hey, like the other poster said...Better than nothing.

Nope. The average consumer would've seen a $600 console marketed before, and nwo they'll see a $500 console being marketed. The Motorstorm bundle is just that, a bundle. They will see it as a bundle and not the main SKU.

That is all.

 

[mckmas8808]

This is exactly what I was saying in the other thread before it was locked and people couldn't come close to understanding that in the minds of consumers there simply is no price cut. The system costs $500 and $600 like it did from the day it first shipped.

Wrong again.

People know PS3 = $599.

Now people will know PS3 = $499

 

[Tobor]

This concept of adding value and keeping the price locked can work. It works beautifully for Apple. The problem is the price has to be considered reasonable to start with.

 

[Dave Long]

Wrong again.

People know PS3 = $599.

Now people will know PS3 = $499

Why? All most people remember is what they saw at Christmas last year. The ads that showed them one for $499 and one for $599. Now they'll see the same ads.

You guys that think this has changed perception are being snowballed by the PR in the worst possible way. You're just eating it up without using any common sense!

 

[Tobor]

Wrong again.

People know PS3 = too expensive.

Now people will know PS3 = too expensive.

Fixed for the average consumer.

 

[mckmas8808]

Why? All most people remember is what they saw at Christmas last year. The ads that showed them one for $499 and one for $599. Now they'll see the same ads.

You guys that think this has changed perception are being snowballed by the PR in the worst possible way. You're just eating it up without using any common sense!

Why are you so mad that Sony dropped the price?

 

[mckmas8808]

Wrong again.

People know PS3 = too expensive.

Now people will know PS3 = too expensive, but my friend says he will get one because he's been waiting for a $100 price cut.

Fixed your fix.

 

[Jenga]

Wrong again.

People know PS3 = $599.

Now people will know PS3 = $499

Yeah, no. Your average stereotypical madden gamer doesn't know anything when it comes to
gaming info, unless Sony heavily advertises this, I doubt it'll catch attention.

 

[Javaman]

This is exactly what I was saying in the other thread before it was locked and people couldn't come close to understanding that in the minds of consumers there simply is no price cut. The system costs $500 and $600 like it did from the day it first shipped.

I'll be surprised if there's any kind of sales increase. On a graph, it certainly isn't going to be a spike!

I'm sure it'll double for the first month due to people buying who held off on buying one due to price drop rumors. Once those people buy the drop off is probably going to be pretty big and to a point just above previous sales.

 

[Yoboman]

Why? All most people remember is what they saw at Christmas last year. The ads that showed them one for $499 and one for $599. Now they'll see the same ads.

You guys that think this has changed perception are being snowballed by the PR in the worst possible way. You're just eating it up without using any common sense!

Now they'll see ads with big bold letters saying "$100 PRICE DROP!"

 

[Dave Long]

Why are you so mad that Sony dropped the price?

I'm not mad at Sony. I'm mad at idiot gamers who think this actually means something. To the average consumer, nothing has changed. There are two units. One is $499 and one is $599 and both cost more than the Xbox 360 and Wii, just like they did last Christmas when those average consumers first heard about PlayStation 3.

If you think Regular Joe knows about the 20GB model being pulled, you're so far out of touch with the mainstream market that you can't hope to comment intelligently on this whole scenario IMO.

 

[DarienA]

I'm not mad at Sony. I'm mad at idiot gamers who think this actually means something. To the average consumer, nothing has changed. There are two units. One is $499 and one is $599 and both cost more than the Xbox 360 and Wii, just like they did last Christmas when those average consumers first heard about PlayStation 3.

If you think Regular Joe knows about the 20GB model being pulled, you're so far out of touch with the mainstream market that you can't hope to comment intelligently on this whole scenario IMO.

Pretty much... also can somebody clear up something for me? I haven't read the article yet but I see this thread title.. aims to double sales.... with what? This price "cut"? Are you kidding me?>

 

[Evlar]

This concept of adding value and keeping the price locked can work. It works beautifully for Apple. The problem is the price has to be considered reasonable to start with.

There must be obvious value added. Extra memory is very important to purchasers of MP3 players: it has an immediate benefit to the user, since the most basic function of the device is to make a large media library portable, and a player with more space will do a better job at that basic function than one that doesn't. The other enhancements to the iPod line also strike directly at that core functionality: smaller form factor (making it more portable), picture and video playback (more media options), better battery life (making the device less tethered to power outlets, and therefore more portable again).

The core functionality of a game console is to play a specific line of licensed games. By their nature there is very little extra functionality that can be added to that: Every PS3, from the first to the last, should be able to play every PS3 licensed game. One thing they COULD do to enhance functionality is include force feedback, but they're not. They're adding memory, which is useless to the average owner (who will never come close to filling up the 60gig in the existing model). Further, they're actually REMOVING core functionality by taking out the more complete PS2 backwards compatibility. It's analogous to Apple releasing an iPod with a built-in camera, but half the battery life.