If 360 has a price drop soon, should PS3 follow suit? If so, when?

[Maklershed]

As you may or may not be aware, the 360 is all but confirmed to be getting a price drop soon, it's just a matter of when (E3?). So if/when the 360 price drop happens, should the PS3 get one as well? If so, when?

[javeryh]

Yes. ASAP so I can buy one!

[v1et r1ce]

I hope so. I already got one when BestBuy priced matched the $100 giftcard, but if it is cheaper, more of my friends can get one. I don't want to play SOCOM alone :(

[The Mana Knight]

As you may or may not be aware, the 360 is all but confirmed to be getting a price drop soon, it's just a matter of when (E3?). So if/when the 360 price drop happens, should the PS3 get one as well? If so, when?Actually, 360 is only having a 20GB price drop to clear out the Premium, and release a 60GB SKU as their new Premium at $350. There's a thread about it at GAF (GAF is down so I can't get the link). Basically, they are doing what Sony did last year to clear out the 60GB consoles and replace them with 80GB ones. There were even retailers reported to have the 60GB coming in-stock at $350.

Will PS3 see a pricecut, who knows? Right now, with the way things have gone in the U.S., PS3 doesn't need the pricecut (It has outsold 360 or came very close in every NPD this year), the 360 needed it more here? The reason the PS3 might cut price is to continue selling comparatively to 360. The reasons PS3 won't cut price are Sony has already lost almost $3 billion on PS3 manufacturing costs (and the 40GB ALMOST breaks even at its current cost) and the weakening U.S. dollar (which actually makes Sony lose more money since the Yen/Euro/GBP is quite strong). And right now to an extent, but Sony's word, it seems like they rather break even (make profit) than increase sales continuing to lose (most of their loses came from the 20GB/60GB especially, which is why they discontinued them, even if it would hurt some sales).

Most likely it will get a pricecut in the Fall, but overall, I don't see Sony following through with a pricecut so quickly.
I hope so. I already got one when BestBuy priced matched the $100 giftcard, but if it is cheaper, more of my friends can get one. I don't want to play SOCOM alone :(You won't be playing SOCOM along. We have a pretty tight PSN Gaming Group at CAG and we are definitely play SOCOM (I might be the clan leader).

[V4oLDbOY]

I don't think so, like mana said this wasn't a permanent price drop. At least as far as I know.

[The Mana Knight]

I don't think so, like mana said this wasn't a permanent price drop. At least as far as I know.And especially, if MS keeps the Arcade and the Elite at the same price, then I definitely don't see Sony cutting any price unless 360 doubled PS3.

That reminds me, another reason I don't think a pricecut is as likely is the 80GB MGS4 bundle (although a tad limited), doesn't exactly sit on store shelves for long. And as long as they continue to sell what they make at $500, I really doubt SCEA will do a thing about its price. At most, I see them making the 40GB $350, but probably not for a while.

[Maklershed]

I'm just hoping for a price drop so I can convince my friends to get a PS3. :lol:

[lionheart4life]

I just bought the MGS4 80 GB bundle so I could really care less about a price drop, as long as it sells enough that games keep getting made for it. I won't be sad that I paid more if there is a price drop and won't be happy either because I'm not buying another one.

[DestroVega]

Why would Playstation cut their price?... 400 for a great game system with 40 gigs of memory, and is arguably, the best Blu-Ray player on the market... 400 bucks for that is a steal.

[coolz481]

I doubt a price drop is coming, but Sony would be smart to include a pack-in game or two with the 40GB as we get closer to Christmas. Maybe Ratchet & Clank?

[crunchewy]

Well, I can't justify getting a PS3 until it hits the $350 or lower price point, so count me in for a $50 price drop on the 40 GB. I don't really mind about lack of backward compatibility. Sure, I'd take it, but if it doesn't have it, that's OK. I'll keep my fat PS2 for PS2 games, and I'd rather my PS3 were quieter, which apparently the 40 GB is. Can anyone confirm that for certain?

[Monsta Mack]

I work for a retailer. But let's just say I read from internal reports that the Playstation 3 is getting another "sku" by August. No words on the price or how many gigabites, but please hear me out and keep this in mind before buying a PS3 just yet if your looking for the cheapest price. That's about all I can say without getting in Speedy like trouble.

[DestroVega]

Well, I can't justify getting a PS3 until it hits the $350 or lower price point, so count me in for a $50 price drop on the 40 GB. I don't really mind about lack of backward compatibility. Sure, I'd take it, but if it doesn't have it, that's OK. I'll keep my fat PS2 for PS2 games, and I'd rather my PS3 were quieter, which apparently the 40 GB is. Can anyone confirm that for certain?

curious as to why you can't justify it at 400 bucks, but can at 350.

[niceguyshawne]

I doubt a price drop is coming, but Sony would be smart to include a pack-in game or two with the 40GB as we get closer to Christmas. Maybe Ratchet & Clank?

This is what I am waiting for...

[Siggy Stardust HD]

I don't see a price drop till the holiday season begins but if they do announce or show big things at E3 like the video download service then you might see a price drop on the 40GB PS3 which are not selling as well as the 80GB model.

[Vanigan]

Well, the rumor is there's a new PS3 SKU coming to retailers in August. We don't know what it contains or the price.

I haven't heard much about Sony reducing the cost on PS3 manufacturing either.

[The Mana Knight]

Well, the rumor is there's a new PS3 SKU coming to retailers in August. We don't know what it contains or the price.

I haven't heard much about Sony reducing the cost on PS3 manufacturing either.I think the new SKU is just a PS3 containing a DS3. Or even it could be that white which was registered at the FCC earlier this year.

[TViruS]

i think that if there will be a price drop it will be at E3,and if there is a price drop coming, it might be for one of the more expensive systems, like the 60 or 80gb.

[The Mana Knight]

i think that if there will be a price drop it will be at E3,and if there is a price drop coming, it might be for one of the more expensive systems, like the 60 or 80gb.I really doubt that, because the 60GB is gone, and the 80GB MGS4 bundle can't even stay on the shelves. Plus, that is the SKU SCEA loses more money on, and I doubt they want to take a bigger hit on what does sell.

In spite of Xbox 360's upcoming price drop, expected to be officially announced during Monday's E3 keynote, Sony is insisting that they will not reduce the price of the PS3. Over recent weeks, executives from the company have continued reiterating the same mantra: Sony's new focus is on profitability, and reducing the price of the loss-leading PS3 is not on their agenda. "Our strategy is not to sell more quantity for PS3 but to concentrate on profitability," Sony CFO Nobuyuki Oneda told investors at a Nomura Asia Equity forum in Singapore. "Our plan is not to reduce the price."

When Microsoft's price cut goes into effect, the cheapest PS3 model will be $100 more expensive than the Xbox 360. Will this lower ever-increasing PS3 sales? Or will the value proposition of the included Blu-ray drive, free access to PSN, and growing number of exclusives, maintain PS3's current momentum?
http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/07/11/sony-cfo-reiterates-profitability-over-sales-numbers/

[RedArmy93]

I really doubt that, because the 60GB is gone, and the 80GB MGS4 bundle can't even stay on the shelves. Plus, that is the SKU SCEA loses more money on, and I doubt they want to take a bigger hit on what does sell.


http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/07/11/sony-cfo-reiterates-profitability-over-sales-numbers/

Judging from what has happened recently, including the fact that most 80gb MGS4 bundles cannot stay on the shelves, I highly doubt this will majorly affect the PS3. On the PS forums a lot of people have come there to complain about the unavailability of the bundle in their area, even today they do so after a month of the bundle being released. Supply and demand tactics anyone?

The current cost of the 80gb console is practically a steal, I believe, since you get a free game along with the console (as well as the new Dual Shock 3 controller) unlike the 60gb of a year and a half ago that used to cost $600.

[TheEyecon]

maybe, but they need really good first party games to hit the market so the ps3 sales can go up even without a price drop

[psmgamer]

Sony had announced no price drop for the PS3 though a new SKU is coming out in August. It might just be the 40GB packed with a DS3 controller.

[Dr Mario Kart]

if sony wants to sell more consoles, they just need publishers to make better games. MGS4 is the reason i got one.

and when FF13/Socom come out, those two games will be major pushers. and will sell more consoles.

I'm actually going to disagree with this, because you're invoking the notion of system seller games, which is somewhat of a fictional concept. Games that sell systems are largely bought way in advance from anticipation. By the time the game comes out, the system gets a good bump but returns to baseline very quickly.

Theres a momentum in the industry from day 1 because of marketshare and marketing.

What I'm saying is, and I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but theres a point when games dont actually matter.

Lets examine hardware sales in Japan between launch and present:

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/7527/famitsups3wiix360080629oy0.png

The story is very much the same for NPD. GTA4's bump wasnt very significant at all. Halo 3, massive spike early, then back to business as usual.

Its impractical to release that many AAA system seller games that frequently before you run out of them.

[Dr Mario Kart]

You have to contend with one issue. Why doesnt the Wii need AAA games to sell systems?

And I would argue that there is no observable, signficant hardware increase for Gears of War. The holiday bump makes it a wash.

Let me make my position clear: Exclusive or not, there are no such things as system selling games. The bump that a single title has, while significant, is too short lived to mean anything. This is why the old "wait for ____" adage from the Gamecube days never panned out.

The first chart is from Japan, so Gears of War wouldnt matter anyway.
Lets look at NPD (US) from 360 Launch to Jan 08: (pardon the formatting)
Nov/2005 530000 200000 270000 326000
Dec/2005 1500000 420000 600000 281000
Jan/2006 270000 90000 70000 250000
Feb/2006 300000 90000 70000 161000
Mar/2006 270000 80000 60000 192000
Apr/2006 210000 40000 40000 295000
May/2006 230000 25000 30000 221000
Jun/2006 310000 25000 50000 277000
Jul/2006 240000 10000 40000 206000
Aug/2006 260000 10000 40000 205000
Sep/2006 310000 5000 40000 259000
Oct/2006 240000 5000 30000 218000
Nov/2006 660000 5000 70000 511000 197000 476000
Dec/2006 1400000 5000 200000 1130000 491000 604000
Jan/2007 299000 -----------34000 294000 244000 436000
Feb/2007 295000 -----------24000 228000 127000 335000
Mar/2007 280000 -----------22000 199000 130000 259000
Apr/2007 194000 -----------13000 174000 82000 360000
May/2007 188000 -----------11000 155000 82000 338000
Jun/2007 270000 --------------------98000 99000 382000
Jul/2007 222000 --------------------170000 159000 425000
Aug/2007 202000 ---------------------277000 131000 404000
Sep/2007 215000 ---------------------528000 119000 501000
Oct/2007 184000 ---------------------366000 121000 519000
Nov/2007 496000 ----------------------770000 466000 981000
Dec/2007 1100000 ---------------------1260000 798000 1350000
Jan/2008 264000 ---------------------230000 269000 274000
Month PS2 Xbox GC 360 PS3 Wii The PS2 went from 496k to 1.1m just last year, without any AAA support. I think without Gears, 360 wouldve sold a tiny bit less during that period. On the high end, a few tens of thousands. These people were largely going to buy machines anyway. Games sell mostly to the install base. If its a wash, then the Gears bump doesnt matter. Doesnt even register.

[The Mana Knight]

Blood Covenent, DMK is kind of right here. Not a single game out there will really push hardware and cause it to beat the competition. It's normally a combination of many games (or people just naturally wanting a console) that does it. There's no denying some consoles may see a bump when a certain game comes out, but it will rarely last over time. If PS3 was seeing a big MGS4 caliber game every month (or other pretty high quality games which can get good sales), it could continue to keep its sales up.

People didn't just buy a PS2 for GTA, Madden (although multi), FFX, Kingdom Hearts, GT, etc., many people bought it because it had a combination of 2-3 games they want. I know many last gen who wanted a PS2 for MGS2, but they didn't buy one near release, most bought a few months ago knowing it was coming. Same thing about many others who wanted MGS4 on PS3.

Although I personally don't think a price drop is Sony's biggest answer right now (I feel 360 and PS3 could even be priced the same as the Wii, and the Wii would still outsell them since the mass market wants a Wii).

[corrosivefrost]

Blood Covenent, DMK is kind of right here. Not a single game out there will really push hardware and cause it to beat the competition. It's normally a combination of many games (or people just naturally wanting a console) that does it. There's no denying some consoles may see a bump when a certain game comes out, but it will rarely last over time. If PS3 was seeing a big MGS4 caliber game every month (or other pretty high quality games which can get good sales), it could continue to keep its sales up.

People didn't just buy a PS2 for GTA, Madden (although multi), FFX, Kingdom Hearts, GT, etc., many people bought it because it had a combination of 2-3 games they want. I know many last gen who wanted a PS2 for MGS2, but they didn't buy one near release, most bought a few months ago knowing it was coming. Same thing about many others who wanted MGS4 on PS3.

Although I personally don't think a price drop is Sony's biggest answer right now (I feel 360 and PS3 could even be priced the same as the Wii, and the Wii would still outsell them since the mass market wants a Wii).

I know a lot of people, including myself, who bought a PS2 for a single game.

Some of my friends bought it to have a copy of GTA3 they could play whenever they wanted. Some bought it at launch because they were Tekken Tag Fanatics (I wanted one, just couldn't afford it or find one at the time).

Myself? I bought the system for MGS2. Though DMC was also a nice persuader. GTA3 ended up being gravy.

[Maklershed]

<-- bought a ps2 for God of War :bouncy:

(and a psp for chains of olympus :lol:)

[elwood731]

I'm not really following the whole "no such thing as system sellers" argument. Is it that you don't believe people buy a system at the same time as a game's release, but will instead have bought it before or later after? In other words, same month sales are a bad indicator of a game's impact? That I can buy.

The argument that people never buy a system for a single game is flatly wrong. The game industry wouldn't be where it is today without "system sellers." Everything from Super Mario Bros., Pac-Man, Tetris, Halo, Wii Sports, etc. have moved systems, often when no other software really existed. How many people bought an N64 just to play Super Mario 64 when very little else was out or announced? For hardcore gamers the idea of the system seller might be somewhat untrue as they tend to follow gaming news religiously, but for the general public it's incredibly true.

[Thomas96]

I know a lot of people, including myself, who bought a PS2 for a single game.

Some of my friends bought it to have a copy of GTA3 they could play whenever they wanted. Some bought it at launch because they were Tekken Tag Fanatics (I wanted one, just couldn't afford it or find one at the time).

Myself? I bought the system for MGS2. Though DMC was also a nice persuader. GTA3 ended up being gravy.
i bought my PS2 for madden! and it was due to my friend having the game. theres never been a console that had "too many" games. Thats why imo more games is always the answer to improve sales