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

Maklershed

Maklershed

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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?
 
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 :(
 
[quote name='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?[/QUOTE]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.
[quote name='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 :([/QUOTE]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).
 
[quote name='V4oLDbOY']I don't think so, like mana said this wasn't a permanent price drop. At least as far as I know.[/QUOTE]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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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?
 
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?
 
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.
 
[quote name='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?[/quote]

curious as to why you can't justify it at 400 bucks, but can at 350.
 
[quote name='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?[/QUOTE]

This is what I am waiting for...
 
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.
 
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.
 
[quote name='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.[/QUOTE]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.
 
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.
 
[quote name='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.[/QUOTE]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?
Click to expand...
http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/07/11/sony-cfo-reiterates-profitability-over-sales-numbers/
 
[quote name='The Mana Knight']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/[/quote]

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.
 
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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.
 
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
 
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.
 
[quote name='Blood Covenent']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.
[/quote]
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:

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.
 
[quote name='Dr Mario Kart']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:

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.[/quote]
i wish you didn't show me a holiday month to attempt to prove your point. Because yes, in that case, the highest spikes for hardware, was during Christmas and early december.

now if you look at Xbox's hardware (yes, however early december) had major sales. This graph forgot to show a game, that was released shortly before this graph. In November, one of the greatest games for xbox was released, Gears Of War. That was one of the major killar Apps of the xbox. it sold nemerous consoles, due to the fact that it was xbox 360 only.

if sony pumped out more PS3 exclusive games, that happened to be good, like MGS4, and Uncharted. then people would be interested. because companies that make multi system games, are not helping sony, in that, if i have an xbox 360, and a ps3, but all of my friends are going to play GTA4 on xbox, thats where i'm going to take my gaming. Take UT3, i have it for ps3, but no one plays it that i am friends with, so i sell it and get it for xbox, because my friends are there.

GTA4 was not a major bump, because it was not exclusive.
 
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)
Code: 
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    [COLOR=Lime]511000[/COLOR]    197000    476000
Dec/2006    1400000    5000    200000    [COLOR=Lime]1130000[/COLOR]    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  ----------------------[COLOR=Lime]770000[/COLOR]    466000    981000
Dec/2007    1100000 ---------------------[COLOR=Lime]1260000[/COLOR]    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.
 
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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).
 
[quote name='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).[/quote]

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.
 
well, i bought a xbox 360 because i knew what games where going to come out.

and one of the reasons that wii's sell so much, is the fact that they are hugely
innovative. the most original gameplay since the commador 64. it also involves the whole family. you can play it with 6 year olds, and 60 year olds and still have fun. nintendo is growing on the family gaming aspect. and it also sells so much in Japan because its mostly developed by Japanese developers, and also the games appeal to them more. however, the 360, is basing on more single age group ranges, such as 15-30 year olds (in my opinion). they want community kinds of games, which is the fantastic online multiplayer games, and such.
 
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.
 
[quote name='corrosivefrost']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.[/QUOTE]
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
 
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