PS3 to $299 rumor? (OP Updated: SD links)

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velvet396

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Is there any truth to the PS3 to $299 on Jan. 28th rumor? Several different posters "claim it" on slickdeals, was just hoping to stir up some dirt and see if anyone's heard anything (more)?

Here are the posts I'm talking about:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3831747&postcount=56

Just seeing if any of you have heard anything. From the posts I've read it seems nobody has, in which case I'm sorry for adding to the rumor-mill problem. Half the time an internet rumor gains steam just because people want it to be true...
 
slickdeals is pretty good... so since its there... hopefully there's something to it. I think that it'll happen this year... but when?!
 
Doesn't seem terribly likely to me, seeing that it's only been out three months. They'd break their own record for "quickest price drop after introduction." :) But then again, reports are they're now breaking even on the 40GBs (not including shipping/promotional expenses), so maybe they want to go back to losing money again. :)
 
I can't wait for the PS3 to drop again so that Microsoft matches it on the 360. I am almost ready to pull the trigger on an xbox.

But I wouldn't bet on any kind of price drop news until E3.
 
Honestly I wouldn't expect a price drop until AT LEAST spring(April, May). It hasnt even been that long since they droped it 100$. This year is going to be alot better for PS3 exclusives and it would make no sence for them to drop the price before any of those games come out.
 
I don't see dropping the price until maybe this fall. By then they might actually be making money at the current price point. The only way I see it dropping earlier is if Microsoft forces them to with a 360 price drop.
 
Wow that would be crazy. Going from $500 to $300 in a bit over a year, with 2 price drops.

I guess they're really desperate for sales (though this could work out very well for them on their continuing Trojan Horse strategy to get BluRay into houses...which is looking better all the time), or maybe they're getting pressured heavily again by retailers like they were with the PSP. There are still mountains of PS3's at every store I go to.

They definitely need to do something to remain competitive with the 360, or multiplatform/third party dev may just dry up simply because the number of consoles in households won't justify developing for it.
 
[quote name='hufferstl']I can't wait for the PS3 to drop again so that Microsoft matches it on the 360. I am almost ready to pull the trigger on an xbox.

But I wouldn't bet on any kind of price drop news until E3.[/quote]

Hear, hear. No way am I dropping $350 or $400 or whatever it is on an Elite.

Get that down to $300 (or an arcade for $150 or $200 with a good game/package) and now you're talking.
 
I dont see why everyone thinks the Elite is such a great deal. for 50 dollars more, you get a blu ray player, wifi, you dont have to pay for live. The difference between the two services isnt THAT great.
 
I couldn't see this happening so soon after Christmas unless Microsoft is planning the same thing.

First its $499 and $599. Then just $599. Then $499 and $599. Then $399, $499 then $599. And then...$299 and...?
 
[quote name='alpo845']I dont see why everyone thinks the Elite is such a great deal. for 50 dollars more, you get a blu ray player, wifi, you dont have to pay for live. The difference between the two services isnt THAT great.[/quote]

I don't think it's a great deal. Hence why I'm going to keep waiting for it to drop to a reasonable price, at least reasonable for my taste. Hell, I wouldn't even have a PS3 if I didn't get it for free (and a 60 gig with BC to boot, woot).
 
If this is true (and I really don't think it is, at least...not yet), then what is the subtext that one can infer from such an aggressive and sudden move? Could this have something to do with the suddenly super-accelerated Blu-Ray surge? Is this simply just to invigorate what have been--let's be real, here--pretty anemic sales relative to expectations and the competition (yes, Nintendo is considered "competition" in this context)?
 
[quote name='jollydwarf']If this is true (and I really don't think it is, at least...not yet), then what is the subtext that one can infer from such an aggressive and sudden move? Could this have something to do with the suddenly super-accelerated Blu-Ray surge? Is this simply just to invigorate what have been--let's be real, here--pretty anemic sales relative to expectations and the competition (yes, Nintendo is considered "competition" in this context)?[/QUOTE]
I think you're right. If they are making this move, what's the real motivation? Is it to strike while the iron is hot on the Blu-Ray news? Is it to force MS into a price war? Is it to try to bolster the install base to keep third parties on board and happy?

All seem plausible.
 
IMO, I don't think there will be a price drop until June/July at the earliest (maybe for MGS4 release). Otherwise, I don't see it coming until LBP comes out (in September).
 
[quote name='karkyco']I don't think it's a great deal. Hence why I'm going to keep waiting for it to drop to a reasonable price, at least reasonable for my taste. Hell, I wouldn't even have a PS3 if I didn't get it for free (and a 60 gig with BC to boot, woot).[/QUOTE]


howd you get it for free?
 
[quote name='karkyco']Wow that would be crazy. Going from $500 to $300 in a bit over a year, with 2 price drops.[/quote]

That would be $600 to $300, with 3 price drops.

I guess they're really desperate for sales (though this could work out very well for them on their continuing Trojan Horse strategy to get BluRay into houses...which is looking better all the time), or maybe they're getting pressured heavily again by retailers like they were with the PSP. There are still mountains of PS3's at every store I go to.
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I'll spare you the reasoned explanation as to why "trojan horse" is an idiotic term for something that's listed on the fucking box it comes in, and instead ask you to source your claim that retailers pressured them to do something with the PSP.

They definitely need to do something to remain competitive with the 360, or multiplatform/third party dev may just dry up simply because the number of consoles in households won't justify developing for it.
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...yyyyyeah. Sure thing. It's already going that way, isn't it? Since that one game was canceled for the PS3. And that other one. Oh, and don't forget about, y'know...yeah, that one!

EDIT: I wouldn't be all that surprised if it turns out to be true. It appears to be one immediate tactic to kill off HD DVD for good (since, at this point, it's dead anyway, and merely stalling increased adoption of Blu-Ray by those with cold feet who think HD DVD has a chance), if they don't feel like waiting 8-10 weeks for the remaining 2 studios who publish on HD DVD to announce that they're releasing Blu-Ray movies as well.
 
[quote name='Nephlabobo']I think a new bundle is liklier[/QUOTE]
They just announced a new bundle for Europe (I think it was UK, specifically) that included a choice of two titles from six or so. Those titles included Uncharted, Ratchet, Singstar, and some others. They could always drop the price to $350 and pack-in Motorstorm and Resistance (especially with both getting sequels this year or early next).
 
[quote name='alpo845']howd you get it for free?[/quote]

My brother in law won it at a raffle at his company's Christmas party a month after it came out, he didn't want it and didn't want to sell it either for some reason (though I told him to) and he just gave it to me.

Very lucky, and blessed, am I.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']That would be $600 to $300, with 3 price drops.[/quote]

well, the 'larger' unit won't be dropping to $300 now, will it? This would be the 'lesser' unit, the one that started at 20 gigs and $500. Dropping it from its current $400 to $300 is a lot more plausible than the 80 gig (originally 60 gig, $600...now 80 gig and $500) dropping 2 bills.

[quote name='mykevermin']I'll spare you the reasoned explanation as to why "trojan horse" is an idiotic term for something that's listed on the fucking box it comes in, and instead ask you to source your claim that retailers pressured them to do something with the PSP.[/quote]

Damn Myke, no need to be so testy. And come now, it's pretty much universally accepted at this point that the only reason Sony went with the Blu Ray player standard in the PS3 was to increase the install base and as a weapon against HD DVD. From their perspective today, it looks like the strategy worked, but it didn't do PS3 sales any favor. They would have had a much greater PS3 install base had they gone without the Blu Ray player since the cost would have been significantly (at least 20%) less.

So they scored Blu Ray users at the cost of PS3 users. Could be the stings of previous format defeats pushed Sony execs a bit too much to ensure Blu Ray would emerge the victor. How much will it help them in the long term, with digital and HD download, etc.? Who knows.

As for the PSP comment, it was widely reported on gaming sites that Best Buy and possibly WalMart, at the very least, put significant pressure on Sony to cut the price since the units were sitting gathering dust. It also had a couple of pretty quick price cuts, so it wouldn't be very surprising. I'm not going to waste my time on some fact finding mission for you, you can go right ahead though and search to your heart's content.

If you don't like it chalk it up to speculation, FUD, whatever you'd like. Though I'm sure you already have.
 
doesn't make sense to have a price drop again. I see another one at earliest being announced at gdc maybe or E3 which would be better than GDC. OR HELL whenever we get a solid date for GTA 4 and MGS4 maybe a bundle type thing.
 
[quote name='elwood731']They just announced a new bundle for Europe (I think it was UK, specifically) that included a choice of two titles from six or so. Those titles included Uncharted, Ratchet, Singstar, and some others. They could always drop the price to $350 and pack-in Motorstorm and Resistance (especially with both getting sequels this year or early next).[/QUOTE]

Motorstorm and Resistance, no thanks...

But if I could get the $399 one with Uncharted and Ratchet bundled I'd jump in! I'm one of those very people Myke is talking about too with respect to the Blu-Ray vs HD DVD. I don't have either now but a *really* good price on the PS3 would definitely make the choice for me (well, that, and the mo' Blu-Ray seems to have now). The movies are still too expensive for my cheap-ass anyway (even with all the deals I keep seeing glimpses of in these forums).

I already overpaid for my 360 Elite ($480 + $40 forced "warranty" from Gamecrazy to get a launch unit only to get a pre-RRoD mitigating redesign unit) so I'm not gonna get burned again on a price drop. I feel bad that I'm taking that out on Sony when it was MS/GC that pissed me off, but that's how it is ;).
 
[quote name='alpo845']I dont see why everyone thinks the Elite is such a great deal. for 50 dollars more, you get a blu ray player, wifi, you dont have to pay for live. The difference between the two services isnt THAT great.[/QUOTE]
To quote Lex Luthor : "WRONG!"
 
[quote name='alpo845']I dont see why everyone thinks the Elite is such a great deal. for 50 dollars more, you get a blu ray player, wifi, you dont have to pay for live. The difference between the two services isnt THAT great.[/quote]

That's your opinion.

1. I could care less about blue ray. I'm perfectly happy with my DVDs thank you very much.
2. Live costs $40 / year... and if you are a CAG it's often far less.
3. The difference between the two services is immense IMHO. Microsoft did an incredible job with Live, the achievements are pure genious. Plus the PS3 has very very few titles that can be played online multiplayer with more than one person on the same console. Warhawk is the only title that comes to mind. Sony's service is nowhere near comparible to Live right now.

Plus the game selection for the 360 completely blows away that of the PS3.

I bought my brother in law a 360 last Christmas and we play it often. But there have been times when we just didn't have anything to play. There are a lot of single player games and only a handful of coop or multiplayer games. We do not play sports titles, so that cuts the selection.
 
[quote name='karkyco']well, the 'larger' unit won't be dropping to $300 now, will it? This would be the 'lesser' unit, the one that started at 20 gigs and $500. Dropping it from its current $400 to $300 is a lot more plausible than the 80 gig (originally 60 gig, $600...now 80 gig and $500) dropping 2 bills.[/quote]

Point taken, though if they drop the 40 and not the 80, that would leave a $200 gap between the consoles. A mighty large leap with the main differences being PS2 BC, 40GB of space, and 2 USB ports (I think that's all). so if they drop one, they'll drop both.

Damn Myke, no need to be so testy. And come now, it's pretty much universally accepted at this point that the only reason Sony went with the Blu Ray player standard in the PS3 was to increase the install base and as a weapon against HD DVD. From their perspective today, it looks like the strategy worked, but it didn't do PS3 sales any favor. They would have had a much greater PS3 install base had they gone without the Blu Ray player since the cost would have been significantly (at least 20%) less.
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It's not being testy, it's being honest. The games are on BD, some of the consoles come bundled with BD movies in the box...and I firmly believe that it is the consumer's fault if they buy something at all, let alone a $400+ console, without being fully informed of what it can and cannot do. The information is out there and easy to access - so how is it a "trojan horse"?

So they scored Blu Ray users at the cost of PS3 users. Could be the stings of previous format defeats pushed Sony execs a bit too much to ensure Blu Ray would emerge the victor. How much will it help them in the long term, with digital and HD download, etc.? Who knows.
Click to expand...

I do. They still sell CDs, don't they? And they're the vast majority of all music sales, aren't they? How are we to believe that an XBLM-like service will replace BD or HD, when our cable and internet infrastructures don't allow for reliable and consistent streaming of 1080p video and lossless audio? Speaking of which, I wonder how much revenue XBLM generates. Methinks there's a reason we don't have access to that information.

As for the PSP comment, it was widely reported on gaming sites that Best Buy and possibly WalMart, at the very least, put significant pressure on Sony to cut the price since the units were sitting gathering dust. It also had a couple of pretty quick price cuts, so it wouldn't be very surprising. I'm not going to waste my time on some fact finding mission for you, you can go right ahead though and search to your heart's content.

If you don't like it chalk it up to speculation, FUD, whatever you'd like. Though I'm sure you already have.
Click to expand...

"FUD" is grammatically incorrect in this case, and an already overused phrase. In the absence of evidence, though, speculation works.
 
I'm alright with not using the term 'trojan horse', but we do need a convenient way to describe the process of new technology piggybacking to push an alternate marketshare agenda that has nothing to do with the primary function of the product that it has infected.
 
...which, as you and I have discussed, is not only not true, but opens itself up to a slippery slope where only the Atari 2600 should exist as a console.
 
Alternatively, we'll continue to use the term trojan horse whenever new formats are being introduced outside of standalone players, and you can continue to bitch about it until alternative terms are coined.
 
Wait wait wait.

Lets take it one thing at a time.

Do you believe that the inclusion of BluRay in the PS3 had more to do with pushing the format as the next standard in movies or was it more to do with improving the game experience.

Yes, its both, but which is more?
 
*sigh*

What isn't a trojan horse then, if we're going to arbitrarily handpick elements of console technology and define them as unnecessary for gaming? Waggle controls? component cables? stereo sound? 16-bit graphics? "blast processing?" Analog controls? USB inputs? memory card readers? gamertags? Where do we lie when we try to factually define "necessary" and "unnecessary" in a factual way, instead of relying on individual anecdotal "well, **I** don't use ____" stories to suggest that such technology is unneeded?

It's moot at that point, isn't it? BD is unnecessary except when it is.

EDIT: "which is more?" That's imposing a choice when there doesn't necessarily have to be one. Financially, Sony can add a substantial revenue stream if BD takes off, but that, while a fact, doesn't mean it had more to do with pushing it as a format than changing the in-game experience.
 
[quote name='daminion']That's your opinion.

1. I could care less about blue ray. I'm perfectly happy with my DVDs thank you very much.
[/quote]

And heres the problem I run into nearly everyday.

The differences between DVD and Blu ray are outstanding.. audio and picture quality wise.. you dont understand how much better blu ray is.

Dont knock it until youve seen and heard what movies were intended to be like..
 
I've stated several times that utility or use from person to person is completely irrelevant to my definition.

The key is whether or not a part of a product using new tech is being counted as marketshare in a different market in a competition against another competitor.

Even though the Wii and the 360 outside of the HDDVD add on can do a lot of different things, what parts or functions of them are being used in such a way? Consoles can browse the web now, but every Wii sold doesnt get counted as sales of a web browser and shown to people in an industry outside of gaming, as part of some sort of web browser marketshare war. If the Wii used Netscape when it was new, and was being counted as SALES marketshare against IE, the Wii would be a trojan horse for Netscape.
 
[quote name='Dr Mario Kart']The key is whether or not a part of a product using new tech is being counted as marketshare in a different market in a competition against another competitor.[/QUOTE]

Which, as I've said, is irrelevant if the technology does have a demonstrable impact on the games on that console. PS3 titles benefit from BD, irrespective of it's place in the movie format war.

Moreover, if "competition" is key to defining the item as a "trojan horse," then you've completely ruined your own argument. It is no longer relevant if the technology is prominent in the market (such as, say, DVD playback) or not (say, waggle controls). It only matters that there is a *dispute* over avenues for using that technology. Which means that the same technology is both a trojan horse and not a trojan horse - it is the context that matters. Rendering the actual technology moot relative to the market situation, no?
 
[quote name='mykevermin']Which means that the same technology is both a trojan horse and not a trojan horse - it is the context that matters. Rendering the actual technology moot relative to the market situation, no?[/quote]
This is exactly right! Its all relative to timing and market situation. The very same product can both be a trojan horse and not at some other point in time!

Once there is a BR drive in every home, the PS3 will no longer be a trojan horse for it! Because the invasion is complete!

Trojan horse is only used during the time frame at the start of an invasion.

If Sony's controller was the only one to use bluetooth tech, it would be a trojan horse for bluetooth. But since phones, computers, some cars, and a bunch of other things use bluetooth, its not!
 
Unless something challenges it, which is, as we know, inevitable.

EDIT: It's not so much whether or not there is a BD player in every home, but whether or not HD is considered a relevant competition. It's just as easy to blame HD DVD's existence in this situation, frankly.

Let me ask you two questions: was the PSP, at any point, a "trojan horse" for UMD movies? If so, when, and what was it competing against? If you answered "yes," it still a trojan horse for UMD movies today?
 
I would say that introducing a new technology involves a similar challenge, even if theres not a direct competitor.

When a movie studio chooses to support UMD or not, I would imagine they would look at both PSP hardware sales, and DVD data.

Theres not another disc based portable movie format, so theres not a direct retail competitor, but they're competing less directly with movie formats that are condensed to a memory stick, and consumer apathy to a retail market that didnt exist before. Those things are more abstract or dont have a dollar value though, so it would be a competition of mindshare rather than marketshare. Maybe makers of portable dvd players were watching carefully and hoping UMD would fail?

I think the main problem with the term trojan horse is that it carries a negative connotation. If you put it nicely, you would just be saying that the PS3 helped BR win the war against HDDVD, which I dont think anyone will dispute(as long as you concede that the war is won).
 
[quote name='Dr Mario Kart']I would say that introducing a new technology involves a similar challenge, even if theres not a direct competitor.

When a movie studio chooses to support UMD or not, I would imagine they would look at both PSP hardware sales, and DVD data.

Theres not another disc based portable movie format, so theres not a direct retail competitor, but they're competing less directly with movie formats that are condensed to a memory stick, and consumer apathy to a retail market that didnt exist before. Those things are more abstract or dont have a dollar value though, so it would be a competition of mindshare rather than marketshare. Maybe makers of portable dvd players were watching carefully and hoping UMD would fail?[/quote]

'sat a "yes," a "no," or somethin' in between?

I think the main problem with the term trojan horse is that it carries a negative connotation. If you put it nicely, you would just be saying that the PS3 helped BR win the war against HDDVD, which I dont think anyone will dispute(as long as you concede that the war is won).
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It's not the negative connotation, but the idea that PS3 owners bought the system unawares of what it could playback (which data support for 30-40%, I suppose) - plus the implication that it's "unfair" in a way, since it was not purchased as a standalone. Thus, sales are circumstantial, rather that those who bought HD DVD players because they knew what they were buying.

It's all irrelevant in the end, since HD DVD is as good as dead, and the last remaining test for Blu-Ray is to see if people will upgrade from DVD to it (so you have the competition from DVD, as well as the current state of the economy being deep, deep in the shitter - but that's getting way off track). So, trojan horse or not, it has won, so it appears to be far more of a "safe" buy for its price, since the future of BD as a movie format is more certain than it was just two weeks back.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']PS3 titles benefit from BD, irrespective of it's place in the movie format war.

[/QUOTE] When you have to load 4 gig of Devil May Cry onto your Hard Drive because the BluRay drive cannot read the data fast enough, I would say that not all titles directly benefit from the format. Yes, the size is awesome, but at a price. The people with smaller drives will run out of space soon if other games follow this mechanic. And loading this data will take a reported 25 minutes.

And as for the PSP retailer pressure, here is the first link I found, but it does say that it is "rumor". Though you really aren't going to see a "New Walmart-Approved Sony PSP price reduction" press release.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/psp/rumour-retailers-put-hard-word-on-psp-244346.php
 
If Sony intended to use UMDs outside of the PSP pending its success, then it wouldve been a trojan horse. Otherwise its just a proprietary format that has no meaning outside the bounds of the system.

In short, I dont know, since it didnt succeed.

I'm going to go with yes though, on the grounds that I think Sony had grander plans for the format. It just failed so hard that we'll never know what was in store.
 
[quote name='hufferstl']When you have to load 4 gig of Devil May Cry onto your Hard Drive because the BluRay drive cannot read the data fast enough, I would say that not all titles directly benefit from the format. Yes, the size is awesome, but at a price. The people with smaller drives will run out of space soon if other games follow this mechanic. And loading this data will take a reported 25 minutes.[/quote]

One game? Moreover, the install will give the PS3 version absolutely zero load times, so that is a benefit of the system's technology on the whole.

There are examples of games that have little to no load times, install times, and still use more disc space than a DL DVD would. But, I'm a bit tired of trying to defend the PS3 from people who each and every criticism levied after it. It's not perfect by any means; if you prefer a system with pain-in-the-ass DRM restrictions, coupled with an almost guaranteed failure - that's your prerogative. I mean that sincerely.

And as for the PSP retailer pressure, here is the first link I found, but it does say that it is "rumor". Though you really aren't going to see a "New Walmart-Approved Sony PSP price reduction" press release.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/psp/rumour-retailers-put-hard-word-on-psp-244346.php
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Now that you mention it, that does seem more reasonable. The damned thing was $250 for two years or more, wasn't it?
 
Sony needs to sell a lot of PS3s this year. There's a lot of exclusives coming out for PS3 and they need to sell high volumes, or else in 2009, they'll all be on 360. Plus Sony is making money on blu ray discs, since it ousted HD DVD. You now have a unified market for people to buy games and movies. Why not lessen the price of admission. in the past people had cheap consoles and made money off software... now since blu ray is the leader its the same concept, sell cheap ps3 at 300 dollars and make money off software - movies and games.
 
I agree, for a long time, the mantra of video game consoles has been to lose money or break even on the system itself, and make the money back on the games.

right now there arn't a whole lot of PS3's in people houses (around 4 mil or so, last time I checked) 360's and Wii's are around the 14 mil region.... (big difference)

so for an exclusive game (say metal gear solid 4) to do well, it has to sell to almost EVERY SINGLE PS3 owner (not very likley)

how can sony help this? by getting MORE PS3's into people homes, and how can the do this? by lowering the price (I just read an article last week that said Sony has cut its cost on the PS3 by over 50% since launch, due to lower blu-ray prices and cutting out the backward compatibility).

it would be a VERY smart move, especially while Sony has HD-DVD on the mat with the ref at an 8 count. Sony wins 2 fold because it is the inventor of Blu-ray, so having a PS3 in peoples houses allows it to make money on Blu-Ray discs and PS3 media.
 
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