Ben-DutkaEveryone is assuming Sony will drop the price of the PS3, what with the new PlayStation 4 on the immediate horizon.
But it won't happen tomorrow. In speaking to GamesIndustry International , UK PlayStation marketing director Fergal Gara said there are currently no plans to drop the PS3 price.
And that's partially because it's a system "where it hasn't been particularly easy to get the costs down." There's no doubt that Sony factored this into the design of the new PlayStation, because the PS4 is much easier to produce. However, Gara believes that the PS3 will remain relevant for several years to come (as the PS2 did after the PS3 launched), so it'll act as an "entry level machine" for many people new to gaming. Said Gara:
"…it will certainly be a more keenly priced machine in relative to PlayStation 4. It will sit there as a viable entry level machine for years to come. It will be different by territory as to how long its life is. There's still a lot of love for PS3."
Yes, yes there is. And the more we hear from Sony, the more we realize just how important it was for them to keep development and manufacturing costs for the PS4 down , right from the outset.
And this could mean less focus on keeping the cost down and more focus on PS4 features n_n
Add the additional money from the multiplayer pay wall, and we should see some pretty good improvements.
Ditch the corrugated shell and save us $10 =p
I still wonder how the games industry would've been if Sony was able to design the PS3 more like the PS4 (very open, developer-friendly) and somehow able to price it at $400 at launch without losing a crapload of money on each sale (I think Sony was losing $200 on each console due to the high costs of blu-ray and that stupid cell processor).
They would have easily destroyed Microsoft if that happened.
I think both Sony and MS achieved their goals. Despite coming out a year later (than the 360) and at a much higher price point, Sony still managed to sell enough PS3's that allowed the Sony backed Blu-ray a large beachhead. This convinced Warner Bros. to exclusively support blu-ray and drop support for the MS backed HD-DVD; thus dealing the final blow which would eventually end the HD optical disc format war.
So Sony accomplished it's goal of having Blu-ray become the standard for HD optical discs while MS achieved it's goal of releasing a much less expensive console and doing so a year before Sony. For MS, this finally gave them their own beachhead in the console industry (especially in N. America).
Sony proposed new standards for console gaming with the PS3. A move just as bold as the asking price. Microsoft challenged their proposed standards with the HD-DVD add on and the XBox360's PC style innards instead of praising the cell processor.
If other consoles had emerged based on cell processor tech, they might have become the open platform of today. Unfortunately we'll never know what might of been if demand for cell processor reached the level to bring their production costs to acceptable levels.
Also with the popularity of the PS4 I think more than just an entry level console the last remaining bastion of Xbox 360 gamers who have maintained all along that the PS3 never had any good exclusives may want to get a taste of the good life now that they have flicked their 360 like a cigarette butt into the ash bin of history.
so…poetic
Well, I strongly believe Sony will start to see a hefty profit once PS4 comes out. So once they start making that high profit, they would be more willing to lower the PS3 prices.
Did anyone get hit with the temp-brick from the 4.45 update last night? Amazed this is not been reported on more sites…
Just when Sony was making strides.
I was only playing The Last of Us last night, so I had no need to log onto the PSN. I heard that it seems to be just certain ones (ex. those that had their HDD replaced).
Jeez, that's it I'm not turning my console on today.
It seems to be bricking ps3's with HDD's that are greater than 500gb. Mine didn't completely brick but its been wonky all day and the last of us takes forever to load now if it loads. The load percentage counter keeps resetting itself back to zero. I'm backing up my HDD now just incase. It's gonna take 10 freakin hours though! O.O"
Hey Jawknee how are the load times on TLoU (when operating properly)?
PS, we miss ya round here.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 6/19/2013 2:34:40 PM
Sony took down the update and are re-evaluating it and re-assessing to find the problem. supposedly the problem is not permanent and if you have any issues it should be an easy fix
Does it affect connection to the PSN? I'm trying to connect to the PSN and get a timeout message 🙁
I wanted to try Netflix's SuperHD_3D but get no connection, browser works fine thou…
@World, when you start playing the game (Load a save or start a new game), there's a little loading scene similar to how it is for MGS4. It takes around a minute or two but after that, you don't see another loading screen.
@World, the first time I loaded it it took about a minute but after that the load times zoomed. Much better than uncharted 3's load times. But after 4.45 it take forever and sometimes doesn't even load.
And thanks! Miss you too buddy! Been super busy, between work, band and two kids it get exhausting trying to keep up with all the news and my favorite sites. Been trying to take a break from the net for a bit. Trying to get healthier too. Requires less time in front of a computer or games for me to do that. Exercise has never been my forte. I'm surprised I've managed to stay thin all these years without it. HA! Oh, and my kids were playing with my PS3 and managed to delete a bunch of stuff including some people on my list. I just noticed you're missing. Ima send you another request.
Actually, you send me one when you get a chance. I can't remember your exact ID.
Last edited by Jawknee on 6/19/2013 3:15:31 PM
Yeah I had a brick during TLoU to. I just thought it was too hot. I only have an 80gig though.
And is Netflix broadcasting in 3D now?
Oh no…
Is yours just "Jawknee"?
Jawknee1
The update got removed before I got home last night. Thank god. But it has been reported by all major and most minor gaming news outlets. I don't know how anyone can miss it if they check the news daily.
The update got removed before I got home last night. Thank god. But it has been reported by all major and most minor gaming news outlets. I don't know how anyone can miss it if they check the news daily.
Well, the PS2 was going strong for many years after the PS3 came out, so I don't see any reason why the PS3 won't be after the PS4 comes out. Maybe they can lower the price once the PS4 starts making them money.
I was very surprised the Vita got no price cut at E3, but there's still time to do it in time for Christmas. I think that's the only way to properly push the Vita as a PS4 peripheral device.
I expect to see bundles pushed before an actual price drop. It helps reduce buyers remorse for those who just purchased & limit people delaying for a big price drop.
Expect large memory cards, free PS+ membership and free game d/l at first. The price will stay the same but as the months go by they'll increase the games and memory size.
Then when the PS4 is released, they'll also offer some SKUs that bundle hardware with the PS-Vita. Perhaps the PS4 Eye or even an ultimate PS4 Pack including PS-Vita & 8 gig memory, PS4 Eye, PS+, assorted games and two controllers. Wonder if all that could be offered for $649.99?
Apparently they have updated so that you won't be prompted to download 4.45 while they investigate.
This is NOT a good time for any bad Sony press, they better get on it fast.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 6/19/2013 1:48:59 PM
Yea, they pulled the 4.45 within hours of its release. I downloaded 4.41 on off their site to try and downgrade but it won't work. Seems my slim is stuck with 4.45 until Sony can fix it. So glad I kept my 60gb fat launch model.
It would be interesting to see how much the PS4 would be in 2-3 years from now since everything is basically more money friendly this time around.
Microsoft CAVES on DRM: http://news.xbox.com/2013/06/update
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 6/19/2013 5:16:03 PM
Wow… I guess Ben's letter was even more persuasive than anybody expected.
Lol! I knew it was only a matter of time. I can't believe they thought that crap would fly.
Damn, I was hoping for an implosion and instead we get a cave-in. This is good news for the people who want an XboxOne.
I wouldn't call it caving. More like listening to their consumers feedback. Either way this is a good thing.
Wow they caved in quick. Lol
@ImTheMan,
Yeah, it was a cave. When you put that much of your public image on the line for a policy and then reverse course, that's a cave-in. A necessary one for survival, but still. It makes them look like the salesman who got caught trying to shortchange you–it isn't precisely honesty when that guy gives you your money back once you catch him in the act.
MS did what it had to. They can expect to eat some crow for it, deservedly, and the lingering stink will take a while to wash off.
imtheman, don't think for a minute that had Sony announced similar policies at E3 that MS would have lifted these restrictions. They totally caved. They likely saw the preorder numbers and decided they needed to do something before it was too late.
I agree with what you guys are saying but it seems like a lot of people are making it seem like its even worse that they reversed course instead of sticking to their original decision. I think it takes enormous balls for a company such as microsoft to admit they were wrong and humble themselves.
This will only benefit gamers in the long run because now Sony knows they can't just rest on their laurels. The gamers are the ultimate winners from the competition.
True but I think it shows that they were more concerned about their bottom line than what their customers thought. If they really cared what we thought they would have ditched these asinine polices before E3. But they saw a shift towards Sony and only then did they act. I agree its good for gamers that they ditched the restrictions but the way they went about it only underscores in my mind the classlessness and their massive lack of integrity. I would have respected them more if the stuck to their guns if they really believed in what they were doing. Instead this shows they tried to get away with sleazy corporate policies that hurt the consumer but ended up caving once they saw it was going to hurt their bottom line.
There is still something wrong with the way Microsoft portrayed themselves. They were jackasses about the whole situation and it became a huge pr mess. I sure as hell won't be buying any of their crap, they sure as hell will be more than likely to reverse their policies any time as soon as they get enough suckers, I mean customers in. "If you can't have a constant connection we have a console for you, it is called the Xbox 360" – they are not humble and I am glad they shoved a foot deep down their pretentious mouths.
Yeah you guys are probably right. I had forgot about what that d-bag said.
The IGN poll still says 50% people not getting an Xbox after this reversal.
13% said they always were, and 12% said they would after the news. But it's still 25/50.
Microsoft's abandoning online registration and used games blocking lol!!
http://news.xbox.com/2013/06/update
sad that one of the best pieces of technology ever made will always be remembered as the one who almost killed a giant!
not only playstation, but $ony as a whole!
all of their divisions was doing so well before the ps3 came out, but after it came out they all plummeted to davy jones locker!
vio use to be considered the best laptop line out there, especially because of its durability and reliability.
now they have the second worst reliability rating here just after toshiba!
and to make things worse there still as overpriced as they ever were.
years ago you dident mind because the extra cash gave you reliability, but now it gives you jack!
same goes for the bravia line, bravias, especially the XBR range, use to be considered the best TV lineup money can buy!
now its quite the opposite, panasonic, samsung, LG, sharp, all are higher recommended than what bravia is!
amazing how quickly a single product can bring down one of the biggest companies in the world!
especially after the record breaking success $ony had with the ps2.
ps3 had oh so much potential……..
Last edited by ___________ on 6/20/2013 5:13:59 AM
Ben, Can you please cover the filmware problem http://www.gamesradar.com/ps3-firmware-update-445-bricking-consoles/ please provide any updates!! thanks
Sony has been having issues keeping it down likely because of their problems with NVIDIA being a major pain in the ass. Sony wanted to go the SoC route with Cell and the RSX to drastically cut cost but NVIDIA isn't allowing it to happen. It's why the "super slim" PS3 didn't actually shrink that much or have its price drop.
It's really no wonder why that company has been dumped by both MS and Sony. Both companies grossly overpaid for what they got.