John-ShepardLast year's price drop for the PlayStation 3 kicked off a hardware sales spike and ever since, Sony's console has been flourishing.
This, combined with the fact that Sony still needs to make up for earlier losses, means you shouldn't expect another price cut any time soon. According to what Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida told IGN , the company is finally turning a profit on every PS3 they sell, so they're not in any big rush to slash the price again. He says that 2010 marks the first year Sony is able to "cover the cost of the PlayStation 3," mostly due to the new consoles that boast smaller and more cost-efficient graphics chips. The company's goal right now is to replenish retail stock that has been on the low end since January, which obviously means people are buying the unit. So why drop the price? Said Yoshida:
"When we bring the cost of hardware down, we are looking at opportunities to adjust prices if we believe that will increase demand. At the moment, we are trying to catch up our production. We have lots of great games coming out and innovations with Move and 3DTV, so we don't believe this is the time for us to think about a price drop."
But that doesn't mean new consumers are out of luck for this year's holiday season; Sony may decide to offer a variety of console bundles, especially those that include Move-related items. We already know about the one that features the Move controller, PlayStation Eye and Sports Champions for $399, but look for more special packages as 2010 rolls on.
I agree,
Sony doesn't need a price drop, what they need is profit.
And to ramp up 3 full shifts of production just to get the PS3 into that many more homes.
But theyre still in 3rd place…
If they REALLY want to catch up, they need to shave off at least $50 bucks.
No Doom thats def not the way Sony should go.Right now sony has momentum and another price cut would mean the other comp will do the same.Remember ps3's first price drop?MS and Nintendo got so nervous they instintly Dropped their price because they'er scared of sony's dominant way and if the prices are close people will go with Ps3.
No they don't. Yeah, in overall, still 3rd, but the current trend has them doing well enough to overtake the 360. Plus, with all the features that are starting to surface, most of which were never thought about before, they're able to sell a much more complete product. Basically, yes, it's just as expensive, but there's also more to the product, especially with the new 3D stuff.
Lots of rich families will be getting into 3D this holliday season, for sure. I know my Cardiologist uncle will.
Why would you knock $50 off the price when the price has finally started to net them a profit? You don't just slice out your profit margin in order to become #2 in the console wars.
Consoles only cut prices when they are not selling. Right now, PS3 has the momentum, not till the momentum fades out, then Sony will consider pricecut. I mean, why sell it for $249 when people will still buy it for $299?
wrong doom, ps3s are still selling alot at the 300 price point. the only reason that units sales arent going up consistently is because there are no units out at retailers. the best buy near my house are sold out of ps3s and rocking a 360 pyramid right now, along with a shelf full of 360s.
I also agree, PS3 is at a good price point. Maybe next year they will drop the price.
At this point it really doesn't matter if Americans don't wanna get the ps3. A share of them will get it.
But overall, whoever gets a 360 over a ps3 is just in denial. That other console has no future, not as bright a future as the ps3 anyway.
The price is right, there's no RROD, your games won't get scratched, online is free, there's no piracy, and it has the best exclusives this gen.
I believe Microsoft understands that, as well. They've turned their marketing focus in a completely different direction than PS3. PS3 is still promoting new technology on it's system. XBOX has merely turned to a purely aesthetic direction. First, there's the Kinect they swear is better than sliced bread, second, they have a new slim system with built in wifi, and 3rd, they spend marketing cashola on buying timed exclusivity rights and on distributer benefits.
There's no mention about any true original technology. (Wifi isn't new… nor is the Kinect. Not really.) Sony has true hi-def, built in blu-ray (wth happened to HDDVD, MS?!), already have built-in wifi, 3D tech, full range of motion (ROM) Move, new advancements in it's networking and partnerships, etc (need I go on further? There is more! And most of this just surfaced this past year!)
Basically, with SO many new features, a price drop doesn't make sense. Now the price it is now actually makes complete sense as to why it's actually worth MORE than the other systems. Especially after this past year, and especially since they're finally turning a profit on the system. Hooray for independence and no longer offsetting cost!
It's truly an issue now of you get the technology you pay for.
Underdog it's hard not to agree with you. But then again we all have more of a clue as to the technology the PS3 has over the 360. It's the poor sucker on the street who see's XBOX360 pop up at the end of every video game advert who just assumes they're XBOX games and goes off to buy an XBOX.
Why we don't see Sony's name appear at the end of every game ad in the same fashion? Even games that were once exclusive to Sony's machines going back generations but have now gone multi-plat, all have XBOX360 appear as the main machine which the ordinary Joe Soap buys into.
The PS3 is the better machine, no question about it. We know that, Sony know that and I'm sure someone in MS knows that. But it's all about how they get that out to the general public. I personally believe most of the PS3's success is more from word of mouth from people who have PS3's or switched from 360's.
I can only speak for here in Ireland, I know from what I've heard there's quite a ad campaign Stateside, but here I don't think I've seen even one PS3 advert, for the machine or support of any of their games.
Yup. You're 100% right. I had a post that addressed that very issue, but that got deleted because AudiaK was the original poster. A decision I don't blame Ben for making in the least.
In a nutshell, I basically compared MS's marketing similar to what drug companies used to do but is illegal to do now (at least here in Canada), which was treat admin. doctors to extravagant dinners, golf excursions, etc, then follow it up with a sales pitch. Basically, they bought exclusivity to their product.
Anyways, I can only imagine the reason Sony spends so much less on marketing is due to budgetary reasons. 80% of consumers are uninformed. Sometimes brand recognition is all it takes… but… what can ya do? Can't spend all day hanging out at Game Stop informing people. lol.
It is a rather dreadful situation. It's no different here in Germany. Sure, we Germans own more PS3s than 360s but the ads are still dominated by MS.
I mean, imagine that: The very first TV ad for FFXIII and all it says at the end: Xbox 360. Makes it seem like a 360 exclusive, in Germany.
A game that was PS3 exclusive anyways.
That's sad but true.
Nevertheless, most German PS3 owners I know either switched from 360 or have heard of PS3s benefits over 360 by friends.
There's also the fact that Germans are fast adopters of new technology, thus Blu-Ray was a major reason for lots of us to buy a PS3. Now nobody regrets that decision, only 360 users do ^^.
There's also this little issue of inaccurate numbers of actual console owners.
We all know that some are on their 6th 360. So I guess there are way less than 40m 360 owners worldwide. 40m are just the units sold, not the accurate number of owners.
Last edited by ro kurorai on 6/29/2010 5:45:28 AM
It's always the same thing with price drops. If Sony announces a price drop for the holiday season right now, summer sales will stagnate as people wait for the price drop to purchase a PS3. So, Sony says there will be no price drops in the forseeable future.
Will there be a price drop this holiday season? We probably won't find out about it until the Sunday ads leak online, or some bumbling idiot in IT puts up an ad banner on a major site ahead of schedule showing the price drop.
Just my opinion on the matter.
Next price drop probably in 2011, Sony said 2009 was to make money, so in 2010 they're planning to make MORE money.
PS Move will play a huge role in driving the console sale, Sports Champion and Sorcery are certainly a must buy if I'm gonna buy a Move.
Those 2 look like they can move the sale of Move.(pun intended)
No need for a price drop. They are truly gaining momentum now. They have great exclusives coming out and great exculsives in the public, they are sellling more consoles than ever, their console fully supports 3D, and they have the PS move coming out this holiday. I bought the PS3 because I knew Sony could satify my gaming needs; and so far they have.
Don't they always satisfy our gaming needs? 😉
Lol I meant would….
There doesn't need to be, nor will there be, a price drop on PS3 any time soon. They have just hit the sweet spot, are introducing new tech (as opposed to old tech repackaged), and have whooped ass in exclusive games the last two years. Anybody with a brain knows that PS3 sales are even or past 360 sales (if you are into the who is on top debate) due to so many rebuys of the latter system. So they have no ground to make up now except as the man says to keep the shelves stocked. Nope, Goldilocks is just right.
GT5 bundle
I see a price drop for the 2011 holiday season as well as Uncharted 3.
Let's not forget 3D, it's only a matter of time before 3D go cheaper than it is.
Many will certainly jump on the 3D bandwagon, and the stuff about 3D that I'm excited the most isn't how it will affect our experience, I'M SO LOOKING FORWARD FOR A 3D COMMERCIAL FROM THE MAN KB HIMSELF!!!!!!!
3D is just pointless to me…..forking out money for a new telly and glasses when a brought a hdtv like 2 years ago! ha
Eventually my friend, eventually.
I think the price point the PS3 now sits at gives their consumer base an EXCELLENT price! I wouldn't imagine the PS3 price dropping any lower until at least 2012. If anything, I too foresee very "popularly priced" (as my tools distributor calls his products' prices) bundle units, emphasizing on added hardware/software savings rather than on the core system.
Sony deserves their profit for the PS3. I don't like many Sony products (headphones, auto head units, speakers in general. The Sony-Ericson Cell phones I've owned via AT&T have massively sucked! The rest of my list is strictly opinion..) so much that I'd venture to say they're worth every single dime. The PS3 deserves every red cent! I've convinced 3 friends, working on a 4th, to go the route of an PS3 rather than another console and they've absolutely LOVED IT!
In fact, even an non-gamer, is better off with an PS3 for a BluRay player. You get an universal 2.5" hard drive, Wifi, PSN, incredible BD support, Bluetooth uninterrupted controls and, most importantly, a beautiful unit that isn't noisy.
3D is going to make a huge splash in the entertainment world. In fact, I think it's a bigger deal having 3D hi-def movies than games. These will sell like hot cakes and truly bring the theatre into your living room… Or bedroom. Depends how loaded you are! 😛
Keep the momentum, Sony! You've finally reached your long awaited payday!
Last edited by DemonNeno on 6/28/2010 11:21:37 PM
$199 is the magic number for console sales. About half of PS2's were sold after it went below $199. The dying Wii sees record sales jump after pricecut. Xbox sales caught up to PS3 after they desperately cut to $199.
If we can imagine that PS3 can basically double in lifetime sales by reaching that number. Pricecut probably Holiday 2011, so it probably has 50 million sales next year. Lifetime PS3 sales can reach 100+ million after it cut to $199. This is really competitive sales. Now is the phase where PS3 gains attention from third party developers. It'll be 2011 and later where things get really interesting.
$199 seems fairly low, at least to me, for the 2011 holiday season. If it were to drop that low, I think it's reasonable to say that Sony is starting to move on from the PS3 and focusing on something new.
I would agree with you godsman but the PS3 is more then just a console. Its much more so i think an extra hundred is warranted. Most stand alone blue ray players are still $200 for a good one.
Last edited by Jawknee on 6/29/2010 1:13:23 AM
In this economy, making a profit is paramount. The PS3 will surpass the 360 globally this year anyways.
Definitely seems that way. On a global scale, PS3 has all the momentum.
If you minus out all the multiple re-buys due to RROD's, and those million+ banned modded bot boxes, I'm sure you'd find that the PS3 has already surpassed the 360 in "TRUE" sales.
No one really care about the true sales.
Gaming is business and it's the number that counts.
The same can be said for Live/PSN accounts, pretty much every 360 I've ever seen people set up at least 3 live accounts on because you get 1 month of silver for free each time (3x max).
But like Snake said, in business it's the numbers that matter.
I think by the time e3 rolls around next year people will be surprised by how far sony has pulled ahead of M$ while staying at the $299 price point.
People are buying it at this price, buying it so much they can't keep it stocked. When you're the only company who's year to year sales are going up instead of down, price point isn't anything to even think about.
Snaaake & Jian2069,
Maybe so, but you're both smart enough to know that some unscrupulous company's do cook their books & fudge their numbers, don't you????
HMMMMM, M$ for one?????
as far as i see it, most of the people asking for a price drop right now will be the same people who will ask for another price drop when the ps3 is 200, and again for 100. frankly, i dont care about those guys anymore and wouldnt mind not playing with them online. the ps3 is a great value now even at 300 bucks. ohh well, have fun playing your ps3s while im having fun with my ps4.
Last edited by johnld on 6/29/2010 2:37:18 AM
Something a bit off topic here, am I the only guy here that has cancelled my plan to get a Wii after Sony's E3 conference?
Actually, I just bought a Wii, like 5 hours ago.
It's a fun thing to have around and play but I definitely wouldn't spend my own money on one.
Dunno, but then I never had such a plan 🙂
you should definetley get a wii.
hell ive had more fun playing my wii games since i got it last thursday than i have had playing my ps3 or 360 since launch!
selling my psp and games and using the cash to get a wii is the best decision ive ever made.
Last edited by ___________ on 6/29/2010 4:48:46 AM
hell no they should not drop the price!
all they need to do is deliver all the promises they made to us, and announce some new sequels.
why they have not yet released a sypgon filter for the ps3 is beyond me!
i mean it is one of the very few games that have gone through 3 generations and are still exclusive to playstation.
speak of the devil what the hell happened to ape escape ps3?
they said they were going to show it off at E3!
Eventually my friend, eventually.
Ah crap, was replying to one of my post when this happened…..
For the cost of adding free games/controllers/movies etc via bundles, Sony could easily drop the price on the PS3 by $50 !
In December a friend bought a 160GB PS3 from Dell and along with it he got 2 free controllers and 2 free games Resistance and Unchartered all for under $400 ! Not a bad haul !
Last edited by phade2blaq on 6/29/2010 6:03:38 AM
If they're selling so many of them at the current price that they can't manufacture enough to satisfy demand, it's probably not very realistic to expect a price cut any time soon 🙂
It's good to see them finally making a profit. And I think $300 is a great price considering all you get. I paid $400 for mine and it was the best home entertainment investment I've ever made in my life.
Too me. PS3 is the best console this generation. and a true successor to the ps1 and ps2.
People who think the PS3 cost too much have no sense of value.
I have 2 PS3s already… Gonna buy another soon with a bigger HDD… I kno I can just get another HDD seperate for like $99 but both my PS3s are the 60GB models when it was launched and i've been wanting to get a Slim. If i spent $1200 on 2 PS3s, it's not gonna kill me to get 1 new slim for $300
I think the variety bundles is good but as the product is gaining more recognition (as it has deserved for quite some time)and great content on the PSN coupled with Move coming out, PlaystationPlus, and all of the great exclusives I see little to no reason for the slightest consideration of a price drop.