Playstation 3 to launch under $500

[CamFu]

Xantar, I think you are being a little modest with this comment:

Blu-Ray technology alone should be worth $200

Come on, Blu-Ray isn't even mainstream yet. Try to remember when the DVD first hit the market. I remember when I first saw it, it was back in like 1995 or 1996 and the DVD Player was going for something like $700.

As for the price tag, I remember all the experts claiming the PS2 costing pricers hirgher then that. Sony isn't stupid, they will release the console under $400. And that is still too pricey for me. Which really sucks, but $300 is what I'm looking for in a console. And that still hurts me. Stupid Real Life Budget!

[Professor S]

If the PS3 price starts at over $400, you can bet that they will lose the next generation. Hands down. And it won't even be a contest (unless Microsoft and Nintendo are dumb enough to follow suit).

History has shown that starting console prices that high kills the consumer and doesn't move any product. Regardless of its brand name power, a $400+ price point will simply be prohibitive for parents to invest, even for the holidays. Hell, that high of a price is prohibitive for most adults as well. Thats one month's rent or a car payment or two.

And thats just the console by itself. By the time you add the cost of 1-3 games for the machine, at least one other controller, etc., your looking at costs that might be over $600 just for video game console. These amounts of money are what people put aside for life needs, not for what is still considered by most to be children's entertainment.

$300 is about what every console should start out. By going higher you are shooting yourself in the foot, regardless of how great the hardware is. Gaming is just not that important in most people's lives to warrant such an expenditure.

[Null]

They wouldnt lose the next gen because of a price. sorry but it woudlnt happen. It could slow em done, but at thsi point, theres nothing thats going to happen thats going to make sony lose the next gen, the worst would be to cut em down a bit next gen, then take them the one after. they got far too much a lead for anything like that to happen right now..


and camfu is right on, everyone said the PS2 would cost oh so much money, then everyone claimed the PSP would be over 400! sony WILL keep the price at a competitive level.

[GameMaster]

Alright, let's not jump to any conclusions. Sony Insiders are aware of the issue and claim that this is NOT a set price. I think if you all can just hold your pants on until June, you'll find a pleasant surprise in the form of a new price tag. Just something for you to think about...

[Stray_Bullet]

People are willing to invest a lot more into consoles than they are into handhelds, I'd say. And, as I've seen, PSP sales haven't been poor. There are plenty of spoiled children and plenty of "adults" with poor spending habits.

Personally, the most I'd get for Christmas or birthday is about $100 each (cumulative). The only systems I've gotten in the past were bought by my siblings and myself (GC, XBox, N64), bought as a gift to all five of the children from an outside family member (Genesis), bought while the system was dying (Saturn/Dreamcast for $50 each), or a combination between my birthday and Christmas (which are about a week apart) at a sales price (PS2).

Price has always been a problem for people like me, but we always find a way to buy the system. It's people that find price to not be a problem that have been keeping consoles alive from release, and they won't be stopped by a $300-400 price tag.

[Perfect Stu]

my guess for launch price:

$399 US

[CamFu]

Originally Posted by Null

They wouldnt lose the next gen because of a price. sorry but it woudlnt happen. It could slow em done, but at thsi point, theres nothing thats going to happen thats going to make sony lose the next gen, the worst would be to cut em down a bit next gen, then take them the one after. they got far too much a lead for anything like that to happen right now..

This is what really pisses me off about Sony. Nothing against Null's statement, other then it's 100% true. Most people will blindly buy Sony's products just for the name of it. Don't care about the quality of the product at all. I knew a guy in the military that was so hell bent on setting up his Car System with everything Sony (I don't even know if Sony has amps, but I'm sure he was getting one).

Even though Sony doesn't make the best product in that area. I asked him why, because he loved his Sony TV, Receiver, DVD, and Speakers. According to him, Sony makes the best products. Anything eletronical in his house was Sony Brand.

This dude even had a PS2 just because it had a "Sony" tag on it.

This might sound a little sad. But Sony has everything going for it. It doesn't matter if they release 2 years after the Xbox 360 or the Nintendo Rev. It doesn't matter if they have the worst collection of games. It doesn't matter if it was the weakest system. It doesn't matter if the price tag is insane. Sony knows that the majority of the people today will slap down their hard earn dollars on their products, just because they slapped a "Sony" symbol on it.

I've seen it happen, on more then just gaming systems. But that is just my opinion of course.

[Dyne]

I honestly wonder what launch defects this product will have.

I feel sorry for anybody who still buys first-gen Sony.

[Joeiss]

I bought first gen PS2, and after a wonderful experience with Sony Canada's customer service people, i got it repaired for free in 3 days!

Not having a console for 3 days out of 6 years isnt too damaging.

[DarkMaster]

Originally Posted by Null

the price being written in US is ok, but in canadian its a bad move? its the same price! hehe

i wouldnt say it'll be a bad move persay, they'll do fine with it. some people would just wait for a price drop. but that does matter since i have determined for you all that it will be no more then 399 US. rest assured.

It's the same price? Yeah, maybe you think so, dishing out $50 less from your wallet.

[bobcat]

I'd pay $600 AUST for it, maybe.......

But no doubt it will continue to have those games we know and love, plus plenty more

[MasterMind]

Anything above $200 is too steep for me. I got bills to pay. I'm willing to wait for all the price drops like I did for this generation of consoles. I used to play games like crazy but now adays I can't afford/can't find time to play them like I used to. I didn't plan on buying a GC and wouldn't have access to one if my bro-n-law didn't buy it as a gift for my younger brother. I waited to buy the PS2 until it was <$200. A little late but I can still enjoy all those great games especially at great prices too.

I'm willing to wait for the next round of consoles to unfold before I invest some money into a console. Can't afford all three even though I would like to have them all. Just have to wait for the best one.

[Perfect Stu]

Originally Posted by DarkMaster

It's the same price? Yeah, maybe you think so, dishing out $50 less from your wallet.

if the conversion rate is proper, then it IS the same amount of money being handed over by canadians

if I got to pay $300 for something here, and null had to pay $300 for the same thing there, I would be paying less money for the same product

[MuGen]

Originally Posted by CamFu

This is what really pisses me off about Sony. Nothing against Null's statement, other then it's 100% true. Most people will blindly buy Sony's products just for the name of it. Don't care about the quality of the product at all. I knew a guy in the military that was so hell bent on setting up his Car System with everything Sony (I don't even know if Sony has amps, but I'm sure he was getting one).

Even though Sony doesn't make the best product in that area. I asked him why, because he loved his Sony TV, Receiver, DVD, and Speakers. According to him, Sony makes the best products. Anything eletronical in his house was Sony Brand.

This dude even had a PS2 just because it had a "Sony" tag on it.

This might sound a little sad. But Sony has everything going for it. It doesn't matter if they release 2 years after the Xbox 360 or the Nintendo Rev. It doesn't matter if they have the worst collection of games. It doesn't matter if it was the weakest system. It doesn't matter if the price tag is insane. Sony knows that the majority of the people today will slap down their hard earn dollars on their products, just because they slapped a "Sony" symbol on it.

I've seen it happen, on more then just gaming systems. But that is just my opinion of course.

It may be so that people will spend their money on Sony products because the brand is slapped on, as you say, but theres also the fact that everyone trusts the name Sony.... It's not just the sony symbol...

You think Nintendo fans stay with Nintendo cuz of it's name or symbol? No, they love the brand, they trust the brand, and grew up with it... It's not the fact that they'll blindly spend their money on nintendo because of the symbol.

Sometimes people have brands they trust, that's all I really think matters... There are people who WILL blindly spend cuz of the brand name... but theres a lot more people who will stick with a brand because of the value it means to them.

And it's clear that there is going to be quality come next generation.... so much quality in the PS3.....

[Teuthida]

Haha. Looks like it's a Revolution for me. I would never pay that much for a console. Especially one by Sony which is expected to break in 2 years.