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Gadgets 60GB PS3s no Longer in Sony Inventory
Brandon Hill (Blog) - August 30, 2007 10:41 AM
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The 80GB SKU will soon become the only PS3 available to North American consumers
It's the end of the road for Sony's 60GB PS3

Sony’s 60GB PS3 has come a long way since its introduction nearly a year ago. When the console went on sale in mid-November, it was lambasted for its $599 price tag. The console then suffered a loss in April when its fraternal twin, the 20GB PS3, was killed off by Sony.

Early last month, Sony gave the 60GB PS3 a $100 price cut to help boost sales and introduced a new 80GB SKU to occupy the $599 price point. Sony also threw in a copy of MotorStorm with the 80GB PS3 to keep gamers happy.

The price cut did the trick and sales boomed for the PS3. Sony went from 98,000 units sold in June to 159,000 units sold in July.

It now appear that the end of the road is nigh for the 60GB PS3. Sony reports that it no longer has inventory of 60GB PS3s in its warehouses and the only units left are those on the way to retailers (or those that are already in retailer warehouses and on store shelves).

"We no longer have any inventory in SCEA warehouses. All inventory has been purchased and shipped to retailers," said SCEA communications officer Dave Karraker. "We don't have visibility as to if that is on their store shelves or in their warehouses at this time. However, based on inventory reports from our retailers, there is ample supply still left in the channel."

Once the remaining stocks of 60GB PS3s are depleted, that will leave the $599 80GB PS3 as the sole SKU. What Sony does at that point is still up for debate.

Sony could leave the price tag at $599 and risk stalling the sales gains that it has made in the past two months. On the other hand, many analysts are predicting that the 80GB model will take the price point of the discontinued 60GB model to help drive sales. An 80GB PS3 with a free game for $499 could be quite the bargain for many gamers out there.

While the  80GB PS3 would still be down 40GB and $50 more expensive compared to the Xbox 360 Elite, the included MotorStorm title, WiFi and Blu-ray drive may push the tide back into Sony’s court -- at least in the high-end market. The deal could be even sweeter when you consider that Sony is still running its five free Blu-ray movie promotion through September 30 for the PS3.

We will just have to wait to see which path Sony decides to take with the 80GB PS3. "We won't be making any further announcements regarding our PS3 model hardware strategy in North America until the 60GB model is exhausted and market conditions are evaluated," said a Sony representative.

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Bad Feeling
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 8/30/2007 10:45:18 AM , Rating: 2
I get the feeling that Sony tried to copy Microsoft's successful tiered console system but then decided it was a bad idea for them and dumped SKU's quickly. Less than a year after launch and we went from 2 SKU's, Retired 1, adding another, then retiring that one too. Makes me think whoever made the original 2 SKU decision goofed because neither of the original SKU's are being made <1 year after debut, sounds like a problem.




RE: Bad Feeling
By nerdye on 8/30/2007 10:54:35 AM , Rating: 1
I don't think Sony flawed in originally offering two options of ps3's for different price points at launch, I think they went wrong with being inconsistent in dropping and adding sku's constantly. Microsoft has been consistent with their sku's, and adding the elite to the mix has only benefited their sales, that is what sony should have done.


RE: Bad Feeling
By peritusONE on 8/30/2007 10:57:57 AM , Rating: 4
quote:
I get the feeling that Sony tried to copy Microsoft's successful tiered console system but then decided it was a bad idea for them and dumped SKU's quickly.

I think it was more of a botched decision on when and how to introduce software-based backwards compatibility. I'm guessing Sony thought they could sell a console with "Playstation 3" on the box at any price they wanted, and they quickly figured out this wasn't the case. So they had to scramble to introduce the 80GB SKU without the hardware emulation that the 60GB SKU offerred to save money.

However, they should've just done like Microsoft is introducing HDMI into the Premium SKU....just do it without making a big scene about it. But, I'm sure it won't be that big of a deal in the long run. Sony just has to figure out how to drop the price again on the 80GB SKU, because all the price flip-flopping is going to confuse the hell out of regular consumers.


RE: Bad Feeling
By SunAngel on 8/30/2007 12:30:23 PM , Rating: 1
Might confuse the hell out you, but someone actually buying the system won't be confused. If the 60gb is not available and only 80GB is available, the decision is not difficult at all, is it?


RE: Bad Feeling
By Spivonious on 8/30/2007 2:08:25 PM , Rating: 5
Right it's "Well I was going to get the 60GB version, but now I guess I'll just get a 360."


RE: Bad Feeling
By jrb531 on 8/30/2007 3:17:18 PM , Rating: 4
LOL that's exactly what I was thinking :)

-JB


RE: Bad Feeling
By wallijonn on 8/30/2007 3:01:19 PM , Rating: 2
For Sony to use a laptop HD, when they are promoting it as a media centre device, is ludicrous when you see that you can get a 500GB HD for slightly over $100.

I would have preferred a unit that took a 3.5" drive and didn't come with one so that I could install an HD of my own choice.

As it stands now, Sony is back to warehousing 80GB units if the prices stay at $599. Everyone will wait for Christmas time, hoping that the prices will drop. Next up, Sony introduces a 120GB unit, then a 160GB unit, then...

Yes, Microsoft blundered also by using the same laptop sized HD. Unless said unit is 7200 rpm with a minimum of 16MB of ram on it, who would want a slow 4200rpm or 5400 rpm drive in their media centres? In the case of MS, you "have" to use your PC to download media content. Lame.


RE: Bad Feeling
By Cript on 8/30/2007 7:15:02 PM , Rating: 2
they use 2.5 inch drives for the same reason laptops don't use 3.5. heat, noise, size, etc. you can use a 3.5 on a ps3 anyways if you buy the right sata cable and get it powered.

by including a hdd in all models, game developers get a guarantee that the user has a hdd.


RE: Bad Feeling
By hadifa on 8/30/2007 8:49:25 PM , Rating: 2
I don't think you are justified in your answer. Heat and noise are not there because of the size but rather, because of the speed. It is obviously possible to have a 3.5 HDD which runs at 5400 and so generates a comparable amount of heat and noise to a 2.5 inch.

If Sony have used a 3.5 inch HDD, it would have had much more capacity and would have ended up cheaper.

The only issue is the size and weight. The PS3 is not a small unit and it is a console not a laptop so the weight is not a -big- issue.

Don't compare a mobile unit like a laptop to a console like a PS3.

As a side note, I have a 400GB 7200 rpm Samsung and it is almost silent. I can't hear it when the case is closed.


RE: Bad Feeling
By Cript on 8/31/2007 2:28:35 AM , Rating: 2
your argument is moot. 5400 3.5 drives don't exist these days. even if sony were to design the ps3 with such a custom drive, an owner sticking in a 7200/10000 will introduce added vibration, noise, heat, etc that the original design was not meant to handle.

i never compared the ps3 to a laptop. i said sony and others chose a 2.5 for similar reasons laptop makers choose 2.5 drives.

you can't compare your computer case and hdd mounting to a ps3. your drive may be quiet over the noise of whatever else is around it (cpu fan etc), but it may sound different inside a ps3.


RE: Bad Feeling
By Belard on 8/30/2007 7:35:56 PM , Rating: 1
They went with a 2.5" drive for its smaller size, less heat and noise... sure they cost a bit more than a 3.5" drive, but these are gaming consoles that most people don't need 500GB of space.

I see this is a non-issue.

Unlike M$, Sony does give you a choice to install ANY 2.5 drive you want into the PS3. 2-3 screws, pop the cover and replace the drive. With an Adaptor, you can even plug in a 750GB 3.5Drive to a PS3... won't look as nice, but easily possible.

And 4200/5400 RPM 2.5Drives are fast enough. They are not loading up entire VistaOS. There is little to upload and like everything else, RPMs isn't everything. If you compare a 15GB 7200RPM drive from 7 years ago to a modern 500GB 7200RPM drive - the performance difference is there, big time. Talking 20mb per sec transfer to 60~80mb per sec.
(And yea, notebook drives are slower than Desktop drives of the same generation)


RE: Bad Feeling
By afkrotch on 8/30/2007 8:17:42 PM , Rating: 3
There is a lot to load on a PS3's hdd, depending on how you have it setup. I have I think 3 games installed onto the hdd. It helps to decrease my load times, which is always nice.

Now all they have to do is make it so that you can play without the disc. Like having a serial number built into the game and the serial number ties into your Playstation Network account. That would only take place for games installed on the hdd and when you don't have the physical disc in the drive.

If you decide to sell the game, simply remove the game from your Playstation Network account. This would disallow you from using the copy stored on the hdd. Then you can just delete it off the hdd to gain back your space.

Such a scheme would only work with the copy stored on the hdd. Whoever has the disc will always be able to play.


RE: Bad Feeling
By michal1980 on 8/30/2007 10:58:10 AM , Rating: 2
the did with the 20gb one. but changed course quickly. And the goal has been since then for a single sku.

they also want to cut costs so they cut the emition engine from the ps3 in the euro consoles. now the goal is to produce just 1 system, 80gb, that will be basically the same worldwide, once again cost cutting.

the 80gb should be 499 once the 60gb is basically gone. If the game is still in the box for 499 is anyones geuss.


RE: Bad Feeling
By Funksultan on 8/30/2007 11:57:17 AM , Rating: 4
Ken, you're forgetting the development cycle of the console.

When they were building it, 20g and 60g drives sounded like a great idea, and anything larger would have been cost-prohibitive.

There are no new technologies getting introduced (still blu-ray, wi-fi, backward compat, although hardware vs software).

Could anyone care less if there were 10 identical SKUs, with different hard drives/packages included?

I think Sony is just fine for the moment. In the big scheme of things, the horse just left the gate. After this coming holiday season, with some bigger titles, PS Home, and the ton of perifs coming out, if it hasn't broken into a run, then I'd worry.


RE: Bad Feeling
By darkpuppet on 8/30/2007 12:07:21 PM , Rating: 3
I think Sony really had no choice. They were stuck in a corner on the price point. Offering the 2 SKUs made the best of a bad situation.

I think other execs realized something that Kutaragi was too arrogant to realize -- that despite all the positive points of the PS3, the price would be too high to get them into people's houses at the rates needed to compete with the 1+ year old xbox 360.

So what do you do?

You offer a low-end SKU and hedge your bets on launch day.

That the 20Gb model was in such low demand speaks volumes on the demographics of the machine at release -- especially considering that the game library is at least a year away from being something worthy a look from your average household.

So they drop an SKU, and work towards a single global platform -- something that makes the machine more reasonable from a business standpoint... however, you have the whole issue of what was already out there.

I personally think they would have been better off dropping the price of the PS3, and continuing to offer the 60bg model, but without the EE. And then you have that spot for a value bundle with game + larger hdd.

As it stands, the new SKU offers too much confusion regarding the value-add of the bundle... the casual gamer/household may not notice the difference -- but the negative buzz generated by the online community could change that.

Personally, I don't think in the long run, you lose much by dropping the EE (I personally couldn't care as it runs the games I want), but you can get a 160GB 2.5 hdd for < $100, and you'd have just as much fun playing games like stardustHD and calling all cars (or tekken) for the $40 it would cost you for all three of those off the PSN.

I picked up a 60GB model just recently, and to be honest, it's still the better entertainment deal if you work your numbers right....

But in marketing, the 80GB SKU isn't a terrible deal, it's just not an obvious deal.


RE: Bad Feeling
By peritusONE on 8/30/2007 12:12:24 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
That the 20Gb model was in such low demand speaks volumes on the demographics of the machine at release


Here's a tip for the future: don't believe everything Sony tells you.


RE: Bad Feeling
By MonkeyPaw on 8/30/2007 12:33:57 PM , Rating: 5
I'm surprised that Sony's PR machine didn't say something like:

"Before now, you had to buy both the 20GB PS3 and the 60GB PS3 to have a full 80GB of storage space. Now Sony offers a single 80gb model for just $599. The customer now gets 2 PS3's worth of capacity for the price of only one."


RE: Bad Feeling
By SunAngel on 8/30/2007 12:37:51 PM , Rating: 2
Here is another good tip: more is lost through indecision than not.


RE: Bad Feeling
By darkpuppet on 8/30/2007 12:42:14 PM , Rating: 3
other than opening week sales figures, do you have ongoing sales figures for 20gb vs 60gb sales for Jan 2007 thru to the end of the 20gb SKU?

I don't recall there ever being a shortage of 20gb units, so I'd be interested to see how the sales numbers racked up.

I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong, but going to need more factual evidence than your handy "Future Tips"...


RE: Bad Feeling
By h0kiez on 8/30/2007 2:15:04 PM , Rating: 2
That's absolutely incorrect. The sales figures would be no good because there actually WAS a shortage of the 20GB PS3s. At one point, stores would have 1 or zero 20GBs with plenty on store shelves. Sony said it was a "deman" issue and that they were making more of the 60 GB ones because that's what consumers were buying. Me thinks that Sony wanted a $499 price point, but quickly abandoned it or made it difficult to find. It's no secret that they were losing significantly more money on the 20s versus the 60s.


RE: Bad Feeling
By h0kiez on 8/30/2007 2:15:45 PM , Rating: 2
^^should read:

plenty of 60 GBs on store shelves.


RE: Bad Feeling
By Spivonious on 8/30/2007 2:16:39 PM , Rating: 2
There was never a shortage of either version at the stores in my area. And I saw them quite often while looking for a Wii. In fact, most of the time the stores just had 60GB models, with maybe one or two 20GB.


RE: Bad Feeling
By Locutus465 on 8/30/2007 4:15:48 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
And I saw them quite often while looking for a Wii.


lol... That's about the story of the PS3... Went to best buy this sunday to buy Overlord for 360 and noticed a line outside the stores and sales clerks handing out tickets for some reason... Turns out the store just just gotten a shipment of Wii's... I couldn't beleive that after all this time they're still having to do all this speacial stuff, with carts set up specifically for the occation of Wii's being in stock this long after launch...

PS3 on the other hand, there've been plenty on the shelves since lauch week and they don't seem to move :P


RE: Bad Feeling
By tastyratz on 8/30/07, Rating: 0
RE: Bad Feeling
By peritusONE on 8/30/2007 3:43:21 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
other than opening week sales figures, do you have ongoing sales figures for 20gb vs 60gb sales for Jan 2007 thru to the end of the 20gb SKU?

I don't recall there ever being a shortage of 20gb units, so I'd be interested to see how the sales numbers racked up.

I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong, but going to need more factual evidence than your handy "Future Tips"...


I don't have any factual evidence, it's mere common gaming knowledge that Sony was losing MUCH more money on the $499 20GB SKU than the 60GB SKU at launch. With the extreme amount of money they were losing, in order to lessen the bleeding, they had to cut the 20GB SKU out. They only introduced it in order to break that sub-$500 price point, which in itself was unheard of for a console that was looking for mass acceptance akin to the PS1 and PS2.

By the time Feb/March rolled around, the 20GB SKU's were hard as hell to find, and Sony finally admitted in March/April that they had quit making them due to "lack of customer demand". Like I said, I have no factual evidence, but all of us intelligent people know what really happened. It takes a little more than 3-4 months to figure out the demand of a $500 machine.

So, since I have nothing but my wits to back up my statements, I won't argue with you. Think what you will.


RE: Bad Feeling
By Loc13 on 8/30/2007 5:46:10 PM , Rating: 2
Not to mention the 20GB SKU was a great value for those who were willing to upgrade the hard drive and get a wireless usb adapter.


RE: Bad Feeling
By SunAngel on 8/30/2007 6:26:58 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
it's mere common gaming knowledge that Sony was losing MUCH more money


please don't tell us your common knowledge came from he said she said gossip. that's just as bad as quoting the enquirer. here is a tip to put argumentatists in check: SEC quarterly filings. and always remember, the tongue can cause more damage than a pen.


RE: Bad Feeling
By peritusONE on 8/31/2007 8:03:45 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
please don't tell us your common knowledge came from he said she said gossip. that's just as bad as quoting the enquirer.


It was estimated by Merrill Lynch or somebody that Sony was losing around $250 or so on the $599 60GB SKU at launch, and up towards $300 on the $499 20GB SKU. I'll find a link if you really want me to. Others here will back me up on this.

Of course, that cost has gone down over time, but these were launch-time numbers.


RE: Bad Feeling
By Farfignewton on 8/30/2007 10:38:33 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
By the time Feb/March rolled around, the 20GB SKU's were hard as hell to find


I only ever saw one. I tried to get a picture, but bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster blocked my first couple of shots, then the film in my digital camera jammed. ;)

It's probably as close to vaporware as anything that was ever actually made can get.


RE: Bad Feeling
By mars777 on 9/3/2007 9:54:53 AM , Rating: 2
Well Sony lies more or less as any corporation... they are all liers as they need it.

But on the 20GB SKU:
I think that Sony didnt have demand from retailers. Not customers.
When i was in a store here i asked about why they didnt have them on shelves. They said they didn't order any of them since the price is only 700kn(100$) less then the full featured version. And they didnt have high projections for sales. I think they would eventually convince any buyer to spend those 100$ more for a much better product.

And i think it is true. If you can spend 499$ you can spend 599$... If the Wii was 100$ more then it would be a great change in price but for the PS3 it's more or less the same...


RE: Bad Feeling
By retrospooty on 8/30/2007 2:18:06 PM , Rating: 2
"Sony... a bad idea... goofed... problem..."

You can almost fill in the blanks and apply it to any decision Sony has made in the past 5 years. They cant seem to get anything right anymore.


RE: Bad Feeling
By Alexstarfire on 8/30/2007 3:42:58 PM , Rating: 2
Yea, basically. I think they shot off the last toe they had in the PS3 ring. The consumers basically just got screwed over. Sure they have a bigger HDD, I doubt half the people that buy it will use it, but they lose backwards compatibility, from what I understand, which is a pretty significant feature if you ask me. They are basically going from "I might get a PS3 and play all my PS2 games and then play whateever good PS3 games there are" to "This isn't worth playing the 2-3 good PS3 games."


RE: Bad Feeling
By Timeless on 8/30/2007 5:37:03 PM , Rating: 1
Really now? So Sony's decision to make the PS2 was bad? Must be...cause they're rolling in money from the millions of consoles they sold.


RE: Bad Feeling
By retrospooty on 8/30/2007 6:29:24 PM , Rating: 2
urp... the PS2 was developed alot more than 5 years ago.


RE: Bad Feeling
By RubberJohnny on 8/30/2007 8:14:28 PM , Rating: 1
Umm...The decision not to abandon the PS2 was made less than 5 years ago tho.


RE: Bad Feeling
By retrospooty on 8/31/2007 3:59:11 PM , Rating: 2
I am not sure what your point is here... I was responding to a point by timeless stating "So Sony's decision to make the PS2 was bad"

My response said that the PS2 was originally made much more than 5 years ago. Obviously the PS2 was a HUGE seller and a great product decision by Sony. They have not hit anywhere near that mark since. screw up after screw up now.


RE: Bad Feeling
By Locutus465 on 8/30/2007 4:03:24 PM , Rating: 2
I think Sony goofed designing the PS3 so that there really can't be a "cheap" version, and I think they're trying to correct that as best they can with modast price drops and value added content. Over all, not a bad strategy if all you have is high end hardware. However I think Microsoft was smarter than sony this time around... They've designed the x-box so realistically it can complete in the "low end" sector against Wii and last gen consoles, "Mid Range" sector, where really they are the only competition, and "High End" sector against sony with the Elite.

Disclaimer for any fan boys out there:
My grouping of "low end"/"mid range"/"high end" has more to do with pricing and addtional included hardware features rather than the general "funness" of the platform or ability to compete in the next gen battle. Personally I have a Wii and a 360 and love them both. No PS3 because... Really... the 360 (Premium) was only just barely in my price range, stretching things a bit :P


RE: Bad Feeling
By dtuname on 8/30/2007 6:18:21 PM , Rating: 1
Master Kenobi:
http://www.dailytech.com/Microsoft+Gets+Official+W...
quote:
Anyone saying otherwise is spreading FUD.

quote:
I'm again quite fed up with the amount of FUD that is being generated over this.


Your anti-Sony FUD is more annoying.

The PS3 is matching the Xbox 360 in worldwide sales:
http://vgchartz.com/hwcomps.php?cons1=Wii®1=All...

The XBox 360 has failed in Japan. Worldwide demand for the PS3 is stronger than then the Xbox 360's. The Xbox 360 is too hardcore for normal people and the PS3 will easily outsell it.


RE: Bad Feeling
By Locutus465 on 8/30/2007 11:27:01 PM , Rating: 2
where do you get.... any of this? X-Box too hardcore? More demand for a $500 PS3 than the 360 which starts at $270? About the only thing you've said that I could support is that the x-box is a loser in Japan, which it is thus far unless they come out with more games like blue dragon. Besides the lack of Japanese friendly RPG titles, the rest of the x-box lineup is quite strong.

Fact is, Sony needs to realign their pricing/value strategy the best they can, as soon as they can. They'll be in the game once they can do that, if they fail they'll miss the main stream market... probably everywhere.


STILL concerned more about games
By VoodooChicken on 8/30/2007 1:34:46 PM , Rating: 2
I was tempted to go for the $499 system and 5 movies but didn't. While that would get me a nice blu-ray player AND a high-end gaming system, as of right this minute there isn't much to motivate me to actually play/buy PS3 games. I was even considering buying now and waiting for Resident Evil 5, but the trailers haven't inspired me, so I'll wait and see.




RE: STILL concerned more about games
By Murst on 8/30/2007 1:53:30 PM , Rating: 3
The $100 drop is what actually got me to get a PS3. I'm fully expecting the 80gb price to drop to $499 too, but to me the ps1 & ps2 compability is more valuable than 20gb hdd space.

Also, I'd be surprised if sony didn't announce the 80gb price drop in the next week or two. Some people may actually find an even better deal on the 60gb ps3 then, since it would also likely receive a price drop for the remaining units in the stores.


RE: STILL concerned more about games
By Polynikes on 8/30/2007 2:51:15 PM , Rating: 2
I really want to buy a 60GB PS3 for the backwards compatibility, but I can't justify the cost. When Gran Turismo 5 and Metal Gear Solid 4 come out, I'll be more likely to be able to justify the cost, but by then I expect the 60GB SKU to be long gone.


By RubberJohnny on 8/30/2007 8:22:48 PM , Rating: 2
Why does it matter if you spend the money now or latter?
Its not like that $500 is going to earn you mega interest sitting around in the bank, those games will come out eventually and in the mean time you can use the BR drive and have your backwards compatibility.


Easy money for Sony
By rcsinfo on 8/30/2007 11:19:19 AM , Rating: 2
Seeing that the ps3 uses a standard 2.5 SATA drive, paying $100 for a 20GB jump in capacity seems like a pretty good deal for Sony. If a price cut comes out on the 80GB, introducing a 120GB version for an extra $100 would be easy money for them.




RE: Easy money for Sony
By peritusONE on 8/30/2007 12:09:40 PM , Rating: 2
Ya, but then they are really alienating their customers. It's been less than a month and a half since we've seen 80GB SKU's on the shelf, and if Sony drops the price of that SKU $100 within 2 months' time, they are really going to piss some people off. Then introducing yet another SKU at $599 with another larger hard drive would look very bad on them.

Sony has themselves in a pickle, because they have no choice but to drop the price of the 80GB SKU once the 60GB SKU runs out, otherwise regular consumers will see it as a price increase, and will buy the almost half-priced premium 360 instead. Believe it or not, most everyone still has no interest in a next-gen HD dvd player.


RE: Easy money for Sony
By SunAngel on 8/30/07, Rating: 0
RE: Easy money for Sony
By bfonnes on 8/30/2007 6:56:27 PM , Rating: 2
You missed the point entirely... The drive on a Sony PS3 uses the same interface as 2.5" notebook drives. Essentially, you can buy a standard market priced drive for the machine. The 80 GB model actually costs less to manufacture, I believe. You could buy a 60 GB model PS3, take out the HDD, put in an 80 GB model HDD and still pay less than you would for the 80 GB PS3 machine.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...

You wouldn't buy a car if you knew you were getting ripped off. Which, btw, is exactly the reason why I never have and never will buy a US car. Good analogy :)


RE: Easy money for Sony
By Locutus465 on 8/30/2007 11:35:42 PM , Rating: 2
I never did understand the argument that adding value and dropping the price on a product would some how anger Sony customers in anyway (for any product).

Early adopters should expect to not get the best deal/value, the reason why they buy early is because they want new gadgets now.... I imagine current PS3 owners would just continue buying more games/movies and possibly think to them selves "damn, I should have waited a while... oh well.."


Now official.
By agent2099 on 8/30/2007 10:59:43 AM , Rating: 2
As if we didn't see this coming a mile away. It will be interesting to see how long it take sony to Drop the 80GB model to $499. Sales are sure to dry up as long as the only SKU available is $600.




RE: Now official.
By Chaser on 8/30/2007 11:25:40 AM , Rating: 3
The price of the PS3 going to $599 for only 20GBs more storage will be viewed by most as an increase right after a fairly decent pricing decrease. I don't think Sony will do this. More than likely the 80GB wil claim the $499 price tag or they will aty least sweeten the deal with even more throw ins. But something will have to give.

This reputable market analyst agrees: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=...


RE: Now official.
By allnighter on 8/30/2007 11:36:57 AM , Rating: 2
If I'd have to guess - most likely right around the launch of Halo 3 is when we could see an official price cut on the 80gb sku. Maybe even a little sooner, just to get some people thinking about it.


Much better than iPod
By rcreyes on 8/30/2007 12:11:05 PM , Rating: 1
I read an in-depth review of the Japanese market version of this video Walkman, and the point was made that it offers far higher sound quality than the iPod Nano, which is not surprising, considering that the Japanese consumers are so much more sophisticated than Western consumers.

The video is excellent on it; I own one that I ordered on eBay. The US version will not require SonicStage, to satisfy US consumers who can't figure out how to screw in a lightbulb.

I myself shy away from iPods, since I don't want to buy the same type of gadget than pubescent girls with painted fingernails buy. Y'all can have your crappy iPods; I'll take the Sony!




RE: Much better than iPod
By kileil on 8/30/2007 2:08:11 PM , Rating: 3
You don't look like you're from around this here thread, son..


RE: Much better than iPod
By bfonnes on 8/30/2007 6:47:39 PM , Rating: 2
lol, yeah, this is a little odd.


The 80GB PS3 box says "Limited Edition" on it.
By dtuname on 8/30/2007 6:24:40 PM , Rating: 2
It's also cheaper to make than the 60GB version, so it will most likely drop to $499 or lower (probably without the game).




By afkrotch on 8/30/2007 10:17:05 PM , Rating: 3
Actually the prices of a 60 and 80 gig hdd on Newegg.

60gb 5400rpm - $48.99
80gb 5400rpm - $55.99

Now the 80gb PS3 lacks the PS2 components, so that knocks off $20. So really, the 80gb version is cheaper to produce than the old 60gb version (minus the 60gb EE-less in the EU).


By Nik00117 on 8/30/2007 3:47:33 PM , Rating: 1
Sony your making bad decisions. I have read all dailytech articles about you guys, and the predictions which I thought made most sense, WERE TRUE!

Your price dropped increased your sales, everyone said it would.

Your decision to bring your price back up will SLAUGHTER your sales, your playing mind games with your consumers and they aren't likeing it.

Get with the picture, get a console out and enjoy it. Its patheic when the new shit can't outsell the old shit.




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