Back in May, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI)
president Ken Kutaragi was quoted as saying that the $499 and $599 price points
for its PlayStation 3 were "probably too cheap."
Today, Sony CEO Howard stringer again defended the steep price of entry and
justified its pricing structure to the best of his ability.
"The price of the PS3 is high... But you're paying for
potential. Obviously, it's a higher-risk strategy as all new inventions are.
But if the PS3 lives up to its total potential, then I don't think anyone will
be worried about Nintendo or Xbox's cheaper price," said Stringer.
Considering that consumers feel that a console purchase to be a long-term
investment, Stringer feels that the PlayStation 3 is more
future-proof which will allow potential customers to justify the price tag.
Stringer also notes that Hollywood studios may be the ones
who determine whether HD DVD or Blu-ray wins this battle. Gamesindustry.biz reports:
Stringer went on to
concede that Hollywood movie studios, currently divided over whether to support
Blu-Ray or Toshiba's rival HD-DVD format, could ultimately determine who wins
the next-gen war. However, the Sony CEO believes that film execs are
"beginning to sense, in Blu-Ray, that the pendulum is swinging, and
swinging for a clear reason" - namely that Blu-Ray discs can store more
data.