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Not so fast, Sony

Sony has some high expectations for its PlayStation 3 gaming console which is expected to launch worldwide on November 17th. Sony representatives are aiming to sell six million units of the console by the end of March 2007.

Some Taiwanese industry leaders, on the other hand, are rather skeptical of that figure. While Sony has a strong presence currently in the console market with its aging PlayStation 2 and dominates its home market, there are many other factors in play which could limit its initial sales success. DigiTimes reports:

The pricing of the PS3 (US$499 for the 20GB model and US$599 for the 60GB model) is so high as to make consumers hesitate; the PS3 features built-in Blu-ray Disc (BD) compatibility, but currently the availability of BD players and drives is very limited, and the price level is very high. As well, the appeal to BD compatibility for the PS3 may be unfavorable to successful marketing of BD players and drives by Sony and other brands.

For comparison, Microsoft has shipped 3.3 million Xbox 360s since it launched in November of 2005. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, however, has boldly stated the Microsoft will sell 10 million units of its Xbox 360 before either console from Sony or Nintendo reaches the market. Can Microsoft sell 6.7 million units between now and November 17th?


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Too high.
By Kilim on 5/11/2006 10:43:21 AM , Rating: 3
I am a manager of a Gamestop store. When people come in and I tell them how much it costs, they almost always have a look of shock on their face. Especially when I tell them how many features the $500 dollar version is missing. I was also expecting way more calls about when pre-orders would start.

Of course, this is just my store, but other manangers have told me the same thing. I am sure the PS3 will sell well initially, but the casuals will go to the Wii and the 360. I still sell each 360 I get very quickly, I even sell the core 360 units when I get them.

Sony may have priced themselves out of the lead in this console generation.




RE: Too high.
By Ckilla on 5/11/2006 11:17:27 AM , Rating: 2
im not sure what they are crying about? 600 is a steal if the graphics are even close to a pc... I paid 280$ just for my 6800gt. This price isn't that high just counsel gamers are used a lower standard.

fyi.. im a broke college student with a 20k loan over his head, just for one year so, dont go sayin im rich and that not everone has as much money as me... it's called saving for what you want.


RE: Too high.
By Bull Dog on 5/11/2006 11:33:30 AM , Rating: 3
What you don't seem to get is that the PS3 is only a *little* bit more powerful (in terms of pixel pushing power), than the Xbox360. At best, the PS3 costs 25% more than the Xbox360 and you will not be getting 25% more performance.


RE: Too high.
By rushfan2006 on 5/11/2006 11:47:48 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
im not sure what they are crying about? 600 is a steal if the graphics are even close to a pc... I paid 280$ just for my 6800gt. This price isn't that high just counsel gamers are used a lower standard.


You actually pretty much answered your own argument. The demographics between the "average" console player and the "average" PC player have ALWAYS since I can remember indicated a sect of the population who just want to play games at the most economical level. The people who by the $280-$350 video card are NOT in step with the profile of the "average" console gamer.

Furthermore, you are a college student, 20k loan...I'll make an assumption there that you are full time student? At best, unless you know family who own a business or such - but you already said you aren't rich, you probably work 30 hours on the side a week to pay your car expenses and probably cover food expenses too.

That's a huge world from the folks who support families, mortgages, children, etc. etc. -- you know the folks people on these forums call the "casual gamers" (ironically these "casual gamers" severely outnumber the self proclaimed "hard core" gamers -- research it online..you'll see what I mean). Well casual gamers don't have the money to toss $600 on a game box for little Johnny, heck $300 was hard enough to afford for the second gen systems.





RE: Too high.
By chrnochime on 5/11/2006 12:44:28 PM , Rating: 2
Well casual gamers as defined by some other sources as those who play free games or join in on online poker games like texas hold-em and what not. Even those flash-based games are quite popular too, as well as games like marble drop, etc. Following that line of reasoning these gamers won't even bother buying the current generation of console, let alone 360 et al...

Having that blu-ray built-in and the ability to play PS3 games should prove convincing enough for someone to hand out 600. Seeing that the husband(face it most females don't play games) can at least justify with its movie playback capability and costing "only" 60% of an actual blu-ray player, the wife might be much more inclined to go along with the purchase.

WTH are kids these days given brand spanking new next-gen systems anyway. It's not like parents must buy them the newest video system that's available. Parents who want to do this need to set their priorities straight; spoiling their children only make it more difficult for them later on in life....


RE: Too high.
By Trisped on 5/11/2006 12:47:50 PM , Rating: 2
Why pay $600 for a blue-ray player when you can get an HD-DVD player for $500? The systems are so similar I think cost is going to be the major factor.


RE: Too high.
By sxr7171 on 5/11/2006 2:04:33 PM , Rating: 2
By December both HD-DVD and Blu-ray players will be in the $300 range.

First of all $500 for an HD-DVD player right now is peanuts. I paid $1200 for my first DVD player. I've never seen a new format launch with such a cheap player.


RE: Too high.
By Yawgm0th on 5/11/2006 3:58:10 PM , Rating: 2
You paid $280 for a 6800GT?! Are we talking USD here, or did you mean 7900GT? A 6800GT isn't worth $180.


RE: Too high.
By Ckilla on 5/11/2006 6:07:34 PM , Rating: 2
not recently..... like a year ago before the 7800-7900 series was released


RE: Too high.
By sxr7171 on 5/11/2006 2:02:24 PM , Rating: 2
Good keep telling them the truth. The $500 is pretty worthless unless you want to watch Blu-Ray movies in SD.


RIP PS3
By Araxen on 5/11/2006 12:15:52 PM , Rating: 5
Sony has definately outpriced themselves now. I know when I heard the $600 I thought I'm gonna wait till at least it hits $300. Also for $600 I'm very afraid of buying the first run consoles of the PS3. It just seems all thrown together at the last minute and I'm very afraid it's going to plagued with design defects.

I loved the last two playstations but the PS3 is out of my price range I'm willing to pay for a console. I'll stick to my PC gaming and the Wii for my console this time around.




RE: RIP PS3
By sxr7171 on 5/11/2006 2:10:29 PM , Rating: 2
You loved PS2 because you didn't have a Dreamcast. Then you would have seen some real creativity in gaming.

Anyhow, good call on PS3. It will be terribly difficult to program for and have a small installed base due to the atrocious price and developers are just going to develop for Wii and Xbox 360.

To me PS3 sounds like a bunch of hardware and empty promises, while Wii just looks like a good time waiting to happen. I can't wait to get it in and have friends over to play. Just watching the E3 presentation I know it will be a fun time. That's what gaming is about - good games and fun times not some jack of all trades - master of none mega hardware box that everyone is fixated on because it says "Sony" on it.


RE: RIP PS3
By Araxen on 5/11/2006 4:08:07 PM , Rating: 2
I didn't buy the Dreamcast because it was a failed system from the get go. It's funny seeing all these dreamcast fanboi's come out of the closest trying to justify the money they spent on a failed console.


But we all agree on Wii?
By CyberRaven2 on 5/11/2006 2:44:17 PM , Rating: 3
Reading all the above posts, it seems to me, some will get the 360, some the PS3, but everyone seems to be saying they'll get a Wii as well...

It seems the real winner in this round could well be Nintendo. I know I showed my wife the demo of the Wii from E3 and she (who doesn't like gaming too much, and hates me buying stuff) said she quite fancied a go on it!

360? PS3? It's Wii all the way




RE: But we all agree on Wii?
By sxr7171 on 5/11/2006 3:22:24 PM , Rating: 2
Everyone wants a Wii. Man I convinced my girlfriend to try out the DS and she is now addicted to it. That's what it's all about. Back to grassroots. People go to the store and drop $200 and come home and enjoy themselves. Simple, cheap and easy. Now that is gaming!


RE: But we all agree on Wii?
By Hippiekiller on 5/11/2006 5:14:13 PM , Rating: 2
Ya from all boards it seems to be going that way: people wanting just Wii or saying im gonna get XXX and Wii.


RE: But we all agree on Wii?
By 9nails on 5/13/2006 1:01:30 AM , Rating: 2
It would be tits if they really went grassroots and packed in a game like they used to. SNES plus Mario World was one of my fondest purchases of a game system. If Nintendo droped in a game, I would feel like I was stealing the Wii! That would make my year.


PS3 BD dependent
By Trisped on 5/11/2006 12:45:05 PM , Rating: 1
PS3 success hinges on it being a Blue-Ray player just like the PS2 became popular because it was a cheep DVD player. If Microsoft comes out with a HD-DVD and X360 bundle for $450-$500 then the carpet will be pulled out from under Sony’s feet. Since the systems are similarly powered, but PS3 is reportedly harder to program for and much more expensive that playing field is at best level. At worst, the field is in favor of the 360.
Wii availability in the US at launch is unknown. After the less then stellar Game Cube sails in US I don’t blame Nintendo for being cautious.
As for the PC market, for $600 I could build a computer with processing power equal to the PS3. For $300 more I could build one that had the same video power, plays TV, does everything else I need a computer to do (word processing, surf the internet, hack or mod games) and have 8.1 HD audio.

quote:
Can Microsoft sell 6.7 million units between now and November 17th? My Magic 8-Ball says that they will come up way short.
Really Brandon, I thought reporters were suppose to be objective.




RE: PS3 BD dependent
By Brandon Hill (blog) on 5/11/2006 1:48:00 PM , Rating: 3
Comment removed. Sorry for any harm caused


RE: PS3 BD dependent
By sxr7171 on 5/11/2006 2:17:06 PM , Rating: 2
No Brandon you had the right to express your educated opinion. 6.7 million additional units by December, yeah right. I just see stacks of 360 boxes at Best Buy and no buyers, and no new games worth a damn to entice any purchase of those boxes.


RE: PS3 BD dependent
By Ckilla on 5/11/2006 6:14:32 PM , Rating: 2
Really, $300? Are you going to get the components to build this machine from a 5 finger discount? Give me proof until then ....pfffff


PS3
By Ianirvin on 5/11/2006 11:00:44 AM , Rating: 3
Die hard sony fans will still be buying the system for atleast 6 months after the system realese and supplies will be short, the system will not outsell the wii and though I do expect it to outsell microsofts 360 (unless it actualy finds a title people want to play) I do not expect it to do so by much. Everyone keeps bringing it back to the 360 when they talk about the PS3, saying that people will buy one at the cheaper price instead of the PS3, if people diside based on price they will go to the wii, let us not all forget that the 360 is still a wapping 399. Sony used the PS3 to push thier blu-ray tech, that is why the price is soo high, it was a wise disision on sonys part as giving thier system the abillity to play thier format of high def dvds and making it the first widly purhcased by comsumers (right now the cheapist blu ray player is atleast $1000 and there is no change in sight) will give them a major advantage over HD-DVD and could win it for them. Unfortunatly for those of us who do not plan on going HD it is not an important development. I will buy a PS3 for sure, and I suspect a wii but that all depends on if they diside to bungle things somehow like they oh so like to do.




RE: PS3
By michal1980 on 5/11/06, Rating: -1
RE: PS3
By rorymanzaroli on 5/11/2006 11:54:24 AM , Rating: 2
have to agree with you there


RE: PS3
By CKDragon on 5/11/2006 3:29:50 PM , Rating: 2
You have a good point. IF you're willing to pay $500 for an HD-DVD/Blu-ray player, the PS3 or Xbox 360+add on are both good deals.

HOWEVER, how many people are lining up to buy these next-gen DVD format players for $500? Most of the people I know won't even consider the purchase until they're < $300 and I personally won't buy them until around $150. So for me, the $5-600 console price is still expensive.

I'm sure the high-tech, early adopter crowd at AT may disagree with that sentiment, but I believe I'm in the majority that WILL NOT pay $500 for a slightly improved DVD player.

CK


I still need an HDTV first...
By 9nails on 5/13/2006 12:54:57 AM , Rating: 2
All of the content on my TV is standard definition. My TV is of the 50" variety. And spending $2,000+ for a TV sounds a bit ludicris for me. I also don't look forward to switching my DVD library to the next standard. Anyone offering a trade-up program? For me, a PS3 is a waste of money. And I would be just as happy with a Revolution. (I refuse to call it a Wii!).

I figure that in 2 or 3 years from now prices will be better, and I might change my opinion on the whole HD TV and PS3 thing. That's assuming Sony lasts that long.




1 system or 2?
By djcameron on 5/11/2006 11:50:59 AM , Rating: 2
I'd rather have a 360($400) AND a Wii($200) than a PS3($600). Plus, by the time either Blu-ray or hd-dvd becomes usable in most households, we'll already be on to the next-next-gen consoles.




RE: 1 system or 2?
By michal1980 on 5/11/06, Rating: -1
Owned!!
By MoMoJuice on 5/11/06, Rating: -1
"Intel is investing heavily (think gazillions of dollars and bazillions of engineering man hours) in resources to create an Intel host controllers spec in order to speed time to market of the USB 3.0 technology." -- Intel blogger Nick Knupffer

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