News Analysts urge Sony to drop PS3 price

Just checked, and frankly, they're so close it's unreasonable to expect it to be cheaper.

Game.co.uk: 80gb MGS4 bundle: RRP 339.99, actual price, £309.99
Gamestop.com 80gb PS3 + MGS4 (Couldn't find a bundle), $459.98. UK price EX VAT: £263.26, VAT of £46.07, total of £309.33.

I'd say that's pretty ****ing close.

Edit: Just as a reference:

Game.co.uk: Xbox 360 Elite + Kung Fu Panda+Lego Indiana Jones: £289.97
Gamestop.com: Elite + Kung Fu Panda+Lego Indiana Jones: $399.99: £228.91 EX VAT: £268.97 INC VAT.

Also pretty damn close.

Second edit: Not to say that we don't get shafted, we do, but in this situation the shafting is not as bad as it seems.

 

id rather go love a roll of fibreglass insulation then a 360 and the **** being made for it.

 

I kind of agree with the Analysts. They already have fierce competition, and even with current pricing (except for last month) were selling more units worldwide than Microsoft with the cheaper console. I think Sony's problem, is that they seem unwilling to go below $300 USD right now. Everytime they drop the price on one unit, it's because they are phasing it out, and bringing in a new, updated SKU to keep the price at $300. I just wish they would let their hardware depreciate so that the price drops. I have the original 60GB model, and I am more than happy to upgrade the drive when it gets full. It's cheap enough to do so without Sony doing it for me in a new SKU and maintaining the price.

Liratheal:

LittleBigPlanet
Metal Gear Solid 4
Ratchet and Clank
Motorstorm 2
Uncharted

 

I figured out most of them (Especially MGS4.. On playthrough six on that badboy), LBP and R&C, but I've never seen the MS2/UC abreviation in relation to those games :B

 

Ah, the old PS3 cost issue...again. I think Sony's problem is that there's no cheap and cheerful model available and people seem to do a direct comparison between the X360 'core' and the PS3. But by the time you addon a HDD, WiFi dongle, rechargable battery packs/cables and the monthly Live subscription, don't they come out a similar price?

I managed to pick up my 40GB PS3 for £150 (2nd hand) and I'm very happy with it - it oozes quality compared to the cheap 360, but lacks a great software library.

Don't get me wrong, they're both great consoles, but in my eyes the reduced price of the 'core' 360 doesn't make up for it's Microsoftisms (hardware failures, jet engine inspired fans etc).

 

Just an FYI: The 'core' is not a console, it's a.. Thing :B Also, I did an indirect comparison of an elite and a PS3 a few posts ago - There's only £30 difference, so the whole.. 'it's cheaper' argument is a fat load anyway

 

liratheal; yeah, i've just done a quick comparison (via play.com) and worked out the following;

PS3 80GB - £299.99

X360 Core - £129.99
20GB HDD - £64.99
Play and charge kit - £12.99
WiFi dongle - £54.99
3 month Live subscription - £15
= £277.96

...but swap the 20GB HDD for the 120GB one and that brings the total to £302.92.

 

Not really a fair comparrisson:

Elite: £219.99
or 60GB: £164.99
So adding up:

Elite: £302.97 (WTF? More expensive by 5p???)
60GB: £247.97

 

That 5p is the black dye and HDMI :B

 

All the new console should have HDMI. Microsofts 360s are all the same internally now (or should be unless you get a refurb)

 

DOH. Forgot they all transfered over.

In that case, it's just some very good plastic dye

 

I need the price to come down before I can buy one, but as its only 1 game i want to play that could add to it. A ps3 GT5 and a logitech G25 is a big slug of money.

 

Just wondering, but does anyone know enough about the hardware in the ps3 for example to spec out that hardware and figure out what it would cost to make a pc with the same (or comparable) hardware? I'm just wondering which would cost more. Never mind things like the monitor/keyboard. Just the internals.

And I’m not trying to make a point here, I’m just curious. I’d do it myself but I don’t know much about what’s in the consoles these days.

 

Someone did, but you can't really compare directly, a console has a minimal OS, it's highly optimised and is a lot faster then any desktop OS.

 

In the United States:

If we were to compare (apple to apples) both consoles based on MSRP then the scenario would be:

Arcade = 200 console + 50 Live + 100 20GB HDD + 100 Wireless = $450 + tax = ~$483

80GB Core = 400 console + 60 HDMI = ~$494

360 in the end is $10 cheaper.

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If we base it on PriceGrabber (products still new & including shipping) then the scenario would be:

Arcade = 202.98 (Circuit City) + 38.92 (Newegg) + 62.94 (Amazon merchant) + 81.06 (Amazon merchant) = $385.90

80GB Core = 402.98 (Circuit City) + 17.98 (Sony 5' @ PriceGrabber merchant w/ good reviews) = $420.96

PS3 is $35.83 more.

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In both examples, don't forget that:

• 2nd year of LIVE take you to the current price of the 80GB Core PS3.

• 360 offers no HD movie playback

• If you want rechargeable battery packs that's an added cost for 360

It depends on how you compare the two, as well as what you expect/want from a console. In PS3's case, consumers are comparing the two based on initial cost, not features and/or longterm cost which isn't really fair IMO.

P.S. Of course there are great deals out there, but to keep things fair, these were the best/fairest comparisons I could put together.

 

well face it, if sony advertises a price cut, even if the ps3's price is very close already to the 360, it's good publicity for sony atleast, psychologically even if you dont see the numbers, a price cut brings joy to the ears of the consumers IMHO

 

Guys, I don't really have much to add but I wanted to say thanks for the interesting discussion. I'm on the console fence at the moment, I had a Wii but got bored with the handful of games and sold it on. I haven't gone for the 360 as I don't like the fact that I'd have to pay to play online and that it doesn't do wireless out of the box and the PS3 still "feels" expensive so it's interesting to hear other opinions.

 

NP gargoyle. I own a PS3 and play on 360 regularly as well, so I know what both have to offer. With that said, when I see one getting dogged on in an unfair way, I want to help defend it so that people (such as yourself) will look at both sides. Ask yourself what games you want to play. If you own a PC, then most of the exclusives on 360 will (more than likely) be hitting the PC, so that's something PS3 owners (who own a PC as well) can benefit from. 360 has the lowest initial cost, but if you want all of the accessories, or see yourself needing them (and price is a factor) then you might want to consider that you will be spending around the same as a PS3, but if not then 360 is a better choice. Again, there are plenty of variables. You sound like an intelligent guy, so I know you will weigh all of them.

 

but you get your moneys worth out of that £300. i bought it on launch for £425 (dont moan about $600 thats cheap for me) and i still think that it was a very good price for what i was getting the PS3 does, as said before, OOZE quality, it feels expensive it looks expensive. you cant deny that the PS3 is a great console. alot of people are saying there arent many good games for the PS3 but i have 12 ps3 games and 8 of them are exclusive (this is what i currently have and doesnt incluse what i have traded in).

alot of the games on 360 bar Gears just dont interest me, im not joking GoW is the only 360 game to make me go "WOW" i havent been impresed by any other xbox game, but this is my opinion and its the reasohn why i have a PS3.

A price drop would be welcomed by everyone but sony cant afford to drop the price unfortuneatly(sp?)