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A PS3 price cut will be extremely popular

by Mike Bantick

Tuesday, 19 June 2007

This will be the single most obvious statement I can make about the current state of play in the next-gen gaming console race. Sony, if you make the price cut, the consumers will come.

Last week we at iTWire ran a story with the headline ‘Sony ponders a “refinement” of PS3 price’. That headline and story implied that a possible reduction in ticket price for the PlayStation 3 was on the way.

Chairman and CEO of Sony, Howard Stringer was asked about a possible price adjustment, his answer; “…we are trying to refine [the price cut] …”.

This confirmed to the masses that there is a price cut coming for the PS3, probably towards the end of the year.

This story was one of the most popular of the day for iTWire. Across the interweb, also it was obvious that this little statement generated a flood of interest as the gaming community absorbed the long expected announcement.

What happens next is completely in the hands of the Sony bean-counters. Right now those frugal technologists that have held off buying, will continue to hang on to their money. Now that Stringer has implied an impending price cut, why wouldn't you?.

Sony, if you cut the price of the AU$999 Blu-ray, multi-media, gaming device, sales will (by comparison to now) rocket.

Still maybe you are right to hold off the ‘refinement’ for now, wait until more of those juicy exclusive PS3 games hit the market (Lair, HAZE, Final Fantasy XIII, Metal Gear Solid 4, Gran Turismo 5, Warhawk) and then give us more incentive in the form of cold hard currency. Well at least the option to part with less of it.

Blu-ray is not going to win the game console war for you, in fact – given the woeful load times on some of the PS3 titles – Blu-ray does not seem to be a great format for gaming. What might win the war, are great exclusive games, and – as can be seen by the Wii’s success – a comfortable price point in the market. Right now - especially in the Australian market where we are paying the equivalent of US$850 for our PS3 fun - the PS3 is not the gaming platform of choice.
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