Sony considers slashing price of PS3 console

[Tan]

By Mariko Sanchanta in Tokyo
Published: April 19 2007 03:00 | Last updated: April 19 2007 03:00

Sony is reconsidering its pricing strategy for the PlayStation 3 in an effort to ignite sluggish sales in Japan and the crucial US market.

Ryoji Chubachi, Sony's president, said yesterday: "We are re-examining our [PS3] budgeting process in terms of pricing and volume. Sales assumptions change and the market is competitive. We are in the midst of revisiting our strategy for the PS3." Mr Chubachi also said he thought Sony had hit its bullish shipment target of 6m consoles at the end of March.

[Tondog]

Good news for all of us.

[Tynstar]

Sony should of learned from history. But it is good news.

[OatBob]

I doubt Japan will get that cut.  They already have it at a much lower price at Â¥59,980 (US$505) compared to the USA's $599 or Britain's whopping £425 (US$696).

[James]

I doubt Japan will get that cut.  They already have it at a much lower price at Â¥59,980 (US$505) compared to the USA's $599 or Britain's whopping £425 (US$696).

Where have you been? The exchange rate was at £1/$1.99 the other day. So £425 is more like ~$850.

Edit: In fact there are now $2 per £1.

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

Thank god they listened to me

[Tan]

Update

Sony has moved to deny reports that the company is considering an early price cut for the PlayStation 3 in North America and Japan, despite comments by Sony president Ryoji Chubachi which appeared to suggest just such a move may be forthcoming.

Chubachi was originally interviewed by British newspaper The Financial Times, in which he stated, "We are re-examining our [PS3] budgeting process in terms of pricing and volume. Sales assumptions change and the market is competitive. We are in the midst of revisiting our strategy for the PS3."

Despite the relatively unambiguous nature of his comments, Sony has moved quickly to refute the story, with spokeswoman Mami Imada saying in a statement that, “PS3 prices and shipment plans for the future should be determined by market trends and competition. Sony currently doesn't have any specific plan to cut the PlayStation 3's price”.

The high price of the PlayStation 3 console has been widely blamed as the primary reason for a perceived lax demand for the hardware. However, the current high cost of manufacturing the console has previously been seen as a serious obstacle to an early price cut by Sony.

Elsewhere, Sony has recently been indicating that its global game group operations may see more 'streamlining measures' such as those recently proposed by SCEE which threatened to cut nearly 10 percent of its workforce.

SCE spokesman Satoshi Fukuoka spoke to Reuters, indicating that "....other regional operations, such as those in the United States and Japan, could also take some streamlining measures," though he adds that "nothing has been decided."

from Gamasutra

[Tynstar]

Wow that is some big news.

[captain_nintendo]

That doesn't look good.

[phoenix1967]

It's never a good thing when jobs are cut.

Maybe we should give the Sony people that lose their jobs T-shirts saying "Will work for a Blu-Ray player"...oh wait, that's what's going to cost them their jobs in the first place!

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

That job cut's just the machines taking over.

Anyways, Sony is so fucking retarded I have no pity for them. They released a kickass system with no games...WTF? Now, to get back in the market, they should cut prices by AT LEAST $100 in coordination with some popular game releases, if they can get the systems sold they'll make the money, but there's currently no reason to have one for the fanboys of either SONY or the selective games.

[Tan]

That job cut's just the machines taking over.

Anyways, Sony is so fucking retarded I have no pity for them. They released a kickass system with no games...WTF? Now, to get back in the market, they should cut prices by AT LEAST $100 in coordination with some popular game releases, if they can get the systems sold they'll make the money, but there's currently no reason to have one for the fanboys of either SONY or the selective games.

It's interesting to note that no company has dominated for three straight generations of systems in a row. Also that the system with the most potential as far as hardware goes tends to underperform and undersell.

In the face of that even Sony's huge fanbase isn't helping them much. As you said it's the no games that's killing them, even more than the price. The price only hurts so much as it makes it seem unreasonable to spend that kind of money without games to play.

[OatBob]

It's a shame that they have to bank as much money on Blu-Ray and the PS3 as much as they do.  I used to really like Sony products back in the day.  Give me the Walkman!!  Anyways, their HD televisions are pretty sharp, and I would bet if they hadn't stopped caring as much about the portable music market they could have beat the ipod to the punch. 

[Tondog]

Even all this "bad news" isn't driving me away from PS3. I'm still getting one this fall for Ratchet and Clank Future, and nothing will change that fact.

[Tynstar]

Even all this "bad news" isn't driving me away from PS3. I'm still getting one this fall for Ratchet and Clank Future, and nothing will change that fact.

That's fanboy vision at its best.