Sat 14 Jul 2007
2:07 am
Less than a week ago, Sony announced a $100 price cut for the 60GB version of the PlayStation 3, bringing the asking price down to $499. An 80GB model is also in the works, and it will retail for $599.
Do you like magic tricks, kiddos? I certainly hope so, because Sony just made the 60GB model disappear. Once supply runs out, the days of the $499 PS3 will have come to an end. Then there will be only one model for sale, and it will cost… that's right: $599.
Essentially, Sony played the public relations machine like a champ. They generated a huge buzz about a "price drop" just before E3, talked about how wonderful they were for doing so at their presser, and then quietly released the rest of the story once the smell of virgins cleared Barker Hangar.
Of course, the news isn't all bad. That $599 now buys you an extra 20GB and a copy of MotorStorm. But the sad reality is that the previously stated price drop is nothing more than a clearance sale.
Now you see it, now you don't. How's that for a trick?
Leave a Reply
July 14th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
WOW… that’s like — really uh, lame. Lame for new customers who aren’t forunate to get the previous model before the stock runs out. I think they should continue to offer both as an option especially since some may not care about the pack-in or the extra 20 gigs.
July 15th, 2007 at 1:47 am
What I think blows about this comes from how they’re willing to remove a component called “Emotion engine” and yet have the nerve to jack us an extra $100 when you consider the hacked excess costs more then they make a big deal out of. For the people who want their PS2 games emulated properly, this will come as a huge blow now that they have to wait for the software to update like 360 and even then it’ll come with a few comparability issues.
Buy now or wait till Christmas kids!
July 16th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Is this the right move for Sony? The price drop to $500 generated so much buzz because gamers wanted to get their hands on the PS3 without breaking the bank, and it made Sony’s system seem competitive with the 360 price wise.
Now that Sony’s made it clear that it’s just product clearance, why do they think the bigger, bundle packed PS3 is going to be more successful at $600 than the 60GB model was? This could end up being worse than if Sony had done nothing - once those $500 units are gone, expect a big drought in PS3 sales.