PSP price to drop to $149 this holiday season?
by Blake Snow 
{ Aug 11th 2006 at 9:00PM }
Chris Morris from CNN/Money explores the possibility of a PSP price drop this holiday season. Recent PSP stockpilings suggest that gamers could see a $50 reduction in price later this year bringing Sony's first portable game machine down to a cool $149.While the PSP has shipped 20 million units in comparison to Nintendo's selling of 21 million, Morris believes the real issue is as follows: "While the DS has been on the upswing, thanks to commercially and critically successful games such as Brain Age (which has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide), Nintendogs and New Super Mario Brothers, the PSP has not had a game truly capture the gaming world's attention since the release of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories last October."
Though we loves us some price drops, if Sony wants to move PSP units (and I don't mean just shipping them), better to develop unique content in the form of must-have games than merely drop prices. I've heard the N-Gage is dang cheap right now.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Xizer @ Aug 11th 2006 9:10PM
The sad thing is that even the N-Gage has a better selection of games than the PSP...
ipodfanboy @ Aug 11th 2006 9:22PM
lol a price drop towards 150 vs a ds that cost 130 if nintendo does not drop the price of the dslite. IF this scenario is true then the psp might hold off for some time and probably outsell the ds this holiday season. But then again didnt the psp and the DS cost nearly the same and didnt the ds outsold it then. But a price drop for the psp in the u.s is sony last chance to dethrone nintendo and maybe apple from the portable gaming and music dominance.
Ethan @ Aug 11th 2006 9:25PM
Killzone, GTA VCS, Socom FTB 2, Loco Roco, PS1 emulator, Camera and GPS, Location free TV via PS3, and other PS3 connectivity, plus a $50 price drop. It seems like the PSP is going to be a pretty cool gaming machine during the 3rd and 4th quarters.
my opinion @ Aug 11th 2006 9:25PM
The PSP has a lot of great games, as many if not more as the DS has. Here are some reviews of both systems games:
http://psp.ign.com/index/reviews.html
http://ds.ign.com/index/reviews.html
When people say the PSP doesn't have games or doesn't have many games or doesn't have many good games or anything of the sort they are in fact lying.
Raynre @ Aug 11th 2006 9:27PM
Sony is still losing money on the damn thing, so Id say this is pretty bogus.
A DS price drop wouldnt suprise me though, considering the massive profit Nintendo's raking in from that system. Heck Id be suprised if they -didnt- drop the price for the holiday, especially with all the nice little games coming out towards Q4...
SLy @ Aug 11th 2006 9:29PM
Latest NPD Sales:
DS: 377,000
PSP: 161,000
Yup!, I think a price drop is in order.
EP @ Aug 11th 2006 9:43PM
Sony will lose a lot of mullah if they drop the price. I guess they will never make any money of this "inferior" machine.
PhantomVI @ Aug 11th 2006 9:50PM
I got a PSP at launch and sold it about 6 months later because all I was using it for was to run homebrew NES and Super NES emulators. I'm not sure even a price drop could convince me to buy another.
Dr.Swiss @ Aug 11th 2006 10:09PM
I don't quite understand it myself since they already lose money on the psp the way it's priced now.
DownloadingData @ Aug 11th 2006 10:13PM
The PSP failed not because it doesn't have games on it. It failed because the games on the PSP doesn't SELL. It is not just about the quality of the games, it is about quality games that appeal to the consumers.
Look at LocoRoco, one of the most extensively advertised and hyped game by Sony. Yet, it failed more than miserably commercially. It debuted in the 7th place selling a mere 31,848 units, then proceeds to drop to the 32nd place in the third/fourth week of sales.
As for the PSP price drop, i think it is quite unlikely. Sony will lose more money as a result of the price drop.
Furthermore, with the already expensive PS3 being released in the holiday, i doubt Sony will want their customers to spent too much on one of their older and less significant platform.
BPM? @ Aug 11th 2006 10:15PM
#1 Xizer, I'm sorry, but that's an extremely fanboyish thing to say. It simply isn't true. I don't own a PSP (and don't plan to unless I can get it for about $150), but I can tell you right now it has better games than N-Gage.
#4 my opinion, let's see how they compare.
GAMES WITH 9.0-9.9:
DS: 10
PSP: 6
GAMES WITH 8.0-8.9:
DS: 27 (25, if you count the three versions of Nintendogs as the same game)
PSP: 26
GAMES WITH 7.0-7.9:
DS: 24
PSP: 53
Overall, PSP has more games scored 7.0 or better, but DS has more 9.0+ games (neither system has a game with a perfect 10). Could mean that PSP has more "good" games, overall, but DS has more "great" games, overall.
But, the point is, doesn't matter how great a review is, people won't buy it if they have no interest in the genre. I won't get Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror (PSP's top rated game) because I don't care for shooters in general (there are a couple of exceptions). But I will get New Super Mario Bros. (DS's top rated game) because I like 2D platformers.
Using reviews as a reason why one system or the other has "better" games is always a bad idea. Why? "Good" and "bad" are merely opinions. And everyone has a different idea as to what makes a good game.
The ever popular example: Halo. Some people love this game a lot. And then there are others (like me) who are bored by it.
bounchfx @ Aug 11th 2006 10:24PM
smells like desperation
John Q. @ Aug 11th 2006 10:27PM
My Opinion is absolutely right, the PSP does have a lot of great games. As many/as high quality as the DS's? That's totally subjective, especially since the types of games are so different. For example, I wouldn't recommend a sports or racing game fan go with the DS.
If the rumor turns out to be true, I might even be persuaded to pick a PSP up. What with the PS1 games (Symphony of the Night!) and games like Loco Roco and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, it wouldn't be too bad an option. Unfortunately, there is a ton of stuff I'll have to buy in the last quarter (Wii, Z:TP, Okami, etc.), and the PSP might end up getting bumped out of my queue, price drop or no. I'll see how my wallet goes.
Finally, Ethan and ipodfanboy are far too optimistic about the PSP's future. It's worthwhile noticing that all of the things Ethan mentions to make the PSP "hot" except Killzone and Loco Roco are sequels to games that didn't end up selling the PSP so well. And considering they are a sequel to a mediocre PS2 shooter and oddball (but awesome, true) Japanese game, respectively, I wouldn't count on either being a killer app. The system needs more than a price drop to catch fire. What the PSP needs is the same thing that made PS2 a success: an overwhelming third-party majority, so that Nintendo's games can't keep up. Unfortunately, with news like EA's just today, they may not ever get it.
Metaly @ Aug 11th 2006 10:30PM
I was thinking of getting a PSP soon because a lot of the games I want are getting pretty cheap, but then I see this. Still, I was planning on importing a white one so I don't know how much that affects things. Anyone remember if Sony usually makes similar price cuts prices across all territories?
(Feel free to talk me out of this, too. I'm also debating on whether to stow the cash away towards an Xbox 360, for when there's more than one game out for it.)
Jeff @ Aug 11th 2006 10:39PM
I think it's pretty obvious that the PSP was priced too high to begin with. I went on record here before the PSP's release as saying it was basically DOA at $249. I was maybe a little premature in that but I also said it wouldn't be truly successful until it hit $99 - and I still believe that's the price it needs to be at, maybe now more than ever. At this point, it's playing the underdog, and it has to unseat the undisputed market leader in at least two territories. It's never going to do that by costing *more*.
$249 was just a foolish price for a handheld. Let's all just admit that at this point, shall we? Whether you agreed with me or not a year and a half ago, the proof is in the pudding. The PSP was, and still is, way, way overpriced.
$149 would be a *start* in righting this sinking ship. I don't think it's enough, though. $129 - the same as the DS - may be enough to at least equalize sales at this point. In the minds of consumers, they are equivalent systems - the PSP has more advanced technology, the DS has better games and more variety. It's a wash. So why should the PSP cost so much more?
I really think it's pretty much over, though. Sony can't lower the price of the PSP as much as they have to without a) losing a huge amount of money, b) alienating users who recently bought it at the vastly higher price, and c) making it appear as if they're clearing out the system in preparation for a market exit.
Feel free to mark my words. This war is over. The "PSP2" may change things, whatever form it may take, but the current PSP will never beat the DS. Sony has been utterly schooled in what it means to make a handheld game system, just like Atari, Sega, NEC and SNK before them. All of these systems had their merits (and I love my NGPC), but this market is Nintendo's turf.
arrakisman @ Aug 11th 2006 10:42PM
I would think some people bought a DS for the same reason I did...I drawer full of GB advanced games.
eelke folmer @ Aug 11th 2006 11:06PM
If you look at the games on the DS (platformers, braingames) and compare those with the ones on the PSP (shooters, sports/racing games) you'd see they are targeting completely different users markets. I think the market is big enough for both handhelds. From a developer point of view its more profitable to develop games for the psp as its easy to port games from ps2 what would be an idea is to bring out games for the xbox/ps2&psp and not just psp ports, I sold my psp after I picked up a copy of Prince of persia revelations which turned out to be just a port of Warrior within (why call it revelations???), a game I just completed a month before. There was nothing indicating on the box indicating this was merely a port.
Forest @ Aug 11th 2006 11:10PM
I recently sold my PSP because the best games are just ports from the ps2, they have no origonal games. GTA was nearly the exact same as the ps2 vesrion except with slightly different missions
JulianZ @ Aug 11th 2006 11:15PM
#13 "My Opinion is absolutely right..."
It's kinda sad that I took this as a real statement at the first look. Maybe I read too much of these comments :)
The PSP-PS3-Combo could indeed be awsome, but I don't understand, why there are so few (or none) games like Brain Age, New Mario Bros, Mario Kart (Rrrrrrridge Racer!!!!!!1111 maybe) for the PSP, which I could use to waste these 15 mins in the bus every day.
...And sony should stop this war on homebrew btw!
Supra @ Aug 11th 2006 11:33PM
Wonder how much money Sony lost so far in this crap.
Drew @ Aug 11th 2006 11:56PM
The psp does have a respectable library of games now. Just for some reason I haven't been compelled to go out and buy many of them. I want to buy them but something says "is this game really worth it, maybe you should check out something else". Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks this way. Sony had better figure out what their games are missing so they can move more units. Lets start by getting rid of UMD and having DRM'd electronic downloadable games.
One poster mentioned that the PSP has more good games while the DS has more great games. Well for 249 when I got my PSP, I want great games. I have a higher expectation concerning PSP games then DS games and so far the PSP has under delivered.
I think a price drop will do well to help people consider the PSP but it comes down to games in the end. I own 14 DS games and 5 PSP games. There is something wrong in this picture, at least for me.
I like my PSP, I love my DS.
starkweather @ Aug 11th 2006 11:58PM
That is AWESOME news! Considering the PSP library outclasses the DS library quite well with the casual gamer, the PSP is destined for a sellout this holiday.
Nintendo must be a bit worried right now...
darryl @ Aug 12th 2006 12:02AM
I doubt they'll drop the price so soon. It's selling very well at it's current price, why would they drop it? False.
Zell @ Aug 12th 2006 12:06AM
"That is AWESOME news! Considering the PSP library outclasses the DS library quite well with the casual gamer, the PSP is destined for a sellout this holiday.
Nintendo must be a bit worried right now..."
by starkweather
-------------
You can't be serious. You couldn't have typed that with a straight face.
The ZeroCorpse @ Aug 12th 2006 12:25AM
The problem with the PSP library of games isn't the size, or the quality. The problem is that they try to sell it as a portable gaming solution, but when games take several minutes to go from power-on to actually playing, the PSP fails at being a portable system and the DS kicks it's butt. When the system is so delicate and bulky that you can't (or don't want to) pocket it, in addition to pathetic load times, you can't even consider it in the same class as the DS. They're too different.
I won a PSP, and I still sold it. However, I'd buy another now that they have a decent library of games if the system were $99 or less. I wouldn't pay $150 for it, though. It's still too much.
Tirol @ Aug 12th 2006 12:28AM
@Zell
Like darryl, they are both Ken-bots.
John @ Aug 12th 2006 1:41AM
i think that the whole design of the psp isnt really all that great for games anyways. if the price dropped i might consider it for a portable video player or web browser, but there is somethin about the games that dont seem....well....... fun. i mean nintendo purposely advertises specific games for the ds, the psp has two squirells tryin to sound racist. with the ds you can pop it open and play for 5 minutes with the psp you can wait 10 minutes get frustrated and put it down, the ds is so fast at booting u can use it for a watch. i love the psp because it seems like a widescreen video ipod to me, i love the ds when i wannna play a game...
ipodfanboy @ Aug 12th 2006 1:56AM
damn 150 is a good price, just recently here in nyc the ds has been picking up steam because of the dslite, now hip hop gamers are shifting to the side of the lite instead of the psp. THe psp price drop will probably bring more playstation casuals towards the psp. But just hope nintendo dont drop the price of the dslite. Imagine the dslite price drop at 99.99 with a free game bundle that will murder the 150 psp.
Tykin @ Aug 12th 2006 2:14AM
"I've heard the N-Gage is dang cheap right now."
Ooo, Sony just got bitch slapped!
Kendrew Leung @ Aug 12th 2006 2:16AM
Then again its $150 for the PSP this holiday or buy a wii (current possibility between 199-249... totally my guess right now from what I've seen online) or ps3 (I guess xbox360 as well if still considering).
Then again with the amount of DS phat and DS Lites around Nintendo might price drop the DS as well (would be sweet to see a ds lite at $99... here comes another DS (I've got a DS phat)). Then the PSP price drop would be in vain.
Bill @ Aug 12th 2006 2:24AM
The PSP really isn't far behind the DS already. Also it's been gaining sales momentum in Japan. Meanwhile the DSlite has not boosted sales in the US to Japanese levels. The Dslite fell over 100K in sales just last month according to NPD.
I think PSP is beginning to make it's push if this price drop happens. And if Nintendo loses handhelds-the only thing left they have to rely on-they're in big trouble.
Bill @ Aug 12th 2006 2:31AM
I think a $149 price could definitly lift the PSP to sellout status this Christmas (along with DS).
Overall the PSP has been pretty succesful already, for a non-Nintendo handheld.
The problem for Nintendo is Japan is all they have. If they start losing ground to PSP in Japan, and there have been some indications of that with a PSP game topping the Japanese charts last week, they would have to be really worried.
I'll also be interested if DS lite sales take another big dive in next month's NPD. They are not getting the boost from DSlite that they did in Japan. PSP was outselling them until last two months in NPD. I suspect the price drop would propel the PSP back to the NPD lead, but again Japan is what Nintendo has to be really concerned about losing.
Really, if DS sales start faltering in Japan, It's over for Nintendo as a hardware manufactorer. It's that simple. They have nothing else anymore.
Vazel @ Aug 12th 2006 4:26AM
"the PSP has not had a game truly capture the gaming world's attention since the release of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories last October."
Liberty City Stories being ported to the PS2 also doesn't help to make the PSP more enticing.
Disco D @ Aug 12th 2006 5:24AM
Sony gaming department is going to bomb this generation.
The only problem is that they'll keep using money from other departments to try to keep a dead body floating.
Tiago @ Aug 12th 2006 7:03AM
The PSP needs RPGs fast! And good ones btw... I've raced, shoot things, roll balls, all that crap, but I still need my RPG fix, even the DS is getting a cool final fantasy 3 rehash, when do we get our on the go RPG?
..... @ Aug 12th 2006 7:24AM
I sold my PSP not too long ago. Homebrew just couldn't hold me over. But if more shit such as metal slug, power stone, and valkryie profile come out, I might be tempted to buy it again by the end of the year. A price drop or a ceramic white..whichever comes first.
Killbloggers @ Aug 12th 2006 7:54AM
> While the PSP has shipped 20 million units in comparison to Nintendo's selling of 21 million.
I love it how retarted joystiq writers always make a big deal about "shipped" and "sold". That just shows what a bunch of ignorant amatures they are.
Now if you read REAL journalists who actually know what they are talking about, then they will point out that most stores in Japan order shippments weekly. If products does not sell, then they do not order. In Japan PSP sells about 40000 unit weekly. This means that the difference between "sold" and "shipped" in Japan is at MOST 40000 unit at any moment or less.
Now Japan is the biggest game market so assuming US and Europe doing about the same, then at any point of time the difference between shipped and sold is no more then 120 000 unit worldwide. That is how much it sold in a week worldwide. And I am being very conservative here. So there is almosty now difference, not mentioning a fact that when Nintendo says sold they actually mean shipped, becasue all the data about actual sales is not presize enough.
So what a big deal joystiq? Can not stand the fact that PSP DOES sell well inspite of all your Sony hatered? Get real and cut the crap.
Ravenous @ Aug 12th 2006 8:29AM
Personally I see this as in advantage for Sony. For one they may be losing money on the system, but making money on the 1st party games (much like Microsoft did with the xbox) And personally it upsets me to hear this all the time downing the PSP (All games are ports from the PS2) Well what about those of us who never bought a PS2, we never had a chance to experience those games, but now we can in a portable version. The advantages of portable beat out console any day, here are a few reasons:
1: Can go anywhere
2: Multiplayer link wirelessly
3: Wifi (what console system has that as of now, except one that will cost more then twice what a psp will)
4: No bugging parents, friends, wife, family or anyone with using up all the tv time in the house.
So my arguement stands, that the PSP is a great system.. especially for those who never bought or played a PS2.
striderhayasa @ Aug 12th 2006 9:14AM
@ bill (or is this darryl)
Just for the simple fact that DS sells at a profit and not a lose contradicts your statements. The momentum that Nintendo has gained is not something to sneeze at. SquareEnix contacted Nintendo with worry that the DS lite would be stocked enough to support demand when FFIII launches. Nintendo increased DS lite production as a result just to prepare for the release of one game. SquareEnix, Nintendo and anyone that is familar with the FF series knows that Nintendo and SquareEnix are going to break sales records when FFIII arrives.
Keeping in mind that there's another "little" game called Zelda that's coming for the DS lite too. You may have heard of it. It's destined to sale units in such a way that nothing on PSP has. This is Sony's problem. I have a PSP mind you and I love Tekken and Wipeout but there isn't any games on PSP that are true killer apps. Games that are exclusive to the PSP and takes advantage of the functionality of the PSP and are true A+ titles. Tekken is great but it's a port. Wipeout is awesome but in all honesty it's strictly for fans of the series especially at the higher levels.
Just as someone mentioned before, a price drop for the PSP would be nice but I think it's unlikely. PSP still sells at a loss. PS3 is going to sell at a huge loss. Sony isn't making money on software like they expected to because too many people buy the PSP for homebrew and pirated movies. They have to stop bleeding money and I'm just not convinced that a price cut without a killer app(s) will do that. Keep in mind that PSP is not the best pick-up-and-play experience and it's clear why the DS is the better portable.
Nintendo has Sony's number this time out even though PSP put up good numbers, DS just put up better numbers. DS also has the momentum and it's going to vastly increase with the release of IPs that are classic series in their own right...Final Fantasy (for DS FFCC for the DS and Wii) Final Fantasy (for GBA) Dragon Quest (for DS and Wii, if the Wii version sells well enough it will become exclusive to Nintendo according to SquareEnix) Zelda (for DS) Castlevania (DS). PSP has GTA and that's about it as far as guaranteed sellers go.
Evan @ Aug 12th 2006 10:39AM
Video playback was a major feature for the PSP, however:
1. The UMD movie fiasco has tarnished the PSP’s reputation.
2. The Microsoft Zune and the rumored new iPod will erode enthusiasm for the PSP as a media player.
3. Sony’s attempt to retrofit a video-on-memory-stick solution has been met with skepticism.
Many people who originally bought the PSP were more interested in its media capabilities than its games (which might explain why its software sales have been relatively low). Those days are over. If the PSP is to survive and thrive, it will have to do so as a game machine.
josh @ Aug 12th 2006 11:37AM
"Now Japan is the biggest game market so assuming US and Europe doing about the same, then at any point of time the difference between shipped and sold is no more then 120 000 unit worldwide. That is how much it sold in a week worldwide. And I am being very conservative here. So there is almosty now difference, not mentioning a fact that when Nintendo says sold they actually mean shipped, becasue all the data about actual sales is not presize enough."
Sounds like just as much conjecture as Joystiq's to me... The NPD sales figures show the DS outselling the PSP by more than double in the USA. The Japanese sales figures show the DS outselling the PSP by more than triple. I would pay more attention to these figures than any theories about "shipped" vs "sold".
Ameen @ Aug 12th 2006 12:35PM
I'm a casual portable gamer(but a hardcore console gamer), I love the DS but I still have the PSP and play games on it while i'm on long trips. DS is for the short Bus trips. I love the PSP, it plays movies, music, and I browse the web on it when i'm in a coffee shop. I buy DS games to play casually. PSP has sort of a console-based serious gaming feel to it. It really needs platformers like the DS. Heard that Ape Monkey Escape is good.
I'm looking forward to PSP Emulation and PS3 connectivity. But DS is for casual gaming and I usually play on the DS a lot more than on the PSP, but I listen to music on it coz i'm a homebrewer. Have'nt bricked my PSP yet. LOL
For the record I own all the consoles except the GC.
Ameen,
http://www.gamebot.co.nr
Leo @ Aug 12th 2006 1:02PM
I bought a PSP shortly after it's release and initially I, too, would have defended how amazing the hardware was and how awesome the games for it were (I was playing Lumines then). I did the homebrew thing, etc..etc.. and I "knew" that the PSP would beat out the Nintendo DS. It took some time, but I finally admitted that I wasted a lot of money on my PSP... I never thought handheld gaming could be as fun as what the DS brought to the table. And then, the DS Lite came out I pretty much creamed my pants. It's that good and for those of you w/ PSPs, you really should give the DS Lite a try. I still like having a PSP, but I mainly use it for showing digital pics to my friends. So yeah, even I would have digged up every possible argument to say that the PSP was amazing, but I was wrong.
Brad Lee @ Aug 12th 2006 2:52PM
Although I doubt Sony will lower the price (why lower a system BEFORE the holiday season, when all systems sell well?), but if it does come in at $150 then I might pick one up. Well, that is, if I can't get my hands on a Wii. I have a feeling those are going to be slim pickins this holiday, so I might get a PSP instead if this price drop isn't just a rumor.
I have a DS and I own over 20 games, so yeah I'm VERY satisfied with it. But, I still kind of want a PSP for a few games here and there. Nothing has stood out as a system seller to me so I ain't buyin it at $200, thats for sure. However, I would like to try out Lumines and Loco Roco. And if I got a PSP I'd probably get either Street Fighter Alpha or Darkstalkers (not a big fan of Tekken), and Capcom's 20+ classic games collection looks great.
I'm still very skeptical, though, about the PSP overall and especially its future. I think the UMD is the bane of the PSP's existence. It causes HUGE load times and the UMD movies failed miserably because of the high prices. And I could care less about web browsing, GPS functionality and all that other crap Sony has been peddlin. I just want good games! Hopefully the PS1 emulation will kick some ass. I'd love to have a portable Final Fantasy Tactics (don't even mention Tactics Advance, that game blew testes).
CYKADE @ Aug 12th 2006 6:19PM
I believe one of the ways that sony could stay in the mix is by allowing people to burn umd's. the way they would succeed is by controlling all sales and distributions of umd recorders, and leaving it open ended. right now, software sales is not the way to go. they just won't allocate any time towards truly developing and enhancing the psp's true power, so selling umd burners and discs would be a good solution.
jgrey @ Aug 12th 2006 8:17PM
PSP is very much multimedia orientated. Sure it is a great gaming machine in its own right, but when you consider the expense (including software prices), it's a luxury if you're in just for gaming. And in the end, gaming is what counts as a gaming console.
If I had a choice, I might prefer to see PSP's games drop in price, rather than PSP itself drop in price. I reckon that would do PSP more good in a long run.
Arbitarge @ Aug 12th 2006 9:25PM
@ 37 - Killbloggers
"I love it how retarted joystiq writers always make a big deal about "shipped" and "sold". That just shows what a bunch of ignorant amatures they are.
Now if you read REAL journalists who actually know what they are talking about, then they will point out that most stores in Japan order shippments weekly. If products does not sell, then they do not order. In Japan PSP sells about 40000 unit weekly. This means that the difference between "sold" and "shipped" in Japan is at MOST 40000 unit at any moment or less.
Now Japan is the biggest game market so assuming US and Europe doing about the same, then at any point of time the difference between shipped and sold is no more then 120 000 unit worldwide. That is how much it sold in a week worldwide"
i love it how ignorant idiots like you insult other people when you don't know jack yourself.
try studying a bit of commerce or alternatively, find out what the technique nicknamed "stuffing the channels" means in terms of shipping.
people make a distinction between shipped and sold for a reason... and no... its not some massive world wide consiparcy against you and all sony fanboys.
Actually, you know what? i feel nice today, so i'm going to tell you exactly where you went wrong.
Your assumption that japanese sellers would not order if the psp does not sell is correct, as anybody with a brain who runs a business would follow such action.
however... that's business at its simplist form. You need to understand that with a corporation as big as Sony, they have some pretty nasty influence. Influence, like... lets say... making large distributors ship in more stock then they need..... *hint *hint
so potentially, that 40000 figure you have could be 3 times as much then you assume, over several periods of accumlated unsold stock, yet you would never know because you don't have "sold" figures.
where would this influence come from? simply put, sony's ability to not supply at all, or to supple less then they need do to "shortages", or maybe, if they're nice... to actually give them a discount on purchase... or maybe even pay their warehouse overheads.
why would sony do this? to fool idiots like you. Not really actually, they won't really care about you. But they do care about shareholders and profit figures.... by shipping more then distributors need, Sony can artificially inflate their profits and please shareholders.... just one of the many techniques to manage profits in the corporate world. (actually, its more complex then that... but i can't be bothered going in depth about the surrounding decision to overship...)
so... are we clear on the "shipped" and "sold" difference here?
"And I am being very conservative here. So there is almosty now difference, not mentioning a fact that when Nintendo says sold they actually mean shipped, becasue all the data about actual sales is not presize enough.
So what a big deal joystiq? Can not stand the fact that PSP DOES sell well inspite of all your Sony hatered? Get real and cut the crap."
oh... so the figures nintendo gives out are false?
hey. guess what? 70% of statistics are made up on the spot.... no really.
in all seriousness.... i really would have to have you as my stockportfolio manager..... actually... just stay away from commerce altogether.
If nintendo made a press conference saying that they have sold that much. Assume it is true. otherwise the share markets would absolutely rape them. painfully.
which again brings us to the distinction of "shipped" and "sold"
accuracy is very important to the sharemarket, as the people who play it are not very nice people. they like to punish those who lie.
So... if sony say they "shipped" 20million... they aren't telling fibs. they most probably have shipped that much... but have they actually sold that much?
but if they actually said they "sold" 20 million but have actually really only "shipped" 20 million and instead sold like 15million.... oh... i reckon their share price would drop pretty fast.
and yes... these figures can be checked to a certain amount of accuracy outside of company publications, simply put. if you're wondering how the sharemarket would know.
Adv2k1 @ Aug 13th 2006 12:09AM
If PSP goes down to $150 than I bet that NIntendo will not cut the price of DS Lite, but start bundles.
New Mario Bro's, DS lite: 129
Final Fantasy 3, DS lite: 129
Opera Browser, DS Lite: 129
Nintendo isn't dumb if Sony does something Nintendo will counter. Japan is already lost cause for PSP, I doubt anyone will wait in line for a PINK PSP, but they did for DS lite. (not just girls) In USA its doing a respetable job against Nintendo however it's not bigger than Nintendo like how Sony expected and hyped so in that regard its a disapointment.
Sloan @ Aug 13th 2006 10:00AM
Sony's problem is that PSP games aren't selling and UMD movies were a complete failure. A second price drop within a year can only be thought of as a desperate move. They'll hemorrhage even more money on hardware in the hopes of selling games. I have to admit I'd be surprised if this happened before the holiday season, but maybe it would be Sony's way of trying to get gaming dollars from the folks who refuse to pay $500/$600 for a PS3.
One would assume that Sony entered the handheld market in a manner similar to Microsoft: incur a loss to gain market share for the second generation and beyond.
Michael Wilson @ Aug 14th 2006 2:20AM
A lot of people have been giving poster #4's links credence (as I did myself at first). Then I realized that the pages that are linked to don't give all of the reviews made for either console.
To see this, go to the DS section (just for example) and click "S". You'll notice that there are about half as many S games as there are total games listed on the front page, and most of those games are not listed there.
Those two links simply list the most recent reviews for both the PSP and the DS, not all of them.