Sony president says PS3 price drop is 'possibility'
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Jun 6th 2007 at 11:15AM }
Sony president Ryoji Chubachi, in what's apparently a translated statement from Japanese daily Yomiui Shimbun, said the company "does not rule out the possibility of lowering the price" of the PS3. This statement could easily be followed by a "duh" from the audience, anything is a "possibility." It's not like companies don't drop console prices eventually, but typically the president of a company doesn't open up the door like that unless they mean it, in the relative fiscal year future -- there are stock holders to think of after all.Now, does this mean a price drop across the globe? That would be nice, but if Chubachi was speaking with a Japanese newspaper, it could mean that the Japanese will receive another price drop. That would be the nation's second dip in the price drop pool after they already received a 20% cut before the PS3 even launched. At this point it would be nice to get a simple declarative statement on a price drop from Sony. In the words of Master Yoda, "Do, or do not. There is no 'possibility.'" Or something like that.
[Via NextGen]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
jason w @ Jun 6th 2007 11:19AM
When I can get one for $400.00 I will buy another one. Not until then. Sold my first one already.
Fernando Rocker @ Jun 6th 2007 11:20AM
But when the PS3 drops the price, the 360 will also drop the price... even Nintendo can drop the price of the Wii... so, sony is in a bad position right now.
konajinx @ Jun 6th 2007 11:24AM
How's about a big price drop and then some games (t3h g00d kind) and then we'll talk. Maybe. And through real channels, not Home. I live in a real world where MANLY MEN play REAL GAMES and don't have to do it through virtual land for the weenie crowd!
Oh yeah, and give out free cartons of cigarettes and a coupon for a free tank of gas, and you'll have people buying 'em left and right. Screw curing cancer, let's play some gamez. MANLY gamez, that iz!
FunGameVideos.com @ Jun 6th 2007 11:26AM
Right, the price drop is not a possibility but the matter of survival, mister...
---
http://www.FunGameVideos.com
John @ Jun 6th 2007 12:05PM
Sony couldn't sell the PS3 if they gave it away in the Mail with Samples of tide
Stiltz @ Jun 6th 2007 11:33AM
@ 3
manly games??? where in gaming history are there games other than mary kate n ashley games that tend to females...
manly games my ass...
Hirsbrunner @ Jun 6th 2007 11:29AM
But like Fernando said, both MS and Nintendo can go the price drop route too, and they can actually afford to do it.
For them, it's a choice. For Sony, it's live or die.
Fernando Rocker @ Jun 6th 2007 11:35AM
By the way... did you that Sony has laid off roughly 80 to 100 employees and that wasn't so funny.
I'm all for poking fun at Sony, but people losing their jobs because of mistakes by higher ups (that probably still get to keep theirs) its not so much fun. I understand the nature of business and with Sony losing almost $2 billion in the previous fiscal year, job cuts were inevitable. Still, it doesn't not make me feel sorry for those who were affected and I wish them the best of luck with their future employment (maybe they can work with Nintendo...)
jsn @ Jun 6th 2007 11:35AM
of course it's possible, but it's about as likely as pigs flying out of my ass. dropping the price $100 still isn't going to boost sales much because there's nothing to play on it that's worth the still very high price. Simple logic dictates this, so why would they drop the price on it knowing that it's not going to boost sales significantly and will only increase their losses? they won't..
Prof_Chaos @ Jun 6th 2007 11:43AM
Fernando, It's true that it's not funny when workers are losing jobs over directional mistakes, but that's business. Every day companies are being bought, sold, filing for bankruptcy protection. The simple fact of the matter is that the fastest way to improve your bottom line in the short term is to lay people off. Sad but true.
Sony's problems are much bigger than SCEA division. They are hemorrhaging money everywhere.
Fernando Rocker @ Jun 6th 2007 11:48AM
Is this a sign of Sony getting desperate or just being nice?
http://www.gamersreports.com/news/5801/sony-offers-gamestop-managers-prizes-for-pushing-ps3-units/
And this is the new of the lay offs
http://kotaku.com/gaming/industry/lay+offs-hit-scea-hq-today-266292.php
Matt B @ Jun 6th 2007 11:48AM
Sales aren't slow because of the price, but for the lack of software right now. If they had a couple more games, the sales would be higher. Why should they drop the price closer to the 360? It offers more. It should be more expensive.
Vancaeyzeele @ Jun 6th 2007 11:49AM
He also said the PS3 could possible sell 10 million units by the end of this year.
When commented that that would require 250.000+ consoles per week instead of 200.000 consoles per month he gave away a free dinner to everyone present.
When indicated that the blue-ray departed sold more then the HD-DVD countrepart because it was cheaper and they should try the same thing he vanished into thin air.
Matt B @ Jun 6th 2007 11:52AM
At 10,
Every company does this, it's not new to Sony as a sign of desperation. Did you know that ads in the newspaper are mostly paid for by manufacturers and not retailers even though its the retailers ad? Every company wants to push product.
cc123 @ Jun 6th 2007 11:54AM
Sony needs to start putting duct tape over the mouths of some executives. I can't believe the president of the company would go and say something a about a price drop.
Then again this: "does not rule out the possibility of lowering the price" sounds like it was taken completely out of context. Matter of fact it was probably translated poorly THEN taken out of context.
hegemonyhog @ Jun 6th 2007 11:55AM
"Sales aren't slow because of the price, but for the lack of software right now."
No, they're slow because of the price. The lack of software is in no small part because sales are slow...which is in no small part because of the price.
samfish @ Jun 6th 2007 11:56AM
Sony would need to drop the price to at LEAST $400 to get PS3's moving...and even then, it wouldn't do much good, still.
And I really don't see them being able to take that kind of hit, anyway.
It would be interesting to see if Sony put PS3s on "sale" for a limited period of time, though. I don't think anyone has ever lowered the price of a system for a strategic period and then raised it after it's over.
noid @ Jun 6th 2007 11:58AM
Yippy last time they did a price cut in Japan they Did a Price Hike in Canada. We went from 649.99 to 699.99. Gueassing they will round it up to 800 for us this time.
whosmav @ Jun 6th 2007 11:58AM
@matt b and jsn
c'mon! NOT because of price! Its all because of price. People aren't waiting for games. And no one is gonna buy a PS3 or 360(cept for Halo 3) just for one game. All you people preaching MGS and FF are retarded. Both franchises are past their primes and simply can't generate the interest that newer software will garner.
M$ and Sony would both see their sales rise once they realize that consoles are a $300 market. Thats the bottom line.
whosmav @ Jun 6th 2007 12:05PM
PS3 is forked. Its over. There is no way the installed base will be large enough for devs to make loot. I bet Square will hold FF13 forever! Its no wonder they releasing a ds version of it.
I mean, they can't afford to just release games on PS3 exclusive.
konajinx @ Jun 6th 2007 12:08PM
@19,
Hey, don't be giving Sony new ideas. Next thing you know, they'll start doing that and claiming the PS3 can do all your laundry as well.
Aex @ Jun 6th 2007 12:08PM
@samfish
Actually that is what MS did over last christmas break. They offered alot of $100 rebates and such. I was able to get mine new at retail for $200 (premium at 50% off). I imagine Sony could do something similar this holiday season, but I'd rather see a more permenant price cut.
geminibros @ Jun 6th 2007 12:10PM
A price drop would be nice, but I'd prefer some worthwhile software. I think that the console will do just fine in the long run, but it's been gathering dust on my media shelf since I bought it (I even like my Xbox 360's DVD player/hub functionality more). I can't even make excuses to use the stupid thing. So yeah... make with the software Sony. Exclusives would be nice, or day and date cross-platform releases that actually perform as well as - if not better than (imagine that) - their Xbox counterparts do.
Spitkicker @ Jun 6th 2007 12:19PM
@matt b
What exactly does the PS3 offer more of then the 360? Blu-Ray. The majority of consumers don't give ?a crap about hi-def discs. I work at a cd/dvd/video game store and I can tell you people are not that interested in blu-ray or HD-DVD for that matter. What else does it have? Seriously. Cell processors. Wow. Lets stuff something into a video game system that sounds superior to a triple core multi processor, but in reality it is horrible for video games
training @ Jun 6th 2007 12:22PM
I don't think people realise how bad a price cut is for Sony. They at $600 (£425 in the UK which is $846. Yes I know a major rip off) are losing 240 dollars. They gave a negative result this financial quarter.
Now imagine what would have if the price went down by 200. So they would be selling at $400 making a $400 loss. While their competitors can gain advantage (even though they sell at less then $400) by cutting their own prices. Nintendo won't hurt but the money printer will slow down. Microsoft can recover.
Can Sony? I don't think so. Sonys best hope is that people by a lot of PS3s and Blu Ray DVDs.
vanwagnen @ Jun 6th 2007 12:27PM
The PS3 is not done. I actually enjoy watching all you little low rent bitches whining about the price and stamping your foot saying how you wont get get one until......It is making more sense to me now....stupid people...have less money...therefore buy 360...therefore 360 fanboys are the most mentally challenged. That;s why logical arguments don't work...now it makes sense.
Those of us with good jobs and the ability to reason are enjoying our PS3s, and the fact that we can afford one and you losers can only whine about it and try to shoot down the superior machine. See I don't care if you had this game or that game first, because I don't mess with that little MS POS. Just wait and see as time does its thing.
AG23 @ Jun 6th 2007 12:33PM
@2 and 5,
Yes, when the PS3 drops in price Nintendo and MS can also drop the price, but this will probably not affect the outcome that much as millions of people are holding out on a PS3 price drop and/or games, not a 360 or Wii price drop.
whosmav @ Jun 6th 2007 12:34PM
@vanwagnen-
Dude how did you get to be so awesome!
Slvrgun @ Jun 6th 2007 12:40PM
Sony needs to drop the price substantially before they even think about competing with eiter Microsoft or Nintendo. They really kicked themselves in the balls when they released the machine at $600. Everybody knew it was a Blu-Ray trojan horse, that no secret. Maybe they should have left the format out of the console. Investing in the Cell wasn't really smart from a gaming perspective either. They should have went more with general purpose computing power. And, it was really dumb using that expensive, though very fast XDR ram and the off the shelf outdated Geforce 7800 GTX. Sony is just too blind to see it. Meanwhile, Nintendo is issuing its payback for all the years Sony trampled over them and Microsoft is steadily pushing their way to the forefront.
samfish @ Jun 6th 2007 12:40PM
"Yes, when the PS3 drops in price Nintendo and MS can also drop the price, but this will probably not affect the outcome that much as millions of people are holding out on a PS3 price drop and/or games, not a 360 or Wii price drop."
Yeah, but that's the ever-dwindling and dying "hardcore" niche market.
That's great if you limit your focus to them, but you'll probably top off around 20 million or so.
What Sony and MS WANT are those 115 million people who bought PS2s to buy PS3s or 360s.
THOSE people will, by and large, just buy whatever is cheapest and has good games/Madden.
RUSKULL @ Jun 6th 2007 12:42PM
@27 Good point.
@26 Actually it's the other way around. Smart buyers know when they're getting ripped off. The dumb ones will follow (pay) whatever Sony says, even if it doesn't make sense.
I have enough money to buy myself a PS3, but I'm not a sucker. Waiting for a price drop is just SMART at this point.
arrrgh @ Jun 6th 2007 12:46PM
No matter what region you're in the price is pretty shitty...in Canada, where our dollar is now almost even with the USD, we're still being charged 699.99 for their 599.99 PS3...fun times
arrrgh @ Jun 6th 2007 12:50PM
And the funny thing is Sony has managed to convince some fools that PS3 is actually worth what they're charging...they should've said $800 to start. Would've had the same effect...people with too much money and no clue how to spend it
Vancaeyzeele @ Jun 6th 2007 12:54PM
Sony does not has to drop the price, don't forget that every price drop has to be multiplied with the 2+ million units in stock.
Sony has to increase the PS3 value, why not give a small game with every PS3 that is not good nor great but just shows the immense potential that the PS3 has. Maybe a small collection of demo's or small things like a escape room game that already pushes the hardware to its limits.
I don't want to see Sony spending money by making something overvalued cheaper, but spending money by making something undervalued cheaper.
For example the pirates game: it just has such a framedrop problem, so does Oblivion occasionaly. Why can't Sony help out developers by getting the maximum out of their box. Look at Miyamoto, he doesn't create games any more, he just travells around the world helping out firms to make great games. He even made a crossbike game on the N64 popular, metroid had become an AAA title, the legendary Donkey Kong on the SNES. All games that Nintendo has not made, but contributed too and took the money as a long term investement.
Even microsoft did it with halo, what did Sony ever do for its Spyro, Final Fantasy, MGS, ...
FermitTheKrog @ Jun 6th 2007 12:52PM
To quote the announcer from Smash TV:
"I'd buy that for a dollar!"
Spitkicker @ Jun 6th 2007 12:54PM
@vanwagnen
Stupid people have less money? You are a fucking moron. I work 3 great jobs, so money is not an issue with me. I have had a premium 360 since launch, regularly spend over $100 a month on video games, and even recently dropped over $500 on a 360 elite, not SONY's piece of shit 3. SONY's PR and pathetic fanboys like you are one of the reasons that overbloated blu-ray trojan horse is not selling. That and there are NO GOOD GAMES on it. Period. What's your IQ genius? I bet mine is bigger then yours, along with my 360's hard drive, my brain and my penis. You suck at life.
AG23 @ Jun 6th 2007 12:56PM
@30
and that is where the PS2 and PSP come into play...
The PS2 is still selling well and PSP looks like it is going to pick up some steam with it's price drop and some more good games right around the bin. This should hold off many of the casual gamers until the PS3 can a first price drop or even a second price drop several years down the road.
Even the wii's sales don't dwindle too much on the PS3 because it is pretty cheap to buy. In a few years time when the wii has lost some of it's appeal and the PS3 is cheaper, I see many people who own a Wii buying a PS3 as well.
That's the beauty of releasing a console and sticking with it for 10 years.
arrrgh @ Jun 6th 2007 1:02PM
By the time sony's console hits it's 10 year, MS and N will have their next consoles out...PS3 is powerful, but people love new stuff, and a 10 year old powerhouse loses it's "powerhouse" title (the only thing it actually has going for it) when it becomes dated tech
cc123 @ Jun 6th 2007 1:07PM
Why are people on here touting how great the X360 is doing? It's really not.
It's been out for 18 months with a pretty decent library including a killer app and it's still not selling at the level it should be.
If I were an Xbox fanboy I would worry more about the 360 than the PS3.
CaptNink @ Jun 6th 2007 1:10PM
@ vanwagnen
"A fool and his money are soon parted..."
JodyAnthony @ Jun 6th 2007 1:15PM
yes, it's very intelligent to spend $600 on a toy.
Matt B @ Jun 6th 2007 1:17PM
I couldn't have said it any better myself, vanwagnen.
Please little whiny bitches, don't buy one. I couldn't stand to hear your whiny voices online. Please stick with halo so you can be around people more your kind.
mccomber @ Jun 6th 2007 1:17PM
"What's your IQ genius? I bet mine is bigger then yours, along with my 360's hard drive, my brain and my penis. You suck at life."
Way to prove people wrong about the sort of person who buys a 360. Twice.
If Sony drops the price at the same time as it's big games release this holiday season, it will light a fire under ps3 sales. There are some good looking titles, and a media blitz about those games and a price drop would be huge for Sony. A well planned price drop, with the marketing to support it would be hard to counter well with a sudden drop in response. Sony needs to be the one to make the first move so they aren't forced to respond to one by Microsoft.
3cubedminus3squared @ Jun 6th 2007 1:22PM
I went into Wal-Mart the other day and saw that the display glass where they put PS3s was full of PS2s and PSPs.
I asked one of the employees if they had sold out of them.
He told me 'why, do you want one?'
I said 'no I was just surprised to see them gone.'
He then told told me thta they had not sold them all but took them to the back because they weren't selling. They needed more room for PS2s and PSPs which were selling.
It made me laugh inside, but it ws kind of sad. :)
cc123 @ Jun 6th 2007 1:22PM
Class war instigated by video game machines confirmed. The new civil war is looming...
=)
BIG Reub @ Jun 6th 2007 1:23PM
Price. It's just price. Let's be objective. I don't enjoy Sony as a brand. I find their products over priced and I've never owned anything made by Sony that didn't break before I thought it should have.
Having said that I've owned both previous generations consoles (like every one else on the planet)and I've purchased 3 PS2s (again, breaks before I believe it should have).
I would have purchased a PS3 no matter what the hardware looked like if it was priced at $300. Every system has limited titles that interest me for the 1st year or so. Still would have bought it at $300 bucks. If it was a light bright and a ball of twine I would have bought it at $300. At $300 just about every person who owned a ps2 would pick up a PS3.
All the arguments supporting PS3 seem ri-cock-ulous to me. Yes the PS3 has the best hardware on the market. The PS2 had the worst hardware last gen and was (and still is) far and away the market leader. It plays games. I'm not going to spend that on something to play games on.
I'm going to ignore the children who are commenting on people with "less money". People with money have it because they don't waste it on crap. (Dumbass)
It would have been a no brainier purchase at $300. We would have waited for the games. At $600 bucks, no way in hell.
Digi Smalls @ Jun 6th 2007 1:35PM
why is it that every one of these threads contains a PS3 owner calling someone else "a [whiney and/or broke] bitch"?
why is using the word "bitch" the best argument a PS3 cheerleader can muster?
.
Dale @ Jun 6th 2007 1:41PM
@VanWangen - you're a fool.
I earn enough that I could buy a PS3 every pay cheque (two each month) after paying all my bills. Doesn't mean I want the system.
People who have less money to fritter away are actually the smart ones: because they cannot afford multiple consoles, or even just one that's as expensive as the PS3, they go for the system with the most games they want to play.
That's the smarter decision. And for most people, the system chosen will not bear the Sony logo this time around. The price is prohibitive, sure, but more offputting is the total lack of anything worth playing on it.
Spitkicker @ Jun 6th 2007 1:48PM
@mccomber
what's your point? What sort of person would that be? I do a lot more then play video games. I am a musician. Most of my time is spent on that, when I'm not at one of my jobs on the computer. (like right now)
I do a lot of system linking, I have friends who don't own a video game system. I take my premium over there and leave my elite safely at home. So the fact that I bought one at launch and microsoft finally releases one with the hdd I want plus the bonus of HDMI (I know the 65nm chip is not being put in them yet) reinforces what?
The fact that I see the value in a system? I must say I am extremely satisfied with the gaming experience my 360 gives me.
vanwagnen @ Jun 6th 2007 2:14PM
SCUD launch successful.......fanboys overheating......