According to Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian, the PS3 is due for a price cut sometime between E3 and the end of the summer. More specifically, Sebastian expects a cut of $100 from the console's current $399 price tag, putting it at a much more consumer-friendly $299. Anything less than $100, Sebastian told Gamasutra, "would likely be perceived negatively by the market."
Given that both the Wii and Xbox 360 are priced at or below the $299 mark (with the exception of the Xbox 360 Elite), we'd say Sebastian is right to claim that any cut less than $100 would be unacceptable. Taking the current economic conditions into consideration, it's likely difficult for most people to justify the $399 price tag when there are comparable consoles to be had for less.
Sebastian joins a cavalcade of companies and analysts making similar predictions lately, noting that it would be a win for everybody. Sony could push its upcoming first-party lineup into more gamers' hands, publishers would gain a larger audience and retailers would enjoy better margins. Sebastian says that "the next 12 months are critical to regain market share" for the Playstation, especially with demand for the Wii finally slowing down and Microsoft reportedly prepping its own motion control interface. And, of course, with Sony aiming to increase PS3 sales by 30 percent this year, a price cut certainly wouldn't hurt.
Reader Comments (64)
Posted: May 14th 2009 5:45PM MystileArmor said
Not just everyone can be an analyst though, you gotta have a big enough ass to pull your random data out of.
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Posted: May 14th 2009 5:41PM Zertoss said
What, you mean they're taking away MORE features?!
That's like taking a bone away from a dog. It's just going to bite your arm until it's just a bloody nub before it goes back to trying to lick its balls, which aren't there anymore, because YOU TOOK THOSE AWAY TOO YOU GOD DAMN MONSTER.
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That's like taking a bone away from a dog. It's just going to bite your arm until it's just a bloody nub before it goes back to trying to lick its balls, which aren't there anymore, because YOU TOOK THOSE AWAY TOO YOU GOD DAMN MONSTER.
Posted: May 14th 2009 6:09PM (Unverified) said
Well played, el serpiente, well played. I lol'd.
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Posted: May 14th 2009 6:34PM RKN said
Seeing how slim that PS3 was we saw earlier, no way it could hold a standard 2.5" hard drive, probably would have to use an external HDD, please don't make it proprietary like Microsoft, same for the wireless internet adapter and controller charger, damn Microsoft! : (
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Posted: May 14th 2009 6:37PM Hyams said
The Slim PS3 actually only looks a tiny bit smaller than the current PS3. (Unless you're thinking of the picture of it standing next to a normal PS3 - in which case, don't worry, because that one's definately fake.)
Shouldn't have any trouble fitting the current sized harddrive into it.
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Shouldn't have any trouble fitting the current sized harddrive into it.
Posted: May 14th 2009 8:16PM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said
Cosmo....the Macbook AIR has a 1.8" drive....most laptops have a 2.5" drive and they are not much thicker than the HDD...its really not hard to do
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Posted: May 14th 2009 11:17PM kentuckyfried said
"Or they could strip everything and sell each individual component as an overpriced, proprietary branded accessory.
Wait..."
lol
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Wait..."
lol
Posted: May 14th 2009 5:43PM Vegeta has a ps3 said
If this happens and they bundle it with a decent game, I may have to purchase a Ps3.
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Posted: May 14th 2009 5:50PM Uncle Jesse said
I was thinking the same thing. I already have a Wii & Xbox360, so I don't really have a good excuse to drop a pile of cash on a PS3. But a price cut would be mighty tempting. Bundle it with Uncharted or Killzone 2 and I'd definitely cave.
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Posted: May 14th 2009 5:52PM Vegeta has a ps3 said
I would definiely like an Uncharted bundle.
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Posted: May 14th 2009 5:43PM Jack Tretton said
Is the PS3 'ready' to have its price cut 25%? Since it's been making lots of cash on the software, I think Sony will offer an amazing bundle before a $100 price cut.
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Posted: May 14th 2009 5:43PM Hyams said
Bit more on the leaked slim PS3:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v673/iceatcs/Games/PS3_Slim_Back_comparePS3.jpg
Bit on the top is the PS3 Slim. Bit on the bottom is a current PS3 Phat. As you can see, the ports match perfectly.
So yeah, either this is for real, or it's the most impressive hoax in videogame history. So many small details are surprisingly accurate.
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v673/iceatcs/Games/PS3_Slim_Back_comparePS3.jpg
Bit on the top is the PS3 Slim. Bit on the bottom is a current PS3 Phat. As you can see, the ports match perfectly.
So yeah, either this is for real, or it's the most impressive hoax in videogame history. So many small details are surprisingly accurate.
Posted: May 14th 2009 6:24PM Hyams said
Oh yeah, yeah. It's not conclusive, but it does show the detail that went into it. I mean, it's not just this, but others things also - like the pink/green background of the photographs look the same as the construction areas that PS3s are built in.
These sorts of small details aren't the sort of things you'd really expect in a hoax.
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These sorts of small details aren't the sort of things you'd really expect in a hoax.
Posted: May 14th 2009 5:44PM C1ph3rDivyne said
Been with PlayStation since day one. It's really annoying to see just how stupid Sony actually is. Although I don't like 360 and can't stand Microsoft, the latter company has definitely showed Sony up thus far. Hopefully they'll get back on track. This is all for North America as PS3 is doing more than fine in Japan.
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Posted: May 14th 2009 5:47PM thatflyguy said
I have had ps3 since june 07, so this doesnt really bother me, but my three friends who JUST bought ps3 will likely be PISSED in about a month of these rumors turn out to be true at E3.
that being said, i DID buy my ps3 just over a month before sony dropped the price of ps3 from $600 to $500 AND included 5 blu-rays. I wasnt pissed. The ps3 was amazing then and has only gotten better since.
ps3 mediaserver FTW!
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that being said, i DID buy my ps3 just over a month before sony dropped the price of ps3 from $600 to $500 AND included 5 blu-rays. I wasnt pissed. The ps3 was amazing then and has only gotten better since.
ps3 mediaserver FTW!
Posted: May 14th 2009 5:48PM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said
Fuck Analysts analysis....
at any rate business sense dictates that Fall would be the BEST time.......as that will be the BEST time to maximize sales. the combination of a SLEW of GOOD Exclusives this fall attached to a price cut will pretty much Give Sony the upperhand this holiday season....I mean Nintendo will damn have the market Saturated this year so even if they do still lead in sales they should be damn near maxed out and MS with the 360 will move units but not as many as a $299 PS3....MS would damn near have to make the Arcade obsolete & make the "Premium" model $199 in order to keep up....
but we can only HOPE it will be $100 and not just $50
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at any rate business sense dictates that Fall would be the BEST time.......as that will be the BEST time to maximize sales. the combination of a SLEW of GOOD Exclusives this fall attached to a price cut will pretty much Give Sony the upperhand this holiday season....I mean Nintendo will damn have the market Saturated this year so even if they do still lead in sales they should be damn near maxed out and MS with the 360 will move units but not as many as a $299 PS3....MS would damn near have to make the Arcade obsolete & make the "Premium" model $199 in order to keep up....
but we can only HOPE it will be $100 and not just $50
Posted: May 14th 2009 10:01PM Beloved Console said
I agree, Chris, and you made a good point about the competition. People are now realizing that they're not playing those Nintendos. The comedy version of xbox360 (arcade) will still be around, but when even the elite doesn't compare to ps3... however, this points out what Sony themselves are now admitting, that they didn't put forth everything ps3 can do... I mean, there are people who OWN ps3's who don't know what it can do. I think back to the old days of Commodore 64, Apple II, and Atari 400/800. The Commodore beat them all, and had a HUGE lifespan (longer than 10 years). The Commodore 64 was like the first Playstation. But: it was also extremely cheap. The ps3 is not. They HAVE to lower the price, so that people will get it. If people don't buy it, they're doomed because they need to be thinking that Microsoft is already working on their new machine, and that will be out in fall of 2010, fall of 2011 at the latest. Whereas the PS4 won't be out until 2012. So they really need to build their fanbase right now, more than anything.
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Posted: May 14th 2009 10:10PM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said
aye if I could simply bold them I would...lol
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Posted: May 14th 2009 5:52PM McWilly said
What good is an increase in sales if your just going to lose more money than you would with less sales and no price cut. The chances of a price cut (more than $100) are pretty much slim to none if Sony have half a brain. Figure out a way to make the actual PS3 cheaper to make cause right now a price cut would pretty much be suicide for the PS3.
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Posted: May 14th 2009 6:39PM Hyams said
The slim thing has lots of evidence supporting it though. It's more than your garden varity rumour.
Also, why do you think they're currently losing $100 per console now? Most recent estimates put it a lot less than that, I believe, although no one really knows but Sony.
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Also, why do you think they're currently losing $100 per console now? Most recent estimates put it a lot less than that, I believe, although no one really knows but Sony.
Posted: May 14th 2009 6:43PM Hafk said
I've said it before and I'll say it again.
They don't make money on the console.
They make money on the games for the console.
Think of it like the consumer printer industry. Sure, you could buy a decent printer for 50-100 bucks, but they manufacturers make most of their money off of the pricey ink cartridges sold in large retail outlets.
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They don't make money on the console.
They make money on the games for the console.
Think of it like the consumer printer industry. Sure, you could buy a decent printer for 50-100 bucks, but they manufacturers make most of their money off of the pricey ink cartridges sold in large retail outlets.
Posted: May 14th 2009 5:58PM (Unverified) said
slim ps3 might not support SATA 2.5 HDD my gues but will might see at E3 or later. Get a ps3 now it's worth getting and fun in 1080p
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Posted: May 14th 2009 8:05PM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said
ummmm there is nothing smaller than those drives....other than SSD and those aren't going in the PS3 cause that would only RAISE the price....the PS3 HAS to have a HDD standard as there are quite a few games that install to the HDD...
Why wouldnt a Notebook HDD fit into a Slim PS3 when they fit just fine into thin laptops and netbooks??
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Why wouldnt a Notebook HDD fit into a Slim PS3 when they fit just fine into thin laptops and netbooks??
Posted: May 14th 2009 6:03PM Petebot330 said
Even though I hate Playstation's controllers, If they dropped it 100 and made it slim, I would probably pick one up. I bought the 360, and then I got an HDTV (made my eyes pop). A bluray player would be nice, since now I've got netflix (also thanks to the 360). Weird, huh? Also, there are a lot of PSN games I wouldn't mind checking out and Uncharted looked good. Oh and Heavy Rain.
I guess I'll have to sell my Wii, the system I have not bought a game for since I bought it over Xmas (unless super mario bros. and world of goo count).
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I guess I'll have to sell my Wii, the system I have not bought a game for since I bought it over Xmas (unless super mario bros. and world of goo count).
Posted: May 14th 2009 6:07PM (Unverified) said
If they drop it to 299 I'd go grab it that day. Though I don't really see them doing that. (See: I'm not about to put my hopes up. Last years E3 gave me that lesson well).
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Posted: May 14th 2009 6:15PM 8bitartist said
eventually the analysts will be right. i mean, if you announce it will happen every few months, they will eventually be right and be like "see! told ya so! we know what we are talking about!"
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Posted: May 14th 2009 6:17PM (Unverified) said
A $299 PS3 would definitely help, it may be a stretch, but I'd think a $295 dollar version would work better just because Microsoft's one is more expensive without the features. If they make the HDD 60 gigs instead of 80 (hopefully 80!), I wouldn't mind that much, since the arcade version of the 360 doesn't even have a hard drive.
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Posted: May 14th 2009 6:24PM modifiedbears said
If there's a $299 slim version, then I'd probably get one.
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Posted: May 14th 2009 6:34PM (Unverified) said
STOP PULLING SHIT OUT OF THE PS3!!
Seriously. People know the PS3 for being a technical overhaul of a system with the Blu Ray player,card slots,built in Wifi,etc. People know when they buy the PS3 they get the all-in-one box with all the bells and whistles. Don't gut your system and change mid-stream from your true vision of your console just so you can save a buck. If people want a PS3,they'll buy it. Ripping shit out of it doesn't make anyone more inclined to pick one up.
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Seriously. People know the PS3 for being a technical overhaul of a system with the Blu Ray player,card slots,built in Wifi,etc. People know when they buy the PS3 they get the all-in-one box with all the bells and whistles. Don't gut your system and change mid-stream from your true vision of your console just so you can save a buck. If people want a PS3,they'll buy it. Ripping shit out of it doesn't make anyone more inclined to pick one up.
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