Quote:

"EEDAR's Jesse Divnich believes consumers have been waiting for a PS3 price cut and if they don't get it, they'll flock to Xbox 360 this holiday. Gears of War 2 is expected to top all software sales this holiday, said Divnich."

"The $399 price point is simply too steep to entice the casual and mainstream markets, regardless of how great Resistance 2 and LittleBigPlanet may be."

Source

"Anal"yst. Nuff said.

Seriously though - people will be people. Hardcore fanbois of each console will buy the games for their console. While we may see some multiplatform owners buy the games for their respective systems, for most gamers bound to a particular platform by price/preference they won't necessarily budge.

A mass exodus? Highly unlikely. This holiday season will see a glut of highprofile, high powered games - and there's enough love to go around for all 3 consoles.

There, that's my anus's opinion.

No doubt the high price tag is one of the many reasons keeping many consumers away from the PS3 at the moment. There are many people who are interested in getting a PS3 but couldn't afford/not seeing its worth in this very forum, an undeniable fact. But analyzing the performance of the sales over the holiday season, no one knows until it actually happens.

Will the US domestic spending suffer? Sure thang, their economy is in shambles. So yeah, people who wouldn't have spent USD 399 for a console definitely won't spend it now. They'll probably spend on a Wii for Xmas, since it's the most family friendly console, and it's cheaper. Will GOW 2(awesome as it is) be enough to drive a purchase in these trying times? We'll see.

it's steep if seen from a "gamer's only" perspective.
i know many people who use their PS3s as their blu ray player as well.
for us,RM1.4k on a next gen player with BD Live support and wifi,not to mention bluetooth controllers/remote,is a very very good deal

400 Dollars, convert to MYR will be close 1400, or maybe a little bit more. Add the taxes in this country and ur paying it close to 1599.

Steep? Well, it is if you just splurge it with 1 paycheck and unable to manage ur financials carefully. but overall with smart planning, nothing is steep.

I still don't get why a guy murdered his family and then went suicide linking his unemployment to the current financial crisis at the states. But perhaps, some just can't tell themselves to keep fighting.

good point!

It's not about the affordability tagged with the price tag of $399. I have many friends worldwide who are rich people (willing to pay thousands of dollars for an arcade game) but unwilling to get a PS3. Their reasons was simple, they won't spend $400 for a console. You can't simply put your philosophy on spending for a PS3 the same as others. The price tag is unreasonable viewed by averaged consumers despite the value of the console, that's the barrier.

The analyst is talking out of his ass.

http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2000/08/37982

Read this link. Just replace PS2 with PS3.

its happening to the ps3 also. good gracious..

That's very positive thoughts However there are too few similarities between last gen and this gen in terms of competition and market conditions.

I'm a pessimist, the way I'm seeing it is the PS3 draws some similarities with the 3DO. Of course it won't be as bad, but the trend is just there.

Just some thoughts, no pun intended. I'm a happy PSWii60 owner, so I hope all will do well

Frankly, the no one will complain about the $399 price tag if the PS3 is able to play pirated games.

Those who are complaining the price tag most are the parents and those gamers who are not into high tech gadgets, like me (although I gave in for my gaming DNA). To be honest I do see a point in their complain. Pirates on the other hand stand a small portion in the gaming community.

the US economy is jacked.

both XBOX and PS divisions and all HDTV companies will go bankrupt

Wii will sell at USD99 (comes with free NDSL) in 2009. US economy will be saved by Nintendo

Everyone here is trying to stick with the price tag argument here trying to avoid another unnecessary console war (although that might be lightning's intention )

PS: Not saying that you are wrong

This post has been edited by gundamalpha: Oct 8 2008, 02:13 PM

Can you read mind?

Yes, I think Gundamalpha is a newtype. He can read minds, especially lightningminds.

i never see anything wrong with "console wars" topics. i just find it amusing that such topics can go very fast for platform XXX SUX to personal insults

its true, the minute i saw these past few weeks USecon news, i realize 2009 will be a painful year for many companies in the "luxury goods" compartment. low cost product will be the winner (in the US, at least)

if demand do slowdown, expect Nintendo to drop prices and still maintain a high profit level.

Expensive is a relative term. At USD399 for a all that the PS3 can do is relatively inexpensive. But when compare to the other consoles selling at half of that, then it becomes relatively more expensive.

I wish Sony the best come this holiday season because it won't be that jolly at all.

So at the end, as I mentioned earlier on, Satoru Iwata and Ninty may be the jolliest of them all

Well, there are better things to spend on like paying your mortgages for a roof over your head than for a console. The real world is really different to just games.

However, there are news on the road that due to the credit crunch, people may actually spend more on games as they are a cheaper alternatives to going to clubs and drinking. Nevertheless, we will have to see if the situation improves.

Bluray? Not yet. Even Sony admits that it is still a long way to go even though they have won the format wars. Now there is a new battle with downloadable HD content. Hard drives are cheaper than the disc though.

yes, during recession times, ppl do sometimes go for entertainment products to "leave the real world behind"

its just that Wii function best with normal old TV, the other 2 products function best with HDTV and online connection.

so the middle-class feeling the slowdown with likely get a Wii or just stick with PS2 slim or DVD player.

if cant afford, try fishing. once you get a fish, try selling it. gather money, then buy ps3. viola!

Joking only mah Although I am a L9 Newtype though, better evasion and accuracy, plus longer range attacks (poison playing Robot Wars Z)

Serious note, we won't know the real answer until someone can come up with a price elasticity data for consoles on current market conditions.

This post has been edited by gundamalpha: Oct 8 2008, 03:20 PM

So i see you have taken a few economics classes...not bad.

Economics was my major back then

personally. i never trust all these analyst's point of views. they dunno nothing when it comes to gaming world.

i remember when PS1 was about to launch, these so called "experts" are saying how sony doesn't have what it takes to take on traditional game industry players like Sega and Nintendo.

and when PS2 was about to launch, they are mooting about how packing in a built in DVD player function will grab consumer's attention.

dun get me started about what they say about PS3, Xbox, 360 and even Wii!

all those article space should be dedicated to helping out the community IMHO instead of wasting it just like that by them.

Good for you,My SRW Z still haven't arrive from playasia...
Shipped since Sep 25.

I used Fedex, cannot tahan so long for Robot Wars

tak pe aku kaya , 399 usd too steep ? kalau tk mampu jgn main game. senang cerita.

Like I said before, it's not about affordability

Ms has got tons and tons of $$ to spend, and they can afford not to earn from hardware sales. They have spent billions on RROD, especially on the extension of the 3-year warranty. They spend millions to pursue exclusives, and god knows how many millions to pay Sony for SE's breech of exclusivity. Heck, they even pay Rockstar 50m just for DLC.
For each Xboxes sold, MS lost $126.

Fact of life, not to flame any fanboys.

And they say money isn't everything.......

How true. I stopped clubbing and used that on games instead. However I tried doing both this month (hence broke)

I can't see the point of your argument here.. It has nothing to do with PS3's price perceived as being too steep.

And why is that so? The simple reason why 360 is cheaper than PS3 is because they are selling way below production cost. Sony could not keep up with MS' frequent price cut.

http://www.joystiq.com/2005/12/28/xbox-360...ts-715-to-make/

http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/08/22/r...-cut-this-year/

When its mentioned steep, you wanna have the feeling to tell you

"hey, this console looks nice. Great games, not bad graphics yadda yadda".

Such an impression is brought up by the price. The steepness doesn't make it feel so.

In another way also, if Sony does their research right, they know the world wants a mega price drop that rocks their socks off. Because its a Sony.

I think it's crap. In the end, the peripherals and games cost so much more than the console.

It's not the price. It never really was. It was the selection of games. But with a stronger library for the PS3, things are looking up.

M$ knew that games are the one that sell the console, not the console's price or gimmicks or whatever. That's why they throw money at developers to secure titles for their platform, hence the staggering amount of Sony exclusives going multiplatform (meaning X360/PS3 - let's face it, Wii is going off into a totally different direction). I mean, four syllables: FFXIII.

Yes, I couldn't have put it better myself. ^^

The last time I checked, MS are selling their consoles close to break even after taking in the replacement into consideration. And all those money paid for developers? There's no evidence suggesting this except in GTA4's case, the rest are just rumors.

And the whole point of the thread isn't XBox 360 vs PS3 to begin with, it's the perception of the $399 price tag as being steep. And majorities of those perceiving this way aren't you and me, or many other gamers who have bought one, they are the parents and non high tech gadget savvy gamers.

Cudn't agree with gundamalpha more.

The parents and non high tech gadget savvy gamers will just go for the cheapest in the list then. Cheapest console, cheapest handheld, etc. The majority of them won't really research and forecast and etc. etc. that most of us do when we're making serious purchases like consoles. In that case, then yes, price is the issue.

For people who put in a bit of thought and effort into which console they're buying, initial price of console does very little to sway their judgment, I think.

For Malaysia, though, I know most people don't get PS3s compared to X360s or even Wiis 'cause of the simple fact that PS3's BD games aren't available for RM5.

I can't argue with you on the piracy issues in Malaysia more, that's a sad reality. But you have to look beyond the Malaysian community in terms of the price issue. Even if all those who are interested in getting a PS3 added up in our country, how many would that be? Our market is quite insignificant to be honest.

I have come across many foreign gamers who say nay to PS3 because of the price, games issues aside. And in foreign countries, parents do have a big say in this industry believe it or not. I do believe most of those who have the knowledge and interest have been captured, those who haven't decided yet are the main targets for this analysis. And no surprise for those who haven't bought one won't be interested until further price drop is announced.

I agree with gundamalpha.
Yes. Piracy issue is a reality here in Malaysia.
And yes, Malaysia is indeed an insignificant market. Wii have won the console race, not because Malaysians are buying it for pirated games.

I think the numbers says it all. PS3 is so far the worst selling current-gen console, SONY PR can spin and twist the stories but fact is fact - PS3 sold the least. Many so-called analysts are trying to make sense on the reason, and some think Price is the reason. Given this economy climate, high price will be a turn off for consoles buyers. Who cares if your expensive console can fly u to moon, when u are falling back on mortgage payment?

I remember when i first see the PS3 launch video in US, "3DO" comes to my mind immediately. But PS3 will not end up like 3DO, PS3 is a well crafted graphic beast with the backing of industry behemoth SONY, they still have a lot of times and money to get things right. But if u r following SONY news, they do not make stellar profits recently, and strong YEN & weak USD has really hurt them. I doubt they can cut the price further, that can be a blow to their bottom line.

I agree PS3 library is getting better. But it still has the weakest library among the 3. While PS3 is improving, 360 & Wii are not standing still. SONY seems to harbor hope that LittleBigPlanet will save PS3. I think the game will sell tonnes, and will sustain PS3 viability, but it seems too late to win the console war. Well lets look back into history. SEGA used to hope that "Nights into Dream" can be the Saturn savior, we all know it didn't. Same goes to "Shenmue" for Dreamcast.

Also, i doubt MS really throw big money at developer for game defections, reasons-----

First, it was not discussed in any of the MS Q-End financial results conference call with the press (I might be wrong). When discussing the Game business, serious media (Bloomberg, Forbes etc) simply did not ask the question probably maybe because ---- It is not true OR amount is insignificant.

Second, 360 have larger install base. Releasing games for 360 makes perfect business sense for developer, why is MS so dumb to throw big money at them?

"Also, i doubt MS really throw big money at developer for game defections, reasons-----"

1. US50 million was given to Rockstar for 360DLC

2. SCEA president Jack Tretton said Sony will not pursue exclusivity. "We don't buy exclusivity. We don't fund development. We don't, for lack of a better term, bribe somebody to only do a game on our platform. We earn it."
http://kotaku.com/gaming/gag-order/scea-pr...vity-274862.php

3. M$ paid Sony for SE's breech of exclusivity. The article was published in Kotaku, but was very quickly taken down.

4. Capcom's statement. "Exclusives are driven by gameplay functionality and cost. If you get your gameplay functionality and costs right, exclusivity can work."
http://kotaku.com/gaming/notag/capcom-stil...ives-331554.php


There are many many others around, do google for it. I came across many articles before.

This post has been edited by Zeliard: Oct 12 2008, 12:29 PM

1. It was announced, it's fact.
2. He can say whatever he wants.
3. If it was fact, why was it taken down?
4. They are saying they have better budget allocation and understanding each console's strength and capabilities than its competitor.

I'm not trying to defend anyone nor opposing anyone, but unless statements were made like in point 1, anything else are base on assumptions and interpretations. Honestly, if MS really did pay for those exclusivity, then they are doing it for the good of their customers. Sony could have done the same for the PS3 owners, anything they said only reflects they are unwilling to spend more for the good of their customers.

"We don't buy exclusivity. We don't fund development. We don't, for lack of a better term, bribe somebody to only do a game on our platform. We earn it." The way I see this statement is "We won't spend for exclusivity. We care for our profitability only. If someone else want to buy exclusivity then go ahead, we are not going to spend to improve our situation as we have enough fan base. Consumers are oblige to buy our stuff."

I repeat, I'm not biased. If that's the way Sony wants to market their products so be it. At the end of the day if they could get the right amount of games for PS3 I'd still buy it (which I already did). MS on the other hand, if they want to spend money to expand their sales, I couldn't see anything wrong with it either. Competition only benefits consumers in the end, unless one company bought over another to kill off the competition by being the single console manufacturer.

This post has been edited by gundamalpha: Oct 12 2008, 01:25 PM

sony said they would re evaluate buying exclusives.
not sure of its progress,though

@Zeliard --- My apology, I slip out the DLC issue. Also I actually came across lots of "MS paid for exclusive" articles on Gaming websites, but i did not believe it entirely.
@Gumdamalpha --- your reply made sense dude, no fear, logical ppl won't label u fanboy.

1. I still insist in my disbelieve that MS "paid big monies for game defection". That means, Namco & Square are not likely to have brought games to 360, because MS paid them off. I view their moves as very logical business decision to reach a wider audience --- to sell more games. When Square Enix announced that FF13 will be published on 360, their shareholders re-act positively, and their share price went up in the second day. From there you will see, shareholders think moving games to 360 is a good business moves. I doubt ONLY Square Enix shareholders think this way, and i seriously doubt MS paid Square Enix in this case. Why would MS paid Square Enix to do something that have bigger benefit to SE than MS? Not logical.

Bloomberg: Square Enix Shares Gain on `Final Fantasy' Release
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...rnU&refer=japan

2. If SONY come out and start buying exclusives, i doubt they would go very far in helping PS3. Money spend on developing 1st party games, or buying a good developer, would be viable choices over giving ang-pow to developer. For a start.... SEGA, Tecmo might be good targets, but i doubt that would happened as well, given SONY mediocre business performance recently, the management really do not have much goodwill around to justify a risky and expensive acquisitions.

3. If SONY does buy exclusives, it would be interesting to see how they would answer their shareholders for spending money on something they are likely to have minimal management control, and is risky because the exclusives in question might not have helped PS3 platform. So Jack Tretton is right, he should not have started throwing "ang-pow" at developer to do exclusives --- Shareholders might fired him if it failed!

4. CAPCOM's statements on exclusives are very logical, and i would be happy if i am a shareholders. RE 5 on 360 & PS3, Monster Hunter 3 on Wii, all seems to balance platform strength & CAPCOM's resources well.

This post has been edited by neogeocdz: Oct 12 2008, 03:47 PM

Yup....PS3 will again finish last in terms of sales this holiday season....

Should Sony reduce sales price....Considering the price of the other two consoles (expecially 360) I'd say that SONY really need to reduce their console price offering...to USD 320-350 range at least...

If not then PS3 will be lagging behind 360 in terms of sales ans SONY will be losing lots mo 3rd party exclusives since the install base just isn't big enough for 3rd party to makes games for it...