Sony cuts 20GB PS3 price in Japan by $100! Adds HDMI!

LookingFor

So..emm..yeah. Sony dropped this little bombshell, outside of their TGS conference.

Sony Cuts Price of PlayStation 3 to $410

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/21/AR2006092102079.html

TOKYO -- Sony Corp. said Friday it will lower the price of its much-anticipated PlayStation 3 video game console, heating up the competition in the next-generation gaming war against rivals Microsoft and Nintendo.

The announcement comes just days after Microsoft announced that it would roll out an external high definition DVD player for its Xbox 360 in an effort to match the PlayStation 3, which is due to be released later this year with its own Blu-ray DVD technology.

Sony will cut the price of its basic PlayStation 3 model in Japan to 47,600 yen ($410), from an originally planned 59,800 yen ($515).

And they're adding HDMI to it!

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6158155.html

The addition of HDMI to the 20GB PS3 is confirmed to be a global change, but as of right now, pricing plans have not changed anywhere outside of Japan. We'll see though..! The HDMI addition alone makes the 20GB pack mine of choice now, so even if it remains at €499 here, that's virtually a price cut for me as is compared to getting the 60GB.

zAbbo

Sony spokeswoman Nanako Kato said there were no plans to lower the price in other markets.

From here

uberpixie

LookingFor wrote:

The addition of HDMI to the 20GB PS3 is confirmed to be a global change, but as of right now, pricing plans have not changed anywhere outside of Japan. We'll see though..! The HDMI addition alone makes the 20GB pack mine of choice now, so even if it remains at €499 here, that's virtually a price cut for me as is compared to getting the 60GB.

The fact that they have added hdmi globally to all PS3s should set alarm bells ringing: i.e. they really have nothing made yet!

Shortage will no doubt be a killer at launch.

Smart move though, they have to take it to be more competitive.

And any sort of price cut will sway a Sony fan who were still undecided to get one based on price.

EDIT: just saw your link Zabbo.

They prob will still sell out at launch anyhow, HDMI makes a 20gig version purchase a little easier to swallow

LookingFor

Yes, the added HDMI is the significant news for us. It makes the 20GB pack the only choice for me, and in an indirect way is giving me a pricecut. I won't be spending €599 anymore

Oh, and you guys should check out the PS3 games coming out of TGS. There's a crapload of stunning stuff they're showing off.

Ciaran500

So its $215 more for a 60gb now...

How can they justify that? Theres no way adding Wifi, a wireless controller and a 60gb HDD is costing them that much extra.

i_am_dogboy

Even if the lower end model had a price cut...I'd be very tempted to splash out and buy the more expensive mode, even thought I don't have the desire to use its features.

The only way I see this affecting those of us outside japan is getting some sneaky ****er and extra hundred dollars on ebay. I sort of expected Sony to announce the availability of the lower end model when they said they'd delay the european release.

Still, it's only a very good thing that they are willing to drop price, Sony not being as stubborn as they have been can only mean progress.

Smellyirishman

Also, how many lower-end models are being produced? I remember hearing a ratio of between 20:80-40:60 ($400:$600). Still, a good move by Sony and it seems like the blows are starting to be exchanged. Ciaran makes a good point too.

Ri_Nollaig

i thought the lower-end models are only going to be sold in japan ?

LookingFor

Ciaran500 wrote:

So its $215 more for a 60gb now...

How can they justify that? Theres no way adding Wifi, a wireless controller and a 60gb HDD is costing them that much extra.

The 60GB pack's price in Japan is set by retailers. So basically, demand and the market will dictate its price.

Ri_Nollaig wrote:

i thought the lower-end models are only going to be sold in japan ?

No..

Goodshape

I had heard that Europe was only going to get the 60GB version, but that was before the delay so I don't know anymore.

A good PR move on Sony's part anyway (at last). Although I suspect there's going to be far fewer of the ("Improved! Cheaper!") 20GB models than there is of the 60gig versions.

It just works well for Sony to have people thinking 'price cut' all of a sudden.

Ri_Nollaig

Goodshape wrote:

I had heard that Europe was only going to get the 60GB version, but that was before the delay so I don't know anymore.

thats what i heard too, but i guess since the delay it probably changed.
and yes finally some good news from sony

Smellyirishman

Originally, it was rumoured that only the 60GB model would be released at launch. The lower model would be available after launch. I do not know what the story is now.

Vegeta

Ciaran500 wrote:

So its $215 more for a 60gb now...

How can they justify that? Theres no way adding Wifi, a wireless controller and a 60gb HDD is costing them that much extra.

yeah very strange indeed

ah well the addition of the HDMI to lower spec PS3 is good news

quad_red

Smellyirishman wrote:

Originally, it was rumoured that only the 60GB model would be released at launch. The lower model would be available after launch. I do not know what the story is now.

Surely that is counter productive from a manufacturing point of view? Surely, it's easier to chug out the simpler versions?

Smellyirishman

quad_red wrote:

Surely that is counter productive from a manufacturing point of view? Surely, it's easier to chug out the simpler versions?

Possibly (Although it would not be much easier, especially considering the bottleneck is the blu-ray), but Sony would be thinking from a $ point of view.

savemejebus

Kinda seems like a knee-jerk reaction to the release of the HD-DVD add on for the 360 so they'll probably cut prices in each market as MS release the HD DVD add on in more places.

quad_red

savemejebus wrote:

Kinda seems like a knee-jerk reaction to the release of the HD-DVD add on for the 360 so they'll probably cut prices in each market as MS release the HD DVD add on in more places.

That sort of makes sense.

Doesn't HD-DVD use a blue laser just like BlueRay?

Hence, the 360 add on drive will probably face a similiar shortage of components and a similiarly restrained release schedule.

savemejebus

have to say that if this price drop eventually goes world wide it will make the "core" ps3 a very worthy competitor to the 360

GrumPy

I guess come March, I will still want a 60GB version, but at least now if I have only the 20gb option to buy, I will be getting the exact same features, bar 40GB extra, which I wont need anyway.

Now that I think of it, I prolly will go with the 20gb version if it is available here, Sure AFAIK, you can upgrade to larger hard drives yourself in the future.

uberpixie

Goodshape wrote:

I had heard that Europe was only going to get the 60GB version, but that was before the delay so I don't know anymore.

A good PR move on Sony's part anyway (at last). Although I suspect there's going to be far fewer of the ("Improved! Cheaper!") 20GB models than there is of the 60gig versions.

It just works well for Sony to have people thinking 'price cut' all of a sudden.

Good point.

Even if the price cut doesn't come through, people will still have waited for one.

And sure if ya wait that long you may as well just buy it and be happy even if the price is higher than you thought it would be.

Clever.

Cuddlesworth

Irish GrumPy wrote:

Now that I think of it, I prolly will go with the 20gb version if it is available here, Sure AFAIK, you can upgrade to larger hard drives yourself in the future.

Even seeing your sig, I'm going to take a guess that it will be made very hard through the use of non-standard connections.

GrumPy

krazy_8s wrote:

Even seeing your sig, I'm going to take a guess that it will be made very hard through the use of non-standard connections.

Not true, Sony stated ages ago that you can upgrade to what ever damned size hard drive you want. 2"5 laptop hdds afaik.

Zombrex

Sony are quickly making the 60GB version largely pointless.

Microsoft's "cheap" Core version didn't have a harddrive at all, so you could understand the difference. But the difference between a 20GB and 60GB harddrive? Not much, unless you are using your PS3 as a PVR, and with the fact that you can upgrade your harddrive when ever you want it become even more pointless.

I would say this is a sign that Sony is giving up on the unrealistic idea that the PS3 will be a multimedia computer in your living room. People want a games console, and they want to pay games console prices, especially since the games are going to cost €80 (more than a 60GB harddrive).

I would not be surprised if the 60GB version was scrapped all together. But Jesus you wonder who is doing the forward planning in Sony. The entire PS3 development has been a mess of ideas thrown in and hten taken out, taken out and then thrown in.

savemejebus

does the 60gb one not have fancy wireless connectivity and built in toaster oven?

Crucifix

savemejebus wrote:

....and built in toaster oven?

Metal Grill Solid.

I think it's jumping to conclusions to say that they haven't started production just because Kuturagi made the HDMI announcement. It's not like all the guys in the factory heard it for the first time on Eurogamer. Just because Ken asked the crowd doesn't mean he was equally expecting a "No" and in that case prepared to go "Fuck it, we won't bother". I'm not saying they implented the change after the initial backlash, but I doubt it was a recent whim-ish change.