PS3 price cut goes official.

[Kitsune]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118394791259560639.html?mod=yahoo_hs&ru=yahoo

[Samprimary]

Now if only they had done it a long time earlier, they wouldn't have atrophied as much of their stickiness factor.

The Xbox 360 has not yet had to push a price drop, has it? And they could easily axe a hundred bucks off the price of their regular strength console and still be losing less per unit than the PS3 was.

I don't know. Things have just been looking pretty shitty for Sony and they've not been playing a smart game. Or so I reason.

/edit --

I am somewhat enthused that the price cut comes in conjunction with the release of a new 'elite' model PS3 that packages itself with a game.

[Kitsune]

I think the price drop will bail them out.  As much as 'analysts' will be claiming that a price cut is a sign of weakness, your average gamer doesn't give a damn, the only thought is "six hundred bucks is too god damned much".  I'd been holding off on getting a PS3 solely because of their price; once I found one for a less-atrocious price I bought it, and I bet that a lot of other people'll be going for it now, too.

I don't think that anyone debates the PS3's excellence as a console, now that most of the flaws have been fixed with the firmware updates.  A lower price point should be all it takes to get people buying, now that a PS3 is within spitting distance of the price of a 360 Elite.

Plus, for anyone who hasn't heard, you can get five free shitty blu-ray movies with a PS3.  Or, perhaps more accurately, four shitty movies and Blazing Saddles.  Be sure to take advantage of the offer; if nothing else you can use 'em for store credit at an EBGames or eBay 'em.

[NiX]

This may only be a Canada thing, but word from inside my store (Best Buy) has it that the 60GB bundles are dropping so they can sell through the stock and then an 80GB bundle is coming with the OLD price to replace it. Therefore it's not really a price drop if it's not going to stay.

[Trippy]

That would be a silly thing to do given that the price difference between a 60 GB laptop drive and an 80 GB laptop drive is just a few dollars. On the other hand I wouldn't put it past Sony to try something like that to drastically reduce the amount of money they are losing on each unit sold.

Edit: okay apparently Sony really is going to be that silly though they will try to mask that amazing markup by bundling in Motorstorm:

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6173806.html

which, even if you added in the full retail price for the game is still a ripoff ($60 + $5 < $100).

[Azazel]

Ah well, it's a step in the right direction, especially since the PS3 by reports has good biuld quality while the 360 appears to be like a Faberge Egg.
I'll keep waiting for more of a drop, however.

[Fabricated]

So they're discontinuing the 60GB model for the 80GB one instead of having $500 be the regular price?

Jesus, they really must lose a shitload of money on each PS3 for them to THAT stubbornly avoid an actual price drop.

[Merusk]

Plus, for anyone who hasn't heard, you can get five free shitty blu-ray movies with a PS3.  Or, perhaps more accurately, four shitty movies and Blazing Saddles.  Be sure to take advantage of the offer; if nothing else you can use 'em for store credit at an EBGames or eBay 'em.

Some of those other movies aren't too bad either.  At least to the point I'd definitely take them at "free," unlike the Pappa John's 'free dvd' promo movies which all wound-up in the garbage.    Too bad Blazing Saddles and Corpse Bride are in the same category, though.

[Riggswolfe]

I think the price drop will bail them out.  As much as 'analysts' will be claiming that a price cut is a sign of weakness, your average gamer doesn't give a damn, the only thought is "six hundred bucks is too god damned much".  I'd been holding off on getting a PS3 solely because of their price; once I found one for a less-atrocious price I bought it, and I bet that a lot of other people'll be going for it now, too.

The problem is that the price cut DOES make it more attractive. However, the damned PS3 still doesn't have many attractive exclusive games.

[Miasma]

So does this mean if I don't buy one now by next month all that will be available is the $600 model with a shitty game?

[Kitsune]

The press releases I've seen make no mention of discontinuing the 60GB model, just that the 80GB + Motorstorm model is coming for $600.  Personally, I'd just get the 60 and then spend the hundred bucks on buying a 160GB drive and just eBay away the 60.  Hard drives are insanely cheap nowadays, and the process for replacing the PS3's drive seems simple enough.

[Sky]

I'll point out again that an Atari 2600 cost $686 in 2007 dollars...after the price drop. It was something like $1200 in 2007 dollars prior (with better build quality, too, before it was outsourced to the lowest oriental bidder).

[Yegolev]

Hee hee.  Why would they "discontinue" the 60GB model when it's apparently the same machine with a different hard disk?  I'm sure there's just a new place in the factory where some units are shunted to a different line to have a different disk inserted.  As far as business moves go, this is pretty awesome.  There is a price-cut/smart person model and an epeen model.

Also, per the manual, exchanging the disk is very, very simple.  Moving your saves to some other media is also trivial... in fact the PS3 can now write to PS2/PS memory cards as well as the other stuff.

[murdoc]

This may only be a Canada thing, but word from inside my store (Best Buy) has it that the 60GB bundles are dropping so they can sell through the stock and then an 80GB bundle is coming with the OLD price to replace it. Therefore it's not really a price drop if it's not going to stay.

What are the 60GB models going for at Best Buy? I checked the website this AM and they're still listing $659.99

[Righ]

Oh no. At that price Iran will be buying them to run their nuclear enrichment program.

[Riggswolfe]

This may only be a Canada thing, but word from inside my store (Best Buy) has it that the 60GB bundles are dropping so they can sell through the stock and then an 80GB bundle is coming with the OLD price to replace it. Therefore it's not really a price drop if it's not going to stay.

What are the 60GB models going for at Best Buy? I checked the website this AM and they're still listing $659.99

Best Buy has updated with the price break.

[HaemishM]

Oh no. At that price Iran will be buying them to run their nuclear enrichment program.

Le art.

This is a good move for Sony, but the 80GB version is a flat ripoff. $100 for an extra 20GB? I see they are trying to make up the losses the Blu-Ray player has been giving them.

It's time for the 360 to drop in price. It won't, because Microsoft has to make up that $1 billion they are going to lose on the warranties, but still. Drop that bitch to $299 and we'll be talking.

[Yegolev]

They won't drop the 360 price until the PS3 starts outselling it, and who knows if that will happen?

[Kitsune]

Even if the 360 went to $300, I'm still pretty sure I wouldn't buy.  The only things it has that interest me are Dead Rising, Mass Effect, and the Live Arcade stuff, and I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that you have to pay for the Live Gold to play the Live Arcade games over the net.

The PS3 doesn't have crap for games yet either, but at least I can use it for my PS/PS2 games while waiting for newer things to come out.

[HaemishM]

There are a great deal more games I'd be interested in playing on the 360 than are even listed on the PS3.

[Yegolev]

I'm here to recitfy my incorrectness, although this is still in the Realm of Rumor:
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=14606

[schild]

Pachter really takes the easy way out sometimes. He's like the used car salesman of gaming analysts.

[Riggswolfe]

Ok, so if I was gonna fall for this $100 less can someone name me 3 games worth getting?

Some conditions:

1) Must be exclusives
2) Must be out right now.

[Yegolev]

I can only think of two, maybe.  Virtua Fighter 5 and Ninja Gaiden Sigma.  Other people might be able to add things.

[schild]

Resistance was fantastic fun.

Do NOT overlook the glory of Grim Grimoire and Odin Sphere upscaled through a PS3.

[Riggswolfe]

So, Virtua Fighter 5, Resistance, and Ninja Gaiden. Hmmm....and today I got a new Best Buy credit card.

Must. Resist.

[schild]

Do you have a 1080p or 720p tv?

[Rasix]

Well, VF5 is being upgraded for the 360.  So, you know.. take that into consideration.  Won't be quite as gorgeous though.

[schild]

The PS3 one is considerably prettier, also, odds are more than awesome that they'll patch the other shit into the PS3 one. It simply wasn't ready. Doesn't matter though, I'll get the 360 one for Live Play and usage of my DOA stick and keep the PS3 one for local vs due to being prettier and as a result, more fun ;)

[Margalis]

VF5 for 360 is going to be online.

[Riggswolfe]

Do you have a 1080p or 720p tv?

720p

[schild]

VF5 for 360 is going to be online.

Yes, it is. Hence why I said they'll probably patch it.

720p

Yes, Odin Sphere and Grim Grimoire would be must-purchase titles also.

[stray]

VF5 is going to suck balls online. Either system.

[schild]

VF5 is going to suck balls online. Either system.

Every lover of fighter titles hopes and dreams for the day this is true. It's like unspoken, of course it's going to suck, but we can hope against that, rite?

[Margalis]

VF5 is going to suck balls online. Either system.

Depends. A lot of fighting games use really crappy networking logic that creates input lag, rather than a dead-reckoning mechanism similar to FPS games.

I'm not a big fan of online play in fighting games myself, but most people are.