PS3 price cut goes official.

[Yegolev]

Versus fighters are better with a live victim, but you take what you can get.

[Azazel]

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).

Perhaps this is the time to point out that the world is a very different place now, and at the time you could buy an Atari for $1200 or $686 in 2007 dollars you couldn't also buy a PS2 for $99 with a quality software library longer than your street.

[Kitsune]

Amazon shows the PS3 sales increasing by 2500% after the price drop.  Which just goes to show that all Sony had to do to sell the thing was not be dicks about the price.  Cut the 'we feel that the American consumer recognizes the value and is willing to pay $600' bullshit and tone things down to a more reasonable price.  Which is not to say that the PS3 isn't $600 worth of computer, I believe it likely is, but that $600 for a videogame console is simply too much.  Let us remember the short, sad life of the Neo-Geo console with its $200 games.  I only know one guy who owned a Neo-Geo, and it was awesome, but he only had two games for it 'cause he couldn't afford any more.

In other related news, they're yanking the hardware PS1/PS2 emulation out of the upcoming 80GB PS3s.

[NiX]

What? Why would they yank the hardware emulation?

[Trippy]

What? Why would they yank the hardware emulation?

Same reason they left it out of the Euro PS3s -- it lowers the manufacturing cost.

[stray]

Eh. That's a shame. People here might think I'm a bit of a Sony fanboi (err..well, I am actually), but part of the reason I even bought the PS3 was cuz my PS2 conked out -- and I had the cash to blow. PS2 games are the most use I got out of it at this point too (That and BLU-RAY^TM). So.....Umm...That sucks for future owners, I guess.

[Kitsune]

Trippy gets it in one!  The non-hardware backwards compatible PS3s will still play PS/PS2 games, albiet in software emulation, with all of the attendant glitches that implies.  So let's do the math:

$100 - 20GB - Motorstorm + Hardware emulation of old games = Stupidly obvious superior choice.  Anyone who goes for the 80 GB bundle is pretty clearly a moron.

[schild]

The software emulation is nearly perfect, and could potentially be better than the hardware emulation. Not at this point no, but it should be shortly. I think both Quinton and I have mentioned this a number of times.

[Velorath]

Amazon shows the PS3 sales increasing by 2500% after the price drop.  Which just goes to show that all Sony had to do to sell the thing was not be dicks about the price. 

Actually so far it just goes to show that a price drop will result in a sales spike (which should be obvious).  The question remains whether or not the price drop is big enough to result in a sustained higher level of sales.

[Ironwood]

But the Wii's still a better system tho ?

[CmdrSlack]

The software emulation is nearly perfect, and could potentially be better than the hardware emulation. Not at this point no, but it should be shortly. I think both Quinton and I have mentioned this a number of times.

Magic patch?

[Riggswolfe]

Well I haven't gotten one but now I probably will before the summer is out if my budget permits. Maybe as soon as August, it really depends on my finances.

[Murgos]

Schild is right though, emulating one processor with another isn't that uncommon.  There is no reason that the PS3 can't perfectly emulate the PS2 in software.  Well, no reason other than how much time and effort Sony wants to dedicate to the problem.  My guess though is that they already have the PS2 hardware emulated for dev purposes on some Unix system and are working on porting that over to the Cell architecture.

A fairly common approach to processor verification is to create the entire device in C and run tests on it while the processor is being designed to find issues.

[Kitsune]

I particularly doubt that Sony is going to put in the effort to make the software emulation superior to the hardware emulation.  After all, they don't want people playing PS2 games on the PS3, they want people buying new PS3 games.

[schild]

I particularly doubt that Sony is going to put in the effort to make the software emulation superior to the hardware emulation.  After all, they don't want people playing PS2 games on the PS3, they want people buying new PS3 games.

They definitely want people playing PS2 games on the PS3. I don't know what the hell you're talking about.

[Kitsune]

They definitely want people playing PS2 games on the PS3. I don't know what the hell you're talking about.

No, they don't.  If someone buys a PS3 and only uses it to play their old PS2 games, Sony makes no money.  Sony winds up losing money in that situation.  Sony's business model hinges on taking a loss on the PS3, then making huge profits on PS3 games.  If the owner buys no PS3 games, the business model fails.  Sony wants us to conveniently forget about PS and PS2 stuff as quicky as possible and get to buying $60 PS3 titles.

[Yegolev]

Since the firmware patches have done nothing but increase the ability for people to play PS2 games in the PS3, I'd have to say the facts are against you there, Kit.  Not only did they fix the rendering problems in interlaced mode, they introduced upscaling and added the ability for the PS3 to write to PS/PS2 memory cards.  Sony is still selling both PS2 consoles and PS2 games, as well.  I can't remember how long PS1 games were sold into the PS2's lifetime, but they didn't just chop off the development.

I would also point out that PS1 emulation is currently done completely in software, as far as I can tell anyway.  It is rather more awesome than the PS2 hardware emulation I have right now.

[Simond]

Konami thinks the price cut might not be enough

Earlier this week, Sony dropped the price on its PlayStation 3 60GB model from $599 to $499. Analysts responded favorably to the announcement, saying it would put pressure on Microsoft to drop the price of its Xbox 360 system, the priciest configuration of which currently costs $479. But while analysts might think the cut is enough to make the PS3 cost-competitive, one of Sony's biggest publishing partners appears underwhelmed.

Speaking with Reuters, Konami North American and European operations head Kazumi Kitaue expressed doubt. "I wonder if Sony can win back user support by the price cut of just $100," Kitaue said, adding, "I don't expect a substantial impact...With $500, you can buy a personal computer."

Kitaue no doubt would like a cheaper PS3 in order to spike sales of the machine and have a larger installed user base in place for Konami's highly anticipated PS3 exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. However, the executive said Konami might have to bring the series to non-Sony systems in order to make its development money back.

"Since Metal Gear Solid was born for the PlayStation, we would like to keep it a PlayStation game," Kitaue said. "But we might have to take some steps."

[Merusk]

That right there is an "Owch."

[Riggswolfe]

Kitaue no doubt would like a cheaper PS3 in order to spike sales of the machine and have a larger installed user base in place for Konami's highly anticipated PS3 exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. However, the executive said Konami might have to bring the series to non-Sony systems in order to make its development money back.

"Since Metal Gear Solid was born for the PlayStation, we would like to keep it a PlayStation game," Kitaue said. "But we might have to take some steps."

This is..interesting news to me. This is the equivalent of Bungie saying "To remake costs on Halo 4 we'll have to look at other systems than the Xbox 720."

[Abelian75]

No, they don't.  If someone buys a PS3 and only uses it to play their old PS2 games, Sony makes no money.  Sony winds up losing money in that situation.  Sony's business model hinges on taking a loss on the PS3, then making huge profits on PS3 games.  If the owner buys no PS3 games, the business model fails.  Sony wants us to conveniently forget about PS and PS2 stuff as quicky as possible and get to buying $60 PS3 titles.

That's not taking into account people buying PS2 games for their PS3.  It's pretty likely that development costs for the software emulator aren't exceedingly high, so if it sells a decent number of copies of PS2 games it would be worth it.  When I get a PS3 I will sure as heck be buying katamari damacy along with it, that's for sure.

[Velorath]

Kitaue no doubt would like a cheaper PS3 in order to spike sales of the machine and have a larger installed user base in place for Konami's highly anticipated PS3 exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. However, the executive said Konami might have to bring the series to non-Sony systems in order to make its development money back.

"Since Metal Gear Solid was born for the PlayStation, we would like to keep it a PlayStation game," Kitaue said. "But we might have to take some steps."

This is..interesting news to me. This is the equivalent of Bungie saying "To remake costs on Halo 4 we'll have to look at other systems than the Xbox 720."

Not really.  The GC had Twin Snakes, and XBox had MGS2: Sub-whatever, so it's not like MGS has been totally PS exclusive or anything.

[Strazos]

What kind of PC is he buying for $500? Certainly not a gaming rig.

[caladein]

What kind of PC is he buying for $500? Certainly not a gaming rig.

I actually had that discussion with someone today and I am certain that most on-board video cards can't do Hardware T&L which throws everything post-Battlefield 1942 out the window.

[Riggswolfe]

[
This is..interesting news to me. This is the equivalent of Bungie saying "To remake costs on Halo 4 we'll have to look at other systems than the Xbox 720."

Not really.  The GC had Twin Snakes, and XBox had MGS2: Sub-whatever, so it's not like MGS has been totally PS exclusive or anything.

You know. I totally forgot about that. I guess it is exclusive in the "we get it 6 months before other consoles" sense.

[Murgos]

What kind of PC is he buying for $500? Certainly not a gaming rig.

I actually had that discussion with someone today and I am certain that most on-board video cards can't do Hardware T&L which throws everything post-Battlefield 1942 out the window.

You can get a card that's capable of Hardware T&L for like 60 bucks.  Here is an X1600 pro for $64.  I think that with a little eagle eyed price watching you could put together a rig capable of playing games at a reasonable level for less than $500.

[Yegolev]

Regarding the $500 computer comment, you have to adjust for Japaneseness.  They are not a PC culture for the most part.

[Miasma]

Capcom thinks there will be another cut by the end of the year.

[Velorath]

If you want a $500 PS3, looks like you gotta get it soon.

SCEE president David Reeves has told GamesIndustry.biz that the 60GB PlayStation 3 will no longer be available in the US after stock sells out - which he predicts will occur by the end of the month.

Reeves was speaking at an E3 event to announce the introduction of a new PS3 bundle in Europe. When asked about possible criticisms over whether SCEE should have given consumers the option to pay a lower price, as SCEA has done, he replied, "Well, they're not really are they, because what the US are offering from the 1st of August is a USD 599 version with one game.

"All they're doing is taking their stock in trade that they've got at the moment of the 60GB model, marking the price down and it will all be gone by the end of July."

When asked to clarify if this will mean the end of the 60GB model, Reeves answered, "In America, yes."

SCEA announced a USD 100 price cut for PlayStation 3 earlier this week. A new 80GB model will come bundled with a copy of Motorstorm and will retail for USD 599.

Stupid fuckers.

[Simond]

Bwahahaha! 

[Roac]

So, less a price cut, and more a car salesman trying to dump last year's inventory

[Riggswolfe]

If you want a $500 PS3, looks like you gotta get it soon.

SCEE president David Reeves has told GamesIndustry.biz that the 60GB PlayStation 3 will no longer be available in the US after stock sells out - which he predicts will occur by the end of the month.

Reeves was speaking at an E3 event to announce the introduction of a new PS3 bundle in Europe. When asked about possible criticisms over whether SCEE should have given consumers the option to pay a lower price, as SCEA has done, he replied, "Well, they're not really are they, because what the US are offering from the 1st of August is a USD 599 version with one game.

"All they're doing is taking their stock in trade that they've got at the moment of the 60GB model, marking the price down and it will all be gone by the end of July."

When asked to clarify if this will mean the end of the 60GB model, Reeves answered, "In America, yes."

SCEA announced a USD 100 price cut for PlayStation 3 earlier this week. A new 80GB model will come bundled with a copy of Motorstorm and will retail for USD 599.

Stupid fuckers.

Well, I'm back to not getting one then. I can't afford it this month and if they're going back to the old price fuck them.

[Trippy]

Just wait till Christmas time -- it'll drop back down again then.

[Miasma]

Sony screws up their announcements all the time by one of their legion of executives talking out of turn, this guy might be contradicted by some other president today.

[Shrike]

I didn't need to see this shit.

Now I"m tempted to dump my old Xbox and PS2 and spring for a 60gig PS3. Still no PS3 games worth a damn in my opinion, but Odin Sphere and my PS2 collection (and my PS1 Xcom) just about have me sold. That and the wireless. Just getting rid of my PS2 cords...man...I didn't need to see this.