Microsoft doesn't think Sony can stick to single PS3 SKU

Since Microsoft apparently didn't suffer enough indignity with the whole J Allard-in-dreads happenings -- we were sure our caption contest sealed the deal -- another Xbox exec has gone on record making predictions on Sony hardware, unfortunately without similarly high stakes. Xbox director of technical strategy Andre Vrignaud is betting a steak dinner with the staff of Level Up that Sony's going to hit the market with a $399 PS3 SKU by Black Friday 2007. His thinking is that Sony won't want to stick with a $599 80GB PS3 as its sole offering, and therefore will drop the 80 gigger to $499 and supplement it with a stripped down $399 40GB PS3 that skips out on WiFi, a memory card reader and backward compatibility. Of course, Sony's not talking much about SKUs ever since its total PR disaster on the 60GB price cut during E3, but that doesn't necessarily mean the company is ready to take a page out of Microsoft's book and go all PS3 "Core" on us.

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

[Ian @ Jul 28th 2007 10:42PM]

NO WAY!

Sony started out knowing the PS3 would be more expensive than the xbox 360 and decided to keep quality up with the price. They're not going to destroy themselves in the eyes of developers by making a "core" system. I believe they've learned from microsoft's mistake, and are indeed PROUD that GTA IV developer Rockstar has said a time or two that because not every xbox 360 offers a hard drive, development for GTA IV isn't going smoothly.

Perhaps they will offer a stipped down unit without a card reader, but I don't believe they'll axe the wireless or any other "necessary" part of the system as Microsoft has done. If I were to by an xbox 360, I would have to go with an elite model, and I would be stuck knowing that developers are designing games for the core unit and I just paid a lot of money for extra stuff that won't often be used. =/

[tankerkevo @ Jul 30th 2007 12:50AM]

On September 17th, 2007 the 80gig PS3 SKU will be $499.

[Sy @ Jul 28th 2007 10:57PM]

FUD at its best ...from the master, Microsoft. They are trying to stop any perceived momentum Sony may have gained with the recent price cut. A little uncertainty in pricing disguised as a friendly bet does the trick ...at least thats what they hope.

[Blake @ Jul 28th 2007 10:59PM]

A 399 PS3 would be so mine when it came out. I get a woody just thinking about it.

[Dan @ Jul 29th 2007 12:14AM]

Ew, woody? It's called a chubby, Mr. Allen.

[david @ Jul 29th 2007 2:42AM]

umm, it's also called a woody, youngster.

[Aaron @ Jul 30th 2007 12:43AM]

Don't forget 'stiffy'. That was a favorite when I was a kid.

One day my buddy's sister was doing some crafty shit with fabric. She had a tube of something called "Stiffy" to... well, stiffen it, I guess.

...She couldn't figure out why we thought it was so funny.

[Veritas II @ Jul 28th 2007 11:08PM]

Daring Sony to do this is kinda odd. I mean, it'd definitely shave some off of MS's margins if they did.

[Andir3.0 @ Jul 29th 2007 1:11AM]

It's not odd. It's a way for Microsoft to keep the consumer thinking that Sony will make another "cheaper" model to try to keep people from buying the PS3 now. They've used this tactic before with the OS and software markets.

[DickHardknocks @ Jul 28th 2007 11:11PM]

My questions:

#1 How much does an integrated WiFi adapter cost to include with a system? They couldn't be that expensive since a typical USB adapter costs less than $40. Why bother taking the WiFi out?

In fact, why not give the 80GB model a 802.11n adapter and leave the "b" in the 60GB alone.


#2 PS3 is currently percieved by many as a loser in comparison to the 360 - and for good reason...the 360 simply has more signature games. When is SONY going to get their sh*t together and get more signature PS3 titles rolling?


I keep getting asked the same question by my friend's and cousins: which is better, my PS3 or my 360.

I keep giving them the same answer.

PS3 has the better hardware, but right now 360 has the best games.

SONY should have made sure PS3 launched with games mirroring the launch of the PS1. I'm talking TWISTED METAL, WARHAWK, LOADED, MORTAL KOMBAT, etc,etc.
From memory, the PS1 launch was the best launch I remember in video game history. PS1 had lots of great titles when it hit the shelves. The problem with PS3 is that PS2 is still alive and kicking. To their credit, the PS2 was truly a revolutionary system and they were fools for letting the PS3 let down its daddy.

[Sam @ Jul 28th 2007 11:15PM]

Just to let you know...the current 60gig has 802.11g

I don't think that it would be a big deal to keep WiFi in the 40gig, but they do want something to make people want the more expensive model. 802.11n would be sweet though!

[recon @ Jul 28th 2007 11:25PM]

Actually i think the problem with the PS3, is tha fact that Sony in general was late getting the hardware specs out to developers, which in turn delayed games. Sony's communication with software developers was lax at best and, in my opinion, left developers wondering if Sony was aactually going to be able to pull off it's hardware production in time, thus losing exclusives from the PS3 line up. And i really think Sony had trouble with producing Dev kits that actually helped developers rather than confuse them, thus again, the delay. In due time, Sony will have everything back on track, developers are recieving plenty of help and that Unreal Engine is definitely goin' to spruce things up. Its just a matter of time. On a good note though, givin the lack of time with game developing , Sony first gen games look just as good as the other console 2nd gen games. Really, they just need more of 'em.

[Kenban @ Jul 28th 2007 11:14PM]

The problem is the Wifi and card reader are very cheap to begin with. The 80GB model already has the backwards compatibility hardware removed. The only expensive part of the console that can be removed easily is the Blu-ray movie playback. The license fees are estimated to be $50+ per a player. Keeping the drive but making the playback of movies an optional feature you can purchase online plus removing the wifi and card reader would total only cut the price by around $100 and I doubt it would be worth it.

[recon @ Jul 28th 2007 11:29PM]

Kenban,

I was thinkin' tho, being Sony is the main manufacturer of Blu-ray, i dont think they have to pay the liscensing(

[recon @ Jul 28th 2007 11:31PM]

Sorry, part of the message got chopped off

Kenban,

I was thinkin' tho, being Sony is the main manufacturer of Blu-ray, i dont think they have to pay the liscensing fees for the player, I thought everyone else pays them. Am I wrong?

[recon @ Jul 29th 2007 10:17AM]

Ah, ok, yeah i wasn't sure.

thanks ken

[smut king @ Jul 28th 2007 11:15PM]

This Andre dude is dumb. Sony already perceived that a stripped PS3 would not sell as there is no demand for it, thus, the reason that the original 20gig PS3 production was halted and big name stores(best buy, Circuit City) decided not to stock 'em. Why would Sony try again to sell a stripped unit that no one wants to buy nor sell. That will only waste production material, time and money, something Sony is not willing and can not do. However, you definitely can't rule out a possible another 50 dollar drop for the 60gig if they decide to go with a 80gig sku

- 459.99 60gig and
- 499.99(w/o enterainment pack) or 559.99 80gig

[Poom @ Jul 29th 2007 1:25AM]

I certainly agree with you.

And to those who say the XBox 360 has more games... I think you have to think again. Most 360 games are now available for the PS3... Besides, PS3 has a lot more exclusive titles coming, where the only 360 exclusives seem to be only the ones that are out and Halo 3.

Look at the games Microsoft announced at E3. Most of those are available for the PS3 as well. Look at the good ones Sony announced, most of them are PS3 exclusives.

[Zeus the God @ Jul 29th 2007 4:34AM]

Thats because the prices were so close together. If they had a wider price difference... 400 to 600 dollars, and that small difference in features, you are sure to bet the 400 dollar version would sell better than a 600 dollar one. Especially since most people don't need the memory card reader or the WiFi adapter built in, or would rather use a direct ethernet connection. A lot of people would buy it, me being one of them.

[alexhrose71 @ Jul 30th 2007 9:25AM]

Poom : The 360 only has 1 exclusive Halo 3?? Seriously have you ever bothered to actually look at the 360 lineup. Doubt it. Here are a few exclusives from memory :

-Mass Effect
-Bioshock
-Ace Combat 6 :P
-Halo 3
-Halo Wars
-Fatal Inertia :P
-PGR4
-Forza 2
-Eternal Sonata
-Blue Dragon
-Lost Odyssey
-Ninja Gaiden 2
-Too Human
-Fable 2

Just from memory, theres easily a dozen more and thats just the announced titles.

[AlphaPyro @ Aug 21st 2007 8:01AM]

alexhrose71, that was rediculous of you to comment, and here's why to some pointed titles you loved to stick your tongue out:

"Here are a few exclusives from memory :


-Bioshock - Coming to PS3
-Ace Combat 6 :P - Timed exclusive, fanboy - Sony made the Ace series what it is... Don't think they aren't cooking for PS3 and shafting you to make you feel better temporarily - I'd take a big check from Gates and stab him in the back later too if I had the chance.
-Fatal Inertia :P - Coming to PS3
-Ninja Gaiden 2 - Ninja Gaiden Sigma you mean?"

No doubt, Xbox 360 has led a great life in many red circles of death, but I think in the long haul PS3 is going to, even 7 years beyond PS2's death, do what God Of War II did to finalize the best last-gen console in history, bury the competition so much that they are forced to pump out the "next-gen" as soon as possible, without add ons, claiming savings and better performance when it's really just a piece of PC junk with no vision other than to extort your dollars and pacify you with extended warranties. If a company extends your warranty of it's own volition, it's because they know you could sue their ass for the piece of crap they sold you in the first place. Yeah, they got more games, but you have no freaking idea what PS3 is tucking up their sleeves. Same thing happened when the PS2 came out - slow developement, but when it came down to it, that system is still outselling all of you.

[Nfinity @ Jul 28th 2007 11:19PM]

Again, Sony fanboys speak out with complete ignorance. Of course that everything this MS executive is saying is completely logical. They CAN'T MATCH Wii or X360 if they don't come out with more SKUs it's simple as that. They can't lower the PS3 60gb as is to $399 and the 80gb can't really go below $499. I highly doubt they can even lower the 80gb to $499, but let's say they can. Sony is in DESPERATE need of another $399 SKU if they want to compete. WiFi and card reader would shave of that $100 of the console. What I say, right now, the BEST deal there is for PS3 is 60gb version they will pull very soon. for $499 the console has it all if you need all that stuff. Everything after this 60gb version is going downhill in specs.

[recon @ Jul 28th 2007 11:36PM]

Nfinity,

Honestly, Sony, really doesn't have to create another sku, all they really have to do is continue to support developers with makin games. Once the games come, the units will sell faster. You have to figure that at roughly 599, Sony has sold 4.5 million units. Part of that was with the stripped down version that no one really wanted. So, i dont really think another sku is really what they need as much as a library of games.

[Poom @ Jul 29th 2007 1:28AM]

Perhaps you havn't seen how bad the stripped down 20GB was doing. Hell, do you even know how many people blame Microsoft for the Core SKU? I don't think Sony will make a stripped one. After the price cut on the 60GB SKU, PS3 sales has been boosted a lot.

[Zeus the God @ Jul 29th 2007 4:38AM]

Poom, the reason the 20GB version wasn't selling well was because the amount of features in the 60GB version dwarfed those of the 20GB version with such a small price difference. If they widened that difference you would see a HUGE switch in sales, guaranteed, because that is what was holding Sony back. The 20 gigger was still more expensive than the competition and lacked features that the slightly higher priced version had, so people figured that if they were going to spend more than the competition, then they would go all out.

[Kenban @ Jul 29th 2007 10:03AM]

Everyone pays the license fees. Sony is only one of nine companies that developed the Blu-ray standard. A large percentage of the license fee is the codecs as well since there are so many different video and audio standards that can be used on the disks. I don't believe Sony owns many (if any) of those patents.

[SigmaProjects.org @ Jul 28th 2007 11:32PM]

As soon as the PS3 hits $399 i'll buy it. Right now its still too expensive, but I think it will be the better console out of the three once the flagship games launch.

[Dull @ Jul 28th 2007 11:32PM]

Microsoft can't stick to a single SKU on the Xbox 360; Xbox 360 Core; Xbox 360 Elite; (or even Vista); so they should know ...

[AKBlade13 @ Jul 28th 2007 11:52PM]

Agreed.

Is it just me, or does that J Allard pic looks very awesome.

AKBlade13

[Zeus the God @ Jul 29th 2007 4:29AM]

They give people choices and options in which to get a system or product they need/want/enjoy. That is a smart business strategy, and Sony should follow suit, and release a cheaper SKU with less features.

[Luzian @ Jul 28th 2007 11:32PM]

Has anyone forgotten the fate of neo geo?

[recon @ Jul 28th 2007 11:38PM]

Yeah but Neo Geo never had an established following like Sony does. So nobody really knew if it were worth it.

[Paris K @ Jul 28th 2007 11:49PM]

Why would they cut out backward compatibility? It's done in software and doesn't cost more to add it to any SKU.

[recon @ Jul 29th 2007 12:04AM]

ok ok, i'm confused, i keep seeing posts and blogs everywhere(almost everywhere) about backward compatibility has been cut from the new 80 gig. I do believe thats only hardware. I remember reading that Sony still has backward compatibility it's just software now, and is constantly updating the library of games through firmware. Am i missing something? Sounds like there's backwards compatibilty to me. WTH.

[erac3rx @ Jul 29th 2007 12:04AM]

I call FUD on Vrignaud. Backward compatibility is all in software for non-EE chip models. WiFi comes standard in all consoles these days, save the 360 (PS3, Wii, PSP, even the $129 DS Lite). They won't pull either of those.

As for a $399 SKU... well they've been selling PS3 at ~$425 in Japan from the beginning, they could do that on the 80gb by November if they wanted.

An odd bet, as honestly if PS3 hits $399 by Thanksgiving 360 will get owned in December. Even with a premium 360 at $299 you'd be dumb not to go for $399 to get BluRay, PS1&2 compatibility, Wifi, HDMI, free online play, and at least 2x the HD space.

[Chimuel @ Jul 29th 2007 12:22AM]

Hmm... let's see how many SKUs the 360 already has:

Core
Premium
Elite
Halo
Simpsons

And MS is the one talking?

[Zeus the God @ Jul 29th 2007 4:28AM]

MS is saying they SHOULD put out another SKU, saying that Sony won't make it on one SKU that is priced so high in the public's eyes.

I agree with them, too, because with only one way to get a PS3 being 600 bucks after the stock of 60 giggers runs out, Sony would be screwed.

[PS3 Rocks @ Jul 29th 2007 1:21AM]

Let's see PS 3 Has:
Built in HD Blue Ray
Wireless WiFi
60 GB hard Drive
Free Online Service
What About X box360? Hmmm duno....NOTHING!!! X box going down and they know that.

[Robert @ Jul 29th 2007 1:45AM]

"Wireless WiFi" . . . you know, as opposed to that wired WiFi they keep talking about.

[duderino @ Jul 29th 2007 2:40AM]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ROFLE

[jere @ Jul 29th 2007 4:34PM]

Well xbox 360 has.....games.

[Fruition @ Jul 30th 2007 1:37PM]

*Sigh* I'm pretty much a Sony fanboy, but I'm always embarrassed when someone makes ignorant statements like this attesting to the PS3's dominance over the other consoles... Can't my fellow fanboys learn how to make a coherent argument?

[PS3 owner @ Jul 30th 2007 5:10PM]

PS3 came out 1 year later than X box360, That's why X Box has more games so far, but not for long. And another tning is, because X Box rushed for delivery they have 36% of chance to brake down.
Sony has only 1% chance to brake down. That's a fact!

[Dan @ Jul 29th 2007 1:28AM]

At this point, who gives a fuck what Microsoft "thinks"? This is the group that brought us such notable successes as Vista, and the Zune. They can't innovate to save their fucking lives, they can't ship a product on-time, and when it does come out, it's bug-ridden crap. Witness all the problems with the XBox 360, which was rushed to market and clearly not ready to be there.

When Microsoft can get a product out the door on-time, that works, is actually innovative (and not a blatant knock-off) and doesn't require a firmware upgrade as soon as I open the box, then I'll feel that Microsoft actually has some room to comment on the activities of other companies.

(And this isn't driven by Sony fanboyism -- I'm a Nintendo guy, myself.)

[Zeus the God @ Jul 29th 2007 4:26AM]

Sorry, but the Zune was very innovative as far as adding features goes. It had WiFi, video, and radio, in a PMP that was cheaper than the rest of the comparative competition, and the 5.5G iPod Video has nothing on it in compared, useful features. Most other PMPs to have these features ran for 300-400 dollars on up.

Also, the Zune isn't bug ridden at all, and neither is the software. Just like my 360, I have yet to have one single problem with it, and the hardware itself, as you know is a Toshiba unit, so it is also quality built.

I know what you're thinking, also. The Zune was a failure, well its not they have reached their sales mark for the first year, sooner than they expected, which if you take all things into consideration, it is amazing how well they did so soon with their first try.

I have used Vista, and its not the greatest as of right now, but DX10 is enough to make me buy it, and plan on it soon.

Microsoft has every right to comment on other companies. Why? Because it is one of the biggest companies out there and they did NOT get there for nothing.

[Aaron @ Jul 30th 2007 12:46AM]

I own and use Vista, and I like it. I don't own a Zune, but I have used one and I like that too.

So in conclusion, screw you.

[Karan @ Jul 29th 2007 3:58AM]

It's kinda funny, because the hottest selling system at the moment? Only one "SKU". Hell, up until the X360, there was no such concept as an "SKU". Why burden the customer with choice and the developers with the chore of supporting the lower-spec systems?

Hey Vrignaud, just because you cocked up as director of "technical strategy" and now have a proliferation of SKUs that make buying your system a headache for users and developers alike doesn't mean Sony would follow down your garden path.

[Zeus the God @ Jul 29th 2007 4:15AM]

"It's kinda funny, because the hottest selling system at the moment? Only one "SKU". Hell, up until the X360, there was no such concept as an "SKU". Why burden the customer with choice and the developers with the chore of supporting the lower-spec systems?"

I do recall Sony starting this whole "SKU" fiasco with the PlayStation and the PlayStation Slimline with the PS1, and then doing the same thing for a short while with the PS2, before going all Slimline.

Also, choice is what makes the 360 so awesome, not to mention developers are never thrown into the mix. They never have to "support the lower-spec systems" because the difference between core and top of the line is nothing more than a storage capacity change and maybe WiFi and memory reader removal... That doesn't change the vital internals at all...

[Karan @ Jul 29th 2007 4:34AM]

"I do recall Sony starting this whole "SKU" fiasco with the PlayStation and the PlayStation Slimline with the PS1, and then doing the same thing for a short while with the PS2, before going all Slimline."

The slimmer versions were revised hardware that fit in a smaller case; there was no change to the spec of the systems (though in the case of the slim PS2 they added ethernet support while removing the possibility of the harddrive).

[Zeus the God @ Jul 29th 2007 4:11AM]

Are you guys blind? This would help Sony out a TON and actually put it in competition with the Xbox 360. The price on the Xbox and the graphics have made many PS3 fans change directions and buy an Xbox, just because 500 and 600 bucks was out of their price range. If they did this, they would inevitably get more sales which would mean better competition for the Xbox (making MS put out a higher quality box, though mine has never had a single hiccup or red ring after being dropped once and tipped numerous times and guess what... Launch console at that), and would also mean MORE GAMES FOR PS3 OWNERS. All you PS3 owners should be urging this type of move, because a core package is nothing bad. Its just gives you everything you need for that system at a cheaper price.