PS3 price-cut coming October 12th?
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted Oct 1st 2007 2:03PM
posted Oct 1st 2007 2:03PM
Well folks, it looks like the funky, PS3 price-drop happenings you've been hearing about lately may very well be dropping all over the place. Apparently, hot on the heels of a new filing with the FCC, and various rumors concerning an approaching $399 console, Sony (which has heretofore denied the chatter) has announced a "Big Bang" press conference to take place on October 12th, where many believe they will intro a new, lower priced 40GB console. With nothing big slated for the holiday season yet, and Xbox 360 price-cuts and bundles being bandied about, it makes sense that Sony would come out swinging before holiday shoppers hit the stores. It's truly a good time to be a buyer.Read -- PlayStation 3 getting holiday makeover: $399 PS3 rumor has legs
Read -- Rumor: Sony has 'big bang' announcement Oct. 12
Great! Only $350 more worth of price cuts before it gets into my price range. I can't wait!
agreed. I'm still not going to pay $400 for that monstrosity. get it closer to $199 and shrink it down a bit, then we are talking.
$400 actually seems like a decent price especially considering how much bluray players are going for.
Yes, but when HD DVD players can be found for $199 (plus several movies for free upon purchase), $399 for a PS3, which at this point really is more of a BluRay player than it is a game unit, is still a difficult pill to swallow.
My comment mainly referred to ppl inetrested in bluray and not hd-dvd. however, you can also get free bluray movies with purchase of a bluray device like the ps3. I don't understand the point about the ps3 being mainly a bluray player. if you get an hd-dvd device a player IS all you get. I guess part of what it comes down to is what format you're interested in and if you're interested in the gaming aspect. with the format war going on being able to play fifa and madden once in a while is definitely added incentive.
as always, nothing for europe
What is this 'Europe' you speak of?
euu-rope? Is that one of those foreign places?
Then they better offer rebates to those that bought them at higher prices in that last few months.
Engadget deleted my html-like tags pointing out my sardonicism.
Dude, they are not going to offer rebates. That's just the price you pay (no pun intended) for supporting a brand like the Sony Playstation.
Sorry guy its not the iphone...Thats something that was unprecedented
Um ... guys ... I'm quite sure that he was making a (legitimate) swipe at the iPhone fanboys/crybabies, not that he actually insisted on a rebate for past purchases.
Thanks, John B, but judging by the post times I think they had read my initial post and hadn't yet seen my second comment my sarcastic tags being parsed out by Engadget.
Well thats great news and all....Except for the fact that the new PS3 40gb model wont be backwards compatable with PS2 or PS1 games...I would rather have the current version which is backwards compatable....you basicly get a PS1 PS2 PS3 Blu-Ray player and DVD Player all in one
What the hell are you talking about? Of course its backwards compatible through emulation.
Actually this model will not include packwards compatability for PS1 and PS2...Now, that could change but thats the last I heard from a few sources
@FermitTheKrog,
You missed the point. The original PS3 would run--at least--PS2 games natively. A feature you'd expect from console maker.
How much did are they saving by removing the needed chip or is this just a way to increase the PS3 game sales as one's old collection of fun games can no longer be played on these new consoles? I'm going with the latter despite the conspiracy theory feel to it.
Yes it will have back compatibility.
What you are thinking of it will be "limited" because it is using software and not a chip or something. Basically instead of having 100% like the first line of PS3's, you will be down to ~85-90% compatibility which can be upgraded through the firmwares they produce.
If the new 40gb version is released under 400 dollars I might finally go and buy one, as long as I have the same features as the 80gb version, which is why the 20gb failed because it was to expensive with no wifi, and other features missing.
John: It most likely is going to be backwards compatible, but via software (like the 80GB) and not hardware. Sony has even updated their compatibility lists to include the software emulation models vs. the hardware BC models.
who cares there are no games worth playing.
with tactics like, the extra maps via psn for motorstorm is going to drive customers even further away as its plain to see the rip off new sony led by the shareholders.
who cares there are no games worth playing.
with tactics like, the extra maps via psn for motorstorm is going to drive customers even further away as its plain to see the rip off new sony led by the shareholders.
"who cares there are no games worth playing."
*sigh*
This argument is so old, and untrue. I could say the same about the 360 since it is a subjective statement. Plus, most good 360 titles that come to the PC look and play better.
Don't act like the PS3 is the only systems selling addons for games either.
If you don't have an HD TV, then I understand that you might not want to bite just yet. But for those of us that do, it has more value out of the box. The PS3 is the centerpiece of my HD setup. I even bought it when it was $600 and never regretted it. With the lineup of games coming out within the next 6 months, if you can't afford one, now is the time to ask for it as a gift. :)
Heavenly Sword, Assassin's Creed, Skate, and UT3 are the 3 big title's I've heard about. Sure, you could argue that Skate is already out for the 360 and UT3 will come out early next year, but for those of us who haven't made a next-gen purchase yet they are still good titles. I bought a PS2 at launch for $300, and $400 is getting very close to that critical point that will bring me to make a purchase.
Say what you will about the console, but in a year the price has dropped by 33%. That seems significant to me.
i have to agree.
it's been nearly a year now and the games are nowhere to be found.
sure, they are coming, but by the end of the 360s first year they at least ghost recon, rainbow 6 vegas, and gears of war.
while the ps3 has a wider variety of games, there's still nothing thats putting those who need a killer app, to take the jump.
Also...The ps3 is far superior to x360 in my opinion....Not grapically...but the system itsself has a bevy of features out of the box that the 360 does not...Not to mention I am on 360 number 4!!!! At least Microsoft has the balls to offer that extended warranty b/c the system itsself is junk....but the games sure are great!!!!
These features being?...
Bluetooth, Bluray, FREE online gaming...
Free online play? If Sony charged for the pile of crap that is the PS3's online experence, they would be brought up on charges.
XBox Live is worth the $50 a year and then some. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a moron.
Why b/c it doesnt have GAYmer points??? Free is Free...Not to mention built in wifi,bluetooth,Hardrive on all models meaning developers can design games with a hard drive in mind,7 usb ports,Dual TV support, HDMI and a much smoother interface....Not to mention Gran Turismo (prologue?) will be a free download over the PS store....tell me how many great 360 titles were avail in its first year???
I think $400 is a good price point for a $40GB model *IF* they start releasing good games for it. Hopefully the price cut will get a few more sales and attract some developers.
It's gonna be real hard for Sony to get out of the catch-22 they put themselves in. (No developers without gamers, no gamers without developers).
I really hope they do though. We need some *real* competition for the 360 to help *all* of us get better value and quality.
I am pretty sure that MS considers Nintendo *real* competition now. A year ago? Nope, but I bet they are a little worried now.
Not really. Nintendo is doing exceptionally well, but they are doing so in a completely different space than XBox360 and PS3 operate in. Not that that's a bad thing. Far from it in fact.
The PS3 is compatible with PS1/2 games, it is just no longer a hardware emulation. Sony is doing a software emulation, just like the 360 does for it's old games.
Finally someone smart got hired at Sony!
I knew Sony would have to drop the price again before the holidays. They can't afford to miss out on another holiday season. Now they just need to get at least 3 games that I want to buy and I will pick up a PS3 at $400. Come on FFXIII and MGS4!
That sounds plausible...but, doesnt bode well as a good 95% of xbox games wont play on the 360...
The problem with software emulation is that it currently does NOT work with many PS and PS2 titles. Even new Sony-developed games like SingStar, aren't compatible yet. You can forget playing Ratchet and Clank, God of War or Guitar Hero too on your 80 or 40GB PS3.
Really 95%?? Check wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Xbox_games_compatible_with_Xbox_360#Fluctuations_in_the_list_of_compatible_games_over_time
"Approximately 42% of the original Xbox library is now compatible with the Xbox 360 (as of the July 12 update)."
Yeah, hardware emulation would be better, but it is cheaper in the long run for MS to just release updates and add compatibility over time. Most of the major games work, at least all the XBox games I own work.
Ok well I wouldnt believe everything on Wikipedia...But, I should say 95% of the games I play are not avail....And thats the point about the 360...Everything about it is cheap!! Its good they are finally up to 40+% b/c for the longest all I could play was Halo
for $400, that is not bad for a nice blu-ray player and next gen console. i still preferr hddvd and 360 but for $400 i would take the plunge after the x-mas season.
Package selling sometimes make selling point down, because many people dont need the whole package.
What is the solution ?
No price drop is going to change the fact that the system still lacks a killer-app. Warhawk looks great, as does Heavenly Sword -- but neither sells the system for me. When FFXIII hits, though, assuming it doesn't also grace the 360, that'll be my jumping point.
Maybe.
Ok here's my thing...can someone please tell me when some good games will be out? Last generation, I did not get an Xbox because the PS2 had all the games I needed. This generation, it seems to be the opposite. I haven't chosen a side yet, but was considering getting a 360 pretty soon. However, if the PS3 drops to $400 I'd consider it, but I'm scared they just don't have any games that I like. Granted, I haven't kept up on top of things this generation like I did with the last one, but I'm waiting for games like Metal Gear, GTA 4, Manhunt 2, etc. Any of these games supposed to be out on PS3 soon? If not, what's the point of buying a piece of hardware? Sorry, but that racing game that comes with the PS3 now and Resistance just don't do it for me.
We are talking about a system early in its lifespan... Heavenly Sword, Warhawk and R6Vegas too me are the best games out. For the most part the exclusive liscensing is done away with. But there are some amazing games in the works. Metal Gear looks amazing. FInal Fantasy will be great as always. Ratchet and Clank. Jack and Daxter. Drakes Fortune or something like that). Usually it takes a good year before the killer titles start to emerge. So, I would expect big think Q1 next year from the PS3. Not to mention it surpasses the 360 in every way other than the most important, GAMES.
Let me make a stupid announcement, as ridiculous as the statements made by the sony haters:
I'll buy a $99 Xbox 360 as soon as Warhawk comes out for Xbox360.
There!
MGS4 is the only reason I would buy one.
If the $400 PS3 has everything the 60GB has just with a smaller drive, then I'll probably jump in the game, provided that Sony is still offering a 5 (or more) free BR movie offer--which I'm sure they will.
I'm mainly in it for the movie player. At $400, it will still be more than $150 more than an HD DVD player, but $150+ for a PS3 game system is worth it.
the wii is better and cheaper
I consider myself a Nintendo fanboy and I love the Wii, but I just picked up a 60GB PS3 for $349 a month ago (Sony Style and Sony Card $150 back deal - don't try to do it with a 60GB because they're sold out).
Now, for a Blu-ray and upscaling DVD player that will (via hardware) play my PS and PS2 games along with the bevy of PS3 games coming, $349 or $399 is, arguably, better and cheaper than buying a Wii, keeping a PS2, and getting an HD (be it Blu-ray or HD-DVD) movie player with upconversion (and you still can't play the upcoming PS3 games).
Of course, if you can afford it, buy a PS3 and a Wii. ;)
BluRay is the only real reason for this price drop or offering.
SONY needs to mobilize and move quickly if they are going to stay off the HD DVD Camp.
There is not a $100 difference in cost between a 40GB and 80GB drive. If the rumour is true, Sony would be losing much more money on each cheaper unit they sell! They'd have to sell a lot of games to buyers of the new system if they expect to ever make a profit, but the PS3 attach rate is very low (possibly because many people are buying it as a Blu-Ray player and don't plan to buy any games). I'm not saying Sony won't release a $400 PS3, but if they do then it is a desperate move!
Well aren't they kind of in a desperate situation right now?
I bet they're not losing $2B like Microsoft is on their extended warranties...
The 80GB also pack in Motorstorm which is a great game.
"I bet they're not losing $2B like Microsoft is on their extended warranties"
Nor are they making money like Nintendo. Just because Microsoft is losing billions of dollars doesn't make it okay.
They make loads of money back because of the still awesome PS2 attach rate, and the hotly selling (but not nearly as well as the DS) PSP.
It HELPS (notice I said helps) offset the loss of the PS3, instead of just a flat out crap loss like the 360.
I suspect they lsoe a couple hundred million dollars, hard to chew, but any billion dollar corporation as large as Sony could take the hit and sustain themselves effectively.
and they did take that 2B or whatever IPO not long ago didnt they?
This is a desperate move, the things aren't selling anywhere near the pace of the competition. Also, it's better for Sony to lose $200 on selling a system than lose $600 on not selling a system.
Personally I think $400 is not bad, especially since there are some very nice PS3 titles coming out soon, and while it had a slow start (and still has ways to go till 360) PS3 is picking up steam now. I just wish they'd slim it down somewhat. I actually ran out of space on my media shelf and the next console would need to park itself on top of the TV and there ain't that much space there.
I wonder if this "new model" isn't just going to be the system san hard drive and emulator chip. Or maybe they'll take the hard drive out and put the chip back in. Of course, it'll still be over priced, but it's really the only thing hasn't tried to sell this thing.
It is a great Blu-ray player and upsacles DVDs. I also use it to stream video, music, and pictures using upnp. As for games, yeah it's not as vast as we would like but there are great games coming out for it. FFXIII, GTAIV, and MGS4 are names we've heard about but all of you might want to consider Little Big World.
http://www.mediamolecule.com/games.html
Just watching those guys play the game is fun.
I've certainly become interested in Final Fantasy versus XIII recently. Unfortunately, more of my favourite films are on HD-DVD, and the same goes for games, so this make no difference to me. Both could change.
The 20GB reduction they're utilising to try to not look desperate is laughable, though. Market share's what's important in this game though, although unless you're reaching massmarket price (as the Wii has demonstrated by selling bucketloads, even when it's second wave of good games is only just coming, it was just worth it for the several available), games matter more (as demonstrated by the japanese who would probably buy it for FFXIII even if the price had never dropped and there were no other games they wanted).
Hi, I was a Playstation 1-2 gamer for years. Then, Sony didn't make ANY kind of price drops at all (that i can recall) Sony has always kept their products expensive. A price drop of any kind in their Playstation 3 platform is a huge step towards competing with Microsox and their Xbox 360 line. Would it be $400.00 now instead of $599 or so? I sure hope so. I haven't bought a Xbox 360 due to the fact theire getting the "red rings of death" on some systems. Has Microsoft fixed that? Playstation 3 owners rejoice: There is a Metal gear Solid coming out next year and it looks awesome!
They've made large steps towards fixing it, they just release a new chip-set as well as a new heatsink, juries still out though.
Now all PS3 needs are GAMES....
"Also, it's better for Sony to lose $200 on selling a system than lose $600 on not selling a system."
Sony doesn't loose $600 by not selling a system. They lose potential license fees in future game sales.
And some of you continue to whine about the price!
I am betting the majority of the "whiners" are either Nintendo fanboy's or just haters of Sony. I got my PS3 for 500 and that to me was a great value considering everything you are getting with gaming, Blu-Ray, etc...
At 400 bucks that is a freaking steal!
Stop whining so much about the damn price already and start to live a little!
I agree, why is everyone complaining about the price! These are same individuals that buy an Elite Xbox 360 for $479. $400 would be a great deal, it's very close to the mid-line Xbox 360. (I don't know why a person would buy a Core right now)
Yes I have a PS3 and Yes I think there aren't enough games right now.
Lets check the name: "PLAYstation"
I think the main reason to buy a SONY product is to PLAY games - No games - no PLAY in PLAYstation should be given.
Is nice to have a built in BlueRay player or whatever, but exactly how much would it cost me to buy my entire DVD movie catalog again? How much are those Blue Ray DVDs anyway? $30-45 dollars ea. ?
No thanks, I'll wait until BlueRay and HD DVDs drop in price just like history tells us (remember audio CDs at priced at $30.00 when they first came out?) exactly. Til then, sure, you'll get a nice Blue Ray player for $400 or whatever. It's about the games stupid...
There were not many good 360 games in its first year either...give them time...plus a bonus of a blu-ray player,ps1 and ps2 console,7 usb,wifi,free online gaming and ability to have dual displays...and oh yeah HDMI
Having recently purchased a PS3 (60gb model) and as a long time Playstation owner (PS1, PS2), I think this system will take off eventually. Sony lost a good amount of gamers to the Xbox 360, but it's had it's own share of issues (red rings of death) even though it's managed to build a descent library of games.
The 40gb model sounds ok, but I'm happy that I got the model with the hardware emulation chip, WiFi and a good sized hard drive (you can drop in a 250gb SATA drive for under $180).
Now all we need are more games and some platform-specific titles that are "must own" and Sony still has a chance to make things work for it.
As for the BluRay player, it's great and works very well on my Vizio LCD set.
So, if you do a little research you would see there are a bevvy of games coming out soon for the PS3, some exclusive, others not such as Ratchet & Clank, Uncharted, Eye of Judgment, Singstar, RockBand, and these should be here before Christmas. Yes, MGS4 and Final Fantasy and Gran Turismo are on the horizon, but so are many other games like Haze and UT3, plus Half-Life. These coming months are going to kill my wallet. I'm picking up HL-2:Episode 2 for my MacPro with PC however, since I prefer mouse for that type of FPS. This where are the games sentiment is really past its prime.
wow funny how u guys use stats and numbers and stuff from the ps3 luanch the ps3 dose have games have u not heard of hevenly sword or lair or war hawk do u not relize that geres of war was teh first major app for 360 and bio shocked hasn't meet the press it desivers becuase of halo? 360 has all 3 of there killar apps this x-mas look what teh schedual is for next year?> u cant make a triple A game in 3 or 5 months. and you know what i only have a xbox and had a 360(i sold to my friend) but u knwo what i might just get a ps3 if teh price drops becuase i like having peace of mind when i turn my ps3 on(wit a faluir rate of less then 1%) but when ever i had my 360 i felt like playing russion rullet and then with this halo 3 studf corrupting hard discs whats 1 more bullet in the barrel?
DO NOT FORGET SONY MADE THE PS2 THE BEST SELLING GAME CONSOLE OF ALL TIME and the second best console of all the time the SONY PLAYSATION 1
so next time u diss sonys game divison think about that.
and ye sthe new ps3 will be backwords compatiable
The Xbox 360 is actually supposed to overcome the cost deficit and become profitable in November I believe. With their new 65 nm chips inside the new consoles that people are picking up their warranty issue will be lighter, and Halo 3 is a enormous profit for Microsoft. If you have a Xbox Live gamer tag, you can see this just my seeing that 90% everyone is playing Halo 3. This means a. They're selling more hardware for Halo 3, b. They're selling millions of copies of Halo 3, and c. They're selling thousands of Xbox Live subscriptions to all the new console owners. And that 2 billion dollars is an amount estimated on the basis that Microsoft would have to replace every single Xbox (which is a very likely possibility)
And to all the people who said that there weren't any great games for the Xbox, lets think... Oblivion, Call of Duty 2, Project Gotham 3, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell... trust me, that first year, there were great games.
And one more thing to the people who think PS3's online gameplay can compete with Xbox Live... The Xbox Live user interface is well worth the $50, and it will take Sony a few years to create anything as extensive and streamlined as Xbox Live is into all of the games that integrate online play. Whether the voice chatting and messaging set-up, the marketplace, xbox live arcade... it really does bring gamers together globally.
PS3 already has a lot of great exclusive games: Resistance, Motorstorm, Warhawk, flOw, Blast Factor: Advanced Research, Heavenly Sword, Loco Roco, Super Stardust HD, Calling All Cars, Tekken 5 HD Online; and quite a few very good cross-platform titles: Rainbow Six Vegas, The Darkness, NBA 2K8. And, aside from the obvious MG4 and FFXIII, PS3 has a lot of great games on both the near and distant horizons (Wipeout HD, Eye of Judgment, SingStar, Pain, UT3 (with mouse & keyboard support!), NBA 08: Game of the Week, Everyday Shooter, Echochrome, Uncharted, Rathcet and Clank, Little Big Planet).
I like 360 better for online gaming and will pick up Call of Duty 4 and Smackdown 08 for it. But dismissing PS3 because it isn't exactly the same as 360 means you miss out on some really groundbreaking gaming concepts. SIXAXIS control makes games like Motorstorm, flOw, NBA 08, Loco Roco, and Heavenly Sword refreshingly exciting.
Like an earlier commenter, I spent $600 to get a PS3 on day one. I have never regretted the decision. It is a great game machine; the Blu-Ray player and multimedia center are nice bonus features.
The only system I own that doesn't get much play is Wii. After playing games in 1920x1080 with 7.1 surround, I can't go back to 720x480 stereo.
Hopefully the price drop (if that's what the 10/12 announcement is - why would a US price drop be revealed in a French magazine?) will get PS3 in more homes. It deserves to be.
JET
$400?? Time to pull the trigger!!! I was about to go for the 360 but at $400 sony will get my money. For the hardware the ps3 is tops wifi, blu ray, upscaling dvd,and free net play. My friends got a 360 and wants me to get one but he said he filled up his 20gig drive and needs to shell out for the 120gig. Its like 150bucks!!!!! @#$% that. And i don't want an ethernet cable to drag around $100 for wifi???? please!!!! live is cool but they make plenty selling games and such for arcade.$50 a year for the life of the system if it lasts that long 5years=$250. O and of course Japan will not touch the 360 in the end the games for the japanese will be on ps3. I happen to like those games. Games and net service aside tell me whats a better hardware deal a $350 or $450 xbox or a $400 ps3.
I still plan on picking up the XBOX 360 Elite. XBOX live just seems hard to beat compared to the almost non-existent PS3 online gameplay. I'm not into MGS4 or FF XIII (or most Japanese RPG games) so the PS3 doesn't have any draw towards me in the gaming area.
Perfect.
Since this is the "Big Bang" presentation, I think they're actually going to announce the price drop along with the open beta for Little Big Planet.
Remember!
Why do they want you to buy a PS3? Oh play a couple of games now and then?
NO..It`s all the money in the movie business! thats where the big bickies are?
And sony has that pretty well sewn up...So go ahead and buy their PS3 and then their movies...
And what ppl going on "oh this PS3 won`t be backwards compatable"???
What u don`t have a PS2 console? just the games?? FFS get over a simple game system....
V D R
Just in time for Eid-ul-Fitr!