No PS2-like price cuts for the PS3, sez Sony

While it's no surprise that Sony's not exactly jonesing to knock a few bills off the PlayStation 3's premium price tag, it's still somewhat notable that a top exec at the company would go out on a limb and explain exactly why you won't be getting a break on one anytime soon. When asked by Game Informer whether the PlayStation 3's price cuts would be "as soon or as drastic as they were for the PlayStation 2," recently-promoted SCEA head Jack Tretton said flatly "no," adding that all the increased investment in R & D and hardware make the system "a lot more difficult to cost reduce" than the PS2. Tretton further clarified things by saying that "there's a heck of a lot more under the hood and it costs us more money to make it." Our pals at Joystiq did the math, and if that statement holds true, it looks like we won't be seeing a price reduction on the PS3 until June 4th, 2008 at the absolute earliest and, in all likelihood, not one on the level of the $299 to $199 drop the PS2 saw.