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Pachter expects 360 price cut at E3, PS3 and Wii to follow suit
Gaming industry analyst Michael Pachter has updated his predictions about the console price cuts he anticipates will occur this year. A Wedbush Securities update distributed this morning said, "We expect Microsoft to announce a price cut at this year's E3 Expo in June, and expect Sony and Nintendo to rapidly follow suit." Until then, Pachter expects that consoles sales will steadily decline, with the 3DS providing enough juice to bring things back into the positives in April. The report predicts that Microsoft will likely capitalize on the success of Kinect by dropping the price of its core Xbox 360 bundle to "under $300," adding "we are confident that by holiday 2011, all three consoles will be at least $50 cheaper than they are today." Why, with that kind of money, we could almost buy a new fuel cell for our spaceyacht's hyperdrive! Oh, right -- the report also predicts the invention of spaceyachts. We meant to mention that earlier.
Sony's PSP Go officially drops to $150
It may not be the first time you've been able to snag a PSP Go for $150, but you can now rest assured that you'll never pay anything more than that, as Sony has officially knocked another $50 off the handheld's list price. That follows a similar $50 price drop back in October (not to mention a $40 price cut to the regular PSP just last week), although that doesn't seem to have done a whole lot to boost sales of the download-only device. Will this new low, low price make a bigger difference? And, if not, how much lower can it go before a certain quad-core monster really makes its presence felt?
PSP Go listed for $150 MSRP on official site; not in effect at retail
Sony's official PSP website has been updated to reflect an apparent PSP Go price drop. "Now you can enjoy the sleek, totally-digital PSP Go system for $149.99 MSRP," reads the product description, "and the unsurpassed PSP-3000 system for $129.99 MSRP." The 3000 price cut was made official last week, but the would-be PSP Go discount is news to us. Apparently, it would be news to retailers too! As of publishing, outlets including Amazon, Best Buy and GameStop all have the hardware listed at $200 (the price put into effect last October). Given the phasing out of UMD (disc-based PSP games won't be backwards compatible with NGP), people might consider using the all-digital Go at a stepping stone at the new, reduced price. That is, if Sony ever decides to make the price cut happen. [Thanks, Jason F.]
Sony PSP dips down to $130, wants to be your cheap thrill until the NGP gets here
Sony is treating its portable gaming fans well these days by giving them the one-two punch of having both a world-beating device to look forward to in the future and an affordable one to pass the time with until then. Starting this Sunday, the venerable PSP-3000 will be yours to own for just $130, taking it dangerously close to impulse buy territory, while Sony is also adding a few more titles to its $20 PSP Greatest Hits collection, including Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and LittleBigPlanet PSP. Skip past the break for the full press release and the new ad video to promote the cheaper portable.
PSP price slashed to $130
In what can only be seen as a sign of the Next-Gen Portables to come, Sony will cut, nay, slash (perhaps even hack) the price of the PSP-3000 to $130 beginning this weekend. The new price removes a considerable $40 from the previous $170 MSRP. Additionally, all 3000-bundled "Entertainment Packs" will be reduced to $160. The PSP Go price will remain $200, for now. The new price will go into effect this Sunday, just in time for the Academy Awards. "And the Oscar goes to ... value."
T-Mobile expected to cut Galaxy Tab pricing to $249.99 (update: drop is official!)
After initiating the first on-contract Galaxy Tab price cascade back in December that quickly led Sprint to respond, T-Mobile may chop subsidy prices again today for the 7-inch tablet to just under $250 (after a pesky $50 mail-in rebate). Together, that's only $62 more than the bargain bin CherryPad, which should infuriate early adopters who paid double that only a few months ago, not to mention sober up Samsung. However, when you consider that pseudo-4G tablets like the Dell Streak 7 and LG G-Slate will join Magenta's lineup soon, it is a viable strategy for extending the Tab's consumer appeal in this viciously competitive Android tablet world we live in. Then again, if the dual-core processors teased for the Tab's successor actually pan out, we doubt Samsung will need any assistance getting back to its smug position on top of the Android heap. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled on T-Mobile's site today and be sure to update should the price change actually materialize. Update: A recent peek at T-Mobile's site shows the price drop is now official. If you're in the UK and prefer buying the Tab unsubsidized, Amazon and Tesco have also chopped their prices to a palatable £341.24 ($542) and £359.20 ($571), respectively. Thanks, Raphael and Rupert!
Sprint drops Galaxy Tab down to $300, undercuts everyone but US Cellular
What now, Verizon? Just a few days after Big Red lowered the price of Samsung's Galaxy Tab to $500 off-contract, Sprint's version has shed $100 -- which means you can now score it for $300 on a two-year deal. As long as you're willing to put your name on the dotted line, that now means that Sprint can put you into a Tab for less money than anyone but regional carrier US Cellular, which offers it for a bargain-basement $200. Interestingly, Sprint's shift comes on the heels of an LTE-tweaked version of the Tab for Verizon with a faster processor and better camera, suggesting that a WiMAX model could definitely be in the works these guys -- which might be what this "industry first" event is all about early next month. Pure speculation on our part, but it'd make some sense. Update: US Cellular wrote in to let us know that the $200 promotion on its version of the Tab has actually expired -- now, you get two for the price of one at $399 after a $100 mail-in rebate. In other words, if you just want a single Tab, Sprint's the best deal in town right now.
Verizon cutting Galaxy Tab price to $500, will refund any purchases from last two weeks
New year means a new price for the Verizon-branded Galaxy Tab. Droid-Life has received word from a couple of VZW store employees that the big red network intends to chop a nice $100 chunk off its price for the 7-inch Android tablet. Though this move hasn't yet been made official, the Galaxy Tab should soon be available to buy for $500, without any contractual obligations and plus a $60 movie rental voucher that can be redeemed in Samsung's Media Hub or the preloaded Blockbuster Mobile app. You shouldn't freak out if you've just bought a Tab either, as Verizon's also said to be offering a benevolent refund for the difference in price to buyers of the Samsung slate who happen to have receipts dating from the last 14 days.
Def Jam Rapstar adds Kinect support, drops price
Two interesting updates have been released for Def Jam Rapstar. We'll start with the news most likely to be useful: the game's cheaper now. Publisher Konami announced that the MSRP has dropped to $39.99 for the standalone game; a quick look at Amazon shows that the microphone bundle has an MSRP of $49.99 -- and both are a couple of bucks cheaper on Amazon right now. For those of you who already have it on Xbox 360 or plan to pick it up, you'll now be able to use the Kinect to record video for upload to the community, thanks to a new patch. However, one thing that hasn't been updated is how you look rapping at your TV. Sorry!
Dell lowers Streak price to $400, but will make you wait until January to get it
Good news: Dell's unlocked Streak has just plunged down the pricing charts with a neat $180 discount taking it to a palatable $400 level. Bad news: you won't get yours shipped until the 10th of January, according to Round Rock's web outlet. Android 2.2 won't come preloaded, you'll have to snag the OTA update, though you do get a wide palette of colors to choose from, including black, noir, nero, preto, and schwarz -- pick wisely! [Thanks, Xelaenil]
Nexus S sees UK SIM-free price chopped to £430, Best Buy's Christmas deliveries not so guaranteed
The UK price for the Nexus S just became a whole lot (nearly 22 percent) more attractive, thanks to the Carphone Warehouse slashing the SIM-free purchase option to a sweet £429.99 ($668). Contract-saddled pricing has also taken a tumble, as the Nexus S can now be had for free on two-year agreements costing £30 ($47) per month. Good news all around, then, but be aware that the handset is now listed as being on back order, having been "in stock" earlier in the week. Speaking of delays, we're also hearing Best Buy's guaranteed Christmas delivery -- something proudly signposted on the Nexus S online order page -- might very well miss Santa's delivery window. A couple of our readers have received emails from the retailer advising them that their Gingerbread packages will be shipped "within the next 1-2 weeks," but might not get there by December 24th. So happy holidays and best of luck! [Thanks, Taylor and Rod]
Samsung cuts Galaxy Tab prices in the UK, still more than AT&T
We've already shared some opinions on why Samsung's Galaxy Tab pricing makes sense stateside -- granted, that was before AT&T announced it would be charging $50 more than every other US carrier. After initially showing up for pre-order in the UK on Carphone Warehouse for £530 ($850) and for a Queen's ransom of £799 ($1280) on Amazon though, we're glad to find The Inquirer reporting that Tab prices on both Amazon and Dixons have dropped to £469 ($738) for a 16GB model with free delivery. Carphone Warehouse has also cut prices down to £489.99 ($784) for the 32GB version. Sure, that may still sound steep to us Yankees, but keep in mind it's now a good bit less than the basic 16GB 3G iPad which currently sells for £529 ($850). Whether these prices will slide even closer to Stateside levels is still obviously anyone's guess, but at this point we're sure those of you in the UK won't have an issue paying less for your tab.
Apple quietly cuts Mac mini prices in non-US markets
If your answer to the question "how would you change Apple's Mac mini" was to give it a lower price, rejoice, for Apple has listened to your sage advice. Unamerican markets around the world are waking up to the news that the mini desktop computer has shrunken in price -- by €100 in Europe and by £50 in the UK -- but the same can't be said about Apple's home turf, with the US starting price remaining stagnant at $699. This is probably in response to the dollar's continuing decline relative to other currencies, and the quiet nature of this pricing alteration leads us to suspect that it won't, sadly, be jumping to the good old USA any time soon. C'est la vie. [Thanks, Andre]
Iwata: No Wii price drop in 'near future'
A Wii price cut could be just the thing to spoil Kinect's and Move's first holiday season, but, according to Satoru Iwata, it's not going to happen. In response to a question about a potential price drop, Nintendo's president recently told investors (as translated by the Associated Press), "Of course, we cannot say it will never happen, but we are not thinking of it for the near future." Instead, Nintendo is offering the limited-edition red Wii to lure new consumers to choose Wii this holiday. Of course, in August 2009, Iwata similarly denied plans to drop the Wii's price. "At present," he said during an investor meeting at the time, "we're not thinking of doing anything with the price." And then the price was cut by $50 a month later.
Nintendo says no Wii price cut coming in 'near future,' might want to re-think that
Remember the halcyon days of motion gaming? When the Wii was selling to everyone and everyone's grandmother in such huge volumes that Nintendo couldn't keep up? That time is long-past and, after the most recent disappointing earnings report from Nintendo (which isn't the first), people are beginning to ask the obvious question: when is the thing getting cheaper? For $200 gamers can now choose between a shiny new Xbox 360 or a Wii, and while crimson bundles might help, a price cut would help more. That's not coming soon according to President and CEO Satoru Iwata, saying: "we cannot say [a Wii price cut] will never happen, but we are not thinking of it for the near future." So, when? Well, the last time he said it wasn't getting a price cut that's exactly what it got five months later. Maybe March, then?
PSP Go drops to $199 in US [update: price drops in UK too]
Sony has announced price cuts for the PSP Go in both Japan and the US. Originally launched at ¥26,800 ($332), the tiny, UMD-free system will retail for ¥16,800 ($208) in Japan starting tomorrow. In America (according to Reuters), the system will drop somewhat less dramatically, from $249 to $199. This matches information we received from a retailer -- though it's happening a bit later than that retail leak predicted. Of course, Amazon shoppers have had a "preview" of that price for several months, as have others thanks to retail discounts. The Japanese price drop makes both the PSP Go and the PSP 3000 the same price in that region -- your decision is now based on whether or not you want to be limited to PlayStation Store releases. Update: Eurogamer reports that the price will drop to £159.99 in the UK starting November 1.
PSP Go price cut to $200 in the US and Japan
Sony just slashed ¥10k off the price of the PSP Go in Japan (effective starting Tuesday). That brings the price down to ¥16,800 or right around $200 -- a more reasonable price point Sony has been toying with in the US for awhile. A quick search online shows a $199 listing on Amazon and Gamestop while Sony's US PlayStation site still has it listed at $249.99. That'll likely change any minute now. Update: US price cut confirmed.
Pachter predicts $50 price cuts in 2011, Xbox first to drop
Gaming analyst Michael Pachter expects good things from the industry in 2011, but not without a little sacrifice from the Big Three. Pach Attack prognosticated to Industry Gamers that "a $50 console price cut across the board will impact software sales by a positive 5 percent." (He expects to see an additional market boost from sales of 3DS, as well as Move and Kinect products.) Pachter further predicted the Xbox 360 to be the first to fall in price at some point during the spring of next year. When questioned, competing analysts The Joystiq Consortium had a far more monolithic picture of 2011 to paint, saying, "It's basically just going to be Minecraft." Time will tell, we suppose.
ModNation Racers now $40 on PS3, $20 on PSP
It's a big day for officially-sanctioned discounts on Sony games. First the new Greatest Hits, then the Uncharted 2 Game of the Year Edition, and now United Front's cheerful DIY kart game ModNation Racers. The publisher has announced a price drop for both the PS3 and PSP versions of Racers, to $40 and $20 respectively. And if that's not exciting enough, Sony is also releasing a set of ModNation PSN avatars today! Wait, the price drop thing was much more exciting. We really should have led with that if we wanted to build up.
Price drop for DSi and DSi XL in North America on September 12
Nintendo of America has announced price reductions for the DSi and DSi XL systems. Starting September 12, the handhelds will retail for $149.99 and 169.99, respectively. Americans have been waiting patiently for this price drop, which occurred in the UK and Japan this June. The DSi had a price drop in Australia way back in April. We were all waiting for a price drop even before that, of course, since the 3DS is on the way to make both of these things appear a little more antiquated.
