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Samsung drops price on BD-P1000, edges closer to HD DVD
In the wake of Toshiba hinting at forthcoming price drops on its stand-alone HD DVD players at CES, Samsung has apparently figured out that it can't keep on charging a cool grand (though the price had already fallen a bit "unofficially") for its own high definition unit and remain attractive. As fence-sitters weigh their options and realize that they can get a console and Blu-ray player together for around $500, it only makes sense that we see a (somewhat) healthy price drop on Samsung's BD-P1000. Effectively immediately, the MSRP has been slashed from $999 to $899, putting wholesale prices closer to the $500-$800 range, which should help draw attention from potential buyers who were previously turned off by price. Of course, this theoretical price leveling might not last for too long if Toshiba's whispers prove to be true, but at least we're seeing the prices of stand-alone players dip down from their previous home in the stratosphere.
Spring 2007 to bring Wii price drops and color choices?
Well it seems the bevy of Nintendo news just isn't slowing down, as the past 24 hours have seen DS / DS Lite power adapters recalled, Wiimote straps deemed unworthy, the truth (right?) behind how much loot Nintendo's pulling in on each Wii sold, and now we've got a potential price drop on our hands. Not even waiting for the backlog of lines that form each morning as Wii hopefuls stand vigilantly and await their prize to calm down, the big N just might have next year all mapped out already. While we've heard whispers of Microsoft knocking a few bucks off the Xbox 360's price, we aren't exactly sold on Nintendo cutting into those (questionably) sweet profits so soon after launch. Nevertheless, a very talkative Toys 'R Us manager apparently let a "few details" about the Spring 2007 plans "slip," insinuating that Nintendo would be "relaunching" (saywha?) the Wii for $200 and in a variety of colors to boot. Notably, this is about the time the firm will start pushing its WiiConnect24 service, but if sales keep up, the company shouldn't have to lower prices to entice folks to hop on in. While we can't entirely dismiss the (admittedly exciting) claims, we've really nothing substantial to go on here, and until we get confirmation from someone other than a retail store overlord, we're taking this one with a dash of salt.[Via Digg]
Black Friday leads to a 280 percent sales increase
The PSP has been on a roll lately. The launch of PLAYSTATION 3 a few weeks ago increased PSP sales by 30 percent. The Black Friday boost was even more stellar: sales have gone up another 280 percent, according to Dave Karraker, in a statement to GameDaily. Like Martha Stewart would tell you, the PSP is an awesome holiday gift, and it appears early holiday shoppers know that. Of course, the Black Friday price drops certainly didn't hurt at all either: systems were selling for as low as $150. Considering how system sales exploded with a lower price, imagine the gain the PSP would get from a permanent price drop. Why not, Kaz?
360 costs are falling but price drop is "a ways off"
We hope none of you have been sitting on your hands, waiting for the mythical Xbox 360 holiday price drop to arrive next month smiting all competitors with its low, low MSRP; cost conscious Wii waiters would be wooed while PlayStation purists would ponder the price points. All for naught! Microsoft has insisted it won't be lowering the price of its next-gen offering.The Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Todd Bishop reports that, despite Microsoft's disclosure last week that the 360's manufacturing costs have been falling "faster than expected," the ensuing price drop is "still a ways off." He cites various analysts, and Microsoft themselves, to support this assertion ... but this isn't a new company line. In response to this same question, Peter Moore told us at E3, "[The Xbox 360] had a price drop on Monday when Sony announced their price. We obviously don't talk about price drops, and I can't think of any good reason right now that we would drop the price even further from the delta between what we're offering and what our competitor's are currently offering."With PlayStation 3s looking to be in limited supply this holiday season, the Xbox 360 will be the only high-def next-gen box sitting pretty on retailer's shelves. With plans to sell an additional 4 million units before the end of '06, a price drop would severely affect Microsoft's ability to capitalize on the impending PS3 shortages. Our best guess at a 360 price drop: 2007, when the processor gets reduced to a cooler, smaller, and cheaper 65nm. We know, a really bold prediction.
Xbox 360 price chop still a dream
Here's an article in the Seattle Post Intelligencer telling the mainstream audience what we have already come to accept: Thanks to the PS3's lofty price tag, a price cut for the Xbox 360 is a long way off.
On the DL: Apple's U2 iPod goes 5.5G, falls to $279
After Apple launched the not-exactly-6G iPod at the "It's Showtime" event, we had plenty of fun dissecting the new nano and handling the appropriately dubbed 5.5G iPod, but we couldn't help but notice how the dear ole U2 iPod was apparently uninvited to the refresh party. Apple has finally got around to bringing the long-standing "special edition" 'Pod to 5.5G specs, as it now sports the "brighter display," extended battery life, and a new model number (MA664LL/A) to boot. Aside from getting the 5.5G goodies (and a coupon for an "exclusive" half hour U2 video download), the real news is the price drop; while the engraved signatures of Bono and friends (and that blaze red click wheel) still demand a premium, the coinage required to pick up a 30GB U2 iPod sank from $329 to $279 -- a whole $50 -- to fall more in line with its standard $249 sibling. For a second there, we just figured the U2-branded 'Pod was stuck in a moment it couldn't get out of.[Via iLounge]
Yet another analyst spells doom for PSP, predicts price drop
More analysts are joining the Sony-bashing party. In-Stat revealed that Nintendo's recently been making DS Lites at an incredible pace of 2.2 million units a month. By infiltrating the homes of the elderly, women and children, Nintendo has been planning to launch Skynet has been maintaining a healthy lead over the PSP. According to Mr. O'Rourke, he predicts the DS will outship the PSP by 25 to 30% this year.Like many other analysts, Mr. O'Rourke predicts that Sony will cut the price to somewhere in the 150 to 170 dollar range, which is similar to other estimates. Honestly, I don't think the PSP needs a price drop, but Sony will inevitably have to slash prices (even if they don't want to), or do a redesign to get all this negative press away from them.[Via TG Daily]
Microsoft to launch Xbox 360 Core in Japan [update 1]
Having already launched the Xbox 360 twice in Japan, it would seem that Microsoft's efforts to woo gamers in the East are due to take a turn for the desperate and slightly non-sensical. Reuters Canada reports that the Redmond giant plans to release a "simpler version" of the console on November 2nd, one stripped of a hard drive and equipped with a lower price (a drop of 10,000 yen, or $86). Savvy gamers will immediately recognize this as the Xbox 360 Core system and promptly recoil in horror. We can only imagine the marketing meeting that spawned this strategy:"Sir, I don't know if you've heard, but we aren't doing too well in Japan.""Japan?""It's a country. It's where Mario, the Italian plumber comes from.""Of course. Why aren't we selling millions over there?""My analysis of the situation reveals one of two reasons, sir. Number one. We haven't been giving the Japanese gamers the genres or the popular franchises they want. We have no Final Fantasy, no Dragon Quest and no Metal Gear Solid.""........."".............""Bwahahahaha!""Hahaha!""But seriously, I figure it's just because they hate freedom so much.""Well then, we should stick to our guns and give them freedom. Lots of it. Let's send them choice and our cheaper Xbox 360.""But sir, that didn't even sell well in the countries that do like the Xbox 360. The normal version did much better. Oh, I see.""That's right. The good Xbox 360 sells well here and the crappy one sells poorly. The good Xbox 360 sells badly in Japan, so therefore ...""The crappy one should be a huge hit! Amazing!"Cracking the Japanese market isn't an amazing or an impossible feat, but assaulting it with the squeaky toy hammer that is a $255 (29,800 yen), feature deprived console is unlikely to be terribly effective. Consider that since its original launch in Japan, the Xbox 360 has sold 158,654 units -- about as much as the DS Lite sells in a week.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.][Update: IGN notes that the system includes Ninety Nine Nights and Project Gotham Racing 3. Does that make up for the 16,275 yen (roughly $130) value of a seperate hard drive and headset? Thanks, A Master Ninja.]
Microsoft cuts Xbox 360 price to 199 in UK
It's not a huge price drop, but reports are starting to come in that Microsoft's turning up the heat in Europe on the price of their Xbox 360 Core console. Apparently retailers in the UK are beginning to drop the price on the console from £209 to £199, nearly a $20 US price cut on the system. There's a little he said she said going on between Microsoft and the retailers though: Microsoft's stance is that the retailers set the price, and they're all just deciding to drop to £199, whereas the retailers seem to all agree the edict came from Redmond to drop it. Why? Well, if Microsoft pretends like they didn't ask retailers to drop the price, they're less likely to the incite of negative feedback from, say, their US customers who have also been waiting patiently for a price drop to buy their console. And to that we say bollocks.
Core Xbox 360 loses ten pounds
And before our juvenile brains manage to construct a poor joke regarding the Xbox 360's power brick, we'll quickly blurt out that the lost pounds are strictly in monetary terms. According to Gamesindusty.biz, several retailers in the UK have confirmed that the Core Xbox 360's price has been slashed by 10 quid, bringing its total price to GBP 199.99. A lower price says little of value, however, as walking out of the store with a Core console, a hard drive (GBP 69.99) and a component cable (GBP 19.99) will still cost you more than the standard pack (GBP 279.99). Though this move is unlikely to cause a similar Core price drop in the US, it does seem to reinforce the idea that the cheaper deal is the less popular one. Of course, that doesn't stop retailers from advertising it in deceiving ways -- the above advertisement is straight from the front page of online retailer, Game, and proudly proclaims that "HD gaming starts" at 199.99 pounds. "HD gaming" here having the definition of "a sequence of fuzzy images conveyed by the included and technically inept composite cable."
Kaz Hirai talks PSP, denies redesign
Nintendo fans have Reggie. We have Kaz. There's no real new info in his interview with Gamespot, but it's always interesting when a Sony exec goes on the record about the system. Here are some bullet points summarizing what he said: Sony is still "hard at work" on Connect. (Note: It was originally supposed to come out in March.) PSone downloads will come "close" to the PS3 launch. "Obviously, we certainly are not going to have 1,200 titles come out at once. You also need to realize that some of the games just don't translate well onto a PSP environment, games that require the use of the two analog sticks, for example." No plans for a PSP price drop OR redesign. Sony is "happy" with PSP; it is their "fastest-growing product."
$149 PSP coming soon? CNN reports
The Sony warehouses are slowly filling up with stockpiles of "finished gaming hardware." Could it be the PlayStation 2 or PlayStation 3? P.J. McNealy from American Technology Research thinks it's the PSP. "[The PSP] has lost momentum. Nintendo has had a great run since it launched the DS Lite and Sony needs to regain some ground." Due to the recent sales boost of DS Lite, and the commercial success of major DS software releases, the analyst expects that Sony will drop the price of the PSP to a mere $149, $50 less than what it is right now.According to McNealy, this can give Sony a major advantage. Nintendo is unlikely to drop the DS's price from $129 due to its inability to meet demand. Sony's PSP comes with additional functionality, such as the ability to view movies, that will appear to make it a much greater value to consumers. For the full report, visit CNN.[Thanks, steve!]
Universal announces impending HD DVD price drop
In what may turn out to be a small, final boost for the HD DVD camp prior to the impending arrival of Samsung's BD-P1000 Blu-ray player that's definitely NOT been delayed, Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced that it will eventually knock five bucks off of each HD DVD disc that it sells. That's right, if you were holding out on buying that Toshiba HD-A1 until movies dropped below $30, now may be your time to strike, as titles that were formerly $34.95 will soon retail for $29.95 (though you'll probably be able to find them cheaper), with hybrid HD DVDs from the studio going for $35. Unfortunately (for HD DVD proponents, at least), the price drops won't go into effect until August 8th, at which point this format war will have already spilled over into the marketplace.[Via Digital Media Thoughts]
Samsung is expecting a 10% drop in LCD prices
We all know that prices of top-tier electronics drop with time, but it can be hard to predict how and when without Martha Stewart type info. Samsung has gone on record saying that they expect the prices of LCDs to drop 10% during the 2nd quarter of the year. An independent analyst has forecasted the industry's average LCD price to fall nearly 14% this quarter, which would make that 3% more then the first quarter. This may be music to your ears, but not to the manufacturers of these sets. Oh no. They are expecting to report operating losses due to this price drop and the increases of competition. Cheaper prices. We're not complaining though. [update: fixed spelling issues]
Rumor: 360 wireless gaming receiver $20; wheel $130; headset $60; camera $40; Halo and Forza faceplates $20 [update 1]
Thanks to a reliable source from Microsoft, we've learned some important details about the new peripherals announced for the Xbox 360, including pricing and a few Halo faceplate (non)specifics. Check out the leaked info and prices below: 360 wireless gaming receiver (which enables wireless 360 controllers, headsets, and wheels on your PC): $20 Wireless racing wheel: $130 Wireless headset: $60 Xbox Live Vision Camera (with headset, one month of Live Gold, and one arcade -- presumably Xbox Live Arcade -- game): $40 New faceplates for Halo (with the Master Chief on 'em, but not Halo 3 specific) and Forza (no word on connections to the sequel): $20 each 256 MB portable memory unit (MU): no official price yet, but definitely not four times the cost of the older 64MB MU Besides acknowledging that the PC is "the biggest gaming device of all," MS appears to be setting an agressive price for its most relevant new PC accessory, the wireless gaming receiver (at least in comparison to the outrageously priced 360 wireless networking adapter). Unfortunately, no price was revealed as of yet for the USB-based HD-DVD add-on.We've speculated in our recent podcasts as to what would happen to the various 360 SKUs when price drops inevitably occur. An interesting theory bandied about by prolific Joystiq Contributor epobirs (on our earlier bump-to-256MB-MU post) was that a $20 price drop for the Core system, coupled with a $20 price drop on the 64MB MU, would finally allow folks to pick up a capable non-Premium bundle for the original $300 Core price point. (Not a bad way to undercut PS2 memory card prices, too.) We hope to get official confirmation on this info in the not-too-distant future.[Update: Sorry, had the camera price wrong in the headline; it now matches the price of the bundle listed in the body of the text below.]See also: 360's Mem Unit getting a bump to 256MB? (Comment from epobirs) Use 360 wireless peripherals with a PC Engadget & Joystiq's live coverage of Microsoft's Xbox 360 E3 event Joystiq / Engadget podcasts from Day One and Day Two of E3 2006
GameCube price drop: Nintendo preps retailer [update 1]
GameSpot reports that a GameCube price drop could be in the works. According to an EB Games employee, Nintendo has sent posters that include blank, GameCube-branded "New Low Price" stickers to the retailer. The posters are to be used within the next marketing period (May 1–23) in the event of a price change. The employee confirmed that Sony sent similar materials prior to the PS2 price drop last month.The GameCube currently retails for $99.99. We suspect that by the end of the month that price could fall to $79.99.[Update: changed "GameStop" to "GameSpot"]
2nd Bone episode price slashed to $12.99
Telltale Games have announced the second episode in their ongoing Bone series, Bone Act 2: The Great Cow Race, will carry a new, more attractive price point of $12.99, an impressive 35% drop from the first offering's $19.99 price. Telltale CEO Dan Connors defines their competition saying, "We will expand the audience for games enormously by setting a price that competes directly with DVDs, music CDs, books and cable television." They've already discussed other aspects they've sought to improve upon from the initial episode, including the oft-criticized length. In blunt terms, Telltale's sophomore effort hopes to deliver more game for less money. They are clear to specify this only applies to the upcoming Bone episodes: "As of today, the company is lowering all episodes in the Bone series distributed through its digital download channel to the new lower price of $12.99 each in line with the new structure." Either this price might not apply to the forthcoming episodic Sam and Max game or, more likely, Telltale has simply avoided making any promises for a product that isn't ready to ship yet. Bone Act 2: The Great Cow Race will be available later this month.
SCEA: PSP price drop to $199 on March 22nd; EyeToy, GPS, and PSone game-download support coming later
As noted in our earlier story on the PS3's worldwide launch in November, the PSP will drop in price to $199 in the U.S. on March 22nd.According to an official PR announcement from SCEA, this basic package with PSP, AC adaptor, and battery will also retail for $229.99 CND (for our friends up north).Highlights include classic PSone games for download onto Memory Sticks, web browser compatibility with Flash, a silver USB EyeToy camera for video and voice-over-IP chat in September, and GPS support for games like Hot Shots Golf as well. Europe will get their basic PSPs for 199 Euros on the same date, while Japan will get a new white SKU on April 15th.See also: PS3 worldwide in November PSP-specific page from IGN; second IGN page with other pricing info New PSP Value Packs revealed [with bundled games for Europe] Rumor: New PSP to get a built-in camera and 4GB of flash
