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Blu-ray laser shortage ending; PS3 prices cuts should follow

arstechnica.com — Will Sony pass on the $100 in reduced manufacturing costs to consumers, or will they opt to recoup losses stemming from the high production cost of the console. The best choice for Sony should be obvious.

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  • iluvatar, on 10/12/2007, -65/+29The best choice for Sony (and this should have been obvious) would be to never have included blu-ray in the first place. However, a price cut would be a great boon for Sony considering the lower price of the 360 and the library of upcoming 360 games they're going to have to compete with shortly. The thing I wonder about is how will MS react? Historically, they have no problems losing money on hardware so what's to stop them from matching every one of Sony's price drops? On top of that, I can see Nintendo dropping the price of the Wii to under 200 no sweat.

    I guess the problem is that Sony flat-out cannot compete on a price war without having riots from their shareholders. What exactly is their plan to make up for that?
    • CanadianGeese, on 10/12/2007, -14/+60I think you'll see a 360 price drop soon either way.
    • daRoach, on 10/12/2007, -8/+50I don't think competition is the problem. The problem has always been the huge price tag with the PS3; a $100 drop makes it a whole lot more attractive. With Blu-Ray, interesting online capabilities, all they need is a must have game and you'll see more of the systems jumping off the shelves they've been patiently lying on for the past few months.
    • jimbojim, on 10/12/2007, -35/+29I don't think a $100 price cut is going to help that much. $500 is still a hell of alot, and still more exepensive than even the elite, and twice the price of the Wii.
    • NeoTechni, on 10/12/2007, -36/+93"The best choice for Sony (and this should have been obvious) would be to never have included blu-ray in the first place."

      PS3 developers disagree
    • iluvatar, on 10/12/2007, -24/+38@neotechni

      according to sales figures consumers do agree. Blu-Ray is the main reason the ps3 is so damn expensive, and you'd better believe that if it were 200 bucks cheaper at launch it would have easily sold twice as many units worldwide. The playstation name brand is still that strong with the general public.

      And my question hasn't been answered; on what grounds is Sony planning to compete because they certainly can't do it on price?
    • jacksons98, on 10/12/2007, -11/+52@iluvatar While that might be true right now it won't be true in a year or so. Keep in mind Sony is still selling more PS2 systems then Nintendo is of the Wii. So they can survive on that while they bring the PS3 manufacturing costs in line. Blu-ray diodes are getting cheaper, they have emulated the emotion chip, next will be getting the system to the 65nm process. Once that is all done they can bring the cost of the system down significantly. Personally I'm totally impressed with my PS3. The games are great, the movies look fantastic and the regular updates just keep making it better and better.
    • Daedalus81, on 10/12/2007, -18/+16You'll see a price drop in late 2008.
    • TheBarge, on 10/12/2007, -22/+7"Blu-ray laser shortage ending; PS3 prices cuts should follow"

      Does anyone see the most important word in this title? "SHOULD" - that means they could drop the price, but won't.
    • DollaDollaBill, on 10/12/2007, -12/+7Anyone think that sony doesn't want to get into a price war with Microsoft? I don't think they'll drop the price anytime soon. To joe blow consumer, the PS3 is the most expensive and therefore must be the best of the best. If joe blow is concerned about budget, sony a still has the PS2 as their economical gaming package and its sales are still stellar. Me thinks sony likes to be the most expensive right now and for the year to come, it gives them the perception of being the most luxurious and therefore most desirable to the uniformed. They know exactly what they are doing.
    • michaelb1, on 10/12/2007, -12/+43"he best choice for Sony (and this should have been obvious) would be to never have included blu-ray in the first place. "

      I disagree. Thats half the reason I bought mine.
    • walkingdogs, on 10/12/2007, -14/+13This is about the thousandth story about a PS3 price cut coming soon. The ONLY reason they would drop the price so soon is because it is getting handed it's lunch by its competitors and the price point is the main reason for this. Why would they drop the price just because a component now costs them less when all that would do is negate the money they are losing on each unit. There will be a price cut eventually but not until they have recouped some of their losses by trying to break even in production costs and the current price point. And you probably won't see it till after their console selling titles come out such as MGS4, FF XIII, Lair, and GTA IV. So sit tight and don't expect a price drop anytime soon. But hey this is Sony so you never know.
    • krische, on 10/12/2007, -16/+40"I think you'll see a 360 price drop soon either way."

      Really? I thought I just saw the price go up with the Elite. Hmm, not sure about that one.
    • daridave, on 10/12/2007, -7/+17Cute. Good news for me, since I still have to buy the PS3 (and I will.)

      but... I'll believe it when I see it. so... no digg... I just don't want to get carried away with wishful thinking.
    • EtherGnat, on 10/12/2007, -12/+7I think what Microsoft did with the Elite pricing was probably pretty smart. Release it as an upscale console and sell it to people who will buy it no matter what the cost, because "it's the best". Then in six months they can re-release the Elite as the new premium in white at $400, and drop the price of the current premium to $300. Now the old elite/new premium seems like an even better deal than if they had released it at $400 (because people love a price cut) and Microsoft has some extra cash in the bank.

      Just my $0.02.
    • TheCash, on 10/12/2007, -14/+7"PS3 price cuts should follow"

      Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhtttttttttttttttt...................

      Sony looks at early price cuts like giving something away for free, and anyone who's ever owned expensive Sony merchandise (pretty much everything Sony makes) knows they don't give away ANYTHING for free.

      Cutting prices would make complete sense on both the gaming and HiDef player fronts, and that's why Sony won't do it. A: It makes too much sense, and B: they would have to follow suit and cut prices on their standalone players as well.
    • rm999, on 10/12/2007, -6/+9"The best choice for Sony (and this should have been obvious) would be to never have included blu-ray in the first place. "

      This wasn't a bad plan per se, it was simply the timing of other console releases. Blu-ray has caused the console to be priced above most people, slowing sales. If the console wars started six months from now, the PS3 could have been priced better from the start, allowing it to actually compete.
    • shadus, on 10/12/2007, -17/+14@neotechni - "PS3 developers disagree"

      Unfortunately, they're not the consumer.
    • PDelahanty, on 10/12/2007, -8/+6They can't even keep the Wii on shelves. No way are they even going to consider dropping the price while people are still buying the system at the current price at such an incredible rate.
    • Ngai, on 10/12/2007, -8/+18Aren't the blu-ray discs 10x bigger than regular dvds?..

      Why get rid of that???..

      You actually get your moneys worth on the quality and length of the game... :)
    • razor150, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Even with the blue diode shortage ending and the price dropping for them doesn't mean the PS3 is suddenly making a profit. It will still be sold at a big loss, just less then before. It is doubtful that Sony will cut the cost.
    • Spampy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Four-hundred Ninety-nine US dollars!
    • Ajajadude, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Hmmm, I'm a consumer, and I love my PS3 and its Blu-Ray abilities. If I'm buying a next-gen console, then I want a next-gen DVD player built in, dammit!

      I just wish my 360 came with the HD format, then I'd be all set.
    • straxus, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1@Ngai

      The size of the storage media doesn't impact the length of the game. If it did, 9GB PS2/XBox games would be roughly 300,000 times longer than 32K NES games. That clearly isn't the case. It does potentially allow for prettier games (larger textures - assuming the hardware is up to handling them) but overall quality isn't necessarily improved either.

      I'm not arguing against more storage space, I think more space is a good thing. I'm just saying the reasons you listed aren't very valid.
    • CLShortFuse, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1@iluvatar

      the blu-ray is NOT the reason why the PS3 is so expensive. It's the cell chip and it's necessaries. The blu-ray drive costs $125 to manufacture, as opposed to a DVD which costs $19.95. The Cell Chip + Reality Synthesizer + Motherboard costs almost $500. These have been the prices since 11/20/2006. I'm burying this article as inaccurate. It took me 15 seconds and one Google search to figure this out. Shame on you, Arstechnica, since you guys said this before ( http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061116-8239.html ).

      Link to source of Bill of Materials (BOM): http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/multimedia/display/20061120132150.html
  • DanaLL, on 10/12/2007, -50/+8By the end of the year Sony will be paying about as much for the 25/50gig BluRay drive in the PS3 as Microsoft is for the 3.5/7gig DVD drive in the 360...

    • jimbojim, on 10/12/2007, -12/+31Wow... how did Sony get you believing that one?
    • DanaLL, on 10/12/2007, -21/+49Thank god Sony went with the 25/50gig BluRay drives. Just look at what Rockstar was saying a couple years ago:

      "The danger is currently the storage medium (DVD), and one we thing we’re all praying for in the next round of hardware is that they don’t just go, ‘It’s DVD again’."

      http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=56025

      Sucks that Microsoft ruined GTA IV with their last gen DVD drive but for all the Sony first party games it was a brilliant move.

    • WhereAmI, on 10/12/2007, -11/+37@ Dana:
      We will see. Either way 360 fanboys will say PS3 fanboys are lazy since they don't have to get up to play the other half of the map of GTA:IV.
    • logicalnoise, on 10/12/2007, -25/+8"@ Dana:
      We will see. Either way 360 fanboys will say PS3 fanboys are lazy since they don't have to get up to play the other half of the map of GTA:IV."

      we won't have to, we'll just play out exlusive DLC.
    • EtherGnat, on 10/12/2007, -9/+13I think Microsoft was smart to forgo HD disc support, but leaving the hard drive out of the Core was a big mistake. With a hard drive standard the extra disc capacity of Blu-ray would have been largely meaningless--content that wouldn't fit on the primary DVD-9 could simply be installed to the hard drive. Installing a game from multiple discs is a slight inconvenience, but constant disc swapping is a pain in the ass.
    • WhereAmI, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2@logicalnoise
      And PS3 owners will play there own. Same with Wii if it happens.
    • Flynnz, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2@ DanalL

      I would have a lot more faith in that article if it wasnt from "UK’s Official PlayStation 2 magazine"

      Keyword there being "official".....don't you find it odd that this wasnt said by any other developer in a non official playstation mag?

      I'm not saying that these statements are lies, however I don't think for a second that this isn't for PR, and marketing on some level.
      (seeing how they don't get into any real specifics)

      About the only thing that would really eat up that much room is going to be FMV, and audio. Seeing how there shouldn't be much FMV (if any) in GTAIV. I would say that the most they would have to cut back on is audio (or use some ultra crap compression) because the GTA series is known to have TONS of audio in them. Mem constraints of both systems only allow a certain level of in game assets, and because of that the in game assets are friggin small (textures, engine, poly's) in comparison to FMV, and audio. And it will be this way for a very long time..

      So don't buy into the blu-ray hype.....more storage is always a good thing, but not at this increased cost.
      Blu-ray to me makes about as much sense as putting a dvd drive on a PS1.
      In a few years if they can get the price down to $300, then I will say "blu-ray for life!". Till then I am not paying extra for something I don't need for games.

      If you do need something to bash the 360 on....I don't think you have to look much further than the red ring of death. This problem seems to be VERY widespread, and could very well tank the 360 unless they fix that board bending fun ASAP. Hell I'm afraid to turn mine on half the damn time.
    • staticneuron, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Ether you right
      http://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/articles/0704/27/news082.html

      "There is bad news on the horizon for X-Box 360's HD-DVD Drive owners as Peter Moore told Rachel Konrad on a recent trip to Japan while entering negotiations with Pioneer. Microsoft's Xbox corporate VP of worldwide marketing and publishing Peter Moore told Japanese site ITmedia that the imminent release of the Blu-ray Xbox 360 peripheral could appear for the system before Christmas. Moore admitted that Microsoft's opinion on HD-DVD as the Next Generation format winner is bleak with the worst-case scenario being a repeat of the Beta vs.VHS war of the '80s. Moore also added Microsoft is giving the consumers the most cutting edge technology out there and In this moment in time Blu-Ray is that.

      As per usual Peter Moore couldn't help but have a go at Sony and the PS3 "However, he suggested that whatever the outcome of the HD-DVD/Blu-ray war, the Xbox 360 can adopt the dominant format since its uses an external drive. He also suggested that it's a weak point for PlayStation 3, saying Sony's system is stuck with only 1 format. Microsoft announced the Blu-Ray peripheral will connect to the Xbox 360 using one of the system's USB ports. Moore once again confirmed that the Blu Ray add-on for the Xbox 360 is only for watching movies, and there are currently no plans to use it for games, nor are there plans to release an Xbox 360 with an internal Blu Ray drive."

      Seems like they are backing down in another form. The couldn't have done this otherwise. So let us see........ from 1080p is impossible, adding an HDMI port, placing a higher priced SKU on the market, adn now opting for blu ray support and 360 fans are still trying to say Sony is wrong with the direction of the PS3? Oh.... this is going to seem humerous when looking back from the future but right now it just seems a little sad.
  • stappawho, on 10/12/2007, -23/+17I don't think this is accurate.

    First of all, the according to the cost sheet floating around Sony is losing ~300/console. If they reduce $100 of the cost to manufacture I doubt they will pass any, definitely not all, of that savings on to the consumer when they are still losing ~$200/console.

    Secondly, if the Blu-ray drive costs $125, again according to the price sheet, how is the manufacturing cost going to drop from $125 to $25? I highly doubt that the manufacturing cost will drop by that much. I would really like to see where they are getting that figure from.

    Lastly, as far as the price goes, even if they had went with standard DVD the manufacturing cost would still be over $700/console. Again, I doubt that would have had much of an impact on the retail price. There is a lot more to the cost of a PS3 than Blu-ray. We would still be looking at $500, more likely $550, for the price of a PS3 had they gone with standard DVD.
    • WhereAmI, on 10/12/2007, -13/+5You obviously know more about the topic than arstechnica. Everyone should Digg you up.
    • andydumi, on 10/12/2007, -10/+9That cost sheet is from November 2006, pre launch, the estimates for March 07 are that Sony is even or very very close... with the cut of the 20gb line, and BR diodes getting close to $10 a pop, by August/September they should be seeing a profit, which hopefully will be passed on by the fall.
    • inajeep, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4@andydumi: Don't forget the Cell costs. I think Sony is taking steps to get it out of the red but just those thing won't do it. It's still too new.

      @stappawho - I agree and dugg you up.
  • swrostmore, on 10/12/2007, -5/+24yaaaay, cheap(er) ps3! Now all i need is a cheap(er) HDTV and ill be rolling in sweet HD graphics and movies!
    • jacksons98, on 10/12/2007, -1/+27You won't have to wait long, HDTVs are dropping in price like crazy right now and it's all you'll be able to find within a year.
    • Sp0rAdiC, on 10/12/2007, -11/+7black friday is always a good bet. I got my 32" 720p for under $400, 360 games look beautiful.
    • theblackgecko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I wish that there were cheap(er) Blu-ray movies. $30 a pop is way too much.
  • cavie2002, on 10/12/2007, -12/+5Price cuts SHOULD follow, but they wont.
  • Dumbledorito, on 10/12/2007, -9/+52So let me see if I have the gist of the current console war (as a PS2 owner):

    - XBox 360: Too loud, too hot, too prone to need repairs, but has the most/best games and XBox Live, plus new chip architecture due out soon.
    - PS3: Too expensive, not enough good games, but has great capabilities and eagerly awaited titles.
    - Wii: Poor graphics for a next-gen console, no new titles, but fun to play with and should have better games soon, plus it's cheaper.

    Is that about right?
    • quentinp, on 10/12/2007, -20/+11If you want a nextgen system "right now" the 360 is by far the best choice. However if you are waiting a year or two, the PS3 is almost certainly going catch up. The Wii is more like a toy or party game IMO...it's fun but it's play with my kids fun (or other family, guests etc).
    • geminitojanus, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17"plus new chip architecture due out soon."

      Same chip, smaller printing process. If they changed architectures you'd have to port all of the previous games over.
    • Echuta, on 10/12/2007, -15/+10Hooray for those who want to play games...a year or two from now.
    • krische, on 10/12/2007, -7/+30@echuta

      Yeah, I guess you are having fun with all of those xbox shooters where you fight off aliens. Gears of War right? Or, crap is it Lost Planet? Or, wait, no its Halo isn't it? Sorry, I get so confused with all of 'unique' games.
    • sexycommando, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13If you are a Costco member, buy a 360 at Costco. They give you lifetime warranty with any game console purchase, so if your 360 ever breaks they will give you a full refund in store credit. Beats the hell out of playing RMA Russian Roulette with Microsoft.
    • sipsyrup, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5costco also has the same deal for all of the other electronics they have... if the price does indeed drop for the ps3 I'm going to costco.
    • Dumbledorito, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I heard that CostCo was doing away with the lifetime warranties on electronics because of customer abuse (i.e. people who would intentionally fry their big-screen somehow to swap it in for the cash to buy the next, sometimes cheaper, model).

      If not, I just might take the plunge. This plastic card has got to be good for more than toilet paper and three gallon jars of pickles.
    • Echuta, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Actually I don't own or play any of those :) You must be used to a console with a piddly little games base.
    • JayD16, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3"Yeah, I guess you are having fun with all of those xbox shooters where you fight off aliens. Gears of War right? Or, crap is it Lost Planet? Or, wait, no its Halo isn't it? Sorry, I get so confused with all of 'unique' games."

      Thats not fair...The 360 has some RPGs too. Mass Effect for example is COMPLETELY different then anything you listed.
    • straxus, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5"Yeah, I guess you are having fun with all of those xbox shooters where you fight off aliens. Gears of War right? Or, crap is it Lost Planet? Or, wait, no its Halo isn't it? Sorry, I get so confused with all of 'unique' games"

      None of those actually. Our collection consists of:

      Crackdown
      Oblivion
      R6: Vegas
      G.R.A.W.
      Viva Pinata
      Uno
      Geometry Wars
      Hardwood Backgammon
      Outpost Kaloki X
      Texas Hold'Em Poker
      Bejeweled 2
      Wik: Fable of Souls

      No alien shooters. Although I may end up with one before long. I've only had it for a week and a half now.
    • JayD16, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Those all must suck if you had to get them all for just a week and a half. (obviously I'm joking...but still)
    • joey368, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1@Dumbledorito

      poor graphics? poor you, then.
  • mr_bako2, on 10/12/2007, -16/+28sony is kicking some serious ass lately, i knew the ps3 would pick up steam, and after another few months, new games, cheaper development costs and more tappable power of the system, the ps3 just might win another generation (i for one always thought that it would eventually XD)
  • bimtott, on 10/12/2007, -10/+12"The question is whether or not Sony will pass on the $100 in reduced costs to consumers"

    The answer is probably not.
    • Echuta, on 10/12/2007, -17/+6This guy is getting dugg down? I'm sorry, When has Sony showed anything other than selfishness and lack of concern for their customers?
    • CReyes4182, on 10/12/2007, -5/+9@echuta
      Umm.. what free online play doesn't count? What about selling you a 1000 dollar console for $600? Ohh wait maybe they should do the honorable thing like Microsoft and charge you for online play/offer a useless free version. They should also take all the stuff that should have been built in like wifi or a standard Hard drive, wireless controllers and HD DVD player and sell it all individually. That way they can sell you a 400 dollar console for $800 and then they can take 50 .. thats right 50 american dollars out of your pocket for something that everyone else(pc, ps3, psp, ps2, wii, DS, gamecube(later on), heck even the dreamcast) gave out for free. Maybe Sony should also force developers to charge for content that was meant to be free like in gears of war, or charge you for extra songs on guitar hero. Yeah Sony should care about its customers like MS does.
    • Echuta, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2See my post below. Most of that stuff doesn't interest me so why should I pay for it? I'd rather pay for reliable service than take a chance on something provided by the games designers, sorry.
    • theblackgecko, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4creyes has the point. Although the fixed costs on the PS3 are higher than the 360, Microsoft kills with variable costs.
    • mageofdeath, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3right now the in thing is to bash the 360 and back ps3, you know how fast people jump ship on digg...
  • fuzzynyanko, on 10/12/2007, -5/+14We must defeat this Blue Laser. Cheat Commandos, Rock! Rock on!
  • weside, on 10/12/2007, -13/+8I really don't think a $100 price cut will do much. $500 is still a lot of money, and the game selection is very scarce.

    And yes, I know there are great titles like Lair and Heavenly Sword coming, but there's also great titles forthcoming for the other guys as well.

    But it sure can't hurt!
    • mr_bako2, on 10/12/2007, -6/+6well said, and that's true, not to mention the home thing looks realllllly cool and could be taken in a great direction if done right... not to mention i'd be willing to bet that homebrew applications for the ps3 will become much more popular, and with a system with that kind of power, homebrew applications or even games could be amazing! hopefully sony embraces homebrew on the ps3 (unlike the PSP, they said they do embrace homebrew on the PS3) and if they release some tools to help homebrewers create cool tools and games, that would be great too.
    • michaelb1, on 10/12/2007, -7/+21Damned if you do damned if you don't

      "$600 is too expensive. If it was cheaper it would sell more"

      "Making it $100 cheaper is not good enough. If it was cheaper it would sell more"


      Sony must be thinking:

      "Jeesus Christmas people want something for nothing."
    • DangerMouse9, on 10/12/2007, -3/+15and $475 is not a lot for the Elite?
  • ahhell, on 10/12/2007, -18/+6"Will Sony pass on the $100 in reduced manufacturing costs to consumers"

    Answer: No. It IS Sony after all.
    • krische, on 10/12/2007, -5/+22Yeah, I mean we all know Sony doesn't listen to there customers. It's not like they added, due to popular demand, the functionality of background downloading and downloadable PS1 games to play on the PS3. Yeah, what was I thinking they listen to the desires of their customers. Silly me.
    • Echuta, on 10/12/2007, -17/+3You're going with "background downloading" as an argument to that? Yeah...that one was a total surprise to them I'm sure. I mean, what a novel idea...
    • krische, on 10/12/2007, -4/+24@echuta

      Yes, actually I am. I was rather impressed at the speed they released. The firmware update for it came out in March. Meanwhile, the 360 didn't get background downloading till its update in June 2006. So the PS3 added it a whole 3 months sooner that the Xbox in respect to their release dates. That kinda leads me to believe that Sony is working hard to please their customers.
    • philipz78, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3It took Sony 2 years to reduce the price of the PSP, so why will they drop the PS3's price faster?
    • spazticmidget, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2ya well i think id pay an extra $100 for a ps3 than $475 plus $200 for obsolete format xbox ftw lol.
    • CReyes4182, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5@echuta
      MS sure loves to please I mean when they decided to release a more expensive version of the 360 they listened to their customers pleas and fixed the overheating problem and the disc scratching problem and the ring of death problem and.. oh wait.. they didn't.
  • bone43, on 10/12/2007, -19/+5Sony's lost this round the PS3 price is to high and there's no games.
    • YouRookies, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12It took a year for the 360 to release it's first A+ exclusive. Did it lose the console war?
    • krische, on 10/12/2007, -5/+16http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_PlayStation_3_games

      Hmm, I count 44 games. Not bad for being released only 6 months ago. Don't forget 2 of those are highly rated exclusives: Resistance and Motorstorm.
    • Echuta, on 10/12/2007, -17/+4@krische

      *yawn* You go have fun with those.
    • krische, on 10/12/2007, -4/+19@echuta

      Actually, I have had fun playing both those games. Also, I think the 6+ people that would come into my dorm room just to play it thought it was fun too.

      But sorry, I forget. After playing the demo of Motorstorm at Best Buy for a whole probable 10 min, you are now an expert on the PS3 and its games. I apologize.
    • spazticmidget, on 10/12/2007, -8/+2@echuta
      have fun playing with urself till halo 3 comes out btw
    • grimeygutter, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Oh yeah, well that's just like your guys' opinions man.

      If you go here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Xbox_360_games and click the box next to release date to sort and count the games,
      Xbox 360 had within 6 months time

      37 - retail disc based games (in the US) and
      36 - released Live Arcade games (not counting the old coin-op classics even)

      You people act like Gears and Halo 3 are the only games on the 360, constantly mocking its FPSs and what do the Playstationites constantly bring out as the must play PS3 game...Resistance....a FPS.

      Buy what you like. Both systems have great games scheduled to come out, the 360 just has more exclusives ready to go this year that I want(and Halo 3 isn't even on my want list). Next year if Metal Gear comes out, then maybe I'll get a PS3.

      I use to go jockeying around trying to push my console preferences on people to but I've come to realize every damn console is going to have different strengths and weaknesses and more than ever I'm starting to realize if I really wanna play all the good games in the future you pretty much eventually have to get all 3 consoles.

      Back to the regularly scheduled Hater Parade already in progress
      (crowds chanting, "Hate!!Hate!!Hate!!")
    • grimeygutter, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2oh, I forgot to check the release dates for the arcade games, so my figure for that probably isn't any good
  • xmuzik, on 10/12/2007, -10/+5Even if they dropped the price of a ps3 $100 , i still wouldn't buy one. I bought a 360 & have a ton of games for it & plan to buy more, plus any extra money I would drop on another console & it's games I just invest into my gaming pc's.

    It's just a personal choice, some people like wii's , some like ps3's , i just went the 360/PC route and it's been fun :)
  • Echuta, on 10/12/2007, -18/+5I'm still not sold on Blur-ray. The benefits don't outweigh the price for me yet (even if a $100 drop in price came). I guess my PS3 will have to sit on the shelf for a few more years.
    • krische, on 10/12/2007, -4/+21Although you may not see the benefit of blu-ray, I'm sure game developers do. I mean, look at games like GTA:IV, imagine what they can do with 5 times the space of DVD.
    • Echuta, on 10/12/2007, -18/+4Yeah once that actually gets used (in a game I care about) I'll start saving up.
    • DollaDollaBill, on 10/12/2007, -7/+18@ech-- douche,

      You've been spamming this thread with anti ps3 comments i surely doubt you have one on your shelf, you suck.
    • Echuta, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2That's pretty harsh, you kiss your mom with that mouth? No, I just know that...thing...isn't for me. Maybe when they stop raping people with their business practices I'll think about buying Sony again.
  • RyanZ, on 10/12/2007, -5/+22Whoops wrong story, unless you want to read a comment about bacon digg me down.
    • EtherGnat, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14Mmm, bacon.
    • DangerMouse9, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Hopefully not the KMart bacon (if you can call it that)
  • rockrapdude, on 10/12/2007, -9/+16PS3 FTW!
    • sputty01, on 10/12/2007, -12/+3Your mom sucks my ***** on a daily basis FTW
  • mykos, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9I'd put up $500 for a PS3. A few more must have titles and they could be getting some business.
  • misfit410, on 10/12/2007, -11/+4Uhm, Price cuts won't follow, the goal is for them to stop losing $400 per console.
    if the shortages end, and the prices come down, they can stop bleeding money into that abomination.
  • Rizmaster, on 10/12/2007, -6/+19I think they'll add 2 really arbitrary features that cost nothing to implement then bump the price up 80 dollars and add yet another SKU just to ***** their user-base in the ass.

    Oh wait, that's the other one...
  • rouslan, on 10/12/2007, -8/+5This is good news for people who have wanted to buy clusters of PS3's for folding@home.
    • rouslan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Just tell me, why are you guys digging my comment down?
      I don't care if you digg it down more, I'm just curious as to why.
  • TDR25, on 10/12/2007, -8/+4At this point Sony's more likely to take a hit and drop the price of the PS3 than M$ is on the 360. If Sony drops the price of the PS3 60 gig to about $500 and offer another model at $600, I expect M$ to follow with a price drop. At this point M$ is just playing mind games and won't offer a price drop on the hardware unless it's an absolute necessity. I'm not impressed by really any of the nex gen systems, and the ol' PS2 is holding up okay and has a lot of great games for $20 or less...I'm good for now. I'll watch the PS3 vs. 360 fight closely though because it's like watching a good game of chicken of who will blink or flinch first.
  • jmdajr, on 10/12/2007, -9/+5ms will match any pricedrop...
  • mbthompson, on 10/12/2007, -8/+3"PS3 prices cuts should follow"?

    Who wrote that title? Homestar Runner?

    "I think I has the solution!"
  • sputty01, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1PEETSER GO SPLAT ON U! TEE HEE HEE! SONY IS C00L innit wkd man safe coz we iz chavs who like to buy ps3's with our benefit moneyz innit :D :D:D
  • TheTjalian, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9Cut the Price in the US and leave the UK version at £425, that sounds like the Sony way.
  • AnnaMorgan, on 10/12/2007, -6/+5Sony has never struck me as intellegent as far as the PS3 is concerned. Slaughtering a goat because of a game premiere? That should've been a given that it was going to end bad. Losing exclusive rights to Final Fantasy? Wow. A satire made upon the useless features by G4? The disc encryption hack? Seriously...it just doesn't seem to me like Sony is going to pass on the one hundred bucks. Bye Sony!
    • iampoch, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Wow, there's so many things wrong about your comments I don't know where to start.

      First: the goat episode. The goat came from a butcher shop (i.e. already prepped to be processed for consumption. soup and such served in that party are goat-based). you either don't read the news or just plain deny anything that contradicts your thinking. I do have to agree, though, that the display is rather tasteless, even if it does fit the there (Greek sacrifice, for God of War 2). Did they slaughter the goat right there and then? No.

      The Final Fantasy 13 series have never been exclusive. The operative word here being SERIES. The main game plus one other game (FF13 and FF Versus 13 is still EXCLUSIVE to the PS3). If you'll refute that, provide us a link with the official word on that. I don't think you could, though. FF13 Agito is coming to mobile phones in Japan only for now. Since it's improbable that it's exclusive to Sony-Ericsson phones, then I'll say it's multiplat as far as mobile phones are concerned. There are also three other games for the series, though these haven't been produced yet. If I were to speculate, some of these will go to the Nintendo camp, particularly the DS. These, methinks, are what Sony's negotiating on being exclusive (they'll need a big FF boost for their PSP, since the Ninty handhelds are getting all the love when it comes to that).

      Of note, The FF12 series (Ivalice Alliance), is also a non-exclusive. The FF12 main game is for the PS2, but the follow-ups are for the PSP (the original FF Tactics Remake) and the other two for the DS (FF12 Revenant Wings and FF Tactics Advance 2).

      AFAIK, the disc encryption hack was for the HD DVD, not the BluRay. But since BluRay uses the AACS as well, methinks ti's only a matter of time before a similar hack is done. This encryption scheme is developed by the AACS-LA group which is comprised of Disney, Intel, Microsoft, ***** (Panasonic), Warner Brothers, IBM, Toshiba and Sony. So, why blame it all on Sony, fanboy?
    • echonull, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Re: Final Fantasy exclusivity,
      Up to the present, the one Final Fantasy game that has come out on multiple platforms of one generation has been Final Fantasy XI.

      While there have been remakes, notably FF1-6 and Tactics, none of them have come out on rival systems, and none are scheduled to do so at present.
      While this weekend's SquEnix party may prove me wrong, up to the present that's just not the case.
  • neverwin, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1Sony is planning a new version of PS3, "same functionality" but cheaper hardware, which will come out before 2007 holiday season. We are working for some part of PS3 hardware right now. The schedule and how hard they push down the cost is showing they will do the price cut before Christmas.

    BTW, price-cut PSP is not using same HW(chips..) as earlier PSP versions. Sony is not losing $$$ by doing price-cut.
  • psi0nicgh0st, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3I think I'll stick w/ my Xbox360/Wii, which i got for the price of 1 PS3. And guess what, I have a much larger selection of good games than anything PS3 has that I care about. What does PS3 have besides.....Resistance....and......uh....... yea.... nothing. I'd rather rebuy a Dreamcast for 600$ than buy a PS3 at this point in time.
  • BPlague, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3There is no shortage anymore because nobody wants the PS3, since demand is so low and they had projections high they made too many lasers. Sony needs to take their head out of their ass the success of the PS1 is over and they need to look at the big picture it's not image quality that sells systems it's content quality.
    • iampoch, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1hmm, really? Care to prove your statement?

      http://www.cnet.com/4520-4_1-6541088-1.html?tag=cnetfd.mw

      It's the top three most wanted gadget for 37 weeks now. And unless I'm severely mistaken, doesn't "most wanted" mean (or at least add up to) demand? What holds many people back when you look at it is the price. The selection of games problem is tied to the price tag as well.
  • Echuta, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4Ok ok I'll give you all a chance. Convince me why the PS3 is better for me than a 360.

    I have a standard def TV and won't be upgrading soon.
    If I happen to get an HDTV sooner than expected I'd like to wait until the format war is completely decided before investing in a player.
    I prefer a wired connection for gaming.
    I don't download large amounts of media.
    The game franchises I enjoy most are on the 360 or coming to it (acknowledging some are cross-platform)

    Now why should I go and pay for stuff I won't use? I mean, blur-ray and integrated wireless takes up a good chunk of change on that system. Should I pay for that just to take a chance on some of the exclusives? Because that's the only thing I can honestly think of why it'd be worth it to me. If you dig that stuff, great, you probably already own one. Otherwise it's wasted money.
    • CReyes4182, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Ok we get it. STFU already. You hate the system because you cant afford it. Woopdif*ckin doo.
    • badsn95, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2 I don't play on my HDTV, I play on my big SDTV. It still looks far better then PS2.
      My internet is far slower then the 802.11 B/G standard.

      I bought the PS3 for these reasons. SOCOM, GT5, Ratchet & Clank and FF. If those aren't good enough reasons for you then oh well. It's not my job to sell you a PS3, if you don't like it don't buy it.

      Oh and buried for being the ten billionth hope for a price drop. How many times do we have to see the same ***** on here?
    • Echuta, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Where did you come up with "can't afford it" from my statements? There's a difference between not being able to afford it and not wanting to pay for something I won't use.

      Same reasons I won't by a 360 Elite. Fortunately that's not the only model they offer. I enjoyed the PS1 & 2 enough that if Sony released a version with a similar setup to the 360 I would probably buy it (pending games). You're attitude is basically what Sony is saying to the common consumer.
  • m00nstone, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I'm very interested in buying a PS3. But I just can't risk laying the cash for fear that this will be the lame duck system in this generation. The press is too negative, my friends are all buying Wiis and 360s, and the exclusive titles are dropping like flies.



  • EggoTrip, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I think its laughable that people believe Sony COULD drop the price so soon.

    Remember, they are losing hundreds on the systems. If one component comes down, it wouldn't be enough for at least a year.
  • Reduce, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Inflation, fuel, food, housing, clothes, if you can't buy a 500 dollar entertainment system oh well. Tell me why do people put 6000 bucks on a pc because it will get better fps and no lag on loads. Ps3 is not just a game system it is a complete next gen entertainment platform/super computer that combines the utility of a PC, DVD, Blu-Ray, High Def 1080p Immerse gaming, cd player, digital media player, yellow dog Linux, with the ability to use thousands of FREE applications of software that can tap Rom's from "name your current and retired system here", To a media server for your psp to stream your latest episode of "slap me silly im an American idiot show". Not to mention the built in ps1, ps2, titles you can get for free or pennies on the dollar everywhere. MGS, GTA, RNC in 1080p who needs that 6000 dollar pc now. Yeah Sony is making money it is called hedging did you see spidey 3? Tell me.....
  • ExaltedDragon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This price drop business has the ingredients to be a crucial turning point in the console wars.

    If MS does not follow Sony's planned price drop in kind within the DAY or so of it happening, and drop the price to keep the 130 dollar diff between the top of the line veriosn, then MS will loose cirtical marketshare.

    I can't wait, b/c if both systems cost 100 less than it opens the floor to a whole bunch of new people into the market. This console war is, in the end very good for us the end consumers :)
  • B52doc, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Even if there is a price cut, I have a lingering feeling that the Blu-ray format will go the way of the dodo. I don't way to pay extra for something that might be useless in a few years. Sony proprietary formats have never done well, beta max, .atrac, mini-disc, umd, SACD.
    • iampoch, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0"Never done well"?

      Ok. Betamax didn't go the way of the Dodo. It's heavily used in another aspect of the media industry that doesn't concern the end-users, mainly in bradcasting and other related industries. The Betamax format is also extremely popular in Asia.

      Also, mind telling me who created the CD format? google it. or better yet wiki it. That's right, Sony-Philips.
  • actionmike, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0just wondering... are 360 fan boys allowed to own/buy apple computers?
    • Echuta, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I bet if Apple jumped into the console market like MS did they'd do some decent damage.
    • CReyes4182, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Apple already did and it failed.... im not going to say why :/
  • DangerMouse9, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Moooo! Mooooo!
  • AMDZen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"Would $100 off the cost of the PS3 bring in more buyers? I don't think this can even be considered a serious question. With few exceptions, and leaving aside a handful of loyal fanboys, the PS3's biggest problem is its price."

    I'm going to have to disagree slightly with this point. Yes the price is a big factor and it would bring in more buyers if they cut it 100$. However, being that the best game is Resistance, and that game has absolutely no replay value - the biggest thing plauging the PS3 is content. And until they get a decent game released, the price cut is moot to me.
  • joey368, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1they should but will they?
  • Reduce, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Inflation, fuel, food, housing, clothes, if you can't buy a 500 dollar entertainment system oh well. Tell me why do people put 6000 bucks on a pc because it will get better fps and no lag on loads. Ps3 is not just a game system it is a complete next gen entertainment platform/super computer that combines the utility of a PC, DVD, Blu-Ray, High Def 1080p Immerse gaming, cd player, digital media player, yellow dog Linux, with the ability to use thousands of FREE applications of software that can tap Rom's from "name your current and retired system here", To a media server for your psp to stream your latest episode of "slap me silly im an American idiot show". Not to mention the built in ps1, ps2, titles you can get for free or pennies on the dollar everywhere. MGS, GTA, RNC in 1080p who needs that 6000 dollar pc now. Yeah Sony is making money it is called hedging did you see spidey 3? Tell me..... 500 bucks is a bargain.. 400 bucks would be a steal..
  • nbajammer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The Video Game Empire, a company known to many as a company based only on gaming, has made the move to Social Networking. The Video Game Empire's E-Community has everything that any person could want out of a website, it features free games, a chat room, blogs, groups, Photo uploads, and alot more!!! Check it out! They are making history today!
  • credler, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0The PS3 gets bad press and is off to a slowish start only because of its price. People want to see Sony fail because of its dominance during the last cycle. The price is about the only thing that you can criticize on the PS3 relative to its competition. A quick scan of upcoming releases, it looks as if most AAA titles are coming for both 360 & PS3. However, when you break it down, the price isn't all that bad. It has not only Blu-Ray, but built in wi-fi, a larger hard drive, and HDMI. An XBOX 360 needs a $99 add on to do wi-fi, a $199 add on to play HD movies (now your up to $700) and it still has a slower processor, a smaller HD, and no HDMI. Sony's on-line is also free, as opposed to XBL, so even without the add ons, the 360 will cost more in the long run.

    On a related note - the Wii, looks to me like a fad. It has last gen graphics, and the controller is, IMHO, a gimmick (that might be possible to roughly dupicate on the others - sixaxis, no). It is selling briskly because parents see the 3 consoles lined up and can't look past (Back to price) $599, $399, and $249. The games are also $10 less.
  • B52doc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I honestly don't care one way or the other about how a systems sales are doing. But I do think that the PS3's so called sluggish sales is mainly due to price and not the lack of must have games because after all it is a new system. I think the majority of people are like me and don't care about Blu-ray DVD or the all one integrated home theater system it provides. I already own a DVD and a stereo and I am not looking to drop 600 bucks to upgrade everything again. Heck I don't even own a high definition TV. I wish consoles would just go back to being consoles and not try to assimilate all the stuff I already own.
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