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Sony Rejects PS3 Price Cuts
Despite hopeful comments by analysts, Sony has gone on the record (again) saying that it has no plans to cut the PS3's pricetag any time soon. Next Generation reports: "'PS3 prices and shipment plans for the future should be determined by market trends and competition. Sony currently doesn't have any specific plan to cut the PlayStation 3's price.' Analysts believe a price cut is inevitable, as the company struggles to catch Microsoft's early lead with Xbox 360, and the $250 Wii continues to sell as many as can be produced. However, Sony's plan has generally been to hold tight and hope that demand for Blu-ray drives will increase, by the end of this year." Relatedly, the company has outlined releases for the second quarter of this year on the PS2, PS3, and PSP systems.
Consumers reject Sony.
dig in your heals and hope no one catches on to that fact...
the preceding post was not spell checked... suck it.
I wish all links spanned entire summaries.
cutting the price at this point wouldn't help game sales enough to offset the extra loss they'd be taking on each unit, because the library is still pretty sparse. might as well suck it up and sell whatever units are selling. when the really good games start coming out later this summer and fall, sales will pick up and I wouldn't be surprised to see a november cut of about $100
God Fucking Damnit
Of the 134 words in the summary, 24 were not part of a link. I'd post something constructive, the I could bare to rear more than 10 words of the summary (and we all know the golden rule about reading TFA). Sheesh!
Seriously, is Sony intentionally driving itself into the ground? (and no, I'm not trolling)
It's a known fact that consoles don't bring in revenue, it's in-house games and accessories and licensing fees. If the PS3 price were even remotely close to the XBox 360, I could see Sony not cutting the price on grounds of competitive pricing; that's clearly not the case. I can't see sales ticking up significantly through the first price drop, unless there's something I'm missing.
They keep playing the old its my toy and if you don't want to play by my rules you can't play with it... But they don't seem to notice that not many people are willing to play with their toy based on their rules. This includes both game makers as well as customers. Over all I keep hoping that they will see the light and the ps3 will take off with both good games and good price... but untill then I will just keep what I have.
love the taste, hate the texture
Wait for demand for Blu-Ray drives?
Is there any demand, whatsoever?
Hell - demand for HDTVs isn't even all that high.
Regardless, I can watch HD movies via Comcast on demand, download them via XBox 360, or to a PC.
I have no problem at all getting HD content onto my screen.
Why should (most)people care about plastic discs anymore?
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
The console has been out for what 6 months?!?!?! It's entirely too earlier for Sony to panic right now, not to mention the 3 million + people who brought it at full price would have a sore taste in their mouths. Sure a price cut is coming ONE day....but do you think Sony is going to tell you ahead of time? Lol. Stop asking , when the price cut comes you'll know. When sony decided on the price being $600 they were confident in it and should keep it at that price for a few years.
hyper-link much?
You're late on your last VHS royalty payments.
You'd figure Sony would learn; alas, companies like this never do.
They claim that "PS3 prices and shipment plans for the future should be determined by market trends and competition." There is no competition for who can sell the PS3, so they can arbitrarily price it wherever they want. This is a simple supply-demand curve, and they have put the price level where supply far exceeds demand, and anyone who has been to a Gamestop, Target, etc. can tell you this. I asked an employee at Target if he had any Wiis and he laughed a bit and said "No, but I've got plenty of PS3s.
Don't worry, it's just Zonk again. Is it too much to ask for editors to learn how to use hyperlinks without screwing them up, and failing that, preview before publishing to the front page of one of the top 500 sites in the world?
Frankly, it's embarrassing.
I don't understand why people are confused about the lack of a price cut announcement.
You don't tell the public that a poorly selling, expensive product is going to be $100 cheaper next month unless you want even lower sales for the next month. Lower sales for that month means even lower numbers of customers looking to buy software for the machine.
The announcement of the PS3 price cut will come the same day as the PS3 price cut (see PSP price cut as an example).
They have no reason to drive down prices. Right now, they're actually losing on units as-is. Not only that, but I'm pretty sure that people are buying the hell out of them, regardless of the price due to it simply being a Playstation. I couldn't see them changing the price and going from losing a bit on each unit, to plain burying themselves with every purchase.
If Microsoft somehow purchases the Blu-ray/HD-DVD combo drives for 360 expansion, I believe Sony would be taking a swift kick in the nuts. I doubt Sony would allow it, and those sales would also allow PS3 to drop prices a bit faster as well... so MS may not do it for that reason.
"Please, shut up. Just when I think you can't say anything more stupid, you speak again." -Archie Bunker.
Here's a solution: drop the price in the US by $300, but *raise* the price in Sweden by $300. The Swedish won't care because the PS3 is already the equivalent of $1000 USD and they aren't buying it anyway. The US people who want the PS3 more than everybody else will get what they want and everyone's happy. It's simple balance accounting. I've almost completed my application to my company's Finance department. This post will be icing on the cake.
In related news, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is looking at layoffs of 10% of its workforce, with additional layoffs planned for Japan and the US. Of course, Sony says this has nothing to do with low demand for the PS3.
I've gone for the full 1080p setup over the last few months, which includes a PS3. Last weekend we had a few people round and spent a bit of time playing Gran Turismo HD and Motorstorm. Two of the guys have 360s and were pretty impressed by the jump in graphics quality. GT plays properly in 1080p, and although Motorstorm only runs at 720p, it is really breathtaking. I can't fairly comment on Xbox360 quality because I've never seen one hooked up properly - the PS3 looks rubbish connected through SCART or component at 576i resolution, and for Xbox360 that's the only setup I've seen. So my unfair comment is that really the Xbox360 is half a generation behind Sony/Nintendo. Other consoles that have tried the same thing have started well and kind of fizzled out once the competition got going.
:(
I know a few people thinking about getting a PS3, and it's not really the price issue that's holding them back but the content. Gran Turismo and Grand Theft Auto are two of the big games people are waiting for. Also a lot of places are still price gouging - the games seem to be £35 online but £50 on the high street. Some decently priced Blu-Ray movies would also be good. I found Tesco are selling them for £13 now, but most retailers are still around the £25 mark. Unfortunately I can't find Casino Royale or Planet Earth in stock anywhere
The PS3 is still ahead of the XBox 360 sales at Amazon (look at the trend data for the PS3 and 360 sales rank in the "primary Systems" category), as it has been ever since Amazon was able to keep the PS3 in stock starting about March 23rd.
I think Sony is holding off on any price move until Microsoft looks like it's doing something similar. Instead the most recent move from Microsoft is releasing an even more expensive version of the 360, so that the gap to get a console and a Blu-Ray player at the same time is just about $100 between the two systems, a closer margin than ever. In essence Microsoft's release of the Elite has created the effect of reducing the cost of a PS3!
So it's a game of corporate chicken, with Microsoft and Sony daring each other to lower the price and stop recouping as much of the R&D costs as they have been.
The article mentions the Wii, but I find that irrelevant to this discussion as the Wii is on a separate path. I think in the end it will sell more consoles than either the 360 or the PS3 (perhaps combined) but buying a Wii will not stop anyone from buying a 360 or a PS3 who would be so inclined - a lot of Nintendos growth over the other consoles will be from people buying the Wii who would not look at a 360 or a PS3 anyway. So the Wii is not a threat to sales of the 360 or the PS3.
I also kind of expcect some kind of price reduction around November, or at least some kind of bundle at the same price. I could go for a Guitar Hero II PS3 bundle, or a Ratchet & Clank bundle...
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
You don't tell the public that a poorly selling, expensive product is going to be $100 cheaper next month
Generally you have the right idea but PS3 sales are actually not all that bad - it's currently at a higher sales rank than the 360 on Amazon, and has been since March 23rd when Amazon finally was able to keep stock around.
I think you are right about the day of announcement of the PS3 price cut, but would further predict that it will come the day after the day Microsoft announces a 360 price cut, which will of course be same day Microsoft also cuts prices. Sony and Microsoft are waiting til one does a cut before the other one, and both are enjoying higher profits (and unknoably lower sales) as a result.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
But that assumes they can beat Xbox's game line-up. I'm pretty much played through all the good games on the xbox (a rather short list so far), and I am clamoring for the fall line-up they have announced for fall 07:
Xbox has a pretty awesome lineup for Q3 and Q4 2007. (if they all are released as expected) IMO, Sony cannot wait till late '07 to start putting out descent titles. In case they didn't notice, they are the ones behind. If they are waiting for Halo 3 before thay start competing, they're toast.
In the UK prices dropped £25 ($50) as a special offer for the Easter holidays. However despite these holidays ending the price remains reduced as stores are trying to clear stockrooms filled with PS3 units. Consoles have very tight margins compared to games but take up huge amounts of space. Stores can't sell the consoles at the current price, the longer they have these boxes gathering dust, the less keen stores will be to place more orders.
165,000 units sold at launch, 34,000 a week later, 17,000 a week after that. Those aren't good figures.
Guess they know that, without price cuts, they will be at best 3rd place.
...
Which is kind of a shame, in that they have the better internal machine, even if they have very very few fun games that are designed for it.
I'll just be having fun downloading the final version of Opera for free to use on my Wii, and playing Super Mario Paper Cut
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Wait for demand for Blu-Ray drives?
Is there any demand, whatsoever?
Hell - demand for HDTVs isn't even all that high.
Actually, even the tech pages at the Wall Street Journal admit that most people shouldn't buy HD-DVD or Blu-Ray yet, as it will be at least a year before anyone really has a need for either, and noone can predict what will happen. But you're correct about HDTV - demand won't really kick in until 2009, when everyone will start buying them (since they won't sell non-HDTV-capable sets in the US after that). That's when a nice 40 inch HDTV with full 1080p will go for $300 to $500. No sense jumping in until then - which makes the whole PS3 Blu-Ray setup a waste.
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The FCC is mandating digital TV, not High Definition TV. I saw a cheap SDTV (14" CRT, digital, 480i) at a local big box store for $125. That meets the FCC's mandate and will allow you to watch all over-the-air programming, it just down-converts HD to SD.
Mea navis aericumbens anguillis abundat
The FCC is mandating digital TV, not High Definition TV. I saw a cheap SDTV (14" CRT, digital, 480i) at a local big box store for $125. That meets the FCC's mandate and will allow you to watch all over-the-air programming, it just down-converts HD to SD.
...
While you are technically correct, the reality is that consumers are perceiving this as a mandate for HDTV.
Remember, only one-third of people who have HDTV are actually using HDMI cables to get more than 480p. So they have fancy boxen that can crank out 720p or 1080i or even 1080p and they have not hooked up the cables (or even bought them sometimes) to actually get full HDTV transmission.
Again, I will be buying a 1080p 40 inch (or 42 inch) HDTV for about $300 to $500 in 2009 (or at the latest, at the President's Day sale in 2010, 2/19). You can pay $2500 or $2000 or even (bargain) $1500 for that now - or you can join the mass wave of HDTV 720p and 1080p purchasers in 2009.
Never underestimate the power of the consumer. Doesn't matter if they're right. What they do makes markets. Just ask Sony
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Motorstorm (already out)
Metal Gear Solid 4
Killzone
Heavenly Sword
FF13 (despite recent headlines, 13 and 13vs are still PS3 exclusive for now)
Lair
Afrika
LittleBigPlanet
Home
Other than Heavenly Sword and FF13 (which will be ported, they announced it), I don't sense any anticipation to speak of for the rest of that list.
Going to be a cold winter at Sony HQ.
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> Regardless, I can watch HD movies via Comcast on demand, download them via XBox 360, or to a PC.
Yeah, that's so much more convenient that putting in a disc and hitting play, using a box that is hooked up with the now standard hdmi cabling. And the quality of your compressed HD source...doesn't match up too well. (nevermind the directv version of 1080i)
Thanks the PS3 sales, Bluray is doing alright, though it would be doing a hell of a lot better if players were selling similar to the price of the $400 toshiba for hd-dvd. And when the list of titles is a lot better than it is now.
Other than Heavenly Sword and FF13 (which will be ported, they announced it), I don't sense any anticipation to speak of for the rest of that list.
Are you shitting me? No anticipation for MGS4? That's probably the biggest system seller I mentioned.
And although Nintendo and Microsoft feigned "who needs it, what we have is good enough" when Home was announced, between the lines was quite a bit of penis envy and the press was drooling all over Sony's new baby.
LittleBigPlanet is a coup. That by any measure should have been a Wii game, but PS3 stole it. The anticipation there is enormous.
God Fucking Damnit
But, I think the PS3's price might actually help the console, giving it a sort of 'status symbol' badge. Then again, we're not talking about a car so probably not :)
As for me, all current consoles (from the PS2/Wii to the PS3) is waaay to expensive for what they offer.
FF13 (which will be ported, they announced it)
no, they didn't
Sony needs to take their current marketing plan to the next level - "This is the incredible new Sony PS/3 - and YOU CAN'T BUY ONE!!!"
[Insert pithy quote here]
And although Nintendo and Microsoft feigned "who needs it, what we have is good enough" when Home was announced, between the lines was quite a bit of penis envy
No, there wasn't. Trust me on that one.
Yes but that is written from older data, before the end of March. The April sales figures should be more illuminating.
The Wii is beating both handily, to the extent they can provide stock... I'm a little surprised Nintento has had such a long term problem with supply, but I think they just did not realize how popular it would be.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Why should I trust you? I can read.
"I think they've definitely taken some concepts that we originated like achievements, but I think they're pushing in a different direction and we've sort of fundamentally got two different approaches going on here. I think theres is very much a vision that people see it and it looks cool but it's fundamentally separate from the games - or at least what they've shown so far," Satchell continued. "It's a cool world but it's like a little game by itself. Our approach is the other way around; it's that games are the center and that's the star of the show, that's what people buy the console for."
Not exactly a condemnation. Statements like "it looks cool" and "pushing in a different direction" imply that they're admitting that it's a good idea. Everything else in there is spin.
"This is an example of Sony's 'Mii-too' approach," said a Nintendo spokesperson to CVG. "But as Mr. Miyamoto states, Nintendo years ago considered and rejected the type of approach Sony is now taking."
Oh really? "Years ago" huh? On what exactly, the Gamecube with it's 25 users? The DS with it's SNES level graphics? Even the Wii would be a stretch to pull it off, although they probably could have if they'd chosen to, but they did not. Why exactly did Nintendo reject an immersive world for a bare-bones cartoony poor man's version with little actual value to the player?
I'd expect a lot more harsh criticism if they honestly weren't jealous. You never come right out and say "damn, I wish we had what they have", but that's about as close as it gets.
God Fucking Damnit
Sorry, that was my reaction. I'm not saying that Home or LittleBigPlanet might not be ok, but I really haven't heard much buzzwise.
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Take as much salt as you like, I'm not making shit up. But it's a valid question. How exactly have they could have done it years ago? Which system did they have that was powerful enough, popular enough, and networked in order to take advantage of it? Only Wii, and that system is brand new.
God Fucking Damnit
Now, the best part: let's assume one of these days the rumor is true. That's almost better! There's no way it'll ever get down to competing with the Wii. If it gets close to 360 territory, MS will simply lower their price. Everyone will jump on Sony for having denied the rumor and, the best part, Sony will be taking a larger loss on every unit sold.
The only thing that could possibly go wrong is that Sony ends up selling enough PS3s so that BluRay becomes the dominant standard for next-generation DVD. I actually think this will happen... for physical media. But electronic distribution will hopefully make it a hollow victory. That way, Sony can have seriously injured their best money making division (SCE) for the sake of forcing another one of their formats down our throats.
Oh! Almost forgot! I heard from a friend of my brother's ex-wife's next-door neighbor, who knows a guy who works at Sony, that they're about to drop the price of the PS3 all the way to 50 cents!
Not to nitpick, but you don't have to use HDMI cables to get more than 480p. Component works fine. Except of course in the case of the 360, where to get 1080p on their HD-DVD add-on and to upscale standard dvd's, you have to use their VGA cable. My samsung upscaling DVD player works over HDMI or component... and can go to "1080i" (big deal, I know...)
;) Too bad the MPAA missed it. Hell, I didn't even replace any of my VHS movies until they wore out or were lost to unscrupulous college buddies. :P Once my VCR finally dies, I guess I might think about replacing a few of my favorites to DVD... or to whatever's on the bubble by then... *shrug*
:)
since my TV is 720p/1080i, I do fine with component... even upscaling my old standard DVDs... (some of which look absolutely horrible......) And since the consortium of DRM fanatics have not chosen to implement HDCP, there's no real restriction over component (yet.) So, I use my PS3 over component (20GB... I'm not greedy)... and it plays Blu-Ray DVD's fine.. look great too. Although there's not much in the way of selection... considering I'm not buying any HD DVD/Blu Ray or whatever movie that I already have on DVD... there's just no point, at least for me. I bought CD's to replace my vinyl and cassettes. That's the last time I will ever re-buy something because of a format change. They got their 1 trip.
But the problem I think Sony has (besides being 100% asshole, just like Microsoft... how soon we forget) is their perception of how the game market is headed. The Wii is a perfect example of Sony (and dare I say Microsoft) "not getting it." I think their embracing of the "HD" Next-gen moniker and hype associated with it is entirely too premature (for both Sony and MS).... and this generation isn't about HD... which is why Sony's losing ground. If it truly were about HD, I think Sony would be in a better position because of their built-in Blu-Ray and B.C. that isn't totally borked. However, since Sony _is_ selling PS3's, the only real barometer as to the success of failure of "next-gen 1.0" will be when the PS4 and XBox720 come out...
Then we'll really see how much suck one company can withstand before throwing in the towel.
It's the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.
The PS3 is $600 and includes a 60GB HDD, wireless and wired networking, and a blue-ray HD player (chosen for playing HD movies and for having a media type with enough storage space for games that will eventually exceed the storage of a standard DVD disc). The XBox 360 is $400 with only a 20GB HDD and to make it comparable to the PS3 you must buy a wireless adapter ($90.00), and an HD-DVD player ($190.00 and which Microsoft doesn't produce games on which means you'll be dealing with multi-disc games in the not too distant future). This brings the XBox 360 price up to $680. In addition the online play is not free ($40 for a year subscription), it is prone to overheating so an intercooler is almost a must (NYKO Intercooler $15). This brings the XBox 360 to $735. Furthermore, XBox 360 is going to increase the HDD capacity of the XBox 360 to 120GB to compete with the PS3 and since they use a proprietary drive this will cost you $180 whereas you can put any HDD in a PS3 (120GB HDD can be had for $53.00). This brings the XBox 360 to $915 and the PS3 to $653. If you decide the HD player really just isn't worth it then that still leaves the XBox 360 at $725 which is $72 more than the PS3. Then you add the fact that the PS3 is a single component vs. the now 4 components for the XBox 360 (The unit itself, intercooler, wireless adapter and the HD player) or 3 if you choose not to get the HD player. More components means more wires and more hassles and more space that is required. Plus, a single component looks a lot nicer in your living room rather than several. I realize the wireless adapter and intercooler actually connect to the XBox 360 but it is still more wires and more hassle and makes the console take up more space. Another nice feature of the PS3 is that you can install Linux on it making it a fully functional computer if need be. The PS3 is also quieter (barring the recent whine discovered in some of the new PS3s which will hopefully be fixed soon), a lot more backwards compatible and doesn't have the bad manufacturing quality of the XBox 360 (lots of people are complaining that they have had to replace their XBox 360 several times). So, how do you really justify the PS3 being more expensive than an XBox 360?
I had a Wii.. but I wanted to play more than Zelda. I sold it and bought an xbox 360, and I couldn't be happier.
It's all about multiplayer (and always has been for me.)
Personally, I read the statement as merely suggesting that, years ago when they were planning the Mii idea (you know, so it would be actually ready with the launch of the Wii console, rather than a year later, after everyone and his dog has suggested they'd buy the 360 version of any multiplatform game for the superior online integration) they thought about doing a massive Second-Life style persistent world, and decided it wasn't worth it, as it wouldn't appeal to their main casual demographic.
Mind you, the whole Home thing does just sound like massive Animal Crossing without the cute graphics, so who knows?
"I Know You Are But What Am I?"
I modded you +1 interesting purely because you're the first person I've come across who claims to have a 20GB PS3! Was it the only one in the store or something?
(not the previous guy)
I have a reasonably powerful gaming PC*, and no PS3 (or 360). The lack of sales of the PS3 has already resulted in Capcom announcing that Devil May Cry is getting a near-simultaneous release on PC and 360, when everyone expected it to be a PS3 exclusive. Lots of other games that would be expected to be console-only are getting PC releases (e.g. Lost Planet, Assassin's Creed). If the PS3 fails utterly many of the games for it will simply come out on PC and/or 360, meaning that I get the option to play more games on the same hardware. Therefore, I hope the PS3 fails, because it increases the value of the system I own.
However, I'm not a fanboy. If the PS3 ends up with a library that appeals to me and is affordable I'll get one.
*My favorite genre is RTS, and I'm a big fan of modding games, so there's no way I'm not going to own a PC.
They were easy to find in mid-January. And no, there were 4 there at the local Target when I bought mine... but only 1 60GB. I've known several people online who had one, and often the reason is clear: 60GB had features that weren't compelling enough for the extra $.
In fact, most places I went in mid to late January (early Feb too) had either an equal part 60GB/20GB ratio, or had one less 20 or at the most 2. I guess it was coincidence... Now of course, everywhere I go is all 60GB... so the supplies of the 20GB I saw earlier this year have all but dried up... (which I assume to be their plan...)
It's the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.
Certainly not you.
## NB: Comment here
Sales rank is meaningless because Amazon.com sells far too few consoles to be considered a large sample; after watchin Amazon sales/sales rank for several weeks I noticed that (about) 20 sales in a day will put you close to #1 in the games section. NPD on the other hand is far more accurate and has sales for the month of March at:
Wii: 259,000
XBox 360: 199,000
PS3: 130,000
reuters link
Also, Japaneese numbers have been released pretty constantly and the year to date sales for the PS3 and Wii are:
Wii: 1,173,733
PS3: 397,991
The PS3 sales really are that bad!
Ok so let's assume the article is true, then sony's being stupid, games arn't going to sell 600 dollars, yadda yadda. It's exactly what you think now.
However how could it be untrue? Well Sony could be thinking about a price drop (If they have a brain in their head they are considering it, hell all companies are considering when not if they will cut prices). However any producer of goods knows this fact, NEVER let them know their's a price drop coming. Why would I buy a 360 today for 400 dollars when I can buy one tomorrow for 350 dollars? Sony makes more money if you buy it at 600, they have the stock out there, why destroy any chance people will buy it at 600 with news of a price drop.
So essentially this article is meaningless when you realize no matter what Sony was doing, they'd have to have said this to keep people buying the 600 dollar ps3.
As a point of reference however allow me to direct your attention to the FF13 rumor that it might not be exclusive yet. Allow me to point out the fact that Sony and Square really haven't said anything about it since the possibility came out. There's no reason to ignore the rumor on Sony's end unless there's truth that the main game might not be exclusive any more. If I was sony on that story I'd get to the top of the nearest building and scream "WE STILL HAVE FF13 EXCLUSIVE" the fact they haven't speaks volumes.
I'm not sure however Amazon is not a good leading indicator - the Amazon sales rank graph I linked to agrees with the NPD numbers, since Amazon did not have a steady supply until almost the end of March. We'll see if the April NPD numbers agree better with the Amazon sales rank indicator.
Until the sales rank deviates significantly from NPD data, I'm inclined to think one mirrors the other.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Actually Motorstom is pretty popular - as for outselling the two games you mentioned, Crackdown does not have as big a marketing push behind it (most people would have no idea what you were talking about if you mentioned "crackdown") and lots of people already have Guitar Hero 2 that they bought for the PS2 last year, it's not really a new game (even though it's new to the 360). So it's not surprising a brand new game with a lot of marketing oomph (and some good gameplay to back it up) would do rather well.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Wow, you're really hostile about the PS3 being a stinking flop, aren't you.
The pussy-assed Wii beat up your scary buddy. Sucks donut.
Why exactly did Nintendo reject an immersive world for a bare-bones cartoony poor man's version with little actual value to the player?
Because they found it unnecessary and only wanted to provide a way for the player to get "himself" in the game? Because it's easier to make a carricature of yourself from cartoony parts than a realistic representation because the latter will be held to a much higher standard and just a slightly different nose can ruin the illusion?
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
Sony has a 2 pronged problem. Too expensive, and lack of compelling exclusives. If they Dropped the price $200 and had a $399 system tomorrow what games are out right now that would compel you to buy it? They need compelling software on the shelf before a price drop would have any significant impact.
That wouldn't make it comparable, it only serves to make the PS3 look cheaper. It's like comparing a base $500 PS3 to a Wii and saying the Wii is more expensive because 'To really use it you have to buy 3 remotes, 3 nunchucks, 4 Classic controllers, a 2 Gig SD card, The Lan adapter, Component cables and 4 Wavebirds...'
Not everyone who buys a 360 wants all the accessories you mentioned, nor are they required. An X-Box 360 Core system is $299 and comes with composite cables (just like the $600 PS3) and you can buy a 64 meg memory card for $25 if you want to play games in SD. $325 + tax and you are done*.
Since Sony announced they are discontinuing the $500 version there IS no cheaper version of the PS3 anymore. If you want to play a PS3 game you MUST pay $600 and have all those things included because there is no other option.
If you want every other accessory then yes it is more expensive than buying it bundled, but then you have the choice of whether to buy it or not. Think of it this way, not everyone bought the network jack for the PS2 for Free online gaming, nor did they all buy the Multi-tap. Not everyone needed, or wanted them.
* Yes, the HDD is nice, but since it was optional VERY few games require it. It is still feasable for someone to live without it. The largest single save file I have on my 360 is 4 megs (DeadRising), the smallest is 60k (Gears of War) Most games I found were 400k or less per save so you can fit ALOT of game saves on the smallest/cheapest card.
Link please?
I won't be holding my breath while you try to find it. Perhaps you should while you're looking though. It would be one less troll around...
Here's why FF-XIII will be on PS3:
Japanese Console sales as of 4/1/2007:
PS3: 880,000 (Growing at 16.8k/month)
X360: 380,000 (Growing at 3.8k/month)
The Final Fantasy series typically sells as well in Japan as in the US. The only way the Final Fantasy series goes multi-platform with 13 is if the PS3 completely flops in the US relative to the 360. Despite what you read in internet forums, it hasn't. It's already a third of the way to catching up in market share, and it's selling faster than the 360. Microsoft inflated their numbers for December and January by pushing stock out to retailers, and now the numbers are flat while they wait for all those units to actually sell. Until the Xbox 360 starts significantly outselling the PS3 in Japan, you're never going to see a SquareEnix 360 exclusive.
Even Forbes thinks the Japanese market means trouble for Microsoft.
Sony talked me right out of buying their console with their horrid PR.
I used to be a fanboy, now I own a 360 because well, I see more hope in it.
However, I've found the game selection to be extremely lacking.
I mean there are some great games on the way. Spore, assassins creed, blue dragon etc.
But the xbox 360 has been out for a while now and I'm just not seeing the games fast enough.
PSX, PS2 made me a fanboy with their massive games library. Too bad Sony forgot that was one of it's greatest qualities.
With no "must play" games, when I looked at the two side by side it was a pretty close fight. The thing that made up my mind, the only thing. Was price.
I refer you to the NPD data on March game sales figures, which show the Wii expansion widening, and PS3 growing even slower than before - on Reuters and AP wire services.
You google the link. Also reported in Thursday's Seattle PI from those feeds.
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And US data from NPD has what, exactly, to do with Japanese sales figures? And who said anything about the Wii anyway?
There are no links that say FF13 will be ported.... Maybe there will be a spinoff of the DS or the Wii or something, but they'll be "ports" in the same way that you can get Oblivion for your cellphone. Even that, however, hasn't been confirmed.
Perhaps that's because you self-censor by visiting only Xbox friendly sources?
Or maybe you think that your little circle of friends (and Xbox Live buddies) are somehow representative of everybody?
There have been a number of announcements, in various gaming news sources, as well as on Nintendo web sites, that indicate that FF V being ported to the DS is just the beginning, and that FF 13 is being ported to multiple platforms, specifically the Wii and the xBox360.
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While I will admit that my ex-wife works for xBox, I visit news sources for all the gaming platforms, and personally only own one xBox, a PS, a PS2, a GC, a Wii, and some GameBoys (color, special editions, French language games).
I probably have more PS2 titles than I have Wii titles, and much more of either than I have any xBox titles.
I used to own Sony shares until just after E3, when I realized they had made a very bad series of decisions. And I have in the past owned MSFT stock.
However, I'm not biased about market trends - it was my first college degree after all (Sales and Marketing), and I work in Medical Genetics Research on the Bioinformatics side. I can see thru the fluff.
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Yet you refuse to provide a link.
I've googled, and there is nothing but rumors, mostly based on speculation from fan sites, but occasionally based on poor translations.
Dude, I read print editions and I have something like three computers with six browsers. One is a Mac Mini with Firefox and that Mac browser. One is a WinXP box with Firefox and Opera (where I get my home email) and IE (not that I use it). One is my work WinXP PC with Firefox and IE.
Unlike you, I have multiple computers. Plus, I read, cover to cover, the print edition of the Wall Street Journal, and on days when I eat out at lunch I scarf the print editions of the Seattle Times and Seattle PI and most other days I read them online. Plus I read Yahoo on the My Yahoo site for news.
So, I know I read it - multiple times. You on the other hand refuse to believe that FF XIII is ALREADY BEING PORTED to OTHER CONSOLES, in addition to the FACT that FF V is already ported to the Nintendo DS.
Yet everyone knows this is true.
Do your own searches.
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Unlike who? Sorry, but you don't know anything about me.
If you can't provide a link, you're full of crap. End of story.
Let me guess, you work for the AG's office, right?
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Why, because I won't do your homework for you?
No, because you asked me to do your homework for you.
News flash, the world does not revolve around you.
Second news flash, the price cuts will happen, and are already in place on the street in Tokyo in the retail district.
Third news flash, those gullible enough not to read between the lines of PR spin are doomed to continual disappointment.
Here endeth the lesson.
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Feel free to enlighten us all with your greatness and provide a reference. Otherwise don't be surprised when people call you out on your claims. Since you only ready such news in print media, reference the magazine/journal, volume and page(s).
Then again, seeing as online sites are updated far more quickly than print media, I won't hold my breath. Have fun with your impending rebuttal based on conjecture.
I recycle them after the day.
Don't you?
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I don't know about the guy you're replying to, but I would hardly call PS3 sales a flop. Are they selling as well as pop-culture's new chic? Nope. Few things do. Do I have more fun on my 360, PC and PS3 than I ever did with my Wii? That would be a resounding yes, Sir.
And yes, I know know.. I'm not the target market for the Wii. I'm not a casual gamer. I would wager a lot of others aren't either. The Wii is still riding on a lot of hype for a system most people have not even played yet. But make no mistake, the Wii is selling well considering Nintendo's inability or reluctance to manufacture enough units. Being trendy and chic goes a long way towards heavy sales.
My final point is a question: If the Wii maintains a leading position this generation, how well will the game-to-system attachment ratio be in an environment dominated by casual gamers?
Your troll fu is weak today.
Good point. I tend not to let trolls argue when I know what the facts are.
Now, to show I'm a good sport, I will promise to actually buy FF XIII when it comes out on the Wii, since I know you like the game producer (Square Enix, right?), and to show my support of them.
I will also promise to buy a PS3 in 2009 when I buy a 40 or more inch HDTV (with proper HDMI cables), as most of America will do at that time. I'll be glad to pay $225 for the PS3 then, and $300 for the HDTV, while you most likely have shelled out more than $600 for just the base PS3 and controllers.
You can come to my place and we'll play FF XIII and I am sure you'll p0wn me, cause I'm not that great a game player. I remember how I used to get ganged up on when I was a game designer, as everyone assumed I was a hotshot game player, but I just didn't have the time or the interest to play them all that much.
And, to show how nice I am, I'll pay for pizza and hard cider or wine (or even beer, but it has to be Danish beer, or some NZ Double Brown, or maybe Henry's Private Reserve), assuming you're old enough for the alcoholic refreshments.
Just look me up in 2009 - I'm just up the street from the Caffe Ladro in Fremont, five blocks west of the Fremont Troll, in Seattle.
Now, can you go back to reading the other articles that are now on the main slashdot page, that show what reality actually is?
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Hah, that was actually humorous. But I honestly don't care what you spend your money on. That's your business. My beef was your posting a claim without anything to back it up. And I have read all the articles.
By the way, you'd be right that I shelled out $600 for the PS3. Not the base model though. And any price cuts don't bother me in the least. My hobby is gaming and getting systems when released costs more money than waiting until they're several years old. I'm also single and make a decent salary, so I can afford it. That should also answer your age question. I've also never been interested in drinking, but that's neither here nor there...
Seattle? That would explain the prissy attitude. Have a good day, sir.
I shelled out $600 for a Wii, two games, two sets of controllers, the Zelda:TP book, and a memory card.
On release day.
It was sweet.
That's bullshit. I said I found no such links when I looked, And you are the one who made the assertion without any backup. Finding a reference for your own claim is your own job.
I never said anything about any price cuts. I have no doubt a price cut will come eventually.
News flash, everybody else expects people who make extraordinary claims to provide their own evidence.
You have to actually have some authority to "give lessons". Being an arrogant, obnoxious twit doesn't put you above anybody.
(Heh. "Something like three computers". You better head over to the ER and get that bowel dis-impacted, because you're so full of shit it isn't even funny.)
System attachment? What kind of attachment are you going to connect to your system? Why a ratio? Like 1 Wii:2 Wiimotes? I have two wiimotes, two nunchucks, and two classic controllers. I'm not even sure how to describe such a ratio. 1:2:2:2?? Or would it be 1:2:1:1 since for each wiimote I have one nunchuk and one classic controller?
Who track such things? Why would this be important? How do we count wireless attachments? Multiplayer network games? Are those considered attachments too? What if they come out with Guitar Hero for the Wii? Would the guitar be counted as an attachment? (More importantly, will the Wiitar (With commercials done by Borat, saying "Oh, you are Wiitar?") support pointing the neck of the guitar at a random girl in the audience who will then pull up her top? Can you use the + and - buttons to zoom in on them?)
Why would the amount of attachments purchased "in an environment dominated by casual gamers" be any different from the amount of attachments purchased by hardcore gamers?
I just don't understand the point of your question. But I have much more fun when my girlfriend plays with my Wii that you will ever have with your PS3.