Analysts See 80GB PS3 Dropping To $499 For Holidays

Gamsasutra reports on analyst predictions of another PS3 price drop in time for the holidays. This time, the 80GB sku would take the place of the now fully-cleared-out 60GB unit. "Jesse Divnich from fantasy video game prediction market simExchange has said much the same, adding that 'after examining more closely the hardware sales of the PS3 over the last 6 months we have come to the conclusion that the PS3 cannot remain competitive in the current North American environment at its current retail offering at $499 and $599 ... To remain competitive against the other consoles, the Sony PS3 would have to reduce its 80GB SKU by $100 down to $499. Other options, besides a price drop, could be the bundling of more free software titles, which has always been a popular option during the Holiday season.'"

Comments

80GB SKU is a meaningless term

[Pap22]

It's either:

"Sony's 80GB PS3"

or

"Sony's N82E16868110016 SKU"

Except SKU is assigned at the merchant level, so there are approximately eleventy billion different SKUs for the 80GB PS3. The above is Newegg's SKU.

STOP FUCKING SAYING IT

Re:Like I care?

[SwordsmanLuke]

As a long time gamer, I'm not entirely sold on the Xbox 360. It seems to me that Microsoft is tying their console so closely to their Games for Windows / DX10 effort that I am willing to bet that many games for the 360 will turn up on PC as well. Also, I think the PS3's hardware provides more potential for future development. (Whether or not game studios will be able to take advantage of that potential is another issue altogether.)

I'm not a Sony fanboi, I waited in line for my Wii and ignored the PS3 launch completely. I want my games to be fun, not just pretty. (Which probably explains the old Atari 2600 in my living room) But I see interesting things in the PS3's future that I don't think the 360 will be able to match.

Just my $.02

Re:Multiplatform Titles

[fotbr]

Just pointing out the obvious.

Use the Wii to make gaming a family activity, and get the kid and your wife to game with you. All the fun of "in-person" multiplayer, without needing to invite people over.

Still over $850 in Britain

[Andy_R]

Over here in Britain, Sony are desperately trying to cling to a ridiculous £425 price point (that's $855 US at today's exchange rate). You could get BOTH a Wii + game AND an Xbox 360 + game for less!

Stores are not being allowed to officially offer discounts, but judging by the 'unofficial' hand written cardboard signs outside every games shop, stores can't shift the boxes without offering a huge bundle of freebies. You'd be hard pushed to buy a PS3 without art least 2 free A-list games, 2 free blu-ray films and a free sixaxis controller in my local mall.

Add in the way Sony UK are stubbornly pretending that 80Gb machines don't exist (all we get is 60Gb ones without the Emotion engine) and it seems they are hell-bent on crashing and burning over here.