Playstation 3 News

[Admiral Valdemar]

It's always 1-1. You should know this by now. (by the time you take into account VAT especially, remember that places in the US often quote prices without sales tax, whereas we get hit with that lovely 17.5% on everything)

Rip-off Britain, remember?

The PS3 will cost six hundred quid when it comes out.. Roll those numbers around your wallet for a few minutes. Six hundred portraits of the Queen.

Six Hundred.

Even I'm not that daft. See previous launch day performance.

Fuck Sony then. I was all for them until this. I defended the Killzone 2 debacle when they admitted it was pre-rendered. I've been behind them over the Dualshock fiasco when it was becoming obvious they ripped off a design. I even defended the rather stupid looking new controller.

But there is no way in hell I am paying 600 quid for a console, even one that plays Blu-Ray discs (wow, because HD media is such a rip roaring success, I must have Blu-Ray!).

If they push units out that are less than perfect - and judging from the flaws in the PSX and the PS2, that's not the case - then they can stuff off.

However, the prices I see state, in US dollars, $600 for the UK/EU. That's around £350. That is what I was expecting, but still somewhat pricey. There's no way it would cost £500+, and if it does cost that much here, then they're going to find a lot of units unsold.

[Vendetta]

However, the prices I see state, in US dollars, $600 for the UK/EU. That's around £350. That is what I was expecting, but still somewhat pricey. There's no way it would cost £500+, and if it does cost that much here, then they're going to find a lot of units unsold.

Well, they're also stating 600 Euro. Which is 750 USD.

If that price sticks here, you'd be looking at £410. Less insane, but still a hell of a lot.

[Master of Ossus]

By raising the price of the system, Sony has cut down the demand in some fashion, how much exactly, will be a mystery until 11/17. The $500 price tag will cut into the demand.

Bullshit. It might lower the quantity demanded, but the demand curve remains unchanged by price.

Electronics in general are fairly elastic, The PS3's price point, IMHO, is closer to the equilibrium price point for the system's launch window. But that puppy should be sinking fast after that launch window.

The first week IS fairly inelastic, but a few weeks down the line the elasticity does pick up, and latecomers may balk at the PS3's price point(s).

True, but this may still be a profit-maximizing strategy.

[Shogoki]

The $500 version doesn't even have a HDMI port, correct me if im wrong, but doesnt Blu-ray without HDMI get downgraded to regular DVD picuture quality due to it's inherent DRM bull?

If that's so, the $500 is effectively useless as a Blu-ray player (unless you want to pay bluray prices for dvd performance), if you really want the Blu-ray player you need to pick up the $600 version (not to mention having an HDMI compatible HDTV) with no choice in between.

[Admiral Valdemar]

The $500 version doesn't even have a HDMI port, correct me if im wrong, but doesnt Blu-ray without HDMI get downgraded to regular DVD picuture quality due to it's inherent DRM bull?

If that's so, the $500 is effectively useless as a Blu-ray player (unless you want to pay bluray prices for dvd performance), if you really want the Blu-ray player you need to pick up the $600 version (not to mention having an HDMI compatible HDTV) with no choice in between.

I've just been ranting at my brother about this.

The base system loses you 40 gigs, doesn't have memory card slots (though they disbanded with the previous cards from the other two consoles, great idea), you lose the Wi-Fi modem too and then you lose your HDMI.

Kind've hard to make Blu-Ray the base system for HD media when your basic package neglects to have this feature, hmm? As some say, this is now just a Trojan Horse for Blu-Ray, not a dedicated games console (and despite Kutaragi's comments about it never being anything but a media system, gaming is what people do on it. I sure as hell don't watch DVDs on the PS2 after it stuttered to hell and back, to say nothing of the fan noise).

And DRM is in both systems, just with Sony it's their proprietary hardware and software. I hear to play HD with a 360 and get the hard drive will cost you as much as the most expensive PS3, but since I can't fathom why anyone would want a 360, I don't care. The new design controller, reverting back to the PSX/PS2 look is better than that boomarang design.

The Wii will be getting more attention from me now.

[Vendetta]

The $500 version doesn't even have a HDMI port, correct me if im wrong, but doesnt Blu-ray without HDMI get downgraded to regular DVD picuture quality due to it's inherent DRM bull?

Yep. You'd be left with component video, which can do HD resolutions, but not HDCP. So any Blu-Ray films you watch would downgrade to look like ass.

[Lazarus]

I dunno, I used to watch DVD's on my PS2, and it was first generation. Never had any problems.

I can see the type of people who will shell out for the top version on release will be the same type as a friend of mine who bought a premier 360 on release, and continues to insist that £50 is a reasonable amount to charge for a game. He is the brainwashing of Microsoft incarnate. ANY criticism of the 360 will immediately be met with some rebuke, and he truly believes that a 360 is 'better' than a PC, and not just for gaming, for everything. It is these fanboys who will pay these ridiculous amounts, and then Sony will drop the cost so everyone else can buy one.

[Zac Naloen]

I dunno, I used to watch DVD's on my PS2, and it was first generation. Never had any problems.

I can see the type of people who will shell out for the top version on release will be the same type as a friend of mine who bought a premier 360 on release, and continues to insist that £50 is a reasonable amount to charge for a game. He is the brainwashing of Microsoft incarnate. ANY criticism of the 360 will immediately be met with some rebuke, and he truly believes that a 360 is 'better' than a PC, and not just for gaming, for everything. It is these fanboys who will pay these ridiculous amounts, and then Sony will drop the cost so everyone else can buy one.

I'm the same, i've never ever encountered the problems with the ps2 dvd player and mine is a second hand first gen machine.

It runs fine even today.


I probably won't buy a ps3 straight off, i'll wait till my birthday in March. I will be getting one though, it has too many games that i want for me not too.

[LadyTevar]

When the PS2 came out, there wa the same bitching about the pricetag.

But I found a great way to handle it: I pre-registered for 10% down, and stopped in weekly to pay another $20-30 dollars on it. Guess what? When it came out, I only had $100 left on it. And that was when I had a job paying $5.50/hour.

Guess what I'm going to do with the PS3 now that I have a $9/hr job.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

When the PS2 came out, there wa the same bitching about the pricetag.

Was there? IIRC, both the PS1 and PS2 sold for the same price: $300.

[Vendetta]

When the PS2 came out, there wa the same bitching about the pricetag.

Was there? IIRC, both the PS1 and PS2 sold for the same price: $300.

The Playstation launched at $199 to undercut the Saturn. The PS2 launched at $299, but that had all of Sony's corporate hype ninjas behind it, and was only really competing with the Dreamcast (the Cube and Xbox being some time away), not Bill Gates' infinitely deep pockets and eleven month sales lead.

[Lord Pounder]

I fancied getting a PS3. I've been a customer of Sony and have been happy with my PS 1 and 2, i even recently bought a PSP. Admiditly I only bought once the price had fallen to a sensible level. But this is fucking insane money for a games console.

How much are the games to sell at and what will be available on release?

[Master of Ossus]

What accessories come with the $600 system? Do you get more than one controller, a game, etc. with it? I recall that the XBox360 had some ludicrously overpriced "package" deals that cost in the thousands of dollars and came with a plethora of launch titles.

[Lost Soal]

You want ludicrously overpriced? At least one Game store in Newcastle, just after lauch.
They had the Premium, probably one of the only stores in the country by this time, but they would only sell it to you if you bought EVERYTHING. Thats every 360 game and accessory that had been released.
Thats a nice business idea isn't it

[Vendetta]

A lot of EB stores in the US were trying that.

I think it might even be illegal as well. You can ususally get stores to break up bundles like that if you push, especially if they want you to buy specific items with them. I always do if I can.

I got my 360 from, of all places, PC World. Their bundle was pretty good, system and any three games for the price of two.

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

Coming out with a ridiculous price and then dropping it after a few weeks to snare the fanboys is a pretty good idea, but that's not what Sony is doing here. They can't drop the price because the system is so damn expensive to make, despite not being more powerful for games than the 360.

[Mr Bean]

When the PS2 came out, there wa the same bitching about the pricetag.

But I found a great way to handle it: I pre-registered for 10% down, and stopped in weekly to pay another $20-30 dollars on it. Guess what? When it came out, I only had $100 left on it. And that was when I had a job paying $5.50/hour.

Guess what I'm going to do with the PS3 now that I have a $9/hr job.

Rob a bank?

Sure it's a great idea but it won't work for everyone as there are so many banks.

[Hamel]

If the PS1 and 2 emulation is perfect, or so close that you don't run in to visible problems, then the PS3 might not be too bad a deal. If it can competently upscale and/or enhance the games at 1080p, then doubly so.

Getting a PS3 would be a no-brainer for me if emulation worked flawlessly. That would allow me to catch up on this console gen which I have missed out on, if you don't count my used Dreamcast.

B-b-b-but, I'm not counting on it to end up that way.

[Davis 51]

If the PS1 and 2 emulation is perfect, or so close that you don't run in to visible problems, then the PS3 might not be too bad a deal. If it can competently upscale and/or enhance the games at 1080p, then doubly so.

Getting a PS3 would be a no-brainer for me if emulation worked flawlessly. That would allow me to catch up on this console gen which I have missed out on, if you don't count my used Dreamcast.

B-b-b-but, I'm not counting on it to end up that way.

Hmm. The Wii will have perfect emulation of Gamecube games, and the virtual console...And it's how many dollars less? I'm guessing the Wii will be at $200, but even if it is $250, that's still half of the PS3's $500 price tag.
I had considered a PS3 after the first MGS4, UT2k7, and Killzone demo's, but this price tag just killed all chances. I'm getting a Wii.

[Vendetta]

Sony, of course, claim that it will be the business for backwards compatibility.

I am skeptical. I very much suspect it will work like the 360. Some games will work, some will not. The PS1 should be OK, you could just brute force it, but the PS2 might not be so easy. The two vector units were highly programmable, so developers could have come up with all sorts of strange and interesting things to make them do.

[atg]

PS3 AU price

No way in hell am I gonna pay $829 for a half-baked PS3. Looks like a Wii and a 360 will be on my shopping list instead.

[Shogoki]

What accessories come with the $600 system? Do you get more than one controller, a game, etc. with it? I recall that the XBox360 had some ludicrously overpriced "package" deals that cost in the thousands of dollars and came with a plethora of launch titles.

The main attractive of the $600 seems to be HD Blu-ray playback, the $500 doesnt have an HDMI port and it's not upgradable, so, if you intend to use blu-ray for playing movies and you get the $500 version you are le screwed.

Personally if i do get one, it'll be the $500 verison cause i fucking hate BR and HDDVD and i hope they both crash burnning up and die. But if you're for it at least take the precaution to get the propper gear ($600 version).

[Stark]

PS3 AU price

No way in hell am I gonna pay $829 for a half-baked PS3. Looks like a Wii and a 360 will be on my shopping list instead.

What the fuck? Thats... crazy. What did the 360 launch at... am I just forgetting how fucked up THAT price was?

I'm not going to get cranky and buy a 360 - since the 360 has nothing I want - but I'm not paying $830 for a console either. Good think I like the look of the Rev, hey? [/i]

[Vendetta]

What the fuck? Thats... crazy. What did the 360 launch at... am I just forgetting how fucked up THAT price was?

$499 and $649 AUD.

[Stark]

Whoa. So even the average version is a third more expensive. Crazy, crazy.