Sony cuts PS3 price to $500

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-07-09 07:19pm

DPDarkPrimus wrote:If Microsoft cuts the 360 prices by $50-$100, it's gonna be like a boot to the teeth for Sony.

It'll be real good for me though. C'mon Microsoft!

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2007-07-09 08:09pm

I don't even own any consoles, but I'd still like to see Sony get a boot to the teeth.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2007-07-09 09:07pm

Would have been even better if the 20 GB model was still kicking around for $400. Still too expensive for my tastes, but it at least offers a comparable deal to the 360.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-07-09 09:33pm

DPDarkPrimus wrote:If Microsoft cuts the 360 prices by $50-$100, it's gonna be like a boot to the teeth for Sony.

They could stop charging a retarded amount for wifi for the same result. It's a usb dongle for fuck's sake: cut the price in half and there, you just undercut Sony again, and 80% of 360 owners won't even buy it so it costs you nothing.

It's pretty awesome that PS3 already has a price cut, though. Equally awesome is that Microsoft cost-cutting is probably the biggest problem the 360 has right now: most people I know who'd buy a next-gen console are against the PS3 on price/benefit and against the 360 on price/explosion.

Elessar · Post by **Elessar** » 2007-07-09 11:03pm

Does the price cut accompany a sudden flood of 'must-have' exclusive titles? Being cheaper can't help all too much when a game console has no games.

Count Dooku · Post by **Count Dooku** » 2007-07-10 12:15pm

Elessar wrote:Does the price cut accompany a sudden flood of 'must-have' exclusive titles? Being cheaper can't help all too much when a game console has no games.

There are a couple of pretty good games coming out this year (Warhawk, Lair, and Metal Gear Solid 4), but they aren't enough for me to warrant a purchase.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2007-07-10 12:29pm

Of those only MGS4 is going to be a real awareness raiser. Gran Turismo 5 might make an impact as well. I'd expect Ratchet & Clank to do well with people who already have a PS3, but possibly not set sales on fire among people who don't.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2007-07-10 12:34pm

Vendetta wrote:Of those only MGS4 is going to be a real awareness raiser. Gran Turismo 5 might make an impact as well. I'd expect Ratchet & Clank to do well with people who already have a PS3, but possibly not set sales on fire among people who don't.

Except theres renewed rumours from the MGS studio head that it might not stay an exclusive.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2007-07-10 12:38pm

True, most Japanese developers' attitudes towards the PS3 resemble those of rats towards a sinking ship, with most scaling back PS3 production by 30-50% and feeding those resources into Wii production. Konami haven't made an announcement to that effect yet, like Sega, Square-Enix and Namco have, but they're probably thinking it. (S-E have outright stated that they won't start any new PS3 projects unless the userbase improves, and have started tentative steps into simultaneous multiplatform releases with The Last Remnant)

Schuyler Colfax · Post by **Schuyler Colfax** » 2007-07-10 01:48pm

Is anyone interested in the new Ninja Gaiden?

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2007-07-10 02:00pm

Not really, because I've already got it (Original and Black no less, though I only paid a tenner for Black).

A layer of spitshine on a three year old Xbox game does not make a compelling argument for a £400 game console. Especially when most of the textures are imported straight from the Xbox game.

I'll wait for NG2.

Isil`Zha · Post by **Isil`Zha** » 2007-07-10 02:38pm

The wii has no appeal for me whatsoever. I mean, the idea behind the controller is actually kinda neat, but the thing with the nintendo over its last few generations is this for me: *Very* few titles I have an interest in, and *nothing* else ever comes out that I would play.

PS on the other hand, it has quite a few games I love on it that it'll have... and just the general games that come out that I don't even expect appeal to me.

Xbox is about the same, just less so.

And as I recall, everyone said that the library for the PS2 was going to suck when it first came out, based on developer complaints that the PS2 was difficult to code for - and that turned completely around.

I won't be getting a PS3 just yet though - I never get the consoles when they first come out for several reasons: 1) Bugs, much like the 360 had and is having, 2) Wait for price drop, and 3) Wait for good library of games. I didn't get my 360 until it had been out for more than a year, and there's still not too many titles that interest me (don't get me wrong though, I do like the 360 and the games I do have for it.)

The Wii I won't ever get simply because it just doesn't have enough titles that appeal to me. Too many little kid games.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2007-07-10 03:11pm

Isil`Zha wrote: Too many little kid games.

Objection!

Like what?

Zelda? Metroid? Yes, only toddlers play such games

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2007-07-10 03:23pm

Vendetta wrote:Not really, because I've already got it (Original and Black no less, though I only paid a tenner for Black).

A layer of spitshine on a three year old Xbox game does not make a compelling argument for a £400 game console. Especially when most of the textures are imported straight from the Xbox game.

I'll wait for NG2.

But it's "The Real Reason You Bought A PS3"!

Isil`Zha · Post by **Isil`Zha** » 2007-07-10 03:36pm

Praxis wrote:
Isil`Zha wrote: Too many little kid games.

Objection!

Like what?

Zelda? Metroid? Yes, only toddlers play such games

Nice, I said "too many" not "all".

Next time try it without your foot in your mouth and head up your ass.

Covenant · Post by **Covenant** » 2007-07-10 04:49pm

Isil`Zha wrote:Nice, I said "too many" not "all".

Next time try it without your foot in your mouth and head up your ass.

Zelda was alright, which probably means it's pretty good, since I generally don't like the 3D Zelda games at all. For me to have thought it was alright is, therefore, a mark of some kind of quality. I thought it was entertaining anyway, even if it was mind-numbingly easy. At least the ride was a lot of fun! The Wiimote is what made it, if you ask me.

As for teh Metr0idz, that shit's my bread and butter. I love Metroid games, and Prime really hit me in a nice way, as I loved the Immersion of it. Hopefully the Wii one will be just as immersive and expand on the rest of the stuff that it brought to the table.

Beyond that though... a lot of the Wii's best stuff is still enroute. Your average gamer will look at the Wii library and go "Lolz Kiddie garbage wtf" and move on. Most of the stuff is either just a package of minigames, incredibly horribly done (red steel in terms of execution, splinter cell for wii is just a travesty), or just unabashed little kid fodder. However, it's got a delicious selection of far more mature material on the way. Resident Evil games, for example, and Metroid (since it's not out yet) and... uh, I can't remember, but it looked kickass and it had guns.

Anyway, I'm a big proponent of the Wii despite the fact I am a much bigger fan of the XBox's game line. I think that the Wii, since it's run by Money-Loving Nintendo, will be smart and just do what makes sense and tap into an aging marketplace with content the same way they've tapped into that agiing marketplace with hardware. Why build a game console that can attract in older folks if you're not going to sell them games that'll appeal to their taste? It's ony a matter of time before it does that, and the Wii is a great platform to handle a lot of variable content.

Wait, wasn't Manhunt coming out for the Wii at some point? Manhunt 2 that is. I think I heard that. Hard to get less kid-friendly than that. I look forward to suffocating bigots with grocery bags in full glorious motion control.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2007-07-10 05:50pm

There's also the point that the Wii's current library is mostly, not to put too fine a point on it, utter shit. A quick browse of Metacritic shows that only 12 titles out of 69 get an average review score over 75%. No other console is so heavily buttreamed by Sturgeon's Law. No wonder 50% of the console's total software sales are comprised of about three titles.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-07-10 05:54pm

It's been said before, but like many I haven't used my Wii in months. There are good ideas, and good games, but most of them still aren't here yet. It is telling that for most people, Wii Sports is probably the best game so far and it's almost a year old.

That said I might have to try that Resident Evil game.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2007-07-10 06:00pm

I last played a game on my Wii in February.

It's very pretty, and at least the dust doesn't show on white, but five fucking months man. I want some games for it. Even the one game I was tempted to get, Metal Slug Anthology, is cheaper on the PSP.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-07-10 06:03pm

Speaking of which (to go OT) the PSP is almost cheap enough for me to buy it as a media player. AU$250, that's nothing. Although I hear it's memory-stick only so the chips will be retarded.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2007-07-10 08:04pm

Looks like we've got official word from Konami, or at least pretty close to official on MGS4 being PS3 exclusive. Apparently they're not very optimistic about the PS3's sales.

* ZDNet Tags: Pricing,
* Games,
* Game consoles,
* Sales/revenue,
* Sony

Sony's $100 price cut for the PlayStation 3 is not enough to turn the fortunes of the game console, which has suffered a slow start, an executive of game software maker Konami said.

Sony cut the PS3 price to $500 in the United States on Monday in a bid to ignite demand. But it still costs twice that of Nintendo's Wii console, whose $250 price and motion-sensing controller have made it a best-seller despite its lack of cutting-edge graphics.

"I wonder if Sony can win back user support by the price cut of just $100," Kazumi Kitaue, the head of Konami's North American and European operations, told Reuters in an interview ahead of this week's Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, video game industry trade show.

"I don't expect a substantial impact," Kitaue said. "With $500, you can buy a personal computer."

Sony has packed its cutting-edge technology, including a Blu-ray high-definition DVD player and high-performance chips, in the PS3. The advanced functions enable lifelike graphics but have driven up production costs.

Its high price and a lack of attractive software have been cited as major reasons for the PS3's plight.

Kitaue said Konami may need to expand the target hardware for its blockbuster fighting game Metal Gear Solid, which has so far been developed for Sony's PlayStation machines, to other consoles in the future to recoup development costs.

"Since Metal Gear Solid was born for the PlayStation, we would like to keep it a PlayStation game. But we might have to take some steps," Kitaue said.

Konami plans to launch Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots for the PS3 in the current business year to March 2008.

The release of the latest version of Metal Gear Solid series is expected to help lure hard-core gamers to the PS3 and alleviate concerns over scarcity of strong PS3 titles.

Underscoring sluggish PS3 sales and robust demand for the Wii, Nintendo shot past Sony in market value last month and bumped the Tokyo-based electronics conglomerate off the list of Japan's 10 most valuable companies.

Kitaue also said operating profit at Konami's game division is likely to grow in the next business year, starting April 2008, following an estimated 5 percent growth for the current year, as the user base for new consoles--Microsoft's Xbox 360 as well as the Wii and PS3--expands.

"Next year is still a growth period. I think we will grow, and so will the industry," he said.

Konami, which competes neck and neck with No. 1 video game publisher Electronic Arts in Europe's soccer game market, has the potential to double its soccer software sales in the United States, gaining on EA, Kitaue said.

"Our soccer game sales in the United States total a little fewer than 500,000 units. If we combine ours with EA's, that's going to be 2 (million) to 3 million units. I believe, with proper preparation, we can bring our number to 1 million," he said.

Following Kitaue's comments, shares in Sony closed down 1.1 percent at 6,460 yen on Tuesday in Tokyo, while Konami, known for such games as Dance Dance Revolution and Pro Evolution Soccer, gained 0.9 percent to 2,940 yen.

linky.

Isil`Zha · Post by **Isil`Zha** » 2007-07-10 09:28pm

Covenant wrote:
Zelda was alright, which probably means it's pretty good, since I generally don't like the 3D Zelda games at all. For me to have thought it was alright is, therefore, a mark of some kind of quality. I thought it was entertaining anyway, even if it was mind-numbingly easy. At least the ride was a lot of fun! The Wiimote is what made it, if you ask me.

As for teh Metr0idz, that shit's my bread and butter. I love Metroid games, and Prime really hit me in a nice way, as I loved the Immersion of it. Hopefully the Wii one will be just as immersive and expand on the rest of the stuff that it brought to the table.

Beyond that though... a lot of the Wii's best stuff is still enroute. Your average gamer will look at the Wii library and go "Lolz Kiddie garbage wtf" and move on. Most of the stuff is either just a package of minigames, incredibly horribly done (red steel in terms of execution, splinter cell for wii is just a travesty), or just unabashed little kid fodder. However, it's got a delicious selection of far more mature material on the way. Resident Evil games, for example, and Metroid (since it's not out yet) and... uh, I can't remember, but it looked kickass and it had guns.

Anyway, I'm a big proponent of the Wii despite the fact I am a much bigger fan of the XBox's game line. I think that the Wii, since it's run by Money-Loving Nintendo, will be smart and just do what makes sense and tap into an aging marketplace with content the same way they've tapped into that agiing marketplace with hardware. Why build a game console that can attract in older folks if you're not going to sell them games that'll appeal to their taste? It's ony a matter of time before it does that, and the Wii is a great platform to handle a lot of variable content.

Wait, wasn't Manhunt coming out for the Wii at some point? Manhunt 2 that is. I think I heard that. Hard to get less kid-friendly than that. I look forward to suffocating bigots with grocery bags in full glorious motion control.

Really, when I said "mostly" I was specifically thinking of Zelda (sorta) and Metroid as being some of the few exceptions. Manhunt 2 will be on the other systems.. and is a game I really don't care to play anyway. Like Vendetta said... the game library is utter shit.

Oh, and I remember one other game I wanted to actually play on the gamecube (one of like.. 2) - Ikagruga (sp?).... which is going to end up on X-Box Live arcade.

Jesus, I've never seen so many people up in arms over, what I made quite clear, was an opinion ("does/doesn't appeal to me")

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2007-07-10 09:45pm

Isil`Zha wrote:
Jesus, I've never seen so many people up in arms over, what I made quite clear, was an opinion ("does/doesn't appeal to me")

Try reading again. It wasn't "doesn't appeal to me". It was the retarded "lol too many kiddy games" remark that a lot of Sony and Microsoft fanboys seem to enjoy waving about.

Nephtys · Post by **Nephtys** » 2007-07-10 09:58pm

General Zod wrote:
Isil`Zha wrote:
Jesus, I've never seen so many people up in arms over, what I made quite clear, was an opinion ("does/doesn't appeal to me")
Try reading again. It wasn't "doesn't appeal to me". It was the retarded "lol too many kiddy games" remark that a lot of Sony and Microsoft fanboys seem to enjoy waving about.

I think a more valid complaint is 'First party games are great, everything else is pretty much utter trash'. Sure, Nintendo makes top notch stuff... but it's always stuff of a certain 'flavor', and really there's maybe only a handful of third party titles worth much for the Gamecube, and the only one that sticks out is RE4. Which is on every other system pretty much, except the XBoxes.

I don't see the point of Wii when the best games are a few minigame titles, that port of Trauma Center, Zelda and Metroid. Again. Maybe later when parties outside of Nintendo really start adding more stuff. If you like that extremely specific Nintendo style of game, great. But other stuff (largely more complex stuff) of the PS2 Style, or XBox/PC Style appears to be badly, badly lacking.

I think the idea is... on a PS2/3/XBox, I can play a third person adventure game pretty much akin to Zelda, or some exploration/FPS like Metroid... but I can't play a Real Time/Turn Based Tactics game, a good beat-em-up, decent action FPS (for now), complex sim (Those overcomplex racing games, most sports titles) on a Wii. There's just a lot less choice.

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2007-07-10 11:20pm

Speaking of the Wii, are you all forgetting the Virtual console? The Wii library is pretty nice at the moment, IMHO. Mario Party 8 is one of my family and circle of friend's most favorite games (We have Mario Party nights now!) Wii sports is fun to this day, The new Pokemon game is the bombzorz, Harry potter uses the Wii mote movements for WAND BATTLES (PWN!), and I mean, come on, Mario Kart 64, Mario 2, Bomberman, GOLDEN AXE(!) Altered Beast(!), Sonic(!!!) and more! We also have SSB in the pipe, resident evil any day now, and I can think of about a billion other games that would work well with the Wiimote (how about ESPN Fight night?! CAN YOU SAY PUH-OWNED?!) also, Nintendo's gonna be releasing tools so that individual game designers can make games ala Xbox live Marketplace and... I mean, it's only a matter of time before we get our first zombie survival game (Nunchuck to cock the shotgun, B to liberate zombie brain matter through a barricade and RUNQUICKBACKTOTHEMALLOMFG!), you KNOW it's coming.

For me, the Wii is the best console I've ever had, because it gives me my childhood memories back (Virtual console) without my having to get my old nes from my mom, blowing on the cartridge, hoping that it works without blue flashing, etc. gives me an opportunity to play games on systems I never had but always wanted (Turbografix 16. Bonk, anyone?) in addition to all the cute bells and whistles. Nintendo has absolutely bought my loyalty and stolen me away from Microsoft and my Beloved Master Chief.

Long live the Wii and hold the line, fellow Wii-owners! The others' uppance shall come!