How low should the PS3 go?

[boatofcar]

For those of you who haven't bought a PS3, what would Sony have to drop the price to to get you to bite?

[norkusa]

I would have bought one at $400 but they stripped the PS2 BC, so now I don't care about getting one anymore. If they drop to $299 though, I'll probably buy one.

[dr101z]

$249 and a new game in the Aero Dancing/Aero Elite series. So...my thought is that I'll never get one.

[scooterb23]

About 6 more games I'd actually want to play, and $100 less. I may think about it.

[jdc]

This pisses me off. With the exception of the PSP, I've decided to bail on the current generation of games and concentrate solely on completing and enjoying my large Xbox library. I've tried to sell my 60 gig on Kijiji for a very reasonable amount. No luck. We then added two games and the Bluray remote. STILL no luck. WE tried Ebay. Got a high bid of $419 Canadian, but the guy changed his mind. There's a ton of PS3s on Ebay, none of them are selling.....60 gig or otherwise. My conclusion? Nobody wants these @#$&%* things at any price except free of charge. My Wii and 360 were snapped up immediately.

[JunkTheMagicDragon]

maybe when it drops to $200. the truth is, i already have a backlog of 360 games, so there's no point in getting a ps3 until i've got time to play it.

ps3 is starting to reach critical mass on exclusives though (esp when gow3 releases).

[rxd]

If it hit $200 I guess I'd buy it for the blueray player if nothing else. The problem is that with the backlog of 360 games I have and the fact that a lot of great 360 games are now being cut to $20 there is no reason to ever get a ps3 (in my case anyway). Hell I already have a Wii that doesn't get enough play time already. What do I need another system for? Just to have it collect dust.

[theChad]

Honestly, I remember saying when the PS3 came out I was gonna wait about 20 years until I could pick it up at a garage sale for $5-10 like you can with NESes now. But, if it hit the $199 price point and I had a lot of time on my hands I might get it. Like other people are saying, I have plenty to do with my 360 right now and a Wii that barely gets any attention as it is. The only excuse I have to buy one now is for the collection.

[Ed Oscuro]

The PS3 price cut that wasn't (http://www.pcworld.com/article/161357/the_playstation_3_price_cut_that_wasnt.html)


But Sony's still losing about $50 per PS3, according to Business Week, which pegged Sony's costs at $448.73 per system as recently as December 2008. If Sony dropped the retail price of the PS3 by $100, they'd increase their per unit losses by nearly a quarter — from 11 to 33 percent.
Seems like consumer needs aren't a part of this equation yet - same story as before.

[Icarus Moonsight]

For those of you who haven't bought a PS3, what would Sony have to drop the price to to get you to bite?

The word free comes to mind. Well, if they want to surpass the Wii and 360 install base I think that is what it's gonna take at this point.

[Misto]

Yea I would only get one if they were giving them away. I'm more interested in PS2 games and without BC its useless to me. Plus I already have a stand alone Blu-Ray player, so there is no point in having a PS3. I'm more likely to buy a PS2 or 360 before I bought a PS3.

[c0ldb33r]

I don't have a burning desire to get a PS3, but I'd buy it at $200 just so I'd have all three current gen systems.

[CelticJobber]

I don't get why people make such a big deal about b/c, I mean look back at the Super NES/Genesis days. Those systems weren't compatible with their 8-bit counterbit counterparts and no one really gave a shit. And I don't mind keeping my PS2 hooked up even though I have a PS3. It beats having a 360 fart out on me with the red ring of death.

[Trebuken]

I don't get why people make such a big deal about b/c, I mean look back at the Super NES/Genesis days. Those systems weren't compatible with their 8-bit counterbit counterparts and no one really gave a shit. And I don't mind keeping my PS2 hooked up even though I have a PS3. It beats having a 360 fart out on me with the red ring of death.

But the 360's backwards compatibility is so good :/

Anyways. $299 is more than a fair price. Anyone waiting for anything lower than that is being unreasonable; espeacially if they paid $249 for a Wii, which costs less than half as much as a PS3 to manufacture...

[ProgrammingAce]

I don't get why people make such a big deal about b/c, I mean look back at the Super NES/Genesis days. Those systems weren't compatible with their 8-bit counterbit counterparts and no one really gave a shit. And I don't mind keeping my PS2 hooked up even though I have a PS3. It beats having a 360 fart out on me with the red ring of death.

Sony pushed the PS3 as this powerhouse that could do whatever you wanted with it, then developers found it it's not that powerful and it's a bitch to do anything with. Sony one of the things they pushed heavily was the backwards compatibility. I'm not going to buy a PS3 unless it has all of the features the 60 gb had at launch, and i'm not going to pay more then $200.

Microsoft sells the 360 at that price, why should i pay more for a PS3?

[Ed Oscuro]

Cell = Intel i432 for the new generation.

I'll laugh pretty hard if Larabee is more of the same (rather doubt it though, and also don't want that to be the case).

[Damaramu]

$199 or lower is the magic number for me. There's just not a lot on the PS3 that interests me. I'm more than satisfied with the 360 (even after my first RRoD) and it's huge library.

[scooterb23]

But the 360's backwards compatibility is so good :/

Anyways. $299 is more than a fair price. Anyone waiting for anything lower than that is being unreasonable; espeacially if they paid $249 for a Wii, which costs less than half as much as a PS3 to manufacture...

To me, I don't care what they put into it, it's all about what I can get out of it. And I don't see $300 worth of fun in the system...in my personal opinion. Yet.

Now, if a half dozen more games came out that I cared about...then maybe, but it's likely going to be a combination of a few more games + a price drop before I really start looking at the system seriously.

[megasdkirby]

I was planning on getting a PS3 if it lowered to $300, but then I realize I would rarely use it.

Sure, I can install Linux on it, but what for? I am reparing a laptop that can do that and it's convenient for me, contrary to the PS3.

I can go online on the PS3, but I can do that as well on my laptop or on the Wii.

I can watch movies I download on the PS3...but I will continue to use my softmodded Xbox for that, which I love dearly.

I can have a blueray player! Yet I barely buy DVD's, so I won't start buying BlueRay discs.

I can play Playstation 3 games! But I barely play games as it is... :(

So I may get one when (because it will happen eventually) it lowers to $199. But that's it, unfortunately.

[otaku]

well I did buy one but it only ran me about 340 so I'd say lower than that would be a good spot to be

[8bitCaged]

The word free comes to mind. Well, if they want to surpass the Wii and 360 install base I think that is what it's gonna take at this point.

That is kind of what the Dreamcast did. The Dreamcast had one of the biggest launches every, and the PS3 did not sell that well at launch witch means lower install base. PS3 is done Sony dose not know it yet, just kill the PS3 (saturn) and focus the PS4 (Dreamcast)

Would I pick one up for any price no. I have what I want on the pc and my ps2

[FxMercenary]

I am satisfied with the price at $399.99 TBH its totally fair. Look at the 360 Elite, its $399, and you still dont have Built in Wifi, You have to pay for a gold subscription, and there is no Blu-Ray. There used to be HD-DVD options, but even that was a non-included accessory you had to pay for. Sure you get a 10 dollar HDMI cable with it, but that's about it =/

The funny thing about the PS3 is that it is so futureproofed, its disturbing. 8-Cell... All of the current games utilize just one of the cells to run. Imagine how long this machine is going to live on for! That and the Blu-Ray can hold 50gb of data.

I really dont see what the big deal is. Yeah, its a big investment, but it is a long term rewarding one.

And yes, I own a 360 as well!

[Cryomancer]

All of that is only helpful if they continue making software for the machine. If no one buys them, like now, they won't.

[Fuyukaze]

With the lack of selection in software that tickles my fancy and the lack of BC for the games I do own on their previous systems, 99.98 is about as high as I'd be willing to pay for any model of the system. I'm perfectly happy with DVD so blu-ray has nothing to offer and my TV isnt HD. I have no plans to buy a HD TV any time in the next 3 years either. Basicly, Sony isnt getting my money at this time. Hell, I'd rather buy a 360 before it. While I consider it to be a joke system as far as hardware, atleast it has software that interests me.

[boatofcar]

The funny thing about the PS3 is that it is so futureproofed, its disturbing. 8-Cell... All of the current games utilize just one of the cells to run. Imagine how long this machine is going to live on for!


Don't forget the emotion engine and blast processing!

[CelticJobber]

Sony needs to market the PS3 better, seriously (they rarely advertise and when they do, its usually horrible. remember the creepy baby ads?), and they need to focus on securing alot more exclusive third-party content. That's the only way they'll beat the RROD machine and Wii this gen. Regardless of the price.

[icbrkr]

I'm with Scoot - without any sort of exclusive titles that I'm interested in, I don't have a reason to pick it up. At $199 though, I could use it as a media extender.

[jdc]

Like I said in my original post, people simply don't want these PS3s any more. What's the next gen going to bring? I don't even want to think about it or be part of it.

[megasdkirby]

I am satisfied with the price at $399.99 TBH its totally fair. Look at the 360 Elite, its $399, and you still dont have Built in Wifi, You have to pay for a gold subscription, and there is no Blu-Ray. There used to be HD-DVD options, but even that was a non-included accessory you had to pay for. Sure you get a 10 dollar HDMI cable with it, but that's about it =/

True, but that depends on the person. I personally don't need any of that. I know others feel the same way. The PS3 has many bells and whistles, but was it really necessary for gaming? That's up to the person to decide. Plus, it can do plenty of things, yet still not be popular enough...look at the PSP for instance: it has the hardware, but where are the games?


The funny thing about the PS3 is that it is so futureproofed, its disturbing. 8-Cell... All of the current games utilize just one of the cells to run. Imagine how long this machine is going to live on for! That and the Blu-Ray can hold 50gb of data.

Same as all other multi processor consoles of the past. It could have several CPU's yet may never be potentially realized. Just because it has many processors doesn't mean it will stay in the market for years to come. Companies may surely axe the Playstation 3 in favor of the next upcomming console. Maybe 2 of those processors could be used, but I don't think all 8 will ever be. After a certain amount of time, Sony will simply ditch the PS3 for their next console. Sure, Sony CLAIMS they won't do that, but that's the key word: "CLAIMS".


I really dont see what the big deal is. Yeah, its a big investment, but it is a long term rewarding one.


Kinda answered in post above.

[JunkTheMagicDragon]

The funny thing about the PS3 is that it is so futureproofed, its disturbing. 8-Cell... All of the current games utilize just one of the cells to run.

you're confusing the cell (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_(microprocessor))with the individual subprocessors making it up. each ps3 has only one (1) cell. the cell is comprised of one general-purpose processor (ppu) and 8 floating-point processors (spu's). in the ps3, one of the spu's is disabled to improve yields, and another is reserved for the system.

killzone 2, arguably the ps3's best-looking game, supposedly uses only 60% of the spu's power (http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-news/4238.html). uncharted 2's devs claim (http://ps3underground.com/playstation3-news/uncharted-2-to-max-out-ps3s-spus/)they will max them out.

my point is, i agree there's still power to tap, but not nearly as much as you seem to think. whether anyone besides sony's first- and second-parties will bother remains to be seen.

[Gentlegamer]

Subtract $129 off any price for the non-ability to play PS2 games.

[8-bitNesMan]

That is kind of what the Dreamcast did. The Dreamcast had one of the biggest launches every, and the PS3 did not sell that well at launch witch means lower install base. PS3 is done Sony dose not know it yet, just kill the PS3 (saturn) and focus the PS4 (Dreamcast)

Would I pick one up for any price no. I have what I want on the pc and my ps2

What parallel universe are you living in? I remember them having a huge launch with people lined up and camped out and even idiots killing people to lay hands on one. Granted a lot of those people were ebay profiteers, but it was still a big launch nonetheless.

I still stand by my position that it is the best machine this generation but Sony's crippling arrogance and numerous blunders have doomed it to a last place finish regardless of what they drop it to. They're losing money now and no one's buying them. Barring a miracle I don't think they can succeed in the race this time. I do agree that they may be best served to cut their enormous losses and move on... And for the record I was one of the suckers who bought a 60 GB model at $599 :(

[guitargary75]

Don't forget the emotion engine and blast processing!

LOL True.

[jdc]

Finally sold it on consignment at our local indy game shop for $300 Canadian. Now I can concentrate on finishing my original Xbox library. :)

[swlovinist]

Three things Sony needs to do with the PS3

1. Fire the monkeys controlling the advertisement team
2. Complete redesign that makes it not look like the forman grill
3. $100 price drop now.

I have a 20 gig and for the most part love it, but seriously....Sony needs to figure it the F out.

[shopkins]

I'll buy one without hesitation when they drop to $300. A decent Blu-Ray player, which I don't have yet and want, and it can play a handful of exclusive games I want, mostly MGS4 and Little Big Planet. I would never buy it as my primary console because the 360 versions of games seem to tend to be less buggy and get more downloadable content, but it would be nice to have. I might even eventually break down and buy one for $400, although that is more than I want to pay.

If they put PS2 backward compatibility back in I would pay $400.

[The 1 2 P]

To me, I don't care what they put into it, it's all about what I can get out of it. And I don't see $300 worth of fun in the system...in my personal opinion.

QFT. I'm all for gaming on every system possible but the PS3 lacks alot of the fun factor thats present on the 360. Plus, the 360 keeps getting more exclusive content. We all knew about the GTA 4 content but I just found out about the Fallout 3 exclusive 360 content. Microsoft has done a really great job of making their console the go-to platform for multiplatform releases. Plus, if you are hooked up to XBL theres so many free videos, demos and a few free games to keep you busy.

For me, not only would Sony have to drop the price of the PS3(less than $199) for me to bite, but also get some worthwhile exclusive content. Killzone 2, DC Universe and God of War 3 helps, but what else is there? How about a new next gen Syphon Filter?


Finally sold it on consignment at our local indy game shop for $300 Canadian. Now I can concentrate on finishing my original Xbox library. :)

Let me know if you come across any cool Xbox demo disc because I'm working on completing my collection as well.

[jdc]

@ The 1 2 P....will do.

[FxMercenary]

If the PS3 dropped to $199 anytime soon, that would mean they are going to cease production, so I wouldnt bother biting then either.

The 360 has a few good exclusives, but that is all it has going for it. Other than that, MS nails you in accessories and securing exclusive content for some games through payoffs.

I own a 360, but I bought GTA IV and Fallout 3 for the PS3 on launch day, because frankly I dont trust the 360 with high end games like that, because it seems that the GPUs like to warp the boards and pop right off, causing the RROD. ( I also despise the amount of noise the 360 makes, the DVD drive esp. )

There really isnt anything coming out this year that I have heard about for the 360. No Halo 4, No Gears 3, No Fable 3...

For PS3 on the other hand, they are launching Gran Turismo 5, Uncharted 2, God of War 3, Final Fantasy etc...

Dont get me wrong, I dont hate Microsoft, I am just really pissed off that they would do the Payoff routine on GTA IV and Fallout 3 DLC. I own those games, I dont want to have to buy them on 360 too. If a game makes a Downloadable expansion, it should be for everyone to enjoy that owns that game.

[crom]

...

I can have a blueray player! Yet I barely buy DVD's, so I won't start buying BlueRay discs.....

.

haha this is where I am with it too

If I bought a ps3 it would just be on the shelf for the sake of having one... maybe if I got a blueray burner Id rent and copy movies and then a Ps3 would serve a purpose to me, but its still pretty stupid to buy one when the main topic of discussion isnt the games at all...

[tomaitheous]

because it seems that the GPUs like to warp the boards and pop right off

That is like one the stupids things I've heard. Plus, I doubt you even have a 360.

[Gentlegamer]

Subtract $129 off any price for the non-ability to play PS2 games.Make that $99.