Did the Playstation launch at $300 or $200?

[dbiersdorf]

Well?

[suppafly]

299

[MegaDrive20XX]

299

what he said

[Jibbajaba]

[fez] 300, fool! [/fez]

Chris

[chrisbid]

299,

the longer story

at the first E3 in 1995, Sega made the first keynote address and shocked the crowd by announced that the saturn was being released immediately. (The saturn was sold for 399). Sony took the stage next and opened their address by simply saying "299", which shocked the crowd even more, as the trend at the time seemed to have consoles increasing in price (the 3DO launching at 699), and CDROM drives were still quite expensive at the time.

[zmweasel]

299,

the longer story

at the first E3 in 1995, Sega made the first keynote address and shocked the crowd by announced that the saturn was being released immediately. (The saturn was sold for 399). Sony took the stage next and opened their address by simply saying "299", which shocked the crowd even more, as the trend at the time seemed to have consoles increasing in price (the 3DO launching at 699), and CDROM drives were still quite expensive at the time.

Here's the story from Steve Race, the man who uttered "$299," as told in Steven Kent's "The First Quarter":

"Olaf [Olafsson] was about two-thirds of the way through his speech when he said, 'I'd like to call up Steve Race to tell you a little bit more about the Sony PlayStation.' So I walked up. I had a whole bunch of sheets of paper in my hands, and I walked up, put them down on the podium, and I just said '$299,' and walked off stage to this thunderous applause."

-- Z.

[vincewy]

Believe it or not, I still have the very first PS launched in 1995 and it's still working, although it doesn't play music CDs anymore. $299, and I was glad to pay that amount and remembered I played this thing til 4 am on that Sat in Sept 95 (Ridge Racer, Raiden Project, ESPN - forgot the name with 4 types of sports).

If I remembered right, that launch was a lot more sucessful than PSP, not as crazy as PS2, but you could walk into Best Buy/TRU and come out with the unit, most are sold by the end of the day though.

[NintendoMan]

Didnt the PS2 also launch at $299?

[SoulBlazer]

Yes. I paid that also.

[Avenger]

anyone got a video of the guy saying '299'? i wanna see it

[NEOFREAK9189]

my very first PSx launched in 1995 and work 100% I pay $300
also have 3do I pay $500

[Flack]

Well?

What was the "price at launch"?
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18101

Has the price of every single console mentioned in this thread and a bunch more.

Well.

[GaijinPunch]

and I just said '$299,' and walked off stage to this thunderous applause."

One word. "Geeks". Who the fuck would applaud a company b/c a game console is 'cheap'?

[SoulBlazer]

As was said above, there were several reasons for that -- CD drives were still quite expenisve at the time, consoles that HAD CD drives had gone for big money before 1995, the PlayStation was touted as being even more powerfull then the Saturn and thus people expected it to sell for more (reinforced by the Saturn launching at 400), and the expectation was that the PSX would be bundled with stuff helping to justify the price. However, I think the PSX was the first system that did'nt even have a game included with the system.

[zmweasel]

and I just said '$299,' and walked off stage to this thunderous applause."

One word. "Geeks". Who the fuck would applaud a company b/c a game console is 'cheap'?

Because it was 1) a brilliant corporate maneuver, and 2) it cut through the usual press-conference bullshit and got right to what everyone wanted to know--how much was it gonna cost?

Or perhaps you just had to be there (as I was).

Now, if you want to talk geeks, you you want Nintendo's E3 press conference last year, where it filled the crowd with fanboys and unleashed Reginald Who-The-Hell-Is-This? on the world. That was the most bizarre and frightening event I've ever attended.

-- Z.

[goatdan]

and I just said '$299,' and walked off stage to this thunderous applause."

One word. "Geeks". Who the f--- would applaud a company b/c a game console is 'cheap'?

Who the f--- would sit on a message board debating the price a console cost at launch?

And who the f--- would come to that message board to complain that a press release that happened over 10 years ago had a bunch of geeks there?

[RCM]

You're all wrong. The PS was launched for free. The box it came with cost $299. When the PS launched all I did was go to a store and take the console out of the box. I could never understand why more people didn't.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[halbert]

and I just said '$299,' and walked off stage to this thunderous applause."

One word. "Geeks". Who the fuck would applaud a company b/c a game console is 'cheap'?

Believe it or not, there are some people who aren't afraid of showing their enthusiasm. These people are not "geeks" because they applaud, so what exactly are you trying to say?

[gopro]

Damn, it couldnt have been $300 for a PS, If it was I actually bought one. I know the PS2 was $300. I swear the PS was $200 when it launced