PS3 Slim and price drop coming this year says Unnamed Source
Ars Technica are reporting that their “favourite inside source” has gained info on the upcoming hardware plans of both Sony and Microsoft. Both plans are ones of bigger harddrives and lower prices, so consumers should be happy.
First off for Sony, the source says that they will begin phasing out the 80GB model of the PS3 and replacing this with the 160GB model. Then later on in the year (possibly August or September) they will simultaneously drop the price of the 160GB model and launch the much-rumoured PS3 Slim. The source was unable to say how much will be knocked off the PS3’s price, but if this news turns out to be true then we can expect a huge boost is PS3 sales this year.
Microsoft have a similar strategy in action, says Mr Mysterious. They will be shifting the remaining Pro 360’s over the autumn with some attractive bundles, then in early September a price cut on the 120GB Elite system will see it replacing the current Pro’s. In October a very attractive Elite holiday bundle should emerge, but we don’t yet know which titles will be included.
All of this information can only be classed as rumours right now, until we hear anything official from the console manufacturers, but it all makes sense. The PS3 is long overdue for a price drop, and slimming down a console always revives interest from gamers. Giving gamers more storage space is a smart move too, with both companies pushing digital distribution harder all the time.
Also, the reputation of this unnamed source is a good one. The same guy (or gal) successfully and correctly predicted the capabilities of the PSP Go, the red Resident Evil 5 Xbox 360 bundle and last years Xbox 360 price cuts. We wouldn’t be shocked if he’s right yet again.
4 comments ↓
Alan
July 1st, 2009
If Sony drop the price they’ll be moving further back from making the PS3 profitable. They can’t just keep crawling from the finish line.
The casuals haven’t held off buying a PS3 for the inevitable price drop, just those savey journalist types. I can see Sony waiting all the way till christmas before they drop the price.
But what do I know, it’s a reckon.
Nogert
July 3rd, 2009
Who cares if Sony don’t make profit, that’s their problem
truth is they’re aren’t going to make money for console sales but would probably achieve massive profits down the line from the games they offer. (obviously they are profiting from games sold now but with a price drop so many more people will buy PS3’s)
AndyBSG
July 9th, 2009
Very few consoles make a profit anyway.
The 360 has made a loss since day 1 and the PS3 only very recently started making a profit and that’s the same with the PS2, PS and original X-Box.
The wii is a rare exception to this when it comes to console history.
It’s the software itself and third party developer licences where they make their money as well as any cash from online services like X-Box live.
Manu
July 15th, 2009
Obiously microsoft and sony can afford to lost on each console made as a luxuary, because it is not their core market, both are great companys in other industries, but with nintendo is another ball game, nintendo is the only company of the big three that depends only on gaming to have their incomings, therefore nintendo cannot afford to loose money on each console. and i think a cut in their prices would not mean higher sales because for sony is a problem of recognition, like the last generation of consoles everybody talked about the PS2, it was an avalanche, no matter what the xbox or GC would done, the history was sealed, right now is the same thing with the wii, and ifor the games standpoint nintendo will have great hardcore and casual tittles coming in the following moths that appeal to the japanese market, and thats where the big sales are.