60GB PS3 EOL'd, get yours while you can

[Frode]

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=26704

So much for a lasting $100 price drop.

[damandan05]

I don't see them completely discontinuing to 60 completely, i believe (and hope) for the consumer that they are discontinuing the 60 w/ the Emotion Chip. And giving the US the on with software emulation. That what i think is going on underneath there. or hope so for consumers.

[Frode]

Read the article. What they're doing is discontinuing the 60GB and when they run out of stock they're only selling the 80GB one - at full $599.

[MovieTime]

I heard the 80 GB is missing some features compared to the 60GB...could this be true?

[JTK]

Originally Posted by Frode

Read the article. What they're doing is discontinuing the 60GB and when they run out of stock they're only selling the 80GB one - at full $599.

It's so foolish it's downright unbelievable if that's how it comes down.

I guess I'll tell my sister and some of my friends to get the 60 GB PS3 with full hardware emulation ASAP, whether she can fully afford it or not.

It just defies believe to me that Sony would really just leave themselves with only the $599 option vs. the much needed price cut that they needed on the hardware side to generate more sales and enthusiasm. It's not like they have any of the big games out yet anyways to reinforce the point. They need every positive they can get right now.

A "temporary price drop until supplies are gone" on the 60 simply is not good enough IMO.

[baccusboy]

Originally Posted by MovieTime

I heard the 80 GB is missing some features compared to the 60GB...could this be true?

I don't know, but this quote was interesting (click to original full interview):

But if as you say there's no difference between the 60GB and 80GB, is SCEA making the right decision in offering the 80GB?

The difference is that the 60GB we have now has about 88 per cent backwards compatibility. The 60GB they had had 100 per cent backwards compatibility. They felt that by going down for 100 to 88, for example, that they'd have to add something in - and that's what they did.

So it appears that the software emulation is only 88% compatible with the older titles? That would be my guess.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by baccusboy

I don't know, but this quote was interesting (click to original full interview):



So it appears that the software emulation is only 88% compatible with the older titles? That would be my guess.

And it's important to note: Part of that $599 cost includes the full MSRP of a game, MotorStorm, which is a game not everyone wants.

With MS taking a serious hit on 360 hardware quality issues and the rest of it, Sony has a real chance here to start gaining some ground back.

A move like this just doesn't look like it to me. Maybe I'll be proven wrong.

That 60 giger sitting out there at $499 sure looks nice. I think they're making a mistake abandoning it, regardless of anything else.

Puzzling decision making, to say the least.

[baccusboy]

Personally, I think it's all a fake-out to scare people into buying a PS3 now, instead of waiting.

I think there is a whole lot of 60gb stock sitting around, and it will be selling at $499 for quite some time.

[Shu76]

I wouldn't worry about it either...I think discounting the 60G and introducing the 80G,so the 80 will replace the cost of the 60G and the 60G to replace the 20G instead.I will say that the 80G and a free copy of MotorStorm for $599 isn't too shabby of a deal.

[Need0fMany]

Don't let the FUD bug bite ;-)

It's just based off an interview with an exec from another region. He could easily have been misunderstood or misquoted or he could have been misinformed about the plans of his colleagues in other regions.

Until it's confirmed by SCEA by press release or an exec from America, I wouldn't jump to conclusions.

I agree with above poster, most likely just means that the 60GB version with PS2 chip will be discontinued for the 60GB without the PS2 chip; we all saw that coming for months now.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by Shu76

I wouldn't worry about it either...I think discounting the 60G and introducing the 80G,so the 80 will replace the cost of the 60G and the 60G to replace the 20G instead.I will say that the 80G and a free copy of MotorStorm for $599 isn't too shabby of a deal.

I like it right now, as is, with two choices out there.

It sounds like the 60 is headed the way of the dinosaur, leaving only the $599 80 gig MotorStorm PS3 and nothing else.

At least that's how I read that and I hope I'm wrong.

How's that look to you if that's the way it ends up being?

Folks, take your Blu-Ray helmets off for a moment and look at it strictly as a gamer for a moment.

[CJ P]

I don't know that its a fake out or scare tactic, but there are reportedly a lot of PS3s that have been shipped but not sold. Potentially millions.

[Frode]

The BC through software emu is very variable in how you define it. Some titles work perfectly, while others have glitches, and yet another group of titles don't work at all.

[Weez_Dawg]

You guys, stop nay saying. I am very very sure that sony has something planed that even we cannot predict. The ps3 is not only part of the next gen war, but also the blu-ray vs hd-dvd war. What if they come back with the 20 GB for 399 around the holidays and then drop the price of the 80 gb to 499??? Who the heck knows. But I don't think sony is that crazy to not see that 499 might be the sweat spot. The 499 20gb did not sale because it didn't have any of the goodies that alot of people wanted, but for 399 it would be a steal. Just wait to see what happens. This is not a fire sale, it is a strategic attack.

[jermwhl]

60GB needs to stay! For an extra 20GB and a game....I'd just rather keep the current $499 w/100 compatibility.

[Weez_Dawg]

Originally Posted by JTK

Folks, take your Blu-Ray helmets off for a moment and look at it strictly as a gamer for a moment.

Sony is making a bad decision if they do only the 80GB for $599, but I have faith.

[WickyWoo]

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?op...=6421&Itemid=2

An SCEE spokesperson said that the 60GB model won't be available once current stocks run out. That is expected to be sooner rather than later.

There will be "only be one SKU going into the holiday season", the Sony spokesperson told Next-Gen via email

Next-Gen is a 100% reliable industry publication

It's simple. They have shitloads of expensive 60GB systems they need to clear, a million of them at last count. So they do it, get the yields up on the 80GB machine and get some more $599 sales in. They're waiting to see how much Microsoft drops.

Don't forget Capcom said that they expected another drop before Xmas, that way they can also do a "because you demanded it!" promotion.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?op...=6421&Itemid=2

Next-Gen is a 100% reliable industry publication

It's simple. They have shitloads of expensive 60GB systems they need to clear, a million of them at last count.

Apparently these are superior pieces of hardware.

Again, I'm someone who bought a 360 at launch and kept it until August or September of last year and had it destroy a bunch of discs and I also remember MS's promises about how the software backwards emulation was going to be "great" and "no problem" and you can see what that's been worth even to this day.

So when I see talk like: "88 percent backwards compatible"... Whatever. It could be more, could be less. It's still a corner that's getting cut that just shouldn't be. There shouldn't be ANY corners being cut on these machines.

I just hate the idea that Sony is needlessly cutting ANY kinds of corners when they really shouldn't be, especially at these kinds of price points.

I thought the savings were going to be passed on to the customer and yet they want to lock in still at that prohibitive $599 figure and nothing else?

Doesn't make sense to me.

So they do it, get the yields up on the 80GB machine and get some more $599 sales in. They're waiting to see how much Microsoft drops.

MS isn't going to drop at all. Why should they when their direct competitor is making life easy for them by sticking to these higher prices.

Like 'em or not, MS also enjoys the benefits of having a year's headstart out with their console and thus, the gaming library shows it and will continue to show it.

At least Sony is finally going to see some big guns show up on their system in time for Christmas.

Don't forget Capcom said that they expected another drop before Xmas, that way they can also do a "because you demanded it!" promotion.

We'll see about that. If I'm MS, I'm in no hurry to touch the price on my hardware since Sony is basically doing my work for me by sticking to $599. There's no reason for them to budge on their prices.


From a Blu-Ray standpoint, we all know that the PS3 is a great machine, no brainer, etc. etc. but I'm coming at this from a gamer's standpoint and I'm sorry, but if this is really the strategy they are going to employ, then it just doesn't make sense to me at all.

They have a real chance to strike back at MS now that MS is reeling from this bad hardware news and failure rates issue.

This is how they capitalize on that? Sorry, I don't get it. Not everyone is going to want that MotorStorm game and yet they're going to be forced to pay for it if they want a PS3. 20 extra gigs on the hard drive is fairly negligible.

I think they really need to keep something alive at that $499 price point...unless this 80 gig MotorStorm setup drops to $499 for Christmas.

[Dadds]

Microsoft Plans to Cut Xbox 360 Price
By: César A. Berardini - "Cesar"

In an interview with Bloomberg, Shane Kim revealed that the company is working to lower the price of the Xbox 360.

"We need to compete effectively for that customer and part of that is getting to the mass market price point for the console,'' said Kim. "We definitely are working on that area."

[JTK]

Originally Posted by Dadds

Microsoft Plans to Cut Xbox 360 Price
By: César A. Berardini - "Cesar"

In an interview with Bloomberg, Shane Kim revealed that the company is working to lower the price of the Xbox 360.

"We need to compete effectively for that customer and part of that is getting to the mass market price point for the console,'' said Kim. "We definitely are working on that area."

Then that's bad news for Sony and makes this present strategy of theirs all the more puzzling to me.