A problem with PS3's 2 SKUs
- Thread starter Shifty Geezer
- Start date
Black Dragon37 said:
How so? The biggest problem with Microsoft's split SKUs was the way it effected game development. None of the issues involving the PS3 will change the way games are made. Developers are guranteed the presense of a hard drive, gyro controller, Blu-ray storage capacity and a network environment. Whether ICT movies will be downrezzed is of no consequence to the games.
And even the Sony retard pack has more features than the 360 premium, adding Blu-ray movies and games, gyro controller and free online gameplay.
Good points.Brad Grenz said:
Anyways, kinda OT to your discussion guys. Does anybody know how the cheaper SKU will transfer saves from PS3 to PS3 seeing that it has no memory drives?
Only thing i can think of is, through the PS3 network to another PS3, or through USB flash drives or the PSP through USB.
Black Dragon37
Newcomer
First off, Sony (or Kutaragi-san, more or less) said that the PS3 is "not a games console, but an entertainment system". Up came two types of PS3 - a games console, and an entertainment syatem. The games console has some major features taken, one of them they were blowing so hard about. To top it off, their main format is supposed to be best at HD.
Secondly, I doubt you're gonna get casual gamers spending $500 on a games console. All of a sudden, the Xbox 360 premium looks so much more attractive, mainly because they put their wants before the developer's.
Sony underestimated the customers.
Secondly, I doubt you're gonna get casual gamers spending $500 on a games console. All of a sudden, the Xbox 360 premium looks so much more attractive, mainly because they put their wants before the developer's.
Sony underestimated the customers.
Casual gamers never pay launch price anyway. We are two or three price drops away from the mainstream for either the PS3 or Xbox 360.
M
Microsoft
Guest
My guess is, the Merril Lynch estimate of $800 BOM on PS3..
Probably wrong but, if it's anywhere close, you see why Sony wants the majority of early consoles to sell at the $600 point.
This strategy was so bad though..there isn't even a clear point too it, like there is with MS's two SKU's. It's very muddled.
But the absolute worst that may be lost now is the standard Hard Drive. It's no exaggeration to say, that will probably kill Sony this gen.
Their best hope is too reverse that decision before launch, or take it out and make a core pack later, by making sure all games work without the HDD. Really their only hope. Sony fansd better hope they had enough foresite too do that.
Integrated HD is really the kiss of absolute death in consoles, imo. The single best decision MS made was the core pack. Well, besides providing a technical level to not be massively outgunned by PS3, anyway. That's the foundation. After the foundation, the single best move was Core pack.
Probably wrong but, if it's anywhere close, you see why Sony wants the majority of early consoles to sell at the $600 point.
This strategy was so bad though..there isn't even a clear point too it, like there is with MS's two SKU's. It's very muddled.
But the absolute worst that may be lost now is the standard Hard Drive. It's no exaggeration to say, that will probably kill Sony this gen.
Their best hope is too reverse that decision before launch, or take it out and make a core pack later, by making sure all games work without the HDD. Really their only hope. Sony fansd better hope they had enough foresite too do that.
Integrated HD is really the kiss of absolute death in consoles, imo. The single best decision MS made was the core pack. Well, besides providing a technical level to not be massively outgunned by PS3, anyway. That's the foundation. After the foundation, the single best move was Core pack.
M
Microsoft
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JasonLD said:
This is another bad point about PS3 SKU's..they are killing accesory sales.
$40 Memory cards are pure profit. Sony wont be selling any. Nor will they be selling any $100 add in Hard Drives that probably cost $50.
randycat99
Veteran
At the premium prices Sony has commanded, these things are already paid for on a 1:1 basis per unit sold. Can get much better than that.
Microsoft said:
Microsoft (strange name by the way), I don't see where you're coming from with your assessments. I have my own thoughts on the hard drive being standard as well, but the fact is this PS3 represents Sony's initial play at the digital distribution paradigm the same as the Blu-ray inclusion is primarily for the success of the format on the whole. From where Sony's coming from, obviously they are hoping to monetize on it's inclusion. I do think it's an albatross-style fixed cost, but hey whatever - the price is starting high and if the drops are traditional in nature the MSRP should support the inclusion well after the BD, Cell, and RSX have stopped being a drain.
Anyway - digital distribution. We'll see if it was the right move or not five years from now; but why they did it is clear enough.
Off-topic: got to LA today after my Vegas sojourn - looking forward to tomorrows madness!
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Indeed, and it was to the 360 that I was referring with that. At least from a gaming perspective. (As, offhand, I can't see any games wanting you to have a memory stick in to enable some kind of functionality...)Shifty Geezer said:As for 'lowest common denominator', the two systems aren't different in terms of development, unless you want to make more use of HDD space than the 20 GB has available.I don't think devs will lament the lack of CF support for example. There is a difference there between XB360, which has no HDD and +HDD varieties.
Regardless, it causes confusion and seems like a pretty trivial thing to be missing (HDMI). It's always better for marketing to have...
And it seems like it would be better on design and production to not have to support multiple case molds (and the multiple colors OF those multiple case molds down the line) to exclude something like a MS port.Honestly, I'm of the opinion that you're better off in all cases with "core system" and "bundle with lots of things you can buy separately from launch anyway, but cheaper" with a shot of "better version of the same thing (such as the HD) so long as it doesn't cause a split of function" but hey... what do I know?
Brimstone said:
I realize the irony Brimstone, but please admit that having a name of 'xbdestroya' - which even at it's most extreme would imply a title akin to 'dragonslayer' - is more 'normal' for a forum than if I had a name like Kellogs or United Airlines. Y'know?
Microsoft is just that much more an odd name choice in a forum discussing said company.Besides I think we can all agree my posting style and - basically everything about me really - is diametrically opposed to the name I have chosen. I use it here and elsewhere only for consistency. The reason I ever chose that name is posted here in this forum somewhere, and I'd be surprised if you hadn't seen it at some point really.
I would change it across all forums to something like 'OliveBranch' in all honesty if I hadn't become used to being called 'xbd.'
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xbdestroya said:I realize the irony Brimstone, but please admit that having a name of 'xbdestroya' - which even at it's most extreme would imply a title akin to 'dragonslayer' - is more 'normal' for a forum than if I had a name like Kellogs or United Airlines. Y'know?
Besides I think we can all agree my posting style and - basically everything about me really - is diametrically opposed to the name I have chosen. I use it here and elsewhere only for consistency. The reason I ever chose that name is posted here in this forum somewhere, and I'd be surprised if you hadn't seen it at some point really.
I would change it across all forums to something like 'OliveBranch' in all honesty if I hadn't become used to being called 'xbd.'
It was ironically funny. Thats all.
Just like Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer being released the same day of the Sony E3 confrence and what solid snake does with his gun.
Given this, they seemed to have positioned their SKUs well. None of the features stripped from the "games only" console affect gaming (as much as HDMI is basically about digital signal protection, while the analog outputs are as capable at HiDef as those of the 360); the other SKU seems to have everything you'd want in an intergrated entertainment system.Black Dragon37 said:
Perhaps you underestimated the customers in what they're willing to pay. It isn't all about rock-bottom prices.
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xbdestroya said:
That is how they justify putting the HDD in every unit, as an opportunity to sell music and videos as well as some incremental game content through micro transactions. Kind of like their attempt to go after iTunes since Sonic Stage is such a bomb. Got to say that music interface was slick (not sure if it's as useable as iTunes but more flashy).
That and of course caching being a necessity for the slower transfer rates of the Blu-Ray 2X drive.
But remember, Sony has a lot at stake with packaged media distribution. That is why they're putting a Blu-Ray drive in there. So they want to sell downloads as well as shiny discs.
Would you guys be happier, if there was only 1 SKU with all features, and sold for $549, (compromised price between the 2 SKUs)?
If so, it's not too late to do something about it, after all the controller got changed back to it's previous appearance, after it wasn't well received.
If so, it's not too late to do something about it, after all the controller got changed back to it's previous appearance, after it wasn't well received.
Andy said:
I thought about that too.
Depends on the mix Sony's expecting. If they expect 80% of sales will be for the $600 SKU, they would make more money by keeping pricing as is and capturing the 20% who otherwise wouldn't have paid more than $500.
If they expect 50/50, then $549 would get them the same results.
They probably believe in the first scenario, that there are a lot of people willing to pay $600 so they might as well get that $600.
But, AFAIK, iTunes is a break even business. iTunes is the carrot to drive hardware sales, where Apple makes a very healthy profit. So if Sony is trying to do the same as Apple, then we would need to assume that Sony is making a profit on it's consoles. Well, I guess that's not true, either, since the goal is to sell more consoles to so that more games are sold. The "carrot" still works in that regard, I suppose...wco81 said:
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