Japan: HSG bundle with price drop.

[nintenho]

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/797/797919p1.html?RSSwhen2007-06-20_020800&RSSid=797919

The PS3's biggest game yet over in Japan is just about a month away from release, and, sure enough, Sony isn't being quiet about it. Following a heavily promoted downloadable demo of Minna no Golf 5 (known as Hot Shots Golf 5 oustide of Japan), Sony has announced a special PS3 package to coincide with the game's release.

Officially known as the PlayStation 3 Beginners' Pack, this bundle combines a PS3 system with a copy of Minna no Golf 5, all in a slick new box. It will be available on 7/26 at a cost of 61,980 yen for a 60 Gig version and 51,980 yen for a 20 Gig version.

There are a couple of points of note in this announcement. First, different from other territories, Sony seems to be continuing with sales of the two PS3 models in Japan. Currently, both 20 Gig and 60 Gig versions of the hardware are available for purchase at.

More importantly, the price of the bundle represents a savings of nearly 4,000 yen off the price of purchasing the game had hardware separately. It's not quite a price drop, but perhaps it will draw in a few holdouts.tax)

It's about $420 or $500 dollars. Hopefully this'll mean more 20 GB consoles in stores. I believe this is a sony published game so if it sells a lot of bundles, it makes it easier to justify having a price drop.

 

[inefficient]

The flickering trees in the game really bug me!

I recall I saw someone on B3D saying that Alpha Tested trees can actually look as good as Alpha Blending if done right. I think it was DeanoC.

Whoever it was please give the HSGolf devs a call and help them fix this for the retail! I'm sure they are using alpha test and the artifacts make it look really bad in motion.

 

[Vic]

This sounds interesting and I think it could help gee up the Japanese market for Sony, but I'm more interested in what happens in the Europe and the US.

According to this article: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=25943, Sony could be readying a price-drop to coincide with the launch of Home probably in October. I think that could be great news if Home lives up to its massive potential. Then its just a few months until Little Big Planet is released.

 

[inefficient]

I don't think people should try to read a price drop out of this news. The PS3 has always been cheaper in Japan than the US/EU.

It only "appears" to get cheaper because the Yen has been getting weaker and weaker vs the US Dollar and Euro. In Nov when the PS3 launched it was 117JPN = 1 USD. Currently it stands at 123.5 JPN = 1 USD.

The generally accepted PS3 prices in most outlets is:
~50,000 JPN for the 20GB
~60,000 JPN for the 60GB

In Nov 06 those price in dollars came to
$427 USD for the 20GB
$512 USD for the 20GB

Today (Jun 20th) those price in dollars are:
$404 USD for the 20GB
$485 USD for the 60GB


The 20GB PS3 is selling at basically the same price as the 360 Premium in the US. And the 60 model is only barely more expensive that the Elite.

Soft sales in JP and stronger sales in the US and EU can actually be seen as a very good thing for an exporter like Sony because the yen is so weak.

 

[-tkf-]

The flickering trees in the game really bug me!

I recall I saw someone on B3D saying that Alpha Tested trees can actually look as good as Alpha Blending if done right. I think it was DeanoC.

Whoever it was please give the HSGolf devs a call and help them fix this for the retail! I'm sure they are using alpha test and the artifacts make it look really bad in motion.

Me to, it´s a weird mess of some really good looking stuff combined with wtf moments. Still i enjoy the demo a lot, and would be tempted to go for the complete game...

 

[DJ12]

According to this article: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=25943, Sony could be readying a price-drop to coincide with the launch of Home probably in October. I think that could be great news if Home lives up to its massive potential. Then its just a few months until Little Big Planet is released.

Home will only live up to it's potential if it's all the same.

I have become rather annoyed at the lack of content on PAL PSN, there is no reason for it at all.

Take the Ninja Gaiden Sigma demo, still no sign of it on PAL PSN, but I think the game only comes out a week or two after the US release. (Yes I have the demo with a fake account, but that is besides the point, why isn't it on PAL PSN!!!)

I was really looking forward to Home when it was announced, but since purchasing my PS3 and "enjoying" the content of PAL PSN I have become less enthused about it.

 

[Titanio]

According to this article: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=25943, Sony could be readying a price-drop to coincide with the launch of Home probably in October. I think that could be great news if Home lives up to its massive potential. Then its just a few months until Little Big Planet is released.

LittleBigPlanet, in some manner, should be on the PSN this year, probably not long after Home.

 

[Zeross]

The flickering trees in the game really bug me!

I recall I saw someone on B3D saying that Alpha Tested trees can actually look as good as Alpha Blending if done right. I think it was DeanoC.

Whoever it was please give the HSGolf devs a call and help them fix this for the retail! I'm sure they are using alpha test and the artifacts make it look really bad in motion.

It's alpha testing + alpha to coverage, you can see a demo of this in this sample of NVIDIA SDK and play a bit with it to see the difference between alpha testing, alpha testing + alpha to coverage and alpha blending.

Alpha to coverage is better than nothing of course but I can't see it looking quite as good as alpha blending : in one case you have 4 levels of transparency versus 255 in the other.

 

[Vic]

LittleBigPlanet, in some manner, should be on the PSN this year, probably not long after Home.

Seriously, I thought MM had stated early 2008 as their release date? Its great news for PS3 owners if they get it out before Christmas though.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Beta/download before Christmas, and the disc-based release in early 2008 including the best user created content, IIRC.

 

[Ben-Nice]

This may be the first "big" online title in Japan. I guess they can run like 50 people realtime tournaments. I wonder if this will push a decent amount of consoles.

 

[nintenho]

I don't think people should try to read a price drop out of this news. The PS3 has always been cheaper in Japan than the US/EU.
It only "appears" to get cheaper because the Yen has been getting weaker and weaker vs the US Dollar and Euro. In Nov when the PS3 launched it was 117JPN = 1 USD. Currently it stands at 123.5 JPN = 1 USD.
The 20GB PS3 is selling at basically the same price as the 360 Premium in the US. And the 60 model is only barely more expensive that the Elite.
Soft sales in JP and stronger sales in the US and EU can actually be seen as a very good thing for an exporter like Sony because the yen is so weak.

I know that it's cheaper but this is for a bundle. If it actually gets a release in other territories, with ~$450-$550 price than it could really make sales pick up. I don't think the casual really sees a reason for PS3 or maybe even 360 considering all the games going multiplatform and lack of exclusives but you have it similarly priced, "better" hardware depending on what you use it for, and with a big exclusive this early and it could help PS3 sales pick up.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

The generally accepted PS3 prices in most outlets is:
~50,000 JPN for the 20GB
~60,000 JPN for the 60GB

In Nov 06 those price in dollars came to
$427 USD for the 20GB
$512 USD for the 20GB

Today (Jun 20th) those price in dollars are:
$404 USD for the 20GB
$485 USD for the 60GB

I dont suppose you can buy a 20gb and send it to me? 404dollars would be 300 euro's for me (that is if you're lucky enough to avoid customs).

 

[betan]

I guess there won't be any price cut announcement during E3 (for those who were expecting one)