No More 60GB PS3 in the US after July?

[patsu]

I still stand by my earlier observations. The 60Gb and 80Gb will be offered "equally" by SCEA (until it no longer makes business sense to manufacture 60Gb. In which case they switch to 80Gb and introduce another higher end model to capture the HDD "lowest" pricing cycle).

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/07/13/another-e3-winding-down-plus-a-quick-clarification/

One quick thing before I head to the show for the last day. I just wanted to clarify something. I’ve seen a lot of posts this morning related to the 60GB SKU and the comments by SCEE President David Reeves. As we announced this week, SCEA’s product offering in North America consists of a 80GB PS3 available in August and a 60GB PS3 available now for $499. We will have ample supplies of both models to meet the needs of consumers for the foreseeable future.

EDIT: In short, Tretton makes SCEA decisions, not Reeves. The latter only gave his personal view from Europe market perspective.

The new Playstation Blog is indeed very convenient to "talk" to Sony.

 

[mrcorbo]

I still stand by my earlier comments. The 60Gb and 80Gb will be treated "equally" by SCEA based on demand (until it no longer makes business sense, as always).

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/07/13/another-e3-winding-down-plus-a-quick-clarification/

I expect that the 60Gb will be available for a while yet not because they will continue production of this SKU, but because it will take a while to sell all the unsold inventory they already have on hand. The marketplace has pretty solidly rejected the multiple SKU strategy and retailers likely hate it.

As long as there is another price drop to follow the end of availability of the 60Gb SKU, this is a non-issue. Otherwise....

 

[dobwal]

There's no refutation of Cryect's post. At the same time, that doesn't mean you should take what Kaz says at face value. When Chubachi denied the recent price cut we just received was coming, there were those who ignored it, and those who thought since it was an "executive quote," it was as if cast in stone.

Believe me, the 80GB will move down in price as soon as the 60GB's are a memory.

You make absolutely no sense whatsoever.

My post was made in reference to future plans presented by a Sony executive, which I read correctly and just because it doesn't seem logical for all of us in here doesn't make what I inferred from his statement, wrong.

I ask for correction if there was valid evidence somewhere else in the thread that properly refuted Cryect's post. Opinions of other posters don't count.

Believe me, the 80GB will move down in price as soon as the 60GB's are a memory.

Why believe you, if I am to take Kaz at face value?

 

[patsu]

I expect that the 60Gb will be available for a while yet not because they will continue production of this SKU, but because it will take a while to sell all the unsold inventory they already have on hand. The marketplace has pretty solidly rejected the multiple SKU strategy and retailers likely hate it.

As long as there is another price drop to follow the end of availability of the 60Gb SKU, this is a non-issue. Otherwise....

PAL is still offering 60Gb versions. So there should be a healthy supply of 60Gb hard disk for now. It depends on whether SCEA orders some batches specifically for Americas (based on how fast 60Gb sold). I doubt 60Gb will sell out by end July too. But at the same time, I don't think Tretton has a fixed mindset yet (as he said... based on demand).

 

[Todd33]

Why believe you, if I am to take Kaz at face value?

Because he's lying? The last thing Sony is going to say is "The 80GB bundle will be $499 in Nov, so please don't buy any 60GB now". They are trying to phase out the 60GB, the 80GB at $599 exist only to give the 60Gb a better perceived value, then it will drop in price and replace it when the 60GB is rare.

 

[Carl B]

You make absolutely no sense whatsoever.

My post was made in reference to future plans presented by a Sony executive, which I read correctly and just because it doesn't seem logical for all of us in here doesn't make what I inferred from his statement, wrong.

I ask for correction if there was valid evidence somewhere else in the thread that properly refuted Cryect's post. Opinions of other posters don't count.

I'm not sure how I'm not making sense, but I won't belabor the issue. If you are asking for hard evidence that what Kaz said was incorrect, then there is none. But the lack of such 'evidence' doesn't mean many people here believe him, because the logical steps lie elsewhere - just as no one with any sense here believed Chubachi when he 'refuted' the price drop rumors.

Why believe you, if I am to take Kaz at face value?

Believe what you like. And the way you phrase the second part of your sentence makes it seem as if I was telling you to take Kaz at face value - I said don't.

 

[<nu>faust]

20gg version without emotion engine (that most ppl couldn't find), 60gb with ee, 60 gg w/o ee, 80gb w/o ee, 80gb "limited edition" with motorstrom at 599$, and then there will be "regular" 80 gb at 599$(that ppl say that will get a price drop )...i'm confused.

 

[TheChefO]

There we go - good find Cryect. So roughly a million then. With a doubling of the sales rate - were that to even happen - that would last roughly five months.

xbd,
Their current sales rate is roughly 80k/mo so doubling would put their stock at 160k/mo ~ 6mo supply. Factoring Christmas sales being double nov and nov double oct, we have 1.6m of demand from now til the rest of the year if sales double from todays rate for ps3. Existing supply would run out somewhere around the beginning of December if they currently only have 1 million in stock today (Personally I think their stock is larger than this).

I've always been a big fan of Sony PR, but this latest one is top 5 material: ~"We'll be sold out in a few weeks."

 

[Carl B]

20gg version without emotion engine (that most ppl couldn't find), 60gb with ee, 60 gg w/o ee, 80gb w/o ee, 80gb "limited edition" with motorstrom at 599$, and then there will be "regular" 80 gb at 599$(that ppl say that will get a price drop )...i'm confused.

There was never a 20GB version without the EE. And people aren't saying there will be a 'regular' 80GB for $499, they're saying there will be an unbundled 80GB for $499... to be announced after the 60GB is off shelves.

xbd,
Their current sales rate is roughly 80k/mo so doubling would put their stock at 160k/mo ~ 6mo supply. Factoring Christmas sales being double nov and nov double oct, we have 1.6m of demand from now til the rest of the year if sales double from todays rate for ps3. Existing supply would run out somewhere around the beginning of December if they currently only have 1 million in stock today (Personally I think their stock is larger than this).

Chef-O, all this just to get a more accurate estimate of when stocks will run out (that differs by less than a month)? My estimates were arbitrary, so I don't see reason to change them.

I've always been a big fan of Sony PR, but this latest one is top 5 material: ~"We'll be sold out in a few weeks."

David wasn't trying to brag when he said that - he was trying to convey: "Us Europeans shouldn't even worry about it, it's temporary..."

 

[Todd33]

20gg version without emotion engine (that most ppl couldn't find), 60gb with ee, 60 gg w/o ee, 80gb w/o ee, 80gb "limited edition" with motorstrom at 599$, and then there will be "regular" 80 gb at 599$(that ppl say that will get a price drop )...i'm confused.

Acting, genius!

When has there been a EE-less 20GB? There is also no annouced 80GB non-bundle. So far you have made up two PS3s.

360 no HD, 20GB, 20Gb with HDMI (Halo 3), Elite - I'm so confused

 

[TheChefO]

Chef-O, all this just to get a more accurate estimate of when stocks will run out (that differs by less than a month)? My estimates were arbitrary, so I don't see reason to change them.

Just trying to get a more accurate timeframe out there is all...

David wasn't trying to brag when he said that - he was trying to convey: "Us Europeans shouldn't even worry about it, it's temporary..."

...Either that or he was attempting to rely on people being idiots in the hopes that they would rush to the store before they "sold out" of the "cheap" model.

One of the two for sure though.

 

[patsu]

20gg version without emotion engine (that most ppl couldn't find), 60gb with ee, 60 gg w/o ee, 80gb w/o ee, 80gb "limited edition" with motorstrom at 599$, and then there will be "regular" 80 gb at 599$(that ppl say that will get a price drop )...i'm confused.

Easy ! Buy the cheapest bundle you can find.

 

[Carl B]

...Either that or he was attempting to rely on people being idiots in the hopes that they would rush to the store before they "sold out" of the "cheap" model.

One of the two for sure though.

He doesn't care what Americans do - it's a different territory to his.

Believe me, if he cared - or if Sony had a unified front on this - he wouldn't have said the tragically idiotic things that he did. They would have had an established set of talking points to address the Europeans that didn't involve backpeddling on all the progress that had been made perceptually in the US market.

It always boggles my mind when people accuse Sony of being this insidious PR machine with plans within plans. More like a multi-headed dragon always stepping on its own toes. Every time SCE sets themselves up for some PR momentum, some other exec in some other division bungles it up.

 

[Todd33]

...Either that or he was attempting to rely on people being idiots in the hopes that they would rush to the store before they "sold out" of the "cheap" model.

Well they would not be idiots, they would get the best PS3 - one with a PS2 built in. Along with five free Blu-ray movies.

 

[<nu>faust]

When has there been a EE-less 20GB?.,There is also no annouced 80GB non-bundle. So far you have made up two PS3s.

i honestly thought the original 20bg sku did not have ee(i'm guessing i'm wrong based on you "made up" comment) and if 80gbwith motorstorm is "limited edition" and if kaz says sony will be back at 599$ there will be a 80bg at 599$ right?

360 no HD, 20GB, 20Gb with HDMI (Halo 3), Elite - I'm so confused

thank you for proving my point, "multiple skus are extremely confusing for the average customer and not good for the business" .

Acting, genius!

care to explain yourself?

 

[patsu]

He doesn't care what Americans do - it's a different territory to his.

Believe me, if he cared - or if Sony had a unified front on this - he wouldn't have said the tragically idiotic things that he did. They would have had an established set of talking points to address the Europeans that didn't involve backpeddling on all the progress that had been made perceptually in the US market.

It always boggles my mind when people accuse Sony of being this insidious PR machine with plans within plans. More like a multi-headed dragon always stepping on its own toes. Every time SCE sets themselves up for some PR momentum, some other exec in some other division bungles it up.

This is probably true too.

 

[Carl B]

i honestly thought the original 20bg sku did not have ee(i'm guessing i'm wrong based on you "made up" comment) and if 80gbwith motorstorm is "limited edition" and if kaz says sony will be back at 599$ there will be a 80bg at 599$ right?

<nu>fast do you honestly think an 80GB PS3 will be sold in the US at $599 without the bundle?

They will be back up to $599 with the limited edition. Once the bundle expires, the price will drop.

 

[TheChefO]

He doesn't care what Americans do - it's a different territory to his.

Believe me, if he cared - or if Sony had a unified front on this - he wouldn't have said the tragically idiotic things that he did. They would have had an established set of talking points to address the Europeans that didn't involve backpeddling on all the progress that had been made perceptually in the US market.

It always boggles my mind when people accuse Sony of being this insidious PR machine with plans within plans. More like a multi-headed dragon always stepping on its own toes. Every time SCE sets themselves up for some PR momentum, some other exec in some other division bungles it up.

Depending on perspective, I see what you mean.

Problem I have with this perspective though, is it's counter to their method they've used (successfully) in the past with ps2. Hype and anticipation worked wonders and the result was domination.

Now, for people that know better, we see this as them "stepping on their toes" and "stupid PR". For people that don't know better, they see "ps3 @ $500 will be sold out in 3 weeks. Better get it now before it goes back to $600!".

Personally, I think they just haven't quite learned their lesson that this age we live in, people can quickly find the truth about most any product. If the product has legs, it will stand on it's own. If not, it will fall. In the past, hype could push a system through any shortcoming. Today, not so much.

 

[Carl B]

For people that don't know better, they see "ps3 @ $500 will be sold out in 3 weeks. Better get it now before it goes back to $600!"

Chef I just honestly cannot fathom that you would believe this. Show me a quote from anyone on the Internet having a reaction to this news that reflects this thinking. People "that don't know better" are completely unaware of David Reeve's statements to begin with; even then, he was speaking to a European publication - Europeans can't run out and buy it, because it's not happening there. Which was the point of the question he was being asked... basically "why aren't we getting it?"

 

[patsu]

Personally, I think they just haven't quite learned their lesson that this age we live in, people can quickly find the truth about most any product. If the product has legs, it will stand on it's own. If not, it will fall. In the past, hype could push a system through any shortcoming. Today, not so much.

I don't think Reeve meant to generate hype. It's more an issue with (internal) channel conflict. It's quite common actually... and I think they have to simplify it someday (probably starting with digital distribution).