Sony delay PS3 until November

[expletive]

No, this has more to do with consumer perception. If price was that important, iPod would be a niche mp3 player. Instead, people pay 200-300 to carry around 7 different songs.

But don't get me wrong, $200 is a nice price point for a consumer device, but it's best to achieve that naturally. In my opinion, MS won't cut the price of either Xbox 360's until 2007. Instead, we'll see some value added bundle at the same price. Think "Gears of War" edition.

A majority of these game consoles sell at the $149 price point. The iPod is as much a piece of jewelery as it is a music player. So when people can wear a PS3 around their necks, or when they ship with little white tell-tale earbuds, then i'll agree that price isnt important.

The other side of me thinks it won't matter. People are still buying PS2s in large quantities. Their games still sell really well. The PSP is performing solidly. Does Sony really need to bleed money in order to compete with the Xbox 360? What if they delayed solely to be in a better financial position? That's a good thing, especially if this better financial position allows them to compete better on price..

The games sell really well becuase there's 100 million PS2's out there! Seriously though, while the revenue stream from the PS2 is nice, i dont think it will dictate Sony's strategy on this gen, theres way too much riding on it. You think Sony will gamble the upcoming generation and blu ray on some sales of PS2 hardware/software that may or may not change with the release of the PS3?

MS moved heaven and earth to launch first, i've got to believe there's something to that. The fact what MS thought was a a 6 month lead is now a 12 month lead only means that MS is getting more 'bang for their buck'. We've been through this before, and i know you agree, a big installed base lead = software, software = buyers, buyers=installed base lead, rinse, repeat.

 

[Diamond.G]

I dunno, I can't see Blueray as the sole reason why there could be a delay. What about Sony's supposed Live-killer? Could something like that play a part in the delay? Something just doesn't seem right.

Okay, so assuming that this news is true. What are the chances of MS actually picking up the pace of their advertisements and such between now and then?

 

[liolio]

I dunno, I can't see Blueray as the sole reason why there could be a delay. What about Sony's supposed Live-killer? Could something like that play a part in the delay? Something just doesn't seem right.

Okay, so assuming that this news is true. What are the chances of MS actually picking up the pace of their advertisements and such between now and then?

In your country too the advertisement campaign surrounding the xbox360 launch is nearly equal to zero?

Sony don't really need to launch during summer, it's a better move to launch well finished software, they know the chrismass war will be tought.
Early adopters and hardcore gamers will buy the ps3 no matter what, but with good marketing Ms can still steal some consumers while having already "feed" his early adopter base and while starting to appeal more causal gamers.
it's the early adopter war here, causual gamer are still not very involved, price to hight, not enought game, healthy older systems, etc...

 

[Diamond.G]

In your country too the advertisement campaign surrounding the xbox360 launch is nearly equal to zero?

I'm in hawaii, but yes there really isn't much in the way of TV advertisements. There are posters and demo stations at some stores (Walmart, EB, etc). From what I can tell shipments are coming in with some regularity now (but I cannot speak on how many unit per shipment).

I remember how hard it was to get a PS2 when it first came out. If Sony ships 2.5 million systems for both NA and Japan, would it be safe to say it would be difficult to get one till spring 07?

 

[MasaC]

If there's any truth to this there probably won't be any price cuts for the xbox 360 this year. MS would be stupid to do so.

On the other hand this should only affect the Japanese market and the xbox 360 isn't too strong over there. Most sensible people expected a Japanese launch in spring 06 followed by US and EU launch in fall-06, much like the scheme for PS2 back in the year 2000.

So, if Sony has to postpone the Japanese launch until fall due to AACS copy protection delays it probably won't affect the overall launch scheme imo.

The one thing really positive if this is true is that we should be getting to see really polished launch games as the developers will have had access to final devkits 6-8 months before launch (well, maybe that Untold Legends game will be the only exception)

 

[swanlee]

How can people be trying to spin this in favor of sony? It's like they can do no wrong and are not held to the common sense standards other companies are held to. A delay of this scale is simply bad all the way around.

 

[m1nd_x]

How can people be trying to spin this in favor of sony? It's like they can do no wrong and are not held to the common sense standards other companies are held to. A delay of this scale is simply bad all the way around.

Haha, good point... but, they'll never buy it. When it was Merril Lynch, it was a stupid rumor that wasn't true from a moron. But, now that it is 100% certain... it was part of their masterplan to make the console better and give developers more time (see:higher development costs).

 

[Diamond.G]

How can people be trying to spin this in favor of sony? It's like they can do no wrong and are not held to the common sense standards other companies are held to. A delay of this scale is simply bad all the way around.

I don't know if people are purposely trying to scew the favor towards Sony. I think we are all trying to get a grip on what this could possibly mean for launches in other regions. With Sony being the current market leader that is only natural for reations to be of the meh type. This delay really could help publisher polish games more which can't possible be a bad thing. Of course my previous statement hinges on whether or not the dev's knew that Spring 06 really was a ruze.

This delay could hurt Sony if dev's decide to release games on the 360 first. But currently that argument is neither here nor there since nothing has been said by dev's on that front.

 

[doob]

What worries me is the fact that nvidia has gaved sony the final RSX chip details when they could improve and fine tune the chip till uhmm... jully~August...
Anyway at least they got plenty of time to make serious changes if need be... and probably make some devs happy.

 

[Mythos]

The games sell really well becuase there's 100 million PS2's out there! Seriously though, while the revenue stream from the PS2 is nice, i dont think it will dictate Sony's strategy on this gen, theres way too much riding on it. You think Sony will gamble the upcoming generation and blu ray on some sales of PS2 hardware/software that may or may not change with the release of the PS3?

Now imagine what that is like when Sony lowers the PS2 to $99.

 

[liolio]

How can people be trying to spin this in favor of sony? It's like they can do no wrong and are not held to the common sense standards other companies are held to. A delay of this scale is simply bad all the way around.

We'll know better tomorow, but Sony seems very optimistic with spring, and it was a sort of damage control against as state before MS moving heaven and earth to launch fall 2005.

Anyway you're right if Sony can they would launch tomorow...
More, for the very reaction to my answers (thanks diamond.G) Ms don't seem to have start his marketing war (ps3 is nowhere near) resulting in fact that xbox360 will still seem a pretty new product when advertisement will grow up really strong (at the ps3 laungh).
In fact it's clever for Ms to somehow stay in the shadow feeding early adopter for free.
i think chrismmas 2006 will almost be a relaunch for xbox360 but with more mediatic support.
imagine the advertisement: join a communauty of 5 to 10 millions online users
and add to this video of the second gen titles who shall more or less keep with Ps3 offer.

in fact it's more the ps3 who have to keep up with 2nd gen software, so the delay at least will let dev polish softwares. It's imperative for Sony (even if the ps3 is slightly more powerfull first gen are first gen) to delivers quality wize, i think Ms is just willing to start mediatic war if Sony first gen tiltle aren't outstanding (I don't even consider Japan for MS, i speak for NA launch)

 

[Tap In]

Couple of thoughts

1) PS2 gained most of it's huge market share at $199 or less when the competion (Xbox) was comparable in price. We have not had a successful $400-$500 console up until now. Do not underestimate the *average consumer* (casuals) seeing and buying, an X360 on an HDTV with a similar (and possibly larger) Next Gen library at $199, running next to a PS3 with sony unable to go below $399 or even $299 for a year or two.

Perceived quality be damned when you see the thing right in front of your eyes.

2) One possible win for Sony with this announcement here is...

Sony says, "Our console is done, we're just waiting on those insipid movie people. Oh and by the way, the reason that our system is delayed is we're waiting to add the latest/greatest cutting edge Hi-def DVD player in the history of mankind, so advanced that the specs were just finalized and you won't want to be at home without one".

which for many people will be more news than the actual delay.

whether or not that is the only reason for the delay may not be known for quite some time however.

 

[Carl B]

The only "extra" thing Sony offers of consequence is Blu-Ray.

If Xbox360 included a R580 and a 256 bit Bus (aka a arguable clear power advantage) the last thing I'd care about was that Sony had Blu-Ray. It wouldn't matter.

If anything, Blu Ray may hurt Sony as it already has. When you make the debate about anything BUT games, you hurt the items of core importance. In Sony's case they are driving up costs and causing delays with what..Blu Ray. It may yet hurt them very badly, it may not that remains to be seen.

At the very least, they could have tossed in a Gig of RAM if they tossed out Blu-Ray. Arguably they could have lets say, SLI GPU's too (perhaps, 7900 GT's?).

Which is better?

I wouldn't view it like that at all though; Blu-ray's inclusion in the PS3 goes above and beyond simply being 'another component.' If there wasn't Blu-ray, there wouldn't be money freed up for something else - rather, the inclusion of Blu-ray is something Sony as a whole has chosen to subsidize in the PS3 as a cornerstone to their HD format strategy.

It's not a matter of Blu-ray taking away from other possible options. Cell, RSX - these will be what they were always going to be.

The options are PS3 w/Blu-ray, or PS3 without. That money Sony is willing to put into Blu-ray, I doubt they would put anywhere else. And why would they need to? PS3 will be plenty strong otherwise.

Whether Blu-ray inclusion will prove to have been a stroke of genius by Sony or a lead weight on the console and it's launch will be something for the history books (or rather us three years from now) to judge down the line.

 

[scooby_dooby]

How can people be trying to spin this in favor of sony? It's like they can do no wrong and are not held to the common sense standards other companies are held to. A delay of this scale is simply bad all the way around.

It's not that big of a deal like everyone is pointing out. It only really affects the japanese launch, and the 360 isn't going anywhere fast over there.

A small negative of this is a possible lowered supply for the NA launch, and that's not a real big deal since it's gonna be completely sold out regardless. The biggest negative is that it gives MS longer to build up their headstart.

 

[superguy]

I wouldn't view it like that at all though; Blu-ray's inclusion in the PS3 goes above and beyond simply being 'another component.' If there wasn't Blu-ray, there wouldn't be money freed up for something else - rather, the inclusion of Blu-ray is something Sony as a whole has chosen to subsidize in the PS3 as a cornerstone to their HD format strategy.

It's not a matter of Blu-ray taking away from other possible options. Cell, RSX - these will be what they were always going to be.

The options are PS3 w/Blu-ray, or PS3 without. That money Sony is willing to put into Blu-ray, I doubt they would put anywhere else. And why would they need to? PS3 will be plenty strong otherwise.

Whether Blu-ray inclusion will prove to have been a stroke of genius by Sony or a lead weight on the console and it's launch will be something for the history books (or rather us three years from now) to judge down the line.

Well, initially, Blu-Ray will probably raise the price of Ps3 $100, correct?

There's simply no way around the fact they could have then included $100 (25% of the likely total system price!) worth of other components/hardware increases instead of Blu-Ray, and come out the same financially.

Things like, a 256 bit bus, or 1 gig of RAM instead of 512 MB, and that's just the low hanging stuff.

 

[scooby_dooby]

If BR wins the format war it will be a signifigant factor driving sales among HDTV owners who are also gamers.

I'm not convinced that it will have any real appeal to the non-HD casual gamer and that may be sony's mistake. DVD appealed to almost everyone, BR doesn't have that same appeal, and I doubt it ever will, HD is just too small of a step up from DVD.

 

[expletive]

Now imagine what that is like when Sony lowers the PS2 to $99.

I dont understand what point youre trying to make.

 

[Ike Turner]

Hold on...Who thinks that Duke Nukem Forever going to be released before the PS3? NNNNoooooooooo!!

J/K

 

[thatdude90210]

It's not that big of a deal like everyone is pointing out.

It could be not that big a deal... or it could be just the first delay.

 

[Carl B]

Well, initially, Blu-Ray will probably raise the price of Ps3 $100, correct?

There's simply no way around the fact they could have then included $100 (25% of the likely total system price!) worth of other components/hardware increases instead of Blu-Ray, and come out the same financially.

Things like, a 256 bit bus, or 1 gig of RAM instead of 512 MB, and that's just the low hanging stuff.

I see what you're saying, but I just don't agree. You're saying - hypothetically - that if PS3 costs $400, $500, whatever... that $100 of that cost to the consumer will have been due to Blu-ray. Ok well let's just go with that for the moment. And you're saying that for the same $400, Sony could have offered something else - perhaps something better.

But what I'm saying is that that's not would would have taken place - rather, the system would either simply be dropped to $300, $400, etc... or use the smaller spread to help cover initial losses rather than add alternative components in.

I just don't see what decisive advantage PS3 would gain from added RAM. Sure it would rule... right? Devs would probably love it. But realistically this only appeals to us because we're tech geeks. The truth is power draw would also increase, and there'd be a very real issue of where to put all of these modules on the motherboard in that constrained space, especially with the whole XDR max present module size. But granted it would be the easiest of the changes to implement, for sure. The 256-bit bus just seems unreasonable though for several reasons that have been discussed in the past, not the least of which is the difficulty in implementing their future die shrinks and/or moves to unified dies.

I love specs as much as anyone, but realistically on top of Cell and RSX and whatever else, I just don't see why Sony would feel the need to go that much further than the 360 on the raw specs alone. Blu-ray is what it is, and for this component and this component alone do I feel Sony is willing to take an exceptional hit to the console's initial costs.

EDIT: Not that I don't see the benefits extra RAM could bring us mind you, just that going from 512MB to 1GB is a *big* step up cost-wise (and otherwise) from the 256MB to 512MB we were all pleasantly suprised with at E3 last year, up from our previous expectations for these consoles.