The U.S. price of 80GB PS3 = $499 today, 40GB model on Nov. 2 = $399

[AntShaw]

I don't think I get you, scooby. How does expectation determine whether something is meaningless or not ? e.g., If I expected Halo 3 to sell around 3 million in September, then Halo 3 is a meaningless act ?

This is just a piece of their strategy. The total package will convince more buyers. As for how many and what % goes to Blu-ray camp, I don't know. Sony should reveal more plans, betas and games over the next few weeks. If not, they are not maximizing the mileage of the price drop.

What I think he is getting at is this:

The price drop in July proved to be meaningless in the grand scheme of things, as after the first 2 weeks, they didnt maintain any type of sales, and they went back to what they were before, and even lower.

If the same thing happens again with the introduction of the $399 and chepaer 80gb, it will be a meaningless introduction.

If they can't build any type of momentum with this, going into the holiday season, it is meaningless. What you are describing as 'expectations' was not what Scooby was reffering to.

An expected increase in sales after any price drop IS to be expected.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

With your way of thinking the PS3 was screwed from the very start.

That seems quite a common consensus in some quarters. Basically, PS3 = (cross-platform library - XB360 exclusives (all the good games) + PS3 exclusives (all the bad games)) * exorbitant price-point that will always be too high. It's unfortunate for MS that my tastes favour all bad games and their many 90+ mean-average scorers aren't cause for me to buy an XB360.

 

[AlphaWolf]

483% increase in sales on Amazon.com. It's definately having an impact. The sitting on the fence people seem to be making up their minds!

How long has that spike gone on for, and how long will it continue? We saw a similar effect with the 60gb unit price drop, which lasted about a day. I don't think Amazon moves all that many hardware units for a big spike there to be significant.

 

[AntShaw]

How long has that spike gone on for, and how long will it continue? We saw a similar effect with the 60gb unit price drop, which lasted about a day. I don't think Amazon moves all that many hardware units for a big spike there to be significant.

Plus as we have seen time and time again, Amazon sales aren't indicative of full market sales. PS3 has spent a lot of time up at the top of the list over the last couple of months, and NPD numbers aren't showing the same results.

 

[patsu]

What I think he is getting at is this:

The price drop in July proved to be meaningless in the grand scheme of things, as after the first 2 weeks, they didnt maintain any type of sales, and they went back to what they were before, and even lower.

If the same thing happens again with the introduction of the $399 and chepaer 80gb, it will be a meaningless introduction.

If they can't build any type of momentum with this, going into the holiday season, it is meaningless. What you are describing as 'expectations' was not what Scooby was reffering to.

An expected increase in sales after any price drop IS to be expected.

We already know price alone does not determine the outcome. The July price drop was not accompanied by any new/exclusive game release.

Since then, a few good PS3 exclusive games have been launched. More great ones are coming. The entry level price point has also been lowered. Plus holiday season is almost here. So it will be a good 2-3 months before the dust settles.

At this moment, the PS3 library selection seems very different (in taste/flavor) from 360's. As long as Sony keep differentiating and marketing PS3 games and its Blu-ray capability, the price drop will be meaningful to shoppers.

By marketing, I mean promotions like Blu-ray's buy one, get one free deal and new releases from Disney and Fox. On the gaming side, they will have to consolidate all the new and great PS3 games, so that people can see/experience them at once. Right now, it's still too scattered. They should also work with retailers on bundles.

Many are also looking forward to firmware upgrades (Blu-ray profile v1.1, XMB enhancements), and the much touted Game 3.0 features (Playstation Home beta, LittleBigPlanet).

When orchestrated together, the effect will be multiplied. This is of course assuming Sony does not misstep.

 

[fireshot]

I think the lack of frenzied hype and demand is hurting PS3 more than price. See iPhone.

Sony shot themselves in the foot with their arrogance and complacency. I cannot believe they were willing to go into the first big holiday battle without a big game whilst MS shot their Haload and Wii is preparing for everyone's favourite plumber. It is like, there just isn't anything positive(from a gamer's POV) you can write about the Ps3 even if you wanted too.

 

[Nesh]

That seems quite a common consensus in some quarters. Basically, PS3 = (cross-platform library - XB360 exclusives (all the good games) + PS3 exclusives (all the bad games)) * exorbitant price-point that will always be too high. It's unfortunate for MS that my tastes favour all bad games and their many 90+ mean-average scorers aren't cause for me to buy an XB360.

I was feeling the same except for Gears. The majority of released games on the 360 just wouldnt do it for me. They are good games but not my type. First person shooters and war games based on real life such as Rainbow Six and GRAW arent my taste and are too many on the console. Other games were too similar to their previous installments I didnt like. For example I was never fond of PGR. I always found that game a bit overrated on the Dreamcast (Metropolis back then) and on the XBOX in terms of gameplay. I also want a good fighting game and I didnt like DOA1 on Saturn/Arcades/PS, didnt like DOA2 on DC/PS2 and didnt like 3 on XBOX.

What made me to hesitate buying a PS3 for such a long time was the lack of sales. I didnt want to end up with a console that would have no support because it didnt sell. And what if it lost its exclusive games(MGS, FF, Tekken etc)? If they end up on 360 why get a PS3? And there are also unreleased games on the 360 I want to buy for sure too.

So it was a bit hard for me to choose which console I ll get. I was still thinking of getting a 360 the day I bought the PS3 for the reasons I stated earlier. When Sony announced the price drop for PS3, with two controllers and two games, and the cheaper model, I thought I would risk and get it hoping sales will improve. It has too many games and features I am interested and dont want to lose them

Free online play, many of its extra features, many original titles I am interested in (like Uncharted, Heavenly Sword), sequels to the games I loved etc pulled me into buying a PS3. It's got the games I like. And I believe many of its games are extremely underrated.

I know I took a risk but I hope things will be ok.

I might get a 360 eventually when I ll have a job. Right now I am jobless and pissed

 

[AntShaw]

We already know price alone does not determine the outcome. The July price drop was not accompanied by any new/exclusive game release...
... More great ones are coming. The entry level price point has also been lowered. Plus holiday season is almost here. So it will be a good 2-3 months before the dust settles...As long as Sony keep differentiating and marketing PS3 games and its Blu-ray capability, the price drop will be meaningful to shoppers.

If you build it...they will come.

By marketing, I mean promotions like Blu-ray's buy one, get one free deal and new releases from Disney and Fox. On the gaming side, they will have to consolidate all the new and great PS3 games, so that people can see/experience them at once. Right now, it's still too scattered. They should also work with retailers on bundles.

Many are also looking forward to firmware upgrades (Blu-ray profile v1.1, XMB enhancements), and the much touted Game 3.0 features (Playstation Home beta, LittleBigPlanet).

When orchestrated together, the effect will be multiplied. This is of course assuming Sony does not misstep.

What you are saying is all well and good, but this is the same line I have been hearing since last year.

Wait for this, 5 free Blu Ray movies to choose from a terrible selection, wait for 'X' game, wait for a Beta of LBP, Wait for MGS, wait, and wait...

I'm tired of waiting, as I am sure a lot of other people are. Your Sony PR keeps telling me and others that all the good things are yet to come. We are a year in at this point, and the flowers aren't bearing any fruit.

 

[Nesh]

I think the lack of frenzied hype and demand is hurting PS3 more than price. See iPhone.

Sony shot themselves in the foot with their arrogance and complacency. I cannot believe they were willing to go into the first big holiday battle without a big game whilst MS shot their Haload and Wii is preparing for everyone's favourite plumber. It is like, there just isn't anything positive(from a gamer's POV) you can write about the Ps3 even if you wanted too.

hmm? there are many things I can name that I love on my PS3 from a gamer's POV right now.

Sony doesnt have a Halo under their sleeve thats for sure but there are lots of good games coming I want to play including one or two recently released ones.

I am not so sure about "everyone's favorite plumber" though. Too few cared about him on the GC, and Mario was loosing ground on the N64. He is no longer an icon. Mario Galaxy isnt a bigger game than say, Rachet and Clank. It's a great game and probably the best game someone can get on the Wii. Not on any console.

Mario Galaxy can make a difference though not because it is bigger and better than anything the PS3 has in store, but because Wii is established with an enormous userbase and a good game is easier to become popular by spreading the word.

PS3's userbase is so small, that the word about a good game can not spread as easily. It works like a cycle.

What PS3 needs is a game that everyone knew in previous generations and wanted to own it dearly. People tend to follow news about these games more. Final Fantasy 13 is probably one of these titles. GTA as well but it is no exclusive so probably wont help much. GT? Well it was probably the fastest selling racer ever.

Thats the kind of games PS3 needs. If many of these titles remain exclusive on the PS3, more people will get to buy the PS3, and so more will get to know games such as Uncharted or Heavenly Sword.

Otherwise even if many of the console's new IP's are AAA games, they will be overshadowed. This is similar to what happened on the Saturn. Sega released many AAA titles on the console during its lifespan, but too few gamers ever knew of their existence.

If the Saturn though got many exclusives of known popular games, more people would have turned their eyes towards the console and they would have seen them

 

[patsu]

If you build it...they will come.

Not really. It's just Sony reaching a new price point. But they have to market it together with the content and applications.

What you are saying is all well and good, but this is the same line I have been hearing since last year.

Wait for this, 5 free Blu Ray movies to choose from a terrible selection, wait for 'X' game, wait for a Beta of LBP, Wait for MGS, wait, and wait...

I'm tired of waiting, as I am sure a lot of other people are. Your Sony PR keeps telling me and others that all the good things are yet to come. We are a year in at this point, and the flowers aren't bearing any fruit.

From my perspective, some of the good stuff are here already (since September). That's why the new price point is more meaningful than the previous one. Besides 5 free BD movie promotion, Amazon is also offering a buy 1 get 1 free deal now. Some of the exclusive games have been released (compared to July). If you don't see them, perhaps PS3 is not for you at this point ? Or perhaps Sony has not done enough to communicate its value.



I saw http://digg.com/playstation_3/New_PlayStation_3_advert_finally as an isolated attempt to consolidate and make aware PS3's capability. Unfortunately, it is too abstract and not tangible enough for Christmas shoppers. They will have to show carefully selected, real footage of PS3 content and applications (e.g., Heavenly Sword emotional cutscenes, Uncharted immersive gameplay, LittleBigPlanet's universal appeal and social gaming, Eye of Judgment's wild imagination, R&C's humor, real-life capture of couples playing Folklore's tug of war, fastest + most-feature-rich HD movie playback, etc. so that people see exactly what they are getting ... rather than via forum posts). Then work with retailers to simplify the purchase decision (so that non-gamers can identify the titles they saw in the footage and what kind of promotion is available for them).

For branding and vision, they can continue to pound in on PS3's core values and broaden its awareness. e.g., The GTrologue launch in some Japanese car show tomorrow (today ?) should also be accompanied by a booth showcasing the autonomous car powered by 3 PS3s (and compare it to a PC system side by side). This will allow the public to understand the power of the CPU better.

The Playstation Home and LittleBigPlanet betas should also be done at the mass market level (not just gamers) to promote the network vision. The key is to broaden the appeal. It takes months of effort to train the consumers though.

 

[borowki]

Drop the price is always a good move, but I think Sony should have made this closer to Halo III lunch and break some of the momemtum MS have been building since Halo III launch.

One big price cut is more effective at creating sales momentum than two smaller cuts. In my opinion, a better strategy would have been to keep the PS3 at $599, then make a $200 cut just prior to the launch of MGS4 in Spring 2008. Now Sony is just throwing money away.

 

[Nesh]

Patsu I think you should email your post to Sony

edit: Do you know if there is any place I can download that PS3 add?

 

[betan]

483% increase in sales on Amazon.com. It's definately having an impact. The sitting on the fence people seem to be making up their minds!

Is this for 80GB?
If so, that's pretty low. 60 GB after the price drop was selling more than Wii (Amazon's out of stock, but still number one wii) for long time, and until Halo 3 didn't drop from top spots.

Of course we all know how representative Amazon charts are.

I think the lack of frenzied hype and demand is hurting PS3 more than price. See iPhone.

I clearly remember how public view changed after the price announcement of 2006 E3. So it looks like, price has always been the number one issue, of course content would help. But once you build up the negativity, it may be difficult to change people's minds, as can be seen...

Sony shot themselves in the foot with their arrogance and complacency. I cannot believe they were willing to go into the first big holiday battle without a big game whilst MS shot their Haload and Wii is preparing for everyone's favourite plumber. It is like, there just isn't anything positive(from a gamer's POV) you can write about the Ps3 even if you wanted too.

...here.

 

[JardeL]

483% increase in sales on Amazon.com. It's definately having an impact. The sitting on the fence people seem to be making up their minds!

It is 1050% right now for PS3 80GB Motorstorm Pack ; [ http://www.amazon.com/gp/movers-and-shakers/videogames/ ] ...

 

[Zaphod]

I saw http://digg.com/playstation_3/New_PlayStation_3_advert_finally as an isolated attempt to consolidate and make aware PS3's capability. Unfortunately, it is too abstract and not tangible enough for Christmas shoppers.

Agreed. It was nice and all, but for the uninitiated that video will just seem long, unfocused, and confusing. Unless you already knew about the features it's depicting, I hardly think it would make any sense at all.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

It is 1050% and rising right now for PS3 80GB Motorstorm Pack ; [ http://www.amazon.com/gp/movers-and-shakers/videogames/ ] ...

Nice PR point, but spikes don't count for a great deal though. Would you rather sell 500,000 a month one month and 100,000 the rest, or 250,000 every month? These spikes show pent-up demand, in large part probably people waiting for a price drop, but aren't reliable indicators for overall interest. Kinda like how PS3 sold n million in the first month of release, and then failed to maintain any major momentum. Interest in price drops should be reserved until a month or two down the line, to see what the real impact is.

 

[JardeL]

Is PS3's position these "spikes" [ not just the amazon ] can continue because PS3 does not selling well right now ... And if you consider that price cut makes impact on sales these "spikes" will continue imo ... But you're right that Amazon is not the best place for examining the whole pic ...

 

[Mintmaster]

Nice PR point, but spikes don't count for a great deal though. Would you rather sell 500,000 a month one month and 100,000 the rest, or 250,000 every month? These spikes show pent-up demand, in large part probably people waiting for a price drop, but aren't reliable indicators for overall interest.

Not only that, but Amazon is a terrible indicator for the overall market. We saw these 500% spikes on Amazon back during the first $100 price cut, and it translated to just 20K sales per week for a month and a half.

I think we'll see 40K per week after this price cut again, and the usual increase in Nov/Dec, but that's it.

 

[AlphaWolf]

Not only that, but Amazon is a terrible indicator for the overall market. We saw these 500% spikes on Amazon back during the first $100 price cut, and it translated to just 20K sales per week for a month and a half.

I think we'll see 40K per week after this price cut again, and the usual increase in Nov/Dec, but that's it.

Yep, amazon just doesn't really sell all that many units. If you sold 3 units yesterday, a 1000% increase for a day could end up in rounding error at the end of the month. If this was a number coming out of gamestop or walmart it would have a great deal more significance.

<edit>Another item on the Amazon mover and shakers list is a DS title... Horsez... anyone expect to see that in the NPD top ten next month?

 

[JardeL]

BTW , Great Bundle from Walmart ; PS3 60GB with BONUS Game & Blu-Ray Remote and 5 free Blu-Ray movies for $499.82 ;

PlayStation™3 60 GB comes with a Bonus Blue-ray Remote & choose a Bonus game from the following titles.
NBA 08 PS3
Heavenly Sword PS3
Lair PS3
Warhawk PS3
Resistance: Fall of Man PS3
Motorstorm PS3
Formula 1 Championship Edition PS3
Blu-ray Offer! Buy a PlayStation™3 and get five select Blu-ray movies in the mail - free! For a limited time only.

I think this is pretty good deal ... [ http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5303673 ] ...