Sony on PS3 price: We've a business to run

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UK boss doesn't think PS3 price will be an issue this Christmas.

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Sony has rejected calls for a PS3 price cut in time for Christmas, claiming the perceived high price of the console won't be an issue during the crucial holiday season.

Speaking to VideoGamer.com at the Games 3.0 conference in London yesterday, Sony Computer Entertainment managing director Ray Maguire said that while there will always be pressure on price from consumers, Sony "has a business to run" and has to "do the right thing" for its shareholders.

Microsoft has enjoyed a 360 sales surge in the UK following the price cut in September, which saw the Arcade cut to £129.99, the 60GB cut to £169.99 and the Elite down to £229.99.

When asked if Sony was feeling any pressure to cut the price of the PS3 in time for Christmas, Maguire replied: "Well the pressure comes from the consumers obviously and so therefore there's always pressure on price, but you know we have a business to run, and we have to make sure we're doing the right thing for the shareholders as well.

"At the moment there's a marketplace for PS3 and I think for this particular Christmas, with the kind of quality of games we're seeing coming out this Christmas, I don't think the price of the console is going to be an issue at all."

Maguire said that sales of the PS3 in the UK were "absolutely on target", adding: "It's obviously selling extremely well in the UK and it's the third largest single territory in the world. In the UK it's absolutely on line. Obviously actual sell through is always relevant to price point. Now the price point we're at, with the features we've got, that we obviously have to charge for, it's absolutely on target."

Be sure to check the site later this week for the full interview with Sony Computer Entertainment managing director Ray Maguire.

What do you think? Should Sony cut the price of the PS3? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Geester's Avatar
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Geester

Its greg again this is my nick name I just asked my mom again she said no again because it cost so much
Posted 00:52 on 11 January 2009
GregoryStephen's Avatar
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GregoryStephen

I think they should cut the price on the ps3 because I'm 11 years old and I wanted one for a long time I coudn't get it because my mom said it cost yo much so please cut the price to $99.99 thank you so much for letting me type this comment!
Posted 00:43 on 11 January 2009
Chance L's Avatar
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Chance L

I think it would be good to cut the price on the PS3 because it would be more reasanable for famlies to buy! Also, for the compny who makes it, it would sell alot faster because it's cheaper! Think of it this way, the cheaper it is, the faster it will sell! Also, the cheaper the PS3 is, more and more families will by it! And fore the "big man" who gets the most of the money, I know this intrests you because the more people buy it, and the faster they sell, the more and more money, "$$$$", you will get! It's the best deal you will ever get for both you and your customers!
Posted 18:47 on 02 November 2008
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djpolofish

Xbox is cheap because the parts are cheap, old and mass produced (and in a lot of cases faulty) Where as Sony has spent a lot of time and money making something new, I am more than happy to pay £300 + for a PS3 and as they sell more production costs will drop. You get what you pay for is what I'm getting at.

All your doing when you buy an Xbox 360 is showing people that your life hasn't turned out quite as well as you expected (From the Boxter owners want a 911 statement by Jeremy Clarkson)
Posted 14:05 on 29 October 2008
Karlius's Avatar

Karlius

I'll guarantee we'll be hearing of a PS3 price cut Pre Christmas. Just wait for November to kick in. I agree Waldron Wii will out sell both consoles combined. Its a shame really that the console is vast becoming a virus. I have one and it gathers dust only to be used on the odd occasion that a few friends come over to piss about on. Otherwise i play the 360 I even play my mates PS3 more than my own Wii.

(The Wii Virus: You go to a friends see the amazing controllers and the fun. So you buy one. You use it for month or the odd occasion a great game comes out i.e. Mario Galaxy but these games are few and far between. You even endorse the next gimmick EG. Wii Fit which you use once and think wow and then it stays in the box. A few weeks later a gathering of friends comes over and one suggests a game of Wii bowling etc which is cool. They think wow and the cycle happens again.)
Posted 11:22 on 29 October 2008
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pblive

Yep, agree with Waldron. Bigger sales of one console over another are meaningless. If the PS3 still sells really well, even if it sells less than the 360, then that's fine.

It's this whole throwback to the Console Wars arguement that cavemen used to argue about while lighting their flint fires. The world has room for more than one console, the only way a company can lose is to drop in sales enough to make it less than viable to carry on production.

If enough people buy a console and then buy games for that console it's doing well.

Yes, Sony would shift more consoles at a lower price, but they've assessed the risks and feel there is no need at present. They've always said that they have a long term plan rather than shifting as many boxes as possible.
Posted 10:34 on 29 October 2008
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Waldron

Sony don't actually have to have a price cut for this christmas, as sales proves that the PS3 is falling behind the 360 in previous months but is still selling in large quanties.

The fact is your moaning over some stupid text-worthy replies here, who actually cares about the PS3 dropping price? Who cares about the 360 getting more sales? You're all blind and haven't notice that the Wii shall be out of stock yet again, and not only that but by this time next year the Wii shall out sell probably more than the 360 has its life time when it has been launch.

If you going to declare sales on two consoles, don't forget the mighty Nintendo console on which all of your words = to 'It shall own!'

Case closed!
Posted 10:16 on 29 October 2008
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JC

This holiday, price wins hands down surely. I've seen US bundles for 100-150 dollars less than the PS3. They include 5 GAMES!. Which parent is going to pass that up?
I love my silent PS3. However Blu-Ray is not yet unmissable and most games are multiplatform. I don't think LBP is going to be enough. A 50-100 dollar cut would create momentum to match the 360. Microsoft maybe losing cash but it'll own Xmas.
Posted 08:33 on 29 October 2008
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RealityCheck


I have numerous friends that have held off (family, life stuff, babies etc) on getting a "next gen" system for a while now, and this Xmas seems to be when they can get one from the wife/gf/etc.

As for like 5 of them, guess which they're picking up? The one that's been dropping their price.

And the whole SOCOM server BS has convinced me to ditch mine; at this point I'll gladly pay for an online service worth a damn.
Posted 06:20 on 29 October 2008
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dudester

http://www.n4g.com/News-221870.aspx funny that as the news is from ubisoft themselves.
Posted 21:46 on 28 October 2008
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vic

Sony should lower the price of the ps3 for christmas with a $50 mail in rebate or $50 sonystyle.com gift card(keeing the revenues) and then after xmas with $100 rebate/giftcard. People like value bundle hancock (or any other big sony/colombia film). with the 80gb ps3. 1 more thing charge people $100 or so for ps2 software emulation, a la xbox360/iphone 3g people like paying less upfront even tho its more afterward. everybody wins.
Posted 21:41 on 28 October 2008
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dudester

karlius but Ea games and Ubisoft have already come out and said they have made more cash on ps3 sales then 360 despite selling more games on 360. for 08 btw.
Posted 18:28 on 28 October 2008
Karlius's Avatar

Karlius

All Blu Ray players should be full 1080p Doc. And Mornelithe or whatever you are the 360 RAM is far mor substantial than XDR mate so get a clue fairplay you do have a beast of a processor that nobody can unleash the power of. I rest my case.

Microsoft are losing hand over fist on their consoles its obvious. But their software sales are far beyond those of any console. The average games to console ratio is around 7.8 compared to PS3 3.5 (Maybe slightly higher now) when you think about the profit in games you'll understand that theres more value in games sales than console sales. The PS3 is still losing money and the sale of games doesn't cover a console price cut. It is absolutlely and utterly that simple.

Just waiting now for someone to tell me PS3 has game sales of 20million per console.
Posted 17:56 on 28 October 2008
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idiot

When you add the cost of Microsoft's wireless adapter (which I would have to given that my wireless router is in the other room) they are about the same price, at least in the US. Sony did have a promotion where you could get $100 off a ps3 by signing up for a Sony credit card. That's what I did.. no annual fee so why not? I don't know if that offer is still going on.

I'd argue the xbox needs more price cuts. I want one with wireless and a hard drive under $300, as I paid $300 for my ps3 after the rebate. Not bad considering it has a Blu-Ray player.
Posted 16:13 on 28 October 2008
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Doc

Those are full 1080p are they? If so i stand corrected, but even if you bought this and an Xbox 360 it would still come up to roughly the same price as a ps3.
Posted 15:50 on 28 October 2008