PS3 Price Announced!

[Gantua]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news). said on Monday that it would begin selling its next-generation PlayStation 3 video game console with a 20 gigabyte hard drive for $499 in North America on November 17.

[DarkForceRising]

Two articles on this, one with a link to a PDF from Sony.

Launch Date and Details
What Low-end Version Lacks + PDF

Most pertinent info:

"To wrap things up, Sony also announced the PS3 will come in two different configurations, similar to the XBOX 360 approach. One version will come with a 20GB hard drive and cost $499. The 60GB hard drive version will cost $599. Both models will ship November 17 in the US. In Canada, the two models will ship for 549 CND and 649 CND on the same date, respectively."

"The device will also have an extensive online back end. Unlike Microsoft's XBOX 360, Playstation online (the official name is unannounced yet) will be completely free. The service will offer free additional content, voice messaging and a marketplace dubbed "Playstation Shop." The marketplace will act very similar to Microsoft's XBOX Live marketplace, allowing users to tie a credit card or prepaid "Playstation Card" into a specific account.

Sony will also feature a "SingStar Store" in the marketplace that will allow users to purchase music from Sony directly. Music can then be transferred onto the PSP or played on the PS3. The media center for PS3 is then customizable with various skins and profiles available via the marketplace. "

"On November 11, 2006, Sony will start selling the "lower-end" Playstation 3 for 59,800 Yen, or about $530 USD [In Japan]. This PS3 will feature a 20GB hard drive, gigabit Ethernet and Blu-ray reader. However, a table in the document reveals that the 20GB PS3 will be severely handicapped in several ways.

For starters, only the 60GB PS3A will feature a MemoryStick/SD/CompactFlash reader, though we almost certainly suspect there will be add-on readers. The 20GB PS3 will not feature integrated 802.11b/g. Furthermore, the 20GB version will not feature HDMI output."

That, and there is a picture of the completely redesigned, never-seen-anything-like-it-before PS3 controller. /sarcasm

[Karma]

So the lower-end version with 3 games will cost $500 + 3x$60 = $680.00 (before tax). Holy Freakin' Moses. But we all saw this coming months ago anyway.

[Gantua]

Yeah./ toss in the costs of a few games and it pushes it over the edge:$ I am sure it will be a fantastic system for all of the lottery winners.:waiting:

[derekmac]

All the "leaked" info really didnt help sony here. Everyone got all in a fit when the idea of an $800+ price tag was floating around, then the rumors starting droping and it was "confirmed" at 399.99 which I was very sceptical. I dont see why people are all that surprised by the price. Yes it is alot and is out of the range of alot of gamers, but in the long run prices will fall and every1 who wants one will get one. The xbox 360 had such a shortage that most went on ebay for 500+ so the hardcore gamers with $$$ will get the systems ar luanch and the rest will have to wait for a more reasonable price. Comparing it to the 360 in price is a far comparison. The 360 premium costs 399 and has a 20 gig dh, no sd slot etc, and no hdmi. The low end ps3 will be the same and cost 499, and for the extra 100 bucks there is the blue ray player and a better spec system. Now with M$ coming out with their hd dvd player add ons, they are gonna have to offer them at 100 to equal the ps3, which i dont know if they will do, if they dont, the ps3 2ill look like a great deal. I know that there may be a price drop but that is ecpected after being out for a year.
Note to anyone who calls me a sony fanboy that I have never owed a ps and i have an xbox.

[Karma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekmac

All the "leaked" info really didnt help sony here. Everyone got all in a fit when the idea of an $800+ price tag was floating around, then the rumors starting droping and it was "confirmed" at 399.99 which I was very sceptical. I dont see why people are all that surprised by the price. Yes it is alot and is out of the range of alot of gamers, but in the long run prices will fall and every1 who wants one will get one. The xbox 360 had such a shortage that most went on ebay for 500+ so the hardcore gamers with $$$ will get the systems ar luanch and the rest will have to wait for a more reasonable price. Comparing it to the 360 in price is a far comparison. The 360 premium costs 399 and has a 20 gig dh, no sd slot etc, and no hdmi. The low end ps3 will be the same and cost 499, and for the extra 100 bucks there is the blue ray player and a better spec system. Now with M$ coming out with their hd dvd player add ons, they are gonna have to offer them at 100 to equal the ps3, which i dont know if they will do, if they dont, the ps3 2ill look like a great deal. I know that there may be a price drop but that is ecpected after being out for a year.
Note to anyone who calls me a sony fanboy that I have never owed a ps and i have an xbox.

You're mostly right, but the $800 figure was never mentioned as the selling price, but is the manufacturing price. No one ever thought Sony would sell the PS3 for $800. Both Sony and MS sells their consoles at a loss.

However MS could easily drop their price a few weeks before the PS3 release (very likely, too, based the console war's competitive nature).

[solobaricsrock3]

Im sorry, but I got a 360, and after watching the live E3 feed, I feel as if I made the right choice. $600-$800 (we gotta have accessories and games, right......) for something that does what I already own. The average consumer will turn to the Wii or te 360.......

[derekmac]

I see how very few 360 owners will buy these but for the rest of us with no 360, then ps3 isnt that much more expensive for those who want to use it as a hd dvd player.Tthe price will be very similar.

[chode_messiah]

i really dont care that much about its price. im getting a few anyways. ill get the 60giger, and a handful of ebayers will get meh 20gigers.

[Iamnot]

That is exactly what I'm gonna do. Just buy a handful and sell them on Ebay and just keep one with the profits . Though, that's a lot for a freakin console + games and what not.