Sony slims PlayStation 3 size and price

[bert_quiozon]

Sony PS3 $200 cheaper | Australian IT

In photos: the new PS3 analyzed, Linux knocked out - Ars Technica

Sony slims PlayStation 3 size and price
Stuart Kennedy and wires | August 19, 2009

SONY has taken the wraps off its long-rumoured slim version of the PlayStation 3 videogame console and slashed the price to attack the Christmas market.


Sony has unveiled a slimmed down version of its Playstation 3 which will hit local shores in early September.

The slimmed down PS3 will launch locally on September 3 at $499 which includes a larger 120GB hard drive replacing the old 80GB drive.

The new console will be around $200 less than the existing PS3.

A Sony spokeswoman said the price of existing PS3 units in the local channel would drop to $499 from August 24. “There’s very little existing stock in the channel, though," she said.

The slim PS3 is about two-thirds the size of existing models and uses less power but retains all the features of previous models, including the Blu-ray high-definition disk player. The new model will ship with a revamped, 3.0 version of the PS3 firmware which will be available for download onto previous models from September 1.

Since its launch in 2006, Sony’s PS3 has boasted processing power and rich graphics, but at a steeper price than Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii consoles.

Sony has since found the console wars to be bruising but is banking on its refreshed, lower-priced PS3 line and the release of blockbuster videogame titles to improve its fortunes in the crucial year-end holiday shopping season. The company reported a net loss of $US390 million for the fiscal first quarter through June, blaming the global economic downturn.

Sony has sold about 540,000 PS3s in Australia since the console debuted locally in March 2007.

As well as the new PS3, Sony Australia will launch video delivery service on the PS3 in the first quarter of 2010 following a rollout in Britain, Ireland, France, Germany and Spain in November.

Also coming is a Digital Reader Service for the handheld Sony PSP console which will begin with a library of comics and graphic novels launching in Australia in December. Text novels and non-fiction titles on the service may follow, the spokeswoman said.

To counter the downloadable games library on Nintendo’s new DSi handheld console, Sony will launch a line of cheap, downloadable games for the PSP over its online PlayStation store in October.

- with AFP

 

[Cobretti]

too bad the slim looks like crap. Worst kept secret and worst design ever by sony.

 

[crg0084]

Interesting to see if it happens and is not delayed

 

[Brplat]

too bad the slim looks like crap. Worst kept secret and worst design ever by sony.

Agreed....

 

[mattbowen]

Im glad I got the bigger one. Looks 100 times better

 

[jpear30]

still looks alright, wouldnt pay more than 400 for it though. slim the price down even more and maybe some people will buy it!. im an xbox boy, cant wait to see an xbox 720(Y)

 

[sirdylan]

Happy that the price has gone down

 

[bert_quiozon]

The looks is ok with me and im really keen to get of those. Im still using PS2 in my 50" full plasma and it really looks crap.

 

[aussiemjfreak]

Is the way the console looks these days that important!?!?

I thought most people would base their purchase/choice of console on the capabilites!?

 

[MG13]

i dont mind it, might get one if the price is right.

 

[Cobretti]

Is the way the console looks these days that important!?!?

I thought most people would base their purchase/choice of console on the capabilites!?

offcourse, if it looks cheap it probably is cheap. You cannot go from 750AU costs of building one to something significantly lower without some kind of trade off.

Considering how much the price drop will be it makes you wonder.

 

[crg0084]

Is the way the console looks these days that important!?!?

I thought most people would base their purchase/choice of console on the capabilites!?

yer it makes no difference to me what it looks like as long as it does what i want I like the ps3 some of the quality of games coming out finally are great. Like wolfenstein tomoro

 

[sirdylan]

I don't give a crap if it was bright pink with flowers on it, like Ian said, you get one on it's capabilities.

 

[aussiemjfreak]

offcourse, if it looks cheap it probably is cheap. You cannot go from 750AU costs of building one to something significantly lower without some kind of trade off.

Considering how much the price drop will be it makes you wonder.

Do you honestly believe that Sony would compromise what ever market share they have by releasing a dud "2nd Gen" console!?!
Its also got a bigger HD, I though that would have counted more towards the things selling good or bad then the way it looked.....

 

[Cobretti]

Do you honestly believe that Sony would compromise what ever market share they have by releasing a dud "2nd Gen" console!?!
Its also got a bigger HD, I though that would have counted more towards the things selling good or bad then the way it looked.....

but thats the thing recently they claimed it cost them to make a PS3 for 750AU. so they where lossing $50au on it here.

If it's going to drop $200 there has to be something missing or of lower quality. You can't just instantly drop production costs over night by $200 or more so that they are making a profit.

 

[JZA]

but thats the thing recently they claimed it cost them to make a PS3 for 750AU. so they where lossing $50au on it here.

If it's going to drop $200 there has to be something missing or of lower quality. You can't just instantly drop production costs over night by $200 or more so that they are making a profit.

id guess it works like this: after 5 + years, sales are starting to dwindle for PS3's, so sony are dropping costs. they still make 90% of their profit from game sales, so if they make a little less profit from console sales it wont break them. and of course, the smaller units are using less parts so they can drop the price that way too.

the slim line PS2 worked just as well as the original (the only difference being the lack of a huge fan in the slimline, which doesnt matter unless your leaving it on for 12 hours) so i wouldnt be worried about it being an inferior version.

 

[Cobretti]

id guess it works like this: after 5 + years, sales are starting to dwindle for PS3's, so sony are dropping costs. they still make 90% of their profit from game sales, so if they make a little less profit from console sales it wont break them. and of course, the smaller units are using less parts so they can drop the price that way too.

the slim line PS2 worked just as well as the original (the only difference being the lack of a huge fan in the slimline, which doesnt matter unless your leaving it on for 12 hours) so i wouldnt be worried about it being an inferior version.

No No the point being they have not made any profit from selling PS3. Every console is sold at a loss. They have lost all the profit they have made from PS2 game sales. They had to sell assets in order to stay even.


I know eventually game sales will help them but in the short term if they are still loosing money after 3 years of production what will a further price drop mean to them if they haven't sacrificed anything in it.

 

[bert_quiozon]

No No the point being they have not made any profit from selling PS3. Every console is sold at a loss. They have lost all the profit they have made from PS2 game sales. They had to sell assets in order to stay even.


I know eventually game sales will help them but in the short term if they are still loosing money after 3 years of production what will a further price drop mean to them if they haven't sacrificed anything in it.

Yeah cobretti has a point,any business lower down its price would lower down its product quality. Maybe this slim PS3 is 100% made in China

 

[Allstar cards inc]

No No the point being they have not made any profit from selling PS3. Every console is sold at a loss. They have lost all the profit they have made from PS2 game sales. They had to sell assets in order to stay even.


I know eventually game sales will help them but in the short term if they are still loosing money after 3 years of production what will a further price drop mean to them if they haven't sacrificed anything in it.

The cost of the technology to build them will have dropped in the three years....3 years ago the blu-ray stuff and an 80gb hard-drive was (reasonably) cutting edge...now they are much more readily available to the mass-market, hence the price drop.

 

[nenjabin]

Bugger...I bought a PS3 just a month or so ago!