Games & gear: Poor Sony
Poor Sony
by make_or_break - 9/22/06 10:18 AMSaw on Google News today that Sony cut the announced price of the upcoming PS3 by 20% in Japan due to vocal consumer and media complaints that the system is too expensive (to 49,980 yen, or about $430 for the cheapest version). In the meantime, the lower model will also get an HDMI port.
Guess Sony had to tell that old bottom line that it's gonna hurt a little MORE; naturally, Sony's stock was trading DOWN on the news. Wonder what'll happen with the U.S. market; Sony (so far) hasn't released any pricing reduction information here so far. I'd say to better you chances, all you PS fans better start firing off some nasty emails to Sony if you want them to lower the price here as well.
IT'S A GOOD THING
by lyard3518 - 9/22/06 1:45 PM In reply to: Poor Sony by make_or_breakConsole makers don't worry about the short-term when it coems to profits. They usually sell them at a lower price than it costs to make them, so they can make profits in the long-run. The PS2 took 3 years to begin making a profit, and I'm not even sure if the XBOX has gotten to that point yet. I'm happy Sony made the price cut, and hope they can do the same in North America and give a similar price cut to the 60GB version as well.
Profit's not the immediate problem, stock market value is
by make_or_break - 9/22/06 3:49 PM In reply to: IT'S A GOOD THING by lyard3518According to the same articles, Sony's stock value is less than half of what it was a couple of years ago. Considering their diversified assets and properties, that's really NOT a good thing. The PS3 finally was supposed to ring up some good news for the company, particularly considering all the BAD news that they've been generating, even if they were going to be taking it in the shorts (some estimates put that Sony was going to be subsidizing around $400(!) for each 60GB PS3 initially sold). Now that the entry model is cutting prices more to placate upset consumers, it's certainly not going to make shareholders very pleased (because it also shows Sony's product planners misjudged the marketplace as well).
Between laptop batteries going BOOM in the night (or not going AT ALL, according to Toshiba), the lukewarm reception of media content on BluRay, their paltry market share in the MP3 world, continued decline in CD sales, minimal growth if not altogether flat movie box office receipts, the delays and now this pricing flap with the PS3...Sony really isn't having a very good time of it lately.
As I said...poor Sony, that ol' four-letter word.
But you're right, a price cut IS good news. Now it just has to happen HERE, with BOTH machines.
Sony a disgrace to the video game industry.
by Loktoar - 9/22/06 8:08 PM In reply to: Profit's not the immediate problem, stock market value is by make_or_breakSony is using the psp aand ps3 just to boost the sales of their other products. The psp is supposed to promote UMD and memory stick duo and the ps3 is supposed to promote blu-ray.
Marco
by alagappa1 - 9/30/06 6:08 PM In reply to: Sony a disgrace to the video game industry. by LoktoarMarco, You said you like the PSP. Also, a disgrace, thats absolute bull and you know it. You muskrat
It really doesn't matter much
by typical_guy - 9/23/06 5:36 AM In reply to: Poor Sony by make_or_breakThe fact is, Sony is only shipping 500,000 units at launch. Of these units Sony has declared that 80% will be the high end ($600) model and 20% will be the low end ($500 model). Of the 500,000 units shipping at launch, only 100,000 go to Japan. Since 20% of these 100,000 units are the low end model, only 20,000 units will be lowered in price at launch. This isn't even an extra million dollars off of Sony's bottom line.
The HDMI connection on the low-end model is a big difference though, it means that people might actually consider buying the thing for Blu-Ray after all. Of course we all know that the PS3 Blu-Ray player is only going to be 1X so it's going to be pretty terrible but if someone is really into high-end video and is too cheap to buy a real (stand-alone) player then they can go with the PS3 cheap version. I kind of doubt this will really happen though, after you spend 2000-3000 dollars on a television why in god's name would you skimp on the player? Lets face it, most people buying a PS3 will be gamers and not hard core movie fans. If you don't own a super-expensive television then there's absolutely no value in Blu-Ray in the PS3 - unless the thought of changing a disk REALLY bothers you enough that you want to spend an extra two hundred dollars to avoid it.
PS3 as Movie Player
by WhoMe14 - 9/25/06 8:36 AM In reply to: It really doesn't matter much by typical_guyIm actually somone thats considering getting the PS3 for somthing other than playing games. While I am a gaming entuisiasts, Im not as into gaming as I used to be. The PS3 kinda represents an all in combo for me. While I realize its movie playback capabilities will most likley be basic, itl atleast give me a taste of what this new generation of DVD can do. Im in a weird spot hardware wise..Im in the middle of investing in a large screen LCD HDTV however my DVD player is OLD (before progressive scan). So basically..do I buy a new DVD player?, or do I save and buy a stand alone HD or B-Ray player? OR buy somthing than can do both and more? Quite frankly I cant see myself investing in a stand alone HD or Blue Ray player at a thousand dollers plus, ESPCIALLY when the fate of this format war could kill one or the other. To me buying a PS3 sounds like the safest alternative...cause in the end; if blue ray movies dont take off chances are the gaming system will live on. Then once the dust has settled on the format war I can invest in a trick didicated Hi def player and I would have lost nothing..only gained a gaming machine.
hmmm...your situation...
by typical_guy - 9/25/06 3:20 PM In reply to: PS3 as Movie Player by WhoMe14Well the 360 add-on is going to be 200 bucks if you already own a 360. If you don't own a 360 then you could go either way. I own an HDTV and an HD-DVD player. The reason I went with HD-DVD is because it has Serenity. Serenity will NOT be out for Blu-Ray. I've been watching the Blu-Ray/HD-DVD thing VERY closely. When making your purchase, the biggest consideration you should make is which studios have more films you want to see. Almost all of the studios (that are releasing any number of films) are supporting BOTH formats. Sony pictures is (for obvious reasons) only producing movies for Blu-Ray. Universal is only producing movies for HD-DVD. Other than that almost all the major studios are supporting both formats or supporting Blu-Ray only but have released little or no movies. Most of the studios that have released no movies are considering supporting both formats. So when you make your decision for next-gen player, you pretty much have to decide if you'd rather see Serenity and Chronicles of Riddick/Pitch Black in HD or Ultraviolet and Underworld Evolution in HD.
I wouldn't worry TOO much about either format failing. The HD-DVD player is a VERY GOOD upconverter for regular DVDs so even if the format fails you can play your regular DVDs on it (along with any HD-DVDs you have bought up to the point it fails). Another reason not to worry is because it could take several years for either format to START to pull ahead, let along win the format war. Personally, I didn't want to wait 5 or 8 years to watch movies in HD considering I own an HDTV and do not have cable (I refuse to live my life around TV - I buy tv show seasons for good shows).
PS3- PleaS3
by sweetpappy - 9/26/06 5:14 AM In reply to: PS3 as Movie Player by WhoMe14PS3 would be your worst option if you really think about. Microsoft gives you the OPTION of adding HD and quiet possibly BluRay as an expansion (eventually). What's the point of buying the PS3? It doesn't have a PS3 only title anymore because the creators of that assasin game were losing to much money holding the title for PS3's release so they too went with the 360. 360 has Gears of War, Halo 3, not to mention all of the games out already for it most likely to be released for the PS3 after all the 360 owners have already moved on to the next release of these titles. I don't understand "gamers" who wait for PS3 when you could have been playing the 360 for over a year or whatever it's been... And movie "buffs" buying a PS3 for movies are morons because you DON't get more bang for your buck- you get a second rate, over priced, "game" system that's had more bugs than any game system ever released to date and it hasn't even made it to the market yet. I have the 360 and plan on the nintendo wii the kids, while for the price of both you'll have your PS3.
good and bad
by bevillan - 9/26/06 5:42 AM In reply to: PS3- PleaS3 by sweetpappyI believe that the PS3 will be a good system, but this system will be costing sony $1.8 billion in losses by just April when they expect to sell 6 million. They lose $300 on each console, as said by Sony itself. That is alot of profit loss for the one sector of Sony that is keeping them in the green profit-wise.
I think it was a mistake to force people to get a Blu-ray because currently the BR players suck compared to HD-DVD tech and the ones they will be putting in their PS3s are cheap players at that...can we say hardware failures?
With Sony's history of making terrible formats to push decisions, well you would think they wouldn't force themselves to lose over $300 per console for a tech that might die out like their other formats have over the years.
Sony will still have their hardcore fans go out and get a PS3 (good luck finding one from launch to 2007 though), but they WILL lose market share to MS and Nintendo with their shortage and the high price of their system that will stear high-end gamers to the 360 and people all about the Japanes RPGs to Nintendo.
Sony screwed up by forcing consumers to use Blu-ray and not offering it as an add-on. They were way too cocky with what people are willing to pay for their product.
Amen!
by Loktoar - 9/27/06 7:53 AM In reply to: PS3- PleaS3 by sweetpappyThe 360 is da bomb! The games for it are awsome. The external HD drive is a pretty good idea. If you dont want to buy it, you dont have to. Im could go on for ever. Overall, the 360 is the best console.
Right On ALPHA
by sweetpappy - 10/2/06 8:17 AM In reply to: Amen! by LoktoarWORD- Xbox is the bomb! the LIVE is great too, I've actually been downloading some of the ol school games too- HERE's another reason XBOX is better, IT'S OUT ALREADY! where the hell is the PS3? Not here or there or anywhere- Buy your PS3, but how are you gonna manage that when it technically doesn't exist...
and you are a moron if you want to buy something that doesn't even exist!
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