AfterDawn: News

20 GB PS3s are being dropped by US retailers

The 20 GB model of the Sony Playstation 3 are beginning to disappear in the US. Many retailers have discountinued selling the 20 GB model in favor of the higher demanded 60 GB model. Even on Sony's offical online store SonyStyle, the lower end model is no longer available.

Speaking about the drop of the model at SonyStyle, a Sony spokesman had this to say: "The line-up [at SonyStyle] is decided based on market demand and so it's not surprising that they are not selling it on their website. But if you go to a retailer you can find it."



Besides SonyStyle, other retailers such as Best Buy, Gamestop and EB Games have stopped selling the model, but others such as Amazon continue to have in stock for the time being.

The lower end model is not currently available in Europe and a spokesperson for Sony has stated that there are no plans in the works to release it in the newar future.

"We'll continue to monitor demand for the 20GB model, from a consumer and retailer perspective, which will be factored into any future European launch plans."

Source:
Gamesindustry.biz

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 10 Apr 2007 9:25

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• 25 comments

• cashman91

  well if their no demand cut the 20gb

  10.4.2007 12:18 #1

• NexGen76

  They should drop it because the 60gig is a even better deal for one hundred dollars more.

  10.4.2007 12:18 #2

• Jinx2011

  i thing that 60 gig is way to much for game save and music and videos
  20 gigs is just fine and xbox 360 is a 20 gig hdd and i am still fine

  10.4.2007 13:38 #3

• Moomoo2

  /me plans to buy an Elite 360. There can never be enough hard drive space!
  
  And this... Well, maybe if the 20gb had the HDMI output people might buy it? It just seems that for the money, it isn't worth what is being purchased. So definitely, good choice cutting the model.

  10.4.2007 15:34 #4

• Weirdo007

  Originally posted by Jinx2011:i thing that 60 gig is way to much for game save and music and videos
  20 gigs is just fine and xbox 360 is a 20 gig hdd and i am still fineWait til it fills up.... >:)

  10.4.2007 18:10 #5

• webe123

  Quote:Originally posted by Jinx2011:i thing that 60 gig is way to much for game save and music and videos
  20 gigs is just fine and xbox 360 is a 20 gig hdd and i am still fineWait til it fills up.... >:)
  Why does it have to fill up? I have used a 40 gig hard drive forever on my PC and just put to DVD and CD disk the things I want to keep.
  
  I cannot imagine WHAT kind of savegames you would want to keep on that thing. And if you are talking movies or music on it, I have much better ways of obtaining those...like newsgroups!

  10.4.2007 20:13 #6

• Andrew691

  why does it have to fill up? Theres a little thing called online content, whether it be game demos or (in the case of the 360) HD movies. When demos are probably around 500mb you can go through 20gb very fast, and how big are HD-movies? they gotta be massive.

  10.4.2007 20:30 #7

• hade

  Quote:And this... Well, maybe if the 20gb had the HDMI output people might buy it? It just seems that for the money, it isn't worth what is being purchased. So definitely, good choice cutting the model.
  actually it does have an HDMI port. the 20gig lacks the card readers/wifi/chrometrim/ and the obvious 40gigs
  
  Quote:(in the case of the 360) HD movies.
  i think you hit the nail on the head, imo thats the only reason for the elite. in terms of "gaming" the system fails to offer anything new.

  10.4.2007 21:07 #8

• duckNrun

  For those who are going to spend this type of money on a game box me thinks they would cough out the extra 100 clams to triple the hard drive.
  
  I think the bigger line of this article is the fact that the CHEAPER ones are being discontinued due to lack of sales. This helps show that this box is out of reach of most of the would be customers. There is almost ALWAYS a need for a cheaper product within a line of products. The only times it is not is when the product line is already in itself cheap (think WalMart brand) or when even the CHEAP items in a line are still outrageously priced (think Lamborghini). If someone can afford a Lamborghini they would not buy the $100k ECONOMY model but the $175K one if not the LOADED version for even more...

  10.4.2007 23:46 #9

• ZippyDSM

  the local mini super center wally world has 4 60GB PS3s....they have dust on them 0-o
  
  the 20 GB was a mistake if they really wanted to do something with it they would have offed it at 400,however with them clinging at the higher prices its going to hurt them in the short run the PS3 is ok but for 300 less I can get a better setup in the WII even the 360 at 400 bucks(the fixed one) is all around a better deal..

  11.4.2007 00:10 #10

• duckNrun

  Ive been looking for a WII... the concept of active gameplay intrigues me enough to cough up the money for a system regardless of how often I use it or ultimately keep or resell it for a loss.
  
  however I CANNOT find a WII anywhere! Selling more units at less price... sounds like good business sense to me and a good way to gain market share!

  11.4.2007 00:27 #11

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by duckNrun:Ive been looking for a WII... the concept of active gameplay intrigues me enough to cough up the money for a system regardless of how often I use it or ultimately keep or resell it for a loss.
  
  however I CANNOT find a WII anywhere! Selling more units at less price... sounds like good business sense to me and a good way to gain market share!
  ========================================================
  their easy to find online.

  11.4.2007 00:33 #12

• duckNrun

  and when I say i cant find a wii i dont mean those ones on Ebay for $400+ dollars LOL... which is probably why I cant find a wii those b@stards on ebay...lol
  
  I found one guy with bids up to $110 selling not a WII but a link to 'sponsor website' where you can get a free wii... if you fill out all those offers, buy those offers, qualify for those offers...LMAO... and people are bidding on it.
  
  Sheeple really amaze me!

  11.4.2007 00:37 #13

• duckNrun

  LOL Zippy didnt see your post before mine.
  
  I MAINLY meant in retail outlets where those ps3 all seem to be gathering dust.

  11.4.2007 00:38 #14

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by duckNrun:LOL Zippy didnt see your post before mine.
  
  I MAINLY meant in retail outlets where those ps3 all seem to be gathering dust.
  *L* well I have seen deals for 280-380 tops on a new WII and a game so you just have to look for it ^_~
  
  I see consoles as this
  Coherent BWC 100
  Coherent online 50
  Stable hardware 100
  Game libary 100
  Innovation 100
  Power 50
  
  
  the 360 has online,games and power thats about 250 on my scale of things
  
  the WII has everything but power making it worth 450 to me
  
  the PS3 only has power,stable hardware(so far) and simi coherent BWC thats about 350 if I was hard for Hdef/BR movies that would be another 100 but I am not, forcing a new format is way to early and not really worth it.
  
  edit
  [url=http://cgi.ebay.com/BRAND-NEW-Nintendo-Wii-Game-console-with-5-games_W0QQitemZ190100489540QQihZ009QQcategoryZ62054QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem][/url]
  316,1 hour left 30$ shiping
  
  I have watched a few end at under 380 even 2 or 3 with 2 games plus the wii sports.

  11.4.2007 00:49 #15

• webe123

  Originally posted by Andrew691:why does it have to fill up? Theres a little thing called online content, whether it be game demos or (in the case of the 360) HD movies. When demos are probably around 500mb you can go through 20gb very fast, and how big are HD-movies? they gotta be massive.That DOES NOT mean you have to use all of the disk space! There is such a thing as deleting content you know!

  11.4.2007 01:27 #16

• webe123

  double post

  11.4.2007 01:30 #17

• webe123

  Originally posted by duckNrun:For those who are going to spend this type of money on a game box me thinks they would cough out the extra 100 clams to triple the hard drive.
  
  I think the bigger line of this article is the fact that the CHEAPER ones are being discontinued due to lack of sales. This helps show that this box is out of reach of most of the would be customers. There is almost ALWAYS a need for a cheaper product within a line of products. The only times it is not is when the product line is already in itself cheap (think WalMart brand) or when even the CHEAP items in a line are still outrageously priced (think Lamborghini). If someone can afford a Lamborghini they would not buy the $100k ECONOMY model but the $175K one if not the LOADED version for even more...
  Give me a break! If that comparison to a luxury sports car is all you can come up with, don't bother!
  
  They don't MAKE ECONOMY MODELS for those kinds of sportscar. But they DID make a cheaper version of the ps3 which costs WAY less and is not a luxury item like a sports car. Comparing a ps3 to a luxury item is plain stupid.

  11.4.2007 01:35 #18

• ZippyDSM

  webe123
  no but it is a premium item and unlike other of its class its a bit more than it really should be,as well the premium and non premium versions needed to be done better,the low end really needed to be in the 380-450 range to be able to compete with its gilden brother and others..

  11.4.2007 01:41 #19

• duckNrun

  LOL if you trhink $100 is "WAY less"... I am sorry but anyone who can afford to throw $700 at a game machine is NOT gonna think of $100 cheaper as WAY less.
  
  Perhaps you did not like my comparision BUT your argumet below IS MORE RIDICUOLOUS than my comparision:
  Quote:and is not a luxury item like a sports car no I guess your right it's more of a neccessity like food, rent, clothing, tuition, electric bills...etc etc
  
  Next caller please...

  11.4.2007 02:53 #20

• ZippyDSM

  Quote:LOL if you trhink $100 is "WAY less"... I am sorry but anyone who can afford to throw $700 at a game machine is NOT gonna think of $100 cheaper as WAY less.
  
  Perhaps you did not like my comparision BUT your argumet below IS MORE RIDICUOLOUS than my comparision:
  [quote]and is not a luxury item like a sports car no I guess your right it's more of a neccessity like food, rent, clothing, tuition, electric bills...etc etc
  
  Next caller please...[/quote]========================================================================
  In all the PS3 is not bad but Sony screwed up its approach and price.

  11.4.2007 03:08 #21

• hughjars

  My new PC has 500gb - and I can expand that to several terabytes if I like.
  
  I thought about it, really I did but the performance/cost of a console verses a PC just isn't worth it to me, they're just too limited.
  
  Still I suppose if Sony ditch the 20gb version of the PS3 that's it's usefulness as a lower and more reasonable price-point claim exhausted.
  
  It doesn't surprise me tho (ditto the down-specing of the PS3 as they ditch the PS2 hardware for everybody).
  They're losing money on every one sold and they aren't selling.
  
  UK PS3 sales have collapsed (just as I predicted) by 82% as the very short fanboy rush has come and gone and all the a/v enthusiasts that wanted one as their cheap(er) way into BD bought one.
  
  Price cuts on the remaining 60gb version coming soon (in the UK we have already seen some outlets chopping prices a little to £399 instead of the official £425 and the bundling start as some stores try and recover something out of their initial large outlay).

  11.4.2007 07:38 #22

• ZippyDSM

  hughjars
  ya sonys price scheme on the PS3 is a bit much,hell with the issues the 360 has that needs a good 100$ drop >>

  11.4.2007 15:01 #23

• hughjars

  When even some like the Sony Santa Monica Studio Creative Director is publicly claiming the PS3's Blu-ray drive is an expensive mistake you know they have real problems.
  
  http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=15754

  11.4.2007 15:17 #24

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by hughjars:When even some like the Sony Santa Monica Studio Creative Director is publicly claiming the PS3's Blu-ray drive is an expensive mistake you know they have real problems.
  
  " target="_blank">http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=15754[/quote]
  =================================================================
  whats the price of the drive?
  
  I feel its almost half the "real" price if the PS3 was made around DVD the price of the PS3 would be much like the 360 and the loss pre console would be much less.

  11.4.2007 15:21 #25