AfterDawn: News

PS3 price drop to $500 starting next week?

According to Kotaku and DVD Talk, it seems the PlayStation 3 will be getting a much talked about but not anticipated price drop.

Members of DVD Talk acquired a flyer from the large retailer Circuit City which showed that beginning July 12th, the PS3 would be listed at $499.99 USD after a $100 "price break."



Although it is not completely known whether the sale price is specific to Circuit City, a merchandising manager for Sony supposedly confirmed that the price drop was coming on July 12th, with promotion beginning on July 15th.

Many now believe that Sony will officially announce the price drop at their E3 press conference on July 11th.

The price drop has been rumored for a few months now, with heads of Sony fueling the rumors. Last month Sony president Ryoji Chubachi told the Financial Times “We are re-examining our [PS3] budgeting process in terms of pricing and volume. Sales assumptions change and the market is competitive. We are in the midst of revisiting our strategy for the PS3.”

Sony CEO Howard Stringer also said this month that the company was looking to "refine" the price.

We will wait and see and keep you updated on any developments.

Source:
Dailytech

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 6 Jul 2007 14:37

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• 48 comments

• DXR88

  I suppose the waits over

  6.7.2007 14:58 #1

• trexxus

  I already have one but it makes a little more attractive for those who doesn't have it and I'm also waiting on E3 to find out about some decent games for the system as well.

  6.7.2007 15:05 #2

• samshizze

  Nice - cant wait to get one. $500 is a fantastic price considering most Blue Ray players are about that price already.

  6.7.2007 15:16 #3

• DXR88

  Im in the waiting mood still not an epressive line up of good games.
  short speak. id rather go to a zoo and wach the monkeys throw there poo back inforth

  6.7.2007 15:21 #4

• fgamer

  It'll still be hard to compete with Microsoft & Nintendo because $499 is still a pretty steep amount to pay just to play a couple of games that aren't really that fun. Microsoft will be following suit with their own price cut which will kinda take the thunder out of Sony's price reduction. Nintendo will be chilling at their price point for quite some time....they have nothing to worry about.

  6.7.2007 15:44 #5

• DoomLight

  still not a good excuse to buy one. just cause its slightly cheaper...
  
  i dont buy the "its a good price for a Blu-ray player. who infact really want to spend 10 bux more on a dvd that u can't even tell looks better unless u have 1080p anyway, and u can't really tell much on that. only games look better at 1080p.
  
  besides ps3 still has no games.

  6.7.2007 15:46 #6

• limelight

  Woo-Hoo!!!!

  6.7.2007 16:19 #7

• AXT

  not enough. $200 price drop would be ideal for me. Maybe now M$ will drop the xbox price making it very attractive for potential buyers such as myself.

  6.7.2007 16:57 #8

• DC5R

  Originally posted by DoomLight:still not a good excuse to buy one. just cause its slightly cheaper...
  
  i dont buy the "its a good price for a Blu-ray player. who infact really want to spend 10 bux more on a dvd that u can't even tell looks better unless u have 1080p anyway, and u can't really tell much on that. only games look better at 1080p.
  
  besides ps3 still has no games.I disagree about not being able to hardly tell a difference when watching movies at 1080p. I sure as hell can tell the difference. It's not only the video, but the audio is vastly better too. Some people are into movies and enjoy these benefits of HD movies over normal DVD movies.
  
  And why must people post to read themselves with the constant dribble about whatever. If you don't like something, STAY AWAY from it. Don't some of you people have something better to do than always post the same garbage, this system x sucks compared to this system y, but system z is better than both x+y. WHO PHUCKIN' CARES? I hardly post, in fact this might be my 2nd post, but I read occasionally and it is always the same worthless individuals posting the same worthless crap. Something I just can't understand. The only thing that this spells out for me is I G N O R A N C E!!!

  6.7.2007 19:16 #9

• oofRome

  http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUST5013420070706
  
  Quote:TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp. has no plans to cut the price of its PlayStation 3 (PS3) at present to pep up demand and counter surging sales of Nintendo's rival game console Wii, Sony's president said on Friday.
  
  Sony President Ryoji Chubachi also said in an interview that operating profit margin at its mainstay electronics unit, which makes hot-selling Bravia LCD televisions and Cyber-shot digital cameras, was likely to exceed its 4 percent target for the current year to March 2008.
  
  "At present we have no plans," Chubachi told Reuters when asked whether Sony had any plans to cut the PS3 price.

  6.7.2007 19:17 #10

• evilh0ly

  I'll be getting my ps3 now, also it comes with 5 free blue ray movies, and I think 2 games.

  6.7.2007 19:23 #11

• MrGrimace

  This is all bull$hit! These companies should just give us this technology for free. Who cares if they are already taking a loss of $200!!! I need... no DESERVE their system free of charge!
  
  *end sarcasm*
  
  Seriously though. My PS3 is one of the best additions to my home entertainment system that I have ever added. Right now I am streaming over my wireless network an episode of "The Office" I bought online to my TV in the other room. It has the functionality of an appleTV a PS2, a PS1, a Blu-ray player, and is a brand new game format. Not to mention they haven't charged me one cent to play any of the games I bought online. I can understand why people feel a price cut would be nice, but make sure you understand that you wouldn't just be paying for a console. You would be paying for all the functionality I just mentioned plus free updates on a regular basis. For me, it was definitely worth the money.
  
  *steps off soap box*

  6.7.2007 19:23 #12

• asianm

  Waiting and test my sn.
  
  :)

  6.7.2007 21:55 #13

• webe123

  Quote:Originally posted by DoomLight:still not a good excuse to buy one. just cause its slightly cheaper...
  
  i dont buy the "its a good price for a Blu-ray player. who infact really want to spend 10 bux more on a dvd that u can't even tell looks better unless u have 1080p anyway, and u can't really tell much on that. only games look better at 1080p.
  
  besides ps3 still has no games.I disagree about not being able to hardly tell a difference when watching movies at 1080p. I sure as hell can tell the difference. It's not only the video, but the audio is vastly better too. Some people are into movies and enjoy these benefits of HD movies over normal DVD movies.
  
  And why must people post to read themselves with the constant dribble about whatever. If you don't like something, STAY AWAY from it. Don't some of you people have something better to do than always post the same garbage, this system x sucks compared to this system y, but system z is better than both x+y. WHO PHUCKIN' CARES? I hardly post, in fact this might be my 2nd post, but I read occasionally and it is always the same worthless individuals posting the same worthless crap. Something I just can't understand. The only thing that this spells out for me is I G N O R A N C E!!!The same can be said of your stupid RANT! Who the hell cares? If you don't like what is posted...STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM IT!

  6.7.2007 23:49 #14

• CKhaleel

  Yay!

  7.7.2007 06:30 #15

• hughjars

  Originally posted by DC5R : I disagree about not being able to hardly tell a difference when watching movies at 1080p. - Well for most people it's true.
  
  For the very good reason that most people, if they have an HD TV at all, have a 720p/1080i HD TV.
  In which case 1080p will never look any different to them.
  
  Similarly the few numbers of people really able to use HDMI 1.3/1.3a or for that matter 1080p/24.
  
  Originally posted by DC5R:The only thing that this spells out for me is I G N O R A N C E!!! - Exactly, it's an ignorance encouraged by cynical and exploitative marketing and the deluded fanclub waaaaaaaay to obsessed with spec-sheets and often over-looking whether they are actually applicable to their own circumstances and equipment.
  
  .....and those kinds of people who would rather a supine and uncritical audience for this kind of stuff.
  
  :P
  
  Frankly I doubt very much that a little $100 drop (in a few markets) is going to make much difference to the PS3.
  
  It's already gathering stories of games being canned for it by the independant 3rd party developers, that's usually the sign it's on the backward slope, no matter how many poor in-house games Sony throw at it.

  7.7.2007 07:26 #16

• noobz

  wooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! yAY!!!!!!!!!! AWESOME!!!!!!
  this is what everyone was waiting for i mean comeon everyone who doesnt have an ps3 but have a xbox360/wii can now buy this also!!!!!

  7.7.2007 08:15 #17

• vinny13

  Quote:Originally posted by DoomLight:still not a good excuse to buy one. just cause its slightly cheaper...
  
  i dont buy the "its a good price for a Blu-ray player. who infact really want to spend 10 bux more on a dvd that u can't even tell looks better unless u have 1080p anyway, and u can't really tell much on that. only games look better at 1080p.
  
  besides ps3 still has no games.I disagree about not being able to hardly tell a difference when watching movies at 1080p. I sure as hell can tell the difference. It's not only the video, but the audio is vastly better too. Some people are into movies and enjoy these benefits of HD movies over normal DVD movies.
  
  And why must people post to read themselves with the constant dribble about whatever. If you don't like something, STAY AWAY from it. Don't some of you people have something better to do than always post the same garbage, this system x sucks compared to this system y, but system z is better than both x+y. WHO PHUCKIN' CARES? I hardly post, in fact this might be my 2nd post, but I read occasionally and it is always the same worthless individuals posting the same worthless crap. Something I just can't understand. The only thing that this spells out for me is I G N O R A N C E!!!You've read my mind. Stupid 360 retards always have something to say... almost as if they were jelous.

  7.7.2007 08:55 #18

• 3085

  still a waste of money

  7.7.2007 11:46 #19

• kingjoker

  This is great now i can buy games with my extra 100 bucks

  7.7.2007 12:38 #20

• Iguana775

  seems like a good thing. but until I see it, I'll just think it's a rumor.

  7.7.2007 12:59 #21

• veyron

  Regular DVD's are stored at a resolution of 720×480 (NTSC) or 720×576 (PAL). So yeah genius, you will see a difference even with only a 1080i or 720p set.
  So angry....I mean happy now I'll probably buy one.
  
  
  Originally posted by DoomLight:still not a good excuse to buy one. just cause its slightly cheaper...
  
  i dont buy the "its a good price for a Blu-ray player. who infact really want to spend 10 bux more on a dvd that u can't even tell looks better unless u have 1080p anyway, and u can't really tell much on that. only games look better at 1080p.
  
  besides ps3 still has no games.

  7.7.2007 13:19 #22

• vinny13

  A little off topic...
  
  What's the difference between 1080i and 1080p?

  7.7.2007 13:43 #23

• samshizze

  interlaced and Progressive scan -
  
  Kinda confusing but Progressive provides a better picture cause it conveys all of the lines of resolution sequentially in a single pass, while interlaced does the odd lines first followed by the evens.

  7.7.2007 14:43 #24

• vinny13

  Originally posted by samshizze:interlaced and Progressive scan -
  
  Kinda confusing but Progressive provides a better picture cause it conveys all of the lines of resolution sequentially in a single pass, while interlaced does the odd lines first followed by the evens.Well then, I guess it's time for a new TV.

  7.7.2007 14:56 #25

• NexGen76

  No matter how 360fanboys try to down play this,There has been nothing but positives coming from this.Far as seeing a price drop from Microsoft i won't hold my breath not soon maybe later. Xbox 360 repairs will cost them 1 billion dollars also on top of that Microsoft has reported 317 millon dollars loss last QT in there gaming department & also Microsoft misses 12 million Xbox 360 shipment target worldwide this is the third time there they had to adjust it.If this price drop is true then it was great timing from Sony.

  7.7.2007 15:39 #26

• DXR88

  and no mater how many Sony fanboys try to upplay this im still waiting for good games period.

  7.7.2007 16:18 #27

• djeazyg

  People are goofy. You 360 fans have strange views.
  
  You say the PS3 is too expensive. But you’re willing to pay $400 for a 360 now and $400 for a 360 later when it dies just after its first birthday. Then in a couple years you going to go out and spend $500 or more for whatever the new Xbox might be. All this time you could be playing the PS3 for $600 and nothing more. You honestly think games that are made for the “new” Xbox won't be made for PS3? You’re crazy. Games that are made for the PS3 and 360 are still being made for the PS2.
  This is all really silly. PS3 isn’t going down no matter how much all you 360 fans want it to. Same goes for the PS3 fans. 360 isn’t going down no matter how much you want to.
  
  Enjoy the battle and reap the rewards. Quit whining about price.
  
  Just s side note………. The lineup of games for the 360 after 2 years isn’t really all that impressive. Except Gears of War what do you really have? After 2 years!!!!!!

  7.7.2007 16:34 #28

• casemodd

  Sounds great to me :) 500 for a ps3,Blu-ray player,5 free movies what a deal. I will be waiting outside the store the day it begins :)

  7.7.2007 17:02 #29

• vinny13

  Originally posted by DXR88:and no mater how many Sony fanboys try to upplay this im still waiting for good games period.Stupid M$ Douche. I speek on behalf of the people who hate 360 fanboys.
  
  Now I understand that under these circumstances that you have to be diehard to be a Sony fanboy, but what's the point of ripping on something positive? It's very annoying. Sure the Xbox is the biggest seller at the moment(I think), but 30%(some say maybe even higher) of those were defective, where as the PS3 and Wii were like 2-4% defective. Big difference.
  
  At least now their paying for it out of their own pocket.

  7.7.2007 22:01 #30

• DXR88

  Ah Now we result to name calling So now what. who said i was a fan boy of 360 and who ever said sony was going down. Listin No GOOD GAMES SO IM STILL WAITING. it may take sony two years
  Too catch up but intill then. im going to wait Iv had both consoles xbox ps2 and a game cube. I now own a xbox360 and an wii So go stuuff you face you hipocryte.

  7.7.2007 22:48 #31

• oofRome

  What a cute little conversation this has turned out to be.,,

  8.7.2007 08:29 #32

• vinny13

  Originally posted by DXR88:Ah Now we result to name calling So now what. who said i was a fan boy of 360 and who ever said sony was going down. Listin No GOOD GAMES SO IM STILL WAITING. it may take sony two years
  Too catch up but intill then. im going to wait Iv had both consoles xbox ps2 and a game cube. I now own a xbox360 and an wii So go stuuff you face you hipocryte.Your big now lol

  8.7.2007 08:40 #33

• vinny13

  Originally posted by oofRome:What a cute little conversation this has turned out to be.,,It can never be,"Oh that's good!" and so on. There's always people with no lives to rip on positive things.

  8.7.2007 08:51 #34

• hughjars

  Originally posted by vinny13:What's the difference between 1080i and 1080p? - Well, despite the partial claims and misleading innuendo of some, if you haven't got a 1080p set, absolutely nothing.
  
  .....and if you have a 1080i set with a resolution of 1920x1080 it'll not make a hill of beans difference either (as flat panel TVs display progressively anyways).

  8.7.2007 09:36 #35

• samshizze

  Quote:Originally posted by vinny13:What's the difference between 1080i and 1080p? - Well, despite the partial claims and misleading innuendo of some, if you haven't got a 1080p set, absolutely nothing.
  
  .....and if you have a 1080i set with a resolution of 1920x1080 it'll not make a hill of beans difference either (as flat panel TVs display progressively anyways).Yea there really arent that many sets that support 1080p yet. But it just shows that Sony is prepared for the future. Look at how many people have HDTV's now compared to a couple years ago.

  8.7.2007 10:41 #36

• DXR88

  ah..Whatever you say..

  8.7.2007 18:27 #37

• ZippyDSM

  I am sorry the PS3 is a bloated media machine thats on the path the Saturn took,because most devs are leaving the PS3 to code for the WII that follows the PSX/PS2s cheap to produce games for setup,the PS3 is on life support,much like the PSP the PS3 is poorly marketed has even worse price points, MS recently ate some of the poo they dished out to consumers its time Sony started to naw on the anal cake they haded out from PS3 day 1.
  
  I am realist and a bit inane(or insane..),the PS3 can do well but the system needs to be in the 450$ range to more appealing to the masses if the masses buy in so will devs ,as it stands now the PS3 is a media machine and overlooked as a game machine.
  
  Spin the numbers anyway you want I don't care this bloated beast needs some downsizing as well a doubling of effort on tech support and dev kits to devs,remember the Saturn was snubbed because of lack of support for its 6 "CPU" monster,sony has been a arrogant fool they will have a couple chances to fix it before it goes into that dark night the brand power alone might give them 3.
  
  Unlike the PSP thats on its last legs and in need of a revitalization (12-14$ re released "greatest hits" games,UDM movies set to 9.99,DVDs sold with UMD movies for 1$ more, they want to make UMD they'll have to work for it and so far they are not) the PS3 only needs a price drop the lower the better they will never patch the damage done if they cling to the high price, they will have to lose 2 or 3 more billion in order to build the PS3 up selling the damn thing for 399 would place it int eh fight and not gather dust on the shelf, if they cling to a price of over 450,they are putting the brand in jeopardy...
  
  PS:I am a fan boy of gaming, "New hollywood" less so.
  (grammar FTW!? LOLZ )

  8.7.2007 19:06 #38

• DXR88

  Thanks ZIppyDSM couldnt said it better myself..

  9.7.2007 10:12 #39

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by DXR88:Thanks ZIppyDSM couldnt said it better myself..grammar panws me ><
  
  anyway Sony is acting like MS and we don't need 2 systems to steal PC games and be elitist machines, one needs to change itself,I think the 360 is more or less golden sure the fail rate is insane but thats being fixed its still a niche market as far as games go at least IMO, the PS3 really needs to get acquainted with humbleness(better dev support,cheaper prices for consumers) if it stays on this destructive arrongat path it will fail.

  9.7.2007 10:33 #40

• DXR88

  Yes true. i agree both company needs to step it up to the consumers.
  some how microsofts falure rates dont suprise me. luky me i had my Xbox 360 3 years no problims yet. Equsion microsoft=Rushing any thing they make. Oh my grammers no bettter.. ^~^

  9.7.2007 12:29 #41

• borhan9

  This is music to peoples ears but i will belive it when i see it :P

  9.7.2007 20:45 #42

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by DXR88:Yes true. i agree both company needs to step it up to the consumers.
  some how microsofts falure rates dont suprise me. luky me i had my Xbox 360 3 years no problims yet. Equsion microsoft=Rushing any thing they make. Oh my grammers no bettter.. ^~^MS would have been better off giving it 6 more months revising the heatsinks/fans and changing back to a better BWC chip set >>
  if they did that they could have had HDMI from day 1,but I guess MS is doing ti computer upgrade style...only you have to buy the whole new thing, sony mindlessly goign with a uber elitist media machine dose not help them any...despite the WII being a bit dated its making up for itself with style and a bit of substance,Nin could do worlds good for itself and go with a full config setup so you can play games they way you want with any input device(pad,mote,GC pad,ect)...

  9.7.2007 21:03 #43

• shazbot3

  I'll stick with our Wii. Half the NEW price of the PS III, and IMHO, much better quality, more player-friendly, family-oriented and easier for us old farts to learn :)

  12.7.2007 06:51 #44

• grimreapa

  Well all of you PS3 haters out there need to chill. Xbox is 400 and 50 dollars a year for x box live no blue ray but an optional hd dvd player for 200 no hdmi for hi def small hard drive. But you can go out and buy the new xbox for 480 plus 50 for xbox live thats 530 you spending just as much as a ps3 when it comes down to it and defective at that. Come on 1 billion dollars of problems not worth my time. All the new games coming out for ps3 are mostly 1080p games for xbox 1080i. PS3 will outsell xbox shortly. All the games are coming out soon xbox didnt have much of a selection when it came out and still has maybe 5 good games. PS3 rocks

  12.7.2007 20:34 #45

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by grimreapa: Well all of you PS3 haters out there need to chill. Xbox is 400 and 50 dollars a year for x box live no blue ray but an optional hd dvd player for 200 no hdmi for hi def small hard drive. But you can go out and buy the new xbox for 480 plus 50 for xbox live thats 530 you spending just as much as a ps3 when it comes down to it and defective at that. Come on 1 billion dollars of problems not worth my time. All the new games coming out for ps3 are mostly 1080p games for xbox 1080i. PS3 will outsell xbox shortly. All the games are coming out soon xbox didnt have much of a selection when it came out and still has maybe 5 good games. PS3 rocks
  ====================================
  ==========================
  And because of the price and architecture its goign to take twice as long for the PS3 to get where the Xbox was 2-3 years after launch,add to it the game industry is not interested in going over what can be put on a DVD9 add to it high price=slow sales, slow sales= lost interest from devs,so like the Xbox was a "niche within a niche" in its life span so will the PS3 be a niche within a niche for at least 4 years.

  12.7.2007 20:46 #46

• johnblaze

  Looks like the 60GB is on the way out:
  
  http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=26704
  
  Quote:
  SCEE president David Reeves has told GamesIndustry.biz that the 60GB PlayStation 3 will no longer be available in the US after stock sells out - which he predicts will occur by the end of the month.
  
  Reeves was speaking at an E3 event to announce the introduction of a new PS3 bundle in Europe. When asked about possible criticisms over whether SCEE should have given consumers the option to pay a lower price, as SCEA has done, he replied, "Well, they're not really are they, because what the US are offering from the 1st of August is a USD 599 version with one game.
  
  "All they're doing is taking their stock in trade that they've got at the moment of the 60GB model, marking the price down and it will all be gone by the end of July."
  
  When asked to clarify if this will mean the end of the 60GB model, Reeves answered, "In America, yes."
  
  SCEA announced a USD 100 price cut for PlayStation 3 earlier this week. A new 80GB model will come bundled with a copy of Motorstorm and will retail for USD 599.
  
  

  13.7.2007 04:59 #47

• shazbot3

  Ahhhsoooo...Sony strikes AGAIN with the ulterior motives.....Like I said-Wii ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  13.7.2007 05:03 #48