All right we all know that Sony announced the worst kept secret in the industry by announcing the PS3-Slim and announcing that it will come out at $299. Hooray, I like cheaper prices just like everybody else. And then I was excited thinking, “sweet this means the current PS3 SKU is going to drop even lower!” only to see “All current PS3s drop to $299 in price immediately”. Lame.
So, we’re going to have two different PS3 models out on the market at the same time and they’re both going to be the exact same price? Am I the only person who thinks this is retarded as hell, an older model being priced at the same price as a new model? If I’d go to my local GameStop and ask to buy a PlayStation 3 right now for $299 they’d tell me to just wait two weeks and buy a slim model for the exact same price (yes, my GameStop is employed by people with common sense).
With the current pricing setup Sony has in place, they’ve essentially rendered the original PS3 obsolete in every way. Who in their right mind is going to buy a PS3 knowing that there’s a more energy efficient and slimmer unit available that does everything the original unit did plus comes with a larger hard drive for the exact same price? Okay, so you can’t install Linux on the PS3 Slim, whoopee fucking do. If you are savvy enough to utilize Linux properly you already have a machine more properly capable of running it anyway and don’t even need to put it on a gaming console.
Sony, just as you finally do something right you follow it up with something that leaves a giant question mark over my head. Yes I can understand that you don’t want your older-model PS3’s selling for the same price, or cheaper, then the PSP Go but you just don’t sell an obsolete model for the same price as your newest. Ever. People wouldn’t buy an Xbox 360 Pro for the same price as an Elite. They wouldn’t buy a 2008 Monte Carlo if it cost the same as a 2009 Monte Carlo. You don’t buy third deck stadium tickets if you can get front row for the same value. I highly doubt anybody would have been happy if the original PS2’s would have been the same price as a Slim.
Sony, the PS3 is personally my favorite console of this generation and I really didn’t think you needed to lower your price in the first place considering everything that comes with a PS3. However I swear your mantra this generation is to always follow up something right with something wrong, or at the very least bewildering.
they aren't making anymore phat PS3's so whats in stock is the last of it. PS3 slim will replace that model completely. man there are way too many PS3 SKUs
@Manasteel88
Well if they are the last of the phat PS3s then why keep them at the same price as the slim model? It would help get rid of them if they were cheaper.
That's exactly what I thought when I heard they were the same price, WTF Sony? Even though they are losing a shit load of money on each PS3 made, I can't see them selling all of them when people can just go get a slim for the exact same price.
If memory serves, retailers were told well in advance of today to move all of their current PS3s. So there shouldn't be that many on market anyways. The ones on market are old stock that Sony refuses to allow retailers to drop price since it cheapens the base cost of the product. They want people to think that a PS3 costs $300 or $400 and not think about where they can shop around to get a brand new PS3 at a discount. I'm sure they have Contracts with distributors that makes it so they can't do this as well.
honestly, I think Sony is bending over for you guys. Everyone who asked for a Price cut, guess what, you got it.
Instead of doing what everyone is thinking, selling the phat one at $299 and then selling the slim at $399, they prob said, screw it, we are going to listen to our community and give them what they want... a competitive price point vs the xbox and wii.
This PS3 Slim is exactly what I wanted, and I'm glad Sony made that final decision. As for the fat ones, I bet retailers are going to uses whatever marketing tactics to get rid of them, especially to make space for this new SKU. I wouldn't be surprised if we started seeing specials dropping the price of the fat PS3 or more bundles. Now that there are plenty of PS3 exclusives, Sony wants to make sure they are on top of the competition, and quite frankly I'll be helping them by buying a Slim.
Sony's manufacturing costs have gone down dramatically since initial PS3 runs. Not just because of standard Moore's Law business - also because in 2006, the PS3 specifications were fucking ridiculous. (They are still somewhat ridiculous.) Cutting-edge Blu-Ray lasers aside, the Cell SPU failure rate at that time meant they were basically throwing money away at the factory.
It's a certainty that everyone worth his stock options at Sony HQ now knows that the PS3 hardware, as it was at launch, was a stupid mistake. So they're doing what all successful businesses do when they realize their mistakes: stay the course. The PS3 Slim is cheaper to manufacture, so it sells for less. Old PS3s still show a huge blemish on their recorded operating costs, something that they'd like to assure investors will be made up, sooner or later!
The first suit who stands up and says "let's swallow our losses on old PS3s" will be fired so fast his eyelids will burn off.
Actually many people might prefer the old phat model of PS3 and might be more inclined to buy one while stock still exists. The look is much nicer and in all honesty, the slim is an unproven entity regarding reliability and the overheating issue.
... the price drop is an incentive to buy "now" as is the likelihood that the Slim model will replace all existing SKU's.
Also, there are lots of people that don't at all follow gaming news and could care less about a new model. They see the price comparable to other game systems (or BD players) and simply buy it.
This is just Sony being the assholes that they truly are. Three pieces of tech almost at the same pricepoint. Its a recipe for disaster, just waiting to happen. And their arrogant stance on PS3 BC, is just more bullshit on the icing of their shitcake. I think for that alone, they deserve no success until they learn to listen and treat their customers better. Until they learn to be this way again, I'll stick with gaming elsewhere.
I guess christmas and the new year, will be the real test for Sony and their plans. PS3s will sell, but Sony really need to sort out their advertising and marketing to help it.
Which would I buy, probably the 80gb model, then upgrade it. I'll give it time, and find out what the Slim build is like. Lack of BC is a real turn off still, though.
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If the fat PS3 had gone down to $199, I would probably buy one.
My common sense points to ----> Cost of materials.
they aren't making anymore phat PS3's so whats in stock is the last of it. PS3 slim will replace that model completely. man there are way too many PS3 SKUs
@Manasteel88
Well if they are the last of the phat PS3s then why keep them at the same price as the slim model? It would help get rid of them if they were cheaper.
That's exactly what I thought when I heard they were the same price, WTF Sony? Even though they are losing a shit load of money on each PS3 made, I can't see them selling all of them when people can just go get a slim for the exact same price.
If memory serves, retailers were told well in advance of today to move all of their current PS3s. So there shouldn't be that many on market anyways. The ones on market are old stock that Sony refuses to allow retailers to drop price since it cheapens the base cost of the product. They want people to think that a PS3 costs $300 or $400 and not think about where they can shop around to get a brand new PS3 at a discount. I'm sure they have Contracts with distributors that makes it so they can't do this as well.
I think the phat PS3s look better anyway.
I don't see them putting the fat system in an even lower price. I think it's possible to do that with the Slim simplified version.
They are the same damn thing. The fat looks better in my opinion, so I'd be fine with getting it at that price too
honestly, I think Sony is bending over for you guys. Everyone who asked for a Price cut, guess what, you got it.
Instead of doing what everyone is thinking, selling the phat one at $299 and then selling the slim at $399, they prob said, screw it, we are going to listen to our community and give them what they want... a competitive price point vs the xbox and wii.
When the slim drops, they'll likely cut another $50 bucks off of the 80Gb to clean house.
This PS3 Slim is exactly what I wanted, and I'm glad Sony made that final decision. As for the fat ones, I bet retailers are going to uses whatever marketing tactics to get rid of them, especially to make space for this new SKU. I wouldn't be surprised if we started seeing specials dropping the price of the fat PS3 or more bundles. Now that there are plenty of PS3 exclusives, Sony wants to make sure they are on top of the competition, and quite frankly I'll be helping them by buying a Slim.
Sony's manufacturing costs have gone down dramatically since initial PS3 runs. Not just because of standard Moore's Law business - also because in 2006, the PS3 specifications were fucking ridiculous. (They are still somewhat ridiculous.) Cutting-edge Blu-Ray lasers aside, the Cell SPU failure rate at that time meant they were basically throwing money away at the factory.
It's a certainty that everyone worth his stock options at Sony HQ now knows that the PS3 hardware, as it was at launch, was a stupid mistake. So they're doing what all successful businesses do when they realize their mistakes: stay the course. The PS3 Slim is cheaper to manufacture, so it sells for less. Old PS3s still show a huge blemish on their recorded operating costs, something that they'd like to assure investors will be made up, sooner or later!
The first suit who stands up and says "let's swallow our losses on old PS3s" will be fired so fast his eyelids will burn off.
What Phantomile said.
Actually many people might prefer the old phat model of PS3 and might be more inclined to buy one while stock still exists. The look is much nicer and in all honesty, the slim is an unproven entity regarding reliability and the overheating issue.
... the price drop is an incentive to buy "now" as is the likelihood that the Slim model will replace all existing SKU's.
Also, there are lots of people that don't at all follow gaming news and could care less about a new model. They see the price comparable to other game systems (or BD players) and simply buy it.
Listen to Elsa. She knows what she's saying.
Well the older one is shinier.
This is just Sony being the assholes that they truly are. Three pieces of tech almost at the same pricepoint. Its a recipe for disaster, just waiting to happen. And their arrogant stance on PS3 BC, is just more bullshit on the icing of their shitcake. I think for that alone, they deserve no success until they learn to listen and treat their customers better. Until they learn to be this way again, I'll stick with gaming elsewhere.
I guess christmas and the new year, will be the real test for Sony and their plans. PS3s will sell, but Sony really need to sort out their advertising and marketing to help it.
Which would I buy, probably the 80gb model, then upgrade it. I'll give it time, and find out what the Slim build is like. Lack of BC is a real turn off still, though.
Really ? I must be an idiot for mentioning that, also the SKU looks more manly