Arm in arm with the confirmation of a PS3 Slim came the news that most of the game industry, including Activision, wanted to hear: The PlayStation 3 has finally dropped in price. Kaz Hirai made the announcement at Gamescom, stating quite simply that prices for all PS3 consoles have dropped.
Basically, current PS3 consoles now officially cost cheaper, meaning that if you're not into the idea of a slimmer, sleeker PS3, you can pick up one of the PS3 Phats for less coin. This is pretty much what third party publishers have been screaming out for, that this is good news all round.
Despite this, however, the news is quite odd indeed, due to what they dropped to. The 80GB PS3 has just dropped to $299.99, bringing it line with the PS3 Slim, which is 120GB. Why pay the same amount of money for less Gigglebitz? That doesn't make sense at all. The 160GB will now officially cost $399.99.
Oh Sony, you do move in mysterious ways.
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Contest:
1:01 PM on 08.18.2009
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Will it still have blu ray? And backwards compatibality?
Like Xzyliac, I'm wondering what they had to cut out to make it smaller.
If its anything significant, i'll pass.
How does MGS4 look in 480p?
If only they were able to return the PS2 hardware into that small case, I'd buy a second PS3 to have in a another room.
I suspect that PS2 software emulation is on the way, they're going to want to resell ps2 games to us, so I'm sure that will happen.
Conrad: I have no doubt that the ps3 slim is fully HDD upgradeable. I'm sure it works the same was as the ps3 now, it's just a small laptop drive that slides out of the bottom. Can't imagine why that would change.
time to put up or shut up :P
good news for everyone, should force another x360 drop and maybe even a wii price drop. we like cheaper consoles!
also, to those who inquire about backwards compatibility; do you own HDTV or no? just curious. plus, what are those w/a ps2 going to do? sell their ps2 for what $35 used at gamestop? imo, bc is the weakest argument against not getting a ps3 at this point. did you buy a x360 to play your xbox games?
just my $.02
Well....i guess the people that said that will get one then.
If you don't own a PS3 yet and are interested at all, this is definitely the answer for you.
read Seamonkey's comment again, you obviously didn't get what he said. He was referencing people who've said that in the past.
now back to the topic at hand. The PS3 slim is cheaper than the 360 pro with live, MS has to do something about the whole "charging people to play online" thing.
To seamonkey420: a big chunk (I would risk saying a majority) of current PS2 users are kids and teenagers whose parents say, "You don't need that PS3. You have a PS2 with a zillion games already." But those kids would be able to say, "The PS3 plays all my old games, plus all the new games that the PS2 can't, AND it does Blu-Ray!" So instead of the PS3 disvaluing all of the parents' PS2 purchases, it validates them + bonuses.
I mean, how much of this demographic has a bunch of classic Xbox games lying around? Very few. The 360 basically started from scratch, with promises based on Halo 2. The PS2 practically conquered last gen's market, and the PS3 will be the console that demographic moves up to when it is backwards compatible again. And it won't happen all at once, but over a period of years as they all find out about it--much like the PS3.
On the other end of the spectrum, the serious gameplayers (i.e., follow gaming on internet blogs) already have about 5 consoles hooked up to their TV. A backwards compatible PS3 would maintain that equilibrium. The PS2 isn't worth trading in; it's a convenience factor, at least for me.
Now that says something. I think it will be aobut 450-500AUD when it launches. But still, wow. Katamari Forever, you are now within my reach!
I could see them nixing it if it helps them keep the cost down. I don't think it would but who knows at this point?
I'd expect expanded bundling with the current 80GB to move stock once the Slim hits, at least on the retailer level if not as an official Sony mandate. The Uncharted bundle is definitely going to need to come down more if they want to move it, though. Maybe they'll throw KZ2 and MGS4 in to make that pot a little sweeter at $399, but I'd expect those to sit around for a little longer at that price. A 120GB hdd can be had for under $50 and a copy of Uncharted is now officially $30, so it's an even less attractive option than it was a month ago when it had already not sold well for most of a year.
There are other companies at Gamescom you know?
@mountain gorilla
Then feel sorry for those kids because even my parents understood that you need to upgrade the console because they have just about stop making games for your current one and a console is only as good as the software support, and my parents generally don't have a clue about gaming and even they figured that out.
The loss of BC is sad I'll admit but it shouldn't be making or breaking your purchase here, because if it is don't bother leaving your ps2 in the first place your obiously satisfied with that.
You should want a ps3 because of its library of games.
What are you talking about? In 3 FREAKIN years, Sony has reduced the PS3's price by half. That’s insane. This shows that Sony is desperate and it's trying to chop one off at Microsoft. It also shows that we don't value the PS3 the same as its real value, which is more than $500-$600 (in order to cut even). But what's the Wii again? $250? The same as 3 years ago and it's still selling?! What balls, those bastards!!
Oh sure, it will boost sales but only in the short-term and I believe Sony wants good sales in the long-term. Microsoft will not let this affront go without response. So what if it doesn't work? Cut the price again until the PS3 is $99 by 2011-12?
I've been pretty good with paying for Sony consoles this generation anyway. My PS3 cost only £80, and I got a PSP for just £35 with a bunch of games. Pretty fortunate :)
The HDD bay is under the bluray drive, and it's removable, you can see it.
No, when you plug one controller into a PS3 it sets the signal to that PS3 only.
But yes, I think its there underneath the bluray drive. The panel is the only peiece of plastic that looks detachable.