The most important segment of the video game purchasing public is the mainstream; the mothers and fathers who want their kids to love them instead of their spouse, so they go out and purchase the new video game console that their little mistake won’t stop talking about just to get some peace and quiet. Apparently, those people are in for some severe sticker shock this holiday season.
Compete, an analyst firm, recently released a survey from October of this year, that shows that 48% of those considering a PlayStation 3 for purchase assume it will cost $300USD or less. When they revealed the true $600 price, 59% of those considering buying one and 73% of all people surveyed thought that the upcoming system was overpriced.
Hit the jump for more details from the survey.
On the other hand, 75% of those considering a Wii for their console purchase assumed it would be over $200USD, and it’s $250USD price is the next notch above $200.
Of course, there is dark news for Nintendo as well;
“Wii’s price may be right, but a troubling sign for Nintendo emerges on the loyalty front. Nintendo’s strategic decision to simplify its console may in fact be turning off a number of its loyalists. 39% of GameCube owners are considering a Wii purchase while 40% are considering a PS3. PlayStation loyalty is considerably higher with 63% of PS2 owners considering a PS3.”
Overall, it’s an interesting survey, and it reveals the thoughts motivating the average person who doesn’t spend all day reading gaming sites and feverishly masturbating over screenshots and scanned manuals.
Too often we forget that those are the people who really drive the industry, not the early adopters, and if these people are turned off enough by Sony’s large price tag, it might spell disaster for Kutaragi and Co.
