Forbes: PS3 Slim is too little, too late

When the PS3 Slim was announced, I had one major feeling: Relief. I was glad that it was over, and the endless chatter about price cuts and retail listings could finally end. Forbes isn’t relieved, however. Playing the role of the cynical dissenter, its official stance is that the announcement of the Slim and the price cuts is simply too little, too late.

“Now Sony’s latest move, slashing the PlayStation3’s price by $100 to $299 and offering a thinner version of the ginormous console, has almost no hope of making a difference,” argues writer Brian Caulfield. “That’s because Sony’s technology-packed console will remain more expensive than either the Xbox 360, which starts at less than $200 and the Wii, which sells for $250.

“Not a good place to be, with price cuts for those consoles almost surely on the way. And while Sony’s offering is packed with expensive technology, it’s the least mature where it matters most: motion-sensitive controllers and online gaming.”

Ouch. Harsh words from Caulfield, and whether you think he’s talking out of his arse or not, he raises a point I had considered myself. Just how much good will the price cut do? A short-term sales spike is inevitable, but what happens after that? And what of the Xbox 360 and Wii price cuts that are sure to come? We’ll have to wait and see what the future holds, but I certainly don’t envy the PS3’s position.