Standardized components should keep price stable
Releasing the PlayStation 4 at $399, with more standardized components, will likely keep the system from any kind of price drop in the near future according Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida.
“Our hardware teams have chosen more standardized components to create PlayStation 4 and that’s contributing to our launch price of $399 versus $599 for the PS3,” Yoshida said. “Because we’re already using more standardized components, the room for costs to come down might actually be slower than when we were starting with cutting edge stuff.”
Sony’s previous home console, the PlayStation 3, saw its first price drop, as well as internal redesign, a mere nine months after release to cut costs. The system notoriously launched at two price points (a 20gb and 60gb version) with the more expensive costing $599 and was later replaced with an 80gb version that removed full PS2 compatibility, the built-in flash card reader, and was bundled with Metal Gear Solid IV.
If the PlayStation 4 is already at its most affordable price, for the foreseeable future, then it lends to believe that Sony will make their new console appear more attractive, to later adopters, by either increasing hard drive size or bundling software like the upcoming rumored inFamous: Second Son pack-in.
PS4 price drops will be slower than PS3, Sony expects [Shack News]
