PS3 price cut!!
 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060922/...MwBHNlYwM3Mzg-

Means nothing. It's being lowered in Japan.

The big thing is that the 20GB model will have HDMI too.

I'm curious as to whether or not this will affect America in any way. Will the $499 go down to $399? Will our 20GB versions have HDMI? They can do whatever they want in Japan, but I want to know what they will do in America.

8:22 PST: If you're concerned about the HDMI inclusion in the 20 GIG version of Sony's PS3, SCEA confirmed to 1UP (after hearing Kutaragi at the press conference) that all versions of the PS3 would have HDMI.

SCEA just revealed to 1UP that the price drop in Japan is for that territory ONLY. The pricing structure in the U.S. has not changed.

So 100,000 people in the world get a discount. Yippee. ;)

:johnwoo: Sony

I posted this in the PS3 thread, didn't think to look for a separate one.

The price drop is Japan only though, details in main ps3 thread.

Yay for Japan. We still get ass raped in America.

Only if you opt to buy a PS3 at $500. You could wait for a price drop.

If the 20 GB version has HDMI and is $400 in the US.. *crosses Xbox 360 off of "To Buy (eventually) List"*

Is the announcement of the inclusion of HDMI on all PS3 models an indicator that Sony hasn't started manufacturing them yet?

Back at the beginning of the year, Sony maintained that they were still on track for a Spring 06 launch and then when Spring arrived, they claimed that issues with Blu-Ray prevented a Spring launch. Then a few months later at E3 they showcased their motion-sensing controller was still under development and claimed that it WASN'T a last minute add-on. If it wasn't a last minute add-on, then how could they have expected to release the PS3 in the Spring with those controllers if their controllers weren't finished?

And if Sony was truthful about a Spring 06 launch, how come the finished version of their dev kits were sent to developers in late June early July?

The announced pricedrop and inclusion of HDMI leads me to believe that Sony may not make it's Nov launch date.

The PS3 is $500 and $600 not $400.

You must've missed that part where he said "IF". ;)

I think by the time the PS3 is $400 in the US/Europe the 360 will be $300. Probably bundled with HD-DVD or some huge game pack.

This is kind of interesting. I'm kind of thinking that a Japan price drop means they're trying to counter competition from Nintendo, whereas a US price drop would be a better way of countering competition from Microsoft.

While I know it's highly unlikely, if they were to announce a price cut in North America, I'd have to seriously reconsider my opinion of their overall approach to this launch. You look at Nintendo and they let the buzz build up to a point where nearly everyone is at least a little disappointed now that the info's out, and we're pretty close to launch. Sony, on the other hand, smashed everyone's hopes back at E3 and anything they do now to exceed the lowered expectations set back in May may help justify a purchase for people who like Playstation, but hate the price of the new system.

Also, the PS3 is still region free, isn't it? How much does it cost to import a console?

If I were a betting man, I'd bet that it is part of Sony's "master plan" to announce a U.S. price drop shortly before the U.S. launch. Just pure speculation on my part, but it would be a very smart marketing move to gain momentum.

Can they afford to?

still is expensive.

Maybe Nintendo would drop to $200 if Sony cut their prices before launch, maybe Microsoft? (this could get dirty). :)

Importing is going to cost you much more than getting more here.. at least initially. If the US doesn't get a price break following the Japanese pricing you MIGHT be able to get one close to the US price once the dust settles. Yes, it's still supposed to be region free for games (yummy). Blu Ray movies are region coded but I'm pretty sure Japan and US are part of the same region for Blu Ray.

Why would they? All 400,000 are going to sell out regardless of price. If they want to cut the price, they'll wait until the shelves aren't barren.

Well, it isn't like the 100,000 would sit collecting dust either, yet they have a price drop already.

As max hypothesized, it is likely they're doing that to counter Nintendo in Japan. Either way, I'm all for a console price war in the States.

True, but with only 100,000 units there, it still doesn't make a difference. They would all sell on launch day if the PS3 stayed at the original price and Nintendo cut the Wii to $50. :D

The cut doesn't make much sense from a business standpoint. They just take a bigger loss on consoles that would have sold instantly anyway.

I thought Japan had open pricing?