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Sony Announces PS3 Slim, Price Cuts
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Sony has unveiled the widely rumoured PS3 Slim console at its Gamescom press conference in Germany.
The new charcoal black unit will sport a 120GB HDD and be available from September 1, 2009, in North America, Europe/PAL territories and Asian countries, and in Japan on September 3. It will retail for £249, €299, $299 dollars and 29,980 yen.
"The internal design architecture of the new PS3 system, from the main semiconductors and power supply unit to the cooling mechanism, has been completely redesigned, achieving a much slimmer and lighter body," said SCE. "Compared to the very first PS3 model with 60GB HDD, the internal volume as well as its thickness and weight are trimmed down to approximately two-thirds. Furthermore, power consumption is also cut to two-thirds, helping to reduce fan noise."
SCE will also reduce the price of the current 80GB PS3 by $100 to a RRP of $299 from August 18 and £249/€299 from August 19. Also in North America, the price of the 160GB PS3 will be reduced to a RRP of $399 from August 18.
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England and Wales company registration number 2008885
A price cut is all very well, but as there are no top drawer PS3 exclusives out any time soon and with the recession still in full swing, another 220,000 UK employees lost their jobs in the last 3 month period, me included, I doubt very much this price cut will achieve the sales Sony deperately want in the short term without the new exclusive games to go with it. On the other hand it bodes well for the xmas buy fest when us shoppers are much more likely to spend that little bit extra and £249 has a better ring to it.
In response to an earlier poster, I believe the only real advantage the PS3 has over 360 is bluray, which is all mine is now used for after I'd done with playing Killzone 2 and Motorstorm 2. I can't see most gamers making descions on whether to buy a ps3 or 360 based on wi-fi and internet browsing capabilities.
Europe are indeed paying for this price cut.
The system is under £200 everywhere i.e. $299.99/29,980 Yen. The UK and the rest of Europe get screwed again.
£249 won't make a difference in the UK. The system is still too expensive.
They should have released the system with a 40GB HDD at £139.99 as the consumer can upgrade their HDD anytime.
Sony = Wolfram & Hart
It'll be interesting to see if Microsoft redesigns the 360 to make it smaller and more female friendly. The tech is there. I know this was rumoured after E3, but it might be worth doing now. Not that I think the PS3 slim will make a huge impact in the sales war. Harcore gamers and Sony fanboys were willing to pay the higher price and the cut isn't really cheap enough to get the casual market interested, in my opinion.
It's a sad fact, but Sony just dropped the ball with this generation (I include the PSP in that too). There initial focus was too much on the device as a media hub, which confused a lot of people. Microsoft focused on the games and won the core audience and is now 'opening' the console up as a more general device (which Natal and a possible makeover could do wonders for).
As for an earlier comment about the free online service - yes that's great for SOny, but you get what you pay for (or don't). Xbox Live is solid as a rock and offers greater functionality than PSN. And for as little as £26 per year (if you're savvy), it's not a huge ask.
This should retail at £199, never gonna embrace a lot of new customers at that price...
OK... who doesn't think that Slim top view looks like a fancy Trapper Keeper?
Gotta say, it looks pretty cheap and nasty, much like the PS2 slim. I always liked the CD-I. Just looks like a DVD player. Simple. I am so glad I got an original 60 gig one since they are phasing the old (and much nicer looking) model out.
The pricing? Well, 50 quid is a generous amount to knock off but £250 is still a bit too high for most people. Especially when you can get virtually everything for the 360, it seems daft to buy a PS3 over an Xbox which is 100 quid cheaper. Sure, you get Blu-Ray, big hard drive, Wi-Fi and all that good stuff. But you don't need all that stuff to play some great games.
It's not £100 cheaper if you want it to have teh same functionality as the PS3 and buy the wifi adapter. Then there is the fact it has no web browser so you'll never have full free access to the internet. It doesn't play blu-ray movies which isn't a huge deal but a lot of people will consider that, if you want to play games & blu-ray that means buying a PS3 or a 360 & a blu-ray player which is more expensive.
Most games are on both systems so it comes down to extra features and the 360 lacks them.
I've used the web browser once. Thought neat, a web browser on a console, then never used it again. If you have an internet connection to use the web browser on PS3, chances are you also have a PC, like me. I use that to browse the web. If my girlfriend is using the pc I'll use my phone rather than fire up the PS3. Since getting Sky+HD I'm not that bothered about Blu-Rays any more. It's nice to have but I don't mind waiting for movies to come out on Sky unless it's something I really want to own. The Wi-Fi is nice and it's a shame the 360 doesn't have it as standard and the adapter being so expensive is rather ridiculous.
As an owner of both I feel that I am really neglecting my PS3. I buy all multi platform games for the 360 as I prefer the controller. And there aren't that many Sony exclusives that I'm that interested in apart from Last Guardian and Heavy Rain, and they're not out till next year. Kill Zone 2 and LBP were really enjoyable though. As already said I don't really buy many Blu-Rays any more either so it just sits there. Maybe I should use the web browser just to get my moneys worth!
Your tastes aren't like everyone else's so that doesn't mean everyone feels that way.
If there is a market for a handicap system like the Xbox 360 Arcade then clearly not everyone is rolling in the dough and may want some extra functionality. No one will do all their surfing on a PS3 but it is handy. Sometimes I can't be bothered to get up, I can just turn on my Wii and have a quick browse on the net. But even more important would be the fact online access is free on the PS3 and there's no additional fees to play your games online. That is a big plus for a lot of people.
A lot of people don't have networked houses and don't have phone sockets in every room. So I think wifi is more important than you think
Sky HD+ is a rip-off. You don't own anything. I rather have no blu-ray player and just use DVDs rather than have to pay a TV licence, a sky subscription and then only watch what they want to let me watch. A huge chunk of their channels have shit movies that are repeated too often and doig pay-per view only runs the cost up. At least you get to own a Blu-ray disc and play it anywhere. Hell you can even rip the blu-ray disc and play it on something that doesn't even have a disc drive.
Of course, if you're happy paying MS for a gold subscription just to play multiplayer games then I suppose splashing out for Sky only seems logical to you.
Your preference for the 360 controller says a lot. ;) I use it but I don't enjoy it. It's not horrible it's just slightly off ergonomically, imo.
No one is saying either system is better. In fact this generation as a whole is pretty dire with a complete lack of innovation and nearly every title being a sequel. Personally I think the PS3 has better exclusive games. Even if the 360 has more exclusives, they're not all titles that are worth much.
The point is that Sony should make their benefits well known. To some people they may not matter much but to some they do and it may make some people pick the PS3 instead.
"If there is a market for a handicap system like the Xbox 360 Arcade then clearly not everyone is rolling in the dough and may want some extra functionality."
I don't know what you mean by this statement. If there is a market for the Arcade and not everyone is rolling in the dough, then surely they can't afford a £250 console, extra functionality or not.
Microsofts idea, I believe, was to offer the basic system for cheap and IF you need Wi-Fi and a HD then you can buy it at a later date. If you don't then why be stung for loads more money for things you don't need like when buying the PS3. Obviously the PS3 is better value in the long run if you want everything the PS3 offers. Any idiot can see that, especially now with the price cut. Even still, for the average Joe, who doesn't necessarily need all the stuff the PS3 offers, the lower priced 360 will look a lot more appealing. That was my original point. Don't get me wrong, you act like I hate all the extra stuff on the PS3, I love it. I just see why the 360 outsells the Playstation, it's cheaper!
"Of course, if you're happy paying MS for a gold subscription just to play multiplayer games then I suppose splashing out for Sky only seems logical to you."
Easy tiger. Yeah, Sky might show a lot of shit over and over but there are usually a couple of films on that I would like to watch and a lot of the times it's a movie that I would probably have never thought to buy on Blu-Ray. Plus I get a lot more HD usage out of my telly than just playing the consoles or watching Blu-Rays. So I don't mind paying for it.
The 360 is near perfect for me, bar the D-Pad. I've never got on with the Dual Shock ever since the very first one. I just hate the sticks. Brilliant pad originally, even if it is just a SNES pad.
Must suck to live in Europe. ;)
Sony should see a modest bump from this price drop, but the recession isn't doing them any favors. It's too late to change this generation's path anyway as consumer attitudes are firmly established and one look at the shelves of big box retailers shows a dwindling PS3/PSP game space to make room for Wii/360 games. Too little, too late to make much of a difference in the end.
The US price listed probably excludes sales tax (VAT), meaning that a fair conversion to UK currency would be in the region of £210 rather than ~£180. £250, however, is undoubtedly disgusting. Looks like imports are the way to go.
Too little, too late. £200 is the sweet spot and they missed it.
and when it hits £200 the goal post moves to £149
as for too little too late, 200M consoles were sold last gen so this war's far from over
Seems Europe is paying for this “price cut”. I’m sorry but the price difference between the US and UK is ridiculous!
Might it be worth buying it on a US site and getting it shipped?
i think US consoles are incompatible with european tvs. They use NTSC (or something like that) and we use PAL. So i would n't imaginethats possible. Be good if it was though. Someone feel free to correct me if i'm, wrong.
100% compatible as long as you use an LCD/Plasma. PS3 is also dual voltage (eventhough not advertised) so it will work on 110v or 220v. I've been using my US PS3 in England and haven't had any issues.
Also, prices in the UK and rest of Europe include the tax whereas in the US it's $299+tax. It doesn't make up the difference but helps explain some of it.
Sony are saying the PS3 is selling well which isn't the case. It lags behind the Wii and the 360 which has been the case since it was launched. I knew the Slim was going to be released at some point, but what does Sony do, 300 Euros equals about £255. In the US, it's going to sell for around $300 which is around £185. Europe always gets skanked. I have a PS2, I'd like to get a PS3, but not for 300 Euros. At this price, I don't think this will boost sales in Europe. Until it sells for under £200, that's when the PS3 will take off. But is it too late? I think it is.
Hmm, it'll be interesting to see how much of a difference this will actually make. And it'll be interesting to see if MS has had something up their sleeve anticipating this move by Sony. Hopefully they cut the Elite to $299 and release a 500 gig 360 for $399. Simple.
Why "hopefully?" Don't you already own a 360?
I should have been more clear. If they introduce a 500 gig 360, that means they'll sell the same HDD separately which means I can upgrade. I'll probably get raped on the price, but at least I'll be able to have all my videos downloaded at the same time. I have about 50 HD UFC fights, 60-ish XBLA games, 4 full 360 games installed on my HDD. 113 gigs isn't enough memory. I'd like 500 but I'd settle for 250 at this point. I just bought an HDD for my PC, 250 gig for 44 bucks...
Do you think a $299 elite would compare favourably with a $299 PS3?
If I were to guess, I think the lower price-point will boost PS3 sales, but lowering the price of the elite while removing the pro will essentially lead to the elite being sold at a price point where a 360 has been available for ages. I think most customers who haven't already invested in a PS3/360 will more or less just see a 360 at the price the 360 has been at for ages, and a newer ps3 at the same price point. This should definitely boost PS3 sales. Whether it reduces 360 sales is the question, in my mind.
So Sony finally knocks the price down to...what it should've been 3 years ago. Woops.
I love this system!
Besides a brilliant new style. Sony's managed a perfect fusion of everything that worked - high prices for Europeans, with everything that didn't work - high prices for Americans.
I agree that this is a game-changer. Come on, Microsoft! Your Move. Let's see a 360 Slim!
heh. a 360 slim? that's like a big 'n taller shopping in the kid's department.
To bad they have no choice.
All "next move" talk aside, there's denying this is the first console in 2 generations that looks like a game system I purchased as a teenager. It really is perfect in every way - right down to the box. This really feels like a new system, & Microsoft will have to answer with something.
So $299 is £180 at the current exchange rate. But then €299 is about £255. Who wants to place bets on which price we'll get!
They sell the consoles cheap in the US and Japan. Europe is just used to top-up profits by skanking us with high prices. £185 for a PS3 Slim in the US, £260 in Europe = big piss take.
If there are 21.3 million PS3s worldwide, and over 10 million of then are in Europe, i dont see how Sony can be so blind as to charge extorsionate prices to the area which buy the most of thier product!
Silly-billys!
€299, fuck that! Sony will need to be given away free blowjobs with the system before i purchase at that price.
What is it with this firm? They never learn!
The system needs to be £150 at minimum. This is old tech we are talking about here, yet Sony will try and convince joe blogs otherwise.
The PS3 will be emulated on PC before i buy it.
It is £150 at minimum.
No, it's not!
Not in the UK anyway.
Amazon are taking pre-orders for £249.
Amazon
They could easily knock these out for £199.99. The first PS3 sells for £279.99 so there's not much of a price drop is there?
Very impressive, good looking box, I'll be looking forward to hearing more. Price seems reasonable too, although I don't think it's enough of a drop in price to satisfy many appetites.
Does this mean that fat ps3's will be gradually phased out now?
How long until Microsoft release a slim version of the elite to compete with it, I wonder!?
I'll give it a bit of time. If there are no heat issue from shrinking the size, I'll grab one.
It seems Sony have finally got their act together, if M$ hasn't got a serious answer to this (and dropping the price of the Elite isn't enough) then i think they might be in deep trouble. I wonder how much it will be in the UK?
I wonder if the hard drive is still removable? I was looking at some better quality images and the section on the bottom right where the HDMI/Blue-Ray logos are looks like it might be removable so the hard drive may be behind that. Also, judging by the two pin power socket on the back it looks like they have kept the power adaptor inside. This seems strange as making it external, like on the PS2 slim and the 360, is a easy way of reducing heat and size.
Yes, the hard drive is still removable.
i'd imagine that if the power consumption is reduced by two thirds, this would also reduce the size of the power adaptor inside. If your going to have power adaptor thats only two third of the size is there any point in having an external one, when it would be so small?
YAY! Although, i'm not rather impressed with the design. But its not about whats outside, but the hardware inside. No mention of backwards compatability though. Tut tut Sony... tut tut.
I wonder why they have removed the ability to install another OS? I guess not many people use it, but then what is to gain from removing it?
I've seen those pictures before! Almost half the price in dollars to euros, although the 360 has more of a hold on the US market so sony need to push harder there. I think they said it has a 120G hard drive so $299 seems pretty good value.
According to Amazon Germany thats about a 50 Euro reduction, assuming similar in the UK that should mean a reduction of £50 to £250. Thats still £50 too much in my opinion, but heading in the right direction.
AAAAHHHHH