Except you can't buy a 20GB PS3 in the US anymore.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3160032
In the format war between HD-DVD and Blu-ray, PlayStation 3's been commonly seen as a trojan horse to introduce Sony's proprietary format at a price cheaper than stand-alone players. Actual Blu-ray players at PS3's launch were roughly $1,000, making PS3 an incredibly attractive option to technophiles and early adopter gamers alike.
That's no longer an advantage for the PS3, however, as Sony announced this week (via boston.com) they are shipping a $499 Blu-ray player to retailers this week, $100 less than PS3. Sony originally announced the player at a $599 price point, the same as the current 60GB PS3 SKU, but has slashed its price at the last second.
1UP contacted Sony Computer Entertainment America about what impact this will have on PS3 going forward, with the company quickly comparing the situation to DVD. Senior Director of Corporate Communications Dave Karraker told 1UP:
"We think Blu-ray is the superior next-generation format, which is why we included the technology in the PS3. We do not believe that this new product will negatively impact PS3 sales. This situation is very similar to what happened with DVD, when standalone DVD players and the PS2 simultaneously experienced significant growth in the market. This new Blu-ray player gives consumers yet another option and we believe they will choose a system based on what best suits their needs."
Comparing mass market Blu-ray players to mass market DVD players, however, yields significant differences, given their time periods. As of this week, the cheapest Blu-ray player will soon be $499 vs. PS3 at $599 -- Sony dropped the $499 20GB SKU in April. So far, Sony has given no indication they'll introduce a price drop in 2007, yet around the launch of PlayStation 2 in October 2000 reports signaled the release of sub-$100 DVD players at Wal-Mart. PS2 launched at $299, meaning DVD players at less than half the price of a PS2 were available. That is not the case with PS3, Blu-ray.
Sony blamed sluggish hardware sales in April on a lack of software -- will losing a price edge on Blu-ray have an impact, too?
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3160032
In the format war between HD-DVD and Blu-ray, PlayStation 3's been commonly seen as a trojan horse to introduce Sony's proprietary format at a price cheaper than stand-alone players. Actual Blu-ray players at PS3's launch were roughly $1,000, making PS3 an incredibly attractive option to technophiles and early adopter gamers alike.
That's no longer an advantage for the PS3, however, as Sony announced this week (via boston.com) they are shipping a $499 Blu-ray player to retailers this week, $100 less than PS3. Sony originally announced the player at a $599 price point, the same as the current 60GB PS3 SKU, but has slashed its price at the last second.
1UP contacted Sony Computer Entertainment America about what impact this will have on PS3 going forward, with the company quickly comparing the situation to DVD. Senior Director of Corporate Communications Dave Karraker told 1UP:
"We think Blu-ray is the superior next-generation format, which is why we included the technology in the PS3. We do not believe that this new product will negatively impact PS3 sales. This situation is very similar to what happened with DVD, when standalone DVD players and the PS2 simultaneously experienced significant growth in the market. This new Blu-ray player gives consumers yet another option and we believe they will choose a system based on what best suits their needs."
Comparing mass market Blu-ray players to mass market DVD players, however, yields significant differences, given their time periods. As of this week, the cheapest Blu-ray player will soon be $499 vs. PS3 at $599 -- Sony dropped the $499 20GB SKU in April. So far, Sony has given no indication they'll introduce a price drop in 2007, yet around the launch of PlayStation 2 in October 2000 reports signaled the release of sub-$100 DVD players at Wal-Mart. PS2 launched at $299, meaning DVD players at less than half the price of a PS2 were available. That is not the case with PS3, Blu-ray.
Sony blamed sluggish hardware sales in April on a lack of software -- will losing a price edge on Blu-ray have an impact, too?
