Rumor: Sony PlayStation announcement 'imminent'

Price cut coming: maybe--maybe not.

(Credit: Sony)

The rumors are flying about a possible big Sony PlayStation announcement for Tuesday. The only problem is no one is sure what the announcement involves, with speculation running from a PS3 price drop to a PS2 price drop to something about God of War 3.

Anyway, the original rumor came from an Australian publication, Smarthouse, but Kotaku says it's gotten word directly from Sony that an announcement is "imminent."

Furthermore, Kotaku thinks that we're looking at a PS2 price drop to $99.99, not the much-hoped-for PS3 price drop to $299.99. Joystiq concurs with a source at K-Mart saying the cut is coming April 5. How anticlimactic would that be?

So, what do you think Sony's announcing (if indeed, there really is an announcement forthcoming)?

Update: According to Joystiq, Sony is calling the rumors of a PS3 price drop totally false. However, it didn't deny rumors of a PS2 price chop (but who really cares, right?).

(Source: Smarthouse via 1up via Joystiq, Kotaku)

[mattharms]

If they drop the PS3 to $300, I'm buying one tomorrow. Simple as that.

[mdub311]

You can already buy one today for $300. If you apply for the Sony Credit Card through Sony Style, you can get $100 back on your purchase. I bought mine in December through Dell. Dell has really great deals now and then that drop the price down to $330 with coupon codes. Keep your eye at Deal Catcher.com. Great deals can be had if you're not a lazy shopper.

[paulimusmaximus]

@mdub311

A lot of people don't want another credit card. And with dell you have to pay shipping AND sales tax, so it's more like $350.

[BCF1968]

A PS2 price cut to $99 is LONG overdue by at least 2 years. In fact it should be $79 now. However if that's the "big" news that's lame. Who actually cares about that? Yeah it's nice for people still interested in getting a PS2 but it's not "big" news. Wow a 10 year old console got a price cut after 4 years! Yippie!

PS2 price cut, PS3 price cut, offical announcement of the PSP2. Now all those combined WOULD be BIG news.

[Kev_Orng]

I had to check the date on this article. I bought my PS2 from a reputable retailer, brand new in the box, unopened, in October 2007 for $99 Canadian dollars.

I was thinking about buying a used PS2 for $99, and the clerk said, don't buy that, Sony just dropped the new ones to $99, and I said, SOLD! and bought it on the spot.

Did you all miss something, or was my friendly neighbourhood Game store girl on her final day of work? Or was the game store chain cutting the price themselves so they could be rid of them?

[theoboley]

All 3, along with a possible release date announcement for GoW3 would be nice.

[BCF1968]

re:Kev_Orng

The PS2 has been $129 for years at least in the US. So yes you got a deal.

[sjschaef]

The price drop would be nice.. I have been waiting for one to buy it.. mostly as a Blu-Ray Player that is firmware upgradeable as well as the online content.. and the gaming is a bonus...

Lucky for me I noticed that Sony had a promo on their website two weeks ago.. if you get the Sony Card you get $200 off a purchase of $349 or more and no interest/payments for 12 months and free shipping. I got the card and I have until April 15 to use it. Regardless of the price drop, I am going to use it to get either just a PS3 (no price drop) or a PS3 and a controller (with price drop).

[clsmithj]

They're discontinuing the PlayStation 3, wow.

[Toulinwoek]

I don't know about "tomorrow", but if the PS3 drops to $300 (which is all it should have cost to begin with), I MIGHT think about thinking about buying one. I'm really not a big fan of Sony as a company, but I would give it a bit of consideration at that price.

[BCF1968]

You realize that when it first came out it cost $850 to make. So to say it "should" have only cost $300 to begin with is complete ignorance. As of a few months ago it still cost $450 to make a $400 PS3. So even if lowering the price to $300 means an extra 2 million PS3s get sold that means $300 million in losses on those 2 million not to mention an extra $400 million on the 4 million they would have sold anyways. Also add in the original $200 million in loses that $4 million $400 PS3s would lose. So a $100 price cut would cost Sony close to $1 billion. Sony only makes $10-$12 on each game sold so unless those 8 million PS3 buyers plan on buying 10-12 games each in the next year Sony is better off keeping the price high.

[thegovnor]

If they drop it to $300. I will buy one shortly after, simple as that.

[web-design-addict]

If they finally drop that damn price, i'm getting one. Simple as that.

[chrkeller]

Wow, I thought the ps3 was a steal at $400. An excellent high-end game machine with Metal Gear, Ratchet, Uncharted, Little Big Planet, Resistance and many other fantastic game. Built-in wifi, 80 gig HD and a fantastic bluray player. At $300 I'd consider getting a second one just for upstairs as a bluray player. It has storage space for BD Live and can update wireless. Hell most stand alone players are missing those features out of the box and cost $300. As a 360 owner I always so value in the ps3, the 360 is $300 without wifi, bluray and smaller HD.

[roachbrain]

You thought right, PS3 is a great deal. It's just human nature to want things to cater to there whim. If the PS3 were 300 they would bit@# that it should be 200. The thing is most would go out and buy 360 for 200 because it's a better deal then spend over 200 in accessories. I'm very happy with my PS3 and it was worth every penny.

[scrawledinwax]

The announcement itself isn't a rumour - Sony PR contacted Kotaku themselves to let them know something was going to be announced. And yeah, the $99 PS2 seems a safe bet. I wouldn't expect a PS3 price cut until E3 at the earliest.

[Go_Bruins]

I think if they bundled a PS3 and PS2 for $299 I would buy the package, stick the PS3 in the closet or loan it out to a friend without a standalone BluRay and use the PS2 at the family cabin. Tons of cool cheap games for the PS2. A neighbor loaned me his PS3 last year and it has put out some really nice looking games with smooth animations but the amount of integrated cinematics was too cumbersome for me to enjoy the campaign. Maybe I played the wrong games but the on-line multi-player action didn't compare to my other consoles.

[ywkhgqo]

a PS2 and a PS3 for only 300 dollars? you're truely just being outrageous.

[technologyRules]

Go buy it now for $100 off through the Sony store online - why wait?

[LOGANslade]

*** is up with everyone sayin--simple as that.

[iroq321]

people like the term "simple as that". simple as that.

[Kev_Orng]

There are more important things to worry about, like ppl who typ in txt spk when they don't have to. Worse than those all-caps maniacs.

*** is okay though.

[tazito78]

Sony cannot afford to discontinue the PS3. Simple as that!!!

[aka_tripleB]

Sony will be announcing they are discontinuing their gaming devision, but will be looking for a buyer that will pay an insanely high price. After not finding anyone who would pay enough for it, they just drop it because they're not about to let someone profit off of their hard work.

But if it is only a price drop, I still won't buy unless it has all the features the system had when it first came out. Or if it drops to $150, otherwise I don't feel that it would be worth it.

[Chapmaniac]

They're going to make them in white - in the hopes people will think they're buying a 360.

[celticbrewer]

I believe you mean "Wii". No one in their right mind would buy a 360... unless they already have games for the 360 due to their last console dying. Every 360 owner I know is on their 2nd to 4th machine with the previous ones in the trash.

[Grifter02]

celticbrewer:

Everyone you know must be pretty dumb if they threw out their systems instead of having them replaced through warranty.

[grilledcharlie]

@ celticbrewer

I know 2 people who got the rrod, and ms sent them boxes to ship them in, and had them fixed and returned within a week at no charge. Sure rrod WAS a big problem for a long time, but ms has taken care of that hardware issue in all the new systems produced.
Everyone seems to forget about the CD READ ERROR that the PS2 had for 2 years when it first came out, and Sony did not acknowledge it. It was a big enough problem that they did a special on in on G4 to actually show you how to fix it by taking your PS2 apart and adjusting a white gear deep inside the PS2. The CD READ ERROR and Sony's denial of the problem was actually the very thing that drove me to buy the original XBOX.

[whoadude1]

celtic.....*** are you smokin? "because they threw them in the trash"?
anyone in their right mind would call MSFT and complain if needed, and get the warranty. Ill be the first to admit, im on number 6 360, this one an elite, with no problems on it yet.

ill also say i havent paid a DIME for repair for ANY of them, so your comment in other words is as ridiculous as saying the PScrap is a better machine. gimme live, achievements, friends and the EXCLUSIVES, any day of the week.

Sony needs to drop out of the console market, and go back to making out of date stereo equipment. theyve lost their exclusives and dont deserve the time im spending here. OUT

[paulimusmaximus]

@celticbrewer

Since your friends are obviously rich, since they can easily dispose of 3 or 4 xboxs, the cost of another one should be no big deal.

I had to get my xbox 360 fixed. It took a week, and they sent me a free month of xbox live. No big deal. And the only person I know that even owns a ps3 had his break about a month after he got it, and he had to take it to get fixed too.

[theoboley]

@GrilledCharlie

Yes, Because G4 did a special on it, It MUST have been a huge problem.... NO where near the scale of the RRoD.

[grilledcharlie]

@ theoboley
First of all, if you don't consider G4 to be a major contributor in the tech industry, then you are just plain ignorant. Secondly, I agree that rrod is a bigger issue, however I was alluding to the fact that Sony acted like the PS2's "CD READ ERROR" wasn't a problem. When the special came on G4, I was on my 3rd PS2 that I had to pay for. At least MS acknowledges the issue and fixes it at no cost.

[tazito78]

Dude, that is so true, I love my xbox360 but I'm on my 7th one since it came out, Microsoft even gave me free games on the 5th time I called with rrod, yeah they replace it but you get tired of it, the first year after i got it I replace it 3 times then I got another one and same stuff happened. Sony It's going to drop the price because they have no choice and they have to compete, the PS3 it's a really good system but Sony is lacking games right now, and for $399.99 you are getting a BR and a gaming system, that's not bad at all but Microsoft it's killing sony with the xbox360 prices, people can get one for $200.00 and start playing, yeah it's the lowest one but with a economy this bad right now no one want's to front $400.00 for a gaming sys. When I got my PS3 I was happy but then I was saying to my self "where are the games?" .

[viper396]

@celticbrewer. You're making up stories just to fix your argument. It's doubtful that you know very many people or that all of them actually threw their 360's into the trash. Your a fool for thinking someone would believe you.

[epross]

Xbox 360 Elite costs $399 so why would Sony cut the price of the PS3? The PS3 does more than the Elite does (although the differences are minor based on pure gaming features.) Sure Sony should have built a version without Blu-ray that was cheaper (such as 360 Arcade), but they can't now as there would be no way to load BR disc based games -- unless they are going to sell full games thru PSN - wouldn't that take forever to download on a slow connection?
Maybe they are going to sell a PS3 without blu-ray and then sell an external plug-in BR drive for people who want blu-ray -- then the price would probably be more than the current rig so what's the point -- aside from marketing strategy to say they have a sub $300 product.

I use my PS3 50/50 as a game player/blu-ray player so for me, the PS3 is still a good value even with the price of stand-alone Blu-ray players coming down since they can't play games like the PS3 can.

[aka_tripleB]

Sony has made too big of a deal that their system has Blu-ray to even consider dropping it. If they do, they might as well just end their gaming devision. There wouldn't be any reason to buy a PS3 seems how they have lost most of their exclusive titles.

[djstewpac]

if you're lucky enough to find a radioshack that still has an elite in stock, they've clearenced it down to 349.97...

[1eye1]

I'm thinking the announcement is related to the PS3. Unfortunately, a price cut will be seen as Sony's admission that their whole value argument was BS (it will also be seen as a panic driven move, "we are losing badly and we better do something before we pull a SEGA"). Since they don't want to upset the people that already bought a PS3 (or destroy the illussion of value that they have created), the price will go up $$$, but to increase VALUE, they will include a $99 discount on any Sony HDTV or a $99 subscription to the new Sony Premium Online Service.

[kelmon]

Well, let's be honest here - money is worth more today than it was last year so people are less prepared to make big purchases. I certainly don't see demand for a PS3 increasing before the economy improves and people feel more confident unless they substitute the PS3 for "going out" (and even then there are cheaper alternatives). Dropping the price of the PS3 would be a sensible move, as long as it makes business sense to Sony.

[3rdalbum]

Sony should announce that they will be stopping production of the PS2 and that they will not be licensing any new PS2 games (that aren't already in production). Honestly, it's a 10 year old console, hopelessly outdated, and it's probably hindering adoption of the PS3 as PS2 owners are still getting new games. If they have their flow of new games stopped, they buy a PS3.

That is, unless Sony is going after Atari's record for "longest period of software support for a games console".

[Kev_Orng]

For what it's worth, my wife was seriously disappointed with the PS2 port of the new Tomb Raider game. After an hour or two, she was wondering out loud about the price of a PS3.

[nismo2nr]

The PS2 is still selling strong for them, and they are making profits on it. Discontinuing it will be bad for business.

IF they do stop PS2 production, they are not guaranteed that potential buyers will automatically go with the PS3.

[QMT]

PS2 end-of-life is very likely for tomorrow. But it will backfire.
Nobody is going to run out an buy a $400 PS3 that won't play PS2 games, when the PS2 itself can be had for a mere Benjamin, and suddenly ceasing PS2 licensing after the seventeen people who don't have one already finally get one is just suicide.

At the very least, we've got about five years of FIFA games left for PS2.

[Eludium-Q36]

A price drop would be welcome, but something worthy of an "announcement" would be a much smaller form factor. This console is a beast, if they can reduce the size by 1/3 to 1/2 that would be great. Couple that with a price cut and it'll sell like it was from Apple.

[nismo2nr]

The console is not that big when you see what's in it. You certainly can't compare it to the Xbox 360. The 360 has an external power brick and the ps3 has its power source built in. Plus the PS3 is too young to see that kind of design change. Once they get costs down by further reducing processor size and power consumption, it may be possible. However I am not sure if Sony will actually make a miniature PS3.

[ccmike72]

what are you doing with your consoles that has you so concerned with their size. It could be the size of a smart car and I still wouldn't care... okay maybe too far but seriously its not a portable so who really needs the system to be made smaller.

[paulimusmaximus]

Maybe they will announce they are buying Apple. Then they can rename it the iPS3 or the iGamer3. It will make your 50" HDTV a touch screen, and will sell for $3000, and then everyone will want it. Of course it won't come with a blu ray player anymore, because you will have to buy all your games from the app store...

[viper396]

@nismo2nr. Thinking back to all the critisizm Sony fanboys used to make about the size of the Original XBox 1, these attempts at trying to justify the size of the PS3 is pure hypocricy.

[Stormspace]

I bought an Xbox Arcade and used an offer from MS for a 20.00 20GB hardrive. Sure it's not an Elite, but it was way affordable.

[djson1]

why would a price drop to the PS2 be big announcement news?? I'm surprised if it's already not at $99! Is there anybody still wanting to buy the PS2?? I think if it is supposed to be an "announcement" it should be the price drop to the PS3 or maybe even....a slimmer version of the PS3?? I hope!