Comments on: Sony E3 shockers still coming?

The new PSP GO leaked over the weekend, but a Sony PR rep's twitter post claims Sony still has some E3 surprises up its sleeve.

[baggyguy1218]

PS3 $299!! I am waiting for it....with wallet in hand.

[terminalblue]

keep waiting!

[BCF1968]

Well let's see it's been nealry 2 years since they lowered the price to $400. In those 2 years if you had set aside an extra $4 a month you'd have that extra $100 you need to get a PS3. Couldn't save $4 a month?

[Proud_Geek]

@BCF1968
It's not about saving, it's about paying $400 for a console. Whether or not we pay it all at once, or $4/month for a year, it's still $100 more than we're willing to blow on an entertainment device :)

[Rome]

i'm waiting too lol... my wallet in hand also but i'm a little skeptical now, with xbox 360 getting Metal Gear Solid Rising & FF13 plus this body motion control thing called Project Natal. It picks up 3D movement from a camera, what ever motion u make the character on screen does it, with no controller!!!

[pase121]

and waiting...

[sachinafc2005]

asfdasfasfddasfa

[DannyMD]

Lower the price of the PS3 80G by $100 ($300) introduce the PS3 Slim at the PS3 fat price ($400).

[bobmarleypeople]

Don't forget that (unless I missed something) Sony still loses money on every PS3 console. Unless they can change that, don't expect a price drop any time soon.

[eekitsericc]

good point.

[myles taylor]

Yes, but some recent price drops in a few components should allow them to do that. Also, they make most of the money in accessories I would think.

[ibeetle]

You missed something. Sony's PS3 is now profitable. In fact in Sony's report last month the Playstation division was the only profitable division, pretty much keeping Sony Computers doors open. So, a price cut is doable, probably not going to happen, but it is doable.

Sony is probably going to use the profitablity of the Playstation to shore up as much of the company as possible. Instead of a PS3 price cut look for a game/movie pack in; With the argument being it is like a price cut with the user getting $75 (about the price of a game and a movie) in free software.

[reactor4]

And every single person I know who's owned an XBox 360 has had it fail.. who's really losing money here!

[DrtyDogg]

Mine hasn't.

[ev61]

not everyone's 360 failed, just 26%.

[vr6veedub]

Glad the PS3 Slim is coming. This is no longer a rumor folks. A family member works at NEC and they received the orders from Sony for a large order of chips that will be placed in the new PS3 slim. His fab just received the order just recently. In fact they were slow until Sony placed this huge order

[myles taylor]

Really? Cause my Uncle's step-sister has a son who works for the cousin of a stockholder who heard from his nephew that Sony is releasing a spaceship.........

[DannyMD]

Consoles don't make money. Just like inkjet printers, cellphones and so many other electronic devices. You make money by selling services(subscriptions) and software(games).

[ibeetle]

Tell that to Sony and Nintendo. Nintendo's Wii clears somewhere around $30 per unit and the DS clears around $20 per unit. The Sony Playstation 2 clears about $50 dollars per unit. The PSP is similar to the DS with around $20.
And While Microsoft loses money on the XBox 360 Elite model they do make money from the Arcade Edition.

Make no doubt about it; consoles do make money.

[BCF1968]

Here's the rub. If you assume Sony is still losing $50 per PS3 then a person buying apS3 has to buy 5-6 games for Sony to get that money back. Since Sony only gets $10-$12 per NEW game. If they drop the price $100 then a person has to buy 13-15 games. most peole would take YEARS if ever to buy that many new games. And that's just so Sony can break even. Now if Sony is no longer losing $50 per PS3 then that changes the equation. That $50 loss per console was from Novemebr so that's over 6 months ago. Surely costs have gone down since then.

[tek-ed]

Meh...it's still Sony and they deserve to go down in flames! Sony has proven themselves time and time again that they do not deserve to be a company that manages consumer products based on the arrogant way they treat those who support sony by purchasing their items! One only needs to go back to that RootKit fiasco to understand what Sony thinks of it's customers. Sony is also the primary backer of the RIAA and uses this organization as a strong-arm tactic in order to pump up their revenue. Then with the Blue Ray fight, Sony basically paid off the movie houses in order to get them to make the switch to Blue Ray...so Sony really didn't win, they cheated...and that is how Sony does business...by cheating. I will make every attempt in my day to day life to not only *NOT* ever purchase any sony product, but to also spread the word about Sony's evil empire and attempt to protray Sony in as negative a light as I possibly can!
Ed
web/gadget guru

[CDubber]

Sadly, both Sony AND Microsoft deserve to go down in flames this generation. Which Microsoft is doing quite literally (RROD). I'd love to see Nintendo step into the 21st century with high-def graphics and digital surround sound (oh, and DVD playback would be nice too). I'm glad to see the true innovator (Nintendo) dominating right now, but I still yearn for better graphics and sound.

[myles taylor]

I say that all big companies deserve to go down in flames. But that's not something that should happen. Big companies are greedy and exploit people. Other people exploit the big companies to make money. In the end, they buy stuff and the money goes through the economy. Big deal.

"Big corporations are what they are. They sell us cool stuff with one hand and tighten the screws on our freedoms with the other. We hate them every morning and love them every afternoon, and vice versa. This is part of living in the modern world: you take your yin with your yang and try to figure out how to do what's right the best you can."

[unkonchus]

wow... sounds like there could be more constructive things to do with your time. But maybe your life is really that lame.

[wadah1111]

Ummmm, who else rather than you both care??!!
@unkonchus I totally agree.

[Ulu-Matai]

?web/gadget guru?? ... that?s your sign-off right? You know, like your auto signature under your name? ... to be honest, you sound more like a web/gadget ignoramus! ... seriously, do you think Sony gives a rats @rse that you don?t like them? ... and by the same token, do you think that whom ever you prefer over Sony gives a rats @rse that you?re so passionately anti-Sony? ...

It?s comments like yours that makes wonder whether Global Warming is not actually related to me driving my car but instead a result of morons on this earth taking up and using air that more well balanced people deserve (not for one minute claiming that I?m well balanced ... but at least I?m not basing my life on bringing down a corporation of which my mere existence does not even register!!)

[houghton2588]

How is paying extra money cheating? I do not like sony in any way, but seriously, dont be an idiot about your arguments. They have the money to buy out the competition, so why shouldnt they? It doesnt matter what they do, you have to remember that Sony is a business out to make money, just like everybody else. Say what you want about Microsoft, but they have a better business model then Nintendo or Sony.

[Jawknee1]

You people are morons. All big companies should go down in flames? What about the millions of people and the families who depend on those jobs? Fact is big compaines aren't perfect but they provide a means to live normal life for people and most of the time do more good and provide us with what we want. We need big companies as much a they need us. Get over it you wannbe Marxist *****!

[bearvp]

Yeah, although actual PS3's sold would jump up if there was a $100 price cut, Sony is still losing ~$80-$100 per console right now I believe at the $400 price point. Cutting the price without cutting production costs is a terrible business decision and one that just reeks of desperation. Losing $180-$200 per console is just not financially possible right now for Sony that is billions in the red as is.

[DannyMD]

They need to increase their Games-Per-Console Ratio (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20713). If they do that, they can take the loss. The cost is probably lower right now, and the PS3 slim should cost less to produce, so they take money from Slim sales to subsidize the Fat older models and increase their presence in the market and game sales, in the last run they will win the war, just like they did with the PS2.

[CDubber]

I'd love to have a good reason to go buy a PS3. A price drop would help. I love my Wii, but a more "serious" console would be a nice addition to my collection, and I'm not going with the RROD King.

[MasterEvc]

Ive had the "RROD King" since day one with no RROD's whatsoever, Im still using my original console.

if you want a more serious console a 360 is >>> PoS3, more games, better games, more online players, more online content. Sony is just trying to copy it like they do with everything else that they make.

[Zoobie]

@MasterEvc
Your lone experience with RROD doesn't change the fact that the 360 has a tremendously high failure rate. It's great your experience has been positive, but millions of others who have been burned only wish their hardware worked as well as yours.

[wadah1111]

Either you were lucky, or you were keeping it safe.

[tmt345]

@MasterEvc "more games, better games, more online players, more online content"

The PS3 has way more AAA games than the 360, and it actually has a 2009 lineup. Some ALREADY RELEASED games are: Little Big Planet, Resistance 1&2, MGS4, Heavenly Sword, White Knite Chronicles, Infamous, Killzone 2, Motorstorm 1&2, Ratchet and Clank Future, Wipeout HD, Flower, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, MLB 09 The Show, Uncharted: Drakes Fortune, and all those are just at the top of my head. Those are all AAA games too. Your living in 2007, the times have switched, now the 360 has no games just your precious Halo and Gears of War. And most of your "exclusives" are fake, you can get them on the PC. Heres some of the upcoming PS3 games off the top of my head GOWIII, GT5, Uncharted 2, Heavy Rain, Yakuza 3, Ratchet and Clank 2, Afrika, MAG (massive action game) Final Fantasy 13 Versus (stated by devs as the superior FF game to FF13), again theres more but those are just off the top of my head and they are all AAA. The 360's graphics are really really dated now too, they were surpassed with Uncharted: Drakes Fortune (2007). As for online PSN is not much worse if not equal to Xbox Live now, and by the firmware 3.0 it will have surpassed it. Its FREE anyway. PSN has a better selection of exclusive games and movies anyway. PSN is just lacking a couple bells and whistles of Xbox Live. And the online content thing, DLC? Yeah, thats the only thing Microsh*t is giving you guys the days huh? Must feel bad. And don't you dare throw sales numbers in my face, I could care less anyways. As long as I'm getting all these great games. Devs are moving more and more towards PS3. For one example would be capcom. PS3 was their top system in terms of sales and now are focusing more on PS3. PS3 sold the same as the 360 in 2008 (and sold more than the 360 in '07) anyways and Microsoft only releases shipped numbers so their sales are even lower. Their sales don't include 360 owners who got RROD or the new E74 error and are out of the 3 year warrenty or don't feel like waiting. Just because you didn't get RROD doesn't mean it doesn't exist, the 360 still has about a 20% failure rate. The 360 is made out of cheap materials thats why it has RROD. Its 2009 now, and Microsoft just had a disappointing E3, all they did was show off a motion controller and some multiplatform games and only one exciting exclusive (Alan Wait).

[gnesterenko]

Actually I read recently that the PS3 is no longer loosing AS much per unit due to, as you said, cuts in production costs. Think about it: software emulation - gone; emotion (hardware) emulator - gone; 4USB ports - gone. Not to mention the fact that the GPU used is no longer top of the line and expensive, and the cell processor is pretty much fab tech, so that costs far less. Overall, I don't remember the exact numbers, but I believe it was either breaking even or maybe loosing $20-$30 / console. This money is quickly made up through 2 purchases of additional controllers by the purchaser, never mind the services/games.

The reason they are in the red is that the PS3 is not selling well enough for them to make back dough via games/peripherals. But with that in mind, the PS3, in the eyes of Sony, is a system still early in the product life cycle - still adoption stage to be exact - meaning that they are planning to milk it for at least another 5 years. It doesn't have to be profitable now - it has to be profitable over its life cycle. And when you consider the fact that a large part of the cost - the Cell processor - is being used in other Sony products, not just the PS3, that cost will be amortized over many product categories, not just the PS3. What Sony is seeing is that the PS3 is not being adopted fast enough. So here comes the "slim" PS3, with functionailiy gimped yet again I'm sure, and hopefully a price cut ont he regular PS3 to speed up the adoption. THe $300 price point is something they are aware of and also aware of how popular it would be were it to hit that price point. I would argue that currently, Sony doesn't WANT it to sell so fast, as it would reduce the product life cycle beyond what they have planned for. In other words, I predict a price drop to $350 or so, possibly with some promotional deals and re-bates, one could get lucky and score a PS3 for closer to $300. We'll see.

Now to point out a little-known fact, Sony has already dropped the PS3 price to about $250 - sort of. If you google "Sony Credit Card PS3", you'll find that if you have good credit and apply for a Sony credit card (and are approved), you will recieve a $150 credit towards the purchase of a PS3. Personally, I don't need another credit card (or a PS3 for that matter - PC gaming 4ever!), however if youare dying to get one, this is an option to consider.

"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."

[XiroMisho]

I can honestly say, my brother being a PSP owner, and me and my wife at one point owning one as well, I cannot condone the purchase of this device here...

First off, the peripherals Sony released were downright pretentious. When I say this I mean giving the PSP more credit than it deserved. IE: Games do not work on the TV out for the PSP - only movies... why don't games work? Oh, the games need to be on an HD set - so for games I'd need the HD component connectors... I'm sorry sony but if that PSP displays more than 720p I'll not only be shocked, I'll buy you a coke because the same EXACT screen shows UMD movies without any loss in quality (if anything they are clearer than the games....)

As for the ENTIRE design of the PSP Go! I need to say one thing. Fail.

A slide out screen and keyboard.... why? Seriously. Why. Why was that nessicary? Is the screen touch? No? Then why? No, I want an answer - having the control pads UNDER the screen only serves no purpose. That's why required the complex slide-out screen...?? Not touch... you really wanted to put the controls UNDER the screen? Do we get a bigger screen for this sacrifice? No? A SMALLER screen? so... the only advantage over the DS is gone. Right. Also we've got bluetooth. Last I checked, PSP didn't support internet gaming - I'd like to see this I guess - but currently no. Sure, I guess a BT headset would be nice to connect to the lil' guy, but again, a nice lil' techie Gimmick, but we still haven't solved the things the users actually have complained about with the PSP...

And now we come across the biggest issue. Any previous owner of a PSP now need to keep their old one. Because Sony = Morons.

A PSP owner, who currently owns an PSP 1k,2k, or 3k has no incentive to get this. Only new users. That means this is going to be, a complete, FLOP. The idea of a hardware revamp is that you're going to want to get people with old hardware to UPGRADE. Why would you upgrade from a regular PSP to this one? You feel like making an entire library of games obsolete? I guess you'd have to... is Sony selling something to provide a way to take UMD's and x-fer them to files for the PSP Go! - wait... hold on. The idea of that innovative and customer friendly idea... I'm thinking of another company, not Sony.

I own a PS3... it sits in my entertainment center and collects dust. The only purpose is now serves is a blu-ray player, and a media extender... a poor one at that due to the difficulty of setting it up. (needed to download and run third party software, WMP11 method of library sharing never worked.) I do NOT own an Xbox360... I refuse to... despite the consistent incentives to get an Xbox360... I am a Sony/Nintendo guy... recently more Nintendo.

Maybe, in a far fetched method and diehard fan-base that has money to burn and true faith in a product, the PSP Go! will prevail. however I still feel that the PSP Go! will follow with it's name sake. And Go away quickly.

Ugliest, Dumbest, most pitiful design of a portable gaming unit I have ever laid my eyes on...

[BCF1968]

"A PSP owner, who currently owns an PSP 1k,2k, or 3k has no incentive to get this. Only new users. That means this is going to be, a complete, FLOP. The idea of a hardware revamp is that you're going to want to get people with old hardware to UPGRADE. "

A) Number of people that don't own any kind of PSP > PSP owners.

"Why would you upgrade from a regular PSP to this one? You feel like making an entire library of games obsolete? I guess you'd have to..["

B) how is it obsolete? The DSi doens't have the GB Advance port the DS has. It's selling pretty well I hear.

."is Sony selling something to provide a way to take UMD's and x-fer them to files for the PSP Go! - wait... hold on. The idea of that innovative and customer friendly idea... I'm thinking of another company, not Sony."

Why should they? Did a person that bought a vinyl ablum in the 1960's get the cassette version for FREE in the 1970's? No. Did they get the CD version for FREE in the 1980's because they bought the album? No. If you bought a movie on VHS did you get the DVD version for free? No. Did you ge the blu-ray version for free? No. Nor should you.

No one is FORCING you to buy this thing. Nor is Sony discontinuing the PSP-3000. So people have a choice. If you like UMD then keep your old PSP or buy a PSP-3000. How is someone like me buying the PSP-Go hurting you? It's not. So why so angry? It's MY choice. If it means I miss out on some UMD games then oh well I know that going in.

I don't get people sometimes. The angriest one's are ones that already own the system and shouldn't even be affected.

[XiroMisho]

@BCF

"B) how is it obsolete? The DSi doens't have the GB Advance port the DS has. It's selling pretty well I hear. "
Yes, they got rid of the GBA port - This is the equivalent of getting rid of the DS Slot on the DS... the GBA was rarely used at this rate, and they added the SD-Slot.

But fine - to each their own - When it fails don't be shocked. As far as the PSP Go! keep it, when the slid-out screen gets wobbly from constant use, don't complain about it to Sony - you know they won't care.

[ajalogan]

it better be a price drop. I have a Wii and I'm tired of the kiddie games that keep coming out for it. If I had my choice between the other two, I would take Sony because of the games it has and free online, but if it's still 100 dollars more than 360... well that's about two years of xbox live and they are getting FFXIII. By the end of tomorrow I'll know who's getting my buisness.

[BCF1968]

Let's see PS3 $400, Xbox 360 Elite $400. Where is this $100 difference?

[myles taylor]

I might purchase a PS3 if the price was lowered. I currently use my 360 as a media center but it annoys me. Lower price and I'll start to think about using a PS3 instead.

[hansello]

lot of negativity here for Sony. Shame really as all my experiances have been great with both the PS3 and it's little cousin.

I've played Uncharted: Drake's Fortune 4 times and have collected all the trophies. This is by far one of the funnest games I've played since Resi 4. I'm now working my way through inFAMOUS.

E3 is probably going to provide info on Heavy Rain, Uncharted 2, MAG, God of War 3 and the holiest of holy grails, Team Ico's latest offering.... maybe titled Project Trico?

Sony's AAA list is going to impress and will leave Xbox owners salivinating. With Batman: Arkham Asylum about to dominate summer releases, and the Sony version having an exclusive playable Joker, Sony is really starting to find it's place as the upcoming console of choice for serious gamers.

Both Sony and microsoft are going after the Wii, and I'm expecting both to provide info on new motion sensors.

This years E3 is probably going to be the most exciting yet.

[dannywik7467]

May want to check your facts before spouting a list of AAA games considering 360 is also getting Batman: AA

[BCF1968]

I predict a price drop of 160 GB version to $429 80 GB version to $349. I also predict people will gripe this isn't enough of a price drop.

I predict PS3 Slim sighting at E3. Goes on sale in early November for $349 the 80 GB currently sells for.

[knightspawn]

The only part of the "Playstation Division" that makes good money for Sony is the one that sells PS2 and PSP consoles. The PS2 still sells almost as many units as the Wii, and the PSP is almost competition for the DS - some weeks it even edges out the DS (if only by a slight margin) because of PSP exclusive games.

In fact, the reason the PS3 still lags behind the X360 and Wii is a reason that is easily measured. Just count the number of games. In fact, that is probably the easiest way to determine how well a console is performing - count the number of games published for the console.

If you take a look at consoles past, you'll see that at the heyday of each console, it most likely had more games than the consoles it was competing with. The PS3 and PSP each have less games available than their respective competitors. Look for an RPG on the PS3, and you'll come up with a list of less than 15 games, of which maybe a quarter are PS3 exclusives. Count the number of PS2 RPGs, and you'll be closer to 10 times that amount. Look at the number of games in each genre, for each system out right now, and the PS3 and PSP each have maybe 5-10 games per genre, while X360 has 15-20 per genre.

Of course, the Wii has the highest percentage of shovel-ware, but when the primary gimick for selling the games is being able to flail one's arms and legs about, or wiggle while standing on a complex scale, it would seem that anything can be sold as a game. Even looking at the mobile phone gaming platform, if you count the number of games Nokia was able to put on the ill-fated nGage, and compare that to the number of games now available on the iPhone, it's clear to see why the iPhone has become a respected gaming platform and the nGage is relegated to laughing fits amongst gaming historians.

Even though I own and stand by my first generation PS3 (that thankfully plays my large library of PS2 games), I think that the PS3 will not gain ground against it's rivals until Sony is able to increase the number of games being developed for it (either exclusive titles, or just regular games).

It still doesn't matter how powerful the console is, or what extra features it has, it only matters if there are games to play on it. Sony needs to announce a big list of games being released ASAP, or the PS3 will continue to have trouble in the market.

[vr6veedub]

"by myles taylor June 1, 2009 10:41 AM PDT
Really? Cause my Uncle's step-sister has a son who works for the cousin of a stockholder who heard from his nephew that Sony is releasing a spaceship........."

Wow, it's amazing how dumb people make themselves look. Do your research before you talk. Let me guess you thought Sony made all their own hardware right? So what fab am I talking about, look up NEC in Roseville, CA. NEC has made chips for other game platforms as well. The order is in, there is no doubt about it.

[BIGELLOW]

He's not saying that you don't sound legit. He's saying that no matter how legit you APPEAR to be, nobody knows you. You're a complete stranger. You could be a compulsive liar who uses the Internet as an outlet. So, without a reputable source of information, nothing you say is going to matter... true or not.

[Haroon_Aslam]

If Metal Gear Solid: Rising is exclusive to Microsoft, Kojima has delivered the most disloyal and disgusting back stab of the century. Its like Nick Carter leaving the Backstreet Boys to go sing for N'sync. Unacceptable.

[dannywik7467]

Did you honestly compare the 360 and PS3 to NSync and the Backstreet boys? At least if you're going to use an analogy of laughable proportions, make it somewhat current.

[tae27]

lmao... or justin timberlake going to backstreet boys

[szeck87]

I would expect a $100 price drop for the PS3 right now, just so they can move more units and make way for the slim edition that will make way this fall.

Keep in mind of what you are getting with the PS3 though. You get built-in wi-fi, the official XBox accessory wireless adapter costs $100, which would already equal the price of the PS3 for the Pro bundle. It also comes with a blu-ray player, which if you configure correctly is one of the best out there. It comes with built-in bluetooth, so you can use any bluetooth accessory including headsets. So all-in-all you do get a good value with the PS3, even at $400.

[DrtyDogg]

But I don't use wi-fi for gaming, and now I can stream 1080P movies.

[BCF1968]

"prisoner sentence reduction credits"

if youre refering to the XBOX 360. Well that's great IF you have access to broadband. Many people like some of my firends don't. No wait you need at least 8 Mbps broadband. So that also rules out at least half of those with broadband anyways. Also a 1080p stream at 8 Mbps would be 7 GB for a 2 hour movie. Even people with 8 Mbps or greater broadband many have CAPS which would prevent them from doing this too often. I mean Time Warner wants maximum cap of 40 GB for a month. So that stream is eating over 1/6 of your cap.

[megustansalchichas]

Yes, the PS3 is a good value at $400 if you've already got a bluetooth whatever and want to watch blu-ray movies and have your wireless somewhere else in the house. I have none of these things, so the only thing I would use the PS3 for is to play a game on my TV. for that, it is not worth $400. They packed it full of nuts so it really satisfies, but i'm not buying nuts. i just want to play my existing god of war games and the new one when it comes out (and grand turismo, etc). i guess i have no reason to buy this until god of war 3 comes out, and even then i'll have to think twice unless it's priced at $299.

[reactor4]

If you look at the failure rate on the Xbox 360, I would bet that MS is losing more that $40 on every XBox360. Every single person I know who has a Xbox360 has had a least one failure. Most of them have had more than one. You just don't hear about the PS3 failing. Now i know MS replaces them but they have to be losing so much money.