‘Bring it on’ says Nintendo and Microsoft
Sony PS3 Price Cut
Sony has announced that it will cut the price of its Playstation 3 by US 100-00, and introduce a new 80 GB PS3 which will retail for US 599-00.
The PS3 with a 60-gigabyte hard drive will sell for US 499, which should assist in doubling sales of Sony’s gaming console. The new 80 GB model will go on sale in August for US 599.
So far Sony has been struggling to keep up with Nintendo’s Wii, which according to the latest figures sold six times as many consoles in Japan than the Playstation 3.
Sony however says that it is still early days, and Jack Tretton, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America in Foster City, is quoted by the The Mercury News as saying that "We have to remind ourselves we're in the first year of the PlayStation 3. If we are playing poker, we are just turning over the first card."
Competition downplays price cut
Microsoft and Nintendo have downplayed Sony’s latest announcement of a price cut and the introduction of another PS3 model.
Microsoft’s David Hufford says that his company wasn't concerned about a Sony price cut, especially since they can not compete with the Xbox 360 in the games arena. "If you don't have the games, you have to worry about price. We have the games," he told The Mercury News.
Nintendo also does not seem very concerned about Sony’s $ 100-00 price cut. George Harrison, senior vice president of communications for Nintendo of America, is quoted as saying that "A $100 price drop won't make a difference. Can Sony afford a $200 price drop? I don't think so."
The Wii is around half the price of a Sony Playstation 3, and despite the PS3 sporting superior technology, gaming enthusiast find the Wii a better buy.
Only time will tell whether the Playstation 3 can live up to the high standard set by its predecessor. What is certain is that Sony will have to pull out all stops if it wants to outsell the Wii and the Xbox 360.
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