Gaming console prices plummet
Sony recently announced that it will reduce the price on all of its PS3 consoles by $100 (R800), and will make its new PS3 Slim console available at $299 (R2 400). Although no official local prices for the upcoming PS3 Slim has yet been announced, Take2.co.za is currently advertising it on pre order for R3 799.
These price reductions seemed to have shaken up the gaming console market with prices plummeting across all gaming consoles. A number of retailers are already featuring Xbox360, PS3 and Wii consoles at considerable discounts.
In the PS3 market, online store Kalahari.net is currently selling the 80GB package for R3 569 including the critically acclaimed PS3 game inFamous. This is significantly lower than the previous PS3 price which hovered around R 5 000.
Dion Wired will be selling the same package, albeit without inFamous, for R2 999 to the first twenty buyers at its new store opening in Pretoria, although the special is valid for tomorrow only. This is one of the cheapest prices a PS3 console has ever retailed for in South Africa.
Local online importer Wantitall has joined the price war and is offering the PS3 160GB package for R3 995 – far lower than the standard pricing which is close to R 6 000.
Xbox 360 packages are being advertised for equally low prices. Dion Wired, in the same special as the PS3, is offering an Xbox 360 Pro package to the first twenty buyers for R2 000. This is roughly R1 500 cheaper than the most recently advertised price.
Similarly, Incredible Connection is advertising the Xbox 360 Elite package with a 120GB hard drive at R3 299, which is around R1 600 cheaper than what local buyers have been paying.
Wii console prices have also been reduced to R3 199 and R2 999 at Incredible Connection and Dion Wired respectively, down from the usual R 3 499.00. This brings the Wii’s pricing closer to its 2007 release price point of R2 799.
A definitive reason for the price drops has not yet been revealed although it almost certainly involves clearing out existing stock before cheaper, updated stock comes through. Nonetheless, local gaming console pricing for the foreseeable future looks to be swaying in the consumers’ favour.
Gaming console pricing discussion
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