Sony's coherent marketing strategy

[Game_boy]

Sony Playstation 3 SKUs and Pricing by Region Full: CPU and GPU compatibility with PS2 games. PS games mostly supported. Some: GPU compatibility with PS2 games, with imperfect software CPU emulation. PS games mostly supported. None: No compatibility with PS2 games. PS games mostly supported.
Date	NTSC (USD)	NTSC-J (JPY)	PAL (GBP)
November 2006 -	60GB Full $600 20GB Full $500	60GB Full $511 20GB Full $425	None -
April 2007 -	60GB Full $600 -	60GB Full $511 20GB Full $425	60GB Some $863 -
July 2007 -	80GB Some $600 60GB Full $500	60GB Full $511 20GB Full $425	60GB Some $863 -
October 2007 -	80GB Some $600 -	60GB Full $511 20GB Full $425	60GB Some $710 40GB None $610
November 2007 - -	80GB Some $600 - -	60GB Full $468 40GB None $340 20GB Full $383	40GB None $610 - -
2008 - -	80GB Some $600? 40GB None $500? -	60GB Full $468 40GB None $340 20GB Full $383	40GB None $610 - -

All figures (GBP taken as PAL price because that's where I live) converted at current exchange rates to USD approximately. Forecast is conservative and assumes no further price cuts or SKUs than 40GB in the U.S., although I expect more will happen and further prove my point. SKU pricing and availibility is reliable to the best of my knowledge.

 

In less than a year since the launch of the PS3, Sony has released five SKUs in various regions (20GB, 40GB, 60GB Some, 60GB Full and 80GB) all with different pricing in various regions and erratic discontinuations and price cuts. Since each regional authority can set its own models and pricing, the SKU variety is still diverging between them and even more SKUs and price cuts are rumoured, such as 160GB in Japan, and 80GB cut in the US and 40GB introduction in the US. Backwards compatibility with the world's most successful home console, the PS2, is also slowly disappearing from new models. The effect of so many changes in less than a year is to confuse the consumer and make developing for the PS3 even more challenging. On nearly all of these models, Sony loses money.

Compare this to the most successful console so far this generation, the Wii, which has only one SKU at a constant price for each region and near-perfect backwards compatibility with not only GC but through downloads NES, SNES, N64, Neo-Geo, TG16, TG-CD and Mega Drive. It worked for them.

What consumers really want is one fully-featured SKU at a price reflecting the quality and availibility of current games (not future ones or new updates like Home).

If Sony really wants to appear consistent and decisive to reassure consumers and shareholders, this is not a good start.