WilliamWatts said:
Another price cut of $50 a year after a price cut of $100? So erm when did you fit the plan to make a profit into your estimations? Even throwing in a bundled camera + arc would be quite the expense. |
Let's see. PS3 launched at $599/$499 3 years ago (60Gig/20Gig), virtually on it's 3rd anniversay in USA/Japan it went to its current pricving of $349/$299 (250Gig/120Gig). That's a $250/$200 (ave. $225) reduction in 3 years, or average $75 drop in price per year ($83/$66). 2009 saw a price drop of $100, a $50 price drop in 2010 = $150 over these 2 years. Surprise surprise that averages out to $75 per year. Without Arc coming on stream a $50 price cut would be a near certainty in 2010.
Now if you read my post fully I said I thought Arc bundles would be sold at the existing prices. So no reduction in price, but an increase in content, making a virtual price cut (probably of around $50).
Also Sony doesn't need to pack in both the PSEye and the Arc controller with the PS3. Another option would be to pack in the PSEye with every PS3 (there are many existing uses for the PSEye, so even people not interested in the Arc can find uses for the PSEye, including using it as a webcam on their PC (my PS2 Eyetoy is serving that purpose very well at the moment)), and sell an Arc controller (or 2) bundled with the Arc launch game titles. If Sony did this then I could possibly see a $25 HW reduction. Apparently the PSEye is "just a cheap webcam" so it probably only costs Sony $15 (Note Pachter reckons Natal production cost with 3 lenses is $50, PSEye with one lens gotta be considerably less). $25 price cut + $15 PSEye = $40 virtual pricecut. That's in line with Sony's average annual price cut pattern for PS3. Make an Arc bundle that includes 1 game and controller(s) for $60 on top of the HW (incl. PSEye) RRP and you have a reasonable entry package for motion controls. But they gotta have the attractive software.
But there's no guarantee Sony will include any element of motion control as a pack in component. In many respects Sony are better off maintaining their average annual price drop pattern by dropping the PS3 price by $50 and offering optional Arc bundles at reasonably attractive prices.
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