| pezus said: The idea here is that, rather than buy the console for an upfront cost, Sony could consider offering a mobile phone-style contract that comes with a monthly bill. So for instance you take the PlayStation 4 home with you for free, and then pay $AU50 a month for the console and a PlayStation Plus subscription over the course of two years. |
O_o
Someone actually thinks that people would happily pay AU$1200 for a games console? People don't go into service contracts with phone service providers in order to get a mobile phone. They go into the contract for the service, and the new phone is a perk, a benefit for choosing a certain contract.
I don't think anybody would happily pay AU$50 per month for 24 months for a games console. Among problems with the idea, there's the fact that you wouldn't be able to reasonably sell the system if you were dissatisfied with it (hate companies trying to get rid of used game sales? Watch what happens when they try it with used consoles), the question of what happens after those 24 months are up, and how to work retailers into this system without screwing someone over, not to mention the difficulty in having retail discounts under this system.
Someone above me pointed out that Sony has already tried this with the Vita. Need I point out how weakly the Vita is currently selling? MS tried it with the 360 - I haven't heard anyone say a good word about how MS's deal worked well for them - I don't even know if MS is still offering it.
