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NewGuy on 12 March 2015
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ethomaz said:

NewGuy said:

Here is the thing though, with Uncharted 4 being delayed, MS DEFINITELY has the upper hand SW wise going into the holidays (and Pre E3, of course).

MS will have Halo 5 & Tomb Raider exclusive this holiday. Even if TR comes to PS4 later, it'll be exclusive to the XBone this holiday. I also think MS will have the Xbone for $299 this Holiday, probably bundled with a game or two as well.

Of course, Sony will probably cut the price to $299 too, but, unless we get a surprise announcement, MS will have the upper hand to win Nov + Dec again this year and shorten the gap.

I really really doubt Sony will cut the price to $299.

The gap will be bigger than last year... last year gap was ~500k... this year will be bigger.

Why wouldn't Sony drop to $299? Assuming there's an internal revision (no chassis revision, just reworking the internals, saving money) where Sony can break even or make a slight profit on HW, I see no reason why they wouldn't drop the price. Sony wants the PS4 to be as successful as the PS2. For reference (http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/Price_cuts):

PS1 launched in the US in September 9, 1995 for $299 and dropped the price to $199 in May 1996. (8 months) 

PS2 launched in the US in October 26, 2000 for $299 and dropped the price to $199 in May 2002. (19 months)

PS3 launched in the US in November 11, 2000 for $499/$599 and dropped the price to $399 in November 2007. (12 months)

PS4 launched in the US in November 15, 2013 for $399. It has been on the market for 16 months.

Probably a similar timeframe for their handhelds as well (i.e. 2 years at the latest before the first price drop). If anything, Sony not dropping the PS4's price this year would be unprecedented. I would venture to say that not dropping the price to $299 this year would be highly surprising. We'll know for sure based on their estimates for the FY come May (I think they will also drop the PS3's price as well).

Sony needs to be aggressive,  and I believe they will. In this day of globalization, a price drop will probably be announced WW (and it might vary by region). With the strong dollar, Sony will be more than okay with a $100 price drop on the PS4 in America. I fully expect a $299 price announcement at E3, Gamescom, or TGS (no PS4 slim refresh though).