Once the PS3 reaches $299

[Bodhesatva]

Lord N said:

HappySqurriel said:

The PS2 and XBox launched at $450 in Canada, currently the PS3 is $400 and the XBox 360 is (essentially) $300; they're both getting destroyed by the Wii ...

In other words, it is foolish to assume that the PS3's only (or even main) problem is its price. The fact is that the PS3 is currently in a price range (worldwide) that people are comfortable paying for electronics that they truely desire, and will justify the cost if it really apeals to them; the PS3 really does not appeal to people on the same level as the PS2 did when it was released.

 

In what world?

$400 and especially the launch price of $500-$600 is far more than what most people are willing to pay for a video game console no matter what it does. The vast majority of all consoles were sold at a price of $200-$300 dollars whereas consoles priced above that have done rather poorly. The fact that the PS3 and 360 with their rather slow sales are the best selling consoles at their respective price points should tell you a lot.

Had the PS3 launched at $299, whether it would have been able to outsell the Wii is up for debate(personally, I think the Wii would still be outselling it), but it's pretty obvious that its sales would be a hell of a lot higher than what they are right now.

 

 

I know this wasn't your intent, Lord N, but I'm really tired of the "if the PS3 was cheaper..." argument. The whole reason the cutting edge tech is more expensive is that it's cutting edge tech.

If the PS3 had started at 299.99, it also would have been much less technologically advanced, and many of the people who like the PS3 now wouldn't have liked it in the first place.

This happens in every tech field:  the hardcore enthusiasts claim that the new, expensive technology would be outselling the older technology if it were cheaper, ignoring the fact that the reason it's more expensive is that the technology is more advanced. Then, once the new technology finally reaches 199 or 149 or what have you, it's no longer the cutting edge tech; it's now the old tech, and the hardcore enthusiasts have latched onto some new, even better technology, claiming once again: if this technology was 149, it would be outselling the once-new-but-now-old tech!

Asking for the PS3 to launch at 299.99 or 399.99 is exactly the same as asking for the PS3 to have lower tech specs and be more like the Wii. You cannot dissassociate the cost of the technology from the cost of the console.