Is the market ready for a $500 console yet?

[haxxiy]

Alby_da_Wolf said:

haxxiy said:

AFAIK both the X360's and the PS3's more expensive models sold better than their cheaper counterparts, though.

XB360 premium launch version was actually priced $400, while the core version, while cheaper, was too poorly equipped, anybody wanting to add a HDD, necessary for downloaded games and proprietary, so a lot more expensive than standard HDD, would have ended up spending more than buyin a premium.
PS3 "cheap" model wasn't cheap at all at $500, so people preferred the better equipped one, but sales for PS3 really took off when the revised model, decently equipped and at $400, was launched.
$400 is good, but while nobody will ask for a princely equipment at that price, most will ask at least for a decent one.

That's part of the point. What would happen if a gimped version sells for $400 and a fully realized one for $500? Is the price point really making the console more accessible, if the later outsells the former? It happened before with consoles priced both cheaper and more expensive, after all.

Besides, I don't think I quite get your PS3 argument. The difference between 400 and 500 matters, but between 500 and 600 suddenly doesn't, anymore... because it crossed an arbitrary threshold of expensiveness, beyond which people can afford to shell out more money?

Anyway, that discussion is moot. Market analysis nowadays is much more advanced, complex and deep than it was 10 or 15 years ago. Sony and MS should know what they need to do (and how to price their stuff) better than any of us can argue.