Out of all the posts in this thread I have to agree with this statement the most.

I'm not saying of course that price has no impact on sales.

entrenal hardware components being made smaller and cheaper >>> removed connections of software reduces

I don't know why you guys complain so much about 599 US dollars. When the PS3 launched here, it cost 5499 Argentinian pesos, which at the time was somewhere between 1500-2000 US Dollars.

I bought mine by the end of 2009 for only 535 dollars while you guys were buying them for 299.

Look at the price of the controller and the game, 499 pesos for the controller (around 100-150 dollars, I really don't remember what the conversion was back then.... probably around 1 Dollar = 3.15 Pesos... but I don't remember) and 599 pesos for Resistance (around 150 US dollars).

Nowadays you can find them for 480-500 dollars from importers who don't pay any taxes, lol... but it costs over 600 if you buy it the legal way. The 3DS costs the same from the importers who avoid taxes (480-500 dollars)... I don't know if they're being sold in the "legal market" yet.

If I'm right and 1 Dollar = 3.15 Pesos then

PS3 = 1745.71 US Dollars

Sixaxis = 158.41 US Dollars

Resistance = 190.15 US Dollars

You know... at the time it seemed impossible for me to ever get a PS3 with those prices... I kept saving money for it for a very long time but it seemed like I was never going to be able to afford it at the beginning. I didn't give up though, my money kept growing (and shrinking when I spent some money on some PC parts) and the price kept going down until I finally got enough to buy it :P.

I wish the PS3 was 599 US dollars when it launched here too, lol.

They didn't HAVE to make such expensive hardware though, so your point is kinda... well, pointless. If Sony would have wanted the PS3 reasonably priced at the beginning, they WOULD have made it happen by developing it in a smarter way than what they did.

You would have to be a complete idiot to pay that price.

For one 3D sucks and isn't worth the extra money, and who doesn't take the time to sneak in snacks and drinks? I do.

Don't look at me! LOL

My friends always get mad when I watch films at the cheaper matinee times.

"It's still the same movie guys, just at 3 in the afternoon!"

The thing is, the PS3 was worth more than the $599 in tech but in the eyes of the consumers, it was not, while the Ipad which cost less than $300 to make sells like crazy. It's also a matter of marketing as well, making people want what they don't need is what Apple does best which Sony don't know how to yet. 

The NGP will be worth more than Sony will sell it for, but can they sell the price to us gamers. It's a matter of real world marketing, enough stupid mistakes like misleading promises, delays ( long wait), and get the media on your side. 

He's right, but only to a point, and the problem being that he's probably talking about value as "features you can tick off a checklist," which really isn't the case for consumers

And you tend to get the whole theatre to yourself

I don't think the problem has been media on the side, but seriously I think we jumping the gun here, it still very well can be priced at $249.99 – 349.99, which should be ideal for such a device.