@thx1139: No way Microsoft would pay more for a smaller hard drive, in the worst case they'd just tweak the software to waste the additional space by pretending it's not there...

I agree that they should bring the 60 GB model to Europe though (and they probably will).

The cost of putting in a 60GB HDD would  be cheaper than a 20GB HDD.

@NJ5 and Rock On,

Im saying MS will bring the 60GB to europe because now 20GB is more expensive for MS than 60GB is. MS wants costs brought down using a 60GB drive does do that.

I partially agree with that, I was just saying that if they want to continue shipping 20 GB units to Europe they can do it without spending more money for outdated hard drives.

To be honest we pay about the same proportionally to earnings. I think the huge mistake people make is they just take the cost of the product in the UK in x-pounds and double it to x-dollars (rough exchange rate) and compare it to how much they earn in dollars and it seems like a lot. But you have to remember that our wage in the UK is doubled when you convert it into dollars as well. So for example I am a cleaner and I get paid about 7 pounds an hour. This is converted into 14 dollars which is over twice the federal minimum wage in the US. Our minimum wage for over 21's in the UK converts into about 11 dollars an hour. We can pay more for consoles here because the lower classes generally earn more too.

First I would say Microsoft has been more equitable with Europe then has Sony. Another poster said this Sony brought the console to the market half a year later after the North American and Japanese launches. Then to rub salt in the wounds Sony charged much more for the console in Europe then they did in the other markets. Then brought the fine folks in Europe a technologically inferior product. Sony shafted Europe three ways from Sunday.

Microsoft's decision probably has more to do with manufacturing difficulties then anything else. For five to six months they had a severe production shortfall when one of their contracted manufacturers defected. So their production fell in half, and they began to outsell their supply. That has been rectified now, but they do not have a large surplus of consoles in the channel.

One of these contracted manufacturers has probably been converted over to the production of the new model, but that is hardly enough to supply all three regions simultaneously. First Microsoft has to fill one market, and once that channel has sufficient surplus then they can start selling the newer models in the other market. Tragic yes but hardly something that a manufacturer can do much about. They have a limited supply of the units and want to ensure the supply meets demand in North America before they spread the new units out to other markets.

I think it is easy to forget that Microsoft like Nintendo suffered from a issue with demand outstripping the supply. There problem was a defection late last year that they did not remedy until the spring. By all means look at Microsoft's shipped to retailers numbers against total unit sales. Given the impending holiday season it is probably likely they could not cover both markets without outstripping their supply.

ps3 will eventually walk all over 360 in EU and japan, but even more so after 2008.

the big question will be NA, if ps3 can outsell 360 in NA then it has a good chance of overtaking it there in total sales eventually.

i belive microsoft will choose to focus on NA mainly, but with future possible price cuts for ps3, i think they will loose in NA.

this will be the ultimate victory imo.

Can't you just order off ebay or Amazon?

OH, and sony have always catered for their european ps3 fans right? ha ha ha, how long did it take for duelshock 3 to arrive here? why was the ps3 launched FOUR MONTHS after usa and jap? 360 launched almost simultaniously worldwide.... almost every game on 360 now gets a simultanious worldwide release....theres a 3 day gap because games tend to launch on a friday in the UK... if anyones SHAFTING their fans its sony... and lets not even start with delays and CANCELLATIONS.... delays... alone in the dark, duel shock 3, 4 months late launch here in europe, HOME? where the hell is it? CANCELLATIONS... c &c red alert 3, the getaway and eight days.... PATHETIC