A $349 price tag for 80GB PS3 in March 2009 at the earliest would be a good positive move by Sony which would result in more sales of PS3 post Xmas 2008 with the launch of quality software titles in KZ2 and RE 5 around March 2009.

The $299 price tag should be put in place I believe in September or October 2009. Those who are worried about PS3 price would be happy to know that their will be a $300 PS3 within 12 months time. I would personally hold off purchase of PS3 until I see a $300 PS3 console available to me and a bigger library of PS3 exclusives.

The second most important factor regarding console sales is games and the PS3 will have a lot of quality games in 2009. PS3 exclusives of 2009 include: KZ2, UnCharted 2, Heavy Rain, Infamous and God of War 3.

PS3 has a good library of games at the moment that is building but the price of the console is the most deciding factor in regards to the PS3 hardware sales. I have no idea how much money is being made per PS3 sold. Hopefully Sony can afford a price cut on PS3 in USA by March 2009 at the earliest.

The Wii will once again sell a lot of consoles and games and many exclusive games on the Wii are out in 2009. The Wii games are too numerous to list here. I believe the Wii will once again stay at the magical $249 console price tag.

The X360 will more than likely implement an additional $50 price cut on the three SKUs changing from: Arcade $199  Pro: $299 Elite:$399 to Arcade: $149 Pro: $249 Elite: $349. This will be post E3 around September/October 2009 to counter PS3 price cuts and marking the 4th anniversary of the Xbox 360's launch. The XBox 360 has arguably the best library of games and is growing and 2009 will see a lot of games launched on XBox 360- including exclusives games and DLC as well as a boat load of multi-platforms that will sell most on XBox 360.

* The above information includes my future console price predictions for 2009. Readers discretion is required and I may be wrong with my analysis that I have provided.

** Edited. Price of XBox 360 SKUs fixed.

Yeah sounds logical to me. Ive been thinkin the exact same except i think the PS3 price cut will be all at once and will happen Just after E3 because thats when sony will unveil the Price Cut. But who knows we could both be very well wrong. lol

I pretty much agree with your post.

I think the Wii's price will drop to $200 in March of 2010 at the earliest. October 2010 at the latest.

a. Scenario 1:$50 PS3 console price cut in March 2009. PS3 falls from $399 to $349.
Followed by an additional $50 price cut 6 months down the road in September 2009, PS3 falls from $349 to $299.
b. Scenario 2: $100 price cut post E3 in September 2009. PS3 dropping from $399 to $299.

*Either way the PS3 is going to be around $299 Xmas 2009.

I still think it depends on how Sony is doing in general. I just cannot see a price cut coming at all while they are hemorraging from every other division in their company. They are already losing money per console. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think at most a 50$ price cut next September if things stay the same or get better for Sony as company. If they get worse who knows.

The amount of money made per PS3 at the current price tag is a negative number I'm sorry to say. I doubt there will be a March price cut unless the US dollar and Euro strengthen a lot before then

 My buddy Billy G. agrees.

No one should buy a PS3 until it drops a $100. No one at all.

This makes the most sense.  I agree with u OP.

@numonex:

Xbox 360 price RECTIFICATION:

The actual prices:

 Xbox 360 Arcade : $199

 Xbox 360 Pro : $299 (you said 249$)

 Xbox 360 Elite :$399 (you said 299$)

I don't think the 360 Arcade will drop below $199. More than likely they would just add a 20gig HDD instead, though they may drop the prices of the PRO and Elite to the prices you predicted.