The NPD Group, famed tabulator of video game hardware and software sales, says it sees the new $299 price point of PlayStation 3 contributing to a significant sales boost for the system. "We would expect to see in the range of a 40% to 60% unit sales increase when September sales are reported," NPD analyst Anita Frazier told InformationWeek. We'll see how accurate of an estimate that was when the September NPD data hits mid-October.

Frazier added, "The $299 price point is important to getting to a point where the next segment of price-conscious consumers can jump into the market and it most certainly will re-energize sales of the platform." So, basically, a cheaper PS3 will sell better because people are more likely to take the plunge at a cheaper price. We know that analysts get paid to offer their opinions, but this just ... gave us an idea!

"It's our opinion that a $99 price point for PS3 would increase sales by 90 to 100 percent." -- Joystiq

Small, unmarked bills only, please.

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Yes i agree, great choice for Sony and consumers.

Clearance fire sales rarely do wonders.

EDIT: Oh, they are talking about the Slim -- this should do much better than that. A 40 to 60% would still put it below the 360.

A increase of 50% is rather low. Really, that's not gonna beat the Xbox360. Even if it's permanent.

Seems grounded. You guys expecting like a 100% increase are smoking something.

They're dreaming if they think the increase will only be 40 %.

In Japan, Sony was selling 10k-12k consoles a week before the slim. They just shipped 200k consoles for the first week. They won't sell all of them but you get the idea.

The increase will exceed 100%, It could be 900 % the first week in Japan if it sells 100k consoles there.

In the US, numbers should be closer to 100 % increase, probably a lot more the first week.

Seems realistic.

@kowenicki : PS3 is selling roughly 20% less than the 360 right now on a normal week.

So even if they're right and it's 50% (their middle value), PS3 will crush 360 by 30%

It should be closer to 60 to 80 % more PS3 sold than 360 sold every week worldwide.

Oh yes it can. 299$ is the sweet spot in price.

Look at what it did to 360 sales last september... Except it will be a lot worse with 120 million PS2 owners who were waiting on the sidelines.

The 40-60% increase could be picking up otherwise 360 purchasers, so potentially 360 sales could fall as PS3 sales rise and so PS3 end up above 360. Personally though, I think 360 will ultimately stay on top.