that Microsoft loses money because of price cuts? Theres currently an article up about Xbox outselling PS3 3 to 1 on black friday. When I saw this I immediately thought, well no crap. I remember looking through the ads on Thursday and seeing deal to the Xbox for $200 WITH 6 GAMES!!! Granted these games arnt the best games its still 6 games. The best deal I saw for the PS3 was bestbuy where they were throing in a ratchet and clank game and a bluray movie I believe for $400. Now I'm not saying I'm an econmist or anything AND I have said that I am not for drastic price drops but this compared to last year is a step backwards.
If you don't know I bought my PS3 that day after black friday last year. I got the $499 motorstorm bundle AND 15 free blurays. How was I able to score a deal like this last year and their is nothign like that this year? I am really dissapointed in Sony. Like I said I really see this as a step backwards for them. With bluray players going sub $200 their has to be an added incentive to buying a PS3 for the not-so-sure guys. Give em a couple movies or something...geeze.
Or maybe I'm being out of line an Microsoft is to be to blame for trying to win the console war by whoring themselves to anyone with ad in their hands.
Well back then the HD-DVD Bluray format war was still raging, so naturally you could get some crazy deals from one of the parties. So now that that's gone there's the 15 free Blurays out the window. So then all you are left with is a 100 price drop in 1 year, which isn't bad.
I don't think Microsoft is losing money with these recent price cuts. If they are its not that much as they are still able to drop the 360's price. I also read the article and its interesting how different site portrayed the fact that the 360 outsold the PS3 3-1 on black Friday.
I find that Kotaku posted the article just to start a fanboy war. On the other hand Wired's game blog section posted a similar article about the PS3 being sold 3-1 but also stated that its Microsoft that posted these figures. They also stated that rather then just take MS word for the sales figures, wait until the NDP releases the actual numbers.
At the same time I also don't like the fact that its being pointed out the the PS3 is being outsold 3-1 as if the PS3 is inferior to the 360 and is being avoided like the plague.
I will admit that games like Gears of War 2 and Fable 2 (both are selling better than LBP and Resistance 2) does not hurt MS cause and are big factors as to why some gamers are going for the 360. The present state of the economy also plays into the 360's favor. $199 versus $399 is a no brainer specially for the budget conscious parent or gamer. We can go on about what comes with $399 but at the end of the day, people just want to be able to bring home a machine with hopefully one to 2 games and worry about Wifi and online gaming later.
Just this week Future Shop is selling the 360 for $299 with a 60GB HDD and 6 games. Not great games but decent ones like Kung Fu Panda, Lego Indiana Jones, Gun, Turok, and Dark Sector. The PS3's deal is for $519 you get a PS3 with 160 GB HDD, Uncharted, and a voucher for the PSN game Pain. To me as an informed gamer despite the PS3 being $519 it's still a good deal (free wifi, bigger HDD, free online etc) but, again $299 with a 60GB HDD and six games looks like and even sweeter deal. I think that Sony would love to be able to drop its price but I think for the console to stay afloat, Sony has no choice but to just sit and wait until they can justify a price drop.
the xbox that sells for $199 is basically bare. You can play games and watch dvds. If you want to play online games you have to buy a hard drive, which microsoft wants you to pay at least $100 for. If you want a wireless internet connection, that another 100 clams. Now you are at the same price as the ps3. If you want to play games online, that is another $50 a year. And you still can't watch blu-rays.
That is the way sony sees things. the Ps3 also has the best blu-ray player you can buy. Sony unleased an incredible line of games in the last three months, they didn't sell as well as the 360 games, but the 360 still has a larger user base.
Sony knows that they are behind, but not very far. They also know that they have a lot of momentum heading into 2009. I would not be surprised if the ps3 finally passed up the 360 this year. they also have uncharted 2 and God of War 3 coming up.
