Official: Sony to bring 80GB PS3 to USA
$100 off the 60GB model too
Sony has left its US-based PlayStation 3 fans drooling after announcing that it will release an 80GB version of the console this August. But non-US gamers were left playing the waiting game as the company also announced that the majority of new PS3 games and a $100 (£50) price cut for its 60GB version will initially only be available in the US.
Sony's 80GB PS3: summer debut
The 80GB PS3 will be bundled with the online-enabled racing fame MotorStorm, with sales of the expanded storage capacity console targeted at "online gaming and entertainment enthusiasts" that typically require more capacity for their downloads.
Over 120 additional first- and third-party games will also be made available in the US over the coming months. These include SOCOM: US Navy Seals Confrontation, The Eye of Judgement, NBA '08 and Grand Theft Auto IV.
The only recompense for non-US gamers is that Sony will make some additional games and services available for global gamers to download through its PlayStation Network, including the forthcoming PAIN title.
Sony also announced that, effective immediately, its 60GB PS3 will retail for $100 less, or $500, bringing it closer in line with Microsoft's Xbox.
The 80GB Sony PS3 will be available in the US from August and will retail for around $600. No word has yet been given on how long the rest of the world will have to wait.
Release of an 80GB PS3 in the US follows Sony's release of an identical capacity PS3 across Korea in June, and its decision to can its 20GB PS3 model in the US back in April.
COMMENTS
PS3 is now even cheaper than the equivalent 360
So you can get a 360 31337 + HD-DVD player for $680 then add another $200 for the HD-DVD drive, and that's a better deal than $500 for the equivalent PS3? (Okay the Elite has more hard drive but as another commenter pointed out, you can upgrade that yourself, and $380 is rather a lot to pay for a 120GB drive.)
Price cut
Ah, the predictable response of the fanboy community.
"Still too 'spensive!"
"360 has more games mate!"
"Wii rocks!"
Still too costly? Hmmm....it costs less than a top end video card for a PC gaming rig. Morons.
360 has more games? Yeah, if you like playing first person shooters, otherwise you're shit out of luck.
Wii rocks? Really? Which mini game collection is that then? Is it that one that people play for a week and then get fed up with before consigning their Wii to the dusty shelf of waiting for a decent game? Oh, be still my beating heart, RE4 for the Wii. Woot.
All the effort that goes into Sony bashing. Lets review the week shall we?
Microsoft admits (tacitly through providing more than $1bn for repairs) that the Xbox360 has a horrible reliability problem. Failure rates of up to 33% are reported across the web.
In the same week Sony cuts the price of the PS3 by $100 and issues a new SKU with a larger HDD and bundled game.
So which story do you think will gather the most vitriolic remarks from fanboys? the PS3 price cut or the Xbox 360 1 in 3 failure rate? Yup, you guessed it, Sony cutting their price.
You know I've actually seen people complimenting and praising Microsoft for their admission(MS has known about the problem for more than a year btw) that Xbox360 owners play a version of Russian Roulette with their Xbox360 every time they turn it on. Apparently the admission that there is a problem and that they have booked over $1bn to cover the repairs is a positive thing that will make people want to buy another Xbox. The fact is, if any appliance or car maker came out and announced that their flagship product had a 1 in 3 failure rate, but it's all OK because they have set aside $1bn for repairs, consumers would return products in droves and turn to the competition faster than you can say "holy crap".
Anyway, good news from Sony, price movement this early in the year leaves room for further reductions later in the year, perhaps nearer Christmas. When the blue laser price fell by $100 a couple of months back, it was inevitable that the immediate saving of $100 would make it's way to consumers, BluRay player prices are dropping, and will continue to drop. Anyone who thinks that the PS3 will not follow (to a point) is living in a fantasy world. Since the 360 has a standard DVD drive, I'm not sure where it's room for such cuts might come from, perhaps more corners will be cut?
What Game?
> But non-US gamers were left playing the waiting game as the company
Where do you get this game from? i'm getting a bit bored with motorstorm
Re: Whatever it is
"$250 or £500. There's something wrong with that maths but I can't quite put my finger on it..."
I can tell you what's wrong with it, there's no mention of $250 anywhere, it's $500 which equals £250! :-D
Seriously guys, all the PS3 bitch-slapping's gotta stop. Don't own one yet, but will do. I don't take the Wii seriously, but can see why people like it (and yes, I have played on one, several times!) and 360 doesn't do it for me either (same here too!), but £250 for a nice new PS3 is a good price! But, of course that's just in the US, and it needs to be a very similar if not exact same price over here (hahahahahaha!) The only thing that's stopping me getting a US one is the Blu-Ray movie lockout :-/ which is a damn shame.
The games are definitely coming though, which is great, from October 07 we're gonna see some real PS3 games, which is when I will make my move 8-D
Besides, seeing as if you use a few online vouchers and quidco you can get a PS3 over here for £360, when there is a drop, hopefully it should be to a decent price, although I know you shouldn't have to do all that to get a good price. £400 is crazy!
£250 - 300 will do me nicely.
And I can't wait for MGS4 & FFXIII! :-D
Whatever it is
...that they're smoking, it's the same thing that makes them charge us folks in the UK a vast sum of money. $250 or £500. There's something wrong with that maths but I can't quite put my finger on it...
