Sony says no to Euro PS3 price cut
Starter Pack bundle instead
Updated Sony has left its European PS3 fans bewildered (again) after over its decision to launch a 60GB PS3 Starter Pack bundle over here instead of cutting the console's price. There was no mention of a European 80GB model, either.
The double-whammy was announced at an event in Venice Beach and is likely to anger European gamers who, earlier this week, were forced to witness US gamers' joy over Sony's decision to cut the 60GB PS3's price by $100 and announce that an 80GB console would be released there next month.
The starter pack, which is fast becoming known on fan websites as the "rip-off Britain pack", will retail for around £425. It will include a 60GB PS3 and come with two SixAxis controllers and two games, which will vary from country to country.
David Reeves, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, described the starter pack as "exceptional value".
True, together the components of the £425 bundle would set gamers back £518 - hardly a massive saving and we suspect they'd rather see £50 knocked off the price of the console than get £93 of extras.
While many will see this as a half-measure designed by Sony as an attempt to dampen European gamers' cries over the US price cut, Sony's decision not to announce an 80GB version over our side of the pond will further infuriate PS3 fans.
The starter pack will be available in the UK on 18 July, and throughout the rest of Europe, Africa and the Middle East on 1 August. There's no word yet on availability in Australia or New Zealand.
In the US, a 60GB PS3 now costs $500 (£246/€363), while UK prices are sat at around £425. The 80GB model will retail for $600 (£295/€435) in the US and in Europe will cost, oh, wait a minute...
COMMENTS
Yes, it is expensive...
...but it's capable. I am looking to get one as a fairly comprehensive one-stop-shop media solution. It is soon to get some fantastic games (MGS4, GTA:IV, Colin McRae: Dirt) and there are some good games out there already (despite my scepticism, virtua tennis is actually good fun), it has a blu-ray player, it will play and upscale your DVDs, it can be used as a music jukebox, it is able to surf the internet, it will play SACDs (admittedly pointless as nobody bought into that), it has a compact flash slot with which I will be able display my photographs and if you are an audiophile I have been reliably informed by a Meridian employee that it makes a startlingly good CD transport. When I take into account all of this, I find myself at the (I think) not too unreasonable conclusion that actually this isn't BAD value for money. Sure we're getting bent over again on the price compared to the US, but can you remember a time when we weren't? At least this is not a case where the cost has been translated 1:1 GBP for USD
One more RE: RE: RE: Re: RE: Re: "PS3 doesn't need Blu-Ray" (crazy amount of re's)
"Well, I'm not saying MGS4 could be on DVD any more than I'm saying it could be on 3.5" floppies. It could theoretically still fit on 2x HD DVDs though and one more disk would hardly ruin the experience.
True, but don't you think implementing HD-DVD would be almost as pricey as Blu-Ray?"
I'm not so sure.
Cheapest HD-DVD player I could find after a quick search on amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-HD-E1-High-Definition-Player/dp/B000I7IHHI/ref=sr_1_1/203-0838246-8372761?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1184618479&sr=1-1
Same search for blu ray:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-BD-P1000-Blu-1080P-Player/dp/B000ICKB2C/ref=sr_1_2/203-0838246-8372761?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1184618540&sr=1-2
Retailers retaliate?
Working as I do near a behemoth of an ASDA supermarket (that's a Wal-mart for you US and non-UK types - only smaller) whilst wandering aroung during my lunch break last thursday I noticed a flock of 8 60Gb PS3s sat in the security cupboard priced at £399... so maybe it's the retaliers that will really take this war to Sony on our behalf as I'm sure they are non-plussed with this pricing situation either.
What is more telling though is that flanking these 8 PS3s last Thursday was a school of 10 Nintendo Wiis all shimmering and fresh in from the plant that very day. I have just been over to get my lunch today and lo and behold - all of the Wiis have been sold but the 8 PS3s are still sitting on the shelf gathering dust... and personally I hope that's where the PS3 will be consigned to very soon unless we start to get a fair deal.
RE: RE: Re: RE: Re: "PS3 doesn't need Blu-Ray" (crazy amount of re's)
"Well, I'm not saying MGS4 could be on DVD any more than I'm saying it could be on 3.5" floppies. It could theoretically still fit on 2x HD DVDs though and one more disk would hardly ruin the experience."
True, but don't you think implementing HD-DVD would be almost as pricey as Blu-Ray?
And Tim, I agree about the 45gb being Cut-scenes etc, but that's why we love MGS isn't it?! :-S
MGS4
MGS4 may take up 50GB but what's the betting it's 45GB of HD video clips, trailers and other wastes of space and 5GB of actual HD game play.
Provide space and it can be filled, but valid content is another matter.
Xbox 360 seems to manage quite well without the need for HD-DVD for games.
Point is though, the Blu-Ray requirement held back the PS3 and has crippled it in terms of sales. In terms of games it's nothing at present more than a tarted up PS2. They should have gone for something more radical like the Wii but in HD and held off with playing Blu-Ray movies, but of course Sony wanted to use the PS3 to win the HD format war so wouldn't let go.
