Sony Switcheroo: no more 60GB PlayStation 3 in US after July

[tbone4690]

Sony Switcheroo: no more 60GB PlayStation 3 in US after July
52 Comments by Jared Rea Jul 13th 2007 5:42AM
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Business

It's one step forward and a giant lurch back as Sony is poised to pull the plug on their 60GB PlayStation 3. You know, the same PlayStation 3 that they generously shaved $100 dollars from earlier this week.

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, SCEE president David Reeves casually mentioned the end of the 60GB model when asked if they would offer the European market a lower priced model, as SCEA did here in the States.

"Well, they're not really are they, because what the US are offering from the 1st of August is a USD $599 version with one game."

Reeves goes on to say that SCEA marked it down to move and that once it's gone, it's gone. When asked for the dreaded confirmation as to if this was the end of the 60GB model, Reeves replied "In America, yes."

Now don't you feel silly for quitting that second job.


http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/13/sony-switcheroo-no-more-60gb-playstation-3-in-us-after-july/


This isn't smart, I don't really think a forced bundle will work. That price is not for for that system and them doing this is just making it worse in the profit for them. How long till they give up completely?

[imcrazy]

More confirmation from the man himself: SANTA MONICA, Calif.--Today, the E3 Media & Business Summit wound down in Santa Monica, with at least one exhibitor having already packed up and left the show floor at Barker Hangar. However, this morning saw the biggest controversy of the show heat up, with a maelstrom of confusion surrounding the $499 price drop of the 60GB PS3, which was just announced Monday.

Last night, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe CEO David Reeves told GameSpot that the discounting was merely a markdown of a model which had been discontinued. Just hours later, his statements appeared to be contradicted by a senior Sony Computer Entertainment America spokesperson, who said that quotes from Reeves in the press were "not accurate."

"As announced this week, SCEA's product offering in North America consists of an 80GB PS3 available in August at $599 and a 60GB PS3 available now for $499," SCEA senior director of corporate communications Dave Karraker told GameSpot. "We have will have ample supplies of both models to meet the needs of our consumers for the foreseeable future."

At almost the same time, a television interview with the global head of Sony Computer Entertainment settled the matter once and for all. Speaking to Norwegian game-news outlet VGTV, SCEI president and group CEO Kaz Hirai said in no uncertain terms that the 60GB PS3's days are numbered.

"From a hardware perspective, the $499 price adjustment we did for the 60GB version for the American market, we're no longer in production for that product," he said in an unedited on-camera interview. "Once that product is gone from the retailer shelves, then we're back to a $599 SKU only, so it's not like we have a two-price strategy in the US market. We found out very early on how consumers react to having just one SKU as opposed to two."

SCEA has subsequently confirmed the phase out, but emphasized that it would be gradual. "The 60GB PS3 will be available in North America for $499 until supplies of that unit are depleted," Karraker told GameSpot in a follow-up interview. "We have ample inventory to meet the immediate needs of consumers in this territory for several months to come."

Karraker also responded to criticism that loudly promoting the new $499 price point while quietly discontinuing its production amounted to a bait and switch. "This is absolutely not a bait and switch," he said. "We are offering a full featured PS3 for $100 lower than the original price and will do so for months to come, allowing consumers the opportunity to acquire this model at this adjusted price."
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6175011.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;1

I never knew it was possible for a company to be this stupid. They blow the lead that they had worked hard to obtain through the ps and ps2 through many stupid design choices and general reluctance to act. Then they lose most of their exclusives thanks in part to the aforementioned and the recurring general reluctance to act. Now they finally did something right and they go ahead and spit in everyone's face? What do they not want to make money? Is Uwe Boll suddenly the president of Sony?

It's like they want to fail.

Next up... MGS4 to the xbox 360. I know I thought this one was dead and buried but the mention of Konami rolling the idea around in their heads (and making it public knowledge) shortly before E3 and now Sony's excellent blunder.... its seeming more and more like a reality.

[tbone4690]

One of the main problems, is that the ps3 was not ready at launch, and Sony made it worse for themeselves by not waiting. If they had waited and let the team finish the cell so it could be a gpu also the ps3 would of been better, though Sony rushed and sold out to Nvidia and asked them to make a gpu. It's a shame Sony is doing this, it's really going to hurt their developer support and if they don't manage to make some profit this year, I have a feeling Sony HQ is going to pull the plug on the ps3 and wait out till next gen or sell the company, because they can't afford to lose money again and afford all the law suits it has caused Sony. SCEA is causing some major problems and I don't see their console doing well and we are coming close to the one year mark where Microsoft had sold so many units by that time.