Analysts believe 80GB to go $499 this year

"I’ve bought things on eBay with a more consistent price than this box. Why would I go out and buy their product when I can wait a month and get a lower price, then wait another month for a lower price. This is much like shopping for a house right now, just wait for the price to become reasonable."

I disagree. The changes really havent been all that much. They launched with a $499 SKU, remember? So after this next price drop of the 80GB model to $499, the difference between the two is a marginal 60GB of storage space that is easily upgraded anyway, wifi which is easily added, and flash card slots which are easily added.

Between buying a 20GB SKU at launch and having been able to play the PS3 all this time vs buying the 80GB SKU in a month when its $499, I would have taken the 20GB at launch. The problem is irl we dont make that decision. We make the decision not to buy any PS3 at all because there arent any games.

Common logic would say this doesn't happen this year, as you alienate prior customers. Perhaps next year though.

But then again, perhaps Sony is content with selling their console via bait and switch.

But I still say the analysts are wrong (yet again). Thanks for amusing us though!

Are these the same analysts who said the PS3 would outsell the 360 in the States in July (and who were completely wrong)?

Boy I keep feeling sorry for people buy this for $100 more when you KNOW they are going to drop in trying to keep up with the others.

But at least you guys can enjoy it, and that's all that matters.

OO Dannnyy booyyyy

I thought I heard my name. o.O

Boy I really want to get a Sony card so I can get $150 back (first purchase over $299 no interest for first year)= 60GB with EE for $350 + tax......I don't really care for 80GB or 120GB. At $350 its not so bad....damn I really hate playing the waiting game.

There needs to be a standalone sku for people who dont want MotorStorm.... take the game away and add in a few months of availability and you have a $499 sku.

This is one of those "duh do you think?" predictions that analysts like to arrive at. The PS3 is obviously, absolutely going to offer a $499 console OR LESS for the holiday season. They'll revamp the bundle in some way and offer the unbundled version for $100 less than it. It would not surprise me if the bundle were reworked around Heavenly Sword, Lair (yes I know it sucks), or even something like Warhawk. They might even have rumble planned for the hols or other promotions. One thing is certain, the PS3 is going to come down in price and it will be $499 or less.

What good is a price drop when there still is no games? Expect Sony to get CRUSHED this holiday. Drop the price to $450... It wont matter, nothing will save them.

These Analysts are stupid. This isn't analyzing shit, this is hoping. Sony isn't going to drop the price. Why won't they? Because that would cause the price of the PS3 seem unreliable and make more people wait than there already are. I can see this happening next year with a new SKU at the higher price, or the year after that (their 10 year plan?) but this year after they already did the drop on the 60g? Don't think so. Even though the 60gig model was probably more expensive to produce than the 80gig.

Man I don't agree with what Sony is doing...They're treating the PS3 like its on its last leg...The damn system has only been out a couple months. Seriously they don't want to sell apparently. Even the average consumer can tell when a company is struggling. They aren't sticking with anything they said as far as the price of the system is concerned along with their vision for the future... They price all their products high for no reason and nobody said anything before so why try to switch it up now...They are worrying to much about the competition and not enough about them selves. Sony just needs to be Sony even though I don't agree with some of their practices I can't argue with their past history.

P.S. Maybe we are seeing what happens when you give the juggernaut some competition. Sony is panicking from the looks of it....LOL

knowing Sony, they will INCREASE the price of the 80gb model and then put out some more concept art ads to show how much they think you should worship them

nothing can save the ps3 this holiday season, no software to move the hardware = GG

Oh, Alan Rickman. Does it get any better?

I submit to you that it does not.

Will it still include a game at $499? If not, then it will just be a $40 price cut since the game costs $60.

I think their pricing strategy screams desperation. Jesus how things would of been different if there were no blu-ray stuffed into the ps3. And also at this point last year if you said anything about lair or heavenly sword would be the terribly reviewed games they are right now(heavenly sword has a 80% meatacritic I know, but was thought too be much higher thought right), most people would of put you in your place by saying "Just wait". I wait a year too purchase a console, did it with xbox360 and also with the Wii. I wont be purchasing a ps3 sony, there are many reason not too at this point.

Lemme get this right.

First they had a 20gb and 60gb systems.
Both of which are now gone.

Now they have a 80gb system?

How can they hope consumers to confidently buy when they can't confidently commit?

(same goes to MS)

I've never payed more than $300 for a video game console.

Sony ain't going to be my exception.

I am more interested in price cuts and better games than system option increases. Once the PS3 has some games worthy of taking gaming time from my other two systems I will probably get one.

I would prefer to get a 20Gb system at the lowest price possible. I would not use the extra HDD or WiFi of the more expensive systems, so that is purely paying for something because I have no other choice.

But I sure hope the PS3 entry price is at or below $400 when MGS4, FFXIII, and GT5 come out. Those are games that will make me sad to not play when they come out and if the PS3 is still $500 I may just have to sit back and play what I got.

Meh, whatever. Since Heavenly, Warhawk, and Lair came out so-so perhaps I can easily just wait until next year. I'd really be in a pickle if Heavenly, Lair, and Uncharted were Bioshock/Mass Effect/Halo good and vice versa. I'd dropping $600 right quick.

"We know it has to happen for the sake of PR."
No it doesn't if Sony was worried about PR they would of fired half of their PR staff and every exectutive that has said something stupid.

Shagi:
Nintendo saved the gaming world once already and now they are doing it again. This time they are saving us from having to shell out $500 for a great console. Sony has always played catch-up to Nintendo's innovations. Rumble? Shoulder L/R buttons? Analog controllers? Now motion control?
Yeah Nintendo didn't invent those ideas, but were the first to implement them in gaming consoles.
Look at Sony now, they are the joke of the gaming community. AAA titles are getting crappy scores. Everyone talks about how beautiful the games are, but they still suck. Looks like cell processors aren't necessary for great games and neither is BRD. DVDs are just fine, even if a game is on multiple discs. I had no problem switching CDs during the PS1 era and have no problem doing it again.
Bye Bye Sony! I love my PS1&2 but this seems to be the end of our gaming relationship. Unless there is a serious price drop and some actual games that I want to play.

You should have chosen a crystal ball image for the article, just to show how unreliable analysts are.

I am the founder of the simExchange. Thanks for covering the story that was covering our report. Our original and complete report (http://www.thesimexchange.com/research-report.php?id=3&r=1) is available on our website for free.

Just to add, our analysis examines the sales of both the Xbox 360 and PS3 for the next few months as forecasted on the simExchange prediction market (http://www.thesimexchange.com). The forecasts are those of thousands of gamers, developers, and investors trading on a virtual stock market and are not the forecasts of an individual analyst. Our findings show a widening margin between Xbox 360 and PS3 sales in the coming months. However, since our long-term forecasts imply equivalent market share for the two consoles, we believe Sony will ultimately act to narrow this margin--this may include cutting the price of the console or bundling games to add value. Thank you again for interest in our report and thanks again Joystiq for your support in the past.

Shagittarius I find your argument about movies and games flawed.

Casual movies do exist.
Hardcore movies exist.

The same people who will watch brain less action of "Fantastic 4 Rise of the Silver Surfer" or retarded joke "Balls of Fury" is NOT the same people who will watch health care documentary "Sicko" or Inspirational Drama " Resurrecting the Champ" .

YOUR SIMPLY WRONG. And that point discredits everything else you said about Wii/PS3. Just realize that Playstation 3 is a dead console and end of 2008 nobody will be making games for it. It will be Wii and 360. No room for Sony in the future. It doesn't matter PS3 = Saturn it doesn't matter