European PS3 To Be Less Backwards Compatible Than Elsewhere?
from the nice-work,-Sony dept
Sony seems to have done an amazing job doing almost everything badly in the launch of the PS3. The console hasn't been selling nearly as well as the company hoped, with rumors spreading that the company is already considering a price drop. Well, it seems that perhaps by "price drop" the company actually was considering a "cost drop" by removing certain features. Someone who prefers to remain anonymous pointed us to the news that the European launch of the PS3 will actually be coming out on different hardware that likely removes much of the backwards compatibility with PS2 and original PS games -- a feature found on the PS3s released elsewhere. However, with that feature reduction, there's no indication that the price will be dropped at all, meaning that PS3 buyers in Europe may end up paying more for less. The reasoning is even more bizarre. Sony claims that "over time" this should let it lower the price of the PS3 and also claims that the company needs to spend its resources concentrating on making the PS3 better. While it's true that Sony should be working on ways to convince people why they should shell out so much for a PS3, usually a company does that by making its products offer more value and more features, rather than less value and fewer features.
Reader Comments (rss)
(Flattened / Threaded)
Where's Europe?
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
is-it so
well, in belgium PS3 is announced at 599 euro some 25% more expensive i belive then in states, so, who says cheap there ?
ps europe is where the goodies are mr US Citizen
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Europe = cashcow for Sony.
Europeans already pay more than US citizens. 599 Euro is about 786 US-Dollars. (And UK citizens are shafted even more: 425 pounds is about 832 US dollars (cheapest example I could find for the UK))
And we don't have the option of getting the 20GB version instead.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Price Comparisons
Converting the price Euro to Dollar is not an accurate way to compare prices, europeans get paid in Euros, not in dollars.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Also
PS3 sux. Bite my sack PS fanbois.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Decision Made
I've been agonizing for months whether to buy the 360 or the PS3 (my kids an xbox fan but I've always played playstation)
With everything else I guess its time to admit he's right and go with the 360
Thanks Sony for making that an easy decision in the end
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Re: Price Comparisons
just switching the currency sign is also not an accurate way of portraying the market.
Fact of the matter is $599 != €599.
You could go online and only pay $599 (+shipping) to get a PS3 from the US, and that'll still be cheaper than getting one in European stores.
Or is that why Sony sued Lik-Sang into oblivion? To make sure that Europeans will have to pay the extreme premium on Sony's excuse of a game console.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Re: Price Comparisons
Quote
Price Comparisons by Cixelsid on Feb 26th, 2007 @ 3:19am
Converting the price Euro to Dollar is not an accurate way to compare prices, europeans get paid in Euros, not in dollars.
/Quote
Are you retarted? The fact that they get paid in the euro does not change the fact that they are worth more.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Don't give in!
Fuck Sony in their greedy fucking asses, go out and for the same amount of money buy a Wii and get something that's actually fun and functional
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
"Are you retarted? The fact that they get paid in the euro does not change the fact that they are worth more."
Are you?
On average, Europeans have a higher income than Americans. But the cost of living is higher also.
Going into a department store in Europe and buying a PS3 for 599 Euro is not the same as going into a department store in the US and buying one for $790.
The price tag of 599 Euro is not as strange as you might think. People are payed more, and therefore things cost more.
Go look at the price of a 360 on both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
UK = 269 Pounds ($526)
US = $399 (203 Pounds)
A 25% markup.
PS3
US = $599 (305 Pounds)
UK = 425 Pounds ($832)
A 50% markup.
Slightly crazy? Yes. Unusual? No.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
and for those of you deciding on the xbox
Here's a nice analysis of how a stationary xbox 360 can destroy your game disks.
http://www.hardware.info/nl-NL/articles/amdnY2pwZGia/Krassende_XBOX_360/3
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Sounds like one more reason to buy a WII or Xbox to me.
lol, or just order from the US off of a web site and have it shipped over.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
buy stuff
Yes, money hungry sharks.Better don't buy at all. Use computers instead.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
US vs European Pay
Actually, US pay is quite a bit higher than European pay.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
shipping overseas
I haven't used a PS3 at all yet (besides a lame demo at Best Buy) but unless there's a way to switch it between PAL/NTSC (extremely unlikely) you wouldn't be able to use a PS3 from the US on a standard TV overseas.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Re: and for those of you deciding on the xbox
"The page you've requested could not be found. Possibly the page does not exist, or is not available in the current language. "
Wow that's a really good point.
The 360 drive is just fine.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Well, that settles it
I just won't buy any of those machines. I'm probably the only person on the planet who didn't love the Wii, I hate everything Microsoft (and they don't make games I'd play), and the PS3 is just too expensive. I have too many PS2 & Gamecube games that I haven't even played yet and the machines work just fine, so what's the point of getting a new machine?
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
LOL
I read this article using the browser on my Wii. :)
I heard that Sony just announced a new Blu-Ray player that will cost $500. Shouldn't they just market the PS3 as the cheaper Blu-Ray player?
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
correction
My bad. The new Blu-Ray player will cost $600. That means you can buy a PS3 or a standard Blu-Ray player for the same price... hmmm...
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Re: LOL
No link to where you heard this little tidbit of info?
I find it odd even for Sony to offer a $600 Blu-Ray player with the PS3 on the market. People are already coughing up that much for a machine that plays blu-ray and games. Why shell out that much for a machine that only play blu-ray?
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Re: Re: Price Comparisons
Seeing as the UK and USA are both importing the units from Japan they should be the same price ... give or take a bit for local taxes and differences in shipping.
Sony are ripping the UK off ... fact !
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Add Your Comment