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It’s getting impossible to ignore the Playstation 3 price-cut chatter.
Sure, making such predictions is easy when the PS3 is still the most expensive of the next-gen consoles and its rivals are running away with the lion’s share of the market. And grand pronouncements from important-sounding business analysts make the rumours seem all the more tangible. At least one pundit reckons that the discount is not only imminent but will be announced by Sony in the next few days. Well it’s got to happen sooner or later, hasn’t it?
That said, on a like-for-like basis, the PS3 already stacks up very favourably next to the Xbox 360. In fact it’s probably even cheaper if you factor in the bits n‘ bobs you‘d need to buy for the 360 to equal the standard PS3‘s specifications. So why is it still third in a three-horse race?
Perhaps global gamers have failed to do the maths. Or maybe they just don’t care about such things as built-in wi-fi, free online gaming and Blu-ray functionality. Whatever the case, with the Wii's mainstream audience-friendly interface and the entry-level 360 being perfectly capable of playing blockbuster titles such as Grand Theft Auto IV, it’s easy to understand the ongoing indifference. Both consoles cost plenty less than the PS3 too.
Assuming that hard cash might be a factor, then, how cheap will the Playstation 3 have to be before you’ll be tempted to make the jump? Would you still be interested if Sony has to sacrifice some of the PS3’s features in order to reduce costs? If it’s not about the money, what influenced you choice of games machine?
Questions, questions. Let’s hear your answers…:
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my partner loves the ps3 as hes totally obsessed with sony!! but as much as he mithers and mithers we just dont have the money to afford the ps3 in one lump some were as if you wanted to buy the xbox 360 you can but that cheap enough and ok its not as good as the ps3 but you can gradually buy the bits and bobs you need for it without having to had over £300-£500 at once. so its more affordable that way! but dnt get me wrong the ps3 is the best out there but its just not affordable for everyone!!
Posted by: m.mulligan78 on Thu Feb 26 06:13PM | Report abuseI think the main reason why consumers have been purchasing the 360 and Wii because Sony were late to this very fast race. The 360 gave on-line gaming to a high standard sooner then Sony could get the PS3 out on the shelves. With the HD and Blue-ray Discs that everyone was on about gamers all over wanted to experience the high quality definition and unfortunately Sony were still back in the factory tweaking their design while Microsoft were already in such high demand for the 360. The Wii just brought back the interactiveness of gaming instead of focusing on graphics and definition, and lets face it, it kept the kids quiet and wasnt that expensive for a console at about 180GBP I think. Sony really shot them selves in the foot when they kept putting the release date of the PS3 further and further back because it just left the console gamers with no option but to get the 360. I have both consoles, I have the Elite 360 and the 40GB PS3. I got the 360 first because i wanted a new console and i could get the Elite 360 and the new GTA game (Microsoft coughed up 25million dollars for exclusive extra content in the game) for less then it was to get the 40GB PS3. But now i have a PS3 its what i spend most of my time on because you dont need to buy a wireless adapter, or new batteries for the controllers every month on top of a subscription to play online. I dont think Sony should cut the price of the PS3 under 300 because you get a lot more for your money then with the PS3. And people would see that if they got one, it all comes down to advertising that the PS3 does have more standard features and rights for the legendary game Gran Turismo and most importantly if you want to win a race, especially one as important as this one, don't be late.
Posted by: jemdiscount on Thu Feb 26 06:40PM | Report abuseI always been a sony lass but the xbox is all i needed especially for the price, i needed a new dvd player and fancied a new console too and i dont care bout blu ray, i'm happ with m current dvd colection. Also there are alot more better games for the xbox than ps3 and believe me i done alot of weighing up the pros and cons and i made the right choice, also the xbox gets exclusive DLC that are not available PS3 punters
Posted by: sharlene_six on Thu Feb 26 06:49PM | Report abusefor me the price would have to be £200-£250 and it would have to have ps2 backwards compatability at that price. yes £200 is low but I am quite happy plugging in an ethernet cable, and I dont watch enough movies to care about blu-ray. another nail in the PS3s coffin in the higher price of new titles (not always but sometimes and that extra £5 adds up) and the fact you often have to wait longer for decent titles to come out on the ps3 compared to the 360 (bio shock, eternal sonata etc...)
Posted by: vulpes_panthera on Thu Feb 26 06:59PM | Report abuse£200 would be a reaonable price 4 the ps3 as it cost that 4 my xbox to be the same spec with out hard drive
Posted by: joemma001 on Thu Feb 26 06:59PM | Report abuseXbox 360 all the way! Cheaper, bigger selection of games and no need to add the extras unless I want to. Graphics are better too. The PS3 would have to be £150 or less before I'd buy one - and it'd need a few more exclusive killer games too. Grand Turismo 5 is dullsville but Uncharted 2 looks okay.
Posted by: burtbacharach61 on Thu Feb 26 07:02PM | Report abusei really really want to get a playstation 3 but i just cant afford it. Sony Should bring the price down to about at leats £200 as i ahve seen it at £250 at a couple of shops on the high street. and PLEASE!! bring back the 60GB!!!..... thank you
Posted by: sukhin96 on Thu Feb 26 07:12PM | Report abusesony used to have a strong market in terms of software and a all round approach to gaming i think the nieve thinking by sony that the ps3 can sell because of its brand name is a bad move but things are picking up nicely and the ps3 has more models now at different prices and i think the rest of this year the ps3 will shine in software content in its own right and will feel more afforable as he hardware is unique as all the other companies machines are i hope the uk software companies can treat all these machines equally a lot more well so we can all enjoy gaming and have fun. so the prices should justify the content and availibility of choice of games not just the company name and hardware.
Posted by: ivororchard on Thu Feb 26 10:14PM | Report abuseI have all the consoles and the best value by far is the PS3 it's the most used and it has everything right out of the box plus free online gaming and some blockbuster titles,to boost sales it need's a price cut but so far i'm more happy about the PS3 that the badly made 360 and the PS2 dressed up as a Mac Wii.....
Posted by: bry0708 on Thu Feb 26 10:27PM | Report abuseI hvae all 3 'next gen' consoles and buy most games that get high scores in reviews - for the most part the ps3 rots while the xbox gets abused all the time. The 360 just has better games at better value - I'd recommend the 360 over the ps3 every day of the week.
Posted by: mrk8 on Fri Feb 27 09:26AM | Report abuse