There it is, $500

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Tue May 09, 2006 1:36 am

The Wii is looking like a great second console choice for "new idea" games.

Microsoft is looking good for round two of the console wars.

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Tue May 09, 2006 1:42 am

webdanzer wrote:
Kazuya wrote:
There's no way I'll bite on $600... I can wait a bit. $500 for the tricked out version, I could have dealt with.
Yeah, that is my thinking exactly. Missed by $100.

You know that's funny. That's exactly what I was thinking. I wonder if we represent a good cross section of potential buyers? We are all pretty hardcore as gamers go and we can probably afford the system, but it appears Sony has shot $100 too high. Be interesting to see if other people feel the same.

SoMisss2000 · Post by **SoMisss2000** » Tue May 09, 2006 2:16 am

Badgun wrote:
webdanzer wrote:
Kazuya wrote:
There's no way I'll bite on $600... I can wait a bit. $500 for the tricked out version, I could have dealt with.
Yeah, that is my thinking exactly. Missed by $100.
You know that's funny. That's exactly what I was thinking. I wonder if we represent a good cross section of potential buyers? We are all pretty hardcore as gamers go and we can probably afford the system, but it appears Sony has shot $100 too high. Be interesting to see if other people feel the same.

yep, a $100 too much for me too. If it were the same price points of the 360, i'd consider it. Wii will look like an excellent alternative. I look foward to more mario and zelda games.

seanmac31 · Post by **seanmac31** » Tue May 09, 2006 2:24 am

There's just...no...way. I had minimal interest in the PS3 to begin with- I'm not a fan of any of their exclusive franchises, and the overlap with the 360 library figures to be significant. But even if that were not the case, I simply couldn't justify that expense. Hell, I could barely justify the 360 at $100 less, and I traded in enough stuff to take a significant chunk out of the prepay.

Inuyasha · Post by **Inuyasha** » Tue May 09, 2006 2:35 am

With ps3 and xbox3 being so much and probably offering similar gaming as ps2 and xbox, I dont know if it's worth the jump. I just like to see more innovation next generation.

As for nintendo, we know they rehash their games but it sounds like they at least are trying to make innovations to them. I could see nintendo jumping out to a fast lead in the next system wars considering their affordable price of the new system.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Tue May 09, 2006 2:53 am

All I know is if the Wii costs less than $200 as rumored you can buy a 360 Premium and Nintendo Wii for the cost of the luxury PS3. Hmm.... I think I'll get that PS3.

I think Sony's getting a little full of themselves.

I also find it really f***in ironic that Phil Harrison, Sony's VP of studios, called Microsoft's decision for 2 SKU's confusing for consumers shortly after it was announced. I also find it pretty f***in sad that Sony's controller has the guide button (so I read) like the 360's and the motion sensor like the Wii's. They are also trying to rip off Xbox Live as well. Now the early word is a lot of the stuff being shown for the PS3 doesn't look as good as most of their teasers at last years E3 did.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Tue May 09, 2006 3:05 am

ScoopBrady wrote:Now the early word is a lot of the stuff being shown for the PS3 doesn't look as good as most of their teasers at last years E3 did.

Sees a pattern developing....

Boom · Post by **Boom** » Tue May 09, 2006 7:12 am

There's two games I'm going to miss by not having a PS3. SOCOM and MLB.

That price point softens the blow.

DivotMaker · Post by **DivotMaker** » Tue May 09, 2006 7:23 am

Badgun wrote:
Sadly, I think Sony has priced me out of the market on this one. It will easily cost $700+ out the door for the systems, an extra controller, and one game. This will be the first console launch I have ever missed.

At this point and based on what I have seen so far, I won't be getting one on launch day. This pricing reminds me so much of the 3DO launch about 10 years or so ago when that console appeared for $599 or $699. Way too much then, and $499-$599 is too much today.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue May 09, 2006 7:23 am

wco81 wrote:
webdanzer wrote:My first reaction is that they missed me by $100. Hitting $500 for the stripped down version?
Well it will have a hard drive and still a high-capacity optical drive.

On Wifi, you will still have a gigabit ethernet port so you can use either wired or wireless connections.

One other thing people are saying is that the noise and heat levels will be comparable to the PS2 Slim.

But it appears to have grown in volume so it's bigger than the X360 in all dimensions. Slightly bigger, not a lot bigger but bigger still.

And all of these specs mean next to nothing to the vast majority of gamers. What does matter is that their next console will cost $600 out the door, and that's one hell of a steep price.

I'm not interested at that price, as if that's a shock to anyone!

Take care,
PK

DivotMaker · Post by **DivotMaker** » Tue May 09, 2006 7:27 am

XXXIV wrote:
ScoopBrady wrote:Now the early word is a lot of the stuff being shown for the PS3 doesn't look as good as most of their teasers at last years E3 did.
Sees a pattern developing....

I'm waiting to hear about "Full 100% backward compatibility" and "all games at 1080p @ 60 frames per second" as they have been claiming up to this point.....

Boom · Post by **Boom** » Tue May 09, 2006 7:28 am

Like somebody mentioned above, the initial shipments are going to fly off the shelves.

All those folks who didn't blink an eye at spending 1500+ on EBAY for a 360 will be all over it. I truly believe that any console launch in this day and age can price themselves at whatever the hell they want for the first 3 months and sell out.

I'm interested in seeing what happens after the initial wave gets their systems. How will the 2nd tier folks respond? Will people who were waiting on news of the PS3 turn to the 360 for their NextGen gaming needs? Are there any Sony loyalists not feeling so loyal anymore?

About Sony's conference, I gotta be honest though. They answered a lot of questions unlike MS last year (who created more questions then they answered). However, it may come back to haunt them. Then again, it may not.

Really anxious to see what MS has up it's sleeve concerning 3rd party developmers.

I have this burning desire....craving..... a hope and a prayer that Blizzard is making a Diablo III for the 360. Doubt it though.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Tue May 09, 2006 7:47 am

ScoopBrady wrote:I also find it really f***in ironic that Phil Harrison, Sony's VP of studios, called Microsoft's decision for 2 SKU's confusing for consumers shortly after it was announced. I also find it pretty f***in sad that Sony's controller has the guide button (so I read) like the 360's and the motion sensor like the Wii's. They are also trying to rip off Xbox Live as well. Now the early word is a lot of the stuff being shown for the PS3 doesn't look as good as most of their teasers at last years E3 did.

Don't forget them labeling a motion-detecting controller as a gimmick...

What's the HDTV penetration again? I think the PS3 is about two-to-three years ahead of its time for most consumers.

kevinpars · Post by **kevinpars** » Tue May 09, 2006 7:56 am

I feel underwhelmed and a bit disappointed. But not surprised.

But too much money for me to consider. I mean, if you are going to spend 600 on a console at release, is there any way you are going to not get the extended warranty?? Imagine your $600 dollar console breaking in month 4? Just too much money for someone like me who does not care about high def TVs or movies.

At least MS showed a little imagination with the 360 with xbox live and marketplace. What new does Sony have to offer? And as a sports gamer, other than MLB, what advantages will I get from the PS3? By the time the PS3 goes on sale, I will have played 2 next gen maddens and one next gen NCAA. Yeah, even with the problems I have had with the 360 it seems like a good decision. Especially since i got one back last night and am back into gaming.

AcemanPR · Post by **AcemanPR** » Tue May 09, 2006 8:21 am

There is absolutely no way I'm spending $600 on a videogame machine. Four C-notes was high enough with the Xbox 360, but at least when I bought that console, I knew what I was going to get. I've been absolutely thrilled with the 360 the last 6 months, and am totally excited what is coming out down the road.

I'm not totally shocked at what Sony announced last night. For what you are getting, $600 isn't a bad deal at all. But it is a ton of money if you just want to play videogames on the machine. Quite frankly, the screenshots that I saw don't look any different than the 360 games out.

Will the PS3 be successful? Hell yeah. But I also think that Sony has certainly opened some doors to make Microsoft certainly close the marketshare gap.

SoMisss2000 · Post by **SoMisss2000** » Tue May 09, 2006 8:22 am

DivotMaker wrote:
Badgun wrote:
Sadly, I think Sony has priced me out of the market on this one. It will easily cost $700+ out the door for the systems, an extra controller, and one game. This will be the first console launch I have ever missed.
At this point and based on what I have seen so far, I won't be getting one on launch day. This pricing reminds me so much of the 3DO launch about 10 years or so ago when that console appeared for $599 or $699. Way too much then, and $499-$599 is too much today.

The funny thing is the $499 model is the dumbed down version of the console and it's not even customizeable. At least witht the 360 core, you could upgrade the harddrive.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Tue May 09, 2006 8:42 am

kevinpars wrote:I feel underwhelmed and a bit disappointed. But not surprised.

But too much money for me to consider. I mean, if you are going to spend 600 on a console at release, is there any way you are going to not get the extended warranty?? Imagine your $600 dollar console breaking in month 4? Just too much money for someone like me who does not care about high def TVs or movies.

Good point. When I bought my $250 PSP a year ago from Best Buy the extended warranty was $40. So it'll be $80 or $100 on the PS3.

But I don't think Sony is necessarily making a mistake. Even with the high price I'm sure they'll still sell out their initial launch, and then they can drop the price in 2007. Microsoft put a lot of money in the hands of ebay resellers by pricing the 360 pretty reasonably and not having enough supply.

GTHobbes · Post by **GTHobbes** » Tue May 09, 2006 8:57 am

I spent $2k on a laptop a couple of years ago, and I pretty much only use it for the internet and to listen to some music. Occasionally do some work in Word. Do you guys really do much more with your pcs than game and surf the internet? How much did you pay for your pc? And how often do you have to upgrade? Like someone said, the PS2 has been going for 6 or more years now.

With the PS3, in theory, you'll have great games online and a way to watch movies in HD. I'm not trying to sell anyone a system, but I guess I can't see why so many people are making such a big deal about the price. Then again, who am I say how anyone spends their dollar.

GTHobbes · Post by **GTHobbes** » Tue May 09, 2006 8:58 am

Feanor wrote: Microsfot put a lot of money in the hands of ebay resellers by pricing the 360 pretty reasonably and not having enough supply.

Great point.

maddoc1979 · Post by **maddoc1979** » Tue May 09, 2006 9:11 am

Dave, I think HDTV penetration has been quoted at 10% on the high side.

Speaking of backwards compatibility, the 100% bc is clearly incorrect...there doesn't appear to be a way to play any of the games that require peripherals other than a standard controller. All those beatmania, DDR, Guitar Hero players are out of luck or will have to buy new peripherals all together.

Talk about underdelivering. I remember how everone was so excited last year about 2 HDMI ports. Now you get none on the "cheaper" model and only 1 on the upper end. So much for 32:9 gaming. I think my favorite line from the conference is still Harrison's "this motion detection is such a fantastic innovation" as though he dreamed it up himself.

Doc

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Tue May 09, 2006 9:19 am

I didn't catch any of the press conference or whatever they call it. Did they mention how much the games are going to cost? I'm still not buying either way, but I'm curious.

By the way, I'm so happy I hung on to my 360. It's truly been my favorite console of all time besides the original Nintendo.

Wow, under $200 for the Wii? That makes my Wii stand up and listen.

Seriously, that's a tremendous price considering it'll provide an array of games you won't see on either the 360 or the PS3. Further, it's the perfect console for when my 4 year old shows an interest in gaming, and when my neices and nephews come to visit. To me, the Wii is the ultimate family console.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Tue May 09, 2006 9:32 am

Motion detection replaces the rumble. I don't think they're copying Nintendo so much as solving a legal problem with the rumble (they're being sued by the patent holder of the rumble).

Sony's making a lot of bets with this price. First that a lot of gamers are adults with decent disposable income rather than kids scraping together their allowance or money from part-time jobs to buy consoles.

They are also assuming the HDTV upgrade wave (probably the most significant thing since color TV) will sweep up sales of Blu-Ray. HDTV penetration is surely greater than 10%. They're selling tens of millions of sets a year now and total number of households in the US is around 100 million. I also think by the end of the decade, 1080p sets will sell in large numbers and reach under $2000 if not $1500. Just last week, the Sunday ad circular had charts showing the differences between "480p, 720p (HD) and 1080p (Full HD)." People will start to focus on that 1080p number like they focus on megapixels for cameras.

I don't know how many developers will go to the trouble of making 1080p games. Certainly not multiplatform developers and publishers who are making games for the X360 and the Wii (which is limited to 480p). Probably exclusives will be used to showcase some 1080p titles. So really, it will be about Blu-Ray movies. The PS3 was suppose to help Blu-Ray win the format war but with these prices... Still, Sony will sell the 4 million they plan for this year and that will be way more than sales of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players combined, in all likelihood.

Couple of other things of note. GTA was conspicuous by its absence last night. Some speculation that MS may have locked it up as an exclusive. We may hear such an announcement today. That would be huge.

Other thing is, it's strange that Sony announced the price and dates so early. A lot of people expected they would wait until around Fall and not even have playable games at the show (reports from showgoers should be interesting).

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Tue May 09, 2006 9:34 am

No baseball game is worth $600, and like WCO said, if you want to use it for a blu-ray movie player, you have to get the $600 version. With the MS HD-DVD, you'll still get high def output via component cables.

And while $600 may be cheaper than other blu-ray players, you can bet that's going to be the most cheaply made blu-ray player on the market, too.

At least they made my decision easy!

DivotMaker · Post by **DivotMaker** » Tue May 09, 2006 9:35 am

maddoc1979 wrote: Speaking of backwards compatibility, the 100% bc is clearly incorrect...there doesn't appear to be a way to play any of the games that require peripherals other than a standard controller. All those beatmania, DDR, Guitar Hero players are out of luck or will have to buy new peripherals all together.

This is what they have claimed ever since the 360 launched. I have been VERY skeptical of this claim since the hardware for the PS3 is so dramatically different than the hardware for the previous machines.

maddoc1979 wrote:Talk about underdelivering. I remember how everone was so excited last year about 2 HDMI ports. Now you get none on the "cheaper" model and only 1 on the upper end. So much for 32:9 gaming. I think my favorite line from the conference is still Harrison's "this motion detection is such a fantastic innovation" as though he dreamed it up himself.

Doc

This is exactly why I try not to let myself get too hyped about features until the product ships....

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Tue May 09, 2006 9:43 am

GTHobbes wrote:I spent $2k on a laptop a couple of years ago, and I pretty much only use it for the internet and to listen to some music. Occasionally do some work in Word. Do you guys really do much more with your pcs than game and surf the internet?

I paid $900 for my Dell laptop last fall. Most of the software I use on it I've been using for at least 5-8 years (Office 97, Quicken, etc.) I can use it to:

- transfer, backup, edit, and burn DVDs of home movies files
- work from home when needed with Access, Excel, and Word
- Do my taxes and personal finance using Quicken
- Organize, store, and edit digital photographs
- surf Web pages (this in itself is really dozens of functions from home shopping, research for home/work, leisure activities, pay bills, etc.)
- listen to Internet radio
- listen to music CDs and MP3's
- watch DVDs
- correspond with friends and family
- some gaming (OOTP, Worldwide Soccer manager, kids games)

I actually don't think $500-600 is unreasonable for the PS3. I'm actually a lot more intrigued by the Wii though. Luckily, next gen MLB won't be out for 5-6 months after launch so it might be easier to resist tempation and let the dust settle.