Hey, guess what? Sony wants to tempt over Xbox 360 owners that have been tempted by shiny PlayStation exclusives but never quite taken the plunge with the PS3. The new 250GB version of the “super slim” model (CECH-4000) of PS3 is bundled with Uncharted 3 in the US for just that reason.
John Koller, VP of Hardware Marketing, has said in an interview with Gamespot:
We’re selling Uncharted 3 now with hardware. Most likely that consumer is not a PS3 owner yet. We have seen a very high interest rate from Xbox 360 consumers wanting to purchase a second console. We’ve held up Uncharted 3 as our flagship product over the last year and it’s a good opportunity for those types of consumers to come over and own a second console in their household. We saw the same kind of thing happen in reverse during the PS2 years when a lot of PS2 consumers said they wanted to get an Xbox because of Halo and some other games. So we think the strategy works and it’s a good one.
We’ve certainly noticed many of our previously PS3-only commenters picking up the 360 as a second console, as it got cheaper, and enjoying the exclusives on the other side of the fence so we expect that Koller’s logic here is absolutely correct.
Further to that, he reassures PlayStation fans that there’s plenty of life left in the machine.
We’re going to continue supporting the PS3 for the next few years. Absolutely. And we’re going to continue supporting it not only that long, but as long as there is a development spigot that’s running hot. And I can tell you right now, the development spigot for PS3 is very hot. A lot of great games coming. Same thing with PS2…it’s kind of stuck around as that old warrior, many years after its launch. But there’s still games launching for it.
That’s also unsurprising, of course. This kind of strategy is exactly what made the PlayStation 2 so successful and with the hardware getting cheaper it’s sensible to expect a refocus towards younger or more casual audiences as the hardcore moves on to the next PlayStation console.
Source: Gamespot
Odd that base price on the new SKUs has gone up, I presume Nintendo coming in at top end of expectations has given them breathing room.
in the full interview, he addresses that. Basically, it’s gone up slightly but their consumer feedback suggested that people wanted ready-to-go game packages so the bundles offer better value and meet that need. Begs the question though, is it really ready-to-go when they don’t even include a £1 HDMI cable?
Yeah, I suppose it’s cheap enough (it sure looks it to me anyway) to produce to attract some pretty aggressive price-cutting next year after they’ve creamed profit off it this Christmas period.
I have an Xbox 360, not PS3. I would’ve considered buying one for £125. But to be honest the exclusive games don’t really make the purchase worth while. The only game that tempts me is Black Swan, and I can’t warrant it for one game!
Unfinished Swan?
And it’s the back catalogue that should be most tempting. The Gears series on 360 has tempted many in that direction since the price cuts and presumably Uncharted on the PS3 is thought capable of doing the same thing in the opposite direction.
Some cracking PS3 exclusives for well under £20 now, so it’s worth considering – especially with PS+
I’d agree that your main point is a good one: this doesn’t seem to quite be under that psychological barrier for impulsive or speculative purchases. Hopefully retailer competition takes care of that though.
Gears would be the one to persuade me to get a 360, the other big 360 exclusives aren’t in genres I enjoy that much. I’d also need to run out of games to play first, I just have too many to finish to warrant buying a new console.
Just taking a look at the new essentials range is a bit like looking at my games collection. There are a lot of very good games there for about £13 each. I expect we’ll see bundles with 3 or 4 of them included.
PS+ and a console could keep you busy for a long time. I’m surprised a years PS+ hasn’t been bundled with consoles.
oops yeah Unfished Swan! Doh! I have played Uncharted but don’t rate it as highly as Gears.
PS+ is good for consumers, but I do worry what effect it will have on sales in general.
But will probably wait for next gen consoles now it seems a little pointless in my opinion. Especially with so little content on the horizon.
Back in the day, I got a Gamecube just because of Ikaruga. Of course I played other games, but the only game that tempted me to get one was Treasure’s shmup.
The rrp has give down but the big issue our hard success are costing more due to the factory issues.
For all of sonys failings the one thing you can rely on is them supporting a console for a very long time. It’s amazing that FIFA still releases ever year on the ps2. It’s about to hit it’s 12th birthday in the UK.
It’s all well and good doing this, but if the price doesn’t make people buy off the cuff then I can’t see it doing much at all, whether it has more exclusives or not. I think the price is just a little too high.
plus one for Igotmy9milli and Bilbo_bobbins
The price needs to be £125-£150 solo to tempt people who haven’t tried the PS3 yet.
A price rise (no matter the bundle) is just that, a price rise, and in this economy, it’s not a good thing.
Sony won’t price the PS3 lower juts for a few people who haven’t got a PS3., they’re already financially screwed.
People who truly want a PS3 will have got one by now, no one waits 5 years.
I think this is a move to compete with both MS and Nintendo. Sony are saying to people in the market for a second console, or those thinking about getting the Wii U, hey look what we have to offer…. a great back catalog of games at reduced prices, PS +, all the media and entertainment options, heck it even has the Move which is almost like a Wii controller. To the untrained eye you are getting a better package and deal then picking up a new Nintendo console and the smattering of launch titles. Lets face it we are coming into the season of parent buying consoles.
They even have games coming out that are similar (Sony All Stars just like Super Smash Brothers, LBP Karting to take on Mario Kart) and lots of new games either based on existing franchises or new IP.
I am sure retailers will start to do come deals once the initial launch has passed and sales figures need to be hit for Q4.
I have to say that I’m not impressed with the new ps3 design, and at around £185 for a 12gig unit, it’s a lot more expensive than the current 160gig slim. It should have been priced at around the £130 mark.
The 500GB and 320GB models are much better value for money compared to a PS3 160GB slim though, for £240, you get a 500GB HDD and a choice of games which are selling at £40 each.
I really want this new PS3, looks awesome.
god bless america!
fuck yeah!
how about blighty you morose mother fuckers….
shit on your cousins why dont ya?
I don’t get it. The new PS3 has to be cheaper to manufacture, so they’s NO reason for it to cost more. I could understand if it was the SAME price, but charging MORE for LESS just doesn’t make any sense to me. What is Sony thinking? You have to assume that the reason people who want a PS3 but haven’t bought one yet are waiting for the price to drop, not for a uncharted 3 bundle. No self respecting 360 owner is going to look at the new PS3 and think- “OMG! this is what I’ve been waiting for, a price INCREASE and the chance to skip the first 2 uncharted games and jump right to the 3rd.”
And the reason PS2 owners bought a Xbox to play HALO was because they wasn’t anything like it on PS2.
I think Sony are just greedy, arrogant bastards on this.