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Update! Arstechnica claims 120-160 GB with Dual Shock PS3 SKU Coming, 80 Gig dead
Bamelin
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Update: January 28th 2008 -- Arstechnica claims "120-160GB with Dual Shock 3 SKU incoming, 80 gig model dead"
http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/01/27/mole-80gb-ps3-dead-120-160gb-with-dual-shock-3-incoming
I saw this over at Ps3Fanboy ...
I'd actually heard about the $299 rumour a few days ago although I discounted it as a complete fabrication started on the SlickDeals forums. (rumour basically states that on January 28th Sony will announce a white version of the PS3, 40 gigs retailing for $299)
With that said, the $299 rumour doesn't seem to want to go away, it's been spreading through various blogs and forums across the intertubes.
Now we hear that the 80 gig PS3 model is being discontinued at Best Buy on January 28th (very likely meaning everywhere). If the focus is now going to be on the 40 gig model where does this leave backwards compatibility? And does this give more credence to the $299 40 gig PS3 model rumour? The rumour did say that the $299 model will be announced on the 28th ...
http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/01/24/best-buy-discontinuing-80gb-ps3/
Arstechnica wrote:Our inside source of all things video gaming has been right almost every time it comes out of the shadows to give us information, so I'm going to dispense with the back story. Wherever his or her information is coming from, it's usually solid. After I spoke to Sony about the possible discontinuation of the 80GB PS3 model, I lit the mole-signal.
Working late into the night on Saturday, I heard a noise behind me. For both of our safety, I didn't turn around. "You've talked to Sony," the mole said in a gravelly whisper. "Tell me what they told you."
I repeated the information we reported on Friday: Sony is sticking to a two-model approach at retail, but the company won't comment on whether or not the other model would be the 80GB system. The 40GB system seems safe. I asked the mole what information he had.
"Sony is, in fact, phasing out the 80GB PS3. Sony is going to stay with the two-SKU approach though, and the prices look to stay the same," the mole told me. I heard sirens in the background, and the mole seemed nervous. "The Spiderman 3 pack-in will disappear as well once the 80GB unit is gone. In order to maintain a similar value proposition to the 80GB/Spiderman 3 bundle, I expect to see a storage increase to 120 or 160GB at the same price point, plus the new Dual-Shock 3 controller... what are you trying to accomplish with this story?"
"I'm just trying to get to the bottom of Sony's plans for their hardware so my readers can decide whether or not they should buy now, or hold off. But I'm only one man," I say.
"Now we're two," the mole whispers, and when I look around in surprise... my informant was already gone.
http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/01/27/mole-80gb-ps3-dead-120-160gb-with-dual-shock-3-incoming
I saw this over at Ps3Fanboy ...
I'd actually heard about the $299 rumour a few days ago although I discounted it as a complete fabrication started on the SlickDeals forums. (rumour basically states that on January 28th Sony will announce a white version of the PS3, 40 gigs retailing for $299)
With that said, the $299 rumour doesn't seem to want to go away, it's been spreading through various blogs and forums across the intertubes.
Now we hear that the 80 gig PS3 model is being discontinued at Best Buy on January 28th (very likely meaning everywhere). If the focus is now going to be on the 40 gig model where does this leave backwards compatibility? And does this give more credence to the $299 40 gig PS3 model rumour? The rumour did say that the $299 model will be announced on the 28th ...
PS3Fanboy wrote:An anonymous Best Buy employee has sent us a scan of an internal letter, which notifies employees that the 80GB system is being discontinued. "The 80GB version of the PS3 is going closeout and won't be replaced at this time," it reads. "It will come off the planogram on Jan. 28. The 60GB version should already be gone from stores. Only the 40GB version of PS3 will be sold in Best Buy stores at this time."
The 40GB model currently costs $399, and is the cheapest PS3 available. However, it does have a few limitations: it lacks memory card readers, features only two USB ports, and most importantly, loses backwards compatability, as noted in the memo. "This means that there currently isn't a version that is PS2 compatible," it notes.
There have been very shady rumors suggesting Sony is planning on introducing a cheaper $299 version of its console (although that has been repeatedly denied by Sony). Earlier in the week, we also discovered an FCC filing for a white model PS3. Whatever's going on, it appears that Sony's making moves for a big change. Stay tuned.
http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/01/24/best-buy-discontinuing-80gb-ps3/
Bamelin on
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Though I am a bit interested to see where this is headed...with the whole 'white ps3' rumor.
Are they doing the opposite of MS and making their premium system the white one? :P
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"Was cursing, in broken english at his team, and at our team. made fun of dead family members and mentioned he had sex with a dog."
"Hope he dies tbh but a ban would do."
Just like the Nintendo On!
The earlier PS3 price-cut rumors were at least substantiated by early shots of weekly retail store circulars that confirmed the rumors at sites like SlickDeals and FatWallet. None of the circulars for the next two weeks have anything around another PS3 price cut, so unless Sony is overnighting those "NOW $299" stickers to every single retail chain in America it's really just another baseless rumor.
Now, the clearing out of the 80GB model seems plausible, though I would assume it's mostly to clear shelves and make way for a new PS3 model with a DualShock3 packed in.
As far as a white PS3, what's next? Pastel-colored PSPs?
Personally I'd like to see a patent application for a less flimsy controller with shoulder buttons and analog sticks that aren't so damn slippery. And no, I don't have greasy hands. I just miss the old R1/R2/L1/L2 triggers and I wish the analog sticks on the Sixaxis were more like the ones on the XBox controller.
Edit: if the DualShock 3 has that, I'm gonna feel really stupid for complaining.
The PS3 was officially unveiled in Black, Silver, and White...
I have a tough time conveying sarcasm through text.
This is my guess. It seems odd that Sony would kill the more profitable(less money lost) model unless absolutely nobody was buying it. They'll probably introduce a new "premium" model that has both the DualShock3 and BC and continue to sell the 40gig sans rumble.
They've got you beat with those pastel colored PSPs. I hope you were being sarcastic.
Edit. And you were!
or Brawl. 4854.6102.3895 Name: NU..
Anyway, what happens when the 80GB goes away? We're left with no backward-compatibility option at all? That's kind of shitty. Actually, really shitty.
sketchyblargh / Steam! / Tumblr Prime
*EDIT* Sony should just have a $399 SKU which bundles the PS2 with the PS3 :P. Ultimate BC.
what
I mean... really? I'm all for folding but... really?
Anyway, come on, Sony. Keep bringing that price down. $299 is where the board appeal lies and you know it.
or Brawl. 4854.6102.3895 Name: NU..
Wait. What is this? Is there evidence of this killing them slowly?
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Switch: SW-0653-8208-4705
Woah woah woah! no need to get to get all worked up. I'm just saying, a general rule with any product is the more use it gets, the faster it wears out.
I dunno about you, but between my PC, my PS2, my Wii, and my 360, I'm all out of component inputs on my switcher.
Now, the $299 rumor is odd... it's not tied to a big game release and would happen during the slowest time of the year? Personally, I think this is coming from people seeing the recent reports that the manufacturing costs have dropped to $400 per console and then thinking wishfully. Mind you, the 40GB WILL drop in price eventually... just not in the next few months.
Have we ever seen sales ratios of the two models? Because I find it hard to believe that it wasn't selling at all. Sony makes/loses more/less money on the 80GB than the 40GB so taking away the 80GB could only cost them more money. Adding DualShock3 to the 80GB would only make the premium more attractive which is my guess as to what they're planning. You need to clear out the old models before putting the new one on the shelf.
Seriously, there's something to be said about limiting the amount of hardware covering the shelves in one's entertainment center.
Also, I'm still just annoyed to no end that they took out the BC when it cost them nothing to keep it in.
sketchyblargh / Steam! / Tumblr Prime
Anecdote anecdote lol, but at stores in Tulsa the 40GB was selling well while piles and piles of 80GB just sat there. Sure, it makes Sony money, but only if it actually sells.
At any rate we likely will never know, since Sony never breaks down the ratio of models sold (neither does Microsoft, for that matter).
I'd buy it for sure, but just doesn't really seems right.
BTW, went to Target today, had one 40, one 60, and one 80. If I'd had my check I might have considered buying the 60.
Stores around me tend to be out of the 80gb and have piles of 40gb laying about. Though I do live in a fairly wealthy area I guess. Or something.
3DS: 1650-8480-6786
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Not true, according to a price break down removing the Emotion Engine, Graphics synthesizer and RDRAM necessary for hardware BC saved them around $33 in chips alone. However their is also a side benefit of having less traces on the motherboard. It cuts down on complexity and makes system revisions easier/cheaper. (Sony likes revising... ps2 had like 15 revisions)
Still I like the BC and think they should leave it as a choice by having it included in the premium model, which is what the 80G was.
Let me tell you about Demon's Souls....
As for the $299 drop, that's a good price, but I refuse to buy a PS3 without BC, so now I may end up never getting one.
On a serious note it does suck that there's no BC plans right now for the 40 gb model but it's not the first time a company of any kind has screwed over the consumer and it won't be the last. Unfortunately it's part of the game and Sony is using the lack of BC for some purpose (probably investors etc) or as a reason to lower the price. Later on down the line they'll either release a patch or offer a paid download which "unlocks" BC to "reward" the fans.
Honestly it isn't a big deal. If you cared about BC then you'd already have one and probably a 60 gb model. If you couldn't afford one or chose to wait...well tough shit, it's how the world works. Do I think no bc really matters? Hell no. There's such a small percentage of people who actually care about such things (i.e. forumers) that it makes little difference. The vast majority of people who buy systems care about what's new.
Do I think it's wise to cut out BC...no. Will the $299 price tag make a significant difference in PS3 sales? Yes , but they still need MGS AND FFXII AND GT4 asap if they hope to take over 2nd place in the next few years.
That's old information. A Sony exec flat-out told the Wall Street Journal in a direct quote that BC doesn't really cost them extra anymore, and that taking it out was purely a marketing decision to get PS3 owners to stop buying PS2 games and buy more PS3 ones.
Edit: beat.
Yeah, taking out the hardware emulation saved them some cash, apparently. But they did admit outright that taking out software-BC had no benefit other than attempting to get people to buy more PS3 games.
My PS2 is on it's last legs, and dropping the PS3 to $399 serves me little purpose if I've got to then buy a new PS2 to play my extensive PS2 library. That was my problem with their move.
sketchyblargh / Steam! / Tumblr Prime
What spec is that one?
This is not how a company that likes making money hand over fist treats its customers.
"Oh, I'm sorry, can't afford an expensive piece of technology? TOUGH SHIT ASSHOLE. THAT'LL LEARN YA."
or Brawl. 4854.6102.3895 Name: NU..
Software-based PS2 BC, full number of USB/Memory card ports, free copy of Motorstorm.
Not bad, but too expensive at $500, which is the same price of the 60GB version it replaced.
It might not be as big a deal if the PS2 didn't have such a huge base. So many people have PS2s, and they, for the most part, don't hold up very well (I routinely get DRE's when I try to play games on mine) so a lot of people were hoping that the PS3 would be a solution.
Tretton's admission of the whole "BC costs us nothing" deal was a huge sour point for me, and a lot of other people here.
sketchyblargh / Steam! / Tumblr Prime
Ah yes, I remember now. Cheers.
$500 is too much, but I think Gamestop is still running their 'trade in your ps2 towards a ps3, get $50' thing which is what I jumped on. That plus some traded in games that were collecting dust, mine ended up being like $350.
And the software BC thus far has been fantastic. Except Shadow of Rome and then only in pre-rendered cutscenes.
And FFXII's weird desire to not display 16:9 properly.
3DS: 1650-8480-6786
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Hey, I live there now. Moved up fairly recently.
But then there are people like me, who never has a PS2 and buying a PS3 would be much more appealing if I had access to the PS2 backlog. (I have no interest in the PS1 library, mind you.)
Now, I understand that they'd rather have people buying PS3 games for PS3s and that's one of the reasons they did it and that everybody and their mother has a PS2, but you know... if I'm buying a new system at this point and I have an HD setup at home, I'm going to want to buy the one with the most games. Others may want to buy the one with the prettiest games, and that's fine too... but Sony could very easily have appeased both of those audiences.
or Brawl. 4854.6102.3895 Name: NU..
There's another G&Ter that lives in like Ellicot City if I recall.
Central MD PAX.
But this is not a discussion for this thread. :P
I think the discontinuation of the 80gb model is both a good and bad idea. Bad because you neglect your more hardcore types by dropping BC and good because it helps alleviate consumer confusion.
Really, for the average consumer, this is beneficial. Mostly because the average consumer is a fuckwit and wouldn't even know what they had anyway.
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