Sony exec admits PS3 price is 'high risk'

PS3 News | But we'll be paying for potential.

Sony boss Howard Stringer - that's him to the left - has confessed that even he sees the PlayStation 3's hefty price tag as a 'higher-risk strategy', but has also gone on record to say that buyers will be purchasing a machine with 'potential'.

"Obviously, it's a higher-risk strategy - as all new inventions are," Stringer told a recent press conference. "But if the PS3 lives up to its total potential, then I don't think anyone will be worried about Nintendo or Xbox's cheaper price. The price of the PS3 is high, but you're paying for potential." The Sony CEO justified this potential by once again talking up the Blu-Ray format, stating that, "in Blu-Ray, movie makers are beginning to sense that the pendulum is swinging and swinging for a clear reason. Do you go for a cheaper transitional [format], or do you take a chance on future-proof, higher technology which will keep you going for many, many years?"

The PlayStation 3 is set to go on sale in both Australia and Europe on November 17th. Australian gamers will be paying $829AU for the budget 20GB model, and $999AU for the more expensive 60GB model. It's yet to be confirmed that the UK will be receiving the budget version of the console, though we do know that UK consumers will be paying £425 for the premium model.

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27 Comments

rankodour

5 years ago

"or do you take a chance on future-proof, higher technology which will keep you going for many, many years?"

Pending on the build quality of the machine itself. I hope they actually use a high quality Blu Ray drive that won't crap out on you after a month. Otherwise what is the point.

Also, talking up a machine on "potential" is stupid. The machine has to show what it can do from the outset. Anything can have "potential".

Matt3

5 years ago

can someone please tell me what the difference is between the 20GB and the 60GB because there is quite a bit of money difference.

Rob_Jedi

5 years ago

The difference is the ports the machine has. The "budget" (cough cough) version has no HDMI ports (thus can't play in 1080p at all) also doesn't have memory card slots (so you will have to use sony memory cards, instead of more generic ones like SD and CF). That and the HD of course, but that apparently will be upgradable so I guess is removable like the 360 one. I doubt you can "upgrade" the ports later though.

Hmm I'm sure there was some other difference as well but don't recall what it was.

Something I'd still like to know though is why the European and Australian PS3 costs $200 US more than it does it in the US?

Zarnoss

5 years ago

Matt3 wrote

can someone please tell me what the difference is between the 20GB and the 60GB because there is quite a bit of money difference.

Surely it would just be the size of the HDD.And remember that it wouldn't be a standard HDD but one that is used specifically for the PS3 hence the larger price.Look at the overpriced 360 HDD compared to a stock PC HDD with the same capacity.

GooberMan

5 years ago

rankodour wrote

Also, talking up a machine on "potential" is stupid. The machine has to show what it can do from the outset. Anything can have "potential".

I bought a DS on launch based on the potential of the machine. I was rewarded over half a year later when must-have games finally came out for the system.

I rarely take an early adopter mindset, and I'd be hard pressed myself to pay for a non-neutered PS3 on launch. The right technology can excite people with the potential. I just don't think the PS3 is the right technology, and as such it will be reflected in when I purchase the machine.

Suetekh

5 years ago

GooberMan wrote

rankodour wrote

Also, talking up a machine on "potential" is stupid. The machine has to show what it can do from the outset. Anything can have "potential".

Also the DS was only about $200 not $1,000, much easier to justify the risk. For $1,000 I would want a hell of a lot of potential!

Personally I would not pay for the inferior model as it sounds like to is missing too many features. But I admit I havn't really looked into it.

dc0079

5 years ago

Personally, I believe the PC games will catch on with PS3, especially since PS3 is hard to program. PS3 games will get better as developers get better experience with it. While PC games will just get better from the hardware. Sure, the PC still cost a little more than PS3, but the "potential" is a lot more.

ultracrazy1

5 years ago

Matt3 wrote

can someone please tell me what the difference is between the 20GB and the 60GB because there is quite a bit of money difference.

The important thing to note with the lack of HDMI in the 20GB model, is that you may not be able to watch blu-ray movies in 720p or 1080i using component cables.

Wikipedia wrote

The lack of HDMI output in the 20 GB model could potentially cause problems with restricted output resolution on Blu-ray video. An ICT flag can be set by content producers, which forces non-HDCP video down to a pixel resolution of 960×540 (50% greater than DVD-Video). SCEA president Kaz Hirai stated that it is "too early to speculate at this point" whether movie producers will activate the ICT feature.[6] Movie studios are apparently in agreement to not include the ICT flag on any Blu-ray Discs until at least 2010, or possibly even 2012.[7]

The other differences not mentioned so far are that the 20GB model has no WiFi, and its not available in the Silver colour.

Basically if you don't care about blu-ray movies, have a hi def TV without HDMI inputs (only component), don't care about WiFi, can rely on the HDD for storage, and don't care about the silver model, you *could* live with the budget version. You can still play games in 720p/1080i with component cables, which is the most important thing.

I haven't got a high def tv yet, so I'm gonna get the 60GB model (eventually) just in case it turns out that I do want to watch 1080p movies.

LeonJ

5 years ago

Why invest in potential now? Where is the logic of hitting a $1000 games machine with no decent titles, hoping that in a year, the games might be awesome.

These guys seem to be shouting orders at the public of what they should do and buy.

We should all boycott the PS3 and force Sony into a price drop

Spanca

5 years ago

^ I'll be boycotting. I really thought that the PS3 was going to be the first playstation I'd owned. Sadly E3 came along and Sony opened their mouths.

Qbert

5 years ago

^Same with you Spanca. The 360 is enticing me through default now.

realitybites

5 years ago

PS3 is going to have the HDMI 1.3 spec so if you are going to buy a hi def LCD/Plasma make sure the manufacturer is capable of supporting HDMI 1.3.

It will be too expensive for normal folks but I think they will easily sell the first 5 million no problems. Their problem will be what happens after that when people aren't prepared to sell their kidneys for a games console. Sorry computer

Matt3

5 years ago

hmmm im very confused. im not into tech stuff and that and we just bought a new flat screen LCD. i think it says HD ready, i have no idea, i dont really pay attention, my parents just buy it and i watch it. and to me the xbox360 has not been good either. i played one and to me it wasnt much different to the original xbox and now they are saying the ps3 is gonna be a rip off. im probably just gonna stay with what ive got for a while (ps2). and when i do get a ps3 i have no idea which one i should get. a 20GB or a 60GB.

Jellyfish

5 years ago

Avoid the Budget PS3 like a crowd of people with the Black Plague. It's totally crippled. It's like buying a massive HD-TV with only composite inputs.

ultracrazy1

5 years ago

^ Not true.

You can still play games in 720p and 1080i with the budget PS3. Blu-ray may not be a good medium for movies (we'll have to wait and see), but it could be very good for games.

Joseph

5 years ago

Finally, they admit the price is "a risk." What I want them to do though is to stop with the "blu-ray this and blu-ray that" type speeches they've got. At least M$ are/did mentioning other features as well as the HDDVD. In fact, I've seen a decline in M$ exec talking about HDDVD.

Sony, you do indeed have "potential." The question is: Are you using it?

Jellyfish

5 years ago

ultracrazy1 wrote

You can still play games in 720p and 1080i with the budget PS3. Blu-ray may not be a good medium for movies (we'll have to wait and see), but it could be very good for games.

But Sony is marketing the Playstation 3 as a Blu-Ray player first and a video game console last.

Infested Jibbs

5 years ago

realitybites wrote

PS3 is going to have the HDMI 1.3 spec so if you are going to buy a hi def LCD/Plasma make sure the manufacturer is capable of supporting HDMI 1.3.

Eh?Diff types of HDMI?I'm not the most tech savvy out there but i was under the impression that(so far) there was only hdmi with/without HDCP(High defintion copy protection), which is very important to make sure a new tele has.

What's this hdmi 1.3 all about?

DancesInUnderwear

5 years ago

Howard wrote

"or do you take a chance on future-proof, higher technology which will keep you going for many, many years?"

Has this guy got a time machine or something? What proof is there that blu-ray isn't going to go the route of the mini-disk and the UMD?

~DESTROY~

5 years ago

i neva heard of Hdmi 1.3, I just bought a Toshiba TV and HD tuner, the tv with dual hdmi and a hdmi out on the Tuner.

From all the specs I went thru buying a Tv, Hdmi 1.3 never came up?
I think ill google into that further.

Anyway if u guys wanna know the price for Hdmi cable its around $150 for 2 metres of it, but the advantages are many or few your own opinion really, for starters Hdmi is a Pure digital signal cable which is different from composites etc. because Hdmi does not require an analogue to digital signal it is the best possible means of recieving your media and your audio+Visual are carried down one single cable too.

The difference seems that the PS3 bargin model will contain an analogue motherboard as opposed to a digital one.
Reason being MS are in the same boat with an analogue Mboard and cant or havent (one was set for may 30/06 didnt happen.) made a Hdmi cable yet due to this.
So it seems that PS3 gold will feature a digi Mboard which can output true digital minus the conversion needed, as opposed to the cheapy which will never ever ever be the same as the gold model.

Ms are sort of combatting the situation by putting Hdmi out on the HD-Dvd drive that id say is gonna hit november, I saw it featured at One of the E3 afterparties it was like a Secret photo lol.
But fingers crossed once more.
I hope MS can work out a Hdmi cable for gaming as Thats my true reason for being

Again as for the Hdmi 1.3 I dont think theyres even Tvs for Hdmi 1.3 if it even exists??

Zarnoss

5 years ago

Jibbs wrote

realitybites wrote

PS3 is going to have the HDMI 1.3 spec so if you are going to buy a hi def LCD/Plasma make sure the manufacturer is capable of supporting HDMI 1.3.

What's this hdmi 1.3 all about?

Yeah i'm interested as well.
From what I have seen HDMI is basically DVI with audio integrated into the one no-mess cable.No difference in video quality.

Jellyfish

5 years ago

~DESTROY~ wrote

Again as for the Hdmi 1.3 I dont think theyres even Tvs for Hdmi 1.3 if it even exists??

You need HDMI 1.3 to recieve 1080p signal. So anyone without HDMI 1.3 can't view 1080p (Not 100% sure).

Edit: Sorry for no link/snobby. I'm going by the press release that they're increasing the bandwidth to cope with the massive bitrate a 1080p signal would require.

Infested Jibbs

5 years ago

Linky's?

I don't want to come across as snobbish or you don't know what your talking about, but do you mind posting a link up with this hdmi 1.3 info?

Be a worthwhile read.

ultracrazy1

5 years ago

http://www.hdmi.org/press/pr/pr_20060622.asp

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