With all the speculation and buzz out there regarding the 40GB PS3 announcements in Japan and Europe, I am very excited to confirm that the new $399 PS3 model will be coming to North America on November 2nd, making that particular configuration available worldwide. In North America, the 40GB PS3 comes bundled with the block-buster movie Spider-Man 3 on Blu-ray. Also, effective today, we’ve lowered the purchase price of our 80GB model by $100 to $499.
This move has been part of our longer term business strategy for PS3 since early on and we believe this lower priced model, combined with our broad line-up of content will appeal to a great many of you who want a lower entry price without sacrificing any of the core components of PS3. With today’s news, we’re strengthening our position approaching this holiday season and beyond with the intent to provide you with a choice and an excellent entry point into HD games and movies.
Adding to the appeal of the new retail pricing is the great PS3 lineup that will help further drive our momentum this holiday, including Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, THE EYE OF JUDGMENT, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Heavenly Sword, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Assassin’s Creed, Haze and Rock Band. And that’s just the beginning: This holiday lineup will be followed in 2008 by highly-anticipated Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Grand Theft Auto IV, Killzone 2, LittleBigPlanet and, of course, PlayStation Home.
Our goal this holiday season is to make PS3 even more affordable and to offer you greater choice to suit your gaming and entertainment needs. Again, I want to thank all of you for your continued support throughout this past year and I look forward to the months and years ahead.
@Twinsdad
For it to go after the Premium it would have to keep some of the same features and be after the same demographic. The specs and price point are not matched up for the Premium. The Arcade is going after the Wii Demographic. Someone that wants to just pick up and play not the hard core gamer.
PS3 with 40gigs
XBOX Arcade no hard drive
PS3 no games just Spiderman 3 so you cannot play out the box.
Xbox Arcade 5 arcade games
PS3 Built-in Blu-ray player
Xbox arcade needs the add on @ $179
Which brings it to the same price as the PS3 40gig
They both HDMI
Neither has media Card slot
PS3 built-in Wi-Fi
Xbox Arcade Wi-Fi @ $99
PS3 has 2 usb ports
Xbox Arcade 3 USB ports
Nether out the box have Backwards Compatibility
$279 vs. $399
For Sony to go after the pro this Xmas. They would have to add 2 free games to the 40gig system because that is what is coming with the pro. I own all three next gen systems and sell all three every day. I know my stuff it is my job to teach this stuff the customers and my staff. TwinDad so if you want to come at me please bring facts to make a case. Not just empty comments. Thanks.
What is the next step if this does not sell? Revamp the 20 gig with a single USB port and no PS1 support? I’m telling you release a HDD less SKU with the same specs as the original 60 gig for $350 – $400. That would get more takers. Besides that in the Spring, Sony will release another SKU with a Rumbleaxis controller with a so so game.
[…] Sony announced a new PS3 model sporting a 40GB hard drive at a reduced price of $399, which should be good news for gamers looking to purchase a PS3. Along with other cost cutting […]
WHAT DO THE PEOPLE WHO PAYED $600 FOR A 60GB GET IN RETURN? NOW YOU HAVE A 80GB WITH A GAME FOR LESS THEN $600 AND A 40GB FOR LESS THEN $600. IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME HOW SONY COULD DO THIS TO THE FIRST BUYERS. MY MONEY WAS WASTED AND SO WAS THE MONEY OF OTHERS.
you do not speak for others NUMBER 204. over the years have purchased items when they first came out from various companies and knew the premium pric would go down once more buyers purchased the product
..and by the way ps3 came out a year ago…in that time many hours have been spent by me AND OTHERS in pleasure and fun
some stores when they sell a product state that if the price goes down on that item in a specific amount of time they will refund the higher price.
A YEAR WENT BY AND THEY LOWERED THE PRICE BY 100 AND ADDED 20 EXTRA GB AND ADDED A GAME. THAT ISNT RIGHT. I HAVE ENJOYED MY PS3 JUST AS MUCH AS ANYONE BUT I FEEL BETRAYED BY SONY FOR THEM DOING THIS. THERE IS NO NEED FOR THIS. OTHER COMPANIES LIKE NINTENDO GIVE BACK TO THE BUYERS. IF THEY ADD SOMETHING TO THEIR SYSTEMS THEY GIVE IT TO THE OTHERS WHO BOUGHT THE SYSTEM BEFORE. ITS SOME GRADE A [DELETE].
Sony you rule!! but need a little bit of less delays. Where is update 2.0?? Great job at cutting the price to stay competitive.
I don’t see why some of you guys are complaining about the price drop. Can’t you see that by buying early you have avoided this reshuffling of the ps3 for better or worst. In my opinion the HARDWARE BC 60 gig is the best sku, pity they say their gonna discontinue it but It’s the most balanced of the skus right now ,with all the features. So I’m glad I got mine. They could find a software solution to the problem of BC for the 40 gig and its kinda clever that it will be a software update. Now the card readers, how are we gonna transfer data to and from it, the usb ports, using a bluetooth adapter? For now they need a competitive install base that’s what the 40 gig’s for, also imagine if they had msg4, killzone 2,heavenly sword, warhawk and final fantasy xiii at launch or close behind they may have sold more ps3s without having to cannibalize the system. Good games alone would have saved sony and that’s what they need a lot of good games,sony also has to get the monkey off their shoulder with people actually convinced there are no good games on the ps3, they have them and are getting them but at a sluggish pace compared to 360’s head start and wii’s faster production rate but this is changing as we speak, more developers are acquainted with ps3 architecture. They now have an affordably priced ps3 although there is no BC an update may remedy this and in the meantime play ps3 games. If you can’t live without BC buy a 60 gig or 80 gig.
@ fubar – great write up but in case you didn’t know the 80 gig PS3 uses BC emulation. its not real BC like the original 60 and 20 gigs. it doesn’t have the emotion engine like them! :) but yeah I totally agree with you that people looking for the best deal would have to be the 60 gig PS3.
Cheers,
Lh
@Lakaihigh-Yeah I did know.I put hardware bc in capitals to emphasize, it’s the first word on the third line.The choice to go software seems wise in the long-run though , it’ll be cheaper and more efficient to do bc in future consoles and with time it will get better, we shouldn’t have to worry about the future of this feature if sony is committed to it. Emulation may be be a double edged sword as it may encourage piracy, sony has to be careful about that.As everyone knows graphics alone don’t make a good game maybe sony should be looking for more good 2d games kinda like okami to carry
some of the demand.