In Other News: PlayStation 3 Gets Cheaper
From time to time I like to dive into other news surrounding our favorite hobby. I like to stay diverse in my uberness ya know. It seems like the pricing merry-go-round continues as Sony brings another version of its PlayStation 3 console to the market. Equipped with a 40-gigabyte hard drive and no support for backward compatibility, the new PlayStation 3 will retail for $399. It will be available on November 2nd.
Yes, you heard that right. Those of you opting to pick this little gem up will have to do so knowing you will not be able to play that stack of PlayStation 2 games. Backward compatibility has never been an interest of mine but it was a strong selling point from Sony. I’m surprised they opted to go this route and even more surprised at the comments from Jack Tretton, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America.
“Backward compatibility is a nice secondary consideration, but it’s far from the number-one priority,” Tretton said.
Where are all the hecklers about Microsoft’s stance on backward compatibility now? I’ve just never been interested in it on my Xbox 360. I applaud both Sony and Microsoft for making it low priority. How appealing will this be to Sony fans?
+1
October 18th, 2007 at 9:09 am
I like the option of having backward compatability, but it doesn’t make or break a purchase for me.
October 18th, 2007 at 9:27 am
I say if you want to play PS2 or old Xbox games get a used system for 50 bucks and there ya go LOL.
October 18th, 2007 at 9:28 am
Personally, I couldn’t care less about BC anymore. It’s a nice option to have when a console launches but there just isn’t as much time to go back and play old games anymore. I think this is a good move on Sony’s part. This price point, along with some great games coming out this fall should boost PS3 sales.
October 18th, 2007 at 9:48 am
i did consider the backwards compatibilty for the 360 before i bought one.
but maybe thats because i bought games for the xbox worth about 10x a 360 haha.
October 18th, 2007 at 9:56 am
I’ve never cared about BC either. There are pleanty of people that do though. I think that function is only useful at launch when few native games exist for a new console. It’s a pretty big reversal in philosophy for Sony though. I guess they figured if MS’s BC was scrap why should they care either. A classic case of lowering your product to the level of your competition. Besides the platform has been out almost a year now and there are enough native games to keep somebody occupied. Like someone stated, if you want to play old games keep your old console or pay $50 for a used one.
October 18th, 2007 at 10:16 am
BC is just a waste of time. If you want to play BC games, buy a previous-gen console. I paid 400 dollars for a system that brings me into ‘next gen.’ Not once since I purchased my 360 have I had any desire to play a BC game. As for the PS3 price point, it is kind of interesting. They should have released this in the first place to gain more market share. I may even consider buying one now. BTW, is this a permanent SKU or just a limited time offer? Also, when will this SKU be released?
October 18th, 2007 at 10:20 am
this will be available next month and from all the reports, it looks to be permanent.
October 18th, 2007 at 10:41 am
Did you get that info from Top Secret Government Reports Deacon?
October 18th, 2007 at 10:53 am
$399 for a system that won’t play God of War……NO SALE.
October 18th, 2007 at 11:02 am
@DR, nope. i just clicked on the link in the article. haha