Technology steps backwards
Sony finally announced the new, long rumored, slimmer, cheaper, PS3.
Uh... wait a sec.
Cheaper isn't the right word... what's the word I'm looking for?
Oh right... pricier. The base PS3 now costs $269, instead of $249.
I suspect most people were expecting $199. I certainly was.
After all, they did away with the slot-loading Blu-ray drive, for a (presumably) cheaper top-loader. Generally the reason products like this are re-engineered, are to make them more cost-effective to produce, and therefore cheaper to sell to consumers while maintaining or improving profitability.
Note that I said re-engineered. Not upgraded.
Upgrading implies improved performance. New features. More speed. Better graphics. Moving from a PS3 to a PS4, for example.
Usually with technology, you get either:
- Improvements to the technology at a similar cost, or...
- Similar or equivalent technology at a lower cost
But not if you're Sony.
Sony repackaged the PS3, undoubtably reducing their costs, while increasing the price.
This is going to draw in new owners how exactly?
Now, sure you can say, "Well - it comes with a free game and some DLC for some other game. So that's like getting a bunch of money off the price." But DLC doesn't cost Sony anything to include, and the cost of a game on a Blu-ray disc is negligible (even so, Uncharted 3 is only retailing for $20). Sure, you're saving money by not buying the game separately - assuming you want it - but it's only costing Sony pennies to include it. If you don't want the game, you don't have the option to not get it at a lower cost, or get an alternate game you do want. It's false, perceived value.
Like including Pac-Man with the 2600.
Also, Sony already includes bundled games with the current $249 PS3. In fact, last year during Black Friday, they were selling a bundle with two games and a console for $199 (guess I should've braved the crowds for that one). So why the price increase?
It could also be argued, "But now the PS3 comes with a 250 GB drive in the base model - the old one was only 160 GB." Yes, but that drive was introduced in July, 2010. Hard drives have universally increased in capacity and decreased in price since then (here's a cool chart that I wish someone would update). In fact, some 160 GB hard drives now cost more than 250 GB (or larger) drives because smaller capacity drives are discontinued as higher capacity ones become cheaper.
So it's not the free game or bigger storage. Why else would Sony increase the price?
Oh right... because they're stupid.
I keep forgetting that.
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