Well, that's it. Nintendo and Microsoft are finished - or so Sony wants people to think with a new SKU(stock keeping unit), new price points, and additions to the PS3 firmware (3.0) announced earlier today.
- Old PS3 "fat" units will be priced from $299 to $399 depending on HDD size and on stores
- PS3 3.0 Firmware coming Sept. 1st ( new XMB functionality)
- New PS3 Slim features: 33 percent smaller - 36 percent lighter, 120 gb drive, & sports the new 3.0 firmware, @ $299 starting first week of September
Sony shouts that they are far from down and out. Although, you have to admit, since their launch they've feverishly been playing catch up with the other two players. Anyone could see this as a desperation move for their failing system. The Wii's sales were starting to slow down, but then here came Wii Sports Resort to boost sales back up. Don't forget New Super Mario Bros. Wii is on its way sometime in November; a perfect opportunity for Nintendo to regain the casual and children's market in the holiday season. As for the Xbox? Well, no real big exclusives are making their way around this year like a Gears of Wars, but we are getting Halo: ODST, Forza 3, and Left 4 Dead 2 - enough for you? As well, as big titles like Modern Warfare 2 which will nab up more 360 players than PS3 owners.
So was this Sony's last chance to sell off consoles? I do remember Sony saying the PS3 system was "a 10 year console". Hate to say it, but we're already into 3 years of that lifespan and the unanimous thought is that the PS3 is dead last in the console war. I hardly touch the Wii, but my PS3? I hadn't played it for so long I actually packed it up and put it away in to my closet. Maybe I'll give it another try when Demon's Soul comes out. Oh, and if anyone is generous enough, I wouldn't mind a copy of Infamous to review!
[Via Kotaku]
No surprise here. Sony confirms there will be no backwards compatibility in the newest iteration of the PS3.
"Now that we're at a point where we're three years into the lifecycle of the PS3, there are so many PS3 disc-based games that are available that we think — and noticed this from our research — that most consumers that are purchasing the PS3 cite PS3 games as a primary [reason]...
"And it's not just like 50 or 60 percent. It's well into the 80 or 90 percentile range who are purchasing it for PS3 [games]. We do know that there are next gen consumers wanting to come over the the PS3. Most of those are consumers who have not utilized their PS2 for a little while and they're ready to jump into the PlayStation 3."
John Koller, SCEA Director of Marketing
[Via Kotaku]
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Ricardo Trejo
