Over in Japan it's the Tokyo Game Show, and Sony has decided to take a little initiative after a torrid time by chopping back the cost of the PlayStation 3.
The cutbacks, announced by Ken Kutaragi, was in response to consumer complaints about the cost of the machine, which is set to be released in very limited numbers on November 11. The Associated Press says:
Sony will cut the price of its basic PlayStation 3 model in Japan to ¥47,600 ($410 or &eur;322), from an originally planned ¥59,800 ($515 or &eur;404.52). That puts the PlayStation 3 in the same range as the combined basic Xbox 360 and HD DVD player in Japan, where the duo will sell for ¥49,600
These price cuts will only affect Japanese customers, however - there don't seem to be many perks for the rest of us, despite the fact that complaints about the price have been pretty standard across the globe.
In fact, it probably indicates one of several things: pressure from consumers, fear about initial market impact, Nintendo's much-anticipated Wii, and Microsoft's Xbox 360 HD-DVD add-on, which will arrive in late November. And don't forget, when it comes to the bottom line this isn't about narrowing profit margins... it's about increasing the loss made on every single PS3 in order to eke out market share.
Ouch.
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