GameStop and Amazon Offering PS3 Price Cut, Sony Drop Incoming?

[PS3 News]

This weekend retailers http://www.gamestop.com/ps3/consoles/sony-playstation-3-160gb/92398, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003VUO6H4/ and http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005EL3ACK/ have cut the price of the 160GB PlayStation 3 console from $249 to $199 (£159.99) leaving many wondering if an official Sony PS3 price drop is incoming.

To quote from PlayStationLifeStyle.net (linked above): "First GameStop cut the price of the PS3 by $50, then Amazon US, now Amazon UK has also dropped the price by a whopping £40 ($64).

If you live in the UK and have yet to get a PS3, be sure to pick one up now. If you don’t, then the deal should still be of interest to you - Amazon US and GameStop’s price cuts could be seen as simply a price war between the two retailers, but with Amazon UK now joining in on the discount, it does seem like retailers are discounting ahead of an E3 price drop, something that has happened in the past.

Michael Pachter previously http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-04-09-ps3-sales-continue-to-lag-xbox-price-cut-likely-by-e3-says-pachter that Sony needed to cut the price of the PS3 to remain competitive in the US:

PS3 hardware sales should continue to lag those of the Xbox 360, and we expect sales to trend downward by 10 – 20% monthly, until Sony cuts prices once again, likely at E3.

$199 has often been called the ‘magic price point’ where a console finally becomes truly appealing to the mass market, so if a global price drop does happen, it will be interesting to see what this means for the PS3."


More PlayStation 3 News...

[HeyManHRU]

The 160GB Slim PS3 is still $350 (299 in some places) here in Australia. So buying it online it would be much cheaper.

[abzii]

buying anything anwhere OTHER then here (au) is always cheaper... other than NSW is even cheaper

[ps3hen]

Yeah it's ridiculous I could buy a 3G PS Vita online with express postage for the same cost as buying a WiFi only PS Vita in Australia.

The high prices are to do with the small consumer volume in Australia. Only a fraction of the number of customers that walk into GameStop in America, will walk into EB Games in Australia. Less people buying, higher price required to maintain profit.

[Hipmans]

In The Netherlands the 160Gb console with no game included costs Eur 249 whereas the 320GB + game + extra controller costs Eur 299.

So imo it is only logic the price for the 160GB should be less than 200.

[niwakun]

this means PS4 is coming. right?

[Neo Cyrus]

Meh, I'll pick up a slim (my OFW Fat is louder than hell) when it drops down to the price of dirt.

[moja]

Tempting, but I really have no reason yet to pick up another one (looks wearily at ofw phat).

[abzii]

more people buy from target bigw jbhifi or online 4 the best price... the gamesmen in penshurst i've always only seen kids and parents buyin for their kids never olda teens or middle aged gamers