Devs would 'love for PS3 to be free,' says SCEA
- Posted March 16th, 2009 at 08:16 EDT by Mike Harradence
- 34 Comments
Facing increased pressure from publishers to lower the price of PlayStation 3, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has reiterated that the corporation has no plans to cut the price of its flagship gaming console, remarking that companies would “love for PS3 to be free.”
“Everybody in the development community would love for the PS3 to be free, so they could just sell razor blades,” said Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing for SCEA.
Dille added that the company remains ‘concerned’ with profitability in addition to the installed base of the PS3.
Among the publishers who have voiced their concern over Sony’s stance on the price of the console include industry giants Electronic Arts, a company which has recently pushed focus on Nintendo Wii.
“You can’t ignore the guy who has half the market,” says EA Sports boss Peter Moore, adding, “Sony obviously still has a ways to go with their pricing.”
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Overcast
- 4:25am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 2
Because money is money kopkiwi. Anyway the wii is a good example of what they are saying. The wii is cheap so a lot of people have one, including me. The bad thing about that is devs know they have a better chance of selling more games on that system so it gets flooded with crappy games. I can count all the good wii games on my hand. I couldnt count all the bad ones with my hands and all of yours.
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O_G_H
- 4:32am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 4
All I have to say is I have a real problem with Sony's "Added Value" marketing model. It would be fine, but it doesn't work for market share. The PSP proved it. There are 50 million PSP's out there (which is incredible), but that's half of the DS's hardware sales. Are devs supposed to ignore the DS and make PSP games? That's why the PSP has a game drought. Such a shame. It's also a shame that Sony did the same to the PS3. I know March 09 will only be the first month PS3 makes a profit, and a $50 price drop will ruin that, but EA's stockholders (LIKE ME) dont care about that. That's right, I have stock in EA, and when they make horrible Wii games like "Dress 'em up Barbie" or whatever, I make MONEY.
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Rediaen
- 4:37am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 5
@Overcast
You're 100% right about the Wii's problem with shovelware. I've got one, and I have all of the *good* games for it. Everytime I go to a games store, my girlfriend tries to buy a shovelware game, but I stop her. Maybe I should just let her learn on her own.
Regarding the article, I think SCEA knows what's best, but only Sony doesn't want to cut the price. Everyone and their mother has been whining about the price since the console debuted. I personally have a 60GB with BC and have found superb value in the $500 I spent on it just before they were discontinued, but I know plenty of people that don't want to jump in and buy one at the current price point and then find out a month or two later that they're going to slash the price.
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Arimax
- 4:42am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 6
I feel like Sony screw themselves over one thing they don't realize is that people don't need PS3's we only want them.
I even think Apple learned this with the Iphone you'll get all the die hards to buy your consoles/Iphone at first, but then what. Cause now Sony is dealing with the not so hardcore fan base and $400 even $500 is not appealing to me. I don't care what it has in it as long as I can play video games I got a laptop for internet and all that jazz.
I don't want to just put Sony down either cause it's the same with the 360 as well.
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Cloudie
- 5:02am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 7
Oh noes! EA wants a PS3 price cut or all of their garbage will be Wii only?? Hard to tell who's a winner or loser in that scenerio.
Amazing how noone seems to care about the Wii price hike. The least expensive toy/game player to make and Nintendo's jacking the price.
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jigglespsu
- 5:10am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 8
This is crazy and EA need to grow up, they can't make cr@p games and then blame the PS3 for the price.
Many good games are available on PS3 and more on the way. The rpoblem is not with the price of PS3 but the lack of imagitnation by the big studios who are pumping out sequel after sequel and their fresh IP is poorly presented if at all.
The one thing that Sony need to do is work harder in their advertising.
EA need to ask themselves whether or not we need re-treads of the same old rubbish year on year ... the answer is NO
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tadpole3159
- 5:11am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 9
i'm pretty sure every one here has a ps3. i payed £400 for mine at launch, a pirce cut is just gonna piss me off
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Lanthros
- 5:14am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 10
most of you dont get it at all. Like O_G_H and Airmax there really dont get it at all. Pushing for the higher market share so hard and trying to shovel as many units out the door reguardless of it being a quality finished product or not is what has been causing all of these developers to lose so much money and even fold in many cases. Simply put Sony is in it for the long haul and arent going anywhere. These developers dont even realize why they are losing money so much. They want to blame the economy when its thier own stupidity. One solid game a year cant support the 20-30 horrible games they are pushing multiplatform. So while they may be getting record sales to inflate thier egos they are also getting record losses. While I admit, its time for sony to step up its game and market better the price has to be adjusted AFTER you pound the idea of quality over quantity into the heads of the consumers who grow ever dumber and lazier every day. Bring back the cross company attack adds. Dont license inferior games from third party developers. Make them work hard on QUALITY games that bring something new to the table. And most of all STOP LETTING THEM DUMP PORTS ON YOU.
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InfiniteRetro
- 5:18am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 11
@1 mate when you figure out the answer let me know cos i'll be buggered as to what is wrong with this place lol
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Lanthros
- 5:19am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 12
Also, IDIOTS need to stop getting butt hurt over a price cut after youve bought it. You thought it was worth the money when you bought it and thats all that matters. I paid 600 at launch for my 60 GB and I DONT REGRET IT AT ALL. If your geting mad over price drops after you bought it then why were you worried about buying one in the first place? The price is allways going to drop eventually untill discontinuation. If you can complain you dont deserve to own one in the first place so why not sell yours to someone who really wants and deserves one.
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PsychoMantis
- 5:40am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 13
In my opinion EA should just go ahead and make games for the Wii keep all there crap on the Wii and the 360. If they do this then we will get better games and not some tired boring franchise games.
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empirex
- 5:52am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 14
You know $400 bucks is not that much money for the ps3. The 360 elite is about the same price and no one is screaming about the price of that. For a system that some think needs a price cut it sure is selling well. EA is a joke. When they start making good games people will buy them. It has nothing to do with the price of the ps3 why there games are not selling. EA just wants to put the blame on someone other then themselves and the ps3 is just an easy target.
EA needs to take a stand on there crappy games and stop trying to put the blame on others.
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O_G_H
- 6:01am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 15
@14 The reason no one cries over the 360 Elite's price is everyone that would cry over it just gets the "low-spec", $200 360. They get it to play games only. Sure, they don't get to enjoy having a big HDD and all that means for them, but they don't care. Just like all the people that have PS3's and don't use 1/2 of it's features. THAT's the majority of gamers. They get these for games only. I was online with someone in my friends list last night. He finally made a Home avatar for the first time (and it was only because I insist we have meetings for our MLB 09 The Show league in a Home Clubhouse). He was amazed at Home. That's just the way people are.
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1solidsnake |
solid1snake67- 6:14am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 17
i say lower it to the xbox 360s price or even a little lower an advertise how the ps3 has free online,
i do a commercial of two brothers, each brother bought a ps3 and a 360 one brother goes to the store and buys the system and a game , the other goes to the same store and buys a 360 elite and the xbox live mintues, this will also show how you can hook up your ps3 quickley without having to do thos monthly fees, ( so something like that) but, i really do think they need to lower it, i was at walmart and thewy switched there video game stuff all around and the ps3 is last and the 360 is first, c'mon sony think!!
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Paranoimia
- 6:37am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 19
"There are 50 million PSP's out there (which is incredible), but that's half of the DS's hardware sales. Are devs supposed to ignore the DS and make PSP games?"
Not at all. But it's definitely hard to understand the reasoning that sees devs entirely overlooking a market of 50 million.
Look at it this way... there are 50 million PSP users who have been starved of great games for a year or more. Release a decent game, and you'll most likely get huge sales.
Then again, maybe that's the problem... they don't have any ideas for good games, so they focus on the DS, where they know any old tat will sell. Don't get me wrong - I like the DS as a system, but the software... to say the majority of it is shovelware would be a complement.
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richkaos
- 7:47am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 20
All consumer electrical goods drop in price eventually (its a fact) and so too will the PS3, Sony are eeking it out for as long as possible (i dont blame them), as they ARE still selling OK, and people are still starting to realise the bennefits of the PS3, several of my friends have bought into the PS3 this year and most of them were influenced by playing and using mine, and yeah some had thought wait for price drop wait for price drop, but it hasnt happend so they just thought sod it and bought one anyway. I mean they maybe still £299 but the packages at that price can be pretty good. So my thoughts are that a price cut will happen this year april/may time at a guess and you know that sony will never announce this months in advance.
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rogerse63
- 8:22am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 21
I would be happy with a $50 price cut and a free game, best buy had a $50 gift card and a free guitar hero a few weeks ago, but didn't jump at it cause you couldn't take the gift card off the end cost. The only reason im not buying one yet is not the cost, its my empty wallet.
....................and when will sony give us some color options like red, blue, gray, white, green, etc.. instead of importing from japan? sure black is sweet but im going to import a white controller when i get some cash. $ 59.99 plus shipping........anyone know where to find one cheaper, like free shipping?
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LittleB69
- 9:23am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 23
Well the easy fix to EA's problem with the PS3 price is to raise the license cost for developers and lower the price for the public.. that would make EA happy :-)... NOT?
Would be cool though is Sony said..ok.. we will sell cheaper..but dear EA you must cover our losses ..hehe
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Overcast
- 10:22am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 25
@ 3 Kopkiwi, I feel you it is a little unsetteling regardless
@ 5 Rediaen About you're girlfriend situation, I'm sad to say I was once clouded by the nostalgia I had for Nintendo when I was younger. My girlfirend noticed the Wii's problems before I did. I just didn't want to believe Nintendo would throw us (serious gamers) to the way side like that.
As far as what EA said, there are many things that the Wii is capable of but when it comes to new games that are pushing this art form "foward" such as Bioshock, Metal Gear, Mass Effect, Mirror's Edge, Resident Evil 5, Street Fighter 4 WHATEVER!!!! The Wii isn't capable of such feats. If anyone thinks the games I used as examples are overrated or not that impressive, it still speaks volumes as the Wii is not capable of delivering those games.
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iceveiled
- 11:01am EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 26
Sony needs to be competitive. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that when you're losing to a console that costs $100 less you should probably go ahead and match price. :-
Whatever, I already have my PS3, but sometimes I think the people running the show at sony are a bunch of fools.
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ypaotroicn
- 2:00pm EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 28
all these EA haters are sort of ridiculous.
no matter how much you might not like them, they still supply a huge number of games for the PS3 and are another reason why people buy PS3s. If EA made absolutely no games for PS3 and only for 360 and Wii, there would be no PS3. or it would only be a small niche market, not as big as it is right now.
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Superblaster76
- 4:37pm EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 31
Sony's ego is bigger this generation than Nintendo's was last generation. You know you have a problem when you have to defend your console every day for the last few years. An even bigger problem is having to defend it against those you are trying to get to develop more games for your system. Way to go Sony!
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ohshutyourmouth
- 7:35pm EDT - March 16th, 2009
- 32
i dont know why ppl are bichen about EA . Think about the PS3 without EA. Imagine only being able to play Madden, or NBA live, or fifa only on xbox console. LAME. The truth be told is ive said it a million times, Sony needs to drop the ps3's price to ATLEAST 300$ if they want to stay in this game, and keep coming with exclusive killer titles like they have. Think about it.... and especially in hard economic times... 360 = $200 and PS3 = $400. Thats DOUBLE THE PRICE!!! As much as i do see the value in a $400 PS3 their sales are going to suffer more and more with another system out there having 85% of almost the same games and with time if they continue to be stubborn and dont figure out a way to make that price cut, the PS3 ship will sink!
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GhostVIII
- 12:41am EDT - March 17th, 2009
- 33
@32
A price drop really doesn't help anyone you know that right? It cuts into Sony's profit, it doesn't grow the install base as much as you think (in this economic climate 300 or 400 dollars is a lot of money, and the PS3 is selling at a rapid rate right now at 400 dollars so I think the price is ok), and low profits affect the next product iteration which hurts the dev. community (i.e. xbox 360 is a cheaply made system). Dev. that create games on the 360 only causes more problems for themselves in the long run when they make multi-platform games, and that cuts into their profit margin.
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quazarblack
- 4:18pm EDT - March 17th, 2009
- 34
sony should do a comparison ad of not 360's $200 vs ps3's $400 but games that dont have full functionality with that 360 version like burnout paradise without a hdd those guys cant play the game online
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