EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich has urged Sony to lower the price of the PlayStation 3 prior to Christmas, believing that causal gamers are unlikely to be swayed by its current USD 399 price tag.
Speaking in a research note, Divnich commented, “While we have no doubts that titles like Resistance 2 and LittleBigPlanet will drive the core gaming market to purchase a PS3, we do, however, have doubts that either title will lure in casual and mainstream gamers.”
“The $399 price point is simply too steep to entice the casual and mainstream markets, regardless of how great Resistance 2 and LittleBigPlanet may be.”
Divnich noted that a lot of potential PS3 owners waiting for a price drop may be tempted to opt for the Xbox 360 instead, particularly if Microsoft’s machine enjoys more success from first party software.
“We still urge Sony to consider a possible hardware price cut this holiday season. If September hardware sales fall below our estimate (under 200,000 units), it could be an indication that the Xbox 360 price cut played a bigger role on hindering PS3 sales than what we originally expected.”