March 26th, 2009 | Author: admin
Mac Jones asked:
In our previous article entitled ‘will the PS3 slim save Sony?’, we looked at the problems being faced by Sony’s computer entertainment division due to their expensive and loss-making PlayStation 3 games console. In this second and final part we look at Sony’s recently announced solution.
The GamesCom event that took place in mid August in Germany saw the Japanese giant finally reveal its future plans. A new streamlined slimmer PS3 was to be released with the same features as the original but sporting a much larger 120GB hard drive than the current standard 80GB unit. Despite the slimmer design and increased specification it was also announced that this new slim PS3 would be $50 USD cheaper than the outgoing original. This new console would be released for sale on 1 September 2009, just a couple of weeks after the announcement and something which took industry experts by surprise. Sony even delivered free PS3 units to the offices of various technology websites which meant real-life reviews and pictures of the new slim version were online less than a day after the announcement at GamesCom.
In my opinion, Sony have surely done enough to turn around the fortunes of its gaming division. They have appeased both the games developers and consumers with a cheaper console, whilst simultaneously boosting demand due to the slimmer design. To add to this is the hype and hence the ‘must have’ sentiments that are aroused when a new product is released that will serve to temporarily boost demand even more. Perhaps the most important factor surrounding the introduction of the slim PS3 is that Sony would have been able to re-engineer the console for a much lower production cost which, even taking into account the $50 retail price reduction, should leave them finally making a profit from the console that was now introduced nearly three years ago.
Industry reaction also seems to be almost universally positive, with the only criticisms being about the slightly unadventurous design of the PS3 slim, especially after the quite adventurous design of the original. Only time will tell if Sony have done enough but it looks as though the PS3 has got quite a positive future to look forward to.
DOUGLASS
In our previous article entitled ‘will the PS3 slim save Sony?’, we looked at the problems being faced by Sony’s computer entertainment division due to their expensive and loss-making PlayStation 3 games console. In this second and final part we look at Sony’s recently announced solution.
The GamesCom event that took place in mid August in Germany saw the Japanese giant finally reveal its future plans. A new streamlined slimmer PS3 was to be released with the same features as the original but sporting a much larger 120GB hard drive than the current standard 80GB unit. Despite the slimmer design and increased specification it was also announced that this new slim PS3 would be $50 USD cheaper than the outgoing original. This new console would be released for sale on 1 September 2009, just a couple of weeks after the announcement and something which took industry experts by surprise. Sony even delivered free PS3 units to the offices of various technology websites which meant real-life reviews and pictures of the new slim version were online less than a day after the announcement at GamesCom.
In my opinion, Sony have surely done enough to turn around the fortunes of its gaming division. They have appeased both the games developers and consumers with a cheaper console, whilst simultaneously boosting demand due to the slimmer design. To add to this is the hype and hence the ‘must have’ sentiments that are aroused when a new product is released that will serve to temporarily boost demand even more. Perhaps the most important factor surrounding the introduction of the slim PS3 is that Sony would have been able to re-engineer the console for a much lower production cost which, even taking into account the $50 retail price reduction, should leave them finally making a profit from the console that was now introduced nearly three years ago.
Industry reaction also seems to be almost universally positive, with the only criticisms being about the slightly unadventurous design of the PS3 slim, especially after the quite adventurous design of the original. Only time will tell if Sony have done enough but it looks as though the PS3 has got quite a positive future to look forward to.
DOUGLASS
