PS3 Japanese Price Drop: A Sign Of Weakness?

Mike Wallace, game industry analyst for USB Securities, produced a memo yesterday, and the subject content involved the price drop of the low-end PS3 in Japan.

He believes Sony made the move in response to consumer complaints about the console's high price, but ultimately called it a "questionable business decision and a sign of weakness" from Sony. Part of the memo reads-

"This price cut is only on the 20GB version of the PS3 in Japan, which in our view is not significant given that the U.S. is the key market for the PS3," Wallace said.

He also emphasized the fact that even with the new price, it's still more expensive than either the Xbox 360 or Wii, so he's clearly attempting to downplay the importance and impact of the price drop. To futher cement the point, Wallace reinforced what most industry professionals believe- that the 60GB PS3 is likely to be more popular in Japan, anyway.

Still, cheaper is cheaper. Japanese gamers may appreciate the savings, regardless.

9/23/2006 Ben Dutka

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