As if you couldn’t guess what our Ask PSLS this week would be based off what we did last time, we decided to ask everyone the following question: Do You Think The PlayStation 3 Will Get a Price Drop to $199.99 at E3 2013?
Anthony Severino – com at me (@Sev_Anthony)
They’re going to lower the price. So it’s more of a matter of how much. I think $199 is on the low end. It could be as drastic as $149.99. This way, they end the PS3 generation with some very strong sales, and keep those sales going despite a newer, more exciting console on the horizon.
All that said, I actually don’t expect a PS3 price drop at E3. Only the Vita. Instead, Sony will drop the price at gamescom in August. Historically, that’s where most of the other PS3 price drops have occurred. So following trends, that’s what I’m expecting, instead making the focus of E3, the PS Vita and PS4. This makes sense for yet another reason, too. The PS4 might not release this holiday in EU territories, so it makes sense for gamescom to do more to sell the PS3 to the EU markets for that much longer while they wait for a PS4 launch date.
Oh yes, I am a genius.
Cameron Teague – Potentially Competitive (@Cameron_PSLS)
I think it could get a price drop to around that amount, but part of me thinks that would be stupid on Sony’s part. Why drop the price on the PS3 around the time the PS4 is releasing? To me that is competing with your own launch of the PS4 and could take away potential buyers of your new hardware.
Chandler Wood – Beyond the Last of Us (@FinchStrife)
E3 is going to be a massive push and focus on the PS4 and what we’re going to see come November (yes, I’m betting on a November release for PS4). There will be some push for the last few PS3 titles such as The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls, but most attention is going to be on the next generation consoles from Microsoft and Sony.
So with that in mind, Sony is going to want to sell their current console, especially to people who are unlikely to adopt the PS4 right at launch, or who simply have yet to jump into the PlayStation brand. What better way to do this than to cut the price of the system to an extremely friendly $199.99? I could also see it going as low as $179.99 potentially, because the more people who are playing a PS3, the more they are going to be likely to upgrade to a PS4 sometime within the next couple of years if they weren’t planning on it already.
Dan Oravasaari – Productive (@FoolsJoker)
Sony could get by without lowering the price of the PS3, but if they do, it would a smart move to kill off some of the buzz of Microsoft’s inevitable announcement and bring attention to an available Sony platform. Will they though? I must say, without a doubt, maybe.
Jason Dunning – The Last Price Drop (@Jasonad21)
I think E3 would be the perfect place for Sony to announce the PlayStation 3 price drop to just $199.99, especially if they bring out a bundle with The Last of Us at the end of the week for that $200. If they decide to skip the price drop at E3 though, gamescom is a highly likely candidate as the aging system is due for a cheaper price.
Jesse Meikle – Push It (@Jesse_WM)
I’m not sure Sony feels that a price cut is necessary for the PlayStation 3. Sony’s likely going to be pushing hardest to move the PS4 and Vita into households over the holidays. I’m expecting a PlayStation Vita price cut this year, and a PlayStation 3 price cut in 2014.
Louis Edwards – Super Slim (@ftwrthtx)
I do expect the price of the PS3 to drop, but how much will depend on the price point of the PS4. The Super Slim PS3’s seem pretty cheap as far as building costs, so Sony definitely has room to lower it. At the same time, I’m sure they don’t want purchasers to think they are getting a cheaply built product, even though most gamers know that the latest PS3 hardware is nothing like the original or even the 2nd gen PS3. I expect price announcements will come for all 3 devices (PS Vita, PS3 & PS4) during E3.
Sebastian Moss – Spinster (@SebMoss)
I think they’ll continue the trend of releasing a slimmer, cheaper build PS3 for the same price. The ultra-mega-slim PS3 will remain $249.99, except you’ll have to spin the disc yourself using a winch. It’ll be a whole new gameplay mechanic.
Do you think the PlayStation 3 will get a price drop to $199.99 at E3 2013? Let us know in the comments below.
