When the PlayStation 3’s price was announced during E3 2006 to be launching at $599.99, the general consensus was that Sony’s black behomoth entertainment machine was destined to fail. Not to mention the fact that profitability for Sony was nowhere in sight (the PS3 was said to cost Sony over $900 per unit to manufacture at launch).
That’s all changed now, the PS3 is “on fire” and finally making a profit.
SCE Worldwide studios boss Shuhei Yoshida has stated to IGN that even though the company is not making a lot in terms of profit, they’re still getting it, which hasn’t been happening for what seems forever now.
This year is the first time that we are able to cover the cost of the PlayStation 3. We aren’t making huge money from hardware, but we aren’t bleeding like we used to.
Now that Sony is making a profit, and has the momentum they’ve been looking for, don’t expect a price drop anytime soon:
We have lots of great games coming out and innovations with Move and 3DTV, so we don’t believe this is the time for us to think about a price drop.
Yoshida’s above statement does hold importance once you analyze it. Sony’s motion controller, PlayStation Move, certainly had a strong presence during E3 and arguably impressed the masses with its compelling line-up of titles as well as the very tempting price point. Also, not to forget 3D, which Sony had heavily pushed during E3, stating what the PlayStation 3 did for Blu-Ray, it will do for 3D. And that’s just the 3D capability for Sony’s console alone; the company will most likely be the forefront leader in selling 3D Television sets with its successful Bravia range. With PS3 blockbusters, such as Killzone 3, to be playable in full 3D, it’s hard to disagree that the PlayStation 3 has a bright future despite no price drops.
