PS3 20Gb still alive?

[VIAN]

This article says that the PS3 20GB model is still in production. Sony says the reason you can't find them around is because retailers don't want them. They have a higher demand for the 60GB version.

Speculation: Really? Are you sure that retailer aren't offered incentives to carry more 60GB models because it saves Sony money. Why wouldn't a retailer want to carry a lower priced item capable of selling faster, generating more profit for them. Most likely, Sony doesn't allow any room for retailer profits in the 20GB model. Therefore, retailers shy away from it because they don't receive any money unlike the 60GB version.

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/14/rumor...-20gb-ps3-and-euro-backward-compatibil

 

[Kromis]

Those bastards...

 

[Aikouka]

It's quite possible that the 20GB PS3 doesn't offer as much of a profit margin as the 60GB PS3. Based on this, if a consumer wants to buy a PS3 for $500... do you think you could make him spend $600 and make more money? It's quite possible, I think.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

It's not profit, its about loss. But I guess the point is the same. Sony loses ~$300 with every 20GB PS3 sold, whereas they lose "only" ~$240 for every 60GB version.

I also think its a load of BS. We knew from the start that Sony would lose a lot more per 20GB version and it was even stated that Sony would only produce/supply 20% of the PS3s as the 20GB version. Of course there's only two signs, one saying $500 and another saying $600, giving customers the illusion of choice (50/50) when they're really being heavily pressured to buy the 60GB version from the start. Now Sony is trying to claim it is the retailers' fault, claiming they're the ones ordering at a 4:1 ratio when it is really Sony producing them at that ratio (and probably want to stop producing the 20GB version altogether)?

To me it just sounds like Sony is just trying to cut their losses. Of course I'd assume it's the idiots in the suits who want this done, the same idiots who've screwed up everything Sony has made that could have been great...