Sony Officially Dropping 20GB PS3 in North America

[jlmadyson]

Originally posted by: NFS4
Here's a little tip for you guys. I'm talking with Marcus right now (my colleague), and he said that he just received official confirmation from Sony that the 20GB PS3 is DEAD. He's working on a follow-up article right now.

Already got the official word with the 1up article 1 page back. Sony killed it, check the subtitle. 🙂

 

[secretanchitman]

its on dailytech right now...its official - 20GB ps3 is dead.

 

[jpeyton]

How long before the 60GB becomes extinct too? 2010?

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: jpeyton
How long before the 60GB becomes extinct too? 2010?

Well that would be around the time the next console generation would start... Sony likes to say the PS3 will last a lot longer because it is so powerful, but it won't be able to compete with the stuff that Microsoft and Nintendo will be putting out in 4 years.

 

[ElFenix]

so, not only do they can the cheap model (and probably with no price drop from the expensive model to make up for it), but they also flat out, bold faced lie and say that they're going to keep it and it's the retailers that aren't ordering it?

can sony dig themselves any deeper?

 

[intogamer]

Originally posted by: mlm

Originally posted by: jlmadyson
Personally, I just cannot see how this move can help at this time to really expand that base. However, if this move was coupled with a SKU change, i.e., moving in the 80gig (rumor mill) SKU and pricing it at $599 while the 60gig to $499 that might, might just have a decent impact. Although, I guess the bigger question remains, can they afford to do this at this point or anytime this year for that matter?

Some people have suggested the main reasons for switching the HDD size is because wholesaler prices continue to fall on drives such that it would be more expensive to stick with the 20GB (which could become rare) than the 60GB. It will be interesting if this will be an ongoing trend throughout the life of the console.

The question is will they simply stick the 60GB drive in the current 20GB model, or will they keep the 60GB model as-is and do something to enhance the 80GB?

I say that Sony is going to switch over to 80GB hard drives. Regardless of specs the 80GB 2.5" is more mainstream. The price per a gig isn't so good on practically phased out 20GB sized drive than a mass produced 80GB drive.

 

[jlmadyson]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
so, not only do they can the cheap model (and probably with no price drop from the expensive model to make up for it), but they also flat out, bold faced lie and say that they're going to keep it and it's the retailers that aren't ordering it?

can sony dig themselves any deeper?

I'm not sure that is possible, but with Sony, where there is a will there is a way it seems.

I mean the way I see it this is essentially a stealth price increase. For all those waiting on the sidelines for a potential price cut it ain't happening that much is certain. So now it is truly a $600 console, which of course further distinguishes them from their competition. How the heck do they think they can increase their base with this move, not going to happen.

 

[blurredvision]

I'm really disappointed with Sony. I will not even consider buying one until it drops to $400 (preferably $300, but that's a long time away), and until they fix being able to upscale on 1080i-only tv's. Atleast I assume that's still a problem, as I haven't heard of it being "fixed".

 

[jman19]

Originally posted by: blurredvision
I'm really disappointed with Sony. I will not even consider buying one until it drops to $400 (preferably $300, but that's a long time away), and until they fix being able to upscale on 1080i-only tv's. Atleast I assume that's still a problem, as I haven't heard of it being "fixed".

I don't even have the will to shell out $400 for an Xbroken 360, let alone $600 for a PS3.

When one of these systems hits $300 I'll start listening (the 360 core is a rip-off compared to the premium package).

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: jlmadyson

Originally posted by: ElFenix
so, not only do they can the cheap model (and probably with no price drop from the expensive model to make up for it), but they also flat out, bold faced lie and say that they're going to keep it and it's the retailers that aren't ordering it?

can sony dig themselves any deeper?

I'm not sure that is possible, but with Sony, where there is a will there is a way it seems.

I mean the way I see it this is essentially a stealth price increase. For all those waiting on the sidelines for a potential price cut it ain't happening that much is certain. So now it is truly a $600 console, which of course further distinguishes them from their competition. How the heck do they think they can increase their base with this move, not going to happen.

yeah, really dumb move by sony. we all thought the 360 elite coming in at $480 was stupid because it eliminated the price advantage the 360 had over the PS3. and now sony has come to bail out MS. are they stupid?

 

[Jawo]

Its official now....Fortune Article

 

[Queasy]

Due to the overwhelming demand for the 60GB model from both retailers and consumers, we have ceased offering the 20GB model here in North America.

Translation: Due to the fact that we haven't stocked 20GBs since launch and everyone is starting to catch on to that...we've decided to go ahead and make it official.

Based on retailer and consumer feedback, we have decided to focus our current efforts on the more popular 60GB model.

Translation: We were losing way more money per 20GB than 60GB so we killed the 20GB.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: jlmadyson
Sony makes it official PR coming. Man, what are they thinking.

Sony Officially Dropping 20GB PS3 in North America

Just as Microsoft's about to introduce a new Xbox 360 SKU, Sony's announced they're removing one from the marketplace. Sony Computer Entertainment America announced today they've officially dropped the PlayStation 3 20GB SKU and will no longer be offering the cheaper, Wi-Fi less model to North American retailers. Sony says a 10-to-1 retailer demand for the 60GB SKU has prompted the move.
Don't panic, though, as 20GB owners will continue to receive the same customer service support they were guaranteed upon purchasing the machine. The architecture between the 20GB and 60GB SKUs are the same, save for a few feature differences, so the shift is minimal from a customer relations and development perspective -- unlike Microsoft, who cannot drop support for the Core SKU, as that model doesn't come with a built-in hard drive.

"At launch, we offered two separate models of PLAYSTATION 3 to meet the diverse needs and interests of our PlayStation fan base. Initial retail demand in North America was upwards of ninety percent in favor of the 60GB sku, so we manufactured and shipped-in accordingly. Due to the overwhelming demand for the 60GB model from both retailers and consumers, we have ceased offering the 20GB model here in North America," said SCEA senior director of corporate communications Dave Karraker.

"In addition to the larger internal hard drive, the 60GB PlayStation 3 features added storage media slots and built-in Wi-Fi not found in the 20GB system. Based on retailer and consumer feedback, we have decided to focus our current efforts on the more popular 60GB model," he concluded.

And so it's official -- less than six months after the launch of the PS3, the 20GB SKU is officially dead.

the bolded statement is my favorite part of that article. i love how they say they can support the 20gb PS3 owners because the hardware is virtually identical aside from the "few feature differences", then they go on and say MS can't drop the core, even though the actual hardware is 100% identical in both the core and premium ...

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: jlmadyson
Sony makes it official PR coming. Man, what are they thinking.

Sony Officially Dropping 20GB PS3 in North America

Just as Microsoft's about to introduce a new Xbox 360 SKU, Sony's announced they're removing one from the marketplace. Sony Computer Entertainment America announced today they've officially dropped the PlayStation 3 20GB SKU and will no longer be offering the cheaper, Wi-Fi less model to North American retailers. Sony says a 10-to-1 retailer demand for the 60GB SKU has prompted the move.
Don't panic, though, as 20GB owners will continue to receive the same customer service support they were guaranteed upon purchasing the machine. The architecture between the 20GB and 60GB SKUs are the same, save for a few feature differences, so the shift is minimal from a customer relations and development perspective -- unlike Microsoft, who cannot drop support for the Core SKU, as that model doesn't come with a built-in hard drive.

"At launch, we offered two separate models of PLAYSTATION 3 to meet the diverse needs and interests of our PlayStation fan base. Initial retail demand in North America was upwards of ninety percent in favor of the 60GB sku, so we manufactured and shipped-in accordingly. Due to the overwhelming demand for the 60GB model from both retailers and consumers, we have ceased offering the 20GB model here in North America," said SCEA senior director of corporate communications Dave Karraker.

"In addition to the larger internal hard drive, the 60GB PlayStation 3 features added storage media slots and built-in Wi-Fi not found in the 20GB system. Based on retailer and consumer feedback, we have decided to focus our current efforts on the more popular 60GB model," he concluded.

And so it's official -- less than six months after the launch of the PS3, the 20GB SKU is officially dead.

the bolded statement is my favorite part of that article. i love how they say they can support the 20gb PS3 owners because the hardware is virtually identical aside from the "few feature differences", then they go on and say MS can't drop the core, even though the actual hardware is 100% identical in both the core and premium ...

What is up with 1up? I've seen more false statements and stupid commentary out of them than any other gaming news site I can remember.

 

[Chadder007]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: jlmadyson

Originally posted by: ElFenix
so, not only do they can the cheap model (and probably with no price drop from the expensive model to make up for it), but they also flat out, bold faced lie and say that they're going to keep it and it's the retailers that aren't ordering it?

can sony dig themselves any deeper?

I'm not sure that is possible, but with Sony, where there is a will there is a way it seems.

I mean the way I see it this is essentially a stealth price increase. For all those waiting on the sidelines for a potential price cut it ain't happening that much is certain. So now it is truly a $600 console, which of course further distinguishes them from their competition. How the heck do they think they can increase their base with this move, not going to happen.

yeah, really dumb move by sony. we all thought the 360 elite coming in at $480 was stupid because it eliminated the price advantage the 360 had over the PS3. and now sony has come to bail out MS. are they stupid?

...Yes....yes they are stupid.
Oh well, no more $499 Blu-Ray players either.

 

[manowar821]

Now if they just drop the other version, that's one less crappy product on the market! 🙂

 

[Inspector Jihad]

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This puts everything else in perspective. Earth shattering.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This puts everything else in perspective. Earth shattering.

When I saw that you were the latest poster in this thread, I thought to myself, "I bet he said something really stupid that didn't contribute to the conversation." Thanks for not letting me down. :thumbsup:

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: jlmadyson
Sony makes it official PR coming. Man, what are they thinking.

Sony Officially Dropping 20GB PS3 in North America

Just as Microsoft's about to introduce a new Xbox 360 SKU, Sony's announced they're removing one from the marketplace. Sony Computer Entertainment America announced today they've officially dropped the PlayStation 3 20GB SKU and will no longer be offering the cheaper, Wi-Fi less model to North American retailers. Sony says a 10-to-1 retailer demand for the 60GB SKU has prompted the move.
Don't panic, though, as 20GB owners will continue to receive the same customer service support they were guaranteed upon purchasing the machine. The architecture between the 20GB and 60GB SKUs are the same, save for a few feature differences, so the shift is minimal from a customer relations and development perspective -- unlike Microsoft, who cannot drop support for the Core SKU, as that model doesn't come with a built-in hard drive.

"At launch, we offered two separate models of PLAYSTATION 3 to meet the diverse needs and interests of our PlayStation fan base. Initial retail demand in North America was upwards of ninety percent in favor of the 60GB sku, so we manufactured and shipped-in accordingly. Due to the overwhelming demand for the 60GB model from both retailers and consumers, we have ceased offering the 20GB model here in North America," said SCEA senior director of corporate communications Dave Karraker.

"In addition to the larger internal hard drive, the 60GB PlayStation 3 features added storage media slots and built-in Wi-Fi not found in the 20GB system. Based on retailer and consumer feedback, we have decided to focus our current efforts on the more popular 60GB model," he concluded.

And so it's official -- less than six months after the launch of the PS3, the 20GB SKU is officially dead.

the bolded statement is my favorite part of that article. i love how they say they can support the 20gb PS3 owners because the hardware is virtually identical aside from the "few feature differences", then they go on and say MS can't drop the core, even though the actual hardware is 100% identical in both the core and premium ...

What is up with 1up? I've seen more false statements and stupid commentary out of them than any other gaming news site I can remember.

That had me scratching my head too... My best guess is that they're saying Microsoft can't put out games that require the hard drive, because they released a version of the console that doesn't have it. Still not really accurate, because they could if they wanted to, it just might piss some people off. 🙂

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This puts everything else in perspective. Earth shattering.

When I saw that you were the latest poster in this thread, I thought to myself, "I bet he said something really stupid that didn't contribute to the conversation." Thanks for not letting me down. :thumbsup:

I'm sure he's off to buy 2 copies of Genji now as well.

 

[blurredvision]

Us 360 fanboys just need to remember that we now have a larger price difference with which to argue with, even if we're talking about the 360 Elite. I hated that Microsoft is going to introduce a $480 edition of the 360, and thought it was a stupid move. But like someone said earlier, Sony just potentially bailed them out as far as perception goes.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This puts everything else in perspective. Earth shattering.

When I saw that you were the latest poster in this thread, I thought to myself, "I bet he said something really stupid that didn't contribute to the conversation." Thanks for not letting me down. :thumbsup:

I'm sure he's off to buy 2 copies of Genji now as well.

its a hundred 😛

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This puts everything else in perspective. Earth shattering.

When I saw that you were the latest poster in this thread, I thought to myself, "I bet he said something really stupid that didn't contribute to the conversation." Thanks for not letting me down. :thumbsup:

I'm sure he's off to buy 2 copies of Genji now as well.

its a hundred 😛

Don't worry, I've heard Sony has decided to stop selling Resistance and up production of Genji due to customer demand, so there should be plenty of copies for you. That Sony, always knowing what the customer wants! How do they do it?

 

[yowolabi]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: jlmadyson

Originally posted by: ElFenix
so, not only do they can the cheap model (and probably with no price drop from the expensive model to make up for it), but they also flat out, bold faced lie and say that they're going to keep it and it's the retailers that aren't ordering it?

can sony dig themselves any deeper?

I'm not sure that is possible, but with Sony, where there is a will there is a way it seems.

I mean the way I see it this is essentially a stealth price increase. For all those waiting on the sidelines for a potential price cut it ain't happening that much is certain. So now it is truly a $600 console, which of course further distinguishes them from their competition. How the heck do they think they can increase their base with this move, not going to happen.

yeah, really dumb move by sony. we all thought the 360 elite coming in at $480 was stupid because it eliminated the price advantage the 360 had over the PS3. and now sony has come to bail out MS. are they stupid?

That's the same thing I was thinking. Now no-one can say they can get a PS3 which includes blu-ray and wireless for only $20 more than the elite 360. Looking at things that way might have gotten sony some customers. Now it's back to being $120 over the elite, and $200 more than the 360 premium which is still the best value.