PlayStation 4 Console Thread

[Spacehost]

I think they'll be aiming for £349ish. Maybe £299 for a cut-down version with a tiny hard drive.

[Sng]

I would love to see a mobile-style option - £5/600 over 24 months with PS+ included? I think it's more likely this gen than any.

[Trigg]

Anyone up for some price speculation?

I was thinking £429 here in the UK, but a small voice in the back of my head is whispering "£599". but that would be INSANE.

What were the very first PS3s priced at?

I'm going to go at £299 I think. Possibly a bit more but not much more.

[Mr Cochese]

I would love to see a mobile-style option - £5/600 over 24 months with PS+ included? I think it's more likely this gen than any.

Yeah, I think they'll do that. Mobile phones have shown us that people will happily pay twice as much as the upfront price as long as they can spread the cost over two years. Also, it means they can advertise it as being "free"* because you don't have to pay anything up front.

*Could this the most ludicrous marketing ploy ever?

[Kryptonian]

I might be Chinese but I can't really grasp those numbers so I'm not too sure myself.

You're Malaysian aren't you?

[PaB]

You always charge the premium amount at launch, because your early adopters will pay virtually anything ( I paid £550 for a A500 Amiga in 1987!). You milk them for as much as you can in the short term, and then drop the price - This is especially true when you are selling at a loss initially.

The ROI for PS3 was never about the first 2 or 3 years. It was about 7 or 8 years.

In todays iPad age people will buy something that they perceive as beign the must have thing for £399 or more in their millions. I expect over £299 for PS4 for sure.

[Pob]

The ROI for PS3 was never about the first 2 or 3 years. It was about 7 or 8 years.

But don't you think Sony would price the PS3 differently at launch if they could have that time again? It was a publicity disaster.

The PS4 is pretty high-spec, but do you think it'll cost as much to produce per unit as the PS3 did?

[PaB]

But don't you think Sony would price the PS3 differently at launch if they could have that time again? It was a publicity disaster.

The PS4 is pretty high-spec, but do you think it'll cost as much to produce per unit as the PS3 did?

It didn't stop people buying it. The test of strategic pricing is to see how quickly it drops. PS3 didn't drop particualrly quickly. They didn't get it original Xbox/N64 wrong anyway.

It wont cost nearly as much for PS4 because the BluRay technology was a huge cost (plus of course the massive development costs)

[Sng]

You're Malaysian aren't you?

Chinese-born Malaysian. Technically I should hate Malaysians and Indians and want Malaysia exclusively for the Chinese.

[Mr Cochese]

Malaysia will be taken from North Yorkshire over my dead body.

[Kryptonian]

Chinese-born Malaysian. Technically I should hate Malaysians and Indians and want Malaysia exclusively for the Chinese.

Well that explains the crap maths then.

[SeanR]

what's ROI?

[Mr Cochese]

Some obscure country.

[Danster]

Republic of Ireland

[PaB]

what's ROI?

Return on Investment

Or Republic of Ireland.

Depending whether you are talking financials or Fit birds with awesome accents.

[SMD]

what's ROI?

Rugby's version of the England football team.

[DirkCrisis]

PS3 is a bluray player too, which might sway some people?

Even after all these years, I have found the PS3 to still be one of the better blu ray players out there.

[SMD]

Just a shame it isn't region free for films.

[Meat]

Nice article on The Verge: http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/26/4018888/ps4-frictionless-gaming-pc-wins-graphics-race

[Superunknown]

Even after all these years, I have found the PS3 to still be one of the better blu ray players out there.

Yep. It has decent loading speeds, and a processor that can run the menus without them grinding to a halt, plus Sony keep it well updated. As it doesn't mess with the output (doesn't sharpen or mess with the colour) there's no video or digital audio difference between the PS3 and a high-end player, at least as far as blu-ray goes.

It's a shame Sony haven't added MKV support now that their standalone players offer it.

[Dudley]

It didn't stop people buying it. The test of strategic pricing is to see how quickly it drops. PS3 didn't drop particualrly quickly. They didn't get it original Xbox/N64 wrong anyway.

It wont cost nearly as much for PS4 because the BluRay technology was a huge cost (plus of course the massive development costs)

I bought mine less than 9 months after release new for £300. And I'm pretty certain there was a game or two in that.

That's pretty quick historically.

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

Hmm, I got mine a couple of weeks before the Slim came out and Uncharted 2 was released. It was the first serious pricecut as I remember, I think I paid something like 300 or 350 euro with 2 games thrown in.

[KriessG]

Why are people so hung up about sales? As long as it has GAMES. GOOD LOOKING COCK STIFFENING GAMES.

Thats a very niche market, it will need to compete for the main stream audiences too.

[Wickedkitten]

Preorder prices have already dropped to £399. I need a date dammit.

[Smitty]

[SMD]

He's calling your mum stupid.

[Smitty]

I don't get it

Yes you do.

[womblingfree]

I paid £600 for a newly announced iPad and it was out of date within a few months. Consoles by comparison are the Giza Pyramids of computing.

[SeanR]

I bought mine less than 9 months after release new for £300. And I'm pretty certain there was a game or two in that.

That's pretty quick historically.

How big was the hdd, did it have ps2 BC, and did it have built in memory card readers?

Dys?

[Asura]

How do people feel about this "real names" social networking they're touting for the PS4? Personally I find it really off-putting and hope it's voluntary. I have a full XBL friends list (with many people from here) but dislike the idea of having to share loads of personal info in order to get the same functionality. Then of course there's Sony's security record which doesn't fill me with confidence.