Kaz Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America, has hinted at the company' s software pricing strategy for the PS3, suggesting games could be more expensive than Xbox 360 titles.

In a recent interview with US consumer magazine PSM, Hirai was quizzed on the price point for Sony' s next-gen software in comparison to the current retail cost of games on Microsoft' s Xbox 360.

" Generally speaking, over the past twelve years or so, there has been a consumer expectation that disc based games are maybe US$ 59 on the high end to US$ 39 on the low end," Hirai stated.

" So, what I can say now is, I think it would be a bit of a stretch to think that we could suddenly turn around and say ‘PS3 games now US$ 99.99’."

Although there were no direct figures quoted, Hirai went on to say that Sony will be making its next-gen software " as affordable as possible," but suggested costs could rise from what consumers are currently paying.

" If it becomes a bit higher than US$ 59, don' t ding me, but, again, I don' t expect it to be US$ 100," he concluded.

Sony has already come under heavy fire for its pricing strategy on the PS3 console itself, which will retail for US$/Euro 499-599, with two SKUs available from launch.

UK consumers are getting a slightly rougher deal however, with the machine costing GBP 425 when it reaches stores, despite a direct Euro conversion coming in at the marginally lower price of around GBP 405.

There appears to be little correlation between US and UK software prices either, with Xbox 360 titles currently selling for between GBP 44.99-49.99 in the UK, which could mean a price point of around GBP 70 or more for games on Sony' s console.

Of course, the software pricing is mere speculation at the moment, and is unlikely to be officially confirmed by the company until much closer to the anticipated November launch of the PlayStation 3.

From GamesIndustry.Biz

I' ve been saying this for a long time now, i guess we' ll find out soon enough for sure. This is ANOTHER dumb Sony quote and pathetic if true.

Wouldnt be too surprising. People keep suggesting to put additional content to fill in the vast amount of extra space, but that would up the price even more. Hell they have to pay cast and crew to do commentaries on DVDs...imagine the production cost of a game with DVD like extras. That would translate to high priced games for sure.

Anyways...hmm drifted for a minute there...but ya I' ve been expecting the price for PS3 games to be a bit higher if not for the format then for the production cost.

They won' t cost $99.99US.

No, they will cost $99.95. Yay!

yeah....A blank blu-ray disc is between 39$ snd 65$ so imagine one with a game in it...but you know what?

it´s worth it, because you get to play....ridgeeeeeeee raceeeeeeeerrrrrrrr

I think it might be the same price as the 360' s if not £10 more..

I doubt they rise much [if at all] over the insdustry standard.

ORIGINAL: Silentbomber

I doubt they rise much [if at all] over the insdustry standard.

Why not?

Did you think PS3 would cost so much?

Haven' t we seen really expensive games before for systems that use propietry (and risky) mediums?!

I would guess on 50-90$ world wide...

Not real hard to figure out.

Blu-ray production costs more.
PS3 game development costs more (time=money).

The only way I see them being able to match 360/ wii pricing would be if blu-ray on games was optional for the developer. That way developers would have the option of producing on DVD until blu-ray production cost drops.

But Sony' s not stupid. I seriously doubt $99 per game.

But Sony' s not stupid. I seriously doubt $99 per game.

The amount of potholes in that statement..

Sony' s not stupid?

Can you really say that hand on your heart with the amount of statements they
have made in the last year?

PS3 price was one everyone was doubting...

Then Sony ran in Guns blazing shouting " We' ve just confirmed your deepest fears
and we are idiots"

I wouldn' t put a $99 game past them. They are crazy, and are led by the japanese
equivalent to Laurel and Hardy (Hirai and Kutaragi)

I think there' ll be a tiered pricing system with the bigger budget (MGS4 for one) games costing more than the lower budget games. I wouldn' t think they' d go as high as $99 but i think $69 is a possibility, maybe even $79.

developers would have the option of producing on DVD until blu-ray production cost drops.

I like that idea, and they' ve taken that path before, they still had games coming out on cd for a while on ps2, at least untill DV9 became standard.

Can you really say that hand on your heart with the amount of statements they have made in the last year?

Recognise though, that most of the stupid things that have come out of Sony, have been from Kenny K, Kaz Hirai, and Phil Harrison. (The original 3 ring circus)Not from anyone else in the company. I doubt all the people that work for Sony are so insanely... well... insane. Remember the guy who got fired for speaking bad about Sony a while back?

http://games.kikizo.com/news/200602/018.asp?f=018.asp

He worked for Sony Online Entertainment, so we know everyone isn' t as bad as the big guys up top. Hopefully they' ve learned something from the console' s price announcement. If everything is $20 or $30 more expensive, and not much better than the competition' s product, is anyone really going to splurge for it?

ORIGINAL: Tiz


The amount of potholes in that statement..

Sony' s not stupid?

Can you really say that hand on your heart with the amount of statements they
have made in the last year?

No, I can say it after watching them penetrate then dominate the videogame market with the PS1. They took out Sega and Nintendo and hardly broke a sweat.

I can say it after watching them kill the Dreamcast with the RUMOR of PS2.

No matter how many stupid statements come out of the Sony camp right now, nobody' s going to convince me they' re bound to " fail" this generation. They' re just too good at what they do. They' ll lose a little marketshare, i' m sure of it. But they' ll still be a longggg way from the bottom of the market.

They are media smart, but all the same stupid.

Sony don' t DO anything for themselves. Their 2 successes so far CANNOT be attributed to Sony' s games division whatsoever. Sony bankability and their undeniable marketability are what has driven their consoles to success, it' s been third parties that have made Sony the market leaders.

When Sony entered the videogame market they were already a bigger company than either Nintendo or SEGA, Sony was a household name. What' s happened now is that a bigger company (Microsoft), a company that could afford to buy both Nintendo and Sony if it was an option has entered the race and their first console, while not as successful as Sony' s original Playstation also faced much stiffer competition than Sony had done.

Sony' s mistakes over the past 18 months (including but not limited to retarded quotes by company heads) have cost them an awful lot already. They' ve not only make 360 a viable option for many people but they have worried their shareholders and lowered their share' s value on the stock market. Sony, the market leader has spent much of their past 4 years worth of profits on CELL and Blu-Ray, if one or the other fails (if CELL turns out too hard to mass produce because of low yields or if Blu-Ray loses out to HD-DVD) then Sony could be in serious trouble.

The only think we know right now is that Sony' s launching another medium and they have a VERY poor track record in that field.

.....And they are stupid..

Sony shareholder 1: " Cell, Cell, Cell!
Sony shareholder 2: " What? You like the thing that' s consumed all the profits the PS2 made?
Sony shareholder 1: " Oh sorry, I meant sell, sell, sell. We should sell our shares before Sony goes bankrupt "

ORIGINAL: ginjirou

Sony shareholder 1: " Cell, Cell, Cell!
Sony shareholder 2: " What? You like the thing that' s consumed all the profits the PS2 made?
Sony shareholder 1: " Oh sorry, I meant sell, sell, sell. We should sell our shares before Sony goes bankrupt "

I love it!

Sony are hardly stupid. No company is stupid, sure they can make bad desisicons, but do you think maybe they are throwing these stupid qoutes out on purpose? A company as large as Sony isnt beyond playing with their consumers.

And people are generaly stupid anyway.

ORIGINAL: Silentbomber

Sony are hardly stupid. No company is stupid, sure they can make bad desisicons, but do you think maybe they are throwing these stupid qoutes out on purpose? A company as large as Sony isnt beyond playing with their consumers.

And people are generaly stupid anyway.

Sony are hardly stupid but they still have costs to cover. Even selling PS3 at a high price they' ll lose money on every machine sold just like Microsoft. Blu-Ray isn' t guaranteed to take off and UMD movies have flopped badly. Sony' s games division have to make money somehow and developers (even Kojima) says the developments costs are high. A higher price point for the games can' t be ruled out at this point, and if they are ging to be higher then this is just Sony attempting to control the damage.

Hasn' t Theseis for PS3 been cancelled because of the development costs?!