http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/09/28/news_6134592.html
[size=24]PlayStation 3 price still being debated[/size]Sony Computer Entertainment executive says next-gen price point still undetermined; explains dearth of playable PS3 games at TGS 2005.
With Microsoft announcing its worldwide pricing scheme for the Xbox 360, the onus is now on Sony Computer Entertainment to decide how much its PlayStation 3 will cost consumers.
However, SCE also needs to assure third-party publishers that its next-gen console will be affordable for a wide enough audience to ensure PS3 games will be profitable to make. Recently, Koei CEO Keiko Erikawa commented that her company would consider shifting to another platform if PS3 development proves too expensive. This is despite the fact the company is currently a big supporter of the PS3, announcing two new games at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show alone.
In an interview published in the latest issue of Famitsu, SCE executive Masatsuka Saeki emphasized that the pricing of the PS3 remains a vital--and difficult--issue for Sony. He confirmed that the company has not yet decided on a price, saying that it will be the subject of debate until the last possible minute.
When asked why there were no playable PS3 games at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show, as previously promised by SCE president Ken Kutaragi, Saeki revealed that there was a long discussion inside Sony before the show opened. While many executives argued that it would be good for the public to play demos, eventually the decision was made to only show E3-style trailers, as it was the first time the PS3 was being shown publicly in Japan.
When asked if there would be any changes to the February PS3 event where playable demos will be on hand, Saeki did not respond directly. However, he did say that SCE is planning something for the event that is sure to be a "major" surprise.
By Staff -- GameSpot
POSTED: 09/28/05 03:14 PM PST Gamestop.com
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[size=24]Is the PlayStation 3 losing development support?[/size]
Posted Sep 29, 2005, 1:00 PM ET by James Ransom-Wiley
Rumors are flying high, spreading across a network of Japanese, Dutch, and German websites, that developers are wary of creating content for the PlayStation 3. Unfortunately, the article in question is difficult to decipher, but perhaps someone with knowledge of Japanese can give us the clear scoop. There’s also a Dutch article that has a quote in (broken) English: “In the (Japanese) game industry, many people are losing trust in Kutaragi’s non-stop pursue of this evolution, people are leaving PS3 at a rate worse than Nintendo’s GameCube era” (source unknown).
Several developers, like John Carmack, have publicly announced a preference for the Xbox 360. But could that number be growing? The recent cancellation of Condemned for the PS3 seems to suggest as much…
http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/adventure/condemned/
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So the bottom line is Sony knows how much it costs to make a P$3. Back in July at the P$3 conference, Ken Kutaragi said "We are not going to discuss the price today. It will be expensive." He didn't know the price it would be sold for then anymore than he does now.
The trick is that if Kutaragi jacks the price up too high (say... $500?), game developers won't make any games for the P$3 because of the limited audience that will buy it. Sony takes a hit on the price to entice developers to produce more expensive games up front, and the already financially-ailing company could be making their last "computer entertainment device."
They find themselves in quite the pickle. :twisted: