Sony cuts price of PS3 consoles By Daniel Emery
Technology reporter, BBC News, Cologne


Sony Entertainment has announced it is reducing the price of its PlayStation 3 games consoles.

In Europe the price has been lowered to 299 euros, in the US to $299 and in the UK to £249.99.

Sony made the announcement at a press conference ahead of the 2009 games convention - Games Com - in Cologne.

It also announced it was ending production of its current PlayStation 3 console in favour of a new lighter, slimmer model with a 120GB hard drive.

Growth of the PlayStation 3 has been slow compared to previous launches, which critics put down, in part, to an expensive price tag compared with its rivals, Microsoft's Xbox 360 at £149 and the Nintendo Wii at £169.

Speaking at Games Com, Sony Entertainment's head, Kaz Hirai, said the change in price for existing PlayStation 3 stock would happen immediately and that the new slim-line PS3 would be available from the first week of September.

"It has the same features and functionality [as the old PS3], but now it is 32% smaller, 36% lighter and consumes 34% less power," he said.

Mr Hirai said Cologne's Game Con was now the third major date for the games industry, ranking up alongside E3 in Los Angeles and the Tokyo games show.

Sony said there were now more than 23.7m PS3 installed worldwide, with just over 10m of those in Europe.

Comics reader

Sony also said it was expanding its catch-up TV service - which includes the BBC iPlayer.

It announced it was about to launch a video delivery service, via the Play Station Network, that would allow PS3 or Play Station Portable (PSP) users to rent or purchase movies - both blockbuster and local market - in either standard or high definition.

That service goes live in the UK, France, Germany and Spain this November and rolls out across Europe throughout 2010.

The event also provided a first look at a new digital reader for the PSP - called Digital Comics - that will allow users to read Spiderman, Fantastic 4 and other DC comics on their portable, along with a range of graphic novels. However, the new motion Sony Controller - which made its debut at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles in June this year - was not on show, with Sony saying people will have to wait until the Tokyo games show in September before it gets another public viewing.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/technology/8207472.stm

DEAL OF DE CENTURY!

yes..mari mari..all buy PS3 and SF4....!!!

PS3 is cheap but not the game. New ori games d*mn expensive.
Usually I can finish each game from just few hours to maximum a week.
The longest games I ever played r Final Fantasy series which around 130-150 hours (finish include sub quest).
Game like Needs for Speed will take only a day or two. But I think Grand Turismo 5 will take 200-300 hours to finish as it has a lot endurance races.

PS: Ingat lg time school dulu, bila cuti sekolah je, whole day makan, tido & main games, hr2 mcm tu. Skrg xboleh lg...

just saw the new PS3 slim version on the web...and it look F**King ugly...and el cheapo build material...lucky i ady got the limited edition version...hehehe...sony ady stop producing the 1st PS3 version...lalalalala...

grand turismo the challenge is to get all the license available and race in all the races available and buy all the car available...if anyone can finish this GT5 game in one or two day...i salute to you...the toughest part is taking the license...cilaka punya driving instructor...can not cheat even running on the grass...

khus... thats y for games u can finish fast fast u "rent" only...

ps3 slim matte black and 50% slimmer, dem.
looks like unfinished paint job.

i only hope there is no heat issue with this new slim version just like the slim ps2 version has...

wow, this is a good news indeed since i'm waiting the launch of FF then this is a good news, but I wonder when will Sony Malaysia will anounce the price cut.

As Terion mentioned, the first batch of slim PS2 ada byk problem woo, especially the heat issue..

they should announce a price cut soon....

my friend said that...they solved the heat issue by reducing the size of the processor...this processor also run on lower power rate...but to me...here in malaysia...you need an airconditioned room to play la...that alone will set you back on the electric bills...

i doubt there is a fan on it too... if u saw the photos there is no vents underneath too...

just hope their smaller circuit, less power and passive cooling is enough...

Where to rent? Is it legal?

heat problem will result in more 3rd party gadgets and at the end of the day, the slim version will be as bulk as normal, 50% mass came from cooling hardware. hope not.

btw:: tversity update enable rmvb player support..ohohoho

Old one is nicer.

piano black vs matt,
one problem confirm solved :: fingerprint issues

got a few places, i rent from here... http://blackmangogames.googlepages.com/

only ori games so i doubt its illegal...

so fast..........
PS3 that I just bought 3 month ago... now obsolete.....

well..anyhow.. wif the price drop..n the intro of the new slim version...imho... the best is stil the first 2 versions....n also look better..

delarilax, obsolete in terms of design and size only... hardware and software wise is still the same

take a look at the new firmware 3.00 to be launched soon


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPzuVqqp2jQ

It's just a facelift.. like Lancer.... inside engine sama... ;)

sorry guys.. how much are they selling the PS3 in Malaysia...

bro, refer this topic: http://forum.lancerzone.com/index.php?showtopic=5648

Thanks.

http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-3-120-GB...rd_i=B001W6JFLQ

http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/home_av/other...tm?scid=nl_c_cg