14 DAY TRIAL // Given that Sony is going to reveal a new version of the PlayStation 3, in the form of the oft-rumored PS3 Super Slim sooner or later, analysts believe that it’s going to have a great impact on the market and might finally give Sony the chance to dominate Microsoft’s Xbox 360.
Sony is set to present a redesigned version of its PlayStation 3 home console in the near future, perhaps at Gamescom 2012, and reports have already mentioned that, besides full-fledged models with 250GB or 500GB hard drives, a special version with just 16GB of flash storage will also be revealed.
This special PS3 model, provided it’s priced competitively at around $150/€150, will guarantee Sony’s dominance over Microsoft and its Xbox 360, according to M2 Research analyst Billy Pidgeon.
"A dramatic price reduction to $150 for PS3 would be terrific for Sony and for the industry overall. A value-priced PS3 could rapidly increase the base and would free up more consumer revenue for higher software sales volume," Pidgeon told GamesIndustry.
"Sony already has a strong edge in Europe, but the economy is weak and generous hardware price cuts will have big impact. Microsoft would suffer deeper market share loss in Europe and with value pricing PS3 could outsell Xbox 360 in the U.S. where Microsoft has dominated monthly hardware sales."
According to Pidgeon, such an aggressive move will force Microsoft’s hand, as the company has shied away from price cuts because its Xbox 360 is still experiencing great sales figures.
"Microsoft is less likely to reduce console prices this year with already strong hardware sales and Halo 4 coming out in Q4, but should Sony price PS3 at $150 this year, Microsoft could see stronger incentive to cut Xbox 360 prices sooner in retaliation."
Pidgeon’s feelings are echoed by Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter, who also mentioned that, “a cut to this price range would almost certainly prompt a response from Microsoft, and if both of them are significantly cheaper than the Wii U, they will impact sales.”
As of yet, however, Sony hasn’t even commented on the reports of a PS3 Super Slim, let alone its various models and their prices.