14 DAY TRIAL // Despite the introduction of the new, slimmer PlayStation 3 a number of analysts believe that Sony is no longer interested in cutting the price of the device and focusing most of its resources on a successful 2013 launch for the PlayStation 4.
Jesse Divnich, who is an analyst watching the game industry for EEDAR, has told GamesIndustry.biz that, “It is clear that all the current generation consoles are getting a little long in the tooth and unfortunately releasing new models or upgrades is not as strong a motivator as in prior years. What we are likely to see is a strong presence of hardware bundles this holiday season.”
Divnich expects to see both Sony and Nintendo introducing more promotions during the holidays as they are trying to make sure that they keep sales up while also retaining a profit margin.
PJ McNealy, who works for DWR Research, also weighed in on the issue and said that he does not expect another price cut for the PlayStation 3 because it would drive down revenue for Sony, a company which already has big problems in the financial area, while failing to drive up sales significantly.
He stated, “Sony is trying to minimize losses right now after posting terrible financial results in the past year. I think the solutions for them right now are more focused on a slim PS3 with bundles. Sony has some unique leverage that Microsoft and Nintendo don't have - a movie studio and music label.”
Mike Hickey of National Capital Alliance says that Sony is already working to make the PlayStation 4 a reality during 2013 and that it is using most of its resources to make the next device a success rather than trying to shift more units of the current PS3.
The first next-generation console to launch is the Nintendo Wii U, which arrives in late November.