20 Gig PS3 Still Moving a Toe in Japan

The PS3 wasn't doing all that good even before Sony's Dave Karraker admitted that North America's retailers weren't ordering any, thus pulling it out of the game. But all is not lost. The lower-end SKU still sells in Japan (probably because there weren't any 60GB units left, hehe!), as Next Generation posts today. These are the words of a SCE representative (the site doesn't give a name): "We're currently not considering changes akin to North America. However we would like to react flexibly with the market," the representative told Famitsu.com.

Beats me what the man's saying exactly, but it's clear why nobody wants the 20GB PS3 anywhere. What was Sony thinking? The lower end PS3 retails... well, used to retail for $499, which makes it 49,800 yen ($421) in Japan. That's almost $80 cheaper than they were priced in the US and people still aren't going for it. Care to know why? It's simple: the difference of price is not so attractive, as the 60 gig model is just a hundred dollars more pricey, but does everything else better than its retard twin. The 60 gig one doesn't sell either.

Want to know something else? The lower-end model wasn't even released in Europe, which means that Sony knew right from the start that they weren't on the right track with the 20 gig machine. What puzzles me is this: how did folks at Sony ever think that the Xbox 360's success would translate to the PS3? Microsoft's Core and Premium Xbox 360 units provide specific additional features towards one another. It's clear that each of them is a different choice. That doesn't translate to the PS3. The lower end model hasn't anything else in particular to show off other than HDMI output and a smaller drive doesn't count as a feature, you dig? How long do you think before Japan too stops buying?