14 DAY TRIAL // Amidst the big news that came out of Sony’s pre-Gamescom 2011 conference, by far the biggest was the confirmation of a new price made made to the company’s flagship model, the PlayStation 3 home console, now $249, in North America, 249 euros in Europe, and 199 pounds in the UK.
Sony opted to make quite a lot of big announcements at its press conference yesterday evening, but took its time, showcasing some of the social aspects of its PlayStation Vita, games that will arrive for the handheld console, as well as some of the new titles that will use the PlayStation Move motion control system.
The company then went on to highlight the power and popularity of its PlayStation 3, which has been around for almost five years now and doesn’t show any sign of slowing down.
"I have some exciting news to share with you today,” said Jack Tretton, Sony Computer Entertainment president and CEO. "As many of you know, it has been nearly five years since the PS3 first came to the U.S. market with its built in Blu-ray player, integrated hard-drive, built-in wireless, and unmatched hi-def gaming. Today, more than 50 million PS3’s have been sold worldwide, more than 2,495 Blu-ray titles are available and the PS3’s expansive portfolio of games and video content on PlayStation Network exceeds 60,000 titles.”
"While others in the space are losing Steam, PlayStation 3 is gaining momentum and giving gamers everywhere more of what they want: an unparalleled line-up of exclusive games and access to the best in sports, movies and TV, all at a great value.”
Sony’s Tretton then confirmed that a price cut has been made to the PlayStation 3, slashing the tag of the device by $50.
"Today, I believe that value becomes even more evident. I’m excited to share with you that effective immediately at retailers throughout North America, the 160 GB PS3 and the 320GB PS3 are now available for $249 and $299, respectively. In addition, a limited edition inFAMOUS 2 bundle is now available at participating retailers across North America. The bundle retails for $299 and includes a 320 GB PlayStation 3, a copy of inFAMOUS 2 and a 30-day membership to PlayStation Plus.”
The PlayStation 3 price cut has already went into effect, so those who put off buying the Sony console have almost no excuse not to get one.