Sony CEO Howard Stringer Defends High PS3 Price Tag
Despite Sony‘s “high risk” strategy concerning the PS3’s pricing, Sony CEO Howard Stringer is confident that the PS3 will come out on top. Though he admits that the price of the next-gen console is high, he quickly stressed that consumers are paying for “potential.” Stringer went on to say that if the PS3 lives up to its full potential, the cheaper price of the Xbox 360 and Wii shouldn’t be a cause for worry. In fact, he tries to portray the PS3 as an investment, “When you buy into new technology, do you go for a cheaper transitional [product], or do you take a chance on future-proof, higher technology which will keep you going for many, many years?”
His words might have calmed the nerves of shareholders who have been mulling over the idea of selling their stocks after a sharp price decrease, but gamers remain skeptical about Sony’s strategy. The company continues to trumpet the Blu-ray capabilities of the PS3 even when gamers are more concerned with games, and if the steep price can be justified by those games.
Stringer also claimed that film executives are “beginning to sense, in Blu-Ray, that the pendulum is swinging, and swinging for a clear reason, namely that Blu-Ray discs can store more data.” He conceded that Hollywood will determine which format will emerge victorious in the war, and not PS3.
Despite Sony‘s “high risk” strategy concerning the PS3’s pricing, Sony CEO Howard Stringer is confident that the PS3 will come out on top. Though he admits that the price of the next-gen console is high, he quickly stressed that consumers are paying for “potential.” Stringer went on to say that if the PS3 lives up to its full potential, the cheaper price of the Xbox 360 and Wii shouldn’t be a cause for worry. In fact, he tries to portray the PS3 as an investment, “When you buy into new technology, do you go for a cheaper transitional [product], or do you take a chance on future-proof, higher technology which will keep you going for many, many years?”
His words might have calmed the nerves of shareholders who have been mulling over the idea of selling their stocks after a sharp price decrease, but gamers remain skeptical about Sony’s strategy. The company continues to trumpet the Blu-ray capabilities of the PS3 even when gamers are more concerned with games, and if the steep price can be justified by those games.
Stringer also claimed that film executives are “beginning to sense, in Blu-Ray, that the pendulum is swinging, and swinging for a clear reason, namely that Blu-Ray discs can store more data.” He conceded that Hollywood will determine which format will emerge victorious in the war, and not PS3.
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