Will A High-Priced PS3 Be Sony’s Undoing?

Sony’s consoles have long been the most popular choice of hard-core gamers. They may soon fall from grace, however.

The retail prices of Sony’s new PlayStation 3 consoles will run $500 and $600. By itself, this news was enough to make gamers choke, but worse news was yet to come: the $500 model – Sony’s lower-end one – does not include Wi-Fi, HDMI, nor (in all likelihood) the wireless controller.

To be fair, this excessive price tag is not necessarily greed on the part of Sony, nor is it completely Sony’s fault. After five years of inexcusable fiscal policy, giveaways to millionaire and billionaire corporate interests, and a treasury drained by a war of the Administration’s choice, the value of the U.S. dollar has dropped precipitously against other world currencies, including the yen and the yuan.  Another factor in the price increase is the inclusion of the new Blu-Ray drive. Sony is gambling that the new technology will entice people to shell out for the new console.

It is a gamble Sony may very well lose. Not only might the company fall from its leadership position in the gaming hardware industry, but  the move may have a negative impact on its entire Computer Entertainment division.

Sony’s consoles have long been the most popular choice of hard-core gamers. They may soon fall from grace, however.

The retail prices of Sony’s new PlayStation 3 consoles will run $500 and $600. By itself, this news was enough to make gamers choke, but worse news was yet to come: the $500 model – Sony’s lower-end one – does not include Wi-Fi, HDMI, nor (in all likelihood) the wireless controller.

To be fair, this excessive price tag is not necessarily greed on the part of Sony, nor is it completely Sony’s fault. After five years of inexcusable fiscal policy, giveaways to millionaire and billionaire corporate interests, and a treasury drained by a war of the Administration’s choice, the value of the U.S. dollar has dropped precipitously against other world currencies, including the yen and the yuan.  Another factor in the price increase is the inclusion of the new Blu-Ray drive. Sony is gambling that the new technology will entice people to shell out for the new console.

It is a gamble Sony may very well lose. Not only might the company fall from its leadership position in the gaming hardware industry, but  the move may have a negative impact on its entire Computer Entertainment division.