Anybody know when the next price drop is? (1 Viewer)

[Shayne Lebrun]

Anybody know when the next price drop for the PS2/Xbox are? If memory serves, there's usually one around April...

 

[BrianB]

Next? There hasn't been a single price drop on the PS2 in the US yet!

 

[Shayne Lebrun]

Oh? I thought it went from 600 to 450 here in Canada....but that could just be them allowing it to be sold without a bundle, I guess.

 

[Masood Ali]

PS2 will drop its price after the broadband hardware is released. They already dropped it in Japan.

Xbox will likely not drop the price until this winter; the hardware is just too new. For the same reason, the Gamecube price won't be dropping until late 2002/early 2003 either.

 

[Camp]

I agree, this is the year for a PS2 price drop. I just can't see Microsoft taking a bigger hit in Xbox this year. If Sony forces them they'll need to do it though.

 

[Shayne Lebrun]

I thought Microsoft specifically planned to drop it as low as possible as fast as possible, to move more games, but I guess not.

 

[Gary King]

I think that's still the plan...

However, your concept of "as low as possible" and MS' are probably two entirely different beasts.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

GameCube is the cheapest console, and when the next Mario and Zelda games come out, people will start buying it in swarms, so they won't drop the price until the end of the year.

The X-Box is doing pretty good, but lower prices at the holidays would boost sales. Thanksgiving would be a good time (black friday).

The PS2 is still selling strong, but a price drop after E3 (May) would be smart. Kids are getting out of school and have more free time, plus summer jobs mean more free cash.

 

[Camp]

Green friday.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

MS will HAVE to drop the price when Sony does, otherwise they're going to shoot themselves in the foot in their home, and biggest market

 

[Wolf Jenkins]

I can only see MS dropping the price is the PS2/internet/hard drive bundle is cheaper than the Xbox. However, I doubt it will be. I expect the xbox to hold the price for a while, but wouldn't doubt them creating a bundle, like the GT3 PS2 bundle (Halo 1.5 maybe?)

 

[Ryan Peter]

Wolf, my thoughts exactly.

 

[Shayne Lebrun]

Well, here in Canada, A PS2 with controller is 449.99, and an Xbox with controller and Amped is 479.99 at Future Shop. New games all hover around 79.99.

Game cube, of course, is 299.99, and GBA is at 109.99.

I though the PS2 would drop to, say, 380-400 this month or next, which Microsoft would at least match.

 

[Wolf Jenkins]

I was reading on IGN that the HDD for the PS2 is now scheduled for 2003 - anyone know more on this?

I presume it's possible to do the broadband w/o the HDD (no real reason why they'd have to be linked) and that's supposed to launch this summer for the PS2 right?

 

[Camp]

I can tell you there has been no info given to retailers about the HD or the broadband adapter. That's nothing to be alarmed about, however, as I expect that info to come after E3.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

I will not be suprised if the HD never comes out in the US, just like the 64DD. No game requires it, and people will use their PS2 for minor web surfing (d/ling save files and such) and gaming. The broadband adapter will surface here.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I will not be suprised if the HD never comes out in the US, just like the 64DD. No game requires it, and people will use their PS2 for minor web surfing (d/ling save files and such) and gaming. The broadband adapter will surface ]here.

The BB adapter (which is BB and 56k in one unit) will definitely come out in America, we agree on that.

But FFXI requires the HDD to play...and so will some other online RPGs and probably some other games, which means it will need to be released. If anything, Sony will make it available through their website and include it with the PS2 after a price drop (PS2 alone would be $199 and w/HDD and BB adapter would be $299) so they could sell the HDD without putting it on shelves alone. As a stand-alone add-on, it would be horrible, but including it (like the modem on the DC) with a small amount of PS2s and selling it through their website would be smarter choices.

And the PS2 is supposedly not going to be usable for net surfing. Sony doesn't want it to be used for that (they've said it before) but if some third party makes a browser, then it could be used for browsing.

 

[Wolf Jenkins]

And the PS2 is supposedly not going to be usable for net surfing. Sony doesn't want it to be used for that (they've said it before) but if some third party makes a browser, then it could be used for browsing.

They are releasing the linux kit & you can certainly surf on that.

Anyone got the latest on the release date for that? Isn't that like Q2 or Q3 this year? I think that has a broadband adapter & HDD right?

I do expect the HDD to be available here. I doubt it will sell well, but I do expect to see it.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

You can browse with the Linux kit (AFAIK) but there will not be any official browser for PS2 like there was for the Dreamcast.