PS2 Price Drop MUST be coming right??! (1 Viewer)

[John Berggren]

I feel very confident that both X-box and PS2 will drop their price before Christmas. I'd like to put a PS2 next to my gamecube for Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Rygar. I don't want to spend $200 on the unit a month before the price drops though.

Does anyone have a guess, rumor, speculation, as to when the price drop will hit, and what it will consist of?

 

[Michael Fennessy]

I asked a similar question a few days ago, and it seems to be popular opinion that there will be no price drops but there will be bundling. Supposedly as early as Tuesday.

Mike

 

[DonRoeber]

Why would Sony drop the price again? It's not like the system isn't selling well, which is the problem that Microsoft is trying to address with pricecuts and bundles.

 

[John Berggren]

which is the problem that Microsoft is trying to address with pricecuts and bundles.

This is precisely why Sony will readdress their price. They will not be the most expensive console. If that means dropping their price, they will. If that means bundling, they will. Sony will not ignore an X-box price drop. Nintendo won't either.

If they bundle, I hope it's not stictly a sports bundle. I have no use for sports titles. I'd be thrilled with FFX or J&Daxter/Crash or something thereabouts.

 

[GlenHaag]

I guess this is the first time that I can ever recall a hardware/software bundle not using 1st party software.

The Xbox one is with Sega GT 2002 and Jet Set Radio Future.

Thinking back, I can't recall any like that.

Maybe I'm mistaken.

Glen

 

[Chris Duran]

I highly doubt we will see another price cut before Christmas, Sony is selling the hell out of the systems at 199, was even when it was 299, if anything we might see a bundle. Microsoft is doing a system, S Controller, Sega GT, and Jet Set Radio Future for 199, and Nintendo is doing the Indigo Cube with Mario Sunshine a 59 memory card for about 179, so if anything we will see a bundle from Sony, but no price drop.

 

[Michael Fennessy]

Just pre-ordered the Mario Sunshine Cube bundle at Amazon for 189.99. Indigo cube, 59 Mem card, and Mario Sunshine.

It is coming out next tuesday or thursday. I am happy with the price. I never could understand buying a game system and not having something to play.

Mike

 

[Chris Bardon]

See, here's what I don't get (and I'm converting to $CDN here so I can compare with what I saw as today's prices).

$190 US=313 CDN (at 1.65)

Cube-230
Sunshine-65
MC 59-25
total: $320

So 7 bucks...that's it? What's the benefit of the bundle (other than having it all in one box)?

 

[Sean Eldridge]

cube- $150
MS- $50
MC59- $15
total- $215
difference is more like $25 American.

Sean

 

[Joe Szott]

The thing that just baffles me is why doesn't MS bundle Halo with every console? It's still the best game ever for Xbox, it's 1st party, and it would MOVE systems in the US like hotcakes.

Who here bought an Xbox without needing to buy Halo?

 

[Romier S]

why doesn't MS bundle Halo with every console

More than likely because Halo still has the distinction of appearing on the top ten sales list every week/month in the US. The game is still selling really well and I'm sure MS doesn't want to cut into the sales of its most successful game by packaging it with the Xbox.

 

[BrianB]

Who here bought an Xbox without needing to buy Halo?

You answered your own question here. The economics of console selling these days makes the hardware manufacturer NOT want to bundle their top selling "must have" game with it - that way you've guaranteed the retailer $250 income instead of $200 if you included the game.

That's the reason you generally don't see demo disks included with new machines either (remember the PS2 one was mail-in when it launched) - the retailers want you buying at least one game, and there ARE people out there who'll survive on the demo disk for a while.

 

[John Berggren]

I had a chance to ask in the SF Playstation store this week about bundling and the blue PS2. I was told that no decision has been made but that "there is a meeting this week" on the subject.

 

[Camp]

I'm afraid it's all about bundles this year. No price drops, just great bundle deals.

 

[Andre F]

I read something about a possible drop in price for the PS2 this year. However, it seems very unlikely since the PS2 is selling so well and with those hot titles coming out it's bound to get even better for Sony...

 

[KyleK]

The Sunday Toys "R" US ad had the PS2 bundled with Stuntman, Wipeout, 2 controllers and a carrying case for $250. However this may just be something Toys "R" Us is doing exclusively, as one of the controllers was third-party.

 

[Carl Johnson]

$190 for the cube plus Mario and a memory card sounds like an excellent deal to me. I was strongly considering getting a standalone cube @ $200 to play Metroid but for a deal like that it's a no brainer.

 

[Joseph Young]

I would love to see a PS2 price drop, especially since my current PS2 has been having problems for a while and I'm aiming to replace it. I'm the sort of consumer that Sony must love. My system breaks down through no fault of my own, and I am forced to replace it because the repair costs are just as expensive as a new system. They sell me 2 consoles although I only need one.

the retailers want you buying at least one game, and there ARE people out there who'll survive on the demo disk for a while.

Excellent point, Brian. At the time I found it odd that it was mail-in, but that makes complete sense now.
Joseph

 

[BrianB]

I think it probably wasn't ready in time for the PS2 launch which was a factor

 

[Scott Shanks]

Why is it that all the consoles are the same price at EVERY store? No one ever has them "on sale". Have these companies ever been accused of price fixing?