US video game retailer GameStop expects both Sony and Nintendo to drop the price of their home consoles during the third quarter of its financial year.Addressing investors, GameStop CEO Daniel DeMatteo stated that should the manufacturers hope to hit self imposed sales targets for the year, then a cut in RRP is essential as current prices are too high considering the economic situation.
"The hardware price points, given this economic environment are potentially too high, and if the platform holders are going to make the numbers that they forecasted for the year, those prices would have to change," stated DeMatteo. "Also, if you think about it, these hardware prices have stayed up longer in this cycle than in any other time before, and in a very dire economic environment, those two things seem to be mutually exclusive."
Sony have been under pressure to drop the price of the PlayStation 3 for some time now. But despite consistent rumours suggesting a cut was imminent, Sony have continued to deny anything was in the pipeline.
During the conference call DeMatteo outlined GameStop's sales predictions of 33.5 million units, which had taken price cuts from both the Japanese manufacturers into account.
"That assumes that there will be price cuts on the PS3 and potentially one on the Wii. It's hard to tell if we actually need a price cut on the Wii to get to our numbers. There are some price cuts built into that assumption, but not until the third quarter."
With E3 just a week away, the media focus is firmly on Sony who are widely tipped to introduce a cheaper PS3 either at the conference, or in the months following the show.
Oddly enough, both always seem to have people in them.
Two Gamestops on a second floor, two on the first floor.
Yeah, that's what happened with one of the game stores that was close to the first; it just got bought out is all.
There's also a GameStop here at one of our smaller malls, with one right across the street as well.
I don't think GameStop closed all the stores from EBgames that they purchased and probably are still in the process of deciding which ones are going to be best to leave open.
They didn't here. The EbGames stores (2) were converted to GameStop. They then bought out Rhino Games and turned it into a GameStop store, too. They are all full of rude employees that don't appear to like their jobs.
Actually GameStop's sales have been up during this economically difficult time. It seems counterintuitive but true. I suppose more people are staying home and playing games? I can't explain it but it's true.
Because if people were picky on what is news then we wouldn't have anything to discuss.
I think the Wii will still sell at its current price.
Assuming the reason you are buying a PS3 is to play PS3 games, you most certainly will need that BR drive in the PS3. All disc based games for the PS3 are on Blu-Ray discs.
It'll be years before sony makes all that back and can say the PS3 made them a profit.
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