Ps3 20GB prices dropping in Japan!

Lazybones · January 22, 2007, 04:03:07 PM

http://kotaku.com/gaming/top/japanese-stores-slashing-20gb-prices-230297.php

QuotePS3 sales in Japan haven't cooled off, they've frozen. Consoles sit on shelves as gamers wait it out: Waiting for actual games to appear or prices to drop. Retailers, on the other hand, are an impatient lot. Retailers are also buying "used" PS3s at much lower prices than previously, paying well under the original sticker price. Just look at how the Don Quijote in Akihabara is slicing 20 percent off the 20GB PLAYSTATION 3. Nice 20-20 irony. The 20GB version originally books at 49,980 yen (US $412), but is being offered for 39,980 yen ($329) in a sale ending February. The shop is knocking a flat 10,000 yen ($82) right now. Japanese bulletin board 2chan reports that this at other Don Quijotes as well. It's interesting to check out the PS3 vibe at 2chan; Reasons for not buying go from "there are no games I want" to "video stores don't rent Blu-ray movies." Well, not yet that is. Brian Ashcraft

In Japan! I would have never guessed stores would have trouble moving a Sony product!

Mr. Analog · January 22, 2007, 04:06:10 PM

Ouch, Sony I think really pwned itself with the PS3. heck, even I'm considering getting an XBox 360 when the upgraded version comes out (especially if Microsoft absorbs Capcom).

Shayne · January 22, 2007, 04:15:37 PM

I believe in Japan prices don't have a cap or a floor (no MSRP?). Stores are free to charge as much or as little as they want.

Cova · January 22, 2007, 09:43:25 PM

Quote from: Shayne on January 22, 2007, 04:15:37 PM
I believe in Japan prices don't have a cap or a floor (no MSRP?). Stores are free to charge as much or as little as they want.

And with the exception of very hyped up launch products and maybe a couple other things where the retailer agree's ahead of time, is this not also the way it works here in Canada? Buy low, sell high, free market and all that @%&#. I know if I owned a store I wouldn't let anyone else tell me what prices to put on my stuff. You know MSRP is the manufacturers SUGGESTED retail price - not the stores obligated retail price.

Lazybones · January 23, 2007, 08:41:28 AM

A 20% drop has to be below the stores cost. Taking a bath just to move the hardware doesn't seem right.

Shayne · January 23, 2007, 09:36:34 AM

Quote from: Cova on January 22, 2007, 09:43:25 PMAnd with the exception of very hyped up launch products and maybe a couple other things where the retailer agree's ahead of time, is this not also the way it works here in Canada? Buy low, sell high, free market and all that @%&#. I know if I owned a store I wouldn't let anyone else tell me what prices to put on my stuff. You know MSRP is the manufacturers SUGGESTED retail price - not the stores obligated retail price.

Not so much, with how quick the Wii is selling why are stores still selling it for $299 (or whatever it is) and not $349 to make the extra cash? In Japan this is a common practice for many products and I believe the PS3 was one of them.

Cova · January 23, 2007, 09:54:15 AM

Quote from: Shayne on January 23, 2007, 09:36:34 AM
Quote from: Cova on January 22, 2007, 09:43:25 PMAnd with the exception of very hyped up launch products and maybe a couple other things where the retailer agree's ahead of time, is this not also the way it works here in Canada? Buy low, sell high, free market and all that @%&#. I know if I owned a store I wouldn't let anyone else tell me what prices to put on my stuff. You know MSRP is the manufacturers SUGGESTED retail price - not the stores obligated retail price.

Not so much, with how quick the Wii is selling why are stores still selling it for $299 (or whatever it is) and not $349 to make the extra cash? In Japan this is a common practice for many products and I believe the PS3 was one of them.

Lets answer this by taking a quote right out of the inner quote above...

Quote from: Cova on January 22, 2007, 09:43:25 PMthe exception of very hyped up launch products

Because Nintendo knows there will be shortages and doesn't want retailers just listing the product on e-bay themselves, the retailers would be forced to sign a contract agreeing on a maximum retail price or Nintendo won't give them any product. And since the retailers know they'll still sell out and make a buck, they agree.

Shayne · January 23, 2007, 10:00:14 AM

Apple limits pricing being to low or to high by giving large retailers first dibs on products, subsidizing Apple directed advertising, etc. Similar I bet. Honestly though, I cannot think of a single product thats obviously higher then the MSRP.

Thorin · January 23, 2007, 10:49:06 AM

Quote from: Shayne on January 23, 2007, 10:00:14 AM
I cannot think of a single product thats obviously higher then the MSRP.

When new cars come out that play on our nostalgic tendencies, they frequently sell for higher than MSRP. The best example I can think of was the New Beetle. When Volkswagen first started selling it, people paid up to 40% over MSRP at the dealerships.

Cars have a much lower production run than game consoles, though, and being back-ordered as a car company doesn't create bad press while being back-ordered as a game console company obviously does; this may be why Nintendo pushes the retailers to keep their prices at a set level while Volkswagen let the dealerships run rampant.

Shayne · January 23, 2007, 11:03:41 AM

I guess this is true. Cars and big ticket electronics have inflated prices. Houses are another.

Tom · January 23, 2007, 03:51:50 PM

Anyone tried looking for a Wii on web stores lately? Not Ebay, but regular Web stores. A friend of mine is looking for one, and all the stores have it priced around 25-50% higher than "normal".

Shayne · January 23, 2007, 03:59:49 PM

What do you consider a "web store" it would appear that Amazon, Future Shop, Best Buy are all at normal (granted none in stock). Its really very pointless to pay more as within 3 months just like every console launch previously their will be an adequate supply (who thought that Nintendo couldn't keep up selling 5 year old hardware to begin with?!)

As for a price drop, if retailers are doing this then thats pretty sad sure. Sony would be nuts to have an official price cut as that would show a serious sign of weakness as well as a sign of being initially overpriced (which they are not considering the gear, but are if you consider the competition).

Xmas 2007 will be very interesting.

Shayne · January 26, 2007, 09:24:51 AM

Raise in Canada?!? Some website are reporting that the price of the 60GB version is now $699

Future Shop: http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10075271&catid=24714

...was it always 699 or was it actually 659 like is being reported? If its gone up, thats pretty insane.

Thorin · January 26, 2007, 10:39:28 AM

Umm, I'm pretty sure it was $659.99 before Christmas, because I remember calculating that it was just pennies short of $700 after 6% GST ($699.59). So yeah, that's a price *increase*.

BestBuy's price went up, too. Notice that neither of them sell the 20GB version online anymore?

Shayne · January 26, 2007, 11:35:47 AM

Ya, how very odd. I'd like to know if EB here in Canada also jacked the prices up.