UPDATE: WH Smith Cuts PS3 Price to £399.99
Yes, that’s twenty-five quid off the RRP!
Happy Easter, says WH Smiths to a generally unappreciative British population rapidly losing interest in buying Sony’s PlayStation 3 ‘mega computer game digital entertainment centre’. Have £25 off the recommended retail price, says the high street’s favourite newsagent.
Oh, ok then. We might just do that. We’re sure you are well stocked with them too. With this cheapo PS3 offer you are really spoiling us!
MCV reports earlier that WH Smith has become the first high street PS3 stockist to significantly cut the price point of the machine, selling the console for £399.99.
The offer is only available in larger stores and will end next Tuesday, 10th of April, after the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
SPOnG has put a call into Sony and specialist retailers Game and Gamestation, so we will bring you any interesting updates on the issue as and when we get them.
WH Smith has taken out an advert in today’s The Sun newspaper to promote the deal (pictured here, courtesy of MCV).
It sure seems strange to slash the price of new hardware merely ONE week after it’s been on the shelves.
UPDATE: Fiona Haldane, GAME's UK PR Exec, just informed SPOnG that, "I can confirm that we will not be dropping the price of our PS3 and unfortunately we cannot provide a comment on how other retailers price their consoles."
Oh, ok then. We might just do that. We’re sure you are well stocked with them too. With this cheapo PS3 offer you are really spoiling us!
MCV reports earlier that WH Smith has become the first high street PS3 stockist to significantly cut the price point of the machine, selling the console for £399.99.
The offer is only available in larger stores and will end next Tuesday, 10th of April, after the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
SPOnG has put a call into Sony and specialist retailers Game and Gamestation, so we will bring you any interesting updates on the issue as and when we get them.
WH Smith has taken out an advert in today’s The Sun newspaper to promote the deal (pictured here, courtesy of MCV).
It sure seems strange to slash the price of new hardware merely ONE week after it’s been on the shelves.
UPDATE: Fiona Haldane, GAME's UK PR Exec, just informed SPOnG that, "I can confirm that we will not be dropping the price of our PS3 and unfortunately we cannot provide a comment on how other retailers price their consoles."
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Comments
Joji 4 Apr 2007 14:56
1/9
This is strange. Is this price drop because everyone wanted PS3 to be cheaper to start with, or because Smiths want rid of their expensive stock allocation? The bigger thing is the mixed message this cut sends to gamers and potential buyers.
I have to say in all my years as a gamer, this is the fastest pricedrop for a brand new console ever, and while its not by Sony themselves, it shows some kind of worry creeping in to the retail heads of some. I wonder who'll be next and if there will be a high street price war.
Perhaps Spong should do their detective bit, and ask WH Smiths about this price cut in more detail.
I have to say in all my years as a gamer, this is the fastest pricedrop for a brand new console ever, and while its not by Sony themselves, it shows some kind of worry creeping in to the retail heads of some. I wonder who'll be next and if there will be a high street price war.
Perhaps Spong should do their detective bit, and ask WH Smiths about this price cut in more detail.
headcasephil 4 Apr 2007 15:54
2/9
i think that a lot of shops are going to be doing this because the ps3 stock is not selling and if it is not selling then thay arnt making any money i go bake to my uther post and say sony have bitten of more than thay can chew
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OptimusP 4 Apr 2007 20:46
3/9
Sure it didn't sell out, what you expect when you have a million of those suckers ready for launch! And it sold great at launch...if you have to believe the charts.
Then you get this...which actualy contradicts the former if you apply logic supply and demand thinking...
Begs the question, are those 165 000 sold true?
Then you get this...which actualy contradicts the former if you apply logic supply and demand thinking...
Begs the question, are those 165 000 sold true?
saurian 5 Apr 2007 06:32
4/9
Joji
I have to say in all my years as a gamer, this is the fastest pricedrop for a brand new console ever[/quote wrote:
I have to say in all my years as a gamer, this is the fastest pricedrop for a brand new console ever[/quote wrote:
2nd fastest - they cut $100 off the price of the base ackage 1 week before launch when it became obvious that the Wii was kicking its ass.
Also, the forst weeks sales were pre orders, those who ordered on faith, noy after actually seeing the console in action. Once you see it running, you wonder what all the hype is about. It does not look as good as the 360, has around 20% of the games and the exclusives are going multiformat, while Microsofts exclusives are not.
Looks increasingly like a (relative) failure.
Bentley 5 Apr 2007 12:05
5/9
Whhhhaaaat? It looks far better than the 360? What utter rot. The 360 is a jumped-up PC in a crappy size-zero box, all flat-chested and will most likely break if you bang it hard enough. And that PSU is ridiculous, like lifting up an attractive girl's skirt to find a giant turd dangling from her arsehair. PS3 is a super-computer in a shiny, super-curvy ornamental case. Mmmmm! Of course PS3 has 20% of the games, it's only been out a week! What a ridiculous statement to make!
WH Smith has slashed the price because nobody buys games, CDs or DVDs from there, let alone £400 of computer hardware. It's a desperate ploy from WH Smith to get customers in their shop, and it will probably work. It's nowt to do with Sony or the quality of the PS3, it's just a ploy from one of the high-street's most outdated and backwards-thinking retailers. I should know for I worked in one for 8 years. Just go and look on their shelves and you will see rows and rows of out-dated, over-priced games, many of which can be bought at retailers around the corner for a quarter of the price.
Seriously, WH Smith are just desperate to get people to buy games from their shop. Because whoever is in charge of their games division at the moment has been doing a s**t job of it for years.
WH Smith has slashed the price because nobody buys games, CDs or DVDs from there, let alone £400 of computer hardware. It's a desperate ploy from WH Smith to get customers in their shop, and it will probably work. It's nowt to do with Sony or the quality of the PS3, it's just a ploy from one of the high-street's most outdated and backwards-thinking retailers. I should know for I worked in one for 8 years. Just go and look on their shelves and you will see rows and rows of out-dated, over-priced games, many of which can be bought at retailers around the corner for a quarter of the price.
Seriously, WH Smith are just desperate to get people to buy games from their shop. Because whoever is in charge of their games division at the moment has been doing a s**t job of it for years.
headcasephil 5 Apr 2007 12:28
6/9
Bentley wrote:
PS3 is a super-computer in a shiny, super-curvy ornamental
case.
what it looks like a
shiny electric grill
case.
what it looks like a
shiny electric grill
headcasephil 5 Apr 2007 20:57
7/9
gamestation has now drop the price as well how will be next http://www.gamestation.co.uk/discountaddall.asp?discountid=135
Ditto 6 Apr 2007 00:00
8/9
I don't think these price cuts mean anything. PS3 sold extremely well in its first week and there's still stock out there - a first with recent console launches. All retailers have stock therefore they are trying to attract PS3 customers to them - lowering the price is one way of differentiating themselves. Once one retailer lowers, many others will try and compete.
The fact everyone has stock means more competition and is good for customers. And as SPOnG stated, we can't really compare to Wii and 360 where stock was at a premium months after release.
EDIT: Incidently, for anyone in the South West looking for a Wii, Virgin in Bristol had stock this afternoon.
The fact everyone has stock means more competition and is good for customers. And as SPOnG stated, we can't really compare to Wii and 360 where stock was at a premium months after release.
EDIT: Incidently, for anyone in the South West looking for a Wii, Virgin in Bristol had stock this afternoon.
DoctorDee 6 Apr 2007 06:41
9/9
phil c wrote:
i think that a lot of shops are going to be doing this because the ps3 stock is not selling and if it is not selling then thay arnt making any money
It's just the free market. Those same shops reduce the price of £2000 Plasma screens to £999, and no-one goes "Panasonic on the way out".
Those same shops have tumble dryers and fridges sat there for months and months. No-one is shouting, "ZOMG Hotpoint is fscked!"
The fact is, people who want a PS3 (or a 360) also want software, or even an HD screen. So shops want to tempt them in. After 360 launched, there was no stock. PS3 has stock, so shops are marketing it.
And £399 is a MUCH more tempting price than anything over £400...