Since E3, publishers and retailers have been clamoring for a price drop on the PS3. Rumors, driven by analyst reports, have strongly suggested that Sony will finally cut the MSRP on the console sometime in August, but for now the company remains mum on the subject, instead continuing to talk up the value proposition of the system and its "10-year life cycle." Sony also remains tied to a profitability mandate from Japan, and analyst Michael Pachter believes that even a $50 cut would lose Sony $350 million in profits. Then the poop really hit the fan when Activision Blizzard chief Bobby Kotick threatened that he might have to consider dropping support of PS3 altogether.
Now another publisher has come out of the woodwork to let Sony know that it really needs to see a price drop on PS3. Speaking to CVG, Kenji Matsubara, CEO of the newly merged Tecmo Koei, commented that he's already put in multiple requests with Sony to "please cut the price."
"Whenever I discuss this with Sony reps I always ask them: 'Please cut the price', but I don't have a clear view on Sony's situation," he said. "Yes, from a publisher's point of view we would welcome a price cut for PS3, and we are waiting, definitely."
Matsubara added, "It's definitely a way of boosting the PS3 market, but it's Sony's strategy and I don't know their cost structure. Sony introduced cutting-edge technology in the PS3, that's why people in the industry accept that the PS3 cost is so high, but we'd welcome a price cut."
IndustryGamers believes a price cut on PS3 is inevitable this year. We're just waiting for Sony to finally announce it (and the rumored PS3 Slim).
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