Best Buy chuckin’ a duece to 80GB Sony Playstation 3?
If the contents of a leaked internal memo are to be believed, the answer is a very strong yes! Best Buy has apparently been circulating a memo to all employees, notifying them that the PS3 80 GB will no longer be gracing their store shelves. If true, this is but the latest indication that Sony still has some, ahem, things to figure out if they intend to push the PS3 successfuly. Given the recent holiday season sales report numbers that place both the Wii and Xbox 360 in a healthy lead ahead of the lowly PS3, the company may have already lost that battle. Whether Best Buy’s move signals a widespread discontinuation or just a store-specific decision remains to be seen, but given the fact that they are one of the country’s biggest electronics retailers, we wouldn’t be surprised if this was indicative of a widespread change in Sony’s PS3 strategy. The real bummer here is that Best Buy will only be selling the 40GB version of the PS3, which happens to be the only model that doesn’t retain backwards-compatibility with the PS2.
UPDATE: Nevermind, then! Best Buy has taken the 80GB PS3 off their website. Circuit City and other big box retailers still look to be carrying them, though..
On Jan 25, 2008 @ 6:58 pm, TrueDis Said:
It’s off their website. I did buy one at my local Best Buy last night, though.
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On Jan 25, 2008 @ 7:19 pm, Strugglin Said:
I luv the title of this post “Chuckin a Duece”.
So what’s next for Sony and the PS3???
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On Jan 25, 2008 @ 7:19 pm, thefencechild Said:
until they are able to get a cheaper version out they won’t be able to keep up. i know the technology makes it that expensive but it’s just too much for a console
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On Jan 25, 2008 @ 8:08 pm, leetgnnr Said:
I think $399 was the perfect price. The backwards compatibility was an issue, until I really thought about it. Oh wait I want to play PS3 games not PS2 games, hence I bought a PS3
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On Jan 25, 2008 @ 10:38 pm, veks Said:
So I guess no 120gig ps3? Oh well, I’m waiting for an announcement of another price drop before I go buy one.
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On Jan 25, 2008 @ 11:15 pm, Galvatron Said:
well bestbuys markup on electronics is insane
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On Jan 26, 2008 @ 12:36 am, NuShrike Said:
What markup? They sell at the same price everywhere retail.
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On Jan 26, 2008 @ 1:12 am, L. Smith Said:
Such a funny title and best buy sucks. They are the biggest scammers.
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On Jan 26, 2008 @ 3:03 am, Jeff B. Said:
I still say the 60GB version (the one I happily own) was the best version, it has all the USB ports, HDMI, component, memory stick readers, the PS2 chip, and that other thing…60GB HDD? or was it something else…eh, its got enough, I dunno if it was worth $600 but I am really quite fond of it and don’t expect something else to replace it anytime soon.
But Best Buy is only good when they have their really low sales, otherwise there are other, better places.
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On Jan 26, 2008 @ 3:15 am, Axel Said:
Sony should stick to other electronics they obviously think the consumer will bend over for them
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On Jan 26, 2008 @ 3:59 am, Galvatron Said:
@ l smith yeah it’s why i often refer to them as worst buy
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On Jan 26, 2008 @ 10:40 am, babyboy on the way Said:
“Given the recent holiday season sales report numbers that place both the Wii and Xbox 360 in a healthy lead ahead of the lowly PS3, the company may have already lost that battle.”
It’s funny to me, how us americans are so quick to write of someone, group, or company off so quickly. Sony’s numbers are really good (not as good as nintendo’s or mircosoft’s but good none the less).
The Console market isn’t the same as it once was in the past. It’s not this great big war. I’m not going to trying and bore everyone with charts, graphs, and spreadsheets. But as you know the Japanese can care less for Microsoft’s Xbox (and I agree with the Japanese, Microsoft has no place in this market, I wish they would just let it go). In other parts of the world, the PS3 is making some head way as well. It could turn out to be a market with everyone else in the world going with Sony’s PS3 on the HD front, and we the US going with the Bill Gates and friends for our HD gaming needs. But that may not be the case at all; with the buzz on the streets, and the internet has the PS3 going for $299 pretty soon. That coupled with a good line up of games this year, could mean alot of things. Anyway to rap up my post, the video game market is pretty large and all the companies could do well, you can’t just write off one.
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On Jan 26, 2008 @ 11:57 am, DaveB Said:
Read the threads about this over at AVS. It would appear that Best Buy stores stopped ordering ANY 80GB sku’s a while ago. The speculation of course is that a new sku will be forthcoming (different pack in game than MotorStorm?) Along with the White model.
With the impending release of GT5 Prologue and how long the Motostorm bundle has been on the street, no surprise the lineup was due for a shakeup. Look for the current 40GB slu (with SM3 movie) to die soon too, at which time there will no doubt be much nashing of teeth about PS3 going away and much rejoicing by Xbox fanboys.
Face it people, Sony has a long term (likely 10+ years) strategy around PS3, the tip of which we are only now beginning to see.
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On Jan 26, 2008 @ 12:26 pm, Cyclone Said:
If they drop the price on the 80gb version, they might be alright. Until then the Wii and The XBOX 360 are going to eat them alive. We as consumers like the brand and the platform but we’re not willing to starve to purchase the system. Refer to Apple and the iphone.
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On Jan 26, 2008 @ 8:45 pm, SlutterNutter Said:
I’m pretty sure this is nothing more than phasing out the Motorstorm pack in and a replacement will be coming.
Who farkin’ cares anywho? Design-wise, the PS3 is brilliant. Replaceable HD, blue-ray, multiple USB ports, wireless, how can you go wrong? Pricing needs to come down to sustainable reality, but it is hands down one of the best designed pieces of hardware in a very long time.
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