PlayStation 3 European pricing revealed

4/5/2006 10:55:59 AM, by Ken Fisher

The president of Sony Computer Entertainment France and vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, George Fornay, is talking price when it comes to the PlayStation 3. In a radio show with France's Europe 1, Fornay said that the PlayStation 3 will sell for between €499 and €599. Fornay acknowledged that the price may seem steep, but he emphasized that that price should be seen as inexpensive when one considers that the console will also play Blu-ray movies. Fornay also confirmed that Sony would be going for a simultaneous launch of the console in November of this year.

Strict currency translation suggests that American pricing may be in the range of US $605 to $726, but currency exchange alone can't tell the story. Case in point: the Xbox 360. In the United States, the Xbox 360 retails for $399, which is only €320 in exchange. Yet the Xbox 360 is priced at €399 throughout most of Europe.

If the PlayStation 3 follows the Xbox 360, the console may arrive in North America for US $499 to $599. This would easily make the PS3 the most expensive console on the market, with Microsoft's two next-gen systems coming in at $399 and $299. To round out the scene, recall that Nintendo is looking to launch the Revolution for less than $300.

With the Xbox 360 priced at $399 and a potential PS3 pricing of at least $499, the days of multi-console ownership may be coming to an end for many gamers. Or, perhaps not. Mario and friends may not be everyone's first choice when it comes to this next round of console action, but with most observers expecting inexpensive games on top of a fairly priced console, Nintendo may reap dividends for its strategy.

Allegedly Confirmed PS3 Launch List
It may have more, it may have less.

by Luke Smith, 04/25/2006

Over at the British Gaming Blog, they list eight PS3 titles and say these titles have been confirmed by Sony for the November launch of its PlayStation 3. Despite the reports of confirmation from Sony, these titles should still be taken with a grain of salt. Here's the list, so far: John Woo's Stranglehold, Tekken, Sonic the Hedgehog, Resistance: Fall of Man, Rainbow Six: Vegas, Lair, Motorstorm and Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom. Also keep in mind, we reported that Ridger Racer 7 would launch with the PS3, so chalk that up on the list, as well.

Now, the caveat. There's probably more that will launch beside the PS3 this fall, but for now, Sony is keeping quiet. Their lips might loosen a bit at E3, but as is always the case with hardware launches - everything is subject to change.

Sony sees 100 bln yen game division loss for 06/07

Thu Apr 27, 2006 2:42 AM ET

TOKYO, April 27 (Reuters) - Sony Corp. (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday that it expected its game division to post a loss of about 100 billion yen in the current business year, hit by start-up costs for its PlayStation 3 game machine.

Sony also said it expects its TV division to be profitable in the year that started April 1.