Michael Sherlock » ps3

Xbox 360 Elite Now $299

Michael Sherlock — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:37:11 +0000

Alright, so this isn’t exactly official but according to several sources, the Xbox 360 line-up is getting a make over. The arcade is expected to remain at the same price, with it’s recently updated 512MB of built in memory, but the pro is expected to be phased out of the line-up. The black 360 elite is expected to take a $100 price cut and occupy the $299 space. This would make the $299 console market very interesting with both the blu-ray playing, PS3 slim and the netflix enabled Xbox 360 elite directly competing at the same price point. Sony hasn’t given any information regarding a model competing with the lower cost Xbox 360 arcade, so Microsoft will continue to have the lowest priced console on the market in their $199 arcade.

But when should you be expecting this price drop? Per the evidence for this news are ads from Meijer (above) and walmart (bellow) advertising the elite at $299. The meijer ad is reportedly for August 30th while the walmart ad is for this upcoming week. (I have yet to see my official walmart ad to confirm) However, the mounting evidence makes sense as Microsoft would like to remain competitive with the PS3.

Of course, no official statement on the removal of the 360 Pro from the line-up or a price cut for the Elite has been offered by Microsoft.

PlaySation 3 Slim Announced

Michael Sherlock — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:40:22 +0000

After much speculation over the last few months, Sony, a company that continues to allow leaks of upcoming product refreshes, has confirmed, at today’s GamesCom, that a slim PS3 will hit the market. Poised for an early September launch, the PS3 slim cuts the fat and the price as it will retail for $299.99, 299 euros, and 29980 yen. The new PS3 slim possess “all the same features” as the current PS3 lineup while becoming 33% smaller, 36% lighter, and using 34% less power. The PS3 will continue to sport a blu-ray drive, of course, and will include a 120GB integrated hard drive. I assume HD’s won’t continue to be as easy to replace as the older PS3′s model allowed, but, at this time, no official word has been given.

In anticipation of this launch, but mostly to clear current inventory, fat PS3 models have been discounted by $100. The 80GB model, for instance, will begin to sell for $299, the same price as the new PS3 slim. According to Sony, these price updates should be effective immediately but most retailers are still reflecting the old prices. Prior to launch, Sony began clearing inventory which makes sense because this price drop doesn’t make me want to run out and purchase an old PS3. I mean, the 80GB model is the same price as the upcoming, improved 120GB slim PS3. 80GB today or 120GB, in a smaller form factor, tomorrow: what would you choose?

It’s about time Sony released this update. The original PS3 was way too big and bulky. It’s almost as if they launch consoles bigger than they need to be just so they can sell a slim version down the road. So far, Sony has done that with their entire PlayStation line and it’s really quite frustrating. Is this an improvement? Sure. Is it worth the upgrade? Maybe. Is Sony benefiting more than the consumer? Definitely.

Xbox 360 Pricecut: Offical

Michael Sherlock — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:12:11 +0000

Starting on September 5th, 2008 Microsoft will officially start selling their xbox 360 consoles at a $50 price decrease. The prices are as follows:

Xbox 360 Arcade $199
Xbox 360 Pro (60gb HD) $299
Xbox 360 Elite (120gb HD, Black) $399

What does this really mean? Well, the console with the largest gaming selection and best online play is now also the cheapest. (The Arcade’s $199 price point compared to the $250 Nintendo Wii) At these lower prices, more people have an opportunity to jump in and play. I think this move is perfect for Microsoft. They now have the opportunity to draw in casual gamers and sell consoles to people upgrading from the previous generation. Even hard-core gamers who can’t afford a $400 system or don’t want to play party games all day, now have an option to frag their friends in halo 3 or slice them in half with gears of war all that a reasonable price.

This move is really tough on Nintendo. No longer is their console the cheapest and therefore casual gamers now have another option. When those people walk into a gaming store or their local big-box chain, they have the choice for a more powerful and cheaper console with a larger gaming selection to boot. People are still flocking to the Wii so it’s not a huge threat at this time, but it is something Nintendo needs to keep their eyes on.

As for the prices of the other consoles, I don’t foresee an immediate response. The Nintendo Wii, which is still in high-demand, is consistently outselling the competition. The PlayStation 3 is also selling well and has some great exclusives in the works. However, I think by the holiday season both companies will bight the bullet and lower their prices too. Honestly, this is great for the consumer whether you want a 360 or not.

Source

Gaming Updates 5/28/2008

Michael Sherlock — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:52:59 +0000

Joystiq for there hands on far cry 2
Kotaku also got a taste of far cry 2 and has some really nice pictures online.
BioShock coming to PS3 confirmed

BioShock won many awards last year when it was on the xbox 360 and now it is confirmed that bioshock will make it’s way onto the ps3. Right now, it’s looking like the PS3 version doesn’t look any better than the 360 version. Side note: does anyone else think the ps3 is starting to amass a strong game catalog?
Resident evil 5 screen shots.
There will be more resident evil 5 news at tomorrow’s CAPTIVATE08 event but these images look so detailed.