How Can Sony Win the High Definition Format War? The PS3 is the Answer
Recent tech headlines have said that Warner Brothers Studios has committed exclusively to Blue-ray high definition DVD format. That simple statement have many in the industry claiming that Sony and Blue-ray have won. While they might have won a battle, they certainly haven’t won the war. Many of us are still sitting on the fence waiting for a clear winning, and Sony could be that winner if they would only take one drastic step: drop the price on the Playstation 3 below $200.
They used to be king of the gaming console hill
I know it’s a stretch, but entertain the idea for a moment. Sony is taking a beating in the gaming console arena by Nintendo and Microsoft. Sony owned this market at one time, and were thought by many to be invincible. Well, the playing field has changed and Sony is getting “schooled” in the land where they were once king.
A Blue-ray player in ever house
So what does selling the PS3 below $200 have to do with Blue-ray winning the high def format war? Simple, Sony needs to take a Bill Gates approach and aim for putting a Blue-ray player in every house at whatever price necessary. But how does Sony accomplish this goal? It’ll be tough. The average DVD player goes for around $30, and while that isn’t a high definition player it’s so cheap that consumers won’t even consider anything higher regardless of resolution. Face it, $30 for a player is tough competition. Therefore if Sony wants a Blue-ray player in every house, they need to find different competition — Perhaps they could compete against the latest gaming consoles?
A PS3 at $199 and we could have a winner
Drop the price of the Playstation 3 to below $200 (I think $199 is actually the magic price point), then anyone who hasn’t purchased an XBox 360 or Wii buys the PS3. Heck! Even some of those people that have one of those machines buys a PS3 — it’s $199! Stores won’t be able to keep these things on the shelf. Once everyone has a PS3, they also have a Blue-ray player. If you’ve got a Blue-ray player, what kind of high definition DVD’s are you going to buy and rent? That’s right, Blue-ray.
Dropping the price to $199 is a bold move, and I doubt Sony will do it; however, if they did, they’d win the high definition DVD format war and put them right back into the battle for the gaming console.
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Toshiba announced the discontinuation of HD DVD so Sony have won. I am waiting for the PS3 to drop in price before I purchase. I really want a Bluray player to complement my 40 inch LCD however I cant afford a separate standalone player (as well as a Wii which would be my first choice) so the PS3 is my answer.
That’s the way I’ve been leaning lately as well. No multiple points of entry for the PS3. One price, one unit, that’s it. I appreciate what Microsoft is trying to do with the XBox 360 but I think too my SKUs confuses the consumer.
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I totally agree Bret. As it goes, M$ sell their 360 at a loss but reap it back in software sales. If only Sony tuck a leaf out of their book eh.
Yeah, I’d like to see Sony seize the opportunity and drop the price on the PS3 just a little bit more. I don’t think they would have to go far, just far enough to place it between the Wii and the Xbox 360. Question is, what is that magic price point. Personally, I think my decision would be clear if the PS3 were priced around $300 even.
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Funny but as far as I know it’s cheaper to buy a PS3 than a blu-ray player.. If I wanted ble-ray, I’d buy a PS3 too
Cheaper, yes. But I’m still looking around for my extra dispensible cash but I just can’t seem to find it. Oh wait, I know where it went…gas for my car. Ugh.
I was worried and annoyed when I heard that PS3 is using Blu-ray because they are much much costly than other media. Anyhow I purchased PS3 for my son and was amazed to see results. Even now I prefer to purchase different movie titles in Blu-ray, I think that is the best piece of storage on this planet.