Ellie Gibson
15:02 (BST)
18/05/2005
PS3 price rumours begin to emerge
Japanese newspaper claims Sony has confirmed a price point of "less than 50,000 yen"
Just days after the PlayStation 3 was unveiled for the first time at Sony's pre-E3 press conference, Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbum claims the company has offered the first hint as to a price point.
According to the May 17 article, Sony officials told the paper that the PS3 will go on sale in Japan with a launch price of "less than 50,000 yen" - approximately $465 or UKP 255 at current exchange rates.
But European consumers have traditionally paid more for their consoles than their Japanese and North American counterparts, meaning that if history repeats itself the PS3 could go on sale here at upwards of UKP 400 - making it into one of the most expensive consoles to be launched in the UK in recent years.
Last year industry analysts Wedbush Morgan Securities suggested a PS3 price point of $500, arguing that added media functions - such as TiVO-style capabilities and a DVD burner - could push up the cost. However, Sony did not announce any such functions when it revealed the PS3 specs list on Monday.
Microsoft is also keeping tight-lipped regarding a price for the Xbox 360, but analysts have speculated that it will come in somewhere around the $400 mark. Nintendo's Revolution console, which is likely to be a much lower-spec machine than the PS3 and 360, is expected to carry a much lower price tag accordingly.
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