Sony: "£350 is not considered huge any more"
Tech markets have changed perception of price and adoption, says Gara
Sony UK boss Fergal Gara has said that the price of hardware isn't the barrier to consumers that it once was, and that may be a factor in the high pre-orders and demand that has greeted the introduction of Sony's PlayStation 4.
Speaking to VG247, Gara noted that the rapid iteration of mobile technology such as Apple's iPhone or iPad is encouraging consumers to adopt new hardware at a quicker pace.
"You're touching on the Apple effect there... actually the biggest dynamic I might see from that tech sector is readiness to change technology more rapidly, and the appetite to jump into PS4 early seems to be there," he said.
"How much of that is the seven year wait, and how much of that is conditioning by other tech sectors in which a layout of £350 is not considered huge any more, I think there might be a bit of that going on."
The PlayStation 4 went on sale today in Europe priced £349 - considerably cheaper than the £429 asking price for Microsoft's Xbox One.
"We worked really hard to get to that price point and deliver the power that we have done in PS4. With PS4 we've delivered the magic balance between power and price," he added.
While Sony has promised that some retailers will have unallocated stock to offer customers before Christmas, orders from last week onwards are now unlikely to be in customer's hands until the new year.
And those early adopters who ordered the system months ago are still expected to be the loyal customer that has waited seven years since the PlayStation 3 was released, noted Gara.
"The people that come in over the next few days, weeks and months will be the hungriest, keenest early adopters. Also, there are those who may be ready for a new console more than others. Some people bought a PS3 last week, and I'm sure they're still enjoying that. Some people bought a PS3 six years ago, so they're really ready to move on."
Money was tighter then than it is now (it certianly was for me and my family)
The point is the £399 price tag has changed little over 30+ years, but relative income certainly has, the massive performance improvements are a natural evolution in all technology.
Caveat: prices quoted are based on my own aged memory, please don't shout if I have made an error, the principle still holds..
I do think its a lot of money. Not an unforgivable amount and not an amount that fails to fit the features, but I find it hard to buy the idea that in 2013, after a number of financial crises, falling spending power, rising costs and a continuation of rather typical launch pricing - that suddenly its not much money any more.
I don't think its a lot different but another trend we're seeing is the number of people buying launch consoles grow considerably each time, regardless.
Edited 1 times. Last edit by Adam Campbell on 29th November 2013 2:52pm
On top of that phones are also an important status symbol whereas a PS4 is not. Everyone is expected to have a phone too, so not having a phone strikes up so many ideas in people's minds, unlike not having the latest console.
So no, I don't think people's responses to phones will tell you anything about what they will spend on consoles. Mobile phones make every day life easier, consoles don't.
That being said £350 isn't that much more than the previous launch prices, but I'm just a little concerned about their rationale. Also add to that the fact that these are less impressive console iterations.
I guess we'll just have to see whether the majority wait for a price drop.
Edited 1 times. Last edit by Keldon Alleyne on 29th November 2013 3:10pm
Selling subsidized consoles with a contract is not a bad idea. Microsoft was already trying something like that. It does not make much sense right now, because both Microsoft and Sony will be able to sell anything they are able to manufacture for at least a few months, but after the early adopters all got their console, selling consoles for 100$ + 10$ contract for two years isn't the worst of ideas.
It will also in the more visceral sense last longer. How many iPad Airs will still be running and charging in 5 or 6 years? No cracked screen, no problems at all? A lot fewer than there will be PS4s I reckon.
Sure, Uncharted 3 didn't look as good as the best that could be done on a standard gaming PC on the day it came out, but it had still made use of a lot of technology (software, technology, not hardware) that didn't exist when the PS3 came out, and looked very good for its day as a result, even when compared to a good gaming PC.
If you try to play the new Tomb Raider on a circa-2006 PC, I'd be surprised if it works at all.
I think those words are just too subjective for being used in a professional context.
Edited 1 times. Last edit by Alfonso Sexto on 2nd December 2013 10:14am
I can pay my bills and, objectively, that money is a big investment regardless of the context. So no; this man said "£350 is not considered huge any more", not "compared to other luxury or previous console releases"
I think the one who failed in the context it's him.
noun
1. the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood."
His circumstances/event/ideas are games specific.. not food, not bills. As if every sentence that comes out of your mouth, is followed by endless disclaimers about what your statement does and doesn't apply to.
Im sure you are a funny person and that your sarcasm works great in forums. But here its not making you any favors. Just so you know, we are all industry workers here.
For that you have Kotaku and gamespot, so try and be professional, please.