Sony slashes Playstation 3 price by 8 per cent

Sony is trimming the cost of Playstation 3 (PS3), a home video game console, by Rs 2,000 and is also giving away free game software worth Rs 1,600. This move, hopes Sony, will take its console base from 25,000 to 30,000 by January.

Its competitor, Microsoft, claims to have a current installed base of around 25 million worldwide. Currently in India, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Core console is priced at Rs 14,990 and comes with two free games — Xbox 360 Pro and Xbox Elite. Xbox 360 Pro is priced at Rs 23,990 and comes with four free games while Xbox Elite is priced at Rs 34,990.

Microsoft has not retaliated with any price cuts, so far.

Atindriya Bose, country manager, Sony Computer Entertainment, hopes this cost reduction would quadruple PS3 sales on a month-on-month basis. “The PS3 that was priced at Rs 24,990 will now sell at Rs 22,990 with immediate effect,” said Bose.

PS3 was reportedly lagging in market due to its higher price tag and no one seemed to care that it plays Blu-Ray. “Blu-Ray is on the up with each passing month since the HD format pulled out and prices are very competitive now,” feels Bose. In January, Sony plans to launch an 80 GB Playstation console which will be at a “premium price.”

Microsoft, in a recent official communiqué, had claimed that the Xbox 360 globally outsold the PS3 by 2:1 in November sales.

Ashim Mathur, national marketing manager, entertainment and devices division, Microsoft India, says, “We have continuously introduced innovative promotions on the Xbox 360 as part of our efforts to make gaming an accessible entertainment option in India. Our pricing strategy is sensitive to regional market needs and requirements.”