Earlier this week Sony unveiled a new super-slim Playstation 3 that is thinner and lighter than the current model. But many of the details, as well as Sony’s ultimate strategy, are confusing consumers.
For starters there’s the question of who this new line is for? Existing PS3 owners will have no need to buy one, especially as many will now be waiting anxiously for the PS4 to arrive. Which leaves those who haven’t yet bought a PS3. Are they really going to do so when the Wii U is on the market for around the same price?
Ah yes, the price, which is confusing in its own right. Sony has seen fit to keep the price of the PS3 roughly the same, despite the fact that this new model is likely to cost less to manufacture. Now is surely the time to cut the price in order to squeeze the last few drops of value from this generation of hardware.
Lastly there are the SKU options. In North America and Japan it’s a clear choice between the 500GB and 250GB models, but in Europe and Australia/New Zealand, it’s a choice between the 500GB model and one with just 12GB of flash memory. Why the differences between territory? And who will ever buy the 12GB model unless it’s offered as a true entry-level option?
I’m afraid this has to count as a Sony FAIL.
