Five Questions About the PS3 Slim

By  |  Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 12:10 pm

ps3slimI’m taking a page from Harry here, as I know he likes prodding on upcoming products when their makers intentionally ignore salient questions. With Sony finally revealing a 36 percent lighter, 33 percent smaller, 40 GB roomier and $100 cheaper Playstation 3 today, I’m left with a few queries of my own.

What will become of the Playstation 3 Big?

Yes, I think it should be called the Playstation 3 Big, for as long as it exists. For now, the existing 80 GB model will be sold for $300, and the 160 GB model is reportedly going for $400. If the Slim is slated for an August 24 launch, as expected, will we eventually be able to scoop up the remaining Bigs for a discount? How about as a bundle with some software?

Will Sony send out more value comparisons?

Sony lost the early gamble on releasing a powerful but pricey gaming console, ultimately forcing the PR machine into action. It must feel good to finally be competitive on pricing, so I’m interested to see how Sony will flaunt it going into the holiday season. Finally, fresh ammunition for the console wars.

What are we looking at for bundles?

Right now, you can get an 80 GB Playstation 3 with LittleBigPlanet (a $60 value) and Wall-E on Blu-ray (a $20 value) for $400. That’s not a bad deal if you’re interested in the game and the movie (I am). When the Slim hits stores, will buyers get any discounts on pack-in games?

Right now, you can get an 80 GB Playstation 3 with LittleBigPlanet (a $60 value) and Wall-E on Blu-ray (a $20 value) for $400. That’s not a bad deal if you’re interested in the game and the movie (I am). When the Slim hits stores, will buyers get any discounts on pack-in games?

Why hate on Linux?

For most users, the PS3 slim will have the same functionality as the old model, but homebrew developers and Linux Lovers will be disappointed to see the removal of the “Install Other OS” feature. This allowed users to run other operating systems on the console, turning the PS3 into a personal computer or hub for homemade applications. I wonder what the harm was in leaving this feature on board.

The PSP Go is only $50 Cheaper?

Okay, that’s not really a question, and it doesn’t pertain to the PS3 Slim, but it’s a puzzler in light of Playstation’s rebirth as the value brand. Since I’m all about bundles, how about enticing consumers to buy both the slimmer console and the tinier handheld? I hear they work wonderfully together, after all.

 
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9 Comments For This Post

  1. marty Says:
    August 18th, 2009 at 1:08 pm

    PS3 & PSP Go are in totally different markets, to compare prices is dumb.

  2. Seumas Says:
    August 18th, 2009 at 1:25 pm

    I couldn’t care less about the Slim. I replaced my stolen PS3 with the 160gb $450 PS3 (with a copy of Uncharted) a couple weeks ago, because I realized I didn’t care about waiting for the Slim. So what, a system with LESS drive space? No thanks. Sure, it’s smaller and uses a little less power, but so what? I have a 60″ TV. Am I really that concerned bout on vertical inch of saved space with a slim PS3? No.

    If the Slim drives prices down, that’s great. But it doesn’t actually offer anything worth while in and of itself.

  3. Dave Zatz Says:
    August 18th, 2009 at 2:46 pm

    I don’t get it. What’s the purpose? It’s smaller, but uglier than the model it replaces and at the same price. Maybe if it were 250 it’d make some kind of sense.

  4. Steven Fisher Says:
    August 18th, 2009 at 4:10 pm

    It’s likely that the reason for the drop in price for the existing PS3s was to get the existing models sold.

    I’m curious if the newer model solves some of the heat problems. It must, because there’s simply no way it could survive in a smaller case if it didn’t.

  5. Dave Zatz Says:
    August 18th, 2009 at 5:22 pm

    Steven, I agree with you on the price drop. And suspect the motivation here was to reduce their manufacturing expenses allowing them to more comfortably hit that number. Or lower.

  6. Andy Says:
    August 23rd, 2009 at 4:43 am

    I’m just not sure how the math on a $300 console plus a $60 game plus a $20 movie works out to it being a good value at $400…. That’s $20 more than if you bought them all separately.

  7. Jared Newman Says:
    August 24th, 2009 at 3:36 pm

    Andy,

    I was referring to the bundle that was available before the price cut — when the console was $400.

    I believe Sony has cut the price of that bundle to $300 accordingly. That’s quite a deal if you’re willing to stick with the Big, or the Fat as it’s being called now.

  8. That Free TV Site Says:
    September 28th, 2010 at 11:00 pm

    They need a super slim…that thing is massive!

  9. Today's Top Products Says:
    September 29th, 2010 at 3:44 am

    Hey, this is a really great article…. Good work.

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