Sony sticks to PS3 pricing

The chesslike move-countermove strategy normally employed by rival gaming companies hasn't quite affected the pricing of consoles as some had expected. Microsoft has not shown any signs of a future price drop for any of its Xbox 360 models, Nintendo is very comfortable with having the cheapest next-gen system in the Wii, and Sony believes the PlayStation 3, at $499 or $599, is a "fantastic value for customers"--though some vocal dissidents disagree.

Even with the possibility of a US PS3 price drop being a hot topic (so much so that some are even willing to bet on it) ever since Sony dropped the price of the 20GB version of the console in Japan, it appears as though Sony isn't having any of it. Sony Computer Entertainment America president Kaz Hirai reiterated that cash-conscious gamers shouldn't get their hopes up for a cheaper PS3 sometime in the near future.

"We are very comfortable with the pricing we have announced and have gotten tremendous support from retailers for that price point," Hirai told Reuters. "So it's full steam ahead with the pricing of $499 and $599."

Hirai also said that Sony is sticking with its projections of having 2 million PS3s through December and 4 million PS3s by March in consumers' hands. Some doubt was cast on those figures when SCEA vice president Jack Tretton told Bloomberg, "The honest answer is [the figures are] more of a target. Clearly we've had some production issues."

Hirai sounded more confident than Tretton. "That is the goal we are working toward to deliver and hopefully exceed those numbers," he said, according to Reuters.

As for the next-gen war, Hirai believes that the battle doesn't begin until gamers have a choice from all that is available. Hirai said, "The real test comes when any other products are available in abundance so the consumer can walk into any retailer and pick up whatever console they want."