![]()
Sony Australia’s Michael Ephraim has questioned the price point of rival next-gen hardware, stating the Wii is “a lot to fork out” for the intended family audience, while branding the Xbox 360 as “pricey”.
Speaking to Australia’s The Age newspaper, Ephraim also said he believes that the PAL delay of the PS3 will not impact sales in the long term.
“Every retailer has told us that they’ve had fractional percentages of cancellations. I think from the early adopters, they’re the foundation of this industry, and they want the best systems when they’re available,” said Ephraim.
“Even though the Wii is affordable, at $400 plus whatever you need to buy accessories-wise, I’m guessing you need to spend about $500 to take home a Wii and enjoy it.”
And while admitting Microsoft had done “fairly well” at launch, the Australia boss believes the Xbox 360 is focused on too narrow an audience and still priced too high.
“I think their product offering is still not broad enough. The content is narrow and appeals only to a very core group,” he said.
Discussing the PlayStation 3, which will retail at $830 and $999 for the two sku’s, Ephraim stated that the post-Christmas delay of PAL units was an initial disappointment, but retail had backed the move and was now looking forward to a clear sales window during the March launch.
Source:
GamesIndustry.biz
Related Links:
The Age newspaper,
PlayStation.com Australia
