Sony’s track record with pricing their gaming devices has left a lot to be desired. With the new NGP (Next Generation Portable) just around the corner, the electronics company will have another opportunity to overprice their hardware or make amends.
Sony took a lot of flak and suffered initial slow sales growth when it introduced the Playstation 3 console with a built-in Blu-ray player in 2006 for $599. At the time it was priced double what Microsoft was asking for its year-old Xbox 360 console and more than double what Nintendo launched the Wii at.
In 2009, Sony launched the PSP Go at the astronomical price of $249, well above what Nintendo was selling its top-of-the-line Nintendo DS for. In fact, you could buy a Wii console for the same price or less.
Now comes the NGP and mysteriously absent from Sony’s big reveal last week was a price. Nintendo has already priced its upcoming 3DS at $250, the same price PSP Go was introduced at. With the added features and power of the NGP over PSP Go, some are wondering if the NGP will be priced north of $300.
In speaking with PC World, Sony chairman Kaz Hirai commented on the pricing situation they are faced with. He isn’t ready to reveal what they plan on charging, but did offer assurance that Sony spent a lot of time designing the NGP to be cost-effective. In his words, they want to make sure the price doesn’t go “off the deep end.”
Without the added costs associated with 3D maybe the NGP price will shock some people. Sony would be wise to try to match the 3DS price point of $250 and not venture up near the $300 range to create a level playing field, especially if the allure of 3D incorporated into 3DS wears off and the NGP has a legitimate shot at eating into Nintendo’s hand-held gaming domination.
