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Sony Says "No Plans" for PS3 Price Drop
Sony PR manager says company remains "confident" in PS3 approach.
By Steve Watts, 03/30/2009
PlayStation 3 Sony has said there are no plans for a PlayStation 3 price drop, and may be trying to temper expectations for tomorrow's planned announcement. Joystiq reports that in an official statement, public relations manager Al De Leon flatly denied any such plans regarding the PlayStation 3. "As we have stated previously, we do not have plans for a PS3 price drop, and any rumors to that effect are false and are the result of speculation," the statement read. "SCEA remains focused on the long-term momentum of the PS3. With the industry's best software lineup this year, combined with our most aggressive marketing campaign to date, we remain confident in our approach and the value we're delivering with PS3."
It's notable that De Leon didn't mention anything about a PS2 price drop, a rumor which seems almost certain to be announced tomorrow. He also didn't comment on anything regarding the PlayStation Portable, which some have speculated will be included in tomorrow's announcement to take some attention from the pending release of the Nintendo DSi.
While it's not uncommon to deny rumors like this, we usually see it done further in advance to protect the current sales. If people expect a price drop in a month or two, system sales might lag in the meantime. Since Sony has an announcement planned for tomorrow, denying now would ultimately be more damaging to their image if a PS3 price drop were in the plans. For that reason the denial seems to be truthful, but we'll know for sure tomorrow.
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