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Matt's take on interesting news.

Sony Cuts PlayStation 3 Prices as Many Xboxes Fail

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/09/business/09sony.html

Facing slower-than-expected sales of its PlayStation 3 video game system, Sony said it would announce Monday that it planned to lower the price of its console in the United States by $100, to $500, effective Thursday. The lower price of the 60-gigabyte device comes as a rival system, the Microsoft Xbox 360, is inundated with reports of widespread product failures. Microsoft announced last week that it would spend up to $1.15 billion to repair the machines.

My View: While this may increase the PlayStation's sales, the Xbox already has a huge market share and there is no way that people are willing to dish out an additional $500 plus accessories for a new console just because they won't be able to play their Xbox for a few weeks when they send it back. Plus, with the release of Halo 3 coming, many people will be buying the new Xbox just for the game. I don't see Microsoft having any problems other than all of the cash they have to dish out for the repairs.

Labels: electronics, microsoft, sony

:: Permanent Link :: Posted 7/10/2007 :: 0 Comments :: Links to this post ::

Rumors Fly on Microsoft and Yahoo

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/05/technology/05soft.htm

Microsoft and Yahoo are discussing a business partnership in their effort to compete with Google, people briefed on the talks said Friday. The New York Post reported Friday that Microsoft was pursuing an acquisition of Yahoo, a prospect that sent Yahoo's shares soaring. But a person briefed on the talks as recently as Friday said they had been going on for more than a year and had focused recently on a "creative partnership," not an acquisition.

My View: I think the whole thing is quite silly. While I realize that the two companies want to become larger thorns in Google's side than they currently are, the companies are so different that I really don't see how any kind of partnership/buyout deal could work. One of the companies will have to step up and come up with some new big idea in order to take down the monstrosity that is Google.

Labels: advertising, buyout, google, merger, microsoft, yahoo

:: Permanent Link :: Posted 5/07/2007 :: 0 Comments :: Links to this post ::

Sony Pushed Toward Early PS3 Price Cut

http://www.thestreet.com/_htmlbtb/pom/pomrmy/10345639.html

According to the latest numbers from the U.S. and Japan, sales of Sony's PlayStation3 console are even weaker than the dismal January figures implied. An unusually early price cut may be Sony's best shot at salvaging the product's performance.

My View: Sony really, really screwed up with the PS3. While I am not much of console gamer, I can safely say that I am not going to purchase a PS3, even if the price does come down $100 as the article suggests may happen. Microsoft's XBox 360 and Nintendo's Wii definitely have the advantage with lower price and an earlier release on top of their key titles like Halo and Mario. I guess we will have to wait and see how the next round of console releases pans out to see if Sony learned their lesson.

Labels: electronics, entertainment, microsoft, nintendo, sony

:: Permanent Link :: Posted 3/22/2007 :: 0 Comments :: Links to this post ::