Activision Blizzard’s CEO Robert Kotick has noted that with our current ”economic circumstances” platform price points really matter.
He warns that if they want mass-market success then they’ll need to dip below $200, but Kotick admits it’s unlikely to happen. Microsoft has snipped prices while Sony still resists.
”There’s probably more opportunity for our industry than just about any other industry I can think of other than maybe bankruptcy lawyers,” joked Kotick, speaking with Reuters.
”The price on platforms today has still not gotten down to mass-market price points and I think when you’re in the economic circumstances that the world has found itself in, there really is a difference between a $199 game system and a $299 game system.”
While Microsoft has made significant head way and has seen a surge in hardware sales thanks to price drops, Sony has refused to reduce the price of the PlayStation 3.
Sony argue the current price tag is worth it given the features a PS3 console offers it users, but the real reason stems from the still high manufacturing costs of the console.
An Xbox 360 Elite in the UK is around £200, while the PS3 sits higher around £300 - it does make a difference as Kotick says.
Source: VG247
