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Crossbar
11-23-2005, 11:43 AM
Stringer never said anything really.
No comments on pricing or availability from Sony boss after all

Comments published in a CNN article yesterday purporting to be from Sony CEO Howard Stringer regarding the planned pricing for PlayStation 3 have been removed after it emerged that he had not said anything on the question.

The article, which is attributed to FORTUNE senior editor Peter Lewis and was published on the CNN Money website, referenced a new interview with Stringer which has been published in Fortune magazine.

However, in the original version of the article, Lewis cited Stringer as saying that the PS3 would be priced between $300 and $400, and would launch in the middle of next year in Japan, followed by a US launch a couple of months later.

It transpires that no such information was discussed in the original FORTUNE interview - and CNN Money has now pulled the quotes, placing an addendum on the article which says that "Stringer has not commented publicly on how much the PS3 is expected to cost, or how soon it will appear in the US after the Japanese launch in spring 2006."

So where did the information come from, then? The culprit appears to be a Hollywood Reporter article on another interview with Stringer, which appeared a few weeks ago and also appeared to attribute pricing and availability information to the Sony CEO.

However, on closer inspection, the article was actually citing an anonymous source within Sony - a fine detail which the CNN article apparently missed, setting the whole rumour mill rolling once again.

To date, then, the only official comments on PS3 pricing have come in the form of admonishments from Sony Computer Entertainment boss Ken Kutaragi that the new hardware will be expensive - although some commentators feel that these statements are more an indication of Sony's desire to keep the PS2 selling strongly than any real indication of PS3's price point.

http://gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=13184

xbdestroya
11-23-2005, 01:26 PM
Yup, Stringer never said it. I was confused myself on this until a couple of days ago when it was pointed out that it was a random Sony exec. It doesn't matter to me too much anyway as I only assumed Stringer was ballparking, even if it were from him. Kutaragi or another SCE high-up are the only ones I'll take the price information from as gospel; even CEO's are somewhat detached from decisions like these.

Z
11-23-2005, 10:41 PM
that would be the answer why we thought it was strange for Sony to publically talk so openly and mention many important details at one go...

personally, I say PS3 will cone at a shocking $299!

Domination
11-24-2005, 12:46 AM
Stringer never said anything really.

http://gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=13184

Now THAT sounds like Sony. I mean, I never knew Sony to reveal such crucial information that well in advance. It sounded too much like BS to me. I figure Stringer was either randomly saying things off the top of his head or he completely lost his mind. It's good to know that it was neither the case.

masonite
11-24-2005, 12:50 AM
a rumour comes out that stringer announced the price of ps3 to be $299 just weeks before the 360 launches.....sounds like pretty convenient timing to me.....

Domination
11-24-2005, 12:52 AM
Yup, Stringer never said it. I was confused myself on this until a couple of days ago when it was pointed out that it was a random Sony exec. It doesn't matter to me too much anyway as I only assumed Stringer was ballparking, even if it were from him. Kutaragi or another SCE high-up are the only ones I'll take the price information from as gospel; even CEO's are somewhat detached from decisions like these.


That is exactly what I was explaining about the launch date when it was said to be around this time in 2006 for the United States. There is a purpose for everyone, and to hire someone to manage a certain part of the company is done for a reason and that reason isn't usually so that person can be walked all over.

Applefiend
11-24-2005, 01:12 AM
Well, some are saying it's a repeated off the record statement...