Sony: "the US with its massive land and cheap people"

[Khaos]

Why is the PlayStation 3 more expensive in the UK than it is in the rest of Europe?

Well the first thing that is important is that I want the price to be as low as possible, because the lower the price the more we sell – we're a software model.

If you take the product at the factory gates there are slight variations to price if you're putting out a single sku product, but it's very, very small. But then the differences start to accumulate. If you've got different shipping costs and import duties that makes variation in price. And that's just getting it into a country. Then you have a look at the economic and financial situation in each and every territory. That's where the differences start to vary massively.

If you take what's considered to be the most expensive and the least expensive – consider the US with its massive land and cheap people. Then you look at the UK – a little island where rent and rates are at an absolute premium, and the cost of people is a lot more. The cost of retail is vastly more in the UK than it is in the US and that's before you even stop to consider the US doesn't have VAT at RRP, they put a small amount on afterwards. Whereas, we get stung by 17.5 per cent. And pity the poor Irish and places like Sweden.

But we have to remember this is no different to selling a cup of Starbucks coffee or a McDonald's hamburger. This is the cost of living in the UK. It just becomes another barrier for us to get more product into the marketplace because the price needs to be set higher to get from our factory to the consumer.

A humorous misspeaking. Haha.

So is he saying that because other things in the UK are more expensive, that the PS3 needs to be too? I can understand import taxes and such, but then he goes on and talks about sales taxes and such...

[Diresu]

Long story short...another misrepresentation of what he actually said. Compare the min wage here and there, america is cheaper in which case he is right.

[curryking1]

You know what the most hilarious thing is?

Is that what this guy says is not AT ALL going to have any effect on PS3 sales in North America, yet on many forums people continue to cry and whine whenever these PR people say things, and anti-PS3 groupies will go 'Sony hates gamers! Sony is racist! Sony hates people!" and yadaydaydayda.

They don't matter! Nothing they say ever matters! Everyone, stop caring! ;)

[Diresu]

My weakness is...I care to much *dramatic pose*

[Red_Eyes]

My weakness is...I care to much *dramatic pose*

LOL.

[Jay Gee]

Minimum wage is an absolute joke here in the states. Thank goodness I got a job that pays double that. I just had to be patient and wait for the opportunity to show itself, and with God's help it did. So now I'm getting ready to save up 500 wing wongs, cuz I'm gonna trade in my PS2 to shave off 100 bones from the PS3 when I purchase it from Gamestop in a few months.

*crosses fingers*

Please, let this happen. Please let this happen. Please let this happen...

[sprrol]

What's wrong with being cheap? I like a good value as much as anyone else. I guess Walmart is the poster boy of American cheapness.

[LaLiLuLeLo]

Broke people is more like it. Capitalism, while nice, has it's flaws, such as making the rich richer and the poor poorer. If not for credit cards our economy would be fucked.

[woundingchaney]

There is an inherent flaw in nearly every economic and political aspect out there and that flaw exists primarily in the truth that the world is not utopia.

[koten]

PR Checklist:

[x] Say something positive.

[x] Place foot in mouth.

[x] Eat a sandwich and take a nap.

[curryking1]

PR Checklist:

[x] Say something positive.

[x] Place foot in mouth.

[x] Eat a sandwich and take a nap.

They make it look easy, I have a hard time reaching my foot to my mouth.

[koten]

They have to limber up first. Get some good stretches in.

[iceman2654]

In Ray's defence, he does make perfect sense if you've taken economics...or at least if you understand something about it.

[curryking1]

*Streeetttcchhhhh!!!*

*pop!*

It's just not happening for me...

[gozirah]

I think he meant cheap land and massive population. Or maybe massive people. That would make sense too. ;)

[woundingchaney]

The Girth of a Nation :)


I think much of it depends on the interpretation of his statement not the core of it. In essence there is more obstacles in selling an identicle product to the European consumer group and I think that is the just of his statement.

[Danji]

I concur. Americans are cheap. Cheap is the new "good" over here. People often misunderstand consumerism to mean that cheaper is always better. Get me a learnin' stick cause I'm about to beat me some americuns.

[gibmonster]

he is right, though. A foot-long subway sandwich costs about $8.00AUD. My accounting teacher said the same thing costs about 8 pounds while he was working there...thats around $18.00AUD.

[LaLiLuLeLo]

There is an inherent flaw in nearly every economic and political aspect out there and that flaw exists primarily in the truth that the world is not utopia.

of course. the flaw with communism is that without competition quality of goods and invention dies, and everyone suffers, and that it can't support large countries. I'm just stating matter of fact issue. That's how it is.

[TheGreenElf]

I find this funny. But he's right for the most part.

[Khaos]

America is average then.

Want cheap? Go to Thailand and look at the prices of stuff there!

[Danji]

Every time I read the title of this thread I think "the US is cheap with massive people" and laugh and get a little bit more depressed. So here's the thought. I = sad so this thread = locked? I'm offended. It may not be your fault but you have to stop this so I can continue to be happy.

edit: on second thought..I should just sue Sony

[koten]

You don't want to do that, they'll end up buying you.

[Smokey]

i will not comment on this matter (if you dont read what i wrote i didnt :))

[jaxmkii]

Broke people is more like it. Capitalism, while nice, has it's flaws, such as making the rich richer and the poor poorer. If not for credit cards our economy would be fucked.

its still fucked...

[LaLiLuLeLo]

its still fucked...

well, as long as men seek to put down other men to gain power instead of lifting each other up it always will be, which is why no system is or ever will be perfect.

[LiquidEagle]

I find this funny. But he's right for the most part.



F U!!! Snobby Hyrulians :-p

I live in Orange County.... it's amazing how cheap the people here are :laugh:

[Danji]

You don't want to do that, they'll end up buying you.

Hey, that wouldn't be such a bad thing. I'm sure Sony has enough money to buy me and I'd be fine with it. I mean...unless they make me their sex slave. In which case I do have a problem.

[venomv]

Well.....Americans are cheap, even the ones with plenty of money.

[masonite]

in the context of the original comment, being cheap is not a bad thing...

[jaxmkii]

americans are cheap basterds and walmart is proof of that.

[Pluto]

Every time I see this thread..I kinda feel like he's referring to me.

I have no PS3...and they know. :loser:

[curryking1]

I'm definitely not passing up what I think will be the most appropriate time that this board will ever have to say this so blatantly.

Americans are fat. :D

[Diresu]

Yes they are fat and here is the proof.

http://regmedia.co.uk/2007/03/26/biggest_toilet.jpg

"We suppose that the Florida übercrapper (click here to enjoy on Google Earth or here to peruse on Google Maps) indicates that America has thrown in the towel on its burgeoning obesity problem and recognises that the day will soon arrive when it will need to accommodate wobbly pairs of 33-metre buttocks. We wouldn't want to be downwind when the first customer pops in to download some brownware."

[Danji]

Yes. Americans are fat. Congrats. Now imagine living here. It's not a pretty picture I tell you.

[Viper]

Diresu, I get the joke but I believe that's a representation of a horseshoe, not a toilet seat. Some Europeans may be more familiar with the UK variant, Quoits.

[frosty]

Yeah, I see as many people from other countries that are overweight as I do here, so I don't think that holds much weight. (no pun intended)

[Diresu]

Diresu, I get the joke but I believe that's a representation of a horseshoe, not a toilet seat. Some Europeans may be more familiar with the UK variant, Quoits.

Yea I know, but i can't help but laugh at the resemblance.

[LiquidEagle]

Yeah, I see as many people from other countries that are overweight as I do here, so I don't think that holds much weight. (no pun intended)

liar!!

hehe funny quote if you ask me...

[jaxmkii]

Yeah, I see as many people from other countries that are overweight as I do here, so I don't think that holds much weight. (no pun intended)

frosty americans are blubber tubs man no getting around it. over 60% of our population is obeast!

[kaphwan]

So I'm the only one who didn't immediately take "cheap people" to mean "cheap labour"... or was everyone else just quiet about it?

Or a low cost of living? I'd say someone just didn't know the English phrase for it.

*doesn't care to check who said it*

[Black Dragon37]

frosty americans are blubber tubs man no getting around it. over 60% of our population is obeast!I've never heard of obestity...

[Segitz]

Comparing "cost of living", America is cheap, in contrast to nearly all other industrial states in the world.

But nontheless, this sentence is never to be said openly!

[curryking1]

Yeah, I see as many people from other countries that are overweight as I do here, so I don't think that holds much weight. (no pun intended)

Cheap fast food, 'supersize it,' 'more food for less' and statistics of 40% of Americans being obese within the next 5 years....

Large fries now compared to large fries of yesteryear tells an interesting story.

It also doesn't help that the time allocation to recreation is steadily decreasing and stressful work and time constraint habits and a big reason for that. Relaxation and recreational activity out of the period of vacation is becoming so uncommon it's ridiculous.

Americans are fat lol. The current rate of obesity in the US is 31%.

Also, when I type in 'obesity rate in' in my google toolbar, the first 3 of 4 suggestions for searching concern the United States, and first 7 of 10 are the US. Not a stat to extrapolate from, but just saying for reinforcement of the idea lol.

It's a fact that the US is by far the fattest country in the world, the rates of obesity in many other, even indutrialized countries, especially in Europe, are normally much less.

:usa:

[Segitz]

Yup, although I am a bit overweight (gained some after leaving the German Air Force... being lazy before University began), I can tell most people in Germany are "the usual weight", although I often see obese children here!

[Khaos]

Weird how we get offtopic haha...

Anyway, I left the US in 2003 and returned a couple months ago. I swear that a large fry was much larger then.... And McDonalds never had all this salad and healthy stuff. But I'm American and uber-skinny, technically underweight.