One noticeably absent aspect of Sony’s PlayStation Meeting was any mention of the NGP’s price. With the handheld releasing “this Christmas”, an official price is thought to be revealed at E3, but if you just can’t wait, several gaming analysts have weighed in on how much they think the NGP will cost.
Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter believes that despite the “relatively expensive” screen, it will remain price competitive with the 3DS:
It’s a pretty impressive device, the screen is relatively expensive, and the feature set suggests to me that we’ll see something in the $249/€249/£199 range.
I suppose it will sell incredibly well for the first year (would bet 15 million or so), and then it will succeed or slow based upon the availability of software, much like the original PSP.
Lazard Capital Markets’ Colin Sebastian predicts a higher price point, saying:
While Sony did not reveal launch pricing, based on the specs of the device and competitive landscape, we would expect $299 or higher in the US.
Jesse Divnich of EEDAR believes that the device will be even more expensive, costing between $299 and $349. He praised the device, saying that it “will blow away Western audiences.”
Continuing:
The market is ripe for portable high-end gaming. The NGP will be a serious threat to all forms of portable entertainment.
After seeing the specs today, if the NGP can’t succeed, it is clear that the portable gaming landscape has forever changed. The future of portable entertainment is in the hands of Sony.
Earlier today, SCEE CEO Andrew House said that the NGP would be “affordable” but that they’d aim to make a profit on every NGP sold.
[Via]
