Lighter, Thinner PS2: No Price Cuts Though

In an on-going effort for Sony to improve their best selling game console, the PS2 has been slimed down even more. The now internally powered PS2 will be lighter and will also come in black, white, and silver. Unfortunately it will not be any lighter in price, as the rumored $99 will now be $140. The updated PS2 will hit Japan on November 22, with a stateside launch coming in the near future.

I guess only the PS3 is getting price cuts.

[Machine-Translated Press Release via Gizmodo]

White PS2: Cheap

You have to hand it to Sony, they have gotten there moneys worth out of the PS2 system. This thing has been revamped once again, and now it's changed its color to white (perhaps to cash in on a little of the Wii's good fortune?). The new white slimline PS2 comes bundled with SingStar Pop and two microphones, and has an asking price of $149.99. The White SingStar Pop PS2 will be available this November.

Not bad.

It might be the thing to buy come Christmas when no Wii's can't be found anywhere. You know that you can't come home empty handed!!!

And at least there are games available for this Playstation!

[G4TV]

I need to get a consultant job

Ok. I can't believe someone got paid to do this report.

Speaking at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival, former Sony Europe boss, Chris Deering made the kind of price comparison we can all identify with (if we're of age of course).Deering who is now consultant to various publishers including Codemasters, as well as being chairman of both Jalipo (an Internet TV company) and the EIF itself, said:
"In terms of the number of pints of beer you have to forego to get a PS3 it's really just the same as the number of pints of beer you had to forego to get a PS1 back in 1995".According to the UK's National Statistics Online site, the price of a pint of lager in 1996 (it doesn't actually show 1995, was £1.73. However, according to the Treasury Archive, the price of beer was frozen in the 1995 budget and only raised in November 1996. Okay? Right, so beer was £1.73 per pint. Our own research tells us that a pint of Stella in Wakefield costs around £2.50. The PSOne launch price was £299. The current retail price for a PS3 is £425... so, as far as we can see, Deering's not too far off the mark with this one. Back in 1995 £299 divided by £1.73 would have added up to a mighty 172.8 (Beers on the Deering scale). A PS3 at today's prices will cost you B170.Therefore on the DBS, a PS3 is less expensive than a PSOne at a similar stage in their respective histories.Blimey. Time for more 'research we reckon'. Don't forget to check back later for the full SPOnG interview with 'the father of the European PlayStation'.

Thanks Kotaku and SPOnG for this article.

Kid Gets 90K PS2

Man I love Ebay!!! Not only is it a place to find damn near anything, but it's stories like these that make it all worth while.

A British teen who bought a Playstation 2 on Ebay got the ultimate bundle package. When the kid got the PS2, he found $90,000 worth of euros inside. Not a bad return for a $195 investment.

As expected, the kids parents contacted the police and gave the money to them in hopes of finding the rightful owner. But if no one claims the money by September 22nd, the kid gets the money.

What do you think the kid would buy first?

Teen Buys PS2 on eBay, Receives Whole Heap of Cash Instead [The Giz via Crunchgear]

Sony Cutting Price Off Another Playstation

Looks like Microsoft isn't the only one cutting the fat from one of their game platforms. Reports are that Sony is working on cutting down the size and price of the PS2, and the game console will only weigh 1/3 of the old PS2.

While the external frame will remain the same, it will allow Sony to offer the PS2 at even a lower price.

I have to admit that I love my PS2, and it has to be one of the best game systems ever.

Hit the jump to read more. [Engadget]

Wii Outsells PS3 5 to 1 in Japan: Who knew?

In this weeks installment of bashing the PS3....

If you needed any more confirmation on just how great the Nintendo Wii is, the latest Japanese sales numbers show a 5 to 1 advantage in terms in consoles sold compared to the PS3. Again, this doesn’t mean that the Wii is any better than the PS3, but it does show that Nintendo’s gamble of tapping into the non-gamer market is paying off. (Compare that to the PS3 where you need to take out a loan just to afford the thing.)

Sony has no exclusives for the PS3 (yet) that people are desperate to play, so they see no reason to spend all that coin on the system. And, anecdotally speaking, people who I know who hate all things video game are even picking up the Wii.

But I’m sill getting by with my PS2 and Xbox 360, thank you very much.

Read the entire article here. [Reuters]