499 USD PS3 should last 'months'
US stocks to go well beyond July
While Sony Computer Entertainment boss David Reeves last week stated that 60gb / 499 USD PlayStation 3 stocks could be exhausted by the end of July, leaving only the new 80gb pack at 599 USD, other senior Sony bosses have questioned the accuracy of this statement.
Reeves made the statement when being questioned as to why Europe weren't being offered a reduction, like America, to which the big cheese replied stating that the US move wasn't really a permanent price cut: "All they're doing is taking their stock they've got at the moment of the 60GB model, marking the price down and it will all be gone by the end of July."
However, other sources seem to contradict Reeves, suggesting this statement was inaccurate. "The 60GB PS3 will be available in North America for USD 499 until supplies of that unit are depleted," Sony's Dave Karraker explains. "We have ample inventory to meet the immediate needs of consumers in this territory for several months to come. We won't be making any further announcements regarding our PS3 model hardware strategy in North America until the 60GB model is exhausted and market conditions are evaluated."
Kaz Hirai of Sony Computer Entertainment also suggests a similar position in another interview, hinting that the cheaper 499 USD PS3 could last a little longer than Reeves implied previously.
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, meanwhile, are presently offering a console, two Sixaxis controllers and a choice of two games for 425 GBP / 599 Euro. More soon.
