CNN Money has thrown news-savvy gamers into confusion with a couple of stories speculating on the future of the PS3, centering on the high cost of blu-ray technology and competition with the first-to-market XBox 360. Various comments in the articles have sparked a wave of speculation about the PS3’s launch price.
Originally, CNN Money ran a story which quoted Sir Howard Stringer, CEO of Sony Corporation, as stating that the PS3 would retail for $300-$400. However, they issued this correction on Monday:
“Correction: An earlier version of this story appeared with statements erroneously attributed to Sir Howard Stringer, CEO of Sony Corporation, regarding pricing and availability of the PS3. 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”
The article which the correction accompanies also includes mention of comments made in July by Ken Kutaragi, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment. Speaking to group of game developers in Japan, he said that the PS3 will be “expensive”. While all bets are still off, these comments and corrections add further fuel to the fire and seem to suggest that the intital retail price of the PS3 may be even higher than that of the $399 360.