Time for a little perspective on the price of the PS3; yes, $500 - $600 is somewhat shockingly high given the pricing of the Xbox 360, and historical console launches. But gamers should remember that the 3DO launched at a wallet-busting $700, so the PS3 isn’t the highest priced console ever. Of course, the 3DO burned up in a fiery crash, and the resulting corpse died a slow, lingering death when the Playstation came around. But Curmudgeon Gamer also lists console pricing adjusted for inflation. Both the Atari 2600 and the Intellivision both cost more in inflation-adjusted dollars than the Playstation 3, which gives Sony some hope that their price point isn’t going to be a killer. Still, it will be the highest priced console in this and the previous generation in adjusted dollars. Since 1995, the only console to launch with a higher adjusted price was the lamented Sega Saturn. Sega lost that battle to the Playstation, and it should also be noted that when the Playstation launched, the Saturn’s price was brought down to $299. So historically, looking at the successes and failures at particular price points, Sony is definitely on the high end. It’s not the highest priced console around, and price is only one of many factors used when consumers make purchase decisions. It’s doubtful the high price will have that much of an effect on early adopters, considering the high prices many were willing to pay for the Xbox 360 on the secondary market, but past that first wave of purchasers, Sony may have a problem.

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