Sony has confirmed that they will not be cutting the price of the PlayStation 3 in Europe or releasing a 80GB model – instead it will be offering a Starter Pack containing the console, two games and an extra controller for GBP 425 / EUR 599. The announcement will also affect Australia. SCEE has chosen to bundle first-party titles and a second SIXAXIS controller with a combined RRP of GBP 115, rather than lower the price.
The bundle pack is due on sale in the UK on July 18 and in Europe August 1, the Starter Pack will offer two Sixaxis controllers and a choice of two first-party titles from a list of Resistance: Fall of Man, Motorstorm, Genji: Days of the Blade, Formula One Championship Edition and Ridge Racer 7.
“With sell through of over 1.2 million units in the SCEE territories to date, PlayStation 3 has proved to be an instant and huge success,”
said David Reeves, president of SCEE.
UPDATE (13th July 2007 at 13:55):
With the introduction of the Starer Pack, the PS3 price in the UK will return to £425. Most UK retailers dropped the price of the PS3 to £399 a while back to increase sales, but since the new unit will cost more, it is likely that retailers will increase the price to the original RRP.