Tag Archives: pricing

Puppeteer’s Release Date & Pricing Announced

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I highlight Puppeteer for its unique charms but I would also like to point out its $39.99 price tag. This isn’t the first time Sony Computer Entertainment priced its titles appropriately but with the the PlayStation 4 around the corner, I would like to see Sony continue this trend.

Overpricing titles diminishes sales and hype. The list of games that I’ve passed over at $59.99 is tremendous. I say to myself: “I’ll pick it up later when it goes on sale.” But then some other title debuts and it goes on sale and I decide to pick that up instead. This happened with Catherine.

Yes, $39.99 is a nice price for Puppeteer. But I’m going to wait for $19.99. I see the game dropping in price by year’s end.

Puppeteer debuts on September 10th, 2013 for the PlayStation 3.

Microsoft’s Surface tablets starts at $499.99

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Microsoft announced the pricing of their upcoming Windows RT powered Surface tablets. It starts at $499.99 for the 32GB model. For $599.99, there is a 64GB model. And for $699.99, you can get a 64GB model along with one of those new fangled Touch Covers.

The Touch Covers will be sold separately for $129.99. If you want a more traditional keyboarding experience, a Type Cover can be picked up for $139.99

Unfortunately, there’s no word on the x86 Windows Pro version which is arguably the most interesting version with its ability to toggle between traditional desktop and tablet interfaces.

From a hardware perspective, the Surface pricing is in line with the iPad’s. It may not have a high DPI screen like the latest iPad but it does have more storage capacity, Mini Display Port out and a MicroSDXC slot.

From an ecosystem perspective, however, it’s a tough sell. For $499.99, I would like access to the most and best applications available for my hardware device. Apple can accomodate that. Microsoft? Not so much. It’s another reason why the x86 version is more compelling.

The Microsoft Surface w/ Windows RT will be available on Windows 8 launch day, October 26th, 2012.

The New iPad

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 ipad-3

Gone are the days where we are speculating what Apple will be calling their iPads. Like with their Macs and MacBook lines, from now on we will be referring to them as iPad <insert year here>.

It’s a smart move because they can now relieve themselves from the expectations of numerical increases. Remember the hoopla over iPhone 4S vs 5? Well now they don’t have to worry about iPad 2013 being a minor specifications bump or not including the cure for the common cold.

I pre-ordered one. A white 16GB Wi-fi only model should be enough, even if it’s just 14GB of actual space left over. That’s actually 1GB more than what an Xbox 360 20GB hard drive gives you after its formatting and junk. I’ll be streaming most of my media anyways.

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PS Vita Pricing Details for Games & Accessories

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The PlayStation Vita won’t arrive for a few months, but Sony has given prospective buyers the amount of money they’ll need to stash away in order to fully enjoy their next generation handhelds.

Games will range from $9.99 all the way to $49.99. They will all be available on store shelves and on the PSN Store for digital consumption.

Memory cards — which are practically required to use the device to its full potential — range from $19.99 for a 4GB stick all the way to $99.99 for the 32GB version.

(You can find out what the launch lineup and the cost of all the accessories over at the PlayStation.Blog post.)

I wish to comment on the pricing of the games. Capping at $49.99 is a little high. $39.99? Acceptable. But raising the price of handheld games in a market where people who are looking at dedicated handhelds like they’re print magazines is stupid.

The memory card pricing may be less than expected, but it’s still absurd to charge $100 for 32GB worth of storage. I don’t care if its the size of a thumbnail — it’s still expensive.

With pricing in mind, the reportedly poor 3 – 5 hour battery life and the general lack of interest in the available launch games keeps it out of my online shopping carts.

 

My Rules For Tech Purchases: Computer Edition

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Have you looked at how much you’ve spent on your current computer? What about your previous computer? I’m willing to bet that everyone who has ever assembled their own computer felt the tinge of regret at least once or twice.

I hate that feeling of overpaying for something that will be replaced by a faster model at the same price point or worse: replaced by a faster & cheaper model.

Computer components have settled down to a predictable pricing structure over the past several years. You can still buy the $2000 computer, but that’s not the norm anymore. Nowadays, you can get a fairly kick ass gaming rig for much less. But even with a budget between $1000 and $1500, people can still overpay for what they get.

In order to avoid getting that feeling of remorse, I’ve come up with a set of rules for each of the major components.

 
Limit
Processor$200
Motherboard$150
Memory$100
Storage$100
Video Card$200
Power Supply$100
Case$150

No matter what happens, I feel that by purchasing computer components with these guidelines, I won’t be feeling the sting of regret in two or five year’s time.

The one example, I like to bring up is with storage. When I purchased my 1TB Western Digital hard drive, 2TB drives were between $130 and $150. I bought my 1TB for $80. Now, I can purchase a 2TB drive for $80.

Paying an extra $50 doesn’t sound so bad, but when you look at solid state drives, that’s a different story. In three year’s time, when 256GB SSD drives are $100, I wouldn’t feel so bad spending $100 for 60GB. However, in three year’s time I’d feel pretty stupid paying $230 for a 120GB. If 60GB isn’t enough, I would be better off waiting for prices to come down to meet my requirements.

Nintendo 3DS Gets Price & Date In Japan

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nintendo-logoThe Nintendo 3DS will debut in Japan on February 26th, 2011 for approximately $299 USD

That’s a lot of money. It may be worth that price since it does feature 3D without glasses and a fair bit of horsepower compared to its predecessor and the competition, but that’s still a large sum of money.

North American prices haven’t been set in stone, so it’s possible that it could debut at a lower price point, but I’m doubtful of that. I’m thinking $289.99. Others are leaning towards the $249.99.

I like to set myself up for surprise and not disappointment.

There’s no set date for the North American launch either. All we know is that it’ll be as early as March 2011.

According to Siliconera, the Japanese package will include the following:

Nintendo 3DS hardware

  • Nintendo 3DS charging stand
  • AC adaptor for use with Nintendo 3DS
  • Nintendo 3DS stylus
  • 2GB SD memory card
  • Six AR (augmented reality) cards for use with the 3DS’ camera
  • Quick start guide
  • Instruction book
  • Warranty

That’s not much. Not even a game? C’mon.

Check out the rest of the FAQ over at Siliconera, it’s quite informative.

Nintendo also released a handful of promotional videos which provide insight on how the Nintendo 3Ds’ various functions work and how different Japan is compared to North America. All that wireless tag mod stuff? Yeah, that’s not happening in North America. At least not on public transportation.

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