Analysts: PS2 Won't See $99 For A While

via PSX Extreme

Last year, all anybody could talk about was the possibility of PS3 price cuts, which eventually happened. These days, the PS2 continues to roll along at a fairly decent clip, so some are wondering when the never-say-die console will drop to a very attractive $99.

Well, because the PS2 continues to do so well, you probably shouldn't expect that drop any time soon. According to the MTV Multiplayer blog and our two favorite industry analysts, the demand for the PS2 remains high, and Sony doesn't have much incentive to lower the price tag to $99. Here's what Wedbush Morgan Securities' Michael Pachter had to say on the matter-

"The real reason we haven't seen a $99 PS2 is that demand hasn't dropped enough for Sony to justify the price cut. Compelling content like 'Guitar Hero' and 'Rock Band' keeps the demand for PS2s up. As long as you've got a couple hundred thousand PS2s a month selling, Sony doesn't feel compelled to make the cut. I think you will get the cut, because, frankly, Sony wants to differentiate the PS3. I think the PS3 comes down to $349, maybe $299 if they can afford it. But they've just been selling four to five million PS2s a year in the U.S. so there's no reason to cut the price until it drops to two million. It really is just demand-driven."

Wilson obviously agrees with Pachter's analysis, saying that while the PS2 will probably see $99 some time down the line, it won't be soon. Here's his two cents-

"The PS2 will almost certainly drop to $99 at some point, but I think it's unlikely in the near-term. The PS2 continues to sell through very well without a price cut. Even if the PS3 was a rip-roaring success (all other things remaining equal), Sony would have little incentive to cut the price."

Well, at the very least, the PS3 is now competitively priced and the top-notch next-gen software is right around the corner. Some of it is already here ('cough' GTAIV 'cough'), and the more we see players leaping into the new generation, the more the PS2 will - finally - get left behind. We believe that then, and only then, will you see that $99 price.