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| Sony cuts price of PS3 consoles | Sony cuts price of PS3 consoles |
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| Sony Entertainment has announced it is reducing the price of its PlayStation 3 games consoles. | Sony Entertainment has announced it is reducing the price of its PlayStation 3 games consoles. |
| In Europe the price has been lowered to 299 euros, in the US to $299 and in the UK to £249.99. | In Europe the price has been lowered to 299 euros, in the US to $299 and in the UK to £249.99. |
| Sony made the announcement at a press conference ahead of the 2009 games convention - Games Com - in Cologne. | Sony made the announcement at a press conference ahead of the 2009 games convention - Games Com - in Cologne. |
| It also announced it was ending production of its current PlayStation 3 console in favour of a new lighter, slimmer model with a 120GB hard drive. | It also announced it was ending production of its current PlayStation 3 console in favour of a new lighter, slimmer model with a 120GB hard drive. |
| Growth of the PlayStation 3 has been slow compared to previous launches, which critics put down, in part, to an expensive price tag compared with its rivals, Microsoft's Xbox 360 at £149 and the Nintendo Wii at £169. | Growth of the PlayStation 3 has been slow compared to previous launches, which critics put down, in part, to an expensive price tag compared with its rivals, Microsoft's Xbox 360 at £149 and the Nintendo Wii at £169. |
| Speaking at Games Com, Sony Entertainment's head, Kaz Hirai, said the change in price for existing PlayStation 3 stock would happen immediately and that the new slim-line PS3 would be available from the first week of September. | Speaking at Games Com, Sony Entertainment's head, Kaz Hirai, said the change in price for existing PlayStation 3 stock would happen immediately and that the new slim-line PS3 would be available from the first week of September. |
| "It has the same features and functionality [as the old PS3], but now it is 32% smaller, 36% lighter and consumes 34% less power," he said. | "It has the same features and functionality [as the old PS3], but now it is 32% smaller, 36% lighter and consumes 34% less power," he said. |
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| Sony's computer entertainment boss Kaz Hirai displays a thin PS3 | |
| Mr Hirai said Cologne's Game Con was now the third major date for the games industry, ranking up alongside E3 in Los Angeles and the Tokyo games show. | Mr Hirai said Cologne's Game Con was now the third major date for the games industry, ranking up alongside E3 in Los Angeles and the Tokyo games show. |
| Sony said there were now more than 23.7m PS3 installed worldwide, with just over 10m of those in Europe. | Sony said there were now more than 23.7m PS3 installed worldwide, with just over 10m of those in Europe. |
| Comics reader | Comics reader |
| Sony also said it was expanding its catch-up TV service - which includes the BBC iPlayer. | Sony also said it was expanding its catch-up TV service - which includes the BBC iPlayer. |
| It announced it was about to launch a video delivery service, via the PlayStation Network, that would allow PS3 or PlayStation Portable (PSP) users to rent or purchase movies - both blockbuster and local market - in either standard or high definition. | |
| That service goes live in the UK, France, Germany and Spain this November and rolls out across Europe throughout 2010. | That service goes live in the UK, France, Germany and Spain this November and rolls out across Europe throughout 2010. |
| The event also provided a first look at a new digital reader for the PSP - called Digital Comics - that will allow users to read Spiderman, Fantastic 4 and other Marvel comics on their portable, along with a range of graphic novels. | |
| However, the new motion Sony Controller - which made its debut at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles in June this year - was not on show, with Sony saying people will have to wait until the Tokyo games show in September before it gets another public viewing. | However, the new motion Sony Controller - which made its debut at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles in June this year - was not on show, with Sony saying people will have to wait until the Tokyo games show in September before it gets another public viewing. |