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Croal, Ozymandias: steak dinner bet over Sony's future

Posted Jul 26, 2007 at 5:01PM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: PS3, Xbox 360 Tags: Andre Vrignaud, Microsoft, N'Gai Croal, Newsweek, Sony

Microsoft and Newsweek are it again, this time wagering on the future of the PS3. Last time, Microsoft's J. Allard bet that Sony wouldn't reach its target goal of sales for the PSP.

This time around it's Xbox Live's director of technical strategy Andre Vrignaud who is making the wager against the same Newsweek reporter N'Gai Croal. Croal describes how Vrignaud wanted to wager with the same stakes - targetting Croal's dreadlocks - but instead they settled for a steak dinner in Gotham steakhouse. In Vancouver, no less.

Vrignaud predicts that Sony will be releasing a low-end PS3 with a 40GB hard drive on the holidays. It will not have WiFi or a memory card reader and will not be backward compatible. An external WiFi device will be available separately to accommodate those who still want the function. This low-end PS3 will be available for US$ 399 while the 80GB version will drop to US$ 499 as the 60GB version drops out of the market.

So in quick summary, here's the wager:

Vrignaud's predicts a low-end PS3 worth US$ 399 will be out by November 23, Black Friday of 2007.
Croal's side of the bet is that Sony will stick to only one PS3 type for the rest of the year.

Last time, J. Allard had to wear dreadlocks to make good on the wager when the PSP exceeded sales expectations. Croal has been known to give predictions in the past, but we'll have to wait to see who'll pay for that steak dinner.

Via Newsweek

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I would like a low-end PS3 with no wi-fi, memcard reader and a smaller hdd for less money....

Those are things are nice to have, but definately not needed if all you want to do is play a few select games...

Plus I have no problem moving an ethernet cable 2 inches from one console to another if it saves me $100

# Why would he say no backwards capabilities? — Logic 2007-07-26 20:27

It's free now. Isn't it in the firmware now? The EE is not in the Euro units and they compensated by building a Emulator in the fw that allows playing of PS2 games. Not only would they not not include the BC but it would mean EXTRA work because they would have to go out of their way to create firmwares that do not have the BC included.

Now if they meant, the BC chip Emotion Engine will no longer be included, then that makes sense. Then again, it makes little difference at this point. Soon only very obscure games or hidden cult hits will be the only incompatible ones.

# . — Guest 2007-07-26 23:26

yep... with that, he pretty much lost the bet

BC's are now done via firmware/emulation(actua lly since the Euro release) and not because there's an EE chip inside the PS3

# ok — Stealth! 2007-07-27 01:44

People don't get it that the 40Gb is a rumor and won't happen. There will probably be another price cut in November for the 80GB making in $200 due to the lower in materials and Manufacturing of the console, thats why the 60GB got one.

# Making sure — Stealth! 2007-07-27 02:20

I ment a $200 price making the 80GB $399, just in cse you don't understand what i said.

# if that happened.... — Guest 2007-07-27 03:21

Well, that would be a 200 usd price reduction in a year.

Im not a market expert but i think that is a desperate measure to gain marketshare...

I would be disapointed if I have a 600 usd ps3 with only a few games, and a few monts later it is 400 usd.

I admit that if ps3 had a 400 usd price tag, and there were a bit more apealing exclusives, it might have room beside my 360

# I don't like the idea — Guest 2007-07-27 03:50

Doesn't MS exec have way better thing to do than bet on Sony??? They should bet on their own sales if they had any trust in their product. It's amazing that they seem to have more knowledge of the ennemy product than theirs.

When an overpaid executive has nothing more to do than make bets, you know their product is doom. They should watch their own SKU instead. Many people think having the core, deluxe and the elite is already too many. Why would they think Sony need more???

If I had to bet, I would bet that this executive will do Peter Moore move soon. (not the Rock Band, but the leave the boat while it's time).

OK, I would also like to see a freaking price drop on the 360... It's been out for two years. I would also like to see a HDWii coming out soon. And I, like this guy, should mind my very own business and let other business do what they want. Sheeees, this guy doesn't deserve the salary he's getting. No wonder the 360 is not dropping price.

# Unlikely — Guest 2007-07-27 05:17

Judging by Sony's actions so far, this all seems very unlikely. And especially the "without backward compatibitily" part sounds outright stupid. After all the fuss that was made about BC, Sony would loose all credibility for good if they released a new SKU that wouldn't play PS2 games. And it would confuse consumers right and left, so they certainly won't do this.

They will rather relase new SKU's at the same price but with larger HDDs, and maybe bundled with games or accessories, like they just did in europe.

# Vrignaud will be paying for dinner... — Guest 2007-07-27 07:08

unless Sony is that dumb, now Sony has made some poor decisions in the past, but they wouldn't make a this stupid of a choice, like Babyface said, it would confuse the consumer, and that low-end SKU would sink faster than the Titanic.

# word — Guest 2007-07-27 07:12

the MS exec is jsut dumb dont listen to him about no BC. The BC is now in the firmware and they can take out the EE chip as they have done with the euro ps3 and the new 80 gb ps3 which the firmware cost them nothing to implement the BC. Everything else seems likely and would be a smart move for sony.

# ha — Morbidly 2007-07-27 13:07

they should buy a brand new ps3 and a brand new 360 and bet which one crashes first

ps if the new twisted metal sux i swear to *****in god...

# Idoits — Guest 2007-07-27 17:51

funny how they have a photo shopped picture of a PS3 cooking some meat and stuff, when in reality its the XBOX 360 with the over heating issues. maybe you should Photo shop a PS3/ freezer. that would make more sense

# LOLZ — Guest 2007-07-28 06:48

WHEN WILL THIS GUY LEARN?????????????

''Last time, J. Allard had to wear dreadlocks to make good on the wager when the PSP exceeded sales expectations.''

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Croal, Ozymandias: steak dinner bet over Sony's future

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