Sony sends Combo Pack into battle
Nothing too exciting, but it proves the US Console War is still alive.
With US PS2 sales gliding past the 20 million mark this summer, Sony has announced another incentive to try and lure the three-and-a-half people who don't own one into parting with their cash and suckling on the dark one's teat. That incentive is the new PS2 Combo Pack for North America, combining the console (which remains at $179.99), the Network Adapter (the US Ethernet/modem variation of which is nearing its first birthday - August 27th), and the online-enabled ATV Offroad Fury 2 in a big $199.99 package. It's not a price drop, but it is a bit of a bargain, even if you still have to spring for one of Sony's ludicrously overpriced memory cards on top.
Any plans Sony has for a similar bundle in the UK would likely be announced at The PlayStation Experience/ECTS, or in September as a spoiler to Microsoft's X03 announcements. Obviously though, any campaign will have to rely on something other than ATV Offroad Fury 2, which is yet to be released in Europe.
Over in the US, Xbox remains at $179.99, with Live access another $49.99 away, so in a way it's a pretty level playing field, price-wise, even despite Sony's new Combo Pack. The next big price move for the Yanks could well be GameCube, which is rumoured to be heading in the direction of $99.99 this September.