Games Toaster

PS3 price for Ireland was expected

- Irish launch price confirmed
- 60GB version only at launch

Sony has now confirmed that, at €629.99, the PlayStation 3 will be €30 more expensive in Ireland then mainland Europe, and that the 20GB version will not be available at launch.

A statement on the Irish PS3 portal reads "€60GB PlayStation 3 will be available at launch in Ireland for €629.99. The 20GB (€529.99) will not be available at launch in Ireland"€.

Games Toaster readers will remember that we were the first to report and confirm uncertainty over the PlayStation 3 price point in Ireland.

Last May, at the E3 trade show in Los Angeles, when the general European price was released we stated that it is "currently unknown"€ if the Irish pricing will be higher.

Weeks later we contacted Sony Computer Entertainment Ireland who confirmed that the Irish price point was not announced. At the point they could not confirm the price or whether Ireland would only get the 60GB version at launch.

Then in June, we then noted that there was no "€œofficially announced"€ price, and said that rumoured price was €629.99. The PlayStation 3 launches in March.

Hundreds line outside Dublin stores for Wii

One retailer’s pricing sets Ireland out to be one of the dearest places in the world to buy Nintendo's new Wii games console. 

Hundreds of gamers lined up outside GameStop on Henry Street and 'Game' on Dawson Street last night to be among the first to buy a Wii at midnight store openings.

Speaking on Today FM’ s Ray Foley Show this afternoon, Michael Finucane, GameStop’s commercial director, said that while the first release of Wiis were mostly reserved for people who pre-ordered their consoles, GamesStop should have a shipment which will include non-booked consoles sometime next week.

He said this will be followed by another shipment before Christmas.

The recommended euro price is €249, and £179 in the Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. However, besides the general euro price there is no set price for the Republic and retailers vary.

Smyth's Toys are selling the Wii for €269.99, putting the console at €20 over the set ‘euro’ price. We have contacted Nintendo’s press office for confirmation on the RRP for the Republic.

Unlike its competitors, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the Wii has a smaller advancement gap from its predecessor. The main selling point of the console is its remote control shaped controller with motion sensors that allowed players to control games with movement, such as swings, swipes, and punches.

Dublin Games Price Survey (no 1)

The Dublin Computer Games Price Survey (no 1) is Games Toaster’s first comprehensive games price check.

We plan to conduct further surveys in the future, and possibly smaller price reviews after launches of high-profile games. Apologies for the lack of Nintendo titles in this one. (For details and methodology read after the table).

Price table

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

	play.com	cdwow.ie	Game	HMV	GameStop	Argos	Xtravision
PC	(online)	(online)	(Dawson St)	(Grafton St)	(Henry St)	(na)	(Prussia St)
BF 2142	37.49	36.99	49.99	39.99	44.99	--.--	--.--
PS2
(Bully)	37.49	39.99	39.99	39.99	39.99	--.--	39.99
ProEvo 6	41.99	43.99	54.99	42.99	42.99	44.99	49.99
FIFA 07	44.99	48.99	54.99	49.99	49.99	44.99	54.99
PSP
Vice City	44.99	46.99	59.99	49.99	59.99	49.99	54.99
KillZone	44.99	39.99	49.99	49.99	49.99	--.--	49.99
Xbox 360
Saints Row	59.99	57.99	74.99	59.99	64.99	59.99	69.99
DeadRising	59.99	57.99	64.99	59.99	64.99	--.--	74.99
ProEvo 6	52.49	57.99	64.99	59.99	57.99	59.99	70.00^
FIFA 07	56.99	63.99	74.99	59.99	69.99	59.99	74.99

Key
Lowest street price have red background, overall lowest in bold text. ^ = was not in stock.

Correction: PS2 €10 extra in Ireland

Sony Computer Entertainment Ireland yesterday stated that the PlayStation 2 price drop will leave the recommended retail price at €139.99 in the Republic of Ireland. At ‘around’ €19.99, the Memory Cards pricing remains the same as reported before.

On Monday, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe said the “PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system in Europe at €129.99 (£94.99) with immediate effect”. The pricing for the republic is – at today’s conversion rates – close to the UK pricing.

It’s worth repeating that prices for the PlayStation 3 in the Republic and Northern Ireland have still to be officially announced, the higher rumoured pricing puts the republic at around 30 euro above the 599 “euro” announced price.

PS2 price drop, pink model to be released

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe have said the price of normal PlayStation 2 should droped to €129.99 (£94.99), "with immediate effect". The RRP of PS2 Memory Cards (8MB) is now €19.99. The firm has has put the move down to advances in manufacturing and economies of scale.

Meanwhile, Sony are to release a pink PlayStation 2. In Ireland and the UK, the pink console is to come with two pink controllers, a pink PS2 Memory Card, and SingStar Popworld with microphones. According to the Dublin SCE office it will be "available exclusively" in Smyths, World Of Wonder, and Toymaster. It will retail at €194.99 (£129.99 UKP) on November 8.

With over 150 titles planned for launch in Europe before Christmas, David Reeves, President of SCEE, commented “At this new price point of €129, the market leading PlayStation 2 should remain the computer entertainment system of choice for an even wider and more diverse audience for many years to come”.

Updated: The Guardian's Games Blog is reporting on a pink PSP.