Sony UK Boss Calls the US a ‘Land of Cheap People’ to Justify PS3 Price

Playfuls ^ | 03/25/2007

[JohnSheppard]

In an interview with Martin Matt, from the popular GameIndustry.biz site, Sony UK managing director Ray Maguire calls America "a land of cheap people", while the UK is “a little island where rent and rates are at an absolute premium”.

When asked about the high price of the PS3 in PAL areas, especially in the UK (where Sony’s console is currently being sold for GBP 425- US $840- more expensive than anywhere in Europe) this is what Ray Maguire had to say:

“If you take what's considered to be the most expensive and the least expensive – consider the US with its massive land and cheap people. Then you look at the UK – a little island where rent and rates are at an absolute premium, and the cost of people is a lot more. The cost of retail is vastly more in the UK than it is in the US and that's before you even stop to consider the US doesn't have VAT at RRP, they put a small amount on afterwards. Whereas, we get stung by 17.5 per cent. And pity the poor Irish and places like Sweden.

[Psycho_Bunny]

2005 Sony BMG CD copy protection scandal

[dfwgator]

Hell yeah I'm cheap and damned proud of it. I don't pay for somebody's R&D, I wait until the price comes down.

[BigSkyFreeper]

They get shocked every time to see the price of "Europeans manufactured products" in the US vastly cheaper than the price in their own country of origin in Europe.

That was the general concensus reaction of many Europeans interviewed by the CNN reporter on the sidewalks of New York City. They were both shocked and amazed at the prices for such items as computers, gaming consoles, and flat screen televisions.

[Paperdoll]

"Cheap" people is insulting to those who make up the majority of the Sony market. Could they mean "frugal"? The dollar exchange with the pound right now puts those American people at quite a disadvantage. The writer does not have a way with words.

[laotzu]

Americans are CHEAP

While the socialist faction in Great Britain measures value & worth with a childs toy; America believes noble acts are an obligation owed to our fellow man, and to God.

It is an honor, and we are proud to be measured by a more substantial ruler than that crowed over in this article.

[John Will]

Game stations aren't really exculsivly for children anymore. I'm just nickping, I agree with you there.

[supercat]

Sony won itself a place on my "Permanent Boycott" list for its arrogant overweening practices with regards to DRM.

Notice my tagline.

[gilor]

Sony, aiming squarely at their foot.

[Publius6961]

I don't buy anything "Sony" anymore -- most recently that cost them a several hundred dollar digital camera purchase that went to a competitor.

Same here.

Twenty-five years ago, four out of five electronic devices I owned were Sony.
Today, my latest purchases, an 8 megapixel digital camera is a Panasonic... My DVD recorder a JVC, my theater sound unit is a Phillips...

Articles like this one just validate the decision I made years ago to dump SONY.

[Publius6961]

Not to worry.
SONY couldn't get it right, so now Microshaft is taking a crack at it with VISTA.

Good luck to them.

[Publius6961]

I wonder when this guy will tell us how he really feels about SONY?

Has SONY sued him yet?

[DesScorp]

Piss on Sony. No way I'm paying that much for a fscking game console. Nintendo did it right....you get the whole shebang for less than $250.

Starting with the Betamax, Sony has a history of arrogance in dealing with it's US customers. Screw them.

[Fire_on_High]

I liked the little tiebacks to Duck Hunt and Hogan's Alley in the shooting game. Still, Billiards has been the top timewaster around here lately.

[endthematrix]

Not cheap..."thrifty"!

[aruanan]

What kind of answer is that? England's terribly more expensive, so that's why we're really socking it to you with the Playstation price.

[RayChuang88]

In fact, one of the biggest problems the UK experiences is Brits buying goods from continental Europe at VASTLY lower prices than you can get in the UK, even after import duty taxes are imposed when the UK citizen brings the goods back into the country. In fact, in the Calais area (the southern end of the Channel Tunnel and a major shipping port for cross-channel shipping to the UK) there are many French stores that specialize in selling food products produced in continental Europe specifically to UK citizens.

[The South Texan]

Obvioulsy this was a backhanded attack by Matt on Wal-Mart.

[CodeMasterPhilzar]

One word: Wii.

My son wants to buy one, he has the money saved up... But oddly enough, we can't find one locally. They seem to be all sold out. XBox 360? Sure. PS3, can-do. But he wants, and can afford, a Wii.

Economics in action.

[Arkinsaw]

The Wii is somehow amazing. We spent hours playing at making Mii's with family and friends. Everyone enjoys making a Mii of somebody else in the room. The things turn out amazingly lifelike when you get a consensus from a bunch of people.

Then you take a simple game like bowling. We had 6 people of all ages playing for hours. Playstation is coming up with Super Splinter Cell Double Halo Explosion Race II and you have people all over the country playing a cheesy little bowling game till their arms are sore.

I think its pretty cool that the graphics uber alles sellers are getting shocked that people like to do fun halfway cheesy things together more than they like to see every blood droplet in high definition....especially at 1/3 the price.

Maybe game-makers and entertainment people now have to take a second look at their industry. Maybe they have been slapped in the face with the fact that the game market is not exclusively violent 15 year old boys with millionaire parents like they thought.

[miliantnutcase]

Except they screwed the pooch on the aging Nvidia card inside the thing. All that processing power being held back because the video card is slightly weaker than the ATI one in the Xbox360.