No major new PS3 game announcements from Ken 'Father of PlayStation' Kutaragi in his keynote speech at TGS this week, with the biggest surprise of the day being the announcement of more than 10,000 Yen being slashed from the price of the Japanese 20GB version of the PlayStation 3, which launches in Japan on November 11th.

The cheapest of the two versions of the next-gen Playstation will now cost Japanese gamers ¥49,980 (US$427 / €335 / £225). Sony also announced that there is to be a HDMI port on the 20GB version of the console, as well as the higher-end 60GB version.

"In Japan there is a perception that one yen is the same as one dollar and one euro [one euro/dollar cent, surely - Ed] so Japanese people feel it's a little expensive," said Nanako Kato, a spokeswoman for SCEI in Tokyo. The US launch price is US$499 and the cut would bring the Japanese price in line with that of the US in the minds of consumers, she said.

What Kato doesn't seem to have considered here is the effect the Japanese price drop might (will) have on the minds of non-Japanese consumers, particularly in the US. With this price-matching mentality, it seems there will be no price cut in the US and Europe. Asked if there was a risk that consumers in the US and Europe would perceive the PlayStation 3 to be overpriced in their markets, Kato said "I guess we'll find that out from now."

So, let's take her word for it. Let's start finding it out. We'll pose the same question to you guys.

Do you think SCEA and SCEE face a risk that western consumers will perceive the PlayStation 3 to be overpriced, considering the new, far lower price in the console's Japanese homeland?

More TGS news to follow after the break.

(source:DigitalWorldTokyo.com)