In September of 2009, Sony released the PS3 Slim. As the name implies, this improved PS3 is smaller than it predecessor, but it is also remarkably more energy efficient. With these new features, one would think that Sony would raise the price of the console or at least keep the price as is, but instead, the company decided to drop the price. Why would Sony do this?
Prior to September 2009, the least expensive PS3 was priced at $399 which was $100 more expensive than its competitors, Xbox and Wii. Similar to the Lieber Light case, Sony had to decrease its price in order to retain market share. No longer can Sony sell their product at premium prices as the quality of other consoles have reached parity with the PS3. In order for the company to stay competitive, they must have competitive prices.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/sony-to-cut-price-for-ps3/article1256192/