Sony Corp.’s gaming unit, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., said prices for the development package for the PlayStation 3 will be reduced to US$10,250 in North America, 950,000 yen (US$8,600; euro5,900) in Japan and euro7,500 (US$11,250) in Europe. The move follows the price cuts on the PS3 around the world that the company announced last month in an attempt to woo buyers.

Tokyo-based Sony will also strengthen backup support for making new games for the PS3 in an effort to make the machine more popular, it said in a statement.

Although its predecessor the PlayStation 2 dominated the gaming market, the PS3 has struggled against the hit Wii console, the rival offering from Nintendo Co., which makes Pokemon and Super Mario games.

Boosting PS3 sales is crucial for Sony’s overall business strategy because it also supports the Blu-ray disc next-generation video, which is vying with the rival HD-DVD format.

The Wii has succeeded in drawing people not usually accustomed to playing electronic games, including the elderly, by offering easier-to-play games that use a wandlike handheld device for the remote controller.

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