Sony President and Ridge Racer aficionado Kaz Hirai say they will not reduce the price. They believe the current price is reasonable. Many people believe the original price was chosen specifically to compete directly with Nintendo's system.
Sony will experience a sales disaster if they proceed with their pricing decision. The question on my mind though is whether Vita or 3DS will succeeed in America, where many customers prefer smartphones or tablets over portable gaming devices. We'll just have to wait and see.