What was Sony thinking?

[classy_cat18]

Look at this (http://www.alliwantforxmasisapsp.com/blog/).

That is the lamest attempt at viral campaigning I've ever seen! And I thought the PS3 ads were wacky! If Sony wants more people to buy PSP's, they should cut the damn price and get some decent games!

Comments, please.

[PNT510]

Well Sony has been busted big time. Did anyone see the terrible youtube video that they made?

[Roy Karrde]

Well they got some Decent games for it, infact I would say more than Decent! Hell if you look at the scores the PSP Games are tied with DS for AAA Status, and have twice as many games ranked in the 80s over at Gamespot. As for this, it's marketing, it's what they do, and I've seen worse.

Now... if only they will send me a PSP that actually works!

[classy_cat18]

As for this, it's marketing, it's what they do, and I've seen worse.

I don't think it's gotten worse than a fake blog and lame-ass rapping.

[Roy Karrde]

When X Box was released in Europe I tend to remember Microsoft trying to float a plan of people being paid for X Box Advertisements on Tomb Stones, and being paid if they changed their name to reflect something X Boxish.

[Blademaster]

Sony has been reduced to fake blogs because they're desperate to surpass the unsurpassable awesomeness that is the Wii.

Simple is that. ;)

[Master Rudy]

First off before I get labeled a fanboy let me say that I have all three of the last gen systems. All three have had hits and misses as far as games go and each one was good in it's own way. Since the 64 bit era I've have more than one platform but I've never favored one over the other with maybe the exception of the X-Box. I love the Box but damn that thing can't take abuse and broke on me during my 500 miles cross country move despite being well padded and packed away. Finally fell off it's last legs a few months ago.......anyway that's not the point.

All that being said my take on Sony is this. Based on their actions I have a strong feeling that they may be going the way of Sega if they aren't careful. I know I'm not the only one noticing similarities between the PS3 now compared to the Saturn back in 1995. Both systems were/are very powerful but at the same time were/are extremely overpriced for their time periods ($399 for a Saturn in '95 and at least $499 for a bare bones PS3 now). Both were extremely hyped and so far from what I've heard the PS3 is nothing special. It's good exclusives are still a bit off and even so nowadays most people aren't going to run out and buy a systems for one good game due to the fact that they cost so much now (looks at FF and MGS4). In addition while Sony may not have been first out of the gate this time IMO there still appeared to be a rush to get the system out for Christmas. Back with the Saturn we saw Sega make the surprise announement at E3 in '95 that it was on sale that very day. Would have worked better if they told they third and second party developers for one because for the first few months you couldn't get anything but the first party launch titles. I'm guessing Sony thought power and name was all they needed to beat out the Wii because if I'm not mistaken wasn't the PS3 originally due out sometime early next year? Plus somebody at Sony dropped the ball and needs to retake their 5th grade math class. I'm all for a company getting excited and saying they will have 2 million of their product sold in the US by year's end. However the first step to making that possible it actually HAVING 2 million to sell. Last I checked 400,000 is just slightly less than 25% of that number. Finally Sony now is doing the same thing Sega did then with their ads. Their getting downright weird and in Sony's case creepy (does not want to think of that insane baby). I can't remember if this was during the N64/PSX era or during the Dreamcast but Sega had TV ads with hunters shooting rival systems out of the air with cute names for the 64 such as "Pretendo" and "Plumber's Box". Not to mention the last time Sony screwed up a system release (PS2)Sega decided to use some of their drying up funds to take out a full two page ad in several game mags with a young boy taunting Sony by sticking out his toungue. In the same ad in big block letters it read something along the lines of "We are deeply sorry for Sony's supply problems regarding the PS2". The only reason I knew it was a Sega ad was the DC logo in the corner. Fast forward a few years and look! Now it's Sony with the weird and pointless ads (And more supply problems!)

Learn from this if you want to remain in the console business Sony. Perhaps take notes from Nintendo, Sega and maybe yourselfs:

DO's:
-Show actual gameplay of your system (Like everyone else does!)
-Show your product in action (If I'm not mistaken doesn't the PS3 also have a motion sensing controller of sorts? Nintendo is doing a good job as far as showing it in action)

DON'T:
-Be surreal, weird or creepy
-Make promises you can't keep
-Take shots at the other companies (Like Sega did to you and Ninty about ten years ago......literally)


I see three reasons why Sony is getting their ass kicked this time around. It's the price of their system, Nintendo's awesome ad campain for the Wii and the fact that they rushed it and once again are caught up in a supply and demand problem. If they are not careful with the next year or two I already see the PS4 becoming another Dreamcast with Sony being knocked out of the console wars.

[Jeff]

Sony is just getting downright weird, even their ad for the PS2 was pretty strange (something about what the PS9 will be like, basically says nothing about the system).

Interesting points on the Sony/Sega parallels. If I'm not mistaken, back in the day Sega was portrayed as the "cool" company while Nintendo strived to be family-friendly, sound familiar? Also, while Sony hasn't taken shots at Ninty and MS yet, they might start if they start slipping this gen. And yes, the price is ridiculous. Another "DON'T" I'd like to add to that list: Don't drive up the price of your system by throwing in a non-gaming-related feature like a next-gen DVD player. If you want to make an inexpensive BluRay player, offer it separately, or offer it as an optional feature for the PS3, but don't force gamers to pay extra money for a feature they may not even use.

[Roy Karrde]

You know the system has only been out for a month, and people are already comparing Sony's failure to Sega. Why not wait a year or even half a year and see? When the PSP came out it was selling over the DS on a 3 to 1 ratio or more, and how many people started proclaiming Nintendo was dead? Things change fast in the gaming world, Brain Age saved the DS in all respects and a game like that could catapult Wii into first place in Japan for good.

BUT! The same could be said for the PS3, it's only been a month and we do not know yet. As for the Sega argument with price, it's called Inflation, 399 back in 95 is a whole lot more now.

And for the Blue Ray player argument Jeff. The same could be said back in 2000 with PS2 having a cheap DVD player added onto it. But people were grabbing PS2s right and left as a DVD Player, and back then DVDs were just coming onto the market, just like Blue Rays. The thing is in the next few years either HD DVD or Blue Ray is going to take off, as more and more people buy HD TVs. At the same time you are going to see people buy the system with the respected player on it. They will also most likely want the system that will compliment their TV. The Wii just cant do that.

And as games get more advanced you will see them come out on HD DVD on the X Box 360, almost forcing people to buy a HD DVD Drive. Look at the newest RPG in Japan for X Box 360, it uses 3 Standard DVDs that have to be swapped out. And this is just second gen for them, the more that we go on you will see Developers want to use the HD DVD disks since they allow for more room. Just like the Blue Ray disks allow for more room.

Putting a Blue Ray drive on the PS3 just wasnt for the Consumer, it was also for the Developer. Anyway it has just been a month, if we were going to proclaim a system dead after a month, then the DS would have died when it first came out. And the PS1 would have died when it first came out.

Both systems prevailed.

[GreenShirT]

Thats not really very sensible though sinc ethe DS sold out at launch in Japan and msot places in the US...not dead just hard to buy.

[PNT510]

You know the system has only been out for a month, and people are already comparing Sony's failure to Sega. Why not wait a year or even half a year and see? When the PSP came out it was selling over the DS on a 3 to 1 ratio or more, and how many people started proclaiming Nintendo was dead? Things change fast in the gaming world, Brain Age saved the DS in all respects and a game like that could catapult Wii into first place in Japan for good.

BUT! The same could be said for the PS3, it's only been a month and we do not know yet. As for the Sega argument with price, it's called Inflation, 399 back in 95 is a whole lot more now.

And for the Blue Ray player argument Jeff. The same could be said back in 2000 with PS2 having a cheap DVD player added onto it. But people were grabbing PS2s right and left as a DVD Player, and back then DVDs were just coming onto the market, just like Blue Rays. The thing is in the next few years either HD DVD or Blue Ray is going to take off, as more and more people buy HD TVs. At the same time you are going to see people buy the system with the respected player on it. They will also most likely want the system that will compliment their TV. The Wii just cant do that.

And as games get more advanced you will see them come out on HD DVD on the X Box 360, almost forcing people to buy a HD DVD Drive. Look at the newest RPG in Japan for X Box 360, it uses 3 Standard DVDs that have to be swapped out. And this is just second gen for them, the more that we go on you will see Developers want to use the HD DVD disks since they allow for more room. Just like the Blue Ray disks allow for more room.

Putting a Blue Ray drive on the PS3 just wasnt for the Consumer, it was also for the Developer. Anyway it has just been a month, if we were going to proclaim a system dead after a month, then the DS would have died when it first came out. And the PS1 would have died when it first came out.

Both systems prevailed.

I disagree with alot of what you said, but you are right on one thing. The PS3 isn't going to go the way of the dreamcast. SEGA was losing millions of dollars for years before they went out of bussiness. Also the PS2 made alot more money than the saturn did I can tell you that much.

[Roy Karrde]

Ala what is happening with the PS3, it sold out in Japan and most places in the US, not dead just hard to buy. But remember the first half year of the PSP, it was dominating the DS badly in Japan, and in the US. It was constantly at the top of the list, with PS2 behind it, and then finally the DS. It wasnt until around June when things began to turn around.

The point being is that the first year sells can and really are meaningless in the big picture.

[GreenShirT]

None of the PS3 games are impressive though, DMC4 looked exactly like the PS2 version and on a console that is only boasting power that is poor. Also Blu-Ray iosnt as good as HD-DVD so thats a bad choice of Sony just bumping thier product and the price tag is just outragious. I dont see a place for the PS3 in this gen market. 360 has good enough graphics to compare them to PS3 and Wii has gameplay fuin that beats all and gameplay is what wins out IMO. I have played alot of fun 360 games though too. Even now people are shoing consumer analysts that gameplay is prefered since the DS still outsells PSP everywhere in the world and neither console is in short supply anywhere except wher ethe DS has sold out because people want it more.

[Roy Karrde]

None of the PS3 games are impressive though, DMC4 looked exactly like the PS2 version and on a console that is only boasting power that is poor.

But again that is your opinion, I could say all Wii games look like trash and point at the new Far Cry for my example, but it would still be my opinion.


Also Blu-Ray iosnt as good as HD-DVD so thats a bad choice of Sony just bumping thier product and the price tag is just outragious.

You realize that the Blu Ray has double to nearly triple the disk space of a HD-DVD right? Allowing Devs to put in more levels, higher graphics, and just around more stuff in it. Again I can point out that people could of said the exact same thing about PS2 putting in a costly DVD Player instead of using regular CDs back in 2000. The rest of your argument really is opinion so I will stop there.

Here is a link to Blu Ray vs HD-DVD
http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/19/blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd-state-of-the-s-union-s-division/

[classy_cat18]

Ala what is happening with the PS3, it sold out in Japan and most places in the US, not dead just hard to buy. But remember the first half year of the PSP, it was dominating the DS badly in Japan, and in the US. It was constantly at the top of the list, with PS2 behind it, and then finally the DS. It wasnt until around June when things began to turn around.

That's because the PSP had a lot of games that wouldn't be released in the US! Besides, not everyone likes Yu Gi Oh trading card games. XP

[PNT510]

Ala what is happening with the PS3, it sold out in Japan and most places in the US, not dead just hard to buy. But remember the first half year of the PSP, it was dominating the DS badly in Japan, and in the US. It was constantly at the top of the list, with PS2 behind it, and then finally the DS. It wasnt until around June when things began to turn around.

The point being is that the first year sells can and really are meaningless in the big picture.

DS has been beating the PSP in the US the whole time. There was a short while where PSP was outselling the DS month to month, but I'm pretty sure the DS always lead in total sales.

[Roy Karrde]

Back when it was first released in US the PSP was beating the DS, infact it didnt just pull ahead of the PSP until Recently, which is why they are still some what neck to neck in sells. And in Japan the PSP was beating the DS for six or so months until the DS got Big Brain Academy or something.

Edit: Then again I am going by sells from over two years ago, and US sells are much harder to find since Wal Mart and Target are not watched.

[Mewfour]

Look at this (http://www.alliwantforxmasisapsp.com/blog/).


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Well alrighty then. But seriously, the whole PSP and PS3 launch is probably the biggest fuckup since the 32X.

[PNT510]

You realize that the Blu Ray has double to nearly triple the disk space of a HD-DVD right? Allowing Devs to put in more levels, higher graphics, and just around more stuff in it. Again I can point out that people could of said the exact same thing about PS2 putting in a costly DVD Player instead of using regular CDs back in 2000. The rest of your argument really is opinion so I will stop there.

Here is a link to Blu Ray vs HD-DVD
http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/19/blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd-state-of-the-s-union-s-division/

The ammount of extra space doesn't matter. Most Xbox and PS2 games didn't even take up half a DVD. Of course as this new generation goes on games will get bigger and will need more than the 9GB a DVD has. They can then just put the game on multiple discs. They did it on the PS1 and there wasn't really any problem with that. Blu Ray movies also don't compare very well against HD-DVD's so there is really no point for it to be in the PS3. Size doesn't matter and the movies aren't top of the line.