Wired Interview with Jack Tretton [Archive]

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Pumpkin Head

10-22-2006, 04:40 PM

http://blog.wired.com/games/2006/10/trettonday_conc.html#more

We wrap up our day-long tribute to Sony Computer Entertainment America vice president and co-chairman Jack Tretton with the full interview transcript. Thanks again (and of course to SCEA's Peter Dille for arranging things right before Tretton was about to go on stage and introduce Ludacris).

Wired News: PlayStation 3 is a product for high-definition videophiles. Why, then, only include composite cables in the box?

Jack Tretton: Ideally, you've got to make some decisions based on cost. You have to include some things and exclude some things. If it was up to me, you'd have a high definition TV in every box. We're trying to get this perfect marriage of value and price, and [asking], where do you draw the line?

Cabling is something people are going to incorporate into your home theater system, and some people need a longer cable or a shorter cable. A lot of the cables get thrown out. It was a cost, and not a "must-have" as far as we were concerned. It was a "nice-to-have."

WN: How many $500 units vs. $600?

JT: All I can tell you is that the assumption and reception that we got from retailers is that the majority of consumers are going to want the $599 SKU. Given their choice, the expectation from retailers is that they'd prefer to get the $599. I think the majority. I couldn't give you a percentage. The number that's been kicked around has been 80%. i've got some retailers who want one hundred percent $599 SKU, and got other guys who want a lower percentage. I'd say 80% is about average.

WN: Let's say I'm a gamer who already has Xbox Live. What are the reasons that I might also want to do PlayStation 3's online service?

JT: If you're a consumer and you're buying based on online alone, I think you're in a fairly small audience. I think it would ultimately be the consumer that says, "Holy crap, did you check out that Resistance: Fall of Man, I've gotta get that," and then that is the reason why you go online. I think content drives consumers online. SOCOM was the reason we were able to build our [PlayStation 2 online] install base.

From a full featured basis, we offer everything Xbox Live does. The big differentiating factor is that we're not charging you $60 [actually $50 - CK] to sign up for the service. If you find games that are compelling to you, and you like online gaming, the good news is you buy a PS3, pick the game of your choice, go online and start gaming for free. So i think that's our biggest strategic advantage.

WN: Can software publishers charge for online gameplay?

JT: Software publishers have total freedom, and I think the other great thing is the consumer has total freedom. If you pay $60 to sign up for a service and you don't like the offerings, you've wasted $60. if you pay nothing, you pick and choose. There's so much content available to play for free before you've invested any additional dollars.

WN: Will there be an analog to Xbox Live's Achievements or Gamerscore?

JT: We didn't mention that, but it is our intention that we would have it, although I think it would be game-centric. It's very difficult to draw analogies from your success on SOCOM with your success on Madden. Madden players care about peoples' success on Madden. So the publisher will have the flexibility to have a robust ranking system on a game-by-game basis. So the intention right now is not to have something that is pan-platform.

WN: Will Sony have this in their first-party titles?

JT: We do intend to do that with our stuff.

WN: Does it have a name?

JT: No, not at this point.

WN: And it's not in the launch titles.

JT: No, not to my knowledge. There will be 19 online games available on day one, but I'm not aware of whether or not that service will be available in any of those.

WN: There was a price drop in Japan for PS3, but not in the US. Aren't you feeling some price pressure from Microsoft?

JT: We don't feel like there's any price pressure at all. The realities are, the Xbox 360 is selling at a slower rate than the original Xbox was. The xbox 360 is being outsold by PlayStation 2, just like the original Xbox was. We feel that there's tremendous interest in the PS3, and the biggest challenge we have is coming up with available product, initially. And we don't feel that price is going to affect our ability to sell our initial qualities.

WN: If downloadable games are tied to an account, what stops five people from sharing one account and all the games?
JT: Nothing, and I think that's a great advantage. You can send that content to four other friends for that initial investment. We want to get the game in as many hands as possible, and it's not about a financial grab [from] consumers.

WN: Do you feel it's okay, financially, to allow this?

JT: It's short term vs. long term. We're interested in a 10-year product lifecycle and establishing it as the must-have machine for the next decade. It's not about generating profits at each and every turn, at each and every interaction with the consumer. I think that's why we went with a free service and why we have an open platform. I think that really offsets the argument that, "Wow, that's really a pricey system."

WN: Is the game download system centralized?

JT: It's on the PlayStation store, yes.

WN: Does Sony have approval authority on every third party title?
JT: We will be aware of and approve the content that is offered for sale.

WN: Does Sony get a cut of each sale?

JT: It's a similar situation to the disc-based business. [Meaning yes - CK]

OmniCloud

10-22-2006, 05:15 PM

This is why I buy Playstations-no bashing, no ducking the questions, no BS in general. Socom was indeed the reason people got online with PS2, and it looks like Resistance will be the reason for PS3. I haven't read this interview man+rep!!!

BruceWayneIII

10-22-2006, 05:45 PM

WN: If downloadable games are tied to an account, what stops five people from sharing one account and all the games?
JT: Nothing, and I think that's a great advantage. You can send that content to four other friends for that initial investment. We want to get the game in as many hands as possible, and it's not about a financial grab [from] consumers.

WN: Do you feel it's okay, financially, to allow this?

JT: It's short term vs. long term. We're interested in a 10-year product lifecycle and establishing it as the must-have machine for the next decade. It's not about generating profits at each and every turn, at each and every interaction with the consumer. I think that's why we went with a free service and why we have an open platform. I think that really offsets the argument that, "Wow, that's really a pricey system."

That's a very important piece of the strategy that really needs to be communicated. I think this is an excellent way to treat consumers! It's a way to create a community around a games without having everyone to pay for it. And it gives me, as a consumer, a way to give my friends an additional treat. Great idea.

cliffbo

10-22-2006, 05:54 PM

this is the reason i like Sony:

WN: If downloadable games are tied to an account, what stops five people from sharing one account and all the games?
JT: Nothing, and I think that's a great advantage. You can send that content to four other friends for that initial investment. We want to get the game in as many hands as possible, and it's not about a financial grab [from] consumers.

other companies are for the money not the many

Hrama

10-22-2006, 05:57 PM

Wow... well... that has to be one of the most straight-answered interviews I have ever seen. The guy didn't beat around the bush. Good stuff. He says the Playstation Network has it all, so let's see if he's right...

10-22-2006, 06:09 PM

cliffbo

10-22-2006, 06:14 PM

good interview.

I love what they did by letting five people share bought content. that is great. I can see my self getting my friends and we all chip in to by SOCOM expansions. I could buy the levels, another the weapons, another the vehicles, etc. theyn we would all just swap up. it is a lot better for us gamers than each buys everything.

that is another feature that makes the PS Network that more appealing.

i agree Z. with this strategy, i think nearly every PS3 owner will be online, if not all of them. Sony are going all out to make online integral to the PS3 experience, were as with the 360 its an option.

curryking1

10-22-2006, 06:23 PM

When he says the 360 is sold less than the PS2... EVERYTHING IS SOLD LESS THAN THE PS2! The PS2 is like the ultimate product, it doesn't stop selling, it's unstoppable, it's not even fair to compare anything to it, because nothing will ever compare.

Seriously though, how many other single consumer electronics in the wherabouts of $250 USD sell 100 times platinum???

It honestly baffles me to as how successful the PS2 actually became, it's just f***ing madness. Like it obviously has amazing games and everything, but 100x platinum in 5 years? That's an average of 20 million a year! Madness!

The only thing that *might* sell like it is the PS3 during launch period and then some, and then to pick up sales again with price reductions, or simply the PS3 over it's lifetime, or maybe even another console, who knows. Gaming consoles seem to be the most powerful electronics that have ever existed, they are known by brand and sell individually, without revisions such as hardware upgrades (more ram, smaller screen, etc) at least 25 million units. That's also, MADNESS!

Like cell phones probably sell more and stuff, but how many models of phones are there? Hundreds if not thousands.

Hopefully this coming incarnation of the Playstation will again sell above 100 million units, so we can enjoy beautiful Playstation games in the generations to come. Also, they better keep being 5 year lifecycles, I don't want to have 3 or 4 year lifecycles... MICROSOFT! LOL! That was purely a joke lol, nothing meant against MS, but I really don't want less than a 5 yr cycle, 5 yrs is like the perfect lifecycle for console gaming.

Damn, I really like this new gen coming up. Sony is most likely going to be very strong again, MS the underdog in console gaming is doing well for itself, and Nintendo is being Nintendo and being Nintendo is cool. I think this will one day be looked on as a golden age in console gaming, with the stronger competitive flavour! Vie for our living room space! VIE FOR IT!!!

I still hope Sony does the best though, it seems Sony is good at being the top dawg in gaming, because they certainly haven't stopped getting quality titles from third parties and making super hawt titles themselves.

Plus...

It's a Playstation.

Pumpkin Head

10-22-2006, 06:34 PM

When he says the 360 is sold less than the PS2... EVERYTHING IS SOLD LESS THAN THE PS2! The PS2 is like the ultimate product, it doesn't stop selling, it's unstoppable, it's not even fair to compare anything to it, because nothing will ever compare.

Seriously though, how many other single consumer electronics in the wherabouts of $250 USD sell 100 times platinum???

It honestly baffles me to as how successful the PS2 actually became, it's just f***ing madness. Like it obviously has amazing games and everything, but 100x platinum in 5 years? That's an average of 20 million a year! Madness!

The only thing that *might* sell like it will is the PS3 during launch period and then some, and then to pick up sales again with price reductions.

Hopefully this coming incarnation of the Playstation will again sell above 100 million units, so we can enjoy beautiful Playstation games in the generations to come. Also, their better keep being 5 year lifecycles, I don't want to have 3 or 4 year lifecycles... MICROSOFT! LOL! That was purely a joke lol, nothing meant against MS, but I really don't want less than a 5 yr cycle, 5 yrs is like the perfect lifecycle for console gaming.

Damn, I really like this new gen coming up. Sony is most likely going to be very strong again, MS the underdog in console gaming is doing well for itself, and Nintendo is being Nintendo and being Nintendo is cool. I think this will one day be looked on as a golden age in console gaming, with the stronger competitive flavour! Vie for our living room space! VIE FOR IT!!!

I still hope Sony does the best though, it seems Sony is good at being the top dawg in gaming, because they certainly haven't stopped getting quality titles from third parties and making super hawt titles themselves.

Plus...

It's a Playstation.100% agree

VG Aficionado

10-22-2006, 07:07 PM

cliffbo

10-22-2006, 07:13 PM

I think we should make a number of 5 buddies groups and share our content among us :) Actually, the groups don't have to be closed. Let's just apply quid pro quo and give a friend something for the same price as another thing at different times, for instance.

i think we should hold fire on this issue. even though i myself have enthused over it, something tells me that this could change. how many companies are going to offer their games for free if they lose money from us sharing content. the Asian model is the most successful because the money is made from micro payments.

unless the micro payments are separate from this strategy. with free distributions spreading the core game and micro payments building their coffers.

VG Aficionado

10-22-2006, 07:23 PM

i think we should hold fire on this issue. even though i myself have enthused over it, something tells me that this could change. how many companies are going to offer their games for free if they lose money from us sharing content. the Asian model is the most successful because the money is made from micro payments.Actually, their plan from the beginning is that we will have the option to share what we're paying for. You've planned this, people like it, why change it? The price already includes the ability to share the stuff.

Domination

10-22-2006, 07:23 PM

WN: Can software publishers charge for online gameplay?

JT: Software publishers have total freedom, and I think the other great thing is the consumer has total freedom. If you pay $60 to sign up for a service and you don't like the offerings, you've wasted $60. if you pay nothing, you pick and choose. There's so much content available to play for free before you've invested any additional dollars.

This is EXACTLY why I wouldn't pay for a server. For me to do so, it would have to be completely unique to anything else out there. I just don't see this right now. On top of this, I have no idea how long I'll be gaming on that server. So it's not the fact that it cost money; it simply has more to do with flexibility and value to me. It's the number one reason why I preferred PlayStation Online to Live last-gen.

WN: If downloadable games are tied to an account, what stops five people from sharing one account and all the games?

JT: Nothing, and I think that's a great advantage. You can send that content to four other friends for that initial investment. We want to get the game in as many hands as possible, and it's not about a financial grab [from] consumers.

WN: Do you feel it's okay, financially, to allow this?

JT: It's short term vs. long term. We're interested in a 10-year product lifecycle and establishing it as the must-have machine for the next decade. It's not about generating profits at each and every turn, at each and every interaction with the consumer. I think that's why we went with a free service and why we have an open platform. I think that really offsets the argument that, "Wow, that's really a pricey system."

THIS is what keeps consumers coming back. Worrying about cost is one thing; milking your consumers for every single penny for something not as wide spread just for your own bebefit is another. You only lose business that way. I know a lot of people who don't even know what online gaming is, let alone investing in it.

Domination

10-22-2006, 07:41 PM

i think we should hold fire on this issue. even though i myself have enthused over it, something tells me that this could change. how many companies are going to offer their games for free if they lose money from us sharing content. the Asian model is the most successful because the money is made from micro payments.

unless the micro payments are separate from this strategy. with free distributions spreading the core game and micro payments building their coffers.

Very true. But let me ask you that same question in reference to something else:

How did this benefit Apple with itune if they thought the consumer could do the samething with such an open server? ;)

cliffbo

10-22-2006, 07:50 PM

Very true. But let me ask you that same question in reference to something else:

How did this benefit Apple with itune if they thought the consumer could do the samething with such an open server? ;)

point taken ;)

Nameless

10-22-2006, 08:06 PM

OmniCloud

10-22-2006, 08:37 PM

I think you could share your downloaded games upwards of 5 other people. I thinks that more than enough-we'll see all the little details soon enough tho.

Domination

10-22-2006, 09:06 PM

Perhaps I misunderstood the statement regarding downloadable games and content. The content will be tied to the user account. I would take that statement as meaning you can share the content, but only if you are signing in with the account that purchased the content. Perhaps Sony does not plan on allowing you to download the information, but it resides on a server that can be accessed via the users account. That's great if you decided to share your account information with others, but I'm not sure if you can just pass files around like MP3s... Just my :2cents: Peace

This is how it works, as I mentioned in another thread:

Let's say you purchase content off PlayStation Network at your home but leave town to a friend's house who has a PlayStation 3 and internet access. Regards to where ever you are on the globe, you can access your account's purchased content to up to five different PlayStation 3 consoles. Once that content in on the HDD, it is yours to keep. In your friend's case, it's available to him or her.

cliffbo

10-22-2006, 09:12 PM

Domination

10-22-2006, 09:22 PM

the number 5 is just an arbitrary number plucked out of thin air by the interviewer, its not of any significance. he could have just as easily said 100. read the question again or i can see some pointless, fruitless, speculation on the horizon.

The number 5 came from in interview in another thread here. I'm sure if I made a search, it'll turn up.

One other thing I've noticed about this is in the XMB, it was explained and shown that downloaded content from the network will be moved to a specific folder in the XMB on the console; this includes things like demos,music, movies etc.. But I'm wondering can any of these things be moved to one of the available flash reads/storage cards. I'm thinking there might be a block on specific content to keep it from leaking out.

VG Aficionado

10-22-2006, 09:29 PM

the number 5 is just an arbitrary number plucked out of thin air by the interviewer, its not of any significance. he could have just as easily said 100. read the question again or i can see some pointless, fruitless, speculation on the horizon.I'm afraid you're basing your opinion on the fact that you haven't been paying attention to the latest news. It is true that we will be able to share the content we download among 5 people. I think even Phil Harrison said that.

cliffbo

10-22-2006, 09:30 PM

domination:

WN: If downloadable games are tied to an account, what stops five people from sharing one account and all the games?

JT: Nothing, and I think that's a great advantage. You can send that content to four other friends for that initial investment. We want to get the game in as many hands as possible, and it's not about a financial grab [from] consumers.

its just arbitrary...

Domination

10-22-2006, 09:34 PM

domination:

its just arbitrary...

I found the quote:

Also nice is that download purchases are tied to your User ID, and that allows some portability with your purchase -- even if you decide to delete a download to make room on your HDD, you can still download it again for free. You can also download games when over at a friend's house and play your games on his system (provided that you're still there -- if you go back home, your friend can't play the game for free anymore.) You can re-download a purchase up to five times, making buying online much less a scary endeavor. Games in the PlayStation Store will be priced at $14.99 or less. (http://ps3.ign.com/articles/740/740601p6.html)

Curry's PSINext thread (http://forums.e-mpire.com/showthread.php?t=63514) ;)

Old_Timer!

10-22-2006, 09:36 PM

Wow Sony is really going above and beyond with this strategy, hence the slogan (Play Beyond). I still can't believe that MS PR guy said Sony's online is a knockoff lol. Anyways I know that we're gonna be some happy PS3 owners.

cliffbo

10-22-2006, 09:41 PM

I found the quote:

Also nice is that download purchases are tied to your User ID, and that allows some portability with your purchase -- even if you decide to delete a download to make room on your HDD, you can still download it again for free. You can also download games when over at a friend's house and play your games on his system (provided that you're still there -- if you go back home, your friend can't play the game for free anymore.) You can re-download a purchase up to five times, making buying online much less a scary endeavor. Games in the PlayStation Store will be priced at $14.99 or less. (http://ps3.ign.com/articles/740/740601p6.html)

Curry's PSINext thread (http://forums.e-mpire.com/showthread.php?t=63514) ;)

guess i was mistaken fella ;)

TheGreenElf

10-22-2006, 10:46 PM

other companies are for the money not the many

All companies are for money...otherwise it's not a company, it's a charity. It's just a business decision, and as he said, short vs. long term.
Seriously though, how many other single consumer electronics in the wherabouts of $250 USD sell 100 times platinum???

Well, myself and many friends of mine had to buy a second because they broke with the stupid "Disc Read" errors...and now my second has recently broken. :(

Kiosko

10-22-2006, 10:47 PM

Player created achievments?

There will be 19 online games available on day one
Wow. Pretty impressive.

WN: If downloadable games are tied to an account, what stops five people from sharing one account and all the games?

JT: Nothing, and I think that's a great advantage. You can send that content to four other friends for that initial investment. We want to get the game in as many hands as possible, and it's not about a financial grab [from] consumers.

These feature is very cool.

kaphwan

10-23-2006, 03:13 AM

All companies are for money...otherwise it's not a company, it's a charity. It's just a business decision, and as he said, short vs. long term.

Agreed. It's no coincidence that Sony's strategy of gaining users over profit is only to lead to greater profit later on.

It's the same reason why they can sell the console at a loss. It's not to help out the consumer, it's so they can make that money back (and then a huge amount more) on games.

Nameless

10-23-2006, 03:19 AM

Agreed. It's no coincidence that Sony's strategy of gaining users over profit is only to lead to greater profit later on.

It's the same reason why they can sell the console at a loss. It's not to help out the consumer, it's so they can make that money back (and then a huge amount more) on games.

Sounds like someone has completed business 101... ;)