Bullish Sony Comes Out Fighting

[jaxmkii]

By Colin Campbell Print | Send to a friend | Email the editor

Sony marketing bigwig Scott Steinberg has set the tone for Hardware Wars 2008 confidently predicting that consoles competing with PlayStation 3 are effectively doomed to also-ran status.
In an interview with Next-Gen, Steinberg said that the resolution of the Blu-ray vs HD DVD war had brought an end to any doubt that PlayStation 3 would emerge triumphant. The full interview will be published here in a few days, but here are a couple of snippets.

"Third party publishers and developers are moving away from using Xbox 360 as their primary development platform. They understand that developing on PlayStation 3 first makes more sense and, in fact, will make the Xbox 360 version look better."

"In three years, the Wii will really start to look its age graphically and, will seem to consumers, pretty long in the tooth."

"Since CES there's been some high fives, in the office, sure. But we're not ready to say it (the hardware war) is over. Perhaps in a year we'll be able to look back at this time and recognize that it was our Berlin Wall moment; the moment when consumers made their choice."

"Microsoft have had their window to build up a lead, but when we track sales of Xbox 360 against comparable time since launch sales of the original Xbox, there isn't much difference, so I think that opportunity has passed for them, and it looks like they haven't expanded beyond their core of shooter players."

We'll have more in this vein in a few days when the full interview is posted.

sorce:http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9264&Itemid=2

[Lucid Delusion]

Is it me or does everyone underestimate the Wii because of it's graphical power? Graphics aren't everything..people at Sony should be well aware of it after the PS2 era.

[OmniCloud]

Is it me or does everyone underestimate the Wii because of it's graphical power? Graphics aren't everything..people at Sony should be well aware of it after the PS2 era.not just you. If the only thing Sony has for Wii is "with time, I'll games will begin to look better and better" then there already over-looking a HUGE part of the market that doesn't care about graphics and never will.

This is a man simply talking out of his behind as usual...

[Lucid Delusion]

not just you. If the only thing Sony has for Wii is "with time, I'll games will begin to look better and better" then there already over-looking a HUGE part of the market that doesn't care about graphics and never will.

This is a man simply talking out of his behind as usual...


It's guys like this why Harrison will be missed by gamers. He didn't talk to interviewers and pull quotes like that out of his rear end.

[OmniCloud]

Man...maybe he can still be a spokesperson or something, just give a Sony speech at the big events like E3 or something.

Like seriously, everyone else really really sucks...

From now on Kaz needs to make a general announcement and then just let the dev do all the talking for whatever project there making.

[Jay Gee]

"Microsoft have had their window to build up a lead, but when we track sales of Xbox 360 against comparable time since launch sales of the original Xbox, there isn't much difference, so I think that opportunity has passed for them, and it looks like they haven't expanded beyond their core of shooter players."
This is funny though. Shootan gamez lol

[Dims]

The quote disregarding the wii is actually pretty valid. The fact is that the market which SONY is targeting with the PS3 is those focused on Multimedia capabilities of the current gen hardware and more mature games. The wii doesn't even play dvds and pretty much caters to the demographic which aren't really into gaming too much. They have more hardcore gamer titles but those don't attract new gamers but rather satisfy their die hard fans with games such as Metroid prime and Mario. The PS3 does have games so as LBP which is more in the vein of the audience which Nintendo have captured but they're more like a bonus for those who already own a PS3. The PS3 being in a position to power through to the top of the current gen race, overtaking the Xbox360, is very believable. The Microsoft brand has been relatively tarnished by the reliability of the hardware, the dedication to either HD media format and their constant reinvention of the 360 packaging. It has made them look rather confused and seems like their trying to play catch up with the intial PS3 packages with the Elite's new functionalities and so forth.

[TimmyJ]

To be fair, I believe that Sony will take a similar approach with the PS3 as they did with the PS2 - once the hardware is cheap enough, target the casuals.

Nintendo have done this from the start with the Wii and Sony did it in the later years of the PS2's life. Both have proven that there is a demographic out there that doesn't remotely care about graphics but digs the social element of gaming.

So when the PS3 is cheap enough to be appealing to this market, they will more than likely, in terms of weekly/monthly sales, overtake the Wii thanks to the superiority of both the PS3's graphics and online capabilities.

Superior online capabilities have clear ramifications for the social gaming demographic that Sony will be targetting at this point but the superior graphics would surely be of no importance to this demographic right? Not exactly.

[TimmyJ]

Place yourself in the shoes of a casual - you see two products that both promote the social gaming element that has tempted you to buy a console in the first place, the PSThree ( ;) ) is more expensive by roughly the price of one or two games and, despite being graphically outdated by every piece of bleeding edge technology, it still graphically trounces the competing Wii.

This effectively steals the alternative side of the casual market that the Wii wouldn't be able to compete with: those who don't really care about better graphics "but for an extra fifty quid, surely it's better value?"

[Rockmond]

http://i26.tinypic.com/2knc41.gif

[TimmyJ]

All said, I don't think Sony will ever overtake the Wii in terms of overall sales given the unstoppable casual gathering that the Wii is scooping up, but I do think it's almost a dead cert that by the time Sony begins to market the PS3 to the casual audience the hardware-based benefits of the PS3, it's strong software lineup that will only be getting stronger, and it's very affordable price point will make it a more attractive deal than the Wii - especially if they bundle in the PSEye *high hopes for PS4*

[Colin™]

christ, has it really shifted to, "Just see what the PS3 has in a year." to, "Just see what the PS4 has to offer?"

I personally feel by the time the PS3 can be a viable option to casual gamers, we would have already established general console market share. You're right in that the PS2 took the casual market last gen, but the PS2 had the market for basically the entire gen, and then some.

And yes, superior graphics mean much much less than than the gaming experience. Take that for what it is. I can't tell you who will have better.

[TimmyJ]

lol I'm not saying "see what the PS4 will do" at all, it's just that I personally have always wished that the EyeToy was bundled with every PS3, thereby making it a standard hardware feature just as the HDD is, just as the BR drive is.

Why do I wish this? Developers may well make PSEye games now, but these games are never going to be near the scope that the likes of Uncharted are due to obvious financial implications, if the PSEye were to be a standard feature of the console then it would be viable for developers to implement the Eye in more than just a novel, superficial manner.

With an Eye as a standard feature, voice communication could be standard in every game - Warhawk with everyone talking? Yes please. And of course, need I say it, head tracking :)

I'm just hoping that the Wii may inspire said move by Sony for the PS4.

Oh and is there any chance a mod could maybe merge my earlier multiple posts please? The character limit in the PS3's browser makes me sad...

[Viper]

Steinberg has already proven his moron mentality so this is par for the course for him.


I present my counters:

"In three years, the Wii will really start to look its age graphically...."


As if the difference isn't noticeable now?

Wii
http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/article/804/804325/dragon-blade-wrath-of-fire-20070712015136990_640w.jpg


PS3
http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/article/840/840692/uncharted-drakes-fortune-interview-20071210072845171_640w.jpg




Xbox - 24 million after 6 years.
Xbox360 - 17.1 million after 2 years.



Doomed to also-ran status? This guys should have his right to speak revoked.

[blackdrgn]

My personal oppinion on the subject:
Ps3 - got off to a late start, & I've not seen very impressive games out yet that aren't on the 360 (by impressive, I mean out of the norm in terms of gameplay & Gfx), they're doing quite the same with the shoot'em'ups, fighters & racers coming 1st, but playstation always had some great companies developing games for them, namely RPG developers who seem to try to get the most out of the machine, as far as I've seen & played. Also even after their consoles are in their 'dying years' they always seem to keep it on a lifeline with the odd new games. I can expect to see the odd failures on the ps3 though, no console has a perfect run.
Just my view on it, the ps3 is probably going to catch up/overtake & be noticed in a year or 2, but it'll all be worth the wait.

[Domination]

not just you. If the only thing Sony has for Wii is "with time, I'll games will begin to look better and better" then there already over-looking a HUGE part of the market that doesn't care about graphics and never will.

This is a man simply talking out of his behind as usual...

I disagree. I think you're confusing Sony with another competitor (no names mentioned) when you categorize them like that.

No doubt, have I got great respect for Nintendo as a competitor in this industry since the dawn of the NES. Heck I'm not even sure how Sony would fair against them, as far as total global sales, by the end of this generation. Inspite of all that, I feel you harshly judge them by presuming that graphics is all Sony has at their disposal to tangle with any given competitor currently opposing them at this time. Sony is not only a technological juggernaut whose name is globally recognized, but they are also an an extrememly innovative one, also. And unlike Nintendo, they are not only targeting casual consumers; they are targeting both the hardcore and the casual consumer equally, rather that be hardware, digital, or game related material. Just to throw an example out their, I think PlayStation Eye and Home will be one of the first to kick this transition off before the end of the year as a placement of these pawns.

Just like the DS and the PSP, I do not see the road for the others as easily ruled any longer when this time comes. Having said that, you underestimate them greatly.

[NickSCFC]

I think Sony is going to have a massive year, just like 360 had last year (well, September to December 2007)

This is coming from someone who couldn't see any reason to buy a PS3 4 months ago.