Editorial: Is Sony being too cocky?
by Ross Miller 
{ Aug 7th 2005 at 10:00AM }
Don't you love those crazy Ken Kutaragi sayings? My favorite - mistranslation or not, it's still amusing - was in regards to the price of the PS3, and how one would have to work more hours to afford it. In an editorial entitled "Is Sony Pulling a Nintendo," author Vandemar discusses the possibility that the third PlayStation might end up like the Nintendo 64, as Sony seems to banking too much on the idea of product loyalty. In all honesties, I think the PS3 might be 'too' powerful - some of the technology (Blu-Ray discs and multiproccesor chips) might be too early and too untested. I know I am about to be flamed for saying that, but I hold by it. I don't believe everything this article says - I do believe that the PlayStation 3 will do well - but maybe Sony should take caution with their words and audacity.
Then again, it's the games that matter, and if they're fun, I'll bite. But I'm just one miniscule consumer -
fanboyism aside, what do you think of Sony's direction and attitudes towards the next generation? Are they being
too cocky?
[Thanks, xbair]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Palmer @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Of course they are, Microsoft is developing an affordable product, with brilliant software and a top notch online play system. Sony ain't got jack. The news that the video card alone will cost near 500 shocked everyone. I reckon Sony will sale it at either 300 or 400 making a huge loss on either. I can't see anyone but the hardcore buying a PS3 at 400.
The slanger @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
I think that sony just likes to here themselves talk and the only thing they talk about is well.. SONY. Which is usually a lie and pure Bullcrap. And about the chips wich have not even been tested for video game creation are all based on estimations and what Sony tells us.Im just gonna wait for it to launch so when the fanboys get a hold of it
they cry because sony gave whole bunch crap just like they did when they said the PS2 was the ultimate entertainment center that was funny. Alright I know what your thinking I must be a Microsoft fanboy well im not I just like games; but if you Sony fanboys think that every thing they said at E3 was truth then the Killzone video was realtime and not any form of pre-rendered CG right? LOL!
Phil @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Microsoft said the Xbox would be the ultimate entertainment media center and it never happened, just like Sony. Stop pretending only Sony said the PS2 would be.
Whuh? @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Blu-Ray, take this,
http://www.optware.co.jp/english/what_040823.htm
Talking about high capacity disc, this one can hold over 1terabyte.
Whuh? @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Phil, where did you hear this? I can alos prove that Xbox is the entertainment media center, http://xboxmediacenter.de/info_screens.htm
Arch-360 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
yes sony IS getting a little cocky. and i agree with SLANGER. i too cannot wait til launch to see all the little fanboys cry. after all sony fanboys ARE the most arrogant, ignorant, and naive fanboy around. the more the ytalk the more they will cry.
TJ @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
To forget that Sony have two generations of sales nearing 100 Million is something you simply can't ignore or overlook.
When Sony took Nintendo on the home console market (Nintendo still have the gaming market, as a matter of fact) Nintendo didn't actually drop that many users, instead Sony created Millions upon Millions of new users.
Microsofts bullish "let's drop huge losses to steal users" is pretty flawed, they might grab a few Million but do you seriously think they'll steal 60 Million of Sony's casual fanbase?
If anybodys answer to that is yes they need a reality check.
Caleb @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
In reference to the article, I think Sony is fine. Some things they say may seem strange, but I think they are justified. What's wrong with wanting to make a product that makes people want to save their money to buy?
The PS3 has potentional to be great. I agree, that if right now, Bluray was being used in video games, it would be 'too early'. But, technology moves fast. In a years time, when the PS3 is released, that probably won't be the case.
I'm a gamer. I own a Gamecube, Xbox, and PS2. If financial oppurtunity affords itself, I'll own a Revolution, 360, and PS3.
I don't understand how you guys get all caught up in the 'politics' and your opinions when none of the systems have even be released...
James @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
The question is are any developers going to make use of it's power. If they make the same game and put it on the Xbox 360 and also on PS3 what system would you buy it for? Most likely the cheaper one. Sony is going to need loads of exclusives that really show the systems power, and now that SquareEnix has said most of their franchises will be multiplatform, it leaves them with SOE and Naughty Dog for exclusives.
If they can secure enough big exclusive titles, then people will still buy the system. But if you can get the same game on any system why would you buy the most expensive system?
Christopher7xii @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
I think Sony is being CONFIDENT. There's a line between that and arrogant. I mean, when you're releasing a new system to compete with two other major companies, if you pull some "I believe our system will probably do well... we're not really sure. The competetion is strong and we think we might be able to do better than them."
I don't see anything outside of the ordinary. Everything Sony has said("we're more powerful, better gaming and multimedia experiences"), MS has said.
Take a good look around. It's a competetive market. I think Sony's next round will be just as solid as the previous two systems. The only big difference is this is gonna cost more $$$. Going off of inflation though, isn't much different than the PS1 launching for $300. I mean, hell, I used to spend $3.50 or so for a full meal at McDonalds... Now it's close to $6.
gamegenie @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Funny I read I wrote something similar to Sony paralleling Nintendo on the PlayStation boards:
2007 seems like a life time to wait when considering that it is not even the year 2006 yet, and the Xbox 360 is close to coming out for the 4th quarter of this year or the 1st quater of next year. I wish this story of the PlayStation 3 delay is not entirely true in hope of Sony's case, cause a delay like this is will seriously hurt the system's chances. Somewhere along the line I had this feeling that something like this was going to happen to the PS3. Microsoft main goal was to become numero uno in the video gaming industry, and now they cleary got the opportunity to go for it. I just hope Nintendo stays focus on keeping their Codenamed: Revolution system on set for a 1st or 2nd quarter release in 2006 to give Xbox 360 a little competition.
Funny this almost parallel's the late 80s video game industry, back when Nintendo's NES was a dominant force in North America, leveling away competition from other 8-bit competiters Atari's 7800 and Sega's Master System. Nintendo was too much into themselves like Sony is today when they were at the top of the market, and so when Sega began publically noting that it was preparing to produce a new system that would become the next hit and take American video gamers by storm (the Sega Genesis), cocky Nintendo didn't believe Sega was capable, and as the story goes, Sega went ahead with its plans and launched its 16-bit Genesis in late 1989 and rapidily began growing a larger American fanbase as most gamers were eager to get a video game system that was capable of playing some of sega top arcade games out at the time. Nintendo on the other hand had slept on future development of a NES sucessor until they began to see Sega's numbers growing and so they started working on the NES sucessor, Super Nintendo which had arrived late to the 16-bit market in 1991. Nintendo thought of packaging a new version of Super Mario with the SNES, "Super Mario World" will just repeat the same success they had with the NES. They were so wrong. Sega was waiting in the wing for them to do that, and launched its new mascot Sonic the Hedgehog which helped knocked Nintendo from its gaming leadership back then, and the rest is history!
Not Impressed (Dmitri) @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
I am all for the 360. But why the hell does joystiq make topics like this? Do all they want is flame wars?
Not Impressed (Dmitri) @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
James your wrong. SOE and Naughtydog are not their only exclusives. There is also SCEE and SCEA, also many others which I do not remember off the top of my head.
Clutch @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Oy. You cats really know how to stir the pot. This is just the sort of thing that drives the fanboys out of their native habitat of GameFAQs! But who am I to judge; I'm just about to weigh in myself.
The way I see it--and it may just be wishful thinking--is that Kutaragi's playing-up of the PS3's price is something of a ruse. Follow me here. If he comes out early, driving up the expected price to five or even six hundred dollars, then Sony can posture itself as the populist manufacturer--VolksSony--even if the final price is $450. Sony might be banking on an old marketing adage, that good value is not paying less than it's worth, it's paying less than you think it's worth.
Whether or not my theory is true is up to Sony, of course, just as whether or not the ploy works is up to the free market. Could Sony be taking a major gamble? I can't say for certain, but I can say that if I were a Sony fanboy, I'd be crossing my fingers that they've hedged their bets.
SetupWeasel @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
In answer to the titular question, I shall pose another:
Is the pope German?
Well, then again, maybe not. Sony's overall profits have been poor. Hell, they just hired a non-Japanese CEO. For a Japanese company, that is desperation. Sony's games division has been the crutch that the company has leaned on. It makes money.
Now you have Microsoft who is willing and able to lose $3 Billion on a console and a more fierce Iwata-run Nintendo that has vast quantities of liquid assets and are willing to spend them. Maybe, like a schoolyard bully, Sony becomes more aggressive and cocky as they become more afraid. More than ever, it matters to the whole Sony company that the PS3 is as big a success as their previous games consoles.
The1 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
I think it comes down to PRICE. Will people pay $500.00 for a console? What happened to the PSX with all its add-ons? The console never left Japan. As such, Sony may be making a mistake by offering a console for an expensive price.
James @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Sorry, I know they have more than 2 exclusive companies and I wasn't clear on that. My real point there is that more and more companies aren't doing exclusives since they need to make more money to pay for the expensive of making the game in the first place. We've seen a lot of this happen this generation and I think we're gunna see a lot more of it next generation as the cost of development rises.
Ross Miller @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Dmitri - I am kind of an idealist. I post the article because, to me, it seemed well thought out and neatly observant, and then I naively hope that our readers will follow suit, at least a little bit. For every five or so flames, there is one thought-out comments (not this one, in general - these comments have been pretty nice), and I will gladly sift through 5 flames to read a nicely written comment. It's just the way of the forum.
In other words, fanboyism and console battles are inevitable, so why try to fight it? The best I can do is just try to incite a fair conversation and hope for the best.
higger @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Do it for J.Alard from Microsoft, joystiq.
He might easier target since he lies and is more aggressive.
Shame on you. Stop these racist post, please.
TCW @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Too cocky? YES. You notice that MS is not talking any trash at all. Ken K. is a nut.
Check out the 360's polygon display:
http://theconsolewars.blogspot.com/2005/08/xbox360-rubi-demo-pushing-million.html
sauceruney @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
I don't think new hardware is justified in the cycles it's been forced upon us. I remember when Atari 2600 programmers had to squeeze out every last drop of performance because new hardware development was limited and cost prohibitive. Programmers barely get comfortable with systems today, before they have to adapt to a new one.
Instead of focusing on the convergence of computer and television, like computer hobbyists are doing, the console gaming industry is still trying to make an unnecessary distinction between the two.
If the PS3 were a computing system that was able to play games which took advantage of its special abilities, and I could run my adobe and macromedia applications on two 21 inch monitors as well, you bet your ass I'd pay $500 bucks for one.
Convergence is inevitable. Fighting it with artificial wedges is like paying the radio industry to play the crap artists they've signed.
jakk, blackrock @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
*gasp* sony would nver be cocky they re always so modest. :p
sauceruney @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
I wasn't too clear, but should say that I think sony believes they need to sit out this round of console one-upmanship, because the PS3 is more like a rival for the next XBOX, and not the upcoming 360 (inevitable performance advances resulting in spec changes, aside).
So to tell consumers (and investors) that they're letting Microsoft go it alone this round, would be brand-name seppuku in this fickle market.
Trying to psychoanalyse a corporation like Sony is a difficult task. All we consumers can do is sit back and watch. They're loath to listen to anything we have to say anyway.
Cocky, yes, but they're also psychotic.
Not Impressed (Dmitri) @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
"For every five or so flames, there is one thought-out comments (not this one, in general - these comments have been pretty nice), and I will gladly sift through 5 flames to read a nicely written comment."
I was actually expecting someone to come out with some half-assed attack towards me. But that pretty much said all that had to be said. I understand now, sorry.
Sean O. @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
I'd say the article is right in saying that brand loyalty with regard to game systems is a myth. I know I have no loyalty to Sony... they just happen to have Final Fantasy, Devil May Cry and Grand Theft Auto and if they lose one or two of those I'll probably go with the 360 because I'm looking for Rare to make some good games like on the N64.
I think the real brand loyalties in the videogame industry lie with game makers not console makers. Nintendo and Microsoft don't have their loyal fans for their respective systems but for games like Zelda and Halo.
As the old adage goes "It's all about the games."
Dralt @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
The PS3 is so exciting and revolutionary. I would pay up to $1,000 for it.
I'll buy a 360 to hold me over until the PS3 comes out.
rog27 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
You know what I love. My favorite thing is when I see some X-boy marketeer be the first one to jump on and post a comment, all the while screaming bloody murder that Sony fanboys are arrogant and will spit in your face, blah, blah, blah. This is just ridiculous. They are the monsters they purport these "Sony fanboys" to be.
XBOX fanboys are always, always the first ones to post (and to flame). They even make rhetorical reponses defending their system in anticipation of a Sony or Nintendo fan posting. In fact, I think an objective 3rd party should look into this further. Look at as many console wars threads on this site as you possibly can and you'll notice they are littered with hundreds of XBOX fanboys screaming bloody murder...almost never with a response. Why, you say? Because XBOX fanboys are raving dorks and no one gives a fuck about their screaming.
The cold hard fact is that Microsoft has an image problem. A big one. That's why they will never win over the average gamer. That's why the Japanese won't buy Microsoft. To the average folk, Sony has a coolness factor not usually associated with videogames and that is the real marketing reason they hold the crown for the huge casual adult gamer market. Sony went along the lines of establishing their BRAND IMAGE. I know this is a new word for all of you, but BRAND IMAGE is now one of the biggest selling factors in the videogame industry. You hardcore dorks out there may not think so, but purely from a business standpoint, these are the facts being presented to you.
No matter how much bitching and whining you do on these boards, no matter how fucked over you feel by a console manufacturer in the past, no matter what you say or do, it's not going to change the fact that Sony is viewed in a much more positive light than Microsoft is to the general public, especially the older crowd that spends boatloads of cash--much more than the kids, the zit-faced tweeners, and the hardcore dorks out there. I'm not saying you should buy any other system but the one you want. But, ultimately, you'll be faced with the inevitable fact that Sony will once again dominate this upcoming era in videogames - maybe not by as large a margin - but still dominate it non-the-less.
Also, do not make assumptions about hardware...assumptions about how much, how good the graphics are, and support for online, etc. will just come back to bite you in the ass later. Wait until solid information is available before you make assumptions about hardware.
Not Impressed (Dmitri) @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
I agree, rog. Also, the whole Gates anti-trust thing plays a big role.
grable @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
I dont give a crap about PS3.. the more they talk, the less i want one of their consoles. the same goes for xbox 360.
now nintendo has been playing it cool this round.. that i like =)
matt @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
cocky, oh no doubt about it. I think sony overdoes it with everything they do and because its more people like it more. Why do you need 6 usb ports or seven controllers, you only need four. They know that if they do that then poeple will buy it because it has more. But anyways sony is being too cocky.
Not Impressed (Dmitri) @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
lol yea grable. reggie makes attacks fun. such as in the E3 2005 press conference when he was comparing the PSP to the DS...
"Now I know what you're all saying. The PSP hasn't arrived in Europe yet."
"Well, we got there when we said we would, and they didn't. You know what. That's sony's issue, not my problem."
I, myself, laughed the very moment I saw that. The funniest things, are true.
J.Rod @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
I don't care what happens between the consoles. I just care about great games and i am willing to spend as much money as possible to get them.
Jake Fry @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
That thing was so biased against Sony. I'm not getting into the PS3 vs. Xbox360 war that has sprung up, mainly because all it is is just fanboys saying "Our console can push a few more polygons per second than yours so ours is better!" and then the others retort with "Well our console can do 8 billion teraflops of floating point calculations (or so our president claims) in one nanosecond so ours is better!". But anybody with any sense of logic can tell how biased that was. We're nowhere near the launch of the PS3 and revo and we know barely anything about the consoles (well, we do know a lot about the 360), so how can anyone have a viable arguement anyways? Just one of many biased "reports" on how somebody's favored system is goign to "win" and is better than the others. And when he said "Chances look good well be picking up an Xbox 360 and maybe a Revolution, since some of us just want to play games" who the hell is we? I'm defenitely not picking up a 360 unless they drop all xbox live charges and have more than a few good games which all happen to be FPS or racers. And just want to play games, you know if he was rooting for PS, he'd use that as a reason why the PS3 is better. And isnt the 360 also trying to be a multi-media system, just not as much as the PS3? The only "just games" console will be the revolution if you don't get the DVD playback hardware jackass.
I'm a Nintendo fan, not because the gamecube was on par with the xbox's power or because the N64 had twice the bit as the playstation (for whatever good it did it I'll never know), I'm a Nintendo fan because I love Nintendo games. I like a couple of PS-exclusive game series too (metal gear solid) so that would put PS as my distant second, and xbox, WTF?
I don't judge how much I like my games by how much more slightly powerfuller the console their on can do something. Its not like any developers are going to max out the power on either system, so what difference does it make?
But anyways, getting back to the topic. I was maybe 8 years old when the N64 and PS were preparing for launch, so I have no idea what either company was doing back then (by the way, I'm 16 right now). But from what I've seen so far, Sony's claiming firsthand the PS3 will be super expensive, and then they launch it for maybe 100$ more than the competition. Its really too early to tell who's going to "win" however you people define it. We dont know either of the 3's launch prices and only one of them do we have a decent amount of info on the games.
Cant wait to see all the 360 fanboys tell me I'm homosexual and a retard and their system is going to be better and everything they conceive as negative I said about xbox isnt true.
Speedi @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
sony is definitly cocky when it comes to playstation, i.e. thinking everyone that wanted a psp was going to shell out 250+ on it. PSP was supposed to dominate all other handhelds but in reality it didnt. Sony's huge mistake was the pricing. The games are pretty cool but more or less replicas to their home console counterparts, except for a select few (lumines), psp games are really no dfferent than ps2 or even ps1 games. Although the Nintendo DS doesnt have a huge title of great games, yet it does beat out the psp in sales. The Reason? Nintendo was smart enough to market the DS at a much better price than the psp. Since it also came out before psp, people had that 150 dollar price point in their minds for portables and 100 dollars more for the psp is almost the price of 2 DSes. The point is since Xbox 360 is coming out first people will think that 300 should be the price for the ps3, except of coarse for the loyal fanboys(definitly not me). Its going to be interesting to see what happens. Im wondering if nintendo comes out after microsoft for 199 instead of 299 will this attract more consumers and push nintendo back up to number 1. Of coarse, what they do with the revolution will be another big factor, but i rele cant wait to see.
Not Impressed (Dmitri) @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Your a retarded homosexual, Jake. My system is going to be better and everything you said about xbox isnt true. Happy?
Seriously though. Im a big fan of Sony's first party games. But I do not like the quality of their products. As I stated not too long ago. PS1, PSX, PSP, and PS2 all had major issues. Now I am not saying Nintendo and Microsoft havn't had their issues in the past. But I haven't experienced anything wrong when it comes to Xbox or Gamecube. But my PS2, well, lets just say its found a grave in my closet.
Im definitly on board with the rev. I dont care about the controller or the graphics or anything, I just want to play some of the great games from the past. And a few added new titles would be nice aswell.
Now, the Xbox360. The ayatollah of the controllah. Im on board with it aswell. Yes, I have said what is the point since most of the titles will be on PC anyways. But, lets face it, lag sucks. Ive thought it over and it would be great to play games like CoD2 on the x360 over the PC. Well for me. Ive seen what huxley and GoW can do, and I seriously doubt my PC will play it with that quality and speed.
PS3 time! I explained a bit of it above. But this is the end. I am looking forward to what the PS3 can do, but I have a feeling it will be my last console pickup. And if I do get it, it will only be for the exclusives. I do not trust alot of Sony's new ideas, but I am willing to pay the price, I did buy a PS2 after all. But I am seriously doubting the graphics capability and stability of the machine. The PS2 graphics shown at the E3 long ago, looked nothing to even the current PS2 games. And that is what I expect of the PS3.
Now I understand how I will be flamed, trolled, attacked, whatever because of this post. And that's ok. I love to mess with fanboys.
Sanitarium @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
An old adage says "Thunder is loud and impressive, but lightning does the damage"
For those who are incredibly stupid and dont know what I'm getting at, allow me to explain. Thunder=hype (and in this case, months before the console is even finalized) and lightning=games.
Nintendo understands this, just as they did with the DS, they're not going on the record to say how much better their console will be than the others, they'll just wait for it to come out and let the people judge for themselves. Sony and M$ are getting into all the talk about who's better. And theyre not even focusing on the important part, the games. Theyre claiming everybody will love their console because preliminary guesstimates show their console will perform slightly faster or powerfuller than the others. Lets wait for them all to be out on the market and then judge who we like better, because if you have any intelligence, you'll know these are all opinions, which is what they'll always be. There will never be a better system, just a system that somebody likes more.
Not Impressed (Dmitri) @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Umm. Sanitarium. How did MS do that? Gates knows the PS3 is more powerful, he even said that in an interview. But he also said that doesn't worry him. Everything I have heard and read about Microsoft and the Xbox360 is that they are TRYING to make it so everyone will love it, not that they HAVE made it so everyone will.
Sam @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Rog, both types of fanboys (The Sony-ites and Xbots) are equally stupid and the two sides dominate whichever thread is convenient to them. A Joystiq post talking about limited backwards compatibility? Boom, Sony fanboy flood. An article talking negatively about Ken Kutaragi? The Xbots come out in droves. You're naive to think that one fanboy is worse than the other- they are all arrogant and annoying as hell.
Taavi Taijala @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Jake Fry, I have an Xbox and I like it (mainly because I like FPS and Racing sims) and I think your comment is right on the dot. I get tired of coming to Joystiq and seeing Xbox and Sony fanboys act like little girls fighting over a doll. Do any of you people realize that this gives your console a bad name? No one wants to be associated with your immaturity. I personally am picking up a Revolution and if M$ manages to get good games on the 360, then maybe one of those as well. I'm not rich, so if the PS3 is much over 300, it's out of the question. There's no way I'm working overtime to buy a gaming machine, that's not nearly as important as the other things in my life.
chill @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Cocky yes, but thats usually what happens when you own a big % of the marketshare....Or have two very successful systems back to back. #7 said it best.
#11 The 07 launch was just a opinion piece...And at the end of both Sega's 16 bit and Nintendo 16 bit systems cycle. Nintendo's SNES had caught and over-run Sega's Genesis...And later sega's 32x and saturn became the big failures that doomed Dreamcast.
1. 32X A crappy $179 add-on that buyers got burned on.
2. Saturn over-priced launch $400. Rushed hardware, originally was built to push 2D graphics to the limit...But sega saw Sony was going 3D, so they rushed out a inferior chipset.
3. Dreamcast sweet tech, nice games and great launch price, $199. But it wasn't enough because a lot of former sega fans that felt burned had moved on or waited for the other systems.
Bedpanjohn @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Microsoft still isnt even making a profit in their entertainment end of the biz. $400 bucks for a console that is also a player for the next gen of movies and games is defiantly worth it. $400 bucks is nothing; Americans are just cheep when it comes to electronics.
Eric @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Regardless of price points, market share, processor power and etc., Kutaragi has always, ALWAYS been a raving crazyperson and that's all there is to it.
bravequail @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Personally i believe that the successes of the next generation consols will be decided not on the might of the machine but by the structure of its online play and the cost of the machine.
Sony hasn't stated formally the structure of its online play, and i think they're more focused on creating a machine that will "last for 10 years". Microsoft has already has an outstanding online service and can only build from its solid foundations.
The price of the PS3 is also a major concern as so much power is being put into the machine the price just rises and Kutaragi has stated that its going to be an expensive console. The problem with a consol breaking the $300 market is that the demograph that it appeals to suddenly narrows, a large portion of parents won't spend an extra $100 to $200 on a console for their child. People with low incomes will also find it hard to buy the console.
These are just 2 main reasons why i think so maybe a bit to cocky with their next console, history doesn't allways have to repeat itself so they shouldnt be concerned whether the X360 will be the next dreamcast but they should be concerned with keeping the price down and setting up a solid online service. Keep It Simple Sony!
svecias @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
OK. One thing I hate are sony fanboys. The other thing I hate are the ms fanboys on here too, you talk sh!t to the sony side saying how being a fanboy is crap, but you are sputtering the same shit.
So, sony is hyping a product. And microsoft has never done that, ever? I can name several times where both companies have "stretched" the truth, or in some cases, just blatently lied.
Sony isnt being cocky, they are being smart. the 2 hardware systems are totally different. it turns out that they *might* have a superior product. or maybe not. if it is superior, they will wait till they can make the costs come down on manufacturing, if it isnt, they will release it right away to compete.
you cant say one system will be better then another, its all about content. sure a 7800gtx can play games really really well, but, a 2 year old video card will play the games minus some eye candy.
ms fanboys and sony fanboys. sit down, shut the hell up, please. its really annoying.
we can have a better conversation once we have had a chance to play both systems, when they are RELEASED.
Not Impressed (Dmitri) @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
svecias people are impatient. if fanboys were to wait, their heads would explode. and little notes would fly out saying "ps3 is teh pwnage" and "teh 360 is teh sh!t".
eh. im giving every system their ups and their downs. im not really going to take sides, too much work. im just gonna get a ps3 then rev then maybe 360. who the hell knows, tomorrow i could say x360 then rev. doubt that will happen, but meh.
the problem is people care too much. who cares if the ps3 is better? who cares if the x360 is better? its all about the games. i remember when games were compared, and not consoles. like donkey kong vs. mario, sonic vs. golden eye, etc. now its all "terraflop" this and "nvidia" that. i say, fuck it.
Akunin @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
First and foremost I am not a "fanboy" of any system. I am, and have been for the better part of 20 years a fan of... games. During this time I have seen many, many systems come and go.. and "fanboy's" as well. I've seen Intellivsion, Atari, Commodore 64, Cd-i, Turbografx 16, Nintendo, Sega, 3DO, Sony, Microsoft, and a few countless others in my day. I look at the games and say "does this interest me?", because it is after all... just a game. I've had my favorites, Pong, dig dug, rygar, pac-man, a slew of Ninja Gaidens, Dragon Warriors, Final Fantasies (lots more). I've enjoyed countless experiences with friends, wheather they were sitting on the couch with me or playing online from another country... I just want to have fun. Gaming has evolved and I have been witness to some amazing things, but one thing never seems to change... "mine's better than your's". Does it really matter? Nope; the software does, the way a company listens to the market. Does anyone remember the 3DO? How about the cost? $700 ring a bell? And that was in 1993! It actually had a decent library of games, mostly arcade titles but it looked excellent for it's time. But, that's alot of change for a gaming system... and it ultimatly failed. Now whether this will happen to Sony's new machine.. only time will tell, granted the games won't cost $200 like they did on the 3DO so more examples are needed. I use the 3DO as an example due to the fact it was far more powerful than any system at the time (SNES, Gensis). It was a 32 bit system (with 16 bit stereo sound) in an era of 16bit. Ok, how about the CD-i? CD-i (CD interactive) was a system jointly developed by Philips Electronics and Sony.... Sony? You mean they made a machine that wasn't successful? (GASP!!) Everybody makes mistakes guys, and since we are all human we make more than one. 1993 also reminds me of the first 64bit system... 64 you say? Yeah the Atari Jaguar.. and Atari had a pact with IBM then (hmm.. the big 3 today do too!) but it wasn't exactly remembered as a stellar system (I personally did enjoy Alien vs Predator). It did possess "five processors which are contained in three chips." and was an advanced system for the time but it was destined to be a doomed system. My point here is this, the most powerful system doesn't always always win.
Sony does have an incredibly advanced system, but they even said at E3 that what was shown was a prototype and the system specs to this day are still changing. Microsoft too has an incredibly advanced system... let's think about this guys both are running over 3+ GHZ!!! I still enjoy my old NES deck and it runs at a whopping 1.79 Mhz!! The Playstation One had ran at 33.87 mhz (I just played Castlevania SOTN just this morning). The PS2... 300 MHz, Xbox... 733 MHz and what people don't seem to realize that we are jumping to the GHZ era! So the real winners here are us, the gamers. More than likely Sony will have to make a few changes to the system to make it more affordable, they have already announced the Hard Drive won't be standard so I wonder what else is likely to be "downsized". I however am not one who likes to go buy "attachments" ala 32x/segaCD and I hope that Sony doesn't continue to go down this road. Another thing that doesn't sit well with me is this. PSM says "Sony aims to keep initial HDD storage to the previously mentioned micro-drive, pitched at 80 gigabytes for the first batch. The intention is not to use this for games, but media storage such as movies, MP3s and digital photos, transferable across a PC, PSP or another PS3." Did you read that? "intention is not to use this for games"... I hate to say it but.. why? I like the idea of "patching" a game.. for example Halo2. Or playing my own music in a game rather than what someone wants me to listen to. Sorry, I'd rather listen to Pet Shop Boys than Tupac anyday, but that's my taste. Custom maps, cars, skins.. these are things that are begining to interest me. I'm not taking sides but these are things that a hard drive does allow... and it comes with a 360. I hope Sony doesn't go the other way, I want a gaming machine not a computer. If I wanted OSX I'd buy a mac, If I want to use Linux I'd use my PC.
"If Sony wants the PS3 to succeed not only as a game machine but as a multimedia/super-computer the OS (operation system) will play a major part in their success or failure."
Uhh... I just want to play games man...
Ryan Croson @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
This is actually something that my friends and I have been discussing over the past few weeks. I would agree that most people (despite the vocal internet minority) don't hold any allegiance to a particular brand. As such, if Sony launches too late at too high a price point, they're going to hemmorhage market share. I think that they'll probably come out on top in the next round, but if Microsoft has a year head start and has a system that's $100-150 less with more games, Sony's in trouble. Regardless of how much more powerful the PS3 will be than the 360, the bottom line is that Microsoft will be going in to their second generation of software, and there's no way that Sony's launch games are going to look as good. Remember when the PS2 launched? Words can't even begin to express the disapointment I felt that it took months before there was a single game that looked nearly as good as Soul Calibur did on the Dreamcast. Companies like Square Enix coming to their senses and realizing that they could be making way more money with multiplatform releases aren't helping Sony, either.
So yeah, I think that the Nintendo analogy is an accurate one. Sony's resting on their laurels and putting too much stock in their technology, which does nobody any good if they can't afford to buy it. Meanwhile, Microsoft is hungry, and they'll probably have the right technology with the right services at the right price point. I know that I'll buy all three systems (I like games, not manufacturers), but $400 is way too much to spend for a PS3. If that's the case, I'll be waiting on that one until it comes down in price.
John @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Signs that Sony's products are becoming more and more expensive could be first noticed with the PSP, for a handheld it is infact too expensive. However that didn't stop it from selling.
The PS3, will be too expensive for a home game console, but again, it won't stop it from selling. Or so Sony hopes, if this fails so does a huge division of their company, they're putting eveything into the PS3, so every Sony competitor out there should be working their asses off trying to make sure the PS3 fails.
Im gettin a Rev anyways, 360 is also nice,
woohoo @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
My guess is, the reason Sony selling their system for cheaper than it really is is that they cant take another beating of Microsofts Halo and Halo 2. With the next Halo coming, they have to make their console more powerful, but at a more affordable price. They surely dont want to lose more of its constumers. And they have to put more time into the games their developing. Like in graphicis-wise. Definetly
Logain @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
that was a good post akunin. I, too, am getting tired of every fanboy post here.
And yes, the majority of you complaining about fanboys are fanboys yourselves; in your self-righteous posts you still take a few shots at your rival console.
Get a life.