Sony gets realistic, but remains confusing
by Conrad Quilty-Harper 
{ Jun 7th 2006 at 5:55PM }
More PR strangeness from Sony: Niall O'Hanrahan, a representative of Sony Computer Entertainment in Ireland has added his words to the boiling pot of Sony sound bites. Speaking to the Irish Times, his words offer a slightly more pessimistic tone. Regarding tasks that Sony has set itself with the PS3, O'Hanrahan said "we have a marketing challenge from now until launch. This is not a done deal. It will require a lot of effort from us." He also referred to the extra competition that the PS3 has to face due to its role as more than just a game console: "Competition is now not limited to direct competition. We compete with MP3 players. We noticed at E3 that games for PCs are back."It's nice to see someone from Sony remaining realistic about the challenges the company faces as it tries to sell the PS3 to early adopters, especially considering the jolt that the value of the PlayStation brand must have taken after the console's price was announced. However, we have to point out an obvious contradiction in his words. Wasn't it Phil Harrison that said a few days ago that the PS3 will make the PC irrelevant? Who are we supposed to believe: Phil's harsh words for the PC, or O'Hanrahan's word of warning about PCs being "back" (in town)?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Colon D @ Jun 7th 2006 6:05PM
Back? Afaik PC games never left.
Platinum_Skeet @ Jun 7th 2006 6:07PM
PC Gaming will always hold tons of benefits over console and is still considerd the elite of gaming...
jOEfRO @ Jun 7th 2006 6:08PM
if sony would just market the ps3 as a video game console then they could put the ps3 out at 400 and drop blu ray and all of the rest of the competetive pc stuff in the ps3
DBX00 @ Jun 7th 2006 6:08PM
Phil's commment was in response to XBOX live anywhere which will require a PC for the service. In other words, it isn't saying that the PS3 will replace the PC but won't need it for it's services because it is already a PC. Let's stop just spreading the fales interpretations and rumors. I know everyone is really anxious to find out some new information, but let's not try to find some deeper meaning in their words.
Franky Digital @ Jun 7th 2006 6:12PM
Sounds like a last ditch attempt to save some face. I tell ya, Sony is making one bad move after another. Combine this news with the current rumours about the PS3 being designed to be upgradable like a PC.... and wow.
Rumours about PS3 being designed like a PC:
http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showpost.php?p=772350&postcount=1
____________________________
| Franky | frankcaron.com |
KwadDamyj @ Jun 7th 2006 6:21PM
Once again, I've got a baaaad feeling about this generation of consoles.
Self-absorption and chafe-tastic rebellion from Nintendo without explaining in clear terms what exactly their goal is, how it will be accomplished and WHY it will be accomplished. Sony for now thoroughly obvious reasons. Microsoft I actually have vague interest in at this point, if only 'cause they have an interesting game or two coming out for their box (Bioshock! Bioshock!).
Utter lunacy.
striderhayasa @ Jun 7th 2006 6:22PM
I agree with you Colon. PC gaming never left for second. and yeah skeet, it IS the elite of gaming bar none. It's a shame that Sony is marketing the PS3 this way. I would be more excited for it if it was just a gaming console but this crap about replacing the PC and being a computer is just retarded.
Jeremy Wright @ Jun 7th 2006 6:22PM
DBX00: By that definition, Live doesn't require a PC either. So... How's Sony got an advantage? Oh, right... Their basic service doesn't require the same features as the 360's way advanced ones...
Yeah, wow.
Hank @ Jun 7th 2006 6:30PM
The bar is set high and the proof is in the pudding, I just can't wait to see what's going to happen next.
Jouten Za @ Jun 7th 2006 6:43PM
Is there any statistical data showing what the score is on flames from all the fanboys?
I'm just curious about it, since this is an era where we keep statistical data on just about everything.
Cage @ Jun 7th 2006 6:57PM
WII (especially on this site) - 80 pts (fanboys will try to include this on just about any post. mostly kids and persons from outside the US, they describe this console as though its a mythical creature. Hope they arent disappointed.)
Xbox 360 - 65 pts (They have been slammed since launch but now get to release their tension. They also normally keep their console to posts about themselves or the PS3)
PS3 - 20 pts (Only have a few diehard supporters thru this tough time. Can they pull it off? Is there room for a comeback?)
So there you go. The updated score. Be sure to check in weekly.
jOEfRO @ Jun 7th 2006 7:00PM
i am a 360 fanboy and i respect the fact of what sony is trying to do, but at first i didnt kno that exactly of what they wanted to do but now, 600 is CHEAP, if they start marketing the ps3 as a 600 dollar blu-ray pc they dont need gamers to buy it b/c they have their target audience all ready
Enigma @ Jun 7th 2006 7:02PM
"Back? Afaik PC games never left"
There has been a HUGE decline in the PC gaming push the last 5+ years. As a sad PC Gamer myself, I noticed a HUGE reduction of support (versus ports) the past few years, not anywhere near the days of Command and Conquer, Mechwarrior and everything and their mother on the PC (THEN ported to consoles).
Now there are few original titles worth mentioning and mostly console to PC porting. You can not argue with that, even MSFT admitted they neglected PC gaming since the XBox came out and they promise to return it to it's glory with Vista, etc since it has not been the shining jewel of what it used to be.
Even though I still feel it is the most superior platform, even though I still will enjoy all 3 consoles.
Andir @ Jun 7th 2006 7:06PM
Another story trying to analyze (to the word) the meaning of something said by Sony. And they said XBox was an obsession.
AoE @ Jun 7th 2006 7:07PM
"PC Gaming will always hold tons of benefits over console and is still considerd the elite of gaming..."
By PC gamers perhaps. It's apples and oranges though. I could easily say the same about console gaming, and we could both come up with endless, very persuasive I'm sure, arguments why one format is superior to the other. Let's not confuse the size of a market with how "elite" it is though; the PC game market may be rarefied, but fewer gamers/games does not imply any kind of superiority.
Back on topic, it is nice to hear from at least one of Sony's talking heads that seems to have some grasp on reality. I'm no Sony fan, but it's still depressing to hear some of the craziness from that camp... Note to Sony: Let O'Hanrahan speak for you more often.
sabre @ Jun 7th 2006 7:15PM
"PC Gaming will always hold tons of benefits over console and is still considerd the elite of gaming..."
Spoken like a true PC elitist...don't you have some FPS and RTS games to play?
Since when does having to constantly upgrade your system to get all the bells and whistles from a game make you "elite"? Plus last time I checked consoles have a much broader range when it comes to game genres.
On a side note...Phil Harrison was full of crap when he said that PC's will be irrelavent. Most people got their taste of game design on PCs since it is an option that anyone can do as opposed to spending a couple thousand dollars for a console SDK.
Art Guy @ Jun 7th 2006 7:36PM
PC gaming is dieing, like it or not.
$953 million PC (and shrinking)
vs
$10.5 billion Console (and growing)
In fact, even the portable game market is bigger than PCs with $1.4 billion in software sales alone.
"The NPD Group, annual 2005 U.S. retail sales of PC game software saw sales figures reach $953 million, a 14 percent decrease compared to the $1.1 billion generated in 2004."
"The NPD Group... saw [console] sales of over $10.5 billion - a six percent increase over the $9.9 billion generated in 2004 and another industry record, exceeding the previous record-breaking $10.3 billion generated in 2002."
"For the second year in a row, sales of portable software titles broke the $1 billion mark, generating $1.4 billion in the U.S."
www.npd.com
bobeotm @ Jun 7th 2006 7:43PM
I think Sony has be taken aback by the big stink the world made over the price. Although the contents justify the price, as a games console, 600 is an incredibly tough sale. Luckily time heals all wounds, and the near final software we will see come September's Tokyo Game Show, will do alot to ease many's concerns over the system.
If only this Irish dude could get the others to put a leash on every now and then, Sony wouldnt have such a huge PR battle to fight. Even Ken Kutaragi has gotten into the act of restraint with his most recent interview. Perhaps they are getting the point.
Pretty Obvious @ Jun 7th 2006 8:02PM
"PC Gaming will always hold tons of benefits over console and is still considerd the elite of gaming..."
I didnt even have to look at Art Guy's figures to know that was total bullshit. I use to be a PC gamer back in the day, but realized spending money on a new video card every year to stay top of the line wasnt my thing. Plus who wants to sit at a table with a keyboard and play games when you can sit on a couch in front of a nice HDTV with surround sound.
So now Sony is calling the PS3 a computer? Just like PC gaming maybe theyll share the same number of sales this time around.
mercatfat @ Jun 7th 2006 8:07PM
yeah, could one of you explain your rationale behind "elite"? it could be read in a variety of different ways; l33t sk1llZ, cost prohibition, etc.
frankly, it sounds like you're just trying to justify your own insignificance by using hyperbole. sort of like the neo-Nazi party, I guess. (GODWIN ATTEMPT SUCCESSFUL)
i just can't get into the PC experience. a lot of games are ported, like Madden and GTA, but I can't imagine playing them in front of a computer screen in a desk chair; as opposed to playing on a couch. plus, party gaming with PCs is far more difficult than "plug four controllers into the box."
whatever works for you, i guess, but i don't think i'm in the minority when it comes to preferring a TV and console experience.
bobeotm @ Jun 7th 2006 8:23PM
I personally agree with O'Hanrahan's comment about PC gaming being "back". PC gaming goes through periods where few games are released and nothing much is happening on the graphics card front. Just think of the E3's where it seems like nothing is on the PC but one or two titles. Recently, with games like WOW, and the new games taking advantage of the most current cards, there is a resurging interest in PC gaming (for more than just a tiny selection of titles) that wasn't there a little while ago.
Sure, it never left, but it goes through phases where it becomes more populare than it has been, and thats something few can deny. With high profile pc games being talked about at this year's E3 just as much as console games, that is something the staunchest pc supporter can admit wasn't always that way.
I also dissagree that the PC is some "elite" platform. There may be games that will only work best on a PC, but I can think of a ton of console and arcade genres that are downright retarded on the PC (without some sort of peripheral to copy arcade or console imputs).
student @ Jun 7th 2006 8:44PM
Art Guy... unfortunately, your numbers don't include WoW subscriptions which alone generate around 900 million dollars a year. When you factor in other MMOs, that number gets even bigger.
the_game_master @ Jun 7th 2006 8:54PM
Maybe if Sony promoted more in America that the Linux Kit for PS2 transforms the console into a computer, more people would believe the PS3 as a worthy computer/video game upgrade. But know they didn't, they instead thought less of us, and that we wouldn't care about Linux so they promoted the feature over to other terrorites disbanded the US sales.
Now they're back, realizing their mistake with the PS2, they're trying to make it up with the PS3. Too little too late Sony, American consumers now can't even see a PS3 as being capable PC, even though technically it is possible. Maybe you should have promoted the PS2's PC features more to get the point across better.
Now gamers just see PS3 as a system with too much hardware waste. Nintendo and Microsoft are cashing in on the fall of the PlayStation empire.
video gaming industry continues...
Ian @ Jun 7th 2006 9:10PM
@#17 (Art Guy)
"17. PC gaming is dieing, like it or not.
$953 million PC (and shrinking)
vs
$10.5 billion Console (and growing)"
But those sales figures don't include episodic content or downloadable content (like stuff through Steam or EA) or MMO fees. With over 6 million subscribers paying each month on WoW thats well over 953 million. PC gaming will never die, there will always be, at least, solitare or bejeweled or some other casual games. Plus developers can easily port stuff from the 360 to the PC and vise versa. Plus PC game revenues don't need to be split between console makers like Sony and MS leaving more money to be made for the publishers, developers, and retailers.
Serious Kriss @ Jun 7th 2006 9:18PM
#17 : Nice try, but even NPD eventually realized that not accounting for online sales was a big mistake. So no, PC gaming isn't dying at all, it's just not growing as fast as console gaming. Plus those figures are US only, PC gaming is much bigger in Europe and Asia (Japan excluded).
Not to mention that this "dying" platform got more E3 awards than any other.
james f. @ Jun 7th 2006 9:24PM
There's a SCE head of Ireland? How wierd is that? It's nearly equivallent to having an SCE head of kentucky. No wonder sony has no value orientation...
Art Guy @ Jun 7th 2006 9:25PM
student - WoW subscription revenue did not bring in $900 million in 2005 unless you mean worldwide, and all the numbers I provided were for North America.
• The worldwide total for ALL subscription revenue in 2005 was $2 billion.
• Blizzard has stated that more than half of all their subscriptions were outside of North America.
• WoW has 50% of the market share of all MMORGs.
Therefore, WoW made at most $500 million, not $900.
Even adding the 1 billion of all NA subscription sales, the PC market is still far, far, behind consoles in sale numbers. In fact, the ONLY PC game in 2005 to (just barely) break over a million units in sales was WOW.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6145712.html
Shagi @ Jun 7th 2006 9:32PM
Anytime you hear the words, 'PC gaming is dead'. It means 1 of 2 things. I'm an idiot, or I want to sell you something.
PC gaming will never go away. Adults that have computers like to play games...and sometimes gasp...they don't buy gaming consoles.
Pixelbox @ Jun 7th 2006 9:38PM
The PS3 as a PC replacement would need a HDTV for sure, because you sure aren't going to be reading any websites on your old Zenith. It's plausible to play PS3 games on an old TV, but any kind of real PC use would require a better display, thus adding to the cost of the setup.
It'll be really interesting to see how this all comes out in the end. Sony has massive momentum from the PS2 and all the on-board developers, but they're making so many mistakes these days that it's difficult to see them raking in that same user base. Time will tell.
Staticneuron @ Jun 7th 2006 9:56PM
Seriously, I love my PC and I agree that PC gaming will never go away but people think about it for a second. How many killer titles have been out for the PC in the past 4 years? Now compare that to all the killer (selling at least over a million copies) console titles and then realize whats being said. It is great the blizzard can make up half a bill in PC sales but wads f money and attention going to pretty much less than 8 companies/developers doesn't signify a strong industry. The sales are weaker than consoles and the titles and selection that are considered the "best" on PC are incredably skewed. I hate to break it to those that don't know it but the PC industry is weak by comparison.
mike @ Jun 7th 2006 9:57PM
chafe-tastic rebellion from Nintendo without explaining in clear terms what exactly their goal is,
--
Huh? Have you been living under a rock for the past 18 months? Nintendo sees the market stats and the gaming industry is SHRINKING.. costs to make games are skyrocketing and margins are dwindling.. they're releasing a new kind of system that is better for developers and casual games alike.
Wii will be low powered and low cost.. and fun!
Jay @ Jun 7th 2006 10:08PM
PC gaming isn't dead, it will never die. I'm too tired to even bother arguing. but consoles will die before PC's. PC's are just everywhere. My gran has a PC, no console.
Also, take into account the inflation from PC to Console games. Compare Oblivion PC to 360, especially in the UK. I could buy Oblivion PC for £25 on the high street. £50 for the 360.
whatever PC games make double it to balance out the console side of things.
ps. I'm a Mac user who plays consoles. I'm just being realistic.
boots @ Jun 7th 2006 10:40PM
Jay, I think both are going to die at the same time. Once Microsoft buys the near bankrupt Sony in 2010, they'll get a hold of most markets relevant to them. Then, they will act just like their philosophy of "LIVE anywhere". A convergence device that includes cable TV, a Console, and a PC, all on your TV.
Monopolies rule. *sigh*
:(
the_game_master @ Jun 7th 2006 10:55PM
27. the greater majority of adults actually do play games on a video game console, not on a computer.
Only hardcore gamers, really nerds play games on the PC.
Their called hermits.
whatever @ Jun 7th 2006 11:11PM
pc gaming sucks : )
GVI @ Jun 7th 2006 11:21PM
PC gaming will never die truly die. It'll continue to evolve as it has always in the past. The one benefit of PC technology is the ability to upgrade.
I really don't understand the comment 'we compete with MP3 players.' How many people are buying the PS3 to play MP3s instead of a portable player? If anything, the newer generation consoles are complementary to MP3 players. But by no means am I going to lug around a PS3 to play music.
The real competition for the PS3 is the ability to sell people a console at such a high price point.
The ZeroCorpse @ Jun 7th 2006 11:25PM
In regards to WoW sales... Please don't attribute ALL those sales and subscriptions to World Of Warcraft to PC gaming. It's a dual-platform game, and the exact same discs work on Macs too. I would wager a large portion of the WoW sales numbers are Mac gamers. Maybe not as much as 50%, but certainly at least 20% of their sales are Mac users.
So you should reduce those numbers for "PC gaming" appropriately. You can't claim every single WoW for PC gaming, because it's just not true.
I have WoW. I do not have a PC.
sabre @ Jun 7th 2006 11:30PM
20% isn't a very high number...and even then I kinda doubt it's that high.
Eric @ Jun 7th 2006 11:35PM
Here's Sony's biggest problem when confronting their "marketing strategy". (I'm surprised nobody has ranted over this yet)
Sony wants to market the PS3 as something more than a console, something that is capable of making a run at PC's even...
Here is the problem...
The name is PLAYSTATION 3!!! Read it again.
PLAY----station.
Play station? That name conjures up images of what babies play with in their cribs. Play stations in a drooling baby's crib with colorful spinney things that make noise and fun knobs and such for babies to play with.
Why would they give it a name like PlayANYTHING if they want to market it as the most badass piece of gaming and media hardware ever? How can they name a "super computer" Playstation???
I see commercials that get people's attention with what experiences the PS3 will give them...They sit up in their seats, their attention grabbed...Then they slump back when they see a “kid's toy” logo on the screen PLAYstation.
Playstation is the perfect name for PS1 and 2 because they were mere consoles…not the “probably too cheap” super computer Kutaragi touts.
I'm no marketing major, but if you explain to the world your product is the cheapest $600 they've ever spent for what they are getting, then the name Playstation needs to be changed to something that more accurately reflects the image you want.
Ben Hobbs @ Jun 7th 2006 11:38PM
How is the PS3 like, or going to replace, a PC?
Sorry but you won't get people filing tax returns, doing online banking, photoshop, presentations, web development or the like on a PS3 - Jeez, I doubt you'll even get that many people using it as a blu-ray player.
Why don't SOny just concentrate on making a good gaming machine, not a multimedia centre, not a personal computer, not a lifestyle management centre etc..
Sounds like a case of Jack of all trades, master of none.
Eric @ Jun 7th 2006 11:38PM
They should rename it...
to REVOLUTION!!!
striderhayasa @ Jun 7th 2006 11:48PM
lmao! the Sony hype machine is in full effect once again! Bow down to your coporate overlords!
I don't know about the rest of you guys but I have no idea how Sony is going to recover from this PR debacle.
There is no way PS3 is going to live up to the hype and even worse, they have powerful competition from 360 and a strange beast to contend with in the Wii. I'm interested to see if Sony can pull a rabbit out of their hat and turn it around or is this the beginning of the end of Sony's domination.
If anyone sees a "Disk read error" during the PS3 launch window it's going to get ugly.
darryl @ Jun 7th 2006 11:51PM
I pre-ordered another one today.
cap-n-crunch @ Jun 8th 2006 12:36AM
I doubt it will have a "read disk error"
people are too familar with it,too mch baggage
it will probably be called something else
KawF @ Jun 8th 2006 1:02AM
"Wasn't it Phil Harrison that said a few days ago that the PS3 will make the PC irrelevant?" - Conrad Quilty-Harper
Yeah, see, here I was, thinking that it was about time we were done with reading misstranslated bullcrap, taken out of context, but apparently, no...
It was even corrected at your sister-site Engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/02/phil-harrison-sez-ps3-will-make-you-ditch-your-computer/
But fine...
Even more: http://forums.pcper.com/showthread.php?s=5875e418dd91f79980b007e59301aff2&p=3830706&postcount=9
"The interview was done in a foreign language. The true meaning is lost in translation. What Harrison said was that you'd need only PS3 to do what a 360 + XP MCE PC does. The article writer misled the public by using *gasp* a sensational title." - akhilles
Ah well... respect--;
devian @ Jun 8th 2006 6:19AM
Anyone else notice that the ones defending PC Gaming, are recieving minus stars, while the others attacking it, are recieving plus stars?
I SMELL A CONSPIRACY.
Brb, going to go get my friend Charlie Sheen on this conspiracy. He's over Tom Hanks house playing The Da Vinci Code on XBOX360.
bedpanjohn @ Jun 8th 2006 7:18AM
I think both microsoft and sony are trying to create a new revolution machine like the computer that will catch on and everyone will have in their home. This is a transitional period, but technology is always changing.
Sony is jumping the gun by saying the pc will be replaced by the ps3 but i do see the future going in the direction of having a machine that you hook to your tv that is for entertainment and then there are workstations that are used just for work use. I can see having one machine that plays your movies, games, music, tv, and web access. And if someone can create this at a cheap enough price and get a group hooked, then they are set.
That is kind how i am setup; i have a 50'inch monitor hooked to my pc and download the tv shows i want to watch instead of flipping mindlessly through channels. Then when i want to play a game i bring up half life, when i am bored i close it and read the news or whatever.
However; as for the next year I don’t see much changing, pc’s will be personal computers and playstation’s will be game stations/movie players just like the ps2.
But really who knows what is going to happen? no one…..
arrakisman @ Jun 8th 2006 8:32AM
I think guys like Alienware and Falcon Northwest have made us believe that you can only play games on the highest end PCs. I just built a PC for less that $1000 that was great and had no problem with games like Oblivion. We need to rememeber that the extreme gaming system are just that, extreme. As far as needing to upgrade every few months, thats just not true. I, and most of the guys in our lan group, can get at least two years plus out of a PC. Its greed and the need for something new that drive guys to upgrade, not requirments from the game. IMOA
Ty @ Jun 8th 2006 9:01AM
From the last time Sony or any other console (besides M$) appeared on the market I would say PC-Gaming has made quite the return. I mean the market for games seemed considerably less for pc games before playstatation 2 and was even less existent before playstation and consoles of that era. But 1 thing I think is evident is that even though PS2's appearance and other console appearances detracted from PC Gaming, it alone has ALWAYS been on a rise.
David @ Jun 8th 2006 11:22AM
What follows is an excerpt from the news
article
Harrison Says PS3 is a Computer:
Sony's papa has a lot to say about next-gen consoles, controllers, and connecting.
Written by Kathleen Sanders from IGN
Spiegel Online asked Harrison if he was concerned about the PS3 competing with the Microsoft's Xbox 360's ability to seamlessly network with PCs via Live Anywhere Harrison said, "No, this doesn't concern me and I don't think that it concerns the consumer. When you buy a game console, a primarily entertainment device, then you only want that. We believe that the PS3 will be the place where the users will play, watch movies, surf the web, and use other computer entertainment functionality. The PS3 is a computer. We don't need the PC."
Later on though, when asked about what sort of games he'd like to see come to PS3 and what sorts of games he found interesting Harrison emphasized about the importance of the social aspects of gaming, citing community creation in services like MySpace and Second Life as inspiration.
Spiegel Online pushed this issue, saying that to get to something like MySpace people need a PC. To which Harrison replied, "The PS3 has a browser, so you can access MySpace with it as well."
As you can see he is clearly refering to the features Xbox Live Anywhere bring to the table and the socializing features a PC offers. The examples he gives for the ps3 functioning as a computer are purely media and entertainment related, in no way he says that you won't need a PC for anything and that the ps3 is poised to take over the PC market and replace computers everywhere making them utterly useless.
It seems gaming sites are more interested in getting hits and causing revolt on boards. I'm really dissapointed with the state of videogame journalism, it really can't be taken seriously in general (there are a few exceptions). You see it everyday with dishonest previews and sesationalistic news. Videogame journalism sadly is still at a juvenile state and sadly it thinks it has already matured.
And guys really come on we are all gamers, what's the point in rooting for one console over the other? The truth is this generation seems to be one if the most competitive generation ever. All three console will have awesome games and none of them seem to be crap hardware or softwarewise. So we are gamers will enjoy a plethora of great games in the coming years, so lets enjoy that fact and stop the senseless bashing.