Cheaper PS3 targeting 'moms' as media center

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Oct 22nd 2007 at 3:15PM }

"I had written off Sony's PlayStation 3 game console as a flop, but it may be time to reconsider," opines Seattle Times columnist Brier Dudley, suggesting that the PlayStation 3 digital media center might defuse (and diffuse, as it were) the bomb in his mind. In his article, Dudley points to all the pieces as they drop into place: a $399 price point, an impending firmware update to improve the system's music streaming interface, a torrent of downloadable content on the PlayStation Network and the increased appearance of the PS3 in the home entertainment section of stores.

As the cheapest Blu-ray player, the $399 PS3 certainly stands to do well amongst the home enthusiast crowd, the people who are very much infatuated with the number of p's in their video content. However, senior vice president of marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America, Peter Dille, thinks this "broader entertainment experience" even appeals to to the all-important "moms." He suspects that if "she knows the whole family's going to get some lifestyle value out of this and not just the gamer in the house, it becomes a ... better value proposition."

Unfortunately, this proposition hinges on several other technological factors. Does mom have an HDTV? Can she tell the difference between a Blu-ray and a DVD? With the latter format still effortlessly bulldozing HD-DVD's and Blu-ray's minute battlefield, it seems too early to play the "It plays HD movies!" card as a means of broadening the audience. If Halo 3 and Wii Sports are any indication, games are still the most effective console salesmen. Is exchanging third place in one market (where moms are already spoken for) for a number one spot in a niche really the solution?

[Via Evil Avatar]

Tags: Media-Center, PlayStation-3, Sony

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:24PM

sigh, not this again.

sony listen to me and listen to me carefully: STOP ADVERTISING THE PS3 AS A MEDIA CENTER. MOST PEOPLE DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT CRAP. IT'S A GAME CONSOLE, A FUCKING GAME CONSOLE.

And besides, Moms are the wrong people to try to advertise to.

Spartacus @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:35PM

Agreed. It is this kind of marketing and philosophy that put Sony in this (and by this I mean last) position in the first place. The playstation brand is for gaming. If Sony wanted to push the blu-ray movie format, they should've done so with another product.

FOXHOUND @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:48PM

ugh. Alright. Here we go. The comment to end all comments on this subject of SONY aiming at mothers; especially in reference to the picture. FOUR. LETTERS.

M _ I _ L _ F

... and there you go. ;D

eclipse27 @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:53PM

u fucking retard.....Goku and Gohan are always cooler than Vegeta

DBZ forever

FrankTheCrank @ Oct 22nd 2007 4:12PM

How does what Peter Dille said translates into SONY TARGETING MOMS????

Where in the story did Sony state that they were SPECIFICALLY targeting mom's?

Another sensationalist news story brought to you by Joystiq.

mike @ Oct 22nd 2007 4:16PM

besides the ps3 will never be purchased as a media center (360 too) until these systems handle proper popular formats, like divx/xvid and x.264 which is now taking over for the HD scene.

And even then, its not the moms who will be buying them. My mom cant even hook up a regular dvd palyer, I doubt she is going to understand what a media center is.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Oct 22nd 2007 4:20PM

Newsflash: 360 handles x264 natively. But the file has to have AC3 soundtrack, otherwise no good.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Oct 22nd 2007 4:22PM

"Sony's also working with retailers to change how the console is sold and displayed. This holiday season it will appear more often in the home-entertainment section, alongside TVs and DVD players, as well as in game sections.

Retailers are also being coached on how to sell the system to "moms" as "a broader entertainment experience," Dille said.

"If she knows the whole family's going to get some lifestyle value out of this and not just the gamer in the house, it becomes a ... better value proposition," he said."

English motherfucker. Can you read it?

Comment curtesy of Ska Oreo.

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Oct 22nd 2007 4:39PM

@eclipse.

hahahahah. You make me laugh.

DP @ Oct 22nd 2007 5:20PM

Yah dude, you are right. Cut with the media center bull cuz no one is buying it.

Brello @ Oct 22nd 2007 5:23PM

Yeah, that's pretty much right on the money. If only Sony would stop dabbling with hardware and "new markets" and get back on track. The PS2 didn't kick so much ass last generation because it played DVDs and CDs. Remember media center PCs? Those silly pcs designed to be set up next to your TV to control everything with "ease". Yeah, oh wait, nobody remembers those because nobody wants a "media hub".

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 22nd 2007 8:52PM

Nintendo already zeroed in on the mom demographic with a deadly surgical strike for less than half the price. Moms are no longer an option, Sony. My mom wouldn't know the difference between a blue ray and a red ring of death. For Christmas my mom walks into Best Buy and asks "What's the best video game?" and let's some random dickjob in a blue shirt decide what I get for Christmas. What I'm getting at is, moms were an easy target, and Nintendo got 'em first.

Synner @ Oct 22nd 2007 9:35PM

I built a media center pc, and it rocks fukkin hard. I can copy all my dvd to HDD, no getting up to change them, hd dvr, and all classic console games via emulator and X360 controller adapter, screw wii virtual console.

Frank @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:25PM

Couldn't disagree more. Having worked in video game retail and Best Buy, mothers overall had no idea on almost any of it. They were just there to get the thing on Johnny's Christmas list. If you tried to explain it to them, "oh yea I don't understand any of this stuff, my husband usually handles it"

kennethrios @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:41PM

Having working at a Best Buy in Cali., I second this comment.

HineyWipe @ Oct 22nd 2007 4:02PM

Sony: you wanna move more uh deez PeeEztrees? Tell yas what I tink, I tink if youse guys bundled some of dem der Disney Bluray kiddie movies wit dis, ah bets it takes off like dem hot cakes! Voom! Da ladies will will get di hot stuff for junior. Nuttin like skimpin da babysitter and just plopin the brats infront of a Disney movee, ya knows what I'm sayin?

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:25PM

The PS3's problem in this particular market is that it is called "Playstation 3." Moms know that they "playstation" is a confusing toy for their children with indecipherable controllers and I have a hard time imagining they would get one for themselves.

MakAttack @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:27PM

I agree, if Sony wants to target the PS3 to moms, they need to offer a pink or stainless steel version (no finger prints) and maybe call it the PeeThree or even just Pee or something similar. ;)

Spartacus @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:26PM

Uh, $400 isn't the pricepoint moms will start buying in at. Tech geeks? They would've bought the PS3 at launch when it was already the cheapest blu-ray player.

I'm not sure I understand what point this guy was trying to make...

gonk @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:26PM

^^ those 3 already said it all

upz @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:28PM

Dream on, Dille. My mom doesn't care about my PS3. Neither does my kid's mom.

samfish (MSDF- Nurse Outfit!) @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:30PM

Haha- Damn, Sony really IS out to lunch on the PS3, aren't they?

If Sony think they're going to market this thing as a Media Center, the first thing they need to do is give the interface a SERIOUS overhaul.

Boss Tempo @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:57PM

Oh just wait til HOME comes out. That's gonna save it alright.

Cellien @ Oct 22nd 2007 4:25PM

Samfish, I totally agree. I don't own a PS3, so I haven't had extensive time with the interface, but I understand it's a lot like the PSP which I found very frustrating. Sony should have focused on games, they would have way more sales.

Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Oct 22nd 2007 5:57PM

ZOMG. So I'm not alone who's frustrated with the "cross bar menu" thingy...

XBM looks nice. Works mostly OK. But it is most non-obvious menu I have ever seen. Intuitive - yes. But it is also very tiring and forces you to look again on screen carefully everytime - to be sure that what you see is what you need. Also, finding stuff in XBM is sometimes nontrivial: my friends who have PSPs (PS3 interface matches it) still can't guess from first time where particular option/function is located.

On other side, I can't think of better interface suited for classical controller: XBM is made for D-pad. The problem would be that Media Center functionality calls for classical TV remote - and XBM is plainly not suited for it. Though software update can fix that, would Sony ever really want it.

P.S. Well, though DS has touch screen - and can afford to have any kind of interface, I'm thrilled that Nintendo had chosen to make DS interface as it is: one huge button "Start Game in Slot 1".

ColossalHat @ Oct 23rd 2007 12:40AM

"But it is most non-obvious menu I have ever seen. Intuitive - yes. But it is also very tiring and forces you to look again on screen carefully everytime - to be sure that what you see is what you need."

Good lord, I hate seeing that word used improperly. Look here people, intuitive is a derivation of intuition; intuition is roughly equivalent to common sense. So saying something is intuitive and tough to control/navigate is quite oxymoronic.

Bak to the topic, the media center angle doesn't work, if you're gonna spend that much on something, you may as well spend it on a DVR,(HD)-DVD or blue ray player, and some decent speakers, or just forget HD altogether and get a massive TV to top it off.

Fish @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:31PM

I think this is misinterpreted. Instead of "Mom, buy me this Wii so I can play games" it becomes "Mom, buy me this Playstation 3 because it does more than just game. We could put all our pictures on it, and watch movies and stuff"

If moms see an aspect of the PS3 that they will use, they will be more inclined to accept the proposition of a purchase.

But then again, moms usually don't care about 1080p, Blu-Ray or Ratchet & Clank (is this "the" game that will put PS3 on the map now? I've lost track of which one I'm supposed to accept as my gaming mesiah.)

Whatever. If Sony wants to widen their target audience so much that they just clusterfuck themselves into the ground, let them.

i_hate_mtv @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:36PM

"is this "the" game that will put PS3 on the map now? I've lost track of which one I'm supposed to accept as my gaming mesiah."

I believe that game is supposed to be Final Fantasy 13. Some say it's Metal Gear Solid 4. But all I know is, one game is not gonna save PS3 from 3rd place.

gonk @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:38PM

it used to be "lair"

hahahahahahahahaha

hydralisk456 @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:40PM

What? Wasn't it Heavenly Sword?

gonk @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:44PM

yeah, for 5 hours

FrankTheCrank @ Oct 22nd 2007 4:05PM

And you think I'm brainwashed? dude...where's your 360? In for repairs, again?

If I have an Sony chip in my head, you have a Microsoft tattoo on your ass with a heart around it.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Oct 22nd 2007 4:24PM

My 360 is in my living room, where its been since I bought it off e-bay in the spring.

Where are you're games worth playing? Still in development, I see.

Brello @ Oct 22nd 2007 5:35PM

"...Ratchet & Clank (is this "the" game that will put PS3 on the map now? I've lost track of which one I'm supposed to accept as my gaming mesiah."

Hahaha, there's been a lot of "this is the one!" type games lately, hasn't there? I just like how all these uberfans come out of the woodwork. It's like those people who go batshit insane when their team goes to the superbowl, but do nothing when they only have a decent season. I bet some of these (insert next ubergame) fans have never even played the game/s preceeding it.

MegaSnort @ Oct 22nd 2007 8:52PM

Jeez, its not like a single game release can drastically improve sales, even putting it in 1st place albeit for 1 month... *goes back to playing Halo 3*

FrankTheCrank @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:31PM

Anybody who has one knows how amazing the system is for photos, music and downloadable trailers...not to mention web browsing.

I've got about 30 MP3 albums on there and got tons of pictures of the house I'm building....not to mention, I use it to quickly jump on Joystiq or Engadget using the browser.

But lately, I'm either playing DiRT, Heavenly Sword or Warhawk...I love this system.

Fish @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:37PM

Everything you just listed (minus the games) could be done 100 times easier on a PC.. which you already own. Just because I just bought a portable DVD player doesn't mean that I'm going to stop watching movies on my big screen. Why would use an obviously inferior product and inconvience yourself when a much simpler solution exists?

And how can a system be "amazing" at downloadable trailers?

gonk @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:39PM

fish, you can't un-brainwash frank, the sony chip has full control of his brain

GRANTED @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:41PM

i love my ps3 too but let's not pretend like it has a passable web browser. and who really needs a media center to look at photos.

i love mp3 playback (esp the playback from my laptop via wifi, forgot the 4-letter acronym for that). if it had divx playback (with codecs), then i would DEF use it as storage for "non-official" movies.

i am happy with my decision to buy this over a 360. love the bluetooth, love the usb charge for my headset and controllers, love the HD bluray, love the psn, and absolutely love the rock hard reliability. we don't have as many games as 360, but there are more than enough for me.

but moms won't care about all of that stuff; sony you are making another mistake.

Fish @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:43PM

Now I remember why I stopped commenting on this site. I can't stand to watch the idiocy go unchecked.

Vidikron (FU) @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:48PM

@fish

But most people don't have PCs in their entertainment centers, nor do most people have any interest to do so. I'm not saying that that should be the focus of advetising, but I'm not against those things being on these systems. I've used the media extender capabilites of both my PS3 and 360 on different occasions. The same goes for the web browser. It's slow and incomplete compared to the browser on my PC, but my PC is upstairs so I have used it from time to time to check something on the internet.