Japan's PS3 ads strangely endearing
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Nov 6th 2007 at 11:25PM }
We're not exactly sure what's being said (as our well-paid Japanese translator is partying in Ibiza), but we're sure our trusty comment crew can come up with some answers. We have a basic idea of what's being said in the ad above (the others can be found after the break), as the father is convincing the mother that buying Ratchet and Clank for their son is a good idea -- of course, in the last scene, it's the father playing the game as the son tries to take the controller away from him. We're just happy there isn't any cup-stacking, bike-riding or defecating women in these ads. These PS3 ads have people talking, a little bit of game footage, and then people playing the system. Keep it simple, stupid.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
gonk @ Nov 6th 2007 11:29PM
wii would like to play
Brandon @ Nov 6th 2007 11:32PM
I think the japanese ads are kooky and sweet. Not too agressive, and actually quite charming. I like the one where the kid is talking to his family, like they are all graduated from some PS3 deprived support group.
mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Nov 6th 2007 11:40PM
I still don't like the American ones. Too "I'm hardcore! You are a male between the ages of 15 and 23! You have to buy me!" for my tastes.
ThornedVenom @ Nov 7th 2007 2:41AM
Consoles are the new pubes.
colin @ Nov 6th 2007 11:41PM
moar defecating women plz
Rubang B (BRUSH WITH FAME) @ Nov 7th 2007 12:04AM
1997. Suck it Sony.
http://home.business.utah.edu/mktrwb/candies.jpg
Rubang B (BRUSH WITH FAME) @ Nov 7th 2007 12:06AM
1997. Suck it Sony.
http://home.business.utah.edu/mktrwb/candies.jpg
Count Noobula @ Nov 6th 2007 11:42PM
I think they are saying: "Can we please get a second mortgage and buy a PS3?" or "Financing available for PS3" or "Please, please, please, let us buy a PS3 that way Sony doesn't go under, and I lose my job there."
Count Noobula @ Nov 6th 2007 11:43PM
I kid, I kid. PS3 is finally gaining some steam.
gonk @ Nov 6th 2007 11:46PM
well it's always been doing ok in japan simply because of the name and the gullibility of japanese people. in the usa a lot of people with ps2s are getting 360's, we just follow the good games
mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Nov 6th 2007 11:53PM
"been doing ok in japan simply because of the name and the gullibility of japanese people"
Americans aren't gullible? What do you call consistently buying hardware that you know has a high percentage of failure within a few months over and over again?
gonk @ Nov 6th 2007 11:56PM
i'd call that someone who has a lot of good games worth playing
but I've only bought 1 360 myself, 2 years ago
mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Nov 7th 2007 12:15AM
Whatever you say, chief.
gonk @ Nov 7th 2007 12:16AM
Master chief?
Rubang B (BRUSH WITH FAME) @ Nov 7th 2007 12:23AM
Why is everybody voting gonk up and voting nimblewick down? Are you all really that racist? I'd take RROD-insulting over generalizing an entire country any day.
How many consoles have problems so common they get their own nicknames again?
The Japanese are a different market. Microsoft has no idea how to market themselves over there. That's Microsoft's problem, not Japan's problem.
mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Nov 7th 2007 12:24AM
Naw, I haven't sworn my allegiance to him yet.
gonk @ Nov 7th 2007 12:31AM
disc read error
Burnt Meatloaf @ Nov 7th 2007 5:51AM
@mr nimblewick: Given sales of the iPod, I think I have to agree. Literally everyone I know who bought one had to replace it within a year, and *none* of them sent back their player under warranty. Apparently, people don't get upset when something breaks, so long as it looks pretty.
ComicShaman @ Nov 7th 2007 9:17AM
@Burnt Meatloaf:
Nice of you to share your anecdotal and lopsided assessment of the iPod's reliability. If you're curious about statistics that are meaningful, try this:
http://www.macintouch.com/reliability/ipodfailures.html
Be sure to read the whole thing, not just look at the charts.
GRANTED @ Nov 7th 2007 9:40AM
no one cares about your ipod or your mac, this is a video game website. go to engaget if you want to tell everyone how great apple is.
Wyvernlink @ Nov 6th 2007 11:58PM
The thing that I like about those ads is that they get their point across without being annoying. Much better than the European commercials and most of the American ones.
That and they don't last for a minute and a half...
TeamAwesome @ Nov 7th 2007 6:35PM
PS3 beats Xbox 360 in 2009.
zuburi @ Nov 7th 2007 12:45AM
They're saying they've waited a year to play these games (Gundam, Boku no Natsu Yasumi, Everybody's Golf 5). Then an esper farts and blows the curtain in their faces (the last part is pure conjecture).
Alex Foygel @ Nov 7th 2007 1:20AM
I don't normally pay attention to the authoring credits on random technology articles I mindlessly read, but could this be the same Alex Sliwinski I went to high school with in suburban Massachusetts?
Shagittarius @ Nov 7th 2007 1:22AM
I think in the first video it goes like this:
Man: Honey, can we get a PS3 please?
Woman: I don't know you remember what happened when we got a PS2 don't you?
Child: Oh no!
Man: That will never happen again!
Child: Mom! Dads whiping his ass on the carpet again!
Punkbouncer @ Nov 7th 2007 2:52AM
The first one (spot 3)
Dad: Takashi's been doing well in school, hasn't he?
Mom: You're right, honey.
Dad: But I think he would do even better if we bought him "ratchet" on the PS3!
Kid: Alright dad!
(break)
Kid: Aww, come on dad!
Second one (spot 4)
Husband: Hey, hey, didn't you say I could get a PS3 when "such-and-such-a-game" came out? I really like it! Didn't you say I could get it when --
Wife: Yes I did.
Husband: Right?
Third video (spot 2)
Kid: I've always liked "such-and-such" a series, but I couldn't play number 7. After waiting a year -- a whole year -- I can finally play it! *clap clap* So without further ado!
Fourth video (spot 1)
Just the dad, mom, and son announcing the games they've been waiting a year to play.
All videos in this campaign are followed by "Yaritakattazou!" which roughly means "I've been wanting to do it!"
MasterCKO @ Nov 7th 2007 3:03PM
Good translations. I'm just filling in some of your omissions.
Spot 4:
The game he talks about is 'Musou 5', shortened from Sankoku Musou, I think, which is the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' franchise in the US (IIRC). I haven't played them in a while, so I forget the exact name.
Spot 2:
The game he talks about is 'Rijji,' referring to Ridge Racer. And it was like "I've waited a year for this day!"
Spot 1:
Games that they said they've waited for
Dad: Ridge Racer 7, Gundam Musou (the collaborative game that looks and plays like Sankoku Musou, but is in the Gundam universe -- which I played a demo of and is awesome, btw)
Son: Boku Natsu 3 (Boku no Natsuyasumi 3 - My Summer Vacation 3)
Mom: MinGol 5 (Minna no Golf 5 - Hot Shots Golf franchise in the US)
And the tag line above PLAYSTATION for the end cap is "Subete ha, kokoro ugokasu tame ni" which is something like "It's all to move your heart..." (I know that sounds awkward the way I've written it, but it makes sense in the Japanese).
I really like this ad campaign. It's definitely really sweet and touching.
Orangecoke @ Nov 7th 2007 11:30AM
"Americans aren't gullible? What do you call consistently buying hardware that you know has a high percentage of failure within a few months over and over again?"
Eh - my launch box still works flawlessly and I think it's pretty easy to get a replacement if you have a problem. Main thing is, as someone else said, I follow the games. The reason I havent bought a PS3 has nothing to do with hardware reliability, there just arent enough must-play games on the system yet.
GoonieGooGoo @ Nov 7th 2007 3:32PM
I'm always amused at how everyone blows the RROD issue out of proportion.....and how soon they have forgotten their upside down PS1s, and replaced PS2s.
My entire family had to replace their PS1s once, and their PS2s twice. Which means 4 siblings = 8 PS1s, and 12 PS2s....talk about reliability issues.
Brello @ Nov 7th 2007 3:01PM
Hey look, it's a game console. It's about time they started advertising that. Their marketing department is just moronic most of the time. I love the shortness of them too, even the new American clips just seem to last too long while looking at the swiss-army-ps3...the bicycle ad takes the cake though, that is just pure torture.
GoonieGooGoo @ Nov 7th 2007 3:27PM
How is your japanese translator partying in IBIZA?? this is the offseason....most everything is closed.