Sony places twice in list of business blunders
by Kyle Orland 
{ Dec 18th 2007 at 12:15PM }
Given the PS3's precipitous fall from presumed console war winner to a seemingly perpetual runner-up status in domestic and foreign sales, we could probably fill a list of 101 dumb business moments using Sony alone. While Fortune's list of 101 dumb business moments of 2007 isn't so narrowly focused, Sony still manages to show up twice for two separate PR blunders.Fortune gives the 61st position on the list to Sony's over-the-top God of War II launch party and the furor it drew from animal rights groups. Never mind that the reality of the event was much tamer than the media sensationalism -- in public relations, perception quickly becomes reality (In fact, even now Fortune repeats the Sony-denied claim that journalists were invited to "reach inside the still-warm carcass of a freshly slaughtered goat to eat offal from its stomach.")
Trailing right behind at No. 63 on the list is the Church of England's vocal objections to the use of Manchester Cathedral in Sony's Resistance: Fall of Man. Again, it doesn't really matter that Sony apologized twice or that the cathedral's use wasn't any worse than that seen in popular movies. Once the story is out there, the PR damage is hard to undo. Dumb, but true.
[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
gonk @ Dec 18th 2007 12:19PM
hmm, i can think of like 10 worse things that happened for sony this last year, neither of those 2 stories mattered to me
lordwindowlicker @ Dec 18th 2007 12:36PM
....and what would those be?
Fernando Rocker @ Dec 18th 2007 12:45PM
Well, the first one will be the creation of the PS3.
mr nimblewick @ Dec 18th 2007 1:00PM
The creation of the PS3 wasn't this year. How about trying to sell the PS3?
Cabcru @ Dec 18th 2007 1:45PM
Offering to buy back unsold PS3s for $1200 will always be my favourite (at a time when most shops still had them stacked floor to ceiling).
In fact, any time a Sony exec opened their mouths, you were usually in for a blunderpalooza.
Fullmetal Salchemist @ Dec 18th 2007 3:32PM
The DRM thing probably should have been on the list.
Vidikron (FU) @ Dec 18th 2007 12:21PM
That's the two they picked? WTF? Number 61 was definitely a dumb PR move, but it was overblown. And Sony has nothing to appologize about for #63. There are clear better PS blunders from Sony to choose from.
Bluebrake @ Dec 18th 2007 1:48PM
Exactly. With the tomes of dumb shit Sony has done over the last year, they pick these ones? The two most overblown, manipulated, or just plain falsified events put together by dishonest parties outside the company? (If anyone needs a reminder, the first was from a journalist who didn't bother going to the press event and so just made up what he thought it might have been like, and the second was an invented controversy by the Church of England trying to make a quick buck).
I guess the stupidest PS3-related moves were design choices that went back before it was even released, but that still leaves an awful lot of stuff to pick from.
Zootittles @ Dec 18th 2007 2:29PM
The list on the whole was pretty pathetic. Most of the picks were there just to wittily piggyback on other entries.
Leobebes @ Dec 18th 2007 12:24PM
Did anyone catch the Today Show this morning? Or I think it was the CBS morning show...Anyways, they had some Christmas gadget guru on there and they gave him a set of gadgets and his job was to recommend which one to pick. One of the selections was that of the major consoles. They asked him which one would you pick. This summary went like this;
Dude:"The PS3 has blue ray, the Xbox 360 has HD DVD, and the Wii has motion controls."
Matt Lauer: (paraphrased) "So the Wii is the one to pick because it gets people off the couch"
Dude:"Yea the Wii is the best pick!"
That was it! Nothing else. It's like they picked the Wii due to its popularity. Which blew me away because they chose the iPhone LG comparative model over the iPhone.
Fernando Rocker @ Dec 18th 2007 12:26PM
Wii60 is the best pick...
gonk @ Dec 18th 2007 12:31PM
dude, it's "the today show", it's retarded trash for soccer moms
Fernando Rocker @ Dec 18th 2007 12:33PM
Anyone wants to play Burnout Paradise with me?
FOXHOUND @ Dec 18th 2007 12:33PM
I'm told ejecting and replacing VHS tapes get people off the sofa too. So by the show's logic, we should also rush out and get hard-to-find VHS players too.
Synner @ Dec 18th 2007 12:56PM
Shut up fernando, everyone knows you like the wii. In fact, if you like it so much how do you have time in between humping on it to make so many posts that add nothing to the topic?
Fernando Rocker @ Dec 18th 2007 12:58PM
The man with the toy guns is mad with me...
I'm scared =(
Fernando Rocker @ Dec 18th 2007 1:05PM
Well... I have a lot of friens from Joystiq in my MSN, Wii Adress and Xbox Live... they are not agree with you.
FidliousWong @ Dec 18th 2007 2:12PM
They are not agree with you? I personally feel the only thing you hate more than Sony is the English Language.
Okay, look... it's not hard to find followers on joystiq. Hell, even I've managed to snag a couple although I'm entirely confused how. Basically what you've done is taken a popular internet trend (Sony hate) and managed to reiterate it at any given point. A vast majority of the time, your points make no sense. Let's go over this thread here....
"Wii60 is the best pick..."
Should I compare this internet movement with a bowel movement? You want to know how Reggie feels about Wii60? He'd prefer people buy more Wii games instead of a 360. How about MS's Peter Moore? He's stated 360 is in a class all it's own and shouldn't be considered in combination with another device. Two leaders from both camps basically saying the Wii60 movement is retarded, and you cling to it like a dingleberry (that one's for you, Carlin).
"Anyone wants to play Burnout Paradise with me?"
The hell, man?!? I'm going to link a video, you'll watch it. Maybe you'll get the joke, maybe you won't.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQBGWNyBwyE
Regardless, what does Burnout have to do with anything here?
"The man with the toy guns is mad with me...
I'm scared =("
Okay, I'll grant this one. Oh well.
Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Dec 18th 2007 3:21PM
Dude. The today show appeals to moms who really don't know/care about gaming. Of course they're going to pick the Wii!!
borland502 (SDF - Macross Ring) @ Dec 18th 2007 3:53PM
"Wii60 is the best pick"
I don't know comrade. If I had to pick two out of three consoles I think I'd pick up a 360 before a Wii. The Wii is fun, but it has the unpleasant tang of lemming.
Seriously Fernando, you were getting better and then you sunk right back down to trolldom. I don't quite get it. I don't hate the 360, or the Wii, and I'd buy all three if I had the resources for it. I talk a little smack, but I don't have a fervent underlying belief that you can't have fun on a console you don't own. Were you like this last generation? I hope your inane attacks are at least consistent.
XCUBE FTW! Saturn64 rulez!
Mr Khan @ Dec 18th 2007 4:44PM
Feh
The Fernando haters are just as bad as he ever got
Bill Kutargi @ Dec 18th 2007 12:37PM
LOL!
I think it should have been at least 5! They a decent company but there a bit thick on there public relations. Which is why the majority on this site arn't very fond of Sony. There not that bad! They just cant keep there mouth shut! As einstein once said
"If A equals success , then the formula is: A = X + Y + Z, where X is work, Y is play, and Z is keep your mouth shut!"
Sony arn't very good at "Z" Unlike ME! Bill Kutargi - CEO os Sonysoft
FoxHoundADAM @ Dec 18th 2007 12:31PM
Of all the dumb things Sony did last year those were the two they picked!?!?!? Wow those are about 90 and 91 on my list of Sony's 101 worst ideas of 2007.
Marty @ Dec 18th 2007 12:31PM
Whether the list hit the worst moments or not, there's no denying how badly Sony has fumbled over the last few years. It'll be interesting to see if they recover, and what they might have learned from all of this moving forward.
Poisoned Al @ Dec 18th 2007 12:49PM
If Nintendo is a good yard stick, they'll be on their arse, scratching their heads for awhile yet.
Jason @ Dec 18th 2007 1:48PM
I think "last few years" is pushing it, nobody had a problem with them until late 2006 and through to today.
Tom @ Dec 18th 2007 3:11PM
"nobody had a problem with them until late 2006"~Jason
Not true. I started having a problem with them after finishing Shadow of the Colossus and realizing there wasn't a sequel out yet.
xFenixKnightx @ Dec 18th 2007 12:32PM
I remember the first time I connected to Xbox Live with COD2 and then Gears...
"Sparks flew, motions ran high. It really talked to me. Wrrrrrrrrrrrrr, tractor beam...sucked me right in!"
ShortFuse @ Dec 18th 2007 12:32PM
I still don't see how PS3 is a failure. I mean with no games and bluray, it's selling the same rate as the xbox360 did in its first 14 months. I've said this all this before. In the US it's not selling as well. It's still selling. I think everyone is buying into this "PS3 is failing" when it's not. It's really not. It's just not selling as fast as people want it to sell.
The thing has near 0 AAA titles, highest priced console and competiting against two other consoles. By comparison, Xbox360 should be considered a "failure" in its first 14 months since it was up against the PS2 and GameCube.
MakAttack @ Dec 18th 2007 12:38PM
ShortFuse:
The PS3 is a smash hit as a BluRay player. It's the reason why BR is whooping HD-DVD's butt.
The PS3 is a disaster as a game console. A lot of those people who bought PS3s have no interest in playing games. They use it to watch movies.
Leobebes @ Dec 18th 2007 12:39PM
"I mean with no games and bluray, it's selling the same rate as the xbox360 did in its first 14 months"
I am sick and tired of seeing this statement over and over and over! Stop it! As long as the PS3 does not overtake the 360 in monthly sales consistently then it will be seen as a failure. Do you understand this? Every month the 360 sells more than the PS3 the more ground the PS3 loses. Its basic math, don't spin the numbers, a second year faulty console by one of the most reviled corporations in the world is soundly beating the Playstation brand month to month. The Ps3 so far is a failure.
FOXHOUND @ Dec 18th 2007 12:42PM
It is doing subpar, but not a complete and utter failure. IMO, if it were at that point, Sony would've ceased production entirely and attempted to salvage profit via PS2/PSP.
As even the AP has remarked, I think Sony should've held off an extra fiscal year or two to not only get developers up to speed on creating titles for the PS3, but to get the BluRay format hyped and comprehended that much more. Afterall, it's a bit sad to walk into a BestBuy to hear a consumer and their family debate their decision of BluRay or HD DVD solely on which case colour matches their living room better.
Fernando Rocker @ Dec 18th 2007 12:42PM
It's selling like a Bluray player... but the PS3 is the system that sell less software.
Yes, the Wii sells more software than the PS3.
ShortFuse @ Dec 18th 2007 12:47PM
And that's my point. It's people terrible perception of not being being #1 automatically means its failure. 3rd place isn't a failure. The PS2 sold more consoles than 2x the xbox1 and gamecube COMBINED. The gamecube, which was 3rd place, is not considered a failure. End the end, it had a good run and generated good profit. The PSP which is nowhere near in sales as DS is also no considered a failure. One competitor's great success doesn't mean an automatic failure for another competitor.
Like Apple and Windows. Apple has a ridiculously small market share compared to Windows. I guess OS X is a failure too, right?
ShortFuse @ Dec 18th 2007 12:54PM
In terms of games, Sony should have waited, but if they didn't jump in as soon as they did, they probably wouldn't have made such an impact on the blu-ray market. It's Win-Lose no matter how you see it. But I think choosing to win the HDDVD/Bluray war is more profitable than winning the gaming console war.
Delay the console, blu-ray suffers and could probably never recover.
Release it early, gaming suffers but could recover in 2008-2009.
I don't have a PS3, but I'm hoping Sony can get their Japanese developers on track. I'm not too fond of the shooters & rts that tend to swamp the US market (and shovelware for Wii). Xbox360 is selling poorly in Japan while the PS3 isn't. Japanese developers are focusing more on making games for PS3. I'm living in the wrong country, I know, but it's what I can hope for. I don't think 360 is going to pull through in Japan, but I think PS3 can pull through moderately in US and very much in Japan.
I want my Team Ico project #3!
Poisoned Al @ Dec 18th 2007 1:03PM
Well yes. Apple have sewn up the trendy fuck-wit demographic (if you own that polished turd the iPhone, that's you), but can't break into markets where people want substance and not just pretty packaging. If you want to do anything other then home movie editing, you buy a PC.
It's a good comparison tho. Mac fanboys are just as annoying and deluded as PS3 fanboys!
Leobebes @ Dec 18th 2007 1:14PM
Here is a great analogy to use to show you that the PS3 is a failure. If the Patriots go undefeated throughout the regular season and they fail to win the superbowl would their season be considered a failure? Many would say so. The run Sony had with the PSX and PS2 is comparable to an undefeated Patriots run, and so far their dominance is non existent therefore the PS3 is a failure until they prove otherwise.
Jason @ Dec 18th 2007 1:56PM
I think failure in the video game industry should be qualified as: "performing at a level equal to below that of the VirtualBoy".
In this case the PS3 is a smashing success, the 360 is an unprecedented sales phenomenon, and the Wii is the second coming of Christ.
arrrgh @ Dec 18th 2007 2:08PM
you know shortfuse, since sony is "focusing on bluray" as you say, you may not see a new ico. Great news for sony! they can sell tons of rehashed bluray movies ported from dvd releases.
Unfortunately, all that emphasis on movies means games get left in the dust. There are a bunch of good games on ps3 now...
but the REAL question is HOW MANY ABSOLUTELY AMAZING games would we have on ps3 by now if sony didnt go all glitter dick on us and jump onto the premature blurayjaculation train
FoxHoundADAM @ Dec 18th 2007 2:35PM
Wait wait wait, the reason you don't consider the PS3 a failure is because the Japanese are willing to spend $600 to play Gundum Crossfire?
The reason I DO consider teh PS# in a bad spot IS because it has no games (well relatively few) with little incentive for a consumer to chose it over any other system.
Sidepocket @ Dec 18th 2007 8:21PM
"It's people terrible perception of not being being #1 automatically means its failure. 3rd place isn't a failure."
Holy shit. The irony is...wow. This is amazing. All I have to say is...
Welcome to Nintendo Fans who were bullied in the Gamecube era by the very same Sony Fans who now use the same bullshit responses. XD
Kangstarr @ Dec 18th 2007 12:40PM
What a great article by CNN. I read through the other blunders listed and this had to be the most hilarious:
13. Disneyland
It's a fat world, after all
Disneyland announces plans to close the "It's a Small World" attraction to deepen its water channel after the ride's boats start getting stuck under loads of heavy passengers. Employees ask larger passengers to disembark - and compensate them with coupons for free food.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Dec 18th 2007 1:36PM
LOL!
x876543 @ Dec 18th 2007 1:39PM
OMFG that's funny! They should have given them coupons to Jenny Craig.
Negativecool @ Dec 18th 2007 12:42PM
I can see where they got #61, it's weak by comparison to all the other Sony embarrassments this year, but I can see it.
#63, however, is complete bullshit.
Mr Khan @ Dec 18th 2007 4:49PM
Agree, or it should, at least, have been listed as a blunder by the Church of England
their paranoid knee-jerk reaction was at fault, not Sony
animeman_59 @ Dec 18th 2007 1:13PM
Sony's Dumb Business Moments
1) $599 (we should just starve)
2) No force-feedback (soooooo last-gen)
3) Giving big song and dance about their HD superiority
then...
4) Not giving you HD cables (even with higher-end system)-_-
5) cutting PS2 compatibility (really, how dumb is this?)
6) adding force feedback again
Given that, I still want a PS3. Just not right now.
I'm waiting for the real killer app for PS3, or until I can find the 60GB system for cheap somewhere.
Other than that, you might want to buy it since it's the cheapest and best blu-ray player on the market.
Tom @ Dec 18th 2007 10:21PM
"6) adding force feedback again"
That's not a bad move, it's just an admission that "2) No force-feedback (soooooo last-gen)" was a lie to cover up a lawsuit, but atleast it's a move that benefits gamers for once.
xFenixKnightx @ Dec 18th 2007 1:21PM
Ok so I went Christmas shopping this weekend and noticed the same trend in every store. Best buy, Circuit City, Walmart, Target, Khols, Toys R US, etc.
*NO Wii's...of course, BUT alot of Wii games on shelves.
*Small or no amount of 360Premium or Elites even Arcade360 Skus. NO GUITAR HERO 3 or Rockband for 360
*Alot of PS3's, 80 and 60gig Sku's...stacks of them actually =( Made me question my very recent PS3 purchase
Several PS3 Guitar Hero and Rockbands
Conclusion....yeah so far Sonys PS3 is failing =/
Vidikron (FU) @ Dec 18th 2007 1:59PM
Give the PS3 a chance, I think you'll be pleased. Don't go in expecting the online service to be as comprehensive as Live, but it is free and it does work. Do you have an HDTV? If so, you'll likely enjoy the BR player aspect. With last night's update the PS3 became only the second BR player on the market that is profile 1.1 compliant.
You're a fan of shooters/FPS, right? If so, I recommend trying out Warhawk. It's not the same as GoW or CoD (more like Battlefield), but the 32-player matches can be crazy fun and are nice change of pace from the smaller scale battles other games offer.
Not sure what else you like, but there's other stuff out there worth trying. It's not the barren wasteland it's made out to be.