Joystiq

Tretton: PS4 game prices range from $.99 to $60

David Hinkle — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:30:00 EST

PlayStation 4 game prices will run the gamut from one dollar to sixty, SCEA CEO Jack Tretton has revealed. "We're going to welcome free-to-play models, games from $.99 up to those $60 games," Tretton revealed in a CNBC interview.

Tretton also responded to the fact that we didn't actually get to see the PS4 during the unveiling event earlier this week, even though Sony told us all about the innards. Tretton says it was more important for Sony to show the concepts behind the system than to make a big deal out of the hardware itself - excluding the DualShock 4, obviously.

"You're going to see some of the greatest games ever created and the consumer is going to have more ease of use, the ability to sample games before they buy them and have more breadth of games than they've ever seen before," Tretton said of the PlayStation 4 during the segment. He also clarified that while Holiday 2013 is the official launch window for the PS4, "the promise is out for Holiday 2013, so pre-Christmas."

Tretton: PS4 game prices range from $.99 to $60 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Status Report: the PlayStation Vita, three months in

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 15:30:00 EST

"Three months, forty titles in. I think it's a fantastic machine. Of course we'd like to sell more of them, and we have key plans to do that," Sony's VP of Product Development and Worldwide Studios, Scott Rohde, told us in an interview during E3 2012. We asked Rohde for a status update on the PlayStation Vita, which launched in North America in late February. Despite less than stellar sales of the handheld and a light upcoming game lineup, Rohde's positivity on the Vita is unshaken.

"We're building a lot of additional titles internally. A lot of good third-party support, you saw that announced at our press conference. So, we think that it's certainly on the rise. Still doing well. Would we like it to do better? Of course. And we're doing everything we can in terms of providing great new content - sixty titles next year - to insure that that will happen," he said.

Despite Rohde's claims, Sony reps hardly mentioned the Vita during the company's E3 2012 press conference. Across an hour and a half, the three-month-old console only warranted three mentions, and just one for a first-party Vita game (PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale). As host, SCEA president and CEO Jack Tretton promised 60 new games on Vita in 2012, but didn't show a single one. Outside of PS All-Stars, the only two Vita games shown were third-party juggernauts Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassified and Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation. Both of those are scheduled to launch this year.

"You know that Sly will also have a PlayStation Vita presence. Some things that we're not announcing yet. You saw LittleBigPlanet Vita ... if I can sit here and say you've got PlayStation All-Stars, you've got Sly, you've got Assassin's, you've got Call of Duty, and you've got LittleBigPlanet - that's a pretty nice set to build a foundation on," Rohde added. "And there are a lot of other bigger and smaller things that we just haven't announced yet."

Of the system itself, Rohde said he "wouldn't change anything" about it. As for the launch, however, he said, "If I could go back in time, maybe I would've spread out some of the software releases a little bit." 25 games of varying quality launched alongside the PlayStation Vita this past February, with 10 more in the console's "launch window" (that window is apparently still open, as Silent Hill: Book of Memories has yet to come out).

That latest game from Sony's internal studios for Vita is the critically acclaimed Gravity Rush. PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is planned for a "holiday" launch on PlayStation 3 and Vita.

Status Report: the PlayStation Vita, three months in originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Jun 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS Plus members get 12 games this month starting tomorrow

David Hinkle — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 21:37:00 EST

Your incentive for plunking down the cash on PlayStation Plus will be bolstered by a dozen new titles, Sony's Jack Tretton revealed today. While Tretton didn't reveal a full list of what PS Plus members will get in June, he called out a few titles including Infamous 2, LittleBigPlanet 2 and Saints Row 2. These free games will be available for download starting tomorrow.

PS Plus members get 12 games this month starting tomorrow originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 21:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tretton hoping for half-million PS Vita sales in first three weeks of US launch

David Hinkle — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:15:00 EST

Sony's backing the Vita's US launch with a $50 million marketing campaign. The company is, as you would expect, bullish on the system's future here, with CEO Jack Tretton estimating a big impact in terms of launch window sales.

Speaking with Reuters, Tretton said he would "be very pleased" if the PlayStation Vita moved half a million units in the United States in the next three weeks. Even though the Vita moved 321,000 units in its first two days on sale, it took over a month for the Vita to hit 500,000 in Japan. The cheaper PSP is still popular in that region and moves thousands of units each week. North America, however, is a much larger market.

Instead, launch sales of the PSP in the US may be more indicative of what the PS Vita will do. The PSP launched here on March 24, 2005, for $249 and sold 500,000 in its first two days.

Tretton hoping for half-million PS Vita sales in first three weeks of US launch originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kevin Butler comes out of 'retirement' for new PlayStation campaign, 'Long Live Play'

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:55:00 EST

Four bleak days after Sony ad man Kevin Butler publicly resigned, Sony released a new video laying out its new ad campaign and reintroducing us to the VP of ... well, everything. "Long Live Play" is the new motto, replacing "It Only Does Everything" as the phrase we hear interwoven into press conference speeches and sizzle reels for the next year or so.

Always the showman, Butler kicks off the motto with a bang, as you'll see in the video above. On a personal note, allow us to welcome Mr. Butler back, who's always been the VP of our hearts.

Kevin Butler comes out of 'retirement' for new PlayStation campaign, 'Long Live Play' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SCEA president Jack Tretton apologizes for PSN breach and outage

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 22:30:00 EST

With surprising candor, Sony Computer Entertainment Americal president Jack Tretton kicked off the Sony E3 2011 press conference with a formal apology for the PSN breach and outage which plagued the system earlier this year. Check out a video of his statements after the jump.

Continue reading SCEA president Jack Tretton apologizes for PSN breach and outage

SCEA president Jack Tretton apologizes for PSN breach and outage originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saints Row: The Third has exclusive mode on PS3, launches November 15

David Hinkle — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:23:00 EST

Jack Tretton revealed during the Sony E3 2011 press conference that the latest installment in Volition's zany adult series will launch on November 15. Saints Row: The Third will feature an exclusive mode on the PS3 utilizing the game's "signature weapon." So basically the dildo bat.

Tretton didn't provide details beyond that the mode would be "over-the-top." Who's up for some dildo-bat fencing?

Update: We incorrectly labeled this mode as Move compatible. We apologize for the error and have corrected the post.

Saints Row: The Third has exclusive mode on PS3, launches November 15 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PlayStation claims lead in Netflix devices, adding CinemaNow to PSN

Mike Schramm — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 20:50:00 EST

Jack Tretton is on stage right now at the Sony E3 press conference, and he says that the PlayStation 3 enjoys a (slightly unbelievable?) lead as the most popular device for Netflix users, apparently topping the Xbox 360, Wii, and the Apple TV, and accounting for nearly 30% of Netflix streams in one study. Tretton also announced that Sony would be adding the CinemaNow service to the PlayStation 3 in the future, giving users one more way to instantly watch video on demand on the console.

Tretton said that Sony would bring even more content onto the console soon, and "keep adding industry-defining entertainment experiences to PlayStation Network each step of the way."

PlayStation claims lead in Netflix devices, adding CinemaNow to PSN originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 20:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's E3 keynote to be streamed live in PlayStation Home

David Hinkle — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:30:00 EST

Got any plans for Monday night? Sony's announced that it will stream its five hour E3 press conference straight from the very real, very solid Los Angeles to the ephemeral metaverse of PlayStation Home. Normally, we'd judge anyone who spends five hours inside of PlayStation Home, but we'll make an exception for this. The keynote kicks off on June 6 at 5pm PT.

In addition to the press conference, Sony will also recreate its E3 booth set-up in Home. Starting Tuesday, June 7 at 12pm PT, users can take a virtual tour of Sony's re-creation and unlock exclusive Home content in the process. Also, the PlayStation Blog guys will be streaming live from the show floor at random intervals, offering up game demos and interviews for virtual patrons.

We'll be honest ... we're a little jealous. We'll be there, dragging ourselves through the aromatic halls of E3 to bring you all the hot scoops ... but instead of F5-ing our internet site, you'll be kicking it in Home. We quit. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Sony's E3 keynote to be streamed live in PlayStation Home

Sony's E3 keynote to be streamed live in PlayStation Home originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony will stream PlayStation E3 press conference straight to PlayStation Blog

Christopher Grant — Sun, 29 May 2011 17:32:00 EST

Never one to be left out, Sony has finally announced its plans to stream its E3 press conference directly into the PlayStation Blog. This follows in the footsteps of Nintendo, Microsoft and, despite our strenuous pleas to reconsider, even Konami. Make sure to circle June 6th in your Sexy Sony Executive calendar (June is Jack Tretton's month!), because things get going at 5pm PT.

Though Sony has something of a reputation for its press conferences dragging on (and on and on and on), we don't think this year's conference will take up the entire five hour event. Yes, Sony's event on the 6th is five hours long and yes, if it's all press conference we'll kill ourselves too. And that is where suicide pacts come from.

Sony will stream PlayStation E3 press conference straight to PlayStation Blog originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 29 May 2011 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tretton talks up need for 'cutting edge' tech, MS and Nintendo falling behind

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST

In a recent interview with Fortune, Sony PlayStation CEO Jack Tretton spoke up the strength of the upcoming NGP handheld, while simultaneously taking off the kid gloves. Speaking on the current console cycle, Tretton said, "If you're really going to sustain technology for a decade, you have to be cutting edge when you launch a platform." He added, "[Microsoft and Nintendo] are starting to run out of steam now in terms of continuing to be relevant in 2011 and beyond," Tretton said.

"I mean, you've gotta be kidding me," Tretton added, "Why would I buy a gaming system without a hard drive in it? How does this thing scale? Motion gaming is cute, but if I can only wave my arms six inches, how does this really feel like I'm doing true accurate motion gaming?" He also called out the family of DS hardware, saying Nintendo's handhelds are a "great babysitting tool," adding, "no self-respecting 20-something is going to be sitting on an airplane with one of those. He's too old for that."

Joke's on you, Mr. Tretton -- not only are we sitting on a plane playing with our DS, we're using it to play Pokémon. Any self-respect we may have once had has clearly been eroded into oblivion.

Tretton talks up need for 'cutting edge' tech, MS and Nintendo falling behind originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tretton: Japan earthquake may push NGP out of 2011 in some regions

JC Fletcher — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:50:00 EST

As a result of the recent earthquake in Japan, the NGP handheld may not make the holiday 2011 release window worldwide. "It may be the straw that says 'maybe we get to just one market by the end of the year,'" SCEA president Jack Tretton told Bloomberg, suggesting that Sony may opt to stagger production of the handheld and release it in just one territory this year. According to Bloomberg, damage from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami has slowed Sony's production line by forcing the closure of "several" factories in northern Japan. Sony's plan as of January was already to have the handheld out in "at least one territory" by holiday 2011. It's just more likely to be just one now.

Of course, we hope we can all agree that the people of Japan have more important things to worry about right now than rushing out video game hardware. On the upside, Tretton brought up the point that increased time before release will allow developers to put more work into their launch games.

Tretton: Japan earthquake may push NGP out of 2011 in some regions originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony wants NGP out in 'at least one territory' by end of holiday 2011

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:30:00 EST

Sony has appended a "Holiday 2011" release date to its next-generation portable system (codename: NGP), but hasn't offered a timetable for individual regions. Will it be a worldwide launch? Sony Computer Entertainment America CEO Jack Tretton didn't provide an answer in his interview with Engadget, opting to pin Sony's strategy on providence.

"I know that's rather ambiguous, and that's for a reason," Tretton said. "I think our goal is always to launch holidays when the majority of sales are done. You want to have a worldwide simultaneous launch. Having said that, this'll be our sixth platform launch, and it's very difficult to have the quantities to be able to launch on a worldwide basis on the same date." Tretton noted that the goal might overshoot reality -- leading him to pare down the initial promise. "I think our goal is, we would get at least one territory out by the end of holiday 2011."

A clearer plan should become visible by fall, well after unforeseen production challenges have been dealt with. Tretton added that Sony had its challenging experience with PlayStation 3 to inform the NGP's road to mass production. "I think we'd look to avoid repeating that, but when you're dealing with new technology there are always roadblocks."

Sony wants NGP out in 'at least one territory' by end of holiday 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony moves 1 million Moves in America

Justin McElroy — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:33:00 EST

Sony may not have expected a huge Day One for PlayStation Move, but it seems to have done OK for itself during Month One: The company just announced that the motion controller has shipped 1 million units in the Americas since it launched on Sept. 17. SCEA boss Jack Tretton told MSNBC he expects demand to exceed supply until next February, saying "We had to go back and increase production twice, we're absolutely maxed out right now."

While the number's certainly impressive, it's perhaps tempered a bit when you consider that (1) the Move sold 500,000 more units in Europe (where the PlayStation brand is admittedly stronger) in roughly the same amount of time and (2) today's announcement doesn't equate to a million Move-equipped households in the Americas. Many have likely picked up two or more Moves, making it difficult to say just how large the install base is for future Move games at the moment.

You'll find Sony's full release just after the break.

Continue reading Sony moves 1 million Moves in America

Sony moves 1 million Moves in America originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kevin Butler hypes ModNation Racers, gets schooled by Tretton

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 17 May 2010 12:08:00 EST

The latest video from Sony's fictional Vice President of a whole bunch of things has everything you could ever ask for: Tons of Kevin Butler bon mots, some clips of gameplay footage from ModNation Racers, and an appearance by real-life Sony president and CEO Jack Tretton. Unless, of course -- what if Tretton's actually just a highly paid actor as well? Come to think of it, we've never seen him in any context except for ... on the stage!

Check out the video above to see the line between fantasy and reality get blurred before your very eyes. Also, the video contains a sneak peek at Kevin Butler's custom Mod and race track -- both of which will be available to download when ModNation Racers launches next week.

Kevin Butler hypes ModNation Racers, gets schooled by Tretton originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 May 2010 12:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's Jack Tretton: 'I can promise you a Killzone 3'

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EST

He doesn't know exactly when the third Killzone game will be announced, but SCEA prez Jack Tretton does know that it's gonna happen. When pushed by GTTV host Geoff Keighley about a sequel to last year's Killzone 2 on last night's episode, the Sony exec openly answered, "You know, we own Guerrilla Studios, and uh, they did a great job on Killzone 1 and 2 ... I don't know when you'll see announcements about it, but I can promise you a Killzone 3." Pretty straightforward, Jack!

Though he didn't make any promises regarding Killzone for E3, he did additionally note that the news from Sony out of GDC was "the icing on the cake," referring to big announcements at E3 this year as "the batter." And if there's one thing we really, really like, Jack, it's cake batter. You've won this round.

Sony's Jack Tretton: 'I can promise you a Killzone 3' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's Tretton 'can't even imagine' what's in store for PS4

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:40:00 EST

We know full well what the PS9 will be capable of, but what of the successor to the PlayStation 3, the PS4? Jack Tretton doesn't seem to know, telling Fast Company that he "can't even imagine what can be done technically beyond the PlayStation 3 in the near future." We'd theorize it involves more high-definitionier graphics than ever before.

Tretton continued to reiterate the same "ten year" message -- the proposed shelf life of the PS3 -- that the Sony team has followed since even before the launch of the system. With 2010 marking the fourth year of the PS3's life cycle, it seems increasingly likely that Sony will stick to that goal. Of course, that's not to say the "PS4" won't ever be realized. We'll see the PS4 "when somebody can craft the technology that exceeds what we're able to do on the PS3," Tretton offered. However, he doesn't expect that eureka moment to come any time soon, adding "we are still just starting to harness [the PS3]."

Sony's Tretton 'can't even imagine' what's in store for PS4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Timothy Bender joins SCEA as senior VP of sales

Ludwig Kietzmann — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:30:00 EST

Raise a glass -- or two -- in celebration of Livescribe and LeapFrog veteran Timothy Bender, who has just been appointed to the role of Senior Vice President of Sales for Sony Computer Entertainment America. Assuming he does an excellent job overseeing sales and merchandising initiatives for the PlayStation brand across North America, Bender can look forward to having his presumably dull, non-metallic posterior smooched by everyone but company CEO Jack Tretton.

Jack still had some nice things to say, though! "Tim brings a proven ability in growing strong consumer brands and building deep relationships with his team and the retail community," he said, quite nicely. "As we approach one of our most aggressive holiday seasons and a truly exciting future for all our product platforms, we are confident that Tim's great leadership skills and contributions will help drive continued sales and market momentum for the PlayStation brand."

In other news, SCEA's accountant and bad posture poster child, Timothy Tredame, has expressed disappointment upon learning that the Timothy Bender everyone was talking about wasn't a playful euphemism for that office chiropractor he's been hounding human resources about forever.

Timothy Bender joins SCEA as senior VP of sales originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tretton dismisses PS3 price cut talk

David Hinkle — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:30:00 EST

Sony's Jack Tretton isn't keen on all of this PS3 price cut jibber jabber. During an interview with Fast Company, the Sony bigwig mentioned that the goal of the company is long term, and not in the short term. "People are having short-term thinking - the platform is not even three years old. It was $599; it's now $399," he said.

Tretton further emphasized Sony's 10-year goal with the system, and said that a price cut alone wouldn't net Sony the customers it wants. "The focus on pricing is something we appreciate, but you have to have the conviction and the confidence that you are on the right path for the long term and ultimately you'll get all the consumers you want. You won't get them all day one, but we're looking to get them over a 10-year period. It's going to take different things to get different consumers."

Tretton also talked about how Sony could've just pumped out a PS2.5 for a much cheaper price, but the system wouldn't have had the technology to sustain itself at retail for long. The PS3 is obviously very different. It has the Blu-rays, the gigglebites of storage, and the most important thing: the shiniest finish imaginable. That's what really counts.

[Via MCV]

Tretton dismisses PS3 price cut talk originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Call the waah-mbulance: Tretton talks PSP Go leaks

David Hinkle — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:15:00 EST

Sony's Jack Tretton is a pretty upset guy. Before last week's E3, two major surprises were spoiled for Sony, in the PSP Go and The Last Guardian leaks. That's made Tretton somewhat bitter -- as one would expect -- and he's told CNBC that the industry needs to do a better job of keeping a lid on it.

"People don't respect confidentiality in this industry," said Tretton, who is now concerned for the future of his company down the line, where he sees leaks once again beating Sony to its own news. "You have to prepare for people to know things in advance. The frustrating thing is they only know a part of the story and that opens up a lot of conjecture and misinformation that ultimately waters down the reality when you roll it out."

Sure, it's tough, but it's all part of the game (sorry!). If Sony is so concerned with the confidentiality of who it trusts with this information, then it needs to do a better job of policing leaks and encouraging silence. To us, it's as simple as that.

Call the waah-mbulance: Tretton talks PSP Go leaks originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tretton says PS3 motion controller can work with existing games

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:46:00 EST

It's unsurprising Sony would devise a motion controller, after the gazillions of dollars Nintendo made with its Wii platform. However, as impressive as Sony's E3 demonstration was, many fear the motion controller may signal a paradigm shift for the company. Will hardcore gamers lose out in Sony's (and Microsoft's) newfound reach at the motion-craving casual audience? Tretton doesn't think so. Speaking to CNBC, the president of SCEA promised that the PS3 motion controller (and its games library) will be far more flexible and diverse than what one would find on Nintendo's machine. "Personally, it's very difficult for me to perceive God of War 3 being played with the Wii controller," he said. "It's a different experience that doesn't lend itself to certain types of games. [But] I think our [motion] controller can be used with every game that's on the system now - and every game we're working on."

In fact, Tretton goes so far as to say compatibility with current PS3 games is "absolutely conceivable." Without being able to go hands-on with the device, it's hard to judge. Are there sufficient buttons and sticks to make a 1:1 translation between DualShock and the motion controllers? While it's certainly possible, we can't see many gamers throwing out their DualShock controllers any time soon.

Tretton says PS3 motion controller can work with existing games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tretton: PS3 sales 30% better than expected, warns of shortages

Alan Tsang — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: News

Maybe some of us are worried about the economy and how it might affect us. But you know who isn't worried? Sony isn't. Not at all.

Speaking to Reuters, Jack Tretton said that they have no plans to alter their sales targets for this year, despite the economic downturn. PlayStation 3 sales, in particular, we better than what Sony expected. In fact, they are around 30% better than projected and 100% higher than last year, the SCEA president disclosed. Therefore, the 10 million unit target set earlier this year is predicted to be met by the end of the fiscal year. There might even be shortages, warns Tretton, which might affect sales. "I'd say we are able to meet somewhere between 80-90 percent demand, based on how things are trending,"

The PSP is doing just dandy as well. Sony hopes to have 15 million units sold by the end of the year and the sales numbers are currently 20-30% higher than what they expected. Finally, Tretton reiterated the value provided by the PS3, especially with consumers watching what they are spending, will lead to strong sales "The entertainment value ... with PlayStation 3 compares very favorably to other entertainment choices."

Tretton: PS3 sales 30% better than expected, warns of shortages originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's Reeves talking up FFXIII exclusivity in Japan

Randy Nelson — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, RPGs, Business

When we spoke with SCEA president Jack Tretton during E3 about Final Fantasy XIII going multiplatform in the US, he was quite frank about the impact the game's PS3 exclusivity in Japan would (or wouldn't) have for the company. "Seeing as there isn't that big of a [PS3] installed base in Japan, I don't know how big of a coup that is for us," he admitted.

Across the Atlantic, Sony Europe boss David Reeves seemingly gets his Japanese PS3 sales figures broken down by individual components. Speaking with VG247 during last week's Leipzig Games Convention, Reeves said, "I think that just as we got a massive blip up with GTA IV - which was not exclusive - we'll get exactly the same blip up with Final Fantasy," adding that, "I know [FFXIII] will look great on PS3 and - it's up to Microsoft to clarify this - it's still exclusive in Japan."

While we're still betting on higher sales of the PS3 version over the 360 release domestically, it really seems as if Reeves is living in the mid- to late-1990s, when Japan was still SCEI's most important territory. Times have changed, Sir.

[Update: Corrected a Sony exec mix-up. They're all the same to us, you know.]

Sony's Reeves talking up FFXIII exclusivity in Japan originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony is disappointed, but unsurprised, by the FFXIII announcement

Nick Doerr — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: News

At a conference with game writers at E3, SCEA boss Jack Tretton spoke about Sony's feelings toward the announcement that a flagship title, Final Fantasy XIII, will also see a simultaneous release on the Xbox 360. His feelings: "Am I disappointed by it? Yes ... Am I surprised? No." We suppose we shouldn't be too surprised either. With the cost of game development growing as it is, holding onto third-party franchises is much more difficult. The game is still PS3-only in Japan, but we should really expect this generation to revolve around first-party developers. Everything else will more likely than not see release on more than one platform.

[Via CVG]

Sony is disappointed, but unsurprised, by the FFXIII announcement originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SCEA's Jack Tretton on BC, DRM and Home

Alan Tsang — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

Our friends over at Engadget sat down to talk with SCEA CEO Jack Tretton, who questioned him about things on just about every PS3 owner's mind. Regarding backwards compatibility, Tretton saw the lack of it as a way to cut production costs, and even though implementing BC isn't particularly expensive, the company wants to be "selling PS2 software to PS2 customers, and selling PS3 software to PS3 consumers." He does express some hesitation about this though. "I would like to have had it in there, but Sony's collective strategy determined we could afford to lose it. We've now gone down that road, and we're not going back."

With the new PS Store video service, some were dismayed to find that their video purchases could not be transferred to anything except for their PSP. Tretton feels this is absolutely necessary and that it " is way too hard a business to make money in to allow people to own multiple copies for the price of one." He's "all for allowing an individual consumer having the freedom to do with their content what they want," but Sony has no plans to remove the current restrictions.

As for Home, the problems are arising because of "the disconnect of when Sony took Home out of the creative minds and put it the hands of business minds..." Tretton would rather have Home ready at a much later time with good content, than open it now as "some ghost town." Read the rest of it here.

SCEA's Jack Tretton on BC, DRM and Home originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony CEO blames piracy for low software sales

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

Jack Tretton spoke with us at a blogger's roundtable earlier today. When questioned about why software sales are so sluggish in comparison to the stellar hardware sales, Tretton noted that there were three big reasons: 1 - The multimedia features of the PSP may encourage users to play less games, watch more movies and listen to music. 2 - Gamers don't want water-downed PS2 ports; they want original games. 3 - Piracy.

Tretton told us that "we have been able to track with releases like God of War that hundreds of thousands of units in potential sales are walking out the door through piracy on day one. We knew exactly that only a few months ago. Unforutnately, there isn't much to do for pirates that are already getting their way. Millions of systems are already out there .. but there are "remedies" coming down the line. Perhaps a growing library of DRM-enabled downloadable titles will help Sony's cause. But for now, the situation looks rather bleak.

Sony CEO blames piracy for low software sales originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony: PSP software sales hurt by quality, piracy

Randy Nelson — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PSP, E3, Business

Why do we rarely see PSP games raking up huge sales numbers, despite the fact that the hardware itself is selling so well? SCEA CEO Jack Tretton has three answers.

Answer one is the most praising of the handheld. "Multimedia functionality," Tretton says. "There are more things to do with it, so you're not just turning it on to play games, which isn't the case with the DS."

The next one caught us off guard. "Quality of games," Tretton confides. "People will go out and buy a God of War or a SOCOM," he remarks, "but they're not necessarily as interested in buying a PS2 port." So ... people like good games that are original for PSP. Luckily there are some on the way.

Tretton says the "third and almost biggest reason as of late" is piracy. "We have been able to track with releases like God of War that hundreds of thousands of units in potential sales are walking out the door through piracy on day one," he reveals. PSP Fanboy reported on this back in March.

So, is there a solution is in the cards? Tretton says that Sony "has remedies moving forward," but that they won't help with systems already on the market, adding: "That machine is already out there." That machine? Is there a new pirate-proofed PSP revision on the way? Is that even possible? Doesn't Sony realize how popular pirates are these days?

Sony: PSP software sales hurt by quality, piracy originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony 'disappointed' by FFXIII for 360 announcement

Randy Nelson — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, E3, Business

SCEA president Jack Tretton has aired his feelings on Square Enix's decision to nix PS3 exclusivity for Final Fantasy XIII. During a roundtable chat this morning, Tretton said that he was disappointed by the decision, but not exactly caught off guard.

"Am I disappointed by it? Yes," Tretton told us, adding: "Am I surprised by it? No." He was quick to stress that the game remains a PS3 exclusive in Japan, but that "seeing as there isn't that big of a [PS3] installed base in [there], I don't know how big of a coup that is for us."

Speaking to the concept of paying third parties for exclusives, Tretton said that Sony has "invested so much money in the [PS3] hardware" that it simply "can't write checks for exclusive software."

Echoing statements made by Sony Worlwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida prior to E3, Tretton said that Sony's is more focused on exclusive titles from its own teams. "You've got to create platform-defining franchises that you own," he said. "It's the only way you're going to guarantee exclusivity going forward."

Sony 'disappointed' by FFXIII for 360 announcement originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jack Tretton talks about the PS3 'disaster' (and Home beta)

Andrew Yoon — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews

SCEA boss Jack Tretton is a man with a plan. In a lengthy Q&A with Dean Takahashi, he says that in spite of all the bashing the PS3 has received in its first year, he's confident of his plan. Takahashi used the word "disaster," to wish Tretton replied: "If we have 67 percent growth over last year in our revenue, and if 45% of all software sold is on our three platforms, I'll take that kind of disaster all year long."

Many criticize PS3 for its Swiss Army Knife approach to electronics. But ultimately, the PS3 is a gaming machine -- something Tretton is quick to reiterate. "I think gaming is always going to be the key. The platform that's perceived to have the best games, the most innovative games, is going to be first and foremost. And then I think the value proposition. I don't think it's all about price. I think a lot of it has to do with value: what are you getting for the money that you're spending, and is that of interest to you. And I think price matters, but not price for the sake of price."

Finally, when asked when the general public can play with the delayed Home, the SCEA boss offered a vague timeline. It's been continuously pushed, so we won't be too surprised if we're still talking about Sony's online offering at the same time next year. "Sure, we're looking to do a beta in the first quarter of calendar 2008. And then we're not 100 percent sure on when the full-blown release will be in terms of an actual date, but obviously following the ... data."

Read the complete Q&A here.

[Thanks, Terry C.!]

Jack Tretton talks about the PS3 'disaster' (and Home beta) originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tretton: 'Not appropriate' for publishers to suggest hardware price cuts

Ludwig Kietzmann — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:10:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3

Jack Tretton thinks publishers should be a tad more considerate before they start suggesting console price cuts all willy nilly. Last month, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick envisioned $199 price tags for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, labeling it a necessary step for both manufacturers' march across the mainstream moat. "Well, I think from an unrealistic standpoint, I'm never surprised by that, because a software manufacturer may not be concerned whether a hardware manufacturer is successful or whether they're profitable," said the CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America. "But I think they should be, because without the hardware manufacturer, the software manufacturer has nothing to publish on."

Tretton went on to tell The Mercury News that he would never "suggest what software publishers should price their software at," thinking it equally inappropriate for them to put a price on hardware. The point is certainly valid, but it misses the fact that both parties require each other to be successful. It's a nasty Catch-22 the PS3 currently and very visibly finds itself in: Software publishers need an audience to purchase their multi-million dollar games, and hardware manufacturers need said multi-million dollar games to attract hardware buyers. Until the situation finds better balance, you can expect more shoddy PS3 ports and fewer Uncharted gems.

Though Bobby Kotick's heart was in the right place (his wallet), Tretton thinks a change in perspective would do him some good. "I don't know, maybe he should design a platform." Hey now, let's not give the Activision Blizzard behemoth any crazy ideas!

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

Tretton: 'Not appropriate' for publishers to suggest hardware price cuts originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tretton describes PS3 as "short term sacrifice, long term gain"

Nick Doerr — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews

The strong arm of SCEA, Jack Tretton, sat down for an interview with MSNBC oddly enough and talked about Sony's strategy for the PS3 in the coming year. We actually move away from food analogies this time and get right into sports, as Jack explains the first year of the PS3 like "the first inning of a nine-inning baseball game ... You're not going to win many baseball games if you panic when you're down 1-0 in the first inning." He talks at length about the price cut of the PS3 and how it has boosted sales significantly, upcoming exclusive titles, and other stuff we've heard many times before.

As for whether or not Tretton thinks consumers are ready for high-definition broadband-enabled consoles, he thinks that no, not every consumer is going to be able to take advantage of the PS3's many functions right away, but that's fine, he says. The system is designed to last a decade and by that time, everyone will love what the black monolith has to offer. Tretton also notes there is a learning curve consumers need to be aware of when buying consoles anymore -- it's not just a purchase, plug, and play scenario anymore.

One final note -- he talks about the Sony "arrogance" that has been construed around the internet and says that they aren't actually arrogant, rather, bloggers and press ran the idea around so much that it started to stick with people and, well, perspective plays its role. Something along those lines.

Tretton describes PS3 as "short term sacrifice, long term gain" originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tretton admits to 'missteps' in PS3's first year

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:25:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3

With the PlayStation 3 having recently celebrated its first birthday, Sony Computer Entertainment America's CEO Jack Tretton had a little discussion with MSNBC over what could kindly be called, "The Year of Issues." Tretton explained that the PS3 would be in a better place today if more units were available at launch, noting that demand was strong but tough to satisfy due to Blu-ray diode production problems. The hype of the launch also faded very quickly as Tretton became famous for making the delusional "$1200 quote" in February (without a lick of irony).

Although he believed the launch to be "the biggest disappointment for the last year," he drew attention to that old-faithful: the 10-year product lifecycle. Sony's had 10 good years with both the PS1, the PS2 is getting up there, and he expects nothing less with the PS3. With a price cut and some desirable titles out the door, things look to get better (with fewer "missteps") in year two.

[Via GameDaily]

Tretton admits to 'missteps' in PS3's first year originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jack Tretton talks about slow start of PS3, how it's all right

Nick Doerr — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews

Sony Computer Entertainment America's head honcho, Jack Tretton, sat down for an interview with GamePro to discuss why Sony is okay with the slow start the PS3 has gotten in units sold. Our words, not his. First and foremost, he mentions the lifespan of PlayStation systems: "The original PlayStation lasted 10 years -- a tremendous innovation when other platforms died and were all but forgotten ... The same thing is going on with the PS2, and I think that will be the case with the PS3." We say that's likely with the PS2, but the original PlayStation didn't quite make it to ten years. The PS2 is easily getting more support even after its heir has been born.

Tretton bobs his head from side to side [blogger's note: he may or may not have actually bobbed his head from side to side] and goes on: "I don't think we expected nor we need to capture the lifecycle of the PS3 in the first nine months. We want to build evangelists, one consumer at a time, and it involves sacrificing in the short term before paying off in the long term." So, Tretton isn't worried about the slow uptake on the PS3 in part from the continued support of the PS2 and the idea that over time, evangelists (in the marketing universe we call them apostles) will spread the word that the PS3 is fantastic and they'll have the games to back up their statement. Since most of us here are relatively proud owners, would you back up his statement or say that sales are important now, not later?

Jack Tretton talks about slow start of PS3, how it's all right originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 23 Sep 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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