CNet: Is Sony as desperate as it looks?

Cygnus · 10-12-2007, 10:31 AM

http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13506_1-9794764-17.html
With a rumored $399 40GB Playstation 3 on the way, a cheaper device hitting shelves in Japan and UK, and announcements of an all-out price blitz this holiday season, is Sony really as desperate as it looks?

By just looking at news from the last week, it's quite easy to see that Sony is grasping at anything that will make the PS3 stick. Whether it's a new color, a cheaper price, or a rumbling controller, the company is hoping we will like something that make us spend our hard-earned money. I can't blame Sony for trying--the PS3 is hands-down, the most important device Sony is selling right now. Not only is it the harbinger of Blu-ray, it represents one of the most economically stable divisions of the company over the past decade.

But once again, Sony has it all wrong. The company is a victim of its own self-image and there is no stopping it with the current management in place. Simply put, Sony sees itself as a hardware company and in this business, that's the last thing you want to do.

Is Sony just a hardware company? Well, yes and no. Almost every product it releases is hardware and it seems to know this business best. There is no denying the fact that Sony threw all of the cutting edge components into the PS3 and it's simply the most powerful game machine we have ever seen. But for some odd reason, Sony genuflects at the sight of high-powered hardware while thumbing its nose at software--the true sellers of gaming consoles. Isn't this ironic considering the company develops software for its platform on a regular basis?

I can appreciate Sony's position--it needs to drop the price on the Playstation 3 to appeal to consumers first, but at what point does the company plan on selling consoles? A dropped price is fine and $399 is a good place to start, but if it gets rid of backward compatibility as it did with the UK device, how will it stop people from buying the Playstation 2 and opt for a PS3?

In fact, look no further than the PS2 to see how the video game industry really works. The Playstation 2 is underpowered when compared to this generation of consoles and yet, it's selling better than the PS3. Some may say it's price, but I disagree. Sure, it's easy to afford, but think of how many games you can play with a Playstation 2. And once you do that, compare it to the Playstation 3 library of games and then tell me which console you would prefer to play.

For the first time, Sony is off the mark entirely. To make matters worse, this couldn't come at a worse time. With a floundering PS3 that Sony hopes will catch on, what will happen to Blu-ray? What will happen to its game development division if the PS3 continues to fail? Worse, what will happen to Sony as a whole?

Sony is under the impression that a lower price on its console will stimulate sales and help it attain the lead it used to enjoy. But with no exclusive blockbuster titles in sight, what's the impetus for us to run to the store and buy the Playstation 3?

The Xbox 360 currently has the best software library and that console has been selling for $399 since its release. The Nintendo Wii is riding a wave like nothing we have seen in this industry and that console costs just $250. Simply put, if I want to play video games, why would I choose the Playstation 3?

Now, I'm sure Sony zealots will stand up and tell the world why there is a need to buy a Playstation 3 immediately, but I think any and all of those arguments are pure rubbish. I've owned the console since December and I can say that I've tried to play it as much as I can, but there is nothing out there that has made it imperative that I do so.

The Playstation 3 is on life support and unless Sony starts grasping at something it can hold on to, it should stop worrying about how the public perceives its hardware and start doing what it can to bring exclusive blockbuster titles to the console. So far, the Playstation 3 is the biggest gaming blunder we have seen in years.

Can you say "another Sega Saturn?"

Nexgenrulz · 10-12-2007, 10:49 AM

Another "genius" post by Cygnus. Boy if I posted all of these negative posts about the 360 I would be crucified. But maybe I'll start. Talk about getting old.

Type A · 10-12-2007, 11:13 AM

Ah cnet, the USA Today of web publishing. Albeit truely a worthy source for Cygnus and his many personal issues. Nothing to see here folks, move along....

Steve44 · 10-12-2007, 12:09 PM

There are so many people that believe the PS3's hardware isn't better than the 360. Those people will believe whatever poor press that PS3 gets. Well the same source says:

CNET says the PS3 is:
"[The PS3 is] simply the most powerful game machine we have ever seen."

CNET is not a good source in this case.
I know I know..."it's all about the games" Well give it MORE time. Us PS3 owners will be hoping for these games and once they come, then Sony will probably increase their revenues and end as a success.

iserum · 10-12-2007, 01:08 PM

In product development the key is timing, if you do not have product on time no matter how good it is, it might not be succesfull. In case of PS3 it came alomost 1 year late as compared to Xbox360 launch. When original Xbox was launched MS kept the price low and want the customer to have Xbox experience who were hooke up with Playsaion for years. MS had hard time doing so they could not beat PS. In HD gaming Xbox360 is leader now i don't see SONY catching up Xbox360 untill they have machine which is $250. with plenty of games available on Xbox360 and strting price of $250 it is no brainer for any family to picka gaming system, very few people care about how good PS3 is.
From pure marketing standpojnt it is important to at least let the consumer try things at entry level and make money later by offering upgrade model or accessories. first IPOD was very expensive and everything included in it, then Apple came up with barebone IPOd and start selling everything else people needed in accessories, making money at both ends. XBox360 same way people buy barebone machine and then buy upgrades.

SONY have to have a PS3 at $250 price point to get even close to XBOX360, since most games at multiplatform so price is main factor.

Razor05 · 10-12-2007, 01:32 PM

The bottom line is good software. Who cares if I own the most powerful machine on the planet. If there are no good games for it, does it really matter?

Gideon · 10-12-2007, 01:32 PM

Heh, I knew this would get some PS3ers all stirred up!

Well, whether or not you want to believe the source- its absolutely true. Sorry, but it just is... which is what makes it sad.

Noct · 10-12-2007, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Can you say "another Sega Saturn?"

Well, I'll give ya in total sales, but the Saturn is legendary in my book regardless of having a semi-short lifespan. (4 years I believe?)

Saturn produced some of my favorite console titles of all time, and introduced online gaming to me.
I haven't seen anything particularly innovative about PS3, or even one title that make me want to buy the system.

Saturn died for a few reasons, if PS3 does go down, it will be mainly because of the lack of quality titles IMO.

Steve44 · 10-12-2007, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gideon

Heh, I knew this would get some PS3ers all stirred up!

Well, whether or not you want to believe the source- its absolutely true. Sorry, but it just is... which is what makes it sad.

So you agree, "[The PS3 is] simply the most powerful game machine we have ever seen."

Type A · 10-12-2007, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noct

Well, I'll give ya in total sales, but the Saturn is legendary in my book regardless of having a semi-short lifespan. (4 years I believe?)

I agree, Sega Rally Championship and Virtua Fighter were great titles in their day. I have many fond memories of my Saturn, but those are the titles I remember playing the most...makes me miss my Saturn just thinking about them.

brianh · 10-12-2007, 08:03 PM

Well he's right about the management problem. Sony does need new upper management. All the upper brass has been clueless.

junehhan · 10-12-2007, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nexgenrulz

Another "genius" post by Cygnus. Boy if I posted all of these negative posts about the 360 I would be crucified. But maybe I'll start. Talk about getting old.

Hey, you are welcome to post negative press on the X360 anytime you would like

Unfortunately, there isn't much in the way of negative press as the press has decided that the PS3 is the console to whup on right now.

Nexgenrulz · 10-13-2007, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by junehhan

Hey, you are welcome to post negative press on the X360 anytime you would like

Unfortunately, there isn't much in the way of negative press as the press has decided that the PS3 is the console to whup on right now.

The red ring of death continues. That's about as negative as it gets. Still a 33% failure rate.

Ntruder · 10-13-2007, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nexgenrulz

The red ring of death continues. That's about as negative as it gets. Still a 33% failure rate.

Your link doesn't work, so I guess thats not true.

bboncorr · 10-13-2007, 11:05 AM

10-12-2007, 10:31 AM	#1
Cygnus The Bringer of Balance Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 11,350	CNet: Is Sony as desperate as it looks? http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13506_1-9794764-17.html With a rumored $399 40GB Playstation 3 on the way, a cheaper device hitting shelves in Japan and UK, and announcements of an all-out price blitz this holiday season, is Sony really as desperate as it looks? By just looking at news from the last week, it's quite easy to see that Sony is grasping at anything that will make the PS3 stick. Whether it's a new color, a cheaper price, or a rumbling controller, the company is hoping we will like something that make us spend our hard-earned money. I can't blame Sony for trying--the PS3 is hands-down, the most important device Sony is selling right now. Not only is it the harbinger of Blu-ray, it represents one of the most economically stable divisions of the company over the past decade. But once again, Sony has it all wrong. The company is a victim of its own self-image and there is no stopping it with the current management in place. Simply put, Sony sees itself as a hardware company and in this business, that's the last thing you want to do. Is Sony just a hardware company? Well, yes and no. Almost every product it releases is hardware and it seems to know this business best. There is no denying the fact that Sony threw all of the cutting edge components into the PS3 and it's simply the most powerful game machine we have ever seen. But for some odd reason, Sony genuflects at the sight of high-powered hardware while thumbing its nose at software--the true sellers of gaming consoles. Isn't this ironic considering the company develops software for its platform on a regular basis? I can appreciate Sony's position--it needs to drop the price on the Playstation 3 to appeal to consumers first, but at what point does the company plan on selling consoles? A dropped price is fine and $399 is a good place to start, but if it gets rid of backward compatibility as it did with the UK device, how will it stop people from buying the Playstation 2 and opt for a PS3? In fact, look no further than the PS2 to see how the video game industry really works. The Playstation 2 is underpowered when compared to this generation of consoles and yet, it's selling better than the PS3. Some may say it's price, but I disagree. Sure, it's easy to afford, but think of how many games you can play with a Playstation 2. And once you do that, compare it to the Playstation 3 library of games and then tell me which console you would prefer to play. For the first time, Sony is off the mark entirely. To make matters worse, this couldn't come at a worse time. With a floundering PS3 that Sony hopes will catch on, what will happen to Blu-ray? What will happen to its game development division if the PS3 continues to fail? Worse, what will happen to Sony as a whole? Sony is under the impression that a lower price on its console will stimulate sales and help it attain the lead it used to enjoy. But with no exclusive blockbuster titles in sight, what's the impetus for us to run to the store and buy the Playstation 3? The Xbox 360 currently has the best software library and that console has been selling for $399 since its release. The Nintendo Wii is riding a wave like nothing we have seen in this industry and that console costs just $250. Simply put, if I want to play video games, why would I choose the Playstation 3? Now, I'm sure Sony zealots will stand up and tell the world why there is a need to buy a Playstation 3 immediately, but I think any and all of those arguments are pure rubbish. I've owned the console since December and I can say that I've tried to play it as much as I can, but there is nothing out there that has made it imperative that I do so. The Playstation 3 is on life support and unless Sony starts grasping at something it can hold on to, it should stop worrying about how the public perceives its hardware and start doing what it can to bring exclusive blockbuster titles to the console. So far, the Playstation 3 is the biggest gaming blunder we have seen in years. Can you say "another Sega Saturn?" __________________ Panasonic P55 ST30 Kenwood VR-616 Comcast DCT6412 III XBox 360 GamerTag Sec0nd2N0n3

10-12-2007, 11:13 AM	#3
Type A 1080 Optical Supporter Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Panama City, Fl Age: 41 Posts: 2,723	Ah cnet, the USA Today of web publishing. Albeit truely a worthy source for Cygnus and his many personal issues. Nothing to see here folks, move along.... __________________ Mitsubishi HC3000U HD projector Dual Optoma 106" screens Harman Kardon AVR-7000 receiver Bose 901 VI, 301 IV, VCS 10 Bose AM-6 Series III Sony STR-DG600 receiver JVC GR-HD1 HD camcorder Xbox 360 Pro / PS3 40 Gig HD DVD 0 / Blu Ray 15 Games 18 / Games 2 Gateway 901x HTPC (modified) Sling Box Pro w/HD Connect Cable Dish 211 receiver w/Absolute HD pack HP Pavilion dv-6000 laptop (HTPC2GO) Link-Theater Gallery - 100,000+ views Link-55 Restoration Updated 6/21/08

10-12-2007, 01:08 PM	#5
iserum High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,987	In product development the key is timing, if you do not have product on time no matter how good it is, it might not be succesfull. In case of PS3 it came alomost 1 year late as compared to Xbox360 launch. When original Xbox was launched MS kept the price low and want the customer to have Xbox experience who were hooke up with Playsaion for years. MS had hard time doing so they could not beat PS. In HD gaming Xbox360 is leader now i don't see SONY catching up Xbox360 untill they have machine which is $250. with plenty of games available on Xbox360 and strting price of $250 it is no brainer for any family to picka gaming system, very few people care about how good PS3 is. From pure marketing standpojnt it is important to at least let the consumer try things at entry level and make money later by offering upgrade model or accessories. first IPOD was very expensive and everything included in it, then Apple came up with barebone IPOd and start selling everything else people needed in accessories, making money at both ends. XBox360 same way people buy barebone machine and then buy upgrades. SONY have to have a PS3 at $250 price point to get even close to XBOX360, since most games at multiplatform so price is main factor. __________________ Panasonic 50PX80U/Pioneer BDP-51FD /Toshiba HD A, ISF Calibration DIRECTV HMC,Harmony Remote One Apple TV2, Yamaha RXV1700 Def. Tech. Mythos III, V & Gems, Super Cube III Power Conditioner: Belkin PF40 Panasonic TC-P46ST30/OPPO BDP-93 APPLE TV2,Harmony Remote One, Polk Audio Soundbar SDA. Belkin Power Conditioner

10-12-2007, 01:32 PM	#6
Razor05 The 65 VT & Neil Rock! Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 5,540	The bottom line is good software. Who cares if I own the most powerful machine on the planet. If there are no good games for it, does it really matter? __________________ Panasonic TC-P65VT50 Sony KDL37XBR6 Panasonic TH-37PX50U Cambridge Audio Azur 640R & 740C Paradigm Studio 60's, 20's, CC-590 & Seismic 12 Panasonic DMP-BDT220 & DMP-BD35 Toshiba HD-XA2 & A35 MW2 LE & Halo3 LE Xbox 360 + HD-DVD + Kinect GT: Razor59 Sony PS3 slim, PSP GT:Razor_59 Galaxy Nexus MacBook Pro - Retina 2.6 GHz Intel i7 16GB 512 SSD - 330 - 55

10-12-2007, 01:32 PM	#7
Gideon High Definition: euphoria Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Somewhere between earth and hell... Posts: 890	Heh, I knew this would get some PS3ers all stirred up! Well, whether or not you want to believe the source- its absolutely true. Sorry, but it just is... which is what makes it sad. __________________ I have a cool phone!

10-12-2007, 10:49 AM	#2
Nexgenrulz Damn B! Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 3,082	Another "genius" post by Cygnus. Boy if I posted all of these negative posts about the 360 I would be crucified. But maybe I'll start. Talk about getting old.

10-12-2007, 12:09 PM	#4
Steve44 Super Moderater Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Washington D.C. metropolitan area Age: 32 Posts: 1,045	There are so many people that believe the PS3's hardware isn't better than the 360. Those people will believe whatever poor press that PS3 gets. Well the same source says: CNET says the PS3 is: "[The PS3 is] simply the most powerful game machine we have ever seen." CNET is not a good source in this case. I know I know..."it's all about the games" Well give it MORE time. Us PS3 owners will be hoping for these games and once they come, then Sony will probably increase their revenues and end as a success.

10-12-2007, 08:03 PM	#11
brianh High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 1,023	Well he's right about the management problem. Sony does need new upper management. All the upper brass has been clueless.

10-13-2007, 11:05 AM	#15
bboncorr High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 4,468	__________________ Living Room pioneer kuro plasma PDP-5010FD (9.9) Denon 4308CI (9.5) B&W 683's, HTM61, 685's (9.0) Sony PS3 (9.0) Sony BD-S350 (9.5) HSU VTF-3 MK3 sub (9.0) Harmony 1000 (9.5) XBOX360 + HD DVD (9.2) Nintendo Wii (7.5) Netflix Roku (9.0) Gaming Room 60A3000 (8.7) Halcro ssp200 (10. perfection) Deftech BP7004, C/L/R2002, BP2X (8.7) Sony Remote Commander (7.0) Toshiba HDA35 (7.9) Samsung 1400 (5.0) Bedroom Panasonic TH-42PZ85U (8.7) Tivo HD (9.7)

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