Sonys Gameplan should be...

[Furashu]

Lowering the price of the PS3.
And take losses now, for large future gains.
1) the ps3 is too pricey, the price consumers are willing to pay is probably $350/375ish.
2) the more ps3s sold, the more 3rd party support they will get for game developers
3) they know they will do very well in the LONG RUN, but they could potentially lose people to the 360/wii early on if the price is going to stay this way( we all know they will EVENTUALLY lower the price)
4) Market the PS3 as the future and as the best gaming system, not 10 differnent things.( most people dont have hdtvs so blu-ray doesnt matter for movies, only for the games.)
5) gurantee ff13 and MGS4 stay exclusive and end all speculations and doubters
hope some sony rep reads this

[Vanigan]

They don't need to, they're already way ahead of you.

$400-$450 PS3 version coming perhaps in November. Which should sell well.

Otherwise this post is pointless.

[Furashu]

They don't need to, they're already way ahead of you.

$400-$450 PS3 version coming perhaps in November. Which should sell well.

Otherwise this post is pointless.


can i have a link? i havent seen this only that FCC thing.

[furyk]

Sony should give away PS3s because even then it wouldn't beat the TurboGraphix 16! LOL.

I really hope Sony kicks some ass in the near future so the "I'm saving Sony" threads go away.

[Tsukento]

They don't need to, they're already way ahead of you.

$400-$450 PS3 version coming perhaps in November. Which should sell well.

Otherwise this post is pointless. Do you have any proof, or is that typical rumor BS with no legit sources?

One thing Sony needs to do is actually do more advertisements for its games. I rarely see any PS3 commercials that actually involve a huge amount of gameplay. It's like they're redoing the same mistakes of the PS2 and PSP in their early lives by doing commercials with very little to nothing in gaming footage.

Their online games gameplan needs heavy working as well. They've boasted free online service...yet it's still nowhere anywhere as big as Xbox Live.

[Furashu]

Do you have any proof, or is that typical rumor BS with no legit sources?

One thing Sony needs to do is actually do more advertisements for its games. I rarely see any PS3 commercials that actually involve a huge amount of gameplay. It's like they're redoing the same mistakes of the PS2 and PSP in their early lives by doing commercials with very little to nothing in gaming footage.

Their online games gameplan needs heavy working as well. They've boasted free online service...yet it's still nowhere anywhere as big as Xbox Live.


lol, yeah i always see 360 commercials and that whole xbox - jump in!
only commercial ive seen is for heavenly sword. but then again they dont have too many games to put on commercials right now.

sony should drop the price in mid november. from 499 to 449, and take a blow in its money. Theyll regain those losses later on

[Vanigan]

There's an FCC report on how they tested and approved the 40GB version of the PS3.

A distributor was quoted as expecting the systems already.

Many news sites have reported on the rumor, ones that are decent with their rumor record.

Sony had an IPO of their insurance division that was earmarked to pay for something in their entertainment division.

And the general knowledge that if Sony doesn't do something this holiday to get PS3 sales they may lose out on exclusives like MGS4 and FF13.

It's not as big because there aren't as many PS3 owners, and not as many online gamers. And yes, in general the PSN is less featured as Xbox live for now. But, for games like Warhawk the online matchmaking works fine. The ranking servers have had problems though. It'll get better as more online games come out.

Also, a chain store recently confirmed the 80GB bundle with motorstorm is dropping to $550 via an ad. No word on whether there's a non motorstorm box that's $500 yet. But it's likely the 40gb version will be priced at $400-$450.

[NamPaehc]

lol, yeah i always see 360 commercials and that whole xbox - jump in!
only commercial ive seen is for heavenly sword. but then again they dont have too many games to put on commercials right now.
They must not be rememberable. Don't you remember the MotorStorm commerical (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sa3U2xUEM8)? What about the MLB 2K7 one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSEMbWfJTT4&mode=related&search=)? Lair (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdVv90poz08)? There are more...

[Vanigan]

Although honestly Sony hasn't had many exclusive games up until now to promote in this way.

Admittedly MS hasn't had many yet either.

[Ivanhoe]

Sony will probably drop the price Nov 1st to 399.
Letting halo 3 take the spot light for now.

I dont think a 50dollar price drop would be enough to draw as many consumers to the console as they would like.

A 100 dollar drop to 399 for a 40(rumored) or 60gig should be the magic price point for another year for the ps3 until they drop it again to 299.

I can see why sony doesnt want to lower the ps3. Its the cheapest blu ray player on the market and the best (it plays games!). No doubt that people who are thinking to jump into bluray will skip the 799-999 blu ray players and get a Ps3 instead.

Droping the ps3 even more would hurt bluray player sales and it would be harder to justify the price of the players .

However I think sony was not prepared to be in a major fight in the console wars this time around and therefore figured they could get away with a 499-599 console.

The Wii has shown cheaper sells. The 360 is doing better then xbox 1 which is all microsoft could hope for.

Now sony must fight to live up to the "sony" namebrand and catch up in console sales and % share of the gaming marketplace.


I dont think im the only one that thinks I over payed for the ps3 at 499 for the 20gig a year ago with a bare online store and only a handfull of games worth buyings sony has to wake up .Its almost a freakin year since launch and honestly thhe PS3 doesnt have much to show for it......

[FriskyTanuki]

Innovative ideas. Nobody else has posted this kind of stuff before.

[Thomas96]

marketing...

show PS3 in the living room, during the day entertaining kids playing games multiplayer, afternoon ps3 entertaining guests [via slideshow of photos], then show people watching movies in HD.

Show a HDTV that a person thinks is useless... then become amazed when PS3 is hooked up to it.
----------------------------------------

I loved that commercial when they were showing the future PS - like PS9, then show the ps2 as the beginning.

not the same exact commercial I remember, but this is it - http://www.kewego.com/video/iLyROoaftIkT.html

[dmaul1114]

Gameplan is to just keep cutting price as quickly and often as possible. Every $50-100 cut will get more people on board.

On top of that, just get some real AAA games out as fast as possible. And couple them with price cuts.

Going to $400 this fall, good start. When MGS4 comes out, go to $350, when FFXIII comes out, go to $300 etc.

That will help them get back in the game. They made a huge mistake with the $500-600 launch price, they're going to have to keep making a lot of cuts and be willing to lose a lot of money on console sales if they even want to challenge seriously for 2nd place.

[The Crotch]

So the basic gameplan should be... cost less, be better advertized, and have more games...

Your powers of deduction are exceptional. I can not allow you to waste them here when there are so many crimes going unsolved at this very moment. Go! Go! For the good of the city!

[dmaul1114]

Yeah, amazing how simple it is, and that Sony has somehow managed not to do any of it thus far.

$400 price is a start for this holiday season, but it will still be $50 more than the 360--and probably $100 as MS will probably cut price again when that happens. And it's not coupled with a big AAA holiday release.

So while they will sell some more during the holidays, the 360 and Wii will sell more and they won't gain any ground.

[Dante Devil]

They need to get Drake's Fortune hype machine going. I've just seen footage of the game and it looks great. The graphics are unbelievable.

Sure, the 360 has great games coming out, but I'm Halo-ed out! The 360 has some many games out and on the horizon. Loved BioShock (game of the year, IMO), looking forward to COD4, and Mass Effect!

I think the PS3 will be okay once they have more games. Make more games, Sony.

[dmaul1114]

I think the PS3 will be okay once they have more games. Make more games, Sony.

That's the real key.

But the question is when the big AAA exclusive games come will it be too little too late?

They've squandered their first two holiday seasons.

[Furashu]

Innovative ideas. Nobody else has posted this kind of stuff before.

whatever, i wanted to see what everyone else thought.
i dont see how that sentence is any more innovative then my own.

[FriskyTanuki]

whatever, i wanted to see what everyone else thought.
i dont see how that sentence is any more innovative then my own.
Because Sony hasn't already acknowledged your "suggestions" as things they need to do to increase their sales and install base? They talked about most, if not all, of that at TGS last week.

[RAMSTORIA]

wow you should work for sony

[Tsukento]

I don't own a PS3, so someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Sony seems to be aware of these problems...yet the PS3's still being touted as an HD machine without the HD cables included. They're making the new Dual Shock 3 controllers...but not including them with the consoles.

Why? I see these as two extra not major but rather annoying flaws that force you to spend even more money. As if it wasn't enough to be spending over $560 for the console along with a game ($660 if you buy the 80GB and an aditional game).

[Blackout]

I don't own a PS3, so someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Sony seems to be aware of these problems...yet the PS3's still being touted as an HD machine without the HD cables included. They're making the new Dual Shock 3 controllers...but not including them with the consoles.

Why? I see these as two extra not major but rather annoying flaws that force you to spend even more money. As if it wasn't enough to be spending over $560 for the console along with a game ($660 if you buy the 80GB and an aditional game).

I could say the same thing for 360 (in my situation). I have wireless internet so I found out if I ever wanted to get a 360 (which I really do) I might have to shell out 100 bucks for an adapter. Even if I have to pay anything over 10 dollars it feels like I'm getting ripped off. And I think I would have to buy the HD player/drive/whatever wouldn't I? All that really adds up.

Why wouldn't they put the rumble controllers with the console? I figured they would start to throw those in when they came out.

[whoknows]

I could say the same thing for 360 (in my situation). I have wireless internet so I found out if I ever wanted to get a 360 (which I really do) I might have to shell out 100 bucks for an adapter. Even if I have to pay anything over 10 dollars it feels like I'm getting ripped off. And I think I would have to buy the HD player/drive/whatever wouldn't I? All that really adds up.

Why wouldn't they put the rumble controllers with the console? I figured they would start to throw those in when they came out.
I had to go through the same thing. I got an adapter for $90. Ouch. I can't believe MS charges $100 for their adapter.

It sucks since I can get online with the PS3, if I had a Wii that has wireless too, but the 360 just doesn't.

[Killer Rabbit]

Pffft. That's not their gameplan anymore.

Their current gameplan is to complete development for their PS3-guided Thermonuclear Ballistic Missle Submarine, The Red Ring of October.

[freshzen]

It is sad that it seems like just as many people are buying PS3s for blu-ray & upscaling dvd players than they are for gaming.

But I think now is a good time to buy a PS3, you can stay busy with PS3 games for a decent while from here until sometime next year. Sony needs to market their overall package better one way or the other.

[Thomas96]

It is sad that it seems like just as many people are buying PS3s for blu-ray & upscaling dvd players than they are for gaming.

But I think now is a good time to buy a PS3, you can stay busy with PS3 games for a decent while from here until sometime next year. Sony needs to market their overall package better one way or the other.



This is what Sony wanted... they wanted a full entertainment machine.. and they've accomplished that... as long as the PS3 is in use... then one would be more likely to buy some content for it.. whether its blu ray or another game. Point is... get it in the living, make it part of a person's every day use [entertainment wise]

[Mechafenris]

This is what Sony wanted... they wanted a full entertainment machine.. and they've accomplished that... as long as the PS3 is in use... then one would be more likely to buy some content for it.. whether its blu ray or another game. Point is... get it in the living, make it part of a person's every day use [entertainment wise]

That's true... they've admitted as much for quite some time (for this generation, i guess). Microsoft, to a lesser extent (not lesser intent, just less vocal about it), as well... but they seem to be taking a longer road.... with the XBox-Xbox360-and so forth's ever-increasing integration as not just a game machine... They're working on it... and they've still (so far) got the buckets of cash to do it with.

I am fine with it... but when it starts to impact games (which is the primary use for all my consoles), I might take issue with it... I'd rather play games than use my PS3 as a DVR, and I'd rather not use my 360 as a video rental system (though the possibilities are intriguing... 99% of movies I rent are never ones I will purchase... so that might be a bigger deal down the road if MS gets their big foot in the door with this rental thing...)

None of my consoles are in my living room. :) Well, I do have a Dreamcast hooked up to my Living room TV... I have other rooms of the house devoted to gaming. ;)

[Apossum]

I dunno about Sony, kinda losing hope for them bouncing back this gen. Looks like the PS3 is going to be one of those pesky systems that gets a great exclusive every once in a while, which forces you to pick one up temporarily, then puts you through the annoyance of getting rid of it again.

I wanted to believe in Sony, but they just don't seem to have anything straight this gen. The game market has really changed since the PS2 and it's like Sony got caught with their pants down.

[whoknows]

I don't own a PS3, so someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Sony seems to be aware of these problems...yet the PS3's still being touted as an HD machine without the HD cables included. They're making the new Dual Shock 3 controllers...but not including them with the consoles.

Why? I see these as two extra not major but rather annoying flaws that force you to spend even more money. As if it wasn't enough to be spending over $560 for the console along with a game ($660 if you buy the 80GB and an aditional game).
I'd rather be forced to buy a $6 HDMI cable if I need it than a $100 wireless adapter for the 360. MS touts Live as being all that, yet they want $100 for the wireless adapter which is just as bad, if not worse than Sony making you buy an HDMI cable.

[Gentlegamer]

Is the official MS wireless adapter the only one that works with the Xbox 360? I have a Belkin wireless adapter that I use with my PS2 that works great and it is supposedly made for use with the Xbox 360 (it's even white).

[Furashu]

I don't own a PS3, so someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Sony seems to be aware of these problems...yet the PS3's still being touted as an HD machine without the HD cables included. They're making the new Dual Shock 3 controllers...but not including them with the consoles.

Why? I see these as two extra not major but rather annoying flaws that force you to spend even more money. As if it wasn't enough to be spending over $560 for the console along with a game ($660 if you buy the 80GB and an aditional game).


well the HD cables are only 15 dollars, i got mine for like 2 dollars, but still a giant hassle.
The controllers havent come out yet, so they cant be included, but they SHOULD include them with the new 40gb or w/e that is rumoured to come out.

i have no clue what they are planning right now, they should stop saying "the price is right" and all that bs, this is the same thing as MS saying "our product is perfect and has no hardware flaws" , itll be the SAME THING, theyll eventually lower the price and a lot of people will join the ps3 community.
i honestly did not buy a ps2 till it was $200. Then there was a ton of games out that i wanted.

There should be better commercials and a lowered price asap. Most of the sony commercials for the games, u dont even know wtf the game is about, its as though they expect us to know for games we've never heard of. how is that supposed to attract NON-ps3 owners? at least M$ shows wtf their games are about ( well not halo 3 lol tis a buncha action figures, but who doesnt know wth halo is about)

sony's main mistake this gen was assuming everyone would go bonkers over blu-ray, i didnt really give a crap, yeah its a bonus but not worth paying $500 dollars for. my guess is they wont even release a 40gb. they will wait till metal gear solid 4 comes out/haze and hope they sell a few consoles. that would be the smarter thing to do, though dont see many people playing MGS online if there arent that many ps3 owners out lol.

[dmaul1114]

This is what Sony wanted... they wanted a full entertainment machine.. and they've accomplished that... as long as the PS3 is in use... then one would be more likely to buy some content for it.. whether its blu ray or another game. Point is... get it in the living, make it part of a person's every day use [entertainment wise]

Problem is that the huge price tag caused by included Blu Ray in the console (right at the formats lauch when prices where the highest they'll ever be) priced it out of many peoples range and thus got it in a lot less living rooms that it could have it's first year if cheaper.

Sales will pick up, but probably never to the level they could have if it had been priced more comptetitively from the get go, since many people undoubtedly decided to buy a 360 instead and will skip the PS3 altogether.

But they should be fine, and should sell enough to stay competitve in gaming and go give Blu Ray a big edge over HD DVD, so I imagine they'll be fairly pleased with the outcome, even if it was less than their ideal result.

[dmaul1114]

99% of movies I rent are never ones I will purchase... so that might be a bigger deal down the road if MS gets their big foot in the door with this rental thing...)


The killer for me is there's no way it will ever be priced competitively with Netflix, nor have that large a selection. So I just have no need for it.

[dmaul1114]

I'd rather be forced to buy a $6 HDMI cable if I need it than a $100 wireless adapter for the 360. MS touts Live as being all that, yet they want $100 for the wireless adapter which is just as bad, if not worse than Sony making you buy an HDMI cable.

Fair point. Though I'd just use ethernet when/if I get a 360 anyway, since my cable modem is near my TV anyway.

[CrimsonPaw]

A $400 price point would be nice and help sell systems, but Sony really needs to work with their 3rd party developers to hype the games as well. You have Rachet and Clank and Drake's Fortune coming out which are PS3 exclusives, they should by hyping the SHIT outta these games.

Sony is not in a good position right now and they really aren't doing much to get out of it right now, a $400 box will help but I would hope it's the first of many changes. They need to lean on their strengths and acknowledge their weaknesses; I would love nothing more than to hear "Yes, we have a limited library at this point, can improve the quality of games, and have realized our price is too high. Soon you will be seeing the release of second generation PS3 titles which will be far beyond what you've come to expect from next generation platforms, and to start us off in the right direction, we will be releasing a 40GB unit with all of the features you've come to expect from the PS3 for an MSRP of $400".

Sony needs to realize that people respond favorably when companies admit they were wrong.

[Tsukento]

All good points regarding the 360's lack of wireless internet out of the box and forcing you to fork over $100 for the adapter.

However, I gotta stop you guys before you get too carried away as wireless isn't the only way a 360 can go online. S'why it has an ethernet connection in the back. $7 was all it costed for a 25ft cable at Target. If I wanna play the 360 on my HD in the living room, I just run the long enough cable in there and it's in no one's way. If I wanna use it in my room, then I use the cord that came with the system.

Unlike the PS3, you don't have an alternative to HD without actually buying them seperately. Whereas the 360's comes with the standard composite cables attached to the component ones.

Also, Blackout542, unless you want to watch HD-DVD movies, the add-on isn't necessary. HD-DVD is a movie only format, unlike Blu-Ray. So unless you want it to watch HD movies, you don't really need it.

But let's not compare the two companies. This is supposed to be just about Sony and what they need to get themselves back in the game.

[Snake2715]

There's an FCC report on how they tested and approved the 40GB version of the PS3.

A distributor was quoted as expecting the systems already.

Many news sites have reported on the rumor, ones that are decent with their rumor record.

Sony had an IPO of their insurance division that was earmarked to pay for something in their entertainment division.

And the general knowledge that if Sony doesn't do something this holiday to get PS3 sales they may lose out on exclusives like MGS4 and FF13.

It's not as big because there aren't as many PS3 owners, and not as many online gamers. And yes, in general the PSN is less featured as Xbox live for now. But, for games like Warhawk the online matchmaking works fine. The ranking servers have had problems though. It'll get better as more online games come out.

Also, a chain store recently confirmed the 80GB bundle with motorstorm is dropping to $550 via an ad. No word on whether there's a non motorstorm box that's $500 yet. But it's likely the 40gb version will be priced at $400-$450.

This will probably be announced on 10/12/07 during the "Big Bang"....

[FriskyTanuki]

A $400 price point would be nice and help sell systems, but Sony really needs to work with their 3rd party developers to hype the games as well. You have Rachet and Clank and Drake's Fortune coming out which are PS3 exclusives, they should by hyping the SHIT outta these games.
Those aren't third party games and they aren't out for several weeks, so the marketing will come in the near future. As for working with third parties:
He's talking about how Sony is going to work better with partners. He mentions how they're going to collaborate with partners in terms of marketing -- he mentions the PSP Crisis Core pack as an example of that (though that strikes me more as Square Enix helping out Sony there).

He's also talking about how Sony wants to share tools and assets with developers better, and have a periodical meeting with an advisory board.

Sony is not in a good position right now and they really aren't doing much to get out of it right now, a $400 box will help but I would hope it's the first of many changes. They need to lean on their strengths and acknowledge their weaknesses; I would love nothing more than to hear "Yes, we have a limited library at this point, can improve the quality of games, and have realized our price is too high.

He was asked about the price -- why didn't they drop it? Kaz says they are absolutely focused on trying to reduce the price in the future, but just the same they are focused on trying to improve the game offering so that price won't be so much of a factor.

Soon you will be seeing the release of second generation PS3 titles which will be far beyond what you've come to expect from next generation platforms, and to start us off in the right direction, we will be releasing a 40GB unit with all of the features you've come to expect from the PS3 for an MSRP of $400".

Sony needs to realize that people respond favorably when companies admit they were wrong.
If and/or when it happens, they'll announce it. Until then, they'd like to sell as many of the systems out there as they can.

Quotes from the 1up's TGS keynote liveblog (http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8392807&publicUserId=4561231).

[bmarquis]

If you haven't noticed, you can find a refurb PS3 20GB for $370 from EB games . It just takes a little searching.

[dmaul1114]

If you haven't noticed, you can find a refurb PS3 20GB for $370 from EB games . It just takes a little searching.

Not much of a deal with the 40GB coming for $400.

[Dr Mario Kart]

If Sony had actually produced enough 20 GB PS3's, we wouldnt be having this conversation at all, because the first price drop wouldve actually lowered the price.

[Tsukento]

But wasn't the 20GB discontinued because the 60GB sold better?

[dpatel]

But wasn't the 20GB discontinued because the 60GB sold better?

That's what Sony said, but it was most likely discounted to keep from losing too much.

[dmaul1114]

Yeah, it had to be a loss thing. They made hardly any 20GBs to begin with, and you never saw them on store shelves, but always saw the 60GB starting in January.

[Furashu]

oh well the 40gb rumours are EVERYWHERE!!
sony might actually gain some early ground this holiday season if this is true, hopefully this means more support in 08 as a result

[FriskyTanuki]

But wasn't the 20GB discontinued because the 60GB sold better?
It was discontinued because retailers didn't like it.

[Thomas96]

PS3 at 400 dollars is good for everyone right now, retailers, Sony, and consumers.

[The Mana Knight]

But wasn't the 20GB discontinued because the 60GB sold better?
I know why, because the 20GB was a complete mistake in many ways.

For one, since it lacks WiFi, upgrading to WiFi was quite difficult (you had to buy a wireless bridge or gaming adapter for $50-$100). I'm a 20GB owner myself and while I like the all black, I'm kicking myself now for not having WiFi.

The biggest issue with it was costs. The difference between a 20GB and 60GB HDD was minimal. Another issue with the 20GB was that is had lower cache, meaning games that utilized the HDD (like VF5), would load 3X slower on the 20GB (I'm not joking either). Removing the card readers only saved Sony like $10. Removing WiFi only saved Sony like $25-$30. Going to a 20GB HDD was only $10 more at the most. From what I believe, Sony lost an extra $60 on the 20GB (retailers also only made a $6 profit from it, compared to a $13 profit with the 60GB). The model just costs too much to make and wasn't cost effective. If Sony matched the pricing, the 20GB would only be $50 less, and I almost guarantee most would go with a 60GB over that.

However, the cuts Sony's making for the 40GB look to make close to $100 difference this time.

[Inf^Shini]

However, the cuts Sony's making for the 40GB look to make close to $100 difference this time.

What cuts are they making to the 40GB aside from the EE chip?

[The Mana Knight]

What cuts are they making to the 40GB aside from the EE chip?GS might be cut (that would shave $20-$25), two USB ports cut, card readers cut (saves at least $10), no crome maybe (cuts down a $1 I think), draws less current (meaning cheaper components can be used because resistors can handle more current cost more), and maybe more. I've come across various reports though.

[Furashu]

well the $399 sku was announced, but i bet u only forum people and internet people know... and is it only SCEEurope? can someone confirm?

anyways, sony needs to stack up on commercials, i heard theyre having a NEW campaign, none of that crying baby garbage.
they need to put out commercials for HAZE, Ratchet and clank, drakes fortune and also a commercial that the ps3 is the best blu-ray player on the block.

spread all those commercials on Kids WB, ESPN, Cartoon Network, Spike TV, TBS with baseball playoffs, all over NFL sundays and i think theyll stand a chance this xmas holiday

[Cyb3-rr]

Yeah, they can start with commercials that aren't obnoxiously pretentious.

[Monsta Mack]

Throw money at Bungie now ;)

[Vanigan]

You bet your ass Sony has already called Bungie or sent a letter. Basically, it'd say, if MS ever passes on anything you're making, give us a call and we'll bankroll the whole damn thing.

Of course, MS isn't likely to use the first refusal rights to refuse anything Bungie makes in the next few years, they're not stupid. Having a Bungie game in name alone would be a huge PR hit to MS.

[Furashu]

Throw money at Bungie now ;)

lol

sigh this whole sony thing is frustrating me.

[Monsta Mack]

You bet your ass Sony has already called Bungie or sent a letter. Basically, it'd say, if MS ever passes on anything you're making, give us a call and we'll bankroll the whole damn thing.

Of course, MS isn't likely to use the first refusal rights to refuse anything Bungie makes in the next few years, they're not stupid. Having a Bungie game in name alone would be a huge PR hit to MS.

It's rumored their first game will be Master Chief's Master Chef cook out, and the other game being Master Chief's space golf. It will sell millions.

[elmyra]

Another issue with the 20GB was that is had lower cache, meaning games that utilized the HDD (like VF5), would load 3X slower on the 20GB (I'm not joking either).

Why don't you just put in a better hard drive if it bothers you?

[Furashu]

sony should also tie up more exclusives, common now
assasins creed and devil may cry on the 360, wtf were they thinking?

[dmaul1114]

sony should also tie up more exclusives, common now
assasins creed and devil may cry on the 360, wtf were they thinking?

Not really a lot they could do. They're not willing to throw away a lot of money, otherwise they'd priced the PS3 lower and taken a bigger hit on each one sold to generate more sales from launch.

And the developers don't have much incentive to stay exclusive to the console with the smallest install base unless the company gives them several million to do so.

[sparklecopy]

my friend works at sony. she basically says that most people there don't give a shit and that most of the decisions are made at the highest level and they don't have a clue as they have become complacent and arrogant after the ps2's dominance. If someone at a low level has a good idea or common sense it has to travel up huge bureacratic channels and will usually be ignored. It's mostly 8 japanese guys in a sony conference room that control what happens.

[Mechafenris]

Not really a lot they could do. They're not willing to throw away a lot of money, otherwise they'd priced the PS3 lower and taken a bigger hit on each one sold to generate more sales from launch.

And the developers don't have much incentive to stay exclusive to the console with the smallest install base unless the company gives them several million to do so.

You're exactly right... neither console (Sony nor MS) was going to get much in the way of 'exclusives' from third party devs unless they shelled out big stacks of bucks to do so (look at the price MS paid for GTA's exclusive features via DL)... and it is still multi-platform. I think the desire for exclusives (from other than 1st party devs) was put on life support this generation, and the next round of consoles will work on something other than "titles you can't play on any other platform".... moving towards other non-gaming (or superior online) features that will entice customers to buy... Maybe specs will mean something more as the generations move forward... :) you never know.... It's costing entirely too much money to reap exclusives this gen....

The 40GB PS3 pricepoint (for those who already have a PS2, or care little for BC) is going to help a bit in terms of the "it's too expensive" crowd... and I figure at some point the 40 will go down in the next price cut round $50 or so... so that there's always one that will be in the ballpark of those on the fence between the two (non Wii) consoles.

Games will be forthcoming, and there will not be an "eggs in one basket" syndrome w/r/t AAA style titles for the PS3. Much like the 2nd year 360 has enjoyed... the PS3 will probably never crack the #1 spot here (in terms of units sold the Wii is unstoppable), but it could be a well-established third with a respectable user-base, and not so distant in units sold as it is now with the 360 (and its year head start). It will mean that some titles will be PS3 ports (rather than the other way around), but with greater knowledge of the innards of the PS3 coming over time, who gets the initial development cycle will mean a lot less than it does now. :)

Plus, given Sony's desire to get a decade out of its consoles, the PS3 will be well positioned for quite a while... it's in its stride... Microsoft should really let the 360 percolate for longer than the original Xbox, or they're going to get the "Sega rep"... ;)

[Tsukento]

I don't think anyone's going to be getting a Sega rep. In order to get the Sega rep, you need to have a bunch of add-ons released by one of the two sides of the company while the other side works on a new console that will make said add-on obsolete if it doesn't already tank on its own. Plus they'd have to be in debt within each time a new console's released.

The closest that either is getting is the PS3, which seems slightly familiar with the Dreamcast's end where developers either packed up and went to another console, or made sure their games were multiplatform. But that's not to say the PS3 is anywhere on the level of the Dreamcast. :P

[Blackout]

All good points regarding the 360's lack of wireless internet out of the box and forcing you to fork over $100 for the adapter.

However, I gotta stop you guys before you get too carried away as wireless isn't the only way a 360 can go online. S'why it has an ethernet connection in the back. $7 was all it costed for a 25ft cable at Target. If I wanna play the 360 on my HD in the living room, I just run the long enough cable in there and it's in no one's way. If I wanna use it in my room, then I use the cord that came with the system.

Unlike the PS3, you don't have an alternative to HD without actually buying them seperately. Whereas the 360's comes with the standard composite cables attached to the component ones.

Also, Blackout542, unless you want to watch HD-DVD movies, the add-on isn't necessary. HD-DVD is a movie only format, unlike Blu-Ray. So unless you want it to watch HD movies, you don't really need it.

But let's not compare the two companies. This is supposed to be just about Sony and what they need to get themselves back in the game.

I don't know much about the aspects of connecting internet etc, but the modem I get wifi from is in the basement. A cable would not work for me seeing as I'm on the second floor of my house.

Thanks for clearing up the HD thing. I hardly ever watch movies so that's one less worry I have.

[Furashu]

sony needs some commercials, for god sakes so people will know about the games coming out.

[Inf^Shini]

sony needs some commercials, for god sakes so people will know about the games coming out.
I finally was able to see the Heavenly Sword Commercial. If they can dish out quality like that later on, I'll love it.

[Mr. Pink]

Price really doesn't matter as how much exclusives the console has.

[mykevermin]

Price really doesn't matter as how much exclusives the console has.

I think there's no denying that Sony's price and Nintedo's price have had a substantial impact on their sales, though, games or not.

[Furashu]

Price really doesn't matter as how much exclusives the console has.

what do u mean?

[Blackout]

what do u mean?

Say PS3 had like ten super badass exclusives that made your head explode, along with the multi platform games. Sure it might cost $500-600, but the games would make it worthwhile.

[bigdaddy]

Sonys Gameplan should be...

stop making games.

[projecteightysix]

Sony's gameplan should be
http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2007/05/15/the-game-plan-poster-750.jpg

[dmaul1114]

Price really doesn't matter as how much exclusives the console has.

It's a combination of the two.

Really a threshhold effect. High price and few good exclusives that a person wants is a much harder sale than a high price and a lot of good exclusives.

They key for maximizing profits is to find a good balance of price and exclusive software to get the most people to buy the console.

And of course, it will vary from person to person. I'd never pay $500+ for a console regardless of the software, while other's have bought at $500-600 with the current lineup, and others would buy at those prices if it had X number of games they wanted.

[Besko]

I think that Sony plan should be :
1. Lower the price of the PS3
2. Be very quick with releasing their killer ap games such as : Final Fantasy XIII , Metal gear solid 4 , Gran Turismo 5 , Killzone 2 , White knight chronicles ...
3. Release PS Home VERY QUICKLY !!!!

I think that should be the Sony strategy ... For the first one it seems that it will come true , but I do not think that for the second and the third ... :cry::cry::cry:

[Furashu]

I think that Sony plan should be :
1. Lower the price of the PS3
2. Be very quick with releasing their killer ap games such as : Final Fantasy XIII , Metal gear solid 4 , Gran Turismo 5 , Killzone 2 , White knight chronicles ...
3. Release PS Home VERY QUICKLY !!!!

I think that should be the Sony strategy ... For the first one it seems that it will come true , but I do not think that for the second and the third ... :cry::cry::cry:

release it quickly? u want scraps of the games that arent even finished? u cant RELEASE A GAME QUICKLY like a book or something. we dont want repeats of lair.

[Thomas96]

I think there's no denying that Sony's price and Nintedo's price have had a substantial impact on their sales, though, games or not.



only thing about Nintendo and Sony's price is that they're like the two extremes... 249.99 and 599.99 on the other end. not that the Wii is extremely cheap, but when you have the ps3 being so much higher, it makes the Wii look even cheaper.

[Furashu]

only thing about Nintendo and Sony's price is that they're like the two extremes... 249.99 and 599.99 on the other end. not that the Wii is extremely cheap, but when you have the ps3 being so much higher, it makes the Wii look even cheaper.

u mean 499.99?
lol, yeah that is true. well they cant lower the prices anymore.

[Punk_Raven]

Focus on dynamite first party games and get that price down. Buy out third party developers who have been loyal to Sony anyway, just to be sure. Make DLC cheap compared to 360 DLC, and keep online play free.

Once they've done all that, I'm sure they can pick up tons of 3RL victims on the rebound.

[Furashu]

Focus on dynamite first party games and get that price down. Buy out third party developers who have been loyal to Sony anyway, just to be sure. Make DLC cheap compared to 360 DLC, and keep online play free.

Once they've done all that, I'm sure they can pick up tons of 3RL victims on the rebound.

yeah sony needs to focus on the brighter parts of the ps3.
its reliablity, its free online, its great lineup of games coming up.
but i dont see ANY COMMERCIALS stressing these things, which is foolish.

[Punk_Raven]

Well, they have to focus on good first party titles and getting that price down first. The first thing that most think when they see the PS3 is " too expensive " and " no games". Once they have a good line up and a good price going, I'd love to see a commercial mocking 360 reliablity y ( hopefully using the tests done a while back that puts the PS3 in extreme conditions ).

[Thomas96]

u mean 499.99?
lol, yeah that is true. well they cant lower the prices anymore.


the 80gb is still 599.99 ...

[Thomas96]

oh we talked about this strategy before - well at least I did.. HDTV and PS3 bundles and long behold this week on the very last page of BB's flyer.

HD PACKAGE

40" LCD Sony 1080p HDTV (reg. price 1999)
1 of 3 games - Lair, Heavenly Sword, or NBA 08 (reg. price 59.99 ea.)
1 of 3 blu ray movies - Casino Royale, Ghost Rider, or Taladega Nights(reg. price 29.99 ea)
1 60gb PS3 499.99
-----------------------------------------

for the price of 2089.96.

I know that's a high price, but in this package, you get some value if you're in the market for a HDTV and you're willing to spend at a thousand or two, this is a damn good package, and don't forget, you're getting 5 free movies by mail. If you're going to buy a big screen HDTV you'd be almost foolish not to take this package. To me... this is a good way to get some PS3s sold, and to establish it as a Home entertainment centerpiece.

[Furashu]

sony finally is cutting prices, should appeal to more people. though people will still whine about OMFG $399 i want it to be $250 like the wii!! even though blu-ray is still very expensive, this is a good price pt for a lot of people.

oh yeah, sony needs WAY more commercials for games yet again, i cannot stress how important that is. i donno if theyre fucking relying on forums or something but the only commercials ive seen are for heavenly sword, and that game only got about 120k games sold .

LETS GO SONY, let the consumers know about the price cuts and new games coming ON THE TV.

[dmaul1114]

I think the $399 price is fine, though losing BC is a bit of a kick in the nuts.

But the $399 price did at least give me some pause before caving and opting to go the 360 route.

As $399 for a next gen gaming machine and a Blu Ray player is a killer value. But in the end of the day there just weren't enough exclusives I want, and I'm not to keen on jumping into BR right now given the selection and current disc prices.

[MadFlava]

PS3 needs games, one title I really wanted was Ace Combat 6 and that is only on 360 at the moment. PS2 at this time of its life cycle had, Devil May Cry, GTA, SSX Tricky, and FFX looming. PS3 development has been awful, it didn't launch with a Tekken game or any Namco Fighting game. I believe once the games come out it will be a good system but it is too late for it to catch up to Wii and 360. The handling of the first year for a system is crucial to its long term viability and PS3 was an example of everything that went wrong.

[The Mana Knight]

sony finally is cutting prices, should appeal to more people. though people will still whine about OMFG $399 i want it to be $250 like the wii!! even though blu-ray is still very expensive, this is a good price pt for a lot of people.

oh yeah, sony needs WAY more commercials for games yet again, i cannot stress how important that is. i donno if theyre fucking relying on forums or something but the only commercials ive seen are for heavenly sword, and that game only got about 120k games sold .

LETS GO SONY, let the consumers know about the price cuts and new games coming ON THE TV.They REALLY need to advertise. I rarely if ever see a PS3 commercial. One reason people barely know about it is due to little advertising. The amount of advertising before Halo 3 came out was insane, causing it to sell well. The Wii has tons of ads, therefore stuff on it sells.
PS3 needs games, one title I really wanted was Ace Combat 6 and that is only on 360 at the moment. Because of MS money hatting the game and there was no PS3 or Wii development kit by the time the developers were ready to make Ace Combat 6. However, there will be an Ace Combat game on PS3 one day.
PS2 at this time of its life cycle had, Devil May Cry, GTA, SSX Tricky, and FFX looming.Part of the reason for more games at the end of 2000 (a year after PS2 came out) was because it released 7 months ahead of time in Japan. Due to that extra time, Japanese developers were given time to release their games on PS2. Now, if you look at the situation now, most all big PS3 games come out in early 08, and when you consider the timeframe which PS3 launched in Japan (one week before the U.S.), it seems right. The 7 month gap between the Japanese and NA launch gave developers 7 more months time to get their games out.
PS3 development has been awful, it didn't launch with a Tekken game or any Namco Fighting game.Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Online is on PS3 right now (as a PSN download), so there is a Tekken on PS3. Graphics excel the arcade version. PS1 had a Tekken at launch because it came out WAY before PS1 did in the arcade. PS2 got Tekken Tag Tournament at launch because TTT was made on System 12 originally (I think that was the arcade board, which is similar to a PS1) way before PS2 was launched. All Namco had to do was take the gameplay engine and up the graphics to PS2 level. With Tekken 6, the development JUST started after Tekken 5: DR in the arcade, which was early 2006. And since Tekken comes to the arcade first, there's just no way Namco could ready Tekken 6 in time for PS3 launch. Namco felt really bad for it, and that's why they brought Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection arcade to PSN (I don't want to hear the crap about the game being on PSP, because the graphics are better, has online play, zero load times, and the gameplay modes are a tad different).
I believe once the games come out it will be a good system but it is too late for it to catch up to Wii and 360. Probably the Wii will win, but only the U.S. the PS3 may have trouble catching the 360 (The Xbox brand is popular here). PS3 has already destroyed 360 in Japan. PS3 is already closing in on 360 in most all European countries (except for the U.K. and Australia. In Spain, PS3 is ahead of 360) and will probably surpass 360 throughout Europe this Holiday season (or be very close). PS3 will be fine overall.
The handling of the first year for a system is crucial to its long term viability and PS3 was an example of everything that went wrong.Not really and here's why. PS2 has a userbase for 120 million worldwide. 360 and Wii have around 13-15 million worldwide. Let's say every Wii and 360 owner owned a PS2 last generation. If you subtract around 5 million from 90 million (making up PS3 owners maybe), there's around 85 million or more who have not upgraded to next generation. Since PS3 looks to have a really awesome lineup in 2008 (that's definitely bigger than Wii and 360 combined IMO), PS3 could take a very high percentage of those people who have not yet upgraded to next generation. There's still tons of potential buyers left and Sony isn't done.

PS3 has plenty of good games. The issue is that people try to act like the only games PS3 has are exclusives, when in reality, a new console tends to get a lot of multi-platform ports early on (just like the original Xbox last gen), and it takes a while for it to differentiate itself from the competition. Sony has to crank out many first party games themselves, and so far they are doing good. People also seem to forget PSN, which is filled with tons of awesome games.

[zewone]

hope some sony rep reads this
:rofl:

This made the whole post $.