MrCHUPON here ("chlupe" is just shorthand). Love the show. Less of a question, more of a comment which I posted in the podcast thread but thought it might be appropriate here. I wonder what input or insight you have with regards to what I have to say below, and even if you don't read it on air perhaps this could warrant a PM response and a topic in the boards?
I wanted to point out something regarding Wombat's claim that no company is doing a good job in retaining customers:
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3157317
Also, while I don't think Sony is necessarily doing a great job, its execs are aware of the importance of retaining consumers. All of the higher ups constantly remind the press of how important the branding - which, by logical, obvious extension, speaks to the Playstation's recognition by its *existing* customers - is to the success of its console. It's simply the execution that's lacking. Also think about the fact that the Playstation 2 has this incredibly long tail and is still sucking in customers (outselling Xbox 360? Really?
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/11/december-npd-hardware-sales-push-industry-to-new-heights/ Wow...) - potential customers that can be bred for a transition to the Playstation 3 when it finally does get cheaper... I'm very sure they're aware. These mega-corps don't hire bona-fide morons for executive positions, and whether or not they're executing properly, they're definitely aware of customer retention. (I do admit that some of the PS2 sales could be the result of replacing old broken PS2s, but then, the red ring of death might say the same thing for 360s...)
It's definitely a good point that Wombat brought up, but more credit should probably be given to these companies than is being given.
As for God of War 2 being stuck on the Playstation 2? The answer - the easy, obvious answer - is that Sony is trying to balance enticing people to the PS3 while keeping that ridiculously long tail on the PS2 and milking it for all its worth. PS3 hardware IS NOT PROFITABLE for the company currently, but Sony really had very little choice in releasing it when it did due to the huge lead Microsoft would inevitably obtain. Perhaps it made a misstep - which is my belief - in forcing gamers to adopt the Blu-Ray standard for a price they didn't want to pay, in turn causing the company's profit margin on the system to sink to the abyss. Whatever the case may be, it's in Sony's best interest to keep the Playstation 2 alive as long as possible to appease its current "poorer" customers with great games while giving the cutting edge to the early-adopters who do want it. To use a parallel that may not necessarily work, but is still telling of the strategy, video cards for PCs run up to $600 for the top model. But everyone who knows anything about PC gaming knows that the mainstream, $200 card is what pays the companies' bills. Yet, they still need to push out top-tier technology that's only meant for the highest of the high-end consumers to show the market what they're capable of.
Finally, Xbox Live Arcade games do have to be tested even though they've already been tested when they were first released. Sounds like you guys aren't familiar with the concept of emulation. You can't just dump Paperboy into an Xbox 360 and be done with it. You have to make sure that the software emulating - or "imitating" - the main arcade hardware that RAN Paperboy back in the day isn't glitchy. You have to make sure the console doesn't introduce slowdown or control problems. You have to make sure, also, that some games work alright online with as little lag as possible. So, yes, they test games twice.
Anyhow, I hope to hear your thoughts, and I can't wait for Ep. 64.
ing-ever to fix Saints Row, which I paid full retail price and I essentially didn't play the game after that first initial weekend.
