Sony Exec: "People will buy a PS3, no matter what"

http://money.iwon.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_r...=704&news_id=dji-00040620060508&date=20060508

Kind of a wonky site, but the article is from the DowJones (Wall Street Journal) newswire.

The numbers gel mostly with you, as they report sales of 21m GC and 24m Xbox systems. That's oversimplifying things, however, if you consider MS' dismal showing in Japan. If you take that into account, then the logical conclusion (and one I can't seem to find data for) is that the Xbox has a much larger installed base in the US, since they, I believe, sold under 500,000 units in Japan thus far (and even that may be a stretch).
 
They certainly have a better install base here in the States. Maybe I didnt realize that was the issue at hand.

My main beef is the idea that Sony will have majority marketshare no matter what. They very well could be, but I like to entertain that there is at least some possibility, no matter how slight, that this is not the case.
 
This whole thing disturbs me greatly. I have to say I'm relatively new to the game, I'm 19 and grew up in the Genesis/SNES era. I NEVER remember hearing people cussing other people out because 'their system' was better. Sure, I have my favorite, everyone does I'm sure even if they don't want to admit it, but I also appreciate the differences in the other consoles. For instance, I'm not a big fan of the 360, but I can appreciate it's online service and it's controller setup. I'm not a big fan of the PS3 because of their arrogance, but I can appreciate a lot of the games they've put out. I'm also not a big fan of the Wii because, well, name for one and no price for a second, but I appreciate it's innovation.

I know that I sound like one of those "Can't we all just, get a bong?" people but comeon IT'S JUST fuckING VIDEOGAMES PEOPLE, GROW UP.
 
[quote name='sonderiaom']This whole thing disturbs me greatly. I have to say I'm relatively new to the game, I'm 19 and grew up in the Genesis/SNES era. I NEVER remember hearing people cussing other people out because 'their system' was better. [/QUOTE]
Welcome to the internet.

The SNES era was pretty much before the internet had become the social environment it is now, particularly amongst the SNES/Genesis owner demographic. I didn't give a hoot about the N64/PS generation, so I couldn't comment on that... and I got into this gen about 3 or 4 years late. But back when I was a kid, any video game system was cool.

As a sidenote, it's also because video games are a billion dollar industry now. More emphasis on consumer appeal and a lot more money at stake.
 
[quote name='Rei no Otaku']Back when I was a kid video games were anything but cool...[/QUOTE]
Maybe not with the 10 year old ladies, but with your video game playing friends, no one cared which console you had.
 
[quote name='sonderiaom']This whole thing disturbs me greatly. I have to say I'm relatively new to the game, I'm 19 and grew up in the Genesis/SNES era. I NEVER remember hearing people cussing other people out because 'their system' was better. Sure, I have my favorite, everyone does I'm sure even if they don't want to admit it, but I also appreciate the differences in the other consoles. For instance, I'm not a big fan of the 360, but I can appreciate it's online service and it's controller setup. I'm not a big fan of the PS3 because of their arrogance, but I can appreciate a lot of the games they've put out. I'm also not a big fan of the Wii because, well, name for one and no price for a second, but I appreciate it's innovation.

I know that I sound like one of those "Can't we all just, get a bong?" people but comeon IT'S JUST fuckING VIDEOGAMES PEOPLE, GROW UP.[/QUOTE]

Hey, since it's a hobby, people get passionate about it. I don't hear people saying that to others when they argue about sports teams/statistics. IT's all in good fun :)....well, depending. also, I don't know if that "Can't we all just get a bong" part was a typo or intended, but it made me lawl.



[quote name='Rei no Otaku']Back when I was a kid video games were anything but cool...[/QUOTE]

Back when I was a kid I used to eat bags of candy and touch myself. This was usually an ancillary event.
 
Actually, I remember brand bickering being much worse when I was younger. "Genesis does what Nintendon't" comes to mind.
 
Reality's Fringe;1908402]Hey said:
bong[/B]" part was a typo or intended, but it made me lawl.





Back when I was a kid I used to eat bags of candy and touch myself. This was usually an ancillary event.



NOTHING IS OVER, NOTHING! You just don't turn it off, you asked me I didn't ask you, and I did what I had to do to win, but somebody wouldn't let us win! And I come back to the world, and see all those maggots spittin' on me, protestin', who are they to protest me huh? Unless they've been there, been me and know what the hell it is they're yellin' about!
 
Reality's Fringe;1908402]Hey said:
bong[/B]" part was a typo or intended, but it made me lawl.

Actually, that part was intented. Everytime I hear "Can't we all just get along," I hear the version I'd typed instead. Not to mention having a bong tends to make everyone laid back and wanting peace, like I'd called for.... more or less.

And as for the sports teams things, I'm sure that I'd say that if they were about to deck each other for 'their team'. I never understood team loyalty that strong, what have they ever done personally for the little guy, us?
 
The guy is right. I'll be trying to buy one no matter what......Hell I've got $$$ to make on ebay with this thing!
 
Sony is fully aware of supply/demand issue that 360 had, I think they are going to try to rake in the profit themselves though, hence the $599 price tag, the PS3 probably won't be flipped nearly as much as 360.
 
[quote name='sonderiaom']And as for the sports teams things, I'm sure that I'd say that if they were about to deck each other for 'their team'. I never understood team loyalty that strong, what have they ever done personally for the little guy, us?[/quote]

Off-topic, but, I don't understand that either. I love sports and all, but c'mon. Also, I hate when people say "We" when talking about their favorite team, like they have anything to do with the team's success.
 
Certainly in Sports, the tenants of the Town or State of the Team doesnt have much to do with the success, but I certainly understand the group mentality.

We will resort to WE when we have a military conflict, even if YOU arent directly involved. WE win gold medals at the Olympics.

The WE in sports is just a smaller scale, but on a local level, they do share a connection. Maybe you dont know the people on the team, but someone you know in town might. The team being there has an economic effect on the town, etc.

In any case, It could be that WE just exists because the team is closer somehow, even if fictionally, than THEY are.
 
[quote name='2Fast']Off-topic, but, I don't understand that either. I love sports and all, but c'mon. Also, I hate when people say "We" when talking about their favorite team, like they have anything to do with the team's success.[/quote]

You underestimate the value of home field/court advantage and crowd noise, then. While not major, fans as a whole can play a part in the outcome of an event.
 
[quote name='Dr Mario Kart']
Could someone explain to me why the SNES generation went so well, and yet this momentum did not carry over to the N64? Then furthermore, explain why Sony is guaranteed victory as if they were immune from failure, regardless of their decisions? Thanks.[/QUOTE]

Because Nintendo had real no competition till Sony showed up. Sega was so poorly managed, even with its better selling Genesis, that they couldn't handle any market correctly. A monkey selling socks full of pennies could have done better against Nintendo.

And I wouldn't say Sony is guaranteed a victory this time around, but its already a heavily established "adult" brand in an industry most folks still view as an extension of the toy industry. All Sony has to do is get some jokers on MTV Cribs to show off their entertainment room with the PS3 near the TV and they've hit the jackpot.
 
It's funny, when I was growing up NO ONE had both a Master System and an NES or both a Genesis and an SNES. It was one or the other. A game came out for the system you didn't have? Rent it and play it all night at your friends house. You joked about things, liked to see your console get a better version of a cross-platform game but that was about where it ended. You had Sonic, your friend had Mario, you got to enjoy both without footing the bill.

It wasn't until I came on to CAG that I found people owning every system of a generation. I guess some people can afford that; I certainly can't. But in an era where it seems more and more we see 2 or 3 console homes, the bickering over which is better gets more and more intense. A lot of that has to do with the Internet, of course, the privacy that allows you to call someone names without any consequences is appealing.

The fact is, no one stays on top forever. Nintendo ruled the 8bit, and to a lesser extent, the 16bit eras. Sony has come in and ruled the market with their PS and PS2 in the last two gens. This gen, I personally doubt we'll see Sony on top again. My rationale? Nintendo. Their "cock-of-the-walk" attitude leading into the N64, the way they would mistreat 3rd parties, and their poor hardware choices all led to them getting 1uped (no pun intended) by the newcomer Sony. All of those bad actions and choices are very evident in Sony's PS3 launch. They'd be hard pressed to do a worse job at it.

Will this be Microsoft generation? Will Nintendo come back and rule all? I dunno. But I'm almost completely certain it won't be Sony's show in the next few years.
 
[quote name='daroga']
But in an era where it seems more and more we see 2 or 3 console homes, the bickering over which is better gets more and more intense.[/QUOTE]
You'd think it would be the opposite, but I guess not. I had an SNES, my cousins had a Genesis... I liked mine better but I still enjoyed playing Sonic over there once in a while, and I don't recall ever telling them their console sucked. Now my fiancee's teenage brother has a PS2, and I have a Cube, and I have to roll my eyes amid taunts about the GC and DS (he of course want's a PSP and has never touched a DS). Sad times.
 
I didn't bother reading though 3 and a half pages of posts... but the guy's probably right. There'll no doubt be those early adopter types who will want a PS3 on day one.
 
[quote name='botticus']Maybe not with the 10 year old ladies, but with your video game playing friends, no one cared which console you had.[/QUOTE]
Friends? What the fuck are friends?
 
Myke,

the beef I had in this thread is that I've made ...what, 2 posts in it, 3 including this one, and one of them was a blatant joke about GIANT ENEMY CRABS.

I haven't argued anything else in this thread, but you come in and tell me I am, when really what you mean to say is you've done it in other topics, and somehow use this as justification to throw a few insults around and pretend you're making sense.

At that point, I'm going to respond simply because I don't need that kind of bullshit, regardless of whatever the hell is going on in whatever thread I'm in at the moment.

As far as innovation goes, the Wii is innovative. Period. There's really very little reason to argue against it. Sony and Microsoft throw out some innovation here and there, I won't deny that.

As far as marketshare goes, I'm not even sure I've really touched the subject, but the fact is that I don't care for that. If you want to face facts, which seems to be the point of that post, then you can face the fact that Sony and MS both lose money on their gaming departments, while Nintendo does not. They can be in third all they want in terms of userbase, but it doesn't matter to anyone BUT the gamers whining about it. The reality is that they head off to the bank every Fu-ri-u-day-u with a fatass check. I'm surprised Iwata can pick the damn thing up.

Now as far as

Upcoming Virtual Boy Games List:
......

goes, which has no goddamn relevance to the subject at hand BUT I'll bite anyway, I respond with these:

Upcoming Beta Video Releases List:
......

along with the soon-to-be

Upcoming UMD Releases List:
......

Ok that was fun.

Now then, in regards to this thread, of course people will buy the PS3 without question. Without question. It remains to be seen, however, how much the price honestly affects the sales, because no one goddamn knows. Analysts don't know, Sony doesn't know, and online gamers don't know.

What we DO know is that MGS4 will sell. GTA4 will sell. GTwhateverthefucknumber will sell.

So will Smash Bros, so will Zelda, and so will Mario Galaxy.

So will Halo 3, Gears of War, and Mass Effect.

You want me to sit here and try and attack a system that I KNOW will be moved on games alone, EVEN if the games don't materialize for a year. Much in the way MGS2 was seen as the flagship title for the PS2, how FFX pushed console sales, and how Devil May Cry came in and floored everyone, IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN.

I'm not stupid enough to think PS3 won't sell. But I am smart enough to know there are some bad decisions being made by all companies.

The problem you seem to be stuck on is that flagrantly being excited for Nintendo suddenly throws me out of rationale in regards to the PS3. And since I could reverse the argument without issue, I fail to see how anyone could be deemed more "right" in this case, especially given that NONE OF US fuckING KNOW how the next generation will play out.

The only other thing I can say for certain is this - the Wii just got a fuckload of momentum from E3, and it's going to generate buzz for quite some time. Much like PS3's price point resonation, a good number of people are incredibly excited for the Wii, and this is going to snowball after the overwhelmingly positive reaction it got.

And yes, I do wish we'd see more 2D, off-the-wall, and classic genres (shooter, adventure, etc) showing up instead of GTA4.

But I'm not going to deny that GTA will be milked for the rest of it's life. Just like so many other franchises.
 
Why can't we criticise sony? They're the top dog.. they're the MOST succeptible to criticism. They SHOULD be receiving the most criticism, because they recieve the most attention.

Well, sony's right anyway. The first however million will fly off of shelves, with people putting themselves into debt and neglecting rent, kids, car payments, and whatever, just to get that blight into their household.

It doesn't mean we have to become like that, or allow videogaming as a hobby to be relegated to hillbilly/gangster levels. There are better things out there than 25 to life, and 50 cent isn't a major player in the videogame industry. Mark Ecko isn't a representative for us.

I think the main thing that excites myself, strell, RF and many others about nintendo's approach is that gaming might finally become something that isn't something to do in a dark room by yourself when "other" activities aren't available. Imagine if people approached videogames as readily for a saturday night activity as hanging at a friend's place, watching a movie.

If sony manages to squash Nintendo's efforts without a chance for it to take off, that might never become a reality, and we'll be stuck with a future of GTA, Madden, Gran Turismo, and whatever else sequels forever, which are all things that none of our girlfriends, non-gamer friends, or family will ever touch.
 
I think you guys are downplaying the number of great games that the playstation really had, hell I played GTA on my pc, and wasn't that impressed at all, as a matter of fact :)

On my ps2, I played onimusha, devil may cry, genji, god of war, MGS, ratchet & clank, jak, socom, soul calibur 2 & 3, guilty gear x2, RIIIIIIDGE RACER!, gran turismo....

In any case, in reitteration, I will be buying ps3 for my previous experiences with sony consoles, I've never had one die on me suddenly (i've had 2 dreamcasts and one xbox die on me), it has the games I want, I just can't say the same for XBOX, and nintendo has some interesting titles I want to see for myself but seem gimmicky at the moment...
I certainly thought nintendo had a good showing but I think the wii is being WAY overhyped...
 
[quote name='Dr Mario Kart']Could someone explain to me why the SNES generation went so well, and yet this momentum did not carry over to the N64? Then furthermore, explain why Sony is guaranteed victory as if they were immune from failure, regardless of their decisions? Thanks.[/quote]

I thnk a big factor in Sony beating out Nitendo during the N64/PS1 era was Nintendo's decision to stick with cartridges. They're more expensive and harder to develop on than CDs, which made things really hard for third parties.
 
[quote name='Purple Flames']I thnk a big factor in Sony beating out Nitendo during the N64/PS1 era was Nintendo's decision to stick with cartridges. They're more expensive and harder to develop on than CDs, which made things really hard for third parties.[/quote]



And gamecube, with the mini-discs = no dvd support, which was a huge selling point for sony.
 
Oh I'm aware of that, the point is that along with the second question, leads to the idea that bad decisions will eventually hurt you, whether they be related to format, price, or developer treatment.

There are some people that cannot entertain that there is even a POSSIBILITY that Sony wont 'win' again.
 
[quote name='Strell']I'd love to debate with you, but I'm tired of pretending like I'm not arguing with a Philosophy 101 student who just thinks he walked out of the Cave.
[/quote]

wait, then what do you call that long ass post nobody read?

Looks like the giant enemy crabs have invaded your thought processes, and dealt massive damage to your mental acuity.
 
[quote name='Metal Boss']wait, then what do you call that long ass post nobody read?

Looks like the giant enemy crabs have invaded your thought processes, and dealt massive damage to your mental acuity.[/QUOTE]

I'm glad it only took you five hours and three posts to come up with that one, kid.
 
[quote name='Strell']I'm glad it only took you five hours and three posts to come up with that one, kid.[/quote]

[quote name='Strell']I'd love to debate with you, but I'm tired of pretending like I'm not arguing with a Philosophy 101 student who just thinks he walked out of the Cave.

I get a lot of flack from people like you and some others that center me out as this gradiose Nintendo fanboy. There is truth that I prefer the big N - grew up with them, have had great gameplay experiences, the whole nine yards. Worked for their street team a few years ago, did a Cube Club, and currently looking to head up to Seattle at some point to work there.

So you've got me. Really. You've pointed out that I prefer them, just like so many others before and after you. Congratulations on connecting the dots.

Meanwhile, you similarly dismiss the dozens of fanboy posts by others. People who make absolutely no attempt to hide their preference. Creating topics that are SOLELY meant to bash and SOLELY meant to attack one company over the other. There's anti everything.

You'd be hard pressed to find me acting like several other members around here, but it's comforting to you to know that you can single me out because I'm vohement and, frankly, "well known" on these boards (even if I somewhat cringe at the fact that my virtual persona outweighs whatever it is I am outside CAG). That said, you're just lumping yourself in with a bunch of other comments from people who like to drop labels.

The only - only - "propogandic" post you can find under my name is from two weeks ago with "Sony rips off Nintendo's controller." Beyond that, you'll find regular posts - reporting deals, helping people in the PC forum, a remarkable number of OTT posts, and general questions about shopping.

However, I challenge you to figure this out yourself. I forget if you're quoted in someone's sig as saying this, but it's easier for someone to be outraged than to find facts.

So I guess that means you're clueless AND a hypocrite, because you're denouncing people doing the same thing you are doing because a 10 second search would just be so below your lofty keyboard input.

Meanwhile there are people polluting threads with who sux OMFG and front page stories that bash console-repair efforts. The owner of this site himself runs around making running jokes at MS's expense, but this is waived because he shows up on XBL occassionally. There's moderators exercising authority on certain posters but not others, and in some cases, even encouraging said fanboy posts.

That is all fine and well. You can pretend you have a fucking clue, myke, because you wrap yourself up in a blanket of pseudo intellectualism, and frankly, a few people reinforce that notion in you.

The fact is that, yea, I have said in the past that 90% of what I post is a joke. Someone even suggested "everything you post is a joke." That's fine with me, because I have so little to prove and so little to gain on a fucking virtual message board. This is an internet tea party, and I could care less if you invite me or not to your exclusive table.

But someone telling me what I am is just ridiculous. You have no earthly clue, and you are throwing your weight around with what little notoriety you have, and assuming that's all the justification you need.

I did that in second grade, fucker. Second fucking grade.

So make all the posts you want where you decide what it is I'm doing. Say all the nonsense you want, let one or two people convince you that you're right, and then continue on your "I have a college degree even though I think I'm too good for it" merry little way.

Now then, perhaps you'd like to talk about videogames on a videogame site, instead of pretending you're an elite high wizard in the intelligentsia.[/quote]


Hmm, and I'm guessing you were able to type up this drivel within a milisecond, right?
 
You are comparing a post I wrote - which contains more words than your brain is aware of existing - to your paltry attempt at an insult? Sadly, I probably wrote it in less time it took you to write one sentence.

What do they put in high school cafeteria food these days? You should ask your mom to pack you a lunch, kid.
 
Cant we all just get along and unite against the real enemy here? Thats right...GIANT CRABS!!

Sorry. I've been saving the first time I would use Giant Crabs and I wasted it :(
 
What is it, your 2 second attention span has already caused you to forget that you brought up the length of time it took to make the post? It's cute that you're so self-appreciative of your sad pathetic rant, but keep it on topic please.


I'm guessing your mom has been packing chips of lead paint along with your cheese doodles.
 
[quote name='Metal Boss']I'm guessing your mom has been packing chips of lead paint along with your cheese doodles.[/QUOTE]
Ooooh....snap, crackle, AND pop!

Nah, I'm just joking, I find this whole thing quite funny. :D
 
[quote name='seanr1221']Cant we all just get along and unite against the real enemy here? Thats right...GIANT CRABS!!

Sorry. I've been saving the first time I would use Giant Crabs and I wasted it :([/quote]

Give me a break, we all know that the first time you had Giant Crabs was that time you slept with the cosplay Yuna with the 5 oclock shadow.

I don't know why - but I'm starting to lean more towards ninty this round.
 
I just think that Sony is being unfairly bashed and I enjoyed their E3 offerings. I am just amused they would hire that doofus with no forethought of what he was going to say about genji 2, I agree it was pretty underwhelming and that was intensified when this guy came on stage. The game footage was all good though, I am still confident ps3's games look to be the best (IMO of course) of the next gen, not just considering the ports of series' from the ps2. Genji 2's presentation was bonked but the game didn't look bad if you actually watch the video, I liked the first one because the strong japanese mythology and onimusha style gameplay, & comeon, gran turismo is the best looking racing game I have ever seen...

The controller caught everyone off guard, the gimmick caught on with them and they are really going to stick with it, it looks like it won't be heavily utilized though so that hasn't detered me, or made me want to purchase it any more than I had wanted before.
 
[quote name='Metal Boss']it looks like it won't be heavily utilized though so that hasn't detered me[/quote]

I dont know about that. I think the utilization will be much much heavier than with the DS's gimmicks.

With less power, you're already taking a risk by developing for an untested concept (regardless of praise from developers). Unless the market share ends up being great, making a standard game for the Wii defeats the purpose. Make it for the PS2 and enjoy an established 100M marketshare.

The utilization with the DS has been decidedly half-assed by a number of developers, and I think you will see much more full usage of the new functionality, even if the game technically blows.
 
[quote name='Metal Boss']I just think that Sony is being unfairly bashed and I enjoyed their E3 offerings.[/quote]

Where are you, Moderators? One of Sony's fans is crying right now, because evil and mean people on the internet are bashing is favorite system. Metal Boss is like Terminator 2, you see? He's made out of SOFT metal. And he has feelings too. If you will let those evil Nintendo Nerds continually bash something good clean and wholesome (not to forget EXPENSIVE) as a PlayStation 3, anarchy and communism will begin on earth. And homosexuals will fly around on pterodactyls, and Armageddon will be upon us. Stick up for the metal. Stick up for the boss.

Metal Boss: Keep the fight alive. I'm with you. I will hold your hand.
 
Which Terminator model do you speak of? I was always fond of the T-1000's liquid mimetic polyalloy myself, not exactly "soft metal", more like a liquid based solid that can be molded and shaped via a dynamic molecular CPU that was adapted from playstation 3's cell processor technology, which is more than we can say for NINTENBLOW. get out of the n00b shack before I take your clothes, boots, and your motorcycle.


In all honesty you were close, I am a cybernetic organism, model Kaz-510. I was sent back in time to target the rebellion of WII from taking our foothold on the beginnings of our takeover. We assumed control of the earth under the guise of Skynet, everybody throw down your hands and kneel to the future of humanity, your rulers, heed the mighty call "RIIIIIIDGE RACER" and prepare for your ultimate destiny.
 
In all honesty you were close, I am a cybernetic organism, model Kaz-510. I was sent back in time to target the rebellion of WII from taking our foothold on the beginnings of our takeover. We assumed control of the earth under the guise of Skynet, everybody throw down your hands and kneel to the future of humanity, your rulers, heed the mighty call "RIIIIIIDGE RACER" and prepare for your ultimate destiny.
 
[quote name='Metal Boss']Which Terminator model do you speak of? I was always fond of the T-1000's liquid mimetic polyalloy myself, not exactly "soft metal", more like a liquid based solid that can be molded and shaped via a dynamic molecular CPU that was adapted from playstation 3's cell processor technology, which is more than we can say for NINTENBLOW. get out of the n00b shack before I take your clothes, boots, and your motorcycle.


In all honesty you were close, I am a cybernetic organism, model Kaz-510. I was sent back in time to target the rebellion of WII from taking our foothold on the beginnings of our takeover. We assumed control of the earth under the guise of Skynet, everybody throw down your hands and kneel to the future of humanity, your rulers, heed the mighty call "RIIIIIIDGE RACER" and prepare for your ultimate destiny.[/QUOTE]

This thread's retarded level just went up by 10 points and half a giant enemy crab.
You are not a good writer. Stop trying to write something clever.

We can blab all we want on the internet, but our dollars speak the loudest. And none of my dollars are going to Sony this gen.
 
[quote name='Dr Mario Kart']

Could someone explain to me why the SNES generation went so well, and yet this momentum did not carry over to the N64? Then furthermore, explain why Sony is guaranteed victory as if they were immune from failure, regardless of their decisions? Thanks.[/QUOTE]

Nintendo took a very long time to become accustomed to the competition that ensued once Sega sued them over their third party exclusivity requirements that effectively locked any other company out of the business. This wasn't like when Sony pays a big chunk of cash or co-op advertising funds for an exclusive on something like GTA for a six month period. Nintendo simply demanded exclusivity for the mere privelige of publishing on their platform. So Nintendo never really had to compete after the US market became a major profit center. A competitor could do a fair amount of business in Japan but would still be dwarfed on the global scale. This caused Nintendo to become arrogant and believe they could dictate the course of gaming's future. If Nintendo didn't want to use optical media, for instance, who was there who could use it effectively if they'd have to do without nearly every decent third party publisher's support in the US?

I had to co-sign on one of these contracts as the Associate Producer of a Cinemaware C64 game that was being ported (miserably) to the NES. The clause in question required that the property covered by the contract could not appear on a competing platform for a period of no less than two years. This was a NOA thing thing and kept the TurboGrafx and Genesis versions of many popular games from appearing in the US. If they had it would have been a huge boost for those platforms in the days before the SNES launched.

NEC wasn't going to complain because Nintendo was a huge customer for NEC memory chips and other parts. But Sega was doomed without access to the wide array of third party publishers and took Nintendo to court. Since a trial showed every indication of going very badly against them, Nintendo settled for an undisclosed sum of money and the discontinuation of the exclusivity clause. Capcom shipped a version of Streetfighter II for the Genesis almost overnight and nothing has ever been the same since. Nintendo has never been as strong again as the moment they surrendered their stranglehold on third party publishing.

Sony is not guaranteed victory. They are not immune to failure but their Playstation brand momentum makes them far better armored against attack than either of the competition. Brand momentum is very important. It can get you past severe mistakes and allow a comeback. Sega lacked Nintendo's momentum and kept losing ground until mounting debt and poor cashflow brought them to the brink of collapse.

Behind closed doors most folks at Microsoft never felt they had a shot at supremacy with their first entry to the console market. For them, victory was just establishing a good brand and not losing too much money. Their ill-conceived partnership with Nvidia screwed that up, along with some other mistakes I could list, but the guys in charge were still very happy with the strength of the brand and were willing to give it another go without the previous handicap of unmanageable costs.

The Sony guy is right, albeit arrogant. There is enough positive association with any new product labeled 'Playstation' that the affluent consumers will absorb all of the available units before the supply reaches a point where less financially able folks can really give it any thought without standing in long lines being a factor.

Imagine if Toshiba instead of Sony were bringing a new console to market that had HDTV content playback as a standard feature. Toshiba has the HD-DVD technology and is no slouch in many of the technologies needed to produce a successful console. (You might recall they were the primary partner for the PS2 chipset and are involved in Cell.) But what does the name Toshiba mean to gamers other than a major brand of portable PCs? When it comes to consoles they have little or no brand momentum and would face a far harder battle than Sony will.
 
I couldn't imagine a 4 console generation.

Nintendo, Sega, 3D0, and Atari were the closest to that.

I think people will buy a Playstation 3, no matter what, it's just a question of how many of those die-hard, must have it on day one customers sony has. From my retail experience it seems to me that a good 80% of the playstation buyers bought late in its lifespan and bought things as cheaply as possible. When it came to the bigger spenders, they were usually Xbox buyers. Xbox owners were the ones that typically showed up first day or first week for any new titles. PS2 owners did too, but it was usually just to gawk at it and say they'd get it when it was cheaper.

That's just my experience from a year and a half of videogame retail in one area, though, so maybe it means nothing.
 
[quote name='epobirs']Imagine if Toshiba instead of Sony were bringing a new console to market that had HDTV content playback as a standard feature. Toshiba has the HD-DVD technology and is no slouch in many of the technologies needed to produce a successful console. (You might recall they were the primary partner for the PS2 chipset and are involved in Cell.) But what does the name Toshiba mean to gamers other than a major brand of portable PCs? When it comes to consoles they have little or no brand momentum and would face a far harder battle than Sony will.[/QUOTE]

Y'know, if someone brought this up four pages earlier, we'd have a lot less petty bickering and name-calling in this thread.
 
Haha, well, excuse me, is my composition on terminators wasn't suitable for your exclusive and intellectual reading expertise, "jer7538".
 
[quote name='Metal Boss']Haha, well, excuse me, is my composition on terminators wasn't suitable for your exclusive and intellectual reading expertise, "jer7538".[/quote]

LoL - who would listen to anyone with a 'Sepiroth' avatar anyway. I found your post mildly entertaining - I mean does anyone really care about how well a console does beyond the risk that you may be buying a lemon?
 
It's no surprise that the PS3 will sell like hotcakes.

Hell, Germany thought Hitler was the bomb...
 
[quote name='Skelah']well bush did get elected ...[/quote]


I really don't mean to break the flow of good argumentation, and epobirs's insight is worthy of nothing less than attention (to those that have problems with my posts, this one is "out of character"), but I really want to know what in the world does the Skelah's quote refer to. I understand what it means, mind, but I'm not sure about its' placement.
 
bread's done
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