Still A Rough Road Ahead for the PlayStation 3

TobyToadstool writes "Despite the good news out of GDC last week, it still seems like Sony's new console has some image management to do. CNET says that the PlayStation 3 is 'the most unwanted console in recent memory' and asks 'why is the PS3 so undesirable?' They specifically question the company's wisdom in emphasizing the power of the console. Their impression is that this invites developers to neglect gameplay, in favour of investing in graphics. Likewise, Gamespot is running a piece suggesting ten ways to make the PS3 worth buying. A lower price is just one of the suggestions with exclusives, and the need for online standardization, following close behind. Looks like Sony still has its work cut out."

Comments

Seriously

[Icarus1919]

It's not "unwanted", people just don't want to pay the price. I'm more than half the people out there who have decided not to get it have decided such because of price and not one of the other reasons listed in TFA.

Re:Seriously

[drinkypoo]

It's not "unwanted", people just don't want to pay the price.

It's unwanted at that price. The price is part of the product offering. Thus, the PS3 is currently unwanted.

By the way, if Sony's hostility to their customers (like shutting down Lik-Sang, and forcing Blu-Ray on us all when it is simply not necessary) doesn't dissuade you from buying from Sony, then you are a tool and part of the problem. As long as we keep forgiving companies who treat us like shit, they will treat us like shit.

Re:Seriously

[Who235]

Price is a huge factor for me, but there are others.

I'll admit it right here - the only thing that made me buy a PS2 was the availability of GTA3. I know the GTA games came out later on Xbox, but I didn't know they would at the time I bought my PS2.

If GTA4 was exclusive to the PS3, I'd seriously consider buying one. As it stands now, I might as well buy an Xbox and a Wii for the price of one PS3 and have GTA4 and the embarrasingly fun Wii games on top of it.

If they had some of the game exclusives that I couldn't live without, I'd save up and buy one, but there's no point if I can get the games on another console for less money.

Re:Seriously

[ArcherB]

I think you've hit the nail on the head here. It's the games that make the console, not the other way around (although more power can mean better games!)

I think Sony should offer to pay for or at least split the development costs for some heavy hitter games. If Sony could team up with Blizzard, for example, to make a PS3 version of WOW that shares the online world with PC's, it may go a long way toward selling consoles.

Re:Seriously

[wpegden]

By the way, if Sony's hostility to their customers (like shutting down Lik-Sang, and forcing Blu-Ray on us all when it is simply not necessary) doesn't dissuade you from buying from Sony, then you are a tool and part of the problem.

I agree with the sentiment, but I think Slashdot comes down on the wrong side here from a long-term perspective. Putting asside for a moment the very possible dominance of Nintendo in at least some segment of the console market, the question is: who is it better to have controlling the high-end game market, Microsoft or Sony? To answer this question, we need to consider what each of their world-domination strategies entail. I don't think Sony's world domination strategy has a chance at success: since it is a media company, domination depends on DRM and hardware brand image. The former is technically infeasible; the latter has limited staying power if coupled with inferior products (this differs from the domination of Windows in the OS market, for example).

On the other hand, Microsoft's potential to dominate the software industry is very real, very with us, and very possible to remain unchecked. It is a big problem for freedom (if you lean radical) and the technology economy in general (even if you don't). If the big M succeeds at dominating a home-entertainment market, it will firm up their position to dominate the software industry, and further entrench developers in the Microsoft camp. This is why we should be opposing Microsoft more than Sony in the game market. Not because Sony has been nicer, but because Microsoft is more dangerous in the long run.

Re:Seriously

[Anonymous Coward]

So, your narrowed your options down to Nintendo, the good company, whose fine business practices have never done anything to hurt the games industry? In seriousness though, I don't think making choices based on company image will get you very far. Your impression of a company is a tug of war between their PR team, other PR teams, and the media, and not particularly reliable in my opinion. I actually want to buy a Wii more than any of the other two, but that's because it's cool, not because Nintendo is supposedly less evil.

Re:Seriously

[king-manic]

Just a note: Most people don't care a bit about the root kit, lik sang, or the inclusion of blu-ray. only the price and the lack of games would cross the mind of any non geek.

Re:Seriously

[LKM]

You make it sound as if a company either behaved perfectly, or was evil. Nintendo is not perfect (althought definitely better than during the NES times), but between Nintendo and Sony/Microsoft, it's really no contest. Nintendo has done nothing even remotely approaching what Microsoft and Sony have done. If you want to ignore that, fine, but then you're part of the general problem leading to corporations behaving like insane sociopaths. And this is not something that only applies to videogames, either. If we want corporations to behave less evil, we need to reward those which do behave better than others.

Re:Seriously

[tbannist]

What if parts of a company are good are parts are evil?

Actually, I don't think you can really stop companies from behaving like insane sociopaths. It's what they're supposed to do. It's what they're designed to do. It's what they're doing all the time. It's always only about the money. Good corporate reputation? It's an angle to get more money. Creating a great product? It's an angle to get more money. Creating a crappy rip-off product? It's a shortcut to get more money.

You're right in some ways, that rewarding companies that make good products is a good idea, but I don't think refusing to buy a PS3 because of a rootkit that Sony-BMG Music put on some of the CDs is remotely effective. It's like punishing a cat who broke a vase by refusing to feed it, two days after it broke the vase. You're not sending a clear message to it. By all means, go ahead refuse to buy anything from Sony-BMG ever again but be aware that most of the people who work at Sony BMG are the same people who worked for BMG before Sony bought it. Sony didn't make BMG "evil", it was "evil" long before Sony bought it. Punishing the rest of Sony for the mistakes of Sony-BMG might be sastisfying to some people, but it's probably misdirected and ineffectual anger.

At Least

[billdar]

At least it runs linux....

Re:Atari Jaguar...

[J-Doggqx]

I always thought it was a tie between the 3DO and the N-Gage.

been here before

[mastershake_phd]

I woulnt say its "the most unwanted console in recent memory". Its just too expensive for most casual gamers. Like the 3DO, Jaguar, and others it may be a great system but you need a large user base to survive.

well, duh

[Deadbolt]

No one thing is killing the PS3. Sony has screwed up on multiple fronts:

* no games. Can anyone who doesn't have a PS3 name two games currently available for it not available anywhere else?
* halfhearted online/multiplayer. The 360, MS device or no, has set the bar, and whether or not you think it's high enough, the PS3 doesn't come close to it.
* bad word of mouth. Hardcore gamers are turned off due to the lack of games and crappy multiplayer.
* marketing. What the HELL is with the PS3 ads? Sony thinks no one will ever use the full power of the console? Even to non-gamers, they sound clueless.
* nothing new. While the PS3 is technically the same generation as the 360 and Wii, what is it offering that they don't? The 360 does HD (which doesn't only mean 1080p, so don't start) and has solid online chops. The Wii is retro, uses a new controller scheme, and is accessible for non-gamers. The only thing the PS3 does well so far is HD, and the difference between it and the 360's HD is practically subjective.

The price, frankly, is retardedly high. Without anything new or awesome games, a console that's 50% higher than its nearest competitor isn't going to sell.

However, this isn't necessarily how it's always going to be. Sony can still save their baby by correcting these screwups, and gamers want the PS3 to be cool because they want awesome games. Maybe in two years we'll all own PS3s and laugh at the thought that one day we openly scorned the chunky thing.

Re:well, duh

[VirusEqualsVeryYes]

You know what's worse than people assuming they know what they're talking about? People who pretend to know what they're talking about, and who lie to boot.

I own all 3 systems

Either you have a lot of money, or your parents have a lot of money, or you're a liar. Considering that adults don't have time to play all 3 systems regularly, that your post doesn't quite strike me as one written by an adolescent (though it is petulant), and, most importantly, that your post does not have a single mention of the Wii, I call bullshit.

it's only $100 more than a 360

The easiest way to spot a shill or a fanboy from a hundred yards out is when he uses his console's lowest price point. Using the competition's highest price point at the same time is just icing on the cake, not to mention hilariously hypocritical.

otherwise, it's $100 cheaper than a 360. Why is this? Because the 360 only comes with a 20 GB HD and no 802.11g support.

Huhbuhduhwuh?? Cheaper than the 360?? I have no idea where you got your numbers, but they're just wrong. The 360 "only" comes with 20GB? You said the PS3 is only $100 more; that means you're gonna have to stick with the lesser package. In case you're forgotten (what with you being busy with your other two consoles and all), the $500 PS3 comes with a 20GB HDD too. And wireless support most certainly does not justify a price bump of $100--if it did, a Wii stripped of the controller, Wii Sports, and wireless would cost $50. I wish.

I realize that the 360 has better online options right now.. but is it $50/yr better? Or $200 - $250 over the life of the console better?

Once again, if you use your PS3 numbers on the Wii, you come out with the Wii being ... free? Holy fuck, dude, that number factory up your ass must be malfunctioning. Quit trying to come up with excuses for the price difference; PS3 online is free, and as such, Sony feels to pressure to make the online experience more than half-assed. I suggest you get a Wii and check out Nintendo's free online experience ... oh, wait, you already have one! I forgot!

That also needs to be figured in the total cost of ownership of either system.

So do games. 3 guesses as to which console has the cheapest games.

The way I see it, total cost of ownership for my 360 (having gotten it on launch day) is $850. $250 for 5 years worth of XBox Live (assuming I keep it for the life of the system) and $200 for the HD-DVD player (because I really do think high def movies are better) and $400 for the console. Whereas the total cost of ownership for my PS3 (having gotten it on launch day) is still only $600.

B-B-B-B-B-B-B-BUT FEATURES!!!one2! Sorry, but no amount of whining and kicking is going to make a Mac Pro cheaper than a Dell. I'd also like to take the liberty of calling you a dumbass for buying both a Blu-Ray and an HD-DVD player.

I have all 3 systems, and play all 3 systems regularly.

You own them so much, you had to tell us twice. Thanks for reminding me, though, I do seem to have forgotten a couple times.

I couldn't/didn't want to choose one or two out of the three because I knew it would be torture 1-2 years down the road...

Yeah, I'm so afraid of the future "torture" that will ensue when I predict the Wii to be the console leader this generation. My body temperature even changed, almost.

once the big exclusives come out.

I know, right? All those big, big PS3 exclusives, like Assassin's Creed and Grand Theft Auto... oh, wait...

Now if only someone could send a message to their marketing folk that the PS3 would be cheaper than a similarly decked out 360 and play off of that, maybe their sales would start taking off.

Did you know that a Mac Pro is actu

Little Big Planet and Home

[segafreak]

As can be seen here http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/03/09 Sony have just unveiled two big new draws for the PS3. I think the price is still prohibitively high, but I think gradually they'll manage to grow the userbase if they can keep releasing stuff like this.

Only if

[EmbeddedJanitor]

you buy one first!

I can think of lots of reasons to buy one...

[Tsu-na-mi]

Problem is, they're not here yet: Gran Turismo 5, and the new installments of GTA, Zone of Enders, Final Fantasy, Metal gear Solid, and other great PSX franchises. I have no interest in the 360, and while I think the Wii is fun as hell, it's the PS3 that will get all the good high-end Japanese games from Konami, Square/Enix, and the like.

In the meantime, I'm kicking back and enjoying Guitar Hero/GHII with occasional progress on completing Gran Turismo 4.

...you guys take this WAY too seriously

[Talgrath]

Seriously guys, get a life; the competition in the console market between Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo is not a battle between good and evil...or good, neutral and evil; it's a competition between competing systems to get you to buy their system for money. This is about business, these aren't competing political ideologies or antyhing; just high-tech toys for both grown-ups and children. Buy the system that has what you want (both in terms of games and hardware features) and don't worry about the company behind it. None of these companies cause genocides or anything like that. As for the article itself, I'd say that the PS3 really isn't doing that badly; the idea that it is is really just hype, it's not selling as well as the Wii, that's true, but the generation is young.

Re:Right. Being a happy PS3 owner isn't unusual.

[king-manic]

I got one recently as well. I feel the whole price argument is slightly overblown for Canadians since it's about $50 more then my launch Ps2 after inflation, but it's a "good" blu-ray player while my Ps2 was a "crap" DVD player. I enjoy all the little extra and the fact they didn't do the trademark 100% propriatary thing that was Sony electronics trademark. It support compact flash, SD, and minidisk. It does the whole USB thing too and I can put linus on it. I think they made it right but marketted it badly. And they created a lot of ill will with their upper managemetn beign so sure of it's landslide victory.

I think they can recover but they need ot shut up their marketroids for a while and let the product speak for itself. Unlike most of slashdot, the general public isn't very anti-PS3 they just need a reason to want one. One of the upcoming games liek MGS4 would do it.

It's the gameplay

[chiph]

Nintendo really took the correct approach by concentrating on gameplay, and not pure technical chops. The Wii is just fun to play for everyone in the family: from my 9yo niece to my 80yo grandmother.

I've been looking for additional Wii consoles for people at work, and they're really hard to find (I'm not paying inflated prices on eBay, sorry.) A PS3, on the other hand, I could pick up pretty much anytime.

Chip H.

Playstation dominance turning to ashes

[ConfusedSelfHating]

Sony felt that they owned the video game market. They should have seen the first signs when the Nintendo DS dominated the Sony PSP. Just as Nintendo became arrogant and thought they would own the console market forever, Sony will feel the harsh penalty of hubris themselves.

Sony decision to include the BluRay drive was based on the belief that PS2 owners would flock to the stores to buy anything with Playstation on the name. No matter the cost. And yet PS3s sit on store shelves, gathering dust. Greed is the irrational pursuit of money. Businesses are about the pursuit of money, but in order to be successful they have to balance their desire with common sense. Sony became greedy and lost their common sense.

Anyone who talks how many great Sony exclusives will be available, is clearly deluded. Sony exclusive after exclusive is going to the Xbox 360 as well (Assassin's Creed, Virtual Fighter 5, Armored Core 4). Big games released on both consoles (Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, F.E.A.R., GRAW 2) are being released months ahead of time on the Xbox 360 before being released on the PS3. There are credible rumors of Metal Gear Solid 4 being released on the Xbox 360 and Final Fantasy is getting kind of tired. God of War 3 and Grand Turismo 5 will be in development for years. Motorstorm is a racing game in one environment and Resistance:Fall of Man has to hold off Gears of War, Lost Planet and Halo 3 on its own. What will the PS3 have available for Christmas 2007 that isn't being released on the Xbox 360?

The PS3 will not only have to face the wrath of the 360, but it will face the vicious tide of the Nintendo Wii. Half the price. Proper motion sensing with rumble. The Wii is an elegant fighter with not an ounce of fat against the bloated husk of the Playstation 3. Released at the same time as the PS3, the Wii has sold over 3 times as many consoles.

Re:Perfect storm is brewing

[moochfish]

I'm not done...

Fast forward to November. Nintendo knocks of $50 from the Wii and launches a new marketing campaign, showing off upcoming games in all their "impossible on any other system" glory. Kids all over the US and Europe *continue to* beg their parents for a Wii. Parents cave because they want one too.

PS3 is cheaper than the XBox 360

[gamer4Life]

If you take into account just one of the following:

$50 x 4 years = $200
HD-DVD drive = $200
Wireless Adapter = $100

Base cost of of the XBox 360 20GB = $400

Base cost of PS3 base = $500

Not to mention the PS3 has better backwards compatibility, less hardware failures, less noisy.

This will probably be modded overrated, considering the huge numbers of Microsoft fanboy mods.

Re:PS3 is cheaper than the XBox 360

[BarneyL]

No but it should be modded overrated because:

a) I don't care about having an HD-DVD or Blu ray drive so the extra should be deducted.

b) I don't need a wireless adaptor so that cost can go too.

c) Don't have to pay for live if I don't want to (although I'll pay for the better than PS3 service of live if only to avoid the adverts you will be bombarded with under Home.

d) No one is buying the base PS3 so you should really compare the top end boxes price.

e) In a short while and a new revision 360 will be out with a corresponding drop in the other packages prices.

f) I live in Europe where the PS3 released to us will have backwards compatibility as poor as the 360's.

g) Given the PS3 has been on release for three months now it's a bit early to start making reliability comparisons to a console that has been around for over a year.

Is that enough reasons yet?

(of course run the same criteria against the Wii and things suddenly look even worse, half the price, near silent running and 100% backwards compatability for a start).

Re:PS3 is cheaper than the XBox 360

[echo_kmem]

This will probably be modded overrated, considering the huge numbers of Microsoft fanboy mods Chances are, your going to get modded that way just for suggesting it.

Re:Something everyone forgot to mention

[daverabbitz]

What the fuck are you smoking?

The PS3 is the only one of the three that doesn't have region coding.

hmmm

[TB]

A friend in europe who wanted to buy one tried and couldnt, turns out his local store sold out of PS3... 5x over. Between 1 and 2 million units going to Europe yet demand is expected to match 5million units. Seems people think its desirable. Blurays latest sale figures (thats sale not counting the freebies sony sent out) is showing Bluray is growing faster than DVD did. With direct comparison of dual titles showing people buy BD 2x over HDDVD, seems people find that desirable. Once again a PS3 title is in the #1 spot in japan, once again... seems like people find it desirable. The only people who seem to have issues with the PS3 is GameSpot, not to surprising when you see their forums are filled with outrage over their constant PS3 slagging. Is the PS3 perfect? Nope, not even close but with europes demand passing 15x that of the Wii id say a few people want them.

Re:Right. Being a happy PS3 owner isn't unusual.

[ShadowsHawk]

I understand your argument, but I have a problem with the 'taking inflation into account' viewpoint. The fact is, even with inflation, most reasonable people will see $600 as a really big chunk of cash to drop on what is essentially a toy. I personally have a Pioneer 930 Elite and $2000 surround sound system. I say that because I want you to understand that I value HD media. I also have NOT purchased a HD-DVD or Blu-ray player since I'm tired of re-buying physical media. I simply do not see $600 of value in the PS3.