Watch out Wii, Sony outlines "astounding" PS3 rescue plan
By John Pospisil
Sony has outlined a plan to rescue the PlayStation 3 (PS3) from oblivion. Disappointingly, the plan has already received a thumbs down from a leading Japanese games expert.
Contrary to wide speculation, the plan does not include a price cut. Instead, Sony wants to work on relationships with third-party game publishers to improve the range of games available for the PS3.
“The most important thing for me at this point in time is to ensure that we have the breadth of software,” the chief executive of Sony’s video game unit, Kazuo Hirai, told the Wall Street Journal at the Tokyo Game Show industry conference.
“Price alone does not drive any product.”
Hirai said that he would improve communications with publishers, so that they will have a better idea of what Sony was planning. Publishers would also have input into Sony’s marketing strategy.
In an astounding move, Hirai also said that Sony will start marketing the PS3 as a games console, rather than as a super computer/home entertainment device. Apparently he’s realized that gamers above everything want a games console first and foremost.
This is obviously something that Sony has painfully learnt from Nintendo, which from day one has marketed its popular Wii games console, as a games console.
The president of market-research firm Enterbrain, Hirokazu Hamamura, expressed doubts about the rescue plan, explaining that he was disappointed that there was no price cut. As he pointed out, many game developers want to see more PS3 sales before they start working on new games.
Clearly Sony is trying to fix at least some of the criticisms being leveled at the PS3, but is this latest rescue plan too little, too late?
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September 21st, 2007
without a price cut the PS3 is doom. period.
September 21st, 2007
Not doomed, just fated to stay at third place, it will be the GameCube of this generation. It’s pretty much entirely due to Sony’s constant screw ups and complete lack of understanding of it’s own customers, but it’s still kinda a shame that Sony’s system will never have as many users as the Xbox 360, I would have preferred the two compete as near equals.
September 21st, 2007
sony is not doomed to third place whatsoever. They have their biggest hands to play yet: MGS4, FFXIII, FFvXIII, GT5, GOW and probably one of the main major influences if it happens is FFVII remake. All proven IPs. Not to mention the hype that Killzone 2 is getting due to the mindmelting visuals. the ps3 has sold around 4m with “no games” at (most of the time) $599 a pop. just wait until the sony train gets running. im afraid it will be the 360 doomed to third place :[
September 21st, 2007
PS3 outsells x360 all over the world except NA.
PS3 would be going back to no 1 spot.
as for x360 –it is dead in both JAPAN and EU.
PS3 has 5.5 million users 5 million short of x360s base BUT that would be overtaken soon
XBOTS go play your cartoon halo 3 rather than trash talking here
September 21st, 2007
[...] out Wii, Sony outlines "astounding" PS3 rescue plan Watch out Wii, Sony outlines "astounding" PS3 rescue plan - GAMER.BLORGE.com Sony has outlined a plan to rescue the PlayStation 3 (PS3) from oblivion. Disappointingly, the [...]
September 21st, 2007
The price is a barrier but well worth it to any tech savy gamer over the age of 10. Most 360 users can’t even drink let alone understand the Sony heritage.
September 21st, 2007
Sony wont let the PS3 fail, period. It would be like Microsoft giving up on Windows.
Besides…the PS3 is $499 BECAUSE of the blu-ray player it includes, period. $449 + $179 = $628 for 360 + HD-DVD w/ no HD audio and with 1080p. If you’re too damn cheap to pay the premium for next gen. technology, don’t pay it. Just don’t diss Sony because it’s out of your price range.
Also, you have to remember the 360 has a year on the PS3. Give PS3 another year of progress and they’ll be ok.
September 21st, 2007
Another Year that’s what i said last year!!!
September 21st, 2007
“PS3 has 5.5 million users 5 million short of x360s base BUT that would be overtaken soon”
So with just over 4 million sold they have 1.5 million more users than actualy were sold? That didn’t make sense when you typed it did it. Go play your heavenly sword cartoon!
September 21st, 2007
It really hurts that MS is spanking Sony so hard. I can almost see the tears in your eyes. How can an inferior console that keeps breaking and is more expensive when you add HD-DVD be kicking the dog out of the PS3? Maybe it is games that rock? Maybe everybody but you is stupid?
Keep waiting, the PS3 will have some good games in a few years.
September 21st, 2007
allot of sony haters wow!!! yall all need a damn life buy all 3 consoles and stfu therefore you can play final fantasy halo and mario
September 21st, 2007
I’ve owned six xbox 360’s, all have died ( red ring of death ) I’m done with MICROSOFT!! PS3 is an awsome system, well worth the money!! don’t know about everyone else, but I’m TIRED of all the sony bashing!! great games are coming - so is home! developers stop trying to give us 360 ports !! start utilizing the ps3 power!! sony could give us ( in US ) a nice movie/ game bundle for $ 600.00 !! that might help.
September 21st, 2007
I own all three systems and the one with the most playtime is my 360. I hate to say this but all this KZ2 hype is crazy. One question, WHO played the first one and liked it? I know I didn’t , and no it was not because of Halo. Imo I do not care who is in first, second, or third place as long as I get some games. All this fighting over who is the best is lame. Oh one last thing, I love Sony but come on do people really think someone is going to pay $600 for Home and Little Big Planet when they won’t pay that much for the games that are out now. Play games not systems- Peace
September 21st, 2007
I think they can make a comeback, maybe not to first place, but certainly improvement. Once it gets cheaper, (and it will), and gets more good games, (it is), then it will start to sell more. Its looking like the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray war may take longer to settle than what we thought a month ago, so thats not helping any, but eventually PS3 will probably be pretty close to 360 I think.
September 21st, 2007
Sony does not mean kickass gaming for me anymore. I love to watch movies in blu-ray but I’m just not excited about the PS3 and games. It all about the 360, PC and Wii for me. I get excited over what’s coming out. Halo 3, Mass Effects, Cysis, Hellgate London, Mario Galaxy, Resident Evil Umbrella Cronicles. I’m getting goose bumps now. It’s all about playing the games you love… peace!
September 21st, 2007
Its too bad there was no price cut: There better be on next year, cause thats wen i buying my PS3, I’ll enjoy my X360 in the mean time. I’m playing Bioshock now, i’ll buy Assassin’s Creed, mabey Halo 3, GTA4 (wen it comes out), Splinter Cell: Conviction, i’ll give Mass Effect a rent, Alan Wake wen it comes out, Also Too Human, and thats pretty much it. Then the PS3 for 10 years,lol. And then I’ll be buying the Xbox 720 and the Nintendo Evolution.lol
September 21st, 2007
The PS3 is going to destroy the xbox 360 in a year or two that piece of plastic wont be able to keep up with the technology of the ps3 game developers have already confirmed this statement. Now all of you 360 owners have your quick fun games but in the long run you will be lagging far behind in third place.
September 21st, 2007
A few very big road blocks will stop Sony dead. (1) Crysis. The PC has already headed into the multicore multi CPU zone. PC will claim the high ground in gaming and as a result take a lot of the gloss off PS3. (2) Xbox360 will get a 65nm CPU meaning heat issues will dissipate and at the same time Microsoft gains another cost advantage. Microsoft has pulled enough exclusives and publishing support to keep Sony starved for years.
(3) Wii maintains the entry point and has the means and the merchandise to hold it during this generation. At some point PS2 sales will cave and with backward compatibility now mutilated customers dont get a clean upgrade to PS3. Those low end PS2 buyers playing SingStar, Buzz and the like are more likely to jump to Wii.
(4) The console arms race will get reset soon enough and Sony has no funds and limited access to cheap finance thanks to the US mortgage fall out. Certainly no bank will lend Sony to fund operational losses nor will they lend for speculative R&D of a next gen console. Microsoft & Nintendo know this.
September 22nd, 2007
Hmm previus comment is a bit silly. 1) pc and console gaming and a decent pc to play the latest high quality games is about double the price of a ps3, besides i own a prettty decent pc but will be getting a ps3 when the english price comes down to currant US levels. 2) i agree with. once the xbox stops breaking it will be a good console specially with the microsoft marketing machine behind it. 3) from what i’ve heard and i’m no expert there is still about 3 years left in the ps2 life cycle. so by that time the ps3 will have had a significant price cut making it affordable if not cheap. 4) sony has some of the best shares around and despite the widely publisised losses in its console division the rest of the company is booming. will have no problem finding funds despite the market. sony just needs to fire the current idiots running it.
September 22nd, 2007
Matt - working backward (4) If you had purchased $10,000 worth of Sony shares seven years ago today those shares would be worth $3,300. Thats even without adjusting for inflation! As for “good profit”… A share currently costs you $46.65 and the dividend is $0.21. Even taking into account retained profits on the value of assets you are still left with a Price to Earnings ratio of 35.16. IE: It takes 35.16 years to make your money back. In comparison the PE for Sony’s nearest peer is 16.6. Even Microsoft after taking over a billion dollar right down on Xbox 360 & booking the 800 Million EU fine is still at a PE of 20. What does this mean? To get the profits Sony makes as a reasonable return on capital that share value of $3,300 is probably worth $1,870. Now check that asset value against Sony’s debt position. Healthy you say? Now what if the terms & interest on that debt was to become a little more expensive then where will our PE be? Mate Sony is sailing very close to the wind.
(3) Maybe PS2 will still sell in a year or two when Wii drops in price by $50 or $100… Im not so sure.
(2) Microsoft is smelling blood on Sony’s collar. Bluray is what is costing Sony so Microsoft would like them to continue the good work and keep flushing what resources they have down the toilet. Microsoft can buy the console market 12 months from now and can probably estimate how much more it would take to tip Sony over into being a media company only.
(1) Yes PC’s are expensive - my point is that Publishers are having another look at PC platform for release of top shelf titles as the install base is healthy, Windows Vista might solve some DRM issues associated with PC games and new multicore CPU’s and and memory/disk capacity exceed PS3. So the best looking & most sophisticated games will appear on PS3 - Hence PS3 is below PC but above Wii so Xbox & PS3 will fight hand to hand combat in the middle.
September 22nd, 2007
Typo - I meant that the best looking & most sophisticated games will appear on PC - Hence PS3 is positioned below PC but above Wii so Xbox & PS3 will fight hand to hand combat in the middle.
September 22nd, 2007
You guys just don’t get it, do you?
Gaming is not about graphics or console power, it’s about GAMEPLAY and FUN.
The most powerful console in every generation has NEVER come first. 25 years of the gaming industry proves this. Having watched Sony’s ‘progress’ (if you want to call it that) over the past 11 months or so, it’s quite clear that PS3 will NOT win this current generation.
Times change, and although 360 seems to be going quite well, I believe it is Wii that will eventually lead this generation and effectively create the gaming revolution Nintendo proposed would happen.
Talk about console power and graphics and all the technical specifications as much as you want, but Nintendo are quite clearly showing that many consumers couldn’t give a crap about that stuff in this day and age.
September 22nd, 2007
I had a PS3 and not much to play on it - and my backward-compatibility didn’t work at all (combine this with my PS2 crapping out after 7 years - no PS2 games for me). What was promised just didn’t happen, IMO.
I got tired of watching Xbox get all the goods while PS3 games were delayed. Finally, I said the hell with it and traded it in for a 360 Elite. Honestly, and I was a die hard Sony guy with PS1 and 2, I haven’t been happier. So many games to choose from and it gets a lot of developer support. Sony dropped the ball by letting exclusives go, and the price just wasn’t worth it for games. What a comcept! Buying a videogame console for games!!
I said right away I wanted a PS3 because it will have tons of games (like PS2), and it’s been the opposite. It might change, but my PS3 gathered dust. My 360 gets some steady use. What I find most interesting is that I’m not alone. When I go to Gamestop, they’re always telling me about Sony guys buying 360s instead. They were shocked that I made the jump, but it’s happening more and more.
September 22nd, 2007
My spelling is off due to a long stretch of work, so laugh away if that’s your bag. One final note - I didn’t address the Wii because I have no interest in it. To me, it’s a Gamecube with a fancy controller. They have innovated on the gameplay front, and I respect that. But this whole casual movement isn’t for me. As long as sales allow companies to take chances (like Bioshock) on original titles, I’m all for it. But if casual titles begin to take away from hardcore games, and time will tell, I’ll curse Nintendo forever.
September 22nd, 2007
Wii will take 1st place in this round of gaming competition. As the majority of gamers out there care more about gameplay than they do about graphics while the hardcore gamers only take up a minority of it. Speaking of graphics people shouldn’t complain about Wii graphics, look at Metroid Prime 3 Corruption, according to the developers they could have actually pushed the graphics capabilities even further. The price point will also be a major factor in what people purchase and the Wii right now has that advantage right now. Overall Nintendo has got it made for this nex-gen gaming war.
September 22nd, 2007
STFU everyone of you fanboys. If you’re too cheap to own all three consoles then go back and live with your mommy and everything will be alright…
September 22nd, 2007
Please, please can someone sack the bosses of Sony.
Who cares if its renamed a Games-console (with no games).
Who cares about blu-ray or magic-gate memory cards. I don’t care.
Sony stop dithering - drop the prices so a normal human being doesn’t have to sell a organ to buy one.
Their action plan is this - dither- change mind -dither - go back to old plan - dither. - slowly watch competition disappear over the horizon.
They fool no one with their arrogant condescending bull.
September 22nd, 2007
God, why would you make such an idiotic statement? Could it possibly be people don’t want to waste there money buying all three consoles even if they could, I think so. Didn’t your mommy even tell you to think before you type?
September 22nd, 2007
Shaft76, just so you know Bioshock isn’t original. It is like a “spiritual successor” to System Shock, for the PC.
September 22nd, 2007
except take the words “spiritual succsessor” and replace with actual clone with a diffrent lick of paint…not that thats a bad thing whatsoever
September 23rd, 2007
[...] N4G.com, GAMER.BLORGE.com Galeria: PlayStation 3 « [...]
September 23rd, 2007
Resuce plan? Are you guys out of you mind?
On a relative scale of the first full year of console sales the PS 3 will easily have beat the xbox 360. The xbox 360’s launch year performance is by far the worse one of the Wii, PS 3, and itself.
Now if you look at what good games came in each consoles first year of release you had only 1 for the xbox 360 Oblivion (cross platform thoughn and included as its all they had that was good). On the PS3 it has had, or will release in its first full year, Resistance Fall of Man, Motorstorm, F1, Heavenly Sword (set an new standard for graphics in gaming), Ratchet and Clank (will set another standard in game play and graphics), Folklore, Drakes Adventure, Eye of Judgment (ground breaking), GT Prologue (unbelievable racing simulation that will set the bar higher once again). On PSN Super Stardust HD (unparalleled graphics and most objects in play of any online game over 10,000 at once), Nucleaus, Calling all cars, Blast Factor Advanced, Everyday shooter (unique and innovative) and Echochrome (ground breaking). I have not included any cross platform games in this list as it is a wash to do so from a comparative standpoint.
End game, Sony is executing much much better than Microsoft’s Xbox 360 did in its first year. And the games are of a much higher quality. By early next year their game line up will look immense compared to the xbox 360 at that similar point in time. It is really misleading to have people complain about Sony’s PS3 launch when it in fact has fully outclassed and out performed Microsoft and the xbox 360.
Also Sony is taking gaming to the next level, with superior graphics, innovative online gaming, and totally new and innovative concepts. The only way gamers are going to get new and true next gen gaming is from Sony, Nintendo gets a special mention for the Wii but they did not put the total package together. They are just lucky Sony has not released new motion controllers for the PS2 it could crush the Wii overnight.
p.s. Halo 3 is it the Looney Tunes of the FPS Genre? The game just seems to be getting very wacky and further away from any type of realism in its game play.
September 23rd, 2007
Wow. I just finished reading these posts. What a load of garbage is being spewed out on this site.
I don’t even no where to begin. I will just focus on a few key issues.
Who is leading Xbox 360 or the PS 3? How can you compare console sales of the PS3’s 9 months on the market to the xbox 360’s 21 months it makes no sense whatsoever.
As I have already posted, on a relative scale of the first full year of console sales, the PS 3 will easily have beat the xbox 360. The xbox 360’s launch year performance is by far the worse one of the Wii, PS 3, and itself.
So if a comparison must be done this is the only viable method for direct comparisons. Wii is the leader, followed by the PS3, and coming in last is the xbox 360. There is a reason that the term “Anemic” is used by analysts in reference to the xbox 360’s second year sales - they have been horrible with 40 to 50% drops vs similar months in the prior year. August picked up but did it? The numbers are shipped units including defective in store replacement units. Sales will spike and look good for the xbox 360 this fall but after that there is nothing. And don’t say Mass Effect - it is going to get lukewarm reception it is too slow; plus notice how crappy the dialogue is in the cut scenes? They have screwed up the gaming interface with the flow of the game and other than that it does not look special enough to move any consoles for MS even if I am wrong in my perception of the game.
Now while the xbox 360 has gone from strength to weakness (yes a little bump from Halo 3 helps but not enough) the PS3 just keeps chugging along introducing category best games. The line up of exclusive AAA titles is really quite stunning with SEVERAL of them console sellers. And the part everyone is ignoring - the xbox 360 cannot match the game play or graphical interface of these new games. There is a reason why games like Gears of War, Bioshock, Forza 2, and Halo 3 are all saturated and cartooney looking. It is the only way they can get a high quality look on the xbox 360 - they cannot get to the level of graphic realism of the PS3. Not to mention the pixelation of the xbox 360 games is a real downer.
See GT5 Prologue for an example of graphic realism thats impossible on the xbox 360 - it’s true next gen gaming:
http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/857/857126/img_4801523.html
http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/857/857126/img_4801564.html
Anyways I got stuff to do.
The xbox 360 is in trouble and you do not need to be a genius to see it.
September 23rd, 2007
The Xbox 360 is in trouble??? How blind can you be!?! When’s the last time there was big hype about a PS3 game? OH ~ Never! Sony’s games have flopped. We’ve had Gears of War, BioShock, and now Halo 3. Isn’t that a good indication of how gamers feel about their games. Because is all about the games ~RIGHT?!?
September 23rd, 2007
NINTENDO OWNZ U ALL SONY NOOOOOOOOOOOBZ!!!!!!!
September 24th, 2007
What a load of crap… Why can’t all you X360,Wii and PS3 fans just enjoy what you have. I have a 360 and PS3, yes I play the 360 more and I personel feel that it has the best future, but I will being buying PS3 games too. What we want is a growth in the “Games world”. We want lots of 360,Wii and PS3 in the world so we can lots of good games to play. Just go out and buy lots of games….
September 24th, 2007
Hi all,
I am buying my boyfriend a PS3 for xmas. The guy in best buy told me that the ones that are out now have some trouble playing PS2 games and that a better version is coming out towards Christmas. I am CLUELESS about all this, so if anyone has any advice on whether I should buy the PS3 now (and beat the rush) or wait, please let me know! Any advice is helpful. And do let me mention, he does NOT want an xbox 360, I’ve already tried, so thats probably the only suggestion that won’t help
September 24th, 2007
Sarah ,
The one to buy is the 60 gig Sony PS3, it has complete PS2 backwards compatability as it has hardware (emotion engine) built into it specifically for this. The newer systems no longer have these special chips in them and they are doing the compatibility through software; so while they still have backwards compatability with PS2 and PS1 games it is not as good. But you do not want to wait for long as Sony is replacing the 60 gig PS3 with an 80 gig PS3 (now available) without the emotion engine.
Good luck - not to mention it is an awesome gift!
September 24th, 2007
“Price alone does not drive any product.”
True, yet alone price can destroy a product.
September 24th, 2007
Numanthia,
I really appreciate your help! SO if I bought one of the newer ones I would have to buy something else in order for him to play his PS2 games? Also, what is the benefit of them making newer ones? Anything? Sorry for all the questions, just want to make an informed purchase!
-Sarah
September 24th, 2007
PS3 is for lametardz!!!1
Get your boyfriend a wii and if he complains call him a sony NOOB and smack him in the mouth and then replace him with someone with a bit of taste, and then smack him in the mouth again.
September 25th, 2007
I have a Wii, and since we will be living together he doesn’t need one. He wants a PS3, and if thats what he wants thats what he’ll get. What the hell do I care if he’s a NOOB..hes a damn good boyfriend
September 28th, 2007
Im a Microsoft fanboy,but im not a Sony hater. I am a Wii hater. The Wii is showing that the most profitable market are the people who havent ever picked up a video game. That is bad for all hardcore gamers, because believe me Sony and Microsoft are noticing Nintendo’s success with the causal market, and if the industry starts veering that way, (and trust me they dont care about thier original fans feelings, they care about money,) then your not gonna see Halo’s, GOWs, Resistance, or God of War. So all hardcore gamers need to unite instead of being divided and continuing these petty arguments.
October 14th, 2007
[...] John Pospisil wrote a fantastic post today on “Watch out Wii, Sony outlines "astounding" PS3 rescue plan”Here’s ONLY a quick extractThis is obviously something that Sony has painfully learnt from Nintendo, which from day one has marketed its popular Wii games console, as a games console. The president of market-research firm Enterbrain, Hirokazu Hamamura, … [...]
November 24th, 2007
Don’t forget, the PlayStation brand was built on mainstream gaming, Justin.
I’ve noticed that many of you are familiar with PS3 and Xbox 360 software titles, but not the Wii’s. Well here’s something to aleviate the hardcore gamers worry about the Wii: NiGHTS, Tomb Raider Anniversary, Soulcalibur Legends, Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Zelda: Twilight Princess, No More Heroes, etc. are all hardcore games in my book. And exclusives I might add, which brings me to a nother point.
Many of the games touted on the PS3 are or will be on the 360 and vise versa. For the 360, however many key titles are also on the PC. Just thought I’d throw that out there.
I am a Nintendo fan, but not a fanboy or hater. I have a decent knowledge of Nintendo’s competition and always make sure I research console and handeld facets before I make a purchase. Please, don’t just dismiss something at face value.
May the gaming gods be kind.