Hirai: PS3 Home launch date unimportant - disputes Xbox 360 claims
By Dave Parrack
The war of words between Microsoft and Sony is continuing apace, and has actually seemed to have got worse over the course of E3 and beyond. Kaz Hirai is the latest to give his views not only on the PS3, but also the Xbox 360. And some of what he says is quite harsh.
Kaz Hirai is the global President of Sony Computer Entertainment, so any decision about launch dates, exclusive games, hardware pricing etc., ultimately comes down to him. Which means when he talks, any PS3 fans should listen. Xbox 360 and Wii owners should also listen as he is the man who could, potentially, build the Playstation 3 in to a great console. At the moment, it’s good, but any report card would surely say “could do better”.
Hirai recently spoke to UK gaming industry newspaper, MCV, about a range of topics, including the prospect of Playstation Home being delayed again, and Microsoft’s claims over the Xbox 360 being a dead cert to beat the PS3 in this generation.
The Playstation Home debacle has gone on for too long already, and is still ongoing, with the service still not launched, but a Fall beta release promised. Meanwhile, Microsoft has been releasing new elements to its online service which take away from the innovation and intrigue present in the Home launch. Hirai said:
We have a vision with what we want to do with Home and we want to launch it with a very game-centric vision at the beginning, and then evolve beyond that. Ultimately, we can talk the great features and functionalities and they can too – but it will really come down to after the service is launched.
I’d much rather make sure we take the time to have a great service rather than rush something into the market – only for consumers to say: “This is not enough for me.” I want to avoid that. If we have the right service, it doesn’t matter when we launch – so long as it’s in a reasonable timeframe.
I think the reasonable timeframe has been an gone, and the service can now only fail to live up to the considerable expectations foisted upon it. I personally think Sony should just get on and release it, and then allow it to evolve naturally. At least it would then be out on the street for us all to judge it.
Xbox boss Don Mattrick, kicked off the recent E3 with the line: “I’m willing to bet Xbox 360 will outsell PS3 this generation.” While that may have caused some Xbox 360 fans to thump their chests with manly pride, Sony obviously disagrees. And in the same month that PS3 sales in the US, regarded as the home turf of the Xbox 360, beat the Microsoft contender by quite a margin, the Japanese company has every right to be upbeat about its chances. Hirai said:
The key word there is this ‘lifecycle’ or ‘this generation’. As you probably know, we’re working on a ten-year lifecycle, we’ve said that since day one and we’ve proven it with PSOne and PS2. I guess Don is saying they’re also going to be embarking on a ten-year lifecycle, then? If they are then that’s terrific, but I’ve never seen them manage it before.
Last time I checked, the Xbox went by the wayside four or five years after launch. On the other hand, if he’s saying that Microsoft will outsell us after five years, if he calls that this generation, then he’s saying he’s going to exit the 360 business within five years. I’m not exactly sure when he says ‘this lifecycle’ or ‘this generation’ what standard he’s using – five years, 10 years, I don’t know.
Tough words indeed, and true as well. Microsoft’s track record would imply that it has a five year life cycle planned for its consoles, or at least it does if they start under performing, and running out of steam. I don’t think the Xbox 360 is in quite that state yet, and the price cuts this month should help steady the ship, but ultimately, I can’t see any of us playing a 360 ten years down the line. Can you?
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Tips N4G
July 24th, 2008
We probably wont be playing the 360 ‘ten years down the line’. But if Microsoft, Nintendo and/or any other contender is going to release their consoles for next gen within that timeframe, i doubt people will be playing the PS3 either.
July 24th, 2008
Nice tactic from microsoft..short, sharp turnaround of consoles and then claim “generation” victories in between.
They would at least want to keep selling 360 until the end of the ps3 lifecycle to take the “generation” trophy. That is, if they are able to hold onto the lead they have now.
July 24th, 2008
Home launch date unimportant? Yeah $ony, good way to disrespect your customers. They bought the P$3 at a higher cost than the 360 in good faith that they’ll get value for the extra money. All they have received are game delays and broken promises.
July 24th, 2008
I didn’t buy my PS3 for Home, the PSN, or any of that garbage. I purchased it for the games (which I am quite happy with).
I REALLY hope no one out there purchased any machine for the so called ‘added value’.
Oh and game delays are hardly exclusive to Son… sorry $ony.
July 25th, 2008
Even without “home” I recieve a great deal more value for money than 360 Harry. I didn’t even know about home until I saw the promotion card inside the PS3 box when I bought it.
Home is of no consequence to me. When it comes, it comes.
your comment of “All they have received are game delays and broken promises” is drawing a REALLY long bow. It would just like me saying that RROD is only thing that 360 has had to offer it’s customers (which is obviously wrong)
July 25th, 2008
sony is getting spanked in the online area of this generation. they’re just too proud and/or arrogant to admit it.
given the fact more players choose to pay for xbox live rather than take sony’s online for free should tell them just how badly they’re screwing up. but alas, no mistakes at sony… this is all just part of their strategy, i’m sure.. lmao…
July 25th, 2008
Game delays have been a black eye on the PS3. Broken promises such as ‘All games will support trophies’, ‘Home will be out sometime 2007′ emphasise my point.
You receive a great deal more value for money than you would with a 360? Sure, like only a handful of exclusives and a shitty online service compared to an awesome range of games (and let’s not forget that the majority of multiplatformers look oh so much better on 360) and a top class online service. Sure, that’s definitely better value for money.
The only thing PS3 has over the 360 is Blu Ray. Everything else, i am afraid the 360 wins hands down.
July 25th, 2008
Kev-
“given the fact more players choose to pay for xbox live rather than take sony’s online for free”
Dusting off that old line again huh!
Harry- XBL might be better than PSN, I won’t argue that, but I don’t think PSN is shitty in comparison, as good no, but not shitty.
Everyone knows that most of those multi plat games you speak of were ported from 360 versions. Many developers have now either fixed that problem, or switched and are porting from the PS3. Lastly, you can not compare the online on “value for my money” because you pay additional for that. If you want to include that then add your subscription fee for the next 5-6 years in on the price of your console.
July 25th, 2008
wylie - then you need to add the price of a voice commuicator to PSN (free with xbox live) and the cost of a game (also free with xbox live). twist it anyway you want, but the fact more people choose to pay rather than take sony’s psn for free, proves the customers see a better value with xbox live.
July 25th, 2008
360 owners may pay a fess but at least our investment gets returned. PS3 is free and free get you “no money to pay for exclusives”. MS at least invest the money back into the company and makes it worth having the 360.
July 25th, 2008
harry - this is merely a continuation of sony’s b.s. online promises. they first started with the CLAIM they had an AOL/Sony partnership with the ps2, in order to sell network adapters to compete with xbox live. they even went public in mocking xbox live as inferior to what they and AOL would offer. it never happened, yet sony continued to sell adapters on this promise while refusing to tell the public the “partnership” never would happen.
Then sony promised buyers of GT4 that it would “online at launch”, so they would sell even more adapters for the ps2 and gt4 copies. it wasn’t until just days before the launch did sony finally come clean and admit they didn’t have gt4 working online. of course, this was only admitted after they padded their gt4 preorders on the fact it would be online.
it’s sony… if they didn’t have lies, they’d have very little…
July 25th, 2008
Home is going to be delayed forever, and no one is going to be playing a 360 in 10 years because they will all RROD by then.
Of course, I don’t see anyone playing a PS3 in 5 years, even, unless they are big Sony fanboys or didn’t care enough to get a PS3 before the next gen of consoles comes out.
Likely, MS will soon release a new console, and it will be a good move. The PS3 will look like a pile of junk in comparison (assuming MS doesn’t make their next console a pile of junk), and Sony would be forced to react in kind, or live with having the inferior console.
Either way, they’re left with egg on their face, and Xbox fans are left with another $300 to pay.
Wonderful generation, eh?
July 25th, 2008
Matt
Ever hear about a 3 year warrenty.
July 25th, 2008
Lol, 360 fans hate Sony’s lies, yet dont own a sony console which therefore aren’t affected by them yet still have a major problem with it… why is this? I dont have a problem with it. I didnt buy a network adapter or bother with GT4 online. Likewise the delays dont really bother me (like Home, as long as it gets released sometime im not bothered if it is released next year sometime), so why do 360 fans have a problem with it? You 360 fans need to chillax on Sony. Concentrate on the fact that microsoft will soon release another console to compete with the ps3, where as Matt said: “xbox fans are left with another $300 to pay”.
July 25th, 2008
Kev- sorry but that rebuttal doesn’t work in this case. We were talking about value for your money on consoles. Harry brought up online as value, but you pay extra for that. I don’t need a voice communicator to play online, that’s just a bonus. Besides a lot of people already own a blue tooth, so no need to buy a headset. You do have a point on the game, although you can buy bundles of certain games at release.
P.S.- I love how you keep bringing up issues with the PS2. Especially ones where no one cared. PS2 was not used for online by most people. Funny how you are still stuck in the last generation.
July 25th, 2008
Wylie
Your blue tooth is limited to only 7 connections. On 360 we can have all controllers and wireless head sets going all at once. At least Microsoft packs a Headset into the console.
July 25th, 2008
‘Online’ was merely one of my points. I find it pitiful that you P$3 fanboys are still sticking up for $ony after giving you the shaft long and hard so many times. And that shaft has a lot of girth too, and you are still coming back for more. I am glad I chose a 360, if I had a P$3 I would be pissed off with all the lies and bullshit that $ony has been feeding me.
July 25th, 2008
good job we aint you then harry
cause actually im very happy with the ps3. and so are a lot of other people. it just doesnt make sense that you dont actually have a ps3 yet still have a major problem with it.
July 25th, 2008
I’ll never understand people who feel qualified to have an opinion about something they have never experienced.
-Arvis
July 25th, 2008
CAD are there really that many ‘over 7 players on one console’ online games for the 360 to make the headset limitation an issue?
Also, I was checking out metacritic for some good games to get (excluding halo & gears) and its pretty much mostly x platform stuff for the 360’s top 10 games (that is including PC).
Point is, it ain’t all wine and roses on the 360 and beer & pizza on the PS3. They both have good games but some of you wear ‘green’ tinted glasses.
July 25th, 2008
Cad- I don’t have gaming parties anyway. But I believe the PS3 can only support seven controllers, there for why would I need more blue tooth connections? And yes, the 360 gives you a head set, unfortunatley they give every annoying kid one as well. Usually when I play online I want to talk strategy, but I end up with people talking sh*t most of the time. Kids are the worst, and most kids on PS3 don’t have mics so it works not having them included!
July 25th, 2008
wylie - that’s the great thing about xbox live, you can control who you play with.
you NEED voicecom to create any strategies online. Contrary to what you believe it’s not only kids on ‘live… once you get a 360 and live you’ll learn..
July 25th, 2008
wylie - the point of the ps2 stories is PROOF that sony is full of liars and have no real intention of giving gamers what they want online. go ahead and spin it, but a liar is a liar.
bourne - when you assume things about people you look sillier than usual. I had 4 (count them …FOUR) ps2 and 3 went down due to DRE and DDE errors. go ahead blame me, then explain why my 2nd psx still works, my SNES, NES, Vextrex, ColecoVision, and Dreamcast STILL work.
many 360 owners are previous ps2 owners. we’re just not stupid enough to get duped again, so we went with the 360 instead of the ps3 this time….
hope this helps…
July 25th, 2008
wtf did you do to them!?! i have a ps2, covered in dust that i bought within a year of it going on sale and it still works perfectly well! I assume when i get home my ps3 is covered in dust… i hope it still works.
July 25th, 2008
Wylie
See you fell for another Sony lie. They said 7 controllers but that’s not true. It’s 7 blutooth connections total, That’s it, Nothing else. Try having 3 friends come over and see if you all can get online. 1 person will be without a headset. It’s not a big deal but it is a limitation. Most likely most PS3 people don’t have headsets anyway. Must be awfully quite online.
July 25th, 2008
I also have a solid PS2, and now I’m running it in NA on a 110 -> 220v converter, still powering along. Never had
“Must be awfully quite online.”
Sadly after playing GTA4 online I can tell you that its not
Give me me own vent chan. Sony!!! *shakes fist*
July 25th, 2008
What part of most gamers have a spare heatset or may need to spend $20au to get a bluetooth headset (of any brand) don’t you guys get ….. really. Just because it doesn’t come standard, doesn’t mean they are prohibited from getting thier own….jeez. I get online and have plenty of people with voicecoms - so no, it’s not “really quiet”.
Sony has not lied, they have always stated 7 bluetooth connections and I knew exactly what they meant. Just so you know, you can have 4 friends and 4 headsets, one of the headsets will just need to be usb (which I already have with the ps2 headset) If your that desperate, you can have multiple usb headsets to free up bluetooth spaces. So I don’t see controller and headset numbers being an issue.
Kev, how do you know that “many” 360 owners are previous ps2 owners that got sick of thier console breaking ??? Did you conduct a study of all 360 owners to work that out, or are making a presumption. I could make the same presumption for disgruntled 360 owners with RROD.
Cmon guys, these are really stale and nit picking arguments…I mean really, are we areally going to base a console is better than the other because it comes with a plastic cheap assed headset or one can use any brand/type of addon (just for two minor examples). EACH SYSTEM DOES ONE THING SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN THE OTHER IN DIFFERENT AREAS…..FFS.
July 26th, 2008
Well robb, if you’re happy with being shafted by Sony, then you deserve your piece of black shiny crap.
July 26th, 2008
Spideydog mentions the RROD yet again. Still can’t let go of that chestnut, can you? If all you have against the machine is an issue that has been addressed (all 360s that are being sent in are being returned with the new chipset) and fixed, then you really have no argument.
July 26th, 2008
Harry….re-read my post idiot….it is in response to the repeated stale arguments you guys make about ps2. You guys make the same arguments over and over, I will throw the same 360 ones back at you, simple. If you guys let go of the “chestnut” well I will too.
Don’t cry when you make the same shallow arguments and then have the same one’s thrown back at you. Because then you, have no argument.
I find it funny that out of my entire post, that is only point you wanted to pick up on….must really be a sore point.
July 26th, 2008
That’s because he skims your post so he still has time to spew PS3 hate
He just caught the ‘RROD’ in caps and probably just HAD to respond!
You never know, maybe your post made some people buy a PS3!!! OH NOES!
July 26th, 2008
OH NOES………
July 28th, 2008
spidey - you don’t actually think that all 360 owners are previous xbox owners only do you? the fact they have surpassed the xbox sales kills this logic. I, most of my friends, and many i talk to on xbox live (yes, i know conversations durign gaming is almost unknown to ps3 players) have all been ps2 owners.
the 360 is better because of value. not plastic. nice try tho.