Forget Killzone 2 – God of War 3 is the true PS3 system seller
The last week has been all about Killzone 2. PS3 owners have either been playing it or eying it enviously, while Xbox 360 owners have been bitching from the sidelines while secretly wishing the game had come to their console. But the fuss will soon die down, and we’ll look forward to the next big release, of which, there’s none bigger than God of War III.
Killzone 2 has set a new standard for video games, at least graphically. It is currently the best looking game you can play on any console, and only a powerful and very expensive PC can do any better. Killzone 2 is also selling very well, being sold out or hard to come by in some countries.
One thing we’ll have to wait at least a month for is to see how much of a system seller the game is. While a high percentage of existing PS3 owners may have shelled out for their copy, at this point in the proceedings, Sony needs these big-hitting exclusive titles to actually entice people in and persuade them to become PS3 owners.
So far, even the biggest games have failed to really lift the Playstation 3 in the hardware sales charts. And there’s no guarantee Killzone 2 will buck this trend. One game which has a much greater chance of lifting the whole format is God of War III, due for release late 2009, early 2010.
As part of a column dedicated to analysis of trends in gaming, Nick Williams from OTX told Gamasutra of his belief that a lot of people planning to buy God of War 3 have yet to buy a PS3. Which is a little dumb when the game is exclusive to the Sony machine.
He claimed:
The launch of God of War III in late 2009/early 2010 will mark a pivotal moment for Sony. But in order to ensure that this game is a hardware sales driver, the cost of the base-level PS3 will need to be in the same ballpark as the Xbox 360 and Wii. According to our latest consumer tracking study, only two in three people who plan to purchase God of War III currently own a PS3.
The price point for the PS3 remains a real problem for Sony. Sony execs now find themselves in the precarious position of trying to balance consumer price expectations with the high costs of producing each PS3. That said, the PS2’s continued success more than eight years after launch suggests that Sony is thinking long term with the PS3. If Sony can continue to bring down hardware manufacturing costs, it seems likely that it will offer a price cut by the end of Summer 2009.
God of War 3 is looking stunning at this point, and the series has an outstanding history. If all those gamers who loved the first two games but are still persevering with the PS2 choose to finally upgrade to the PS3 in order to play the third game in the series, that’s a hell of consoles Sony will sell in a short space of time.
But the point on the price is a good one. The likely reason those people haven’t yet taken the plunge is because of the price of the PS3. God of War III or otherwise, if the price doesn’t take a tumble over the next year, the PS3 could continue to sell badly. Sony knows what it needs to do – it just depends whether it has the balls to do it or not to take advantage of the big exclusives on the way.
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69 Responses to “Forget Killzone 2 – God of War 3 is the true PS3 system seller”
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March 4th, 2009
“…Xbox 360 owners have been bitching from the sidelines while secretly wishing the game had come to their console.”
You’re gonna get some feedback on that Dave!
March 4th, 2009
wow… this day just keeps getting better and better… its like handing a kid fire AND an M80…
well have fun with it kev…
March 4th, 2009
5 backlinks to gamer.blorge articles in one post?
Crafty man Dave.
March 4th, 2009
Erm, i’ve played it, and although it’s an excellent game, it’s nothing groundbreaking, except for the graphics. I am happy for the PS3 boys that they finally have a great FPS game on their machine. Whether I want it on the 360 also can be debatable, 360 has enough great shooters to do without this one.
March 4th, 2009
dont worry… Ive got it in the pipe line… will link you guys soon…
March 4th, 2009
DWH weres the clan invite?
and DAVE are you trying to get kev/CAD to implode on themselfs with these posts? if so gogogogogo
March 4th, 2009
as I told you… sign onto Negativegamer.com and post your PSN ID on the forums, and the guy will send you an invite…
Im not running the clan, cant be bothered… too much fun with street fighter… will play K2 with you guys in the weekend…
March 4th, 2009
thought it was blorge only? hell i’ll start one up… wonder if we can get FERRO and PARRICK to join, though one will have to wait a month till he decides to play
March 4th, 2009
no… I have other friends… just go to negativegamer forums… theres tons of nice people there… youll like it…
and Ive been here for over a year and havent gotten their PSN IDs… good luck… but youre welcome to start a new clan… take kevo and Ivan… then we can schedule a match between our clans… I want to Tbag certain people soooo much…
March 4th, 2009
royzy what level are you?… i’m only like level 3 almost level 4
March 4th, 2009
Wow, that was quick.
KZ2’s obviously not doing it enough so I guess it’s swiftly on to the next straw to clutch, eh?
March 4th, 2009
I love the hate DWH. say what u want but im not a quitter, i pick up my litter…i would say shit to tweak a nerve but it’s not worth the effort…i eat pieces of shit like u for breakfest LMAO
March 4th, 2009
The price is wrong, bitch.
March 4th, 2009
HAHAHHAHHAHAHAAH
kevo eats shit for breakfast… wow… we may have a 2 guy 1 cup thing going on here… kev are you free this weekend??
March 4th, 2009
Uh oh…. Happy learned to putt
March 5th, 2009
What makes you think most God of War III owner have a PS3 already. I have not seen a single Xbox 360 game that has help sell console so stop this bullshit already all PS3 games help.
PS3 supercomputer illustrates innovative IT cost savings
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/itdojo/?p=359
March 5th, 2009
oh yeah HARRY the hole “don’t piss off the bouncer” thing tell me about it bro.. scary stuff lol
March 5th, 2009
Dave don’t flater yourself. Of cousre I wanna play the game. How else am I going to talk more shit about the game if I don’t play it.. After all it only make sence to try a game before you truly judge it. I can only hope that that is the practice of everyone herer even though we know it isn’t.
March 5th, 2009
No Secrets here Dave
March 5th, 2009
TheJuice007 PSN if you kids like to catch “L”s on SFIV or KILLZONE.
March 5th, 2009
yo juice, add me, bigmickyd, just starting out on KZ2 online, im like a master SGT or something
… 5th level maybe? the one where you get the medic thingy?
March 5th, 2009
“Xbox 360 owners have been bitching from the sidelines while secretly wishing the game had come to their console”-
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!!
that was funny dave…. really… good one!! lmao….
March 5th, 2009
first, it was “mgs4 will be a system seller”…didn’t happen
then it was, “no..wait..i meant gta4 will be a system seller”….didnt’ happen…
then, “LBP will be the REAL system seller….:didnt’ happen
then, “killzone 2 will be the system seller”..not happening…
now more useless predictions, when every one of the last ones were wrong? keep the dream alive..
The PS3… the “i swear, we’ll have something worth playing, someday”-console.
but hey…congrats on your blooooray player…*snicker*
March 5th, 2009
BigMickyD I’m the rank which has one star as the symbol.
I’m in a dilemma where I want to play K2 online, but if I do I want to play it online a lot. For the next few weeks I have a project to do. So I can’t get a good mouthful of K2 in a session.
Hence why I’ve been playing Wipeout HD again. Having spurts of gaming, trying to get the all the Wipeout Silvers and Golds (Have almost Beat Zico!! And not too far from Zone Zeus).
Though I think I’ll give in and play K2 anyway. It was the same with COD4. If I was going to play online, I wanted to play for long sessions, not a game or 2. I WANA GET MY GAME ON HARD.
March 5th, 2009
How many systems need to see for a game to become a “system seller” in peoples eyes? Star Ocean 4 is apparently a system seller in Japan for the 360 as it boosted its sales by a little over 10k. Yakuza 3 was a system system for the PS3 as it boosted its sales by over 15k.
A steady flow of very good games is what will keep the systems selling, and the PS3 is doing great in that respect.
Real “system sellers” are price drops.
March 5th, 2009
*see is sell*
March 5th, 2009
Juice and Bigmickyd… I’ll add you guys tonight. I just finished up the campaign, and want to start focusing on the online. I’m about 95% to the medic rank. Do you guys have headsets?
March 5th, 2009
I’ve discovered I like playing in medium size matches the best. I played a few larger game and they kept choosing the smallest boards available. It was a bit of cluster fuck. Also it’s a little easier to shine in a smaller game.
March 5th, 2009
I’m still trying to figure out what weapon I like the most. I just unlocked the smg and shotgun. The smg has a higher rate of fire, but it still seems like it takes too long to drop someone.
March 5th, 2009
I literally just unlocked the SMG and shotgun perk before I logged off for the night last night. So I haven’t had a chance to try them out. At least from the campaign, I preferred the Standard Assault Riffle. The green scope with the dot in the center seemed like it made it easier to aim at a distance.
March 5th, 2009
YES!!! HOOK LINE AND SINKER!!!
I bet kev still believes in a santa claus… If I had a nickle for every time kev repeated an argument or said something stOOOpid… I wcouldve ended the US budget deficit…
its your fault dave.. for not giving me a nickel…
March 5th, 2009
I beat Zico’s lap time on Wipeout earlier, the symbol for the trophy is Zico’s golden smug face. That face cost me probably about 300 laps. Asshole.
March 5th, 2009
Apart from the obvious line of fanboi bait scattered throughout, this has to be one of the more reasonable articles Ive seen come out of the .blorge toilet.
Sony seems to be the only player who’s forgotten that consoles are -price sensitive-, doubly so now with all the economical gloom. There’s no room for a premium console when you have such strong competition.
Meh, I dont mind if Sony keep their head in the sand, the longer PS3 languishes in 3rd place the more damage to the brand and the stronger the competition becomes. Win-Win.
March 5th, 2009
If it drives prices down and all three stay afloat, then great.
But if Sony gets knocked out of the game (which I don’t think will happen unless another Sony console tanks) and we’re left with MS and Nintendo, well, I think ill cry.
March 6th, 2009
If you have a PS3 and don’t have me as your buddy then you not a real PlayStation gamer.
Ivan- add me or die… You gotta have the best to be the best.
March 6th, 2009
“Meh, I dont mind if Sony keep their head in the sand, the longer PS3 languishes in 3rd place the more damage to the brand and the stronger the competition becomes. Win-Win”
How exactly is that a win-win?
It doesn’t make the competition stronger at all does it. Go and think about that.
It is a lose-lose. Or lose-win if you honestly feel Sony going down is a win to you.
March 6th, 2009
Apparently Royzy, Chillyfish is a stockholder with Microsoft.
March 6th, 2009
Again, the whole “Third place” spin.
March 6th, 2009
Yes. Sony should crash and burn. Offering a reliable free online network at no cost, what are they thinking? We should all be paying a monthly fee to M$, just so that we can have the ability to host and play our games online. I even mail M$ an extra check every month, because I feel they just don’t charge me enough.
March 6th, 2009
And don’t even get me started on M$s fantastic hardware. I love the fact that every three months my console overheats and ceases to function. I don’t mind taking time out of my busy schedule to sit on the phone with a call center in India, speaking to someone who can hardly understand what I’m saying. Those two weeks of anticipation of waiting for my “new” refurbished console are heavenly. That’s how I know M$ truly cares about me.
–A world where M$ had a monopoly on the console industry *shutters*. I would quit gaming altogether. Maybe I’ll take up reading, or something.
March 6th, 2009
If Sony crashed and burned MS would only have Nintendo to steal ideas from.
The latest was the new Miscrosoft eye toy.
//asia.cnet.com/reviews/home_av/others/0,39037627,62051465,00.htm
March 6th, 2009
royzy – sony bowing out would be the best thing for the industry. a win/win if you will.
a win for the developer who doesn’t have to use (waste) man hours developing for very, decidedly developer un-friendly architecture. this will free up time for them to work on other projects, reduce the development cycle time and reduce the development costs. this would also leave time for them to squeeze more out of the most solid architecture (360).
it’s a win for consumers in that it reduces the price of games since development costs are reduced. the publisher stay happy as their margins remain intact.
yes, competition CAN be good, but it can also be a hinderance. imagine two types of cars on the market. one runs on gasoline, the other canola oil. the market could theoritically sustain two kinds of refueling stations, but it would make more sense to have only one type of fuel. not the best analogy, but i hope you understood.
since gaming is fundamentally all about software, i’d rather have a software company at the forefront over a consumer electronics company. it just makes sense….
at least that’s what the smart money would say…
March 6th, 2009
kev,
Lets all remember that the 59.99 price tag for “next gen” games was started by MS. If they were the only one I’m sure prices wouldn’t be cheaper.
good analogy, but I feel it works better with the blu ray/HDDVD argument rather than consoles. Competition keeps both of them on their toes trying to out do each other which = good for us.
“since gaming is fundamentally all about software, i’d rather have a software company at the forefront over a consumer electronics company. it just makes sense….”
maybe a combo of both would be good. If MS and Sony created a console together you would at least avoid a 33% failure rate.
March 6th, 2009
“Chillyfish is a stockholder with Microsoft.”
I’m not surprised, Microsoft’s stock is in the tank.
March 6th, 2009
So Kev,
It’s convenient that you glanced over the whole RROD fiasco. Is it ok, for a company to knowingly put a defective product on the market at your expense?
It’s ok that they charge you to host your own games online for no apparent reason? Is it ok, to pay an extra fee, just to play your games online?
It’s ok that the console’s operating system is whored out and littered with advertisements?
Yeah M$ has done a few good things for gamers this gen, but they have also done more disservices.
March 6th, 2009
Kev,
If M$ was allowed to have it there way, they would charge you for taking a piss.
March 6th, 2009
Nah, Microsoft wouldn’t charge kev, he’s their troll bitch remember.
March 6th, 2009
It’s a very good thing Kev is delusional and Sony is actually doing quite well at the moment.
gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22599 – Kicking ass in Japan
gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22539 – beating down Gaylo Wars in the UK
gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22539 – Closing the over all lead in the UK
We’ll have to waiting to until next month for the sales data from KZ2’s release. I do hope you join us Kev.
March 6th, 2009
kev and CAD can’t even decide if Halo Wars is a major Halo game or not.
When you say KZ2 is outselling Halo Wars in the UK, then it’s because Halo Wars is not a real Halo game.
Yet when you question why then it has the Halo name, kev will say because it uses all of Halo’s assets…so doesn’t that make it a major Halo game?
March 6th, 2009
Agh yes… the logic of an Xbot. It never ceases to amaze me.
March 6th, 2009
You know you’re about to bring down a hail of ‘omg noobs’ and ‘lmao’s on us all right?
He’s also going to rain down ‘fanBOIZ’ like Zeus hurling lightning bolts.
March 6th, 2009
barnabe – until you’re willing to hold sony accountable for the ps2 dde and dre fiasco in which they were SUCCESSFULLY sued, you have no room to lean on MS..
hypocrite….
the fact is; they made a mistake, owned up to it, and corrected it on their dime…
much more than what sony did to their customers last gen…
March 6th, 2009
Kev,
“Correcting the problem” and “placating the masses” are two very different things.
I notice you managed to leave the puerile acronyms and name-calling out of your last post. Good on you, mate, keep it up.
-Arvis
March 6th, 2009
Kev,
4 screws and a can of compressed air isn’t exactly rocket science. Can you fix a 360 from over heating?
March 6th, 2009
“they made a mistake”
Hmm, you’re being a bit generous there aren’t you? It was quite a big mistake; what with rampant RRoD and disc-scratching fiasco’s; amongst other technical problems.
And as we’ve seen, Microsoft were fully aware of the 360’s problems.
“much more than what sony did to their customers last gen…”
Actually kev, Sony settled the case with $25 cash, a free game and a repair or replacement.
How about coming back when you can put together a more convincing argument kevin.
March 6th, 2009
lockdown – as with most ps3 fanboys, you know nothing of history. sony refused to acknowledge the ps2 even had a problem forcing many people to buy a 2nd or 3rd out of pocket. it wasn’t until they lost the appeal did they decide to “settle”…
ms didn’t wait. didn’t refuse the problem. didn’t make anyone pay anymore than they already paid, unlikek sony.
like i said, you’re a hypocrite. besides, the rrod is all but a thing of the past with the new chipset…
so what are you going to whine about now that the problem is past? i can’t wait…
March 6th, 2009
arvis – you see it as placating the masses, i see it as taking ownership. again, see the ps2 fiasco for just how bad it can truly be. the 360 repair wasn’t nearly as painful as getting a ps2 replaced.. anyone knows this… but some like to forget…
March 6th, 2009
“Can you fix a 360 from over heating?”
You actually can replace the X brackets on the unit to try to fix the RRoD.
Now, whether that stops it doing it again is another matter. Mine is ok so far (falcon chipset), but it sits alone (well there is a vertical wii nearby) with plenty of breathing room.
You could always replace the fans with a faster set but you risk being Live banned for that.
So I guess the short answer to your question is : Not if its an older chipset, and you got a bad one, no.
March 6th, 2009
“….so what are you going to whine about now that the problem is past? i can’t wait…”
Ask and ye shall receive…
1. It’s ok that they charge you to host your own games online for no apparent reason? Is it ok, to pay an extra fee, just to play your games online?
2. it’s ok that the console’s operating system is whored out and littered with advertisements?
March 6th, 2009
3. Lets not forget about the disc scratching issue.
March 6th, 2009
barnabe – xbox live has a lot more features than PSN. that’s what you’re paying for.
i’ve never heard of the disk scratching issue and in fact only the RROD is cited as a problem. my advice? don’t move the console when it’s on…
we get it; you hate ms…for the same thing sony did…yet you continue to hump sony’s leg..
that, my friend, is textbook fanboyism. congrats…
March 6th, 2009
Kev,
The difference between you and I, is that I can say, yes it was shitty for Sony to try to get out of paying the warranties.
After the precedent was set in the courts, M$ knew that no other chance but to pony up. Now, can you tell me it was ok for M$ to knowingly put a defective product on the market? Please?
Also the only extra feature M$ offers is the ability to leave voice messages. Which is a very nice feature, but I wouldn’t pay a monthly fee for it.
March 6th, 2009
**correction –
Now, can you tell me it was NOT ok for M$ to knowingly put a defective product on the market? Please?
March 6th, 2009
“so what are you going to whine about now that the problem is past?”
Er, so why are you going on about PS2 disc scratching then if it’s in the past?
As far as I’m aware, the warranty on 360 RRoD is still valid to this day, so that is very much as “present” problem.
Moron…lmao…
“i’ve never heard of the disk scratching issue”
“don’t move the console when it’s on… ”
Well the first part is clearly a lie, and the second, well people have had their disc’s scratch when the console has not been moved.
Like I said, come back when you have a compelling argument kevin.
March 6th, 2009
i haven’t had an rrod since mine was replaced, so with your logic, it reflects the world’s experience with the 360….
as far as you’re “aware”? really? you don’t even own a 360, sport…
i’ve already given you compeling facts. but in typical fashion, you close your eyes and refuse to see them.
it’s sad when you think that people would rather take their chances with the rrod than buy a ps3 or that more people would choose to pay for xbox live than take psn for “free”….
doesn’t speak well of sony nor the ps3…
anyway, out for the weekend.
barnabe – the tricore architecture was the first of it’s kind, thus negating your “they knew it was broke” routine… . new tech will have probs. always have, always will.
again, hypocrite.
March 6th, 2009
“it’s sad when you think that people would rather take their chances with the rrod than buy a ps3 or that more people would choose to pay for xbox live than take psn for “free”….
Yes. It is very sad. But this is called marketing and hype. People will buy what they are told to buy. M$ does have a very strong marketing machine.
March 6th, 2009
The Cell is new tech. Didn’t have problems there.
Huh.
A blatant refusal to acknowledge that RRoD is still a current problem; a failure to acknowledge that PS2 problems (for what they were) are long but over; and a denial of knowing about disc scratching.
You’ve more humiliated yourself for one week, kev
Have a wicked weekend!
March 6th, 2009
“anyway, out for the weekend.”
Me too. Have a good one all.
-Arvis
March 11th, 2009
360 is just a rip off from the start.. breaks,no free online its not even worth paying for…,doesnt have that many high quality exclusives,
if ps3 and 360 launched at the same price of lets say 399$,299$,199$ what do you think would of happend?… pretty sad if you dont know