It seems the console maker who’s trailing in sales typically says how great competition is and how it’s great for the consumer. Sony’s not leading the console race, as of now, and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president David Reeves stated in a recent interview:
The winner, he said, is the consumer. “That’s why we are not going to slag off Microsoft or Nintendo at all,” he said, “because again it’s rather like the trainer market: one year it’s Reebok, next year it’s Nike, and then suddenly it’s Adidas; it’s cyclical, but in the end everyone wins in five to ten years.”
Sony continues to speak towards their “10 year plan” and how they’re increasing momentum in the market. They’re not winning in sales but with a ten years to go, this is just the beginning. Had this statement come from Microsoft it would be a chance to worry, but Sony has proof to backup their statements.
The PlayStation 2 is going strong as a nine year-old and doesn’t seem to be letting up in game releases. Sony’s press conferences always cover the PlayStation 2 in their talks with the PSP and PlayStation 3 for three big reasons: it’s worth bragging about, it distracts from lower PS3 sales and it separates them from the competition.
Where is the GameCube or classic Xbox in Nintendo and Microsoft’s press conferences and number crunch reports? The fact is, the companies have given up on both products retiring them as “last generation” (translation: poor sales). What better reason to buy a PlayStation 3 than knowing the company is in the game for the long haul?
It might be bit cheaper to buy an Xbox 360 but who’s to say Microsoft isn’t going to announce their next generation console tomorrow and kill off the Xbox 360? Obviously, Microsoft will deny those claims but there will always be doubt without a proven track record.
On the other hand, Microsoft hasn’t seen the success in the classic Xbox and Nintendo hasn’t seen nearly the fervor over the GameCube as compared to their current generation consoles. So, that begs the question, why would they halt all that for new console announcements?
Until they’ve had more time in the market, we cannot be 100% certain what Nintendo and Microsoft are going to do when it comes to next-generation announcements while Sony’s been very clear in each press conference. As Kaz Hirai said to Eurogamer earlier:
“We certainly don’t do the consumer the disservice of basically saying that the consoles have gone by the wayside because we have a new one. Right now, a prime example? PS2 is nine years into it. Where’s the Xbox? Where’s the GameCube?”
If one console maker is looking for a way to stand out and explain their slow sales figures, Sony’s got the PS2 and its long history in their back pocket.
Now, if we could only get those game designers to continue to take it seriously and not put all their eggs into the PS3 basket.
@Notch earned $101M in 2012, may buy car
Good for him.
@Sony teases “See the Future” event on 20th February
It could also be some sort of TV or virtual reality device. But again, unless the announcement includes price drops, I’m not interested.
@Rumor: PS4 hitting Europe in 2014, will have 8GB GDDR5
Hmm. Dunno. Higher end PCs run on 8GB today, and a console should aim for the future. On the other hand, there isn’t too much using up RAM on a console except the game.
I agree with Jonah though, the difference in RAM speed will produce only a small bump in performance. Common bottlenecks for games are at the CPU and GPU.
@Feedback leads Kawata to “slightly revise” opinions on Resident Evil
I say blame the movies for influencing the games.
As for changing genres, anyone remembers Command & Conquer: Renegade? I loved the strategy games, I also loved Renegade. But apparently I was part of a minority.
And if you think of it, other game featuring vehicular combat released after Renegade did enjoy success.
So it seems that switching genres will impact sales, regardless of the quality of the end product. Therefore, be careful when making drastic changes. If possible, don’t make them.
@Source Code director signs on for Legendary Pictures’ Warcraft adaptation
Moon was good. Still, I foresee an action movie. Think of Prince of Persia.
@Controversial torture interrogation from Splinter Cell: Black List removed
Dunno. If I were to make a game about war, I’d make it as gritty as possible. War is like that. You’d play the game, feel awful about it.
@Rumor: Halo 3 finally hitting PC – on Steam?
Never was a Halo fan, so you know what? I hope it doesn’t sell. When you make exclusives, there’s always a gamble. Heck, Halo 4 is out for XBox, and just now Halo 3 comes up for PC?
@QOTW
Oh … this is difficult. There are plenty of NES games that I’d like to see re-made. Dunno, “Mission Impossible” I guess.
“It could also be some sort of TV or virtual reality device.”
Not with a hashtag #PlayStation2013.
@Kick it up a Notch
Quite a success story. Contemporary Bill Gates. In my opinion he deserves it. Minecraft is possibly one of the most influential games of our time. If only the gaming industry had more people like Notch, we would have more innovative games.
@Sony’s crystal ball event
What a tempting ambitious name. Although it will probably be some fancy prototypes of some Star Trek tech that won’t see the light of day for another decade. Sony needs to grab attention. But I don’t think they have anything to back it up. Otherwise we would have heard about it already. Roll on 20th of feb and let me see Sony fail to prove me wrong.
@PS4 hitting Europe in 2014
And we get it later than anyone why? If Xbox comes out in 2013, this move will be the death of PS4 in Europe.
@GTA delayed
Nintendo does it all the time. I don’t see why someone else can’t. If it’s for the best of the game then I can wait. Besides, I am yet to play GTA4. Don’t know why everyone is bashing GTA these days. You don’t like GTA 4, you make a better game and then you can talk.
@QOTW
Too many. As long as it’s a proper remake. Not a Nintendo style remake of taking on new controls and charging full price i.e. Ocarina of Time 3DS. My pick would be Final Fantasy 7. I would go for Morrowind, but since it’s a PC game it already has fan made graphic updates which make it look like Skyrim.