If there’s one thing I’ve noticed this past couple of weeks, it’s the increased amount of disdain for Sony’s Playstation 3. It’s almost as if the whole industry has something against Sony for winning the last two generations. First Time Magazine, then Alleyinsider and now Kotaku. There’s a name for this and it’s called media sabotage.
Who would have thought that after the NPD results were posted that sites like Kotaku would start kicking Sony while their down? Sony isn’t down though. They’re performing well considering the cost of the system. Of course many wouldn’t know this if they took some time to read some of the headlines on N4FB(News 4 Fanboys), Alleyinsider or Time Magazine. Since when is Time magazine experts on video games? Isn’t that our territory? Time Magazine made a huge mistake in a story they wrote about Home last week. They quoted the PS3 as having sold only 200,000 units in the US.
Starting today, owners of the pricey PlayStation 3 — there are nearly 17 million of them worldwide, a scant 200,000 of whom live in the U.S. — can download the software for free via Sony’s PlayStation Network
How is it that such a respected magazine as Time, fucks up so hard on the numbers? I was happy to see that gamezine.co.uk put them in their place and got them to correct the mistake not once, but twice.
Now let’s take a look at Alleyinsider. Eric Krangel posted an article stating that Sony’s PS3 is a sinking ship based on their November performance. Sony sold 378,000 PS3’s in November this year and sold 466,000 in November last year. Because of this, their numbers are technically lower than last year, but how is selling 378,000 consoles a bad thing? Eric said some pretty harsh things that are sure to put off mom and pop from buying the console this Christmas. Let’s look at some of the crap they were spewing:
So why is the PS3 flopping so badly?
1. It’s the most expensive console on the market, $150 – $200 more than its rivals. Even if you believe the video game industry is “recession-proof” (it isn’t), a tanking economy makes consumers more price-conscious.
This is a true statement but why did he say the PS3 was flopping? If you want to know what it’s like when a console flops, take a gander at the Atari Jaguar. That was a flop…but still a fun system. Not only did Sony move a ton of consoles in November, but they also moved that same number in Blu-Ray players thanks to the PS3.
2. The PS3’s big bonus is its ability to double as a Blu-Ray player. Too bad no one seems to care about hi-def DVDs. The differences between Blu-Ray and DVD are hard to see on a TV less than 50″.
So let’s correct his statement here. First of all, people DO care about high definition. Do you think people are buying HD televisions because they don’t care? Of course not. They want HDtv. Most of them may not understand Blu-Ray or HD-DVD for that matter, but once they see it, I’m sure they’ll invest more money into it in the future. It’s not as popular as DVD at the moment and I think that in the future DVD will always be there, but co-existing with Blu-Ray. As far as not seeing a difference between Blu-Ray and DVD on tv’s less than 50″, he’s wrong on that too. I would have to say that 42″ is the cutoff where there is a blur between Blu-Ray and DVD. It may even be less than that. The smaller the screen, the harder it is to make out the details. On those tv’s larger than 42″, Blu-Ray looks marvelous.
3. The PS3 just doesn’t have any must-have titles exclusive to the console. “LittleBigPlanet” has generated decent buzz but isn’t a game-changer, and neither is Sony’s new virtual world “Home.”
Ok here is where the author really must have been beat by the idiot stick. How in the fuck can you say that the PS3 doesn’t have any must-have titles exclusive to the console?!!? Metal Gear Solid 4, Heavenly Sword, Uncharted and Resistance 2 are all MUST HAVE TITLES. LBP has generated more than a buzz. It’s becoming a cult sensation. Does this guy have an internet connection? As far as Home goes, it’s a beta, leave it alone until it’s a finished product.
Speaking of Home, that has been the center of a lot of negative attention from the press. Why oh why are we slandering a product that is in beta form? Get on Home, use it and put it away until it’s updated again. I think it’s funny that you have to wait for an alley to free up so you can take a turn at bowling. Isn’t that what it’s like in real life though?
Last on my hit list is Kotaku. They posted an article about the poor performance of Little Big Planet and Valkyria Chronicles. Little Big Planet has passed the 1 million mark. How is that a poor performance? Valkyria Chronicles still needs more time. I’m sure fans of Japanese strategy games will pick it up accordingly. Kotaku has had a Sony chip on their shoulder ever since Dave Karraker blacklisted them for posting info that was embargoed. Even though they got their A-list status back from Sony, they still continually post negative articles about the PS3. This is just one of many. Deep down this article is a call to PS3 owners to start buying more games, but it’s execution is poor and wreaks of more media sabotage.
Sony is doing a fine job of handling the PS3. Unlike the PS1 and PS2 before it, this time there are other consoles competing against PS3. Sony isn’t left alone to dominate the industry like it did before. Back when the PS1 was popular, what other console was there to buy? The same goes for the PS2. Not only did it come at a time when DVD acceptance was on the rise, but it also came into it’s own after the death of the Dreamcast. If you wanted a system with a vast library of games(and GTA3), you had to buy a PS2. Now customers have a choice and because of that choice, we have a divided market. People are still expecting the PS3 to just rise up and sell 100 million. As long as Microsoft and Nintendo keep selling consoles, it will never happen. What we have here is what I call a perfect gaming generation. People of all walks of life and many different demographics have a choice. That is never a bad thing. So make your choice and enjoy your console no matter what brand it is.
As for Time magazine and Alleyinsider, let the game journalists handle the game journalism. You’ve done a piss poor job at it. Please stick to politics and finance. Kotaku, you don’t even need the traffic. Please post more responsibly.
bravo torrence
bravoo
lol yeah i’ve seen so many hates on the ps3 mostley on N4G haha, one day there’s like “Do you think Microsoft would be better handling ps3″ and one funny one “The ps3 is becoming the next titanic” lmao i was laughning hard on that one.
But yeah man i agree with you Sony are doing fine, they’re doing a very good job but i dont know why all the hate.
Torrence i think your right about what you said on the warzone, that US media picks on Playstation 3 because its a japan product.
you guys were saying on your last Warzone how Viocom has some deal with Microsoft on advertising, i think you said that?
I think advertising on that scale changes peoples opinions rapidly even if the people haven’t tried the product or thing themselves they’ll just take the source, if its a “trusted” source at word
and once those sales numbers came out along with the CNN article there’s lots of hate going round
I agree, it seems like to me the hate started after Home was released. I find home to be fun really for what it is. It’s not for everyone but if you go there with a few buddies it can be enjoyable. I love shooting pool, the mini arcade games and bowling. I hope Sony adds more games like the capcom classics. I believe the people who don’t like Home are the same people who has no friends in the real world. Get out meet someone knew, get up the balls to chat with someone you don’t know that’s what it’s all about.
What many also seem to forget is that the 360 has a full year on the PS3, and yet the PS3 is only just under 6m units behind in worldwide sales.
Personally I dont mind the ps3 hate because alot the 360 guys and just the 360 in general has been taking abeating on n4g for a long time and now PS3 fanboys just cant take it.I Dont like fanboy hate but for some time the n4g ps3 bitched deserve it.
As for the ps3 i think its doing fine. Numbers wise its pulling in identical numbers as the 360 in its 2nd year so all the power to it. It has Plenty of games its just compared to the 360 the ” must have, game changers” are not selling as well as the 360 games and the ps3 at 18million should sell more r2’s and LBP’s and such.
As for bluray and tv size i dont think people care that much about bluray or Hi def Movies . I think the reason so many HDTV’s are being sold is because thats all people can buy. The tube style tvs are not made anymore so people have to buy hdtv.
As for the hate from the industry i think the hate is there because of the way sony introduced the ps3 to the world. At a $600 price jus ts oit could get Bluray on the market,Then the tool sets were shit and games were coming out shitty. Things have gotten better but devs dont seem happy with the ps3 and i dont think the devs are that happy with sony in the way they handle their game advertising. All day on the radio in NYC i hear contest and giveaways for the 360 , in the subways the 360 are everywhere.
Home is junk! its a ripoff and if anyone says otherwise your a fool. Its not going to enhance gaming or any bullshit Like that.I think the reason so many people,media are ragging on home is because they all know it will be a 4ever beta like secondlife. Its just going to be updated all the time and the excuse for what ever probs it has will always be its a beta and after working on it for so long people expected something more and something working i guess.
Just my opinions I have a 360 and love it, i played my bros ps3 for uncharted and loved the game Im not hating just voicing my opinion
This is very accurate, to the point and in your face article. I wish one could do as much damage to these so called JOURNALISTS as much as they have done to Sony by cultivating and promoting so much misinformation and hate… This already could very much have put off anyone looking to get a PS3 come this Christmas, thus indirectly leading to less sells..
I mean what the hell are they trying to accomplish by not only reporting bullshit but also jeopardizing millions of PS3 owners too? I mean what the hell?!?!?
http://www.n4g.com/industrynews/News-247363.aspx
Here’s a article I don’t agree with at all. They’re asking is it a good idea for Sony to Market their video download service. I know a lot of people with PS3’s that didn’t even knew what Home was or some of the other things you could do with the PS3. I believe Sony is on the right track, because if they don’t market their system this way alot of people especially people sitting on the fence won’t know they can download movies also on the PS3. Sony could market more games, but I’m sure that’s coming with Killzone 2 and God of War 3.
@SixAmpFuze
Home is junk! its a ripoff and if anyone says otherwise your a fool. Its not going to enhance gaming or any bullshit Like that.I think the reason so many people,media are ragging on home is because they all know it will be a 4ever beta like secondlife. Its just going to be updated all the time and the excuse for what ever probs it has will always be its a beta and after working on it for so long people expected something more and something working i guess.
Home is a ripoff? How did you come to that conclusion? Was anything like home ever on a console? If Home was brought out on the 3fixme you guys would be all over that shit. You would be claiming victory, but since Sony thought of it; it’s crap. It doesn’t improve gaming, DUH it wasn’t suppose to improve our gaming experience. It was created for us to meet other gamers online, it’s basically like myspace or any other site setup for people to meet other’s online. So are you willing to say Gears of War 2 have no issues with it’s online? Is it live or does the game need to be patched because I’ve heard and seen many instances of issues with Gears of War 2 online. So basically every online game can have issues, it’s up to the devs to fix those issues which is what the Home devs will be doing in a few days.
Very good article Torrence. it was quite an interesting read.
What slavdemonxi said.
To’, just quoting bad sales numbers for the PS3 doesn’t automatically equal bashing it.
Sony did do a few things wrong. The high price *might* have been one of them, but if you ask me it was more media management. Kut-Kutaragi up there spewing his arrogant bullshit. Harrison with mostly more of the same. Karraker. Those were the three primary culprits I think.
Personally I can’t stand console maker smack talk. They can talk big about themselves all they want, but when they start slinging mud at their competitors, the whole thing goes to hell in a handsack. Fanboys doing it is bad enough. When big-name industry figures are spouting that kind of juvenile trash, it really leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Let me say one thing before I get flamed. I am not an Xbot. I want Sony to succeed as much as the next guy. I just think their strategy is a little off this gen. Hopefully, 2009 will be the year for them. Right now, though . . . nope.
I don’t think it’s media sabotage that is going on. I don’t think those three outlets that you mention are intentionally trying to bring Sony down and I don’t think they have the power to do so. You give them too much credit. I think they have valid gripes about the console.
T, you’re my boy, but much of what you put forth in Sony’s defense is strictly opinion that is not shared by the majority. The titles you mentioned are not must-haves, because they are NOT moving consoles. For all the cult sensation LBP has become, how many people bought the PS3 just to play that “casual” game? No one is jumping on Home or raving about it. PS3 has yet to deliver and I share the discontent of these journalists. Sure, they seem biased, but their accusations are not unfounded.
Time could recant and do an article that gives 100% support to Sony and it still won’t move consoles this Winter. Because as far as the Average Joe or Soccer Mom is concerned, they have not and will not be sold on the PS3 this year. “Mom and pop” are not interested and the media is not going to change that right now.
In fact, even if every single media outlet were to say that the #1 item on everyone’s shopping list should be the PS3 this Christmas, I promise you that there would not be a flock of people going to buy it. That’s just a fact. Because Sony has yet to deliver this generation. They could knock the price $50 before Christmas and people still won’t buy it.
I don’t know if you guys have already talked about the November NPD numbers in recent WZs, but 360 outsold PS2 and PS3 combined. I think Sony missed out on Black Friday. I don’t care how bad the economy has been, people have been shelling out cash for the 360.
In software, PS3 made only two slots on the top 10. CoD on the 360 outsold the PS3 version 2.36 to 1. Gears outsold Resistance 4 to 1. Resistance should have moved consoles, but it didn’t and that’s not Insomniac’s fault. Resistance deserves all the acclaim that it has received, but unfortunately it’s on the wrong team right now. It reminds me of when Barry was on the Lions. Amazing player with unparalleled talent. Wrong team. Wrong time.
I’m sure this post will piss people off, but I wouldn’t call what the media is doing right now “hate.” For me, it’s just “tough love.” It’s the media saying, “Hey, Sony! When the hell are you going to start doing the right thing?” I’m sure you and all the other Sony owners/supporters/fans are wondering the same thing. Sony has yet to whet our appetite.
One more thing . . . how many “moms and pops” go to Time for Christmas shopping advice? How many “moms and pops” even know what Joystiq, Kotaku, and Alley Insider are? I would gander that most “moms and pops” have not even heard of G4TV or GameTrailers.
It is hard to explain how “no one cares about Blu-Ray” when the release of Dark Knight shattered all records. It sold 600,000 copies on the first day in the US and over 1.7 million in the first week with more then 1 million of them in the US. Sure, the number are about 12% of total DVD and Blu-Ray sales, but then DVD was around much longer then Blu-Ray. I find these numbers impressive.
No offense, le_avion, but that is a statistic taken way out of context. Of course it broke records. It broke records during its theater run. It is the only movie released in the year 2008 that is in the All Time Top 20 and it ranks at #2 (Titanic #1, Star Wars Ep 4 #3). Iron Man and Indy 3 are at #21 and #23 and Dark Knight will probably make more than both of them combined by early next year.
Can you say the same for other Blu Ray titles? I’m looking at the Best Buy ad this week. Who would pay $29.99 for Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Or, who would pay $24.99 for Dodgeball or Elf? No one. Some people might pay $19.99 for the DVD, though, right?
Explain why Blu Ray presence at trade shows like TGS are minimal if not absent? Because there’s no money in it right now and that would be a waste of floor space. It does not look like Blu Ray will be replacing DVD anytime soon or even not-soon.
Blu Ray movies are strictly for PS3 owners. Three things. First, very few Blu Ray standalone players have been sold, because most people are just buying the PS3. Second, A good number of PS3 owners are only using it for the Blu Ray. Third, only hardcore gamers and hardcore videophiles own a PS3.
Go ahead and correct me if I’m wrong. I’m sure some of you guys are not even going to read what I just wrote and tell me how you bought a stand-alone player on Black Friday for $150, but you would be the exception and you only prove my point. On that note, why didn’t you just fork over an extra two bills and some change and get the PS3?
Damn Lee, you made some good points! I just want to point out that Time misquoting installed base is just horrible. I agree that Kotaku was tough love, but the way it was handled was poor. Since when is a game that sells 1mil copies doing poorly? Tell that to Silicon Knights.
I agree with a lot of what you said but I do believe the media has an influence on the buyer. I’d type more but I have to go to work.
Peace.
“Lee Yi” Ive read tons of blog’s online and i could care less about proper grammar & spelling ive never read a blog that actually made me want to reply to a ignorant dip sh** until today. First off what rock do you live under ? What kind of misinformed delusional person are you? Have you ever seen a blu ray on an Hd tv or do those sorry slants you have for eyes need glasses.Im surprised youd be able to see out of them in the first place!Not racist im just trying to factor out the cause of your vision problem. I personally am a hard working carpenter and savor every dollar i get but the difference in image clarity and vividness in color is obvious on my Hd set. So much so that i am willing to spend the extra $10 to $15 on a Blu Ray just to enjoy the “difference” ! No offense to your Blog torrence (Which is quite good i might add) but I only have a 32″ plasma and the difference is astounding . The Hd revolution is upon us and the driving force is the Broadcasting of digital signals being made the standard in 2009 , and phasing out Analog signals all together. Who wants some clunky set top box to downgrade a signal for $100 wen you can save some extra money and buy an Hd unit with a digital tuner built in ? Since your going to need a tv in the future why invest in an obselete product ?? Waste of money right?
then after you buy an Hd tv why settle for a downgraded video format like Dvd ? Thats like buying a Xbox 360 and hooking it up to your Uhf, Vhf tuner Tv you bought back in 1980! So when you upgrade you should do it proper! No videphile here just a realist!!! Heres a link you should check out
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6449_7-6859904-1.html?tag=rb_content;rb_mtx
In the idea of buying crappy romance or comedy movie in Blu Ray format is a waste of money in general. To me spending $19.00 on a Dvd is a bigger waste, seeing as how we have Blockbuster and Netflix for crap movies like that. Truthfully in my opinion i would rather spend $19.00 on a pack of 100 dvr’s and just copy them than to even buy a friggin $20 dvd in the first place! But in the end if i am going to pay some outrageous price for video media it will be Blu Ray forever! For the Ps3 part is that 3 years ago there was speculation of stand alone players being worthless due to their not having a network interface so most Hd buyers bought a Ps3 due to their guaranteed compatibility with all blu ray formats in the future ! Just in the last 2 years or so all stand alone players have come into the market fully upgradeable. So i expect to see stand alone players being sold alot in the future.As for the reason for dropping Ps3 sales Stand alone players do have a slight affect in Ps3 sales for People who want to watch things in 1080p not some stretched out blurry Dvd upscaled to wanna be Hd. Not being the leading cause but lack of marketing and exclusives play a big factor as well.Being an owner of the Ps3 , 360 i have to say im happy with the preformance of my ps3 and i tend to use it more for dvd playback than the 360 . But when it comes to True Entertainment value of a media format blu ray has it all 7.1 surround 1080p resolution, features and extras i will probroably buy a stand alone player some time soon for my living room . The whole idea of the Times magazine article having no affect on peoples choices for the holiday present buying festivities is baloney . Times magazine is one of the most widely read magazines in the USA and by far the demographic that reads it would be the old school easily influence non tech savvy baby boomer generation so yes i have to say its a direct impact ! No way it is the reason for total sales in the holiday season but it will be a factor . The online forums articles and blogs just seem to be putting people into this “Fanboy” FAD that is going around and i wont have a part of any hero worship . In the idea they influence gamers buying systems i have to say they do have an impact for people who are in the market to buy a nextgen console who dont or havent owned one. I mean are you going to buy a Computer or car without checking out reviews about it?The idea of the Ps3 being over priced comes down to your priorities . are you planning on going Hd, are you planning on going Blu Ray? Are you planning on playing games online do you object to being forced to shell out $120 a year to play multiplayer games in which the end of the life of your console you will have paid over $600 for it anyways???Personally i bought both systems because i like features of them both , mostly the 360’s online & exclusives and the Ps3’s media capabilities and exclusives also . Some people cant see past the tip of their nose which is like most of the population who are just out for instant gratification.(which is what i will get if you decide to reply to this rebuttal hehehe) Maybe your patient and observant or maybe you have ADHD and want it now now now!But in the end the choice is always yours. The fact is people ARE sheep and the general populous would rather have someone think for them.Which is the reason we have channels like CNN & Fox News . So any widely viewed media outlet does have an influence in forming opinions . Which is why the Media and argumentative little blind people should do research before opening their pathetic little mouths!! In the End the BluRay format is here to stay and its the way of the future along with HighDef which will be around for at least 15 years, and we are just at the beginning of reaching its solidity as a true format. So all in all i have to say BluRay FTW
Interesting article. It should be noted that at the end of 2006, when the PS3 launched, 10 million XBox 360’s had been sold. Now, the delta is only 5 million.
This is not a characteristic of a “sinking ship”.
I think its Karma, Sony in the past has used the Media to hype there machine to the point of buring the competition with very little to show. An example of that is the Dreamcast, great machine great games. It got buried while PS2 was off to a very slow start. It should have florished during that time and PS2 may have easily surpassed it later. Sony really hyped there machine and everyone believed it. Sony made promises about what the PS3 would be and how much more powerful it is then then the 360. It is more powerful but honestly, I haven’t seen much of an advantage yet.
Blueray is great but it should not be a selling point, the games need to be front and center. Games are in HD regardless of the media format. Besides with Hard Drives getting cheaper and larger there is no need for a large optical format. Which lead to the other thing. If you have such a large media why force people to install the game doesn’t it kind of defeat the purpose. In that case we could have put the games on DVDs and have the user install disk 2 and 3 while just using disk 1 to start the game. Which the 360 can now do.
I own both systems I was really excited about the PS3 and still am, but everytime I play I just feel like something is missing. Is it that playstation soul or the rumble that I felt in my heart before.
I still love sony though and am looking forward to see what they do next. On the other hand I am happy that there is competition coming from the 360. This will bring us some of the best games. Like those from the Genesis/SNES era, in my opinon the Genesis took the beginning and the SNES caught up. The games were and still are among the best. We have alot to look forward to in the next 2-3 years. The press will change there tune as the consumers get behind the system.
@Torrence
Fantastic article! It’s nice to that some internet journalists/bloggers still have an objective view on gaming as a whole. You’ve just convinced me register & I will be a regular reader as long as you continue to take no sides in this stupid console war!
@bobfiveoneohh
You’re my hero…. you’ve save me from all that typing, thank you! Great post! As the HipHop Gamer states you’ve SMASHED Lee Yi’s argument.
@luisx
You have some very valid points… great post!
@bobfiveoneohh –
“Have you ever seen a blu ray on an Hd tv or do those sorry slants you have for eyes need glasses.Im surprised youd be able to see out of them in the first place!Not racist im just trying to factor out the cause of your vision problem.”
If you have to say your not racist, that means you must have made a racist comment. I refuse to believe that you can’t write a rebuttal without making a racist comment. Now I’ll reserve judgement on you if you can post an apology to the racist remarks before close of day.
@everyone – yes Blu-Ray looks sharper than DVD on smaller tv’s, but you see the REAL difference on the bigger sets. It also helps to have a decent upconverter.
Hi there, Totaly agree with you, well that one that we can’t see the deference betwin a DVD and a HD media like BR is too much.
I agree with you that the media is unfairly bashing/undermining the PS3, exactly what they did to the Gamecube, Dreamcast, and the N64. The fact that you mentioned the dreadfully wrong idea that there was no other option during the last two console generations but the PlayStations in your impassioned defense of the PS3 only further bashes/undermines the Gamecube/Dreamcast/N64 (and the Xbox), so this article comes across as fanboyish and hypocritical to me. :/
I don’t think I’m alone in saying that Dreamcast, Gamecube, N64, and Xbox had some very great games, and so does the PS3. ‘Nuff said.
Ok look at this shit and tell me the media is not bashing on the PS3
http://www.g4tv.com/attackoftheshow/exclusives/65868/PlayStation-3-Home-Flash-Mob.html
All right maybe the semi/racist comment eluded to the fact that i dont like asians . but the truth is i am living in the philippines with 95% of the poulation being asian and my girlfriend is asian as well maybe i was a little heated when writing my comment but the idea of blu ray being a format that is not going to take over is preposterous . I will try to be more reserved with the slandering comments in the future but still Ps3 is gaming console 1’st and foremost and blu ray is a media format for all Hd users not just Ps3 users as i said b4 it all comes down to your priorities when most people are struggling just to pay the bills i dont expect them to go out and buy blu ray.
oh yeah “sorry
btw torrence like what your doing here man will be a regular reader in the future hope to hear more from an unbiased media outlet,
I love all this sony boohooing but where was it for the 360 for the past 3 years.MS has been taking a beating on n4g and on ps3 sites .So what if the media talks shit about these companies big deal.MS made their mistakes and sony made theirs and now both have to deal with the consequences of their actions . I dont think sony is getting destroyed and i dont think the ps3 is in any danger but only time will tell.
@daddyknowsbest
As for home its just a second life clone
bravo, very well put.
BLoodY n GriM, on December 17th, 2008 at 5:38 pm Said:
“Ok look at this shit and tell me the media is not bashing on the PS3
http://www.g4tv.com/attackoftheshow/exclusives/65868/PlayStation-3-Home-Flash-Mob.html”
——————–
Ok, that was an asshole thing to do, but you’ve got to admit it’s funny as hell. Punning the NXE is almost as good, but that was just hilarious.
It’s like early 2007 all over again.
ALL ABOARD THE PS3 HATE TRAIN!!!
W00T W00T!
I waited to respond, because I wanted to be able to think about what I was going to write and I did not want to do so out of anger. I cannot convey tone in my response, so just know that I am not gnashing my teeth as I write this. I am writing respectfully.
First, it is never acceptable to refer to an Asian as slant-eyed. That is not semi-racism. That is racism. I don’t care where you live and who you are married to. 100% of people, including your girlfriend, would agree . . . that is absolutely racist and uncalled for in a public forum like this.
Second, never in my post, did I mention in any form or fashion that BluRay and DVD are the same quality. Unfortunately, most of bob’s post was a tirade against something I never said. I could probably end there, but I do want to respond to a few things he said.
Fact: BluRay is not taking over any time soon. It’s not. A person that spends every penny on their A/V system is just like the guy who spends every penny fixing up his car. It’s not everybody.
I am in total agreement that buying a chick flick for $19.99 is a waste of money. That wasn’t my point. My point is that a great deal of people ARE buying it at that price, but those same people would not be willing to pay an extra $5 for a Blu-Ray disc.
As for stand-alone players . . . they are also not going to be flying off the shelves anytime soon. How many people rushed to the stores to get a $150 player this past Black Friday? They could have, but they didn’t. How many have it on their Christmas list? None. I’m sure there are a number of people that have the PS3 on their list, but not standalone players.
Time/CNN/Fox may have a million viewers/readers, but their audiences are not interested in the PS3 right now and nothing that those media outlets say right now can change that. I am in agreement with Torrence that Time’s blundering with the numbers is just stupid, but I do not believe that the average Time reader read that article and said, “Oh, okay. I was going to buy a PS3, but now I am not.” 17M and 200K means nothing to that demographic. You could add two zero’s to the US figure and it still won’t push people to buy the PS3 right now. The media has an influence, but those outlets do not have the power right now to move sales of PS3s. It’s not their fault. It’s Sony’s fault.
My original point with my response is that although the media blows things out of proportion, there is some truth in what they say. I don’t like it as much as the next person, but that’s what they do. What they are blowing out of proportion is the truth that PS3 is just not cutting it. That’s a fact. Who is buying the PS3? People like you and me and the others that visit this website. That’s it. That’s not enough.
The success of the PS2 was due to the fact that they were able to reach such a broad audience. That’s something they have not done this round. To start at $599 and only dip down to $399? They don’t know the audience. They haven’t hit the sweet spot, but that’s because they can’t. The PS3 is burning a whole in their pocket.
I can understand why someone would get irate over reading my posts regarding the PS3 and I get it. You love the PS3 and you are passionate about it. You don’t like to hear bad things ad infinitum about it. I am just keeping it real, though.
I am confident that Sony will eventually get it right and dominate the market once again, but right now they have not and it doesn’t look like they will anytime soon. I think as early as next summer, but more likely next holiday season, is when they will finally pull it off, but not this holiday season. Unfortunately, the media will be slow to catch on, but they are only a third-rate barometer for current events.
Lee Yi, I am afraid I will have to disagree with you about the success or failure of Blu-Ray.
I said that Dark Knight broke BR records not because of the 1.7 Million copies sold but because BR sales were about 12% of the combined sales which surprised me.
I’ll give you that Blu-Ray until recently was mostly for videophiles and PS3 owners but this has started to change this holiday season. I know personally quite a few people that bought a BR player, they were just waiting for the price to drop. This is good for Blu-Ray but may not be so good for the PS3. Another point is that the selection of (what I personally consider) good movies was abysmal but this also started to change now that companies like Criterion started releasing on BR.
I am old enough to remember how slow was the adoption of CDs and then DVDs because of the expensive players and media. Then you get the tipping point where the prices drop enough and it becomes a flood. I think this is were BR is now.
I just read recently that many people purchased a new flat screen HD television set and keep watching their regular SD TV stations thinking they are actually watching HD. For these people BR are obviously a waste of money.
le_avion, I agree with you. Things are changing.
I am astounded by the DK figures as much as you are, but for me, those numbers don’t tell me that BR has hit that “tipping point.” You could have put DK on a ViewMaster and it would have broken records.
I disagree with you regarding stand-alones hurting the PS3 sales. I personally think buying a stand-alone is a waste of money, because you could pay an extra $200 and get an awesome game console as well. Does anyone remember how for the longest time people were buying PS2s and Xboxs to watch their DVDs? My DVD player actually broke and I just used my 360 for a long time. The only reason I bought another player was because it was an upscaling Samsung DVD/VCR I found for $30 at Best Buy.
Your last paragraph is my point exactly. Most people don’t know and don’t care. As soon as Sony starts caring about these people, then they will be at the “tipping point.” Nintendo has figured this out. MS is sort of getting there (at least more than Sony). Now, Sony just needs to get there like they did last generation. As a fan of Sony products, I am personally looking forward to that day.
your point about the ps3’s dominance is valid yet once again your thinking that media ha no influence on a buyers choice in what they purchase is just rubbish.How do most people find out about consumer products ? How do people come to decisions about what they want to buy they try to find their likes and dislikes about the product in question correct?I have been asking people for the last day if the media influences theer purchasing decisions. And the answers have been unanimously yes and im not asking 15 year olds who are spending mommy and daddys money im asking hard working “asians” (who i guess i must hate).Most people look to outside sources to find out about consumer products and im not saying that the times magazine article makes or breaks the sales figures for any certain product what i am saying is that people who were indecisive about their purchase might be swayed by an article about a product that is a “sinking ship”. Secondly the reason i was “irate” in my last post was your idea that the blu ray will not take over as a dominant media format and i quote
“Blu Ray movies are strictly for PS3 owners. Three things. First, very few Blu Ray standalone players have been sold, because most people are just buying the PS3. Second, A good number of PS3 owners are only using it for the Blu Ray. Third, only hardcore gamers and hardcore videophiles own a PS3″
So maybe you could say i am enthusiastic about the ps3. Or you could say im enthusiastic about blu ray . Because afterall i grew up when laser disc was up and coming and even then it wasnt a solid format made available for consumers.or how about vhs vs dvd or lp vs 8trac or casset vs cd or we can go back even further with VHS vs betamax but thats probroably before the time of most the readers that enter this forum. The fact is all formats that have been emerging in the market have had to fight their battles and have taken time to get backing from production companys and to solidify themselves as a solid format and most have failed. Though its not as mainstream as it will be in the future . it is definitely a format that has established itsself and will continue to gain momentum as time progresses.And lastly i am not racist i just felt like slamming you for a minute and have seen the error of my ways i apoligize here and if need be i can go to Times magazine and have them put out an article which will have no affect upon the readers who see it.
le_avion
sweet post and right on
Hey, bob, I’m glad we are getting civil now.
I didn’t say the media does NOT have an influence. I am saying that right now the media cannot and will not influence this season’s sales of PS3 and it sounds like you agree with me on that. To further make my point, though, your friends who are reading through these magazines are actively looking for these reviews. Average mom/pop are not. They are looking in the Wal-Mart ad and looking for products that are $250 or less.
As far as the paragraph that you quoted goes, I am not saying that BR will NOT dominate. As I commented to le_avion, I am looking forward to the day that it does, but it’s still up in the air. My quote is referring to the present state of PS3 and Blu-ray customers.
My original point again was . . . Sony could have strategized much better in regards to the PS3 and Blu-ray and they dropped the ball. Now, they have to pick it back up and get back into the game and they better frickin’ play harder if they want to even the score some. I’m rooting for them. I’ve always been the fan of the underdog. I was a stinkin’ Bills fan the four years they lost the Super Bowl. Heheh.
Most of what this guy is saying is fairly accurate off his opinion, BUT, go and take a look at games sales. You will rarely see one of the PS3’s “must have” titles in the top 10 or sometimes even the top 20. It is mostly Xbox 360, Wii, and DS titles. Also if you compare big titles that are on both consoles, like GTA:IV and COD4 the Xbox 360 sales are more than double than the PS3 sales.
I believe this is because the gamers that own both will purchase those titles on the 360 and will tend use their PS3 for movies…like me and all friends do. It’s common knowledge between me and my friends if the game has online play, get on the 360. Not to mention the exclusive DL content the 360 keeps getting (GTA:IV Fallout 3). The 360 also has an attached-game-rate about 4 times that of the PS3’s, and that’s not because of “fanboys.”
PS3 sales: 19+ mill
Xbox 360 sales: 28+ mill