Devil's Advocate - LOL Sony and Why It's Justified

Before we begin, I'd like to make two things clear. First, I want to see the PlayStation 3 succeed. Diversity and competition are good in any market. I don't own a PS3 yet, but I have access to one. Second, LOL SONY! Giant enemy crabs! 599 US DOLLARS! There, that feels better, and it's the last time you'll see unfounded jabs here. With those things out of the way, here's what I think Sony did wrong and why I think you should care.

Public Backpedaling
At the 2005 European Game Developers Conference, Phil Harrison said that it was unlikely that Sony would mimic Microsoft's two SKU strategy for the PlayStation 3 release. He then went on to say that multiple versions of the console would only serve to confuse both customers and retailers. That's great, and personally, I agree with the statement. Microsoft made a mistake by offering a 360 without a HDD as it means that developers can't take advantage of it without also coding for the users that don't have it.

The man's entitled to his opinion, but why publicly denounce the two SKU strategy and then use it yourself two years later? It makes you look foolish. You can only mislead the public so many times before they become wary of anything that comes out of your mouth.

Throwing a fit when people quote you on the subject doesn't net you any points either. You said it, Phil. Own it and move on. Apologize for lying to us if you'd like, but don't berate gaming journalists for publishing the quotes of a Sony employee at an industry event. That's why we're there: to figure out what's going on and inform the public.

Price Point
The PlayStation 3 is expensive. Very expensive. That one piece of home electronics equipment costs more than many people pay in rent every month. And it doesn't come with a game. To get up and running, you're looking at a minimum investment of $560.00 plus tax.

Why is it so expensive? The Blu-Ray player. If I wanted a movie player, I'd buy a movie player. I want a game player. A games machine is not the right place to push your new movie format - especially when including it is a contributing factor to driving the PS3's price up to $200.00 more per SKU than the Xbox 360.

People have psychological monetary limits after which they do some serious thinking about a purchase. For small items, that limit is usually around $50.00. That's enough that most of us can walk into a Best Buy store and walk out with a game without feeling guilty (because honestly, who thinks about tax until they're at the register?). Similarly, for larger items, $500.00 is a common limit. Both the Wii and the Xbox 360 - each purchased with an additional game - fall under this barrier. The PS3, depending on which version is purchased, exceeds the limit by $60.00 or $160.00.

The only other console to break the $500.00 barrier in recent memory in the Neo-Geo AES, and we all know how that turned out.

Full HD Gaming
That must mean 1080p, right? I would expect at least 1080i (which is, coincidentally, the maximum resolution that my television and most others I'm familiar with can output). Why then is the PS3 shipped with a set of composite cables? Composite cables are easily the worst way to convey a video signal to an HDTV. I can understand not throwing an HDMI cable in the box as that standard isn't supported by some older sets, but where are the component cables? Hell, as long as you're going to throw antiquated A/V technology in the box, where is the S-Video cable? Anything would have been better than composite cables and the choice to ship them with every PS3 is an insult to the very people the PS3 appeals to: the audiovisual enthusiast and the gamer that genuinely cares about graphical quality.

Don't underestimate your customers; we're smarter than you seem to think we are.

Advertisements
Maybe they're just not "for me," but when I see an advertisement for something, I'd like to have an idea what it's actually about. The creepy doll, the "This is Living" campaign, and the eggs that randomly turn into ravens just aren't doing it for me.

Show me what the PS3 can do, show me game trailers, and show me the SIXAXIS actually controlling a game. I understand that it was supposed to be controlling the eggs, but I want to see how it controls Warhawk. Why? Because controlling Warhawk with the SIXAXIS controller is something that gamers might actually do.

We're not interested in being creeped out. We're interested in being shown what the hardware can do, why it's different than the Wii and the 360, and why we should spend $500.00 or $600.00 on bringing one home today. Your ads may be memorable, but that doesn't make them good.

Blackballing Kotaku
Kotaku is a widely read site, and its editor-in-chief Brian Crecente is one of the most vocal supporters of the PlayStation 3 who isn't on the Sony payroll. So what do you do when a rumor - a positive rumor at that - is posted on the site? You blacklist Kotaku and its staff, you un-invite them from your events, and you demand they return the hardware that was given to them by Sony.

Sony would have a leg to stand on if the story was reported as fact, but it wasn't. It was clearly reported as a rumor. What really gets me though is that the post was very positive about PlayStation Home. I think it's a great idea, too. A merging of the Wii's Mii system with the 360's achievements all with a more grown-up feel and my own house? Yes, please.

It's one thing to shut down media that is libeling you. It's another to slap the faces of people singing your praises - especially when they're in the minority.

What it all Means
I'm not sure. All I can really tell you is that when some of us type "LOL Sony" we've put some thought behind it. The company that toppled Nintendo in the 90s has stumbled. Hard. And they need to stop acting like everything is peachy keen. They need to stop lying to us. And above all else, they need to stop acting like they've won because there's no better way to lose a race than to convince yourself you've won before it's over.

Apr 4, 2007 - 3:59 pm | 7 comments
Justin Last