Topic: Sony getting hit Hard lately

[Ceric]

This is one place where I think Sony should have given no excuses.  Just went ahead and stated that the SixAxis has no rumble period.  No excuses. No justification.

[blackfootsteps]

Regarding the controller being called sixaxis, is that even possible? X, Y, Z. I count three. Aren't the others (yaw etc) rotations from those 3? 6 directions of movement sure, but not  sixaxis.

[Kairon]

I think they mean "axis" in terms of measurement types they can use.after all, you're not really measuring actual coordinates, you're directly measuring 3 directions of acceleration, and pitch, uh..left-right pitch (yaw?) and twisting-like-rotation-stuff-thingy-yeah...

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[JonLeung]

They use SIXAXIS because it's a palindrome and supposedly sounds and looks cool.  (If not for the A it would be rotationally symmetrical, and if not for the Ss it would be symmetrical.)  Do you really think someone like Sony would pass that coolness up for something that makes sense?

"RepackagedPlayStationControllerNowWirelessWith(ImplementedAtTheLastMinute)MotionControlAndNoForceFeedback" isn't a cool name for the controller, even if that makes sense.  I'd figured they would've gone the plain route and called it the "Triple Shock", and have that increase each generation (even if the PSX controller wasn't called the "Single Shock").

[UltimatePartyBear]

Not to mention it has two times the Xs for TWO TIMES THE XTR33M!!

[capamerica]

Quote
Some one needs to get Sony a PR firm. Not that their statements are always wrong (though some are), but just because you can say something, doesn't mean you should. Case in point: Sony executive VP Jamie MacDonald had this to say when asked by GamesIndustry.biz regarding later releases (or delays) in Europe:

"European consumers have shown that historically they don't mind [the delays], because they end up buying as many PlayStations, if not more, than the US and Japan. In Europe, it doesn't seem that the release of our platforms after the US and Japan-in the long run-affects how consumers feel ... If we were sitting here in five years' time, I don't think we'd really think about or notice that PlayStation 3 was four or five months later in Europe."

you've got to be kidding me...
Sometimes is amusing how Sony lives in their own little fantasy world.
Someone should remind Sony that even thou the PS2 did come out later, they didn't have any competition for a year. This time they have to deal with Nintendo and MS who will have a head start over there.  

[Spak-Spang]

Nintendo used to live in their own fantasy world.  When you are successful for too long with no real challenge to your power you become arrogant, and you forget the most important element that made you successful...the consumers and the fans.

Sony is about to fall, because of this.  I am not saying Sony won't be successful this generation but they will not dominate...and there is a huge chance that they could become second or third place this generation.  And if that happens, then Sony will recorrect itself for their fourth generation, but they will lose some of their power over third party developers, just like Nintendo did.

[JonLeung]

The problem is that Sony is betting so much with their PS3 and that each one sold costs them money, that even if and when they are humbled enough and try to smarten up, they may be in a bad position.  Like, bankrupt.  They wouldn't be able to come back like Nintendo looks like they really will.  People seem to think Nintendo should exit the business because games are their entire bread and butter or whatever, but BECAUSE Nintendo only does games they're really big on not making loss-incurring hardware and making a lot of their own exclusive AAA software.

When Sony became market leader I seemed to get the vibe that everyone thought Nintendo wasn't growing up and the future belonged to Sony forever and ever.  I want Nintendo to "win" so that people will learn that the tables could always turn.

As a Nintendo fan, I wouldn't mind if Nintendo comes out on top and stays there for the rest of my life, so long as they don't make the mistake of being arrogant.  I hope to have another dozen or so Nintendo consoles to play in my life if they can keep the five-year cycle going.

[Kairon]

Quote
Originally posted by: JonLeung"RepackagedPlayStationControllerNowWirelessWith(ImplementedAtTheLastMinute)MotionControlAndNoForceFeedback" isn't a cool name for the controller, even if that makes sense.  I'd figured they would've gone the plain route and called it the "Triple Shock", and have that increase each generation (even if the PSX controller wasn't called the "Single Shock").

I think Joystiq wanted to call it the "Dual Shake."

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[GoldenPhoenix]

I do think PS3 will be like the N64, in that it won't do badly but definately will not be the market leader. But like others mentions the big difference is that Nintendo lost no money (there seemed to be hints they in fact made money) on the N64, while Sony is losing their butts on each one sold. That could make it VERY hard to come back.

[Arbok]

Quote
Originally posted by: VGrevolution
But like others mentions the big difference is that Nintendo lost no money (there seemed to be hints they in fact made money) on the N64...

I believe the N64 was actually much more profitable than the GCN was for Nintendo, the reason not only being units sold but that a great deal of those "Player's Choice - Million Sellers" were Nintendo first party titles. So they were definitely pushing software during that generation, even if it was primarly their own.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Arbok I meant that the N64 more as an example of being the start Nintendo's decline (I know it was more profitable than GC) and was trying to contrast that with what potentially may happen with PS3, and that Sony will have  a much tougher time coming back due to the huge losses on each system while Nintendo didn't have those losses to worry about on the system.

[KDR_11k]

I wouldn't mind Sony dropping out of the next gen early, they'd be a warning to future generations but I don't think it's going to happen that easily. They're certainly not hitting bankrupcy and I don't think the corporate leaders will decide to drop SCEI because of one failed gen. They might drop out if the PS4 fails but no matter how badly the PS3 does I expect them to cling on.

[Kairon]

And the PS3 really won't do THAT bad like us doomsayers dream of anyways.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[JonLeung]

That's true, most casual gamers that want it probably aren't aware of the insane price just yet, and there are probably still enough people that can afford it.

I suppose we'll see how well it does this holiday season at that price (or rather, those prices) and see how soon the price drops come, if any.  I'm sure Sony will be reluctant to drop the price if they're already losing lots of money on them as it is.  Once again, it'll probably come down to the games ($650 Canadian might be worth it if there was a guarantee of a lot of good games), which is where the Wii comes in to show the world alternatives that are more fun.  Though we keep saying Sony's screwing up, and they really are, the biggest problems for them are really the successes of the competition.

[jasonditz]

Quote
Originally posted by: KDR_11k
I wouldn't mind Sony dropping out of the next gen early, they'd be a warning to future generations but I don't think it's going to happen that easily. They're certainly not hitting bankrupcy and I don't think the corporate leaders will decide to drop SCEI because of one failed gen. They might drop out if the PS4 fails but no matter how badly the PS3 does I expect them to cling on.

Sony as a whole isn't at risk of bankrupcy right now, but that doesn't mean the game division might not be on a short leash. They almost pulled the plug early in the PS2 generation, as I understand it. They're in worse financial shape now, and I don't think their upper management is going to sit by and allow the gaming division to drag them down, especially if it looks like they have an actual viable competitor that's going to keep them out of profitability. The market isn't growing, the margins on the hardware business stink... it's probably not worth gambling the company's future financial security on.

[Ceric]

Bad thing is for Sony thats currently there best division.  If the other divisions where doing well they could cut it off if it was doing bad.  There not though.

[Mikintosh]

And certainly gambling the PS3's future along with its home entertainment division's on Blu Ray was probably not the best business descision.

[KDR_11k]

They almost pulled the plug early in the PS2 generation, as I understand it.

Which makes me think it's even less likely that it'll get pulled this time. Sony has seen how much the PS2 sold so they're expecting the PS3 to behave the same way. I don't think they'll pull until the PS3 turns out to be a complete failure and the PS4 is off to a bad start as well.

[WuTangTurtle]

I think that will depend more on what developers will provide.  Developers may make a game for the PS3 & 360 but will they bother to make a 360 or PS2 version?  At this point I think publishers are going to want their devs to start to phase out the last gen games.  Where in the PS3 case is a bad decision at the moment.  400,000 vs (insert crazy high number here), I think publishers would currently make more money on the PS2 versus the PS3.

However in strange cases there are xbox games that are better than their 360 counterparts, and in Nintendo's case it would be moronic to release anything at this point as it is likely to be passed on even though it may be played on a Wii.

[SixthAngel]

I don't think they will drop the PS3 no matter how badly it does.  Since the ps3 is tied to bluray they would keep it out even if it was a failure just to push the extra bluray units out.  It seems to me that Sony doesn't really care if the ps3 does well they just want bluray to succeed.  Bluray succeeding doesn't mean the ps3 succeeds either.  They have crippled the ps3 with an incredibly high price to sell more bluray units, it shows which division they want to succeed more.  The ps3 doesn't have to be number 1 to push those extra bluray players out and hopefully give sony the next gen disc market where they hope to actually make money.

Sony always intended for the playstation brand to be a trojan horse for living room domination and we see them trying to put it into practice with the addition of bluray.  

[Mikintosh]

Sony fails to realize that if the PS3 gets bad publicity because of its high cost (which is partially the fault of the Blu Ray drive), it'll make the Blu Ray format seem even less friendly to consumers. No logic, this company.

[GoldenPhoenix]

You guys are forgetting the logic behind this, instead of paying the high price of 1000$ for a bluray player you get the LOW LOW price of 600$ for it that is practically a steal .

[KDR_11k]

Yeah, they're selling it so cheap it's like they're cutting their own throat!

[Spak-Spang]

My fear is simply this.  If the Blu-Ray players are really $1000.00 and we are getting it in the PS3 for much less then what is the quality of the PS3 player.  I remember the PS2 DVD player was horrible compared to a real DVD player.  

The only other answer is that Sony is majorly over charging for Blu-ray players and making like $100-$400 profit on each player...and I have no doubt some of that is happening, but those numbers are crazy.