Topic: Just what is wrong with PSP marketing????

[NWR_pap64]

From everything I heard the PSP is a solid handheld. WHY does Sony insist on marketing it using such awful commercials?

People may have criticized Nintendo for their marketing efforts (including the year long "Wii would like to play" ad campaign) but have they seen what Sony has done to the PSP???

The first commercials were good and classy. I approved of them, even if I didn't care for the PSP. But then...we got the god awful "The PSP is like a..." commercials with the badly drawn, stereotypical squirrels and dust balls. They were a joke and just plain stupid.

I thought that with all the jokes the ads got Sony would wake up and market the PSP in a better way. But nooooooooo...

While I was watching some videos at GameTrailers.com I finally saw the latest PSP commercial, specifically for the new Star Wars bundle and it was the most obnoxious ad I have ever seen.

Seriously, does Sony think people actually like the guy who stalks people that are playing PSP and begins to annoyingly harass them?? The fact that he actually stalked the guy doesn't make sense. I mean, I was a grade school teacher last semester and the kids that owned a PSP were never harassed in such a way. There were kids that wanted to see it, yes, but weren't obnoxious.

I don't care if the DS is destroying it in sales, the PSP deserves better. Right now there are some good games on it and the new bundles are quite decent so why couldn't Sony treat it with a little more respect? The PSP is part of the handheld domination in Japan and I believe its doing quite well in the US and other regions so again, why the disrespect?

Sorry if this was random but after seeing that ad I needed to vent. No console or handheld on the planet should be marketed that way.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

"Right now there are some good games"

So what happened to the good games that were supposed to exist some years ago when the darn thing finally launched?

Oh, that's right, all the hype around it's specs/features list distracted the consumer public from the fact it was supposed to be a game machine.  In truth, it never "was" a game machine, cuz it was delivered to the masses as a failed vehicle for UMD movies.  Alongside that disaster, the "games" that were supposed to come out and justify the machine's specs and features (in ways that would justify the machine's uniqueness, practicallity, and price) never materialized.  It was a watered down, pricier, less practical PS2.

[Chozo Ghost]

The problem is the people who come up with these ads are middle-aged white males who probably don't even really care about video games. They need to make ads that are cool to younger generations, but they just don't know how. In their way of thinking, that middle-aged stalker qualifies as "cool" because they can relate to him, but younger generations can't.

In reality, the stalker would have gotten his ass kicked.

[Infernal Monkey]

Sony haven't advertised the PSP around here since launch (seriously), but from what I've seen of the American ads, it's no wonder nobody buys games for the thing. The ads say DUDE GET YOUR OWN, and everyone's like okay I'll get my own.. then they sit there. The ads should also include "DUDE GET YOUR OWN GAMES TOO". Followed by a promotion for the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles feature film, dude, it's the early 90's! Pizza time!  

[UncleBob]

"stereotypical squirrels and dust balls"

What is the stereotype for squirrels and dust balls?

[Kairon]

There's nothing wrong with PSP advertising. There's EVERYTHING wrong with PSP gaming.

[DAaaMan64]

We like the current PS3's commercials rounder here don't we?

Sony should just stick to the theme and use the same style of commercial for the PSP. So then if your cool enough to like a PS3 but don't wanna buy one, you can still look cool with a PSP.

[Chozo Ghost]

Quote
Originally posted by: UncleBob
"stereotypical squirrels and dust balls"

What is the stereotype for squirrels and dust balls?

Speaking of squirrels, didn't Sega have an old advertisement for their Gamegear where some guy used a petrified squirrel to whack himself in the head so he could see colors on his Gameboy?

So is Sony using the same marketing guys that Sega used in the early 90's, or what?

[NWR_pap64]

Quote
Originally posted by: UncleBob
"stereotypical squirrels and dust balls"

What is the stereotype for squirrels and dust balls?

Squirrels, dust balls and even rats and fish (OK, that last one isn't real, but I was on a roll).

[Crimm]

The mice act like black stereotypes.  The dustballs act like hispanic stereotypes.




lolz

[nickmitch]

The "Dude, get your own." PSP ads are terrible. They're just bad. At least the racist cartoons were creative, but the new ones are just dumb. The original ads were really good. I actually liked watching them. The ones with the transforming people were weird, but ok.

[Kairon]

I like the "Dude, get your own" ads. At least the star wars one. A guy making half-good half-bad star wars references in an awkward-to-everyone-but-himself attempt to make conversation, desperate for some sort of human connection... any sort of acknowledgement... any sharing of human warmth... *sniff*

[NWR_pap64]

Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon
I like the "Dude, get your own" ads. At least the star wars one. A guy making half-good half-bad star wars references in an awkward-to-everyone-but-himself attempt to make conversation, desperate for some sort of human connection... any sort of acknowledgement... any sharing of human warmth... *sniff*

Dude...You just gave me an idea for a comic!

[Chozo Ghost]

Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon
I like the "Dude, get your own" ads. At least the star wars one. A guy making half-good half-bad star wars references in an awkward-to-everyone-but-himself attempt to make conversation, desperate for some sort of human connection... any sort of acknowledgement... any sharing of human warmth... *sniff*

I totally get what you're saying, and I think they should make a movie about him and his life like they did with the Geico commercial cavemen....

Oh wait! They did - it's called the Cable Guy. The Cable Guy of the late 90s went on to become The PSP Guy of today.  

[UncleBob]

Quote
Originally posted by: Chozo Ghost
Speaking of squirrels, didn't Sega have an old advertisement for their Gamegear where some guy used a petrified squirrel to whack himself in the head so he could see colors on his Gameboy?

So is Sony using the same marketing guys that Sega used in the early 90's, or what?

Hey!  That's not just "some guy".  Know and respect him!

Quote
Originally posted by: pap64

Quote
Originally posted by: UncleBob
"stereotypical squirrels and dust balls"

What is the stereotype for squirrels and dust balls?

Squirrels, dust balls and even rats and fish (OK, that last one isn't real, but I was on a roll).

I've seen the commercials, I'm just saying, I was just making a joke that the squirrels and dust balls aren't stereotyped.  A squirrel stereotype would be something like "Oh, all squirrels like nuts!  All day long, they're all numm-numm-nummy on nuts."

[EasyCure]

i dont think i've ever seen the original psp ads. I've definately seen the ones with squirells and dust balls (and yes, i did find them to stereotype certain people) and the new "dude, get your own" ads and i agree they are just SO ANNOYING.

i thought ads were supposed to make you WANT a product, not get a migrane whenever you see one of the ads. There are a few games i'd love to be able to play on the go that just arent on DS so the psp is my only option, but these new ads are so obnoxious that it makes me feel like i should be embarrassed to walk around with one.

I seem to remember a gameboy (maybe gamegear?) ad waaaay back in the day that had a similar commercial. One person would be holding the portable system while a group of curious or excited folk look on over his shoulder. everyone looked to be in awe of the game and it gave off the "wow check that kid out!" vibe. where as now, the onlooker is some creepy older guy who stalks anyone with a psp. Sorry, it just doesnt come off as cool knowing i might get stalked for playing my handheld out in public.

even though i disliked the squirel and dustball ads (i honestly even felt offended once) i'd rather see those back on the air

[NWR_pap64]

Quote
Originally posted by: EasyCure
i dont think i've ever seen the original psp ads. I've definately seen the ones with squirells and dust balls (and yes, i did find them to stereotype certain people) and the new "dude, get your own" ads and i agree they are just SO ANNOYING.

i thought ads were supposed to make you WANT a product, not get a migrane whenever you see one of the ads. There are a few games i'd love to be able to play on the go that just arent on DS so the psp is my only option, but these new ads are so obnoxious that it makes me feel like i should be embarrassed to walk around with one.

I seem to remember a gameboy (maybe gamegear?) ad waaaay back in the day that had a similar commercial. One person would be holding the portable system while a group of curious or excited folk look on over his shoulder. everyone looked to be in awe of the game and it gave off the "wow check that kid out!" vibe. where as now, the onlooker is some creepy older guy who stalks anyone with a psp. Sorry, it just doesnt come off as cool knowing i might get stalked for playing my handheld out in public.

even though i disliked the squirel and dustball ads (i honestly even felt offended once) i'd rather see those back on the air

Yeah, "annoying" ads (annoying as in they try to use an annoyance to sell a product. In this case its the middle aged stalker guy) don't work at all.

Back in the Nintendo released a limited edition ice blue Gameboy. The commercial for it had this kid dressed in blue taunting the viewing by saying "I HAVE ONE AND YOU DON'T! YOU ARE LAME! NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH!!" and constantly sticking his tongue out.

Really, what was Nintendo trying to accomplish? Get kids so annoyed that they would force their parents to buy them one just so he can shut that kid up? I REALLY hated that commercial...

[Crimm]

Quote
Originally posted by: UncleBob

"Oh, all squirrels like nuts!  All day long, they're all numm-numm-nummy on nuts."

I could... I really could.

[Maverick]

I finally took the plunge and bought a PSP.  Haven't even played my first game yet (I have MGS Portable Ops sitting here right next to me, but I'm waiting until I finish COD4), but I don't regret the purchase at all.  It's an impressive piece of hardware -- really slick.

I do agree the new commercials are annoying though, and think they should take the new PS3 ads approach to the PSP.  Just pick a new song and do the exact same thing, I think it would work great.

[UltimatePartyBear]

Were the original commercials the ones that showed that no one could tolerate playing the thing for more than a few seconds before throwing it away?

[Smash_Brother]

Oh god, I just watched those commercials all the way through for the first time and the company who came up with those needs to be dragged into the street and shot...

[NWR_pap64]

Quote
Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
Oh god, I just watched those commercials all the way through for the first time and the company who came up with those needs to be dragged into the street and shot...

You mean the stereotypical animals one?

[Chozo Ghost]

Quote
Originally posted by: PartyBear
Were the original commercials the ones that showed that no one could tolerate playing the thing for more than a few seconds before throwing it away?

I remember those commercials. They were kinda accurate too, because back then all you had was Lumines which was probably fun for a short while, but then you'd put the PSP on a shelf to collect dust for another 2-3 years until now when the device is finally getting good games.

[Ceric]

I wish the highlight the PSP-PS3 link because it really is a cool feature in its own way.  A better take that what GBA Connectivity was for what it  is.