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G.Swaby Of The Koalition Responds To CNN
Date posted
December 12, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Categories Filed Under
Industry, PlayStation 3
Comments
6 responses
December 12, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Categories Filed Under
Industry, PlayStation 3
Comments
6 responses
Disclaimer: The Views in this article are that of Gary A Swaby (a.k.a Swiff Epics) and not the whole Koalition team. Any feedback can be sent to g.swaby@thekoalition.com
In the aftermath of the November 2008 NPD, the Nintendo Wii continues to dominate while the Xbox 360 triumphs over long term rival Sony’s Playstation 3. This result has given Sony the usual flock of doubt and negative press from media sources. But one Cnn writer has caught my eye specifically by declaring Sony’s Playstation 3 to be a sinking ship, therefore I urge to give a response to the writer Eric Krangel’s words.
The first part of Eric Krangel’s article reads.
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“Alone among the three major videogame consoles, sales of the PS3 are down about 19% from November 2007, according to the latest stats from the NPD Group. Sony was only able to sell 378,000 PS3s this November, compared to 466,000 last year. And the problem for Sony isn’t the recession, it’s the PS3. Microsoft (MSFT) put up respectable numbers with its Xbox 360, selling 836,000 units vs 777,000 in November 2007. And Nintendo’s (NTDOY) Wii continues to dominate the market, more than doubling sales from 981,000 to 2.04 million.” |
Although he is correct about Sony’s numbers slipping compared to last year, he fails to do his research and display the fact that Sony’s outsold Microsoft’s Xbox 360 for the majority of the first half of 2008 . Declaring Playstation 3 as a sinking ship based on one month’s sales is somewhat extreme, especially since we have to take into account that it is the holiday season and the Xbox 360 recently dropped in price and the Wii is the obvious fan favorite for a Christmas gift. Being in last place with sales for a month has not been enough to deem a console a failure in previous years, however the Playstation 3 continuously manages to endure poor representation in the media which is also a part of the problem why the system continues to be overlooked.
Eric then goes on to say
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“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. 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″. 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.” There’s really only one option left for Sony to remain in the game: deep price cuts, and not just for people with good credit. Tell yourself the PS3 has superior graphics if it makes you feel better, but a $400 console with a mediocre game library simply cannot compete against an Xbox 360 priced at $200 in this economy.” |
To be completely fair he is absolutely right about the the pricing of the Playstation 3 being a problem in this current climate. However he is wrong about nobody caring about Blu-Ray, it is fair to say that maybe this year perhaps consumers were more content on purchasing Blu-ray players rather than a Playstation 3 as a cheaper solution. But Blu-Ray is still a relevant product, the sales may have calmed down for the format now but that is because there is no more HD-DVD to compete with. Also compared to last year Blu-Ray hasn’t been the main reason to buy a Playstation 3 this year, Sony saw a sales increase on NPD during the first half of 2008 and this was due to games alone rather than the media capabilities the console possesses. Metal Gear Solid alone did wonders for the Playstation 3’s sales.
Metal Gear Solid 4 brought more PS3 sales in 08, It is no longer just about Blu-Ray
Also Playstaion Home was only just released yesterday, and although there has been flaws with the server, it is unfair to say it is not a “Game Changer”. Home is in no way a game and is not intended to be seen as one, it is a virtual world for the Playstation community to grow and participate in activities, there is no way to gain a physical number for home’s success rate as it is an application built into every Playstation 3. Thus using it as an example in the same sentence as Little Big Planet is futile.
Lastly the statement regarding telling ourselves that Playstation 3 has superior graphics comes across as a real fan boyish comment. Clearly graphics is not even a difference maker to consumers if Nintendo’s Wii is the dominant console. The consumer’s who urge to own a Playstation 3 are not after graphics, they are after a reliable gaming experience complete with free online gaming and a healthy list of exclusive games.
So in conclusion to Eric Krangel’s article, he does a good job in explaining how the pricing of the Playstation 3 is holding them back in this economic climate but then his other points are some what extreme in the way of fan boyism. This gaming generation is far from over so it is too early to call any system a sinking ship. Also we have to be aware that Sony are still catering to the Playstation 2 and the Playstation portable, which are also raking in a healthy amount of monthly sales. With that being said 2009 is shaping up to be another interesting year, and history may repeat as Sony’s early 2009 line up looks promising with Killzone 2 due out in February. Lets hope the media will at least lay off Sony and give them a break this time around.
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6 Responses to “G.Swaby Of The Koalition Responds To CNN”
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I agree with you completely, and you made that analyst look like an idiot
Other than that, a good article. I agree and said many of the same things on a site that published this story.
I like this one ^-^ the one you talk about made me “P” off when it said PS3 is going downhill. Right now my family wants a Bluray player but the only person getting it is me.
It doesn’t matter if you like it or not dumb fanboy. PS3 is a piece of garbage and it’s coming in last place. Xbox 360 is better than the PS3 is everything but Blu ray movies = Fact.
PS3rd is treated like the hand me down child by ALL publishers. It ISN’T EVEN RECOGNIZED by JAPANESE publishers like Square Enix anymore you stupid clown.
PS3 = This generations Dreamcast, like it or not. Xbox 360 is this generation’s ‘all around’ console. Period.
PS3 is for losers that still need to pretend to themselves that Playstation is even REMOTELY like it used to be…which it’s not. PS3 and PSP lol.
: (
Pardon the kid above me. He has some insecurity problem. The economy is down, his mom and dad cannot afford a 400 buck present for him anymore no matter how much he begged and cried. It’s okay, dear. Things will get better in time, just go hug the X-box for now. Next year, maybe thing will get better, maybe you will have that Xmas gift.
PS: don’t hug that 360 too tight, it might overheated and die, then you will be left with no friends.
all consoles are going to dead soon any way
http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/8795.asp
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1561460/TV-is-dying%2C-says-Google-expert.html