For some, it’s been very easy to be cynical about PlayStation 3. A while ago the price was too high, the format lacked key games, and it just didn’t have much impetus at retail. For the rest, there has been a polite tolerance. Retailers accepted the price was high, but that didn’t stop them urging it to fall.
The console’s new price cut and redesign addresses many of the quibbles on both sides.
But while it’s all well and good Sony saying that the sales will now pick up (as Andrew House did in MCV last week – and discusses in more depth on page 16), what’s more fascinating is how Sony plans to make that happen.
This week’s news of an £80m marketing drive for Europe – with £12m alone spent in the UK – plus the firm’s designs on ‘converting’ Wii owners looking to try something in HD, is bold and ambitious.
About bloody time. Sony’s been careful to shake off an unfortunate image of arrogance in recent years – I’m sure the same accusations are now levelled at current generation incumbent Nintendo – but now it has every right to be boastful.
All of which means the battle to win back market share (regardless of whether or not Microsoft tries to spoil the arrival of the slim PS3) is going to be interesting to watch.
Comments
Sony is its own worse enemy ...
The problem with the Playstation3 was that apart from the loyal trusted fans of the PSOne and PS2, most other people didn't know of the power and capabilities of the Playstation3.
Yes it seemed to be a steep price to pay for a console when it was released, but to be fair the general populus were ignorant to its technology, mainly due to Sony's inability to sell their product correctly.
At a time when HD was only just taking off and the mainstream DVD public thought BluRay was just an expensive gimmick, Sony thought the best way was to to advertise their next-gen technology masterpiece was with abstract, confusing, arty adverts of two people dancing on a black background and saying "this is living".
Hello!!! wake up!!!
Instead they waited a few years to actually make the public aware of the stunning HD visuals in games, the power of BluRay compared to DVD, the online capabilties on the PSN an that the PS3 isnt just a games consoles, its a fully-fledged, constantly evolving media platform.
Whilst the Wii centered on Family gaming to make up for its shortfall in technology and the CrapBox its array of gaming titles and clever advertsing to give them a lead in the race.
Its only now, more people know the power of HD and BluRay more and Sony have started to advertise the product cleverly that the units will shift more. Why they didnt try this at the start is beyond me.
I knew when i bought mine it was good value because of the added BluRay player and i knew of its potential, its just a shame that Sony appeared that they didnt trust it as well.
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