On Monday, news came down the pipeline from SCEE president Andrew House that Sony wants to focus on a younger audience for the PSP with future titles. My immediate reaction was one of shock and confusion. After all, in an interview with IndustryGamers at E3, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime noted that, “the way I would describe the market for the Nintendo 3DS would be the launch market that we had with the Nintendo DS plus the launch market that maybe PSP had.” When your primary competitor is looking to the exact market that you’ve catered to, why would you abandon that market? There was a time when Sony Computer Entertainment was a trailblazer, bringing things to the industry ahead of everyone else. Nowadays, however, it seems that Sony is content to merely fall in step behind everyone else and simply try hard to not fall too far behind.
When the original PlayStation hit the U.S. market back in 1995, it ushered in the era of disc-based console gaming, a medium that proved a hit with developers because discs proved cheaper to manufacture while also providing more storage space. Sony was certainly not the first to do this, as Sega had produced both the Sega CD add-on for the Genesis console, as well as the Saturn console. Although the Saturn was released over three months prior to the Playstation, it was also $100 more expensive than Sony’s foray into the gaming industry. With Sony’s 1995 E3 presentation of “$299” (that infamous remark is around the 3:45 mark), the Saturn was doomed from the start.
Additionally, the original DualShock controller was one of the first-ever controllers to showcase a built-in rumble feature straight out of the retail box, a feature that is considered so standard nowadays, consumers everywhere were perplexed when Sony announced that the Sixaxis controller would feature no rumble for the PlayStation 3’s release. The subsequent outcry and demand for the return of rumble led to Sony releasing a DualShock 3 controller (that featured both the rumble aspects of DualShock and the motion capabilities of the Sixaxis) approximately 18 months after the PlayStation 3 hit retail.
With the eagerly anticipated PlayStation 2’s release, Sony again ventured into territory that other console manufacturers had not successfully found; this time, a game console that also doubled as the centerpiece for the entertainment center. In creating the PS2 with the ability to also play DVDs, Sony created a machine that not only appealed to the core gamer, but also to the consumer base that was looking to hop onto the bandwagon of the format that was starting to take home media by storm. It was, undoubtedly, one reason why the PS2 succeeded to the extent that it did; the PlayStation 2 remains, to this day, the best-selling console of all time (writer’s note: the Wii is on pace to out-sell the PS2 by the end of its lifecycle). Sony continued this trend with the PlayStation 3 in 2006, making the Blu-ray disc the standard format for that console. It was the first console to have a high-definition disc format, as well as the first home gaming console to use standard laptop hard drives for its storage, allowing consumers to switch them in and out at will, rather than having to purchase proprietary and sole-use accessories. Right off the bat, Sony held fast to the notion that its next-gen console could double as the focal point of the home entertainment center.
Fast-forward three years and Sony sits at the figurative bottom of the pile, trailing both of its competitors, Microsoft and Nintendo, in the console race. Price was a factor, yes, but Sony underestimated the desire for high-definition gaming at the time of the PS3’s release. The $599 price point was mind-blowingly high for almost everyone, and the company’s arrogant attitude (Kutaragi: “PS3 is for consumers to think to themselves ‘I will work more hours to buy one’”) certainly didn’t help matters. Yes, the PS3’s sales have increased steadily over the years, but the fact remains that it is playing catch up to its competition as opposed to front-runner, like its predecessors. Over the last 18 months, Sony has shown that its strategy to dig itself out of this hole is not to come up with new ideas that innovate and push the industry forward, but merely to follow in the footsteps of the people who have been kicking their butts for the last three years.
Consider:
- Sony unveiled the PlayStation Move (referred to at the time simply as its motion wand) at GDC 2009. Because the Move’s design shares many resemblances to the Wii Remote (dual unit system, one controller dedicated to movement/navigation, etc.), many began referring to the Move as a Wii Plus or a high-def Wii.
- Sony announced plans for its PlayStation Plus subscription based service earlier this year, and it went live at the end of June. Microsoft’s online subscription service, Xbox Live Gold, offers multiplayer for various games, access to video rental services, and other features such as cross-game voice chat and customizable avatars. PS Plus? Various downloadable games for a discount (a select few each month for free, even), and DLC and background themes for a discount. That’s it. Also, in order to access any content a member downloads during their PS Plus subscription term, they must remain a PS Plus member. If they leave the Plus service, all of that content is no longer available to them unless it’s purchased at the regular price. It should also be noted that Sony offers multiplayer in its games for free, but they currently do not offer anything in the way of cross game voice chat or customizable avatars.
- If the rumors are true, then the successor to the PSP has a touch screen, similar to the DS and iPhone/iPod Touch… but on the back of the system.
- Finally, the news, as mentioned at the start of this article, of Sony shifting its focus for the PSP to a younger audience.
Why does this all matter? Because an industry’s chance of thriving increases when competition is present, not when all the competition is copying one company. Nintendo has obviously been at the forefront of the industry for the last five years, bringing motion controls to the gamer, as well as successfully implementing them on the DS with its touch screen. Microsoft pioneered the online realm with Xbox Live, and while they are also attempting to capture a share of Nintendo’s motion control/casual market, they are at least approaching it from the completely different angle of controller-less gaming (whether that angle succeeds or not has yet to be seen). Sony, on the other hand, is pretty clearly copying Nintendo’s motion control setup with its Move system, and are also now trying to go after the same audience that Nintendo has targeted with the DS for the last five years. Yes, Sony is pushing 3D gaming, but that's not necessarily new territory for games. It's certainly not accessible territory for a lot of gamers right now, as the entry price point is going to run gamers in the thousands of dollars for 3D capable TVs, not to mention anywhere from $100-$200 for 3D glasses. Nintendo, on the other hand, is exploring the realm of 3D without the need for glasses. When the possibility exists for Sony’s 3D glasses to be almost the same price as the 3DS, there is a problem.
If Sony wants to get out of third place, they will have to start going places that others have not yet been, but that everyone can partake of at the same time. It’s something that is not foreign to the company, as illustrated above. After all, they shifted the idea of what a gaming console could be with the PS2. 3D, though, isn't that avenue; at least, it won’t be that avenue for several years. Sony, while it is certainly gaining ground on Nintendo and Microsoft, is still at the bottom of the ladder staring up at the competition, and until they find ways to bring innovative and accessible ideas to the industry table, they will, unfortunately, remain there.
13 Comments
August 25, 2010
I think you're taking the PSP statement a bit overboard.
If the rumored but not confirmed PSP2 becomes reality, OF COURSE the PSP will end up being targeted at a younger audience. The same thing happened with PS2 once the PS3 came out, it continued to thrive for a long time as a platform aimed at younger/more casual gamers.
He didn't say that FUTURE PSP products would be targeted younger.
August 25, 2010
innerloop:
I agree to a certain extent, but that didn't happen until after the PS3 had already been released and the PS2 was going to obviously take a backseat. The rumored PSP2 doesn't even officially exist yet and Sony is making statements about a shift for their handheld.
My point was that it was just one more step in what appears to be a growing trend for the company of following and not leading/innovating.
Either way, thank you for reading and for your comments!
August 25, 2010
There's not much Sony can do until the next generation, so they just have to see this generation out. We've seen how quickly market share can share from one company to another, so I don't expect Sony are overly concerned that they're copying other people's idea to keep relevant this generation. They're almost certain to have a different - better - attitude for the PS4
But also, we're still waiting for that "boom" moment from Sony this generation. I'd expect that will be when the PS3 hits $199, where Sony will hope for monster sales.
August 26, 2010
Unless Kinect has a huge impact on the overall console race that the Move does not, Sony will be in second place by 2011, and with the way the big three are talking right now, this console generation could last for a few more years. So all is not lost for Sony, regardless of how people consider how innovative they are compared to the competition.
August 26, 2010
1st of all if you look at the sales figures of the PS3 from its release day one in comparison to the 360. There's an obvious point that most people are afraid to realize & that is that the PS3 has officially sold more systems faster than Microsoft in the current time dating back to its release. Now I know there are 41.5 million 360's sold, but facts are facts, and besides the PS3 is officially less that 5 million units behind. In fact Poor Microsoft do you honestly think your system's Kinect peripheral will succeed no. I have been saying this since it was Natal last year. No one listens to me at all, watch i'll be right again. M$ i cant believe it has taken you 5 years to sell 41 million consoles how pathetic. PS3 will obviously be over the 41 million by the end of the year. Another thing you think you can win over Japan you stupid Fucks. No you can't in fact why do you think it has taken your company 4 years, four fucking years to sell 1 million consoles. You enrage me M$ i should have never bought your underhanded console. You Microsoft will lose another console war, besides look @ Nintendo its been less than 4 years & they have sold 73 million consoles. Can you do that no you cant, and just get it into your head that you cant win over Japan. Japan h8s your 360, as a matter of fact most stores sell your console for $5. No joke in Japan 360 is worth $5.Fuck you Microsoft & the horse you rode in on. Your hardware is a joke, compared to Nintendo & SONY's. 54.2% failure rate give me a fucking break.
August 26, 2010
I think you are selectively picking elements of the Sony strategy that support your argument and ignoring some important ones that do not. I could do the same with almost any company and try to argue that they are derivative.
For example, you didn't consider:
* Blu ray media built into the machine (first and only)
* 3D TV support (first and only so far)
* PSEye (first to market)
* Back touch screen (if true)
* Optical motion control (Move, first of its kind)
Every company I think mixes innovations and improvements across their product line. Nintendo definitely innovates more aggressively, but I think MSFT and Sony are on about equal footing when it comes to how much they innovate vs. evolve existing ideas.
The points I would give MSFT for innovation would be fairly short, but good stuff:
* XBOX Live
* Achievements
* Kinect (controllerless optical tracking)
* Self-immolating power supply (ok, that was a low blow, I admit).
August 26, 2010
Last year Sony finally did get some 'system savors' in uncharted, and gran turismo5. But Microsoft seems to have the big seller this year with Halo Reach looking to break records, and Kinect getting more hype outside the base then MOVE is(MOVE! is going to be a interesting marketing phrase!). If the preorders, or slim/kinect in Europe are any indication then that region will go to Xbox360, and the USA will go to Xbox360, and Japan will go to PS3 in a domestic landslide. Since Jan-Feb Microsoft has been very slowly outselling PS3 in the USA but that was do to people running out of stock, and consumers KNOWING there is a slim, and, or price drop in the works. How many systems are sold in the USA will determine if Sony will gain ground, or lose more ground.
Turned out to be just a slim. All three have some pricing bullets to spend that they are reluctant to use.
Too bad Nintendo, and Microsoft are too 'greedy' to realize that they could have finished the 'war' when Sony was hurting financially, and to some extent still are. Only losing $437 million last quarter reported. But Microsoft, and Nintendo are not willing to fight financially. Sony has that killer instinct. Look at Nintendo (64 era ), and look at Sega (saturn era ), (don't look at beta max), but look at HD-DVD while your at it. Some one at Sony said "FINISH THEM!". And it took a second try rebirth into the Wii by Nintendo, and a final(?) hardware death occurred for Sega.
This article could have went on, and ON about following points by Sony. These are only a very few. I think it is do to the financial mess they where in. And not do to them having lots of goodies to offer, or fighting spirit. I think a lot of it is money, and too many conflicting department interests. What could have been synergy has become cannibalism. A equal house divided can not stand against a equal house united. A proof is CD, and PS1 synergy. Blu-ray and PS3, started off leaning towards cannibalism.
August 26, 2010
Has Sony followed the pack this gen? Yes. Has Sony been nearly as innovative as they were during the PS1/PS2 eras? No. So the article is correct on that simple basis. But it's not all gloom and doom for Sony. During this gen they are the only console with bluray. And they also are the only company with......um, Marcus lol.
During the 8th and 9th gen we will look back at the 7th(and current) generation of consoles as the "me too" generation. Theres still some innovative ideas going on but most of the initiatives are things we've seen before. That isn't necessary a bad thing(and obviously not the first time it's happened) but it will probably be how we reference this gen in the future
August 26, 2010
Interesting article! I think Sony definitely overshot the market by introducing HD media before enough people owned HDTVs, and it took three years for the PS3 to really hit its stride. The Wii had innovation and the lowest price tag, and nothing sells units like those two factors. However, Sony did build its machine to last. Thanks to the current dominance of HD, the PS3 has become the Comeback Kid of this generation, but I agree that Sony can't afford to keep playing it safe. The only company that can afford to do that is Nintendo, and it's innovating like no one's business with the 3DS.
I think the casual approach for the PSP sounds like a bad move. I expect it to run into the same problems as the Kinect in terms of trying to tap into the casual market, and those are price and rebranding. The Wii has been inexpensive since Day 1, and Microsoft and Sony are asking casual players to shell out quite a bit of money to hop onboard with their offerings (this is why I like Sony’s approach with the Move; it’s not even trying to appeal to the casual market, whereas Microsoft wants Joe Shmo to purchase a 360 and a Kinect just to play casual workout games).
Also, Microsoft and Sony would do well to remember that Nintendo created the casual market. When Iwata stood up years ago and said he envisioned a world in which grandparents could play the same videogames as their grandkids, people laughed at him. No one’s laughing now. I think the problem is that Microsoft (and possibly Sony, depending on how casual it tries to go with the PSP) is underestimating how difficult it is to rebrand a known company name.
I love Sony, and I love my PS3, but I agree that Sony needs to step up its offerings. Let’s hope Sony brings something fresh to the table before the PS4 comes out. Thanks again for the interesting article!
August 26, 2010
Dee Thomas Travis Jr. has some very good points. But I have to add I think it is a good thing if Sony goes after the casual crowd. There is nothing wrong with Joe Shmo becoming a Xbox360, or PS3 owner. It's not as if 'casual' gamers are naughty, or not human and does not deserve to play casual games on a PS3 or 360 or Wii. The casual games market will, and already is dwarfing the hard core membership. The big three game companies need to fight to capture that part of the pie, especially the handheld and PC parts. If they don't the other players may just capture them! Can you see Apple buying Sony? Can you see Intel, or Cisco, or Samsun buying Sony, or Nintendo. I'm sure Sony has thought this through, all big players know they have a bulls eye of some sort on their backs. Microsoft may be to big for anyone outside of a Goldman Sachs or BP to purchase. But the other two are easier to swallow.
I don't think ANY of the consoles overshot the market, especially with HD unless your just talking about the blu-ray player winning the medium war. I think they needed to have 2-6gig of of ram, and have 1080p as a standard. Microsoft has tried to make 720p a minimum but there are a few games that are not 720p. There are some 1080p on both machines I think the first one was announced for PS3 first, but ended up coming out on xbox360 first because of development problems on PS3. Dispite the so called amount of 1080p games on 360 it too is under doing what I think this Gen should have been. But that is just me.
Both already have released at least one 3D game close to each other. But I think next gen is where the real 3D war will began. And all three will have 3D handhelds (Sony to, they are just sandbagging!) All three will have 3D consoles with standard 3D requirements for games (with exceptions like 2d games).
I also think that they are sadly attempting a head fake with MOVE, and Kinect. By saying they will make the generation last longer. They are pressured to say this in order to get you to not just wait on the next generation. Like people did when the SegaCD addon came out. To me that is like saying HEY! We just introduced the eyetoy for ps2, so there for the PS3 will have to wait. It is just a add on, if eyetoy is doing great just make a cheaper better one for PS3! Or even make it compatible with the PS3 hmmmmmm I see.
the12p if we reference this gen as me too that would be true but ironic. Because of Kinect even if it does not catch onto games it will on the PC. And because of wii controllers, and WAND, and Kinect, casual people are NOT going back to nothing and especially are not converting to controllers. But I know technically PC webcam makes Kinect not totally new. And the 1998 Microsoft sidewinder motion controller for PC, and the Microsoft flight simulater game make sixaxis and wii not totally new. And downloadable content from PC makes live not totally new. And a few blu-ray players make PS3 blu-ray not totally new. But there are a lot of things that are new 'like' in their presentation that make this gen fresh, and competitive.
August 27, 2010
Christopher A. Bosak
Total sony fanboi much?
August 29, 2010
There's a lot more to PSN+ than discounts:
http://awesomegameblog.com/3420/playstation-plus-psn-is-it-worth-it
September 4, 2010
While it's obvious that Sony has a lot invested in 3DTV, I feel that the Move is just a distraction at the moment and they are playing their cards close to the chest. As far as what their next move will be in gaming I believe they probably have a whole suite of features that will surpass anything the 360 has to offer waiting in the wings for their loyal PS Plus consumer base. Cross-game chat is only the tip of iceberg, but I confess this is what the movie cop would refer to as "just a hunch", pure speculation. Only time will tell, but PSN is still the only free online multiplayer - when is Microsoft going to catch up with that? - my hunch? . . . NEVER.