Sony Blase in Face of GTA IV 360-Exclusive Content

Marketing VP says gamers don't care

Posted 31 Mar 2008 by Staff

Sony Blase in Face of GTA IV 360-Exclusive Content

Sony has dismissed the importance of the exclusive GTA IV heading to the Xbox 360. Its message? Gamers don't care.

Speaking in an interview, Scott Steinberg, VP of Product Marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA), said:

"[Microsoft] spent the GNP of several small Latin American countries to get that [content], and if you've ever played San Andreas...there's a lot of game to Grand Theft Auto and there's going to be a lot of game to Grand Theft Auto IV to the point where I think most people will have that Grand Theft Auto experience on the PS3, day and date, same core game shipping on the 360. Perhaps they'll be shipping some episodic content in the fall, but there is a whole lot of product shipping on the PS3 in April and I personally don't think there's going to be a huge percentage of folks who jump into downloadable content for another price when they're still playing through the core product."

So... Steinberg doesn't think anyone will put in enough hours to GTA IV in the four months between release and Autumn to want more? SPOnG's dubious. It looks to us suspiciously like Sony has woken up and smelled the (hot) coffee and is scrabbling around for an excuse for losing out. Do you expect to not care about additional content for GTA IV by Autumn? Let us know in the Forum.

Steinberg went on to explain why he thought paying for the extra content was a necessary move for Microsoft but not Sony.

"So while I do think having that brand on their system was a move for them which they felt they needed to make because they cut a big check for it, I think PlayStation fans know the Grand Theft Auto experience on the PS2 is how they grew up playing Grand Theft Auto, and when you combine GTA IV with MGS 4 and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, all the exclusive content that we've got going forward, I think that goes from tipping point to shoving point for consumers who are on the fence, wondering what platform should I buy. I think the clear exclusive message that we have is that the PS3 is where, not only do you get Grand Theft Auto, but you'll get MGS, you'll get Gran Turismo and these are also brands that have moved hardware units. It's the elite of the elite products that actually enable hardware to be sold with software and we'll have three of them."

OK, Sony does still have some exclusive content that packs a punch. But... the Halo series, anyone? Project Gotham? Granted, the developers for both games have moved on, but Microsoft is still sat on the rights...

To read up on the 'core game' Steinberg talks about, check out SPOnG's latest GTA IV hands on.

^{Source: GameDaily}

Comments

Absinthe-Review.net 31 Mar 2008 12:08

1/14

After saying this, he could be heard punching the wall for the next hour, followed by muffled sobs...

deleted 31 Mar 2008 12:13

2/14

why didnt he say something like, gamers arent bothered about playing games, all they want to do is watch HD movies on Blu-Ray?

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SuperSaiyan4 31 Mar 2008 12:30

3/14

I dont like having to purchase a 'demo' of a game that only then lets me play against people within my own territory i.e. Europe.

I also don't like my account getting hacked...

I also want more content where is the content??

The guy is a jack ass and watch how millions of 360 owners that buy GTA 4 will purchase the content I know I will!

PreciousRoi 31 Mar 2008 12:32

4/14

Project Gotham AND Forza...tyvm

I think the clear exclusive message that they have is PS3 is the place for MGS 4 soon, a proper racing title next year (perhaps), and where diehard GTA fans go to be dissapointed.

tyrion 31 Mar 2008 12:57

5/14

SuperSaiyan4 wrote:

I dont like having to purchase a 'demo' of a game that only then lets me play against people within my own territory i.e. Europe.

Nobody is forcing you to buy GT5P. In fact, you sold your PS3 so you can't buy it.

SuperSaiyan4 wrote:

I also don't like my account getting hacked...

Nobody did. Plenty of people got their Live accounts social-engineered out from under them though.

SuperSaiyan4 wrote:

The guy is a jack ass and watch how millions of 360 owners that buy GTA 4 will purchase the content I know I will!

Oh the guy's a jackass all right, he'd much rather have DLC coming up for the PS3 version of the game than not. However, I bet only about 10% of people who buy GTA IV also buy the DLC.

Daz 31 Mar 2008 13:18

6/14

tyrion wrote:

SuperSaiyan4 wrote:

The guy is a jack ass and watch how millions of 360 owners that buy GTA 4 will purchase the content I know I will!

Oh the guy's a jackass all right, he'd much rather have DLC coming up for the PS3 version of the game than not. However, I bet only about 10% of people who buy GTA IV also buy the DLC.

agreed, to almost everyone the main story of GTA is a sidequest where as the main game is going round blowing stuff up, they ain't gonna be bothered about extra story elements (if that's what it even does) or extra missions, chances are some won't have even got halfway, some might have if it follows the previous trend of unlocking new areas.

deleted 31 Mar 2008 13:29

7/14

Daz wrote:

tyrion wrote:

SuperSaiyan4 wrote:

The guy is a jack ass and watch how millions of 360 owners that buy GTA 4 will purchase the content I know I will!

Oh the guy's a jackass all right, he'd much rather have DLC coming up for the PS3 version of the game than not. However, I bet only about 10% of people who buy GTA IV also buy the DLC.

also agreed, although i WILL get the DLC it generally takes me a year or more to get 100% and thats because of all the stuff to do just can take forever ie GTA:SA and the turf wars and when i say 100% i mean about 97% then i give up.

ghoti 31 Mar 2008 15:20

8/14

I already have a 360, so that's why I'll be the 360 version of GTA 4. If the game was only available on PS3 I might have bought a PS3 for it. The downloadable content is pretty much irrelevant because I'll probably only complete about half of the main game anyway, even though I have really enjoyed previous editions. They're just too big to be arsed finishing.

To be honest, I haven't played a MGS game and I don't think Gran Turismo 5 looks much more appealing than DiRT or Grid.

Absinthe-Review.net 1 Apr 2008 17:46

9/14

haritori wrote:

Daz wrote:

tyrion wrote:

SuperSaiyan4 wrote:

The guy is a jack ass and watch how millions of 360 owners that buy GTA 4 will purchase the content I know I will!

Oh the guy's a jackass all right, he'd much rather have DLC coming up for the PS3 version of the game than not. However, I bet only about 10% of people who buy GTA IV also buy the DLC.

I remember when Tony hawk 4 (or was it 3?) was released and you had to get all those damn GAPS. You couldn't get 100% complete until you jumped every damn GAP?! How many painful, painful hours would that have taken? It was at this point I realized I don't have to vow to get every game 100%...

Ku-Ra 7 Apr 2008 12:10

10/14

Dont realyy give a f**** about DLC. I dont think I will even get 100% from the core. 30h (main story arc) with one game is usually more than enough for me. Will be much happier playing MGS4 when other people will be buying DLC.

even though it looks baaaaaaaad for Sony when you see something going only to the X360... Seems like M$ has an edge here.

but as I said. I dont care about DLC. Tend to like playing different games then stucking for months with one title.

deleted 7 Apr 2008 12:50

11/14

Ku-Ra wrote:

but as I said. I dont care about DLC. Tend to like playing different games then stucking for months with one title.

Depend son the game, before resident evil 4 i had never played a game completely through more than twice! and the ones i played twice were back on SNES or 80`s PC, but imgaine Resident Evil 4 6 months later got a DLC that added new weapons and treasures and rearranged the monsters and items i would of deffo got that because the game was awesome, since then i have played a few other games through a few times, and i do appreciate the right kind of DLC, but like i said it depends.

Now come on Resident Evil 5!!!!

ELOHIMFETUS 14 Apr 2008 15:58

12/14

I could care less about exclusive 360 game content. Exclusive content would not make me buy inferior hardware. Quality exclusive titles on the other hand would. Which is why PS3 sales are going up right now and 360 sales are going down! And also why I will buy a 360 when Fable 2 is released!

ELOHIMFETUS 14 Apr 2008 16:02

13/14

Scratch that....Fable 2 would be why I will buy MY THIRD 360 ! Sadly, The others died well before their time. The PS3 is still going strong, I may even buy another just for Yellow Dog.

deleted 14 Apr 2008 16:06

14/14

ELOHIMFETUS wrote:

Scratch that....Fable 2 would be why I will buy MY THIRD 360 ! Sadly, The others died well before their time. The PS3 is still going strong, I may even buy another just for Yellow Dog.

Ive had one which was repaired and sent back, i bought it Xmas 06 (with Gears), but if i was to get another i would get an Elite for obvious reasons but i havent heard of any of them going down the RRoD maybe thats your answer?

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