As rumours abound that a PS3 price cut is in the works, Sony Computer Entertainment America's senior VP of marketing, Peter Dille, is sounding suspiciously like he wants to make the rumours true.
Speaking in an interview with Game Daily, Dille said, "I think it's already well publicized that we have a very clear objective from our parent, Sony Corp., that we're to focus on a profit objective, and with those marching orders it limits the playbook when it comes to pricing and promotion". Note the wording. No 'we really want to push profitability over selling lots of machines'. Nope, it's Sony Corp's fault.
He went on to discuss how Sony's strategy compares to the "competition" (by which he clearly means the Xbox 360, with no mention of the Wii). "Our competition had a very aggressive pricing strategy, but they also were packing two, three, four games in with the unit weekend to weekend with different retailers, and that cost a lot of money. So we had a profit goal and they had a market share goal."
Dille then reverted to the tired old 'apples to apples' line. Did you know that the PS3 has Blu-ray, free online, free wi-fi and a hard drive in every machine? Yeah, us too. The sales figures seem to indicate that Sony's still waiting for the majority of gamers to start caring.
"One of the great things about the PS3 is that if you buy it today you can be confident it's going to be the centerpiece of your entertainment for the next 10 years. Economically, that's a great value", Dille went on. Wait a second, let's back up. We thought the PS3 was meant to have a 10 year life cycle. Surely that means, since the PS3 launched in late 2006, that it has eight years left? Whatever. We're sure Sony has a PR person with a suitably woolly explanation of 'life cycle' to explain that away...
Dille also reiterated the familiar line that, while times are financially tough, people will spend on quality products. We refer you back to the worldwide sales figures:
PS3: 21.3 million (as of December 31st, 2008)
Xbox 360: 28 million (according to Aaron Greenberg on Jan 5th)
Wii: 44.96 million (as of December 31st, 2008)
Source: Game Daily
Speaking in an interview with Game Daily, Dille said, "I think it's already well publicized that we have a very clear objective from our parent, Sony Corp., that we're to focus on a profit objective, and with those marching orders it limits the playbook when it comes to pricing and promotion". Note the wording. No 'we really want to push profitability over selling lots of machines'. Nope, it's Sony Corp's fault.
He went on to discuss how Sony's strategy compares to the "competition" (by which he clearly means the Xbox 360, with no mention of the Wii). "Our competition had a very aggressive pricing strategy, but they also were packing two, three, four games in with the unit weekend to weekend with different retailers, and that cost a lot of money. So we had a profit goal and they had a market share goal."
Dille then reverted to the tired old 'apples to apples' line. Did you know that the PS3 has Blu-ray, free online, free wi-fi and a hard drive in every machine? Yeah, us too. The sales figures seem to indicate that Sony's still waiting for the majority of gamers to start caring.
"One of the great things about the PS3 is that if you buy it today you can be confident it's going to be the centerpiece of your entertainment for the next 10 years. Economically, that's a great value", Dille went on. Wait a second, let's back up. We thought the PS3 was meant to have a 10 year life cycle. Surely that means, since the PS3 launched in late 2006, that it has eight years left? Whatever. We're sure Sony has a PR person with a suitably woolly explanation of 'life cycle' to explain that away...
Dille also reiterated the familiar line that, while times are financially tough, people will spend on quality products. We refer you back to the worldwide sales figures:
PS3: 21.3 million (as of December 31st, 2008)
Xbox 360: 28 million (according to Aaron Greenberg on Jan 5th)
Wii: 44.96 million (as of December 31st, 2008)
Source: Game Daily
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Comments
e 20 Mar 2009 19:52
1/6
I own 2 PS3s... a Wii and a 360 which IMO has reached it's peak… its not going to get any better for the 360, leaving only one direction for the 360… so where's the 360 in its lifecycle? you think you can do better then 8 years when most people cant get 2 from a single Xbox... I know the answer, I’m on my 2nd Xbox after the RRoD...
Also we should do some real like-for-like comps...
- HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray... what the *@%! are people supposed to do with this obsolete HD-DVD thing MS sold?????
- price comp Xbox Live and PSN... for what I use it for, they both play the games online...
- Wireless…
- Bluetooth…
- 3rd party memory...
- 3rd party hard drives...
Sounds like you SPOnG guys are on the MS payroll….
Xbox still has one reason to play... Left 4 Dead!
The Wii is collecting dust most of the time... I suspect the same elsewhere...
My PS3 are used to watch Blu-Ray movies and play games... KZ2, MSG4, R2, if Valve made a PS3 version (like they did with Orange Box) of L4D I wont need my 360...
I’m not interested in helping Sony or MS make more money... I refuse to "root" for either to sell more units or earn more profits... I just want to play great games on a reliable console.... at home and online!
Also we should do some real like-for-like comps...
- HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray... what the *@%! are people supposed to do with this obsolete HD-DVD thing MS sold?????
- price comp Xbox Live and PSN... for what I use it for, they both play the games online...
- Wireless…
- Bluetooth…
- 3rd party memory...
- 3rd party hard drives...
Sounds like you SPOnG guys are on the MS payroll….
Xbox still has one reason to play... Left 4 Dead!
The Wii is collecting dust most of the time... I suspect the same elsewhere...
My PS3 are used to watch Blu-Ray movies and play games... KZ2, MSG4, R2, if Valve made a PS3 version (like they did with Orange Box) of L4D I wont need my 360...
I’m not interested in helping Sony or MS make more money... I refuse to "root" for either to sell more units or earn more profits... I just want to play great games on a reliable console.... at home and online!
... 21 Mar 2009 10:41
2/6
omg look at the end on this article
ps3 has sold 21.3 million as of dec 31 2008
xbox 360 has sold 28 million as of jan 5th says aron greenburg
that could be from last year for all we know and who is declaring this statement someone that works for microsoft
ps3 has sold 21.3 million as of dec 31 2008
xbox 360 has sold 28 million as of jan 5th says aron greenburg
that could be from last year for all we know and who is declaring this statement someone that works for microsoft
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Roblc 22 Mar 2009 06:52
3/6
First of all, "e" stop being a tool. You sound like you are on Sony's payroll.Apparently Sony isnt doing nothing with Bluray except for filling it with movie material. They recently started talking about packaging games with movies on those mammoth Bluray discs, which make sense for game-movies adaptation. That was done last generation with DVDs and the Xbox/Ps2, so nothing new there. Its about time they start actually putting more material on those blasted BluRay discs other than copies of the game to help with load time, due to that slow BluRay drive. All Sony needs to do is increase drive speed to about 4x, and it wont be no real need to install anything. Also, If developers threaten Sony lately about PSN beacuse it only seems that Sony is making money off it. If they continue to whine about that to Sony then they may end up charging for its lackluster service, unless they tidy up their network and charge everyone..like MS did from the start. Thats why Rockstar has DLC on XBL, thats why XBL is sucessful because MS is running a business. XBox360 has Wi-fi controllers, douche. Allowing 3rd party harddrives(alo known as a Mod) which technically voids warranty, is just a "kick me" sign fo rhacking game saves, much like that 3rd party peripheral did for the Dreamcast game saves. Oh, and lets not forget that Left 4 Dead is also on the PC, and you forgot Gears of War. IMHO, Call of Duty:WaW is better than K2, and Gears 2 is better than both R2 & K2. And reliable consoles....you might want to get a Wii(unless you already have one), because nintendo isnt known for having screwed up consoles. My first defective console was in fact the Original PSX which I even waited a year after it launched to purchase at $300 bucks. Case in point, my first and only Nintendo64 is still working flawlessly after roughly 11 years, on top of the fact that i only own one SNES, NES, and GameCube which are still working after all the years I played on them. And as far as the HD-DVD/BluRay thing, I find it hard to believe that after the format wars, DVDs are still being boxed with BluRay discs. You never saw DVD boxes 10 years ago that included a bulky VHS tape with it, as frequently you see DVD with BluRay discs. Oh, and Halo Wars, go play it.
BYTW, Bluetooth is kool , but the PS3 is too much of a propietary device to just buy random Bluetooth stuff, because it still has a special frequency that only PS3 devices are synced to. But you will need a Xbox360 unless you plan to import FF13, or even play Star Ocean 4. Oh, one last thing. Sony US wants a price cut just like everyone else in the US wants, but in all actuality it may not happen for quite some time. Sony would bleed much too quickly to make it to second place this gen if it happened now. Sony of Japan and other regions have said that they are better off holding their current price, and hoping titles like Litte Big Planet, Killzone 2, & God of War 3 helps shift consoles.
BYTW, Bluetooth is kool , but the PS3 is too much of a propietary device to just buy random Bluetooth stuff, because it still has a special frequency that only PS3 devices are synced to. But you will need a Xbox360 unless you plan to import FF13, or even play Star Ocean 4. Oh, one last thing. Sony US wants a price cut just like everyone else in the US wants, but in all actuality it may not happen for quite some time. Sony would bleed much too quickly to make it to second place this gen if it happened now. Sony of Japan and other regions have said that they are better off holding their current price, and hoping titles like Litte Big Planet, Killzone 2, & God of War 3 helps shift consoles.
e 22 Mar 2009 17:59
4/6
Roblc, you might want to read my comments again… then read your comments…. if your still not getting it read my comments again…. then read your comments…. and your calling me names???
You’re too late to sell me a Wii or a 360 or any 360 games… so stop with the sales pitch…
Regarding your HDDVD/BluRay comment, great point! But unless they start boxing HDDVDs the Xbox HDDVD player is still obsolete and completely useless. My comment still stands…
Regarding your Bluetooth comment, you just showed me you don’t own a PS3… and probably don’t have much experience with the technology… same with your PS3 drive speed comment… which proves to me you never played KZ2 so how in your “humble” opinion can you say CoD or GoW is any better? I can say that if I wanted, I actually own and played them, but you don’t own a PS3 or KZ2 or you would know it runs off the BR drive which you said is “slow”….
You said “Sony isn’t doing nothing with Bluray except for filling it with movie material.” I’m not sure what that means… every PS3 game is BR format… the rest of your BR movie comments are great! Your adding more points to the PS3 being young in it’s lifecycle, thanks!
Another point you obviously don’t know… Sony fully supports hard drive upgrades, which DO NOT void the PS3 warranty! Sony even provides instructions… what was that you called me again? right…..
I’m still waiting on a comment re Where is the 360 in its life cycle?
You’re too late to sell me a Wii or a 360 or any 360 games… so stop with the sales pitch…
Regarding your HDDVD/BluRay comment, great point! But unless they start boxing HDDVDs the Xbox HDDVD player is still obsolete and completely useless. My comment still stands…
Regarding your Bluetooth comment, you just showed me you don’t own a PS3… and probably don’t have much experience with the technology… same with your PS3 drive speed comment… which proves to me you never played KZ2 so how in your “humble” opinion can you say CoD or GoW is any better? I can say that if I wanted, I actually own and played them, but you don’t own a PS3 or KZ2 or you would know it runs off the BR drive which you said is “slow”….
You said “Sony isn’t doing nothing with Bluray except for filling it with movie material.” I’m not sure what that means… every PS3 game is BR format… the rest of your BR movie comments are great! Your adding more points to the PS3 being young in it’s lifecycle, thanks!
Another point you obviously don’t know… Sony fully supports hard drive upgrades, which DO NOT void the PS3 warranty! Sony even provides instructions… what was that you called me again? right…..
I’m still waiting on a comment re Where is the 360 in its life cycle?
Roblc 23 Mar 2009 05:52
5/6
First of all, I dont really care what you have, or dont have because it has nothing to do with me. If you happen to have what i have then thats fine. Oh, btw I am still on my first xbox360. It RROD once, and MS fixed it for free and I got it back within well within 2 business weeks. And MS's RROD problem which has been talked to death, is cheap solder, not cheap hardware. Just buy a Jasper(Arcade) system and chill out, they are reliable. I mean, when the orignal PSx launched faulty systems for like 2.5 years, it never stopped Sony from steamrolling the Saturn and N64 right ? And how many models and how long where they made after they actually got the system stable? Just Wiki the PSx, and you see the model numbers. The Xbox360 life cycle has peaked..whatever dude. With a software lineup that they have now, regardless whats on the horizon. I think you dont get it, MS was never into neither one of those medias, as their focus is downloaded content as its has been for quite some time. Why else hasnt MS even madea BluRay anything for the Xbox360. Are you forgetting that the HD-DVD drive can be used with the PC. And as far as your retort to my CoD/K2 comment, you can say whatever you want, but the whole selling point of K2 is that its an PS3 exclusive. can you imagine how much Gears would have sold had it been multiplatform. And yes I said it was slow, because I played Ninja Gaiden Sigma and Ninja Gaiden 2 on the Xbox360 loaded much faster. Now Killzone 2, it had better been good since it had like how many years in development ? 4 Years and mud will be good. I am not taking anything away from K2, because it IS my opinion,opinions are kinda legal to anyone, much like your comments toward the Xbox360. And I meant about the Bluray disc is that they arent really doing anything but filling the entire disc with the same data so load times wont be h*ll, like they are with K2. They should increase the Bluray-ROM speed in the PS3, oh wait...that'll make the other units obsolete. Bluray wont becaome "Mainstream" until the players drop another $100 bucks. Until then, well you know.. BluRay won the format war, but these days if you cant kill another format within a year and a half, somethings going to come out in the distant horizon to make Bluray a waste of time. BTW, didnt Sony help push DVD's anyway? So, now why are they trying to kill a format that they pushed ? They'll do the same with Bluray if they came out with something esle anyway,0therwise , Ps2's would have a BluRay drive in them by now( lol ). I mean dude, how long did it take for DVD's to literally put VHS tapes in the bargin bin's bargin bin ? Not very long... IMHO. So BluRay has been out for uhhh 3 years , and DVD is very much still a viable format? And as far as a 3rd party HDD, i did not directly say it was voiding its warranty, I said a typical warranty it would void it by 'modding' a system. It doesnt mean much to me if the Ps3 is struggling to search a 60gb, and then turn around and search a 250 gb hDD ? Wth ? yes, I know what HDD speeds are, and I havent seen anything faster than 7200 RPM in a consumer device. SCSI drives are much faster, but the PS3 only supports sATA. And as far as the Xbox360's life cycle goes, I really dont need to tell you that, as we both seem to have one of those. Other than that, well you know whats exclusive and whats not, and Killzone 2 isnt the best exclusive title on the market right now....
P.S. If your Wii is collecting dust, then why did you even buy it? Did you buy it just to scoff at it like a b*****d step-child ? Its not Nintendo's fault, Wii fit and sports have been kicking both MS's and Sony's kiester the entire time this gen, and developers are scoffing it at the Wii like you are doing. I mean I might not like the Ps3 like ev eryone else, but at least I have the decency to leave it on the shelf for someone else that enjoys it for what it is.
P.S. If your Wii is collecting dust, then why did you even buy it? Did you buy it just to scoff at it like a b*****d step-child ? Its not Nintendo's fault, Wii fit and sports have been kicking both MS's and Sony's kiester the entire time this gen, and developers are scoffing it at the Wii like you are doing. I mean I might not like the Ps3 like ev eryone else, but at least I have the decency to leave it on the shelf for someone else that enjoys it for what it is.
e 23 Mar 2009 21:50
6/6
Hey, I’m just differentiating facts from peoples’ opinions. Its good to have opinions, its good to discuss opinions, but it pisses me off when I see people pushing their opinions off as facts… especially when people use random statistics to back up their claim… statistics can be and are skewed by biased writers… (mostly directed at the writer of this article and anyone who jumps on that bandwagon)
I don’t care about RROD, my 360 suffered the same and MS fixed it… and I had 3 game discs get laser burned in the 360, MS has a $20 damaged disc replacement plan which works great for MS games but there’s nothing for non MS games… I haven’t had any games get burnt in my PS3, (maybe it’s the “slow” BR drive..)
Don’t assume I forget anything, I did not forget I could use the Xbox HDDVD in a PC… I throw out useless knowledge like that… so you connect the obsolete drive to your PC, then what? You now have an obsolete drive connected to your PC…
I don’t care about what happens to movie disc format in the distant future, and I don’t care about old technology, game consoles or movie formats, I get rid of the old as soon as the new comes in… so when BR is replaced with something better I’ll be on the line at the store to get whatever that it…
KZ2 does not have to be the best exclusive title of all consoles… it just has to be a great exclusive game in the lineup for the PS3, which no one can argue (excluding opinions) it is a great game.
Not everyone will like the PS3, but it seems to me Xbox fans’ default position to hate the PS3 and PS3 fans, and even worse they want the PS3 to fail. At least that’s what I’m getting from the articles I been reading over the last year or two.
I don’t care about RROD, my 360 suffered the same and MS fixed it… and I had 3 game discs get laser burned in the 360, MS has a $20 damaged disc replacement plan which works great for MS games but there’s nothing for non MS games… I haven’t had any games get burnt in my PS3, (maybe it’s the “slow” BR drive..)
Don’t assume I forget anything, I did not forget I could use the Xbox HDDVD in a PC… I throw out useless knowledge like that… so you connect the obsolete drive to your PC, then what? You now have an obsolete drive connected to your PC…
I don’t care about what happens to movie disc format in the distant future, and I don’t care about old technology, game consoles or movie formats, I get rid of the old as soon as the new comes in… so when BR is replaced with something better I’ll be on the line at the store to get whatever that it…
KZ2 does not have to be the best exclusive title of all consoles… it just has to be a great exclusive game in the lineup for the PS3, which no one can argue (excluding opinions) it is a great game.
Not everyone will like the PS3, but it seems to me Xbox fans’ default position to hate the PS3 and PS3 fans, and even worse they want the PS3 to fail. At least that’s what I’m getting from the articles I been reading over the last year or two.