So I posted my “Sony’s Embarrassing E3 Press Conference” video on YouTube and it exploded the first two days. I received tons of praise, but also tons of rabid fanboys spewing blind hatred - even a couple trying to bring down mothergoat.net. So let me clearly explain why my video - and videos like mine - are incredibly important…for Sony.
While trolls can pass it off as a video from a fanboy, it’s nothing of the sort. Remember, Sony did this to themselves. Take IGN’s quick take to heart:
“Five hundred and ninety-nine dollars. Genji 2’s real-time weapon switching, historically accurate giant crabs, and weak points that when hit cause massive damage. The Afrika demo that was shown with little to no explanation of what it represented. Fifteen minutes of Gran Turismo 4 in HD. A feature deprived $499 PS3. Ridge Racer. Riiiiidge Racer. A hilariously spastic WarHawk demonstration. A surprising lack of AAA title demos at the conference. Hot Shots Golf being used as an example of next-generation power. Five hundred and ninety-nine dollars. Utterly unforgettable. Sony’s 2006 E3 press conference will forever flourish in the halls of gaming infamy.”
Here’s the twist many of you may not understand: I WANT Sony to sell PS3s. I will be developing a game for the system very soon and the last thing a developer wants is an overestimated install base. No matter what I may think of the company’s integrity, the fact remains that I want the platform I am developing for to be in people’s houses.
This is why Sony’s price point matched with a completely underwhelming E3 (no, movies and trailers do NOT count) matched with a seeming HDMI deception on the $499 version leads me to believe that if Sony does not change their strategy between now and November 17 (PS3 launch), they will have handed over all next-gen momentum to Microsoft and Nintendo.
Regardless if the second year PS3 titles really start to graphically shine, it will be going against third-gen 360 titles that will look better. Look at this year’s Madden PS3 vs 360 - the 360 version looks well beyond the PS3 title. You want a PS3 because of Grand Theft Auto IV? Well, 360 has that too at the same release time AND with more content.
Uh oh, Sony. Pressure’s on to hit it out of the park at launch.
All Sony had to do was to match the 360’s raw power with already-developed processing and slap the Playstation logo on it with the same price tag. It would sell a bazillions with blind following. That simply won’t happen at NEAR the blind adoption rate with a $599 price tag.
If Sony has the underwhelming launch we’re anticipating and a Sony fan decides NOT to buy a PS3, we’re hoping he turns right around and buys a 360 so that the next-gen install base continues to grow at the expected rate. Because if that Sony fan just decides to buy nothing, then the industry could take a slight downturn.
It sucks that the Playstation brand has that much impact. Hopefully this will be just enough of a hit to Sony to make them feel competitive again and less arrogant. I want to see them sell PS3s for my sake - but with the current consumer approach, it won’t be near the amount we want.
