Network now...NEWS
SCEA: “We've Got Many Cards Yet to Deal”
Sony Computer Entertainment America has dismissed its relatively poor March NPD results by deciding to focus instead on the PlayStation brand’s future promise.
While three PlayStation titles made the US software top ten for the month, two of them exclusive to the brand, all Sony hardware was comfortably outsold by Microsoft and Nintendo platforms.
“We've got a confident plan ahead and have many cards yet to deal, so consumers can rest assured there's a lot to look forward to from PlayStation this new fiscal year," insisted SCEA’s senior director of corporate communications, Patrick Seybold, in a statement issued to Kotaku.
"The best part of what PlayStation has to offer this year is a relentless string of AAA games. We've lined up mass entertainment appeal from the hard core gamer who can't wait to get their hands on a game like MAG, the industry's first 256-player shooter, to the casual gamer who wants to take their RockBand skills on the road via the PSP," he added.
"We're also seeing exciting preliminary numbers for PlayStation 2 with the recent price cut and we couldn't be more pleased with the continued entertainment value and gameplay the platform provides even in its ninth year."
To be perfectly honest both "current gen" systems are on the way down. Hell, even the mighty N is struggling (apart from the DSi). Maybe I just burned out but there aren't many AAA games I'm vaguely interested in, except the next Fumito Ueda title and Dead Rising 2 (I miss the first one soo much, even if it wasn't that good). Hell, as the last couple of AAAs were mediocre (KZ2) or pure shit (Resi 5), I won't hold my breath for DR2.
I'll cave in, trying to catch up on some old PS2 and DS titles. Maybe do some emulation. Now I'm immune to the likes of Prototype, Infamous, and MAG. Even to God of War III.
"That's my point. Sony is just trying to put a positive spin on their declining console sales by saying there's some solid exclusives coming out this year..." Nick you never miss an opportunity to kick Sony's crotch whenever you can.
What else would you think they should do? Does not Microsoft put the same (albeit more nauseating) spin on all their "accomplishments" - like how they're taking such good care of all the tens of thousands of flamed out 360's?
Sony's machine is on the way up, with solid titles continuing to be released, stable hardware, solid online experience, and great first party exclusives. Developers continue to squeeze out more horsepower from PS3 as they familiarize themselves with it. 360 is at their apex, or even heading down the peak at this point. I think Sony is justified in putting a fairly positive spin on things until they can drop the price on the damn thing.
You took my comments out of context you sly dog.
I'm not kicking them in the crotch, I'm just making an observation that is pretty darn obvious. They tell people to wait for year/month/game X, when that time comes and goes with little to no impact on console sales and the game sells below expectations, they tell you to wait for year/month/game Y and the cycle continues. The solution seems simple, cut the price. But that doesn't explain why their big exclusives don't sell a lot of copies especially huge AAA exclusives. Cut the price of the games??? (Joke).
They all put spin on things you're right, but sometimes a bit of humility can help (even Nintendo recently admitted they're having a problem in the Japanese sector and Nintendo's still selling over a million consoles a month worldwide).
Didn't you read this article, Jimmy? PS3 is not on the way up - on the contrary, it is demonstrably on the way down each and every month.
Nick's points have been perfectly valid. Sony keeps telling PS3 owners to continue waiting for the good stuff, while MS is actually delivering good stuff on a consistent basis. It is clear to prospective console buyers which system offers the most games, best feature set at the best price and they are voting with their wallets. That's why Sony has lost so much market share this generation.
Developers still haven't been able to "squeeze out" even the most basic features 360 games launched with from the start (cross game voicechat, etc.) across literally every game in its library. Contrast that with PS3, which has games segmented between those with rumble support and those without, those with voice chat and those without, those with trophies and those without, etc. - PS3 has been an inconsistent and tedious mess, which is only slowly stumbling towards achieving what 360 offered the day it launched. I know - I bought both just a few months after launch.
Looks as though all the players for MAG will be split into groups of eight to allow a better chance of a more cohesive experience. Each squad will have a commander of sorts who monitors the completion of objectives. Hopefully this will allow people to work as teams and play the game as a squad much like SOCOM.
Having just switched from the 360 to the PS3, I'am really interested to see what these guys can pull off. Sonys' list of surpises will I am sure include a long rumoured Rockstar exclusive, that has been touted. It seems to have gone quiet on LA Noire of late perhaps this is the dark horse Sony execs are excited about.
Screw the price cuts Im honestly really excited about MAG from what I read in GI its going to redefine the genre. Theyve been testing 256 player battles since December so its all coming together nicely I think were all going to get a BIG surprise come E3 when they start showing gameplay. Anyone else read that article in GI ? what are your thoughts?
I picked up that GI issue yesterday, I just read the Assassin's Creed II articles, and only skimmed the MAG article. It definitely looks interesting, and sounds like they've put a lot of thought in how to make such a massive online game work from a gameplay perspective.
But really we will not know for sure how well it works (technically and from a gameplay perspective) until journalists get hands-on time with it, with networking conditions that are close to what the end users will be using.
But Zipper definitely deserves all the respect in the world for taking a chance making such an ambitious online console game. I'm just hoping the controls will be more like COD4, rather than more tactical shooter controls like GRAW or SOCOM.
I've not read the GI article but 256 player battles sound interesting... if a little dangerous to attempt to balance. Exciting times for the PS3 - I don't think this is simple PR spin, the PS3 does have a few tricks up its sleeve.
Sony's been singing this same, "Keep waiting, we promise something great will come out" song for the last 2 years. Wasn't KZ2 the game everyone was waiting for? And didn't it just come out at the end of February and they're already touting the future? Maybe what people want are games, now? They've been waiting for this promise of amazing things for a long time now, and when that amazing thing comes and goes and turns out to not be so amazing (apparently) they start telling you to wait again. How bout delivering on something instead of just promising the next big thing to come?
I think this is just a desperate attempt to spin what they know are poor sells directly related to the inflated cost of their system. They're well aware they need a drop; I just think they're trying to stretch it out as long as they can before the inevitable E3 announcement of a drop.
I honestly dont understand where your coming from sometimes Nick. In what ways hasnt Sony delivered or how have they dissapointed. For me and many others all Ive seen is excellent new IPs, a flourishing online some even say better online and many excellent titles here and on the horizon. All you here is doom and gloom for Sony and yet theyve outsold the competition in the same timeframe. Xbox fanboys (not saying u are) always have somthing new first it was graphics now that PS3 surpassed in the graphics department all the sudden they dont matter now its game sales why all the sudden do games have to put up Halo or Gears numbers to be successful ? Sony doesnt throw the same amout of money to make the game into marketing and nor should they. The main point is its an Excellent time to be a PS3 owner we have a reliable console, excellent online and a slew of new and old exclusive IPs not seen or matched on any other console even PC. Not to take a stab at 360 but wheres all the new ideas you have Gears Fable and Halo those are the only real reason to own a 360 the rest are mutiplats and shovelware.
You're absolutely right. But that still doesn't answer why the PS3 is selling so poorly. I'm not saying owners aren't happy with their system, not at all. But sales aren't reflecting a huge interest in the system and even Sony is trying to stave off criticism by saying there's great things comming down the pipeline. But that's not entirely true because there are great things NOW and sales are still slumping. That's my point. Sony is just trying to put a positive spin on their declining console sales by saying there's some solid exclusives coming out this year but they fail to mention they already released one of their biggest exclusives and it didn't influence console sales at all why would the future exclusives be any different? Are they bigger than KZ2? I thought KZ2 was one of their biggest? Sony, gamers, publishers, and pretty much anyone not living under a rock knows it's not the software that's available that's the problem it's the price. Once that goes down, I think the PS3 will match if not exceed the 360 in month-to-month sales and potentially beat the 360 in total '09 sales. Unless MS matches Sony's price drop. Sorry, didn't mean to go off on a tangent there.
Correct me if i'm wrong, but is this not their 3rd consecutive month of Year-over-year sales drops in America? They need SOMETHING to boost sales. If Killzone 2 didn't do it, maybe AAA titles isn't the way go in America, which doesn't seem to be the case in Japan. I'm not seeing many options remaining other then a price drop.
hmm...many cards to deal. How about a 'Royal Flush' of price cuts?