Sony: PlayStation win best for industry
SCEA Pres believes PlayStation appeals to all the demographics.
Sony Computer Entertainment America president and CEO Jack Tretton has told Forbes that while Microsoft and and Nintendo each have qualities, it is best for the industry as a whole that PlayStation comes out on top.
Asked what he thought of the competition, Tretton said of Microsoft: "I love their money. I think they can afford to be more patient, we're very profit driven, we're interested in a return on investment in a fairly short period of time. I think Microsoft's willing to go at it from a very steep curve in terms of profitability."
And of Nintendo, he commented: "Nintendo is almost the polar opposite. They know what they do well and they stick to it. They deliver a casual, youth-oriented entertainment experience that's very enjoyable after 20 years. And they make money, they print money. Their profitability is their key focus and features are nice but profitability is king and I think that is enviable."
He added that Sony sees itself "somewhere in the middle" of its two competitors.
"… we don't have unlimited money, we cater to a more mass market audience, and we are willing to take a little bit more risk than Nintendo is."
One thing is for certain; Tretton believes the industry as a whole will be better off with a PlayStation victory.
"We like to say that the environment where PlayStation wins is best for this industry, because we have a brand that can play on a worldwide basis, young and old, male and female, where our competition tends to be relegated to either select regions or to select consumer audiences."
Do you agree with Tretton? Is the industry best served by PlayStation coming out on top? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
User Comments
Woffls
pblive
Some might want to fork out for this, but most will carry on using their Wii.
And, yes, the first batch of Wiis was sold by the Media advertising (whether this was in story form or otherwise) and then since then everybody talks about the 'family' ads from Nintendo with all the famous people playing.
Karlius@ Mr_Ninjutsu
PB the Wii did not sell through advertising oh no it sold through word and mouth and the press. The press saw something innovative.
People thought wow I can play that it great fun. The first batch of people bought the console. And then the word and mouth aspect came in.
I for example went to a friends we had great fun. I thought I want one. Bought it only ever used it when people came over. Then they all bought one. No clever advertising was needed it sold itself.
The press has already made a big fuss about Natal it was on every news cast when announced at E3 it's already known about.
Now when I buy one you buy one and several hundred thousand others buy one and see how much more fun it is when your moving your whole body and the screen is picking it up on games such as ricochet or the painting game then even down to interacting via voice etc it will explode. (Sales wise not RROD or even YLOD style)
Microsoft and Sony alike will cater for all with this move to the motion market. It isn't primarily for it's existing customers that for cert. Its aim is to capture those customers that have been wooed by pastures new the casual gamer or the type of non serious gamer that bought the wii for the fun factor that 75% of people not talking about the die hard mario fans etc.
El-Dev
Mr_Ninjutsu
pblive@ Karlius
What I mean is that the casual gamer (yes, them again) will judge what they need by the media and by others around them. Obviously you and I know a bit more and make more informative decisions as well as helping others but your average Wii owner won't probably hear that much about Natal or the PS3 wand and then they'll see the price it may turn them away.
I also think that Natal and the PS3 system will have a different sort of motion gaming more in line with their audience than the Wii.
Woffls
Eventually they realised it wasn't good enough; few games implemented it, even fewer did so with any real value. So they went about improving the technology and reimplementing it, which is fine, but at this point they change their marketing. Now PS3 does everything and they're all about the wider expanded audience, giving everybody what they want, and before you know it Jack Tretton is doing his research by watching Nintendo conferences from 2006.
Also, it doesn't matter how many new mascots you have when your current ones still get 90+ metacritic averages.
I was very close to not honouring this with a response because you chose to resort to personal remarks. Try not to do that next time.
jakeistheman
K3RT
As for the actual article I agree with Pblive its just another PR stunt by Sony and we all now that Sony and Microsoft will carry on doing these little digs because there like little school kids on the playground.
Karlius@ pblive
I'm sure if I showed her the PS3 wand it would have a similar effect. However I don't believe it offers a whole new family experience as it's pretty much Wii 1.5.
pblive
Microsoft and Sony would both need to completely change their ads, the media perception of their console's user base and the general public to get more casual gamers on board.
The reason Sony was so successful with the PS1 was mostly down to their advertising and shaping media perception of their console, but now it's Nintendo that have learnt to use this trick to their advantage.
As to this article, it's just another PR ploy to remind people that the PS3 is out there, next week it will be Microsoft. Interestingly Nintendo don't get into this PR sniping, they don't need to.
At the end of the day, it's not down to who has the better hardware or even the better games but who controls the media and the spin.
Karlius
Fact is Nintendo Is Winning, Microsoft lays in second place and at the moment Sony is last. Will it change maybe. The PS wand and Natal will make sure of that. The main kind of person purchasing wii have no allegance and if casual kinds of games become a better experience on these machines they'll make the switch. But I 100% believe we'll see a whole new or updated nintendo console by Christmas 2010 throwing a spanner in the works.
cousinwalter
Mr_Ninjutsu
strickers66