You hear that crying on the other side of the playground? Its not Microsoft. It seems SONY doesn't like the idea that the winning of blu-ray did not automatically catapult them to the number one position in the gaming console wars or that while they were dicking around with greasing retailers to solely support blu-ray Microsoft was acquiring sweet deals on the gaming side of things. Now that blu-ray has won the format war SONY can focus on gaming.....but it might be too little too late?
One of the main example here is Grand Theft Auto 4( GTA 4 ). For those of you who don't know, GTA is probably the biggest/most popular game there is amongst casual consumers and hardcore gamers. The series is credited with launching the PS2 into super stardom, so much so that SONY took notice and struck a deal with Rockstar to delay each GTA title of last gen for the XBOX by six months. Things are different this time around with Microsoft acquiring exclusive episodic down loadable content( EEDLC ) while SONY sat on their asses expecting Rockstar to remain loyal. I don't need to tell you how arrogant or stupid that is. But regardless, reality is setting in for SONY on all fronts and they are scrambling!
Recently SONY exec Scott Steinberg gave an interview where he tried his best to downplay the 360's GTA 4 EEDLC. http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/sony-exec-downplays-xbox-360-gta-iv-dlc/
Steinberg believes anyone who's played GTA: San Andreas knows there's plenty to do in a GTA game without adding extra content, but he really drives the point home with a zinger saying Microsoft "spent the GNP of several small Latin American countries to get that [content].Very laughable and foolish on Steinbergs part. Maybe he should have explained while DLC( something that ADDS to the actual game) isn't important packing the game with your system in the form of a new bundle is? It would appear that the only deal SONY could manage to get with Rockstar after snubbing their noses at them was to be able to bundle GTA 4 with the PS3 in Europe. Its an act of desperation by SONY to now try to sway their fanbase to buy a PS3 for games and not movies or an act to hopefully tip the scale since preorders are double on the 360 compared to PS3. Maybe they should give away more T.Vs for every PS3 sold?. SONY's trying their damnedest but it doesn't seem to be working.
In the latest circus of desperation SONY's VP of product marketing Scott Steinberg( don't ya just love this clown ) was recently interviewed by Gamepro where he basically says Microsoft has blown their chance at beating SONY this gen. Maybe someone should by this moron a clue, Microsft has been beating the shit out of SONY this gen plan & simple! SONY's arrogants and desperation know no bounds I guess?
http://gamer.blorge.com/2008/04/07/sony-claims-ms-has-blown-it-already-ps3-to-beat-xbox-360/
“I think [the Blu-ray win] is a huge momentum builder for us and I think it is part of why we believe 2008 is going to be a monster year for the PS3. When you incorporate games like Gran Turismo 5, Metal Gear Solid 4, Little Big Planet, and Resistance 2…there will a great mixture of new IP and proven PlayStation brands.”
“I think these factors are timed perfectly because our competition has already leveraged all their big assets in the first couple of years and may have punched themselves out of the fight. We are the [HD movie] standard and now we have the creativity and the products, so I think that formula is going to drive consumers to the PS3.”
To give an interview where not only do you make some bullshit claim but at the same time make yourself look completely mentally challenged takes real skill that only SONY knows about just take a look at some of their former president Ken Kutaragi's past quotes.
"I believe we made the most beautiful thing in the world. Nobody would criticize a renowned architect's blueprint that the position of the gate is wrong. Its the same as that."
"The playstation 3 is not a game machine. We've never once called it a game machine."
"The XBOX 360 is more of an XBOX 1.5 than a next generation console."
"[PS3] is for consumers to think to themselves 'I will work more hours to buy one'. We want people to feel that they want it, irrespective of anything else".
"You can communicate to a new cybercity. This will be the ideal home server. Did you see the movie 'the Matrix'? Same interface. Starting next year you can jack into the matrix".
The list goes on. SONY has definitely got things on lockdown on the movie side of things but may have blown any chance they had at locking down the gaming side. They need to deliver on the games and give the PR spin a rest, every big title SONY has touted and hyped at the expense of the competition has came & went and done absolutely shit for the PS3. The better get with the program but whether they do or don't acting like a little pissed of kid who just realized he doesn't own the G.I Joe with the kung fu grip like the other kids does not help their image. SONY is not a bad company, but they need to lay to rest the political mud slinging.
9 comments:
Nice article.
You say bundling GTAIV with a PS3 is an act of desperation by SONY.
But, Microsoft paying millions for a small amount of downloadable content, giving people who pre-order GTAIV for the Xbox360 800 MS points, and lowering the price of the Xbox360 so people might buy that instead, isn't an act of desperation?
Can you please explain this to me? Your logic seems flawed...
Jackmichael:
What microsoft payed for the DLC is pennies to them in the grand scheme of things.
And when you say "Small amount of downloadable content" you look like an ass. If you go ahead and read the countless interviews with the Rockstar developers, they all clearly state that the DLC is going to be HUGE. Good job missing the point.
Viper Tooth:
Yeah, it probably is pennies to Microsoft, but not to Rockstar. Microsoft has once again used money as a way of getting out of having nothing.
SONY and Microsoft are simply doing the same thing, they are BOTH desperate for GTAIV to win them the 'war'.
SONY are being over-confident as usual, expecting companies to remain loyal, while Microsoft throws money at the situation, as usual.
They are both as bad as each other...
Yeah I'll agree with that statement, Jack. They're both corporations after all, they only want our money.
But it doesen't affect me if Microsoft throws cash at a situation. It really only gets me more stuff. If that stuff is cool, they can have my money. Simple as that.
However, what does Microsoft paying for things when they don't have much a bad thing? Microsoft is a new player to the Video Game industry. They kinda have to spend money on developers to get them to sway their way. It's simple business practices.
Beleive me, if the game were on the Wii, looked spectacular and had content that seemed better and more interesting to me? I'd buy it on that console. But it's not.
Jack, I'm calling it desperation because SONY can't leave well enough alone. They "try" to downplay the 360's DLC, they then claim MS has blown their chance this gen. I have no problem with SONY bundling GTA 4 with their system, but when they continue to mud sling while doing so then yes, that to me is an act of desperation.
Another great article. I agree that Sony ignored the gaming aspect of the PS3 for the entire first year of the console way too much. They were dead set on making blu-ray the next HD format that their games suffered and a lot of their big exclusives weren't as good as everyone expected.(Lair anyone?)
Now they're taking a totally different direction and I'm not jumping on it quite yet. While MGS4 and Uncharted look great, and the idea of 60 player online play in Resistance sounds incredible, I'm still not convinced that I want to buy a PS3 right now; and there are so many games coming out on the 360, multi-plat and exclusives, that I'm just not sure if a Ps3 would get used that much if I owned one.
Granted Sony has said some Questionable things during interviews in the past don't you think your being a bit harsh and anti Sony yourself? I mean companies always tout their products as the next greatest thing since sliced cheese its called marketing. But seriously jack had a point you cant belittle a company for trying to add value to their product same as we cant belittle microsoft for dropping 50m for some extra content. this just seems like a my console > than yours post. get past that and understand we all win out if they continue to compete the way they are.
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