Right Around the Corner…

That was a really kool video, can anyone tell me the music from it? Because i’d really like to get it if its on a commercial record label.

As for the rest of the points made later on in the comments section (i couldn’t be bothered to read all of them, so i don’t know how this topic came about… again) i think there is a combination of significant factors affecting the whole situation.

One significant effector can be summarized in an analogy that i am currently in, and that is i am a gamer, and i only have so much money, now i happen to have bought both a 360 and a PS3 (bear with me here) but i only want ONE console, otherwise, well by my standards, things get too complicated and expensive with games for each system, and all the hidden costs (not including a voice headset out of the box… Sony). So at the moment, i have a PS3 and a 360 sat on the floor in front of me, 2 games each, and neither going anywhere because there is very little to distinguish, that being said, its not true, unless you start talking to the mass public. This is a situation most people are in when walking into game stores, and hence why you hear that 360 sales have hit a wall, and PS3 sales are slow, people are not deciding because there is nothing to decide between if you are walking in… That is except price, which has fortunately be sustained by brand, so far at least.

Now, looking at that, you begin to realise that you are either a Wii kind of person, or you are a 360/PS3 person. This distinction is large, mainly because the Wii is visibly distinguishing itself, by using motion controls is able to very simply and casually say “look, i’m different, you can see that, come buy me because the other consoles are so last gen”. This is not a true statement, but what do the majority of people care, its cheap, new, and in a sense, a cheap thrill, and is appealing to alot of people, because alot of people like cheap… and thrills.

Now price is not what i am trying to point out here, its more that the Wii is impulsely bought due to its visual distinction. Now if the PS3 was marketed abit better to the public, then maybe people would see differences starting to emerge, like HOME, LittleBigPlanet, the final fantasy’s, and even warhawk, which could probably introduce motion controls. This emphasis must NOT be on graphics, because again, there is as of yet, very little to distinguish 360 and PS3. Now i know, most of the people that are commenting on here are long time gamers, and have the HD setup with surround sound and 1080p 32″ LCD tv linked via HDMI and super wizzy broadband and will shout “But it looks better! Look at all that HD goodness! Its sooo obvious!” and i would happen to agree, there is a difference, but most people will be glancingt at adverts, and watching the adverts on a SD tv, and therefore, will be clueless.

Now, to be honest, i’ve kinda lost the point i was trying to make, however, to skip through a couple of things quite alot of the hardcore gamers have been bought up by Microsoft, that is not all of them, but some to most of the them, the tech junkies are sitting on the fence, like quite alot of the gaming public, and then you have the casual/immdiate gamer, who like his/her Wii and DS, but prefers walks on the beach (i know, i’m sterotyping, its hard not to in this situation, *sigh* look what branding makes us do). Unfortunately for Sony, they have missed the hardcore gamers and therefore spenders by about 6 months, and are loosing casual/immediate gamers to Wii due to price, and shere lack of visual differences (i mean its another black box, with the same controller). This still leaves a large chunk of market though, about 70% ish (assuming that hardcore makes around 10%, and casual/immediate/impulse gamers make around 15%). This 70% most likely own a PS2, and plan on continuing to own a PS2 for a while yet, and as it happens, know about the PS3, and have a vague idea of what it can do.

Now as we all know, a vague idea is not good enough to justify a purchase, especially of such long term investment, and thats what Sony wants, so it needs to make its MESSAGE CLEARER. Sony last gen did not stand for graphics, but now it looks like they are, last gen they weren’t about the internet, now its looks to the consumer that they are, and its alll well and good if the company undrestand that it will make things better, if that initial justification is not there, people will wait, they don’t want a Wii, mainly because its doesn’t have functionality, they don’t want a 360, because that intimidating, so they wait.

Hopefully Sony will bring E3 home to the general public, this blog is great first step, so that people know and can understand the messag sony wants to portray, because at the moment, even i am getting mixed signals, and like a first date, if the person is giving you mixed signals, you probably won’t instantly want to go and live with them (pun not intended heh). This is a dialemma that people are over complicating, and hopefully it will get sorted, sooner rather than later, because i’m sick of having two consoles on my floor with two games, not going anywhere.