Has the Playstation brand finally met it's match?
When the PS3 was released in America in November last year, it was competing against the Xbox 360 and the Wii, both of which had been released months before. The Playstation wasn't met with the same acclaim as the Wii or the Xbox 360, and many shops had trouble selling the units. When it was recently released in Europe, it started selling quite well, but is still a long way from the amount of units that Nintendo and Microsoft have sold.
I'm sure many of you know that the price is main reason for this problem; at £425 or $600 in the UK and US resectively, its a little steep. Add onto that the price of games and the necessary HD-TV and you have a considerable investment. Sony hasn't been particularly smart in the way they have marketed the console; it is far more than just a games console: its a media centre. There is not enough emphasis that the Playstation 3 is a Blu-Ray player as well, and that currently the cheapest Blu-Ray player on the market is £1000. In that context, the PS3 is a bargain, as it connects to the internet, plays games and music as well!
Another problem is the lack of good launch titles. Other than Resistance: Fall of Man, there aren't a large amount of stand-out games, which is disappointing. The games are also really expensive, because Blu-Ray discs are hard to produce. I think the problem will resolve itself, but this will take time: the technology costs (Blu-Ray Drives etc) need to drop before Sony can start selling lots of units, and the war between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray needs to be fought out. Then people can make the decision to buy a PS3 without worrying about whether Blu-Ray discs will be obsolete in a years time. I personally am going to wait; I think they will release a cheaper version in the near future. If anyone out there has a PS3, I would appreciate your comments on whether you think its a good console and a worthy investment.
I'm sure many of you know that the price is main reason for this problem; at £425 or $600 in the UK and US resectively, its a little steep. Add onto that the price of games and the necessary HD-TV and you have a considerable investment. Sony hasn't been particularly smart in the way they have marketed the console; it is far more than just a games console: its a media centre. There is not enough emphasis that the Playstation 3 is a Blu-Ray player as well, and that currently the cheapest Blu-Ray player on the market is £1000. In that context, the PS3 is a bargain, as it connects to the internet, plays games and music as well!
Another problem is the lack of good launch titles. Other than Resistance: Fall of Man, there aren't a large amount of stand-out games, which is disappointing. The games are also really expensive, because Blu-Ray discs are hard to produce. I think the problem will resolve itself, but this will take time: the technology costs (Blu-Ray Drives etc) need to drop before Sony can start selling lots of units, and the war between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray needs to be fought out. Then people can make the decision to buy a PS3 without worrying about whether Blu-Ray discs will be obsolete in a years time. I personally am going to wait; I think they will release a cheaper version in the near future. If anyone out there has a PS3, I would appreciate your comments on whether you think its a good console and a worthy investment.
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