Europeans don't mind waiting for delayed hardware

Retr0gamer

well according to Sony we don't:

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=68422

SCE Worldwide Europe VP Jamie MacDonald reckons that Europe will quickly get over the delay between the US and Japanese launches of PlayStation 3 next month and its European debut next March.

When asked by our sister site GamesIndustry.biz what he'd say to European consumers who feel they're always last in line for new consoles, MacDonald said, "European consumers have shown that historically they don't mind [the delays], because they end up buying as many PlayStations, if not more, than the US and Japan."

"In Europe, it doesn't seem that the release of our platforms after the US and Japan - in the long run - affects how consumers feel."

"If we were sitting here in five years' time, I don't think we'd really think about or notice that PlayStation 3 was four or five months later in Europe. I think in the long run, PlayStation 3 will succeed because of the great product it is and the great software we make for it," he added, when asked how he felt the delay would affect Sony's chances in the next-gen battle.

MacDonald's frank assessment of the situation is likely to raise hackles with, well, you (you're already sharpening your keyboard, aren't you?), but generally speaking he certainly shared Sony UK boss Ray Maguire's perspective on the announcement, around a month ago, that the console's European release would be delayed until March.

At the time, Maguire admitted that Sony UK was "extremely disappointed" by the delay. "We can truly empathise with everyone who was looking forward to PS3's imminent release. We will however be working tirelessly to ensure that the March 2007 launch is the biggest and best in the company's history," he added.

So can Sony get anymore arrogant.

tuxy

Retr0gamer wrote:

So can Sony get anymore arrogant.

still he has a good point, it probably does not affect the number of units sold in europe

Retr0gamer

Thats because they never missed a big christmas launch before. This year they are going to lose an awful lot of sales to the 360 and Wii.

Laguna

I only wish he could have his smug words rammed down his throat, but he won't. Every Tom, Dick & Harry will buy a PS3 over here when it eventually comes out regardless of price as it will have da best graffix eva!.

Rhyme

Laguna wrote:

it will have da best graffix eva!.

Not onli dat, buh evrytin else is jus a copy of soni, ninbendo and micro$oft r de tieves. soni rulez.

I hate the fact that, for the most part, he's right. Damn the sheep of Ireland

Fidelis

I think that the people who have already decided that they are going to buy a PS3 will buy a PS3 regardless of when it comes out. Sony knows this and aren't pushed to release it here earlier.

It would be awful to see Sony go belly-up in the console market, leaving Microsoft with a monopoly.

Sega! Come back!

Royale with Cheese

Well I had a ps1 and a ps2. Was planning on getting the ps3 until they revealed the price of the bloody thing. Bought a 360 not too long after. If the price hadn't put me off the 6 month wait definitely would have.

mcgarnicle

Retr0gamer wrote:

Thats because they never missed a big christmas launch before. This year they are going to lose an awful lot of sales to the 360 and Wii.

Well I'd rather this than what they did with Playstation and the PSP, delaying them here for almost a year to get that Christmas launch. Saying that I wouldn't be surprised at all if this time next year the PS3 still isn't available over here.

Laguna wrote:

I only wish he could have his smug words rammed down his throat, but he won't. Every Tom, Dick & Harry will buy a PS3 over here when it eventually comes out regardless of price as it will have da best graffix eva!.

It will also have the Playstation name which to many, obviously not you, is indicitive of the games they like to play. I don't really get this whole anti-Sony trend, their marketting guys may be idiots but what's new there? I find microsofts efforts to portray themselves as the hip cool company far more cynical and Nintendo were far scummier than either company when they were leading the market a decade or so ago.

ShiverinEskimo

I think the anti-sony trend you speak of is directly related to how they price and delay their hardware. They know they have an installed userbase with the PS2 and so are sitting knowing that no matter what people are going to lap up their consoles. Thanks to these sheep we'll be paying upwards of a grand for the PS4 etc in years time.

Sony are single handedly removing the only argument consoles had against PC's - price.

I'm anti-Sony for their rootkit scandal a few months back personally but this arrogant statement coupled with how they treat their Euro customers really drives me away from the PS3 - They dropped the Japanese price just to satisfy their valued Japanese customers while at the same time informed their European customer that they have to wait a further 3/4 months longer than their valued customers in Japan and America - and then in Europe you get idiots defending the PS3 and Sony because they are big fans of the PS2.

I see the PS3 and how its being delivered as a big ****-you to gamers everywhere. I have a futile hope that the PS3 bombs but I know it won't.

CiDeRmAn

To give an example of the type of hype already felt out there, and therefore helping Sonys cause, I had a colleague ask me about the PS3 saying it was what her son wanted this Christmas, I first told her it was delayed til March 07 and she rolled her eyes to heaven then I mentioned the price, to which she answered, "Sure its only a few bob more", so there you go, MS and Ninty are doomed as long as these parents blindly follow the instructions of their equally blind offspring. Oh, yeah, the suggestion that she whould buy him a 360 just resulted in a rather incredulous look and the conversation steered back to the PS3, no justice in the world is there, I reckon at this stage it would take Sony to actually package dog crap in the PS3 box to tirn folk off and even then they will probably just pass it off as a limited edition and charge more of it!

Guy:Incognito

Sure didnt MS fight the good fight by releasign the cheap as chips 360.

mcgarnicle

ShiverinEskimo wrote:

I think the anti-sony trend you speak of is directly related to how they price and delay their hardware. They know they have an installed userbase with the PS2 and so are sitting knowing that no matter what people are going to lap up their consoles. Thanks to these sheep we'll be paying upwards of a grand for the PS4 etc in years time.

The delays are nothing new:


_____________Gamecube:__________________Nintendo 64:
Japan - September 14 2001___________June 23, 1996
U.S. - November 18 2001____________September 29, 1996
Europe - May 2002 __________________ March 3, 1997 (France - September 1, 1997)

Europe has always got the ****ty end of the stick from all the companies, remember Nintendo's price fixing a few years back? Microsoft broke the mold by having a worldwide launch but that was not the norm, I wouldn't really slam Sony for sticking with what has always been done. Nintendo will manage to make plenty of Wiis without much hassle as fundamentally it is similar to a Gamecube (according to Miyamoto himself:http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/04/wii-hardware-is-basically-a-gc-says-miyamoto/ )

This means that it's not too hard to get production going on them.

As for the price of the PS3, Sony are selling it as cheap as they can. It may be expensive but it is not a rip off, they are making losses on every console, as are Microsoft... unlike Nintendo who are making a profit on each one.

ShiverinEskimo wrote:

I'm anti-Sony for their rootkit scandal a few months back personally but this arrogant statement coupled with how they treat their Euro customers really drives me away from the PS3 - They dropped the Japanese price just to satisfy their valued Japanese customers while at the same time informed their European customer that they have to wait a further 3/4 months longer than their valued customers in Japan and America -

The statement may piss you off but it's not arrogance it is time tested fact, over and over no matter what console from whichever company releases in Europe after months of delays they always sell well. Sony are not the only or primary culprit in this.

ShiverinEskimo wrote:

and then in Europe you get idiots defending the PS3 and Sony because they are big fans of the PS2.
I see the PS3 and how its being delivered as a big ****-you to gamers everywhere. I have a futile hope that the PS3 bombs but I know it won't.

And conversely you get idiots slamming Sony alone while ignoring the fact others, most notably Nintendo have been doing it far longer. If you want to have a go at Sony for screwing us Europeans at least acknowledge that the others are just as bad.

Retr0gamer

mcgarnicle wrote:

And conversely you get idiots slamming Sony alone while ignoring the fact others, most notably Nintendo have been doing it far longer. If you want to have a go at Sony for screwing us Europeans at least acknowledge that the others are just as bad.

At least Nintendo and Microsoft have done something about it and haven't been rubbing it in our faces by basically insulting us by telling us how stupid we are for buying a products like sheep and telling us that we don't mind delays despite a universal outcry everytime there is one. Sony should stop looking at the figures and start listening to their customers.

mcgarnicle

Retr0gamer wrote:

At least Nintendo and Microsoft have done something about it and haven't been rubbing it in our faces by basically insulting us by telling us how stupid we are for buying a products like sheep and telling us that we don't mind delays despite a universal outcry everytime there is one. Sony should stop looking at the figures and start listening to their customers.

Sony don't give a dam what people say, only what they do. In Europe what consumers have done over and over again, and not just with Sony products is accept that they are getting it last and buy crap loads anyway. The guy isn't laughing at Europeans, he wanted to get it out on time, the question before the one being discussed was:

GamesIndustry.biz: Were you disappointed to learn that the PS3 is going to be delayed in Europe?

Jamie MacDonald: I was gutted. Absolutely gutted. Like many people, I was looking forward to having a PlayStation 3 under the Christmas tree. But, you know, that's a privilege that the people in the United States and Japan are going to have. It's just unfortunate we couldn't do that in Europe. So yes, of course I'm disappointed.

He is dissapointed and then he goes on to say that, historically Europeans don't mind. Saying they don't mind might be a bit silly, many are pissed off, but as far as Sony are concerned they don't mind in that they buy the console anyway.

One or two guys might get in a pisser over this and buy a 360 or a Wii instead but to be honest Joe Average probably won't even know that the thing is out in Japan or America and will only realise the thing is on the way when Game have the ads for it up in January

ShiverinEskimo

mcgarnicle wrote:

As for the price of the PS3, Sony are selling it as cheap as they can. It may be expensive but it is not a rip off, they are making losses on every console, as are Microsoft... unlike Nintendo who are making a profit on each one.

And yet they dropped the price in Japan. Which is the one place they do seem to care about the PR aspect. Japan is Sony's bread and butter and Sony are willing to do more to satisfy these customers than elsewhere which is fair enough. But don't tell me they are selling it as cheap as possible. If Sony were selling it as cheap as possible then they would match the Japanese price worldwide.

mcgarnicle wrote:

The statement may piss you off but it's not arrogance it is time tested fact, over and over no matter what console from whichever company releases in Europe after months of delays they always sell well. Sony are not the only or primary culprit in this.

Its the first time a company has publicly acknowledged that they aren't worried about delaying the Europeans as they will buy our product anyway. If you can't see arrogance on a corporate level in such a statement then fair enough. But its blatantly obvious that public opinion towards their product was not factored in when the decision to delay came about. The only worrying aspect for Sony is missing the xmas market - not their PR.

mcgarnicle wrote:

And conversely you get idiots slamming Sony alone while ignoring the fact others, most notably Nintendo have been doing it far longer. If you want to have a go at Sony for screwing us Europeans at least acknowledge that the others are just as bad.

In the current three way console war (or 2 + 1 ways as Nintendo suggest) Sony seem to be the only company who are assuming they are going to do well while the other console manufacturers are working to build a userbase through PR and promotions and are interested in Image. Sony, imo, have forgone trying to win new customers and are just relying on their fanboy PS2 base. Who seem happy enough to ignore the pricing and delays in order to prove Sony right.

shortys94

I was wondering whether the PS3 will be reduced in price before launch in Europe. I know the PSP didnt really have a set price for launch in Europe but I remember the PSP was significantly cheaper when it was released in Europe than when it was released in Japanand the US, well at least thats what I remember. Anyway Its only a month until we see what this machine can actually do.

BlitzKrieg

I'm trying to find the quote, but a user on Eurogamer summed this up

EDIT:

found it

drumbaby +1

It's really funny how people react to company PR in general and Sony PR in particular. Right now whatever Sony says is (rightfully) bound to be ridiculed or it is met with disbelieve. And all this is caused by their huge marketing mistakes: their 'lies' were not good enough. It doesn't really matter what the motives are for a particular business decision, as long as you make sure you sell it in the right way to the consumer. Take these two, purely fictional, sprouted from my imagination, examples:

1) Company A is being troubled by a patent lawsuit and would like to gracefully remove the technology in question from its product, so that risk of having to pay big penalties in the future is reduced but without hurting the pending case. It happens to have come up with a product innovation. They remove the potential patent infringement technology and tell the world this had to be done because it conflicted with its innovation. People don't buy this explanation as it is quickly disproved as being nonsense. Company A's reputation is hurt because they made up a bad lie.

2) Company B wants to release a new product. They would like to introduce an advanced technology in it but this technology is not yet finished and it will take about a year before this technology could be implemented. Company B however is under time pressure because they want to release their product before their competitors enter the market with their new products. Company B decides to not include this advanced technology. They tell the world they did this because they wanted to have the product available at an attractive price and in time they will introduce an add-on with the advanced technology so that consumers are offered the choice to use it or not. People love this explanation, it can't be disproved. Company B's reputation goes through the roof because they show they really care for their customers.

Morale of the story: if you lie, make sure you can't be caught...
ignore poster

Also on the comments of Nintendo performing similar practices...Note how badly they got rammed in Europe with their last two consoles, and tell me if you think that might have had an effect on their current strategy? Just because everyone else did it, means Sony should do it too.

mcgarnicle

ShiverinEskimo wrote:

And yet they dropped the price in Japan. Which is the one place they do seem to care about the PR aspect. Japan is Sony's bread and butter and Sony are willing to do more to satisfy these customers than elsewhere which is fair enough. But don't tell me they are selling it as cheap as possible. If Sony were selling it as cheap as possible then they would match the Japanese price worldwide.

They dropped the price in Japan two months before release, who knows. In January they may well announce a European price cut.

The 360 released in Ireland with an RRP of €410, in Japan it was 39,795 yen... today that translates to €265.

The Wii has an RRP in Ireland of €250, in Japan it is set for 25,000 yen... that's about €166. That means Nintendo can sell it at a profit for €166 in Japan, where wages are higher and yet they are charging us €250. I can't believe that people can read that and accept that Sony are the scummy ones here.

Their price cut in Japan has hints of desperation, they need to get the attention of the Japansese market because they won't have much of a presence there as a result of their production delays.

ShiverinEskimo wrote:

Its the first time a company has publicly acknowledged that they aren't worried about delaying the Europeans as they will buy our product anyway. If you can't see arrogance on a corporate level in such a statement then fair enough. But its blatantly obvious that public opinion towards their product was not factored in when the decision to delay came about. The only worrying aspect for Sony is missing the xmas market - not their PR.

So what, that doesn't mean that it wasn't true before hand, as I have pointed out already the guy wasn't boasting he was simply pointing out that in the grand scheme of things a delay of a few months doesn't damage sales in Europe. He should have used different language but his point is valid.

They didn't make the decission to delay, they had no choice. The production problems are real and they could either cut Europe or have a total disaster where they simply infuriate millions of people in all territiries due to lack of hardware.

mcgarnicle

BlitzKrieg wrote:

Also on the comments of Nintendo performing similar practices...Note how badly they got rammed in Europe with their last two consoles, and tell me if you think that might have had an effect on their current strategy? Just because everyone else did it, means Sony should do it too.

Of course not, I'm not a Sony fanboy, I have a 360 and a Wii on order. My point is that all these people coming down on Sony, while usually proclaiming their love of Nintendo need to wake up, Nintendo may camouflage their corporate identity in public games of wii tennis but they are an extremely efficient and ruthless company.

Right now they are trying to retake their place at the top of the market and are making some effort in Europe with this release but the fact is they are still the only company making a profit from the word go. If they were as jolly and friendly as a lot of people seem to think they could sell the console at the still profitable €166 it is going to go for in Japan.

To be honest though I think Nintendo's previous failure in Europe had little to do with them screwing Europe over as it did with Sony simply doing everything right with the PS1 and continuing the momentum into the PS2. Don't forget by the time Nintendo's price fixing was revealed Sony already had dominance in Europe.

As for their current strategy I think the Wii is comparatively easy to manufacture, as shown by recent news they will have 11 million built by the end of the year. This makes a worldwide release easy, therefore why not do it? They haven't really changed the strategy with the cube, pal games still take months to come out after their ntsc counterparts. The same goes for the DS.

Wertz

mcgarnicle wrote:

GamesIndustry.biz: Were you disappointed to learn that the PS3 is going to be delayed in Europe?

Jamie MacDonald: I was gutted. Absolutely gutted. Like many people, I was looking forward to having a PlayStation 3 under the Christmas tree. But, you know, that's a privilege that the people in the United States and Japan are going to have. It's just unfortunate we couldn't do that in Europe. So yes, of course I'm disappointed.

LOL, and you think that as the vice president of SCEE he won't have a PS3 under the tree this christmas? A position like that defines privilege. He'll prolly get the platinum plated one...

He's right though, we'll all go out and buy it in our droves just like we always have.
But the worldwide marketplace is changing, how many of the machines on pre-order in JP and the US will end up on eBay, and how many of those will be bought by EU gamers for a vast mark-up? Sony only shoot themselves in the foot by staggering release dates like they have...they create an imbalance in the global market and create opportunities for money making by middlemen.

I still cannot understand why they couldn't have done a M$ on this and just released limited numbers globally....but no, as history shows, it's perfectly okay to just piss all over the EU customer base since they'll still willingly pay to get walked on.

Personally there are fewer and fewer reasons for me to get a PS3...sony's attitude just adds to them. The average guy on the street won't care and will just part with his ~600 quid and that's the type of person who makes up the majority of console buyers...

mcgarnicle

Wertz wrote:

LOL, and you think that as the vice president of SCEE he won't have a PS3 under the tree this christmas? A position like that defines privilege. He'll prolly get the platinum plated one...

That was hardly the point. The point was that if Sony could have got it out in Europe they would have.

Wertz wrote:

He's right though, we'll all go out and buy it in our droves just like we always have. But the worldwide marketplace is changing, how many of the machines on pre-order in JP and the US will end up on eBay, and how many of those will be bought by EU gamers for a vast mark-up?

An inconsequential ammount, same as early PS1, PS2 and PSP importers. There may be a few forum people that import a PS3 or are aware of it going on but Sony's target demographic in Europe won't.

Wertz wrote:

I still cannot understand why they couldn't have done a M$ on this and just released limited numbers globally....but no, as history shows, it's perfectly okay to just piss all over the EU customer base since they'll still willingly pay to get walked on.

They didn't have enough consoles, it's not that hard to understand.

Wertz wrote:

Personally there are fewer and fewer reasons for me to get a PS3...sony's attitude just adds to them. The average guy on the street won't care and will just part with his ~600 quid and that's the type of person who makes up the majority of console buyers...

That's the whole point. You know that and he knows that, why is he such a dick for saying it?

Wertz

I never said he was a dick for saying it!
In fact being actually honest about it is a tad refreshing.
Doesn't make it any easier to swallow when they can be so damn brazen about it, though...

But the bit of that interview I quoted is patronising:
Like many people, I was looking forward to having a PlayStation 3 under the Christmas tree.
Trying to affiliate himself with the common man by claiming that he won't have one this christmas? Please.

Mcgarnicle wrote:

They didn't have enough consoles, it's not that hard to understand.

I don't have exact figures to hand, but, just like the PSP, they could have pretty easily cut a chunk of say, 20% of the US &JP stock and did a limited EU release...the logistics wouldn't have been that huge an issue and they'd have saved face somewhat (IMO).

But as mentioned, they'd prefer not to piss off the JP&US market by depriving them of that 20% than they would to just let the EU market slide again, since we'll just take it lying down.
The yanks and the Japs wouldn't take too kindly to such treatment and might instead opt for 360s or Wii for christmas....Sony couldn't have that, especially in their home market...

BlitzKrieg

mcgarnicle wrote:

Of course not, I'm not a Sony fanboy, I have a 360 and a Wii on order. My point is that all these people coming down on Sony, while usually proclaiming their love of Nintendo need to wake up, Nintendo may camouflage their corporate identity in public games of wii tennis but they are an extremely efficient and ruthless company.

I see your point, but I say let them come down on Sony, why? Because it should help Sony get their act together. People went hard on microsoft when they entered the market, Microsoft took the brunt of the attack, noted what people liked, and have been shovelling what people want back at them.

Is it a bad thing that people are hitting sony with such criticism, Sony need to prove they deserve the top spot again.

Right now they are trying to retake their place at the top of the market and are making some effort in Europe with this release but the fact is they are still the only company making a profit from the word go. If they were as jolly and friendly as a lot of people seem to think they could sell the console at the still profitable €166 it is going to go for in Japan.

Are you sure? Have you took in the extra warrenty costs in europe alone plus the extra costs and higher production demands in the european market?

Also I dont see why people have such a hang up on Nintendo making profit from the get go, the price of the Wii and its games are cheaper then all the competitors if they did go for the price your putting forward they run the risk of upsetting the entire market which most of the companies being tied in some way, they wouldnt want tht.

But I gotta run, I'll come back later and actually finish this talk.

mcgarnicle

BlitzKrieg wrote:

I see your point, but I say let them come down on Sony, why? Because it should help Sony get their act together. People went hard on microsoft when they entered the market, Microsoft took the brunt of the attack, noted what people liked, and have been shovelling what people want back at them.

No I don't have any problem with people criticising Sony's actions; in my first post in this thread I pointed out that I consider their marketting guys to be idiots. My point was that I don't understand why it is cool now to jump on the anti-Sony bandwagon.

The stuff brought up in this thread; price difference between Europe and Japan and delays in releases are not Sony exclusive, Nintendo and Microsoft have both had this. I will admit Microsoft is far less of a culprit than the other two but the price difference between 360 in Europe and Japan is quite high.

BlitzKrieg wrote:

I think it's right that Sony should get stick when they mess up, which I will admit they have done quite alot recently. I also think it should be pointed out when Nintendo and Microsoft try to shaft customers, like charging us €250 for a console that costs them about €100 to build.

Is it a bad thing that people are hitting sony with such criticism, Sony need to prove they deserve the top spot again.

The proof will be in the sales and the majority of their audience will be totally oblivious to all these marketting blunders making them more or less irrelevent. All most people will know is that there are PS3 ads up at Champions League matches. They won't know or care about the price difference between here and Japan not to mention "giant crabs", "massive damage" and all the other bs that people are jumping on as proof that Sony are on the way down.

BlitzKrieg wrote:

Are you sure? Have you took in the extra warrenty costs in europe alone plus the extra costs and higher production demands in the european market?

Warranty costs can't be that much and I'm no expert but I thought they were all built in the same place.

BlitzKrieg wrote:

Also I dont see why people have such a hang up on Nintendo making profit from the get go, the price of the Wii and its games are cheaper then all the competitors if they did go for the price your putting forward they run the risk of upsetting the entire market which most of the companies being tied in some way, they wouldnt want tht.

I don't have a problem with it, I'm just saying when people are looking at the cost of Sony's console and singing Nintendo's praises for charging what they are they should look at how much it is costing Sony to sell the console at that price.

I don't really understand your last point, maybe I'm reading it wrong but it looks like you're saying that Nintendo would do too well if they charged the Japanese price here, so good that they are worried about damaging their competitors?

BlitzKrieg

I don't really understand your last point, maybe I'm reading it wrong but it looks like you're saying that Nintendo would do too well if they charged the Japanese price here, so good that they are worried about damaging their competitors?

Its sort of like ASDA TESCO etc. The industry is an olligopoly, we have a small number of large companies mostly fighting over primarily customer loyalty, because when you take them apart you tend to find the same people own large chunks in all sides, so if one of these companies makes a drastic change, the others are expected to give an equivilent counter (online etc.) if possible. And the goal is usually a stable market Hence both microsoft and sony plugging the Wii as the 'second console'. If nintendo were to make a big of a shake up as the price levels your proposing it could cause an upset in the market, prices the competitors cant match, an already inflated industry collapsing because 2 of its 3 platforms falls out and the number of people needed to support just one console are kept and the rest unemployed, the number of retail space and chains are cut by dramatic portions.

Hence Nintendo wouldnt want to completely kill out the two competitors. Sega was killed off because Microsoft replaced them essentially.


This is running off from a hazy memory of leaving certificate economics from over 3 years ago.

mcgarnicle

BlitzKrieg wrote:

Its sort of like ASDA TESCO etc. The industry is an olligopoly, we have a small number of large companies mostly fighting over primarily customer loyalty, because when you take them apart you tend to find the same people own large chunks in all sides, so if one of these companies makes a drastic change, the others are expected to give an equivilent counter (online etc.) if possible. And the goal is usually a stable market Hence both microsoft and sony plugging the Wii as the 'second console'. If nintendo were to make a big of a shake up as the price levels your proposing it could cause an upset in the market, prices the competitors cant match, an already inflated industry collapsing because 2 of its 3 platforms falls out and the number of people needed to support just one console are kept and the rest unemployed, the number of retail space and chains are cut by dramatic portions.

Hence Nintendo wouldnt want to completely kill out the two competitors. Sega was killed off because Microsoft replaced them essentially.


This is running off from a hazy memory of leaving certificate economics from over 3 years ago.

Don't think so, it's a competitive market and Nintendo are by no means on top of it. If they had an advantage that they thought would have the effect you're describing I am positive they would use it. Otherwise they wouldn't even be trying to "revolutionise" the industry by changing tactic and going out on their own.

Balfa

Wertz wrote:

I don't have exact figures to hand, but, just like the PSP, they could have pretty easily cut a chunk of say, 20% of the US &JP stock and did a limited EU release...the logistics wouldn't have been that huge an issue and they'd have saved face somewhat (IMO).

It's not really as simple as that. If you're going to go the effort of spending (arbitrary figure) 10 million dollars on marketing and generating hype around a huge launch (and big launches are important), you don't want to waste all that money by not having the product available for your potential customers to buy. If you split the stockpile and the marketing budget between three territories, then none of the three get the booming launch you want them to get and you waste all your marketing money. Timing is very important in business.

Kazu

my head hurts coul;dnt read it all though some good points made


solution long live the pc

mcgarnicle

Balfa wrote:

It's not really as simple as that. If you're going to go the effort of spending (arbitrary figure) 10 million dollars on marketing and generating hype around a huge launch (and big launches are important), you don't want to waste all that money by not having the product available for your potential customers to buy. If you split the stockpile and the marketing budget between three territories, then none of the three get the booming launch you want them to get and you waste all your marketing money. Timing is very important in business.

Not to mention the fact that once they had launched they would then have to support all three territories at the same time making it far more difficult for them to consolidate their position and gain any real standing in any of the markets.

BlitzKrieg

Don't think so, it's a competitive market and Nintendo are by no means on top of it.

I never said it wasnt, Tesco and Asda still compete. But the companies all share the same resources and the same market and know its unhealthy to shake the boat.

If they had an advantage that they thought would have the effect you're describing I am positive they would use it.

no they wouldnt. Its bad for buisness, it would pretty much have the same affect as the console crash atari caused.

Otherwise they wouldn't even be trying to "revolutionise" the industry by changing tactic and going out on their own.

'revolutionizing' the industry. Its another word for trying to expand the market, nintendo have said it themselves, they are trying to get people who normally dont play games to play games. They are not changing the industry in any fundemental way, just adding new markets, making a bigger base. There has been no actual change to the industry itself.

Wertz

Balfa wrote:

It's not really as simple as that. If you're going to go the effort of spending (arbitrary figure) 10 million dollars on marketing and generating hype around a huge launch (and big launches are important), you don't want to waste all that money by not having the product available for your potential customers to buy. If you split the stockpile and the marketing budget between three territories, then none of the three get the booming launch you want them to get and you waste all your marketing money. Timing is very important in business.

I'll bow to your greater knowledge on the subject....but the point about big launches? It's the PS3 for christsake....by Sony's own admission, the thing will fly off the shelves regardless...at this stage the marketing is done...free publicity on worldwide news broadcasts every time they announce a delay or a change in rollout, every kid from here to Hiroshima screaming to their parents about it; Playstation is a household name...in fact it's the term used for consoles in the same way that the iPod is the ubiquitous mp3 player, hoover a vacuum cleaner, etc etc.
They can hardly increase brand awareness much further.

My argument is there are forecast to be 2 million units on sale/sold by end of 06, split ~70/30 between US/JP....a % of units removed from either of those markets to fcillitate some type of simultaneous EU launch wouldn't have hurt either of the other markets that much (remember 360 global shortages last year?)

But no, Sony in their infinite wisdom decide to piss all over the EU again, doing more harm to their EU customers and their brand than a slightly higher global shortage would have done.
But getting back to the topic, the VP guy with the bare christmas tree says it best that sony basically don't care because the market will still roll over to have it's belly tickled in March.

Maybe we're better off to have the delay...the PSP released here was of seemingly better build quality than the first batches launched in the US, the 360 had problems with it's initial production run, so had the PS2 IIRC.

Regardless, I'll be steering clear especially with rumours that both HDdvd and BDdvd are to receive dual support on ONE disc ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5364238.stm ).
360 price drop, the release of GTA and some other once exclusive titles and the fact that I won't own a 1080p TV for a long time and perhaps even the wii mean I can't be arsed lining a company's pockets who have seeming contempt for our corner of the world...