PS3 launch: the ugly side

K.O.Kiki

By way of Kotaku...
I'm so damn glad Nintendo were able to get their sh!t ogether and produce more units than Sony. Quite shocking how badly organised that PS3 launch is.
And also, I'm angered at how all those poor Chinese nationals are used as work-a-day slaves by businessmen :mad:

Best bit:

Kotaku wrote:

"Everybody, the PlayStation 3 is the door to a new world of interactive entertainment," the spunky Japanese rep trumpeted as SCE CEO Ken Kutaragi joined her on stage.

Unfortunately for her and the rest of the Sony entourage, the men and women standing patiently in the front of the line either didn't understand what she was saying, or didn't care - the first buyers of PS3 were largely elderly Chinese men and young Chinese women with shaky Japanese language skills.

This became readily apparent when Kutaragi welcomed the first official PS3 owner on stage for an on-spot interview. A 26-year-old Chinese man politely stood on stage while the organizers earnestly tried to squeeze some information him.

Questions like "When did you start lining up?" and "What games will you buy?" were left unanswered as the young man shook his head, refusing (or unable) to respond. The Japanese media would later catch up with him, confirming suspicions that the first PS3 buyer didn't understand Japanese. An eyewitness claimed the young man didn't purchase a single game for his brand-new PS3.

Zombienosh

thats pretty crazy but not too surprising

DrunkLeprachaun

You mean to imply there's a side to the ps3 launch that isn't ugly..?

Kenjd

thats quite shocking, but when i searched on ebay the ps3 is about E2,000 so not surprising.

scrapland

There seems to be a lot of confusion in that article?

Which makes it's title that bit confusing....



Also going on IGN

IT GETS WORSE

Want to see people queuing up for a PS3 in tokyo.

Well you cant because they aren't. take a look

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/744/744967p1.html

eek. their take is..

Wii pre-orders queue
DS lite - mega queue
PS3 - no one seems to give a crap.
__________________


But I think IGN may have an agenda becuase the BBC are saying

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6135452.stm

So its all confusion all around...

projectmayhem

scrapland wrote:

Want to see people queuing up for a PS3 in tokyo.

Well you cant because they aren't. take a look

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/744/744967p1.html

eek. their take is..

Wii pre-orders queue
DS lite - mega queue
PS3 - no one seems to give a crap.
__________________


But I think IGN may have an agenda becuase the BBC are saying

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6135452.stm

So its all confusion all around...

IGN do have an agenda... they're sh1te. in 2004 when ivan sullic decided to start posting halo news in the playstation section, i stopped bothering.

anyway, they use pics from a store that's using a lottery system so queuing outside is pointless. in fact, i'm told that's what the sign outside says :rolleyes:

if you think no one is lining up for ps3's, you might want to give youtube a quick gander...

Retr0gamer

It happens all the time at launches. It's usually the Yakuza or chinese mafia that pay homeless people and down and outs to queue for the console and then pay them off when they hand the console over.

scrapland

Retr0gamer wrote:

It happens all the time at launches. It's usually the Yakuza or chinese mafia that pay homeless people and down and outs to queue for the console and then pay them off when they hand the console over.

This is how lik-sang used to get their launch consoles, hence the hefty $ price...

Peteee

K.O.Kiki wrote:

Quite shocking how badly organised that PS3 launch is.
And also, I'm angered at how all those poor Chinese nationals are used as work-a-day slaves by businessmen :mad:

I fail to see how this is Sony's fault? The paying people for queing up is merely capitalism working. Apparently they were payed 150 dollars each. Not too bad for standing in a queue wouldn't you say?

I'm sure Sony would like to have more consoles available at launch rather then the measly 80,000 they had

iregk

I got the feeling on launch that maybe the 360 was rushed out to beat the rest. Its now starting to come ripe and the good games are begining to emerge. However I also think the PS3 is a bit away also and is too being rushed out as Sony I think were caught on the hop by MS and had to seriously quicken up their time line. I have a deep feeling the PS3 is going to kill Sony.

Anyone else agree or disagree...

quad_red

just how Sonys has put it's balls on the line for the PS3. And it's been a litany of disasters thus far.

But it won't flop. It just won't dominate. Which is good for everyone. A market with MS, Nintendo & Sony all realistically competing with one another is better for gamers.

savemejebus

i don't know, i think it may dominate just based on the sheer amount of people out there who have PS2s and will think that the PS3 is the natural upgrade path (keeping all old games etc - whether the backward compatibility works is still up in the air).

I think the next iteration of consoles is when they will start to drop as by then MS will have build up a much stronger consumer base. Nintendo is the wild card here i think.

1huge1

the sheer amount of people i know put off bu the price is pheonomal and this is ireland like ps2 country
i dont see it flopping but its going to have quiet a struggle on its hands
i think the xbox 360 moight win europe with wii and ps3 fighting for 2nd place
anyone agree?

savemejebus

I think a lot is being made of the price but when you think about it, saying that it is too expensive is really being quite naive. A top of the range gfx card will cost more than a ps3. A premium xbox 360 with hd-dvd will cost the same as the premium ps3 but will have a smaller hdd. A premium xbox 360 with hd-dvd and wireless add on will cost more than the most expensive ps3 and will have a smaller hard drive.

People can say "oh but i dont want hd-dvd and MS know this and wont force it on us" but that is also kinda crap. whats the point in having a big ass hd tv and a hd capable console if you dont make use of it. I think that MS will eventually make the hd-dvd a requirement in order to compete, or possibly if blu-ray builds up enough support they could launch an external blu-ray drive to compete

At the end of the day the ps3 and xbox 360 are very close price wise and its going to come down to which has the better games.

What are the killer apps on the xbox 360, Gears of War, halo 3, oblivion, dead rising would probably top the list right? 2 first party titles, one pc port and one third party title. I think it will be interesting to see how many 3rd party xbox exclusives come out when the ps3 is readily available because its things like that that win console wars and looking at sonys installed customer base who do you think the developers will favour.

Ciaran500

savemejebus wrote:

People can say "oh but i dont want hd-dvd and MS know this and wont force it on us" but that is also kinda crap. whats the point in having a big ass hd tv and a hd capable console if you dont make use of it. I think that MS will eventually make the hd-dvd a requirement in order to compete, or possibly if blu-ray builds up enough support they could launch an external blu-ray drive to compete

But I don't want a HD-DVD/Blu-ray drive yet. I can't afford one yet and have no interest buying a limited number of titles for a format that could end up dead at a higher price than DVD's which I already don't buy many of.

savemejebus wrote:

What are the killer apps on the xbox 360, Gears of War, halo 3, oblivion, dead rising would probably top the list right? 2 first party titles, one pc port and one third party title. I think it will be interesting to see how many 3rd party xbox exclusives come out when the ps3 is readily available because its things like that that win console wars and looking at sonys installed customer base who do you think the developers will favour.

Mass Effect, Alan Wake, Forza, Bioshock, Lost Planet and surprisingly Crackdown is looking fantastic.

savemejebus

"Yet" is the most important word there I think. Once MS decide one or the other should be standard then what happens. Look at the HDD and the core system. MS said that you dont need a hdd to get the next gen, hd gaming experience but seriously is this the case?

As for the games I think that Forza will forever be seen as the poor mans gran turisimo (note i am not saying it is, i am saying that is how it is seen by many), alan wake and bioshock will be on pc and although crackdown looks good, just cause has made me very wary of free roaming games. Mass effect will probably come out on pc too, much like KOTOR. Anyhow, as capcom showed with the gamecube exclusive means very little to third party developers these days.

Dont get me wrong, i have an xbox 360 and love it, i will probably get a ps3 and definitely get a wii too. it just annoys me to see people going "ooh it is so expensive" when really for what you get, its a decent price. Especially compared to pc gaming. Alan wake on pc will need a quad core cpu and top end gfx, those two components alone will cost twice what a ps3 or fully kitted xbox 360 will cost

projectmayhem

Ciaran500 wrote:

Mass Effect, Alan Wake, Forza, Bioshock, Lost Planet and surprisingly Crackdown is looking fantastic.

mass effect is one reason i have a 360... dying for that. same goes for bioshock and lost planet. crackdown though, looks muck & alan wake is on PC too, and most games for 360 & PC are usually better on PC (though i do have a good graphics card, so other people might not agree).

CiDeRmAn

I think right now, if its traditional gaming you're after, and given the choice of PS3, 360 and Wii, one would have to go for the 360, I mean it has a great range of games and many more due, but, in the longer term it's hard to see how the PS3 can fail, by Christmas 08 it'll be the console on every kids lips, reckon the software line up will be paltry and the price still high by Christmas 07, but Sony are in this for the long haul.
As yet the 360 is barely being pushed, with plenty more performance to be squeezed out, but surely, in 2 years, as limits are reached and as the PS3 is still pulling out the stops and treating us to new sights, sounds and gameplay, even crusty old gamers like myself will have to own a PS3 to stay with the cutting edge.

Ciaran500

CiDeRmAn wrote:

As yet the 360 is barely being pushed, with plenty more performance to be squeezed out, but surely, in 2 years, as limits are reached and as the PS3 is still pulling out the stops and treating us to new sights, sounds and gameplay, even crusty old gamers like myself will have to own a PS3 to stay with the cutting edge.

I'd definitely have to disagree with that, look at the end of the PS2's lifespan for perfect examples with God of War, MGS3 GTA: SA etc. all amazing achievements for a PS2.

1huge1

plus you dont even seem to be considering the wii to win
like for instance a few months back everyone was thinking wii dosnt have a chance and now your seeing it as a competitor but i honestly think its gonna make 2nd place
x box 360 1st
and the price will be the downfall of the ps3

projectmayhem

1huge1 wrote:

and the price will be the downfall of the ps3

it wont. the price is reasonable. the 360 (with a lesser sized hdd) plus hd-dvd drive (for "next gen" movies) is the same price as the ps3. the games will be the same price, and in future the price will drop. i'd say more ps2's have been sold since it went under €250 then ever before. the ps3 is a long term plan for sony, they don't need to make all their money back in the first 12 months...

Retr0gamer

TBH the average joe soap couldn't give a toss about the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players. It was a nice extra with the PS2 and it isn't forced upon you with the xbox360. The PS3 is forcing Blu-ray on buyers that don't want or need it and it is the reason the price is high.

Joe soap is going to look at the standalone PS3 for 600-630 euros and then the Xbox360 for 500 in xtravision with 4 great games. They won't consider that the HD-DVD player has to be bought separately because they don't want it. In fact if it plays DVDs it will do.

The PS3 could do well in Ireland due to the amount of disposable income people have and the stupidity of some people to buy an overpriced console with nothing at launch worth the money. However in other countries the price will be a big factor.

I doubt Sony will lose this console battle but they are more than likely going to get a huge kick in the arse. I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if MS or nintendo take the top spot. I've also a feeling that the Wii could become huge in Japan and Asia due to the success of the DS and Nintendo no doubt going to follow this up with similar titles to appeal to the non-gamer like Brain Age, for the Wii.

1huge1

projectmayhem wrote:

it wont. the price is reasonable. the 360 (with a lesser sized hdd) plus hd-dvd drive (for "next gen" movies) is the same price as the ps3. the games will be the same price, and in future the price will drop. i'd say more ps2's have been sold since it went under €250 then ever before. the ps3 is a long term plan for sony, they don't need to make all their money back in the first 12 months...

yes but thats what im saying no one is gonna buy it (well some are) at that price
maybe the price is justified because of all the specs but that still dosnt mean people wont be put off by the price

Karmafaerie

Personally I can't see the Wii winning.
Don't get me wrong. I've got mine pre-ordered, and I can't wait, but the fact of the matter remains that the Wii isn't a next gen console.
Right now that won't that matter, as the Wii is so revolutionary, but in two-three years time the 360 and the PS3 will be able to do things that the Wii won't be able to dream of.
I think that the Wii will become a secondary console, as in people will have either a PS3 and a Wii, or a 360 and a Wii.

As for the console war, I can't see MS over taking Sony at this stage.
The name "PlayStation" is too emblazoned into peoples skulls.
The 360 will however drag MS into a very close second place.
Sony have spent the last year concentrating solely on the PS3, and because they have ground to make up on the 360, and to fend of the Wii, they'll spend the next year doing likewise.
MS have been able to put a lot into R&D for the next set of console wars.
Because of the extra effort, and the years head start they should have their next console out ahead of Sony again, and that is where it's going to hit Sony hard.
MS expect a replacement for the 360 by 2011, while Sony would be lucky if they got one out by 2012.
Nintendo have dragged themselves back from a distant third place, to a real contender.
Every Wii sold makes Nintendo a profit because it uses such dated tech, but because it's so clever and novel, it will sell really well.
MS and Sony both make considerable losses on their consoles, so Nintendo will be a lot stronger next time round too.

All in all, the turn of the next decade should be a very interesting time for gamers.

iregk

Karmafaerie wrote:

Personally I can't see the Wii winning. But the fact of the matter remains that the Wii isn't a next gen console.I think that the Wii will become a secondary console, as in people will have either a PS3 and a Wii, or a 360 and a Wii.

I've cut a bit out of your quote but in this you have stated why you think the wii wont win and then given the exact reason why it will!!!

Its not next generation but they said this all along. Its new generation. Its brining back game play to the public and ignoring the bigger, graphics, bigger sound route. Do they care if they are not the number 1 console in peoples houses? No they dont, especially if they are the number 2 in all the ps3 and xbox owners. Think about that then do the maths.

If the market is split 50/50 for ps3 and 360 yet all of these have a wii as a second bit of fun console, then ninty wins by quite a margain!!!!

Karmafaerie

iregk wrote:

I've cut a bit out of your quote but in this you have stated why you think the wii wont win and then given the exact reason why it will!!!

Its not next generation but they said this all along. Its new generation. Its brining back game play to the public and ignoring the bigger, graphics, bigger sound route. Do they care if they are not the number 1 console in peoples houses? No they dont, especially if they are the number 2 in all the ps3 and xbox owners. Think about that then do the maths.

If the market is split 50/50 for ps3 and 360 yet all of these have a wii as a second bit of fun console, then ninty wins by quite a margain!!!!

No not really.
Nintendo make a small profit on their consoles, but every console developer makes their real money on games.
Nintendo make less on their games than either MS or Sony, so in the long run they loose out.
Also, if a console is only used secondarily by you, you are less likely to buy as many games for it.
If the Wii games were somehow a lot cheaper maybe, but they're only a little bit cheaper than the PS3 and 360 games.
A lot of people, myself included will buy a lot of their Wii games second hand, and Nintendo doesn't make a penny off of re-sales.

Also, in two-three years time game developers will be able to make games that the Wii is incapable of running. This means that either game developers will have to either start making secondary, weaker games for the Wii alone (which is very, very, unlikely), or that a lot of third party games just won't come out for the Wii.

Last, but not least I was referring to "gamers" buying the Wii as a secondary console. The average casual game player will rarely have more than one console. MS and especially Sony will take 80% of the casual gamer market between them.

The Wii was simply a brilliant marketing strategy by Nintendo.
They knew that they couldn't afford to compete with the big boys, so they developed a "different" kind of console at a fraction of the cost.
The Wii is Nintendo's way back to the big time. Its sole purpose is to get them back to a decent market share, and to make enough revenue to really compete in the next generation of consoles in 4-6 years. And it'll work as well.
As I said, the next round will be very interesting, with Sony only slightly ahead of MS, and Nintendo not far behind.

Vegeta

Karmafaerie wrote:

Also, in two-three years time game developers will be able to make games that the Wii is incapable of running. This means that either game developers will have to either start making secondary, weaker games for the Wii alone (which is very, very, unlikely), or that a lot of third party games just won't come out for the Wii.

This is the only thing i take issue with. Nintendo don't mind if their console isn't as powerful, they intentionly made it that way as it saves money on R&D and therefore is cheaper to sell etc etc

Look at PSP versus DS. DS is way underpowered in comparison. Is that affecting sales??

Peteee

Ciaran500 wrote:

But I don't want a HD-DVD/Blu-ray drive

5 Years ago you didn't know you wanted an mp3 player either.

steviec

Vegeta wrote:

This is the only thing i take issue with. Nintendo don't mind if their console isn't as powerful, they intentionly made it that way as it saves money on R&D and therefore is cheaper to sell etc etc

So lets all just stay with our PS2s. It's got a huge games library, it's cheap, developers are well used to the hardware, the likes of Buzz and Eyetoy show it's very expandable, all it needs is a USB motion sensor and it's the ultimate console!

On the other hand, power does matter. Not now but in 2 to 3 years it will. The very best N64 and PS1 games don't cut the mustard by todays standards
when it comes to gameplay because we've become used to the Gamecube/PS2 standards. The same will happen to PS2/Wii games as people get more used to PS3/360 standards.

And supposing the Wii controller does prove almighty(I haven't used one but reviews so far show a mixed bag of games, just like any console) and some kind of massive gameplay revolution. All it takes is a new peripheral for the 360 and PS3 and they'll do everything the Wii does along with everything they already do.

I think the Wii has been a display of absolutely brilliant marketting and business strategy from Nintendo, and it will give them solid revenue for the next few years. I have no doubt it'll be successful, I just wonder if people will still be using there's a few years from now. I do wonder if Nintendo are already planning ahead for that, with an extra couple of years they could develop technology just as good as the 360 or PS3 while being more cost effective and could release it at a competitive price just when the next gen market really starts to peak. It's a possibility I'd consider if I was Nintendo, they've already shown with the DS then DS Lite that they're able to get people to buy new machines in relatively quick succession.

Ciaran500

Peteee wrote:

5 Years ago you didn't know you wanted an mp3 player either.

But I have no interest in them now and certainly don't at all want to pay the early adopters premium for something with a limited use.

Karmafaerie

steviec wrote:

So lets all just stay with our PS2s. It's got a huge games library, it's cheap, developers are well used to the hardware, the likes of Buzz and Eyetoy show it's very expandable, all it needs is a USB motion sensor and it's the ultimate console!

On the other hand, power does matter. Not now but in 2 to 3 years it will. The very best N64 and PS1 games don't cut the mustard by todays standards
when it comes to gameplay because we've become used to the Gamecube/PS2 standards. The same will happen to PS2/Wii games as people get more used to PS3/360 standards.

And supposing the Wii controller does prove almighty(I haven't used one but reviews so far show a mixed bag of games, just like any console) and some kind of massive gameplay revolution. All it takes is a new peripheral for the 360 and PS3 and they'll do everything the Wii does along with everything they already do.

I think the Wii has been a display of absolutely brilliant marketting and business strategy from Nintendo, and it will give them solid revenue for the next few years. I have no doubt it'll be successful, I just wonder if people will still be using there's a few years from now. I do wonder if Nintendo are already planning ahead for that, with an extra couple of years they could develop technology just as good as the 360 or PS3 while being more cost effective and could release it at a competitive price just when the next gen market really starts to peak. It's a possibility I'd consider if I was Nintendo, they've already shown with the DS then DS Lite that they're able to get people to buy new machines in relatively quick succession.

Damn, we sound like we were seperated at birth!:D