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Sony: 'We Can Really Own Entertainment' With PS3
by Kris Graft [PC, Console/PC]
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August 27, 2009
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Sony Computer Entertainment America is launching a new ad campaign focused on repositioning the PlayStation 3 as a "total entertainment solution," the L.A Times reports.
Sony's marketing focus on the PS3's multimedia capabilities comes after a couple of years of Sony stressing that its console is first and foremost a gaming machine. While the new ads will have Sony pushing the fact that the PS3 is still a games player, the company will place a bigger emphasis on the machine's other features, such as Blu-ray.
"We have been a game company for years and we would never walk away from that, but research confirmed there is a larger proposition under our nose," said Peter Dille, SVP of marketing at SCEA. "We wanted to reposition as a total entertainment solution. We felt like we can really own entertainment."
This stance of "repositioning," however, is counter to the company's initial stance on the PS3, which was actually introduced as a total entertainment solution. Further, at the time Sony unveiled the console, the company distanced it from the concept of "game machine."
In May 2005, former Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi, the "father of the PlayStation," told CNet that "The PlayStation [3] is not a game machine. We've never once called it a game machine."
Additionally, both Kutaragi and former Sony Worldwide Studios boss Phil Harrison have called it a "computer" in past interviews, suggesting that it had the potential to replace the PC from a holistic entertainment standpoint.
Sony cut the price of the PlayStation 3 to $299 from $399 last week and introduced the new PS3 Slim model. Rival Microsoft answered with its own major price cut for Xbox 360.
Taking a hint from Nintendo's Wii marketing, Sony will be targeting its new PS3 ads towards "moms and families," Dille said, at the same time focusing on core products like Uncharted 2.
Dille told The Times that the new ad campaign is the biggest and most expensive since PS3's launch. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe recently said it was launching its own PS3 campaign in Europe, also the biggest since the console's launch, which occurred over two years ago.
Games biz website IndustryGamers posted screens from some of the new ads, which show Sony going in more of a humorous direction. The ads play off of the months of PS3 "Slim" rumors by featuring a corporate-looking man named Kevin Butler, "Director of Rumor Confirmation."
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'... will be targeting its new PS3 ads towards "moms and families,"... '
When combined, those two statements make no sense. Moms and families don't exactly care about Blu-ray and people who do probably already have a PS3 or dedicated player.
"Sony will be targeting its new PS3 ads towards "moms and families," Dille said, at the same time focusing on core products like Uncharted 2".
You have to choose a market. Nintendo chose. Microsoft, somehow, chose too.
Now Sony has to make her mind.
Hmm, I think we need to see a white PS3... or better yet a pink one!!!! Yeah, with a motion based controller too!
My Mom when saw a Blue-Ray AD on a DVD movie that we rented, was: OOOH, I WANNA ONE!
Then I said: The PS3 plays it...
She was: OOOH, COOOL! But it is too expensive... (ie: in Brazil it is at least 400% higher the price, the government only get 273% in taxes on consoles and their games)
Then I went around, and figured that in fact, few (not tech savy) people actually know about Blue-Ray, and even less that Playstation is not only a console...
But you know, Playstation name is not an accident, Play is not only game playing, it is also movie playing, music playing, playing with toys... Since the first Playstation these sort of features are present, this "new AD style" is just as other news post said, "Returning to Playstation roots"
Just show "mom" the prices of the PS3 Slim, the PSWand, and the games compatibile for the PSWand, and most likely "she ain't havin' it".
The value of the PS3 message comes through loudest and clearest when done at the expense of the 360.
However, that doesn't work with the Wii.
@Fiorentino Iantosca: What are you talking about? Sony has tons of family friendly software, much of it for the EyeToy - their DLC is actually very strong in this area. Ever play Flower, Elefunk, Flow, Flock (huh, lots of F's), etc. I love my 360 but, TBH, my daughter normally plays the PS3 because there is more stuff on it suited for her.
As for "choosing a market", that's wrong. 360's market isn't any "clearer" than the PS3. Nintendo chose a market, doesn't mean the others have to. In fact, that's the whole point they're trying to make, to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. So I see absolutely no problem with pushing it as both "the ultimate game machine" and "moms and families" at the same time.
Most families don't want to pay a subscription in order to rent movies. Sure it costs less in the long run, but so does the PS3, that doesn't sell people who are penny pinching.
Ultimately, the Cable Companies are moving towards being distributors of high-bandwith connections to the Home. As a content provider, they can't compete with the Internet - not at the margins they like. SONY, Microsoft, Apple, etc... are all finding ways to split up their monopoly on content and sell it in bite sized packages that the global consumer can take at their leisure.
And at this moment the PSN is best suited to do this to the TV. The Live Marketplace has a larger audience, but because of the HDD differences (or lack thereof in some cases) and expensive scalability options for upgraded HDDs they may it loses what would be its almost assured status at the top, IMO.
I much prefer a full 1080p movie with a bitrate approaching 30-40mb/s, including 5.1 or 7.1 sound. I'm probably in the minority here, since not everyone has the hardware. If you're the type of person that doesn't mind (instantly) watching a horribly artifacted video, then to each his own. In my opinion, that kind of video is best left to funny clips of cats running into windows on YouTube.
It's dangerous to assume though that all of us only want instant lower quality pseudo-HD content.