What I mean is you have 2 different types of products… like comparing a home karaoke machine for kids to a turn table and mixing board; yes they both play music but they aren’t intended for the same audience and no one would really compare them as direct competitors. And maybe that’s just the turn that gaming and interactive entertainment is taking…

With that said the overall message that Krangel makes that the market has changed the Sony is going to have to rethink their strategies is true, but it also doesn’t mean that they’re doing everything wrong either… because at the end of the day, even though the Wii is selling through the roof, as a gamer (and not a soccer mom) I can’t even tell you when the last time that I turned my Wii on was. That says to me that there’s certainly a market, albeit a smaller and more passionate one for the PS3 (which yes, I own).

And I never said PS3 lost ALL of it’s exclusives. I tend not to speak with such finality. I was trying to stress that franchise names that are commonly known to the ‘masses’ (read: non gamers) used to overwhelmingly be connected to Sony…the dynamic is shifting now for whatever reason.

Again…the overall point had nothing to do with whether PS3 was great or not…I think my point (that I derive from Krangel somewhat) is that the old strategy and keys to success for the PS2 don’t work in this new landscape.

Lastly…I don’t think if the Wii was priced in the same range as teh 360 and PS3 it would be a monumental a hit as it is. I think it would have still been popular and even the leader in sales initially but it’s just not worth spending 400 for what you get.

This was a good read—I think Krangel was quick to dismiss the PS3 and it sounds riduclous to say a console isn’t selling well because it has extra features no one cares about. (And I would aruge that while right now a lot of people don’t have HDTVs, that’s going to change as prices drop and more HD content becomes available to people). And I’m not exactly sure what he meant by LBP not being a “game changer” when I believe that it will LITERALLY change gaming and I know a few people who are buying or just bought a PS3 and THAT’S the game that won them over.

I also fail to understand how you think that the perception of the value of a dollar isn’t a valid point. Gamers begrudgingly pay an extra 10 dollars for their games, which is essentially right in line with the rise of inflation in the market over the past 8 years. The fact remains that things become more expensive over time, Sure the launch prices were a tad high, but they are now right where they need to be.

Exclusivity will always be something that exists (Certainly as long as Nintendo exists in some form of Hardware Manufacturer), it seems that coming early to the party with the Xbox 360 has helped Microsoft in branding certain franchises in the Xbox camp, but to say that Sony has lost all of their PS2 exclusives is talking nonsense. God of War, Ratchet and Clank, Kingdom Hearts, Gran Tourismo, all seem planted quite happily with Sony.

The point I wanted to make in writing this was that it isn’t really what the PS3 has failed to do, it is what the Wii has succeeded at. By Changing consumer expectations make the keys to the PS2’s success completely pointless.

#1) True….adjusted for inflation the PS2 would have cost $370 in today’s dollars but it is not a fair comparison. $299.99 is a strong price point. Once you get above that it’s harder and harder for the casual gamer or average consumer to stomach it. Parents really struggle to find this purchase legitimate in this economy. And that is without any games or periphirals. Wii tempted many people into making the plunge with it’s low price point. People who otherwise wouldn’t have purchased a console. It even tempted me into doing something I have never done before….I bought 2 consoles…in the same generation from two different brands. So it’s not just the affordability issue….it’s also the fact that the environment is much different than what the PS2 faced. Xbox was unproven and Nintendo wasn’t even in the same game park anymore. On top of that you were getting a DVD player on the cheap. Which brings up the second point.

#2) You argue that the lack of enthusiasm for the blu ray format isn’t a reason for failure to lead in the market and so Krangel was off the mark. I disagree. I think Krangel was pointing to one of the REASONS for PS2’s success and how the PS3 has been unable to take advantage of the strategy of including a relatively inexpensive access to new and otherwise expensive piece of hardware. The DVD was a BIG step up from VHS…not just in picture and sound quality but in general coolness alltogether. VHS began to look more and more like the old bulky 8 tracks of our father’s or older brother’s generation. There was genuine fervor and excitement for the DVD which is absent here in Blu Ray. I don’t think that’s Sony’s fault necessarily but if it was their strategy to replicate what the PS2 did I think it was a poor one.

#3) Lastly….console exclusives. I think exclusivity will be very, very rare in the future. So when you do have exclusives they need to be strong in identity and popularity. Gear of War and Halo are so heavily branded with Xbox I don’t see them going over to Sony any time soon. Other than Metal Gear Solid….and Final Fantasy…I don’t think the average gamer out there can think of many big name exclusive titles that can rival what the PS2 did. It’s just a different environment. I think Xbox has done the best at creating and maintaining exclusive brands while luring away other brands out of exclusivity with Sony. Wii wins hands down because Nintendo has simply expanded it’s install base.

In short the three points that Krangel made are in effect 3 major keys to the PS2’s success that the PS3 failed to achieve. Add the slumping economy and it just makes it worse. I agree…..a major price cut is in order to keep PS3 “in the game”. With at least to other respectable and viable options for less money ….why would the masses pay $100 or $200 more for a PS3? Sony hasn’t been able to answer that question convincingly just yet. The 360 was my choice after 2 generations with Sony. The main reason? Price. The secondary reason? The 360’s evolution of it’s game library and the xbox live was just too nice to pass up. I haven’t had any regrets. I had hoped to someday buy a ps3 but I’m still waiting for the cost to come down to earth. In the meantime I’m enjoying my 360 and my wii….which together cost what it would have cost to get one PS3 at launch.