Project Wonderful - Your ad here, right now, for as low as $0.00

Is the Playstation 3 Doomed?

nexgenwars.com
nexgenwars.com
nexgenwars.com

Playstation 3 is losing (as seen above), but are the slow PS3 sales a result of pricing and offered games or truly the result of a lack of supply. Xbox 360 has been on the market for over a year so of course it's numbers are higher, but the Wii? I think the Wii's performance is quite surprising...mainly because it is not targeted to the hardcore gaming crowd. Then again, it is targeted to a more casual and potentially larger market. I just expected Nintendo to keep fading in the console market (I mean that was the trend after all: NES>SNES>N64>Gamecube) while it continued to dominate the portable market. I guess the innovation of the portable DS has carried over with the Wii into the console market. Good for you Nintendo!

So is the PS3 doomed because of its high pricing, Sony's arrogance, and buggy consoles? While I think these all contributed to Sony's shaky launch, they are not really perpetual or irreversible problems. For instance, I have always planned to buy a PS3, but am just waiting for more games and lower prices...I just got Xbox 360, so I'm not one to be in a rush. So Sony's current problems wouldn't really affect me, a potential customer. However, Sony has a much bigger problem for the Playstation 3 looming: the loss of some high profile exclusive games. This started with Grand Theft Auto 4, which will release simultaneously for both Xbox 360 and PS3, and continued with Assassin's Creed. Now, Metal Gear Solid 4 is rumored to be making the leap to Xbox 360! Metal Gear Solid 2 sold the Playstation 2 to me, since I just had to play it...and likewise I assumed Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots would spurn me to purchase a Playstation 3 in the coming months, but if it's coming out for Xbox that just saved me $600! Now granted this hasn't been officially announced, but it is a possibility and an ongoing problem that Sony has faced. Get it together Playstation 3! This would be a huge blunder by Sony...losing GTA4 hurt, but GTA always ported to Xbox in the coming months anyways...losing MGS4 would kill. How many AAA titles and killer aps will only PS3 have if this trend continues? 2-3? (Gran Turismo, Resistance fall of Man...and?) Sony needs to get its act together and start offering gamers the cutting edge graphics and gameplay that would require any hardcore gamer to purchase their system. I really think Sony is stumbling and may even be doomed to failure if they don't come up with some great titles and a better marketing and sales strategy. I've slipped from a future PS3 owner...to a hesitant potential buyer.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

A very interesting post, but -really- I do think it's a bit early to jump to conclusions... Sony, though definitely seems to have lost quite some ground. Who knows, they might attempt a sweet price drop... Or "borrowing" more Wiimote features ;)

Mike said...

Don't think they would borrow wii-mote features and I disagree that that would even be a good idea. The Wii has that family/casual market. A price drop and a focus on exclusive games is PS3's only hope.