PS3 receives more negative press.

I really do not understand why a lot of members of the game media press despise Sony. I can think of no other way to describe the current hatred when articles like this one in show up on PCWorld.

The NPD Group reports the PlayStation 3 moving only 122,000 units in July, a mere 14,000 more than its predecessor, the PlayStation 2. This is sad news given that the PlayStation 2 is nine years old and totally outdated in its hardware. For comparison’s sake, the Microsoft Xbox 360 moved 203,000 units, and the Nintendo Wii moved [sic] 253,00.

Granted, the numbers suck. Big time. With that said, the worst kept secret around was the upcoming PS3 Slim and price cut. If I had the option of buying now (or then as was the case in July) or waiting 30-60 days for a $100 price cut, I would wait on the price cut. I bet the NPD Group numbers spin in a different direction after the price cuts hit retail.

Then the author provides us with the following gem.

Cutting the price of the PS3 is just slapping a fresh coat of paint on a crumbling house, and it seems to me that no matter what Sony does with its PS3, it may just be doomed to failure.

I guess this depends on your definition of failure, but it seems to me that Sony has finally positioned the PS3 for some measure of success. Will holiday numbers be enough to overcome the 360 and Wii? Probably not. Will momentum help give Sony an advantage in 2010? I think the answer will be yes due to a completive price point and some very desirable first party software titles.

I think Sony launched a system that was too expensive [what I like to call the 3D0 syndrome], over estimated the impact of waiting to launch a full year after Microsoft, and waited far too long for this $100 price cut. With all that said, saying the PS3 is doomed to failure is just plain ridiculous. If Sony continues to lag after the Christmas numbers of posted, I will be happy to eat crow.

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4 thoughts on “PS3 receives more negative press.”

  1. Slim now tops Amazon’s preorder charts.

    Read somewhere that the Blu-Ray drive may not be as reliable as the original units.

    People want to see the interior layout and the actual power consumption.

    It’ll be interesting to see if a surge is sustained. But read elsewhere that Madden 10 is already tracking below previous years.

    So there may be a larger economic issue, although supposedly Germany and France officially got out of recession and those are big markets for Sony.

  2. I think the PS3 Slim should see strong Christmas numbers. Better than expected? Hard to tell. Really depends on what happens with the economy.

    If you have a minute can you reference the Madden 10 article? It is always interesting to see what happens with Madden’s numbers. This year the game really is improved, but it is the only NFL game in town (Blitz type games do not count), so I am sure some folks are put off.

  3. Thanks for posting the link. I bet the numbers will continue to do pretty well into the Christmas season.

    With that said, competition is good. I would be nice if there were another NCAA or NFL licensed product to push EA, but alas EA has those deals wrapped up.

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