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Console Wars II : PS3, Sexy tech sells. |
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by Mike Bantick
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Wednesday, 22 November 2006 |
Grandaddy at Ten, the PlayStation brand is a mature gaming platform. Like its predecessor, PS3 promises more technology to entice Homo sapiens other than Gamer sapiens into the fold. Blu-ray is exciting, but have the delays in producing its laser put Sony on the back foot?
Sold out in hours in Japan, punch ups in the US on launch day; it was all predictably frenzied and hyped. But beyond the hype as we move into the post fan-boy buying period, there are a number of challenges posed to the gaming giant.
It does feel rushed, delays caused in manufacturing the relatively paltry stock numbers to shoehorn a pre-Christmas launch for the Sony homelands, has exposed a couple of cracks in a formally unbreachable corporate fortress.
Future firmware upgrades will solve the bulk of PS3 teething issues. Other problems are just a matter of being patient, PS3 unit production is looking like missing targets, then there are the delayed launch titles, such as the excellent The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Drool Pools from the Sony faithful will be deep, no matter how short the wait is for that one.
Microsofts Xbox 360 is positioning a hard core online experience as its target. Meanwhile Nintendo Wii will be attempting to lure casual and lapsed gamers to its box-o-fun. The PlayStation 3 sits in between to some degree. Hard core gamers will have hi-tech titles to tickle their fancy, with every game developer throwing their hat into the Sony ring.
Early adopting technophiles are catered for with the Hollywood studio backed Blu-ray drive. Pricing of movies will be important here, to keep Blu-ray from sharing a grave with the PSB UMD format. Especially now the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive is here.
Speaking of the PSP, the recent V3.0 Firmware upgrade now enables the handheld to communicate with PS3, in a sense. There will still be further features to be enabled here to compete with Nintendo’s slick Wii / DS hookup.
Content is more important that price. What ever units Sony can produce will sell because of software backing both off and online. But it is a changed world for Sony. Stiffer competition, and the need to entice existing PS2 owners - a large percentage will be content with their gaming experience - to upgrade, will make for interesting times ahead.
The launch of PS3 in Australia is not due until March 2007. Haggard, pasty, sullen eyed Australian gamers will be visiting psychological clinics all over the great southern land until that day. But, by then the PS3 will be back on top of its game – not necessarily with the market share it enjoys today – but it will enjoy success.
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