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Sony 'captured the hardcore' with PS3, not with Pokeball photo

There's no denying that Sony has been doing good work on the PS3 side of things as late. With Killzone 2 proving to be a decent success, inFamous, Heavy Rain and MAG all coming, not to mention the selection of PSN titles available, the publisher has done good. Sony knows it too, and is never going to let the opportunity to blow its own trumpet get away.

"There’s certainly a line-up of very strong family-friendly titles that we’re looking at for PS3 in our continuing effort to appeal to that casual consumer," says marketing boss John Koller. "We’ve captured the hardcore. The install base we have now tells us that the hardcore’s purchased. We’re moving on now to continue to support them with a tremendous line-up of games, but also look at softer brands that maybe we had with PS2 franchises we’re bringing over to PS3, or new IP."

Koller also hinted at what the PS3's lineup may have in store by simply saying, ""Think of some of the latter-half PS2 franchises." Oooh, mysterious!

While I'm sure most of what Koller says is pure marketing talk, this is actually the kind of thing I wish Sony and Microsoft would do more of. Nintendo has its audience, which is catered to perfectly. Sony and Microsoft have their own audience, and it makes more sense to cater to them first than to a demographic it doesn't even have yet.

I don't remember LIPS topping charts and making waves in the industry. That's because the over-rated and badly identified "casual gamer" that has been turned into some sort of Holy Grail simply isn't interested. MS and Sony have their own perfectly suitable demographic and they should focus on that. For them to appeal to the soccer moms and grandmothers is like a liqor store trying to sell Tickle Me Elmos.


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24 comments | showing # 1 to 24

JustLikeBuck's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 08:55
JustLikeBuck
There's been some confusion over many terms in gaming. It's like Gamer simply isn't good enough, so we need several sub-classifications of gamer. It's all rubbish.

Nonetheless Playstation's always been about variety, and for me that what makes the PS3 a better purchase (not just for the games either). That may make me a casual, but can you call your self hardcore if you only play Tournament Shooters?

I don't think LIPS was a big hit because everybody who was into karaoke already had Singstar.
Bodb's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 08:59
Bodb
Yeah, I'd have to agree with you there. I'd have to say that my expensive black monolith of raw gaming power does better making games that utilize its technology, especially considering the metric shitloads of money that Sony was losing earlier in the platforms life. Pardon my bad analogy, but targeting casual gamers is like dumping garbage into the Grand Canyon, because in very simple terms it's just a very big pit. Really, if these companies have already invested so much in hyper-realistic tit physics in their games, shouldn't they be using them instead of kicking 90% of their console's potential in the balls? The mind boggles.
gatorsax2010's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 09:05
gatorsax2010
There are so many problems with the "hardcore" and "casual" labels. Besides being (in my opinion) divisive and unnecessary, they are very nebulously defined, and people tend to make them into things they're not. For example, right here Koller implies that all family-friendly titles are "casual." I hat to sound like a Nintendo apologist, but if we accept the hardcore/casual divide, this means that family-friendly games like Mega Man, Mario, Zelda, etc.--games that for the most part, are enjoyed by gamers of all stripes--are "casual." Some of them are more accessible, yes, but there are lots of family-friendly games that are very deep, and sometimes very difficult. But what do I know?
Bodb's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 09:06
Bodb
To clarify my last poat, the really powerful consoles should focus on games that need really powerful consoles, otherwise it feels like a giant 'fuck you' to the gullible idiots that thought they'd play stuff that couldn't run on a Wii. I'm sure we'd see much more success all around if consoles played to their respective strengths instead of market-chasing that would put the internet bubble burst to shame.
Sexualchocolate's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 09:16
Sexualchocolate
The creating of the term "Casual Gamer" can be traced back a couple of years to the creation of the Wii, an electronic entertainment system which bridges the gap between toy and console.

It's a toy for children and adults alike, attractive to the non-gamer community, so if you look at it as a toy, these are just playful people, not games, casual or otherwise.

however the industry has labelled these people "gamers" and to seperate them from the real gamers called them "casuals".

Really, you're a gamer if you spend more than say, about, 10 hours a week gaming. I would imagine very few Wii owners actually do, however all hardocre games would see that as a "light" gaming week.

Another measure would be the buying of games, a gamer should be someone who buys 2+ games a month. Not the person who buys a Wii and Wii-sports, plus perhaps a game for the kids each year.

I like how the bigger consoles cater to specific groups, hardcore gamers, cheapskates. But i wish they would stop bothering with reaching for this "casual" market. They only bought the Wii because it's more of a toy that a console.

Too late, leave it be and concentrate on what you're good at!
Lugoves's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 09:27
Lugoves
Though ratcheting down definitions of *gamers* incessantly is a bit foolish. I understand any companies attempt to define & expand their target demographic. I think the focus has to be on how *less* hardcore gamers can get *more* value out of the "Black Monolith", and less about putting hokey games on the PSN. Take Bejeweled for example: I like the game, have it on my PS3...but I feel *casual gamers* are either going to put it on their Iphone or play it on there PC at work :-) Sony needs to, and I believe will soon...integrate & educate through and with Social platforms that remain extremely popular i.e. Facebook. Once *Gaming* becomes an integral part of an individuals cyber identity and APIs freely allow customization of such. This already Big industry is gonna get a whole lot bigger. And the "Black Monolith" has the ability [though perhaps not exclusively] to deliver this.
necrozen's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 09:39
necrozen
I have to agree with you. I think Sony has been catering to me for a little while now and I like it. It feels good to see them POINT OUT the fact that they are choosing me over John and Kate Plus 8. It reflects my dissatisfaction with Nintendo and my amusement at Microsoft attempting to steel the Wii demographic.

Meanwhile, Sony has stuck with me - XMB and all. And even if they DO attempt to bring in the casuals, I feel that I can safely say they will never get top billing over me so long as I game on their system.
megaStryke's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 09:41
megaStryke
@Sexualchocolate

Wait... what?
CommanderPoopypants's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 09:49
CommanderPoopypants
@sexualchocolate. That's obviously a copied and pasted rant from someone who has never even played ONE video game. LAME
Sam Spectre's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 10:15
Sam Spectre
I don't remember LIPS topping charts and making waves in the industry. That's because the over-rated and badly identified "casual gamer" that has been turned into some sort of Holy Grail simply isn't interested. MS and Sony have their own perfectly suitable demographic and they should focus on that. For them to appeal to the soccer moms and grandmothers is like a liqor store trying to sell Tickle Me Elmos.

This.
BlackSheep's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 10:27
BlackSheep
But if they used a masterball, they would have got it on the first shot.
ejamer's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 10:28
ejamer
Wait a minute, Sony basically announces that the hardcore market is tapped out and they are ready to start pursuing casual gamers in an effort to catch up to their competition... and people are happy about this why? XBox 360 already jumped the shark, and Sony is about to officially follow suit. Seems like waving the white flag a little bit early if you ask me - especially since what little success the PS3 has experienced has been entirely driven by serious gamers.

The quote sounds eerily like a "we'll still be friends" speech coming from your sexy but shallow girlfriend in high school, just after she realized that college guys can provide cars, credit cards, and free booze. She might still put out once in a while - she might even learn some fun new tricks - but you won't be getting enough of her attention to notice unless she catches something that you don't want to share and falls out of favor at frat parties. Did that sound bitter?
Toadofsky's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 10:45
Toadofsky
Wait, doesn't the "hardcore" usually get their favorite company's game system at launch? I always though that was common these days now.

I honestly don't understand why people have to get into heated debates or honestly care about the definition of who or what a hardcore gamer is.

Hey, if Sony has catered to their core audience, good for them. So has Microsoft, and Nintendo. Okay, so Nintendo hasn't been doing that lately, and it's yet to be seen what they'll be doing post E3, but honestly, I've got enough stuff going on in REAL LIFE that I'm not playing as much games as I'd like to. Granted, I still get to have some days of extended play.
LilJimmyNordin's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 10:45
LilJimmyNordin
I'm so sick of Sony's shit talk. They're the only company that works harder on their press release schedule than they do on their game release schedule. I wish I had never bought my PS3. Every time I see another goddamned statement from a Sony exec, I want to throw it off the balcony.
CocoJambo's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 10:53
CocoJambo
ejamer seems the only one here that understood what he said. I'm sorry people, they're losing money with an expensive console and expensive games that make a small margin of profit. But, I don't understand this casual hate, the PS2 was a largely balanced console, no reason for one of the current three to not be like that.
brainderailment's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 11:08
brainderailment
My core is harder than diamond. Watch out ladies!
Jonathan Holmes's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 11:32
Jonathan Holmes
Personally, I'm still bummed about the PS3's 1st party line up. Sony may be catering to males aged 13-2), but I don't feel like they are catering to me, the long time Playstation fan.

The fact that there are less than thirty PS1 games in the American PS store at this point in the PS3's life cycle is just sad. Worse is the almost total lack of Sony Japan Studio games on the PS3. The Last Guy (great game) and Loco Roco Cocochakamoko-whatever (great screen saver) are the only two that immediately spring to mind.

Where's the PS3 Parappa, Jumping Flash, Ape Escape, Patapon, or real Loco Roco? Are games for long time Playstation fans like myself just not "hardcore" enough for the PS3?
Wghj55's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 12:05
Wghj55
@Jonathan Holmes

I would die for a new Jumping Flash game...the first thing I bought on the PSN was the first Jumping Flash and it's just as good as I remember it being.
Chronic Logic's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 13:05
Chronic Logic
I love the smell of bullshit in the morning, it smells like... flamebait.
Naim Master's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 13:40
Naim Master
A Tickle Me Elmo in a Liquor Store would be perfect , think with me:People get drunk , people see Elmo laughing , people laugh , people drink even more !
greks224's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/20/2009 14:42
greks224
I really love Singstar, and so do my "casual" friends. It's one of the few fun group games left. I lament the death of split-screen gaming.

Someone, please make a fun party game! (Super Smash Bros. is too hardcore at this point; people that have never played it get turned off by how much better others are)
ChaosTeaCup's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2009 06:09
ChaosTeaCup
PS3 is not for the hardcore, so no point getting upset. Sony clearly want to have another balanced console like they did with the PS2 - except that's not working out, so they have this schizofrenic tendency to tell us that they've captured A, now they're concentrating on B. What? You captured Ps2 fanboys, and casual gamers who've not played on anything other than Playstation, or Nintendo brand. The landscape has changed massively since the PS2 was usurped (console-wise), but Sony haven't quite cottoned on to it. They thought we wanted a doomed media like Blu-ray, when a third of us want awesome online, and games that compliment this, and the other two thirds want bright coloured faces that we can wave a stick at. The 'hardcore' third has been sewn up, pretty much, by M$, whilst the PS3, awesome machine that it is, is mopping up the leftovers (Brand loyals, fanboys, etc...)
ChaosTeaCup's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2009 08:23
ChaosTeaCup
Oh yeah, it's a superior format, I see that. But we in the credit crunch. How many people are going to be replacing their film libraries? Not many. How many people do you know use Blu-ray in a non-PS3 capacity? I don't know anyone. Blu-ray's sucess is now dependant on PS3's sucess - another machine that is probably going to be hit by the crunch. There are other instances of superior tech, being left in the dust to it's cheaper, inferior, counterparts. Perhaps it's not doomed, but it's take up is still pretty niche, and niche markets are suffering, dude.

But as a format, it's great - no arguements there. I hope it survives, as it's implications for the video game market are exciting, something which PS3 has been able to demonstrate, but I still believe it's doomed. The timing is unfortunate. Plus the advent of digital content in downloadable form is going to prove more cost effective on both sides of the market.

Still, as you say, perhaps I'm a crazy. I just like spouting shit.
ChaosTeaCup's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2009 09:36
ChaosTeaCup
Incidently, is the small laser the reason why, in general, loading times on the PS3 are longer than that of the 360? My friend and I tested out loading times, booting up PS3 and 360 versions of Fifa 09 in sync, and the loading times for the PS3 version were significantly slower. To the point where I was at kick off, by the time my mate was at team-management. I'd never considered the fact that it's possibly the smaller laser and larger scanning areas on the Blu-ray disc, that could be the resaon for this.
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