Like your console gaming experiences hardcore, with nary a Wiimote in sight? The latest from SCEA's Scott Steinberg ought to be music to your ears. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Steinberg addressed issues such as future plans for the PS3 and why Sony is uninterested in reeling in the "senior" demographic.
Direct from the interview:
"I think the notion of that controller is a non-trivial point that you've brought up, that control and that familiarity is like comfort food - from my perspective, we lead, we don't follow," he said. "And as a brand, Nintendo's got their thing, and we're not trying to get the senior citizen group to get into gaming, we're looking to convert the PS2 owners and the tens of millions of installed base that were playing DVDs and playing games on their PS2, to now play Blu-ray movies and Blu-ray games with their PS3."
I'm glad Nintendo's doing what they're doing, I really am. It's been tremendously successful for them, and I also like the idea that my parents may come to understand a little of why gaming is so essential to me (and maybe come to like it themselves). On the other hand, I like gaming with a controller that I don't have to wave my arms all over the place to use, and I like games that are directly marketed to me: a gamer that's spent a long time gaming and can understand and enjoy more complex structures. It seems like there's room for both.
Still, Sony earns some support from me by not being wavered by the tremendously successful business plan that Nintendo has in place. I hope sticking to their guns can earn them what they want in the long run. Is the Wii the way to go, or will you stick it out as Sony unveils their long term plan?
[Via GamesIndsutry.biz -- Thanks, ActionBastard]
Contest:
11:20 AM on 08.04.2008
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I mean it's great that someone's Grandma gets to have a little fun with current technology, but it's not cool if it's something I consider a "hobby".
Eat all the old people, show them that you love 'em
Eat all the old people, mmm they taste like veal
A sandwich is a sandwich, but your grandpa is a meal
Is that what you're doing with the PS3? Leading?
Ok, I think I'm being a douche....
Sony seems to think that they deserve to sell the PS3 through to people who bought their previous consoles, independent of whether or not they have enough unique product on the shelves to justify those sales, and that's ridiculous. To me, brand loyalty is something I reserve for developers and publishers. A console is only as good as the games available for it after all, and if there aren't enough exlusive games to justify the purchase, then whether or not I bought and enjoyed their previous console means jack shit.
And while ancillary features are appreciated, they've never factored in to my decision to buy a console even the smallest bit, and they never will. I didn't buy a PS2 because it played DVDs, and I won't buy a PS3 because it plays Blu-Ray flicks. Call me old fashioned if you must, but if a console isn't home to at least a small handful of games that appeal to my tastes as a gamer, then I'm not going to buy it. That it's loaded up with extra bells and whistles isn't going to change my mind a single bit.
Scott Steinberg needs to get in touch with reality. The PS3 is a fine system, but right now it's leading jack and shit, and jack just left town. That's not to say that they ought to follow Nintendo's lead, but that maybe they ought to analyze what worked for them the last two generations and try to do some of that. Whatever they're doing now aint working for me.
I'm definitely glad Sony is sticking to what they do best.
Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the SIXAXIS! You can use it to play bowling!
Yeah, great job leading there guys. Next thing you know you'll be rewarding people for completing certain tasks during games with things like "achievements". Can't. Fucking. Wait.
On the plus side at least they aren't dumbing games down for the oldies
Um I don't think that is entirely true, most if not all the senior citizens I know and deal with on a daily basis at my job are on fixed incomes. Fixed incomes do not allow for a lot of spending unless they have a nice pension or retirement fund. I'm not saying that they couldn't afford it but from previous experience teenagers and young adults normally have the most disposable income.
Rumors say that they already are. ;)
@ DemonEyes23
What is it you're trying to say boy? Is Timmy caught in the well?
thank god it works for me. Sony dodged a bullet.
Ah, right. I forgot that the validity of one's opinion is directly proportionate to his influence on the market.