The PlayStation 2 generation saw a weakened
Nintendo and a new-comer enter into Sony’s looming shadow. So it would be quite
the reversal of fortunes to see not only Nintendo dominating the market with
the most consoles sold, but to see the up and coming Xbox brand surpass Sony as
the console of choice for the ‘hardcore’ gamer. But that’s exactly what’s
happened, and what’s more, things are looking up for the PlayStation nation.
CNNMoney’s Silicon Alley Insider column recently referred to the PS3 as a
“sinking ship.” So how fast is it headed below sea-level? Sales are down 19%
over last year and for a console that purportedly has a 10-year life span, it’s
a little early to be petering out.
This past year was supposed to see the rise
of Blu-ray as consumers heralded in the high-definition era. So it’s not
surprising that lower PS3 sales are concurrent with poor Blu-ray sales and thus
the Silicon Alley Insider attributes Blu-ray apathy as one of three aspects of
the PS3’s failures. After all, with each branded player Sony sells, a chunk of cash
is allocated for the upcoming high-def format, a fee Xbox avoided by
circumventing a next-gen player as a standard (Microsoft, in fact, backed the
wrong horse but their loss was subsidized by the fact that they only offered an
HD-DVD add on sold separately).
Perhaps that makes it easier for Microsoft
to slash prices as slash they have, and repeatedly. And that’s the second
aspect of the PS3’s market-share scuttling: price. Sony has unremittingly kept
cost of the owning a PS3 fixed. They haven’t been prone to capitalizing on
seasons, such as a holiday price drop. But we’ve seen time and again, that gamers
could care less about a console’s cost so long as there are enough must-own
titles to back it up. And therein lies the third fracture point on the ship’s
hull (okay, I’ll stop with the nautical metaphors). Silicone Alley Insider cites
the dearth of high-quality system exclusives as another reason the PS3 is
failing.
Things are a little more optimistic over at
PC Mag where they note the recent upswing in Blu-ray rentals as consumers begin
updating their celluloid libraries. And for some, it’ll only take one title to
make the PS3 a must own (MGS4 anyone? Or perhaps LBP?).
Regardless, a PS3 price drop isn’t only overdue,
it might just be crucial to the longevity of the system.
I agree about the price adjustment and I certainly hope that see the light early enough, they are a bit late as it is.
Fact is that consoles like the Nintendo DS is such a neat machine, much cheaper, portable, and appeals to a wider market, that PS3 which is overpriced and with too many bells and whistles, just can’t compete…
Make it cheaper and maybe it will…