Need to drum up some cash? Sell accessories. Already sold a slew of accessories to your core audience? Sell some lux accessories to your
so rich we don't know what to do with it audience. Sounds like a plan for SCE, who launched their
PlayStation Signature series to fashion conscious "adult" consumers well heeled enough to spend some serious cash at their popup PlayStation design store in Aoyama, but not wealthy enough to, say, buy
The Simmons Jewelry Co.'s $35k PSP case. The PlayStation Signature includes: ¥13,000 MDR-EX90SL PSP headphones, a ¥2,200 acrylic PSP stand, ¥8,000 and ¥4,000 crocodile-like PSP and UMD case, ¥30,000 tote bag with PSP pocket, ¥15,000 rayon/poly blend shirt, ¥5,500 coin purse, ¥6,000 card case, ¥11,500 wallet, ¥5,500 t-shirt, ¥6,500 polo shirt, ¥4,800 PSP strap, ¥2,200 champagne flute, ¥2,200 red wine glass, ¥2,100 white wine glass, ¥20,000 notebook, ¥2,600 pen set, and a ¥33,600 Emeliio Pucci-designed crocodile or leather PSP case. Were you to buy all of these, you'd be paying ¥174,700, or $1,551 US to outfit yourself in all things PlayStation. When asked about the cultural ramifications of the Signature line, our Japanese correspondents both laughed at and expressed concern for
Sony. We forgot to ask how you say "jump the shark" in Japanese.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
joe @ May 29th 2006 1:07PM
wow
they cant stop taking peoples money
but i still love the ps3 and im saveing for it
js @ May 29th 2006 1:14PM
A corkscrew? WTF? How does that extend the functionality of PSP?
Rizzy @ May 29th 2006 1:24PM
I'm done Sony. This is the end of it. You and me? We're over. For years, I've bought your games systems but now, no more. This is stupid.
From now on, it's just me and Nintendo. No more over-priced crap.
Tim @ May 29th 2006 1:24PM
I know here in America people will look at that and be like "WTF? PLAYSTATION MERCHANDISE THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH GAMES?" but in Japan, they will buy this stuff and love it.
greatslack @ May 29th 2006 1:32PM
Hmm, never heard "jump the shark" used for a company, I thought it was only for TV shows.
hehehhehe @ May 29th 2006 1:36PM
Wow, you guys really hate Sony huh?
Jake Kohlar @ May 29th 2006 1:41PM
Sony is horrible. What's not to hate?
Emceay @ May 29th 2006 2:14PM
Sony talks with their eyes closed and smells their own farts.
Krono6 @ May 29th 2006 2:24PM
.... I want that Polo Shirt >.>
Steven Veneralle @ May 29th 2006 2:41PM
Hey some american would bu the accesories as well. Admimttly not many of us but some would. I would cause I'm not to have the plain ole stuff
John Hinds @ May 29th 2006 2:50PM
"and a ¥33,600 Emeliio Pucci-designed crocodile or leather PSP case."
¥33,600 = US$266, €209
WTF??? Thats more than the PSP Giga Pack.
And a notebook that's ¥20,000???
Pedro @ May 29th 2006 3:19PM
I'm not a big fan of Sony, however, my first 'modern' console was a PS2 and I'm considering a PSP (Huzzahs are in order for modchips). But anyway, when I registered my PS2 I won a T-Shirt - PlayStation branded of course - and I swear to God this is a true story; while walking down the street I was mocked by a random stranger.
I mean, WTF!? Just WTF...
Anyway, I forgot where I was going with this comment apart from, well,
1) Sony clothing has been arround before, just not for sale
2) People hate Sony
3) I now no longer like random strangers
JJ @ May 29th 2006 3:34PM
I dont see a problem with it... their not forcing people to buy that stuff... its like much of the other boutiqe stuff out there... Different cases for your cell phone, leather carrying cases, Ipod cases, etc.
hell i've even seen diamond studded Ipod and cell phone covers. iit's no different than people tricking out theirs cars/pcs/consoles etc.
I mean heck i just dropped $100 on different face plates and cases for my 360.
JJ @ May 29th 2006 3:36PM
is there any real reason to hate a company thats trying to make money? I mean really. MS does it and put many companies out of business... and yet they're somehow a wonderful company?
Bah, a multinational company is a multinational company. In the end they're in it for the MONEY. I would think most of you would realize that. Unless you just live under a rock and dont work.
RogueStorm @ May 29th 2006 4:55PM
Yeah, but the day that Microsoft released "jewell encrusted media cases" with the Microsoft emblem emblazoned all over them in hopes that someone will press forward their poor pricing and marketing, then they will fall into the same trap that Sony has put themselves in here. More proof that Sony is sorely out of touch with at least the American consumer, if not Europe as well.
semi @ May 29th 2006 5:39PM
whats engadgets beef with sony?
its not american?
Charlie @ May 29th 2006 6:29PM
#17. It's now considered "hip" and "happenin'" to diss Sony in every part of its problems like DRM, Rootkits, and Blu-Ray in every other article on various blogs, newsites and posts. What's not considered cool is dissing the "xbox360", "HD-DVD" and the "wii" for anything they're doing.
Yeah. It's a strange world this time and age.
Pi @ May 29th 2006 7:56PM
"When asked about the cultural ramifications of the Signature line, our Japanese correspondents both laughed at and expressed concern for Sony. We forgot to ask how you say "jump the shark" in Japanese."
No one noticed how ipodish is this line of accessory! looks like Sony is becoming yet another iPod case designer, and these sleek black and white line is their only answer to approach visually what the ipod offer : at least there are not dozen of minuscule switches and buttons on it like on the real products.
Lame
Jamar @ May 29th 2006 10:13PM
WHY does Sony get such an awful reputation in the US? Oh right, their US group decides to mess up at every possibility. In Japan, at least there are games worth buying (see www.oniyome.net as an example if you speak Japanese), and other ways to extend the PSP's features, like the p-tv service (www.p-tv.jp). On the topic of rootkits, Sony Japan never did such a thing. It seems to be the idiocy of Sony US/Europe alone. If they did as well in the rest of the world as in Japan, the PSP would sell, there would be games worth playing, and the Nintendo DS wouldn't seem as attractive (I wouldn't buy the DS unless the Densha de Go series comes out for it) (Yes, I like train simulators, don't laugh)
Joe C. @ May 29th 2006 11:25PM
The key word here trigger happy Sony bashers is “Signature” which is also synonymous with “premium” which means pony up lots of cash! This is no different than a $400 designer case by Armani or Gucci for your I-Pod. This is being offered to people who don’t want a Logitech or Pelican case for their PSP. The target market here isn’t the mass market. Why can’t people who want luxury items purchase them and why can’t Sony offer them?
Joe C. @ May 29th 2006 11:28PM
The key word here trigger happy Sony bashers is “Signature” which is also synonymous with “premium” which means pony up lots of cash! This is no different than a $400 designer case by Armani or Gucci for your I-Pod. This is being offered to people who don’t want a Logitech or Pelican case for their PSP. The target market here isn’t the mass market. Why can’t people who want luxury items purchase them and why can’t Sony offer them?
Bridge @ May 30th 2006 12:35AM
> 16. Yeah, but the day that Microsoft released
> "jewell encrusted media cases" with the Microsoft
> emblem emblazoned all over them in hopes that
> someone will press forward their poor pricing and
> marketing, then they will fall into the same trap
> that Sony has put themselves in here. More proof
> that Sony is sorely out of touch with at least
> the American consumer, if not Europe as well.
And these comments is a proof that you are an idiot, RogueStorm.
First, Sony did not release "jewel encrusted media cases". Independent producers do this under license from Sony. You can prove me wrong by showing me a Sony Style link that sells "jewel encrusted media cases". But I doubt you can because there is none.
Second, these products are produces for JAPANESE customers. Learn to read first before writing your idiotic remarks. No one is selling this stuff for Americans. So your comments are off the mark by a mile.
Third, a leather pouch from Apple cost $99 at apple web site. This leather pouch from Sony cost 8000 yen which is about $65. I do not see people whining here about how Apple is “out of touch with American customers”. Instead you are all happily buying overprices crap accessories from Apple to proudly display your iPod while complaining about "overpriced" accessories from Sony. That is pretty moronic.
Finally, in free world people and companies can make whatever they want. That is why its called free world capitalism and its driven by the laws of supply and demand. If there is demand there is supply. If no one buys these accessories, they will not be sold, this is that simple, and obviously in Japan there are people who buy this, so what wrong in fulfilling someone demand? Is not it what companies are supposed to do?
hitkaiser @ May 30th 2006 6:34AM
This is taking things too far
antaeus @ May 30th 2006 8:40AM
you guys are stupid,Sony FTW!
Brian @ May 30th 2006 9:41AM
Wow, you people really are whiney. Heaven forbid a company release accessories and try to make money. Those bastards!
Fernie @ Jun 18th 2006 1:16AM
Everyone here hates on sony because they know its a far superior company than microsoft and everybody knows the ps3 will blow both the "wii" (wtf) and the 360 out of the next gen picture. And if you all cant afford a psp or other cool accesories thats your broke a**** fault. Peace out sony 4 prez.