CE-Oh no he didn't! Part X - Hirai tired of Microsoft copycats
By Ryan Block 
posted June 28th 2006 10:41PM
posted June 28th 2006 10:41PM
We're quickly learning that the real gold mine of our CE-Oh no he didn't! posts is Sony, home to blustering executives prone to spewing a seemingly never ending stream of pithy, entertaining commentary on the industry as their flagship game and media device lapses further and further into delay. Up on the chopping block today is Hirai-san, SCEA President who told PlayStation Magazine the following:"Every time we go down a path, we look behind and [Microsoft is] right there - we just can't shake these guys. I wish that they would come up with some strategies of their own, but they seem to be going down the path of everything we do. If you look at their strategy in other business areas as well, they tend to do that."
Really, Sony? Microsoft follows you around? Wait, didn't Sony shun Microsoft's tiered console pricing scheme, only to adopt it in the PS3? And wasn't the PlayStation originally only a response to their failed partnership with Nintendo? And wasn't the PSP merely a response to the hegemonic success of the Game Boy? And what about the new motion controller developers told us was a last minute feature creep to counter Nintendo's Wiimote? And the PS3 online service, slated for introduction long after Xbox Live? Sorry guys, you're not winning any hearts and minds when you try to pull the hype-woven wool over the everybody's eyes.
PS2 wasn't a game system, it was an entertainment system. /Shut up
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn - I cant believe you guys are still reading Sony's comments - SONY is DEAD (for me)!!!
Nintendo > Sony > Microsoft
It's oblivious that Nintendo is the company with the most innovative ideas, followed by Sony and Microsoft is the company with the least innovation.
So Xbox360 fanboys, show me some of your Xbox360 first and original innovative ideas ? Pricing schemes ?
Remember the first internet enabled console system is Sega Dreamcast.
Finally, flame war on the internet is poinless. The gaming market has enough place for everyone, and the result numbers will speak for themselves, it's not judged by fanboys.
BTW, Sony bashers, claiming you owned a PS2 doesn't make your comment less retarded
Most of you don't know jack about the industry. Do you realize there are more 360's on store shelves than DS lites. The consoles price is part of the reason. Sony's system will be more powerful and cost way more. It won't have a lot of launch titles either. Ha after the launch PS3 will sit in stores just like 360 is currently doing. Not to mention 60-99 dollars for a game. You people are idiots if you think Sony will come out the gate the winner. No. Sony may get back on top, don't expect them to do it overnight. It's hilarious to read some of these comments. You have your MS and Sony fanboys arguing, all while the Wii has already trumped both systems in Japan, in terms of popularity. Do you think Nintendo pwned E3 for no reason. Worl record wait times were broken. People waited hours, in fact some stood in line all the way back at Sony's comparitivly empty booth just to try Nintendo's new console. Besides NEVER in the history of the industry has the more expensive/powerful console been no.1 in it's gen. You guys might want to go out there and find some facts. Some of you know whats going on, others don't have the foggiest idea. For all the idiots, that don't know what their talking about shut up. Check around with more sites that offer factual non biased information, cause you sound like a bunch of raving mad biased as hell fan boys. Oh and I learned my lesson from the PSP. I hate owning a system with few original fun titles. Syphon filter is the only reason the damn thing hasn't been sold already.
Snes was the first online system. Sattela view fools. Get your shit straight. If you say "Sattela view?" that's cool it was only in Japan. Then we can move on to the xband. Snes and Genisis used it for online play way back in the day. As far as built in functionality the dreamcast was the first.
Imitation, they say, is the sincerest form of flattery.
Both systems borrow ideas from each other, and I don't see that as a bad thing. After all, The Playstation needed a good online service with more robust features, similar to Xbox Live. Sorry Sony and Nintendo, but Xbox Live is the standard now. Rise above it lest you be compared to it.
I also own an Xbox 360 (as well as every other console), and I also love mine. But, to say, that there won't be anything of value on PS3 is a bit presumptuous.
You need to own all 3 next-gen consoles to truly experience the best that gaming has to offer.
You want to play FFXIII? You will need a PS3.
You want to play Halo 3? You will need an Xbox 360.
You want to play Super Mario Galaxy? You will need a Wii.
There are compelling reasons to own all three systems, if it within your budget. If you do not have the money for all 3, you must choose which to buy first. If I was in that position, I would choose Xbox 360 first, simply because it's already out, already has good games, and is available, most importantly. Don't hold out because you want a PS3. There will be plenty of time to save up for a PS3, meanwhile you can enjoy some truly Kickass Xbox 360 games. Oblivion, Call of Duty 2, PGR3, GRAW, Table Tennis (new) are just a few examples of games I really enjoyed so far.
I do think that the editor that wrote this article is narrow minded and naive, thinking that the PSP was copying from the Gameboy. What about the PSP is similar to the Gameboy, except for the fact that they both play games? They couldn't be more different. If you don't agree, then you've never played them.
I do think that Sony makes bold statements and has some right to be frustrated due to Microsoft's overwhelmingly successful launch, but they should hush and instead concentrate on making the PS3 better.
For PR purposes, Sony has a lot to learn from Nintendo--keep everything hush hush until the moment is right. Only advertise your own strengths without talking about other companies weaknesses. That's called professionalism, and I commend Nintendo for that.
Don't spew venom, expecting people to be won over by trash talk.
Yeah! Everyone should stop copying off each other altogether!
I personally want 6 video formats, 12 audio formats and a ban on cross-compatibility. Dammit, I paid for my elitism! I don't want no user being able to play _my_ product's format. In fact, I think if I want to play 3 different types of video, I should buy 3 different things. and 3 different TVs. and grow a couple of extra heads (elitist eyes, you see)
And to people who think sony haven't been innovative:
Name another games console that could play DVDs with DD audio in 2000.
Name another games console that will play Blu-ray in 2007.
Name another completely backwards compatible console.
Name another handheld games console that could play movies in 2005
I'm sure some people will actually be able to think of one or two of the above, but not all.
I'm not saying everything they try is a success (PSX, anyone?) but they are clearly not just following the crowd: they have long term plans (ie: how to help blu-ray beat HD DVD)
I'm also not saying that the comments made in the article by the CEO were well thought-out, or that they needed saying at all, just that 90% of the arguments in the comments were unfounded, wrong, or not well thought-out either. Hell, my comment certainly isn't.
One final thing I'm not saying is that Sony innovate more than anyone else (the Wii-mote is genius). If you want to see some companies that stopped innovating, look in the where-are-they-now sections off nostalgic computer magazines. However, copying leads to compatibility, which leads to standards, and that's a good thing as far as I'm concerned.
And for anyone who cares, the only console I own is a Sega Master System. Some of us have jobs.
See what we got here: Mr Dichromaticb3c, are you god? Are you the one that can saved the console world and all stupid gamers that livin' in sin of ignorant and haven't seen the light of day?
I'm tired of all the idiots with "Mr. know everything" and "Holier than thou" attitude, judge everthing like they can foresee the future - I'm sick now
Engadget is so biased sometimes.
did everybody forget how bill gates copied mac's original ideas. their interface, if I remenber correctly, are all identical copies of the mac interface. the playstation franchise was created because nintendo turned their backs on sony. what was sony going to do? they changed the controller because some dink pot company sued for their vibrating design. what were they going to do? remove the vibration from their controllers completely? The ps3 is all about the hardware, if they removed one of the most favorite features from their console system, what's their selling point? they have to include soemthing shnazzy and new in there to keep on impressing...those examples you chose are nothing but various strategic responce that the company has made.
I must say, the ONLY reason people ever hear any of these comments from Sony execs, is because of Engadget.
Lil Tommy could care less about what an exec has to say about another company.
Seriously.
These quotes appeared in Playstation Magazine, and are OBVIOUSLY meant for 'fanboys'/pro-playstation type folks.
Tsk Tsk Ryan. Trying to pour gasoline onto the flames.
We GET IT Engadget. You all secretly want Sony and the PS3 to die. Why? Who cares? But your skirts are showing.
'Rootkit rootkit rootkit' right?
Woo! A chance to flame Sony! Come on Joystiq, we'll have fun. Get those Wii60 people over and we'll have another good stab at a console we hate that isn't even out yet.
Purr-lease.
Wow fanboys get deffensive. If others attack and you defend no one has ground to stand on. The damn things not even out yet. Grow up kiddies. Wait for all of them to launch before you have fanboy wars. Then your silly arguments might have some ground. Any one want to argue about next years Super Bowl winners?
Wow fanboys get deffensive. If others attack and you defend no one has ground to stand on. The damn things not even out yet. Grow up kiddies. Wait for all of them to launch before you have fanboy wars. Then your silly arguments might have some ground. Any one want to argue about next years Super Bowl winners?
OK SONY, YOU ARE STARTING TO WORRY ME WITH ALL OF THIS BLA, BLA, BLA! JUST MAKE SURE THE DAMN THING (PS3) IS ON SCHEDULE FOR NOVEMBER! AND JUST INCASE YOU NEED A REMINDER, IF YOU MISS THIS HOLIDAY CYCLE YOU ARE, TO QUOTE A FAMOUS FRENCH POET, FUX’ED!
NOW, LESS TALK AND MORE WORK!!!
I don't think it's strange at all that the 360 supports the iPod. It's Microsoft. They've been having computers compatible with iPod for years. Also, why the heck would you want a console that can browse the internet? Shaun B said it was good "for those of us who don't have a computer" but you could buy a decent desktop for web browsing, as well as a 360 for about the same cost as a PS3. Internet browsing just isn't worth it on a console. Furthermore, they are releasing an internet browser for the DS, sure it's following after the PSP, but, back to what I said before, why would you want to browse on something like that? Companies keep trying to integrate all these different things into one, and it's stupid. In doing so, you lose a little bit out of each area, whereas if you just get an iPod and a DS, you've got full focus on games on the DS, and full focus on movies and music for the iPod. No having to worry about making all three fit, and thus removing some from others. Web browsing on a PSP just seems absurd. The only way you can do it is if you're near a wi-fi connection, and then all you can do is browse. You can't type on it, you can't IM. You can just look at stuff. If you wanna browse the internet anywhere, just get a laptop.
And not everybody is copying others, JinKazama. That's why Nintendo is great. They're leading the way with new ideas, whereas MS and Sony just leech off of those new ideas and try to twist them into their own. Microsoft is better at it than Sony, at least as far as consoles go, as Sony has more of a "Let's toss one of those in there too" attitude towards their hardware. As of now, it seems that Playstation is the only system doing the copying, as Xbox is pretty much leaving the Wii alone, and the PS3 doesn't have anything we haven't seen before.
Sukato is on the money. He's right about the PSP's browser too, it's slow as molases.
oh come on... we all know dreamcast came up with the first online system. and saturn have them as well... so sega and nintendo got a bit overshadowed by sony. so what?
I love it when Engadget throws a Sony comment out there and the boards just explode! Like Sony's sh*t never stinks...
Sukato and Ryan are right on.
Sony had a couple of game consoles before MS, big deal. MS made their own and made it better with online play and a couple of great titles. If Sony has all these great ideas and MS is stealing them... where are they? I don't see the PS3 with anything special or different. The point is MS is doing it better than Sony TODAY and I don't see how they can beat MS with the PS3. Now the Wii on the other hand...
The Wii could very well own both the 360 and the PS3, or it could totally flop. From the looks of it at E3 and its already mounting popularity, I'd bet on the former. It might not do better than the 360, at least at first, just 'cause it's been out for a while and already has a good hold on its position. I think the Wii will definitely blow PS3 out of the water, though.
The marketing departments for both of these companies must LOVE the PS/Xbox rivalry. Human tendency or a viral ad ploy?
People are getting riled up over which consumer product is better. The zealots providing free advertising for both of these companies' products.
Each product is just a game console/entertainment system. Each has their plusses and minusses.
Pick the one that suits you and enjoy.
Do you really want to be wasting your precious time and energy arguing which is better?
Dichromaticb3c, stop bringing facts into this rant! On a note about the Nintendo DS lite, it's selling amazingly well and if you combine it with the regular DS's there are more DS systems than Xbox 360's.
I was watching a few clips from E3 and I found it hilarious the Sony booth buys were looking out at the huge Nintendo line. It was so huge that it reached Sony's booth. I think some of the people going into the Sony booth did so only cause the Nintendo line was so long.
Someone mentioned the secrecy of Nintendo. I think it was due to Sony. If anyone remembers Nintendo let the cat out of the bag early as far as how Mario 64 would be controlled. Sony saw it, copied it and actually released an analogue conroller before the N64's release. Needless to say, Nintendo took secrecy to the umpteenth level after that.
Jymbob.
* I would hardly call a game system playing a DVD anything revolutionary because my PC could play DVD's AND it could play games. Sure, it's not a console but don't act like Sony putting in DVD playback was some sort of innovative feature. By the same token Blu-Ray is an evolutionary format. At it's heart, it's still an optical disc drive that uses a laser to read tracks embedded with data. Yes, it uses a blue laser instead of red and yes the tracks are smaller but at it's heart, it's nothing but a beefed up DVD. I know you'll nitpick about my example being a computer but what is a console if not a highly specialized closed computer used almost exclusively for video games?
And while it's a different medium, the Phillips CDI could play VCD's, which while not DVD's in quality or storage size was still an optical disc movie format. Which is pretty much what a DVD is. So movie playback on a console is not even an innovative feature of any sort. DVD's did not exhist at that time or I'm sure Phillips would have incorporated it in.
* You do realize that the king of backwards compatibility actually was released nearly two decades ago? Way back in 1989 Nintendo released a little portable games system that up until the Nintendo DS, was playable by all it's successors. Yep, the venerable Gameboy that launched the portable games market. And the Playstation is not 100% backwards compatible.
* The Gameboy Advanced has an add-on that allows it to play movies. Not saying it did it well but it did do it before the PSP was ever released.
I'm not saying Sony is a 100% copycat company. Neither is Microsoft but clearly Nintendo has been at the forefront of video games innovation since they entered the business and are constantly trying out new things.
One of the best things about Sony is their marketing department. They keep shoveling it out and fanboys keep swallowing it. I think Penny Arcade had it right with the comic of their two protagonists putting on rubber pants, boots and coats before going to Sony's press conference.
I'm also not trying to paint Sony as only producing hot air and crap. Thier Gran Turismo games are awesome and so was relatively unknown ICO.
Oh, and it's laughable how someone cited the success of MS's Xbox division. I thought the Xbox was a success marketing wise but it failed business wise. Losing nearly a cool $1 billion is not exactly success. And losing another billion launching the Xbox 360 usually puts you on the chopping block if you were the CEO of a company.
I think the Nintendo Wii is likely a make or break system for Nintendo. While they aren't exactly losing money, their mindshare as well as marketshare is slowly being chipped away. They need to at least retain the number two spot and hopefully a 25% or greater share of the home console market if they wish to remain in the game long term.
Disclaimer: I have owned an Xbox, PS1, PS2, pretty much every Nintendo console, Genesis, Master System, Dreamcast, Neo Geo.
For the guy that thinks the ps2 was the first console to have a HD: www.planetgamecube.com/media/gen086.jpg. Besides, N64 DD. And yes the first console with a cd drive? the SNES. The first console with network play? The NES. The first online game? The N64, a kind of chess game with modem in the cartidge.
I don't think it is wrong to copy, director Tarantino lives on it. But he does one thing: he copies it the way it was meant to be copied: right!
"They were also the first to introduce online gaming that was good... "
No.. First came online computer games, then came the dreamcast with its built in modem then sony copied it. (actually i even remember a thing about sega or nintendo trying it back in the early 90s as well)
".. and free"
Yeah lets sit here and give them a big high five for giving us an insecure network for playing games on that was riddled with cheats and hacks and absolutely no support to combat those problems. PS2 online games wsd worse then a joke.
I have a ps2 for certain games and an xbox for certain games and online gaming. Im no xbox fan boy so when you respond dont go there :)
Guys Guys Guys....
My Atari 2600 had an external storage unit AND modem access to download a library of games...
This is what....25 YEARS ago .... ATARI 2600 ROCKED and set the innovation standards.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starpath_Supercharger
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gameline
Clearly the artical was made by a Sony hater. Why the writer hates Sony I don't know? The only people who argue who copied who and who is the best is the sado geeks. The rest of the population don't give a toss whether Sony or Microsoft wins. You lot don't go into a car forum and whinge at each other on who is the best car manufacturer and who make the best cars. If you new that was going on who would think they were sad, yet you lot do the same thing in here about other companies. And you would continue to debate who's the best till the day you die and get annoyed if others prefere other consoles to you. You were born sad, you are sad, and you wil continue to be sad.
Hey boo, that was almost an intelligible paragraph. Next time please try punctuation, capitalization, and English. Just goes to show you the kind of people that buy into Sony's crap...
And just so you know, go to ANY car forum and people will be debating which car is the best, and there is nothing sad about that.
he was referring to the fact that microsoft copies off of everyone...such as macintosh and nintendo and sony...microsoft is copying off of sony and nintendo by making that motion sens thing to for the xbox...and look at vista...it looks just like mac!! and i think the argument abt which system is better will never end!! ppl always stick with one idea! and never try to look at the other side of things...i haved argued alot for the sony side of things cuz i am a sony fan but im tired of argueing now...sony will prevail and thats all...and im gonna get my ps3 and sell it on ebay for $2000 and buy another ps3 in march and still have more than a grand left...face it 360 is gonna go down! and the ps3 will prevail and whup some 360 butt...
Lets all just go back to the beginning of the whole thing... THE WHEEL!
...now moving to the 20th century... ford came out with this thing called a CAR.. moving forward some more.. than the japense STOLE the idea (oh my goodness!) and now Toyota, and all the other japense companies make cars, maybe they should get their own ideas.
... Does that sound as ridiculous as this crackhead CEO?
(i think so)
Sony should talk... they've been ripping off other companies for so long.... what about their VAIO PC's... every feature has been copied off Macs.
To those of you saying DC was the first online system: I have a 72 baud modem on my Atari 800. Don't think for a second I didn't program a host to play pong online.
Anyways, PS2 not a console, its an entertainment system, funny so was NES and SNES ([Super] Nintendo ENTERTAINMENT System). As a Proud owner of Atari 2600, 800, NES, SNES, N64, DC, GC, XBOX and PS2 (well, not so proud of the last two), I can truthfully say that I played my PS2 for under 20 hours total, I've had it for 2 years. I played God of War, and GunGrave... I have .hack 1-4, played the first for about an hour and a half, never touched it again, Phantom Brave was cool, never finished though, same with Makai Kingdom, I lose interest when a game is no longer FUN.
Smash Bros? Mario Tennis/Strikers? I play them constantly with all of my friends, we have a tournament like every other week, and we play at least 2 nights a week. Nintendo definitely has a thing for making FUN games, which is what games are all about, right?
Oh.. and I don't despise XBOX.. I just want a keyboard and mouse for Halo, and I'll own d= (big PC gamer, here)
if MS felt their console could compete with the ps3, why didn't they wait a while, fix all the problems they had (yes, not enough items shipped, and the huge transformer), and release it at the same time the ps3 will be released? they knew they couldn't compete, they needed some time to be able to get some people.
to whoever said computers are better for games:
yes they are, yet ask yourself this question, if they are, why is MS still making gaming consoles? why don't they just improve computer gaming?
well about nintendo, there is nothing to say, they have always been, and will always be, on the gaming industry, they got great people, and like humans they also make errors (especially the ds micro)
copied from Daily Online...looks like another Sony exclusive format is going down the drain...
"The other major Blu-ray news is that big-box Target has dropped Sony's UMD (universal media disc) format for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). What does this have to do with Blu-ray? The UMD format is another failed format from Sony, which has a ridiculous history of failed formats.
Let's go down the list (thanks to dubious quality, via digg): Betamax, Mini-Disc, Multi-Media Compact Disc, Music Clip, HiFD, Memory Stick and SACD".
It's actually quite pathetic how Sony has been unable to introduce a successful format to the market. What makes the industry think that this time Sony gets it right?
That sums up the force feeding of "Blue Ray" down our game playing throats. There is NO worse kiss of death as having a major chain DROP your products format software. Lets see who else follows....