CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XVIII - Gates sez Sony "bricks" would sell well
By Darren Murph 
posted November 22nd 2006 12:27PM
posted November 22nd 2006 12:27PM
While we aren't sure if this is just another lashing from the lingering bitterness ole Bill is surely feeling from Sony's most recent criticisms, Mr. Gates has unwillingly volunteered himself for yet another episode of CE-Oh no he didn't. Shortly after praising Apple's iPod, he apparently felt a few brash phrases were in order to bring the world back into balance, and balance he did. In an interview with CNET, Microsoft's chairman explained that he knew very well the pain "of being a year late" -- presumably in regard to how belated the Zune is in hitting the iPod-filled DAP market -- but continued on by stating that he "wouldn't change positions with Sony in a million years" when referring to the Xbox 360's head start in the next generation console race. But fun and games turned staid when Gates remarked that "Sony could make 80,000 bricks, and people would buy them." While we can't quite decipher the true meaning of "bricks," we're fully aware that the stakes have been raised once again, but Sony might try fixing a few lingering problems of its own before crafting a rebuttal this time around.[Via 1UP]
Ha ha! You tell 'em Bill.
I don't think there's a mystery to the brick comment. There are companies with a fanbase that is so enamored with the brand that they could almost literally slap a logo on a brick and sell it.
"Brick" is commonly referred to a PSP that has been destroyed or corrupted usually by trying to re-flash it....check out the vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgriGs3_9gc
If your using the word brick in that way, that is the term used to refer to any hardware that is inoperational, especially used in terms of broken/lack of firmware. It is used to refer to DS's, PSP's, all consoles, and pretty much everything else solid that can have its firmware removed.
He said it in a "We know they sell well, so we're not letting our guard down just yet" sort of way, not a "the PS3 is a brick" way.
And the year late thing is most likely referring to the XBox, not the Zune, surely. (Strictly speaking 2 years late, but thats a lot less than 7 years late like the Zune is)
Bill's right. So could Apple or any other company with a lot of brand loyalty
With all due respect, anyone who's a Sony fan has likely never had to deal with their customer service, I myself was a fan for years but after several requests for a firmware update for my HDD DVD recorder I realized that Sony is not in the business of retaining it's customer base, they'd rather just sell another overpriced and buggy PS3. Very dissappointed.
More of a compliment than an insult, even if it is a backhanded compliment.
"Microsoft's chairman explained that he knew very well the pain "of being a year late" -- presumably in regard"... to Vista?!?
It's because he counts in "Microsoft time". You know, like when you install software on windows, the install bar counts in "Microsoft minutes": "12 minutes left...", five minutes later: "11 minutes left...", half an hour later: "7 minutes left".
True, with XP, the "MS time" is getting closer to reality, but with older versions of Windows, the difference was obvious.
I will be getting a PS3 not because Sony's name is on it, but because I need it to play FF13.
Ol' Bill got it right, nice, shiny black BRICKS!
This ain't worthy of a CE-OH NO
Brick,
v. - to render inoperational. -"That tojan firmware updated bricked my PSP"
n. - an object that is of limited or no functionality. -"I thought I was buying a good used computer but it turned out to be a brick. It won't even turn on!"
Bill's nose hair is teh sechsy.
Sweet, I'm the first to post this!
If Sony made a brick, I'd buy it just so I could turn around and sell it on eBay for 2500 bucks! Zing!
Alright, back to work...
Sadly, what Billy Boy said is 100% true. Fanboys need to be eliminated. The era of the True Consumer is near.
"Sadly, what Billy Boy said is 100% true. Fanboys need to be eliminated. The era of the True Consumer is near"
Sadly, that would eliminate any chance the zune or xbox has of staying competitive.
if the ps3 is a brick then i guess the 360 is thrash.
hardware wise the ps3 suprior against the 360
"...360 is thrash"ing the ps3?
who gives a shit how superior inside the box is? the games are more and better on non-superior box
racing around red rocks wont last very long
Trying to make this into a "Oh no he didn't!" is so cheesy. He didn't say that the PS3 IS a brick but that even if it was the 360 would still have a fight on its hands because people are going to buy Sony consoles no matter what. He is *clearly* commenting on Sony's brand loyalty. No smack, just realism. Give it a rest.
The bricks (as in the block of clay, was the context) comment was a compliment and a testament to the Sony brand. Despite numerous problems they still maintain a dedicated and loyal following.
If I was Sony I'd take that as a compliment. MS knows what it is up against when it comes to Sony. The 360 is great but man the PS3 has got the potential to be even bigger than the PS2. If Sony can just weather the storm of launch...
-expand the system (work out the kinks) through firmware updates
-get MGS4, God of War 4, and few other killer exclusives out by this time next year
- and drop the price $100 by Christmas of 2007
...The 360 would be dead. MS would have to release another console altogether to be able to compete.
it's easy to see what he meant, and i agree with him completely. sony for whatever reason has such a cachet with people that they could release anything (bricks) and people will blindly buy them based on the "sony" name...they don't have to be good, they don't have to have value, they just have to have the sony name on the label...
PS2 is thrashing Xbox... Was the Xbox early or late???
It looks like there is an abrasive on the end which may help remove any oxidation from cheap contacts. It could certainly help if you find your card reader has pretty much stopped working. Of course you could just buy a new one for the cost of a cleaning kit.
You picked the wrong quote to use on this one. The real stab at Sony isn't the comment about the bricks (which could be taken as a statement on either brand loyalty or the quality of the PS3) but the one about sales numbers that follows:
"This Christmas, the story is: Xbox 360 is going to sell super-well, and [Sony will] sell the rounding error amounts they can make."
Essentially claiming that the number of PS3s that Sony will be able to manufacture and sell is at the level once would consider a rounding error (that is, for non-technical types, extremely small).
This is really old news!
Anyway, If you knew the history of Sony, and why people are loyal to them, Bill's comment makes a heck load of sense, and is also ENDEARING rather than insulting. Sony literally turned the economy of Japan on its head and saved the country back in the day, which commands a heck load of respect.
You guys need to buck up on your business sense to really evaluate the meaning behind 'wot Bill sed'
Haha.. I love Engadget but this "article" is retarded.
He is commenting on brand loyalty.
Although he is making an underhanded comment about how low their shipping numbers were in Japan (80,000).
Uh... how does this qualify for the esteemed group of CE Oh No He Didn't? That statement is a huge compliment to Sony's brand loyalty.
The only items in the console war that is a real brick IS THOSE GIGANTIC power supplies on those xb360's
Bill gates doesnt like black computers!
Bill Gates is *NOT* the CEO of Microsoft.
Engadget's really starting to go down hill. More and more we get articles that consist of *intentionally* misunderstood quotes so as to try to instigate something. Sad, really.
Well, I'm sure he's just being smart, but if you think about it, it is indeed a Brick, unlike the Wii, which has had the most amazingly successful launch(Game/hardware quality-wise), the PS3 has no really good Launch titles, it has numerous backwards compatibility problems, and resolution problems with games, it comes with a what could be compared to White Chicks in quality, and there aren't any really good movies for Blu-Ray - Yet.
The thing is, the PS3 is going to be a Brick for a nice long while, Sony had a terrible launch, easily the worst launch since, what, Ngage? But they'll recover.
Honestly I think alot of Sony Fanbois are just buying the PS3 because it comes from Sony, the creators or PS2. They are not looking at the facts, and beleive in the hype that their machine is light years better when in fact they are equal, just have differents ways (architechture) to get to the end result.
I am buying the 360 because of its exculsive games, downloadable movies, Live, HD, and price. I don't buy items because someone hase their name on it... (except Kylie Minogue)
Bill's just jealous that Microsoft never gained brand trust. He had to steal/buy out his competition to sell his software.
I seriously hope Microsoft comes in third place again (come on Sony, ship the units!) simply to humble them. Lately they've been sticking their dicks in markets thay should be staying away from. Your a software company. Act like one. Make software, not hardware. Dump money into Microsoft Game Studios instead of trying to wedge your monopoly into the gaming hardware industry in some freakish attempt to overtake the entire electronics front. The day I see Microsoft branded Disc players, Receivers and TVs is the day I hope to be dead.
I don't understand how the rest of you can morally buy a 360. It makes me sick.
Does he look like he is about to flip off the camera man?
I think he's going to scratch that hair coming out of his nose...seriously, a guy with that kind of money can afford a proper trim.
I think he's flipping US off... all of US.
"I don't think there's a mystery to the brick comment. There are companies with a fanbase that is so enamored with the brand that they could almost literally slap a logo on a brick and sell it."
Wow... so true... you actually just made me want the Apple brick. I was thinking that they should just start growing actual apples. They could be genetically engineered to be white, or something. MAN, that would rock.
I hate it when sites like this look too deeply into off-handed remarks by company spokespeople. Gates was clearly commenting that Sony has a very strong brand with loyal customers. I don't think that's a slap against Sony at all. It's irresponsible for you to suggest otherwise just to call attention to your publication.
I don't understand why people are making such a big deal out of this.
I don't think Gates was insulting Sony.
I think he was saying that even though Sony is one year late in the console wars, Sony has so much influence with consumers that they could make 80,000 pieces of garbage and they'd still sell.
how the hell is this trash talking? but i do sense a bit of a challange. what he is saying is that sony's core fanbase is large enough to easily sell 80,000. but he obviously doenst think it is large enough to win the console war and sell 10,000,000 (i agree).
i am willing to bet my life that if blizzard remade galaga, it would be game of the year. i dont think any company has a more loyal fanbase...
And Apple could ship 80,000 bricks, label them as "iPods" and people would buy them (and engadget would praise them like they're the Second Coming). Same thing. Not an insult to Sony or Apple, just a statement of fact.
I am a disgusting spammer: liliarwu@yahoo.com
I'm pretty sure that the comment about being a year late is in regard to the original xbox shipping a year after the PS2... not in relation to any other more recent products.