CE-Oh no he didn't, part XXXVII: Sony's Reeves says PS3 will be "the winner" by March 08
By Donald Melanson 
posted July 16th 2007 2:46PM
posted July 16th 2007 2:46PM
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president David Reeves already caused quite a stir with his statement that the 60GB PS3 would soon be no more, and it looks like he's now set to kick up another hubbub, telling GamesIndustry.biz that he expects the PS3 to be "the winner" by March of next year. As if that wasn't a bold enough proclamation, he said that the PS3 "will be far and away the winner when you look at it by March '08," adding that "it's something that is going to be a slow burner, and suddenly it's like a tsunami; it will just overtake you." Let's just hope that tsunami comes at a discount.
now of course he didn't say what they meant by winner, so whatever state the PS3 is in when march 08 comes around they'll have something they can say to the media that proves the PS3 is the "Winner". But it's pretty obvious that won't be sales, unless the price drops again to 399 by christmas and the Xbox 360 has no price drop (which would just be foolish on their part) and even though I only own an Xbox 360 as of right now, I'm pretty confident the Wii wil be way on top in terms of sales, and perhaps even surpass microsoft in total sales by the end of the year. Either way it'll be an intresting holiday season for the console wars.
The only thing that will make PS3 sales 'like a tsunami' are more price cuts; I know people that own used cars that cost them less than a PS3...
I picked up a Wii and I've had a lot of fun with it, but I can already see it's limitations, so I'm deciding between Xbox360 and PS3. The Wii is a keeper, though. I was leaning toward the PS3 for the BluRay and the HDMI output, but I just can't get past the PS3 controller and it's lack of vibration/rumble. The Xbox360's controller just feels right in my hands, and the PS3 just doesn't, and when you add lack of rumble, I just can't see going for the PS3. Looks like I'm heading toward the Xbox. The Wii's control system is great, and if the graphical output was anywhere near the other systems, I'd stick with Wii and forget the big boys.
OK back in the real world what’s happening is...
1. X-box has plenty more quality titles coming out to add to the plenty of titles PS3 is trying to catch up on (i.e. Rainbow 6 a year later, Raw v. Smackdown 2007 Ps3 cancelled too late)
2. Anybody still out there waiting to buy a system for a game would have bought that system regardless of price cuts; they want the game. I can’t think of one game except MGS4 that people will say ohhhhh I’ll run out and get a PS3 for. Plus, isn’t the rumor that that will come out for the 360 as well with all of the other formerly exclusive titles that jumped ship?
3. Xbox is cheaper and more prevalent for gamers except for those holding onto the PS2's glory days and trying to rekindle it in PS3
4. The PS3 had too much hype and blew its load. Sony supported Ps3 with 1 real exclusive title that was say above average not great (I won't say which if you don't know you haven't been keeping up with the story)
5. The Wii is cheaper than box the PS3 and 360, is easy to use for the whole family and even my mother who couldn't get past the first jump in original super Mario bros. circa 1985 has now bought one, so how does Sony plan to over come that hurdle.
6. There are two markets gamers and people who play games. Xbox has most of the gamers because they were sick of waiting for PS3 to release titles(mind you with no fresh content) that were released and price cut on the 360 and the Wii by far will continue to control the market for those who play games and for that matter those who don't. Nintendo has actually found a way to expand the video game market and make a huge profit.
In conclusion, what will Sony be ahead of figuring out how to make the PS4 a little cheaper with better titles and more family friendly? Here is a free tip stop bundling all of your technology in it so you can force it on consumers and concentrate on what people want a good time and quality games.
For the record before I am called a fan boy I own all three the Wii 360 and PS3 and that is an objective opinion from an ivy league business student.
Don't get me wrong, I love my PS3 and truly think it's a great system; but when you're entering the playoffs as a clear underdog, the last thing you want to do is talk smack and piss off the competitors.
It's nice to be optimistic--until you start making crazy-talk.
I think Bart Simpson got it right when he said (of the PS3): "Let me get this straight. We're behind, and we're going to catch up by going slower than everyone else? Cuckoo!" Sony's people are dillusional, and statements like these just remove any doubt.
Each console has issues, though...
Wii: loses its novelty quickly, doesn't hold the attention of anyone besides the most casual gamers after a while very well (I'm bored of mine)
360: Hardware issues (though this isn't a real issue in my book since MS will replace any malfunctioning box for free)
PS3: Still too expensive, too few games. There are *some* games coming, but they are a year behind the 360, and the recent "we are/we aren't cutting the price" just gives further evidence that Sony has no clue what they are doing when it comes to marketing this thing.
It's also evident by how defensive PS3 fans get when people talk about the console that there is something fundamentally wrong there. If the PS3 was everything it was cracked up to be, wouldn't there be no need to be so defensive, and wouldn't it be outselling the other consoles instead of continuing to lose ground? The hardware may be impressive, but what good is it if there are few good games to play on it, and its too expensive for the average consumer to consider it a viable option?
You're right, Doug. The Wii is great fun but the novelty is already wearing off for me and I'm seeing the limitations of the graphics. Great for tennis and maybe a few other games for the family, but not a serious gaming machine (which Nintendo never intended it to be). Sure would have been cool if the Wii had graphics that were maybe not up to the Xbox/PS3, but were at least a lot better than the GameCube...
that guy looks like a younger version of colin mochrie from "whose line"
I think he meant the PS3 "will be far and away FROM the winner when you look at it by March '08,"
I can't see the ps3 winning. The wii will not be slowed down (it's still out of stock at many stores near me!) and the xbox 360 pretty much is like a ps3, only better. And yes, you can argue that the ps3 has blu-ray, and wifi built in, and a better processor and the xbox 360's hardware sucks, but that doesn't change the fact that the xbox 360 in terms of games (and exclusives), is a much more attractive console to buy.
Also, people who call the wii a novelty are just desparate. I don't have a wii (I have a 360), but it seems cool to me and I'll probably buy one some time).
The PS3 would win if they released a slimmer version of the 60gb for 325USD or less. The PS3 is the largest and ugliest system since the original XBOX; they really need to change its form factor. (Okay, I'm pulling this out of my ass but this is a comment on a internet blog, who cares).
I am going to pull a "Patcher" and make a prediction. Regardless of how you feel about MS, a version of the 360 will drop to $199 this holiday season. I can't tell you how much the premium will go for, but I would bet $250 to $275. Why do I believe this, well the MS camp keeps talking about the fact that 80% of the PS2 sales (which ultimately reached over 100 million consoles) occurred at $199. That is the magic price point. The 360 will reach its second bday this xmas and the new Falcon chipset is coming. The PS3 hasn't sold more units than the 360 has over the past year and I don't see how it is going to crush the 360 when it is going for about $200 to $250. Only time will tell.
I remember the days when gamers around the world were claiming that the DS is only a gimmick and its novelty would fade fast...
i don't really care who wins this console war but funny to see how it's perfectly fine to pay 600 bucks for the iphone (which I happen to love) but totally unacceptable to pay 600 for the ps3 which youll probably use for way longer.
As a non-owner of all three of the new generation OR of the old generation of the system mostly due to a lack of funds, I find Sony to be humorous but also telling. I hope to someday own all three systems but am more likely to own the next generation of all three companies. From a somewhat outsider point of view, here are my thoughts. Wii - is most likely just a novelty item especially for the hard core gamer, it will appeal to the casual gamer over it's lifetime, which means that eventually the Wii will stop selling as much and be surpassed by it's two more hard core gamer cousins. Xbox's owner (Microsoft for those who do not know) is focusing on too many chickens at one time (XBox, MS Vista and revitizing PC gaming, which has always had a bigger market then people like to admit to) and as a result will probably end up not doing any of them really good, giving Sony the chance to be the ultimate winner (especially if Blu-Ray wins the disc wars, which it currently looks like it will), but will all of this happen by March of 2008, I highly doubt it, more likely by March of 2010, when we will be talking about the arrival of PS4, Xbox 470 and Wii 2 (or what-ever they will be called)
@Ken "Wii - is most likely just a novelty item especially for the hard core gamer, it will appeal to the casual gamer over it's lifetime, which means that eventually the Wii will stop selling as much and be surpassed by it's two more hard core gamer cousins."
Quite the opposite.
Casual gamers are still buying the PS2 and GBA! There's almost an endless supply of casual gamers and parents for Nintendo to tap into. Once Nintendo eventually drops the price to $149 or $99, it'll open the floodgates and keep the Wii selling for years, just like the PS2 and GBA!
Most hardcore gamers buy their consoles within a year or two of their system of choice being launched. Eventually most hardcore gamers will own their PS3s or 360s. Sony and Microsoft will run out of hardcore fans much sooner than Nintendo runs out of casual gamers! The only way for Sony and Microsoft to sustain their sales will be to sell to casual gamers. That means casual gamer prices. Microsoft is closer, they could drop the price into casual territory sooner. But Sony may run out of gamers willing to pay the PS3's price tag before they can reduce the PS3's price to casual levels ($199).
The 360 sales will pickup later this year with all the great games coming out later this year with Halo 3 just one of many. What does the PS3 have? Did anyone watch the MS. Nintendo and Sony E3 Press Conferences? Sony doesn't have any big selling Exclusive games coming out until later NEXT YEAR!!! MS will have the even better 360 outs later this fall with the smaller cooler running GPU and CPU besides the bit better cooling the new 360's are now getting and the 3 year Warranty on all systems should greatly help with people's fears of a crashing 360 system. With a whole lot of great games coming THIS YEAR, with lots of exclusives or 360/PC ONLY, it should be a really good year for MS, especially if they do a price drop which should be about due.
And the story will be the exact same next year except reverse since you are already counting out SONY's new IP's.
Next Year lineup looks to be 5x stronger on the SONY front since thats wehn its Third party and First Party major IP's come out going against Micrsoft's New IP's.
I just hate how people count out SONY new IP's this year despite all the good reviews that have been seeing. Countless of game sites have said that Heavenly Sword and Uncharted are games that have the ability to be game of year (especially Uncharter) but no ones even count those.
People really need to open there eyes sometime.
Didn't the outgoing Sony boss proclaim the same delusional grandeur? I mean I know you want to have a positive outlook but to throw these claims around is really insulting to consumers and to the other console producers. The Wii is going to tie or break PS2's record and yet the Wii isn't even mentioned? I find it hard to believe the Wii will simply stop selling as it releases more titles and that the PS3 would not only dig out from the grave, but then to over take 306 and like a tsunami overpower the Wii in 8 months? haha