Sony admits it could do a better job marketing the PS3's "value"

Value likely isn't the first word that comes to many folks' mind when they think of the PS3 (especially given other recent console goings on), and Sony is now admitting that's partly its fault. No, it's not saying that the price is too high, but it is fessing up that it could do a better job of marketing the console's value. In an interview with Gamasutra, Julie Han of Sony corporate communications cited the PS3's ability to put PS3 downloadable content onto the PSP in particular as one feature they could do more with on the marketing front, adding that they also "don't talk enough" about Sony's "future-proofing" strategy. Of course, a price cut wouldn't hurt with that value message either but, as you may have suspected, Han would only reiterate that Sony has "no plans to do any price cuts," and that it's sticking with its strategy.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Update: It looks like Julie Han's remarks have managed to get taken out of context as they made their way across the internets, and she has since informed us that she was simply referring to the PS3's interoperability with the PSP and did not say that Sony needed to do more marketing to share the value of PS3

[required @ Sep 5th 2008 4:14PM]

I know I value mine. My PSP as well.

[Flashpoint @ Sep 5th 2008 4:55PM]

The Metal Gear solid 4 hooplah came and went.

Now PS3's major games are just ports.

Call of Duty 4
Raindbow 6 Vegas 2
GTA 4


and soon they'll get even MORE PORTS.

Call of Duty WaW
Force Unleashed

etc,etc.

wha they got to combat the imminent success of GoW2?

Nothin.

I actually have a PS3 and an Xbox 360. Most people who have both systems only get the newest port game for one system and I'm willing to be most of them buy it for Xbox 360.

[Darque @ Sep 5th 2008 5:09PM]

@Flashpoint: I think you may be forgetting a few...namely Little Big Planet, God of War III, Resistance 2, Killzone 2, and the anticipated next-gen Kingdom Hearts game, as well as (inevitably) Gran Turismo.

While, yes, a majority of the titles will be ports (as on the 360), I'd say there are still some big hitting first party titles on the horizon.

[benny boy @ Sep 5th 2008 5:17PM]

You can't actually know very much about the PS3 if you really believe that, Flashpoint?

Ever heard of Resistance 2? LittleBigPlanet? Killzone 2? SOCOM? Motorstorm 2?

I don't want to start list wars here but idiotic comments like that really piss me off. You obviously don't have a PS3.

Both consoles have a great exclusive lineup this year. Leave it at that. Don't start fucking fanboy wars.

[Platinum_Skeet @ Sep 5th 2008 7:11PM]

Honestly no surprise there this is the same exact thing that happened to the PSP. There no reason it shouldn't have competed on the same field as the ipod when it was more powerful. Now it just seems to be a missed opportunity...

[Paulmichael @ Sep 5th 2008 7:55PM]

Hell yes, same here. LittleBigPlanet is the best thing to happen to gaming since electricity. I should know, I played it a the X Games. That totally made my summer. :) Add in Killzone 2, Resistance 2, Motorstorm Pacific Rift, Infamous, Heavy Rain, Gran Turismo 5 (Though that probably won't be out until NEXT Christmas haha) and others that I can't think of, and I'm going to be broke these next couple of months/into next year.
On the other front, I finally own a 360 (Elite, won it in a raffle!), and am looking forward to Gears of War 2, Halo Wars, Fable 2, Left 4 Dead, and maybe some others...Frankly, most of my time is going to go to LittleBigPlanet, God I cannot wait!!!

[DiggerDaniels @ Sep 6th 2008 4:42AM]

For cretins like Flashpoint:

WipeoutHD
LittleBigPlanet
Killzone 2
Resistance 2
Motorstorm Pacific Rift
Infamous
Heavy Rain
Gran Turismo 5

You won't be seeing any of those on 360 or PC. However if you have a PC, you will be seeing all this seasons Xbox exclusives on there..

PC/PS3 is the best combo, you get EVERYTHING. PC/360 you get mostly dupes. PS3/360 you miss out in the PC games.

[phinn @ Sep 6th 2008 2:39PM]

PS3 really IS the best value. For $399 now you got a huge game library, blu-ray, dvd up-convertion, web browser, multimedia streaming, wired and wifi, 80gb hard drive, bluetooth ds3 controller, free online gaming, etc.

For the people that say there are no exclusives to combat the silly 10 player online GoW2 get a freakin' clue. SOCOM is gonna be amazing and comes with a sick bluetooth headset, new Warhawk expansion, Resistance 2, also LittleBigPlanet, Valkyrie Chronicles, and next spring if that isn't enough, Killzone 2. Also Home will be out this winter. I could go broke in a hurry getting all the exclusives that look awesome, not to mention all the multiplatform games coming for PS3 like FarCry 2, Fallout 3, Bioshock, The Force Unleashed, and more.

PS3 has the best of everything now, who the hell would buy GoW2 over SOCOM alone is beyond me.

[M3Ls @ Sep 5th 2008 4:18PM]

I value my PS3. It's ok Sony I didn't need you to tell me.

[GleepGlop @ Sep 5th 2008 4:21PM]

The PS3 is one of the best deals in electronics today. It's insane how much you get for $399. And more with every firmware update.

[StreetStealth @ Sep 5th 2008 5:38PM]

The PS3 offers more bang for more bucks, but MS is chipping away at that with the new pricepoint combined with the big software update on the way.

I think what I'm trying to say here is... Netflix.

Come on, Sony. Live Marketplace sells movies too, and they weren't afraid of adding this... You don't need to cut your price. Just stay on top of the features, right?

[Ethan @ Sep 5th 2008 4:21PM]

Maybe they need to look at the message itself, or how well that message holds up, rather than the proliferation of it.

[dazomoni @ Sep 5th 2008 4:24PM]

I value mine even more when all my friends 360 die and have to be replaced... true story happened about a week apart from each other

[SimbaDogg @ Sep 5th 2008 4:36PM]

how many friends?

[ferrarigtc @ Sep 5th 2008 4:55PM]

So while you played you're PS3 your friends just watched, right? I assume you are the only one that has a PS3 out of your friends ( I know 2 other people that have one). We tried Call of Duty 4 on a PS3, it was unbearable trying to keep a party together. Please someone tell me that they prefer COD4 on the PS3. I have a hard time understanding the value if I don't watch movies. I want to play god damn games not myspace it with HOME, not cruise the internet, not watch movies. Games should be first then this other crap should be second, Sony blew it. How long did it take before I could invite or chat with a friend without having to jump out of the game? Lets not forget the muffled speech coming out of that crappy bluetooth headset I got with Warhawk. I have a hard time justifying my PS3 purchase as I don't watch many movies nor do I use it to cruise the internet. But.......I do give Sony up's for supporting Logitech peripherals i.e. G25 and the racing games are pretty clean.

[dazomoni @ Sep 5th 2008 5:14PM]

just two friends, but it was still funny.... oh looks like i got low ranked for pointing out that 360 die sometimes.... how about allot then : )

I don't hate the 360 at all.. I just think the hardware is junk

[dazomoni @ Sep 5th 2008 5:15PM]

ferrarigtc

first off if you love COD4 so much marry it, its not the only game in the world and its on other systems...... right? so what's the argument

[Cellien @ Sep 5th 2008 6:39PM]

I am literally the only person I know that has a PS3 ...AND I WORK AT A F-ING GAME STUDIO!

Anyways, I like the PS3, but the games are really bland so far. Waiting for Little Big Planet! :)

[hfm @ Sep 5th 2008 7:02PM]

Uncharted was an excellent exclusive, it seemed like they didn't pimp that enough.

[hfm @ Sep 5th 2008 7:10PM]

Yeah you didn't deserve the low rank there. I have both the 360/PS3. . I like them both... but.

1. I'm on my 4th 360.. yeah 4th..
2. every friend of mine that does have one, except 1, has had RRoD at least once. That's 6 people out of 7.
3. It's LOUD compared to my PS3. I can't even hear my PS3 when i'm playing a game, the 360 sounds like it's trying to fly.

I still like the unit, only because of the software. Once they get the hardware more reliable and quiet, it'll be a much better unit.

Overall I'd say we use the 360 more than the PS3 just because only 2 of my friends have one and we can trade games, but if I had to make a choice between the two in a crunch, I'd be tossing the 360.

[Chris Hanson @ Sep 5th 2008 4:22PM]

SONY SUCKS!!!

I'm sticking to PC gaming!!

I don't even know why people bother with consoles especially for FPS games. I once had a console and played Halo like a mad man on it but then I played BF2 on the PC and never looked back.

[xcrunk @ Sep 5th 2008 4:27PM]

But PC gaming is dead. (wink, wink)....LOL

[dazomoni @ Sep 5th 2008 4:33PM]

so you once owned a 360 and you played halo allot and it let you down... and then you switch to PC forever

sounds like you don't even know enough to comment

[SimbaDogg @ Sep 5th 2008 4:36PM]

1) you're an idiot
2) try saying "PC FTW" in 5 years when you find more and more pc games get axed in favor of consoles...reason...piracy.

[Hold McGroin @ Sep 5th 2008 4:57PM]

If console FPSs would support mouse and keyboard, PC gaming might actually die. Same with RTS games. Those genres don't work with a controller.

Before some idiot says I'm wrong, why in the hell does every pro gamer use a mouse and keyboard when they can instead of a controller? Because turning around in 3 seconds vs 0.3 seconds is a big deal.

[John B @ Sep 5th 2008 5:03PM]

@SimbaDog:

Right. Tell that to Blizzard, Bethesda, and Stardock while you're on a console fanboi rant.

[hfm @ Sep 5th 2008 6:46PM]

The xbox version of oblivion was selling twice as fast as the PC version for Bethesda.. so I don't think Bethesda is a good example. So far between X360/PS3 they've sold around 3.5M units.. I severely doubt the PC version has sold that many.

This doesn't mean there are not any good PC exclusives. Actually, alot of the good PC exclusives are RPG's.

NWN2 + Expansion
Titan Quest + Expansion
The Witcher

I would say upcoming D3 and Dragon Age, but those might be going console...

[Bassir @ Sep 5th 2008 4:24PM]

I really want one of those babies for Blu-Ray.

[John @ Sep 5th 2008 4:29PM]

I think Sony should have really worked on getting a good, easy to use Linux build pre-installed on the PS3. I have YDL on mine, and use it to SSH to all the time. Since I'm not playing games all the time, or even in my room a lot of the time, I can still get use out of it by SSHing and getting coding done. I paid $500 and I got a PS3, a PS2, and a computer with wifi, bluetooth, and a 3.2 GHz (albeit PPC) processor. That's value.

[dazomoni @ Sep 5th 2008 5:15PM]

that would have been cool

[YHWHMystic @ Sep 5th 2008 4:33PM]

PS3 has incredible value even at its initial retail price ($599). It's the only future-proof console on the market right now.

[Ruben @ Sep 5th 2008 5:58PM]

What does that even mean? Because it has blu-ray?

Its graphics processor is already 2 generations behind the PC, and isn't at all capable of 1080p gaming (along with the 360). The power that was told to us by Sony contained within the black clam-shell has already been proven untrue. Equivalent power in all games to a 360 is not an impressive thing to pull off, given Sony had a full year extra to build their PS3.

Future proof my ass. Its already out of date. Don't feed us the bullshit line that it has a long life. Considering how much money Sony threw away at this disappointment, i guess it has to.

[CosterMonger @ Sep 5th 2008 6:45PM]

more RAM and faster blue-ray drive would make "future proof"

[Amz @ Sep 18th 2008 3:43AM]

then what about the people who have already bought one?

I'm sick of hearing all this crap about it lasting 10 years. The only reason why it will stay supported for that long is so if their next console struggles (again), they'll at least be making a bit of money on the side.

[kal326 @ Sep 5th 2008 4:33PM]

"Sony corporate communications cited the PS3's ability to put PS3 downloadable content onto the PSP in particular as one feature they could do more with on the marketing front, adding that they also "don't talk enough" about Sony's "future-proofing" strategy."
How exactly is moving information from one company made product to another product showing value? If downloadable content is so important on the PSP, why can't the PSP just do the downloading itself with the built in wifi?

[YHWHMystic @ Sep 5th 2008 4:38PM]

Simple: Sony is a business. They'd rather have you buy both of their products as opposed to one. Not to mention the fact that PSP's hardware is outdated compared to its big brother.

[Hold McGroin @ Sep 5th 2008 5:04PM]

I buy a PS3 game like Eden or Pixel Junk Monsters, I boot my PSP anywhere in the world with WiFi and I can remotely boot my PS3 and play those games (not some lite version either, the full PS3 game). If that isn't value, you're crazy. There isn't another platform anywhere that allows that functionality.

Hell the Xbox 360 doesn't even allow for more than one patch if the company won't pay for it (they won't) and no one will pay for a patch. That is, if you can keep your 360 from dying long enough to play a game.

Value is not a $199 console with no HD that breaks once a year. It's a $400 console that runs in 90 degree heat for days, is silent, works as a full Linux PC, plays any media I throw at it, has a handheld that acts as an extension of the PS3 or a standalone unit, and plays BD movies. Beat that with your "well, it plays games" 360. Oh, and they've already tapped the full graphics potential of the 360 with GoW2, and the PS3 looks as good on any game and they're still finding ways to make games better and faster.

[SimbaDogg @ Sep 5th 2008 5:23PM]

ugh...you are so, well...

anyways, i have some movies on my computer. i want to watch them, but i'm not @ home. I'm at school on wifi, i turn on my PSP have it remotely turn on my PS3, and then it connect to my PC through the PS3 and streams music, pictures or the movie i wanna watch to my PSP...no matter how far away i am.

If that isn't cool, well...i dont even think the girl from total recall w/ 3 tits would impress you.

[MadMike @ Sep 5th 2008 4:33PM]

How about just fixing the PS3's problems. Like adding the ability to watch netflix and hulu from the ps3.

[Gfxlonghorn @ Sep 5th 2008 4:44PM]

How is not having features that have just recently introduced a problem. Surf the channel works fine on my ps3. Netflix said they are bringing it to the PS3 eventually. How about Xbox fixes the RROD problem. Now that's a real physical problem with a console.

[Hife @ Sep 6th 2008 1:51PM]

But... you can watch Hulu on the PS3. Ever hear of PlayOn?

[EBone @ Sep 5th 2008 4:34PM]

If they want to add value to the PS3, put PS2 backwards compatibility back in.

[Ninjakamster (PS360 FTW!) @ Sep 5th 2008 4:36PM]

RIP PS2 backwards compatibility. :(

[YHWHMystic @ Sep 5th 2008 4:48PM]

While it's unfortunate that Sony decided to get rid of such a nice feature, let's not forget that there are still sequels to look forward to. (Besides, most of these complaints are coming from owners of other consoles!)

[MC Double Def DP @ Sep 5th 2008 4:48PM]

I like playing the ducky game!

[biglou @ Sep 5th 2008 4:48PM]

stop whining about backwards compatibility...how often do you go back to your old games anyway? are you still playing PS1 or PS2 games that often? save your PS2 and let the PS3 be what it is!

[YHWHMystic @ Sep 5th 2008 4:56PM]

Exactly. Who buys cutting-edge technology to play old games? I do once in a blue moon, but only for the sake of nostalgia.

[YHWHMystic @ Sep 5th 2008 4:59PM]

Exactly. Who buys cutting-edge technology to play old games? I play once in a blue moon, but only for the sake of nostalgia.

[Kelmon @ Sep 6th 2008 4:59AM]

If it helps, I still play R-Type Delta for the PS1 and consider it the finest shooter.

[rhcpsfan @ Sep 6th 2008 12:10PM]

I have metal gear solid 1 for the ps1, and 2 and 3 for the ps2. so , i use the backwords compatability alot.