Sony targets the casual market this holiday season
9/30/12 11:20am
Editor's Note: Considering the PS3 Slim isn't much cheaper than the standard Wii U model, I can't help but see a flaw in this business plan. But the promotion of games like PlayStation All-Stars could help move some units.
With Sony's next installment to their PS3 line, they hope to compete with Nintendo's upcoming Wii U. And according to one executive in the Sony UK offices, it's perfect for those skipping on the Wii U this holiday season.
That one executive would be Fergal Gara, who's the managing director for Playstation UK. Gara spoke with CVG regarding how the casual gaming crowd will be open for business this year...
"If you look at the upcoming Christmas market, the Wii will be selling in very low volumes- it's on its way out- and the Wii U will arrive, but it will bring in a relatively small number of early adopter consumers."
"We see our selves well positioned for the casual market who wont buy the Wii U on day one. We've got a wow moment, it was a casual market breakthrough, but we thing we've got a casual market breakthrough as well with Wounderbook and the lowest priced PS3 yet"
While the Playstation 3 has placed third amongst the big 3 in sales, it seems to be creeping up on the Xbox 360, but still remaining far behind Nintendo's original Wii.
If Nintendo can work out some of the supply issues, then It's easy to predict that the new PS3 will most likely not outsell the Wii U. And if the new console does as well as it's predecessor's holiday debut, with the original Wii selling over 600,000 units in it's first week, Nintendo has got nothing to worry about.
So g1s what's your thoughts? Who do you think will win this holiday's battle for your money? Sony or Nintendo? Let me know in the comments below!
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g1 DISCUSSIONS
darkhyrulelord
I have to be honest here, I really don't recall too many "casual" games on the PS3 unless you know exactly where to look.
Remifentanil007
I don't think Sony is interested in the casual market, at least not in pleasing it... they just want money as expected... and yeah when you make an example of someone else (Nintendo) you're just implying subconsciously you admire that someone
JesseRobles
Make it pink, or a silver model with tons of sparkly rhinestones of different colors, and I'll buy 3.
TwistoFate
Just when you thought Sony stopped trying to copy Nintendo, THIS happens...
lunalicrichard
Sony is taking an awful chance betting on low sales of the WII-u . And Sony is taking a second big chance at going hard on the casual gamer / family . They don't have the compelling game to put up against a Mario or a Rayman at this time , and i don't see that coming anytime soon . Battle royal is not casual and if Sony markets that as casual , they are making a big mistake i.m. o . But history seems to repeat itself once again . We saw what Sony did when the Wii came out . and i am pretty sure they are coming with a tablet size controller in the near future . And Sony will be behind again on innovation and in system sales . The main treat to Nintendo is the supply rate of the Wii/u . Both Sony and Microsoft are nor ready for competition at this point .
firehazard51
I don't know how Sony plans on getting the casual gamer to get a PS3. Only if that casual gamer was looking to start playing more "hardcore" games. I always thought the biggest selling point for casual gamers to buy a PS3 was for the blu-ray player. Now a days I'm not sure how many people have an HD TV and no blu-ray player. To mean those are the ONLY two ways Sony gets the "casual" gamer to buy a PS3 over a Wii U.
MSX64
PS3 is still more expensive than xbox 360 and the 500GB version costs as much as the basic Wii U (both 299€), which can play probably almost any casual wii game. If they made a PS3 that can play at least PS2 games (knowing that they try to sell PS1 games through PSN), they would probably succeed because the PS2 had a huge library and a lot of casual games, plus many non-casual gamers would buy it as well.
Sam Nail
I like the look of the new slim but I'm not going to be getting it cause my ps3 plays ps2 games. Fuck yea metal gear soild 4 bundle >:D
Mcgunn
Everyone's hating on Sony here, but I think they're making a good move. Of course the majority of US are going to buy the WiiU...But that's because we're both hardcore, and nostalgia whores. But the average consumer can look at this with a choice.....The same price, the same graphics, one has an INCREDIBLE catalog of games that stretches back YEARS AND YEARS, the other has NSMB and ZombieU. Plus PS3 has new IP's flying out of it's ass like The Last of Us, what looks better? Zombie U or The Last of Us? Obviously it's a matter of opinion so no answer is wrong, but I'm going by a long shot with The Last of Us. I will say that Sony FUCKED UP the Move.... Wario-Ware didn't sell the Wii at the start, Twilight Princess did. That's where Sony went wrong in the motion market.
AkumaTh
I think for the casual market it would be for the most value in the initial purchase. WiiU for $300, you got something that can play all the previous Wii games, use all the previous Wii controllers, and have the gamepad. 50 more and you get a game, more space and more accessories. On the PS3 side, for $30 less than the WiiU, you get a system and a game that casual people may not get into. For the same price, you get more space and a different game that casual people may not get into.
Heck, when I got my PS3, it came with a Harry Potter movie for the Blue Ray. If I wasn't getting it to play certain games (MK9 and SFxT) I wouldn't have bothered.
While it maybe a good idea with your reasoning, Casual people do not have that same thoughts. They'll see what you're offering and chose because of that. And considering most of the PS3 games are made for Hardcore in mind, I don't think they will make it into the casual market this year.