CVG: Sony to rock GDC

[PARANOiA]

Isn't it amazing how unforgiving people can be? SONY gives them 10-11yrs quality gaming, going from strength to strength, leading from the front etc etc., and a few mis-steps later, all the good, hard work is undone! Suddenly it's 'SONY needs to earn this', or 'SONY needs to prove that', like the last 11yrs meant nothing. Damn, I have the same problem at home! That's just weird and annoying at the same time!

You talk like they did it for the good of gaming They made a hefty profit, and they're behind the 8-ball right now compared to both competitors. Criticism is justified.

Not surprisingly, people criticise Mircosoft for Windows and bugginess, after providing arguably the best gaming platform of all. Anyone remember gaming pre-Windows? Editing text files, a different boot disk per game?

My point is, people have the right to opt for the best option, and criticise the previous #1 who falls behind. (This is my opinion on the current state of affairs - and one evidently shared by those you targeted in your initial post).

Cheers

 

[Corwin_B]

Isn't it amazing how unforgiving people can be? SONY gives them 10-11yrs quality gaming, going from strength to strength, leading from the front etc etc., and a few mis-steps later, all the good, hard work is undone! Suddenly it's 'SONY needs to earn this', or 'SONY needs to prove that', like the last 11yrs meant nothing. Damn, I have the same problem at home! That's just weird and annoying at the same time!

I must have missed something... When did Sony start shipping free PS3s to previous PS1 and PS2 owners ? Until they do, I see every reason for them to earn consumer confidence again with the PS3, which, so far, they haven't been doing a great job of. Brand recognition will only carry you so far, especially with such a price tag.

Also, your use of the word "give" is certainly novel.

 

[-tkf-]

Brand recognition will only carry you so far, especially with such a price tag.

100 dollars is really alot today isn´t it?

 

[bRoNx]

Ok. I was in a rush, and I don't think my point was communicated effectively. So, please allow me to reiterate...

I would compare SONY's situation to that of a football team who dominates 2 seasons in a row, and second place doesn't even come close. Enter the 3rd season, and suddenly they hit some bumps on the road, and suddenly everyone forgets how good this football side can be (proven by it's previous performance in 2 seasons prior) but automatically write it off, and the nay-sayers start coming out the woodworks. I hope that communicates it better.

Anyways, my point wasn't to criticize anyone in particular, but I was commenting on my observation of human behaviour in this regard. Obviously, there are those who will stick to their team, come hell or high water, and there are those that'll trash it, win or lose.

You talk like they did it for the good of gaming

Let's not turn this into a morality discussion...wrong board. But I would like to think that they progressed gaming forward, rather than stagnate it. Do you disagree? When you look at their history, they are always very ambitious with their console designs. They like to push to envelope, rather than settling for an off-the-shelf solution. Sure, some may argue that it's not the best strategy, but at least they're willing to try something different. Sure they have their hidden agendas, but who cares if gaming benefits, right?

I must have missed something... When did Sony start shipping free PS3s to previous PS1 and PS2 owners ? Until they do, I see every reason for them to earn consumer confidence again with the PS3, which, so far, they haven't been doing a great job of. Brand recognition will only carry you so far, especially with such a price tag.

Isn't it the same case as a AAA title like Halo? People will buy the next installment without even trying it out. Why? Because the last 2 were great. Will those who purchased Gears buy a sequel? Sure, because they associate that with the great game that was it's predecessor.

Also, your use of the word "give" is certainly novel.

Glad you liked it. That's how *I* feel. Sorry if you disagree.

 

[Npl]

Not surprisingly, people criticise Mircosoft for Windows and bugginess, after providing arguably the best gaming platform of all. Anyone remember gaming pre-Windows? Editing text files, a different boot disk per game?

You mean Microsoft-DOS? You are right, Microsoft should be criticised for Windows and DOS
Why not compare it to AmigaOS or Beos instead?

 

[PARANOiA]

You mean Microsoft-DOS? You are right, Microsoft should be criticised for Windows and DOS
Why not compare it to AmigaOS or Beos instead?

You completely missed my point by a country mile.

 

[Corwin_B]

Isn't it the same case as a AAA title like Halo? People will buy the next installment without even trying it out. Why? Because the last 2 were great. Will those who purchased Gears buy a sequel? Sure, because they associate that with the great game that was it's predecessor.

Wrong analogy, because
1) The prices involved are not into the same league. I may buy a videogame that is the sequel to some game I loved (did that with Aquanox, crappy sequel to the fantastic Archimedean Dynasty). If it's not good, then I'm down $50 or so, and even that stings a bit. A PS3 is 10 times that. Most people don't impulse buy something like that.
2) If Halo 3 comes out costing twice the price of Halo 2 at launch, I'm pretty sure you'll see some limit to brand loyalty.

Glad you liked it. That's how *I* feel. Sorry if you disagree.

I disagree on the "give" word, not on the things PS1 and 2 brought to gaming.

 

[Npl]

You completely missed my point by a country mile.

No, instead Im only refering to the one sentence I qouted from your longer post.

Or do you really think Win95/98 were good (or even not buggy) OSes because the amount of Software they received? Its the other way around - their popularity made them attractive for Gamedevs. They were buggy and MS is deserving the critic.
Now WinXP on the other hand....

 

[PARANOiA]

No, instead Im only refering to the one sentence I qouted from your longer post.

Or do you really think Win95/98 were good (or even not buggy) OSes because the amount of Software they received? Its the other way around - their popularity made them attractive for Gamedevs. They were buggy and MS is deserving the critic.
Now WinXP on the other hand....

My last post on a topic which is derailing the thread.

Windows (all versions) unified hardware requirements, so developers build their games for Windows, not for hardware. Sure, it's not always easy or the fastest option (see Nvidia "tweaks" by devs) but even Win95 was a huge step in that direction. As someone who has gamed on PC for about 20 years, I can tell you the movement to unification has made gaming life a hell of a lot easier.

 

[Npl]

My last post on a topic which is derailing the thread.

Windows (all versions) unified hardware requirements, so developers build their games for Windows, not for hardware. Sure, it's not always easy or the fastest option (see Nvidia "tweaks" by devs) but even Win95 was a huge step in that direction. As someone who has gamed on PC for about 20 years, I can tell you the movement to unification has made gaming life a hell of a lot easier.

Thats only true if you limit yourself to x86 and Windows, because the games run nowhere else. You could say the same thing about alot other OSes, some of them beeing released way before Win95 and many of them beeing more stable.

 

[dobwal]

Ok. I was in a rush, and I don't think my point was communicated effectively. So, please allow me to reiterate...

I would compare SONY's situation to that of a football team who dominates 2 seasons in a row, and second place doesn't even come close. Enter the 3rd season, and suddenly they hit some bumps on the road, and suddenly everyone forgets how good this football side can be (proven by it's previous performance in 2 seasons prior) but automatically write it off, and the nay-sayers start coming out the woodworks. I hope that communicates it better.

Bad analogy. You can't directly compare winning in footbal with winning in the console market. Football teams don't field whole new teams every year. Football teams have more continuity season to season then console do gen to gen. Naysayers and bandwagoners can affect ticket sales but they don't directly affect the present team's performance. Totally different when looking at the console market. Market perception directly affect sales performance which directly affects market share.

Anyways, my point wasn't to criticize anyone in particular, but I was commenting on my observation of human behaviour in this regard. Obviously, there are those who will stick to their team, come hell or high water, and there are those that'll trash it, win or lose.
Let's not turn this into a morality discussion...wrong board. But I would like to think that they progressed gaming forward, rather than stagnate it. Do you disagree? When you look at their history, they are always very ambitious with their console designs. They like to push to envelope, rather than settling for an off-the-shelf solution. Sure, some may argue that it's not the best strategy, but at least they're willing to try something different. Sure they have their hidden agendas, but who cares if gaming benefits, right?
Isn't it the same case as a AAA title like Halo? People will buy the next installment without even trying it out. Why? Because the last 2 were great. Will those who purchased Gears buy a sequel? Sure, because they associate that with the great game that was it's predecessor.
Glad you liked it. That's how *I* feel. Sorry if you disagree.

PS3 vs. 360 isn't some type of sports competition. Lack of fan loyalty isn't something to be considered as negative in relation to CE products. Brand loyalty and fan loyalty are two different concepts and are not interchangeable. Brand loyalty is a trust based on the belief that a prospective product will serve you well because a product from the same manufacturer did so in the past. You wouldn't use that same definition to describe fan loyalty. If the PS3 wins is that going to bring recognition to your country, state, city, college or highschool? Are you going to feel pride if Sony maintains market domination? Do you go to GameStop or EB and applaud every time a PS3 is sold?

Whats the point of supporting a manufacturers on the basis of their contributions to the market? Most people buy CE products because what they are suppose to do for them and not to show support for the manufacturers.

There is a great reason for any console owner to root for the domination of the console of their choice. Its called game support. The more consoles MS, Sony or Wii sells the more games that are targetted for development on their respective consoles.

 

[Arwin]

Actuallly, I do think there is a connection between the US and Xbox, and Japan and PS.

 

[Carl B]

PS3 vs. 360 isn't some type of sports competition. Lack of fan loyalty isn't something to be considered as negative in relation to CE products. Brand loyalty and fan loyalty are two different concepts and are not interchangeable. Brand loyalty is a trust based on the belief that a prospective product will serve you well because a product from the same manufacturer did so in the past. You wouldn't use that same definition to describe fan loyalty. If the PS3 wins is that going to bring recognition to your country, state, city, college or highschool? Are you going to feel pride if Sony maintains market domination? Do you go to GameStop or EB and applaud every time a PS3 is sold?

I have to say, I actually *do* think there is a pride derived from the fan base of products; enter ******ism. Certainly these are not folk that view the world in objective terms alone. That said, I find hardcore sports fans are a little unsettling as well, as I do individuals with strong nationalist sentiments, "us vs them" views, etc etc...

Actuallly, I do think there is a connection between the US and Xbox, and Japan and PS.

Maybe among the aforementioned nationalists on either side, but for myself (and other sane individuals) I could care less. They're both manufactured in China anyway!

 

[blakjedi]

I'm not saying there isn't a scenario where Sony ends up on top this gen, in fact i think its still likely. My point was that I dont understand the extrapolation of all these events from "Sony will show killzone in March".

Youve created a series of events and possibilities where Sony rebounds and has an amazing year, and thats fine, but this thread is about them possibly showing killzone, et. al. at GDC. I don't see how we come to the conlcusion that showing killzone undoes a series of mis-steps and catapults the PS3 into super stardom.

More power to them, the more competition the better but I personally don't theyve earned the optimism theyre getting here and i'm not going to fall prey again. This thread is all too reminiscent of the pre-e3 hype thread where we were all left disappointed. If they come through, great, but lets at least make them earn that first one ok?

Really all I'm saying is that if Sony uses GDC effectively and shows snippets screens whatever of the games people want... that people are waiting for especially from a SOny platform, and they are effectively close to the *expectation* of users that it can start a positive trend for them. NO ONE in teh console business is sitting pretty right now. Not MS with Nin on their tail, not SOny whose behind the eight and not Nin who could fall flat on their face this year after getting out the gate very quickly.

We have seen most of everyone's big guns EXCEPT Sony's so it is my impression that once they do, the landscape for gaming could change VERY quickly. Inevitably We'll see.

 

[TheChefO]

Actuallly, I do think there is a connection between the US and Xbox, and Japan and PS.

Perhaps Playstation+Japan but certainly not XBOX+US.

The last two gens confirm the US does not rally behind a country and the notion of 'made in the usa' hasn't been a selling point for over a decade outside the car market and even there it is weak.

The US market is games per $$.

Games selection and quality verses haow much it will cost to gain access to these experiences are much more important that what company is making the profit from these purchases. In fact Sony had an edge in Brand recognition and trust before playstation 3.

I said in another post a week or so ago that the biggest reason I think ps3 has not meet expectations has a lot more to do with the popularity of the internet than anything else. People can and will quickly research about a product before they buy it and early word on ps3 was, "pass, at this time".

 

[patsu]

Actually, GDC itself is a pretty fun conference (no noise and gimmick, just real meat). It's worth attending even without Sony's attraction. It's just that this time there are PS3 sessions with more buzz, such as the RSX one.

 

[TheChefO]

We have seen most of everyone's big guns EXCEPT Sony's so it is my impression that once they do, the landscape for gaming could change VERY quickly. Inevitably We'll see.

I disagree with this sentiment.

While I agree that Sony has not shown everything for their platform, I do not agree that N and MS have shown everything for their platforms.

MS will have more titles to show and in fact I'd say they haven't shown anything beyond 2007. While 2007 will be a great year for xb360 I'm sure they have some big guns for 2008 and 2009 as well.

Nintendo I believe will have killer apps for their platform that they have not even dreamed up yet. Good thing is with their platform they can get a game up to speed very quickly due to the familiarity with the platform. I'm sure 3rd party devs also see potential of the fastest growing nextgen platform and will react accordingly.

Yes Sony has aces up their sleeve, but they are not alone.

 

[Fu3lFr3nzy]

Not that its GDC material, but certainly pertaining to Sony:

Phil Harrison speaking @ D.I.C.E. '07 Live

Just keep refreshing as theyre constantly updating :smile:

 

[blakjedi]

I disagree with this sentiment.

While I agree that Sony has not shown everything for their platform, I do not agree that N and MS have shown everything for their platforms.

MS will have more titles to show and in fact I'd say they haven't shown anything beyond 2007. While 2007 will be a great year for xb360 I'm sure they have some big guns for 2008 and 2009 as well.

Nintendo I believe will have killer apps for their platform that they have not even dreamed up yet. Good thing is with their platform they can get a game up to speed very quickly due to the familiarity with the platform. I'm sure 3rd party devs also see potential of the fastest growing nextgen platform and will react accordingly.

Yes Sony has aces up their sleeve, but they are not alone.

I didnt say the other two dont have big guns... I just say we havent really seen Sony's big guns. Like playable MGS, playable FFXIII, Playable R&C, playable HS etc... we have seen videos or stills of most of MS' big guns in 2007 for the most part though... thats all.

 

[Todd33]

Not that its GDC material, but certainly pertaining to Sony:

Phil Harrison speaking @ D.I.C.E. '07 Live

Just keep refreshing as theyre constantly updating :smile:

That amateur Gamspot page is horrible.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/sony/20-questions-with-phil-harrison-at-dice-235049.php