How to sell next-gen consoles, Marketing, Positioning, and Pricing [2020]

There is nothing wrong with aiming low specs in order to have an affordable price and quickly make profits. It worked for Wii and Switch. As long as they have games for the machine, it won't be a problem.
 
In theory I agree. PR wise, I don't.

Microsoft can easily regain a foothold (as lead platform in sales) within America and parts of Europe just from the positive analytical articles (e.g., Digital Foundry, NXGamer, IGN, etc.) showing gaming performance deltas (i.e., framerates, resolution, etc.) in Xbox Next-Generation favor. Noise, especially social media noise, can have an impact in overall sales. If Microsoft launches a 10TF/16GB system (@$399) Vs. a 8TF/16GB PS5 (@$399), there is no way Sony can justify PS5 pricing with lower spec'd hardware. At $299 then that's a whole new PR ballgame in Sony's favor.

I doubt that. US = yes, UK = maybe. Rest of the world? They would have to do voodoo stuff to win playstation as brand.

Im from Finland, small market but probably similar to many european countries.

Here sony has been dominating the gaming market since ps1.

Every gen so far, you walk into almost any supermarket(or most gaming stores) and 60% of shelf area is filled with playstation games, then maybe 25% for xbox and 15% for nintendo games.

On launch playstation consoles can be hard to find, many times sold out. PS4 were sold out for weeks I think, and even last xmas I saw only empty shelves of playstations.

Never seen/heard xbox selling out. Even switch were easily available since the launch, did see many of them in every store on launch day, weekend and after that.

Many are "loyal" to sony as they have always offered what gamers want, games without gimmicks.

I have xbox OG and 360 that i bought used, rarely use them because GUI is just so bad and so is the controllers.

Just to point out that we cant underestimate the Playstation as a brand, even if nextBox would be better, it doesnt matter much for many gamers
 
I really don't think 'marketing' will focus on TFLOPs or bloody bandwidth numbers at all.

Anyone thinking that that's how Sony Marketing works is very mistaken. 'Marketing' will focus on everything BUT actual specs numbers. They have so many actual magic words to use: 4K/8K (god forbid they try that one), Backwards comp (if they will do that), best exclusives, "most powerful" console (even if it isn't, but they will NOT regurgitate TFLOP numbers, which nobody knows about outside of internet forums), VR, RAY BLOODY TRACING (if they include it), For The Players blah blah etc etc whatever they come up with to make Joe Common think the PS5 is the best thing ever.

That's what MARKETING is. Never forget that TFLOP discussions are very much limited to these internet forums, and that the public at large cares exactly zero about that, because they don't know what a TFLOP is.
 
I really don't think 'marketing' will focus on TFLOPs or bloody bandwidth numbers at all.

Anyone thinking that that's how Sony Marketing works is very mistaken. 'Marketing' will focus on everything BUT actual specs numbers. They have so many actual magic words to use: 4K/8K (god forbid they try that one), Backwards comp (if they will do that), best exclusives, "most powerful" console (even if it isn't, but they will NOT regurgitate TFLOP numbers, which nobody knows about outside of internet forums), VR, RAY BLOODY TRACING (if they include it), For The Players blah blah etc etc whatever they come up with to make Joe Common think the PS5 is the best thing ever.

That's what MARKETING is. Never forget that TFLOP discussions are very much limited to these internet forums, and that the public at large cares exactly zero about that, because they don't know what a TFLOP is.
Marketing also likes playing with concepts we dont understand :D
So if TFLOPs are indeed higher on Sony's machine, expect it to be used in some form or the other. Better number's than competitor's numbers always work in marketing.
 
Marketing also likes playing with concepts we dont understand :D
So if TFLOPs are indeed higher on Sony's machine, expect it to be used in some form or the other. Better number's than competitor's numbers always work in marketing.
That's my point. They will say 'it's more powerful than...' but really, marketing can always make something sound 'more powerful' than something else. But TFLOP arguments are not the thing to worry about, also because TFLOP is only one aspect of the hardware...
 
I doubt that. US = yes, UK = maybe. Rest of the world? They would have to do voodoo stuff to win playstation as brand.

Im from Finland, small market but probably similar to many european countries.

Here sony has been dominating the gaming market since ps1.

Every gen so far, you walk into almost any supermarket(or most gaming stores) and 60% of shelf area is filled with playstation games, then maybe 25% for xbox and 15% for nintendo games.

On launch playstation consoles can be hard to find, many times sold out. PS4 were sold out for weeks I think, and even last xmas I saw only empty shelves of playstations.

Never seen/heard xbox selling out. Even switch were easily available since the launch, did see many of them in every store on launch day, weekend and after that.

Many are "loyal" to sony as they have always offered what gamers want, games without gimmicks.

I have xbox OG and 360 that i bought used, rarely use them because GUI is just so bad and so is the controllers.

Just to point out that we cant underestimate the Playstation as a brand, even if nextBox would be better, it doesnt matter much for many gamers

They need to be much better with games. I am french but lived ofr goes very often for professional reason in France, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal and Italy. In all this country it will be difficult for next xbox even if it more powerful. In nearly all of this country the Xbox brand is not only behind the Playstation brand but behind Nintendo brand too...
 
Im from Finland, small market but probably similar to many european countries.

Same here in sweden. People buy PS for the name, not even exclusives or hardware. I bought psx/ps2 for the name, ps4 for the handfull of exclusives that are really worth it. Consoles arent that of a must have anymore since after 6th gen, not much aside from some exclusives that intrest.

No matter what hw is in ps5, it will win the console war. MS will have aaa games too in the future but i doubt that will help.
Sony knows this and can have a lower price for quick ps5 integration.
 
They need to be much better with games. I am french but lived ofr goes very often for professional reason in France, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal and Italy. In all this country it will be difficult for next xbox even if it more powerful. In nearly all of this country the Xbox brand is not only behind the Playstation brand but behind Nintendo brand too...

On an opposite side, there are markets, like the Brasilian where foreign products have high taxes. And Microsoft, having production in the country, will always be prefered.
But yes, I agree with what you are saying for those countries. I live in Portugal and also know the reality of countries like Spain, France and Luxembourg, and can confirm that Xbox will always have a hard time there (I personally always had both brands of consoles on all generations, so I do not count :) ).
 
The PR value of FLOPS is easily handled by tucking away a 4-bit ”intelligence engine” in a corner and then referring to its abundant TOPS. Those who are easily impressed by large numbers are unlikely to notice or care about the difference. It’s only ever used to justify ones preference and consumtion choices anyway.
Shape Audio! Shape Audio! Shape Audio!
 
The PR value of FLOPS is easily handled by tucking away a 4-bit ”intelligence engine” in a corner and then referring to its abundant TOPS. Those who are easily impressed by large numbers are unlikely to notice or care about the difference. It’s only ever used to justify ones preference and consumtion choices anyway.
Top Spin gate thinking-face-apple.gif unamused-face-apple.gif
 
The PR value of FLOPS is easily handled by tucking away a 4-bit ”intelligence engine” in a corner and then referring to its abundant TOPS. Those who are easily impressed by large numbers are unlikely to notice or care about the difference. It’s only ever used to justify ones preference and consumtion choices anyway.

I absolutely agree.

This time they shoud avoid to have people on the internet that know shit about tech to compare PCs and console like Dragon Ball Z power levels.
According to them PS4 was supposed to be a shitty 2 years old PC at launch but we are all seeing what it's really capable of.


Anyway

Price: 499€

We need good tech, not cheap boxes, 499€ is not that much if the products offers good hardware and software (including good media functionalities and apps this time)

Marketing: putting out good games at launch is all they have to do.
The big "?" are the mainly but not only the young demographics that seem to be switching from normal gaming to fad gaming, following and playing the current cool game because everybody is doing so and getting views on twitch and feeling cool by spending 100s of $ on skins.
It's really depressing to see this happening and it's going to be the major problem for next generation.
 
You know more and more I kinda wish Sony to go for a dual Sku launch too with a decent enough Base and a Complete Infinity Stone Gaunlet version, if they can do it with the time that's still available to them that is.
 
You know more and more I kinda wish Sony to go for a dual Sku launch too with a decent enough Base and a Complete Infinity Stone Gaunlet version, if they can do it with the time that's still available to them that is.

(See my Base and Final Form post)

Seriously though, I’d much rather have a Final Form console released after two or three years, at which point you also gain those many years in tech development which needless to say would absolutely crush it.

What’s the point of having a Final Form released on day one, when you can easily just buy whatever Base they release, then wait for technology to improve and then go Final Form after a couple or more years?

*Everyone on B3D: OMG STOP TRYING TO MAKE BASE/FINAL FORM HAPPEN!*
 
(See my Base and Final Form post)

Seriously though, I’d much rather have a Final Form console released after two or three years, at which point you also gain those many years in tech development which needless to say would absolutely crush it.

What’s the point of having a Final Form released on day one, when you can easily just buy whatever Base they release, then wait for technology to improve and then go Final Form after a couple or more years?

*Everyone on B3D: OMG STOP TRYING TO MAKE BASE/FINAL FORM HAPPEN!*
Only if your Base form is this;).
jiren6-1084876-1280x0.jpeg

Interesting times ahead I say.
 
It's going to be all about the games.
And power too.
Because power affects whats outputted as a game.
People buy next gen consoles like the PS and XBOX because they are looking for the most immersive console experience they can get.
 
And power too.
Because power affects whats outputted as a game.
People buy next gen consoles like the PS and XBOX because they are looking for the most immersive console experience they can get.
How much power difference is necessary to make the difference night and day though?
I'm not talking from gen to gen, but from ps5 to Xbox scarlet?
 
How much power difference is necessary to make the difference night and day though?
I'm not talking from gen to gen, but from ps5 to Xbox scarlet?

Exactly, what will be the difference between 12 TFlops vs 10 TFlops other than maybe a slightly better resolution bump. Only problem is if there's some amazing new technique that runs 30 fps on a 12 TFlop machine and can't on a 10 TFlop machine. Like maybe Ray tracing ?
 
How much power difference is necessary to make the difference night and day though?
I'm not talking from gen to gen, but from ps5 to Xbox scarlet?
Thats not the point. From gen to gen there should be a significant difference and any console that has a noticeable performance disadvantage will not be viewed positively. It doesnt have to be a night and day difference. It is like an arms race so any of the two manufacturers consider achieving parity as the minimum good scenario that has to be achieved and achieving a more powerful, cost effective, priced attractively product as the best case scenario.
Having a significantly weaker console with good games is not enough unless you are Nintendo that is not trapped in the PS/XB performance warfare.
The XBOX One and PS4 were not a night and day difference and it had an effect.
 
Here's the scenario I can see proceeding the upcoming game comparison between PS5 and Scarlett family if taking into account of a 10 TF PS5 ($399), a 12 TF Anaconda ($499) and a 4 - 6 TF Lockhart ($299).
PS5: Offering the best looking exclusives by far since the base line is 10 TF and not chained by a much weaker SKU, all games mostly render at native 1800p, with 4k cbr used a plenty and occasional native 4k titles.
Anaconda: Offering the best looking Multiplatforms, 90% of all games render at native 4k, the rest shares between 1800p, dynamic 4k and 4k cbr. Exclusives while retain pristine native 4k IQ suffer greatly from a 4 - 6 TF Lockhart in terms of sheer graphics quality.
Lockhart: Worst looking and performing on all games, native 1080p - 1440p, using all kinds of dynamic res and checkerboarding too. Games coded for a base 4 - 6 TF console should still look far better than the best of Scorpio tho even at 1080p.

Pick your poison folks.
 
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