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Posted by Doug Jacobs on 01/19/07 21:25
In alt.video.dvd Peter <pete.ivesAll_stRESS@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
> But aren't those stats based around the fact that the PS3 sales, which
> includes a blu-ray player, are also included? And seeing as some of
> those stats are taken from the Japanese market, a predominantly Sony
> market, then of course Blu-Ray is appearing to do well.
Actually, PS3 sales have stalled in Japan as well. No one wants a $600
game console with no games - even if it IS the cheapest blu-ray playeer
out there.
> However, other reports are saying that worldwide the PS3 is faltering
> where it is on sale. If that is so, then Sony is in for a pretty hard
> time over the next 12 months, and Blu-Ray along with it. If they had
> done a purely, stand alone player survey then perhaps we may have seen a
> different outlook.
I get the impression that Sony put more of their effort into marketing the
PS3 as a blu-ray player that can play games, instead of as a game console
that can play blu-ray movies. Not many are going to be interested in a HD
movie format right now, and even fewer are going to be interested in
participating in a stupid format war - especially when neither format
offers anything substanially different than the other.
IF there was no HD-DVD at all, then the PS3 would be a great buy as a $600
stand-alone HD player that just happens to have a Playstation shoved inside.
This was Sony's strategy for the PS2. When it launched in Japan, it really
was the cheapest DVD player on the market. As a result, people were buying
PS2s solely for its DVD player. By the time the PS2 launchedin the US and
Europe, standalone DVD players had already dropped to the PS2's price of
$300 - and quickly dropped below it. The PS2 couldn't match standalone DVD
players in price but it didn't have to - after all it was designed to play
games first and foremost. The DVD player was just a bonus. Besides, the
PS2 actually had some great games in its initial launch library - which is
something the PS3 is sorely lacking right now.
From a gamer's standpoint, there's only one decent game that's exclusive to
the PS3. The other decent titles are also available on the Xbox 360 which
is $200 cheaper. There's no discernable difference in graphics or gameplay
for these multi-platform titles, making price the big distinguishing feature.
While other promising games for the PS3 are scheduled for release this
year, it remains to be seen how quickly the PS3 can build up a critical
mass of exclusive games to justify its (higher) price. And unlike the PS2,
the blu-ray movie feature of the PS3 has never really been considered a
selling point by anyone. Likewise, the HD-DVD peripheral for the Xbox 360
has never been considered a major selling point of the 360. It's always
come down to the games, and for now, the 360's lower price and larger library
edges out the PS3.
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