The Top 7... PR disasters

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Intresting read no prizes for the number one spot


1. PlayStation 3

How do you take one of the most anticipated game consoles of all time and - within the space of a year - turn it into a hate object reviled by the entire internet? If you're Sony, you do it by slowly eroding the goodwill of your customers with a management attitude that reeks of detached, ivory-tower arrogance.

Granted, this doesn't have the chilling scope of something like Hot Coffee, but good public relations couldn't have solved that problem. This one, on the other hand, was almost entirely created by bad PR efforts, most of them coming straight from management. For example, Sony's response to complaints about the $600 price tag? "It's probably too cheap," as Sony Computer Entertainment chief Ken Kutaragi said in a May 2006 interview. "As with the PS and PS2, we believe people who like games will, without question, purchase it," Kutaragi said.

Nobody likes to be taken for granted, and many interpreted Kutaragi's comments to mean that Sony expected - even demanded - that gamers would mindlessly line up and swallow whatever the company deigned to give them. The perception was reinforced nearly every time Kutaragi opened his mouth, and for a while there the man was a walking PR disaster unto himself.

Back in 2005, for instance, Kutaragi made his infamously weird declaration that "We want for consumers to think to themselves, 'I will work more hours to buy one.' We want people to feel that they want it, irrespective of anything else. ... The PS3 will instill discipline in our children and adults alike. Everyone will know discipline."

Yeah, everyone knew discipline, all right. The discipline of stampeding through launch lines and hoarding systems to sell on eBay. For most people, though, the prospect of "working more hours" to afford a PS3 - at either retail or inflated scalper prices - wasn't appealing, and so the launch frenzy quickly faded. Sony refused to believe it, however; in a January interview with Electronic Gaming Monthly, SCEA President Jack Tretton famously offered a $1,200 bounty on any systems found "on shelves for more than five minutes." (Famously in part because it prompted the creators of comic strip Penny Arcade to demand $13,200 after photographing 11 unbought PS3s in stores around Seattle.)

Back in the real world, however, the consoles were beginning to gather dust, and it wasn't helping sales that the PS3 didn't live up to Sony's promises. Rather than enabling anyone to "experience the 4D world," as Kutaragi vowed in 2005, it enabled those who bought it to experience a lengthy firmware download, followed by a chance to play launch titles that were mostly either awful or nearly identical to their Xbox 360 counterparts. That last bit in particular cast a few aspersions on Kutaragi's claim that the PS3 would outpace Microsoft with "revolutionary technology," leading more people to question whether the shiny black brick was actually worth the extra $200.

It's worth noting that Microsoft also offered vibration-enabled controllers, which Sony didn't consider "revolutionary" enough, going so far as to insist that consumers didn't want rumble technology at all (even though they clearly and loudly did). Even if consumers did want rumble, Sony said, adding it to their motion-sensitive Sixaxis controller would be impossible. And it remained impossible until early March, when Sony settled their patent litigation suit with vibe-tech maker Immersion - something that, up until that point, Sony had insisted wasn't a factor in its controller design.

Sony's attitude didn't improve when the Wii started eating its lunch, either. SCEA spokesman Dave Karraker went so far as to dismiss Nintendo's perpetually sold-out console as an "impulse buy" at $250, further reinforcing Sony's image as completely out of touch with what the average consumer could afford.

Things have been looking up for the PS3 ever since Sony's announcements at the Game Developers Conference, and if the European launch - a few days away as of this writing - goes well, the PS3 could see an upswing as its install base grows. For now, though, the console is just a whole lot of untapped potential strapped with a clunky interface and only a few games worth playing, so whether people will actually start buying the things en masse is anyone's guess.

http://www.gamesradar.com/us/ps3/game/features/article.jsp?articleId=2007031912215876016&releaseId=20060314115917309058&sectionId=1003&pageId=200703191269795038
 
I argued point blank with some guys on here over many things regarding how the system was priced its games marketing and the nonsense PR comments. Then their is the brashfullness of their management.

They went overboard on all the early render videos, 4d and to be frank talked a load of crap. Yes it was to impact against X360 launch and sales but the way Sony have proceeded im sure isnt seen professional in the industry. The reason is they need to UP the system because of its price and thats the main reason it wont be a huge success at launch even in Europe.

Did i or did i not say back in approx Dec PS3 would be doing well to have 3-4 million installed systems by the end of March. Yet Sonys predictions at the time were 6 million.

As for some of the guys here if you mention anything thats actually represents how Sony have acted or things they have said or done is seen as anti Sony. Then you are trounced a fanboy for Microsoft i talk how i see the situation. Im a gamer that loves games hates PR BS and dont take lightly to Corporate Lies and marketing. GT PSP anyone GT 4 HD .... The evidence is their as is the lack of truly AAA games even close to Sonys claims of what the system would offer. Six AXIS is not all that no matter how Sony tried to sell it as amazing. Theyve even had to backtrack to now include rumble as just about everyone in the industry has moaned about it.

Lets base the PS3 on its games, forget even Blu Ray as its got nothing to do with gamers. Its a darn good system but its a marketing disaster with games like Motorstorm which are good but very limited in features/modes compared to their competition.

Things will get better for it but Sonys under severe pressure. Personally i dont see any game as yet that makes me want the system enough and news of even more games going multiplatform do it no favours.

All my own opinion...
 
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cheets64 said:
Its spot on, even fanboys and the people not well clued up on tech say its to expensive.


Depends on how you look at it really

£200 for a console (absolute bargain)
£200 BR player (complete bargain again)
£25 for inbuilt hdd and wireless - tremendous value
 
FrankJH said:
Depends on how you look at it really

£200 for a console (absolute bargain)
£200 BR player (complete bargain again)
£25 for inbuilt hdd and wireless - tremendous value

I look at it as a games console, £425 expensive, £40 a game.
 
FrankJH said:
Depends on how you look at it really

£200 for a console (absolute bargain)
£200 BR player (complete bargain again)
£25 for inbuilt hdd and wireless - tremendous value
Do you also get a saw? And can I then take the bluray player back?
 
Mr Latte said:
Snip

All my own opinion...

It may be all your own opinion - but you also are blind to exactly the same stuff that MS have done on numerous occasions in the same vein

Its done by every PR company promoting everything from the dawn of time - yet everyone seems to think its cool blaming Sony
 
FrankJH said:
Depends on how you look at it really

£200 for a console (absolute bargain)
£200 BR player (complete bargain again)
£25 for inbuilt hdd and wireless - tremendous value

I was waiting for someone to post that :D

It's only my own opinion, but that 'view' just smacks of desperation of trying to justify the price. If I could have the PS3 on its own for £200, I would be in there like a shot. As it is the price is too much, and I have no interest in BD anyway.
 
cheets64 said:
I look at it as a games console, £425 expensive, £40 a game.


compared to £50 rrp for most MS games

Ok look at it just as a games console, but that doesnt stop it being a lot more than that (with the price to match)

If you dont want it, dont buy it simple as
 
Teletraan-82 said:
I was waiting for someone to post that :D

It's only my own opinion, but that 'view' just smacks of desperation of trying to justify the price. If I could have the PS3 on its own for £200, I would be in there like a shot. As it is the price is too much, and I have no interest in BD anyway.

Fine - but it looks like you are in the minority from world wide sales of BR which are going through the roof already

And just FYI - there are some people (actually I would say most worldwide) that are just as interested in movies and hidef ones as they are in games -if they are interested in games at all)
 
FrankJH said:
It may be all your own opinion - but you also are blind to exactly the same stuff that MS have done on numerous occasions in the same vein

Its done by every PR company promoting everything from the dawn of time - yet everyone seems to think its cool blaming Sony

Im not blind at all, true all companies use PR to the extremes.
The reliability thing is an issue and the 1080p thing is blown out of proportion as 90% of gamers wont use it.

Show us where though MS has lied or shown games or the 360 experience to be anything more than it is? Show us games they used to promote the system 2 years ago that still havnt launched (perhaps only Alan Wake but its not cancelled)

While your at it look at MS sales predictions and targets they generally meet them. Overall the company deserves credit for doing as good of a job as they have done.
 
Teletraan-82 said:
I was waiting for someone to post that :D

It's only my own opinion, but that 'view' just smacks of desperation of trying to justify the price. If I could have the PS3 on its own for £200, I would be in there like a shot. As it is the price is too much, and I have no interest in BD anyway.

Yep. I think M$ got it right splitting the drives, if they didn't i wouldn't of been able to afford the 360 at an extra £120.

I'd have a PS3 right now for £200, i'd have not bought my 360 at xmas if it was priced below £300 for its release date (without or with the BR player)
 
FrankJH said:
Fine - but it looks like you are in the minority from world wide sales of BR which are going through the roof already

And just FYI - there are some people (actually I would say most worldwide) that are just as interested in movies and hidef ones as they are in games -if they are interested in games at all)

Your head is up your ...
Most people DONT give a damn about HD DVD or Blu Ray including the majority of gamers. I totally disagree and id go as far to say that most people are happy with DVD releases, DVD prices and DVD quality.

Remember HD DVD or Blu Ray dont offer much over DVD for joe average.
DVD was a major stage up from VHS as it offered menus / chapters / no rewinding / 5.1 audio and of course better video. It also wasnt involved in a format war and all studios backed it.

Im not saying Blu Ray is a bad thing or it will fail but its not that exciting for the average consumer.
 
FrankJH said:
Fine - but it looks like you are in the minority from world wide sales of BR which are going through the roof already

I think the majority of people worldwide will not have a BR or HD-DVD player at the moment, so your statement is entirely false. I've yet to see a single BR or HD-DVD disc for sale down my local highstreet.
 
FrankJH said:
Depends on how you look at it really

£200 for a console (absolute bargain)
£200 BR player (complete bargain again)
£25 for inbuilt hdd and wireless - tremendous value
Erm, I'm perfectly happy with DVD player. :confused: So are many people I know!

Tremendous value if you happen to own HD tv, can afford expensive blu-ray movies & watch them regularly! I don't and I haven't yet to see any blu-ray movies in my local town!

I'm sure it is great and so is HD-DVD but we don't FEEL the need to get them.
 
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