Jeff Minter tells Sony, "Nobody likes smug"

[wraggster]

Since the PS3 official unveiling, we've been hearing Sony execs extolling the virtues of the machine in increasingly astonishing ways. Most memorably, Ken Kutaragi telling gamers they should start working harder, because the console's going to be pretty damned expensive.

It seems that Sony's attitude hasn't escaped those on the development side of the industry and now videogames luminary Jeff Minter - of Llamasoft fame - has stepped up to give Sony a piece of his mind.

Writing in the latest issue of Edge magazine, Minter describes Sony's attitude as seeming "incredibly arrogant". Says Minter, "They seem absolutely certain that even when they say that it's going to be considerably more expensive than existing consoles, and that maybe there won't be that many titles actually available at launch, nonetheless us eager customers will rush out in droves to buy it because, hey, it's a new PlayStation."

Minter argues, "Just making the shiniest, most expensive harware doesn't cut it these days. Sure the PSP was beautiful, shining, pretty and posh, whereas the DS was definitely the ugly sister. But hey, the ugly sister is better in the sack".

For Minter, you see, it's all about the games and, at the moment, he feels the PS3 is distincly lacking in that area: "Yeah, you've got the lion's share of the current market, but don't get smug, Sony. Nobody likes smug, and it's not an attitude that has served companies well in the videogames industry."

He continues, "We need games, not smugness, games that will make me want to get hold of the PS3 rather than a bunch of stuff either identical or broadly similar to what I'll be playing on my 360. I want sweet Feisar temptation, not a bit of snotty attitude."

[horacehogarth]

Coming from a has-been working on the 360 that's a real surprise comment, ahem. Anyone else from MS want to come out and attack Sony? Not at all worried are they.

[yaustar]

Jeff Minter has been in the industry for years and now regularly writes in an Edge column and it can't be denied what he is saying is true. Sony will have to pull out something extremely special to win the next console war. What Jeff was refering to when he said 'smug companies' was when Atari screwed up the market years ago (pre video game crash).