Sony: We Will Conquer All

[Shrygue]

via Next Generation


The three ages of Sony are as follows; in no particular order.

Firstly, there is Imperious Sony. It’s a majestic, arrogant, successful company with a 50 percent-plus hardware share. It expects absolute fealty from third parties and from the media. Criticism is dealt with harshly and severely. This is not-terribly-nice Sony and we lived with it from about 1997 until 2005. (Hey fellow suffering industry brothers and sisters, we should all get together and write an upsetting biographical account of those terrible years.)

Then there is Pathetic Sony. This is the company we have been working with this past 18 months. It’s doing a crappy job but doesn’t really know how to behave in an appropriately humble manner. It is suffering from a debilitating loss of power and is full of self-doubt, manifest in slightly absurd proclamations of calm.

Finally, there is the Sony that we like and need. It has good products. It generates demand for those products. It has a smart sense of the market in terms of pricing. It makes great games. Its people are accessible and believable. It deals with the rest of us in a way that makes us all feel pally. That was Sony from 1994 to 1997 and, I’m very happy to say, it’s returned to us; as of January 2008 when HD-DVD obligingly ****ed itself out of existence.

I am in San Francisco to reaquaint with former Sega man Scott Steinberg; now VP of product marketing at SCEA. He’s been in the biz forever; right there in the filthy trenches of 1990s Sega. Man, he must have some stories to tell.

Alas, we only have 30 minutes so brandy-by-the-fire reminiscing of those old battles must wait another day. We’re here to look forward to PlayStation 3’s shiny future.

[JKKDARK]

They will not conquer anymore. Nintendo is back in the top now.

[Mister Klownes]

Yeah, it's pretty crazy to think about where we are now in relation to where we were just a few years ago. I mean, to tell people that Nintendo would not only make it back on top, but, in all honesty, change the face of gaming...well you'd be labeled a madman. And that Sony would have to learn some humility before its next console got off the ground. Well...I suppose it's just interesting to watch.

[Ultima Chocochu]

I think this is a good year for PS3, seems to have more going for it and seems like they're actually trying to keep somethings they have said, but I'm not going to say all
Nintendo is back yeah, but really worried bout them
And the Wii is innovative yeah, but they should've given it more power or something.

[Shadowblind]

They will not conquer anymore. Nintendo is back in the top now.

Thats just it; its no longer a question of who will be top this gen. Its who will be second (i.e., MS or Sony.)

Ninty has first place, and I promise it won't let go.

[F9zDark]

Problem is, the Playstation brand has had the "staying" power that other consoles just haven't had. Between Sony's stance on Backwards compatibility, to how Sony keeps games coming down the pipeline for its last consoles is what makes the Playstation brand so powerful.

Sony didn't kill off the PS2 when the PS3 came out, and people are still buying PS2s to this day; because the support is there.

The PS3 isn't on top right now, but it could very well get on top within a few years. Nintendo should be happy at least; they are enjoying the #1 spot for the first time in 2 generations. At least I am thankful for that; that means that at least next generation there will be another Nintendo product, I just hope they don't opt for another "revolution" while $#@!ting on the face of graphics and gameplay of the more serious, hardcore gamer titles.

Sure Super Smash Brothers Brawl looks like it will be great, but one of the things that failed Nintendo last generation was how Nintendo made 1st party titles so great and that the majority of 3rd party developers saw how they couldn't compete with that.

Sadly, Nintendo shows no signs of giving up their 1st party software dominance anytime soon.