• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Why Did The PS3 Fail?

T

typhonsentra

Banned
Japanese games journalist Kiyoshi Tane has laid down his thoughts on the PlayStation 3 in a 207 page book controversially titled Why Did The PS3 Fail?

Tane, an editor for culture mag Continue, was originally of the opinion that the PS3 would follow the PS2 as this generation's leading console. Less than a year of the console being on sale, apparently, has convinced him otherwise.

While the PS3 has undoubtedly had its woes - and continues to lag behind the Wii and 360 in terms of hardware sales - isn't it a bit premature to describe it as a failure?

This is a console, after all, that Sony maintains will have a ten year lifespan. Sony also maintains that the PS3 is out-performing the PS2 at the same point in its life cycle.

Still, the fact that a publisher feels that it can have success with a book going by such a sensationalist title (and it is - the book currently ranks Number 15 on the Amazon Japan sales ranking) is not a good sign for Sony.
Click to expand...

The original article I got this from comes from a banned source on GAF, but if you don't believe it see for yourself:

http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4883806812/

It's currently ranked 11 for books on Amazon Japan.
 
D

drohne

hyperbolically metafictive
an american book called 'why did the ps3 fail' would be really short. the japanese perspective might be interesting -- ps3's price has never been that outrageous in japan, and the shift to non-gaming has been more dramatic over there
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
This sort of attitude just kind of snowballs, as we've seen. Sensible rational people will look at the PS3's performance from a long term perspective, but we live in emotion-driven sensationalistic times, and the "feeling" one gets from any given situation is always more important to most people than the facts.

If you'd like to learn more about Emotion Versus Reason, visit your local library.
 
L

Lee N

Membre
Harsh.

Is there a 「エックスボックス サンロクマルはなぜ失敗したのか?」 too or are they just assuming everyone already knows?
 
C

cvxfreak

Member
Can't wait for a translated overview of the contents. I wonder how much of it will be stuff said by NeoGAF posters already, and how much of it NeoGAF never thought of.
 
B

Beer Monkey

Member
The author no doubt chose a sensationalistic title to get attention and sales.

That said, it would be very interesting to read a dissection of the book's talking points.
 
L

llTll

Banned
it did fail?

thats new to me. if the PS3 is failing, then i guess the xbox 360 is the same. since both MS and Sony are selling about the same worldwide + or -
 
P

Pureauthor

Member
llTll said:
it did fail?

thats new to me. if the PS3 is failing, then i guess the xbox 360 is the same. since both MS and Sony are selling about the same worldwide + or -
Click to expand...

Something something software sales something something.
 
C

Crushed

Fry Daddy
llTll said:
it did fail?

thats new to me. if the PS3 is failing, then i guess the xbox 360 is the same. since both MS and Sony are selling about the same worldwide + or -
Click to expand...
And here we gooooooo
 
L

llTll

Banned
Pureauthor said:
Something something software sales something something.
Click to expand...
:lol

nah. i will run. :lol


&#1057 said:
And here we gooooooo
Click to expand...


not really. i am just showing how idiot thw writer is. not dissing any of both consoles. its just those fucking people want to do anything to get some attention.

where is that attention whore gif when you need it :/
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
llTll said:
it did fail?

thats new to me. if the PS3 is failing, then i guess the xbox 360 is the same. since both MS and Sony are selling about the same worldwide + or -
Click to expand...

Until you factor in software sales. Which have some small bearing on developer support for said console hardware.

Pureauthor said:
Something something software sales something something.
Click to expand...

:lol
 
P

plagiarize

Banned
BenjaminBirdie said:
This sort of attitude just kind of snowballs, as we've seen. Sensible rational people will look at the PS3's performance from a long term perspective, but we live in emotion-driven sensationalistic times, and the "feeling" one gets from any given situation is always more important to most people than the facts.

If you'd like to learn more about Emotion Versus Reason, visit your local library.
Click to expand...
the problem is this kind of stuff 'sticks'.

people still think the psp has no good games, for example. the longer the ps3 is viewed as a failure regardless of the facts, the more likely it is to become a failure.

that's why they've got to turn things around now, rather than in a year. sure they might still be able to turn things around christmas 08, but it might be too late by then.
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
plagiarize said:
the problem is this kind of stuff 'sticks'.

people still think the psp has no good games, for example. the longer the ps3 is viewed as a failure regardless of the facts, the more likely it is to become a failure.

that's why they've got to turn things around now, rather than in a year. sure they might still be able to turn things around christmas 08, but it might be too late by then.
Click to expand...

Like I said. Emotion v. Reason.
 
L

llTll

Banned
BenjaminBirdie said:
Until you factor in software sales. Which have some small bearing on developer support for said console hardware.
Click to expand...


yeah well.. i am not talking about software. and i highly doubt that whoever did write that was talking about PS3 software sales.
 
P

Pureauthor

Member
Bulla564 said:
Are these 207 pages on how Mina no Golf did not sell as much as its predecessors?
Click to expand...

I'm sure they could fill a few of those pages with the absolutely abysmal hardware sales too.

yeah well.. i am not talking about software. and i highly doubt that whoever did write that was talking about PS3 software sales.
Click to expand...

I dunno, if you're going to write a book about something being a failure, you'd want to cover all the bases, no? Especially since those aspects aren't something that'd flub your point.
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
llTll said:
yeah well.. i am not talking about software. and i highly doubt that whoever did write that was talking about PS3 software sales.
Click to expand...

Really. You think that has absolutely nothing to do with the PS3's problems? Do you think the book solely focuses on the console's performance in Japan?
 
I

itsinmyveins

Gets to pilot the crappy patrol labors
llTll said:
i highly doubt that whoever did write that was talking about PS3 software sales.
Click to expand...

Huh, why is that? It's a damn relevant thing if you're gonna write a "teh doooooomed"-book, isn't it?
 
T

Tobor

Member
I all depends on what your definition of "fail" is.

Perception is reality though, and the public perception is...
 
R

RevenantKioku

PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS oh god i am drowning in them
All I have to say is when I bought my PS3 yesterday, the Japanese clerk spent a good two minutes wiping dust off of it.
Just sayin' is all.
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
Tobor said:
I all depends on what your definition of "fail" is.

Perception is reality though, and the public perception is...
Click to expand...

Exactly. Britney Spears might have spent the last month rehearsing her dance moves and recording and singing non stop. However, the planet perceives her now and forver as a washed up bloated has been.
 
L

llTll

Banned
BenjaminBirdie said:
Really. You think that has absolutely nothing to do with the PS3's problems? Do you think the book solely focuses on the console's performance in Japan?
Click to expand...

ItsInMyVeins said:
Huh, why is that? It's a damn relevant thing if you're gonna write a "teh doooooomed"-book, isn't it?
Click to expand...



dude. i swear i didnt read the book :lol


however. the writer is talking about Ps3 failed. when we say Console X failed. we think its its because it didnt sell well. not because it software didnt sell well.

and i dont want to go software debate because its pointless. but i do know that Sony has some games that crossed the 1 million mark. [ and i will not quote anyone again regarding the software sales. i am not turning this is a stupid fanboy war ]
 
D

drohne

hyperbolically metafictive
i'd like to see somebody rig a definition of 'fail' which excludes the ps3's performance to date. still there's something nauseating about these faux-condemnations of public irrationality -- as if unjustified ps3 bashing keeps benjamin birdie up nights
 
S

szaromir

Banned
PS3 was designed around Kutaragi's dream of uberpowerful entertainment hub rather than a strict marketing and business plan. That's why it fails to achieve strong sales and brings a lot of financial losses to Sony. The company can still redeem that product, though it's not so certain.
 
S

SouthernDragon

Member
A game console is not the hardware, the game console is the games. The console by itself is usually useless.

Thus, if the game console PS3 is not selling games, that's part of its failure.

Well, failure thus far. It may turn around in the future.
 
T

Tobor

Member
BenjaminBirdie said:
Exactly. Britney Spears might have spent the last month rehearsing her dance moves and recording and singing non stop. However, the planet perceives her now and forver as a washed up bloated has been.
Click to expand...

This description sounds really congruent to me for some reason.
 
P

plufim

Member
Whether or not the PS3 is going to "fail" is up for debate, but one thing is for certain: this guy is going to sell plenty of books, and that's why he's done it. He's not an attention whore - he just likes money.
 
P

Pureauthor

Member
plufim said:
Whether or not the PS3 is going to "fail" is up for debate, but one thing is for certain: this guy is going to sell plenty of books, and that's why he's done it. He's not an attention whore - he just likes money.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't mind buying it - partly to see how much of what he says is mirrored on GAF.
 
manzo

manzo

Member
Lee N said:
Harsh.

Is there a 「エックスボックス サンロクマルはなぜ失敗したのか?」 too or are they just assuming everyone already knows?
Click to expand...

Hakomaru, 箱○　or 糞箱
lolz
is the real abbreviation for 360 in Japan amongst the gamers.
 
P

pswii60

Member
BenjaminBirdie said:
Exactly. Britney Spears might have spent the last month rehearsing her dance moves and recording and singing non stop. However, the planet perceives her now and forver as a washed up bloated has been.
Click to expand...

True, but wasn't Nintendo seen as exactly that just 2-3 years ago?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

  • Poll
SONY/SIE: The Balance Of Chasing Margins, Multiplat Expansion, And Maximizing The Console
Opinion Business Analysis 2 3
101
6K
vaibhavpisal replied
Famitsu Sales: Week 2, 2024 (Jan 08 - Jan 14)
Sales-Age
28
2K
Woopah replied
Famitsu Sales Week 1, 2024 (Jan 01 - Jan 07)
Sales-Age
20
1K
Luminoth-4545 replied
[Stephen Totilo] Exclusive: The making of the PlayStation Portal
News Platform
10
889
ChorizoPicozo replied
The PS5 accounts for 47% of all home consoles sold this year. This time last year, PS5 accounted for 31% of the market.
2 3
103
7K
Randall365 replied
Top Bottom