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Should Sony drop the "Playstation" name for the next generation?

Microsoft should change they're name. It's been the same for to long, I think people are getting tired with this "Microsoft windows", "Microsoft mouse", "Microsoft Office" They should just call it "Software for you" Or something.

Not an attack on you OP :P
 
Souldriver said:
Why does everybody say this is a stupid question? The only reason I would avoid making a thread with this topic is because it attracks lots of bullshit posts.

If the PS3 is an utter and complete failure, than yes, Sony might be looking into a new name for their next console. Sony has lots of advertising power, so I have no doubt they could make a new brand name take off.

Some people say the Nintendo analogy is not appropriate, but I don't see exactly why. For the casuals it was the gameboy, not the Nintendo gameboy. Just last week I heard a friend say "Nintendo, is that also from Sony?". Just to illustrate that the connection between Brand name and Platform isn't that big. And with the Wii Nintendo's trying to avoid the brand name alltogether anyway.

What is the big difference between Nintendo and Sony, is that Nintendo has a few franchises that attract people, no matter what system they are on. Pokemon and Mario to name a few. The connection Pokémon-Nintendo isn't made by the costumers, but the pokémon games do bring people to the new Nintendo platform. Sony has quite a few franchises, but I belief they wouldn't suffice to guide people to a Sony platform with a new name. At least not the casual gamers (maybe Buzz and Singstar could in the PAL region, but then again: they are just a quiz and karaoke game. If Nintendo comes with their own version of Buzz and Singstar, it could be over for these games). So as I said earlier: the marketing machine of Sony would have to be in overdrive. It would take lots of effort and money to set the new brand name in the market, but it could pay off massive, while staying with the Playstation name could be a burden.
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I don't think the core question is stupid, I think that blaming the branding for Sony's current fortunes is.

My problem with changing the name comes in spite of what Nintendo does with their naming conventions. Whenever gaming systems are mentioned, they are mentioned by what defines them. I've seen countless adds that reference "XBOX, Playstation and Nintendo" and always asked myself why this was. And I believe this to be the answer.

Sony and Microsoft are huge corporations that have their hands in many pots and as such aren't known for one thing. So when somebody looks at a console form these manufacturers they don't think "It's a Sony" or " this is Microsoft's console" they think of it as the brand that the company has identified it. "Playstation" exemplifies Sony's console specifically, while other brands under the Sony umbrella like "Bravia" indicate the TVs or what have you.

Nintendo (and Sega when they were still kicking)is exempt from this because their only game is the video game market. There's no collusion with TVs or OS software because Nintendo ONLY makes games. So their Game Boy "that's a Nintendo" NES? "Playing Nintendo". There's no disconnect. If you say that to someone they'll immediately know to what you're referring. You can't say "Oh they're playing Microsoft" and have somebody clue in that you're playing the XBOX.

Can Sony and Microsoft shift away from these names? Absolutely. But if they were to do that they'd have to introduce another name entirely. Gaming will never be known as "Playing Sony" so people need something specific to associate with under the Sony brand. And that thing is the word "Playstation".
 
i think unlike MS and Nintendo...Sony is pretty much stuck with the "Playstation" moniker and stuck with numerical number suffix.

Sony will have no surprises with their next console, "Playstation 4" .........so exciting.
 
Just checking in to see where 4 pages of stupid have lead.

_leech_ said:
No, it's not. It happens in gaming all the time (Genesis -> Saturn -> Dreamcast, SNES -> N64 -> Gamecube -> Wii)
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And the userbase eroded with every single name change -- great examples!
 
DeaconKnowledge said:
Sony and Microsoft are huge corporations that have their hands in many pots and as such aren't known for one thing. So when somebody looks at a console form these manufacturers they don't think "It's a Sony" or " this is Microsoft's console" they think of it as the brand that the company has identified it. "Playstation" exemplifies Sony's console specifically, while other brands under the Sony umbrella like "Bravia" indicate the TVs or what have you.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but see: people seem to think that it's not a good thing to change brand names for Sony and MS, because their gaming consoles aren't associated with the name "Sony" or "Microsoft". People automatically seem to think: "Well, Nintendo does it, but Sony and MS won't. They haven't done it in the past, why would they now?". But to stick with your example. Before the name BRAVIA was introduced, Sony TV's were called WEGA's. So Sony has changed brand names before, and in this case it has done very well for the company.

So I stick with my anwser: for some people it sounds 'impossible' for Sony to change an established name, while I think every company does it when necessary.
MS could just as well use another name for their next "xbox". My impression is that people just think to conservative about this.
 
There is a difference between establishing name recognition, and establishing a BRAND.

"Playstation" offers the former, but not the latter.
 
Where are the cats? Unleash the cats. If ever a thread deserved to be coated with cats, it's this one.


270907182_ef25ba42de.jpg
 
No, Sony should stick to it. It's total brand recognition.

At work you have your workstation, at home you have your Playstation.

They'd be stupid to change it. At most, I see a dropping of the sequential numbers, but even that's a stretch.
 
FormulaOne said:
Where are the cats? Unleash the cats. If ever a thread deserved to be coated with cats, it's this one.


270907182_ef25ba42de.jpg
Click to expand...

Finally. I was wondering where all the kitties were.

PlayStation. Give it up? No. Why should they? Gameboy looks "kiddish" and Nintendo was going for something new and experiemental with the DS. They did not want to taint the successful GameBoy line if the DS failed.

As for NES -> SNES -> N64... Here let me put it this way:

PS1 -> PS2 -> PS3 essentially had backwards compatibility relatively intact. Even the PSP can play PS1 games now so "PlayStation", to me, means that I can expect interoperability or compatibility. In the future, if I see a Playstation product or service, I can expect a similar experience to the products of the past. The very same can be said about Windows.

Not sure if that made a lick of sense, but I tried.. I'm tired. ;(
 
segasonic said:
bullshit. you are out of your mind.
Click to expand...

Saying I'm crazy doesn't actually counter my argument. How can you say there is major brand loyalty when it comes to video game hardware after what has happened to the PS3 and PSP (to say nothing of the N64, GC, and even SNES)? There is of course a small segment of the user base - the early adopters - who are loyal to brand, but they're not enough to win a console war. Also, they're informed enough to know that Sony or Nintendo's game consoles have simply re-branded. More importantly, one could argue that early adopters are only following a company because they have a reputation for software quality. If Nintendo stopped making Mario, Zelda, and Metroid, would the Gamecube user base really stick around? Again, this means that people follow the software and not the hardware, hardcore fans simply know which companies are most likely to produce the software they want.
 
No_Style said:
Finally. I was wondering where all the kitties were.

PlayStation. Give it up? No. Why should they? Gameboy looks "kiddish"
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So... Playstation looks and sounds mature right?

Where I live Playstation is called "la Play" and it is something that kids and menchildren play.
 
The Playstation name does start to sound more and more...antiquated, especially now that it's received some negative connotation.

It's all about web 2.0 names that don't make sense now like skype, ebay, amazon, ipod and wii. Even the DS sounds like it came right out of the 80s :lol
 
titiklabingapat said:
The Playstation name does start to sound more and more...antiquated, especially now that it's received some negative connotation.

It's all about web 2.0 names that don't make sense now like skype, ebay, amazon, ipod and wii. Even the DS sounds like it came right out of the 80s :lol
Click to expand...

80s is cool again. Sony should name their next console Sony 500 GX.
 
Was there ever a product/line of products so bad that no one would buy anything related to it? Probably not. Sony could continue the Playstation branding if they want. Brand name doesn't really matter as PS3 and Wii prove. What really matters is the content.
 
To anyone who thinks this is stupid, Nintendo dropped the gameboy brand, and has had an unreal level of success.

If the PS3 continues to bomb, then a name change may be in order.
 
Hmmm...

How many PS2s get sold every month?

Yeah I think they need to come up with something new, that brand obviously isnt sticking.. :lol
 
haunts said:
Hmmm...

How many PS2s get sold every month?

Yeah I think they need to come up with something new, that brand obviously isnt sticking.. :lol
Click to expand...
For real. This is like how those Samsung monitors had bad back light bleeding. Guess Samsung should have dropped the name altogether and tried something else.

Really at the beginning it was "Wii is dead" and now it's "PS3 is bomba"

Take your time people.
 
not reading what anyone has said above my post, why would you change it? It's an identifiable product name.

When you talk to friends outside (those who have offline friends) do your friends say Sony Playstation or just Playstation?
 
moku said:
To anyone who thinks this is stupid, Nintendo dropped the gameboy brand, and has had an unreal level of success.

If the PS3 continues to bomb, then a name change may be in order.
Click to expand...

but GameBoy brand itself never had a "failure" so why would dropping it have any sort of a parallel to a brand that does have a perceivable failure?

how many products have Nintendo itself had that failed? Why shouldn't they drop the nintendo name?
 
davepoobond said:
but GameBoy brand itself never had a "failure" so why would dropping it have any sort of a parallel to a brand that does have a perceivable failure?

how many products have Nintendo itself had that failed? Why shouldn't they drop the nintendo name?
Click to expand...
I thought about the failed product theme, and I dont think thats what the OP was asking. Maybe I mistook him, but it was brand fatigue+bomba.

Dropping the Nintendo name would be comparable to dropping the Sony name, not a product line name. Keep in on track mang.
 
moku said:
I thought about the failed product theme, and I dont think thats what the OP was asking. Maybe I mistook him, but it was brand fatigue+bomba.

Dropping the Nintendo name would be comparable to dropping the Sony name, not a product line name. Keep in on track mang.
Click to expand...

Nintendo might as well be the product line since they don't make anything but
 
Take on of the world's most recognised brands and kill it???? :lol :lol :lol

You ****ers are high. It would be nearly on the same level now as Coke deciding the Coke name was a little aged and the Cola should be called something else. Hey lets call it EDGE Cola. NO NO NO NO NO!!!

At first it Playstation by Sony. Now if you watch a sporting event or anything else that they sponsor its PLAYSTATION with the stylised PS. Sony have created a brand and some people are unaware that Sony make it. Seriously

Nintendo's brand name has always been Nintendo. You are mixing up brand name and product name. ie Sony Bravia. Sony = Brand Bravia = product line, like Wega

Nintendo DS. Brand name = Nintendo DS = Product
Nintendo 64 you get the idea

Some of you need to read some marketing and business books. A Brand like Playstation you don't **** around with.

Their problems this gen are not brand it's price.
 
seanoff said:
Take on of the world's most recognised brands and kill it???? :lol :lol :lol

You ****ers are high. It would be nearly on the same level now as Coke deciding the Coke name was a little aged and the Cola should be called something else. Hey lets call it EDGE Cola. NO NO NO NO NO!!!

At first it Playstation by Sony. Now if you watch a sporting event or anything else that they sponsor its PLAYSTATION with the stylised PS. Sony have created a brand and some people are unaware that Sony make it. Seriously

Nintendo's brand name has always been Nintendo. You are mixing up brand name and product name. ie Sony Bravia. Sony = Brand Bravia = product line, like Wega

Nintendo DS. Brand name = Nintendo DS = Product
Nintendo 64 you get the idea

Some of you need to read some marketing and business books. A Brand like Playstation you don't **** around with.

Their problems this gen are not brand it's price.
Click to expand...
Well thanks for making me see the light DR. Know it all.
 
I wouldn't consider it a good move to kill the name.

but make a spin on it instead of counting off would definately be the way to go. I still like how Microsoft went with XBOX 360 instead of XBOX 2. It may reek of the mountain dew generation, but it's still very catchy.

*clap*

I got it.

Playstation Sex

cuz sex sez everything you need to know.
 
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