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

moku said:
Well thanks for making me see the light DR. Know it all.
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Well I have a Masters in Commerce, so I have some insight. And marketing/branding is a large part of a successful business.
 
seanoff said:
Well I have a Masters in Commerce, so I have some insight. And marketing/branding is a large part of a successful business.
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Well, what do you do if your brand name bombs?

Just "let it ride"?
 
The name is great? "PlayStation" sounds like something Fisher Price would make. That's what i've thought ever since I first heard it (the fact that the controller uses symbols for the buttons also seems like something Fisher Price would do).

I think Sony should consider dropping the name, or at least modifying it (the same way Apple changed "Macintosh" to just "Mac").
 
TJ Spyke said:
The name is great? "PlayStation" sounds like something Fisher Price would make. That's what i've thought ever since I first heard it (the fact that the controller uses symbols for the buttons also seems like something Fisher Price would do).

I think Sony should consider dropping the name, or at least modifying it (the same way Apple changed "Macintosh" to just "Mac").
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:lol
 
TJ Spyke said:
The name is great? "PlayStation" sounds like something Fisher Price would make. That's what i've thought ever since I first heard it (the fact that the controller uses symbols for the buttons also seems like something Fisher Price would do).

I think Sony should consider dropping the name, or at least modifying it (the same way Apple changed "Macintosh" to just "Mac").
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Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.
 
moku said:
Anyone? Masters of commerce, and marketing wizards?
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But the brand is not bombing. Not even close.

Yes one product is having a tough time ATM but the other products are still performing reasonably. And if you drop the price on the underperforming product it would sell. LOTS. Playstation has a lot of very positive conotations for most of the market. Those that brought it have had a positive experience with it. (stay away from the hardcore mkt here and look at those that got Singstar, Eye Toy, Guitar Hero etc.)

Brand names are about TRUST. I'll use McDonalds as an example. You are in Beijing you find yourself really hungry, can't be bothered with thinking about what you want. See a Maccas, you go in and order at least fries. Why? you trust McDonalds to produce reasonable fries.

Toyota, not usually the most exciting cars, but usually very reliable. For a lot of the market, reliability of car more important than excitement. People TRUST Toyota to produce a reliable car. Sold


Even if a high profile brand has a tough times you don't drop it.

Ford Edsel. Did Ford go eeeekkkk We must change our brand name to Drof. No they dropped the product. Did it damage the brand Yes. But that is more akin to the Xbox360 problems than any pricing problems Sony are having.

In the Playstation case, the PSP, performing pretty well. PS2, still performing pretty well.
PS3, not performing so well. Pricing is the key here not brand problems.


Wasabi summed it up nicely.

TJ - Apple could change the name without much problem because everyone referred to them as Macs anyway. So they just brought into the brand's nickname which is how they were referred to anyway.
 
Geez, the PS3 is probably the console that I'm least interested in this gen, and even I can't think of a single reason for them to drop their brand.

Do some of you people realize how incredibly valuable a powerful brand like Playstation is? This brand with its line of similarly classed game consoles that has been cultivated by over 100 million users and likely more than thrice that much marketing dollars has mindshare like you wouldn't believe. The idea that some intangible thing with that much financial and human capital behind it should be dismissed because it's getting "stale" or literally because sales have been bad for a few months should be flat out looney, ****ing, tunes to any educated individual even assuming they don't had a single shred of business acumen.

I don't blame the OP for asking the question, but the constance defense of the idea that the PS brand should be tossed aside due to saturation or slow sales, not to mention you're less than a year out of 10 into the latest iteration's lifespan, is absolutely insane.

The Playstation 3, regardless of how many dumb fanboy arguments, is not dead, nor is the brand behind it.
 
Right, so the Playstation brand is huge, but if they poison the brand then reinvention will be the best thing they can do. They'll definately have to drop the numbering system, because honestly, if you don't like a 3rd sequel why would you go back for a 4th? And why not change the brand entirely? Say 'the playstation generation is over, welcome to the ***** generation'. People are overstating the importance of the nomenclature 'playing playstation'. It has already changed from 'playing nintendo/game boy' to playstation, do you honestly think it won't change to 'playing wii' or can't change to a new brand in the future?

The only problem with the OP is that it's probably three years premature, we have no idea how successful the PS3 will end up or how much it could hurt the brand. But anyone who thinks the idea impossible is being ridiculously closeminded.
 
.dmc said:
Right, so the Playstation brand is huge, but if they poison the brand then reinvention will be the best thing they can do. They'll definately have to drop the numbering system, because honestly, if you don't like a 3rd sequel why would you go back for a 4th? And why not change the brand entirely? Say 'the playstation generation is over, welcome to the ***** generation'. People are overstating the importance of the nomenclature 'playing playstation'. It has already changed from 'playing nintendo/game boy' to playstation, do you honestly think it won't change to 'playing wii' or can't change to a new brand in the future?

The only problem with the OP is that it's probably three years premature, we have no idea how successful the PS3 will end up or how much it could hurt the brand. But anyone who thinks the idea impossible is being ridiculously closeminded.
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That anyone would think the brand being dropped SOMETIME down the line impossible would be close-minded, except the current atmosphere isn't even remotely conducive to such an action being taken. Not to mention that most people who argue against it here seem to understand the simple fact that Playstation brand is not on the utter brink of self-destruction. The OP also didn't bring up the question because of such a threat, but because he's leery of the effects of brand over-saturation, which quite frankly, really isn't taking place.
 
What the **** is wrong with people this morning? I wake up and see stuff like the Super Nintendo Wii thread, and now this shit?

You might as well have suggested Toyota change their name because it's getting "tired".

What the hell?

Worst thread of the month contender indeed.
 
Davidion said:
less than a year out of 10 into the latest iteration's lifespan
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4xpwjkx.jpg
 
Although "Playstation" might connote a negative stereotype, that's basically what a game console is meant for: play. The brand recognition alone is worth billions.
 
This isn't that ridiculous of a question. I think it's a bit early to be asking it, I think it's a poor solution to an incorrect diagnosis, and I think it might even further alienate what userbase they actually will have in 5 years...but I don't think it's ridiculous.

However, I do think Sony should drop the VAIO line and start a PS-branded Laptop line. Actually...that would be ****ing brilliant. Just add a monitor and a keyboard, slim it down by about 10 lbs...all it would need would be...

Windows.
















I think I just got how MS destroyed Sony.
 
Drop the numbers?
yes/maybe

Drop the name?
----are you out of your ****ing mind?

------------yes
...................|------------yes

-------------no
...................|--------------then why would you even ask the question.
 
Jesus - you guys can be assholes. His question isn't stupid. Its a very debatable topic.

A company changes the name of a product when they want to change focus, and have their customers look at their product at a different angle. Many companies do that with their major brands.

If Sony isn't successful with the Playstation 3 line, it would probably be in their best interest to drop the Playstation name. It would still be a Sony product, they would just have to do the right marketing to show that the new game device was something far more interesting and desirable than anything with the name of Playstation. Sony was able to do that going from Wega to Bravia, I'm sure they could do that going from Playstation to whatever new name they'd come up with.
 
In less than 3 years, I expect there to be a Playstation phone line to go along with the Bravia (or whatever brand they switch to for tvs) and Walkman phones. I expect a 65nm or 45nm PSP chipset playing PSP and PS1 games off M2 memory sticks. A smaller screen (same resolution) and clamshell/slider design.

I don't see why they'd want to drop a brand that last gen (and part of the first gen) become synonymous with gaming. The Playstation brand is more popular than the Sony one in the gaming market, so not change IMO. If they do change, it will be a gradual change. A PlaySatellite or something for phones, then maybe drop the word Play after that. But I just don't see it happening anytime in the next decade. PEACE.
 
Of course they could change it if was deemed necessary to take the gaming division in a different direction.

But personally, I wouldn't mess with such a popular brand name.
 
You can't ask a bunch of hardcore gamers if the PlayStation brand should be dropped, but there are actually reasons other than sales to do it. Some of the people in this thread are being as blind as the Wii naysayers a year ago, but depending on performance this generation, it might be time for a change.

You don't have to change names to completely change your brand image, but if Nintendo can do it, Sony could certainly do it. Wii has definitely made "PlayStation" look pretty hardcore for gaming. The masses are losing touch with the PlayStation brand. Some of them are honestly losing track of the numbers and versions of PlayStation. Yeah, they might be old or out of touch, but there's no reason they shouldn't play games. Almost everyone plays some kinds of games. And calling a handheld "PlayStation Portable" doesn't tell you anything. What does it play? Many people don't know, and there's no reason those people should not have a PSP (other than the fact that there aren't a lot of casual games). There should have been differentiation between handheld and portable.

I think brand image and differentiation in this industry is still in an infantile stage. But the market has changed and "PlayStation" has become somewhat of a convoluted concept for the masses. This isn't the nineties anymore, and the brand just isn't simple anymore. PS3 has (so far) been a casual gaming debacle. Some of the brands people are comparing it to are ridiculous (Coke hasn't hurt their image, Kleenex isn't an electronic, etc.). Microsoft shouldn't drop "Windows" because it doesn't have a reason to. Sony has an ever increasing reason to drop the "Playstation" name. This thread shows that people like to be branded, but they don't realize the damage it can do outside of their 'world' (the community). The people holding onto the name are also holding onto the brand's past, but its current state is a little questionable. A new brand probably couldn't hurt, or maybe just a twist of the PlayStation name like GoStation or something (just an example).

In conclusion, Sony's next console should be called the Placed Asian.
 
I don't think this is a stupid question at all, I can understand the hate leech is getting from his fellow Sony fans, though. The question implies that something has gone wrong with the PS3, and of course you wouldn't want to admit that if you still believe the PS3 can 'win' this generation. So what do they do? Attack the OP.

I agree that the Playstation brand is getting stretched a bit thin. It is not the reason for their current failures, but a new brand could be a remedy.

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.
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Quoted
kame-sennin said:
The evidence is already here. Brand loyalty has done nothing to help the PSP and PS3, despite the amazing success of the PS1 and PS2. On the other hand, Wii and DS abandoned successful brand names and have become phenomenons. Look at the box art for the Wii. The Nintendo name is totally deemphasized. 'Nintendo' is simply the company that manufactures Wii, it's no longer a brand.
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for
Scrow said:
yeah, why not?

worked for nintendo.
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Truth.


edit: I propose the Sony Cincko.
 
Haunted One said:
I don't think this is a stupid question at all, I can understand the hate leech is getting from his fellow Sony fans, though. The question implies that something has gone wrong with the PS3, and of course you wouldn't want to admit that if you still believe the PS3 can 'win' this generation. So what do they do? Attack the OP.
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Didn't want to open this can of worms, but yes, the proportion of Sony fans and people with Killzone avatars attacking leech is rather large.
 
Coming off 120m PS2s and just starting with PS3 ... too early to say.

I would like to see them drop the 2,3,4,5,... numbering system though.
 
I would not drop the playstation name at all
they build up quite some brand recognition over the years. Over here in Europe i get the impression that the brand playstation represents gaming in general. (Just like the NES in its days)

f.e.
mp3 players = ipod
Videogames = playstation (now)
Daipers = Pampers
Videgames = Nintendo (old days = 1980's)

I think when a company has been able to achieve such brand recognision it would be stupid to throw it away.
 
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