KBG29 said:
I mostly agree as I said in the rest of my post. Even if PS5 solved all of those early PS3 stumbles, I don't see anything changing peoples mind on the value of consoles. Sony and Microsoft have been trying to push the value of consoles for two generations, but people just don't want it. For some reason people just like spending a fortune buying gadgets. Instead of a $600 console that can handle everything, they will spend thousands on a console, a Blu-ray Player, a Roku, a Phone, a Handheld, a Tablet, an E-reader, a Smartwatch, an AI assistant speaker, and whatever other redundent product they come up wth next. That is just the reality we live in, and why Sony needs to keep the PS5 price as compact as possible. As cool as it would be, to me, having multiple tiers on day one is most likely a dangerous direction. Like you said, someone is going to be hurt, (or say they feel hurt to cause a stir), if they have a base and premium model. If they want to do other form factors or higher performance models, it has to be later once the platform is established, and the core complainers, can't mislead the masses with their agenda. |
People will buy into value, it simply needs to fit their price range, and the market's price range. Instead of the PS3 costing $800-$1000 to make, and being sold for $600, if it had cost $600-$700, and sold for $399, then there would have been little problem, besides the early games being of lesser quality than the 360. That problem would have been solved much earlier as well, because early PS3 sales would have been that much higher, that much quicker, and devs and pubs would have been forced to figure out cell and get their PS3 games up to par asap.
Obviously PS3 could not have been the same caliber of console for a lesser manufacturing cost, based on it's architecture, but simply leaving out BC entirely, would have probably done the trick and worked out fine if they would have pushed remasters of the most popular/wanted PS2 titles at the time like they have with PS4.
Multiple tiers is risky, but will become less risky over time. First it was tiers in terms of storage space, then mid gen APU and RAM, so a whole new performance model at launch seems like a possibility if they want to try it. I think out of all the possible options for a PS5, the best thing PS could do to appease as many as possible without stirring up the pot, would be to create a $600 ish console, focused on gaming much like PS4, and sell it for $399. While this is risky, it's nowhere near as risky as the PS3's cost/subsidy plan was. This should allow PS5 to last 5 to 6 years instead of 3 years like PS4, and then they can decide whether to mid gen upgrade or launch PS6. A PS5 in the year 2020 and a PS6 in 2026 seems to fit nicely I might add.
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KBG29 said:
It is always the consumers fault when they get ripped off, or buy bad products. We have had the ability to do our own research on every purchase we make for decades. You know you want something, you reach out to professional(s), you read form(s), you check book(s), and browse search engine(s), you gather a list of potential product(s) for whatever your need is. Then you reasearch each product, and see if it is good for you. People should be smart enough to find obscure products, see through both positive and negative reviews, and make a strong decision. I know most people just buy, and it is unrealistic to expect people actually think about the way they spend their money. At the end of the day, we all have the ability to find the best products, and it should not be a matter of propaganda and persuasion that determines what we buy. This is for everything, not just consoles or elctronics. |
People usually know a products typical value, or the competitions, and when they see a 360 for $399, and then see PS3 at $599, they automatically assume their being ripped off. Most won't dive deep into everything the product is capable of, and even if they do, they usually don't understand how useful it is, or how to value it, so they play it safe and get multiple cheaper options.
I have a big family and my aunts and uncles were interested in getting game consoles and media players for my cousins back around 2006. At the typical family gathering, they asked me what I thought since they are not well versed I am the most techie of the group by far. They had done some research and thought a 360 and HD-DVD player was the best option. While I tried to explain everything to them, they just wanted the basics and an answer, which isn't easy when they are just hoping you'll agree with them since that would be the cheapest option.
Since all had PS2's, I explained that a PS3 would be the best bang for their buck, even if they had to buy two of them for separate rooms since BD players were crazy expensive back then. I also explained that while it was still up in the air, that one of the formats was going to lose and disappear and that my bet was on Blu-Ray to win and stick around. I gave my reasoning and while it was sound, they obviously didn't get it, since they all went out and bought 360's and HD-DVD players. Didn't take long before they were all useless due to the death of HD-DVD and the RROD.
Sure enough, guess who got blamed? Me. Apparently I steered everyone wrong somehow, even though many of them went out after and bought PS3's once they were much cheaper. Wouldn't you know it, when it came time to buy some new consoles not all that long ago, who got asked again, and who suggested buying PS4's, and what got bought? Half listened, and half didn't. The half that didn't, stuck with XB because of BC mostly, even though I explained it wasn't true full BC for every game and not directly off the disc, knowing full well many of them like myself, have a joke of an internet connection. Well most of them have traded in those XB1's for PS4's now, other than a few a Halo die hards that will never change brands as long as it exists, which is understandable.
People rarely listen and sometimes never learn. It's no wonder good help is hard to find these days. Why bother helping when not only do they not listen, but blame you for being right? Luckily since it's family that bond keeps everyone in check for the most part, including myself.
