By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Sony Discussion - Is PlayStation Just As Iconic As Nintendo?

Goodnightmoon said:
Dr.Vita said:

Playstation have beaten Nintendo 3 times from 4 generations.

PS1 destroyed N64
PS2 destroyed Gamecube
PS4 destroyed Wii U 

Every 4 Playstation home consoles sold 80M+ (PS4 will easily sell 80M+ too).
From 6 Nintendo home console only 1 sold 80M+. 

The difference between the worst selling Playstation (Playstation 3) and the best selling Nintendo console (Wii) is 15M.
The difference between the worst selling Nintendo console (Gamecube) and the best selling Playstation (Playstation 2) is 136M. 



Cool story bro, still Nintendo sold more consoles than the 2 best selling playstation systems of all time combined just last generattion ;)


Actually they didn't.
PS1 and PS2 sold 261.93M.
Wii and DS sold 256.05M.



Around the Network
Dr.Vita said:
Goodnightmoon said:


Cool story bro, still Nintendo sold more consoles than the 2 best selling playstation systems of all time combined just last generattion ;)


Actually they didn't.
PS1 and PS2 sold 261.93M.
Wii and DS sold 256.05M.

Oh yeah, sorry

They sold in the last generation only a 2% less than the 2 best selling sony systems combined.

Better this way? 



the_dark_lewd said:
Not as "iconic" because they don't have as many icons.

So Microsoft is winning? They have the most icons ;)

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=windows+icons&FORM=HDRSC2



Kyuu said:
Measuring a brand's popularity by combining handhelds with home consoles in a silly 1+1=2 fashion is flawed because a successful handheld and a successful home console of a said brand will largely attract the same customer-base and loyalists.

If every DS owner also had a Wii, this wouldn't have made Nintendo twice as popular or twice more recognized than they are in the scenario where the Wii doesn't exist.

Every Nintendo HH has greatly outsold Nintendo's respective HC. DS sold about 50M extra consoles. The cheaper price point (both games and consoles) and mobility are a big factor in that. Not to forget the Japanese market's preference for mobile gaming and the phenomenon that is Pokémon.

For the last two generations Sony has had a HH as well, so the comparison is valid.



Dr.Vita said:
 


Other question: How many ten million+ sellers does Nintendo have from third party games?

Sony only has two: GTA and CoD. And they're not exclusive to Playstation either, so it has nothing to do with the PS brand.

This generation there's Monster Hunter, Yo-kai Watch and Dragon Quest that will have impressive sales. And with the exception of Dragon Quest they're exclusive to Nintendo systems (and Dragon Quest XI will be two different versions anyway, so it sort of is exclusive as well).

bouzane said:
Puppyroach said:
Also, when talking about sales, hasn't Nintendo crushed every generation when it comes to console sales(handheld+ home)? They even lead this one with a healthy 30mn margin.


The PS2 was far more popular than the GBA and GC combined and I would be shocked if the PS4 didn't outsell the WiiU and 3DS combined (although by a far smaller margin).

The GBA held its own very well against the PS2 for the 3 years it was on the market without a succesor. Please get your facts straight.



Around the Network
DivinePaladin said:
PlayStation is in an interesting position. People have nostalgia for it that helps its brand, but most of the brand's defining early games are now third party. Moreover, the defining games of the PS2 are mostly irrelevant now, because Sony changes with its audience so much that they damn the "less appealing" franchises with shitty advertising and support. The only remaining PS1 franchise is GT, and the only remaining PS2 ones are GoW (in a lull as of late) and Ratchet. Many of the PS3 franchises died WITHIN that gen, leaving Uncharted, LBP, and Killzone as the main living PS3 franchises today, and one of of those is probably ending next year. The closest thing the PS brand had to a mascot was Sackboy for about a year and overall Ratchet. And what does it say about Sony that, after starting with third party characters, their most lasting franchise and mascot was created by a third party?

So what does that mean for PS? It means that, yes, they know when to kill a franchise and move on, but it also means their brand is very liquid compared to the solid gold that Nintendo produces. Many fans will beg for them to bring back key franchises, like Jak or Sly or Legend of Dragoon or what have you, and when Sony refuses to support those projects it hurts that liquid brand. Nintendo can take a few chips when fans beg for Metroid and we get Federation Force because they're just so well-built for that.

I know I rambled a bit, but my point is, yes and no. They CAN be as iconic as Nintendo when they're at their best and we're using the correct frame of reference, but their constant metamorphoses hurt their lasting brand recognition. If they enforced Ratchet as their mascot it'd help a good amount, and that might be what they start doing come 2016 when their movies start taking off.


Sony always tries to go after whats in right now, so of course they target the more adult Thid Party games, Naughty Dogs transition shows it best from crash bandicoot to Uncharted. Nintendo isnt the Market leader right now so i dont except them to bring back games like Jack or Parapa the Rapper.

But Sony still makes nice things like finishing off last guardian, that game could they have canceled and no one would have been even angry at them.



Ka-pi96 said:
IMO PlayStation has already surpassed Nintendo, long ago even.


Yep, this.



Iconism is cumulative. As a brand, Playstation is more relavent that Nintendo with regard to duration and influence. Which is why everyone who says PS mentions console sales, marketshare, etc.
On the other hand, Nintendo has the most iconic characters period, hence the mentions of Mario, etc.

This is a just another way of saying, just cause they make video games, don't mean they are remembered for the same thing.



In this day and age, with the Internet, ignorance is a choice! And they're still choosing Ignorance! - Dr. Filthy Frank

Kyuu said:
Measuring a brand's popularity by combining handhelds with home consoles in a silly 1+1=2 fashion is flawed because a successful handheld and a successful home console of a said brand will largely attract the same customer-base and loyalists.

If every DS owner also had a Wii, this wouldn't have made Nintendo twice as popular or twice more recognized than they are in the scenario where the Wii doesn't exist.

Handheld gamers are also a lot different from console gamers. The handhelds and games are cheaper. They buy a lot less games.

 

Comparing DS to PS2 is kind of ridiculous. They sell same hardware but PS2 sells twice as many games.



I think it ultimately comes down to whether people think of handhelds or home consoles first when they think of video games. By that I mean, when someone mentions a video game, does that person identify a video game as something you play on a handheld or at home on a console first.

If they think of handhelds and Pokémon, then undeniably Nintendo is their first thought when they think of video games.

But, if people think of home consoles, then it's slightly more complicated. The Wii is still fresh in people's memories, I would imagine, and it managed to win over millions of casual gamers that wouldn't have played a home console before. But outside of that, in the home console space, the sheer numbers are clearly in the PlayStation's advantage.

I personally think home consoles are more quintessentially "video gamey" than handhelds, because major blockbusters focus primarily on home console. But, of course, you're free to argue with me there.

But then there's always another facet that plays clearly in Nintendo's favor is how iconic their characters are. Nearly everyone familiar with video games knows who Mario, Link, or Pikachu are. PlayStation hasn't pursued that, choosing instead to (usually) have its developers change their IP every now and then.

So, ultimately, I think you could probably make the case either way, though I would personally argue that Nintendo is still more iconic, but mostly because of its iconic characters.