Very interesting read. First of all this really puts things in perspective of just how deep of a hole Sony is in right now. I mean I always hear across the web of the Sony fanboys praising about this almight coming of grace and PS3 sales will magically just start going up.
Well this article is a huge wake up call to those people as it shows just how hard that really is going to be. From the real looks of this, the article is mainly suggesting now how Sony can come back and take over Nintendo but just survive the generation. Personally I don't think any of their ideas will work.
First of all they suggest throwing out a copy cat version of the wiimote onto an existing hardware. Only problem with this is that it would be an accessory. And if they do change the original package to include that then it'll seem like the copy off brand to the consumer while they'll want the first and the so proclaimed best. NOt some tack on at the last minute. You see the same thing with software sales. They want the original not the same game new name.
As for the whole thing of not doing anything that is the exact reason why sales aren't changing. Cause they aren't doing anything. All 3rd parties have changed development somewhat to accomodate Nintendo's "newly found" casual/non gamer market. Why hasn't Sony done the same thing with their software. Why have they not changed something about their strategy to at least counter this. Everyone keeps thinking it's price that's the only reason Wii is outselling PS3. No it's more than that. Wii is getting huge sales not just from the core market but the other markets as well. If Sony doesn't counter that they aren't going to take anything away from the Wii. Sony has to do something.
Thirdly they say they should incorporate it into the PS2 and drop the price. This in theory sounds good but actually isn't. They have a successor on the market. Meaning the PS2 is doomed to fade out no matter how hard you try to revive it. And with Wii and DS pushing in as the mainstream hardware it'll be dead even quicker. PS2 is losing it's brandname appeal. Enterting the PS3 and unsuccessfully has totally stopped the PS2 from being that huge iconic mainstream hardware. It's been lost and PS2 will be on it's slow decline til death no matter what Sony tries to do to revive it.
The last one seems like the best ideal. Disrupt the disruptor. Unluckily for them this can't be done in this generation. Cause even if they did package this new disruptor in with the regular package that would be awhile from now. 2009-2010 timeframe. By that time Wii will have already won, N6 will be about a year or 2 from release, and Xbox 3 may be coming out during that timeframe.
Sony is in a major pickle right now and it's really hard to think of what they can do to stop the Wii from winning this generation. Cause they ahve one issue of there is nothing they can do right now to slow Wii down. Cause Nintendo is reaching out to markets that Sony isn't paying attention too. And you can't hurt sales there if you aren't trying to stop them.
I really don't think i could offer something to tell Sony how to get out of this. Other than go for the markets you know you are strongest in. Lay down resources in Japan and medium it in America and really go full out in the European territories. But interesting read.
