Blu-ray and the PS3

[davygee]

etuoyo said:

after reading what you said I'm not sure if you are blinded by your love for sony or just not thinking this through. no way on earth is blu-ray a good thing for ps3. even if you are right that up 20 10% of ps3 owners bought it solely cause of blu-ray (about 600,000) that doesnt make up for the millions and millions and millions who have not bought a ps3 due to the blu-ray player being built in.

the ps3 launch was delayed for almost a year due to blu-ray problems. that gave 360 a huge head start which has really helped them with third party developers which has in turn boosted 360 sales. in addition blu ray meant ps3 was launched at a ridiculous price. this meant many who had been waiting to get a ps3 had to go for a 360 (or wii) instead. if ps3 did not have blu-ray built in and ps3 launched in march last year at let's say $300 it would have destroyed 360 (especially if they had dropped the price the way they have been doing). the console war was only sony's to lose and looks like they've lost it by including blu-ray since with repeated price drops they are barely outselling 360 world wide (despite being 7 million behind) and are being slaughtered in sales by Wii which is yet to see a price drop.

without a doubt blu-ray will win the high definition dvd war but it has come at the cost of success in the console war. even a top sony official (can't remember who it was but think it might have been the stringer chap) said in hind sight ps3 should not have included blu ray. but sony foolishly assumed they could release their console at any price and people would still buy. the playstation brand was so powerful that all sony needed to do was ensure the console was affordable and it would have sold like crazy. well blu ray is the reason that has not happened. you talk about lack of games but all consoles suffer lack of games in their 1st year and i am pretty sure you are one of those who would point out how ps3 has had better games than wii.

I agree that Sony decided to use the PS3 to sell Blu-ray, but as you say, if Blu-ray wins the HD war, then it could help turn the whole thing around.  No doubt if the PS3 was $300 on release, it would have sold loads more, but on the other hand, would we be seeing games like Uncharted and MGS4 and Killzone 2 on the PS3 is it didn't have Blu-ray?  Blu-ray is in the PS3, so we have to accept this and look forward.  I personally did originally thing that Blu-ray was a bad idea as, as you said, it delayed the release of the PS3 and esculated the cost of the unit as well.  But I do think that they can and will help each other out.