silicon said:
The way I approached the question in the OP was to hypothesize the circumstances that would bring about the PS3 failing. You're right, that's what did happen. However, if the PS3 failed, there must be a reason, since it didn't fail despite the slow start and high price, and that reason might have other implication then just PS3 failing. I proposed that the PS3 could only die if the market shifted away from the types of games typicall found on HD consoles. If that's true then other things must be true as well. For example, the X360 would never have sold as much as the PS3 and X360 did combined, subtracting the sales of gamers that bought both. Since if the PS3 failed to sell it means that there aren't people in the market willing to buy a HD console. In my opinion the difference between the X360 and PS3 is not that great. It is also possible that gamers are not loyal to brands. In this case the console that was released first and cheapest would be the greatest selling. This would have its own reprucussions. Game and console prices would drop. Unique IPs might do better. Nintendo might have better 3rd party support. Etc.But I don't think there is a lot of support for this argument. Why would X360 sell more and the PS3 sell less? |
Well I think what sold the PS3 the most is the fact that it had a considerable amount of IPs under it's belt from the previous gens - PS1 and PS2, Ratchet and Clank, Gran Turismo etc, and most of the studios behind the games that were considered among the most iconic of IPs for the Playstation brand. The "hardcore" gaming would have chugged along as it would have if X360 failed, either way you spin it, if either of the two failed the hardcore gaming would still be present, the difference would ofcourse be the variety in library and maybe an IP or two due to the external funding - MS funded ME1 - probably similar cases among Sony.
I think the reason as to why PS3 did NOT fail;
A new type of developing format - BluRay, when the library was not as mature as it is now, BluRay was one of the main selling points as it was the best on the market with auto updating, meaning that it was one of -if not the best investment at the time.
Severe amount of IPs and developers under the belt such as Insomaniac, Naughty Dog etc.
The selling point of PS3 as not only a gaming console but as a "media centre for entertainment"
Brand loyalty played a severe role in this I think, in Japan in particular.
MS unreliability of console early on in it's cycle, if mine broke I'd demand a refund and purchase an alternative on the market - PS3.
Good support by Sony, despite the losses they've pulled it through and now operating at a profit.
Either way, X360 appealed to the hardcore gamer as much as PS3, in terms of gaming industry and the "hardcore" segment it wouldn't have made a slight difference if either of the consoles failed - it only would have had an impact if Move and Kinect were available at launch, then maybe if either failed we'd all be playing a load of crap petting games and Yahtzee for the family.
Disconnect and self destruct, one bullet a time.
