Should Sony release the Playstation 5 before or after Scarlett?

[The_Liquid_Laser]

Barkley said:

The_Liquid_Laser said:

I think we know that Sony isn't really ready yet to release the PS5.  But assuming they were ready, then they should release the PS5 as soon as possible.  Microsoft should also release the Scarlett as soon as possible.  Both are losing market share to the Switch.  The longer they wait, the harder time they are going to have in the Generation 9 competition.

Not really because the Switch is not in direct competition with the PS5/Scarlett, just as it isn't with PS4/XBO.

"Direct competition is a situation in which two or more businesses offer products or services that are essentially the same; as such, the businesses are competing for the same potential market."

"Indirect competition is the conflict between vendors whose products or services are not the same but that could satisfy the same consumer need."

Because they are Indirect competitors the sales impact the PS5/Scarlett will have on the Switch is negligible and the impact Switch will have on PS5/Scarlett sales is also negligible. This has already been proven by the Switch launching to fantastic sales of 14m, while in that same year the PS4 had it's best year by far. Switch sales do not detract from PS4/XBO sales and will not detract from PS5/Scarlett sales. 

Sony/MS don't need to worry about the Switch and Nintendo don't need to worry about the PS5 or Scarlett.

PS5/Scarlett will be even less similar to the Switch than the PS4/XBO are.

Switch and PS5 and Scarlett will all be in direct competition with each other.  The 3DS and Vita were both in direct competition with each other, because they are both dedicated handheld gaming systems.  The 3DS and smart phones are in indirect competition, because the latter isn't a dedicated gaming device, but simply a mobile device that also has games as one of its many applications.  Also, the 3DS and PS4 are in indirect competition, because one is a handheld only gaming system and the other is a home only gaming system.  These systems are extremely different, but might end up satisfying the same need.

Switch and PS5 are in direct competition.  They are both home console systems.  We also don't have a situation like the Wii where the games are extremely different.  Wii Sports was a motion controls game that was radically different than anything the PS3 or XBox360 had in 2006.  On the other hand Zelda: BotW is an open world game.  That is the sort of game that is on a Sony or Microsoft system.  Smash Bros, Splatoon 2 and Pokemon are a fighting game, online shooter and RPG respectively.  Those sorts of games are on the other systems too.  Neither the hardware or software is radically different between the Switch and PS5.  They are both home systems which play similar games.

Also you said this: "Because they are Indirect competitors the sales impact the PS5/Scarlett will have on the Switch is negligible and the impact Switch will have on PS5/Scarlett sales is also negligible. This has already been proven by the Switch launching to fantastic sales of 14m, while in that same year the PS4 had it's best year by far."

This narrative is common, but the people who say it really need to do their homework.  The Genesis launched in 1989 and got slaughtered by the NES that year.  It also lost to the NES in 1990.  The Genesis never affected NES sales in the slightest.  But looking at the whole lifetime of the Genesis, it was in very close competition with the SNES.  The Genesis could not affect the NES, because it had too much sales momentum behind it when the Genesis launched.  But when the SNES launched, the Genesis was a cheaper system with a decent library of games already built up.  Lots of people bought the Genesis instead of the SNES for those reasons.  

In the same way, the Switch could not affect the PS4, because it had too much sales momentum behind it when the Switch launched.  But when the PS5 launches, the Switch will be a cheaper system with an extremely strong library of games already available.  A lot of people are going to buy the Switch over the PS5 just like they chose the Genesis over the SNES.

The only difference between the Generation 4 situation and this one is that Genesis sold poorly its first couple of years.  The Switch has been selling extremely well since launch.  The PS5 would have some extremely tough competition from the Switch even if it launched this year.  When it launches next year, it is going to be even harder.  There are going to be a lot of very shocked people at the end of 2021 when the find out that the PS5 is selling like the PS3.  "Why isn't the PS5 selling?"  It won't be selling well, because gamers will be buying the Switch instead.

Last edited by The_Liquid_Laser - on 21 September 2019