First thread creation - so be gentle with my ego.

 The PS3 has been billed as a Trojan Horse...  A games console first with a built in Hi Def player.

Sony has launched it late and with a high price with the specific intention of getting the Blu Ray HD disc sytem into as many homes as possible - and to make Blu Ray the industry standard format.

Job done. HD DVD is dead.

However - sales have not been stellar for the system. The new raft of bundles (esp. EU - 3 films vs 1 prologue) seem to say that they are entering a new marketing phase for the PS3.

'Buy a Blu-Ray player and get a games console also'

In effect flipping the whole marketing strategy around - now using their HD player as the Trojan Horse to get their games console in living rooms. 

Are we going to be subjected to a new raft of commercial activities where the primary focus is the HD player?

For me, this seems to be appropriate - Blu Ray is the future (until downloads...) and now the war is over they must push the HD player as the primary focus (aongside any big hitter games). It comes down to the casuals again I suppose - the big market is the HD player market (if it reaches DVD size) the smaller market is the games. However they probably make more money from the games - so they will use the HD capability to push PS3 into the mainstream, hoping to make their dosh by converting these people to gamers.

yeah expect to see a switch from the games to the movies....they cant get a proper game market share going b/c of Nin and Microsoft providing comp....but with them being the only hi def movie option....open road baby

They've already had commercials showing the Blu-Ray aspect of it. I believe iit is business as usual, just with extra emphasis on it being the cheapest BD player out there.

 Did they really launch it late or was the 360 just early? 

Anyway, I get what you're saying. They need to focus on games a hell of a lot more now that they've won their little format war.  

^ but i dont think they will---it will just get a piggy back from Blu Ray

I though they missed several launch windows due to blue laser diode problems and copy protection issues.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5319190.stm

The inclusion of Blu Ray therefore causing them to launch later than they had planned?

Rememer, everyone that buys ps3 for BR is then also a pontential buyer for ps3 games. It's a win win for Sony and not something they really have to worry about.

Look at the demographics and you'll see that the people who are buying the PS3 as a BR player aren't the least bit interested in buying games. Put another way - some folks buy cars to street race - they'll get Evos, or WRXes, or even Infiniti G35s and soup them up to earn some $$$ - however, most folks buy cars and will never, ever race them.

Just because a machine has the capacity to offer the buyers the ability to play video games doesn't mean they will jump over to that. It's a huge gamble for Sony in this regard. If the hardware keeps rising and the software sales stay stagnant, who's winning? Most console makers will admit they make money off the software sold. Even if Sony is selling consoles touted as the best and cheapiest BR player, they will just win one battle - being the go-to BR player. The game platform - shoot, Harrison said they'd sell 5 million consoles without games - was second tier from jump and to think that's gonna change - all I can say is wow. If folks are buying the PS3 without several AAA titles, and just touting is as the best BR player on the market, why should Sony change?

With the delayed launch, it was clear that Sony cared much, much more about BR than gaming (hence why they dropped BC and reduced the number of USB ports to just two ports). Maybe that will change, but with Sony at the helm of a format victory, they'll prove just how much they care about the consumer soon.

Very insightful reply.

I can't help thinking that Sony would much rather have the opportunity to sell to these non gamers than not.
Maybe this is the start of a multi layered strategy.

First capture the mainstream with a BR player - then convert them to video games by introducing a swath of casual games aimed straight at the 'non gamer'.

Look out for bucketloads of 'brain training / karaoke / puzzle' games with minimal graphics and the emphasis on 'having fun' once the PS3 Blu Ray player has taken hold?

@madskillz: Well I did say potential, didn't I.

My buddy's GF wouldn't ever let him get any kind of gaming device but he convinced her to let him get a PS3 because of BR.

Also, what do you think Johnny's gonna say when he goes over to grandma's and sees a fat PS3 sitting there next to the TV. Yep, he'll want to play it and G'ma just might get the little fella something to play when he's over.

This is just one POTENTIAL situation and there are sure to be a million others.

"they'll prove just how much they care about the consumer soon"

^ Well they are still doing bundle deals(see new Europe bundle) and the ps3's line up for the next couple of years seems pretty promising and only looks to get better.