I would have ditched the Cell and used a more familiar PC like architecture to make development easier. Still would have included all that FSB. Add more RAM (384 wouldn't have cost too much more would it?)

I would have kept BluRay, but not required games to use it. Load times are slower and it raises costs.

Included only the 40gig hdd but included support for external memory and loading directly from that memory.

Keep Wifi.

Keep built in Lithium Ion batteries in the controllers.

Put more emphasis on PSN earlier.

Had movie downloads day one.

No rounded top, it looks nice but can't stack.

Delay Lair and Heavenly Sword for quality.

Put more resources to get Ratchet and Clank out earlier... and GT5 Prologue.

Release more PS1 (and some PS2) games on PSN. Basically VirtualPS. Make them cheaper though.

Tekken 6 day one. (Not a fan, but it is a Sony Staple. Namco would have gotten a nice check to make this happen, with quality.)

Made Folklore a more traditional JRPGs to sell in Japan.

One SKU, $399. No Cell would have made this possible.

Screw third parties, here's a free first party PSN game or two.

I can keep going if you want.

get more Japanese support, bring back BC, gradually reduce price but not sacrifice profits, try to buy few exclusives.

Nothing, they did what needed to be done and done what they could.

Every one thinks they know the best when on the sidelines.

I would have kept the Blu-ray, but done something different than the cell. Also, I would have put more money in jRPG development than FPS development on the first party side.

Sony's only serious mistake was not settling the rumble suit with Immersion. They delivered on everything else - a quality machine with fantastic playback, topnotch BluRay, wireless, swappable drive, etc. They also beefed up their developer support and invested heavily in their studio network - which is why the PS3 is going to have boatloads of fantastic games this fall season. But yeah, they should've just settled with Immersion and avoided the whole rumble debacle.

larger shipment at launch...and in game XMB and trophies from the start would have dramatically helped

i would have spent alot more on good quality games and copy everyone else but really all that sells a councsle is games

YAhh take money away from a genre that matters in 80% of the world market and put it in a genre that only matters in 20% of it and even there its been in decline for a decade.

I'd delay the launch in all regions until the part costs were a bit more reasonable, and I would not have attempted a worldwide launch (which failed). I'd go with a single SKU, the Euro 60GB, and it'd be $400. I would have made sure that developers working on bigger games still had the dev kits at the same time they would have without the delay, though, since they've clearly needed the extra time. I'd have packed a BR movie in with every console, something in the action genre that appeals to their main crowd.

Really, though, if you ignore the first year the PS3 doesn't look so bad. MGS4 would have been a great way to kick of the system's second year, and they wouldn't have had to delay their game because they wouldn't have wanted to release in the system's first year to naturally small user base anyway. They just launched 6 months to a year too early in what seems to have been an attempt to help BR win the format war, which would have better assisted by a $400 PS3 anyway.

I woulda kicked Killzone 2 to the curb, and developed games similar to those that made the PS2 popular. Starting with Legend of Dragoon 2. I woulda kept FFXIII exclusivity, no matter what the cost, and I woulda reduced the initial cost of the console to $399. Blu-Ray would have been cut, certainly, and might have lost the format war, but to be honest, I'm not worrying about the Sony company, I'm worrying about the gaming division, in which Blu-Ray is unnecessary.

I woulda pulled some late starting PS2 releases for PS3 launch titles, despite their low graphical fidelity. Maybe Persona 3 or Odin Sphere.

The PS3 would also be fully backwards compatible with the PS2.

I would have stuck with the DS 2 controller for the PS2, an in fact, I would have only changed the wire on the controller, making a wireless version that shipped with the console, leaving the wrangling over legal issues for later.

Now, I would focus on wrapping up big exclusive games as well as developing from my 1st party developers.

With the PS3 BC, I would have completely dropped support of the PS2 when the PS3 launched, and made the only player of PS2 games, the PS3.

I would have an advertising campaign pointing out the PS3 as "the most dependable console on the market, with the best exclusive games" hinting that the 360 had hardware issues. I would have invested in a viral anonymous advertising campaign to further exploit this weakness.

I would package every potential system seller with consoles worldwide and have artists and my production line setup for quick production ramp-age.

I would Maximize my PS3 skus to 2 or 1 sku.'

The cheaper SKU would ship with a 20gb hd and an eyetoy 2 ready at launch with games for that device, as well as a singstar demo and a mic.

The 80gb model would ship with Persona 3, Uncharted, Madden, Rachet, or something, whatever the big game was at the time(yes, persona 3 is a PS2 game, but if you read my earlier comments, I assert that I would have forced it to be published on the PS3, with cash).


To win this war, you have to win Japan.

You can't win Japan with Killzone, MMO shooters, and God of War.

Hence, with Sony's current strategy, they can't win Japan.

However, luckily for them, FFXIII and Gran Turismo will go a long way towards rebuilding their shattered consoles in that region.


Oh yeah, also, my PS3 would have been white and more efficiently shaped.

The end.