Tsk, Tsk: A look at Sony's marketing campaigns

What are we in now? Third year of this new console generation? Maybe fourth? It's around this time that we see a tuned, and refined marketing strategy, ready for expansion.

And why would this be important, you're saying? The gaming industry, and business as a whole is two parts: Market and marketing. No matter how horrible a product may be (Xbox 360 and it's Red Ring of Death...) a strong marketing strategy can always beat out. 

Nintendo's doing great! They've figured out how to get senior citizens and in fact entire families in on the gaming experience.  Smiling faces, families together in one room with Wii-motes in everyone's hands, friends laughing together over what took place in a certain game! Ads like these are effective and speak to their audiences very clearly. Take a look at this one. 

 Do you notice all of the different people in it? All ethnicities, all ages, both genders. And the sales records show, Nintendo is hitting their marks.

Microsoft began the holiday season out strong with a price drop on their Arcade SKU to $199. What better way to appeal to people, than to make things cheap? In addition, they have always been clear about their system being all about community. From the early commercials, to the latest ones. You'll notice how there are always more than one person in the ads.

Let's look at the earliest 360 ad.

  IT'S NOT EVEN ABOUT VIDEO GAMES! And yet it gets the point across, they're all about having fun and community.

But we move onto Sony... Sigh.

Sony ruled last generation with genius marketing. Take a look at the God of War ads, or the Ratchet and Clank commercials. Funny, epic, entertaining, exciting, and most of all inviting. 

But what the HELL is this?

Who does that appeal to? I can't imagine a soul on this earth. In fact, it just scares the hell out of me.

Well thank God they learned their lesson. But here's the problem, after that they bagan to rule their marketing strategy based off of what they were being criticized for. Their "Black Onyx" campaign was created to showcase their games. You'll probably remember it.

Of course this doesn't really say anything. It comes off less as a "kick in the face" to their critics, and more an act of desperation. And as a music connoisseur, I don't even want to grace the music with a response, but I know that this is probably the most likable aspect of the commercial for most. 

Their most recent campaign is a little more effective. "Entertainment Unleashed" is where they begin to show actual people. We have a bunch of young, hip people with PSP's and Playstation t-shirts, all of which connected by a Playstation Network.

But wait... isn't this the same thing that Microsoft is trying to sell us?

But the most striking ad is this one:

This shows promise. It hits you, and leaves you thinking about it. But still... we don't have a clear cut message.

Fact of that matter is that all of this opinion, but marketing is all about  synching with other's likes and dislikes.

So, what are your thoughts? Are Sony's campaigns clear? Does the point come across?