Isnt sony losing collage?

[AP_piano295]

The PS3's insane price has been discussed to death but I was just thinking about a key demographic that sony may be losing with this thing.

Very often when teens go off to collage they grab a console to bring to the dorm (at least most everyone I know). But the super high price of the PS3 seems like it might alienate itself from that demographic.

Things parents are likely to buy for kids going off to collage (or graduation presents) are computers, a small tv, ipod, etc. Realitively inexspensive or absolutely necessary items (computer). It isnt uncommon for a teen to grab a console they (up till now they havent been extremely high priced even right at launch)

But with a console so hugely priced it wont be getting truly cheaper any time soon. And that could be alienating the penny pinching collage cround for years to come. Thoughts?

[Dagless]

Oh the student world won't be looking at PS3's for sure. I'm at university now and people here actually spend their money on living and fee's. unless funded by parents or worked like a dog during holidays of course.
the new Sony market seems to be the 20-30 year old worker. the casual market, normally.

[MacRumorUser]

But it isnt a console ;)

Sony are trying hit a different demographic, unfortunately this isn't the same demography that made the ps1 & 2 such a huge success and therein lies the danger.

BluRay inital impressions arent looking good either, so the hardware enthusiast who they were aiming at are now also looking twice....

It wont FAIL, just I think the outcome of this 'battle' will be all three companies having similar marketshare in a few years, which is actually a good thing.

[2nyRiggz]

When the console gets drop on the market and things arent going as plan then I'll say its losing whatever it suppose to be winning ummmmk...





Bless

[Abulia]

As others have pointed out, the PS3 is aiming for a different demographic this time around. Not too many students willing to drop $600 plus games and accessories to game on their dorm's HDTV between classes, methinks.

The irony in the title just kills me. :D

To the OP, not to be pedantic, but you should spend a bit more time in "collage" yourself; your spelling is atrocious.

[MacRumorUser]

To the OP, not to be pedantic, but you should spend a bit more time in "collage" yourself; your spelling is atrocious.

LOL! Maybe he meant art school :D Thats a fine collage :D :D

[Dagless]

LOL! Maybe he meant art school :D Thats a fine collage :D :D

terrible :p ;)

[Tommyg117]

They are missing a huge demographic. I can't predict what will happen, but I have my theories. I was the only person out of my 5 roommates who played games on a daily basis. My buddies would play games every few days or if a really big game came out, they would get it. They all had PS2's. I remember watching the E3 Sony conference when they announced the price of the PS3. All of my roommates who were super excited about the console immediately put off wanting one. This is, granted, one microcosom of one college, however I feel that it can be generalized.

[seenew]

LOL! Maybe he meant art school :D Thats a fine collage :D :D

Hey... :(

[7on]

****, at my college the popular guys are the ones busting out NESs and SNESs.

[Dagless]

****, at my college the popular guys are the ones busting out NESs and SNESs.

isn't that the way! I was at a course mates house once having a bazz on the ol' Dreamcast. Before moving onto a Streets of Rage 2 co-op.

[steelphantom]

I'm getting an apartment with a few of my friends next year, and we planned on each getting one of the "next-gen" consoles so we would be able to play all three of them in our apartment. One friend already has an XBox 360 and I'll be getting a Wii, but it doesn't look like my other friend will be getting a PS3. Wonder why? :p Right after the price was revealed, I asked him if he was still getting one. His response: "Whatever." :D

[shadowmoses]

We haven't seen the whole picture with the PS3 if it ships with the ability to install a linux operating system and allows functions such as word processor, music player and internet browsing the PS3 could prove very popular with all markets as it would almost double as a computer if needed plus its undeniably huge market share/popularity in the gaming sector....

I know that if this type of functionality was announced I would definatly pick it up to use as a computer/console hybrid.....

SHadoW

[Mavimao]

We haven't seen the whole picture with the PS3 if it ships with the ability to install a linux operating system and allows functions such as word processor, music player and internet browsing the PS3 could prove very popular with all markets as it would almost double as a computer if needed plus its undeniably huge market share/popularity in the gaming sector....

I know that if this type of functionality was announced I would definatly pick it up to use as a computer/console hybrid.....

SHadoW

I can't agree with that view. The PS3, no matter what Sony wants to call it or how many functionalities it has, in the public's eye, it is just a gaming console. A very expensive one at that. Now, I know it has blu-ray, a hard drive, Linux and this apparently "life-changing" cell chip (off the record: I find it overrated), but the common person isn't going to care. Cool, it has linux, but your 35 year old bachlor who works at a mortgage firm is going to wonder: What is linux? Does it run windows? Why doesn't it run word? You can tell them that open office opens and saves word files but people will just look at you and go: "WORD! WINDOWS!"

[runplaysleeprun]

Cool, it has linux, but your 35 year old bachlor who works at a mortgage firm is going to wonder: What is linux? Does it run windows? Why doesn't it run word? You can tell them that open office opens and saves word files but people will just look at you and go: "WORD! WINDOWS!"


Exactly. The "geek" factor isn't going to have an effect on the largest demographics. You'll have a rough time trying to sell it as much more than a game console to the vast majority of people.

[MacRumorUser]

Exactly. The "geek" factor isn't going to have an effect on the largest demographics. You'll have a rough time trying to sell it as much more than a game console to the vast majority of people.

Exactly, joe public is going to walk into a store and say well it's a computer so can I play pc computer games as well, errr no?? Why???? Ok then I'll put in this disc I got from the mall for the kiddies about typing and hey it doesnt work too..... Linux? What thats not windows? Well can i put windows in my computer? No?? What??? THIS IS NOT A COMPUTER? WHATS THE POINT......

Linux means less to the general public than mac osX, and it's not by anymeans a deal breaker for anyone other than a tiny tiny demography ......

[XNine]

Linux isn't as "geeky" as it used to be. Linux is quite popular and a lot of people know about it. Given that the PS2 Linux Kits had the ability to have applications, web browsing, etc., it's silly to think the PS3's wouldn't.

[MacRumorUser]

Linux is grand dont get me wrong, but it's still an operating system thats very NOT friendly to anyone who hasnt a good knoweldge of computing?

There's a lot of manual config still in linux (editing in terminal, sumo config blah blah etc.... ) and software isnt on supermarket shelves and very few computer software stores hold any linux software.

Its just not a mass accessable product and average joe i doubt will adapt or ever use it.....

look how hard it is to convince windows users to use mac os, let alone linux...

[Dagless]

there is a lot of user unfriendliness that gets chucked onto the Linux name. It's a running idea in many, many people's minds.

MRU put it across perfectly. Saying it's a computer is nothing more than to get TAX back from Europe which is going to confuse Joe Public. So rather than trying to get the system out there to make money with they'd rather take a huge lump off the Tax man and confuse people. Hmm.

[XNine]

Linux is grand dont get me wrong, but it's still an operating system thats very NOT friendly to anyone who hasnt a good knoweldge of computing?

There's a lot of manual config still in linux (editing in terminal, sumo config blah blah etc.... ) and software isnt on supermarket shelves and very few computer software stores hold any linux software.

Its just not a mass accessable product and average joe i doubt will adapt or ever use it.....

look how hard it is to convince windows users to use mac os, let alone linux...

I see your points, but there are lots of Linux distros that have pre-built and customizable GUI installations available. They're just about as easy to install as OS X. Don't get me wrong, Linux is not for your average person, but for those with just a tiny bit of technical inclination, it can be used without much problem.

[2nyRiggz]

To the OP, not to be pedantic, but you should spend a bit more time in "collage" yourself; your spelling is atrocious.

You guys are horrible....LOL....I guess it depends on the linux type you are allowed to install on the thing.....There are some simple distros out there.




Bless

[smitty330]

I see your guys point with the new demographic, but i really dont think that that demographic is large enough to sell a product and make a profit or at least make the kind of profit that sony is looking for. I also agree with the fact that kids will be looking for a system to take to college. Me myself (a sophmore in college) will be purchasing a wii. The whole idea of the "Wii" being like "we" together and in a group is what draws me to it, it will be a great system to play with friends and other kids that live on my floor of my dorm. So, I am very excited (obviously).

-Matthew

[drewyboy]

Well, the only reason that it costs so much is cuz they are pack'n it with brand new technology. Mark my word, christmas of '07 it will drop to $499.99, and that being top model or whatever. Plus i know plenty of college kids will blow some of there financial aid to purchase one. I think it will do perfectly fine. As it has been pointed out b4, but not here, ps3 600 right?? what's a blue-ray player going for 1000. So, if anything, it's a blue-ray that costs only 600, good for the adult, and perfect so his kids can play on it too.

[smitty330]

OK so i get that you can store more on a blue ray disc and that it looks better than a regular dvd, but what is the point in having a dvd that can store 25gigs of data. Most movies are around 3Gs. So, now you can fit that extras and the movie all on one disc...wow i am excited (absolutly not) this blueray crap I think is a big waste of money. If the blueray players are gunna be more then obviously the movies on blueray are going to be more expencive. I dont know about anyone else but i tipically dont like paying more than 15 bucks for a dvd. So anyway. I think that blueray=Minidisc (around for a couple of years people waste money on it, and it goes out)

-Matthew

[dejo]

OK so i get that you can store more on a blue ray disc and that it looks better than a regular dvd, but what is the point in having a dvd that can store 25gigs of data. Most movies are around 3Gs.
Not when they're HD resolution. They take up significantly more than 3GBs. Up around that 25GBs area. DVD Video = 720x480. High definition (HD DVD or Blu-ray) Video = 1920x1080.

[bmb012]

So college students are going to get a 600 ps3, sans monitor, with a gamepad, which runs scary Linux, instead of a 500 buck Dell, which includes a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and familiar Windows (blech, IMO, of course). ;)

College students don't pay more than a paycheck for a system, and most of the time, the system is an impulse buy, especially at college, to get into the networked Haloing.

[Kreamy]

Of course the Playstation will fall.

Its only a multi-billion dollar division of one of the worlds largest electronics companies which happens to have taken the gaming market by storm 3 times in the past.

No, a bunch of forum people know better than professional market research and R&D people. What were they thinking?

[shadowmoses]

Obviously sony wouldn't pre-load some run of the mill linux they would make a custom OS much like that on the PSP which would include the ability to surf the net/mail app and Office type application that could access Office files as well as a music and Video player which would be open allowing users to put on and playback what they wish, unlike say the xbox 360.....This in my view would be very popular as it would not force people to adopt a new OS just be able to use there PS3 in more ways.......

I am far from a PS3 fanboy in fact I probably won't be getting a PS3 (wii for me) but if they do get things right sony have a killer machine on there hands even at the high price.

SHadoW

[AP_piano295]

Of course the Playstation will fall.

Its only a multi-billion dollar division of one of the worlds largest electronics companies which happens to have taken the gaming market by storm 3 times in the past.

No, a bunch of forum people know better than professional market research and R&D people. What were they thinking?

We'll considering I would probably trust almost any random person on this forum to run the US goverment better than our current president a massive market error seems very possible. Dont forgett that companies do have ups and downs all the time these can be caused by random trends mis interpretation of what the market wants, slumps in the world economy a general feeling of unrest the list goes on and on.

Dont forget that the people on these forums represent the market, yes the ones on here are biased twards nintendo no arguing that but the trends seen here permiate throughout the gameing world.

Example from my life- My neighbor and close friend is a die hard sony fan who has been trashing the other consoles since they were announced. But even he has turned on the PS3 simply not willing to lay down that kind of money.

Blue Ray sure a player costs 1000 dollars but what if I dont want a Blue Ray player? The change from VHS to DVD was a major leap tapes had been around for years and people were ready for a change and VHS to DVD was very noticeable. The change from a large clunky tape to disk. DVD's were cool they were smaller gave a better image and all you had to do was buy was a DVD player even at their highest price these cost only a little over 300 and that price fell like a rock.

We'll this jump to blue ray is not quite the same thing DVD's are still realitively new, and people arent exactly pumped for a change. Then there is the fact that at the moment Blue Ray players are running 1000. Annnd most people still dont have HD tv's.

So think about the changes between say ps2 and ps3

ps2
DVD's-were something totally new and cool
Graphics-Right from the get go anyone who baught a ps2 could use its full graphical power
Price-300 bucks it was half the price at launch sure we've had inflation but the value of money hasnt been halved.

ps3
Blue Rays-Yaaay a new disk but this one is different you just cant tell by looking.
Graphics-Yeah they are sweet but you'll be needing an HD TV with that good luck finding one sub 600.
Price-600 bucks like we've said this is alot

[ZoomZoomZoom]

No, a bunch of forum people know better than professional market research and R&D people. What were they thinking?

Qualia.

Anyways, we as "forum people" are customers. And for those of us who are in college, we are the target market described in this thread.

And as a college student, there's no way I can afford a PS3 purchase even if I would like one more than an XBOX. Let's do some college-level mathematics.

$600 / $0.10 per serving of ramen = 6,000 servings of ramen.
6,000 servings x (0.7) since your roommate tithes 30% of your food = 4,200 servings
4,200 servings / 2 servings a day (no one eats breakfast) = 2,100 days
2,100 days = 5.75 years

That's over a half decade's worth of MSG.

So I say no, college students aren't going to bite.

[LethalWolfe]

Not when they're HD resolution. They take up significantly more than 3GBs. Up around that 25GBs area. DVD Video = 720x480. High definition (HD DVD or Blu-ray) Video = 1920x1080.
Compression, compression, compression. It all depends on the compression. Footage from a MiniDV camera (like a Canon GL2) and HDV camera (like the Sony HC3) will both take up about the same amount of HDD space. And you'd be hard pressed to get a 25gig movie on a 15gig HD-DVD. ;)


No, a bunch of forum people know better than professional market research and R&D people. What were they thinking?
BetaMax
MiniDisc
ATRAC
Sony Connect

Now, I don't think that the PS3 is going to tank, but people in boardrooms aren't foolproof either.


Lethal

[dejo]

And you'd be hard pressed to get a 25gig movie on a 15gig HD-DVD. ;)
Yeah, but not so hard-pressed on a 30GB dual-layer HD-DVD! ;)

[LethalWolfe]

Yeah, but not so hard-pressed on a 30GB dual-layer HD-DVD! ;)
But I like the hybrid HD-DVDs (one layer is HD, the other is SD) as it will keep me from having to buy movies twice. So I'm all for keeping these things under 15gigs. :D


Lethal

[Soulstorm]

I won't buy PS3 until I see Sony drop down their prices a bit. I think that I will wait to see what games will be available in each console and then I will make my choice. Which really is the best tactic in my opinion.

[Dagless]

Well, the only reason that it costs so much is cuz they are pack'n it with brand new technology. Mark my word, christmas of '07 it will drop to $499.99, and that being top model or whatever. Plus i know plenty of college kids will blow some of there financial aid to purchase one. I think it will do perfectly fine. As it has been pointed out b4, but not here, ps3 600 right?? what's a blue-ray player going for 1000. So, if anything, it's a blue-ray that costs only 600, good for the adult, and perfect so his kids can play on it too.

Mark your words? Just because you say so doesn't make it true. from a financial stand point Sony cannot drop the price for a long time. Look at the 360, costs less to produce than a PS3 and they will not be dropping the price for quite some time.

something you should know-
Sony will lose money with each PS3 sold. IIRC it was around $200 in funny money.
Games are going to be expensive to add comfort to the system loss.
Online? Well we haven't been given a price yet.

And to the kreamy guy.

You seem to phail at reading into things. Have you not seen the massive difference between the PS1/2 launch compared to the PSP and PS3? Massively different demographics. the once cheap, useful, wide PS1 and 2 demographic has gone to Nintendo (DS and Wii). They ballsed up the PSP and for many people, scorned by Sony's cheap hardware (dead pixels, faulty lasers, dangerous power units etc).

and yea. few are paying the price of the PS3. it's a tiny demographic compared to previous systems. anyone with half a brain knows that.
and seeing you like history so much, could you please point out when a $600 machine has ever 'won'? Please. I would love to know. people don't spend that much on video game systems.

[sarcosis]

Being a college student right now, i'm am poor. There are way too many things to pay for. I like the comparison with Ramen. Many college student's are like that. I just so happen not to be a rich spoiled brat who's driving a brand new BMW to class.

And being a marketing + IT major in college, I say this about Sony's price, STUPID! They are missing a huge demographic. College students on average are more likely to buy the games that Sony produces. They will go and splurge money on stuff and not think twice about it. I've seen it many times.

The demographic they are targeting now, consider this a major purchase and each incramental game they will purchase will be a bigger decision. Most people they are targeting are struggleing with gas prices right now. Sure Sony's model might be better when they thought about it, but with gas prices the way they are, and everything getting more expensive, disposable money is getting smaller and smaller.

The people who do have the money to purchase this couldn't give two hoots about it. That is the 30 somthings. Many have families and can't afford it. And others who don't know what the hell it is nor do they care. I might be ignorant of the whole thing honestly. Consumers are still weary of new technology. If you try to push something on someone, it won't work as well. That's why using the Blue-Ray might not catch on. Too expensive, too costly to produce. Well only time will tell now.

[XNine]

Mark your words? Just because you say so doesn't make it true. from a financial stand point Sony cannot drop the price for a long time. Look at the 360, costs less to produce than a PS3 and they will not be dropping the price for quite some time.

something you should know-
Sony will lose money with each PS3 sold. IIRC it was around $200 in funny money.
Games are going to be expensive to add comfort to the system loss.
Online? Well we haven't been given a price yet.

And to the kreamy guy.

You seem to phail at reading into things. Have you not seen the massive difference between the PS1/2 launch compared to the PSP and PS3? Massively different demographics. the once cheap, useful, wide PS1 and 2 demographic has gone to Nintendo (DS and Wii). They ballsed up the PSP and for many people, scorned by Sony's cheap hardware (dead pixels, faulty lasers, dangerous power units etc).

and yea. few are paying the price of the PS3. it's a tiny demographic compared to previous systems. anyone with half a brain knows that.
and seeing you like history so much, could you please point out when a $600 machine has ever 'won'? Please. I would love to know. people don't spend that much on video game systems.

A few counterpoints:
Ps3's demographic is the same as it has been since the PS, it's just grown up and Sony is taking advantage of that. When I was 18 I couldn't afford a 600 dollar console. Now that I'm a responsible, working adult, I can, and it's no big deal.

The games AREN'T going to be any more expensive than the 360's. They are the exact same price, and if Sony follows its policy like they did with the PS2, then it will give the Developers the right to choose how much to charge for their game, which was another big factor into why the PS2 sold so many units.

[technocoy]

I think you're all thinking a little self-centric here. Sony may not flat out "win" this console battle, but they sure as hell aren't going to "fail".

a few points to make:

we all say 600.00 dollars is too much for anyone to pay for their kid to have this system. right, thats why tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of xBox360 consoles sold in bundles that cost 800 and more and went on eBay for 800-1500 dollars last year.

you all keep talking about the "college" crowd (which i realize is the point of the thread) and their meager paycheck. statistics indicate that america is futher in debt than ever before and much of that is college students who buy things they can't afford. iPods, game systems, overpriced clothing.

i think some of us older crowd forget the amount of money that parents drop on kids these days... where I used to be lucky (extremely lucky) if i got something as expensive as an iPod video as my ONLY christmas present, parent's these days drop the money for things like that on a whim (maybe not YOURS, maybe not MINE but ALOT do. I see it all the time in my friends' students)

college crowd aside, there is a certain "lower-income" bracket for whom most don't seem to mind financial pain and suffering and they will buy it in DROVES against all better judgement.

AND FINALLY those who are saying the target demo of 20-30 isn't enough to float the system need to go back and look at sales of the last gen systems. that age group (which I am a part of) are the people who drove the last 3 gaming cycles, and we now have full-time jobs and careers that allow us to feed our game fetishes. we were enough to sustain the last several billion dollars made in this market and trust me, there are only more entering the demographic and the demographic is only getting older.

I LOVE nintendo, it is the system i am most excited about. I really do love my PS2, but I thought this PS3 stuff was nonsense and I would be waiting a year or two for a price drop, so I bit the bullet and bought (gasp, i never thought i would be saying this) an xBox 360 (which i now love). But you can put money on it that if assasins creed and MGS and FF and gran turismo all come out early in the cycle, it's going to be VERY difficult for me to hold out.

I'm with everyone here in thinking that Sony has made a boo-boo with this pricing scheme, but I also remember thinking that when i was paying nearly 350.00 for a PS1 and a PS2. And I DO believe it will not give them as nice of a bottom line as they may have had in the past, but this is a long cycle market and you can bet that sony will not only do well, but they will be selling them by the DROVES this holiday season.

Don't let you anger over the price and your blatant fanboyism blind you to the market and the amount of money generated yearly on products that are too expensive and we don't need.

technocoy

[Eraserhead]

You guys are horrible....LOL....I guess it depends on the linux type you are allowed to install on the thing.....There are some simple distros out there.




Bless
I'm sure that Linux is fine (depending on the distro), however that isn't people's impression of it.
For example the Linux computers at my Uni also seem to crash regularly and be unreliable, when they don't work it's really hard to know why, now this might well be that IT services just installed Linux on some PC's and don't tweak it (whereas Windows gets re-imaged monthly.), the chances on selling anyone who does Maths at Warwick a Linux computer is zero (unless they already use it.).

I agree with MacRumorUser about OS X too, i mean OS X is now equivalent to Vista Ultimate Edition, it runs all the same programs (eg Office etc.) that Windows does and with Edu discount in the UK its cheaper too, yet people *still* want their Windows PC's, also everyone has iPod's so they have heard of Apple too and also kinda know they are easy to use. Linux has none of those advantages and so on the PS3 will fail simply because you cannot install Word, not that Open Office is that bad...

[AP_piano295]

A few counterpoints:
Ps3's demographic is the same as it has been since the PS, it's just grown up and Sony is taking advantage of that. When I was 18 I couldn't afford a 600 dollar console. Now that I'm a responsible, working adult, I can, and it's no big deal.

The games AREN'T going to be any more expensive than the 360's. They are the exact same price, and if Sony follows its policy like they did with the PS2, then it will give the Developers the right to choose how much to charge for their game, which was another big factor into why the PS2 sold so many units.

uhhh no.
The people I know who own ps2's and ps1's are now going into collage, or in collage. This means that sony has alienated at least one part of their target audience the college student.

I think there is a deffinite possibility that loseing this group could seriously damage their sales. A new group of students rolls out of high school each year and off to collage. And it is VERY common that they grab a system to play with their dorm m8's. But there is no way in hell they are going to be buying a 600 dollar system (unless rich and spoiled). If I was entering collage the only sytem i would be buying is a wii because I dont have and HDTV and it looks like a good social gaming machine. Another thing is that the ps3's price is uncapable of dropping for quite a long time seeing as they are losing money on most all of the early systems. So they will be almost totally alienating the collage demographic for the first 2-3 years of the consoles life.

[XNine]

uhhh no.
The people I know who own ps2's and ps1's are now going into collage, or in collage. This means that sony has alienated at least one part of their target audience the college student.

I think there is a deffinite possibility that loseing this group could seriously damage their sales. A new group of students rolls out of high school each year and off to collage. And it is VERY common that they grab a system to play with their dorm m8's. But there is no way in hell they are going to be buying a 600 dollar system (unless rich and spoiled). If I was entering collage the only sytem i would be buying is a wii because I dont have and HDTV and it looks like a good social gaming machine. Another thing is that the ps3's price is uncapable of dropping for quite a long time seeing as they are losing money on most all of the early systems. So they will be almost totally alienating the collage demographic for the first 2-3 years of the consoles life.

you act as if college gamers are the only people that exist. NEWS FLASH: the 20-30 year old crowd was the demographic mostly responsible for sales of the last few generations of consoles. Now, how many people in that age range are college bound? I bet not even 10%.

Sony won't be going anywhere but up. In fact, I'll bet the nicest thing you own to a month of my paychecks that Sony's initial launch of units sells out.
Why? Because they will. As one poster said above, parents and others bought 360's that were going for over 1K on ebay. JUST for the console. 600 bucks too much? Don't bet on it.

[ChrisK018]

NEWS FLASH: OF COURSE the initial batch of PS3's will sell out!!! What major gaming platform's first batches didn't sell out? Since the advent of eBay, what hard to find gaming system didn't set off bidding wars? Why is that such a great argument?

How many total units will be sold worldwide after two or three years? The PS2 CRUSHED X-Box and GameCube. With that price tag, I don't think that the PS3 will do anywhere near the same damage. Sony will lose market share in the collage of all gamers-- college, gen x, gen y, spoiled brats and whatever else you want to toss in.

More people of all generations have $250 compared to $600. In fact, 100% of the people who have $600 have $250 to spend on a platform. Yes, the price will go down, but Sony is going to lose a good chunk of their percentage as the other platform's prices go down too.

[2nyRiggz]

I'm sure that Linux is fine (depending on the distro), however that isn't people's impression of it.
For example the Linux computers at my Uni also seem to crash regularly and be unreliable, when they don't work it's really hard to know why, now this might well be that IT services just installed Linux on some PC's and don't tweak it (whereas Windows gets re-imaged monthly.), the chances on selling anyone who does Maths at Warwick a Linux computer is zero (unless they already use it.).

I agree with MacRumorUser about OS X too, i mean OS X is now equivalent to Vista Ultimate Edition, it runs all the same programs (eg Office etc.) that Windows does and with Edu discount in the UK its cheaper too, yet people *still* want their Windows PC's, also everyone has iPod's so they have heard of Apple too and also kinda know they are easy to use. Linux has none of those advantages and so on the PS3 will fail simply because you cannot install Word, not that Open Office is that bad...


So you are backing this...staying firm to your PS3 will fail because it runs linux and linux can't run office....Okay. I don't know what to say to people who believe the PS3 will fail and drop off like Sega.....I just don't know how many times we got to go through this...

Okay lets handle this....

How many think the PS3 will fail......No fanboy crap here but I mean seriously...How many...put them hands up..





Bless

[GFLPraxis]

So you are backing this...staying firm to your PS3 will fail because it runs linux and linux can't run office....Okay. I don't know what to say to people who believe the PS3 will fail and drop off like Sega.....I just don't know how many times we got to go through this...

Okay lets handle this....

How many think the PS3 will fail......No fanboy crap here but I mean seriously...How many...put them hands up..





Bless

I think he's arguing that Linux won't make a difference because of that, not that the PS3 will fail because of that.

Personally, I'd rather take a PS3 over an XBox 360 any day. Sony generally has more games that appeal to me, and I love the fact that they're supporting homebrew via Linux. However, it is looking very likely that it might fail. It all hinges on Blu-ray.

[2nyRiggz]

^I'm thinking the only way Sony will fail is if the system don't come through with the games like the PS2 and the blu-ray. I don't think Linux will make a difference as well but he did mention it failing because it can't install office(one of the reasons) and I just want to make sure he's sticking to it.....Its all about the games here and everything else is a plus....top games, top console.




Bless

[Sky Blue]

The PS3's insane price has been discussed to death but I was just thinking about a key demographic that sony may be losing with this thing.

Very often when teens go off to collage they grab a console to bring to the dorm (at least most everyone I know). But the super high price of the PS3 seems like it might alienate itself from that demographic.

Things parents are likely to buy for kids going off to collage (or graduation presents) are computers, a small tv, ipod, etc. Realitively inexspensive or absolutely necessary items (computer). It isnt uncommon for a teen to grab a console they (up till now they havent been extremely high priced even right at launch)

But with a console so hugely priced it wont be getting truly cheaper any time soon. And that could be alienating the penny pinching collage cround for years to come. Thoughts?

If you're using Safari, I think it's Edit > Check spelling as I type.

[steelphantom]

uhhh no.
The people I know who own ps2's and ps1's are now going into collage, or in collage. This means that sony has alienated at least one part of their target audience the college student.

I think there is a deffinite possibility that loseing this group could seriously damage their sales. A new group of students rolls out of high school each year and off to collage. And it is VERY common that they grab a system to play with their dorm m8's. But there is no way in hell they are going to be buying a 600 dollar system (unless rich and spoiled). If I was entering collage the only sytem i would be buying is a wii because I dont have and HDTV and it looks like a good social gaming machine. Another thing is that the ps3's price is uncapable of dropping for quite a long time seeing as they are losing money on most all of the early systems. So they will be almost totally alienating the collage demographic for the first 2-3 years of the consoles life.

College. That is all.

[Dagless]

A few counterpoints:
Ps3's demographic is the same as it has been since the PS, it's just grown up and Sony is taking advantage of that. When I was 18 I couldn't afford a 600 dollar console. Now that I'm a responsible, working adult, I can, and it's no big deal.

The games AREN'T going to be any more expensive than the 360's. They are the exact same price, and if Sony follows its policy like they did with the PS2, then it will give the Developers the right to choose how much to charge for their game, which was another big factor into why the PS2 sold so many units.

Absolutely excellent and bullet proof point, but to the price of games; in the UK 360 games cost £50+ in shops. This has risen from £30-40 appearing with Amiga in the early 90's but established with the previous generation. £50 is too much for 1 game for a huge chunk of people, so anything more is just pushing the boat further out.

Though as you said, Sony are carrying on from the PS1 and PS2 players into this new expensive adulthood realm - where a lot of people stop playing. I know not everyone will stop playing, but people get fed up of games, start up a family and have other things to worry about. Heck I worry for my own gaming future when my career is kick started after university.

And finally about the whole college/university student numbers. And again I can't speak for America or anywhere else, but 60% of school leavers go into college in the UK. compared to about 30-50% of those who go into university later on. Thats a lot of people, and them numbers are constantly rising.

You're talking about 50% of 16-21 year olds who cannot afford an expensive console. That my friends is huge. (of course barring the rich ones)

[Mavimao]

collage = 1. An artistic composition of materials and objects pasted over a surface, often with unifying lines and color. 2. A work, such as a literary piece, composed of both borrowed and original material.

College = 1.
1. An institution of higher learning that grants the bachelor's degree in liberal arts or science or both.
2. An undergraduate division or school of a university offering courses and granting degrees in a particular field.
3. A school, sometimes but not always a university, offering special instruction in professional or technical subjects.
4. The students, faculty, and administration of such a school or institution.
5. The building or buildings occupied by such a school or institution.
6. Chiefly British. A self-governing society of scholars for study or instruction, incorporated within a university.
7. An institution in France for secondary education that is not supported by the state.
2.
1. A body of persons having a common purpose or shared duties: a college of surgeons.
2. An electoral college.
3. A body of clerics living together on an endowment.

[7on]

collage = 1. An artistic composition of materials and objects pasted over a surface, often with unifying lines and color. 2. A work, such as a literary piece, composed of both borrowed and original material.

College = 1.
1. An institution of higher learning that grants the bachelor's degree in liberal arts or science or both.
2. An undergraduate division or school of a university offering courses and granting degrees in a particular field.
3. A school, sometimes but not always a university, offering special instruction in professional or technical subjects.
4. The students, faculty, and administration of such a school or institution.
5. The building or buildings occupied by such a school or institution.
6. Chiefly British. A self-governing society of scholars for study or instruction, incorporated within a university.
7. An institution in France for secondary education that is not supported by the state.
2.
1. A body of persons having a common purpose or shared duties: a college of surgeons.
2. An electoral college.
3. A body of clerics living together on an endowment.

Gotta love those well endowed clerics... :/

[zap2]

Of course the Playstation will fall.

Its only a multi-billion dollar division of one of the worlds largest electronics companies which happens to have taken the gaming market by storm 3 times in the past.

No, a bunch of forum people know better than professional market research and R&D people. What were they thinking?


Ok, i'm sure Apple in the 90's planned to fail, as did Sega's hardware company.. it clearly always the plan to go under for a large company when they stop making money.

Also how did the take the market by storm 3 times? PS1 was a break thought because it was Sony's first gaming Machine, PS2 sold well? but don't try and tell me PSP took the market by storm.. please,


When we say PS3 will fail, we don't mean it will kill over Sony's gaming part of the company, we mean Sony's gaming part of the company loses money(wait that happen last time sony told us about their profits) or the PS3 loses MASS market share(because does anyone really think the PS3 will gain market share more then the PS2 had?)


No strong gaming company will be knocked out of the raise with one bad machine, esspecaily not one with a large company with billions of dollars to put into it.. Sega and Nintendo have/had a problem when fighting MS/Sony, MS and Sony make money from other things, Nintendo and Sega need to make money from vidoe games,Sony/MS can lose money in gaming and stay in gaming because they are being feed from bigger things

[zap2]

[QUOTE=AP_piano295] DVD's were cool they were smaller gave a better image and all you had to do was buy was a DVD player even at their highest price these cost only a little over 300 and that price fell like a rock.
/QUOTE]


No, when DVD player were new the cost just as much as Blue-Ray/HD-DVD players do today.. how do i know? My family bough one at 700 bucks(that a few hundred less then a current blue-ray player but i'm sure DVD player cost a little more when they were BRAND new

[technocoy]

Microsoft lost *****-tons of money on the xBox. sony lost money, but not as much, and nintendo made hand over fist profit on the gamecube. So if we're going by that as an indicator we would be saying that nintendo actually wone the last battle of the gaming wars.

[Dagless]

Microsoft lost *****-tons of money on the xBox. sony lost money, but not as much, and nintendo made hand over fist profit on the gamecube. So if we're going by that as an indicator we would be saying that nintendo actually wone the last battle of the gaming wars.

Well, they did win the last gaming war. GBA and Gamecube combined sales numbers? gigantic. but the console war, Nintendo came just under the Xbox, though arguably the Xbox had this grandly acclaimed online play and aggressive advertising campaign.

If Nintendo made the most money, then they won as a company. If all you had any console with your favourite games, then you won.

[technocoy]

I love all my consoles, I have everything now but an original xBox.

I still play my PS2 for a few choice games (wipeout, RE games, shadow of the colossus, onimusha, FF gran turismo, etc)

LOVE my DS

LOVE my PSP (especially lumines and me and my katamari, oh, and wipeout of course)

LOVE my Gamecube mmmm.... Metroid, MarioKart, prince of persia, zelda

And beyond even my own belief, Im really loving my xBox 360 (although I have to admit I haven't even gotten to my other games yet because of Dead Rising and COD2)

So, I have no real bias here. I just think the people who really think that Sony is going to somehow fail here is hilarious. I mean, they most likely won't have the same numbers as before, but that in no way means they won't be still kicking some ass in the gaming world.

I really honestly have the feeling that we are going to see great performance from all three companies this time around. Although I have to admit that i am most excited about the wii. It's fresh while still being safe in that you can still play your gamecube games and such.

[zap2]

Microsoft lost *****-tons of money on the xBox. sony lost money, but not as much, and nintendo made hand over fist profit on the gamecube. So if we're going by that as an indicator we would be saying that nintendo actually wone the last battle of the gaming wars.


I'd agree with you 100% Nintnedo is the only one making money in this market

[smitty330]

The games AREN'T going to be any more expensive than the 360's. They are the exact same price, and if Sony follows its policy like they did with the PS2, then it will give the Developers the right to choose how much to charge for their game, which was another big factor into why the PS2 sold so many units.

That makes no sense. If they are gunna be this big fansy blueray crap, the disc are going to be more expencive to create, then inturn raising the price of the coast to make then sell to the market. How would sony keep their games down to 50-60 dollars with this new technology. Not possible, my guess is the games will be 60-75 bones. SO, not that sony is a bad company but it has always made a product that is higher in price because you pay for the name that comes with it as well.

-Matthew

[Eraserhead]

I think he's arguing that Linux won't make a difference because of that, not that the PS3 will fail because of that.

Personally, I'd rather take a PS3 over an XBox 360 any day. Sony generally has more games that appeal to me, and I love the fact that they're supporting homebrew via Linux. However, it is looking very likely that it might fail. It all hinges on Blu-ray.
That is my argument, if the PS3 is good with games it will succeed, similarly to how the iPod suceeds even though it is expensive.

[zap2]

That is my argument, if the PS3 is good with games it will succeed, similarly to how the iPod suceeds even though it is expensive.


Is the iPod over priced? I mean Creative's 30Gb iPod like Machine is 299... also the PS3 is 600 dollars, not 400(at max) plus things like controllers, games ect When the iPod only gets Music and Vidoes(most of which people will buy even if they don't have an iPod) the 2 are very different

[XNine]

That makes no sense. If they are gunna be this big fansy blueray crap, the disc are going to be more expencive to create, then inturn raising the price of the coast to make then sell to the market. How would sony keep their games down to 50-60 dollars with this new technology. Not possible, my guess is the games will be 60-75 bones. SO, not that sony is a bad company but it has always made a product that is higher in price because you pay for the name that comes with it as well.

-Matthew

Take a look at this (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?navLevel=5&type=category&navHistory=cat00000%2Bcat02000%2Bcat02119%2Bpcmcat91400050028&id=pcmcat92300050000) That's the average price per game. Considering PS2's first games cost pretty much just that, I don't think it's impossible to see the prices from some developers drop in a year.

[Dagless]

So, I have no real bias here. I just think the people who really think that Sony is going to somehow fail here is hilarious. I mean, they most likely won't have the same numbers as before, but that in no way means they won't be still kicking some ass in the gaming world.

I don't think anyone is saying Sony will fail. But they are unarguably after a much smaller demographic this time round which will mean reduced numbers. if anyone is going to fail it's Microsoft, they took a huge beating last gen and the same seems to be happening again now. In the same life span the 360 has sold less than the original Xbox, Japan is still untouchable etc. A company will only sustain a price-losing system for so long. Logically.

[Eraserhead]

Is the iPod over priced? I mean Creative's 30Gb iPod like Machine is 299... also the PS3 is 600 dollars, not 400(at max) plus things like controllers, games ect When the iPod only gets Music and Vidoes(most of which people will buy even if they don't have an iPod) the 2 are very different

That is true now I suppose, but when the 3G iPod was around some of my friends got a Zen xtra player for less than £200 with a 30GB Hard Drive, and better playlist support, the iPod was £300 at the time and only had a 20GB Hard Drive. I'm saying the iPod was worth having but for more intangible reasons.

[Dagless]

That is true now I suppose, but when the 3G iPod was around some of my friends got a Zen xtra player for less than £200 with a 30GB Hard Drive, and better playlist support, the iPod was £300 at the time and only had a 20GB Hard Drive. I'm saying the iPod was worth having but for more intangible reasons.

ayeaye, when I got my iPod Mini it was either that or a 4gb Creative machine with half the battery life. I think the Creative alternative had radio, but the space, battery life and size of the Mini was unsurpassable. I always explain this when w*****s flame me for buying an iPod on "brand image alone".