Sony: Wii U Launch Lead Isn't Important

[The Wooster]

Sony: Wii U Launch Lead Isn't Important

The first next-gen console to hit the market won't necessarily be the best.

At least, according to Sony's Senior VP of Product Development and Worldwide Studios, Scott Rohde. When he was asked whether the fact Nintendo is well on its way to releasing the Wii U, while Sony has yet to announce a next-gen console would present any challenges, Rohde responded with an emphatic no.

"Not at all. That's the simple answer," he told Joystiq. "In very similar fashion to the way I'm talking about game development, we have a very strong vision in what we believe we're gonna do for the next generation. And we're not talking about it at all yet."

Sony, and indeed Microsoft's, decision to let Nintendo dip its toe in the next-gen pool first, could go either way. Arguably, the year long gap between the launch of the Xbox 360 and the PS3 gave Microsoft the opportunity to gobble up an unprecedented amount of market share, presenting the company with an initial sales advantage that Sony has only just managed to overcome. On the other hand, the Dreamcast (single tear) failed miserably despite having a one year advantage over its main competitor, the PS2.

"The reality is let's build a great machine," said Rohde. "And we'll talk about it then."

Source: Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/07/wii-u-lead-isnt-important-contends-sonys-rohde/]

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[Imp_Emissary]

I actually played a on a Dreamcast my friend owned. It was pretty fun.

I feel kind of bad I couldn't have gotten it along with my PS2, but what can ya do? Hindsight is 20/20 and all that.

I don't wish its fate on the Wii U, or any game system for that matter.

 

[Something Amyss]

It might not be the best, but it does give a huge advantage.

Not every first console is a winner, but if they were the first out of the gate they'd go wild over it.

 

[Beautiful End]

What I hate about it is that now that Nintendo has this stupid new console out, Sony and Microsoft just HAVE to present the next gen. console by next year. So we're talking about another year and a half of life for our PS3s and 360s, more or less. I'm just not ready to trade in my consoles.

The WiiU isn't even that innovative. I said it before and I'll say it again: it's gimmicky, not innovative, just like the 3DS.

 

[mad825]

The WiiU is an console equivalent to a PC tablet.

Hell, just what are the tech specs for this fucking abomination?

 

[CleverCover]

If it presents options not already given by other consoles and is advertised constantly, yeah it'll have a fair shot. Advertising is about a good 75% of getting your product off the shelves though.

 

[Baresark]

While having a lead is advantageous, it's equally advantageous to have more cutting edge tech on your side. Sony's biggest disadvantage is that when they finally release the system it will most likely be expensive and probably sell at a loss as well. We'll see what happens though.

I take issue with the subject of this article though. Even if the idea of the WiiU being out first made him shit his pants every time the idea occurred to him, he wouldn't say it bothered him. If he woke in the night with the cold sweats and night terrors because he dreamed about the significant launch lead, he would say publicly he needs to cut back on the caffeine.

 

[Eri]

I wouldn't be worried either if that was the Wii U was my competitor. The Wii was a financial windfall, but a failure in every other aspect. They're currently on track to do the same thing again, except, lightning doesn't usually strike twice.

 

[Covarr]

The Dreamcast failed miserably because SEGA brought it to the market a year too late in most of the world (it came out in Japan in '98) and gave up too soon. In spite of all the PS2 hype in 2000, The Dreamcast was still selling rather well... just not well enough to make up for the tremendously bad financial situation they'd spent most of the '90s getting themselves into.

P.S. Thanks

 

[Zipa]

Well the Wii was out before the Xbox 360 and the PS3 but that didn't stop the Xbox from dominating in terms of market share and things like sales. The Wii did so well however because it appeals to the casual end of the market.

 

[vxicepickxv]

It's not about when you can buy it what what you can do with it.

You mean run games that are on par with the 360 and PS3?

This is a "next-gen" hardcore console that's only slightly better than current gen consoles that came out several years ago. I don't see this working out well for Nintendo, because as soon as either Sony or Microsoft get to the market, the actual next gen consoles are going to blow away this thing.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

It's not about when you can buy it what what you can do with it.

You mean run games that are on par with the 360 and PS3?

This is a "next-gen" hardcore console that's only slightly better than current gen consoles that came out several years ago. I don't see this working out well for Nintendo, because as soon as either Sony or Microsoft get to the market, the actual next gen consoles are going to blow away this thing.

Except everyone will have to spend billions on just the graphics, meaning the gameplay will mostly be quicktime events, and even with a lot of fans the costs won't be recouped, dev teams will get dissolved and the industry will collapse again.

 

[Godzillarich(aka tf2godz)]

Well the Wii was out before the Xbox 360 and the PS3 but that didn't stop the Xbox from dominating in terms of market share and things like sales. The Wii did so well however because it appeals to the casual end of the market.

no that was the Xbox 360 that came out first

 

[Davroth]

Nice try, Sony, but we already know too much about the PS4 specs to believe that you guys will be able to put out something that will completely outperform the Wii U.

I suppose you could sell something like that by taking huge losses with each sold system because of super expensive state of the art components.. Oh wait, you are already in deep financial trouble.

And let's be honest here, a substantial amount of the PS2's success can be traced to how easily it could be hacked to play pirated software. (An "advantage" the DC didn't have, for example). <.<

Nice try, though.

 

[AgentCooper]

Nice try, Sony, but we already know too much about the PS4 specs to believe that you guys will be able to put out something that will completely outperform the Wii U.

I suppose you could sell something like that by taking huge losses with each sold system because of super expensive state of the art components.. Oh wait, you are already in deep financial trouble.

And let's be honest here, a substantial amount of the PS2's success can be traced to how easily it could be hacked to play pirated software. (An "advantage" the DC didn't have, for example). <.<

Nice try, though.

They are in financial trouble with the other sectors of Sony then the gaming division as a whole.

 

[Davroth]

They are in financial trouble with the other sectors of Sony then the gaming division as a whole.

So you are saying the company as a whole making tremendous losses for several years in a row wont have any impact on Sony's gaming division?

 

[AgentCooper]

They are in financial trouble with the other sectors of Sony then the gaming division as a whole.

So you are saying the company as a whole making tremendous losses for several years in a row wont have any impact on Sony's gaming division?

The gaming division of Sony is really the only profitable sector they currently own. Will it bleed over to the gaming division? I will say its a possibility and I don't see it yet happening in the foreseeable future.

If Sony wants to cut the loses they need to rethink the strategy on the marketing side and cut off some of the Sony products that don't sell very well. Also, Wouldn't hurt if they dropped the price of the Sony TVS.