ThisNewGuy said:
Susan Arendt said:
mrx19869 said:
does anybody know if this "Susan Arendt" the author of this post owns a PS3, and if so what model?
Yes, I do, an original launch model. Ah, sweet, sweet BC....
Also, I don't quite understand why people think
I am confused about a PS3's capabilities. I also state quite clearly that I think the PS3 is a great machine, and simply wish that Sony would do it justice by crafting a clear message for it.
The thing is, "it only does everything" is a pretty clear message. I mean, I've never been turned off by the Iphone or the PC or the Microwave because they had too many settings. I mean, I can't speak for you, but personally, 5 to 10 functions on a machine isn't confusing to me especially when they are all under the umbrella of "entertainment." It's like getting confused at "movies" because it plays both sound AND video at the same time.
Ok, let me take this opportunity to clear up a few misconceptions.
The first is that I find fault with the "It does everything" branding. I don't. I think that's brilliant and succinct -- which I thought I made clear when I called the Kevin Butler ads a "stroke of genius," but if not, ok. But I personally find the new Move ad to be at odds with that, because it's so clearly mimicking the Wii ads. To me, that says that Sony doesn't want you to think of the PS3 as something different from the Wii, but rather something that does what the Wii does, too. Now, your mileage on that particular interpretation may vary.
Ok, second misconception is to whom I'm referring when I talk about "confusing." So let me clear up a few definitions. When I say "gamer," I mean folks like you, me, and everyone else who inhabits this site. People who are invested in gaming to the point of educating themselves about it. When I say "average consumer," I do
not mean average gamer. I mean average person who doesn't read gaming magazines, or browse gaming websites, I mean someone who wants to maybe play God of War because they saw a commercial on TV, or who occasionally browses the videogame section at Best Buy. You, my friends, are most definitely
not the average videogame consumer, even if you are the average gamer. You are far more educated than you probably even realize you are. You know so much about this medium, you perhaps don't realize how little the rest of the public knows.
It is the average consumer that I'm concerned may be left puzzled by Sony's mixed messages. Not the average gamer.
mrx19869 said:
The message has to change because the people buying the ps3 are different now than they were 4 years ago. The people who purchased the ps3 the day it came out like me (waited 3 days in a tent with my friends for it) we knew everything about it, they did not have to market it, they didnt even have to put a picture on the box for me.
now skip to today, the best way sony saw to market the PS3 was to simply state " it does everything" also they have a great website that is easy to use, and explains all the features ,
i guess my question is now what does your statement "marketing is so scattereshot" refer to.. am i correct to assume you are talking about commercials?
Yes, I am referring to commercials, which is how the typical person learns about new products. And no, the average consumer is not stupid, but is also not nearly as savvy as you seem to think. Ask the average IT guy how smart the people for whom he has to provide support are. When it comes to purchases like cars, yes, absolutely, most folks will do research, but cars are something with which they've been familiar all their lives, so they know the kind of information to look for. The average consumer, believe it or not, quite likely couldn't even tell you what company makes what console. They don't know that Nintendo makes Mario games, they just know they like Mario. Many of them have no idea that there are games you can play on one console that you can't play on others. This doesn't make them stupid, just not as well informed as people who are really into games.