Sony become too "Artsy"?

[Puppeteer Putin]

http://weblogs.variety.com/the_cut_scene/2009/01/is-sony-too-artsy-for-its-own-good.html

http://www.gameculture.com/node/1039

Variety's Ben Fritz has published an opinion piece sporting the case for Sony's recent transformation into gaming equivalent of a contemporary art gallery. He argues not only is the PS3 failing because of it's price but also because their main-stream and indie line-ups are becoming 'high-brow'.

Fritz cites the releases of LittleBigPlanet, flOw, Flower, Echochrome, Pixel Junk, and Fat Pricness. He claims that these titles appeal to critics, developers, and general blue-sky thinking individuals, the issue is that these people do not constitute the bulk of the gaming audience.

When all is said and done, Sony's efforts to do something different are impressive, but not enough to change the game, or at least overcome that $400 price tag. Compared to, say, Nintendo's efforts to do something different with the Wii, the PS3's artsy ambitions are barely moving the needle at all.

Which isn't to say it's a bad idea. "LittleBigPlanet" is a major achievement in videogame design and Playstation Network is undoubtedly leading the way in the indie gaming movement. XMB and the PS3 console are elegantly designed. But if Sony want more people to appreciate them, it looks like the old rules apply: it needs more hit core or family franchises, and probably a price cut.

Now I find this article especially fascinating because I have trained to work in the arts industry where the question "what are the barriers to attendance/ consumption?" crops up constantly. These can range from rational reasons such as price all the way to fear of exclusion, where the consumer either doesn't understand the experience and doesn't risk purchase or they fear they will be ridiculed and "out of their depth".

What do you reckon? Could it be that Sony, having lost many of it's main-stream exclusives has chosen to go down artsy lane, is aiming for the more "sophisticated" gamer niche? Or are they trying to bring attention to themselves by sinking money into what are seen as innovative product to gain much needed space in the battle for publicity and editorials?

GameCulture argues that the PS3 has become irrelevant, luxuries are not recession proof. If you can buy a media system that has become widely sociably acceptable and desirable, why purchase the option that has all these auxiliary capabilities which the mass market do not want?

The PS3 could be considered the advanced console hierarchy, where the Wii and Xbox are entry and intermediate respectively. Of course it's all a matter of preference but if the gaming industries diversifies to the point where consoles no longer fight for the same market share, could this not be a positive sign of growth?

 

[Rolling 20]

I used to be a Sony person. The xbox won me over. Yay for me. I'm inclined to agree that sony has lost it's way a little, but not by much. They heavily advertised the graphic capability of the PS3 to the point that it became ridiculously expensive and all of their former game 'mainstays' switched to the 360.

I wouldn't call it 'artsy'. They are just in catch-up mode. If they get more games to the level of the xbox, then they will CRUSH the competition.

 

[Phyroxis]

I used to be a Sony person. The xbox won me over. Yay for me. I'm inclined to agree that sony has lost it's way a little, but not by much. They heavily advertised the graphic capability of the PS3 to the point that it became ridiculously expensive and all of their former game 'mainstays' switched to the 360.

I wouldn't call it 'artsy'. They are just in catch-up mode. If they get more games to the level of the xbox, then they will CRUSH the competition.

I agree.

Aside from the"I'm an Xbox guy"

 

[Rolling 20]

I used to be a Sony person. The xbox won me over. Yay for me. I'm inclined to agree that sony has lost it's way a little, but not by much. They heavily advertised the graphic capability of the PS3 to the point that it became ridiculously expensive and all of their former game 'mainstays' switched to the 360.

I wouldn't call it 'artsy'. They are just in catch-up mode. If they get more games to the level of the xbox, then they will CRUSH the competition.

I agree.

Aside from the"I'm an Xbox guy"

Lol fair enough. I'm just in it for the games fun. If next generation Playstation pleases me more than the microsoft xbox....i'll switch.

 

[Knight Templar]

A niche is for games, not consoles, so I doubt sony will aim for the arty label.

 

[Puppeteer Putin]

A niche is for games, not consoles, so I doubt sony will aim for the arty label.

Exactly, the console is defined by it's games. The games they choose to produce has a direct impact on who buys the console. Product affiliation is generated by the content it has acquired, in most cases.

In this generation the Nintendo that has broken that mold by incorporating new ways to play, sensationalised it may be but they'll tell you to go suck on their Profit and Loss Statement.

 

[Cousin_IT]

I think he has a point. The Ps3 has a few exclusive games id certainly be interested in (well, LBP, Fat Princess & Valkyrie Chronicles); but not to the point im gonna spend £300-350 to buy the big black box to play em on. Standing on their pedestal & saying "I wont cut prices because I think its worth what I say it is" certainly does sound quite like a stubborn artist refusing to part with his "art"

 

[Zac_Dai]

"The issue is that these people do not constitute the bulk of the gaming audience."

This is what PC gamers mean when we say a games are becoming to consolized for the mass market of "console tards".

I'm a PC gamer through and through but the funny thing is if the PS3 was cheaper I would buy because its the only console that has games I would consider buying. My Brother owns a 360 and has nearly the whole collection of all the exclusive hits for it and most them bore me silly.

So in a way I feel sorry for Sony (I still hate them) as the console market just wants the next GoW2 and Halo.

 

[ward.]

Massive post

I can certainly agree with this point of view, I also think that eventually transferring some of that artsy quality into gameplay elements would help immensely.

 

[Credge]

"The issue is that these people do not constitute the bulk of the gaming audience."

This is what PC gamers mean when we say a games are becoming to consolized for the mass market of "console tards".

I'm a PC gamer through and through but the funny thing is if the PS3 was cheaper I would buy because its the only console that has games I would consider buying. My Brother owns a 360 and has nearly the whole collection of all the exclusive hits for it and most them bore me silly.

So in a way I feel sorry for Sony (I still hate them) as the console market just wants the next GoW2 and Halo.

You and I feel exactly the same. I did buy a PS3 because it does have the only exclusive console games that appeal to me and any others happen to be multi-platform. Even further, games are becoming way too consolized. They're too easy and all about metagaming them ~ something that doesn't appeal to me.

Even my dad, who used to be all about PC gaming, has been turned off lately. There aren't enough gamey games to be had on the PC now.

Edit: As for the PS3 being too artsy, I don't buy it. At all. It's a console. What's so artsy about it? That it looks good sitting next to every other shiny black piece of electronics that I have? Real artsy.

It also just so happens that the PS3 also plays Blu-Rays, something that actually matters to me.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

I don't know about artsy games, Fat Princess isn't exactly appealing to the intellectual in me. I think it was the belief that Little Big Planet was going to swoop in and save them like MGS4.

I'm not knocking the game, it's alright, but when has a level editor ever not been a selling point to a niche market? Fallout 3 moved 3 million units before the G.E.C.K. came out and that's only for PC users. Far Cry 2 wasn't exactly saved despite it having an excellent multiplayer map maker that is distributed the same way as LBP's maps.

They dumped all their PR and hope on a really short game with a fancy map editor. What do you expect?

 

[Credge]

They dumped all their PR and hope on a really short game with a fancy map editor. What do you expect?

This sums the LPB situation up rather well. So many people thought it was the next biggest thing in gaming because it had a level editor. So what? The time it takes to create a level isn't worth it, and your average joe isn't going to sit down and make anything more than a penis on wheels that rolls through a level where the background is aflame.

I think most people with a brain realized this. Not everybody is creative, and even those that are might not be the best level creators. Those that think that everybody has a little level designer sitting inside of them aren't exactly the brightest people on the planet.

 

[God's Clown]

Well PS3 lost me because they refuse to cut the price, which I imagine they will have to do this year or they are screwed. 360 is also getting Star Ocean, so that basically sold me on getting a 360. 360 is also getting Final Fantasy as well. It's to my opinion no matter what Sony does this console generation, they are going to lose. Graphics over game play isn't a very hard choice to make.(for you idiots, game play > graphics)

 

[Credge]

Not everybody is creative, and even those that are might not be the best level creators.

And apparently Yahtzee agrees with me. Weird how that works out. Same day too. I should be payed for writing it before he said it. Or something.

Well PS3 lost me because they refuse to cut the price, which I imagine they will have to do this year or they are screwed. 360 is also getting Star Ocean, so that basically sold me on getting a 360. 360 is also getting Final Fantasy as well. It's to my opinion no matter what Sony does this console generation, they are going to lose. Graphics over game play isn't a very hard choice to make.(for you idiots, game play > graphics)

The problem is that the only things where gameplay matters are exclusives, and for many, the 360 doesn't really offer anything unique, interesting, or... fun in regards to exclusives. They can have all the exclusives they want, but if they all play the same they might as well only have one.

Sony seems to be more quality over quantity, and this approach I enjoy more than quantity over quality.

Also, price drop to $299 soon.

 

[Puppeteer Putin]

Edit: As for the PS3 being too artsy, I don't buy it. At all. It's a console. What's so artsy about it? That it looks good sitting next to every other shiny black piece of electronics that I have? Real artsy.

I'm not talking about the console, I'm talking about the games released... oh hang on.

Sony seems to be more quality over quantity, and this approach I enjoy more than quantity over quality.

That is what the article says: they are going for quality games that are not main-stream like Halo and Gears, they have gone the "arts" route delivering high end visuals, new ideas and general innovations - they have gone on a tangent with their content that the other consoles aren't doing, hence the "high-brow" niche. Ironically Nintendo, instead of altering their content, which as we all know they never do, changed their product.