140°

Sony on PS4 - The format war is a marathon, not a sprint

Sony's PlayStation executive Fergal Gara talks about price, cameras and the Steam Box.

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eurogamer.net
2cents3851d ago

Sony are in a fantastic position this time round to really impress with their offering.

I cant believe how things have changed in the console gaming space in the last decade. Even though people love to hate either MS or Sony, bottom line is that we the gamers owe much to the big three (Sony, Nintendo, MS) for the amazing breath of possibilities with the new generation of gaming.

No matter the choice, there is something for everyone between the two manufacturers. This is going to be the most entertaining console generation yet!

gaelic_laoch3851d ago

"In the UK Xbox 360 over its lifecycle has outsold PS3 I think 4:1

That statement can be 180'd in favour of PS4 this time round!

NoLongerHereCBA3851d ago

Could be the case, though I think this whole console war will fade once the consoles have been released and that the overall sales won't be all that different from last gen. I think the PS4 will outsell the Xbox One when they are released, but I don't think there will be a big difference afterwards.

I for one think Kinect will help with selling the Xbox One to the normal customers/families overtime even though it is 100$ more expensive.

The fact that things like Netflix, IE and Skype are behind the paywall is one of the most idiotic ideas MS could've thought of though. Skype should be something to lure people in, because of Kinect. If it is behind the paywall I would expect to get something like Skype money or the premium service in return, where you can skype call with multiple people at the same time. One to one Skype calls should always be free in my opinion.

I think MS said something similar a while earlier didn't they? About this being a marathon and not a sprint if i'm not mistaken.

Jaqen_Hghar3850d ago

every new smart TV, pretty much everyone's phone, laptop, or tablet, and anything like Roku or Apple TV can do Skype, Netflix, etc. They can do these things at a cheaper price and they can connect to your big screen. They can do it at $100 while MS is offering being able to do it for $560 (after Live). A man doesn't see how these apps are a selling point given that information.

NoLongerHereCBA3850d ago (Edited 3850d ago )

I understand your point, but that combined with the ability to do motion gaming (dance central, fitness, kinect sports rivals etc etc) can be interesting aspects for casual people (their children and parents).

I think that being able to Skype with your children abroad/family through Kinect could make the decision even easier, if that is what you seek.

The fact that those things offer it for free is another reason why it is stupid to ask Money for it even though it is something (Skype/IE) that you yourself provide for free on other devices. In my opinion this makes no sense business wise.

insomnium23850d ago

@vaiz

A 500 dollar console is not casual.

NoLongerHereCBA3850d ago (Edited 3850d ago )

@Insomnium, neither is 400$ in that case. I really don't think that the 100$ price difference is that much considering the price of the machines that should provide 7'ish years of entertainment. But you know what i mean. The things that I talk about are appealing for casual (families with children etc).

insomnium23850d ago (Edited 3850d ago )

@vaiz

True. Neither of those pricepoints are casual. It's just that Sony is not even trying to keep the casuals in the forefront. Casuals are right now eating up PS3 and because of that the PS3 will sell over 100 (hell even 150) million consoles easily.

History has proven that with a console the casual price is more like 150-250 dollars. Anything above that will struggle or at the very least loose sales due to it's price.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 3850d ago
AnteCash3850d ago

Its not 4:1 lol.
Xbox 360- 9mil sold UK
PS3 - 6mil sold UK

So its actually 1.6:1
.....

chrissx3851d ago

With Ps4 being the strongest console to ever exist,I think we all know who is winning this marathon

ruefrak3851d ago

It may be a marathon, but getting a big early lead doesn't hurt. A lot of people like to be on the console that is the most popular and where their friends are playing. If PS4 can jump out early and be that console, then I think Microsoft is going to be in real trouble.
Of course with Microsoft having problems with Windows Phone, Windows 8, and investors calling for them to dump the gaming division, they have a few other problems they need to fix too.

Jaqen_Hghar3850d ago

Don't forget Surface failing hard despite a man seeing 50 ads for it every show he watches and on NFL today being used by all the analysts

ruefrak3850d ago

I always think about that when the talk of how much money a company is going to spend marketing a product and how that will somehow equal success. You're right in that Windows Phone and Surface commercials are everywhere during football. And then segments will be sponsored by "the new Windows." New Windows? Did I miss something? Are they referring to Windows 8 or is there something even "newer?" None of this worked to sell products, and the more times I saw people break-dancing with a Surface, the more I hated that device (despite initially really liking it)

Jdoki3851d ago

They said the same thing about the PS3 generation, so nice to hear them say it again. Means I can look forward to support throughout the entire generation and epic titles even at the end of the consoles life.

When you consider that the PS2 saw it's last title launch THIS MONTH, that's helluva marathon Sony has run!!

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70°

PlayStation UK chief Gara joins Amazon

Fergal Gara has joined Amazon UK as director of PC.

He joins the company after four years in charge of PlayStation’s UK and Ireland business.

During his tenure, he helped turn around the firm’s fortunes in the UK. PlayStation was ranked No.3 in terms of console market share when he joined the business and, by the time he left, PS4 was the No.1 games console in the country.

He was in charge of marketing, sales, finance and customer service

Prior to joining PlayStation, Gara spent six years at Asda, which included stints as category director for music, video and games, general manager for entertainment and - eventually - trading director for Asda Direct.

Eonjay3062d ago

Congrats to Gara. I was wondering where he was gonna end up.

Mr Pumblechook3062d ago (Edited 3062d ago )

Sure he will be working on the PC division, but Amazon's Kindle Fire platform and Twitch purchase suggest they are serious about the gaming business. The question is will they be looking to move into the bigger game and how?

thisismyaccount3062d ago (Edited 3062d ago )

He´s been in charge of Sony PlayStation UK since 2011, meaning he was in charge for the PS3 doings in that territorial .... if PS3 was only 3rd when he joined Sony, he prolly hasn´t done much to change that image.

Dunno how you can now claim that thanks to him the PS4 is nrº1 in UK. It has to do more that the PS4 is a sexy beast and successful on its own merits and not because he was in charge of it. You could most likely hire an ape from the local Zoo to direct Sony UK and the PS4 would still print money like a wh...

40°

PS4 boss talks Black Friday's performance and future: 'Not going to go away'

PlayStation UK head Fergal Gara talked about what Black Friday and the season around it ended up resulting in.

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examiner.com
160°

Sony says PS3 will be around for 2015 and 'beyond', talks this year's PS4 games

The PS4 has had unprecedented success since it was released in 2013, but its predecessor, the PS3, seems to be drifting off into the distance. This Fall represents a massive opportunities for developers and publishers to capitalize on a rising new-gen audience and Sony is quite aware of that.

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examiner.com
itsjustexuma3247d ago

Yet it wont get the support for that long

martinezjesus19933247d ago

It got supported 4 to 5 years longer than its competition, i think its safe to say anyone that bought the ps3 isnt dissapointed on how long it got supported

freshslicepizza3247d ago

sony is still supporting it with games like mlb the show. i think they should stopped support and move on to focus on just the ps4 but that's just my opinion.

FarEastOrient3247d ago

PS2 got its last game 2 years ago. PS3 will be around for a long time, especially for markets that can't afford the full price of the PS4.

Double_O_Revan3247d ago

PS1 & 2 got solid support Way into the next generations. No reason to believe the PS3 won't get the same.

Magicite3247d ago

Developers will support PS3 for many years to come (unlike its direct rivals), especially Japanese, the question is - how long Sony will keep producing it.

GribbleGrunger3247d ago

It probably won't get that much support from developers who are now fully committed to next gen, but it will be a decent alternative for the poorer amongst us. Indie games will continue to be made available for the PS3, as will the occasional AAA cross platform title. Then you have PSVue, PSNow, PS+ and PSMusic, along with many other aps such as Netflix. If the price is right, it will continue to sell.

blackblades3247d ago

Using my ps3 all the time and my vita if I had a ps4 right now I'll still be using my ps3 more.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 3247d ago
Lore3247d ago

Seing as how Tretton said there'd be a 10 year plan for the console, this should come as no surprise

Tapani3247d ago

What kind of a relationship did you have with him?

Lore3247d ago

Everytime I think of him I also think of "AGENT" plastered on the big screen

...Hopefully one day

ThichQuangDuck3247d ago

@Tapani

Generally have been an Xbox person. I love gears and Xbox Live,but just went with PS4 for friends and variety of games(STREET FIGHTER V). Tretton always presented well for Sony. Their last E3 ehhhhhh and have liked Phil Spencer.

OC_MurphysLaw3247d ago

Considering its already 2015 I would hope so. :)

miyamoto3247d ago

I play my PS3 the whole week and did not even fire up my PS4 even once.

Hoffmann3247d ago

Same here. Due to one of the last flash sales where I bought that E.D.F game. Its a great time now to get Playstation 3 games for cheap and while Witcher 3 looks awesome I rather wait for the inevitable "complete" edition in 2016.

Retroman3247d ago

Still debating buying ps4 in mean time ps3 on fire.

Debaitable3247d ago

Seeing how everyone gets excited with all the remasters for PS4 I'm not surprised and sorely disappointed. That generation lasted longer than it should, I'm baffled to why people want to extend that longer into the PS4. Let's keep it moving.

WickedLester3247d ago

Agreed. I was BEYOND ready to move onto the next generation when the PS4 finally came out.

gangsta_red3247d ago

It is really strange right? The last few years of last gen people couldn't wait to move on and see the next new consoles and the new games it brings along. And here we are and some of us are celebrating last gen games on our new system.

3247d ago
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