PlayStation 5 Will Be Dead on Arrival with Sony's 'Hardcore Gamer' Strategy

Sony has hinted that the PlayStation 5 will target hardcore gamers with premium specs and pricey titles, but that could be a big problem.

[Snookies12]

No. No, it won't.

[Knushwood Butt]

Looking forward to the follow-up piece where the author admits that their 'opinion' was total ass.

[Kingthrash360]

Lol.....very slow week in gaming.
Why would anyone think casual gamers are the key to success when its been proven that it's the most inconsistent market.
Look at the wii.....then look at the wiiu, then the switch....high low high...casual gamers follow the hardcore....the Wii had zelda,metroid a proper 3d mario...wiiu zelda was its very last game, no metroid no proper 3d mario...switch already had zelda mario and announced metroid....hardcore gamers hype these and thus activate the tag along hype of casuals....smh the hardcore gamer is key to success because we are the voice of gaming. Period.

[VenomUK]

This opinion is derived from believing Michael Pachter’s mischievous claim that the PS5 will cost $800!

The writer is giving his opinion to others when he doesn’t yet know enough about Pachter! I mean he’s entertaining and he can talk about a company’s financials but doesn’t know enough about gaming.

Also, Sony targeted the PS4 at gamers and it worked out well for them.

[kneon]

@VenomUK

Even if was priced at $800 that wouldn't necessarily be a problem. All they need to do is make all titles backwards and forwards compatible. The PS4 then becomes the entry model while the PS5 is the premium model. Yes this means lower sales of the PS5, but much higher software sales, and that's where the money is.

This is the smart way forward as they can carry their 100+ million gamers into the next gen without having to start from 0 like every other gen. Eventually, they would drop the base ps4 support and only support the pro. Then sometime after the PS6 release, when the PS5 price drops enough then it becomes the base model and the PS4 support can be dropped entirely.

[naruga]

its a CentralCn article guys ....only BS -Xbox friendly stuff here ...

[abstractel]

Wow at the disagrees. Why even predict, I know analysts have to because of the way our economy is structured (hence Pachter), but for other people? The public knows basically nothing about it other than some pretty damn diffuse specs.

[Kumakai]

Why do ppl take other ppls opinions so personally?

[SierraGuy]

BS article and it goes without saying Pachter is officially senile.

[Zeegamereh]

So tired of these trash articles lol “Xbox will be dead on arrival” “PlayStation Will be dead on arrival” like oml gtfo consoles will never die sure they have their ups and downs but that’s it

[Gaming4Life1981]

Well said.

[fr0sty]

Tell that to Sega.

[ShadowWolf712]

Sega and Atari had to leave the console space.

While consoles will likely be a viable market for a good while, that doesn't make individual companies immune. That said... this article is highkey trash that's entirely based on comments taken way out of context.

[mogwaii]

Ummm Sega, Atari, 3DO.

[Potnoodle999]

This.

But it’s a hilarious read. Gamers appreciate quality which is all Sony have ever brought.

[Knushwood Butt]

The bots are unleashed in this thread.

Let's see if the genuine votes outnumber the bots.

[indysurfn]

Exactly! You can tell by the actual comment to vote ratio when there is bot voting going on.

[Knushwood Butt]

Yes, the bot drivers are very desperate. Clearly they are tired of playing Crackdown 3 and have nothing else better to do.

[AnubisG]

How the heck do you have 307 disagrees? That has got to be a record on N4G.

[skiggy34]

Holy Sh1t why do you people care so damn much about dislikes????? Its like you are gonna cry or something because someone's opinion differs from yours.,..

[AnubisG]

No skiggy34 that isn't the point. I usually fon't care about likes/dislikes but there is something fishy going on here. This is out of the ordinary. That is why I mentioned it. No one will cry if their opinions is different than someone elses...well normal people won't at least.

[CaptainObvious878]

There's clearly a bot in this thread.

300 disagrees for someone disagreeing with this riduclous article... seems legit.

[WeAreLegion]

Yeah, there's no way. I don't even know if 300 people are active on the site these days.

[AnubisG]

Yeah, most likely something like that is involved. We never see agree/disagree go that high, ever.

[trooper_]

Lol, this article is dead on arrival.

[Kostche]

ha ha 322 down votes, cluless people that keep supporting a garbage system that gives them nothing but multiPlat games and sub par in house garbage, that they now have to wrap up in nice package to actuall get people play their crap games

[Knushwood Butt]

Lol after reading the author's profile and then reminding myself that the article kicks off with a reference to Pachter.

[Atom666]

Right? The whole idea stems from the premise that they're launching an $800 "hardcore" machine. I thought Pachter said that as a joke though?

Yeah, launching an $800 console would be a problem. That's why they won't do that.

[supes_24]

Yea, it’s like people think Sony is listening to gamers or something. They’ve proven this gen over and over that they do. No doubt they’ll hit another grand slam next gen

[zelent]

It was meant as a joke. Pachter was actually very optimistic about Sony's next gen plans.
Based on what he's heard so far, the PS5 has hardware/power that is roughly equivalent to an $800 console. However, he has a strong feeling Sony is going to price the console much, much lower.

[remixx116]

R

[Shiken]

My first thought about this article was satire... unfortunately stupidity this deep is real...

[rivaldoo777]

Is this article mistaken PS5 with Stadia??? Lmao

[harmny]

i cant wait for tomorrows article

"PS5 wont be dead on arrival with its hardcore gamer strategy"

[Gardenia]

Also seeing that some comments get over 300 dislikes, I'm pretty sure something is fishy here. Bots maybe?

[THC CELL]

Poster can your website you just signed a death warrent

[TK-66]

"According to information obtained by the Wall Street Journal, Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida has revealed that the company will position the PlayStation as a niche product aimed at serious gamers."

Where was it said they're targetting a "niche" audience. I'd absolutely say it's necessary to target hardcore gamer in the first couple years, and then get the casuals on board later via things like price drops or bundle deals. Early on though the hardcore gamers are what you want because they're not just going to buy a couple games and be done. You want to get people who're buying dozens of games for that system early on, and not the sort who buy a couple every year.

[Zenbaby369]

I would like to point out that "targetting a niche audience" does not in any way mean that something is less appealing to another audience. I think it just has a little something "extra" to add appeal to yet ANOTHER audience. This doesn't have to make it less appealing to casuals. Oh also, you can target multiple audiences as long as they don't directly contradict one another right?

[phoenixwing]

@TK

yoshida compares console gamers as all hardcore gamers and people who use phones as casuals i think. In this way the product is niche compared to phones. So when he says he's focusing on hardcore he just means console buyers. Which is a fair comparison since phones far outnumber consoles making them niche.

[TK-66]

Then he's basically reworking the term for marketing. Someone who just buys COD and Fifa every year is not a hardcore gamer.

[MarkyMark89]

@TK-66 and I consider somebody who buys almost every available title in a given year a casual gamer. Some will side with you, some will side with me. Its called an opinion.... They are not reworking the term, just depends on what your perspective of the term means. Let me explain before I get a hateful bash comment back. You say the guy that buys COD and Fifa isn't a hardcore gamer. But that same person could be signed up to multiple league websites for both games and compete at local or international level in said game but still be considered casual... ? Lol how compared to a guy that played every single Ps4 exclusive to date, but doesn't play any type of competitive shooter? What makes the guy that plays single player games, hardcore compared to the guy the only plays 2-3 games any given year..... Because you buy more games you are hardcore...New generation of gamers are just.. LMFAO a joke !!!!!!!

[TK-66]

@MarkyMark

"and I consider somebody who buys almost every available title in a given year a casual gamer. Some will side with you, some will side with me. Its called an opinion...."

I consider anyone who buys no more than 22 but no less than 19 games a year a blipbloop. Some will side with you, some will side with me. it's called a waste of time.

"You say the guy that buys COD and Fifa isn't a hardcore gamer. But that same person could be signed up to multiple league websites for both games and compete at local or international level in said game but still be considered casual... ?"

No. It makes them hardcore fans of that game. it's like saying you're a huge Sci-Fi fan but only watch Star Wars. That makes you a Star Wars fan, not a Sci-fi fan.

" Lol how compared to a guy that played every single Ps4 exclusive to date, but doesn't play any type of competitive shooter?"

He's a hardcore gamer. Still having difficulty understanding this?

"New generation of gamers are just.. LMFAO a joke !!!!!!!"

These god damn kids and their opinions on the internet. Back in my day *proceeds to go on rant*-

[OB1Biker]

I agree. Nobody at Sony said they will position it as a niche product. They just mentioned a while ago that console gaming is a relatively niche market and always has been. Typical misinformed piece drawing even more misinformed confusion.
You are right, dedicated gamers are the ones buying a console at launch too.

I don't know why people disagree with you Haha.

I think he didn't even say hardcore. That was from the anonymous 'official's quoted by wsj

[OB1Biker]

I can't even find the reference saying 'hardcore gamers' that part seems to be a take from wsj based on the anonymous 'officials, but just an opinion from the wsj writer himself
We live in a time when journalists write opinion pieces based on what they think are fact but are actually another journalist opinion, rumours and goes full circle on and on

[phoenixwing]

ah ok I guess i remembered it wrong when it came to the hardcore statement. but the niche market comment still stands in my original post.

[Vizigoth04]

When Sony talks hardcore gamer they mean those who buy it specifically for their Exclusives. Sony knows third party multiplats will take care of the rest.

[CP_Company]

someone is pissing in their pants :D sounds like another article from m$. almost every week we get this nonsense.

[PlayStationBrah]

DonaldTrumpWRONG.GIF

[Relientk77]

No it won't

[Espangerish]

The PS4 launched with a ‘hardcore gamer’ strategy. XBox One went with ‘sports and tv’.

Didn’t go so bad for Sony...

[Zenbaby369]

I remember that whole xbox being your "whole entertainment system" idea. Try to do too many things and you end up doing none of them well most of the time?

[chiefJohn117]

No it didn't. You have the wrong idea of "hardcore" you're not targeting hardcore with a $400 console and complaints of the generation being under powered

[Potnoodle999]

You have the wrong idea of Sony’s strategy this gen.

[The Wood]

Sony's strategy worked. . Microsoft's strategy flopped. Sony put out games their hard core audience valued. Nowhere are they saying they'll forget any other type of gamer.

[chiefJohn117]

@Pot Sony did not try to get the hardcore crowd this gen. That's a fact. Other wise PS4 and pro would've been much stronger and targeted 4k. The One X was targeted for the hardcore crowd.

@Wood we talking consoles not games

[The Wood]

'Pot Sony did not try to get the hardcore crowd this gen.'

If we used your warped logic, MS didn't try to get the hardcore until the 1x came out.......therefore Sony had the hardcore for the majority of the gen..... That's just stupid.. Most of the hardcore gamers are on the ps console due to the games. The xbox has fast become a multiplat console with very few exclusives to compete but yeah...lets forget the a main reason most hardcore gamers buy consoles.

[chiefJohn117]

@Wood yes Ms didn't either till the X. You clearly don't know how things work it's not "the most powerful is the hardcore" both PS4 AND XBOX was weak neither was hardcore.
Please stop putting words in my mouth. Whatever got you hurt don't bring it this way. PS4 wasn't hardcore simple as that.

[FernDiggidy]

Amen

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Fallenangel you really need to give it a rest with these silly ass submissions

[DillyDilly]

If Games go over $60 for the standard editions that will not end well

[respekanize91]

games have been 60 forever while inflation has hit everything else.

why do you think we have all this paid dlc and MT.

I dont know what the answer is but paying 79.99 might not be that far off

[ShadowWolf712]

Paid DLC and MTs are not the results of inflation or even necessity. Paid DLC isn't even inherently a negative thing, unlike MTs.

[DarXyde]

ShadowWolf712,

I actually agree with respekanize91; game prices have not increased and we're seeing more attempts at revenue from developers, including paid DLC and microtransactions. You are right in saying paid DLC is not inherently negative, however it likely changes what is included in the initial $60 USD purchase. Put another way, developers are perhaps intentionally omitting content to sell as paid DLC later. We are also seeing ads on $60 games and a push for online titles offering a steady and recurring stream of revenue for developers. They still lose money on used games and perhaps the stakes are higher, so to make SOME money on those cases, some developers prioritize big content locked behind paid DLC or microtransactions. Altogether, they may only distribute some games digitally.

$80 would illicit a knee jerk reaction and cement Switch as the console of choice for most gamers over Xbox and Playstation I think, but $70 is fair since it follows the expectation of a $10 markup.

I'm sure games *could* remain $60, but expect less up front and/or more in game advertisements.

[LoveSpuds]

The argument that games have to be saddled with micro-transactions and all that jazz before games become profitable for publishers is complete nonsense when you consider the huge salaries of the executives and dividends enjoyed by shareholders.

Secondly, you are being naive in the extreme if you think that publishers would remove micro-transactions if they were to rise the RRP of games to £80 or whatever arbitrary figure you think is appropriate. Of course they would keep monestisation as it is currently, irrespective of the RRP of the title!

[jjb1981]

Lies!

[DillyDilly]

Bring on the next Video Game Industry crash if games go above $60

[Ratchet75]

Games prices have been increasing for the past two decades so I don't think your crash will ever happen especially when you see how the video game market has grown.

[DillyDilly]

People will buy LESS GAMES if they keep rising THIS IS A FACT. & the Game Companies will wonder why

[DillyDilly]

Look at Galaxys Edge & the problems that park is having. One of the reasons people are not going is because EVERYTHING IS EXPENSIVE AS HECK from food & drinks & items. If Video Games themselves start getting expensive people wont buy them or will buy less. it is common sense that when things get expensive PEOPLE WONT BUY THEM

[milohighclub]

Game prices rose in the uk this gen, I've bought more games this gen than last.

[respekanize91]

games have been 60 since i was buying them for nintendo in the 80s

They have to go up.

79.99 for premium titles is something we might see in the future.

[DillyDilly]

People will buy less games at that price how that does help anybody ?

[DillyDilly]

Look at Galaxys Edge & the problems that park is having. One of the reasons people are not going is because EVERYTHING IS EXPENSIVE AS HECK from food & drinks & items. If Video Games themselves start getting expensive people wont buy them or will buy less

[ShadowWolf712]

They don't "have" to at all.

Sony's been making bank off their games at $60, and without being stuffed to the brim with MTs and lootboxes. The industry can thrive just fine like this.

The problem is most don't want to thrive, they want endless, unlimited cash flow.

[milohighclub]

In the U.S maybe, the UK has seen a rise most gens. I remember paying less than 30 for new snes games. I believe donkey Kong country was about 30 new.

[nismo370]

You're a well known Sony hater.

[DillyDilly]

I have all 3 current systems. I can NOT like what Sony does behind the scenes. Guess what NO COMPANY IS PERFECT. Sony has been annoying since the California move

[Dragonscale]

A lot of aaa's already cost more than 60 bux at launch.

[DillyDilly]

But theres always been that $60 Standard Edition. Take that away that changes gaming dramatically

[jjb1981]

Games are already above $60 because they sell "DLC" that could have been apart of the game on release day. They know who they are.

[Father__Merrin]

Who ever has wrote this article clearly eats what comes out from his behind......

[AnnaDea]

Dude, people will swarm to get a ps5. We are starving over here with out PS4. The swan song games are coming next years then we are next generation baby~

[ps5fanboy]

Multi billion dollar industry ,sony buying reputable games companies ,to develop outstanding experience in both 8k n vr nexr gen.... Ye ,sounds like a bad idea... Crapgamer on the short bus anyone?

[KeenBean345]

lol

[The_Sage]

How did this get approved?..

[Kiwi66]

The same way other useless articles get approved

[Minute Man 721]

Sony learnt the hard way with the PS3.

[StormSnooper]

True but there is also inflation. Things that cost much less are costing way more today look at the phone market for example. Besides pure greed there is also the reality that electronic gadgets are expected to do more which raises the price. I think PS5 as well as Xbox scarlet will be around 599. Maybe a little less or a little more even. Personally, I rather pay a little more and get something that is not a disappointment.

[YourSixStudios_YT]

This article will be dead on arrival.

[Whitey2k]

The only thing that be dead on arrival is stadia

[Dandizzle]

Who approved this nonsense. This is nothing more than troll click bait, obviously a huge company like Sony who has been around for a long time and is currently dominating the industry just might know what they are doing.

[phoenixwing]

nah it's all been blind luck with no foresight that's why they've had 3 of 4 generations as number 1 and only the 3rd as number 2. It's only decades of leadership and positioning there's no way they know what they're doing. /sarcasm

[MasterCornholio]

Why Shinrock and Jesujohn did.

[TheCryptKeeper]

The cringe of these Sony fanboys is priceless.

[StormSnooper]

Your comment is what brought the cringe more than anything else.

[RedDevils]

The stupidity in your comment is priceless.

[Potnoodle999]

I cringed pretty hard at your comment tbf. It’s a troll article. Of course people will be triggered and with good cause. Have you read it? It’s utter toss with no logic and is based around quotes from michael pachter which he did not even mean 🙄

[Smokehouse]

LMAO! Might as well be CNN with that fake news.

[PhoenixUp]

CCN is too close to CNN anyways, you’d be forgiven for thinking the latter is the one that made this article

[Smokehouse]

Exactly lol.

[Inzo]

If Pachter is right about the price point of $800 and thats a big if, it could be problematic. However I have read several other articles that stated the PS5 will be priced the same as the PS4. Time will tell.

[StormSnooper]

Not the same as PS4 because of inflation and the fact that people want something more powerful this time around. I’m guessing 599.

[Inzo]

I dont think so, the PS4 was priced the same as the PS3 and less than the PS3's launch price which was, if I remember correctly around a near disastrous $600.

[boing1]

It'll be 499 or less.

[StormSnooper]

It wasn’t disastrous, just not selling as fast. This time around it will have to be more expensive as everything is more expensive than it was 6 years ago. Everything.

[ShadowWolf712]

Bear in mind, $600 was significantly steeper then than it is now, especially with the Recession at the time.

[Inzo]

I agree but I dont think that inflation will play such a large role in the pricing of the PS5, if it did then the PS4 would have been significantly more expensive than the PS3. My hope is that the PS5 comes in at between 450 and 499 which is still more expensive than what the PS4 launched at but what I think is a reasonable asking price.

[Zenbaby369]

"Pricey titles"? What kind of click-bait monstrosity is this?

[FanboysKiller]

Trust AMD and Cerny.

[FanboysKiller]

Trust AMD and Cerny ,

[gamer7804]

I clicked title and thought maybe it was satire... i may criticize Sony on some things like their psplus membership and censorship, but hardcore should be the focus and Sony does a great job at that along with making great exclusives.

[S2Killinit]

I would buy one even if it costs 699. As long as services are not its main allure.

[Inzo]

I'll pay $700 if the online is free.

[S2Killinit]

Thats never going to happen because its the main money maker for consoles. Personally i want them to release a the PS5 with better specs than the PS4 had when it released. The current gen consoles were really underpowered. So I dont mind paying a bit money. Considering we pay 1000 for phones nowadays. I dont think a 599 or 699 console would be asking too much.

[Inzo]

"we pay 1000 for phones"

Not the same thing. A phone is multi tool whereas consoles are entertainment centres with its prime function being for gaming so phones will be more expensive. Also you dont buy a game every so often for your phone at least not primarily. If you dont buy games for your PS4 or Xbox you basically have a $400 brick.

[S2Killinit]

its not really about how you use it. Its about what goes in it. The phones dont have a gpu like consoles do. Or a high end cpu etc. personally, I use my consoles enough during 5 or 6 years that I wouldnt mind paying more for them.

[phoenixwing]

some people don't understand what sony means when they say they cater to hardcore fans and it's a niche product. They basically mean that when compared to mobile their fans are hardcore and niche. Since mobile is a huge market that out strips consoles. However, sony knows that they can consistently bring quality and get quality returns in sales with their fans. If they were to enter mobile they would have hit and miss reception making it unreliable for them hence why they are doubling down on a sure thing imo. (hint: the sure thing is hardcore fans)

this article is crazy for thinking that sony will fail in any way when it comes to the launch of the ps5

[sin7279]

Lol hahaha!

[Profchaos]

The article seems to suggest that Sony hinted at a 800 presumably USD price tag I've never seen this so called information anywhere.

Sony know that if they price the unit to high it will hurt them long term. It also extremely common to sell a device at a loss as you make up the costs with publishing licenses

[supes_24]

Obvious clickbait yea? I mean, no one is stupid enough to believe this lol! Like no one on the planet

[jznrpg]

MS fans want to believe it

[AmUnRa]

Correction, according to the comments here a lot of people do, but....they are all xboxfanboys that want to see Sony fail. But that aint gonna happen😉

[1-pwnsause-1]

CNN is fake news and is the enemy of the people and gamers

[GamingSinceForever]

Lmao!

Delusion at it’s finest.

[Pyrofire95]

No...

[PhantomS42]

What...
The hardcore gamers ARE the people buying the PS5 day one, crashing retail sites trying to preorder it, and hyping it up on the internet, and lining up for midnight launches.

[jznrpg]

I will get 2 preordered first day no matter what !!!

[Sharky231]

Ummm.... PS4. It was totally DOA!

[justy112]

Hahahaha what is this guy smoking, I might need some of that.

[drdare]

said no one ever, also how are you able to teleport to the future and teleport back to tell us the news?. I'm curious.

[good_sk8er]

I'll buy it, and many games for it I'm sure.

[respekanize91]

where do people come up with these wild opinions ?!?!

install base of 100+ mill from ps4...

nahhhhh None of us want that shiny new console

We still have games like TLoU 2 , GoW 2, a true GT game, and countless other games to bring us in to the next gen.

This coming from a gamer that owns all three systems and a high end PC

[WelkinCole]

So the winning formula that have seen Sony dominated 3 our of 4 console gens is not good strategy?

We have been hearing how Mobile will kill core console gaming since last gen

We have been hearing how Digital copies and then streaming will kill physical/transitional console gaming since last gen and this gen.

Yet Sony is still at the top with their strategy

Next gen Sony is already ahead in streaming with PS Now and another area where core gaming could expand to which is VR.

Sony has all their bases covered and their focus on VR as the next big segment for core console gaming expansion is the correct move.

As much as people like to believe the cloud/streaming is the future for core gaming, core gamers still prefer to have their games locally on their machines for a host of reasons.

Why risk being shut off from your games if your network goes down? Why risk experiencing any latency issues if your network gets congested when you can have the game locally which can guarantee you best possible performance?

Sony understands this in that core gamers know this.

Google and MS can blow as much smoke as they whatever they want. Core gamers know better. Sony knows this. Why their focus on core gaming first and foremost is the winning strategy. Win core first then worry about others later.

[phoenixwing]

agreed

[ACEMANWISE]

Wise words

[StormLegend]

The Xbox fanboys are out in full force today with downvoiting and trolling

[knickstr]

Honestly think its bots. Usually these articles get a lot of upvotes for calling it out and very little downvotes. And today it's over a hundred down votes for calling this article out. Something isnt adding up.

[Petebloodyonion]

Why would this automatically be false?
Sony could easily make a console around 800$ for the Hardcore gamer and could still pull a win simply because ppl are forgetting the big picture.

Sony and MS's business models are now like Smartphone.
Your Ps4 games will be playable on next console and beyond so expect games to become like PC models with an optimal setting (PS5) recommended setting (ps pro) and basic setting (ps4).
This way it's a win for Sony because the user base doesn't shrink and by the time the PS5 Pro gets to release, the Ps5 will be affordable.

Microsoft already proved that it works with the Xbox 1X

In the ends, The Hardcore consumer buys new consoles, the userbase doesn't shrink down so why not?

[ShadowWolf712]

The PS4 will not be playing PS5 games.

[Petebloodyonion]

The ps4 doesn't need to play the ps5 game it needs to have a ps4 version of the ps5 game and you can expect PSN game to be available on all platform similar to how it works on google/Ios store.

[xVOLTx]

Stop wasting time with these silly game consoles and build you a PC. Seriously, these things are wanna be PCs even more than ever now.

[Elda]

Nope.

[jznrpg]

PC doesn’t have Sonys games or many of the Japanese games I’d like to play . I have always owned consoles and I was a PC gamer too but I don’t see the need for PC these days because of the games I won’t get on PC I don’t want anyway

[ShadowWolf712]

I've got a PC, still game on the PS4 too.

You show me a PC that's playing Marvel's Spider-Man, God of War, and Horizon, and I will buy that right up tho. :P

[Poopmist]

Who is approving stuff from this site? It's just clickbait.

[Elda]

Most hardcore gamers bought a PS4 & some bought the Pro,most will buy the PS5.

[BLow]

Wow, what's up with all the downvotes at the beginning of this comment section. Are these paid accounts or what lol. This can't be real. Who in there right mind doesn't like high quality AAA games?Games that the fanbase wants. Games the fanbase buys.

What the hell is going on here? We have went from talking about games and now talking about services. We are going down a dangerous path and people really think the quality is going to remain the same for $10 a month. People who bragged about paying a $1 for 3 years of Gamepass equates to 33¢ cents a year!! That's less than 3¢ a month yet you think the quality is going to remain the same. Keep bragging. Keep subscribing to all these services and when more and more companies start to do it please don't complain. When gaming turns into cable please don't complain....we have to look at the big picture but I feel a certain fanbase has completely sold out to a company that really doesn't have that passion for gaming....so sad. We have more power than you think. Wake the 🤬up!!!!

[Thundercat77]

Low quality garbage article.

[mastershredder]

Umm... Riiiiight.

Do you suffer from depression? this sounds like a "I need help! notice me!" article.

[aaronlif10]

Clickbait

[StormSnooper]

Well, for me it’s a necessary purchase. Regardless of price, regardless of what other consoles I get. PlayStation will be my first buy.

[Tross]

Well, this hardcore gamer will be pre-ordering one. How is focusing on a specific market a bad thing? Hardcore gamers buy more games anyways. I have a mean install rate of about 40 physical games, and I decided not to count my digital games because that would be too much work. Also, there are more of us around than you might think.

[Angyobangyo]

As if the author knows what Sony’s complete strategy is. Catering the the hardcore is one of many markets they cater to as well as others.

[Brave_Losers_Unite]

Oh stfu

[Crakface]

N4g is a Xbox Stan a site that is forced to report PlayStation news

[derek]

The idiotic article says that MS and Nin are looking to expand into cloud gaming which will leave Sony behind chasing the console market of the past. Of course this leaves out the fact the Sony has a working streaming service and is looking to build upon it.

[rainslacker]

It's hard to write articles that are aimed at trying to form a conclusion that the author wants to make, by acknowledging facts.

[ShadowWolf712]

That's a whole lotta quotes taken out of context.

[ILostMyMind]

lol

[snoopgg]

Not a chance, day one buy for me, the hardcore gamer. Besides until they have any competition from the other 2, it ain't gonna happen.

[Jrios355]

No it won't. Hardcore gamers stay dedicated to their games and console. It's why the PS3 lasted longer and was supported more than the Wii, despite the latter selling more.

[DillyDilly]

Hardcore Gamers were not enough to save the PSP & PS3 at Launch

[ShadowWolf712]

"At Launch"? That's quite the shifted goalpost there, friend.

[madpuppy]

Funny, I love how All of a sudden Sony just doesn't know how to market a gaming console any more.

Is this a delusional Sony hater fever dream?

[ShadowWolf712]

Same thing happened as this gen and the PS4 approached, but back then it was all about how Sony was gonna go Bankrupt and MS would totally buy all the PlayStation studios so the PS4 was a waste of money!

And other such nonsense. lol

[madpuppy]

Yeah, I went to a Gamestop about a year after the PS4 launched and the person behind the counter was telling people that the PS4 was a bad buy and that the XBone was a future proof buy, he ACTUALLY said ALL Sony first party studios would be purchased by MS and that every game would be released on the XBone within the year. It was EXACTLY as you said, No Hyperbole at all, man.

[Acecalibur]

Lmao.

[william_cade]

This opinion is D.O.A. - yeah I did it.

[DarXyde]

"Hardcore" only concerns me because it sounds like the same rhetoric that came before PS3.

It really depends on their intention with pricing. I am unlikely to get one at launch if we have to wait for the blockbusters, but I am also unlikely to do so depending on the price. I have never spent more than $400 on a console, so either I will find a compelling enough reason to do so, or I will wait. Leaning toward the latter. Plenty of games in my backlog and a perfectly functioning PS4.

[xRacer74x]

PlayStation has never been for hardcore gamers. It was for everyone. What drive sales was price point.

[ACEMANWISE]

Nice. Ray tracing was used on PS3...especially noted Killzone 2

PS5 is looking to be a continuation of the PS3 era....

[AK91]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[RDF]

Huh?

[jznrpg]

He meant Dominating on Arrival

[nismo370]

Clickbait

[knickstr]

Seems like there's a lot of bots in this comment thread...

[Wilwon]

$420

[Ethereal]

I beg to differ. PS4 is so popular this gen because it catered to the gamer first and foremost.

[Runechaz]

Hhhahahahahaha yeah rignt..

[ramiuk1]

£499-549 would be ok with me,stretch to £599 and ill do a bit more overtime to fund it.
everyone thinks they are entitled to priveledges in life,gaming used to be a luxury and if you couldnt afford you had to save up or work harder.
hate what gaming has become since i started gaming in early 80s

[Jarrod1X]

It's going to be 2006 all over again, because when sony moived to CA they made some dumb moves. Censorship

[Sophisticated_Chap]

In some sense, I can agree with the title of the article, in that simple economics dictates that the average mainstream gamer will not shell out big money to purchase a video game console. I believe that both the Xbox Two and PS5 will launch at no less than $600.00 USD, which to many people is a steep price. If it is over $600.00 USD, then the adoption rate will be painfully slow.

People like Rich at Review Tech USA, who I respect, keep saying that paying $600.00 today, feels like what it would have been to pay $800.00 for something back in 2006 when the PS3 launched, due to inflation. This is not the right way to be looking at something like this. People today have less buying power than they did back in 2006. Wages have not kept up with the cost of inflation, and this is an actual fact. Therefore, I would suggest that spending $600.00 today, hurts the pocket book just as much as it did back in 2006, but you get less for your money.

Look at what you have to pay for a house now, or gasoline, or graphics cards, or even video games for that matter. Games might still be $59.99 in the USA, but they've been jacked up to $79.99 here in Canada during the last 10 years(and I'm sure we're not the only country), but no matter what country you live in you, get a less complete game than you did back in 2006, and you need to buy seasons passes and other DLC to fill in the rest of the game experience these days. This console generation coming up is going to be a bloodbath, in the sense that I personally don't believe that most people will be able to afford it. Gaming is no longer a cheap hobby or cheap form of entertainment.

Most console gamers aren't obsessed with hardware specifications, otherwise they would be into PC gaming. When you hear the rumors of 4K 60 fps, with ray tracing, these are going to have to be some seriously powerful consoles. You need a minimum of RTX 2080 specs for proper 4K with next gen games, and possibly RTX 2080TI performance if the PS5 is going to last a full generation with the launch specs. This would indicate that the PS5 will launch with Navi 20 (RX 5800 XT) level specs, which might have hardware accelerated ray tracing and RTX 2080 TI performance, particularly since the RX 5700 XT almost reaches Radeon VII and RTX 2080 performance, missing only by roughly an 8% margin on average.

After the high end graphics, you throw in an SSD, 16GB GDDR6 system memory, a ZEN 2 processor, a motherboard, a power supply, a 4K Blu-ray player, the console case form factor, along with a controller, an HDMI cable and maybe a chat headset, and you are well on your way to a $600.00 USD + console, easily. This is a bad strategy for Sony if true.

For Xbox, it doesn't matter, since Microsoft is focusing mainly on Xbox Live numbers, with a special focus on Windows 10, but also on all previous generations of Xbox consoles, going back to the Xbox 360, of which there are still many people playing on. The reason the Xbox 360 is still in play, is because Xbox Live has been integrated across all platforms, including PC, Android and iOS.

[Bigman4k]

Nah i disagree it wont sony know what they're doing 100 million ps4 sold

[bamillington]

I disagree

[tochi]

Hardcore gamers are a key for the rocket start, idiot.
They are only solid demography who will purchase PS5 at the full price on the day of launch.
Actually, those people are defined as "hardcore".
So-called casual market will be important only at competition at low-price range which would not happen for first few years of new console anyway.

For Sony, it is very important to sell new console to hardcore gamers who will purchase $60 single player games at launch day.
On the other hand, Microsoft knows that they cannot sell $400 console and $60 games anymore. That's why they became advocate of death of console, and shifted marketing strategy to the low-end price subscription service. Obviously, their focus is not hardcore gamers.

If you are a hardcore movie fan, you spend more money on theaters than on Netflix. If you are casual movie fan, you only need Netflix.
The same logic.

[milohighclub]

Why are they ignoring the fact that Cerny said the price would be appealing to gamers and taking Patchers bs statements as Gospel?

[boing1]

This article wins 'nonsense of the day' award. Thank you for the laugh. Sony is doing exactly what it should and how it should.

[chiefJohn117]

Told y'all, if there plan is to only target the hardcore audience m, they'll only hurt themselves. I personally don't think they will go such a route. They learned from PS3 no way they make an even bigger splash

[DeadlyAzuril]

Yeah.... no. Sony's been kicking ass all the way to the bank. Clearly M$ are now on the back foot trying to catchup and buy up studios ( but they are so retarded they keep wasting their current 2nd party companies anyway so really will we even see a difference )

[madpuppy]

The shame is, When Microsoft buys a studio it is most certainly it death, MS has a habit of buying Dev studios to prop up a new console release and within 2 years Shutters them.

MS is so obsessed to dominate every market they enter that they have no problem burning everything down in the process.

[Edito]

hahahahahaha I saved your name so I can get back to you and laugh right at your face...

[DigitallyAfflicted]

😂😂😂

[Dfooster]

In other news Amazon will go bust next week for having a prime sale

[galmi]

nah it won't, its virtually impossible at this point

[FyBy]

I think Sony will continue with same target group like with PS4. Why they should change it?

[WickedLester]

This article is dead on arrival.

[AnubisG]

ccn.com?

Probably a parody website. Sorry, can't take this drivel seriously.

[RabbitFly]

This person is a writer for a economic and marketing publication. He seems to have no understanding of the games industry.

Pulling out numbers about market shares of "hardcore" and casual gamers as if that in itself is any indication of succes.

It has been proven again and again that you need to appeal to the core user base as they are always the early adoptere and the drive the market.

Wii and Wii u also showed us how dangerous it is to rely on the casual userbase. Wii has amazing sales numbers, but an abyssmal attach rate, and relying on the same strategy killer the Wii u on arrival.

Streaming will probably be the New casual adopter entry and everyone is taking a stab at that. But even that market will have to rely on the core market to drive sales of games.

The jury is still out of course, but this article doesn't really say anything that has not been repeated, and shown to be wrong, the last 10 years.

[mogwaii]

I know right, cause I'll I've been reading all over the internet is "the PS5 is gonna be shit, im not buying it" - sarcasm.

The bot spamming is obvious and just pathetic.

[FanboyPolice]

Save a click with this garbage article. Hardcore gamers are the way to go

[T2X]

Sure. Ok. Lol. If by DOA, they mean sell millions of units then yes.

[madpuppy]

This is hilarious, Don't they know saying that the console is focused on the "hardcore" gamer is more a "Mark Of Excellence" that appeals to gamers of all stripes? It's like saying a tool is "Professional grade"
It denotes a higher level of quality that a professional or a hardcore user (gamer) expects from it.

Well, what do you expect? To CNN, Professional is an alien term.

[CrashFistfight]

ccn not CNN

[madpuppy]

thanks, man.

[DaniMacYo]

Is the author and his fellow minions disliking every PS comment that believes PS5 will be successful. 🤣

[Indigon]

Let's not reward this stupidity by clicking the link.

[Failcube]

lol

[PressPlayBros]

Lmfao

[megaleo009]

This post is so stupid, if that will happen is problem from marketing and bad games.

[JesusBuiltmyHotrod]

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[JesusBuiltmyHotrod]

Fallenangel again..dude has been on a roll bashing Sony every article.

[blanka4545]

a xbox fan wrote this of course lol!

[Vithar]

lol No

[Donnie81]

The reason the ps4 was so successful is it had the hardcore and the casual. Sony is pretty good about putting out a good system that eventually will have good games.

[Magog]

They have hinted at no such thing.

[Kratos_Kart2007]

Sony Low key did that already this GEN..they focused on gamers and what they wanted...

[thejigisup]

A lot of talk about console pricing has me concerned. If next gen consoles cost 5-600 I think Ms and Sony will be fine. The iPhone xs is sold from ~650-1000, galaxy s10 is 550-900 people don't need super powered phones to watch YouTube and take selfies for instagram and yet every other year they buy a new one. Once the gaming industry can set the narrative properly the pricing thing won't be an issue.

[knight_drives]

Bear in mind that the cost of phones has gradually risen over the space of many years. Phone companies are continually pushing the limit and once people vote with their wallets and decide its too high, the prices will stop going up. We've yet to see a console come out at anywhere near 650-1000 and be successful so I wouldn't expect it now.

I'd imagine very few people go out and buy a new phone outright every two years. Most people will take out a contract and spread the cost over two years and its justified by the fact that you get data, texts, call allowances included throughout the contract. If the infrastructure for this was set up with consoles then you'd probably see the same thing happen. Yes you can purchase consoles on finance agreements to spread the cost of the console but then you have to factor in the price of games throughout the entire generation or however long you plan on using the console for. The main purposes of a phone (texts, calls, Internet) is included in the payments you make over two years so it makes a contract feel like a full package. A console requires games and they aren't cheap so it's much more difficult to justify a massive upfront cost. Not to mention the fact that consumers already have a price in their mind of what is "acceptable" for a video game console.

Just my opinion on it anyway. I buy phones in full but I have a limit far below 1,000! Haha

[Mister_Wolf]

I don't think it would be, PS4 is the spring board they will use for PS5's success, alot of people are eager to see what Sony does next. I think they will do well, and I hope they do. I am patiently waiting for their announcement of their hardware and MS's.

[TheEroica]

Ps4 owner here, not buying a ps5, at least for a few years. Two reasons.... The console makers spoiled the soup when they released stop gap consoles and lastly, the switch is better and is taking more of my time.

My guess is ps4 will be able to play the exact same games making ps5 pointless unless you're a graphics wanker...

[nismo370]

"the switch is better"
You must be 10.

[TheEroica]

"Switch is better...". Nintendo just contacted me for the rights to use it. It's true. My poor ps4 is a paperweight atm.

Its like the last kid picked on gym class volleyball team.

[JesusBuiltmyHotrod]

LOL.

[soulrebel]

Writing to antagonise, just for hits, with complete disregard for your own reputation. Shameful.

[bloodymeatballz]

This actually might be true. Xbox was for “hardcore” gamers and look what happened. It turns off new comers.

[nismo370]

ccn = loooooool!!!!!!!!!!!!

[chrono1205]

And it begins. Next few months will be about fail this, fail that.

[Shikoku]

😄 click bait if I ever seen it. How the hell does a comment get 300 down votes on N4G on a story they no one would support? In my 5yrs of lurking and using the site I've never seen a story 18hrs old have that many down votes.

[cell989]

Gamers first, the casuals will follow

[jukins]

Umm it's the hardcore who make or break a console during launch windows

[antarius]

It it’s priced at 800, which I highly doubt, I’d rather get a PC instead. If the new consoles don’t come in at 500 or less they will have serious selling problems.

[MetroidFREAK21]

I think $599 will be my limit for the next generation. I plan on buying both consoles so they need to be somewhat affordable. Hope we learn more information about both soon. As for this "hardcore" mindset, I am pretty sure Sony would not do this. They saw the mass appeal of the PS4, so I doubt they would want to ruin what they have built

[Phils_Libra]

I think all Sony is saying with being a niche product is the next PlayStation will NOT be called 'PlayStation One'.

[leejohnson222]

Who writes this dog shit

[GrizToof]

It's not catering to hardcore gamers at all with its censorship strategy its catering to soy boys and ultra feminists. Let's see how that works for them.

[Tyrant 8 RDFL]

Whether you are a Sony Fan , XBOX fan , or both like me :) We can all agree that neither console is dead on arrival. They both generate tons of excitement for us gamers, and at this point their's so many hardcore gamers. I don't know one casual gamer. I only know hardcore gamers.

[CrimsonWing69]

Oh, right this is from CCN news the off-brand CNN knock-off.

[Kostche]

bwahahhaha.... keep dreaming, PS will dominated with games and fans like it has since ps1

[Kumakai]

about 95% says it wont.

[quenomamen]

Stick to articles about what Trump is doing CCN, and take The Wall Street Journal with you.

[Phantom68]

Useless article

[Hedstrom]

Well the Ps4 targeted gamers!

[skiggy34]

No console will ever cost $800. If Sony does this again after what happened with the PS3 then they deserve to lose. When the Xbox One X was announced it was announced as going to have a "premium price". It was $499. Neither the PS5 nor Xbox 2 will be any more expensive than $499. Unless they bundle it with PSVR or something to that nature but again that would be a bundled choice..