Sony cares more for their fans than Microsoft

With the great amount of success the Xbox 360 had this generation, it has given Microsoft a false sense of security and thus, the big head. SCEA, who was once arrogant has deemed itself by not being just a corporate driven company, but a fan driven company.

[Hyrius]

Of course they do.

[syrion]

^
I agree

[Redrum059]

If M$ cared for the fans as much as Sony did, they wouldn't hav released their console 1year early with many faulty problems and wouldn't sell their harddrives for more then a hundred bucks. Microsoft realy only cares about trashing their compatition and cashing in on the Industry.

@PS3ftWin well said my friend, well said. I've always noticed that Microsoft talks more about Their Compatition then they do about games. I'm srry but 1million console bans b4 a big game launch doesn't sound very caring to me.
40million install base my ass

[ps3ftwin]

Microsoft and care for fan? WHATT???

Online is charged
hardware accessories cost upto 400% normal prices
XBL uses a flawed points charging system

If anything Microsoft ensures to fully suck the blood out of its fans.

[-Alpha]

This nonsense of companies caring for their fans is really funny.

Do you think MS or Sony would theoretically support any fan if they didn't see them as means to their ends? That is all what "fans" are. Means to an ends. We give them money, they give us the product. It's as simple as that. MS approaches it differently than Sony.

Take paying for online. Do you think Sony does it because they are nice guys? Or do you think, maybe, that Sony does it because they are forced to keep their online free? Good way to keep the competition on MS's heels wouldn't you say? Sony knows that if they charge they have to have a service as good as LIVE. Do you really think SONY has expertise in online software like MS does? This delusional that these guys sit down and would drink tea with you is absurd.

And take a look at MS. Do you think they extend RRoD warranty because they truly are sorry for what they did? They extend warranties because they know if they didn't the 360 would have no support whatsoever.

I'm sorry, but give me a break. These guys don't care about jack. They see they have a fanbase and try to please them not because they are nice guys, but because they get money off of them and if they don't keep them happy they know the fans can easily move towards the competition. I can't believe a word like "Caring" is so easily tossed towards these companies. The "caring" is conditional: if you aren't going to support the product then they are going to turn a cold shoulder. It has nothing to do with being genuinely nice or having a genuine self-interest for the well-being of yourself. People will kiss MS or Sony's ass all day as if that love is returned for free.

With all that said I do feel Sony is more "humble" but guess what? They have to be. It's got nothing to do with caring, it's about taking an approach that guarantees you the best yield of consumers and the most beneficial reputation. Very good article by the way.

[iamgoatman]

@Alpha_Male22

Couldn't have said it better myself. Which is why I won't even bother, but instead just give you a bubble.

@rezzah

I've seen someone with 4 bubbles, not sure what the limit is.

[rezzah]

Isnt the limit 3? it wouldnt make sense to give a bubble if he cant have anymore.

[Dr-ZOOM]

@Alpha-Male22

In other words Companies only interest in fans is $$$ which makes the article statement null.

[ArmrdChaos]

One of the problems today is the fact that these companies have in way become proxy parents to some individuals. It is pretty evident with some of the comments that I have witnessed that this is the case. You speak ill of these "parents" and their corporate offspring will do their best to rain down fire (at least in their mind) upon you and then pat themselves on the back for some imagined "victory". Unfortunately for some this is the only means they have to define themselves. I chose X, X is superior because... , thus I am superior.

As it was previously stated by Alpha...these companies are only in it for the money. The only difference is the paths they are taking to get there. They will offer something for free only to make the money back somewhere else...thus they get what they want and still look like the savior. Their corporate "offspring" will come on here, as they already have, and argue this point endlessly to no avail...my "parents" are nicer than your "parents".

If they gave away ALL their hardware, software, and services to the gamers for free then you might have an argument but that doesn't seem to happen in the real world. But then again...a lot of people choose to not live in the real world either.

[thief]

Frankly, what Alpha Male is saying is rubbish and misses the point
Obviously, nobody runs their business for charity. The question is rather: which company does less to rip-off their customers and hit them with hidden costs.
Here is an incomplete list of things Sony could have done but chose not to:
# Rip out the wifi and charge $50 for it
# Add cheaper components that would fail more often, but save Sony money - say a cheaper, noisy tray drive, cheaper plastic, extrenal power brick.
# Make all their exclusive online games (MAG, KZ2, Warhawk) P2P even if meant lag and host advantage, and save on server costs. After all, Live does that after charging for it.
# Charge for online - yeah I know, Live is better, Halo 3 is the best online, etc etc - but Sony could easily have charged a lower amount say $25 for online.

Sony could do all that and much more with no impact on sales. They just are not as keen as MS to extract every possible dime out out of their fans

[Tony-A]

I absolutely, positively 100% without a doubt understand why some people would believe that companies don't care about their fans at all, but there are clear exceptions that I see in this topic.

Obviously, when it comes to caring only about the money behind the fan, there are companies that listen to them (like when Sony offered requests of remade PS2 games. Obviously that has to do with money) for that reason exactly.

Still, there are some things that don't always lead to sure money, but companies do the good deed anyway. One example would be the free DLC that some developers give away. Media Molecule, Insomniac Games, Zipper Interactive and Sucker Punch have done it countless times before and I'm really glad they do.

Another example is Sony's PlayStation.Blog Share feature. They could easily not care about what our ideas are, especially with things that don't make them any money, but that Share feature is being used by fans a lot and is getting voted on a lot as well. Obviously, there hasn't been a whole lot of that implemented, but hopefully E3 will show that they've been working on it. If not, I'll accept the fact that it's just a placebo.

The most obvious and recent example is when President & CEO of Insomniac Games (Ted Price) took time out of his schedule to personally call a fan and thank him/congratulate him on the job he did with his YouTube video.

I'm just saying. 90% of the time (fake stat), companies are all about money. In the end, however, they are humans with real human feelings. Once in a while, they're going to show their gratitude.

[cereal_killa]

"And take a look at MS. Do you think they extend RRoD warranty because they truly are sorry for what they did? They extend warranties because they know if they didn't the 360 would have no support whatsoever."

Your only part right on this they extended it because if they didn't they would have had a massive court approved recall that would have cost them 2-3xs more that what the extended warranty cost them.

"With all that said I do feel Sony is more "humble" but guess what? They have to be. It's got nothing to do with caring, it's about taking an approach that guarantees you the best yield of consumers and the most beneficial reputation."

To be honest they don't have to anything but they do it because they want that certain respect yes we know that every company is in it for $$$$ but if you want to make $$$ you also have to respect the consumer and provide them with the satisfaction to make them considering your product the next time they need to purchase and related product.

[Dnied]

Have to agree with DWeezy on this one.

There's a little thing called passion. I would bet a pretty good chunk of Sony developers enjoy making their games as much as we do playing and can't wait to let the world get their hands on what their creative minds have thought up.

Even the engineers behind the PS3 itself would involve some sort of passion and enjoyment, its why they're involved with the industry. I'm sure the people behind such technology could think of another way to make money other than some game console..

There's a love for gaming and a love for the feeling you get when the whole world salutes you for the job you've done. I think Sony falls into this category a bit more than Microsoft for sure.

In the end, everyone needs money to survive, so I don't think it's fair to call out Sony, or even a (very) few individuals from microsoft as greedy robotic bastards here to suck you dry.

I think the safest bet, and the 1 company to accuse this of is Activision.. I see very little passion these days which is probably at the heart of the reason IW fell apart.. IW had the will to do better, Activision wouldnt let them.

EDIT: To further elaborate... just look at LBP or modnation and compare it to something like mw2. Clearly U5 and MM are in for the enjoyment, they could be like Activision and keep these creation tools for themselves.. every 3-4 months release a pack of new tracks and mods for an additional price. They'd rather see what we can do with what they've made, I bet theres no better feeling for them.

[DaTruth]

Anyone notice that the 360 preferring guys seem to think all companies only care about money, but the PS3 preferring guys seem to be under the impression that Sony cares about them.

It's called value for money! When you are being ripped off, you take a cynical perspective to everything and it makes you feel better to believe that others are getting the same(misery loves company). But when you are receiving value for money, it feels like the company actually cares about your business.

It's nothing about fanboyism, every time I turn around Sony is giving me something for free I would have gladly paid for.

[xabmol]

The fact that ICO (a game that only sold ~50,000) got a sequel means that Sony cares.

[ukilnme]

@ Da Truth

"Anyone notice that the 360 preferring guys seem to think all companies only care about money, but the PS3 preferring guys seem to be under the impression that Sony cares about them."

That tells me that the 360 preferring guys are the smart ones in this case. At least they get it. The PS3 preferring guys seem to be drinking the Sony certified fruit drinks as usual.

Alpha-Male22 is 100% correct. I know the truth hurts but it is what it is.

[-Alpha]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on I didn't say Sony DOESN'T care or have a passion for the business. I am saying however, that this sense of "Caring" is misunderstood. I agree with all of you above: Sony has endorsed a much more respectable ethic: I love Sony's drive.

Thief asks which company does less to rip you off. Anyone remember the PS2 last gen? Overpriced memory cards and multitaps? It's not as if Sony hasn't done things to rip you off either.

No doubt MS rips you off more this gen, but that's because they can, and as long as they can, they will. That's why something like MW2 map packs are $15. They simply can get away with it.

I have never said Sony DOESN'T approach things in a better way. I love Sony's approach, but it doesn't mean they "Care" about consumers in some human way, they care about having a philosophy and image that makes them seem more appealing. That is, without a doubt, a great philosophy to have and it's evident that people are frustrated with MS and how they approach the situation.

@dark

MS wont be giving away free Natal's. First of all, it's an unrealistic course of action, and second, MS knows people will buy Natal regardless (or at least they are hoping). That's my point: everything is driven through business and the concept of caring is just a public-relations method driven by the business model. I'm not saying Sony doesn't treat gamers better THIS gen, but like you said they are no saints either. My example is online and how Sony could have easily charged for it if they were the ones leading online gaming services.

[Anon1974]

It's a business, I'm not denying that, but that's what set's certain companies apart from others; caring for their consumers. At their hearts, all corporations are run by people. How would you feel about your job if you existed just to screw over people all day, to simply view people as giant wallets with legs. While there might be a minority that is fine with that most of us would have issue working for those types of company's and if they did work for those outfits, their work would suffer and so would the company as a whole.

There's a balance out there with good companies. There are plenty of companies that are not only concerned with making profit, but also concerned about taking care of their consumers and their employees. After nearly a decade in the brokerage industry I can personally attest to that. I can also attest to the fact that there are plenty of companies out there that don't care about their consumers, or only care to the extend that it helps their bottom line.

Microsoft is one of those companies, and the 360 is the perfect example. They rushed an unfinished, untested product to market knowing full well that they would be screwing over a huge portion of their consumers, but they consciously made that choice, probably rationalizing that it was worth delivering a bad gaming experience to a third of gamers if the other 2 thirds had no issues and it improved their position. They lied about it, then they extended their warranty to a year, then 3 years rather than take the hit to properly deal with the issue.

I'm not saying Sony are saints by any stretch of the imagination, but Microsoft knowingly screwed gamers over. I liked the original Xbox, but when I look at my 4th 360 console sitting on my entertainment stand with it's $100 wi-fi and I'm afraid to turn it on because I just know this one is going to die too, it's a constant reminder of how little Microsoft cares about consumers. To them, I feel we are just wallets with legs, and that's why they no longer get any of my gaming dollars. If Microsoft had even an ounce of respectability they would have replaced broken 360's with no units, or at the very least tried to make some amends to gamers who got shafted by them.

If Natal is all that Microsoft claims it is, they could start by giving it to people who have had multiple 360's die on them as a way of an apology. That would at least be a start.

[The Wood]

half right half wrong.

Sony do not care about my life...Im nothing but a punter to them. If i fall on hard times they wont pay my mortgage or gas bills so let me get that clear. Do all companies care, for lack of a better word, about their customers the same...Dont be stupid therefore i think its fair to say that x company can care for their customers more than y company. Even though MS will do whatever it takes to get the best/fastest content for its customers ie old ps2 exclusives, timed exclusive on dlc etc Its sony who has put more into their console. Sony's online is still free but MS will brag about how much millions it generates off live. They released a dodgy console to one up their rival and lied about its faults. They spend money on dlc and timed instead of footing the bill for development and growth of studios and games.

..Sony do not care about my life...Im nothing but a punter to them....BUT they sure an hell care more than MS does in console gamer terms

[ASSASSYN 36o]

I think Alpha just tea bagged this subject with logical style.

[truehunter]

Alpha-Male22, The reason why MS extended RRoD warranty is due to legal action. MS was force to do this. If they didnt then the class action lawsuit would hit them hard.

[SkyGamer]

Hello bluray, hello "People will work more hours to buy the ps3", hello removing OtherOS support for "fear" of piracy, which already exists, just not mass market . . . yet. sony cares as much as MS. They are all in it for the money and only a fanboy would see it any other way. In fact the company that cares would be Ninty and Corsair and EVGA. They actually stand by their products, charge a competitive price and offer great products. I like the points system on LIVE as I do not like giving out my credit card number. With points, it is just a one time deal and your personal credit info isn't being used by other companies. Yes I still have my launch date ps3, haven't hooked it online because I don't want to take that crappy update that "FORCES" its users to remove features. But then, sony "cares" for it's customers, rubbish.

[JokesOnYou]

Yeah sony loves you.

Micro is greedy and cares about money, sony is greedy and cares about money, lol but keep telling yourselves they made the ps3 slim and lowered the price so much not because they had to but because of course sony loves you. I mean every other company is in business to make a profit except sony. lol, If any sony soldiers are looking for a winning lottery ticket pm me.

JOY

[commodore64]

i just don't get the Sony fans.

Bottom line is, Sony and MS are making products, to sell to consumers, with the singular aim of making profits.
To make those products, billions of dollars are invested.

Those billions of dollars need to be recouped.
Those billions of dollars are recouped in the form of profits on sales of their products to any and all customers that have the money to buy those products.

That's it.

Any illusions we might have about which company 'cares' for us, is simply that - an illusion.
The reality is, the companies are trying to provide us with a product they hope we will enjoy enough to spend our money on, so that they can make a profit, on the billions they invested.

Both companies do NOT 'care' about us, as people.
Nooo.
They care about the dollars we have to spend on their products.
They care about retaining marketshare.
They care about maximising shareholder value.
They care about expanding their businesses at the expense of their competitors.

In achieving the above, they have a strong incentive to maintain the illusion that they care about their customers, so the customers remain loyal and continue to purchase their products.

All you guys that like to think any company cares about you are simply textbook examples of the effectiveness of successful corporate marketing campaigns.

Let's be real.

[kunit22c]

a better thing to say is gives their customers way better deals and arn't cheapskates

[Ausbo]

i think there is another reason he has come to write this article. " I’ve tried to get into their E3 Press Conference since March and I’ve tried to book appointments at their Xbox 360 booth at E3 since March and had no luck."

he is just pissed because he didn't get into the conference.

[plumber15]

Alphamale is right it's all about money that's how a business works

[Heisenberg]

And they don't mean Sony literally cares about you personally, it's just another way of saying Sony is smarter and has more foresight as far as the gaming console business goes. In that they believe the best way to make the most money and run a company successfully for the long term, is by making sure the customers are kept satisfied after they've bought their console and and by being fair, rather than just looking out for initial sales and then doing everything they can to squeeze you for every penny they can afterwards.

In other words, what Sony knows is, you can only skin a sheep once but shear it many times.... If you want to satisfy a customer and keep them coming back, you don't squeeze them dry the first time. So no, they don't care about you personally, but they believe it to be good business to sell quality products, keep you happy, and maintain their reputation, even though it requires more out of their pocket, they believe in the long run it'll pay off.

[DevastationEve]

When companies care for their customers it shows. And I give a lot of respect to companies that go out of their way when it matters. But in the end they can't be nice to each and every customer and that's where it falls apart.

Sony doesn't do anything more or less then any other company out there. And Microsoft for sure doesn't do anything less.

Microsoft has extended warranties on affected Xbox 360 consoles (not just launch ones either but ALL red ring errors) and have taken tons of feedback about their Xbox Live service on how to keep making it better. They're not deaf to the complaints and deserve a lot of respect for not outright failing in spite of their problems.

Microsoft has made many deals with companies who would otherwise have been Sony exclusive in order to make the Xbox platform more appealing to the end gamer. They've done some majorly impressive things just so that I can get the games I want, yet in the end fanboys will continue to draw their complete bull about games being better on this console or that.

Microsoft has also designed a console experience that's tailor fit to each gamer. From launch they gave you the choice of getting all the great extras or just keeping it simple. That says a lot more than Sony shoving their options down you throat and forcing you to believe you absolutely need memory stick readers and bluetooth. It's more affordable to buy a console that has everything from the beginning but not if you don't need all those other features.

Microsoft didn't have to try but they did, so you have to respect the fact that they know some gamers just want GAMES and not just fancy features like bluray.

I think we're already too far into this gen to keep rehashing old gripes, but PS3 fanboys really have some serious issues letting go and just respecting other gamers' preferences.

[rockleex]

Microsoft:
$50 online
$100 HDD
pay for Wi-fi
proprietary products
knowingly release faulty products
etc.

Sony:
Free online
HDD included, non-proprietary
Wi-fi included
reliable
offer risky new technology for more storage
dedicated servers
Home for free
The Tester competition shows for free
GT academy
etc.

Point is, they're both in it for the money. No company can ever be a charity, except maybe Google. :P

The difference is that Sony focuses on giving the most bang for your buck, while Microsoft is focuses on ripping you off. Therefore Sony cares more about their consumers than Microsoft.

[lociefer]

if course they care, unlike the other company wich most of its fanbase r kids, only thing it do is rip them off

[deadreckoning666]

Both Sony and Microsoft care about money in the end. But I will say that Sony understands the meaning of value much MUCH better than Microsoft. Still, if it wasn't for the 360s success, Sony would still be arrogant as hell and the PS3 would be $400 with HALF of the PSN features it has now.

Sony cares more because they were forced to do so after M$ lit a candle under Sony's ass when Xbox Live became a gaming phenomenon. Disagree if ud like...but its true.

@Ravenshield- I agree with you partly. Sony lost exclusivity of the Assassin's Creed, Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, and Final Fantasy franchises(please fanboys, don't start mentioning how many exclusives the 360 lost, WE KNOW, this is Sony I'm talking about)

However, to say that Sony doesn't care is WAAY off. For a free online service, there doing a hell of a job and Home is being offered for FREE. IMO, PSN, as far as core online gameplay is concerned, is the equal of Xbox Live... just for free.

[unknownhero1123]

well said deadreckoning, +bubbles.

[The Wood]

+ 1

[XactGamer]

First off, their corporations not a "person" the only thing they care about is money. You guys are going to argue and defend which company cares about your dollar more when all they want is your dollar. Musicians, actors, writers, and developers care about their fans, MS and Sony are not any of those. Sony and MS hire all the people above to make what fans like for mony. Your not a fanbase when you buy a console you are a consumer buying entertainment. MS and Sony are nothing more than movie studios and theater owners selling you tickets but they don't make the movie.

[Inside_out]

This guy spends more time talking about himself than anything...it's not about him...lol...I won medals...but now I write dumb articles...

These companies care about market share and profits...right or wrong, like it or not...they are in business to make money...

EVERY gaming company/enterprise from magazines to developers to publishers are abusing the gaming community right now...Things like charging for content/DLC already installed on the disc...M$ recently eliminating the 1200 point cards, requiring gamers to buy more points than they need....developers taking 5+ years to make a game at a huge expense which will inevitably be paid by the gamer...it goes on and on...

This is the worst I've ever seen...$15 for 5 maps, 3 of which are refurbished old maps...wanting gamers to pay for demo's...requiring gamers to enroll in the company/developer to play there games as well as receive extras....they've gone crazy with greed...Did you notice Virgin getting back into gaming...there is a fortune to be made...

They all have there scams and it's gonna get worse...watch and see...

[Bodyboarder_VGamer]

If only you people tried to read the articles before making long ass comments full of nonsense.

Nobody is saying that Sony isn't doing it for your money. The point of the article is that after so much fail from Sony with 600 bucks console and arrogance they have changed a lot and now for example, Sony opened the PSblog and they host monthly party's called meet ups in different cities to showcase their new games and othe things to the fans while MS party's are only for the press.

Another example was that Sony was using twitter and facebook to give away 150 passes to the fans to go to E3 while MS doesn't even care. They just have the circus for the press and the stream for everybody else.

Another example the author say is that he is from a not well known website and when he tries to call MS they don't even care, they just say to send them an email. Then he say that if he was from GameSpot IGN or any other big website then MS would be all over them.

He even has many more examples about why he thinks that Sony cares more for the fan.

[Dude420]

By your logic, Microsoft cared more for their customers than Sony last generation.

- Xbox had an internal HDD and was a very reliable console.
- PS2 was faulty and you had to pay for memory cards.

Oh and don't give me the "Bu... Bu... MS stopped support for the Xbox!". nVidia stopped production of the chip, so MS had no choice but to stop support.

Face it, what alpha-male said was right, just because Sony has done much better this generation, doesn't mean they're saints. Remember the "People will get 2 jobs for a PS3!" quote?

[DaTruth]

Tell that to my almost ten year old PS2 that I was just using last week!

"Oh and don't give me the "Bu... Bu... MS stopped support for the Xbox!". nVidia stopped production of the chip, so MS had no choice but to stop support."

If you actually believe Invidia could just stop making a chip they are under contract to produuce... there are just no words for you then, maybe something Special Olympics related or something! I never even heard that one before! Whatever makes you feel better about your purchase!

[Dude420]

Wow, personal insults, how mature of you, who pissed in your corn flakes this morning?

Yes, it did end by contract, however, in my last post I didn't mean to say they stopped it just like that.

The thing is DaTruth, nVidia obviously must of done something wrong to have ATI win over MS. When ATI was chosen to make the chips, what do you think happened with the relationship with nVidia and MS?

When you look the PS2, the reason it's been going on for so long now is because Sony created their OWN machine (Emotion Engine), whereas MS depended on other companies to make their chip.

"Tell that to my almost ten year old PS2 that I was just using last week!"

Wow it's been that long? Congrats, now go tell that to the other people who had to go through multiple PS2's.

If you have something to say, at least say it in a civilized manner.

[boysenberry]

True, and this is why I love Sony. LOL at all the disagrees. Do you Xbox fanboys really think that Microsoft cares about you guys? LOL.

[duplissi]

well they used to not.... they felt we were a never ending resource that they could treat us however they wanted.... 2006 2007 anyone?

of course they do now, theyve realized that we keep their pockets lined so they better deliver and deliver they have!

[AAACE5]

You can look at it any way you want, but you have to look at the facts! I don't think either company cares about us as much as we think.

Sony was perfectly comfortable selling us tons of 8 Mb memory cards last gen, while the Xbox came with a HDD installed. XBL cost alot while PSN is free. But you also have to ask the question, would PSN have been free if they didn't have to compete? They are now coming with PSN+ to make some money off of it! Also, they both charge too much for the downloadable crap, but MS seems to charge more or maybe they just offer more content which is why it's more noticable!

[MazzingerZ]

I wouldn't say they care more as if that was the case they would give PS3 for free :D

But I do think, and it's a fact, that SONY is more professional and has more resources than Micorsoft's GAME DIVISION delivering a gaming experience as an international company.

The best games on the PS3 are 1st party studios and SONY has high standards regarding localization for 1st party games so lots of games are localized even to small languages like Swedish or Danish, which is awesome!...many people don't see nor appreciate this as US and UK are the big markets.

Dashboard is translated to around 20 languages, not just the dashboard but every error/informational messages as well...it feels so great to let my kids play LBP, Eye Pet everything is localized, every single item, sticker, every tutorial video is in my scandinavian language...even the Tags för search of custom levels in LBP are localized!

The localization of R&C games are top notch!

great voice actors are hired by SONY...even the audio of the co-op missions/MP in R2 are localized.

On the X360? the only game that has been localized to my language is Viva Piñats (the first one! VP2 was in english! I was like WTF? so my kids need to learn english to play a game sold and distributed here on a console that purchased in my country and promoted as a family game?...on the other hand XBL Market place can nicely show me how much my card will be charged (in my local currency) if I change my XBL membership or want to add MSFT points.

Ona has high standards that covers everything in the life-cycle of the product they sell while the other puts only effort in the main markets and in the small ones localize only stuff that could cause customers not to spend their money on them.

[MNicholas]

It's about internal company culture.

One takes it's customers for granted, has a cut-throat culture of win at any cost, and stops at nothing to squeeze every last penny out of every single customer.

The other takes pride in it's technology and quality, places a high premium on customer loyalty, and actively argues the benefits of this approach to convince share-holders that this is key to long term success and that it's not just giving stuff away.

We all know that I don't have to spell out which description matches which company.

[gunnerforlife]

you lot are a bit chatty today aint you haha

[Eddie20101]

Sony is better at creating a perception of caring for there consumer's and if you are good business or company that goes a long way towards increasing the bottom line. In the end the consumer is still the one benefiting from that perceived caring the company is trying to create.

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

Just 5 years ago, every body would be singing a different tune. Sony was the arrogant company and MS was new on the block. This author might be right now, but his reasoning is so wrong on so many levels.

Basically, he is saying that since his tiny little site isn't getting attention, MS is arrogant. Well, I'm sorry, but when business is brisk and a lot of people want to talk to you, you select the most promising ones. There is only so much resources and time... That is just the nature of business. If you get showered by gazillion tiny blogs every day, I think you get tired of pretty quick too. On the flip side, I have seen a lot of tiny sites that get Natal hands-on....

Fan service to me is when companies give out specials to their customers such as great pre-order and midnight opening incentives. Have special events for the fans i.e. their customers.

I remember going to Gears of War 2 midnight opening, I got a sweather, a hat and Gold-Plated Hammerburst. For the pre-order, I got a large remote controlled tank albeit it had a huge design flaw and so didn't move very well. There were very few people (a handful when I showed up 5 minutes prior to opening) at probably the busiest Best Buy in the area for this game! So much so that they had extra stuff the next day even handing it out to everyone and their mother and father literally!

For the Splinter Cell: Conviction, Best Buy gave away beanies and a mini strategy guide.

You contrast that with Modern Warfare 2 midnight opening and there were at least 100 people in line and what did we get? I think only 10 people got a poster! The biggest freaken game of the year? Where is the fan service?

Fan service are for fans that buy the games, not the media for their tiny little blog site that complains about competing with the big guys! They aren't fans!

[mookins]

Yep.

Sony does care about their fans. I would say that they're one of the few companies with a bit of decency.

[acedoh]

SONY is doing what they should be doing. A smart marketing campaign. Likable people and of course great games. Despite the talk of arrogance SONY really stepped it up. They have always been good to their fans. I think now they have made themselves more accessible to western gamers.

[HQLocated111]

M$=Activi$ion

[Sunny_D]

Sony were definately arrogant and all talk at the beginning of this generation. But, they have turned around and have proven themselves like they did with PS1 and PS2 with quality and innovating games that come out consistently.

I was starting to think that Microsoft were the ones bringing the goods, until they just became arrogant and all talk. Natal has yet to show anything, other than hype. I think Microsoft are the new Sony.

[MazzingerZ]

They weren't arrogant, Kutaragi was telling the truth about PS3 being a better console and the cell + BR delivering better games

On the other hand "the console for the hardcore fan", "Only on X360", "We have the best games", "Metacritic", "Best graphics", "Forza is the best racing game, better than GT5", etc...can't even be called arrogant comments but rather lies.

[Cueil]

that you've forgotten all the bull that was said... confidence in ones products is one thing, but out and out lies were sony's style for over a decade starting with the PS2's "jack into the matrix" and ending with "work overtime to pay for a PS3"

[Nike]

I'll just say this:

If you're a jerk in the world, it doesn't matter so long as you keep the checks rolling in. The key words are "so long", however.

Microsoft may not be the most popular company - hell, even before they entered the gaming market - but they're successful for a reason. And it sure as hell isn't because they give fans what they want, but because they convince fans to want something they don't KNOW they want. If that requires being a total jerk, to sell off those products and keep the moolah coming, you can bet MS is not the only company that does it (Apple and EA of old, anyone?). And that they certainly won't be the first to stop.

[ClownBelt]

Yeah and it doesn't matter whether you screw your customer by offering overpriced products and releasing a half broken system just to get ahead of the competition. XD

[Nitrowolf2]

this may be a little bit off topic but i think MS should get rid of the Point or at least have it so they equal same amount of money
http://www.gamestop.com/cat... i mean it maybe 18 bucks but i seems like your only getting 16bucks worth of points.
Sony and Nintendo do it right, 20bucks=20buckPSN 20bucks=2000 wii points

[Cueil]

@Nitrowolf2 was put into place to circumvent international exchange rates... that way each division of Microsoft would be able to independently control the price of the points and it wouldn't be tied to any currency

[Evilavatar]

Come on. Companies care about sales and money. And they use the image they think will help them the most. Just like that. No company care about the fans, if they cant give them money.

[DEATHSTROKE-cro-]

yeah,and that's why PS3 online is free and Sony invests money in games like
LBP,Heavy Rain and Last Guardian which are not hardcore games and you never know if those games will make money -_-

and read the article. he said he met Sony guys and they were nice people

[-Alpha]

You do realize Sony was forced to keep PSN free right?

It's all about business and it's naive to thing Sony "cared" for its fans. If they charged for PSN it would have had to be as good or better than LIVE and Sony isn't a company that has expertise with online software like MS did. So it was smarter to say "look, we have free online for anybody, the other guys charge for their service".

Look how well that worked out. Some people REALLY don't care for the bells and whistles of LIVE so they jump to PSN. Do you think MS cares? They make so much money off of LIVE users. Sony wish they had that, any company wishes for any kind of profit stream. But Sony can't have that because they are simply not in that position to charge for PSN.

Smart strategy wouldn't you say? As opposed to "look, we are nice people. We want to give PSN for free, because we don't care for money"

Please stop with this nonsense that Sony is some caring company. They care about your wallet but approach it differently than MS.

And it's funny, just last gen Sony was the one milking their consumers with all these add-ons for the console. Multitap, memory cards, network adapters, all of which were built in to the Xbox to my knowledge. Sorry, but these guys look at things from a business perspective not from some moral handbook.

[yess]

@alpha-male22

Sony made the memorycard so people could take it to their freinds house instead of the hole PS2.
The network adaptor was cause online play on consols was untested, there for they chose not to integreate it, they later added it to the slim at no xtra cost.
Multitap was made cause the games demanded it as they evolved, to more players pr. games.

It's all buisnes as you say but they did not force you to buy those xtra to milk you, they did it cause the gaming changed.And they where unsure in wich direction.
MS learned from Sony and added some of those things...

[Redempteur]

@alphamale

sony was not forced to keep their online free they took a different approach..

LOOK at HOME it's free BUT the people using it are willing to pay for prenium games or items.. it's the very same system used in MMOS like mabinogi or pangya and many other things ... you keep acces free but offer prenium content

THAT WAY everyone is on the same page and you encourage people to buy your stuff because it's expanding ... The number of asiatic companies using this model is HUGE

Microsoft With LIVE is just using another business model ..AFter all they just have different priorities

[FFXI101]

"You do realize Sony was forced to keep PSN free right?"

How was Sony "FORCED" to keep PSN free? were you there when they make the decision, Alpha?

He wrote the article from his personal experience, what experience do you have that's similar to his? have you ever talk to Jack Tretton? or anyone in MS?

Mr. Tretton tells him “Its all about the fans man, its also about money, but it is about the fans.” when was last time anyone in MS say somthing like that besides trashing their competition?

I personally, saw the invitation to Sony's meeting in either magazine or blog(can't remember which) when was last time or ever MS send out the invitations to anyone besides the press/media/celebrity?

If anyone needs to stop the nonsense, it should be you.

[Arnon]

"yeah,and that's why PS3 online is free and Sony invests money in games like
LBP,Heavy Rain and Last Guardian which are not hardcore games and you never know if those games will make money"

Congratulations. You are the prime example of what a brainwashed customer looks like.

PSN is free because Xbox LIVE is not. If PSN was not free and had the same features it does today, do you honestly think it would be anywhere? No. It would be stomped into the ground and forgotten about. Microsoft charges for Xbox LIVE, and yet somehow their service continues to grow and outnumber PSN in terms of features.

People continuously state that Sony invests money in games. Is Microsoft somehow doing something different? Microsoft (the company that everyone thinks is evil, on this site), is forking out their own money for extra content and exclusivity to bring it to their console for their customers to continue to enjoy, and it's somehow a bad thing, right?

Sorry to burst your bubble folks, but it's all business. Sony cares about their customers as much as BP caring about preserving wildlife near the Gulf of Mexico.

Get your head out of your asses fanboys, and wake up. Sony and Microsoft want your money. That's all their is to it. And since none of you are adult enough to accept this fact, I would like to know what Sony has actually done for you, the customer, in general. Please, do tell.

@yess

The memory card is a joke. That's why it no longer exists and Sony went with an internal HDD. Can you guess which console had the first internal HDD built into it?

[yess]

@Arnon
Let me guess, it's the same company that brought the memorycard back;-)

[AK46]

Happy customers are loyal custumers

[PirateThom]

I think people misunderstand this with "Sony fanboys".

I don't like Sony because I feel some sort of brand loyalty. Hell, I don't own any other Sony products bar a Mini Disc player. I like Sony because they deliver. I know that I can buy a PlayStation console and have games for it every year because Sony "care" (care as much as a faceless corporation wanting my cash can) enough to invest in games and I will happily give them money as long as they keep giving me games. So far, they haven't disappointed and, as far as this year goes, doesn't look like they'll be doing anything to change that.

[whitesoxfalife]

i totally agree with you Alpha, everybody has to put on that suit to get us the consumer

[thief]

Again, more rubbish about how Sony was "forced" to keep PSN free awhile MS can somehow charge because its so superior
Was Sony "forced" to add dedicated servers for KZ2 or MAG?
Was Sony "forced" to add a free wifi or rechargeable batteries as standard?

Just ask yourself a couple of questions
1. Couldn't Sony have easily charged a smaller amount for PSN, say $25?
2. What if MS had a PSN-equivalent free service and a Live Gold with the supposedly superior features (mainly cross-game chat, remind me what else?) 95% of the user of Live Gold would flee for the free PSN-like service.

What MS does is quite clever. Price the 360 $100 lower, and charge Live at a price which seems low (less than the price of one game) per year. But nobody realizes that if you add up lifetime costs, the console cost actually doubles.

[iamgoatman]

I think you've missed the point a little.

It's all down to what Sony or MS see as good business. Obviously they aren't going to come to the same conclusions, and will often provide radically different approaches to a service in order to appear more appealing to potential customers.

Both companies likely watch each other like a hawk, as competition plays a huge role in such an industry. Increased features and usability are often direct responses to what a rival company may be producing. Look at features that came to Live such as Twitter and Netflix, but then came to PSN soon afterwards. This was Sony keeping up with it's competition so the quality of their service remained equal to it's rival. Allowing MS to gain an advantage would be poor business.

Which leads me to the "forced to keep PSN free" comments. Having an equal service with a competitor removes an opportunity to win over potential customers. If both PSN and Live were the same annual price, with the same features, then it wouldn't be a deciding factor to a customer, it wouldn't matter. But with Sony providing the service for free, it allows them to maintain their product to equal standards as the competition, and provide a greater selling point for their overall product. They may not have been "forced", but was it a direct response? You bet it was.

"Was Sony "forced" to add dedicated servers for KZ2 or MAG?"

No, but a happy customer is a loyal customer. If you can add to the quality of a product relatively easily, it has the potential to sell more. The developers themselves may have seen it as a good thing to do, but for the parent company, it's just a greater point of sale for the product.

And lastly to the people using the playstation blog as a reason, this isn't entirely an example of the company itself showing compassion. This is more down to individuals passion for a greater service, which shows a more caring side to the brand as many of you seem to find. And if it makes your company imagine look better, then no wonder it's funded.

Apologies for the long post, but it's my last bubble.

[ironwolf777]

Corporations care very deeply about their 'fans'. They care about your feelings and they care about how much you think they care. It's not a business tactic or anything, they're just happy that your're happy.

[SilverSlug]

They care about their money. All business' are like this.

[DigitalAnalog]

They can still recognize talent and quality. That's why they allow TEAM ICO to shine through SOTC even though ICO flopped miserably.

I cannot share the same sentiments with Microsoft though.

-End statemetn

[Godmars290]

With two console generations that expanded the whole industry, doubled it past anything Nintendo had done before, they probably deserved to feel it. Then they offered the PS3 which directly did more than simply play games and was priced accordingly, Crazy Ken made his "Let Them Eat Cake!" statement, and now it going to stick with them forever.

What's MS's excuse for their's as they try to monopolize the industry based sole on the notion that they're MS?

[The Lazy One]

How is MS arrogant? I haven't seen anything close to the "Our fans would buy an empty box if we sold it to them" statements we saw from Sony.

And how is MS trying to monopolize the industry? Did a third of the market suddenly equal monopoly? It's almost a 10th of the market if you include handhelds.

They're monopolizing the industry the same way alta vista is monopolizing search.

[Godmars290]

Last bubble...on well...

At what point did Sony ever offer "an empty box?" In comparison the 360, with its nosy often disc eating DVD drive and late to the party HDMI support is the empty box. Especially if you consider the Arcade and their overpriced HDDs.

And MS came into the console industry saying they'd dominate! Where Nintendo Sega and even Sony were trying to simply sell product, MS was looking for control. I mean, how many times does the $50-75 million they spent on DLC have to be brought up? All the times Greenburg can't give so much as a nod to the competition before he's verbally stomped them in the mud at least twice?

[nunley33]

I like the sony way better and they don't try to nickel and dime you to death. Microsoft doesn't try to give you any real value for your dollar, the just tell you to bend over and grab your ankles and take this overpriced hard drive and wireless adapter and like it because it's microsoft. I still have my ICO ps2 game and was never going to get rid of it and i'm looking forward to PSN news from E3 later.

[Lirky]

The playstation brand since ps1 sony knows how to treat the consumers and dont make things too mandatory. Such as if you want to use a harddrive you dont need to buy a sony brand one.

[A change in the wind]

Wow, I can`t believe there are actually people out there who fail to realize this. I could compile a HUGE list, but I`m not going to waste my time when all I have to do is remind everybody about how Microsoft dropped the Xbox and all of it`s fans like a bad habit, while Sony still shows PS2 owners love 10 years later.

[betrayed gamer]

they droped it because it was draining money. sony had a huge library of games that the original xbox did not have and microsoft felt the xbox was not goin to go ne further so they dropped it. i can understand that even though it was a dick move. also i think the main reason the kept the ps2 alive was because of the fact it was bringing in a lot of money compared to the ps3. why kill it off when you are not making any money off the new product. its all business. thats what the game industry is its not a fantasy land where companies fight for the good of the consumer its a cold hearted business world where money gets u everything.

[frankymv]

good article. Sony really is doing a great job now.

[pippoppow]

No Blue-ray, Wi-fi, Less dedicated servers, Less exclusives, overpriced add-ons, shoddy hardware reliability. Pay for timed exclusives instead of 1st party studio development. Add apps to XBL instead of a browser to deny freedom of choice. Deny access to multiplayer games the Devs include in a game purchase other users from other platforms play for free. Yeah they care less but MS fans don't seem to mind.

[dorkyfresh11]

not sure if Sony cares for their fans (M$ sure as hell doesn't) but Sony has always understood that the product sells itself. if it's quality then people will buy it. Sony always strives to put out the best quality product possible and that's why they were recently deemed #2 on a recent list of "most reputable companies". M$ fell on #11 on the list...not even top 10.

http://www.chinadaily.com.c...

[DORMIN]

Thats pretty incredible they are at #2 out of all the companies.
Your explanation was spot on.

As far as Sony's gaming division, I think they are more "caring". The Ico sales is a perfect example of this. Another good example is, most recently, them funding Heavy Rain which is on paper is a VERY risky game. Especially in these times with game development costs at an all time high.

I say "caring" because in reality, businesses of this scale (i.e. corporations) are really only about the money because that is their livelihood. But as far as listening to what the consumer wants and providing a quality product, that list proves Sony is up there.

[dredgewalker]

It's true that companies are here to earn money but there are many ways to do it. You can cheat customers or you can give them a good service while profiting. Its suicide to constantly rip-off your customers because in the end you will lose them along with your reputation. Sony was arrogant when they introduced the PS3 but seeing how it is performing and with the features that aren't outdated i can say that they weren't talking BS, it just takes time to make good games and maximize the potential of the console. I've been with Sony since the first Playstation and i can say that i am very happy and satisfied with the PS3.

[EVILDEAD360]

LMFAO @ some fan site tantrum about how Micrsoft doesnt care about it fans..when the REAL reason is because the guy who runs this teeny tiny site is mad because he went to the God of War release party and he can't get into the Microsoft E3 conference...

After this silly blog, it's clear Microsoft made the right decision. look, we know how this will end..the usual suspects who bash Microsfot daily will have another place to huddle and be warm,,but the article and those comments that follow prove nothing.

As mentioned earlier..All 3 companies Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft love money..period. Because at the end of the day, it allows use to enjoy the hobby that we all love..

Just because some disgruntled blogger 'wants' Microsft to fail..it doesnt matter..watch the E3 conference on Spike and Game Trailers on Spike like the reat of us..and bash the 360 from your little website..you won't be the firstr or last to do so..

[GameZenith]

Lol, its funny how people are quick to dismiss what I say because I am just a simple "blogger" with a "fansite". If IGN wrote this same article it wouldn't get this response but the truth is, those IGN guys are no different from me. Only difference is that they work for money, owned by a large corporation, and have the resources to have fancy videos and advertising....so that makes them more credible?

[EVILDEAD360]

LOL @ the hypocrisy of dismissing people comments because you think they are biased against fan blogger sites.

The truth is if this came from IGN..you'd get your @ss handed to you 10 times worse from a whole lot more people..

You ask..

'If IGN wrote this same article it wouldn't get this response but the truth is, those IGN guys are no different from me. Only difference is that they work for money, owned by a large corporation, and have the resources to have fancy videos and advertising....so that makes them more credible?'

So what makes you more credible than the true gaming fans who are able to discern what is actually credible or not? Credibility is earned..not assumed because you make a website and post it on N4G.com for hits.

You write a blog that makes the claim that Microsft doesnt care about 'their' fans as much as Sony. How do you prove the title of your argument?

You tell stories of how you were nervous when you caught Jack Trtton alone at an event and just like any typical star struck fan you say to him 'that this is what I liked about Sony as how they do stuff like this for their fans and you’ll never see Microsoft or Nintendo do anything like this' and he told you in exact words “Its all about the fans man, its also about money, but it is about the fans.” And that quote will forever stick with me.

LMAO..that's the journalistic equivalant of saying 'And I never washed my hand again after Jack Tretton shook it'

Without detailing the rest..step back...read what ANYONES perception of your blog would be..and it's clear that you are a simply a fan with a preconcieved bias based on your experiences of speaking with Jack and seeing him later going to the 'bathroom' vs. not getting invited Microsft's E3 conference..

So what did you do?..you wrote ALL about it..wrote a flame-bait title..and want to claim that you are somehow credible?

Why would IGN or any site that tries to cover both consoles fairly pay someone with that mentality..it works for the group of N4G.com and group of fan kiddos who only bash one console over the other..if that your target audience..but try to make a similiar article saying anything negative about the PS3 and that same group will hand you your head..

Good luck either way

Evil

[chidori soukou]

Yes i agree. Core gamers are loyal for sony so yes i agree.

[Dramscus]

Microsoft has been this way since windows xp. They've always treated the PC market like crap, now they get to treat console gamers like crap to. I don't buy microsoft anything just because their such a bunch of corporate capitalist pigs. Many americans will hate me for this but capitalism is a crime against humanity. From computer and game systems, to wallstreet, and oil.

[theIMP]

Are you trying to say that Sony is not run by "corporate capitalist pigs"?
Are you trying to say any "CORPORATION" in the world is not run by a bunch of "corporate capitalist pigs"? Stop trying to paint it as just American company's that are full of these type of people. IT IS BUSINESS!!!!! Plain and simple. If you are really dumb enough to think the Sony board, or any other corporation out there thinks of you as anything other than a potential buyer, then you have a lot to learn about business and life homie. They may know how to attract a buyer, I am not disagreeing with that, but to think any of them "care" about any of us is just ignorant.

[doG_beLIEfs]

Born and raised in the military....and I cannot stand capitalism by itself with no strict regulations.

So I don't hate you....I agree with you.

[NumeroUno]

Another one of these articles huh? It seems like they all pop up before E3.

[XabiTheHumble]

People talk like its robots running these companies, these people who control the companies are HUMANS just like you and me with emotions and feelings. Yea, they have to keep it professional 24/7 on the job and they don't pour there emotions all out by handing out free games but is it really that difficult to undersatnd that these companies have some consideration for the people who buy there products on a consistent basis?
Edit: well at least some of them do.

[The Lazy One]

The definitely do not care. We're another point on a graph. If they can make the graph go up they'll do it.

You think if there were some way for any of these companies to make a billion dollars by kicking your family out of your house legally they wouldn't do it? You're only fooling yourself.

[XabiTheHumble]

Yes there job is to make money, there goal is to make money NO SHIT!! does that take away from the fact that they can have some sort of consideration for there consumers? No."You think if there were some way for any of these companies to make a billion dollars by kicking your family out of your house legally they wouldn't do it?" Uh...the majority of society would kick each other out of there houses to make money if it were legal, what is your point? Two of the vaguest points I have ever read in my life.

[The Lazy One]

whatever you have to tell yourself to sleep at night.

[Rashonality]

Love Sony

[DarkSpawnClone]

why don't you and Sony get a room!!! lmao

[Rashonality]

*facepalm*
i love sony....i'm not in love with sony you perv...lol

[Godmars290]

Sony cares more about, considers, its customer base more than MS. This is proven by Sony making a multimedia system with a number of offline and online features - Blu-ray, wifi, the browser - while with MS you have to pay more to get more. Pay for a Gold account, pay extra to get Netflix. You can even get examples from the PS2/Xbox1 days, the DVD drive that Sony enabled out the box to play movies that required a $40 kit from MS for the Xbox.

The most glaring example is the RRoD which came about because MS was more concerned with marketing then quality.

[PshycoNinja]

That's why they have devlopers answer questions on the Playstation.Blog. That's why they fund all of insomniac community days (including the one I went to last year). That's why they gave us free games. That's why they fund risky projects with Team Ico and Quantic Dream. They don't care for fans, they do it just cause.

[Workshyskiver]

Though it is shocking and surprising it's taken even this long, With sony starting to catch up with xbox, hopefully when they pass them it will result in the same type of reaction from micro, plus when you look at it i think no-one expected the 360 to have a lead over ps3 for this long. So its done well regardless.

[iamgoatman]

Sony or Microsoft or any large multinational company don't give a damn about their fans. But if by care you mean, want your hard earned money, then I'm sure they adore you.

You may think free online, or more features happen because they care about you the end user, but it's nothing more than good business practice. Give them free online, makes their product more appealing, more people buy your product, which bypasses the need to charge for the service, all the while adding to your market share. Opposed to a paid service, which leads to the idea that "you get what you pay for" which could mean a superior service, attracting more people although possibly losing some to another brand, but all the while making money from subscriptions.

That may be a big vague, and may not be the most important part of the decision on which console to go for, but the general idea stands.

Nothing any large company does is out of the goodness of their own hearts, and to the people saying they love a company, the only thing they love about you is your money and possible loyalty to their brand.

[Panther52799]

what has always amazed me is that the same people who will bash a company for overpricing their goods are the same people who would do the same thing if they owned a company and had a product to sell.

this in no way is a justification for the way MS prices their stuff, i think it is ridiculous to say the least! but the hypocrisy still stands, that those who point the finger would do the same thing (maybe worse) if in the same situation.

as stated before, i do not think MS is right for overpricing their goods like they do, but neither was Sony for pricing the PS3 at $600 when it first released. they dropped the price and took a hit to get people to buy their product, and they did a great job of it, but neither company (nor any company) is about anything but making money.

[jcgamer]

and they have delivered...

Well built hardware with true, "next gen" technology? Check.
Blu-ray needed? Double Check.
Deliver cutting edge games and multimedia? Triple Check.
10 year commitment for PS3? Looks like a Quadruple Check.
Kutaragi was right? Infinite Check. :)

in other words...CHECK!

lol :)

[alphakennybody]

Of course! I mean games like like ICO around 50.000 unit (amirite?) yet they still funded for an indirect sequel/prequel? SOTC and soon TLG. they also take risk of fully funding heavy rain which surprisingly despite its niche status it sold a lot of units. if thats not caring about fans I don't know what is.

[ForROME]

Although I applaud MS for the strides they have brought to the gaming industry and still think 360 is much more of a gaming machine, I agree

SONY caters to their fans more

[DoomeDx]

If microsoft had to choose..
between 1000 people dying, but earning a 1000 bucks.
or paying 1000 bucks in order to save 1000 people.

we all know they would choose option 1.

[SIR-DARK-HAZE]

I cant comment on how they treated their customers when the ps2 was released but (wasn't that old). But with the ps3 Sony have given me alot of brilliant games. I wish SCEE would make some meet ups in England

[kr9091]

That's for damn sure! Not ripping off your customers is a pretty good start!

[GigaGaia]

So, people are just starting to notice that Sony cares for their customers and that Microsoft don't even care?

I mean, look at the price of the accessories for the 360, it's ridiculous, especially the hard-drives.

[ian72]

Sony seems to sell their PS3's and accessories at fairer prices (even taking a loss on each PS3 sold).
Microsoft seems to be in it more for money than Sony.
This looks like Sony cares more, but, when all said and done they are both (Microsoft and Sony) in it for money.

[play17boy]

Of course Mircosoft cares.............. about money lol.

[Pootangpie]

if you think sony is anymore caring then your a moron espically since there are big corporate company like Nintendo,MS,Walmart,Subway,Mcd onalds,Apple and KFC

I guess your dicks are so far up there assess you forget they charge you $100 for every PS3 that gets YLOD

face it Sony is just as evil as MS and nintendo

[r1sh12]

I knew reading this discussion will be people bashing Microsoft.
But on reading one of the first few comments and some kid spelling competition as "compatition" looll this persons name Redrum059..
All I can say, Microsoft extended warranties to accomodate the RROD.
I think both systems are good, but both have flaws.
I read somewhere here, that sony caters to its fan by putting a browser in the console, but how often do you use it? I hate using it with my controller.
For any PS3 fanboy to call xbox live bad, all I have to say is the voice chat on PS3 sucks d**k, on the xbox its like youre on the phone.
I love blu ray, but I also love xbox live.
Im sure all you people have been reading PSN will go premium soon lol.
So it looks like people will be getting ripped off on both consoles.
hahaha
There is no way Sony can keep the PSN free, they are losing money in many departments.
For all PS3 fans to say MS dont care, then why is it the xbox got the map packs for MW2 early. Why did GTA go multiplatform? Why did the xbox get the DLC first?
I like both consoles for different reasons.

[SIR-DARK-HAZE]

"why is it the xbox got the map packs for MW2 early. Why did GTA go multiplatform? Why did the xbox get the DLC first?"

Becuase MS need to go after third party companies. They dont have as many studios as Sony. First GTA now MW2.

[00000000000000000001]

This has to be the stupidest thing I have read today. Sony cares for the customers as long as the money keeps rolling in, if it stops Sony will drop everyone like a hot potato!
Remember the PS2 disk drive problems, how many receive a free repair? No one!!!

[OutgoingSquall]

360 owners hate facts makes there heads hurt.

[Tzuno]

Yeah right!! where's Ps3 backward compatibility with PS2 games?????????????????

[remanutd55]

im on the pic lol Playstation Meet ups with open bars FTW!!!!

[Tripl3seis]

Sony is doing a tremendeous job this gen and I'm happy wit wat they are giving me great games awesome technology and a beast of machine called the ps3 yea sony cares about their fans and they do it wit class

[kewlkat007]

Take a minute and think, where would Sony be with it's strategy and pricing if there wasn't any competition?

I bet you there would be no "Free" PSN and other competitive, strategic perks. Sony cares so much, they took out BC, OS....etc

Regardless of how much you hate MS(there is plenty on this site), healthy competition benefits everyone.

You will always have Pros and Cons about companies since no company is perfect but competition is what drives companies to be better and distinguish themselves from the pack. It's even more important in a CAPITALISTIC society.

Yeah you might like Sony's 1st-party Games more(which is subjective)or a Free PSN(which great) but the competition is healthy and it's been a while since we have had 3 major consoles working hard for consumers money.

Were all consumers and all companies just want you to spend. Sony can be a little more "FLEXIBLE" because of it's past dominance, while Microsoft barley escaped with it's first Xbox Financially.

[Figboy]

it's a symbiotic relationship.

without us, the companies wouldn't be able to make money.

in order to make money, the company needs to create a product that the consumer is willing to spend their money on.

in order to ensure that, the company will do what it can to produce a quality product, and then have FOLLOW THROUGH with that product to ensure consumer loyalty.

Sony, over 15+ years, has produced a line of PlayStation products that people associate with quality experiences, and are therefore willing to put money into supporting Sony.

in the end, all that matters to the consumer is that they get a quality product. i don't CARE about the motivation of Sony or MS in regards to WHY they produce quality products, as long as the product is quality.

there is absolutely NO argument that the PlayStation3, for example, is a quality product. both the hardware AND software attest to that.

i know for 100% fact that developers like Naughty Dog and Insomniac are running a business. i support them with my hard earned money because they make great games. that in turn encourages them to continue to make good games, because they get the profit they need to continue to produce games, and feed themselves and their families.

if games like Uncharted 2, God of War 3, Killzone 2, Little Big Planet, inFAMOUS, etc, etc is how Sony takes my money, then PLEASE. CONTINUE.

look at Activision on the other hand. i DON'T buy their products. why? because they are of poor quality and not worth the money they are asking for it. they have a clear, and blatant strategy of capitalizing off of a name brand, or one successful, quality game, then whoring it out on a yearly basis to the hooked fans that are willing to buy them based on that name brand, regardless of the actual quality of the games.

companies like Naughty Dog, SSM Studios, Insomniac, etc, not only have a desire to make good games, but they DO CARE for the fan communities that they have earned over the years, despite working for companies like Sony. the fact that Sony gives these developers the support they need to craft such quality games, DOES speak volumes to, at the least, Sony's ability to understand how important having positive consumer relations is to business.

we're fortunate that there are still developers out there that enjoy creating quality video games, and that there are still audiences out there discerning enough to separate the quality from the crap. there will ALWAYS be consumers that buy up all the swill that Activision spews out, but there will also ALWAYS be consumers like us that support games like Heavy Rain, God of War 3, Uncharted 2, etc, because they are quality experiences.

as i said before, it's a very symbiotic relationship between consumer and provider. if the provider doesn't respect the consumer, the consumer goes somewhere else. it doesn't matter if Sony ACTUALLY truly, deeply cares about us (they don't). what matters is that the end user experience is rock solid. and from where i'm standing, i have no complaints. these few weeks leading up to E3 have been AWESOME for a PlayStation 3 fan.

Microsoft has chosen to stay mum on anything they have in store at E3. it's a different strategy than one that Sony is using, and i'll just have to wait and see what they are going to bring to the table.

even if Sony sticks to pimping the MOVE at E3, i know, at the least, that i have a good 6 or so games that are just my style on the plate for the future (SOCOM 4, Little Big Planet 2, Killzone 3, Pixel Junk Shooter 2, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, and inFAMOUS 2).

it'll be interesting to see how this E3 plays out. i'm already satisfied, and the event hasn't even STARTED yet.

[MadMan00]

Prove it.

[Ludakriss]

If sony really do, then what's this I heard that my boss got his 360 replaced as in (it broke down, he calls MS they say"ok. new one's on the way") done deal. Now SONY on the other hand. "Hello. Um...my PS broke down." the answer on the other side "tough luck sunny". BAM!

[madpuppy]

The main goal is to increase revenue and sell more than the competition. A healthy market dictates how a company treats their customers, present and future. Microsoft could be considered an exception to the rule because they have generally been in an unhealthy situation (Monopoly) in their main markets for many years, and that puts them in a position to not really care what the customer thinks, because you will buy the product they sell whether you like it or not. So, the perception may be, that Sony "cares" about the customer more than Microsoft. To an extent I would say this is true, but, only in comparison to Microsoft, Sony is a healthy company in a healthy competitive market since its inception. because everything that Sony sells you can get from other companies and do that same things. Sony, unlike Microsoft doesn't have the government, Networks and radio stations only broadcasting in Sony secret proprietary formats to keep out Toshiba or Sanyo.

[vampstreak]

get approved? i mean i agree but there is no need for bashing.

[BABY-JEDI]

This article was written with gasoline & you folks were all welcome to bring the matches (or pitchforks depending on taste) enjoy your games not your cheap console flamebait war LoL ; )

[0LDSCH00L]

LOL wait until he experiences YLOD for the first time and has to deal with Sony customer support.

[Sez]

I laughed so hard that I almost shitted in my pants lmfao. Tell this guy needs to gently pull Sony ballz out his and every other cockriders mouth. Plz for the love of god lmfao.

None of these companies give a rats azz about you. They didn't pay for your prom, schooling, wedding,ect. I mean did Sony come to anyone of you guys BDAY party? No. How about when you graduated high school. Dud Sony attend with a ps1,2,3 in hand? No. How about anyother time. Has sony done anything for anyone? Oh they haven't.

So what makes any of you think Sony or MS or Ninty care about anyone but your money. Sony didn't drop the price because they care. They drop it because they where getting there asses handed to them. Sony didn't care about people that got dre with the ps2. Yes I admitt MS fucked up with the 360 With the RRoD. And yes maybe they did extended the warrenty before the lawsuits came. But guess what. The did it and came out there pocket Not mines. Unlike the ps2 and what some are now going throught with the ps3.

MS got the raw end if the stick since last gen when they came into the game industry. No one hated sony ever. Not even when the dreamcast lost the console war. Everyone loved the ps brand since the beginning when all the great dev's drop nintendo to jump on the ps1 bandwagon. All this guy did was show what kind of fanboy he is.

My point is this. Again these companies font care for you. Just your money. MS, Sony,nintendo are companies that are in the business for your money. Not your love. Love doesn't pay their shareholders,yachts,dev's, CEO's,ect. So get off this " oh oh Sony cares about me because they give me great exclusives" or " MS cares about me because there online service is one of the best next to PC's and they keep me intouch with all my friends". It's a business get it. They have to do that for your money.

[Time_Is_On_My_Side]

I think the same as you, just look at the cigarette companies, they know it's bad for the body, but people are willing to pay even after knowing that. Ashleymadison.com the whole purpose of that website is so that people can have affairs behind their partner’s backs. So when it comes to video games it’s all the same thing, we just have to settle with the lesser evil, lol.

[Sez]

I also agree with you. The thing about that is. There is no lesser evil. People think MS is evil because they tried to make a monoply with the OS business. Just as Sony trying to monoplize the gaming industry. That's what businesses do. Try to knock each other out to control the market. You think that if MS and ninty left the game industry that Sony will lower prices or rise them. Would any of them raise the bar or give the best quality games. At the end of the day I'm a gamer. I admitt. I let this fanboy war get the best of me. But no more. I respect each company for what they give me games. In return I give them my money. That's it that's all. I don't expect them to attend my wedding, the birth of my kid, or if I was on trail. And that's with any company not just gaming.

[Time_Is_On_My_Side]

When you have a company, especially a company that sells products or provides a service you need to have the superior attitude otherwise if the creator doesn't think their product is the best, why would a consumer?

With the example about being a runner is completely different than providing a service to the public with competition. I find a lot of journalists lack the capacity to empathize to people's situations. This goes for all companies, every company that has some kind of competition especially in providing services will have an overbearing pride. So what I’m trying to say is that kind of attitude never really goes away, unless they want to lose business.
The last thing I want to talk about is that nothing happens in Canada, so with all those meet-ups, E3’s, or launch events all if not all always happen in America; wouldn’t that in itself can be a little spoiled when there are other nations out there?

[DigitalAnalog]

If anybody here BELIEVES that a company cares for them, then they need to go have their head checked. You might as well say: "a guy who gives a beggar $1 cares more for the beggar than the guy who gives none."

See the point?

Maybe you don't.

-End statement

[ReBurn]

You're right. Sony, as a corporation, is not capable of caring. Perhaps they're better at understanding what their customers want and meeting their customers expectations.

[madpuppy]

Bravo! that was the point of my comment up the page earlier. The only thing I added is that Microsoft, unlike Sony, have been in an unhealthy (market) situation (monopoly) for such a long time that it makes it more difficult for them to cater in the most appropriate manner to customers.
In the long run that is what a Monopoly does to the Monopolizer makes them ship unfinished, broken or properly tested products.thus, causing poor customer service. the only thing that saved Ms in the gaming sector is that they are NOT a monopoly and actually have to compete to stay in the game. So, in essence Sony, Nintendo and Apple etc. are actually healing at least a few Divisions of the Microsoft Hydra. Apple And Linux, even though it may not be considered by many here is actually causing Microsoft to change their ways even in their Main markets.
Interesting times...

[silkrevolver]

... I’m just kind of anti-Microsoft. I love Nintendo and Sony, and I love Apple computers... but I hate almost everything Microsoft does. I had a 360 for a while, and it broke for the 3rd time right after the warranty expired. I don’t hate the 360, I don’t really even hate PC’s... I just don’t like Microsoft. I’m not entirely sure why, but one reason may be because it never feels like they care about their customers.

[GameZenith]

Thanks for all of the comments everyone! Positive or negative, it is very much appreciated

As for my take on the article, I know it may come across as me bashing MS because I didn't get into the Xbox 360 E3 Press Conference but got into the PlayStation E3 Press Conference but that isn't the point of the article. The article is my own personal opinions of a company that I believe is taking this success to the head after having the most humble beginnings with the Xbox back in 2001. MS when it came to the Xbox back in 2001 was the new and wild kid on the block who broke all of the rules and made a mark on the industry. They have many great exclusive FPS titles and they pretty much brought console online gaming to the mainstream with their XBL service. But with this generation and with the help of their early release over the PS3, the Xbox 360 is the top dog between the two and MS seems to forgotten where they started from and now have become the very thing they sought to destroy.

With Sony, yes it is all about the money and the only reason why they are being nice is because they do not want to lose any more money, so it is all about the money. But still, atleast they are still doing something. A company might give away 50 million dollars to some 3rd world contry for aid and make it publically known about them doing it to make their company look more pure and caring when they really just want to create a good image for themselves so that people will like buying their products. That is about the money but what is more important is that those people in that 3rd world country will live a better life because of what was given to them. Even though they only got it for the wrong reason, they still recieved it and they will appreciate it. That goes with the PlayStation Blog Meetups. Sony isn't doing this because they are just nice people. They are doing it to promote company goodwill and establish a loyal consumer base....its just marketing. But still, no matter what their motives are, atleast they still put up a good front whereas MS just doesn't care and it will come to bite them in the ass soon.

[Sez]

" I know it may come across like I'm bashing MS" really what gave you that idea? Was it your whole negative article about MS or the fact that in your very article you said you was going to bash MS in your article.

You know what I hate most about sites like your as of late. Maybe it's because I no longer care about this fanboy war and just rather be a true gamer. Is that site like your help fuel this war. In fact you guys lit the fuse. IMHO it's people like you that are holding back the gaming industry and killing it.

I remember when games use to be fun to play. Now it seem that if a game doesn't have the best graphic or the highest score then it's not a quality game. Even when it was just nintendo and sega it was bad. I know alot of people will disagree with me. But I had to get this off my chest. Site like yours are what bring down gaming for hits to your site. I hate you guys more than fanboys. That's the truth.

[GameZenith]

So you hate my site because I speak my mind? Would you rather me be fake and an ass kisser and always say the right thing to make myself more attractive to advertisers to make money?

I mean its a damn if you do and damn if you don't situation. Thing is, I'm not out to please anyone and I could really careless if you like or hate sites like mine. If you feel that way, then GameZenith.com isn't for you, never visit again.

[madpuppy]

"But with this generation and with the help of their early release over the PS3, the Xbox 360 is the top dog between the two and MS seems to forgotten where they started from and now have become the very thing they sought to destroy."

Microsoft, being who they are, felt indignant that They were not the number one game console company in the world. They envied Sony's position with anger and felt that they should be in that position without working all that hard but, by the fact they were Microsoft, a monopoly leader.

They did not fight to destroy that position, they just wanted to be in that position themselves.

[ReBurn]

I think that people judge Microsoft a bit harshly over the problems with the launch 360's. Nintendo's launch DS Lite units had bad problems with hinge cracking. I had to have mine fixed twice. Sony's launch PS2's had crappy DVD drives. Mine broke right after the 90 day warranty expired. Every company, at one point or another, has an embarrassing episode that shakes their customers' loyalty. Once it happens what really matters is how the company responds.

I don't see how anyone can say that Microsoft didn't stand behind the 360 and support their customers. They spent over a billion dollars to extend the warranty to 3 years and fixed the RROD's. They didn't have to be forced to do it.

It's easy to look back and say that RROD never should have happened. But if you do that you also need to acknowledge that PS2 DRE's should never have happened. And the Jaguar's red screen of death should have never happened. And the NES flashing screen should have never happened. And so on. Microsoft hasn't been the only company with a quality debacle, but many have short (or selective) memories.

[Henry Cain]

Yeah the PS3 was 600 dollars when it came out, but I don't think it had anything to do with arrogance. Everyone knows that it cost Sony at least 850 dollars to make a PS3. Most companies sale the products that they make at a higher cost even though it doesn't cost that much to make. Yet Sony has been selling the PS3 at a lost. I don't think thats arrogance, I think they have faith in the their product.

[Dance]

companies only care about money

[Optical_Matrix]

I think they do to an extent. Of course they want our money but they fund such risky projects and all to help innovate and give us, the people that are funding their business, unique experiences.
You saw the recent interview? Ico and SoTC were huge risks and they sold like shit. Yet Sony is funding yet another fantastic looking game like it in the form of the Last Guardian which will probably (hopefully not) suffer the same fate. You can't say thats for profit. It's because its what their consumer base wants.

[Pootangpie]

So deal with it and stop being retarded they don't care about you Money is all they care about that's why there a corporate company

[skeletonss]

is getting bad again.

[ClosingRacer]

like Sony really cares about their fans.. i mean yes they do as much as Microsoft does... cause without any they wouldn't have a system to sell.. but only as far as that If Sony really cared about Fans they wouldn't sell us gimped ps3's and then gimping them with firmware like takin out Backward compatibility and Other os and also not selling us BC for us to pay for BC titles..

[earbus]

LOL its about money you guys nothing else.

[vsr]

- reliable product
- quality games
- various genres (not limited to shooters)
- best value for money
- best supporting gaming peripherals eg. move , mic, g27 wheel, DS3...
- longterm customer satisfaction
- same experience for every owner ( not like PC / live gold-silver discrimination)

[SignOfZodiac]

http://n4g.com/blogs/detail...

[Michael-Jackson]

Where's my HD-DVD support? :(

/sarcasm

[bym051d]

This is silly. They're both companies who do things to make money. Every decision is geared to make money, not to care about fans.

MS charges for hard drive upgrades. Sony removed features in their "only does everything" except PS2 games console.

[Senden]

Even from a somewhat 360 fanboy.. I have to agree with this article. Sony know their fans and are thinking of creative ways to improve THEIR experience. Microsoft is just focusing on creative ways to bring in different audiences or namely, the nintendo wii crowd. So while both are trying to make money, at least sony are looking after their own instead of shunting their own fans.

[jack_burt0n]

T4L

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[Morituri]

No way in hell am I clicking on such a preposterously labeled link. Desperate for hits much?

[kraze07]

A company that truly cares about its fans is CD Projekt. When The Witcher was first released it was considered really bad quality but CD Projekt, caring about their fans and having pride in their work, totally revamped the game and breathed life back into it. They could've moved on to the next project bit instead they fixed their mistakes and the true fans appreciate them for it. Now we have Witcher 2 on the horizon. CCP, makers of EVE online, also show love for their fans. It's as if the fans have more control over EVE online than the devs do and that's the way it should be.

[kasasensei]

"Sony cares more for their fans than Microsoft"
And that's not new.

[PSWarlord]

How many first party developers has Sony got ohh yh 21 last time I checked and how about M$ (We wont go there). Sony know what the fans want and we love them for that

[Captain Tuttle]

This confirms that the filter is broken. I shouldn't have to see nonsense like this with my settings at strict.

[bjornbear]

so as long as their fans pay xD

still, due to personal experiences, MS could care less for any of its consumers or else faulty hardware wouldn't be such an issue.

QUALITY CONTROL...it exists.

still, it hardly exists. its all about money, not fandom

+ there's no actual proof of this =P

[infekt]

The last E3 MS conference almost seem forced. Like there was an "Applause" sign blinking at the crowd during various scheduled intervals in their keynote. Alternately, I found the crude rooting at the Sony conference throughly original and sincere. Sony is better for gaming, imo. Period.

[theonlylolking]

Even if its true M$ has the money so they can bribe peeps to liking M$ more.

[AliTheBrit19]

I agree, in a way they do, they seem to work more closely with first party developers, and insure great games get made.

But to me they are the lesser of two evils, in the end, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony - All giant corporations that only, ONLY care about your money.

[ForROME]

This is spot on,

1: 3 out of 5 are about PS3 people crying about something or someone, face it in the beg, no one liked PS3 except the loyalist, it was a crappy launch and priced itself out of market, its now turned a corner, but waaaaaay late

2: The GTA fight was entertaining but he failed to is laughable now

3: The one that bothers or should bother ALL gamers to the core, ACTIVISION, they believe in higher priced games, they believe in no console but a more expensive piece of hardware.......

Activision is the enemy no doubt, I refuse to buy their games

[danielle007]

that either care very much for their fans. They both do good things, they both do questionable things. I doubt that they factor in their diehard fans into each equation. But.. I don't know. I like Sony this generation, but some of the things they do make it so I can't fully stand behind them caring ohsomuch more than M$.. Maybe a bit though.

[dalehitchy]

haha this is just too funny
sony rele cares about its fans that it will charge for an overpriced psp go... then say f**k u to the people who bought it a couple of weeks earlier and not get those freee downloadable games that are not on offer. no company cares about there fans.... they care about the money they hand over... simple as

[ATi_Elite]

The editor is correct and great article Tyrell Jackson.

I have worked for a lot of companies and most companies only care about one thing, the price of their stock and nothing else matters.

That's why I refuse to be treated like cattle or a dividend. I try to only buy products from companies that make quality products AND give back to the community or their consumers. I feel Sony is a company that still has a human touch as Microsoft can careless about their gamers or consumers.

Once Bill Gates Stepped down Micro$uck became nothing more than a black hole to suck in money. Seriously I don't even think human beings even work at Micro$uck anymore because they are cold and heartless and have raped their gamers and OS users (insert Vistas here) for years.

The only reason Micro$uck listened to the demands of their OS users is because NO ONE bought Vistas so they were forced to kiss our ass or continue spending money funding Windows XP updates. Companies need to realize they need to treat their workers and consumers better or go Bankrupt (see GM and Chrysler).

Sony and the PS3 have given gamers every single thing they could ask for or imagine with the quality, parties, online updates, and the SUPERIOR line up of AAA EXCLUSIVES.

Microsoft won't even talk about the $150 add on called Natal but suggest all their moronic consumers just go out and buy it while Sony has given everyone the chance to see what Move can do.

Sure you can knock Sony for the PspGO but they went through hell with all the PSP pirating before they said enough is enough. They could have done that a long time ago but one voice of reason for the sake of current PSP owners stalled Sony for a few years before making the switch as the PSPgo tech was designed years ago.

[keysy420]

this first time i picked up a 360 and nocited i needed batteries for the remote and they sold a charger seperate. i knew what it was this company is trying to milk me

[Jason143]

Having gone through 6 360s before switching to ps3 I can say Sony does cater to the fans. Im still waiting to see how the feature request via the blog gets tackled but it seems when something is mentioned in the forums, sony adds it to the console or psp firmware. I found M$ began to try and sell stuff to me everytime I turned my 360 on, the dashboard turned into a commercial that never quit.
godmars290 hit the nail on the head.

[Shepherd 214]

this is why xbox 360 is clearly better than PS3..... It has the best selling game of all time..... Halo 3.

[hoops]

A Corporation cares? LMFAO LMFAO LMFAO
Are people on this site really that frekn stupid?
They could care less of you. MS, Sony, Nintendo, Apple, Samsung, Intel, ATI, Nvidia, McDonalds, Acme Inc....
They just want your money. They will pander to its audience but in the end they only care about its shareholders....
Please, please is this site full of 12 year olds that have no concept on this? LOL

[Sheikh Yerbouti]

I wouldn't say that Sony and Microsoft CARE about the customers. That has too many warm and fuzzy feelings associated with it. These companies only get warm and fuzzies for the money.

It is a question of which company understands its customer base better. While the 360 and PS3 go after the same market. The demographics that make up their respective slices are different so I don't see how a comparison is meaningful.

[STRAIGHTASL]

Sony cares for their fans as DEAF PEOPLE! if they do, then why didn't they provide the subtitles on qore, pulse and video stores, huh? they didn't do nothing for 3 years. im very disappointing in them and pissed off. they just want my hard cash and your hard cash!