Why Sony Should Exit The Console Hardware Business

Joel Taveras writes, "When you think the word ‘PlayStation,’ what immediately comes to mind? Is it high end hardware? Is it Blu-Ray? Oh, I know, it’s 3D gaming, isn’t it? Come on, who am I kidding? It’s obviously none of these things.

When you think PlayStation, the first thing that should come to mind are the iconic characters and games. Memorable archetypes that have stood — and will stand — the test of time. Favorites like Jack and Daxter, Kratos, Sly, Nathan Drake and the list goes on and on. It’s Sony’s first party DNA that has paved the way to make PlayStation, and, more importantly, Sony Computer Entertainment, what it is today."

[Walker]

There was a great JOKE .

[Resistance_lord]

What was that about Price Increase?.

[darthv72]

a company exit unless it is under certain situations. The "A", #1 would be if they are the ONLY one supporting it. A good example would be SNK.

They were a great company that made fun arcade games and tried their hand at the home console market. Problem was, they were pretty much the only ones making games for their home arcade console.

There were a few third parties but nothing to the extent of support like other platforms had. Looking back at Sony's track record, their original focus (in games) was as a software house. Mickey Mania and Hook are still a couple of my favorite Sony Imagesoft games.

Their entry INTO consoles was at the hand of Nintendo. I mean they had been making chips (video and sound) for the N and sega platforms and when approached to cooperate on a CD drive for the SNES I really fely it was a good decision Nintendo made.

Nintendo didnt think so but at least Sony was able to take their idea and turn it into something personal. something they would own and be proud of. People tend to forget that sony, essentially, was in the same situation that MS is now.

They didnt have the stable of in house studios to make dedicated games back then so they had to make deals for titles with the same companies Sega was courting for their Saturn. i guess we could say that was the original time when paying for exclusives wasnt considered a bad thing.

What worked for them was they were new. They offered a new perspective on an entertainment medium that was considered childs play. Sega was somewhat taken more seriously in the Genesis days but even they knew they were getting overlooked by the shiny newcomer. Sony had ideas then (they still do) but obviously delivering on them was a risk because they were new.

Seems like the risk paid off in the end. So here we are, many MANY years later and another newcomer has entered the ring. MS. Plenty said it wouldnt work and i have to think back to that same sentiment when sony entered the ring. Two different companies and yet the same public opinion.

Kudos to sony for winning over the public and becoming a viable force in the gaming business. So now, why cant we give MS the same respect? That answer.....is like "how many licks it takes to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop" the world may never know.

[sikbeta]

SLim V2 is more expensive than V1 Slim, it has no fancy and awesome slot-loading drive, dust-magnet top-loading tray (laser could get [email protected]#*ed by that) + ridges and honestly, that's like cheapest plastic ever, I mean difference is kind of too obvious going from fatty -> Slim -> Slimmer

O-T

I don't want Sony to exit the console race, but there isn't much that can be done if they keep sinking like they do, I don't have problems switching to XBX3 or Wii-U as my main console, but sure PlayStation will be missed

[Dee_91]

He's basically saying Sony should stop making hardware and let the developers make games for xbox and wii ........................
I dont even..

[MikeMyers]

There's no need in Sony abandoning the console market, at least not until the demand goes away. What I think will happen is what we perceive as a game console will slowly change with each system like we've been seeing. Consoles today do a lot more than just gaming. Sony's acquisition of Gaikai will also change what a console does and further extend Sony's reach of getting consumers.

[InactiveUser]

Sony is still on pace to finish this generation in 'first place' in terms of hardware sales; unlike the 'third place finish' the article mentions.

They have already 'won' this generation in terms of quantity and quality of full retail exclusives.

The PS3 is likely to surpass the 360 in hardware sales within a few months, if not about April 2013 at the latest when GoW: Ascension, Beyond: Two Souls, etc. release.

After that it sets it's sight on the Wii, which is nearly dead in the water with sales plummeting and little software incoming with the release of the Wii U.

Combine the very slow future growth of the Wii's totals with the fact that the PS3 has yet to hit the mass market / impulse buy $199, $179, $149 or similar price points. It's clear the PS3 is extremely unlikely to have a 'third place finish' this gen.

[guitarded77]

Sony would be the last of the big 3 I'd want to leave the hardware field. I personally like having three strong companies... it drives innovation, competition and makes gaming better.

[GarandShooter]

@ Darth

Nothing has changed, but technology. The human animal didn't change in the time span between the PS1 release and the Xbox release. There have always been idiots, they just have a more readily available forum now.

If anything, I blame Al Gore and his invention of the internet.

[yoshiroaka]

He fails to realize the reason sony makes great games as well as original games that takes risks is to support their console.

If the game flops it doesnt matter because its about pushing their console and the console makes them money through royalties etc. If they dont have a console to push then the effort and risks they take will not be as great. They may even turn to a sub par developer. Almost every game Sega made used to be great when they had a console to push. But not so much now.

Even a great studio like Naughty Dog cant make and uncharted quality game on the same level with a gimped budget.
If sony didnt have the money or potential money coming in from its consoles to justify blowing a huge budget on games then the games will suffer.

[RumbleFish]

What are all those so called journalists smoking? SONY are selling and supporting 4 consoles at the moment.
PS2, PS3, PSP and PS Vita.
Why should they stop making consoles?

I must be drunk that I'm on this site again...

[knowyourstuff]

LMAO yeah you'd have to be drunk to eat a single word of the nonsense that goes on on this stupid website that has all the integrity of a tabloid magazine that does nothing but make sh*t up over and over again. There are so many trolls, and idiots with no writing skills fishing for hits, it's just all nonsense and anyone with an IQ above 80 knows it.

Sony is doing just fine, they make all the best exclusives, they certainly take more risks and innovate and drive the industry forward more than anyone else, and the only ones who want them in the business anymore are their competitors, and the fanboys that support their competitors.

[Getowned]

I'm not even reading this, there is no need at all for Sony to leave the gaming/console business. Why was this approved. I'm not a Fanboy I've liked most consoles and play on PC often, but ever since the Wii U was announced people have been out on full force to attack Sony and try to discourage PS fans. Doom and gloom playstation articles seem all the rage lately and no one brings any prof at all. I don't wany any of the big 3 to stop making consoles, and the day one of them drops will be a vary dark time in gaming history.

Actually, I desided to read this article, and I've come to the conclusion that who ever wrote this dosen't know a damn thing about what he's talking about, he's only grasping at straws that are unimportant in the big picture. Infact most, if not all of his arguments are extremely flawed and under researched. This article dosen't deserve the attention it has gathered. I don't care who's in first or last place in this "war" that some fanboys have invented, but this is just idiotic.

To sum up what I've wanted to say.
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[-Superman-]

Sony has gave one of the best console games exclusives, and now exist hardware business?
God of war, littlebigplanet, uncharted, mgs and all those games...
The less Competition there is, the less games microsoft and nintendo are going to make.
More Competition is always better.

[doogiebear]

@Darthv72:

Microsoft is run by a bunch of casual-audience-loving, greedy, money hungry, kinect pushers. Microsoft spends more money making commercials that deceptively fool people into thinking that the average AAA 3rd party game is exclusive to xbox, INSTEAD of ACTUALLY spending the money fee's from Live on actual exclusives. Plus even after charging just to play online, M$ pockets your money any way because the pay for their online through all the ads on Live. Why in the heck are there ads? So microsoft is the biggest band of crooks to grace the gaming world. They've introduced more negative trends into the industry then any other company. Don't get mad at me if u got an xbox--I honestly mean no disrespect. But if Sony was doing half the dumb stuff MS puts it's customers through, then i'd be condemning Sony too. Fortunately Sony is still loyal to gamers (for now).

[pixelsword]

I think the closet fanboy journalists are still bitter about Mass Effect...

[zeeshan]

Think someone should write an article about this author with the title that reads, "Why this {insert_author_name_here} should quite writing lame-ass articles".

[TheMrMadzen]

What was that? I couldn't hear you over the 500GB!

[Peppino7]

This writer should exit the writing industry.

[morganfell]

I'll repeat what I said in another article. Dualshockers publishes this article.

Then some guy called Dualshockers_Carlos submits this article:

My 2 Cents: "The Last of Us Probably Won't Sell Very Well"

http://n4g.com/news/1100413...

Pattern of hate? Agenda? One is owned by Dan Curtis and the other by Joel Taveras but the evidence is pretty clear.

And to answer the critics of that thought, I don't remember seeing any " Why Microsoft should get out of the hardware business/game industry" articles despite only having two consoles, one for which they dropped support fairly quickly and the second which suffered the biggest hardware failure debacle in the history of gaming.

Add to this their studio killing practice and one can only scratch their head over why Sony is the one constantly targeted. It is Sony who has had several great and well supported consoles and handhelds and an expansive and broad library of games that are the ones targeted for continual hammering by adolescent writers serving a certain piece of competing hardware.

It's fairly easy to spot a website like dualshockers that has no grasp of the industry, provides no service to the demographic about whose hobby they write, and is run by a transparent agenda driven individual. The sooner websites like his disappear the better we as gamers will be.

[SolidStoner]

or..

why should stupid people never get born!?

[G20WLY]

This was written by the same genius that wrote a 430 degree, hit-hunting article on why he was going to trade in his Vita for a tablet lmao!

Notorious Sony doubter/hater - hardly level headed, bias-free journalism...

On topic: I couldn't disagree more with his article(s).

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

Yes Sony makes great software and we do think about their iconic characters when you hear the word Playstation, but they also make great hardware for us to play as these characters.
The guys got a point and I can see where he's coming from but Sony are good at making hardware, they make slick and reliable consoles.

[Unlimax]

I don't know what the story of these people with Sony itself!

Jealousy blinded insight ... They know that a playstation device is the most successful gaming system throughout the ages.

I would like to know what Microsoft did to the gaming industry with their useless platform called "Xbox" since 2001 ..

Kinect >> Sony Eye Toy ( 2000 )
Multiplayer >> Dreamcast did that already ( 1998 ) !

[slayorofgods]

Microsoft is as it has always been.. A company that takes old ideas and markets them to the mainstream. The eye toy and dream casts multiplayer were half-hearty decisions to kind of test the water. The thing Microsoft does, just as they did with windows, is they take that idea and they market it and they push it as if it is the next big thing. AKA they actually take a risk with it to get it out there. Lets face it Sony's eye toy isn't very commonly known and hand movement in games would not have reached the mainstream without kinect, just like multiplayer online.

[Thatguy-310]

Nope they have built a stable ecosystem that has a variety of games. Saying that they should exit the console hardware business is like asking Nintendo the same question. Nintendo and Sony are stapled into the "Gaming" industry whether people like it or not. Each have shared ups and downs but they are what GAMING has built up to be.

[Blastoise]

Well said.

[TheRacingX]

Ditto....and even though all companies are out to make $$$ and loads of it, Sony cares about its customer and values the $ you just gave it, and wants to make sure you enjoy what they just sold you for a long time so you come back again to buy their next product as well.....brand loyalty

I own both a 360 and an original Xbox, I loved the 1st Xbox, lots of new and original stuff, yeah I may have been peeved they squoze my beloved Sega out of the market, taking everything the Dreamcast tried and did and called it Xbox live, but that was OK , I still got the great Sega games along with new stuff like Mechassault, Crimson skies, Brute Force, etc, but then the 360 came, and after some initial offerings...the new and original stuff dried up, it turned to "exclusive DLC" which I still have to pay for, "improved" xbox live which I seemed to be paying more and more for, then....a melted console... "dont worry we'll fix it, nothings wrong" ......then another, then "sorry we wont fix it anymore buy another"....I'm sorry but microsoft lost me, they did everything to GET me as a customer but did NOTHING to keep me as a customer...

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

If they left I would also exit. And stick with using only my pc.

Unmatched quality on console would also exit the market.
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[GribbleGrunger]

Just Sony?

PSP/PS3/PS2/PSVita/PSMobile.. .

How about a company that has contributed little and only has one console?

[jujubee88]

Have you seen some of Sony's/SCE's marketing for those respective services/products?

PSP: Racist commercials. Made a reputation for itself trying to combat piracy and failing.

PSV: SCE/Sony are spending millions on PSV marketting when all they need now is a price drop and sink more money into games/ideas for games.

PSM: No marketing yet, I guess it is still in beta?...

...I mean, the Playstation Mobile Ads (on YT) look like they promote htc, Asus, other partners, the fact VITA can play PSM content, etc. while neglecting to sell other indy devs on the fact PSM is the only ONLY platform in town that can play on multiple Android hardware (old or new w/out a hitch as long as its certified), has a great DRM guidelines, and will have the backing of PSN ... FREAKING PLAYSTATION NETWORK, THE HOME OF AAA FRANCHISES, JOURNEY, ETC!!!

Yet, this is the commercial SCE's/Sony's marketting team made for PSM...

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

... I think I am going to get a headache. Their messaging is just so out of tune with PSM. ~.~'

[darthv72]

your examples look strangely familiar. as if there was once another platform holder that was trying to do too many things at the same time.

In fact, I would suggest Sony NOT be as supportive as they are trying to be. i know that may sound crazy but wouldnt it make better sense for them to focus on a single platform within the different markets?

PS3 for console, PSV for portable and the PSMobile for everything else in mobility. Yes that would mean them discontinuing support for PS2 and PSP. But that support would then be turned towards their current platforms.

Support for the discontinued lines would (could) still come from outside sources. i mean even nintendo knew when to change gears and put all their efforts into the SNES. The NES continued thanks to strong 3rd party relations. Yeah its funny to read "Nintendo" and "strong 3rd party relations" in the same sentence.

By no way is Sony like Sega in terms of losing $$ and support. But they ARE like Sega in trying to be the main line of support for ALL of their platforms. Even ones that are certainly past their prime.

Remember, Sega was supporting Genesis, CD, 32X, Saturn, Master system (in other countries) AND Game gear. That is 6 platforms with a 7th (Dreamcast) in the works. Its no wonder why Sega did what they did.

i am only offering up the idea that sony play things a bit closer to their chest. PS3, PSV and PSMobile should be their main focus. Let the other platforms continue to be supported by other means.

[GribbleGrunger]

Yes, too much diversity CAN have an adverse effect, I agree, but this is how Sony have always done business since 1946, when Masaru Ibuka (who ran an electronics shop) was eventually joined by Akio Morita and they then formed Sony. They then went on to create the worlds first tape recorder.

Sony was built up with the family business ethos central to their strategy and gained a reputation as the 'Everyman' company, eschewing immediate profits for long term investment. And I think it paid off, don't you?

At the heart of Sony's philosophy is the idea that you can only expect support if you continuously supply demand and deliver on that promise regardless of whether it always serves the consumer better than yourself. This reputation may well be slightly old fashioned in todays markets where money moves digitally around the world in seconds, but to Sony's credit they have stuck fast to that strategy.

Because Sony have that reputation, developers know that Sony mean it when they say their consoles will have a ten year lifecycle, which is why I find it odd when people laughed when they also included the Vita in that strategy. This is WHY support for PS1 and PS2 (and now PSP) carried on even after the new consoles had released.

Look at the long term prospects, not just the short term gains: PSP games will eventually find a new market on the Vita and PSP owners are more likely to eventually upgrade to a Vita when the price drops. PS2 is now a 'branding' console and offers a cheap alternative for the first time buyer, who can then get cheap second hand games to play.

All of this is now under one umbrella, PSN and Sony complete organisation is under SEN. This centralizes everything and makes distribution of resources key. Now how do you distribute those resources to all PS branded goods and beyond? You buy Gaikai

[andibandit]

@gribblegrunger

You are illuminating sonys problem......jack of all trades, king of none. I wish they would pour their skills into making one fantastic product, instead og making a bunch of good ones. Maybe if they only had one product, they would market it like they should.

[GribbleGrunger]

It's not a problem per-say. Last gen, no one thought Sony's strategy was wrong, it's only because they're success has diminished that people say it now. NO business can find the top line and expect it to remain stable forever, there are always going to be dips because of competition.

The company will go up again at some point and all this will be forgotten. Remember that the PS3 is approaching 6 years and has 'at least' another 4 years of shelf life. The PSP is 7 years old and will continue for another 3 years and the PS2 is still selling. The Vita is no different.

It is NOT the gaming department that is losing them money, it's their TVs and Cameras, and this is because of 'competition'. Hold fast and watch. Only consumers engage in short-termism.

[SegataShanshiro]

Nobody cared about online on consoles until halo 2 came out....ps2 did not make online on consoles famous, it was the hecksbawx that you hate so much

And lol at the disagrees cause facts are facts like them or not

[GribbleGrunger]

The HDD bay in the PS2 was there for a reason. Originally, Sony was going to create an online infrastructure but decided against it because online just wasn't good enough or stable enough. Even now it isn't perfect but it was much worse back then. They just waited a generation.

[knifefight]

Read more in my upcoming book: Why Dualshockers Should Exit The Journalism Business.

[TheGOODKyle]

Perfect

[Syntax-Error]

"Why Sony should partner with Microsoft for console domination"

MS-Handles online development and OS
Sony-Handles hardware
Both split production cost and design

Software development remains the same and everyone wins. THE END

[SilentNegotiator]

Sony never hit as far bottom as Nintendo with the Gamecube. Why shouldn't Sony be given the chance to continue?

[Benjamminkno]

I don't know. Vita is doing worse wouldn't you say?

[SilentNegotiator]

Come off it. It's not even a year old.

[moparful99]

Why dualshockers should exit the journalism business.. See above....

[CarlosX360]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

News piece/Topic title is stupid. BOOOOO!

[IAmLee]

Another day, another hate article about SONY.
Who keeps approving this Bullshit..

[geddesmond]

Lol my thoughts exactly. Yeah Sony should leave one of the only divisions making them money lol. The media is plagued with amateurs writing about their opinions

[morkendo23]

from KNOWYOURSTUFF

"this stupid website that has all the integrity of a tabloid magazine that does nothing but make sh*t up over and over again"

and yet people still come here on a daily base complainting,whining,crying about sh't they dont know about for hits.

[chriski333]

why doesnt this trolling writer leave the business

[Merrill]

Please rename this article to: "Why DualShockers Joel Taveras Should Exit Game Journalism"

If Microsoft and Nintendo were my only choice I would exit buying future systems.

[Gridloc]

Agreed...

[HammadTheBeast]

Yes Joel, Sony should just "exit" the market with one of their most profitable areas. Smart decision right? /sarcasm.

[JoelT]

I'm sorry I didn't know that it was a shiny piece of plastic and metal that entertained you for all these years.

Is it not the games that make the system? Does it really matter what they are played on?

[MattyG]

So you're saying that a Wii has all the same games a PlayStation has?Yes, the system does matter. If they left the console race, do you think those games would still happen? I don't think they would just get handed off to Nintendo or Microsoft. And quite frankly I'm not sure they'd want their rivals old franchises on their consoles.

[Merrill]

In a word JoelT, Yes.

Without that "shiny piece of plastic and metal" that you so elegantly described, there wouldn't be some of the most amazing games ever created. Must I name all the contributions brought to the industry because of Sony??

Do you think these IP's would continue to exits and flourish under the rule of Microsoft alone? Christ, even with competition in the marketplace Microsoft doesn't innovate or bring new IP's worth playing(in my opinion) to gamers. Imagine only them...

If anything should exit the game industry next gen, it should be the current gaming "Journalism" model adopted by people like you. Write about something that doesn't get fanboys all riled up, eh? One can dream...

[moegooner88]

What's up with Dualshockers these days, first a flambait article about Resident Evil being a crappy series since launch, and now this, I guess you guys are desperate for hits, what a shame, I used to have such respect for you guys, ... well not any more

[unworthyBOZO]

"I'm sorry I didn't know that it was a shiny piece of plastic and metal that entertained you for all these years.

Is it not the games that make the system? Does it really matter what they are played on?"

Wow so this is what game journalism is, that's pretty fucking sad and pathetic.

[Seraphemz]

Im sorry, but this is horse sh*t, these articles are complete nonsense, written by jerks like this guy???

I cant believe the crap that is posted on this site now, it used to be about NEWS, now its overun by dribble like this.

[RivetCityGhoul]

it's called competition. competition is what drives the industry dumbass. take your journalism elsewhere cause its not needed here.

[Man-E-Faces]

"Is it not the games that make the system?"

JoelT, you must be confused and mistook Sony PlayStation for Microsoft Xbox. Yes?

[vividi]

this guy is insane LOL!

[dredgewalker]

It matters a lot, if there was only one restaurant in the world then it would be really a sad place to eat...

[raWfodog]

It seems I'm late to the party as this article and thread is already two days old but I would still liek to weigh in?

Simple answer: The vast majority of the great IPs and characters we have come to know and love simply may not have existed if Sony never came out with their own console. So, yes, it kind of does matter what system they are played on, if that system is primarily responsible for that games existence.

[Godmars290]

I still wonder if not for Sony building up the industry past what Nintendo did in their time if MS would have gotten into it. Or what, given that they've only played it safe, things would be like if it was still only Nintendo and Sega.

[Man-E-Faces]

It's been said Microsoft only entered the gaming industry to throw a monkey wrench into PlayStation's growing household dominance, Microsoft never cared to progress gaming they copied many features and their controller from the departed Sega. Just look at how stagnant they are now in the games department, sure they'll pump a few new ip's when their new system launches then it's back to the same formula they have now. I don't trust Microsoft they come off as a very shady company!

[Jazz4108]

And people still argue that n4g is not biased towards Sony. These comments would look alot diffrent if it was ms exiting that I can promise. As far as people saying sony will overtake ms this fall can you please stop repeating the same crap every year as its getting redicoulous. Ms always gets outsold by sony until the holiday and thats when ms outsells sony by way more then sony has the entire year. If you really think thats going to change with Halo4 coming then you are Nuts or bonkers. History has repeated itself every year so far and sony has by far there weakest fall release schedule by far. I expect them to be back further then 2 million consoles maybe 3 by the end of the holidays if history keeps repeating itself. As far as the article goes I dont agree with it. We do need competition and sony is a great competitor. I dont feel they are going anywhere as if anything sony would drop all there products and focus on gaming like nintendo before exiting there most profitable area.

[Benjamminkno]

That is interesting. More competition is better. However, I would prefer gaming companies still have a say in hardware decisions. I would point to Sony's SNES, and Micro's DC copied controllers as evidence of their unwillingness to innovate. I don't like the idea of "Entertainment companies" dominating the console arena. I think it's unfair that these companies can lose billions on new consoles and underprice their hardware then wait 5 years to try to monopolize the industry. There would be no casual market to appeal to, or have the 'Move/Kinect', without Nintendo it's that simple. Could Nintendo take losses like the PS3, Xbox or 360 did? Hell no. But it would be a sad day when Mario doesn't decide what kind of controller he uses. I don't want to imagine gaming without Sony or Nintendo. What has Microsoft ever contributed to this industry?

[portal_2]

Why is there article after article after article, day after day regarding Sony in a negative way. These writers and their "opinions" make me ashamed of the gaming industry. Always directed at Sony, always. Well big news opinion-minions Sony isn't exiting the hardware business.

[GenHero]

it's because people give these sites hits, if people would just ignore these articles they will go away.