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Adonis
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Re: PlayStation 3 - Official Thread (Design, Screens, Videos)
ok, im here with some PS3 news. Its sort of new, taken from an interview with Kaz Hirai by US OPM on the 14th.
It was pretty long, chatting about the PS history, so I got the better parts out of it:
ok, im here with some PS3 news. Its sort of new, taken from an interview with Kaz Hirai by US OPM on the 14th.
It was pretty long, chatting about the PS history, so I got the better parts out of it:
OPM INTERVIEW said:OPM: Consumers have been pretty reflective about the PS2 now that the PS3 is on the horizon, particularly about the hard drive and online play. Is Sony as a company planning to stay the course or is it going to lead the pack with online, the hard drive, or extra features?
KH: The hard drive is really a tactical method for getting entertainment content and having consumers interact with it, but more on a strategic level, online-especially in the next iteration of hardware-is going to be like air conditioning in a car. I can't imagine any car without it. We showed that online in the PS2 generation isn't going to be the end all be all, but it's become a more integral part of the experience, and I think we've proven that. If you look at the latest metrics, SOCOM 3, which has been out for two weeks now [as of the time of this interview]-we're looking at numbers of more than 40,000 peak simultaneous users, and you guys are playing around four hours on average [per day]. These are some staggering numbers.
As far as going forward, the biggest challenge we have is that we have a huge install base of PS2 users and a growing install base of PSP users. You have to realize that when we launch the PlayStation 3 next year-we've been in the PS2 business
We've proven over the past 10 years with three products that we can deliver.
for a good five years-we're going to have a huge install base of users, so we don't have the luxury that other platforms have where they say, "The old platform is the old platform. This is the new platform, and we'll have online optimized for the new platform." When we launch a PS3 online service, we certainly want to take advantage of the PS3, the technology it brings, and offer a great online experience for PS3 users, but at the same time, we want to make sure we bring along the huge install base of PS2 users and the install base of PSP users and have them be able to take part in the online experience as well. What we want to accomplish is not be cutting edge for cutting edge's sake, but to come up with something that everyone who has a PlayStation console can enjoy. But we want to push the envelope for the PS3. It's a challenge, but it's a challenge that's going to pay great dividends.
OPM: Is there a sense that the PS3 needs to be rushed out with the Xbox 360 being first to market? Or is Sony taking its time and making sure that everything that needs to be there on launch day will be there?
KH: Yeah, you pretty much answered the question. You probably know by looking at our history that we've never been first to market with any of our products. Saturn was there before the original PlayStation, and Dreamcast was out before the PS2. Plus, there have been so many handhelds before the PSP. People, especially people up north on the West Coast, seem to put a lot of credence on being out before the other consoles. If you take a look at when our competitors came out in the market, we had upward of 3 [million] to 5 million PS2 units when our competitors came out with a platform. Consumers adopted our platform because [they like our content] and not because we were first to market. And, first to market, from what we can tell, has never been an advantage.
At the end of the day, it's all about the entertainment content that you bring to the consumers, to the PlayStation family of products. We're going to make sure we're your family and that we'll take care of you. The last generation isn't just going away.
OPM: So you're saying content will be king for the next generation, but it seems the PS3 has a technological advantage as well.
KH: The technological advantage is almost a given, but by itself, it doesn't mean very much. What kind of software do you have to help drive that technological innovation? We've proven over the past 10 years with three products that we can deliver, whether it's with first-party or third-party support.
[Secret Weapon: SOCOM is an immensely popular game, and it serves as evidence that the Sony model for online play can work. But one can't help but wonder if it wouldn't be even more successful with an Xbox Live-like service to back it up.]
OPM: With that technological advantage, costs in game development are increasing. Will these costs scare developers away from the PS3?
KH: If I look at just the closed world of PlayStation products, the answer is no. Yes, costs are going to be expensive compared to the last generation, but we bring the three-platform strategy to the table because we're giving publishers the opportunity to be in a healthy environment that allows them to invest in PS3 development.
If you expand that out to the other platforms, I don't know that it holds water. If you're doing development for the Xbox 360, how much are you going to be able to advertise that or get support from the back end with revenue that you may get from current-generation titles. That's questionable. But if you look at the PlayStation business, we're providing that one solution that allows for good revenue on the PS2 and PSP that allows people to go spend it on PS3 development.
OPM: By that same token, does it worry you that developers will take a lowest-common- denominator design philosophy, thereby not using all of the PS3's features?
KH: If a company embarks on that strategy, most of the time they're going to find that there are companies that don't do that and optimize for every platform. That's going to be a lot more compelling for consumers, so if you're trying for the lowest common denominator, it's going to show up in your software and affect how consumers support your title, which is probably not very much.
OPM: So is the PlayStation 3 going to take on the role of a PC as a full entertainment device?
KH: We've always brought additional functionality to our products that people find useful. The PS3, with online and Blu-ray capabilities-these are the things that consumers are going to find [useful], as well as its game-playing capabilities.
OPM: What about the PlayStation 3 controller? Is it going to stay like that?
KH: That was a prototype that was shown, and it's a tall order that Kutaragi-san ran past the designers. We've gone through two consoles with essentially the same controller design, and it's time for a fresh approach. We're going to look at the form factor, but at the same time we want it to feel familiar. It's difficult to balance the two. It's a work in progress. We certainly want to make sure that when you hold it in your hands that you've come home to something familiar.
OPM: What do you think it was that hooked the mainstream onto the PlayStation more so than any other platform?
KH: We were able to legitimize interactive entertainment, more than any other company has been able to. It's OK if you are over college age to sit down and play interactive entertainment. It's OK to say to your girlfriend, want to play some games? Videogames that is. [Laughs] It's OK for adults to spend time playing games. The reason we were able to do that was because, between first and third party, we could bring content that appealed to a wider audience. Polygonal 3D allowed users to enjoy titles that weren't just side-scrolling anymore, making them a more compelling entertainment option.
OPM: By that same token, it's brought a whole new set of eyes on the industry- eyes that don't necessarily understand the concept of videogames. Now we've seen more attention paid to violence and games and their negative effect on culture.
KH: Every time I have the opportunity, I will go on my soapbox and talk ears off about the whole violence in videogames issue and put it into context. The mainstream media still looks at the business as something for under 12-year-olds. As we know, nothing could be further from the truth. Just like in books or motion pictures, there's right entertainment content for different demographics. We've gone out of our way in explaining the rating system. We evolved it a lot quicker than other industries. We've done a lot of different things. The ESRB and the ESA have been very proactive as well, and I think it's come a long way.
