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Posted:
04-19-2007, 07:02 PM
 With the PS3 now out in all territories and doing reasonably well, I can start to look at how Sony can make things even better. Whilst the system sold excellently during its first weekend in Europe, a huge drop in hardware sales of 82% highlights that Sony still have a bit of convincing to do yet. Whilst the XBOX 360 and Wii sold very few units in week two (as they sold out in week one), the PS3 has plentiful stock and still can’t sell through it (or even close). Sony obviously need to get people’s attention here in Europe, and if I’m honest, I don’t think they know how…
Whilst the artistic style and ‘cleverness’ of the ‘This is Living’ campaign was admirable, it stank. Nobody knew what it was talking about, got the message or was hooked in by the PS3’s supposed up-market new image. The PS3 is not classy. Yes, it is expensive, but essentially it is a piece of technology, it is big, it is black, it is a bit ugly and it plays Blu-Ray disks, it has great graphics and free online play. It is in no way classy. So why oh why would Sony choose to advertise it in the way they did? The advert for Motorstorm that was on a lot during the football last week got the right idea: in game footage (sort of), a big manly voiceover and lots of carnage and a fair bit of unnecessary noise. Class my arse.
I think Sony were trying to follow the lead of their very lovely Bravia adverts, which work great for the elegant looking TVs that will become a focal point of your living room, but for a PlayStation 3, it failed big time. For one, aesthetically the PS3 is a bit of a dog compared to the Bravia range. More importantly than that however the demographic for the PS3 is never going to be the same as the demographic for HD LCD TVs, no matter how much Sony want it to be. So less of the subtle adverts with storylines and fancy camera angles please.
There is no shame in marketing the PS3 as a hardcore, high-def, tech-tastic piece of kit. Dell have sold a lot of computers off the back of that and you can’t ever say that Microsoft have managed ‘cool’ advertising with their OS campaigns. Whilst Phil Harrison has been at pains to point out the launch success of the PS3, I don’t think the brand can last long on its current wave of advertising. The ‘This is Living’ slogan is excellent and should certainly be preserved, but a more direct, fun, sleek and technology-centric campaign is surely needed.
Harrison boasts:
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In the UK 165,000 units were sold through to consumers in the first 48 hours, and that is over £100 million worth of business going through UK retail tills in PS3 hardware, software and peripherals. This not only makes it the most successful games hardware launch, we think it is the most successful consumer launch of a product in the UK.
We have been in the office scratching our heads trying to think of a consumer product that has achieved that level of consumer sales in such a short period of time. If anyone can think of a UK product launch that has raised this amount of business in such a short period of time I’d love to know because we can’t think of one.
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We are already seeing across Europe out of stock situations where retailers re re-ordering,” he added. “It was always our strategy to have a good supply. There’s never been a launch of a console in Europe that’s had a million pieces of hardware sold in or available. We’ve kept some back in order to continue to supply the market. It’s been a tremendous success and something that we are very pleased about.
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And with Europe being the key market for Sony as far as sales go, I think they’ll be pleased with the pick-up rate. The XBOX 360 hasn’t sold brilliantly well outside the UK on the continent (not compared to what Sony have achieved anyway), so there is a big chance for Sony to gain some major ground and also to show that the PS3 is a very desirable piece of kit. This will only be achieved by selling it as a piece of technology though, and not some faffy ‘lifestyle choice’. At the end of the day, a lot of people who will buy the PS3 will be interested in HD, graphics and online gameplay. They will want to know it is a hugely powerful game system. Once Sony have convinced Europe of this, then they can go and convince everyone else that it is a great choice for their entertainment lifestyle.
If they bite off more than they can chew (as they did in the original ‘This is Living’ campaigns here in Europe), then Sony will fast realise that they are making a huge mistake. The gaming community and the technology world as a whole is yet to embrace the PS3, get them on board and then take aim at the larger target. Small steps at first will mean that the PlayStation maintains momentum. Only then can Sony start to experiment with advertising and start to make the PS3 look classy, sophisticated and essential for every man woman and child on this fair continent. It might be a bit clichéd, but good things really do come to those who wait. Sony would do well to take that bit of advice.
Article by James Temperton
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Banned
Posts: 2,060
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: England
PSN ID: teh_nayl
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04-19-2007, 09:17 PM
I couldn't agree more with this article. The PS3 is as aesthetically pleasing as a great lump of poo mostly because of the fact that when you touch it, you leave behind a billion finger marks. Black is also sooooooo last Gen (which is probably why MS are only making 100,000 elites); whats in now is that stylish shit that Apple has going - lost of shiny whiteness with gentle curves. 360 and Wii are a million times more stylish than the PS3 and that could be a factor behind sales.
If Sony took their original PS1 ads and changed them to say PS3 they would be onto a winner because those ads are still great today.
But to really capture the European market sony needs something that they are lacking: lots of good games.
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Your Soul Is Mine
Posts: 849
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: UK
PSN ID: NightCougar
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04-20-2007, 08:21 AM
advertising is the key to the ps3, get that right and sony are laughing, i disagree wi the ps3 style, i think it looks pretty sexy, altho i agree fingerprints all over it does suck, hence i have a dust cloth at the ready next to my system,lol, black is still in, all down to preference i think, altho i cant deny the 360 looks very hot, dont think it will look right at all in a crappy matt black
As I was walking up the stairs I met a man that wasn't there, he wasn't there again today, I wish I wish he'd go away
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PS3Chat Members
Posts: 146
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Hull, UK
PSN ID: LemonArmy
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04-20-2007, 09:30 AM
I agree, i think the PS3 looks great, apart from fingerprints but thats not a problem anymore cos i dont need to move it. but the "this is living" thing was awful
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PS3Chat Members
Posts: 551
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Canada
PSN ID: Sonny
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04-20-2007, 01:23 PM
I think the PS3 is pretty fugly because it's so awfully big. Remember when people made all that fuss about the original Xbox? Yet the PS3 is much bigger and the horrible fingerprints. I still like the black though, there's no need to make everything Apple-like.
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PS3Chat Members
Posts: 407
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Home - The real version
PSN ID: Bombvain1
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04-20-2007, 03:15 PM
Xbox 360 its a CPU standing up... PS3 is much more stylish
The shine? well you just have to keep it clean, like a brand new black painted car
Join UFUK: United For The Use Of Karma Button 
I like my toys fast: PS3, Lancer Evolution VIII, Glock G21C .45 Auto
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PS3Chat Members
Posts: 220
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Inside the PlayStation 3.
PSN ID: Dezra
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04-22-2007, 12:38 AM
PlayStation 3 will own the future.
The Cell Processor continues to decipher the very codes embedded into our brains at birth. These codes are then stored on the Blu-Ray Optical media disc, which begins to alter reality as we know it. RSX Reality Synthesizer allows us to accept these things as true. - Don King
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PS3Chat Members
Posts: 551
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Canada
PSN ID: Sonny
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04-22-2007, 01:18 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by BOMBVAIN
Xbox 360 its a CPU standing up... PS3 is much more stylish
The shine? well you just have to keep it clean, like a brand new black painted car
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What do you mean CPU standing up? Of course the 360 has a CPU and it looks very sleak with its nice curses, unlike the fat and bulky PS3. |
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PS3Chat Members
Posts: 220
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Inside the PlayStation 3.
PSN ID: Dezra
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04-22-2007, 10:00 AM
I like the look of PlayStation 3 compared to Xbox 360's. I like the glossy, cant touch dis look, haha!
The Cell Processor continues to decipher the very codes embedded into our brains at birth. These codes are then stored on the Blu-Ray Optical media disc, which begins to alter reality as we know it. RSX Reality Synthesizer allows us to accept these things as true. - Don King
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