Sony calls out Xbox and Wii as flea market peddlers
Japanese consumer electronics giant is finally fighting back against critics of the PlayStation 3 game console. Too bad its argument is weak.
Finally, we're seeing a bit of a fight from the Sony PR team in response to the brutal lambasting the PlayStation 3 has been taking for its poor showing against Microsoft's Xbox and Nintendo's Wii, as well as the fact that it costs more to make than it sells for.
Edge Online reports on a Sony press release called "Keeping Gaming and Entertainment Simple," in which the Japanese consumer electronics giant emphasizes out-of-the-box features of the game console:
- Blu-ray functionality
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- Huge hard drives
- Free online gaming
- "Ten years of value with a future-proof system via firmware updates that offer new services and features."
It's good to see Sony finally saying something about the competition, but this is fairly weak stuff--not all that compelling. It's effectively saying, "don't forget about us" instead of showing why the PS3 is a great platform.
From the release:
"The Xbox 360 requires additional money, multiple upgrades, and additional external devices, putting a burden on the wallet, and (it) adds clutter to the entertainment center.
"And the Wii's lack of enhanced features comes at the expense of a comprehensive entertainment solution."
Wow. Harsh stuff! Seriously though, the PS3 is a really good gaming platform. It's pretty bizarre that Sony hasn't figured out a better marketing strategy over the last few months, including reducing the price to gain market momentum.