Aussie Sony boss: PS3 won't be fastest selling machine

PS3 News | Doesn't reckon it will beat record set by Wii.

In a refreshingly honest admission to The Australian, Sony Australia boss Michael Ephraim has predicted that the company's forthcoming PlayStation 3 console won't be the fastest selling console ever in Australia when it launches on March 23. Even more refreshingly, he doesn't seem overly bothered either.

In recent times, both Nintendo and Microsoft have claimed the fastest selling crown down under, with Nintendo's Wii (50,000 units sold in three weeks after its December 7 launch, and more than 32,000 in its first four days on sale) beating out the previous record set by Microsoft's Xbox 360 (which took seven months to reach 100,000 unit sales in Oz).

Yet Ephraim remains unruffled about such number-crunching, instead preferring to focus on the long-term race. "[PS3] will be a huge launch, but the launch is one of a number of highlights on the long trek that we will take the PlayStation 3 on over probably the next 10 years," he stated.

Ephraim also expressed his belief that, "over the next six to 18 months we think the entertainment enthusiasts will be very interested in it. We are very excited about the Blu-ray, high-definition evolution that will happen over the next three years. PlayStation 3 will have better and better standing as people understand that."

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43 Comments

5 years ago

leonmc wrote

In damage control already?

Yep - sounds like it.

5 years ago

Sony may survive outright disaster with PS3 not because of Bluray, & no thanks to hyped up cell but because of the support of one or two studio's.

If the numbers don't add up by next financial year - those studio's wont/cant remain loyal forever.

admeister

5 years ago

DancesInUnderwear wrote

Does anyone out there, Sony included, actually believe the crap about they spout about the PS3 lasting 10 years? Yeah, sure thing Sony, whatever you reckon.

I think they're dreaming, even the PS2 didn't last 10 years. Nintendo and Mircrosoft will surely have another console out by 2017!

Speaking of the PS1 lasting a long time, how long have Nintendo consoles such as the SNES lasted for? I'm not sure.

InfernalEternal

5 years ago

admeister wrote

I think they're dreaming, even the PS2 didn't last 10 years.

I don't think its too far fetched to expect the PS2 to stay on store shelves and in demand for another three years, it hasn't even reached the magic "$99" mark in the US. It may become home to dozens more Singstar/Buzz-estique titles, but hey, thats whats pushing the system in PAL regions.

Mark

5 years ago

admeister wrote

DancesInUnderwear wrote

Does anyone out there, Sony included, actually believe the crap about they spout about the PS3 lasting 10 years? Yeah, sure thing Sony, whatever you reckon.

I think they're dreaming, even the PS2 didn't last 10 years. Nintendo and Mircrosoft will surely have another console out by 2017!

Speaking of the PS1 lasting a long time, how long have Nintendo consoles such as the SNES lasted for? I'm not sure.

Of course it will. The PS1 went on for several years more after its original release, despite the newer generation of consoles being released. The same will happen with the PS2.

It has a massive install base as it is and most third party titles such as Madden, WWE etc outsell next generation versions (namely 360) quite significantly. Many developers will continue to develop for it for this fact alone, knowing that a lot of people will remain happy with the PS2 until another few years.

Plus - you're seeing a lot of ports from the PSP and three-platform ports in the form of Wii, PS2 and PSP. I think that since the Wii is out, more developers will be more inclined to port those titles to the PS2 also.

And you can also expect Sony to re-release the console in new colours (possibly new variations) and a price cut. Besides, it's a cheap DVD player. It'll continue selling for another few years before being completely cut off.

renegadesx

5 years ago

Mark wrote

admeister wrote

DancesInUnderwear wrote

Does anyone out there, Sony included, actually believe the crap about they spout about the PS3 lasting 10 years? Yeah, sure thing Sony, whatever you reckon.

I think they're dreaming, even the PS2 didn't last 10 years. Nintendo and Mircrosoft will surely have another console out by 2017!

Speaking of the PS1 lasting a long time, how long have Nintendo consoles such as the SNES lasted for? I'm not sure.

Nintendo would have a new console by 2012 easy

admeister

5 years ago

Mark wrote

admeister wrote

DancesInUnderwear wrote

Does anyone out there, Sony included, actually believe the crap about they spout about the PS3 lasting 10 years? Yeah, sure thing Sony, whatever you reckon.

I think they're dreaming, even the PS2 didn't last 10 years. Nintendo and Mircrosoft will surely have another console out by 2017!

Speaking of the PS1 lasting a long time, how long have Nintendo consoles such as the SNES lasted for? I'm not sure.

I suppose you're right. You can't underestimate old consoles sometimes (games have still been released for Dreamcast recently), so it might survive a bit longer. It;s only going to lose popularity with time though, I'd only expect it to last until mid 2008 really. By then the Wii will be far more established, the PS3 will be well and truly released and X360 will have a lot more games. PS2 will die then.

Frozencry

5 years ago

^ I doubt that PS2 will die. The PS1 lasted a good few years after the ps2 was released before it truly went out, and considering that ps2 has an absolutely enormous fanbase that aren't all going to move to next-gen right away, it's not going to die anytime soon.

admeister

5 years ago

Frozencry wrote

Is mid 2008 right away?

I know they're not all going to buy a PS3 on lunch day (I certainly won't)m that's why I made my predicition for a much later date.

5 years ago

One question: Who would not rush this very minute to a web site and view Nintendo's just announced GameBoy Advance replacement? It looks really cool!

My guess is that atleast 50% of the market would start to lick their lips over such an announcement. Such is the markets appetite for new exciting things.

Product life cycles are reducing year on year. The lifespan of old video consoles in the 80's and 90's is irrelevant in todays market - let alone the next decade.

People would like Sony to release a new version of PSP now as the current model is well ... boring - we've seen it, played with it, and are now happy to toss it aside if there is something better.

Technology does not simply improve performance, but lowers costs at the same time. Consoles will be bundled with other goods and services that allow subsidisation to reduce upfront costs even further. For this reason, it is completely fair to assume that a vendor such as Microsoft can offer a product twice as fast, more feature rich and at half the cost of current consoles and that such product could be launched in as little as two years. All they would need is the financial model for such a move, and a motive.

The idea of a 10 year lifespan for a consumer electronics items is silly in this age. The market and competition will simply not allow it. Sony can try to allay shareholder fears - but in reality, it may never get a return on what has been sunk into PS3. That was their gamble.

As an afterthought to all this - look at the speed in which emulation can also replace an original item. This is why so much effort is being brought to bare on commercialising it as a product offering in its own right. Use it or loose it.

realitybites

5 years ago

Well lets see what happens in a year or two.

115 million PS2 owners can't be that pissed at Sony not to change at some future point.

Neither Nintendo nor MS together get even half way close to that figure.

The question that still exists in my mind is Nintendo really only servicing their existing customer base or are they gaining new players to their Wii platform?

MS will need a strong year if they are to leverage any momentum from launching first but they do have an exciting line up of quality titles.

I won't be getting a PS3 this year. Probably Christmas 2008.

ObsoletE

5 years ago

Nev wrote

DancesInUnderwear wrote

Does anyone out there, Sony included, actually believe the crap about they spout about the PS3 lasting 10 years? Yeah, sure thing Sony, whatever you reckon.

Do you know how long the PS2 has been out now? 7 years, come March, and it's still going strong. It could easily last another year on store shelves... probably more. 10 years isn't that much of a stretch.

and the PSone is still on shelves, so that's 7 years of "co-existing" with the PS2 as well, so it really depends on what Sony mean by "Lasting 10 years".

BattleElf

5 years ago

ObsoletE wrote

Nev wrote

DancesInUnderwear wrote

Does anyone out there, Sony included, actually believe the crap about they spout about the PS3 lasting 10 years? Yeah, sure thing Sony, whatever you reckon.

and the PSone is still on shelves, so that's 7 years of "co-existing" with the PS2 as well, so it really depends on what Sony mean by "Lasting 10 years".

From memory of what they were saying last year, they want the PS3 to be their main console for 10years which I really don't see happening. Sure the PS2 might still be around and selling more but it's not the one they've got their main focus on anymore. If Microsoft release the next xbox in 4 years, which is quite likely, do you really believe Sony would wait another 5 years after that? I don't.

ObsoletE

5 years ago

BattleElf wrote

If Microsoft release the next xbox in 4 years, which is quite likely, do you really believe Sony would wait another 5 years after that? I don't.

depends on how many new features Nintendo bring out for Sony to steal.

(joke - please don't take this for anything more than the joke it's intended.)

DancesInUnderwear

5 years ago

BattleElf wrote

ObsoletE wrote

Nev wrote

DancesInUnderwear wrote

Does anyone out there, Sony included, actually believe the crap about they spout about the PS3 lasting 10 years? Yeah, sure thing Sony, whatever you reckon.

and the PSone is still on shelves, so that's 7 years of "co-existing" with the PS2 as well, so it really depends on what Sony mean by "Lasting 10 years".

I read it as this as well - 10 years as Sony's primary console, which I think it is ridiculous. Of course the PS3 could (most likely will) sell for 10 years, and possibly have a few minor releases here and there, but I wouldn't count that as 'lasting 10 years' - otherwise the NES has lasted 20 or 25 or whatever it is years (didn't production of NES games on completely stop a few years ago? David will swoop in with an answer I'm sure).

David

5 years ago

DancesInUnderwear wrote

Of course.

The Famicom/NES was produced and supported in Japan from July 1983 until October 2003, when the company that supplied Nintendo with the PPU chips stopped making them. So it 'lasted' over 20 years.

ObsoletE

5 years ago

fair enough.

i don't remember it being quite that specific, but if it was, then i agree with the sentiments here: rubbish.

console prime lives have only been getting shorter and shorter, with technology behind them evolving at a faster and faster rate, so it seems stupid to claim that it'll stand still (effectively) for 10 years.

but i guess if both companies that are selling at a loss take large enough hits financially, it's possible that this gen will drag out longer, if only to recoup the losses of the launch.

DancesInUnderwear

5 years ago

ObsoletE wrote

fair enough.

i don't remember it being quite that specific, but if it was, then i agree with the sentiments here: rubbish.

I don't know if they were either ever that specific either, thats just how I interpretted the comment.

And cheers David.

admeister

5 years ago

Yes, I was wondering about that myself. I mentioned how long a console like the SNES would have lasted for, so it's interesting to hear about the NES lasting so long. Pretty impressive.

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