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Although there are quite a number of decent games on the PS2 there hasn't really been any GREAT games as of yet.
Okay SSX is good, so are Onimusha and Red Faction BUT they haven't broken ground in the same way GT2 and MGS did!
I know the latter games have sequels coming out but after an 11 month release there haven't been any brilliant games out on the PS2. I suppose this is down to preferance and opinion, BUT every honest PS2 fan will admit that, in comparison, the PSX games are better overall.
I think one reason for Sony's 'slip-up' was their advertising. I know they've been renound for excellent advertising, and many people say it's what gave the PSX its step up in the gaming world, but they don't seem to have taken the trouble with the PS2. I've seen an advert for F1 2001 which was quite good but they should have done one for Red Faction:
'Loads of Guns, Loads of Enemies, Blow Up your surroundings... Start The Revolution!! - Red Faction, only on Playstation 2'
Maybe Sony think that people will buy their console and games anyway... I kinda think Nintendo did this. With the N64... they had a *twice as powerful* machine, franchises like Mario and Zelda etc and a very good reputation coming off the back of the SNES! But no... as much as I HATE to admit it, Sony mopped the floor with Nintendo but only with regards to consoles... Pokémon layed-the-smack-down on Digimon! And as for the Pocket Playstation.... LMAO!
But that's all in the past... and with all that behind them Nintendo can take advantage of Sony's DISGUSTINGLY slow start. Nintendo's launch games will all be good. PIKMIN, SFA, SSB: Melee! Not to mention the Third Party Support....
The games also mean that Nintendo loyalists can get to play some of the best games around (like Crazy Taxi) on a Nintendo Machine! I don't think may Nintendo Gamers will pass u the Gamecube... it's cheap in price, has good games, and a very promising future, but if one company can completely mess it up, Nintendo can!
If they don't advertise the Gamecube properly they'll screw up again... They will advertise it, BUT they really need to throw the Gamecube name around like that a common stale, only with a better reputation! :)
They'll have to get the timing perfect, just before christmas would be good, because kids might say "I want one of those" and Mum and/or Dad wait til after Christmas to spend the big bucks!
The downside of the UK release date is the timing... people are gonna be recovering from Christmas, and only just be able to bring home the bread as it is, forget the January sales, have youn seen the inflation rates?! lol, Just kidding...
Another Player is Microsoft, they haven't announced any UK/Japanese release dates for the X-Box yet and because of it they could suffer, but again, their advertising could make all the difference. Nintendo, as good as they are could be portrayed as ish compared to Microsoft purely because of the Advertising.
So, as you can imagine, the way the companies advertise the consoles is more than important!
Any thoughts?!
Game
Okay SSX is good, so are Onimusha and Red Faction BUT they haven't broken ground in the same way GT2 and MGS did!
I know the latter games have sequels coming out but after an 11 month release there haven't been any brilliant games out on the PS2. I suppose this is down to preferance and opinion, BUT every honest PS2 fan will admit that, in comparison, the PSX games are better overall.
I think one reason for Sony's 'slip-up' was their advertising. I know they've been renound for excellent advertising, and many people say it's what gave the PSX its step up in the gaming world, but they don't seem to have taken the trouble with the PS2. I've seen an advert for F1 2001 which was quite good but they should have done one for Red Faction:
'Loads of Guns, Loads of Enemies, Blow Up your surroundings... Start The Revolution!! - Red Faction, only on Playstation 2'
Maybe Sony think that people will buy their console and games anyway... I kinda think Nintendo did this. With the N64... they had a *twice as powerful* machine, franchises like Mario and Zelda etc and a very good reputation coming off the back of the SNES! But no... as much as I HATE to admit it, Sony mopped the floor with Nintendo but only with regards to consoles... Pokémon layed-the-smack-down on Digimon! And as for the Pocket Playstation.... LMAO!
But that's all in the past... and with all that behind them Nintendo can take advantage of Sony's DISGUSTINGLY slow start. Nintendo's launch games will all be good. PIKMIN, SFA, SSB: Melee! Not to mention the Third Party Support....
The games also mean that Nintendo loyalists can get to play some of the best games around (like Crazy Taxi) on a Nintendo Machine! I don't think may Nintendo Gamers will pass u the Gamecube... it's cheap in price, has good games, and a very promising future, but if one company can completely mess it up, Nintendo can!
If they don't advertise the Gamecube properly they'll screw up again... They will advertise it, BUT they really need to throw the Gamecube name around like that a common stale, only with a better reputation! :)
They'll have to get the timing perfect, just before christmas would be good, because kids might say "I want one of those" and Mum and/or Dad wait til after Christmas to spend the big bucks!
The downside of the UK release date is the timing... people are gonna be recovering from Christmas, and only just be able to bring home the bread as it is, forget the January sales, have youn seen the inflation rates?! lol, Just kidding...
Another Player is Microsoft, they haven't announced any UK/Japanese release dates for the X-Box yet and because of it they could suffer, but again, their advertising could make all the difference. Nintendo, as good as they are could be portrayed as ish compared to Microsoft purely because of the Advertising.
So, as you can imagine, the way the companies advertise the consoles is more than important!
Any thoughts?!
Game
Page:
This is what i posted the other week about advertising, which no one seemed to reply to, *sob* :-P
I was using the underground over the weekend, when i noticed something. Not some smelly tramp, they were noted by their absense in fact. But by something else. An advert.
Whats so special about? Well, it was for Onimusha, the new PS2 game. It got me thinking about adverts i'd seen on the telly, in magazines etc. Then i realised it.
I've only ever seen games advertised, other than in magazines, for either the PSX or PS2. There have been loads of adverts for the PSX, both games and hardware, on the telly. Adverts for the general branding of Playstation, adverts showing particular in game action, Spyro The Dragon and some Samurai game for the PSX, are ones i remember.
Why aren't there adverts (and i'm talking about on the telly here) for PC games, or DC games? The only time a PC game gets some advertising is if the advert is for the PSX version of the game and it says "Also available for PC" in little letters at the bottom of the screen. I suppose it's because the PC games don't have the budget to be advertised. I don't know how much it costs, but i imagine a 30 second advert on prime time TV costs a fair amount.
So thats PC's forgiven, what about the DC?
Sega must have had the budget to put adverts on the telly. I don't remember ever seeing one. Not for the hardware, not for a game. There was allegedly an advert showing game footage from M:SR. It was apparantly shown once. Once. Whats the point in that? No wonder Sega messed up!
Games like Shenmue had an alleged budget of $70 million. You would have thought that some of that could have been spent on some adverts. I know that not all games would look particularly impressive if in-game footage was shown, Chu Chu Rocket would probably have been a waste of time, but what about games like Q3A? M:SR? PSO? Ecco? Shenmue? It's ridiculous, all those games should have had in game footage used in TV adverts.
Also, whats the point in advertising a DC game in a DC mag? Or a PS2 game in a PS2 mag? If Game X is reviewd and given 1/10, is a nice looking advert really going to make you buy it? I doubt it. Surely it would be better to advertise PS2/DC games in, say FHM, or Loaded etc. That way, if the advert looks good, people won't know if the game is good until they buy it, by which time it's too late as the publishers have the money.
All in all, i think that Sony just have the money to spend on advertising. They are used to that sort of aspect, where maybe Sega an Nintendo aren't. Look at the prePS2 launch, the marketing people were working overtime, and it worked.
Why don't Nintendo or Sega go down the same road?
I was using the underground over the weekend, when i noticed something. Not some smelly tramp, they were noted by their absense in fact. But by something else. An advert.
Whats so special about? Well, it was for Onimusha, the new PS2 game. It got me thinking about adverts i'd seen on the telly, in magazines etc. Then i realised it.
I've only ever seen games advertised, other than in magazines, for either the PSX or PS2. There have been loads of adverts for the PSX, both games and hardware, on the telly. Adverts for the general branding of Playstation, adverts showing particular in game action, Spyro The Dragon and some Samurai game for the PSX, are ones i remember.
Why aren't there adverts (and i'm talking about on the telly here) for PC games, or DC games? The only time a PC game gets some advertising is if the advert is for the PSX version of the game and it says "Also available for PC" in little letters at the bottom of the screen. I suppose it's because the PC games don't have the budget to be advertised. I don't know how much it costs, but i imagine a 30 second advert on prime time TV costs a fair amount.
So thats PC's forgiven, what about the DC?
Sega must have had the budget to put adverts on the telly. I don't remember ever seeing one. Not for the hardware, not for a game. There was allegedly an advert showing game footage from M:SR. It was apparantly shown once. Once. Whats the point in that? No wonder Sega messed up!
Games like Shenmue had an alleged budget of $70 million. You would have thought that some of that could have been spent on some adverts. I know that not all games would look particularly impressive if in-game footage was shown, Chu Chu Rocket would probably have been a waste of time, but what about games like Q3A? M:SR? PSO? Ecco? Shenmue? It's ridiculous, all those games should have had in game footage used in TV adverts.
Also, whats the point in advertising a DC game in a DC mag? Or a PS2 game in a PS2 mag? If Game X is reviewd and given 1/10, is a nice looking advert really going to make you buy it? I doubt it. Surely it would be better to advertise PS2/DC games in, say FHM, or Loaded etc. That way, if the advert looks good, people won't know if the game is good until they buy it, by which time it's too late as the publishers have the money.
All in all, i think that Sony just have the money to spend on advertising. They are used to that sort of aspect, where maybe Sega an Nintendo aren't. Look at the prePS2 launch, the marketing people were working overtime, and it worked.
Why don't Nintendo or Sega go down the same road?
Sony's Third Place advertising isn't suppossed to make people buy the console, because you'd have to be v easily influenced to spend Ł270+ on the stength of one advert ! I thought the point of Sony's advert was just to get the PS2 noticed, a job its done as proved by the fact that "the third place" is associated with PS2.
What sells any console is the games for it, and if SSX, Onimusha, Red Faction, Zone Of The Enders e.t.c arent great games then I don't know what are ! They're all fun, highly playable, look great and have great music. I'll admit the Gamecube looks technically great but way too many of the games are aimed at the 12-13 or younger age group and Nintendo's advertising will reflect this I think. They're not going forget about Pokemon in a hurry ! As for the March release date, well I cannot see many kids being willing to wait for a christmas present for this long. By not releasing this year Nintendo have virtually handed Sony the lead for a considerable time - after all, the only next gen console in the UK is PS2 !
Yes, I own a PS2 but that doesn't affect how I see advertising, no one can be blinded to a big yellow pikachu lol
What sells any console is the games for it, and if SSX, Onimusha, Red Faction, Zone Of The Enders e.t.c arent great games then I don't know what are ! They're all fun, highly playable, look great and have great music. I'll admit the Gamecube looks technically great but way too many of the games are aimed at the 12-13 or younger age group and Nintendo's advertising will reflect this I think. They're not going forget about Pokemon in a hurry ! As for the March release date, well I cannot see many kids being willing to wait for a christmas present for this long. By not releasing this year Nintendo have virtually handed Sony the lead for a considerable time - after all, the only next gen console in the UK is PS2 !
Yes, I own a PS2 but that doesn't affect how I see advertising, no one can be blinded to a big yellow pikachu lol
'Loads of Guns, Loads of Enemies, Blow Up your surroundings... Start The Revolution!! - Red Faction, only on Playstation 2' Oh and the PC... Hmm.
I presume you mean breaking ground in the way of popularity (nice pun by the way, Red Faction-Breaking ground, I bet you didn't even notice). Well I never heard about Red Faction for the PS2 until just before it's release but I had heard a lot about the PC version over a long time from the concept stage to the production. So perhaps advertising is the key. Personally I get most of my news out of PC magazines and occasionally the internet though usually only to check things I've read in a PC magazine. So TV advertising isn't that big a thing for the PC but there are still hugely popular games which everyone seems to find out about. So it's more a matter of the placement of advertising. I suppose that TV is a good place to advertise console games because people are aware of the consoles and don't mind hearing about them but when it comes to the PC people don't seem to care that the PC goes practically unmentioned on TV. Perhaps the PC gamer is a specialised position and only people who first have a PC ever consider gaming with one.
The difference is most likely that consoles are more accessible since people discuss them openly around schools and things and they are often seen as a status symbol by parents and children alike. The PC is usually quite daunting, however, and is considered to be more for people who need something to work on and doesn't have the status for being the excellent gaming machine that it is. Still, if the system works I suppose it's alright but I don't believe in the old saying "If it's not broke don't fix it" and I will always welcome a change for the better.
Anyway, to concentrate more on consoles now you are quite right that advertising is important. The main difference between the consoles and the PC (sorry just this once more) is that there are no real competitors for the PC since different brands all produce more or less the same product but the range and variation of consoles means that they must compete until they can't go on. So one console looks better in it's advert than another it scores another point, the games may look more impressive and that's another one. The most important thing is that they try to show what's good about their own console without getting stuck in negative politics ("our competitors are worse so stick with us") and also while avoiding having to mention anything that they lack compared to another console.
I'm not a big fan of the adverts of consoles and I prefer to read something or hear from a trusted source before I buy something rather than listening to the version of the truth given by the company themselves. I also hate it when an advert has nothing to do with the product (or at least very little). I may well have bought a Playstation 2 if it wasn't for that crazy "Third Place" advert, which means nothing and is perhaps just to distract you and trick you into buying the console, it certainly didn't give another reason. The Gameboy Advance adverts are quite the opposite however and show that it is supposed to be very addictive in an amusing manner, which is just how adverts should be really. Still, different people respond differently to different types of advertising and it is really a matter of personal preference. But really, did anyone think that the "Third Place" advert with the Duck, mummy and floating limbs was really effective and did encourage you to buy a console that was only mentioned in passing during the advert. Surely it should have been second place anyway, an advert that annoys and sticks in your mind because of this is not good in my opinion because it makes you have a lot of negative thoughts about the company.
So advertising is a good thing if it's done right and may well contribute to the success of a console or game. We shall have to wait and see how the companies believe their good should be advertised and see how this affects their success.
I presume you mean breaking ground in the way of popularity (nice pun by the way, Red Faction-Breaking ground, I bet you didn't even notice). Well I never heard about Red Faction for the PS2 until just before it's release but I had heard a lot about the PC version over a long time from the concept stage to the production. So perhaps advertising is the key. Personally I get most of my news out of PC magazines and occasionally the internet though usually only to check things I've read in a PC magazine. So TV advertising isn't that big a thing for the PC but there are still hugely popular games which everyone seems to find out about. So it's more a matter of the placement of advertising. I suppose that TV is a good place to advertise console games because people are aware of the consoles and don't mind hearing about them but when it comes to the PC people don't seem to care that the PC goes practically unmentioned on TV. Perhaps the PC gamer is a specialised position and only people who first have a PC ever consider gaming with one.
The difference is most likely that consoles are more accessible since people discuss them openly around schools and things and they are often seen as a status symbol by parents and children alike. The PC is usually quite daunting, however, and is considered to be more for people who need something to work on and doesn't have the status for being the excellent gaming machine that it is. Still, if the system works I suppose it's alright but I don't believe in the old saying "If it's not broke don't fix it" and I will always welcome a change for the better.
Anyway, to concentrate more on consoles now you are quite right that advertising is important. The main difference between the consoles and the PC (sorry just this once more) is that there are no real competitors for the PC since different brands all produce more or less the same product but the range and variation of consoles means that they must compete until they can't go on. So one console looks better in it's advert than another it scores another point, the games may look more impressive and that's another one. The most important thing is that they try to show what's good about their own console without getting stuck in negative politics ("our competitors are worse so stick with us") and also while avoiding having to mention anything that they lack compared to another console.
I'm not a big fan of the adverts of consoles and I prefer to read something or hear from a trusted source before I buy something rather than listening to the version of the truth given by the company themselves. I also hate it when an advert has nothing to do with the product (or at least very little). I may well have bought a Playstation 2 if it wasn't for that crazy "Third Place" advert, which means nothing and is perhaps just to distract you and trick you into buying the console, it certainly didn't give another reason. The Gameboy Advance adverts are quite the opposite however and show that it is supposed to be very addictive in an amusing manner, which is just how adverts should be really. Still, different people respond differently to different types of advertising and it is really a matter of personal preference. But really, did anyone think that the "Third Place" advert with the Duck, mummy and floating limbs was really effective and did encourage you to buy a console that was only mentioned in passing during the advert. Surely it should have been second place anyway, an advert that annoys and sticks in your mind because of this is not good in my opinion because it makes you have a lot of negative thoughts about the company.
So advertising is a good thing if it's done right and may well contribute to the success of a console or game. We shall have to wait and see how the companies believe their good should be advertised and see how this affects their success.
Although there are quite a number of decent games on the PS2 there hasn't really been any GREAT games as of yet.
Okay SSX is good, so are Onimusha and Red Faction BUT they haven't broken ground in the same way GT2 and MGS did!
I know the latter games have sequels coming out but after an 11 month release there haven't been any brilliant games out on the PS2. I suppose this is down to preferance and opinion, BUT every honest PS2 fan will admit that, in comparison, the PSX games are better overall.
I think one reason for Sony's 'slip-up' was their advertising. I know they've been renound for excellent advertising, and many people say it's what gave the PSX its step up in the gaming world, but they don't seem to have taken the trouble with the PS2. I've seen an advert for F1 2001 which was quite good but they should have done one for Red Faction:
'Loads of Guns, Loads of Enemies, Blow Up your surroundings... Start The Revolution!! - Red Faction, only on Playstation 2'
Maybe Sony think that people will buy their console and games anyway... I kinda think Nintendo did this. With the N64... they had a *twice as powerful* machine, franchises like Mario and Zelda etc and a very good reputation coming off the back of the SNES! But no... as much as I HATE to admit it, Sony mopped the floor with Nintendo but only with regards to consoles... Pokémon layed-the-smack-down on Digimon! And as for the Pocket Playstation.... LMAO!
But that's all in the past... and with all that behind them Nintendo can take advantage of Sony's DISGUSTINGLY slow start. Nintendo's launch games will all be good. PIKMIN, SFA, SSB: Melee! Not to mention the Third Party Support....
The games also mean that Nintendo loyalists can get to play some of the best games around (like Crazy Taxi) on a Nintendo Machine! I don't think may Nintendo Gamers will pass u the Gamecube... it's cheap in price, has good games, and a very promising future, but if one company can completely mess it up, Nintendo can!
If they don't advertise the Gamecube properly they'll screw up again... They will advertise it, BUT they really need to throw the Gamecube name around like that a common stale, only with a better reputation! :)
They'll have to get the timing perfect, just before christmas would be good, because kids might say "I want one of those" and Mum and/or Dad wait til after Christmas to spend the big bucks!
The downside of the UK release date is the timing... people are gonna be recovering from Christmas, and only just be able to bring home the bread as it is, forget the January sales, have youn seen the inflation rates?! lol, Just kidding...
Another Player is Microsoft, they haven't announced any UK/Japanese release dates for the X-Box yet and because of it they could suffer, but again, their advertising could make all the difference. Nintendo, as good as they are could be portrayed as ish compared to Microsoft purely because of the Advertising.
So, as you can imagine, the way the companies advertise the consoles is more than important!
Any thoughts?!
Game
Okay SSX is good, so are Onimusha and Red Faction BUT they haven't broken ground in the same way GT2 and MGS did!
I know the latter games have sequels coming out but after an 11 month release there haven't been any brilliant games out on the PS2. I suppose this is down to preferance and opinion, BUT every honest PS2 fan will admit that, in comparison, the PSX games are better overall.
I think one reason for Sony's 'slip-up' was their advertising. I know they've been renound for excellent advertising, and many people say it's what gave the PSX its step up in the gaming world, but they don't seem to have taken the trouble with the PS2. I've seen an advert for F1 2001 which was quite good but they should have done one for Red Faction:
'Loads of Guns, Loads of Enemies, Blow Up your surroundings... Start The Revolution!! - Red Faction, only on Playstation 2'
Maybe Sony think that people will buy their console and games anyway... I kinda think Nintendo did this. With the N64... they had a *twice as powerful* machine, franchises like Mario and Zelda etc and a very good reputation coming off the back of the SNES! But no... as much as I HATE to admit it, Sony mopped the floor with Nintendo but only with regards to consoles... Pokémon layed-the-smack-down on Digimon! And as for the Pocket Playstation.... LMAO!
But that's all in the past... and with all that behind them Nintendo can take advantage of Sony's DISGUSTINGLY slow start. Nintendo's launch games will all be good. PIKMIN, SFA, SSB: Melee! Not to mention the Third Party Support....
The games also mean that Nintendo loyalists can get to play some of the best games around (like Crazy Taxi) on a Nintendo Machine! I don't think may Nintendo Gamers will pass u the Gamecube... it's cheap in price, has good games, and a very promising future, but if one company can completely mess it up, Nintendo can!
If they don't advertise the Gamecube properly they'll screw up again... They will advertise it, BUT they really need to throw the Gamecube name around like that a common stale, only with a better reputation! :)
They'll have to get the timing perfect, just before christmas would be good, because kids might say "I want one of those" and Mum and/or Dad wait til after Christmas to spend the big bucks!
The downside of the UK release date is the timing... people are gonna be recovering from Christmas, and only just be able to bring home the bread as it is, forget the January sales, have youn seen the inflation rates?! lol, Just kidding...
Another Player is Microsoft, they haven't announced any UK/Japanese release dates for the X-Box yet and because of it they could suffer, but again, their advertising could make all the difference. Nintendo, as good as they are could be portrayed as ish compared to Microsoft purely because of the Advertising.
So, as you can imagine, the way the companies advertise the consoles is more than important!
Any thoughts?!
Game
Page: