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We all now that the international launch of the PS2 was spectacularly hounded by all sections of the popular press, and this may be a decent reason why the PS2 is looked upon by many as being a flawed console with a poor launch. As for the stoies they all concentrated on the high price, and lack of machines available at launch, compared to other territories. This is one of the main reason I think that Nintendo should both be happy, but at the same time worry, about the effect the popular press has on the games industry today.
Sony had a major handicap when it released it's Playstation 2, a massive demand for the system and an even higher expectation from the mainstream gamers and press. No one will ever be able to tell how much the mainstream press effected the saes of the Ps2, because dmeand outstripped supply for 3 months after launch, Sony only ever said it expected to sell out it's pre-ordered stock before it managed to keep up with demand, which it was successful in doing so, all we know is that since it's launch last November, it has set a precednet in hardware sales other companies can only dream of emulating.
There is an up side for Sony to the PS2 getting so many heasdlines, it was in the public eye. Everyone knew that sony were releasing the PS2, everyone knew that thew were the must have gift for christmas and everyone knew the launch date and price. Sony could have spent £500 million on advertising, and they would never have managed to get so much media coverage as their problems did. So what does this spell for the other companies??
Well, Microsoft are heading the right way about getting some decent media coverage when they launch the Xbox. they have recently downgraded the spec of the console, their has been rumours of supply problems, and biggest of all, it is going to be expensive. These are the same problems Sony had with the Ps2, and media hysterics are sure to follow the Xbox up until launch. Microsoft, however, aslo have $500 million to spend on a positive advertising campaign, so where sony had a lot of bad coverage, Microsoft should have a brilliant balance of propoganda and bad coverage. With this mix they should be able to convey their launch date, their price and their main assets without much difficulty, so this may be a surprise which most people aren't expecting.
As for Nintendo, they haven't had many problems. They have third party support, they have the cheapest console, they might have competatively priced games, they are expecting to be able to meet demands fully, so what can they do to drum up some public awareness?? I personaly thought that more could have ben done with the launch of the Gameboy Advance to make the public more aware of their system. a pokemon game and a mario game at launch would have sold consoles on their own, but non of these have or are likely to happen. Nintendo's main hope for media coverage is the battle between themselves and Microsoft, due to their almost simultaneous launch, they need to be making more of a song and dance about this. They should be hoping to have the media eating comparisions in price and availability out of their pockets, but I'm not too sure it is a market trick Nintendo know too much about, this is their problem. Nintendo as a company are no match for either Sony or Microsoft, both are houshold names known the world over, Nintendo are huge, but everyone has access to a PC, and everyone therefore has heard of Microsoft, everyone knows that Sony are the king of all things electrical, and unfortuantely for Nintendo, that is firmly the market the Playstation has pushed the games console into, a problem, to say the least.
So that's the way I see media coverage going for the major consoles, with media coverage comes public awareness, and with public awareness comes sales. It makes sense, so why aren't people trying to win themselves good press instead of either accepting bad press, or not aiming for any press at all, we, thankfully, will never know.
Sony had a major handicap when it released it's Playstation 2, a massive demand for the system and an even higher expectation from the mainstream gamers and press. No one will ever be able to tell how much the mainstream press effected the saes of the Ps2, because dmeand outstripped supply for 3 months after launch, Sony only ever said it expected to sell out it's pre-ordered stock before it managed to keep up with demand, which it was successful in doing so, all we know is that since it's launch last November, it has set a precednet in hardware sales other companies can only dream of emulating.
There is an up side for Sony to the PS2 getting so many heasdlines, it was in the public eye. Everyone knew that sony were releasing the PS2, everyone knew that thew were the must have gift for christmas and everyone knew the launch date and price. Sony could have spent £500 million on advertising, and they would never have managed to get so much media coverage as their problems did. So what does this spell for the other companies??
Well, Microsoft are heading the right way about getting some decent media coverage when they launch the Xbox. they have recently downgraded the spec of the console, their has been rumours of supply problems, and biggest of all, it is going to be expensive. These are the same problems Sony had with the Ps2, and media hysterics are sure to follow the Xbox up until launch. Microsoft, however, aslo have $500 million to spend on a positive advertising campaign, so where sony had a lot of bad coverage, Microsoft should have a brilliant balance of propoganda and bad coverage. With this mix they should be able to convey their launch date, their price and their main assets without much difficulty, so this may be a surprise which most people aren't expecting.
As for Nintendo, they haven't had many problems. They have third party support, they have the cheapest console, they might have competatively priced games, they are expecting to be able to meet demands fully, so what can they do to drum up some public awareness?? I personaly thought that more could have ben done with the launch of the Gameboy Advance to make the public more aware of their system. a pokemon game and a mario game at launch would have sold consoles on their own, but non of these have or are likely to happen. Nintendo's main hope for media coverage is the battle between themselves and Microsoft, due to their almost simultaneous launch, they need to be making more of a song and dance about this. They should be hoping to have the media eating comparisions in price and availability out of their pockets, but I'm not too sure it is a market trick Nintendo know too much about, this is their problem. Nintendo as a company are no match for either Sony or Microsoft, both are houshold names known the world over, Nintendo are huge, but everyone has access to a PC, and everyone therefore has heard of Microsoft, everyone knows that Sony are the king of all things electrical, and unfortuantely for Nintendo, that is firmly the market the Playstation has pushed the games console into, a problem, to say the least.
So that's the way I see media coverage going for the major consoles, with media coverage comes public awareness, and with public awareness comes sales. It makes sense, so why aren't people trying to win themselves good press instead of either accepting bad press, or not aiming for any press at all, we, thankfully, will never know.
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We'll see about that, only starting on me because you're sitting cosily behind your monitor, wimp.
:D
:D
Bonus wrote:
> Hehe, didn't want to come out and say it myself. :D
Geeee thanks.
Still, I should have expected that from a cowardly Scotsman, shouldn't I.
:-)
> Hehe, didn't want to come out and say it myself. :D
Geeee thanks.
Still, I should have expected that from a cowardly Scotsman, shouldn't I.
:-)
Hehe, didn't want to come out and say it myself. :D
Bonus wrote:
> That was my new original way to pop a topic, like it?
Cunning, I did wonder why you wrote it, as it had no relation whatsoever to the initial post!
Trust a complete gimp like me to actually come along and try and answer it!
:-)
> That was my new original way to pop a topic, like it?
Cunning, I did wonder why you wrote it, as it had no relation whatsoever to the initial post!
Trust a complete gimp like me to actually come along and try and answer it!
:-)
That was my new original way to pop a topic, like it?
Bonus wrote:
> I once heard that self-praise is no honour, anyone know why that
> is???
Because anyone can praise themselves, and it's normally the people that are worse at things that priase themselves, hoping to draw attention.
People who deserve praise never praise themselves.
> I once heard that self-praise is no honour, anyone know why that
> is???
Because anyone can praise themselves, and it's normally the people that are worse at things that priase themselves, hoping to draw attention.
People who deserve praise never praise themselves.
The problem Nintendo has is capturing mainstream concentration, it will never gather the public eye without getting stories in the papers and on TV.
The PS2's stock shortage though did annoy people, children wanting one for christams was dissapointed and i know if a company upsets me like a holiday or something i end up not buying or going on holiday with them so personally i believe they might of lost a few customers but im straying fromt he point. Nintendo get a lot of abd press mostly by accident!
Kid obsessed with his Nintendo and a few others yet all 3 articles i have seen depict them playing a Playstation? Not deliberate but the N64 recieved bad press for not doing anything wrong there!
Kid obsessed with his Nintendo and a few others yet all 3 articles i have seen depict them playing a Playstation? Not deliberate but the N64 recieved bad press for not doing anything wrong there!
Exactly, Sony worked the media to boost awareness of their system, Microsoft can do the same, but Nintendo have nothing that they can portray on the popular press. the press doesn't do good news.
But my point was that it was almost engineered to work in Sony's favour whatever the outcome. I don't think they were too worried that they didn't have enough stock. Some cynical person might even say that they planned it that way....
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