PS3 Fanboy

A long time ago, Jack Tretton mentioned that Sony will not pay for PS3 exclusivity in this generation of games. "We have a very different approach to exclusives than some of our competitors. We don't buy exclusivity. We don't fund development. We don't, for the lack of a better term, bribe somebody to only do a game on our platform," he noted. Instead, Sony tries to seduce developers to make better games on the system, and use the appeal of the PS3 hardware to secure exclusives.

This strategy has meant a bevy of formerly PS2-exclusive series to become multiplatform successes on Xbox 360 and PC. However, Kaz Hirai told ThreeSpeech "that's something that we can re-evaluate." High-profile exclusives act as differentiating reasons for system purchases. PS3 has a strong first-party line-up, but it will need to pursue third-party exclusives with an even stronger bite. However, with games being so expensive in this generation, such a proposal may be difficult. "It's also something that the publishers need to make a business decision on. Ultimately, it becomes a dialogue – if it makes sense for them to go exclusive, that's a business decision that they need to make. But generally speaking, because of the investments that publishers need to make in this round of hardware, it's going to be more difficult for publishers to make that decision."

Reuters is reporting that the president of Sony Computer Entertainment, Kaz Hirai, has stated that by March 2008 the PlayStation 3 will have a total catalgue of 380 games. This will be a solution to the current slump in sales the PS3 is currently seeing worldwide. Apparently Kaz only just realised that having actual games to play might persuade more people to pick up a system.

The current plan is for the release of 200 titles in shops and 180 downloadable from the PlayStation store. Hirai states that there are currently 60 titles in stores and 50 downloadable. If the software library really does almost quadruple in less than a year, then the PS3 will have no problems selling worldwide. The games drought has been hard on early adopters of the console, but with the release of Rainbow Six: Vegas, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, The Darkness and Super Stardust HD all in the next two weeks, the drought looks to be almost over.

So start saving those pennies. Before long there will be so many games vying for your attention, you won't know where to start.

[Via Gameindustry.biz]

Nothing in life is free and if 'Fun' had a price, then recent videogames are out to bankrupt you. I mean what with the cheaper medium of CDs and all, who can blame them for charging upwards of 60 bucks for a single game? Okay, sarcasm aside, there's probably a small army of people out there who are ready to hear something official about the pricing of the PlayStation 3's titles.

Our favorite talking bobble head Kaz Hirai is at the presses again spreading the gospel. This time he's finally said something about the game pricing of the next-gen console. "I think it would be a bit of a stretch to think that we could suddenly turn around and say 'PS3 games now $99.99,'" he said to PSM. "So, if it becomes a bit higher than fifty-nine bucks don't ding me, but, again, as I said, I don't expect it to be a hundred bucks."

So it's a "stretch", but we shouldn't expect a three-figure price point for those nifty new Blu-ray games... yet. Actually when you get down to it, what he's saying is that the titles won't be less than $59 or more than $100, while keeping their distance from the latter. They've got such an uphill battle with just the price of the console that I really don't think Sony would have the cojones to push the games to, say, $69.99 or more. Then again, Sony likes to surprise us. But seriously, how much are YOU willing to pay for next-gen games?

Ken Kutaragi recently held a very long interview with Japanese web site PC Impress Watch where he spoke about the PS3's current presence and that for Sony, their goal is to have their next-generation console have the kind of market pull that the Apple brand does.

"Steve Jobs could slap an Apple logo on the PS3 and sell them for $2,000 each. We couldn't do that. That's the difference between the PlayStation brand and a computer brand, like Apple."

Kutaragi emphasized that he wished to make the term "PS3" synonymous with "entertainment computer." The company's goals seem to be in establishing an electronics "ecosystem" in the consumer's household, where the name Sony means enjoyment. However, where Apple has achieved this through stylish, trendy gadgets at affordable pricing, will this goal be achievable for Sony given the hefty price tag of the unit?

[Via Gamespot]

It's been no surprise that whenever Sony is faced with the accusation of copying Microsoft's online strategy, they talk about progressing the industry as a whole and broadening the scope of the business. Kaz Hirai has furthered that mentality by going on the record saying "thanks" to the software giant.

"Thank you, Microsoft, for helping us in taking consumers online," he said to Mercury news. "The most important thing for us is to make sure online is an integral part of the experience. It's not a 'nice to have' feature. It enables new businesses."

Even though the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 will soon be going head-to-head, it's obvious that Sony and Mr. Hirai believe that this is a collective endeavor all the same. Think of it as competitive synergy. Of course if that's not the case then at least he's putting on a good poker face.

Sony's Kaz Hirai commented to news site Bloomberg that he expects the company's Playstation 3 to launch with 15 titles this November. This is in contrast to what some third-party higher-ups have been saying, including Sega's Simon Jeffrey and THQ's Brian Farrell. Jeffrey's argument stems from third parties apparently not receiving finalized dev kits yet, which is reportedly supposed to occur this month, where Farrell's recent comments towards choosing to not release a version of the upcoming Sopranos game on the system as it is "too risky" to attempt without final hardware specs form the basis for his disagreement.