PS3 Fanboy

In a new interview with Game Head, SCEA president Jack Tretton, let loose that Sony was working with Take Two and Rockstar on a brand new IP, exclusive to PS3. Sony wanted to respect Take Two's wishes to bring Grand Theft Auto IV to both the 360 and PS3. However, they asked if they could continue the relationship they had developed over the years to work on the "next big franchise" for the controversial game publisher.

SCEA's director of 3rd party relations, Michael Shorrock, updated the official US PlayStation blog, confirming this new relationship. "Rockstar really wanted to make a game that you can truly only do on PS3, harnessing the power of CELL and Blu-ray disc and this deal lets them do just that ... This is really a win-win situation for both companies."

However, considering how Microsoft had to loan out $50 million to make GTA downloadable content exclusive to Xbox 360, one has to wonder if Sony had to shell out any cash as well. Sure, Sony and Take Two are friends ... but this is a business, right?

[Via Joystiq]

We're going to put Jack's quote front and center because it's so hilarious, then we'll talk about the interview with Gamepro. "I think the PS3 is the Surf 'n Turf, the PS2 is your favorite burger restaurant... [Wii] is a lollipop, and I'm too old for lollipops. And the [Xbox 360] I get sick from once in a while because the cook isn't always reliable." We can't really argue with the quote, because each have their own ingredients of truth. We're giggling, because we added on to the joke. We're so clever.

Anywho, the interview itself dives into everything Tretton -- his thoughts on the PSP and PS3 as well as some personal anecdotes we nodded our heads to. We've started to incorporate a lot of our electronic devices into the PS3 -- all our pictures are on it via those fun memory stick slots. We stream all our music from our computer directly through the PS3 and out that nice stereo system. If we were to download any movies or television shows, we also stream those. After converting them (painfully). Tretton believes that educating the masses to all these uses will draw in sales and he believes that process has begun. We'd like to believe so, too. It's a really fun interview to read, we promise, so check it out!

The oft-tattooed Microsoft executive, Peter Moore, is finally saying goodbye to the system he helped make a success. Moore was always opinionated, and could be seen bad-mouthing the PlayStation more than once. In fact, one time, he called the system a "Dreamcast."

Moore is now going off to EA, an important third-party partner to Sony. We're hoping he won't bring a Microsoft-flavored bias to the company (although one wonders if that's already in place). It seems that SCEA President Jack Tretton is also looking to ensure good relations with Moore: "We wish Peter the best of luck in his new role at Electronic Arts and look forward to working with him. We have an outstanding relationship with EA and their sports products have been incredibly successful on all our platforms. I am sure this will continue with Peter now at the helm."

The claim of third party companies creating shoddy ports for the PS3 probably grew exponentially in importance from the whole EA 30fps vs. 60fps debacle and deserves a little more discussion. Jack Tretton released his thoughts on the claims that multiplatform games look better on the Xbox 360 than the PlayStation 3. He basically reiterated the idea that it's up to the developers to take advantage of the power of the PS3 and Sony is doing everything they can to assist them in development, to ease the crushing power of the PS3's architecture.

Tretton said what everyone was thinking, too: "what's the point of porting it over to another platform if it is not going to look as good on a platform that is more expensive? Why waste any money in development doing that?" We ask the same questions every night before we go to sleep, but our pillows never answer. Tretton does not want people to think the first-party titles are going to pick up the slack, rather, he wants third party companies to know that Sony is there for them, to assist them in any way possible, so that they as well as consumers will get the most out of their ginormous black behemoth. Seriously, everyone would benefit if they just tried a bit harder.

It's been said before, but Jack Tretton thought it wise to re-issue a statement regarding the life expectancy of the PlayStation 3. A lot of folks may see a price drop this early indicative of a short console life, a desperate move, or the clever cutting of manufacturing costs to help consumers save money also. We like the latter, but the former two are what need addressing -- Tretton assures the world that the PS3 is set for a future-proof, 10 year life. He said Sony could have made a PS2.5 and taken a ride on the money train, but they opted not to. He takes a shot at the competition, saying "To be perfectly honest with you, I think that is a bit of what we are competing with." Or is he talking about the PS2 itself?

A few more choice statements from Tretton covered how the system doesn't need to convert everybody from day one. They can take their time selling consoles across ten years, he says. We guess this is since the price is an obstacle for many people right now, even with the price cut. Finally, Tretton assures us Sony has built "a machine that we firmly believe is future proof and is going to carry us for the next 10 years." We hope so and we can't wait for all the years ahead of us. We hardly know more than a handful of titles slated for 2008, let alone 2010.

[via CVG]

An interview in this month's PlayStation Magazine held a couple revelations. First, Sony doesn't shell out money to keep a game exclusive, or buy exclusive content to make a game seem better on their console. Second, Jack Tretton feels Sony is the "middle ground" for gaming -- we'll explain in a bit. We're not sparking this flame -- this is Tretton himself and we honestly couldn't agree more with him.

In the interview, Tretton said "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. We earn it by saying "you can build a better game on our platform. If you focus your development on our platform, you will ultimately be more successful." We believe him. Even if, over the next few years, only half of the PS2 owners of the world adopt a PS3, it will be the most successful machine this generation and spending, say, $50 million dollars to some company for exclusive downloadable content would be completely meaningless.

Tretton also touched upon what exclusive games meant to Sony. "You know, if we were working on three games, it doesn't make for a very big exclusive list, but if we got 15, we've got a larger exclusive list before the third party comes to you with an exclusive. You almost get to the point where Nintendo's at, where they can do it without the third parties, but I don't know if that makes for a healthy environment. I think we sit perfectly in the middle. Microsoft is too dependent on the third-party community, and Nintendo is too dependent on first-party. We like to feel that we got a pretty good mix." Nobody can deny this. Tretton hit the nail on the head. Even though the price is high, even though the big library of games is still a month or two away, that is the reason Sony will continue to pull through. They don't, as the old saying goes, put all their eggs in one basket.

[via Joystiq]

Sony has been going full throttle on it's new PlayStation.Blog with some of the biggest names at the company doing regular posts. This time, the president and CEO of SCEA, Jack Tretton weighs in with an interesting post about the past successes of the PlayStation brand and some of his thoughts of the future. It's interesting stuff and definitely worth reading. He also gives game-starved PS3 owners some good news by implying that the drought is almost done:

"We have more than 15 games coming from our own internal studios alone this year for PS3. Our third party partners will weigh in with a host of great games giving us more than 100 titles by year end on that system alone."

Later on in the piece are hints that we're in for some cool surprises at E3 too, stating that not only will we see new stuff on the known titles like Ratchet and Clank or Heavenly Sword, but also they will announce "a few surprises we have up our sleeves that no one has seen." Intriguing and exciting stuff and we'll find out in less than a month! Anybody want to start the random unsubstantiated guessing on what they're gonna show? I say ... Killzone Bowling and Barbie's Xtreme SOCOM Adventures.

[Via N4G]

Jack Tretton is a man of big promises. Although his claims may be boisterous at times, we can't help but join in his excitement for the future of PS3. Sure, we've heard the song and dance before: PS3 is a system of potential. As the system continues to grow, it will offer and more and more. For example, the PLAYSTATION Network is going to expand. In a recent interview with GamePro, Tretton reveals that the system will become so expansive, "almost to the point of being overwhelming."

The Network will not only feature downloadable on-demand movies, but it will also have a vast supply of games as well. "We have 41 games in development devoted to the Network, not just talking about PSone games being enabled. We're talking about games developed specifically for the PS3."

So when is it going to happen? "So, really it will happen this fall ... we'll get there well before the holiday timeframe. Every month you'll just see more and more content on there it'll get to the point where it's be really rich by September. And I think that will be timed really nicely with the advent of Home as well."

Jack Tretton admitted the high price point of the PS3 console can prove a worthy "challenge," but he firmly believes the content lined up will justify its cost. A quick viewing of hot titles shown at Sony Gamers Day '07 should easily solidify his claim. He also projected a boost in PS3 sales over the next few months, stemming from the upcoming releases of a few stellar triple-A titles. While no specifics were mentioned by Mr. Tretton, we've got a pretty good idea what those triple-A games might be, judging from the mass of excellent footage from titles we've seen coming from SGD '07. We're most excited about the implementation of Home and titles like Eye of Judgement, Heavenly Sword and Uncharted. After checking out all of our extensive SGD '07 coverage, what triple-A titles are you looking forward to the most?

Any product compared to the runaway success of the Nintendo Wii is bound to feel some form of inadequacy. Yet, SCEA's Jack Tretton says he is "unconcerned" about the latest PS3 sales figures, despite the fact that every PS3 sold loses money and in comparison, the PS3 is still in third place. Mr. Tretton goes on to solidify his confidence in the PS3's abilities by saying, "we're into this for the next 10 years and beyond. A million units one way or another at this point isn't going to worry us."

Mr. Tretton isn't alone in his convictions. Just last week, Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachtor believed the PS3 will be the victor of the current console race, due to it's integrated Blu-Ray player. Will Blu-Ray prove be the victor in the next-gen HD format? Early predictors on sales might indicate so, but we feel our trusty magic eight ball sums it up best. Ask again later.

What was that dog's name that said that? You know, "take a bite outta crime!" Was it something something McGruff? That's not important... although he was pretty awesome. Anyway, Jack Tretton sat down with GamePro and answered some questions about the PS3's progress, the competition and the critics. We'll summarize in a beautiful, crime-free list.

• When asked about communicating the PS3 as a multimedia device as well as a gaming console, Tretton says "I'll be the first to admit that it is not our field of expertise. I think creating the technology is something we do well, but explaining the applications of that technology is something we've gotta get better at."
• When asked about the media coverage of the PS3 and Sony, especially blogs, Tretton had this to say: "The good news is, [the criticism] isn't an accurate reflection on the success of the company, or of consumer's satisfaction [with the PS3]. I think if you talk to the million people who bought the PS3 in North America, you'll find overwhelming satisfaction." Overwhelming satisfaction is probably over 80% of people feel satisfied. True enough. Out of all my friends who have a PS3, including myself, the satisfaction is 100%. It doesn't matter that I'm the only one with the PS3. R-right?
• To make the PS3 a success, Tretton believes the key lies in never resting on his laurels (or the company's collective laurels). He also said "A lot of people in early 2007 are saying "Well, I don't need the PS3's technology." But we know, given where technology's headed, that they're going to want it. And they'll want to invest in it, and they'll pay more for it than they would with the PlayStation 3. You're already seeing it now, where people are adding new configurations to hard disk drives, movie players, and so on. That's technology that [we integrated into] the PlayStation 3."
• The PlayStation Network... it's free. No buts, no strings. Free. Plug in your PS3 and start downloading demos, play online multiplayer matches. Free. No signing up for some service. That's the main advantage Tretton sees with Sony's service. He also assures us it's in a very early stage and they are nowhere near where they want to be with it.
• PS3's price? Tretton responds: "I won't deny that $599 is a lot of money. It's clearly an investment. I won't tell you I've got [$599] in my back pocket. But I'm also a big believer in "you get what you pay for."
• SIXAXIS? "I don't have anything to tell you specifically, but we're certainly open to changing the Sixaxis controller if it addressed North American gamers."
• New PS3 model later? "It's something that's in consideration, but again, it's very early on in the PS3's life cycle."

Phew. There's more we sort of grazed over, but these are the major points worth mentioning. Feel free to check out the interview in its entirety and let us know how you feel about it. Not that we're psychologists. But... how does that make you feel?

This is more of an interesting piece of Sony-speak than anything. In essence, Sony thinks that expectations of the PS3 are getting built up into the unrealistic zone, thanks in majority to the great success felt by the PS2. SCEA President Jack Tretton went on record saying that if the PS2 flopped and placing Sony in third overall for the console war, "people would have a warm spot in their hearts for the good old days of PlayStation and they'd actually root for us to get back on top. But I don't know if we want to pay the price to get that kind of [love]."

Tretton clearly doesn't want the PS3 to fall into third place to get some love in the upcoming generations... like... six years from now. However, he's not all that concerned about such a reality -- he's confident the PS3 is the best system out there (we'll just need some, you know, games to judge that belief) and will remain the market leader in the long term. In the long term, you'll find nothing but complete agreement from us. For another year? We may have to take a few sucker-punches and get comfortable in second place -- we'll get out of third fairly soon. Maybe. Probably. What do you guys think? If the PS2 had failed (and certain genres of games moved to the GameCube, probably thrusting it to the top), would more people think back on the "good old days of PlayStation" and root for the PS3?