The worst kind of public relations is to attempt to point out the flaws of your competitors, instead of concentrating on promoting your own strengths.
Sony has been shockingly guilty of committing this PR sin at CES 2009, issuing a press release pointing out the weaknesses of Nintendo's Wii and Microsoft's Xbox 360, in comparison with the (admittedly) feature-rich PlayStation 3.
"Sony sent out a press release that attempted to set the tone of the console debate," wrote Wired's gaming correspondent Chris Kohler this week, adding, hilariously: "Apparently this year's tone will be "crazy ex-girlfriend"."
PS3 sales down
The reality of the situation is that PS3 sales dropped in the US in November, compared with the same month in 2007 and, as Kohler points out, with "a $200 entry-level Xbox 360 attracting price-conscious shoppers, Sony is gearing up to take a beating in December, January, and beyond.
"So out comes the spin. First, a Sony exec tells CNET that PlayStation 3 sales were up 130% following Black Friday, which is somehow supposed to be a sign of health even though sales of every product on Earth jump after Black Friday."
And if that wasn't enough of a PR boo-boo, Sony then issue a CES press release listing those features that its competitors don't offer in their consoles out of the box. Specifically:
· Built in Blu-ray drive for HD movies and mind-blowing games
· Built in Wi-Fi for wireless gaming and Internet access
· Huge hard drives for storing games, movies, music photos and more
· Free online gaming and entertainment access through PSN
· Ten year's of value with a future-proof system via firmware updates that offer new services and features
Sony's release continues: "The Xbox 360 and Wii offer a set of features in their own right. However, when you take a look at the feature offerings side by side, there is only one true winner in delivering total value and price."
Crazy ex-girlfriend Sony
The console manufacturer then offers journalists the handy feature comparison chart you can see to the right here.
Then Sony makes the fundamental mistake, stating: "The Xbox 360 requires additional money, multiple upgrades and additional external devices, putting a burden on the wallet and adds clutter to the entertainment center. And the Wii's lack of enhanced features comes at the expense of a comprehensive entertainment solution. So as PS3 continues to evolve without the need for additional parts or expenses, expect the competition to continue peddling add-ons in an effort to keep up with the Jones'.
Or, as Wired has it: "In other words: what does she have that I don't?!"
Is Sony grasping at straws? Is the PS3 era coming to an end? Let us know your thoughts on this below.
Your comments (12) Click to add a new comment
louis058
January 28th
12. PS3- advantage: blu-ray player
disadvantage: most expensive, i can't notice any graphic difference between it and xbox 360 and the wii
Xbox 360 - advantage: cheaper, more "gamer" games than the Wii
disadvantage: have to pay for multiplayer gaming
Wii - advantage: very innovative control system, cheap
disadvantage: not many features or games "for gamers", etc, fable 2, gears of war, metal gear solid
see, every console has its advantages and disadvantages, just buy whichever one you prefer
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pipesalot
January 10th
11. Wow, you should be a sony sales rep. You just pointed out some of the PS3's coolest features. I love my PS3, ive had one since a few weeks after launch, a 20gig hdd. It has never given me an ouce of trouble and I'm a hardcore gamer. In my opinion its one of the best electronics hardware out there right now, and u can even play awesome games on it. I've replaced the 20hdd with a 320hdd myself for $100.00. It's the best blue-ray, and upconverting player on the market. You can surf the web. Oh and PSN i free and it offers a lot of great content. Every one I know has a PS3 and loves it. Nuff said for now
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taii1234
January 9th
10. Thats quite funny. Countless times Microsoft went after Sony publicly and everyone listened. And when Sony finlly opens its mouth to respond.."crazy ex girlfriend sony, pathetic".
Real Cute.
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roarrr
January 9th
9. I should add something relevant to the discussion I guess. It's fair enough to hit out at Sony for the price point. In light of competition prices it is a bit expensive but on value for money, there is more than meets the eye. We shall see this year if they chose to but they've made it pretty clear in the media that they don't intend on lowering the cost.
Everything just needs to be taken in context. One statement on one day of a long journey in gaming. Enjoy your day. :)
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roarrr
January 9th
8. s Sony grasping at straws? Is the PS3 era coming to an end? Let us know your thoughts on this below.
By Adam 'I don't know what I'm talking about' Hartley
Jez. The end of teh PS3z!11! One PR statement, which incidentally MS spin each month and the Sony bashers are out in force. Nice. Glas to see you've got your hits.
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amit290
January 9th
7. "Microsoft though know how to look after their customers - with the original Xbox there was a chance it could catch fire, Microsoft offered everyone with an Xbox a replacement PSU, and the red ring of death - Microsoft extended the warranty to 3 years. I'd really love to see Sony do that."
As far as I'm aware there is no major problem with the PS3 so the 1 year standard warranty is sufficient. Its nice to have a new Xbox every few months but after your 5th the novelty wears off. Im on my 6th now, second Elite unit. I should have mentioned that in my previous comment. Maybe I should add the time for me to box it up, send it back, and wait for delivery to the cost of ownership. Not to mention back up /restore.
Microsoft admitted to the red ring of death problem but instead of fixing it extended the warranty. They say they've fixed it now, but it still happens. I sold my repaired 360 to buy an Elite which was suppose to be cured only for that to fail!
To bring up another point with reference to elandyll comment. Steve Ballmer said in his keynote they now have 14million XboxLive subscribers. You work out £40 x 14million. Shocking! They could certainly drop the price especially for people renewing year after year. Or look at it another way, look how much revenue Sony/PSN is loosing out on.
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