As if the fact that Blu-Ray was dead in the water wasn’t bad enough, it seems that the PS3 is becoming obsolete in serving its main purpose, as well.
The Activision chief Bobby Kotick had the following to say to The Times:
“I’m getting concerned about Sony; the PlayStation 3 is losing a bit of momentum and they don’t make it easy for me to support the platform. It’s expensive to develop for the console, and the Wii and the Xbox are just selling better. Games generate a better return on invested capital on the Xbox than on the PlayStation.
They have to cut the price, because if they don’t, the attach rates are likely to slow. If we are being realistic, we might have to stop supporting Sony.” When asked when Kotick replied, “when we look at 2010 and 2011, we might want to consider if we support the console – and the PSP [portable] too.”
Now, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is no longer relevant but in boasting a certain musical game title—with a Hip-Hop version on the way—Activision now occupies the same space that SquareSoft, Konami and all the once-untouchable game developers once held. Sony should be scared shitless.
Nothing should be surprising about the PS3’s failed performance. The PS2 faced similar problems at launch, offering a mere handful of titles (SSX, Madden 2001) people were interested in playing, forcing folks to wait a full year until the big wave hit (GTA III, THPS 3, Jak & Daxter, MGS 2). Back then, companies complained about the expense of producing for the platform, but with Dreamcast dying and the GameCube a niche for younger folks, they had to play ball with Sony.
At the time, it was hard not being a Sony fanboy if you were on the bandwagon early, as the PS offered legendary titles and the PS2 seemed to follow suit. Naturally, things should’ve continued with the PS3. But besides MGS 4, what’s been on offer that the Xbox 360 didn’t have? And why fuck with second-rate shooters when there’s Halo?
As someone who waited in line in the rain damn near 18 hours for a friend to cop a PS3—buying one myself was out of the question due to the ridiculous price tag—it pissed me off to see that three years down the road, my friend’s library stretched less than ten titles and the system itself was mostly used sparingly as a Blu-Ray for Transformers, The Dark Knight and that’s about it.
And so it becomes a two-horse race. As a video game purist who doesn’t even fuck with them much anymore, I’ll ride with Nintendo off of sentimentality dating back to my NES and N64 days. But, no hate for Xbox—they have the superior titles and online community.
Maybe Sony can holla at Sega and make something rather cracktastic. Not. Because if you’re holding out hope for Sony at this point, you’d have to be as delusional as a Sega fanboy.
Sony Should Beware — Activision Chief Is Not Simply Playing Games [The Times]


YES!!!!
R.I.P. TO A USELESS CATALOG OF MUNDANE GAMING!!!
Project Natal 2010 > Dr Dre’s Detox
I don’t agree with this post at all. Sony has a lot more to offer than MGS4. It just sounds like the writer is pissed cause he couldn’t afford the system, and is now finding lame excuses why he is better of without it. Get your head out your bubble, and ACTUALLY do your research about the PS3.
Nerdy haters are the worst!
Yeah, I gotta disagree. SMH. Only thing I can agree with is them to lower the price. That all it’s about. The catalog for the PS3 is serious (FF13, GOW3, GT5 exclusives). Also, the PS3 is more than just gaming. It’s an awesome media center. Like above said, do your research. PS3 is mainly shitted on because its “Japanese” not “American”. But look at your XBOX or Wii. “Made in China”.
Death of PS3? Sure, sure, wjhatever, whatever.
Lil Wayne has got a bigger chance of playing a sellout concert at Wembley Arena, than there is of PS3 being dead anytime soon.
Yeah, I gotta disagree. SMH. Only thing I can agree with is them to lower the price. That all it’s about.
====================================
Exactly. The price point is still too high, but I think in order to stay competitive with Nintendo & Microsoft, they are going to have to bring it down. Aside from the price, I think the PS3 has superior hardware, a respectable library of games and they’re just getting their online community up and running. These machines usually have a 10 year cycle and we’re very early in the race.
And I believe it was HD that was dead in the water, not Blu-Ray.
Nice Post. For all those loyal PS3ers, what DC is predicting isn’t too far fetched. As a loyal Sony fan-boy, I have been down with Sony since the early days and once I copped a chance at the Ps3 with a bluray player to boot I was hooked. However, as a bday gift I was given a 360. I was taken aback at how much far ahead Xbox development is. If sony is going to survive they have to look at the weapons the 360 has: Huge Live/online community, Netflix partnership (instant play>blu ray), Project Natal, and now partnerships with Facebook and Live.FM….I’d be shook if I were a Ps3 developer.
Interesting topic…games are coming out these days on either platform kinda flat to me…they miss this or miss that…fight night no buttons wack! no new 2k9 wack…yrs for a sequel to come out wack! 60 bucks for a game that can be beat with a simple 7 day rental wack! Blue ray wack! gamer points wack! (no use) Call of duty’s really only game that has non stop replay value…im a gamer and more and more these games just dont pull the weight…stupid graphix but actually having fun and must have titles has shot str8 down tha drain…only games i want is cod5 crackdown 2 rent left 4dead2…gears2 resident evil5 i beat in a week…gta story was gay and boring same repetative missions…need to drop san andreas again period! I mean seriously….gaming is damn near overthese gaming companies have done pretty bad their damn selves let alone the consoles…i give 360 8.5/10 PS3 7.75/10 Wii 5/10….ive played arcade emulators mame and mugen and had more fun these these consoles…they just aren’t that amazing anymore besides the ridiculous graphix…who knows just an opinion…peace
I agree with the article. Although think some statements are a little out there.
The PS3 does have more to offer than just MGS4 (although I personally think MGS4 is utter tripe), but it does seem that the PS3 exclusives are becoming fewer, compared to other platforms. Oh there’s enough out there for most gamers – but it does feel a bit like things are slowing down for the PS3 at a time when they should be picking up.
The price tag is too high – especially for the current economic climate and Blu Ray isn’t doing quite as well as some expected. Especially with direct (legal) movie downloads on the rise and Australian scientists developing a “Super DVD” capable of storing 5000 movies – http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/australians-unveil-super-dvd/1521643.aspx
Anyway, Activision is the biggest 3rd developer/publisher in the world. If they were to stop production for the PS3, then it would be a serious blow to Sony. And if any other big publishers followed suit, then it would be fatal for the system.
Valve was recently quoted saying they don’t like making games for the PS3 – which is why Left for Dead 2 is staying on the 360 and PC.
All these things; Price, Blu Ray popularity, games publishers talking about dropping the PS3, and the fact that the platform is still losing Sony money – they add up.
There is a strong chance that Sony may have to stop production of the system sooner than they say they will – though I don’t think it will happen in the next 12 months.
“As if the fact that Blu-Ray was dead in the water wasn’t bad enough…”
Really?!?!
This guy (girl?) is just trying to support his/her opinion and nothing more with his/her “facts.”
Because let me tell you something… Blu-Ray is AMAZING.
He/she must not have the cash for a big screen LCD HDTV either because if he/she did, they would not be making such claims.
I too was on that, “what is the big deal with Blu-Ray” kick – that is until I actually saw “The Dark Knight” on my big LCD HDTV and Blu-Ray disc.
Yeah… as soon as people can afford such televisions (and prices are dropping quickly) and Blu-Ray players (which, if you have a PS3 – you already have)… Blu-Ray is taking over DVD. There is just no comparison in quality/sound/etc.
Sure the price point for Blu-Ray movies is still too high, but is not everything in the beginning.
Bottom line, PS3 is not going anywhere.
Oops… my bad. This page was coming up all jumbled and I could not see that it was one of the TSS crew who stated that Blu-Ray was dead… not the author of The Times article.
Whoever wrote this…
Once you get to see the quality of a Blu-Ray movie on a great television…
You will see that that article is far from accurate.
(P.S. Rent “The Dark Knight” or “No Country For Old Men” on Blu-Ray once you get a 40″ or higher LCD HDTV and you will be stunned at what you have been missing out on – unparalleled – and far from dead)
*Back for more*
Okay, okay…
PS3 may or may not die… I cannot call it.
But Blu-Ray?
No way.
Of that, I am certain.
I like plasmas but whatever. PS3 is far from dead
Sony letting PS3 die??? Not likely, they’re waaay too competitive of a company to let something like that occur. I’m not much of a game geek anymore, but from what I’ve heard from my gamer ninjaz the PS3 kicks ass in the gameplay & graphics department. In regard to the Blu-Ray issue, Sony got lucky because they own a major film studio and were able to secure backing from other major film studios and media conglomerates, something at which HD-DVD (Toshiba) failed to do. I predict that Blu-Ray will be thrown off it’s perch pretty soon, mainly because the majority of households STILL don’t own a high-def or full high-def (1920x1080p) tv set. Also, people still view standard dvd as being adequate enough and Blu-Ray as marginally better.
“Also, people still view standard dvd as being adequate enough and Blu-Ray as marginally better.”
Very true. I was one of those people.
But let one of those millions go to someone’s home with a proper setup…
And it is over.
Blu-Ray is that good.
(And even regular DVD’s look incredible when played on a Blu-Ray player)
I have said it many times before and I shall say it again here…
I saw “The Dark Knight” in theaters when it came out and viewing it on Blu-Ray was/is actually far better (if you can believe that). The quality is so good that you will swear that you are either in the movie… or watching a high-quality live feed of the surveillance footage.
If I were a gamer (I used to be)… I would choose the PS3 for that added incentive alone.
@ Real: Blu-Ray is dope, I have a DLP projector and a LCD projector. When properly configured and calibrated, the picture is intense and amazing. The problem is that the majority of people got lost during the Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD battle and are now indifferent to either format. Sony is already at work on the next tv technology: OLED. I’ve seen a few prototypes and it KILLS any LCD or Plasma that I’ve viewed.
I read this on engadget. Its pretty bold to hop out and say you’ll stop supporting a powerhouse like Sony. dude from activision should talk with the Guitar Hero franchise having all but “jumped the shark” itself. Even if DJ hero is dropping (is that even activision?) and support from Metalica coming for Guitar Hero I cant be the only one thinking Guitar Hero is on its way out.
For the record I don’t own a PSP but I do have a Wii and Xbox, Im just sayin thats bold as a ceo to say you’ll stop supporting Sony in business. What happens when they get hot again with a new console? lol dont fuck with China!
Agree about everything pertaining to sound and vision on blu-ray, if you got the right equipment hooked up then the end results are awesome indeed.
BTW, General Electric have devised a new disc based technology which can store up to the equivalent of 50 regular DVDS on one disc!
Damn man technology moves fast, seems only like yesterday when the VHS vs Betamax battle was in full scale, and now look where we are.
Lol…PS3>LOOKING AT THE WALL.
Blu-Ray isn’t going anywhere. Natural progression and all of that. Plus, with people’s regular analog cable going out this week, the purchase of an HDTV is going to make a lot of sense. And why have that crappy Durabrand DVD player when for about $200 more, you can get a PS3, which is a decent Blu-Ray player?
I, for one, don’t own a PS3. More than likely, I never will. (PC games and all of that) Sony, however, needs to straighten up. If Activision leaves, it’s gonna hurt.
Bad.
I can almost guarantee why PS3 isnt doing as well as xbox. It is simply the age demographic. I bet most people between 13-23 years of age own a 360. While people over the age of 23 own a more PS3s. I am 28 I grew up on PS, I am talking about when the PS1 came out and it was $500.00 in 94-95. The xbox offers a lot but the things that mattered to me mainly the blue ray they couldn’t compete with. PS needs to develop a game that can rival halo and try to get the next gen of gamers
Hey! Don’t mess with Sega, man! Dreamcast was the shit, regardless of how poorly is sold when the PS2 came out.
I like the PS3; however, its incredibly expensive, has a small selection of titles- be it a smaller selection of PS3-only titles. The PS3 is obviously the most powerful system, but that’s not important- its about what’s fun and what’s cheaper; Xbox360 seems to be having the advantage right now. Wii is just a gimmick; its fun for the family, but it gets old.
I’m holding out on getting a PS3, however. Until i can find it for cheaper or until the prices are cut, I’m chillin with what I got. The PSP needs to get better titles as well; it can’t hold up the the “touch screen” bull shit, cause the demographics are just different. Hardcore gamers aren’t willing to pay almost $600 for a game system without any major games or free internet or something. They need to shape up!
the article poster never said that blu-ray was bad or not worth it, he/she merely provided a link showing that it too hasnt been selling that well.
@ 500K
Google’s “OLED”
Thanks.
Never even heard of it.
Technology is moving too fast though. I spent a lot on my current HDTV… they need to at least let us get some use out of it – lol!
@ Real Anonymous: Good luck trying to get some use out of the current technology, it’s obsolete within 9 months!!! lol.
@ Jester, hell yea Dreamcast was dope
I got a PS3 & 2 PSP”s. The extra stuff is why I like them. One of the PSP’s has an emulator & the other one I found. The hard drive one the PS3 & the capability to put media (& stream from my laptop) is why I have it. Games have become secondary sadly.
the article poster never said that blu-ray was bad or not worth it, he/she merely provided a link showing that it too hasnt been selling that well.
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That may be true, but Blu-Ray is eventually going to replace the DVD format. XBOX went with the HD format and that shit tanked…early.
I read about dude’s comments and I don’t believe him. He’s just talkin’ tough because Activision is huge. They’re the biggest game company now: even bigger than EA.
Yes the PStriple is expensive. The extra perks on a system are nice but I buy a console to primarily play games. I’ve said for a long time that if pstriple drops to $300 or at least $350 with a game (or two) I like then it’s as good as copped (pending my money situation.) Hell I wouldn’t have gotten a 360 back in 07 if it didn’t come with 2 games on top of my old Live Subscription.
If anything PS3 and 360 are too similar. Outside of first party stuff you get the SAME GAMES more or less. If I had my way Microsoft and Sony would combine game divisions so I don’t have to buy two systems next time.
But I digress. The PS3 is FAR from dead sir. Even if Activision had the nerve to jump they’d still have enough games to thrive. Now if Activision and EA stopped supporting PStriple right this instant Sony would be in trouble.
yeah you’d think that blu-ray would/should survive. consumers aint down with formats changing too fast.
i have a 50″ plasma and a 32′ lcd and still havent bothered getting one. my up-converters work quite well.
yo….Halo is overrated…..
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare >>>>>> Halo
and yet….the better experience of that game is on XBOX….because of better online play.
PS3….their heavy guns are about to come out….but with the PS2….it took about a year to see Sony pull out their big games…..but with the PS3….they took their sweet, little time in doing so…..may hurt them in the end……
and a shame….as gamewise, the PS3 is about to hit it’s stride….Uncharted 2, MAG, God of War 3, GT 5 and Last Guardian….OMG Last Guardian….those are killer apps right there….too bad not many people will care to experience them anymore….
They have a 360 that has kept them occupied while the PS3 has been biding it’s time….M$ rounded up a fanbase quickly….and their doing a great job at keeping them to themselves.
a price cut on the PS3 would mos def be beneficial for the gaming community…..not sure if Sony can afford it right now though……
I still rock with the Atari 5200!!
lol
I got All 3 and The PS3 gets the least use. It’s a blue ray Player that plays games but I cop all the games for the 360 because of xbox live. I can play my people in my Philly in Madden or whatever (gamertag fnshow49 if you want it ). The Wii is just fuckin fun.
For the PS3 Lovers. Long Kisses © B.I.G.
Activision are bluffing. They moved around a million COD4 and 5′s combined on PS3.
Based on the next set of games for Sony’s over-ambitious box, I think they’ll do just fine. Uncharted 2 and God of War 3 look effin’ serious.
I love my PS3 and you can pry it and my frequent Blu-Ray rentals from Netflix from my cold dead hands.
I fuckin’ double dog dare you!
One.
Look at all the posts that come out when game consoles are mentioned.
Fuckin geeks!
^ ^ rotfl
From what I heard, real shooter fans don’t fuck w/Halo. Only decent in multiplayer and the online community is a bunch of 13 year olds who recently started cursing. Outside of that MS ain’t really all that.
But this whole Activision dropping the PS3 thing? I bet not. The PS3 sells more each year and in 2010, they just MIGHT look at the system’s sales to see if they should drop.
…But the only thing execs is gon say is, “Aight aight…we’ll give ‘em till next year.”
Rinse, repeat until Sony’s where they should be again.
PS…Guitar Hero really ain’t the big deal it used to be since Rock Band came out.
Que abandonado tengo Death Note, voy a ver uno
@Jester you obviously must not use the internet for your PS3 much because unlike the 360 where you have to pay for it the internet service you use on your PS3 is for free which is 1 of the reasons I use it on there quite often
also what a lot of people don’t realize is the system is no longer $600 but has since been dropped down to a $500 bundle with Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune included and the bundle has double the space of the original PS3 with 160 GB of memory but if you want to be cheap and get the closet thing to the original PS3 with the 80 GB of memory & no game it’s only $400
I think the article writer exaggerates a lil but is nonetheless on the money.
PS3 has a weak catalog overall.
It doesn’t take full advantage of its great hardware.
PS3 online portion is free yet considerably lacking.
PS3 has loads of potential. But potential alone does not make a success. You gotta make shit happen too.
Even with all the hardware scares and problems I still enjoy my Xbox 360 way more than my PS3.
One more thing.
I think the PS3 could be this generations Dreamcast. Meaning its technologically superior to the competition but still didn’t get enough quality 3rd party games out.
Great post but wish it was longer!
I’m just still laughing at someone posting the phrase ‘OMG Last Guardian’ in here.
Ps3 has MAG, killzone and uncharted, halo has to be one of the worst games i have ever played. Keep in mind that online is free as well. I am posting this using my PS3