PS3 says the Wii is an "Impulse Buy"... that's the idea!
by Nick Doerr 
{ Feb 1st 2007 at 5:00PM }
Sony spokesman David Karraker just had to open his big mouth! Even though what he said was absolutely true, it can be so easily twisted into another "I'm dumb Sony, watch Rob Schneider in derp de derpa derp de derpa dumb" comment. It's about 30% foolish and 70% correct. What happened? Well, Karraker essentially dismissed the Wii as competition, saying that it "could be considered an impulse buy more than anything else." With a lower price point, family-friendly and family-oriented games, that's exactly what the Wii is capitalizing on. Hell, it's working like a charm. Karraker goes ahead and assents that yes, the PS3 is targeted for the hard-core and well-established gamer, but since the holiday frenzy, demand "has subsided a bit."Even though what Karraker said may ring true to some people, he's forgetting something critical about the PS3's demand lull -- games. The Wii has been cranking out games fairly regularly and the PS3 just got its first release since the launch window, Sonic. And that's even a port of a month old 360 game! The Wii is most certainly an impulse buy for parents (and you've got to grab one when you find one, apparently!) and the PS3 is definitely a hard-core machine, but that's not the only thing Karraker should have said. He gets a slap on the wrist and no gold star for today.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Wargazm @ Feb 1st 2007 6:21PM
the Sony Fanboy spin machine in full effect...30% foolish my ass.
1) How the hell can something be an "impulse buy" if it's IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND???
2) why the hell would you NOT want to be an impulse buy?
Apparently Sony wants to have its customers consider the PS3 more like buying a car than buying an electronic device...a purchase that requires a lot of thought and care.
30% foolish....good God, do you ever just sit back and read what you type?
JOKER @ Feb 2nd 2007 8:49PM
"The Wii has been cranking out games fairly regularly"
Except the games that have been coming out for the Revolution, in short, pretty much suck. I guess it's alright if you don't mind "quantity over quality".
alienclay @ Feb 1st 2007 7:49PM
not trying to wii bash, but the best games in the system seem like impulse buy games as well being mini-game collections and one game that should have been on gamecube a year ago. (though not the price, being only $10 less than ps360 games at an expensive 50)
the question is in the end, will they take money away from ps360 wouldbe comsumers and have them spending money on nintendo systems? or will they coexist without bothing each other too much and only attack the "blue ocean" untapped market of non-gamers out there.
i see the later happening. i see people who pine over the decision over 360 vs ps3 but i never see people think wii OR ps360. sometimes AND, but the wii dosent deliver the same experence.
waruwaru @ Feb 1st 2007 8:29PM
Yes, and after carefully thinking about the PS3, I decided to not buy one (until cheaper+more games).
portorikan @ Feb 1st 2007 10:21PM
I was quite surprised to find six, SIX! PS3s sitting on the shelf at Target. I yet have been able to find a freakin' Wii.
Brandon Johnson @ Feb 1st 2007 11:40PM
@JOKER
It worked for the PS2
vizunary @ Feb 1st 2007 11:45PM
Wii is just a fad that will soon wear off for anyone other than children. If you can stay entertained buy it, maybe that just reflects your mindset. In that case I encourage all you guys riding the short bus to the state school to thoroughly enjoy your Wii.
topspinbunk @ Feb 2nd 2007 12:07AM
Yup, I agree that the Wii fad might wear off, but sadly for the ps3, there never will be a fad, or much public interest at all.
Borat @ Feb 2nd 2007 7:26AM
The Wii doesn't have quality games, other than a gamecube port. It's riding on a fad that will die soon as everyone realizes they bought a gamecube with... Zelda, mario, metroid. Hey, it's gamecube again! Are you seriously saying that waiving your hand like an idiot to play Wii Sports, WarioWare and Elebits (and who knows what other pre-school games they churn out) is worth 250 bucks? Cutting-edge graphics are worth more than that, quality games are more than that, diverse line-up is worth more than that, non-gaming advanced features are worth more than that. It's too bad that the population can't see that. YES, IT IS AN IMPULSE BUY. It's not like they really had to plan much "hey, I'm thinking of a console, which should I buy?". They fell for the launch hype, for the gimmick that "YOU CAN MOVE THE CONTROLLER AND IT DOES SOMETHING!!". I was one of the Mark Rein bashers when he said "Wii will get a bunch of gimmick games", but guess what? He was right. I'm not buying a Wii until some decent shit comes out (and I'm not talking about Mario Sunshine; yeah, it looks pretty, but I want something hardcore, hopefully Sadness will deliver the goods). I can play Zelda on gamecube in the meantime.
Brandon Johnson:
The PS2 wasn't full of mini-shit-quality-games and ports of last-generation games. End of Story.
topspinbunk:
Each time every must have game for PS3 comes out, such as Gran Turismo, White Knight Story, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Lair, Heavenly Sword, or even PS2 games like God of War 2, there WILL be a Fad.
Again, who paid 250 bucks to play a game ith N64 graphics (Wii Sports) or a gamecube port? Sadly, I know people that paid up to 500 bucks for that. Even sadder is the fact that one of them never had a PS2, saying "I didn't like it". So I said, "O RLY? What new games does the Wii have, besides a gamecube port and Wii sports, which isn't really a game more than a set of mini-games?" and he said "WarioWare". LOL, hilarious.
I also know people that want to play Madden on Wii. First I told them "It is worth it", but thank goodness for their wallets I managed to get out of the Wii hypemachine.
Wii360dsPC @ Feb 2nd 2007 7:46AM
I found 18 PS3s at my Target. Also found, 3 XBOX 360s and no Wiis.
bignerd @ Feb 2nd 2007 8:52AM
Oh my God, I just saw 30 BMW's at the dealership... I only saw 25 Ford Focus'... Ford is the best... I'm totally like 15 years old....
dvdguy @ Feb 2nd 2007 9:03AM
People don't wait in line impulsively.
Grey Acumen @ Feb 2nd 2007 9:08AM
Okay, I don't normally show up around here, but I do have to ask, and I'm not bashing, I'm just seriously curious:
Just what GOOD games are there that are exclusively for the PS3 that are already out right now? I really want to know. Cause there are already 2 games that I have and 3 more that I want just out of the list of already released Wii titles. That's roughly more money spent on games than what I had to spend on the console itself.
All I've heard for PS3 are racing games, sports games, a couple ports from 360, and things like MGS4, God of War 2, Devil May Cry 4, Final Fantasy XXLMDVII, etc...
@ borat: (and how are those any different than Nintendo using the Mario, Zelda, Samus, Starfox and the like?)
So... what are they?
As far as the Wii controls being gimmicky, you really need to open your eyes. This control method is new and completely unexplored. People are in the process of exploring it. Initial games WILL come across gimmicky and unpolished. Then people will get used to what does and doesn't work towards creating NEW gameplay as well as IMPROVING EXISTING gameplay.
If you want gimmicky, take a look at PS3's motion sensing controller which needs to be held with 2 hands, pretty much limiting its use to being a steering wheel. Even factoring in my admitted bias, that still seems a lot more gimmicky than what the Wii does. (remember, Wii has motion sensing in BOTH the wiimote and nunchuck, two devices that can be moved independently of each other)
Does Wii have a current game lineup that justifies a $250 console purchase?
To me, yeah. The games out right now are exploring the ways to use the wii control interface. The games out now are both FUN and also serve as a teaching tool to get used to the whole method of motion sensing, so that you aren't left in the dust when the motion sensing is even better capitalized on with later games.
Does the PS3's current game lineup justify a $500 console purchase?
Is this still true when not factoring in the games that are merely ports of 360 games, for which you only need to purchase a $400 console?
Is this still true when you do not already own a 1080P widescreen HDTV in order to actually receive the benefits of PS3's improved graphical capabilities, thus requiring ANOTHER purchase of minimum $750 - 1000?
These last three, I don't know the answer for everyone, but to me it ends up being no, No, and NO. These also seem to be the typical response of non gamers, casual gamers, and even a few hardcore gamers.
This isn't meant to bash on the PS3. I'm just pointing out what type of questions that are being asked, consciously or not, before someone ends up deciding which console they want to purchase. Until these questions can be answered favorably, PS3 will not sell well. If it doesn't sell well, it will eventually/continue to lose support to the systems that do sell well.
Sorry if, for some reason, that doesn't seem fair, but the only way to be able to overcome these issues is by facing up to the fact that they exist and need to be overcome...
and then DOING something about it.
Borat @ Feb 2nd 2007 11:18AM
"Just what GOOD games are there that are exclusively for the PS3 that are already out right now?"
If you don't have a PS2 and never had it, yet you like some PS3 games that will be available soon, why not? Then again, Resistance is great, Genji is OK, and Virtua Fighter will be out months before it comes out on other platforms, if you are a fighting buff. Lair and Heavenly sword are coming soon. White knight Story is supposedly coming this year, and so is MGS4.
I know you're saying "I want games NOW, not later". Well, if you want ONLY games, then I suggest you not simply go impulse buying just because Wii has one (questionably) exclusive must-have title, or a 360 which doesn't have much variety. I suggest you to wait till all "next-gen" (and I use the moniker next-gen loosely) consoles have their fair share of must-have games. And I mean variety, not their fair shair of 50 must-have FPS, but nothing else. If you really want games RIGHT NOW, I suggest you enjoy PS2, since it has the most games, and I doubt you've played 'em all. Hell, you haven't, since Yakuza 2 and God of War 2 are not out yet.
And by the way, before I watched a movie in High Def I thought "there is no way Blu-ray movies will be significantly different from DVD". But I was astonished at the difference. If you do have an HDTV or want one, buy a PS3. Best blu-ray player, great image and sound quality, and most studio support (and it's winning in sales as of now, and the trend goes up).
"I really want to know. Cause there are already 2 games that I have and 3 more that I want just out of the list of already released Wii titles. That's roughly more money spent on games than what I had to spend on the console itself."
Tell me which? Zelda TP is ON GAMECUBE. I have a gamecube and I'm not gonna pay a 250 prime just to waive my arms like a wiitard (no offense, it's just that the marginal difference isn't worth it, for me at least). What else? Elebits? WARIOWARE? MARIO PARTY? POKEY-MAN BATTLE STADIUM? YOU KNOW, THE ONE WITH THE POKEY AND THE MAN? OH MY GOD, I'M CUMMING. Ok, I know I'm crossing the line with these immature comments, but seriously, give me something more mature, more involving, with more storyline (Ok, pokemon would be ok if it wasn't pokemon stadium or pokemon pictures or talk to my pokemon; a 50 hour RPG Pokemon would be nice; imagine combining it with online play? Too bad nintendo's online is even worse than sony's). I want something ballsy (not that I'm afraid of being seen playing elebits, but seriously, give me something at least a little more aggressive). Where's Sadness? When is it coming out? There are many like me that are waiting for the Wii to get its fare share of mature titles (PS2, GC or Xbox 1 ports don't count).
"All I've heard for PS3 are racing games, sports games, a couple ports from 360, and things like MGS4, God of War 2, Devil May Cry 4, Final Fantasy XXLMDVII, etc..."
If White Knight Story, Heavenly Sword, and Lair don't do it for you, then what will? There's also Devil May Cry, God of War, Ninja Gaiden... Action game heaven! And they are all coming out this year.
"@ borat: (and how are those any different than Nintendo using the Mario, Zelda, Samus, Starfox and the like?) So... what are they?"
White Knight Story is original IP. Lair is original IP. Heavenly Sword is original IP. Even so, Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, God of War, and so on aren't as old as all of Nintendo's IP which is tired, if not expired. I do like Zelda, but it seems that it should have pulled a Resident Evil 4 (as in being best in the series; turns out it's a great game, but not revolutionary for the series).
"As far as the Wii controls being gimmicky, you really need to open your eyes. This control method is new and completely unexplored. People are in the process of exploring it. Initial games WILL come across gimmicky and unpolished. Then people will get used to what does and doesn't work towards creating NEW gameplay as well as IMPROVING EXISTING gameplay."
Then why get it now, when it sucks right now? Seriously, look at the averages of game scores between PS3 and Wii. PS3's average game scores are bad, but Wii's, even with Zelda, are pathetic. Is that worth buying now? Gimmick games? The controller might not be a gimmick, but without really good games, why should I buy now? ZELDA IS ON THE CUBE! And by the way, if gameplay was really improved, then why isn't it better now? As you said, it'll take time, and therefore, IT IS NOT WORTH IT, at the moment. I don't have a PS3 yet, but I know that I'm not getting charged more than it is worth as a whole when I get it.
"If you want gimmicky, take a look at PS3's motion sensing controller which needs to be held with 2 hands, pretty much limiting its use to being a steering wheel. Even factoring in my admitted bias, that still seems a lot more gimmicky than what the Wii does. (remember, Wii has motion sensing in BOTH the wiimote and nunchuck, two devices that can be moved independently of each other)"
Wiimote > Nunchuck, they are not equal. Anyhow, the PS3 isn't banking on SIXAXIS to be sold, but it's a nice add-on for the standard controller. On the other hand, the Wii is built around a remote control. Since it hasn't really delivered (See: Red Steel, Metroid, other mediocre games and ports), it can safely be touted as a gimmick, because that's the Wii's primary selling point. On the other hand, PS3 has many selling points: Backwards compatibility? Delivered. Blu-ray player? Delivered, the best of the bunch. Online play? So so, with resistance being ok. Graphics? So so, not yet what they promised. Games? Not now, but there's no "next-gen" platform that has matured already. Only the DS (and perhaps even the PSP), but then again they've been around a lot longer, and they're portables.
"Does Wii have a current game lineup that justifies a $250 console purchase?"
FUCK NO.
"To me, yeah. The games out right now are exploring the ways to use the wii control interface."
Not worth it for a repackaged gamecube that hasn't delivered a "revolution", as promised. Would you imagine a Wii as successful without Zelda TP?
"The games out now are both FUN and also serve as a teaching tool to get used to the whole method of motion sensing, so that you aren't left in the dust when the motion sensing is even better capitalized on with later games."
To be prepared when the good games come out? No thanks, I rather wait till *that* moment. In the meantime, I'll buy a DS, and keep enjoying PSP (and even gamecube). THAT has games already.
"Does the PS3's current game lineup justify a $500 console purchase?"
If you don't own an HDTV, and just want a games console, then definitely not. But if you want HD movies right now, then it is definitely worth it. If you want a new machine that is backwards compatible, then definitely. If you want a media center, then it is. If you wanna surf the web on your TV, it is. Homebrew, it is. If you just want PS3 games though, I suggest you wait a few months.
"Is this still true when not factoring in the games that are merely ports of 360 games, for which you only need to purchase a $400 console?"
The games aren't "ports", some of them already look better (Oblivion, Fight Night). The 360 doesn't have much variety anyway, other than FPS, Western RPGs and RTS. Is there currently an Xbox 360 game that resembles Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden or God of War that is NOT available on PS3? What about JRPGs? It seems that PS3 will get more of them.
"Is this still true when you do not already own a 1080P widescreen HDTV in order to actually receive the benefits of PS3's improved graphical capabilities, thus requiring ANOTHER purchase of minimum $750 - 1000?"
Well, if you are really in need of that much cash, don't you think you have other priorities other than gaming? And if gaming IS a priority but you lack dough, then shouldn't you be fine with PS2 AND DS? You don't need the "current novelty" when you're in that much of a need, but if you MUST, then get a DS. It's as much novelty you can get for the money you need to spend on it.
"These last three, I don't know the answer for everyone, but to me it ends up being no, No, and NO. These also seem to be the typical response of non gamers, casual gamers, and even a few hardcore gamers."
You are hardly hardcore if you don't plan to own all three consoles, because you'll be missing out on a lot, as opposed to last gen which was dominated by only one.
"This isn't meant to bash on the PS3. I'm just pointing out what type of questions that are being asked, consciously or not, before someone ends up deciding which console they want to purchase. Until these questions can be answered favorably, PS3 will not sell well. If it doesn't sell well, it will eventually/continue to lose support to the systems that do sell well.
Sorry if, for some reason, that doesn't seem fair, but the only way to be able to overcome these issues is by facing up to the fact that they exist and need to be overcome...
and then DOING something about it."
I already said it twice, and I'll say it again: No next-gen console has matured right now. Microsoft needs more japanese support. Nintendo needs more adult themed games. PS3 has a set of diverse games on the pipeline, so Sony just needs time. In the end, all three giants need time.
Olson @ Feb 2nd 2007 11:51AM
where are the gold stars i want them back please, i want to now bull shit from bull crap.
rk @ Feb 7th 2007 10:17PM
Hey "Borat"
Your comment about HD & the PS3 was very interesting to me:
"'Does the PS3's current game lineup justify a $500 console purchase?'
If you don't own an HDTV, and just want a games console, then definitely not"
I know HDTV was the hot Xmas item, but HDTV has really got a far way to go before it's in every household in the US. Double that for next-gen DVDs... the only people who are really excited about buying all their movies over again in a new format are companies like Sony who make next-gen DVDs & Home Theater scum. The average American can't tell the difference in quality between a DVD & a Blu-Ray/HD-DVD. Especially if that American doesn't have an HD-TV.
So, then, where does that leave the PS3? "Ahead of it's time" is a nice way of putting it. "The Cart in front of the horse" is a more pessimistic assessment.
Add to this, that Sony has lost sight of what a video game system is supposed to provide: FUN. That's something the Wii, fad or not, is delivering on for hundreds of people who never thought the liked video games before.
Diceburna @ Feb 2nd 2007 9:29PM
Spokesperson for Sony comments hold some weight...I like the Wii and all but the only reason I was gonna get it, is b/c I didnt think I was goin to be able to afford a ps3. Then when I had the money I couldnt find a wii so I kept saving up and realized I had enough money stacked up to buy a ps3. Then a friend came up to me, offering to sell his ps3, so I bought it and was glad I waited instead just rushing to get a wii.
Why I think the wii is aight but not for me is:
1. No HD Support (unless u have HD u wont be able to see my point on this)
2. No HDMI support (this one cable that carries video/audio from monoprice.com is the best idea in 2006)
3. No Bluray
At xmas i was goin to buy a wii out of impulse b/c i wanted something new and the wii offered that but it would of been baaaad for my setup. If Sony could lower the price that would be cool but i can understand if they cant b/c bluray dvd players n drives are priced around $800 and up msrp. Now its rumored wii will have hd support in the future which is smart b/c I think more ppl in the future will have hd sets, what will hurt them is workin out the bugs that come along w/ hd. Sony by then will have enuff experience dealing w/ it, since thery're in the HD game goin thru the problems right now.
PS2Fan @ Feb 2nd 2007 2:57PM
So... What's with all the Wii-bashing here? If the PS3 isn't selling as well, that's Sony's fault. Demographics, people. If you've got your PS3's, why are you bitching about the Wii? "Ooh... Wii's are just for kids. I'm a PS3, so I instantly have massive e-testicles." Well, guess what. You don't like the Wii, you don't have to get one. Let the people who want them get them. I'd like to have a PS3, myself, eventually. (
Groggy @ Feb 2nd 2007 4:45PM
wow Bora.... all I can say is your an idiot
Tom @ Feb 3rd 2007 6:29AM
I bought Wii mainly so I could play Zelda. For people saying "but Zelda is on the Gamecube!": you've got it all wrong. The Wii version of the game has a feature that simply can't be beat: precise aiming with the wiimote. Seriously, sniping an enemy from 300 feet away with the bow&arrow is awesome! Aside from Zelda, there's Excite Truck. If you haven't played this game you really should give it a try. It's a lot of fun. Another game I kinda like is Trauma Center. Again here's a game where you get to use precise pointing to operate on a patient. Red Steel was okay, and my family had a lot of fun playing Rayman (my sister especially liked the music tractor beam game with the Pulp Fiction song). I'm looking forward to Mario and Metroid too. Should be a lot of fun. I guess the point is, I'm pretty casual about gaming, so if I can get a fun experience from PS3 I'd consider it... but the price keeps me away. Wii might be an impulse purchase, but it pays off just the same.
Thomas @ Feb 3rd 2007 9:20AM
Sony understands that people in the beginning are going to buy more Wii(s) than PS3s because, it's cheapter - thus making it an impulse buy, you don't really have to save up to buy it, for most one paycheck can handle a Wii purchase, if you have a part time job, you can save 50 dollars a week, and you'll have one just over a month.. the ps3 on the other hand will take a while to save up for.. and it's a much bigger investment than the Wii. The Wii is just like the ds, it'll sell well because it's cheap, and it'll have Nintendo's first party games that have sold every system from the nes to ds, and now the WIi. One thing though, NIntendo is going to get 500, or 600 dollars out of their customers.. for 249.99, Wii customers aren't getting very much, two years from now.. where is the Wii going to be.. the price will be what... 99.99, or 69.99, that's when Nintendo will come out with another system at 399.99 or 299.99 -and that's how Nintendo gets their 500, Wii + new system = 500,
thomas @ Feb 8th 2007 10:34PM
Nintendo basically got people to pay at least 260, for the DS, and the DSL, and they picked up new users at the 129.99, but we know most people who bought the DS, bought the DSL... especially in Japan. Even though its a delayed effect, Nintendo still got people to buy the same system twice, and that's an example of what I think they're going to do with the Wii, except that, in a couple of years - 2 at most, they'll come out with another system that Wii owners are going to feel compelled to upgrade too.... that's when Nintendo says... Gotcha Bitch!!!! lol
djmg82 @ Feb 4th 2007 5:01PM
Thomas, your logic astounds me. So you're justifying the cost of the PS3 because the cost ends up being the same when you include... a FUTURE, as of yet UNANNOUNCED console? Well then I'd DEFINITLY better not buy a PS3 because that'd be like $2000 counting my original PS and all the games I own for it! Oh no! Boy am I glad I didn't own a PS2 or it would have been like $3000!
And I don't think you people here understand the definition of an impulse buy. The candy rack at the check-out isle is where impulse buys are made. It's when you see something with little knowledge about it, say to yourself "that looks good/interesting" and you buy it. That isn't happening with the Wii because it isn't sitting on store shelves long enough for people to casually saunter by and purchase out of impulse. When something sells out the morning it becomes in stock it is not an impulse buy. It is a planned purchase. Not to mention $250 isn't something that the middle class is generally willing to just throw away. Maybe come Xmas the Wii will become an impulse buy... but then so will the other consoles.
Sony and all it's little nut-cupping fanboys can spin things however they want. But the fact is that right now the PS3 is selling like ass while the Wii and 360 are enjoying success. You can argue future titles... but anyone with half a brain will list an equal number of "must-have" future titles for the Wii and 360.
plufim @ Feb 5th 2007 10:51PM
Borat: how can you simultaneously bash the wii for not having good games yet while simultaneously talking about all the great PS3 games... that have no launch date? The wii is in it's launch lull, and guess what: so is the PS3. The only game it's gotten so far this year, and it's sonic?
I know one thing: I'll be playing Metroid Prime 3 before you're playing Metal Gear Solid 4. And Prime 3 will have all those things you claim a decent game requires.
As for graphics, check out sonic and the secret rings most recent pics to see what the wii is capable of. Nintendo rushed out early dev kits that were quite underpowered, which resulted in the launch titles looking as last gen as they did. I say we wait to see what capcom do with resident evil chronicles before saying just how "bad" the wii actually is.
tl;dr: it's too early to judge any consoles right now based on it's library. All systems take a while to hit their stride, and the game with the superior library won't be known for at least a year.