Would more people buy a PS3 if it were called Vaio-3?

by Nick Doerr { Feb 7th 2007 at 1:00PM }

This is kind of in the same vein as the speculation of a PlayStation 3 price cut. By the same vein, we mean they're both speculation. The boss of Sonic Team, behind Sonic and the Secret Rings for the Nintendo Wii, Yogiro Ogawa, claimed that the PS3 is very expensive. Yes, we know... the price argument. Again. Forever. But that's not what the subject line of this post claims is most interesting.

Ogawa was asked if the potential and overall abilities of the PS3 as a whole were worth the price. He replied: "Now I think that if Sony had sold the PS3 alongside the Vaio brand, maybe like calling it the 'Vaio PS3' or something like that, it may have been more appealing to the right people. I think that the way in which Sony has chosen to approach the PS3 could have been better. It's very expensive." We suppose that could be true... (as I glance at my aging Vaio laptop) but it's a pretty big departure from the Vaio computer line. First off, there's no standard monitor. You need those. Computers don't need TV's. Well, you guys can make your own arguments here! What do you think? Vaio-3 or PlayStation 3?

Tags: Playstation 3, Playstation3, PS3, Sonic Team, SonicTeam, Sony, Vaio

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Tyler @ Feb 7th 2007 1:39PM

dont listen to him, he's killing the sonic franchise!

LuckyChowmeinDude @ Feb 7th 2007 1:45PM

CrapStation 3

Glenn @ Feb 7th 2007 2:19PM

No, the reason for people to buy something is:

- The product is (over)hyped (like this one)
- The product is good, and has a good name, and good PR that don't point fingers to others, or succes in the past...

AKA, the NAME, the succes of the PS2, The impulsive buy of a wii... you can make a huge list here why it wouldn't sell, but it's all crap, the system just isn't what normal gamers look for, they dont want to pay that amount of money, to get the same (minus good online) as something you can buy for half that money... It is just that...

Maybe, when HD and stuff is more under the "normal" people it will going to sell better, but right now, no-one is waiting for blu-ray crap

Greetings Glenn

Joop @ Feb 7th 2007 6:03PM

Sony should be glad they didn't do that. They dragged the Playstation brand through the mud, and the only reason the company is still afloat is because their other brands, like Vaio and Bravia, are doing better then expected, helping to soften the financial blow the PS brand is causing them.

Had they called it by one of their other brands and been just as arrogant and unfulfilling as they are now, it would have sullied the reputation of the rest of that brand's products.

Tyler @ Feb 7th 2007 6:14PM

@4 and Microsoft?

How long did it take for the Xbox brand to turn a profit? have they even gotten out of the red yet??

Eric @ Feb 7th 2007 6:57PM

Yeah, give up the most recognizable name is gaming. That's a good idea... I don't even really think the price is the main factor. The main reason it's not selling is most of the games are either not very good or available on the 360, oftentimes cheaper and better. Not to mention there aren't that many games anyway. The system is good, maybe better than the 360, but there sure as hell isn't a game to prove that yet, and they won't be one anytime soon either. And yeah, seriously, WTF does anyone involved with the sonic franchise know about decent gaming anyway? How many games in a row have been utter shit now?

Thomas @ Feb 7th 2007 8:28PM

If Sony gives the PS3 the Vaio name, people may then regard it more as a computer, than a Gaming machine.. which would be detrimental, cause people don't want a computer.... they want Playstation. But in actuality, the price may be too much for most consumers...

Joop @ Feb 7th 2007 8:34PM

@5 The games division of both Sony and MS is probably still in the red and will be for a few more years even in a best case scenerio (hell, all of MS is, due to Vista), but that's not really what I was talking about. Sony's monkey-sink of a games division being held up by their successful brands was just supplementary to why it was great that they didn't tarnish them with the terrible public image the PS3 has become.

JK @ Feb 8th 2007 4:14AM

This is off topic, but I just got my 46" 1080p Bravia yesterday. Running 720p and 1080p yielded perfect legible text from the PlayStation Store. But with our 42" plasma at 720p, the text was really hard to read, having to sit closer to around 2-3 feet. I can sit all the way back 10 feet or so on the couch with the new LCD TV. Has anyone else experienced problems with 720p (1024x768 type) plasmas?

On another note, 1080p webpages are ridiculously small still -_-;

Bobby Ensminger @ Feb 8th 2007 10:07AM

If the Wii is outselling the PS3, 3 to 1, and the Wii is almost a third of the price ($250 in US for Wii, $600 for PS3), then theoretically isn't Sony making almost the same money as Nintendo? (Granted the Wii is pure profit and Sony is losing money on the PS3's, but it almost the same). Just food for thought.

TheLAZER @ Feb 8th 2007 10:17AM

A piece of shit by any other name, is still a Piece of shit
Sorry Sony

I actually regret HAVING my ps3 right now

TheLAZER @ Feb 8th 2007 10:18AM

@Bobby

oh and heres the thing bobby, SONY LOSES MONEY ON THE UNITS UNSOLD

Lol

TheSh0wstopper @ Feb 8th 2007 10:46AM

Oh my GOD,
For crying out loud the damn system just came out a few months ago. What system in history had a bunch of killer apps 4 months out of the gate. The sky is not falling yet and the rumors of Sony's demise have been greatly exagerated. What do you people want in 4 months time? Seriously give it a rest. And as for the price... ITS ONLY $600!!! Is this some starving 3rd world country or is it AMERICA!!! The average American income is 35k. (I said this yesterday and some dude doubted me. Well according to USNEWS average american makes $17 and hour. $17 x 40 hours x 52 weeks = $35,360) And for $600 you get more than what you pay for not to mention that its an investment into something that will last you 5 years (at least). Also you can save up, you dont have to blow one weeks paycheck on it. It is the only TRUE nextgen system out: WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI, 7.1 surround sound, and Built in Blu ray (and lets not argue if you need it or not, ITS A NEXT GEN FORMAT AND THIS IS A NEXT GEN SYSTEM, if you want last gen tech then get a last gen system)
The funny thing is the only system that I can think of that had a bunch of killer games in its first few months and at launch was crashing burning failure, Dreamcast.
This is playstation, you know and I know that they WILL have games. Or did everyone forget that the 360 didnt launch with Gears or War, Oblivion, Lost Planet, Dead Rising or even Dead or Alive for that matter.