Jack Tretton talks about slow start of PS3, how it's all right
by Nick Doerr 
{ Sep 23rd 2007 at 2:00PM }
Sony Computer Entertainment America's head honcho, Jack Tretton, sat down for an interview with GamePro to discuss why Sony is okay with the slow start the PS3 has gotten in units sold. Our words, not his. First and foremost, he mentions the lifespan of PlayStation systems: "The original PlayStation lasted 10 years -- a tremendous innovation when other platforms died and were all but forgotten ... The same thing is going on with the PS2, and I think that will be the case with the PS3." We say that's likely with the PS2, but the original PlayStation didn't quite make it to ten years. The PS2 is easily getting more support even after its heir has been born.Tretton bobs his head from side to side [blogger's note: he may or may not have actually bobbed his head from side to side] and goes on: "I don't think we expected nor we need to capture the lifecycle of the PS3 in the first nine months. We want to build evangelists, one consumer at a time, and it involves sacrificing in the short term before paying off in the long term." So, Tretton isn't worried about the slow uptake on the PS3 in part from the continued support of the PS2 and the idea that over time, evangelists (in the marketing universe we call them apostles) will spread the word that the PS3 is fantastic and they'll have the games to back up their statement. Since most of us here are relatively proud owners, would you back up his statement or say that sales are important now, not later?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Le Mayor @ Sep 23rd 2007 2:20PM
LONG LIVE PS3!
plyx @ Sep 23rd 2007 2:26PM
I have seen the light, praise PS3!
Stellarpimp @ Sep 23rd 2007 2:31PM
No. Hes a dumbass. With this slow start the PS3 keeps losing developers. And what is a system without developers? 3DO. And we know how that turned out.
Metoo @ Sep 23rd 2007 2:38PM
Jack, why won't you return my calls? I'm having your baby.
gone with the wind @ Sep 23rd 2007 2:42PM
silly tretton tricks are for kidz and then god said let there be ps3 and there was (at $600 a piece)
Naaiif @ Sep 23rd 2007 2:42PM
It isn't alright, the x360 is going to steam ahead if they don't get that 40gb model out by Christmas. Plus they definitely need to drop the price by about £100 here in the UK, which such a massive price difference between the 360 and the ps3, there's really no contest here at the moment.
But of course, i have faith, hopefully it will happen, and then as many people as possible will be able to experience the beauty that is Uncharted over Christmas.
FrankTheCrank @ Sep 23rd 2007 2:44PM
Look, they screwed up. The entry price was too high. Who the hell did they think they were.
Can you blame them? Well, things like the Cell and Bluray didn't help the price. And if you think about it, Sony was really cornered....they had to release something.
I'm glad they didn't release a half ass box, but at the same time, the price just killed them. And lack of games isn't helping any.
But I must say, having purchased several VERY good games in the past month...things are looking good.
WARHAWK is kick ass. What a great multiplayer. DiRT is good as well. I'm looking forward to Ratchet and Stuntman.
Hardware is nothing without good software. You bring the games, they will come. Competition is stiff, you just need to bring your A game.
ruibing @ Sep 23rd 2007 2:52PM
Best strategy for them is to build up a large list of games and get them out before the holidays as fast as they can. Then drop the price right before the holidays. This should be better than dropping it right now without having a lot of the titles like Ratchet, Haze, Uncharted, UT3, and more backing it up.
finelicker @ Sep 23rd 2007 2:53PM
Sure, the PS3 sales are slow because of two things, price and software, we all know this, its no secret. However, history repeats itself, when the ps2 first came out, dreamcast was all over it, eventually though, software caught up as devs became more familiar with the hardware and the PS2 sky-rocketed into un precedented success. The reason for this ?, Sony innovated with the hardware, choosing the more difficult hardware path. Watch this space, the PS3 will do amazing things soon enough, patience is the only thing for us, until that time, we'll just have to put up with half assed EA ports.
Dehshizknight @ Sep 30th 2007 11:49AM
Its funny how people always seem to forget the past. I know this is a new generation of gaming but history does repeat itself. The same was said about the PS2 when it had slow sales but it eventually gained the leading role in the console race.
Dehshizknight @ Sep 23rd 2007 3:00PM
Dang it finelicker! You beat me with the whole 'history repeats itself' line. Lol.
NastyN8 @ Sep 23rd 2007 3:04PM
To people who know know their history. This is the same shit with ps1 and ps2. Really it is. Your goin to read all these articles about how "SONY IS DONE" or "SONY IS DOOMED" when HALO comes out, but it so stupid lol one game is not goin to kill a system and it wont kill a multibillion dollar company like SONY. There making cash off PS2,PS3, and PSP at the same time. Devs will get use to the hardware like they had to do with PS1 and PS2. 08 is gonna be a fun year just wait and see
ruibing @ Sep 23rd 2007 3:17PM
@9-12
I agree with you all that history will repeat itself. The only part that is vital to his equation is the developers. Microsoft is a gigantic corporation able to spew out billions onto their consoles, so it requires the developers to stay committed to the PS3. We see Square Enix (except for Last Remnant) and Konami doing this, but we can see other ones like Ubisoft (Assassin's Creed) and Capcom (RE5) taking the profit walk instead.
A price drop this winter is really important. More software and lower price will create more demand. This means more softwares being bought and more Blu Ray movies being bought. I've already got my PS3 and PSP-2000.
RemzVkru @ Sep 23rd 2007 3:18PM
Yes just give it time sony will prevail in the end!! just takes time. Xbots can yap all they want about halo cause it's really not that great. It's just like halo 2 but with better graphics, it's the same shit over and over again but you can't blame them they have nothing else to push for the crackbox they have to milk halo for all it's worth!! I still don't understand why people support micosoft, I wouldn't give them a dime and never plan on it!!
Ruben @ Sep 23rd 2007 3:20PM
I mean look PS1 had little baby PS2, who killed little 2 year old dreamcast, then PS2 got a little nephew named PSP and then had a little son named PS3. PS2 was bored so he went and killed Xbox. Who had just had a son named 360, grandfather PS1 is dead (R.I.P We will always remember you) but lives on in memories... and PSN. So it is now PS2 + PSP + PS3 V.S 360
Frank @ Sep 23rd 2007 3:24PM
I want history to repeat itself, but I don't think it will this time around. The ps2 sold out for months and was impossible to get at launch. There was a huge demand when it came out, and the demand continued for years. The ps3 is quite the opposite. Stores were already having extras laying around by christmas time. That is not a good sign. Even the 360 was very difficult to get until like march.
Also:
@8: "Best strategy for them is to build up a large list of games and get them out before the holidays as fast as they can. "
You can't just "build up a large list of games" and then get them out. Sony develops some first party titles, but a majority is done by third party. It's not like they can flick a switch and "get them out"
@12: "There making cash off PS2,PS3, and PSP at the same time."
They are actually losing ~200+ per ps3 they sell right now.
Deaddy @ Sep 23rd 2007 3:32PM
If for no other reason, sales NOW are very important to retain third party support.
OTAM @ Sep 23rd 2007 3:32PM
They need more than a dozen exclusives,that's the problem. I own all 3 next gen systems and I use my 360 the most because it has exclusives I want to play. I don't go out and spend $400 on a 360 to play Rainbow Six Vegas or The Darkness,I get it for Dead Rising,Gears of War,and Bioshock. Sure,the multiplatform games are still good,but i'm not spending $600 to get Stranglehold when the 360 has Stranglehold PLUS exclusives out now. It's been almost a year since the PS3 has been out and it's barely getting any games. There's 12 months in a year,not 3,so why not break up all the games throughout the year and have people play your system instead of being a paperweight until the holidays. It doesnt make any goddamn sense.
Ruben @ Sep 23rd 2007 3:34PM
They should notice that with another 60gb price drop, they would sell so much it would make up for their losse and sales would skyrocket cuz it would be cheaper then the 360. And then when its only 80gb PS3's on store shelves release the 40GB w/a game, a good one like Heavenly sword or Warhawk for $400.
OTAM @ Sep 23rd 2007 3:36PM
Also,just to bring it home. You people need to stop worrying about the stretch and think about NOW. I own my system NOW. I want to play awesome games on it NOW. I don't want to hear about you're 10 year plans,I want to hear about the PRESENT. I'd rather have 2 years of jam packed games and have a great time NOW instead of spanning out a dozen exclusives over 5 years.
You need to get the ball rolling in the present because consumers arent going to wait around forever. This is why people end up returning their PS3's or selling them off. We're out $600 and own the system right now,not being billed 9 years from today.
Ruben @ Sep 23rd 2007 3:39PM
Correction 60GB $100 dollar price drop would make it cheaper then the elite
Oz @ Sep 23rd 2007 3:37PM
I agree this is fucking stupid.
I want fucking games for the PS3. Now look at the 360. It's going to have Halo 3 which is obviously going to be the most highly rated game ever.
Although Killzone 2 looks fantastic, I bet the reviews will be crap again. I really hope this isn't the case though. I really want that game!!
Kspraydad @ Sep 23rd 2007 3:39PM
@Frank...
Just a small point...there has been NO new analysis of Sony's cost of production, that I've seen at least, since Nov 2006. We don't KNOW that they are losing $200 per console.
@Jack Tretton...
Your problem will be when X720 and Wii2 come out in about 3 years and you are just hitting your stride with the PS3...you will be 'old' tech and wanting to ride that pony for 5 more years. In other words...you don't have time for your evangelists to work..you have to get these consoles into homes NOW.
dragon @ Sep 23rd 2007 3:42PM
The PS2 may have had a long lifespan, but historically, has a third-place console ever recovered? (That's not a rhetorical question--I really don't know the answer.) I find it more plausible that long-term success comes from market share, not from brand name. So the PS2 comparison doesn't mean much for this generation.
Besides the lack of games (a situation which may be remedied by Eye of Judgement, LittleBigPlanet, FFXIII, and Hot Shots Golf), the main thing preventing me from purchasing a PS3 at the moment is fear that third-party developers aren't going to want to invest time in developing games (especially exclusives) for the third-place console.
The 360's future seems solid, at least in North America. The Wii has been suffering a bit from lack of games in its first year, but with the largest market share, it's hard to imagine that game developers aren't hopping on board. (Though it may take another year or two to see results.) So that means I'd be paying a premium for the console with the most uncertain future.
Sony may need to market the fact that TCO of the PS3 works out to be less with the included extras. (WiFi, PSN, Blu-ray.) On the other hand, I'm not convinced that Blu-ray is a selling point anymore. (The early adopters will have hopped on board already; the rest of us are probably waiting for the format war to be decided. I find my upscaling DVD player quite sufficient on my HDTV.)
And what games would qualify as "system sellers?" LittleBigPlanet seems like a good candidate.
The other consoles aren't without their weaknesses, so there might be openings there. The 360 isn't doing well in Japan, and is weak in the style of games that are popular there (JRPGs or pretty much everything that doesn't involve shooting, punching, or sports.) The Wii doesn't have the HD or the graphical strength, but a "Wii 2" could solve that.
It is somewhat sad that they managed to kill all of their hype with that $600 price point.
kcmanuel @ Sep 23rd 2007 4:25PM
Fist and foremost, I'm an owner of both systems, and if I was to choose one as a favorite, it would have to be my PS3.
I'm not to sure of this, but is the PS3 not selling more units in it's current life cycle than the 360 did?
In terms of developers; they will go to which ever system manufacturer has the largest install base, unless of course that particular console does not have the graphical power it needs to develop their games. Bottom line....well, is their bottom line, which is profit. The PS3 is not loosing developers because the system isn't any good, it's just not as profitable to develop for a system whose install base is smaller than the other. Witht that said though, there are some developers who see the potential of the PS3 and is developing for it.
The only/main reason why PS3 is selling slow, is mainly because of price. In my opinion the PS3 will definitely drop in price by Holiday season, and it will sell strong. The PS3 is definitely not priced for the casual gamer, but it' slowly getting to within reach for those who are. The great titles are coming and once the install base gets larger, you'll see more developers developing for it. It's a vested investment for Sony and it's Consumers, and I totally understand that...only time will tell, and when MGS4 and GT5 comes out along with the rest of the games I already own, then I would feel my investment in the system has been a good one. My PS3 is not only used for gaming, it's also my Blu Ray player, media server, my linux box and folding box.
Bozzie @ Sep 23rd 2007 4:28PM
Just to add another eqaution into this matter. America does nto rule the world belive it or not. And im pretty damn sure that the japanese arn't taking much of the 360. Don't forget Japan is where all this started and they influence the gaming market hugely! Yes they love the wii, but does it really count?
Europe(im from Uk) I think alot of the case is peopel would like a PS3 but cost puts them down. We are only scrathing teh console war surface atm. and have many many years to come of these same debates.
konajinx @ Sep 23rd 2007 4:28PM
"But I must say, having purchased several VERY good games in the past month...things are looking good."
Yeah, it was fun playing with you over on Xbox Live, Frank! See, I told you th 360 pwnz!
Phil @ Sep 23rd 2007 4:44PM
Doesn't Scandinavian countries hold some #1 & #2 country placings in some form of ranking or other...
Sony will lose dfevelopers in the short term, but looking at what's on the PSN and the first party games and those lovely developers who can write code without complaining etc, they still have solid titles which are slowly creeping out.
I got bored of the Wii several weeks after - good for parties with the work peeps and the such, but that's about it.
As far as I am concerned, the 360 suffers largely the same issue the PS3 is at the moment, only a few titles which are worth playing.
Yes, it does have more titles out, but I've got bored of them, my friends are bored of them and my boss is too - most of the games they buy are just to pass the time awaiting Halo 3 - the similar sort of thing that the PS3 is doing, releasing some solid 2-3 week games in the run up to major releases.
I can find more interesting titles for my PS3 in the next 2 quarters than I can for my 360, but maybe that's me and largely down to what I like.
ruibing @ Sep 23rd 2007 4:49PM
The PS3 has had a lot more exclusive titles in their first year than the 360 did in theirs. Here's a list of releases coming out to the states by end of 2007.
360's list:
Eternal Sonata (until 2008)
Fable 2
Gears of War
Halo 3
Mass Effect
PS3's list:
Folklore
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
Haze
Heavenly Sword
MotorStorm
Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction
Resistence: Fall of Man
The Eye of Judgment
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Unreal Tournament III (until 2008)
Warhawk
I didn't add Lair onto PS3 list since I don't think its too good anyways. Then again, I thought the same about Blue Dragon. And these are only North America releases, a lot more PS3 games are released in Japan for 2007. I don't see how people think there is a lack of games for the PS3 for the holidays.
ruibing @ Sep 23rd 2007 5:06PM
Actually, I forgot PGR4 and Dead Rising for the 360. Just wanted to add that on before some fan corrected me.
Frank @ Sep 23rd 2007 5:17PM
I don't understand your list ruibing, you listed Gears of War (came out last year) along with games that are just now coming out, or haven't come out yet.
drdre74 @ Sep 23rd 2007 5:48PM
I never understood why people are talking about the PS3 not selling since its been out. Its still a new system and the games are coming. Once 2008 hits there will be more than enough top notch games. You don't win a race by blowing out the gate full force at the beginning of the race. You hold out until near the end and give it all you got.
Frank @ Sep 23rd 2007 6:09PM
"You don't win a race by blowing out the gate full force at the beginning of the race. You hold out until near the end and give it all you got."
No...no that's not right at all.
Developers make games for consoles that will make them profit. They tend to make games for the system with the largest install base. But hey, by your logic, maybe the dreamcast will win!
ruibing @ Sep 23rd 2007 6:19PM
@31
It is more of a list of good exclusives rather than new ones for the holiday. I just thought it was unfair that Motorstorm and Resistance be on there while Gears of War isn't. These are just games that I think are good, I've left out games on both 360 and PS3 that I didn't think mattered much.
OTAM @ Sep 23rd 2007 6:46PM
I am convinced these guys running the Playstation division of Sony are as deluded as our current US President.
You come out swinging or you don't come out at all. There's no such thing as a 10 year plan if you tank in year 1.
Frank @ Sep 23rd 2007 7:22PM
You should try creating a non-skewed list then ruibing.
Crackdown
Saints Row
Lost Planet
Forza Motorsport 2
And your upcoming game list forgets some heavy hitters for 360 as well.
Mass Effect
Ninja Gaiden 2
Splinter Cell
Ace Combat 6
Supino @ Sep 23rd 2007 8:01PM
With the PS2; you owned all you needed. With the PS3; you own under half the fun.
live with it - accept it. Things change.
Ian @ Sep 23rd 2007 8:16PM
I really fancy some fish & chips, plenty of salt and vinegar. Anyone live near a chip shop?
sicklesdawg @ Sep 23rd 2007 8:18PM
We need to buy OUR EXCLUSIVES!!!
ruibing @ Sep 23rd 2007 9:08PM
@36
It is a list of 2007 that are due by Christmas of 2007, so Ninja Gaiden 2 doesn't count. Along the same lines, I just checked on ign and yes Ace Combat 6 does count, I was under the impression that it was a 2008 release.
I didn't count Lost Planet and Splinter Cell because its available on the PC, so no real reason to get a 360 for it. And as for Forza, Saints Row, and Crackdown, I never heard of them. Same reason why I didn't include of the more obscure PS3 titles I never heard of.
Andy @ Sep 23rd 2007 9:19PM
I still side with the PS3 when it comes to future games.
Afrika, 8DAYS, The Getaway 3, Gretzky NHL, Time Crisis 4, Killzone 2 and the most important exclusive of all... LittleBigPlanet!!!
In the end be happy with your purchase. If you didn't look into the future (why not thats when the big games come out) then your an idiot.
Frank @ Sep 23rd 2007 9:28PM
"And as for Forza, Saints Row, and Crackdown, I never heard of them. Same reason why I didn't include of the more obscure PS3 titles I never heard of."
Perhaps you shouldn't be on a gaming website giving obscure opinions when you have absolutely no idea what the hell you're talking about then. Those are all MAJOR titles. Anyone with even half a brain knows these titles by name. Saints Row and Crackdown both sold well over a million copies each.
Secondly, don't make a "ps3 exclusive vs xbox 360 exclusive" list and fail to include 360 games that are also on PC. You are comparing those two consoles in your list, not PC. They are exclusive to 360 in your comparison, so you can't discount bioshock/lost planet/splinter cell because microsoft put them on PC as well.
Frank @ Sep 23rd 2007 9:29PM
"And as for Forza, Saints Row, and Crackdown, I never heard of them. Same reason why I didn't include of the more obscure PS3 titles I never heard of."
Perhaps you shouldn't be on a gaming website giving obscure opinions when you have absolutely no idea what the hell you're talking about then. Those are all MAJOR titles. Anyone with even half a brain knows these titles by name. Saints Row and Crackdown both sold well over a million copies each.
Secondly, don't make a "ps3 exclusive vs xbox 360 exclusive" list and fail to include 360 games that are also on PC. You are comparing those two consoles in your list, not PC. They are exclusive to 360 in your comparison, so you can't discount bioshock/lost planet/splinter cell because microsoft put them on PC as well.
OrganicShadow @ Sep 23rd 2007 10:01PM
While I agree with the overall tactic Jack is telling us here, I would have to still say that he is underestimating the lead the Wii and 360 have on the PS3 currently. 360 always a good 4 to 5 million ahead and growing, and Wii is just selling like nobodies business.
Sony's planting the seed, but they're not watering and fertilizing affectively, or rather often enough.
ruibing @ Sep 23rd 2007 10:03PM
@Frank
I don't know when this became a hot debate over my knowledge of games. I obviously don't know that much about 360 games, which is why I stay on this site. And when in the world did I ever say it was a complete list of games? This is a comment system, meaning it is all opinions. I just had a list of 360 and PS3 games available by the holidays this year that I thought were good. I don't think I was being biased against the 360 at all, I even dropped a lot of PS3 games because I didn't think they were any good. You think those games are good, it is your opinion, it is what your half a brain likes, not mine.
As for not including Bioshock, Gears of War, Splinter Cell, and Lost Planet because it is available on the PC, I just felt its not an exclusive unless you must get the console to play the game. I only have a PS3, and I've finished Bioshock and part of Splinter Cell. If FF or MGS where available on PC, all of you 360 fans who say the same thing.
ryano @ Sep 23rd 2007 10:07PM
of course its alright. there's still technology whores out there that will buy a game system for it's potential.
while that may seem ok in itself, i'm one of those guys that buys a system that has games im looking forward to. until that future happens, my legs are closed to the PS3. =D
Flux @ Sep 23rd 2007 10:10PM
@13 - Yes, Microsoft is a big corporation, but Sony is bigger. Microsoft also does not have much leeway to just "throw money" at the 360 anymore, since they lost a fair amount on the original Xbox. Sony is in a much better position than Microsoft in this regard, thus the much earlier price drop on the PS3 vs. 360.
And as far as the PS3's "10 year plan" goes, I'm sure that's fine for Sony. The real problem is with the developers. Without a large install base NOW, I don't see developers being as willing to bet on the PS3 as a primary platform. Why would they, when they have two comparable systems, but the 360 has more potential sales out there? I would expect to see a continuing trend of the 360 being the primary platform on ports as well as increasing its stable of exclusives.
Oh, and @19 - Brilliant idea. Sell each unit at a larger loss, and make up the difference in volume. You would have been a great dot-com CFO. I think you might want to rework your business plan a bit ;)
Time @ Sep 23rd 2007 10:25PM
I agree, if it's exclusive, you must get a console for it, you shouldn't wonder whether or not you can get a better and cheaper version of it on PC
Time @ Sep 23rd 2007 10:31PM
Yeah, but you also have to take in account attach rates...for example, take the wii, it has nearly twice the install base of the ps3 but madden 08 sold 3 times better on the ps3
install base isn't all to end all....especially if you don't know what your demographic is
not to mention Sony already has internal studios larger the both Microsoft and Nintendo combine and they just bought two more studios recently.
my point is that while third parties are important, first and second parties are now even more important
busboy33 @ Sep 24th 2007 1:56AM
It's not a question of whether or great games will come for PS3 . . . of course they will. There were great games for the Gamecube. There were great games for the Xbox. They still ended up behind PS2. Why? The installed base for PS2 was so large at that point, all the other consoles could do was move around and argue about 2nd and 3rd place.
The longer it takes worthwile games to arrive, the more market share goes to Wii and 360. Not everybody can buy 2 or three consoles. Not everybody is hardcore enough to do that. The PS2 didn't win because of the hardcore, it won because the general public bought them. The longer Sony takes to (a) put together a host of must-haves, and (b) drops the price to something a regular family will pay for, the more likely that people will buy the other two. The more non-gamers will play their friend's wii/360, and decide to get one too. Then they will be buying software for those platforms. Developers will keep drifting away from Sony.
Personall, I think Holidays 08 is going to be make-or-break for Sony. Not that they will go out of the race, but if they can't put some serious hardware sales numbers down, they're going to stay stuck in 3rd for the rest of this generation.
p.s. for the games list above, separating out PC games from the 360 lineup . . .
Not everybody has a gaming rig computer. While hardcore people may enjoy tuning their rigs, the vast majority of people do not have systems that can handle those titles (GoW, Bioshock, etc). Additionally, since 360 and Games for Windows are using the same development tools (XNA), developers that make 360 games can easily port it to PC, making the potential market for MS related games absolutely huge. Yet more reason for a developer to "go where the money is."