CNN on Japanese PS3 launch and console war

CNN ran the following item on the Japanese PlayStation3 launch.

Please note: This is a clean-feed version (i.e. without supers). Interviewees are Paul Constantine (the customer) and Hirokazu Hamamura from Famitsu publisher Enterbrain. Atika Shubert reports.





Here are some interesting quotes from the above package:

IT'S COLD, RAINY AND VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING. BUT THAT HASN'T STOPPED MORE THAN A THOUSAND GAMERS FROM COMING OUT TO BUY THIS: THE PLAYSTATION 3. THIS SCENE IS BEING REPEATED AT ELECTRONIC STORES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. BUT WILL THIS BE ENOUGH TO PICK SONY OUT OF ITS SLUMP?

AN EDGY AD CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN DRUMMING UP EXCITEMENT FOR WEEKS ... AFTER MONTHS OF DELAYS FOR THE PS 3 DUE TO TECHNICAL PROBLEMS AND PRICING CONCERNS. IT'S NOT CHEAP. SIX-HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR THE 60 GIGABYTE GAME CONSOLE. AROUND 90 BUCKS FOR EACH GAME. BUYERS CAN EASILY SPEND MORE THAN 1000 DOLLARS. SONY SAYS IT'S MORE THAN A GAME CONSOLE: IT'S AN ENTERTAINMENT CENTER. (...)

THE COMPETITION HAS A HEADSTART. MICROSOFT'S XBOX 360 HAS BEEN ON THE SHELVES FOR MORE THAN A YEAR AND COSTS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS. YET, IT STILL GETS REGULARLY OUTSOLD BY PLAYSTATION.

THE SURPRISE WINNER MAY BE NINTENDO'S WII - A REVOLUTIONARY GAME CONTROLLER THAT ALLOWS PLAYERS TO PHYSICALLY ACT OUT THEIR FANTASIES - WHETHER ITS TENNIS AT WIMBLEDON OR SWASHBUCKLING ACROSS AN IMAGINARY KINGDOM. AT LITTLE MORE THAN 200 DOLLARS IT'S A MUCH CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE - DUE FOR RELEASE IN JUST A FEW WEEKS.

CNN´s online coverage has also been outspokenly critical of the PS3:

Tatsuya Mizuno, analyst for Fitch Ratings in Tokyo, believes it will be hard for Sony to maintain the 70 percent market share domination it has built with previous PlayStation consoles, and Sony will likely lose some of that market to rivals, especially Nintendo. Sony has sold more than 200 million PlayStation series machines over the years.

Source: CNN