Sony: Wii and 360 No Longer Relevant, 3DS is “a Great Babysitting Tool”
Do you remember the whole issue with Sony’s hubris when it came to the PS3 launching at $599? Well, at least then they had good reason to be smug and confident, with the PS2 destroying the Xbox and Gamecube in sales. But now Sony’s CEO Jack Tretton is firing shots at both Nintendo and Microsoft. In a recent interview with Fortune magazine, Tretton said that “if you’re really going to sustain technology for a decade, you have to be cutting edge when you launch a platform”, going on to mention that this cutting edge technology is “conspicuously absent in our competition”.
While it is true that Sony is catching up to the Wii and the 360, that could easily be argued to be a factor of the decreased price point allowing demand to catch up. Last year was the first year Sony wasn’t losing money with each PS3 sold, so Sony needs to outperform the 360 and Wii in order to come close to matching their profits.
Tretton also was quoted as saying that “motion gaming is cute, but if I can only wave my arms six inches, how does this really feel like I’m doing true accurate motion gaming?” While I’m not entirely sure what he’s referring to with the “six inches” (maybe he has very short arms? Who knows), Sony tried to get into motion controls. And what do you know, they were handily beaten in sales by the Kinect, which now holds the title of the world’s fastest selling device ever. So much for Microsoft no longer being relevant.
Tretton then proceeded to shove his foot further into his mouth as he went after the 3DS, calling it “a great babysitting tool” that “no self-respecting twenty-something is going to be sitting on an airplane with”. Well, I may not have much self respect, but I’ll certainly be using my 3DS, just like I currently play my DS on planes. Seriously though, the DS has been the top selling console every year since 2006, while the PSP, despite being much more “cutting edge” than the DS, has been bouncing between third and fifth.
After getting their asses handed to them by less technologically impressive systems in the current console generation and previous handheld generation, you’d think Sony would have learned that it’s not all about specs. Tretton better hope the NGP at least matches the 3DS’s sales, because if they get clobbered by another inferior machine Sony might want to go find a more cutting edge CEO.
Image Via TheSixthAxis
I’m 21… I have a decent amount of respect for myself… Once some games come out for the 3Ds that I want I will be playing it everywhere.
Lol that’s some big trash mouthing, even from the CEO of Sony. Maybe he should try focusing the conversation on ps3/psp exclusives and good games next time. You know, to try and build a positive image for his company and himself?
Stuff like this makes me grimace. Seriously, you can only gloat if you’re not getting your asses handed to you by the competition. As for the 3DS comment? I live in fucking downtown Seattle. All the Miis that have been showing up in my Mii Plaza sure as hell aren’t from kids; they’re from the tons of self respecting 20 somethings that walk past my window every night coming home from a night of drinking.
I love my PS3, and I love my PSP, but all this shit talking isn’t going to get Sony anywhere. There’s a reason Nintendo has been dominating the handheld market forever. The NGP may very well be the second coming of christ, but if it doesn’t have any good software…? It’s going to fail. Just like the PSP did. Sony needs to realize this, get their heads out of their asses, and get to work, otherwise they’re going to have one shitty financial year come 2012.
I love it when business men talk tough, eheheheheeeeheheeehahahaa.