Sony is Now Dragging Down Their Partners on the PS3

Posted on May 29, 2007
Filed Under Uncategorized |

Good article in the Merc about EA’s stumble with their bet on the PS3 and their absence on the Wii. I have written on several occasions about what a disaster the PS3 is for Sony, and in the months that have passed things just haven’t gotten any better for them.

Some analysts and investors are beginning to question this upbeat outlook. The biggest problem: the surprising early dominance of Nintendo’s Wii in the latest round of the console wars. It’s no coincidence, they say, that EA emerged as the top game maker at a time when Sony’s PlayStations dominated the game console market. The threat that the Wii now poses to Sony’s dominance is bound to affect EA as well, they say.

The real issue here, and it’s one that I have only recently realized, is that it’s not about the console hardware or even the games anymore. Nintendo is on fire with the Wii because it’s the "everyman’s game machine" that everyone can truly enjoy. The games are described as "quirky" but what’s quirky about bass fishing or bowling? Apparently, a large slice of the market finds these game themes more appealing than the latest first person shooter with amazing graphics and "dude did you see how the bits of flesh blew off".

The age of the hardcore gamer being the center of the game business universe is over and companies like EA will have to make a painful transition to remain relevant.

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