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Sony's Jamie MacDonald believes that he has the pulse of the European buying public

We've heard some pretty bold claims from Sony in the past regarding its PlayStation 3 gaming console. One of the more famous ones came from Sony CEO Ken Kutaragi when he said that the price of the PS3 was "probably too cheap." This time, it's Sony European VP Jamie MacDonald's time to shine.

McDonald was quoted as saying, "European consumers have shown that historically they don't mind [the delays], because they end up buying as many PlayStations, if not more, than the US and Japan."

If you may recall, while the United States and Japan will fight over 400,000 and 100,000 consoles respectively during the official launch next month, European customers will have to wait it out until March 2007 to get their hands on a PS3.

McDonald's comments seem somewhat perplexing with regards to European customers. Could it really be said that European customers "don't mind" or is it a matter of they don't have any choice but to wait? Then again, there's always the XBOX 360 as an alternative and Nintendo has been getting a lot of positive press for its $250 Wii console. The latter console will launch on December 8 in Europe.

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They don't mind...
By ChugokuOtaku on 10/6/2006 1:40:02 PM , Rating: 5
...getting something else instead




RE: They don't mind...
By jskirwin on 10/6/06, Rating: 0
RE: They don't mind...
By Ecmaster76 on 10/6/2006 2:22:39 PM , Rating: 2
The above comment seems to be a translation of the first posters handle. Not an insult.

Anyhow maybe Europeans wouldn't mind waiting, bu Ill bet some of them will mind hearing this from Sony.


RE: They don't mind...
By Burning Bridges on 10/6/2006 2:51:25 PM , Rating: 1
Excuse you!

and just WHY wouldn't us Europeans mind waiting?


RE: They don't mind...
By dnd728 on 10/6/2006 4:38:17 PM , Rating: 2
hehe
you don't mind paying twice as much, you might as well wait...


RE: They don't mind...
By Visual on 10/7/2006 12:48:55 AM , Rating: 1
he's right in a way... i kinda "wouldn't mind" waiting... really wouldn't buy a ps3 until atleast march next year anyway, even if it was already launched. i'd be waiting for more good titles and pricedrops and such, etc. but now that it'll launch so late, i guess i'll have to wait even more for those pricedrops eh?

dunno... even without buying right at launch, it still sucks that we're treated as second-grade. not that i ecpected anything different - a worldwide launch would've surprised me. i kinda realise the reasoning and it isn't so hard to swallow it.

but sonny making a statement as this one, this is completely outrageous. not only do i get screwed up on the launch date, but now they're telling me that its kinda my own fault, that i almost WANT it that way, or what? what exactly are they trying to say here?

fvk sonny, and excuse the latin.
hmm, and fvk dailytech's posting system, and the "Ooops"es i keep getting. you got no programmers there or what? go get a standard forum system if you can't manage to make one, im tired of this.


RE: They don't mind...
By slunkius on 10/9/2006 5:29:21 AM , Rating: 2
for the last time...

THIS IS NOT FORUM, THIS IS COMMENT SECTION!!!


RE: They don't mind...
By tuteja1986 on 10/6/2006 10:45:00 PM , Rating: 3
Whats next from the CEO :? European gamers don't mind paying $599euro for a PS3 which translate too 754USD...


RE: They don't mind...
By FITCamaro on 10/6/2006 3:20:26 PM , Rating: 4
More like they don't have a choice. What are they gonna do if they do mind? Go into the future and get one? You're at the mercy of the hardware manufacturer.

I doubt there's many people out there who want a PS3 and if asked "So if you could have one now or if I kick you in the nuts and make you wait 3-4 extra months, which would you take?" I'm pretty sure almost everyone would take the first option.


RE: They don't mind...
By muffins on 10/6/2006 3:56:47 PM , Rating: 4
this sounds like a trick question......ill take option #2...HA! whos laughing now?


Back when there was no internet ...
By psychobriggsy on 10/6/2006 2:09:51 PM , Rating: 5
People didn't really know if, nevermind when, new consoles would be launched.

So the fact the Playstation was delayed compared to the US and Japan wasn't a big issue - all the other consoles were as well. You dealt with it, if you even cared.

Even with the PS2, it was out before the GameCube and XBox, so being late wasn't a major disadvantage, even if some people knew about the delay.

Now the PS3 is out after the competition, and everyone knows about the 1/3rd of a year delay. They can look elsewhere, and anyway the PS3 has loads of issues, so it's probably good to get it later. Of course most people will get one console per generation, so if the parents buy that XBox360/Wii because there's no PS3, then that's a lost PS3 sale, full stop, for at least a couple of years.

Given the horrendous price of the PS3 in an area suffering from increased costs of living (massive hikes in power and tax bills) it will be even harder for the PS3 to be a justifiable purchase.




By therealnickdanger on 10/6/2006 2:22:47 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
PS3 has loads of issues

To be fair, the PS3 production, development, and demo-ing of the PS3 has had "loads of issues". It remains to be seen if the full production model will have problems.


RE: Back when there was no internet ...
By Griswold on 10/6/2006 3:20:35 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
People didn't really know if, nevermind when, new consoles would be launched. So the fact the Playstation was delayed compared to the US and Japan wasn't a big issue - all the other consoles were as well. You dealt with it, if you even cared. Even with the PS2, it was out before the GameCube and XBox, so being late wasn't a major disadvantage, even if some people knew about the delay.


I dont want to nitpick, but at the time the PS2 launched, the intarweb was very much alive and kicking. Hell, it was, even before pony entered the console market with the original PS. So, if you wanted the info, you could get it (also and especially, through print media).

Anyway, this will bite them in the ass, thats for sure. Poor sony.


By UserDoesNotExist on 10/7/2006 2:14:00 PM , Rating: 3
I fully agree. Ponies will be the real victims of the coming console war.


European consumers
By Hare on 10/6/2006 1:59:24 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
"European consumers have shown that historically they don't mind [the delays], because they end up buying as many PlayStations, if not more, than the US and Japan."
Maybe if Sony released their product faster the European consumers would buy more playstations than the US and Japan?

Maybe not but still Sony's statement is just stupid.




RE: European consumers
By hughlle on 10/6/2006 2:01:13 PM , Rating: 4
as a european i have one thing to say: F**K YOU!


RE: European consumers
By hughlle on 10/6/2006 2:01:58 PM , Rating: 1
not you, sony :D


RE: European consumers
By 0blivious on 10/7/2006 5:46:50 PM , Rating: 3
I beg the differ, the longer you wait, the more you want it.

The Europeans, knowing that on other parts of the world people will have theire PS3, will cause the PS3 to increase value.

Sony will be asking us Europeans the same price if not even more than the prices they will be asking 'the others' on it's launch.

We want it and we will have it. Wether it'll be now, later, cheap or expensive.

ps= sorry for my english


Historically, maybe
By Zurtex on 10/6/2006 1:53:46 PM , Rating: 2
'Historically', Sony have had very little competition when launching their console, even with the delays there were never any heavy weights on the market (excluding SEGA, but that's another discussion).

With the PS3, it is behind 1 console that's so far done very well and has had 2 Christmas' to get ahead of it, release new titles and get in to peoples homes. It's also behind another, very well expected, comparatively cheap console that has had 1 Christmas to get ahead of it.

I think when we take in to account of the situation of the games market, Sony won't find 'historically' very useful.




RE: Historically, maybe
By Xavian on 10/6/2006 4:10:51 PM , Rating: 2
it'll also be well behind the the Wii in europe. Plus Nintendo is hoping to steal Sony's thunder by launching their console so close to Sony's.

Sony is launching into extreme competition, a situation they havent had before with their consoles.


RE: Historically, maybe
By 9nails on 10/6/2006 10:07:38 PM , Rating: 2
Sony's launch is akin to sticking your toe into the pool. Nintendo's plans to sell 10X the number of Sony's 400K consoles will place it squarely in the #2 position for global sales by year end 2006.

Extreme competition? I absolutely agree. Sony better watch out, better not cry, better not pout...


RE: Historically, maybe
By 0blivious on 10/7/2006 6:07:22 PM , Rating: 1
I rather think you're wrong.

Let me first off tell you that i'm not a console man and never will i be, i love my games on pc and consoles are stupid (bring on the flames).

Ok now that i've proven i'm not biased towards any console i will tell you that Wii won't be a huge succes, they will have nice profit numbers, but like XBOX360, even together they don't form a competition against PS3.

Everyone wants a PS3, they don't care how much it will cost, they just want it at ANY cost.

You'll ask me where did i get this informatition, and my answer is simple: just look around; everyone that bought a PS1 bought a PS2 (ok not everyone but those that lost the hook, other people got there to 'fill' the void and more) and everyone that bought a PS2 will buy a PS3 and 4 and 5...

Sony got enough people hooked with the PS-strategy it's really a full blown hit this PLAY-STATION (yeah i know it's playstation..) people wanting to play on something buy a play station, not an x box or wiii.

It's an ingenious marketing brand, it tells people everything it is and what to expect from it.

Yea ofcourse people will still buy a wii and xbox, but if you think logically, then like me, you will understand why sony will always have a hit with theire playstations.

I mean look at the numbers, who sold more consoles, (lets leave nintendo out of this one for a sec ;) ) SONY (starting from PS2, just to make it about equal)or MS.

They are eachtothers rivals, though my guess is sony doesn't see ms as a treath.

ps: sorry for my english