Is Sony's PlayStation 3 in trouble before it even launches? Sony has been the undisputed champion of the last two console generations, towering over the competition, but now it seems like every analyst, developer and industry pundit is placing a laser sight directly on Sony's forehead.
The biggest problem would appear to be the pricing for the system. Even the lower priced $500 SKU is expensive, and $600 seems ridiculous to most. Ever since Sony revealed this pricing strategy at this year's E3, the company has been put on the defensive, arguing that it's a "computer" and that with the inclusion of a high-def Blu-ray player it's really a "bargain."
According to a BusinessWeek Online report, some developers are actually steering resources away from the PS3 in favor of the more affordable Wii from Nintendo and even the Xbox 360. Hirokazu Hamamura, president of publisher and game industry researcher Enterbrain, believes that Sony's next-gen console might not be a smash hit the way previous PlayStation systems have been. "Many developers think the console's initial high price will lead to slow sales and are holding off on creating games for Sony," Hamamura explained.
"At its autumn games preview on July 13, for instance, traditional Sony ally Electronic Arts spent far more time showing off innovative Nintendo games than it did titles for the PS3," emphasized BusinessWeek. "EA announced six Nintendo Wii launch titles and showed long working demos for two of those. But it offered only a short clip of a car-racing game for PS3. EA says it's still testing the potential of the PS3."
