A Letter to Ken Kutaragi

Okay, this is too funny:

"This is the PS3 price. Expensive, cheap -- we don't want you to think of it in terms of game machines. Because the PS3 is like nothing else.

For instance, is it not nonsense to compare the charge for dinner at the company cafeteria with dinner at a fine restaurant? It's a question of what you can do with that game machine. If you can have an amazing experience, we believe price is not a problem.

When we announced the PlayStation price, it was said to be expensive. Same for the PlayStation 2. However, when released, both had sales that were unthinkable for previous game machines. This is because both offered experiences that could not be had on previous game machines.

With the PS3, you can have next generation game experiences that could previously not be experienced -- things like next generation graphics and various services via the network. And, as with the PS and PS2, we believe people who like games will, without question, purchase it."

– Sony Computer Entertainment honcho Ken Kutaragi

Dear Ken,

Sup homie? Having a ball in the land of the rising (fun) sun? How’re things at Sony? Still hittin on that cute secretary in accounting?

Anyway, while you’re all busy working on Very Important Matters and Creating The New Global Gaming Economy, I’d like to share a few thoughts on your statements above.

Firstly, I don’t arrive to work in a luxury automobile. Nor do I have ‘assistants.’ Hell, we don’t even have a company cafeteria! (Gasp!) All we got around here is a room with a table, some chairs, and the occassional napkin. That’s as good as it gets.

You know, as much as I’m enamored with today’s Hot Gaming Market, the idea of spending $600 on anything that doesn’t actually come with entertainment built-in (I’m referring to the lack of games when purchasing the $600 model)…well, that’s a stretch. You see I had a friend of mine chunked down the $250–odd dollars on an brand new PSP last year and you know what he’s doing with it today?

He selling it. The games are shoddy and inconsistent. They’re overpriced. The unit got virtually no 3rd-party support and after a few fun forays it has sat in a closet for months and months now.

Who is that guy? Me of course. And I’ll be happy to get whatever I can out of it.

So when you think of this ‘cheap/expensive, who cares?’ concept that you have in your mind, you may want to remember that we give you and your company our money to have fun. And you know what’s looking like fun? The Wii. Yes, the worst console name of all time looks like the most fun I could ever have with a console.

But, but wait! The PS3 will have motion sensors too! Therefore you win!

Right?

Ahem. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Those ‘hardcore gamers’ you desperately want to attract already have a ‘hardcore’ system to purchase (360), while the rest are either happily playing party games on their Gamecube or rocking out on the DS with its myriad of interesting games. While Nintendo has seen nothing but profit, you bring us a $600 box that will still lose money on arrival, because you just have to have your Blu-Ray drive in there.

Meanwhile all I can think about is how cool it will be to shoot arrows, go fishing, play tennis, and drive a car with the Wii controller. How much my wife will enjoy the DS Lite. How 360 already has a great network (XBox Live) setup and what that’s done for the company as of late. Hell, I’ll be able to download and play classic NES and SNES games on my Wii, and that’s more than you can say about your new system.

Will anyone be clamoring to download Battle Arena Toshinden? I think not.

Until next time, may reality smack you upside the head—you need it.

Hugs and kisses,

Evan J Erwin

ps – Have a great weekend everybody and congrats to Jeremy on his new job!

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There is a view that reaches far