Kaz Talks PS3 Supply & Demand Issues

[Zeus]

SCEA head Kaz Hirai recently answered a few questions based on the supply and demand issues surrounding the PS3. Kaz says Sony is doing everything possible to shorten the lead times on their next-generation entertainment system.



Q: How long will it take until everyone who wants a PS3 can get one?

A: We are trying everything we can to get as many units into the North American market as possible. The thing that we're trying to focus on now is shortening the lead time from the factories to the retailers and consumers. Usually, something this size and weight we would put on a boat, but what we're doing is chartering planes to fly them in ... that combined with trying to ramp up production as quickly as possible as well.


Read More: <A href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06337/742542-42.stm" target="_blank">Post-Gazette.com</a>

[msanchez]

Yes Kaz keep your speeches nice and simple and refrain from talking about your own little LA-LA Land. I hope they are already working on some hardware revisions/firmware updates to fix all those silly issues the PS3 has.

[daps83777]

well apparently they aren't doing enough. because they are getting there butts kicked by nintendo right now.

[Psphreak]

It's simple, less supply = more demand = more hype so it can sell better because the system in its current state has nothing to offer.

[Azariel]

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidge Racer man....

[WalkingTiger]

Well, I've got to admit, that's the least arrogant I've heard a Sony exec in awhile... I suppose I'm expected to be grateful to Sony that they're going to the extra expense of airlifting them in, though? It doesn't really matter, as I'm planning on waiting until there's something really worth playing on the system...

~WalkingTiger

[FeistyGirl]

In all honesty, I think that demand for the PS3 has dropped sharply since being released.

The Wii, with it's innovation, has completely stolen Sony's thunder. I was initially concerned that Nintendo's 'toy' would be overshadowed by the PS3, but it appears to be the exact opposite... Wii is getting universal praise and since it's release there has not been a lot of talk about the PS3 at all.

Considering in it's current state the PS3 is nothing more then a PS2 with prettier graphics, people are not as impressed now that it is 'out in the wild' and they have their hands on it (myself included)

PS3 is full of potential, but Sony really needs to get on the ball and start utilizing it if they want to stay in the race...

[Azariel]

Sony needs to openly "copy" the remote far more, to get a piece of the cake, but that emans "surrender" and put pants down ..could even mean a Sue :D

[FeistyGirl]

to get a piece of the cake, but that emans "surrender" and put pants down ..could even mean a Sue :D

I have NO idea what you just said :confused:

[DanASBO]

I have NO idea what you just said :confused:

He means Sony may need to blatantly rip off the Wiimote to get marketshare, but then they would have to admit Nintendo had the better idea, therefore be humiliated. I think.

[WalkingTiger]

In all honesty, I think that demand for the PS3 has dropped sharply since being released.

The Wii, with it's innovation, has completely stolen Sony's thunder. I was initially concerned that Nintendo's 'toy' would be overshadowed by the PS3, but it appears to be the exact opposite... Wii is getting universal praise and since it's release there has not been a lot of talk about the PS3 at all.

Considering in it's current state the PS3 is nothing more then a PS2 with prettier graphics, people are not as impressed now that it is 'out in the wild' and they have their hands on it (myself included)
PS3 is full of potential, but Sony really needs to get on the ball and start utilizing it if they want to stay in the race...


Agree completely... There's no signs or anything up besides the store model of the PS3, but the Wii, for example has signs up in my local Wal-Mart saying that customers will be able to line up for Wii's next shipment at 8:00 AM sharp...

And every time I hear that stores get Nunchucks or Classic Controllers in, they're sold out by the next *day*, while there's about 10 Sixaxis controllers collecting dust on the racks at every store in town, from Gamestop to Wal-Mart...

~WalkingTiger

[johnhummel]

In all honesty, I think that demand for the PS3 has dropped sharply since being released.

The Wii, with it's innovation, has completely stolen Sony's thunder. I was initially concerned that Nintendo's 'toy' would be overshadowed by the PS3, but it appears to be the exact opposite... Wii is getting universal praise and since it's release there has not been a lot of talk about the PS3 at all.

Considering in it's current state the PS3 is nothing more then a PS2 with prettier graphics, people are not as impressed now that it is 'out in the wild' and they have their hands on it (myself included)

PS3 is full of potential, but Sony really needs to get on the ball and start utilizing it if they want to stay in the race...

Agreed. What's interesting is there was a lot of talk about how the "next-next-gen" contest would be between Sony and Microsoft, and Nintendo would be left out as third place (but still profitable).

Now, it looks like the situation has reversed: Microsoft and Sony may be fighting each other, but that's because developers who make a game for a PS3 can use most of the same resources (graphics, music, interface) and port it to the other - the only main different being the actual metal silicon and of course the Internet play, which will be different between Live and Sony's, uh, whatever it's called.

Because of this, developers are in a stronger position to make demands on both publishers - cheaper prices for dev kits, advertising, sweeter deals for "exclusives" (which these days seems to mean "six months and then we port").

Nintendo, on the other hand, doesn't have this issue. Once a game is on the Wii, it's pretty much impossible to port the game over. That doesn't mean there won't be ports - look at the DS. There are ports a plenty between the PSP and the DS, and to be honest, they can suck on the DS (see "Star Wars Lego II") - not because the DS is the worser system, but because the developers didn't develop their game for the DS from the ground up to take advantage of the difference in interface (stylus, microphone) and display technology (dual screens). Ports that take advantage of this usually do well - but if it's just a "strip down the graphics and slap it on", it's not going to do as well.

Those games made for the DS from scratch ("Osu! Tatakae! Ounendan!", "Trauma Center", etc) are wonderful - and impossible to port over without losing what made them special.

The Wii has a similar issue - you can't bring a true Wii game to the 360 or the PS3 without losing that special difference - and Nintendo is probably banking on that to remove them from the whole competition, and let MS and Sony fight amongst themselves.

Should be interesting. So far, my wife spent all day yesterday playing with the Wii (Golf, Bowling, and Tennis are her favorites), and I'm thinking about picking up that other Wii golf game for her for Christmas - and this is a women who never plays games *ever* until now.

Rants done - back to work....

[Azariel]

I have NO idea what you just said :confused:

He, Sorry.. But for Japanse people to actually copy something openly, and wide, means actually you admit your product is inferior. As Sony can't do that, they are on kind of check, specially after the "suckaxis" suddenly coming from the air.

[Azariel]

Agreed. What's interesting is there was a lot of talk about how the "next-next-gen" contest would be between Sony and Microsoft, and Nintendo would be left out as third place (but still profitable).

Now, it looks like the situation has reversed: Microsoft and Sony may be fighting each other, but that's because developers who make a game for a PS3 can use most of the same resources (graphics, music, interface) and port it to the other - the only main different being the actual metal silicon and of course the Internet play, which will be different between Live and Sony's, uh, whatever it's called.

Because of this, developers are in a stronger position to make demands on both publishers - cheaper prices for dev kits, advertising, sweeter deals for "exclusives" (which these days seems to mean "six months and then we port").

Nintendo, on the other hand, doesn't have this issue. Once a game is on the Wii, it's pretty much impossible to port the game over. That doesn't mean there won't be ports - look at the DS. There are ports a plenty between the PSP and the DS, and to be honest, they can suck on the DS (see "Star Wars Lego II") - not because the DS is the worser system, but because the developers didn't develop their game for the DS from the ground up to take advantage of the difference in interface (stylus, microphone) and display technology (dual screens). Ports that take advantage of this usually do well - but if it's just a "strip down the graphics and slap it on", it's not going to do as well.

Those games made for the DS from scratch ("Osu! Tatakae! Ounendan!", "Trauma Center", etc) are wonderful - and impossible to port over without losing what made them special.

The Wii has a similar issue - you can't bring a true Wii game to the 360 or the PS3 without losing that special difference - and Nintendo is probably banking on that to remove them from the whole competition, and let MS and Sony fight amongst themselves.

Should be interesting. So far, my wife spent all day yesterday playing with the Wii (Golf, Bowling, and Tennis are her favorites), and I'm thinking about picking up that other Wii golf game for her for Christmas - and this is a women who never plays games *ever* until now.

Rants done - back to work....

yes, means exactly, Now Nintendo is forcing the flow to the creative path, leaving hardware issues behind, where Sony was blowing without stop, and putting as first goal.. Next gen, next leap on "graphics".. became obsolete terms already... very very fast.

[msanchez]

I never really thought of the wii being in the same category as the ps3 or 360. We all know that the wii is more appealing to the masses per say. I always thought that the actualy race was going to be what's the other console going to be, wii-360 or ps3-wii, though I didn't quite figure the wii was going to do "so" well. In any case the wii should not be sony's concern IMO, sony should be concerned with 3 things:
*Making some good games fast.
*Keep on top of hardware issues.
*And last but not least, the 360.

[Scorpion3]

I never really thought of the wii being in the same category as the ps3 or 360. We all know that the wii is more appealing to the masses per say. I always thought that the actualy race was going to be what's the other console going to be, wii-360 or ps3-wii, though I didn't quite figure the wii was going to do "so" well. In any case the wii should not be sony's concern IMO, sony should be concerned with 3 things:
*Making some good games fast.
*Keep on top of hardware issues.
*And last but not least, the 360.

Me neither. Don't get me wrong, I love my Wii (Anyone who even smiles at this should be shot) and it's fun as hell to play, but a next gen console I don't think it is. Just as much as the Virtual Reality things you can buy at home are not, and never were, next gen consoles. It IS a console, but ever since the dawn of the video game, one of the defining points of a new console was better graphics. Sure the Wii hasn't shown off what it can do, but it's barely stronger the the GC and supposedly not as powerful as the Xbox 1, though I would probably disagree with that. So with that being said, I see the "War" still being between Sony and Microsoft. But you're right, Sony needs to make some actual good games fast and start paying less attention to the Wii, that's going to do good no matter what because of Nintendo's infinite fanbase, and start paying attention to the 360. Not because it's superior to the Wii, but because it's an actual next gen console IMO.

[Havok154]

I never really thought of the wii being in the same category as the ps3 or 360. We all know that the wii is more appealing to the masses per say. I always thought that the actualy race was going to be what's the other console going to be, wii-360 or ps3-wii, though I didn't quite figure the wii was going to do "so" well. In any case the wii should not be sony's concern IMO, sony should be concerned with 3 things:
*Making some good games fast.
*Keep on top of hardware issues.
*And last but not least, the 360.

Yea, I really think Sony is spreading it's self way too thin. The PS2 was dedicated to games no matter what Sony wanted you to believe. The PS3 is
a movie player, media center, PC, PSP download station, and after all of that, it also plays games. They want it to do everything and gaming seems to be their last concern which is exactly the reason a lot of people who would of been the first on line are now buying Wii's and 360's. I honestly was interested in the PS3 until they actually gave the real details about it at E3. It costs too much and lacks any real appeal, the great games I'll be able to get on the 360, along with games like Gears. Sony has Resistance which is mediocre and their killer games like MGS and FF won't be around till holiday 2007 or even later. They need to get their priorities straight and fast.

[msanchez]

The thing that's really funny is that they are about to trip twice on the same rock. That whole all-in-one deal is what killed the psp, the psp might be picking up the pace but it just lost too much ground, if instead of worrying about getting people to watch movies on the psp they would have worried about making some cool original games, then mayb the ds would not be WHOOPING the psp's ass all around. Sony is ignoring a simple fact..... people buy video game consoles to play video games, -start sarcastic remark-yes I know crazy concept, but it's true -end sarcastic remark-.

[Azariel]

Well, problem with PS3 is not massive enough.. it falls on the high definition graphics category, exclussive, adn that cut some area to developers , specially when the sales won't be big, as , let's say , millions.

[phiber_optik]

dude im getting frustrated about this ps3 shortage and excuses of sony's executive that there working on it. jez man. if this thing will continue, probably would get wii then ps3... dont know for sure if i can wait any longer before 2007. freakin sony, ure fckin losing the next gen. get ur console out market fast or else every godammn ps3 waiters will swtich to wii. better act fast now or else ull regret this action of yours when all customer dont care about ps3 no more. chop chop..........