PlayStation Monger

Casual Gamin’ on the Playstation 3: A Waste of Time

by Nadia on January 8th, 2008

Sony CEO Howard Stringer has announced plans to appeal to “casual gamers” with a selection of light games for the Playstation 3 — and, interestingly, the Playstation 2.

The theory here is that Sony will compete with the Wii and the DS for Grandma and Grandpa’s attention. Dearest CEOs of the Gaming World: Please stop and think about why the Wii is such a draw for casuals. I’ll even give you three answers:

1) The motion-based controls. They’re accurate and simple to use. By comparison, Sixaxis is…uh…well…

2) The “party” aspect of the system. Lots of wacky and rosy-cheeked fun.

3) The price. The Wii costs around $250. The Playstation 3 costs considerably more. The former is a much more sensible purchase for someone who’s not sure about video games.

Microsoft thought it had a grand idea with the XBox Arcade Pack, which comes packed with Uno and some other downloadable games. I called up some retailers around Christmas time and asked them if they planned to sell the Arcade Pack as an “alternative” for the Wii, which would undoubtedly sell out (and did). The answer was a resounding “No,” because there was “No demand for the system whatsoever.” The Arcade Pack wasn’t advertised in a means that non-gamers care about, and even if it was, why pay so much money for the same gaming experience that can be found on the hundreds of Flash game sites polluting the Internet?

Marketing the Playstation 2 as a casual system, however, is a good idea. No doubt there are plenty of PS2s rotting in closets across America that mom might be compelled to rescue and nurture. Failing that, the system is still widely available and costs next to nothing.

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POSTED IN: News, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Ranty McRantpants