Is Sony confusing gamers by simultaneously promoting the casual Move alongside its more core-oriented 3D titles?
Well, DFC Intelligence believes it is.
“3D [gaming] is likely to be [little more than] a gimmick. And when you combine 3D with Move and other peripherals, it will lead to consumer confusion,” DFC said in a note obtained by Industry Gamers.
“In our view, much of what Sony is doing is trying to say their system has something for everybody.”
Nevertheless, DFC conceded that 3D gaming could potentially encourage consumers to choose the PS3 over a competing system and acknowledged that multiple peripherals may help the console appeal to a larger audience.
“[Still], the big risk is consumer confusion. We have to admit we are still coming to grips with all the different gadgets available for the PS3 and what games require what devices.
“Explaining that to consumers will be a major challenge for Sony and it will be interesting to see their approach this fall.”
However, senior Jon Peddie analyst Ted Pollak told TG Daily that the PS3’s “peripheral-accessory landscape” did not confuse primary consumers “at all.”
“Core gamers are a smart bunch and they know exactly what they are getting and what’s available. If we are talking about a new casual shopper, that’s a different story and harder to nail down.
“[Sure], there may be some confusion in that area but the PS3’s bread and butter is the core gamer and they spend way more money than the casual. Core gamers also recommend technology to new entrants and with their knowledge of the casual capabilities of PS3 they become a massive sales and marketing team for Sony.
“[Now], another interesting phenomenon which is often overlooked is that the PC gaming opportunity is huge and is definitely competing with consoles. For a few hundred dollars in upgrades at the time of purchase a modern PC offers an incredibly high quality HD gaming experience with the advantage of a huge installed base of HD PC monitors.
“[For example], 1080p LCDs are now down to about $160 and even mid level laptops can run games very well.
“We are talking about hundreds of millions of annual incremental unit sales versus tens of millions in the console world. Companies like Alienware are just as important in the video game landscape as the console crowd.”
