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But it's Got Blu-ray – What More Do You People Want From Us?
Video Games | May 16, 06
So apparently Sony gave up its "shock" force feedback feature as it incorporated tilt control into its PS3, while Nintendo's Wii controller has both features. This just speaks to Sony's faith in the value proposition of offering a Blu-ray HD player integrated with its new game console. Sony seems to be betting that the high price of the PS3 (see "Sony PS3 Priced Within Reach Of Many Home Equity Borrowers") will seem reasonable when one considers that the purchase of this machine gets you an HD player as well as a game device. It's an argument that worked for the firm in the past as it integrated conventional DVD players into the PS2.
The problem this time around may be the relatively low installed base of HD television sets. And among those, only a fraction support the HDCP standard and HDMI or DVI interface necessary to display Blu-ray output. With the standards for HD in so much flux, and with only some early adapters able to take advantage of Blu-ray, the incentive to unbundle one's HD disk player purchase decision from one's choice of game player is only magnified.
Perhaps the availability of Blu-ray with the PS3 will help drive acceptance of the standard among consumers. But if higher price points and a lack of key features drive buyers away, Sony may erode its PlayStation audience while failing to entrench its HD standard. So for Sony, the PS3 rollout is much more than a game, and in more ways than one.
Posted by jeffrey.trester (Permalink)
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