A hollow victory, from a gaming perspective

In accordance with my previous post, this post is not about bashing Sony. It's about defending my previous statements.

Now that Blu-ray has one the format war, you might expect me to come out and say I was wrong that designing the PS3 around Blu-ray was a bad idea. But I don't think it was a bad idea. Even though we now know for sure that Blu-ray will continue to be used (at least until downloads become the norm, but we don't know how far off that is) and the PS3 is only a little bit more expensive than the 360, Sony still did irreparable damage to the console's future. The reason? The high price point originally led many early adopters to choose the Xbox 360. Also, even though the format is a success, there's little reason to believe it will replace DVD any time too soon, given how long it took DVD to replace VHS when it first came out. That's why comparing the PS3's Blu-ray player to the PS2's DVD player doesn't make sense; DVD existed long before the PS2. Maybe when more people are willing to get a new player, the PS3 will seem more attractive. That seems likely. However, there's another caveat of the argument we should look at: Sony wanted to use the Blu-ray movie functionality of the PS3 to attract more casual gamers, or at least I remember reading that; leave a comment if I'm wrong. Even if I am wrong, it seems reasonable that they wouldn't push the movies to attract hardcore gamers. But the casual gamers seem to have made their choice, and they've chosen Wii.

All that being said, though, including Blu-ray with the PS3 ended up being a worthwhile risk from a movie perspective. And I do believe that it will/has increase(d) the PS3's sales. But I also know that the PS3 is still lagging far behind its competitors, and I think Blu-ray is part of the reason. Not the main reason, by any stretch of the imagination, but a reason. As for what I think the main reason is, I've talked about that before.

Another important note: if I ever discuss Blu-ray or HD-DVD again on this blog or the radio show, it will only be for things that directly relate specifically to gaming or game consoles. I don't think the media formats themselves are inherently related to video games, which is what this blog and radio show are about.

Fanboys Return: DJ Goron's Rebellion

Back when this blog was called Warriors of Gaming, I talked a lot about how annoying the console wars mentality is to me. Long story short, fanboyism is not inherently a bad thing. It's when you turn it into hating other companies that it becomes a bad thing. As things heat up and I keep checking QJ.net more thoroughly to get news for the radio show, I realize that even though my hate of Sony did not come from fanboyism, and that I always tried to be rational about it, I was still exhibiting the console wars mentality. So now, as I said on the radio, I am going to work even harder to make sure the console wars mentality is not part of anything I say about Sony. I still don't like them all that much as a company, but especially when I'm on the air or writing this blog, I am rededicating myself to not letting my personal opinions get out of hand. I am dedicating myself to staying completely rational, and not automatically assuming the worst from Sony.

Because I see it all the time. People deluding themselves into thinking Nintendo is manufacturing a Wii shortage, or that the red ring of death is proof that Microsoft doesn't care about customers, or that Sony would be out of business without Square-Enix. It's ridiculous. They are businesses trying to make money, yes, and there is nothing wrong with caring about their business practices, but either be rational or keep it to yourself.

Here's an example. On QJ there's one guy who goes by the rather stuck-up and hypocritical name of "Mr. Common Sense" who jumps at every chance to bash. But he doesn't bash Nintendo the way I bash Sony (with reasoned arguments); he prefers long, angry rants about how Nintendo is evil and their fans are idiots. You don't have to like Nintendo, buddy, but insulting your fellow gamers because they have different tastes than you is not going to help anyone. Do me a favor and look at the backlogs of this blog. I've said some pretty discouraging Sony, but have I ever been an asshole about it or insulted Sony fans? No. And if I have and just forgot about it, I deeply apologize, because as I hope you can tell from everything else I'm saying here, that isn't me. Tell me where it is and I'll change it. People like Mr. Common Sense him are the pinnacle of what I'm talking about here. It's ridiculous, and it has to stop. I'm doing my part, now do yours.

You might say, "But DJ Komali, but saying that about Mr. Common Sense, aren't you also bashing your fellow gamers for their opinions?" No, and let me explain why: I'm bashing one particular person, and not for what he believes or likes, but for how he acts. That's the difference. I'm not saying don't get mad at people, I'm saying keep it civil, and get mad at people when they actually DO something to make you upset, not just when they like brand A and you like brand B.

PS3 and Blu-ray: A Match Made in Heaven?

IMPORTANT: I have nothing against the Playstation 3 or Blu-ray. Never having played the PS3 or watched a movie on Blu-ray, I really COULDN'T have anything against them. My statements about the PS3's current sales are based on the numbers as I know them, not my opinions or any data that I can directly and personally confirm. This is purely objective, from an economic standpoint, not from a gaming standpoint.

It certainly looks like Blu-ray is winning the format wars, which is exactly what Sony's Playstation division wanted. Sony has been reasoning all along that the success of Blu-ray would help the PS3, and their reasoning was relatively sound. However, now that both have been around for a while, we see Blu-ray with strong success and the PS3 trailing its competitors. Why?

I believe Sony was hoping Blu-ray and the PS3 would help each other, but it only ended up working one way: the PS3 helped Blu-ray, but Blu-ray didn't help the PS3. I believe Sony's mistake rests in the branding: rather than calling this device the Playstation 3, they should have given it a new name to separate it from its video game-focused predecessors. Why? Well, the only way someone can know that the PS3 plays Blu-ray movies is to seek information about it, but if you're not interested in a video game console, you're probably not going to check out the details. As such, to non-gamers, the PS3 is just a 600 dollar video game console. Advertising certainly helps bring the news to some, but for everyone else, Playstation=video game console.

Can I prove my theory? Of course not; I haven't conducted a mass survey or anything like that. However, price has always been labeled as the biggest factor hurting the PS3. The price is bad for a video game console, but not for a Blu-ray player. That indicates that people are primarily looking at it as a video game console; if they weren't, the price wouldn't turn them off.

It's understandable that Sony wouldn't want to give up the Playstation brand, but if that's the case, they should have left out the Blu-ray. If they did, while Blu-ray would have slightly less support, the PS3 would have much more because it would be cheaper. It seems Sony is beginning to realize that its functionality as a Blu-ray player is not selling the PS3, given that they've released a Blu-ray player that's cheaper than the console. Now they have to find a way to make the console much cheaper. Even analysts who predict the PS3 will win the console wars tend to base that prediction on the system having a massive price cut; if Sony doesn't deliver, it will turn out very differently.

Designing their console in part to sell another product was a mistake, one from which they seem to have learned. Now they have to rectify it in order for the PS3 to be as successful as they want it to be. They can't offer an alternate model without Blu-ray, because games are also on Blu-ray discs, so they'll have to figure out something else.

Sigh...Console Wars Again

Sorry it's been so long; between homework and my new job, I haven't had much time. Since my last post, I've compiled a long list of topics I'd like to cover. But after reading some comments at QJ.net, my gaming news site of choice (despite its average user base), I felt the need to revisit an old topic first. It was originally a comment to an article on QJ about the creator of Folding@Home discussing the possibility of putting the project on the Xbox 360. The article ended with a claim that the noble cause of Folding@Home is "worthy enough to break even the toughest fanboyism." Here's what I had to say:

Regarding the last sentence of this article: sadly, NOTHING is "worthy enough to break even the toughest fanboyism." Want proof? Look at the other comments to this article.

Fanboyism and its brother, the console wars, are more destructive to gamers than Jack Thompson and Uwe Boll combined. They take the fun out of gaming, as we care more about competition than enjoying our games. We as gamers must stop this competitive nonsense before it gets as ridiculous and all-encompassing as the battle between Democrats and Republicans has become to the United States government.

I want to highlight that comparison, because I think it works well. Nowadays, politicians are solely focused on beating the other party. Republicans fire attourneys for disagreeing with the President while Hilary Clinton bullsh*ts to make herself look good and Nancy Polosi is the biggest bitch since...well, since Hilary Clinton. Meanwhile, kids too young to vote who don't even follow the news talk about how the President orchestrated 9/11 while at the same time saying he's too stupid to tie his shoes (apparently harder than orchestrating a massive conspiracy, eh?) and others have the nerve to say the military hospital issue was no big deal. Nobody is using common sense in politics anymore; it's just "us vs. them".

The same thing is happening in gaming, and it has to stop. Forget which system you own and which company you have been supporting for years. Even if you dislike company A for a reason you consider justifiable (i.e., something more reasonable than disliking company A just because you like company B), express it rationally and specifically. You can like and dislike whatever you want, but don't take it to the extremes or you'll just come out sounding stupid.

All the time we spend posting these comments could better be spend playing the very games about which we comment. It's not easy; we can't just make a choice to stop caring about competition unless we have unbelievable willpower. Everybody, especially people who write for gaming media, needs to stop. Because even though I know all the stuff I'm saying is true, I still get drawn in by the artificial prospect of any company failing that this sort of nonsense creates. I posted about this at my blog (unknownwarrior33.blogspot.com) and on MyQJ, and I got some comments from people who agree, so I know there are some of you out there. Please help me spread this message.

And in case any QJ writers are reading this, you guys can have a huge impact on this. Many of your articles mention the console wars and competition, specifically how certain events may affect them, and they also make or mention unnecessary comparisons between systems. For example, in this article, the paragraph asking about why they chose the PS3 was unnecessary. And when reporting on sales charts, you don't have to comment on them. Some of your articles keep neutrality excellently, but others are greatly lacking.

I'm not asking anyone to censor themselves; I'm just asking everyone to tone it down. I'll once again pose the question I posed in my blog entry: if you didn't know anything about the other systems, would you enjoy your system more? If the answer is yes, you know what I'm getting at. It's hard to enjoy system A when comments by writers and other gamers constantly make you second-guess your choice not to support system B. Writers (at QJ and elsewhere) and game company executives (executives at all three console manufacturers have furthered the console wars), if gamers really come first, please stop all the comparisons. Let us make our own choices and enjoy what we have.

That version of my comment was for the masses. This next session is for people like many of my fellow commentors, who go on and on about why one console sucks without even using evidence or, even more basic, proper grammar. Here's what I say to those people: SHUT UP ALREADY! We don't care which console you like. We don't care what genre you prefer. We don't care about your spin on the info we've already heard. We don't care about the tricks and deceptions you think a company uses. Unless you're going to be civil and/or back it up with solid facts or reasoning, we don't want to hear what you have to say. Your comments will not make Nintendo eliminate friend codes, Sony drop the price of the PS3, or Microsoft make online play free. You can state your opinion without turning it into an exercise in mindless bashing.

That's where I ended in my QJ comment, but I'm going to go a step further here and address the people to whom I directed the previous section but who still do not get the point: NOBODY CARES WHAT YOU THINK, YOU MORONS. PLAY THE GAMES YOU WANT TO PLAY, LET US PLAY THE GAMES WE WANT TO PLAY, AND SHUT THE F*** UP ALREADY. You're not going to change anyone's opinion with the b.s. you're spouting, so don't waste your time.

We all have a responsibility. That's why I will never make comparisons between consoles in this blog. Someone might claim I'm a hypocrite because I noted that "Sonic and the Secret Rings" for Wii got higher reviews than "SONIC the Hedgehog" for PS3/360, but those are two completely different games that just happen to be in the same series.

I will make one exception, but for the sake of balance: Wii tends to be bashed the most, but it continues to outsell its competition even despite a shortage of units, so it can't be that bad. I'm not even saying it's a better system; I'm just saying the bashing is disproportionate to the sales. Also note that I gave reasoning, and if anyone wants me to, I can cite specific evidence that it is outselling the competition. Just ask in a comment and I'll give it.

And just in case that's not enough for everyone, I'll say something in defense of the other two systems as well. The PS3 may be expensive, but that hasn't stopped a heck of a lot of people from buying it. And the Xbox Live may not be as interactive or creative as Playstation Home, but its core service is tried-and-true and already has a huge user base.

See? Balance. To all the console bashers out there, try it some time; it's not that hard.

How to End the Console Wars

I'm a blogging machine today; this is my third post in a row. I have a lot to say, so I'm saying it.

Previously I wrote about why the console wars are harmful and pointless. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. The other half is actually fighting it, and that is more difficult. We as gamers need to put an end to the console wars as they exist today, but we are not alone in our responsibility.

The first people I wish to address are the console manufacturers themselves. Competition is necessary for a business to thrive, but the big 3 console makers have been perpetuating fan competition, and that needs to stop. I don't mean to sound biased, but other than a couple low blows from Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo has been pretty good about this. That doesn't mean I'm excusing them; I'm just saying they don't do it nearly as much as Sony and Microsoft. Guys, if people want your consoles, they'll buy them. Stop attacking each other, and understand that there's no point in someone from your company saying your company's product is the best. If you really care about your customers, stop giving us reasons to get into heated arguments so we can spend more time enjoying your products.

Next, I wish to address gaming journalists. That includes both my fellow bloggers and big-name media outlets. Stop pitting systems against each other. Every time a new set of consoles comes out, gaming media outlets pick a winner. That just gets people angry, even though they usually tell people not to take their winners too seriously. Review, praise, and criticize systems all you want, but don't pit them against each other. We can make our own choices. Declaring a winner means declaring a loser, and that's what gets people angry and defensive.

Now I will address the group of gamers that lives for the console wars, intelligently declaring "PSWii suxors", "Nintendo Weenie is for babies", "Xbox 180 is for l00sers", etc. What in the world is the point of all that? Comments like those will definitely not change any minds, so quit being annoying.

And finally, to the rest of us gamers: if you're going to discuss your preferences, do it rationally and civilly. Don't bash other people's views. And more importantly, don't blindly follow one company. Keep an open mind when making your choices. If your preferences are objective, you won't drift to one side of the console wars. Now, if you happen to select one company's systems every time, that's fine. But don't be a blind follower. Remember all the things I said in my first post about the console wars, and you won't fall into the trap of fighting for a company that won't know about it anyway.

I heard a story from a friend recently, and it told me just how important this advice is. He told me that another friend of his is going to buy a Playstation 3 just to spite Nintendo. Barring medical disorders, I think anyone smart enough to read is smart enough to realize that this guy's plan is stupid. Not only will buying a Playstation 3 not hurt Nintendo, Nintendo won't even know about it. This story is an example of what people will do when the console wars get out of hand.

I don't mean to sound arrogant here; I'm just as responsible for the console wars as any other gamer. We all need to respect each other's choices and be civil. Are you with me? Awesome.