PS3 Manufacturing Issues Fixed?

Lazybones · December 12, 2006, 10:55:48 AM

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/ps3/ps3-manufacturing-issues-fixed-220907.php

QuoteSony, which obviously didn't meet its llaunch target of 400,000 systems, is now reporting that all manufacturing issues have been overcome and the company is full on target to have a million systems shipped by the end of the year. From Sony communications boss David Karraker...

While initial day-one launch shipment goals weren't achievable due to early manufacturing issues, those problems have been resolved and we do remain focused on having one million PS3s in the pipeline by December 31, 2006.

See? Everything is okay! Sure people were beaten, robbed, cheated, and in one case shot to death by police over the much-anticipated console, but we can put that all behind us now. All we need now is some tolerable games other than Resistance that aren't better on another system and we're in business! M

Thorin · December 12, 2006, 11:19:02 AM

From the comments:

Quote
Manufacturing is the least of Sony's problems...the real problem is lack of demand. Go to Ebay and you'll see a ton of PS3's. And they're selling at cost, or slightly higher. This is just prior to Christmas, and you can't find them in stores.

I have one and I've got an ad in the local newspaper asking people to email me offers. It's been running a week and I haven't received one offer. This is in Dallas, by the way. So looks like I may have bought my own Xmas present this year.

The point is that throwing more of these onto the streets doesn't increase demand. Sony's problem is that there are two very good game consoles already out there that cost less.

The only solution is for Sony to develop must-have games.

Quote
If this actually does happen, there will be a lot of egg on ebayers faces. Especially the ones that decided to place opening bids at $2000+

Yes, there was an initial rush to get the PS3 to re-sell it on eBay. Did anyone here end up buying one and keeping it?

Quote
"In the pipeline" does not equal "available to be bought before Christmas." Sony is desperate to keep parents from buying a wii or 360 over the seamingly unavailable PS3 this Christmas.

I'm sure this does hurt. There's a lot of parents who buy their kids a new video game console that don't really know any of the technical differences between a Wii and a 360 and a PS3. They just buy what they can find on the shelves, and once they've bought one console, they won't buy any more.

I still laugh a little at how almost every hockey mother at the rink has talked about the Wii and it's "really cool controller", but none of them talk about the PS3 or BluRay. As far as parents of pre-teen kids go, the Wii is the must-have console even if they already have a hi-def TV at home.

Lazybones · December 12, 2006, 11:22:46 AM

Quote from: Thorin on December 12, 2006, 11:19:02 AM
I'm sure this does hurt. There's a lot of parents who buy their kids a new video game console that don't really know any of the technical differences between a Wii and a 360 and a PS3. They just buy what they can find on the shelves, and once they've bought one console, they won't buy any more.

That is because even parents find the Wii fun to play. Bundling WiiSports was an amazing move by Nintendo. It is a super accessible game for the whole family.

Shayne · December 12, 2006, 11:32:00 AM

To say that Sony does not have demand for its PS3 is an extremely false statement.

Also if parents are buying a console system for their child and not asking the child which system they want, i hope they are ready for some initial disappointment when they get the one they didn't want.

Thorin · December 12, 2006, 11:34:56 AM

Yes, WiiSports was an excellent game to include as it showcases the controller nicely. Parents of pre-teen kids also like the price - sure, it's only $300 or so less and $300 out of a whole year's wage doesn't seem like much, but then $300 is swim lessons for four kids for three months.

My point, though, was that Sony is losing possible sales because a lot of these parents were willing to buy any console they could find, but were only going to buy a single one. If the PS3s had been lining the shelves and the Wiis were all sold out, they likely would have bought a PS3. But they couldn't find them, so bought the Wii instead, and will not be going back to the store to buy a PS3 in January.

As opposed to several of the posters on here who will own at least two of the three consoles within the next six months or so...

Shayne · December 12, 2006, 11:36:50 AM

Quote from: Thorin on December 12, 2006, 11:34:56 AMIf the PS3s had been lining the shelves and the Wiis were all sold out, they likely would have bought a PS3. But they couldn't find them, so bought the Wii instead, and will not be going back to the store to buy a PS3 in January.

The NDP numbers would support this as the 360 was ahead of both. Lack of stock in both PS3 sku's as well as the Wii has been good for Microsoft.

Thorin · December 12, 2006, 11:45:01 AM

Quote from: Shayne on December 12, 2006, 11:32:00 AM
Also if parents are buying a console system for their child and not asking the child which system they want, i hope they are ready for some initial disappointment when they get the one they didn't want.

Wow. Now, I was talking about parents of pre-teen kids. You know, four to twelve years old. Most of them have no idea of the games available for each of the consoles, leave be the merits and pitfalls of each system. If a pre-teen is already so jaded that they pout (and this is what I assume you mean when you say "initial disappointment") when they don't get the best-of-the-best presents, I'd say its time for them to get a job and start buying the stuff they want so badly.

Once kids hit their teens and start researching this kind of stuff on their own, yes, I can understand that you need to pay a little more attention to what it is they're asking for. And many a parent will make a deal with their teenagers to pay for half of whatever it is the child wants, to help them learn that things don't just grow on trees.

If I recall correctly, you mentioned in another post that you had gotten "the other system" when you were younger, and I'm sure the memory still sticks in your mind. But how old were you? And how did you know it was the wrong system?

Shayne · December 12, 2006, 11:56:03 AM

Ahh sorry Thorin, I missed the "Parents of pre-teen kids also like the price".

I ended up getting a Sega Master System and not the NES. The SMS came out in June, 1986 according to wikipedia, so that would make me think I would have been 6 as I got it for Xmas (though I would turn 7 in Feb) (or it could have been the xmas of 87 as the NES didnt come out in Canada till spring 87?). How did I know it was the "wrong system", because all my friends had the Nintendo. So while I guess its not technically the "wrong system" it was just the unpopular one and really limited the sharing of games ability.

Lazybones · December 12, 2006, 12:13:04 PM

Quote from: Shayne on December 12, 2006, 11:56:03 AM
Ahh sorry Thorin, I missed the "Parents of pre-teen kids also like the price".

I ended up getting a Sega Master System and not the NES. The SMS came out in June, 1986 according to wikipedia, so that would make me think I would have been 6 as I got it for Xmas (though I would turn 7 in Feb) (or it could have been the xmas of 87 as the NES didnt come out in Canada till spring 87?). How did I know it was the "wrong system", because all my friends had the Nintendo. So while I guess its not technically the "wrong system" it was just the unpopular one and really limited the sharing of games ability.

I had the sega master system as well, but I was never ashamed of it.. hardware wise it was a better system and had some great arcade games like after burner, choplifter, alteredbeast, hangon, outrun and advanced addons like the 3d glasses, which despite the headaches from prolonged play, where really cool.

However if you where a kid that wanted to play mario, yes it would have been disappointingly.

Shayne · December 12, 2006, 12:16:29 PM

Quote from: Lazybones on December 12, 2006, 12:13:04 PMI had the sega master system as well, but I was never ashamed of it.. hardware wise it was a better system and had some great arcade games like after burner, choplifter, alteredbeast, hangon, outrun and advanced addons like the 3d glasses, which despite the headaches from prolonged play, where really cool.

However if you where a kid that wanted to play mario, yes it would have been disappointingly.

I was far to young to really care (or even understand) about the hardware, it was really just about the games. Buddies playing Mario and I got Space Harrier. Was a lot more rough when Super Mario 3 came out. I recall that being the biggest of events at school, people always talking about which world they were on, etc.

Lazybones · December 12, 2006, 12:21:56 PM

Quote from: Shayne on December 12, 2006, 12:16:29 PM
I was far to young to really care (or even understand) about the hardware, it was really just about the games. Buddies playing Mario and I got Space Harrier. Was a lot more rough when Super Mario 3 came out. I recall that being the biggest of events at school, people always talking about which world they were on, etc.

Yep, as I said, there was only one system with Mario. For me I was happy to play most of my favorite arcade games at home, Nintendo didn't have nearly as many arcade ports since Sega was king of the arcades for many years..

Shayne · December 12, 2006, 12:26:58 PM

I didn't go to the arcade as I don't think one was near me. I live on base in Moose Jaw with really a small convenience store being the only shop that us kids could walk to. Getting into the city was still a 10 minute drive. Honestly though, I really didnt get much into gaming until late in the NES/SMS war (Mario 3 got me super hooked) and when the choice of Genesis or SNES came to be, i told my parents that I wanted the SNES (i remember seeing Super Mario World for the first time at my Uncle's house, it was just awe inspiring).

Last generation was the only one where I felt it was beneficial to own more then one of the consoles (PS2 and Xbox), where as this gen I'm still holding out. I've seen whats coming out in 07 for the Wii and PS3 and they both have me rather apathetic right now. Its the announced games with no release dates set yet that will probably get me to choose a second come Xmas 07.

Thorin · December 12, 2006, 01:07:02 PM

Quote from: Shayne on December 12, 2006, 12:16:29 PM
I was far to young to really care (or even understand) about the hardware, it was really just about the games. Buddies playing Mario and I got Space Harrier. Was a lot more rough when Super Mario 3 came out. I recall that being the biggest of events at school, people always talking about which world they were on, etc.

See, now your comments have some background info and I understand the point you were trying to make.

To add some perspective, though, there are now so many electronic games that I don't think there'll be one killer-app game that all the kids at school will be talking about. DS, Gameboy Advance, GameCube, Wii, Xbox, Xbox360, PSP, PSOne, PS2, PS3, PC; how many titles for all of those? And how many titles are cross-platform?

Let's not forget about all of the online Java-based and Flash-based games these days, too. Lots of kids were into WebKinz last summer, and that's just a cheap-o Flash-based website that you can only enter by buying a stuffed animal with a special code in the store. Now, my son's discovered the original SimCity as an online Java-based application and is having a heyday with it.

So hopefully kids (at least, my kids) will be happy with whatever games they get. If not, they're always welcome to save up their allowance and get what they *really* wanted all along. So far, I've found that when it's their own money they suddenly don't care about that expensive doo-dad anymore.

Shayne · December 12, 2006, 01:14:56 PM

Even more true is that when you have to pay for the item yourself you treat it like gold and research it to death. I'm sure that your kids will be more then happy with a Wii and will be all over that on Xmas day.

Thorin · December 12, 2006, 01:17:31 PM

Well, I'm terrible and have tricked them into thinking they've wanted it all along, so they've decided to all together ask Santa for one (because if only one of them asked then Santa might think they're being too greedy). We've even made sure that we don't have anywhere to go Christmas morning so that they can spend the whole morning taking turns playing it.