GameOver40.com

As a followup on my last post on why I think backwards compatibility is important,  here’s a direction I would consider for Sony:

Re-Position the PS2 as a competitor to Wii

Given the business Wii has generated in the casual game market with a technology platform comparable  to the PS2, I think a great move for Sony would be to build out a competing product to the Wii using the PS2, which also would work on the PS3.  The idea would be to improve upon the motion controls of the SixAxis controller and build a controller similiar to the Wii’s.   Internally create a Wii Sports competitor for it and build it with a PS2 for $179-$199, or as a controller and game only package for PS2/PS3 at $59-$99.

Here’s why it makes sense:

• Sony’s PS3 sales are lackluster and by entering the casual gaming market it adds PS2 sales as well as cross-over PS3 sales for users who want superior graphics.
• It undercuts the Nintendo Wii with a lower cost package and re-vitalizes the old PS2 until the PS3 can gain more marketshare.
• It uses the old sales theory that men get families into the store but wives get families  to the cash register.  With support for casual games, the PS3 might be the compromise between the hardcore gaming husband and the casual gaming wife.
• For mother’s buying a kid a system, a PSII would be a good entry level system which has both casual games for families and a library of cool games for the kids.

Of course with no backwards compatibility, it doesn’t make much sense since there is no upgrade path to the PS3.  With the way the Playstation business has gone off the tracks over the last year or two, they need to do something to get back on the rail and I’m not sure Playstation Home is going to sell systems.

Tags: Business, PS3 //