Sony PR team reportedly laid-off, ex-staffer mourns ‘titles sent out to die’

Interesting. And good luck to those affected. Sucks they cut a fan.

Sony marketing sucked post ps2 era, no wonder their exclusives dont sell.
Looks like except sony, everyone else knows whats wrong with their piss poor marketing.

This the same Will Powers that won The Tester reality show?

@2: Maybe you are right. And maybe that’s why they fired everyone.

Hope the people, who got fired, won’t stay unemployed for too long.

will power… aka the guy who won the testers. Its not like he had his job the way everyone else does.
I think he have nothing to say about his layoff since he won a god damn tv show.

Holy hell, LBP Karting already came out!? If that’s true then Sony HAS sent it to die out there. Seriously, zero marketing or hype for an LBP? How about LBP Vita?

He may be from the Tester reality show but he’s not wrong. Sony IS sending most of their games out to die. They have done so before with games like Resistance 3 and Starhawk.

@6

Nah dude, November.

I liked Will from the tester, he deserved to win, I feel bad he’s without a job now.. That sux
I must say tho he’s right about Sony but I guess if he’s been with Sony this whole time in PR isn’t he to blame for games that’s already been released from SCEA? Right?

Sony current in-house PR guys did a shit job, now there outsourcing the job to others.
Will mate, don’t take it personal, it’s just business.

Kevin Butler seemed like the only great idea I’ve seen so far from the last couple years, and even he’s jump ship to Nintendo.

yep afaik Germany has no own Sony PS-PR-Department, its done by Harvard Business in Munich. Just like Mr. Powers said. And my heart was always beating for Sony, but now I am going more to Nintendo and MS. Even MS has more Japanese Games to offer than Sony. Shit like LBPK, Wonderbook and whatever…I dont know what the fuck they doing, what kind of audience they want to satisfy? But Companies like NISA (yes, for some folks think their RPGS are not serious enough, but without them, PS3 would have not enough JRPGS) left in dark und totally unsupported by Sony. And because all the stuff wasnt enough, NOOOO, they had to close Studio Liverpool. Thats all Sony, I am sick of you and I am done with you.

@9
Ps always has the most japanese games. Check your facts.
Nothing is wrong with their games. They just suck at marketing which is as important if not more, than making good games.

@10 Nintendo surely.

#11

Correct. Sony has spent most of it’s resources this gen producing dull brown/grey shooters, or all-american action hero/ultraviolent linear 6 hour setpiece games.

Pretty much the opposite of Japanese gaming.

@10
Yes, I wasn’t clear enough. Ofc, First-Party Japanese sucks at MS, thats for sure. But look at Sony, they are a Japanese Company, how many First Party Japanese title they have? Demon Souls(50%)? The Last Guy? Tokyo Jungle? Aquanauts Holiday 3(25%)? Gran Turisimo 5? Folklore (50%)? Team ICO-Collection? Dont make me counting Nintendo First-Party title…

They are not even able to publish some of their in house developed games. That was it all. I am talking about in-house development. I dont say western games are bad, but I dont know my Sony anymore that I got to know some years ago.

But this is not the point and the topic. Even when you daily surf on the internet, you dont really get the info when a game will come out. I get the info from retailers and shops.

They just alienate..from year to year. And wasting money on titles and hardware, no one really wanted.

@11
I may be forgetting some games , heres the upcoming ps3 lineup-
Ff13 lightning returns
Ni no kuni
Tokitowa
Legasista
Dragons crown
Disgaea
Tokyo jungle
Rain
Puppeteer
Jojos bizzare fighting
Naruto
Bleach (released previous year)
Gundam series (remember ps3 is import friendly)
New NIS project
MGS ground zeroes
And many more
Yup, ps has more japanese games.
@12
I think you are referring all american heroes like master chief in halo, brown/grey shooters like gow, porny titles like witcher right?
Stay with triss dude, the exclusive whore on xbox lol
@13
It boils down to the fact that most ninty studios are japanese, whereas sony studios are more global.
But as you mentioned, biggest problem remains their piss poor marketing. Improvements there will go a long way in bringing ps brand to its former glory in ps2 days.

@KrazyKraut:

Actually, Germany has a pretty fine own PR team, that is supported by Havard.

#14

MS has nothing to do with this.

I am referring to Resistance and its many sequels/spinoffs, Killzone and its many sequels/spinoffs, Uncharted and its many sequels/spinoffs, GoW and its etc. etc.., SOCOM, MAG, Motorstorms, etc, etc…

Most of Sonys AAA releases this gen have been US-focussed. Pretty much ALL of Nintendo’s output has been aimed at Japan first and foremost.

@16

Whatchu smoking bro? Stuff like Tokyo Jungle, Gravity Rush, Unfinished Swan, Journey, Rain, Two Souls, LBP – all of those announced/released in the last six months?
Uncharted and Motorstorm are hardly ultraviolent grey games either. And there’s stuff like Heavy Rain, Ico/Collossus HD, etc.

@14
Is that first party? Its second and third party. No ni Kuni was also released on the 3DS. Is that developed by in-house sony folks? read what I wrote. Ofc you have future titles in your list, thats okay. Bleach was developed in-house, but published by NISA. Its like Capcom would publish Pokemon for Nintendo. But i talk about the present and the past. And we get a lot of things on the ps3. But Sony is able to do awesome western games on the PS3, where are sequels to their Japanese ones? Tired of playing sequels, prequels and what ever of their grey dull stuff. But everyone has it own opinion of things.

@15
Yes I talked with one of them and they are very friendly and cool!

#17

I’ll repeat, for the skim-readers and those with learning difficulties:

Most of Sony’s AAA output this gen has been US-focussed. That is a fact.

Oh, and Uncharted: Popping caps in bad guys for 6 hours. Motorstorm: BWAH! BWAH! Big rig SMASH! Monster truck KABOOM!

I’m not commenting on their quality, but loud violent and US-focussed they most definitely are.

@17
I ain’t smoking nothing dude, maybe you are.
I only mentioned tokyo jungle (which will come out tomorrow) and rain, which is from japan studio, 2013 release . Check out.
@18
ni no kuni released as a ds game, not a 3ds one, also ps3 version is the only one to be available worldwide and is the better one with better graphics and gameplay.
Also read my comment carefully about sony studios.

@19

Cool, just repeat your point, ignoring my examples. Good job bro!

#21

You aren’t any good at this ‘reading comprehension’ business are you?

Your examples are a small number of PSN or low budget titles. My point – now to be repeated for a third time in the hope it will penetrate the fog around your mind – is that MOST of Sony’s AAA output this gen is loud, violent and US-focussed.

@20

I think you need to face the fact that Sony won’t be able to stay in the ‘gaming’ space if they continue in the same way they have done with the PS3…

No matter how many exclusives you get, the cost and design choices made with the PS3 have been a big problem for Sony this gen.

They have shown arrogance regarding what they feel consumers want and stood by old fashioned business models.

The fact they have so many devisions could really bring the gaming side to it’s knee’s if they don’t change their tactics next gen.

You can’t keep reliving the PS2 glory days forever, otherwise people might as well start mentioning the NES etc…

The gaming landscape has changed and Sony (who should know better), are being forced into limbo at the moment.

God knows how they’ll cope when Apple TV comes out…

Lbp is just as much NA focused, it’s universally appealing.

Sony marketing has nothing to do with their titles underperforming, what exactly is wrong with space nazis or generic chimeras? You can’t go more lowest common denominator than those.. Their marketing is just fine, the games are shit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCE_Japan_Studio

Gadzooks! is right, lots of games (great ones too) but not much with a high budget. I think that plays to their strengths (quirkier smaller titles) but personally I’d like to see more from them and see what they can do with the sort of budget afforded to other studios. I’m guessing some really fantastic titles which wouldn’t be a huge commercial success. I’d rather that than more Killzone though.

@22 And what about Microsoft? were their games any different than what Sony is doing? your own words: “loud, violent and US-focussed”?

Violence sells better and dumb sells better in the US, so there you have it, you oughta make products suitable to your market.

@26

They’re not, they don’t waste money flogging a dead horse though…

They know the 360 sells like shit in Japan, thats why you rarely see games released on it over there.

Fact is, if they can lock down the media empire in Europe and US, they will be sorted.

Let Sony try and sell overpriced consoles in there home territory.

Oh wait, Nintendo sells most in Japan…

#26

MS are not part of this conversation, and dont need to be.

A stupid statement was made: ‘ps always has the most japanese games’, and that was disproved. Thats all.

Gonna say what I always seem to, because every once in awhile what I always seem to say fits and looks smarter. This is one of those times.

Sony is not a Video Game company. It is a Media Company, also gadgets. They are not games focused. They have produced some smart, creative, and well done games this gen. However none of those games have been able to compete with the top titles on other platforms(in sales). To me that speaks volumes.

Marketing is prolly the single biggest ingrediant to sucsess. Sony doesn’t do a good job of that.

Sonys PR this entire gen has been horrible. Perhaps unrelated, but bits like “people will want to get a second job in order to buy a PS3″ to how the public was handled durring the PSN Gate. And other key bits. There have been times when Sony execs seemed more like stand up comics then people promoting a brand.

Sometimes you have to call a spade a spade.

I don’t think Sony makes it through the through the next gen. I think Nintendo owns JPN and MS owns NA and EU. I wouldn’t even be shocked if PS4 doesn’t get pushed back a couple/few more years. I don’t think Sony can afford to put out new hardware. I know they can’t afford to fail with it, if PS4 pulls a Vita, the PS brand is dead.

I don’t know the score with the PR teams, and I am not privy to what there strategies are. But once again, here is a baffiling move by Sony.

@29

Yeah, basically this.

IMO i can see Sony bowing out of hardware in the near future.

@28,
Stupid statement disapproved by what? shitty talk by the ceo of sony hater corp.? I gave proof supporting my argument. Unfortunately people who have ninty and ms up their ass cant understand that. Give me a game list, if you can.
@29,
“I think Nintendo owns JPN and MS owns NA and EU”
Really? For your info, ps3 sells more than any other home console worldwide now, and has undisputed leads in both japan and eu.
@23,
Amazing how ps brand is sinking now when their home console sells the most on a weekly basis now.
“They have shown arrogance regarding what they feel consumers want and stood by old fashioned business models.”
I think thats ninty, and most agree with that, except NDF members of course.

Also to all so-called NDF members, where were you when ninty announced wiiu is region-locked. As OG said, only looking through rose tinted glasses eh?
@30,
Tell me what else you see, ninty ruling the world?

“That being said, you have to question the priorities of the company as a whole. Sony in general is serving too many masters. Each company should operate autonomously. PlayStation shouldn’t suffer because TVs are overpriced”

I think this is rather important, i always seen as possitive they did have so many products and divisions, in order to support the gaming division, which influenced their technological approach on the consoles especially ps3 and vita, in order to coupe with the initial looses created by the good tech under the devices, but this gives some light that this will be not longer the case, in fact it might indicate that Sony is using the gaming division to coupe with the looses of the other departments as well, due to their relative success with both of them, which might create or is creating problems on their gaming division as we speak.

#31 i did comment on the issue of region locked, so i think we can criticize the bad things nintendo does, which also doesnt have anything to do with the issues that are brought in nintendo threads (being kiddy, mario milked, collects dust, lack of ips, etc), this are very different things, we defend nintendo when the issues brought to the table are very subjective and not facts.

@27 Microsoft actually did a lot to win favors in Japan’s market, it didn’t paid off. The smallest of their attempts is the arcade games they specifically released for japan, they have quite a category of shmup games over there, to name a few; Akai Katana Shin, Deathsmiles, Deathsmiles IIX, Raiden IV, Raiden Fighters Aces, DoDonPachi Daifukkatsu Black Label. These are all arcade games (arcade machine) that only released on Xbox 360 and Arcades. I’m sure there are a few JRPGs as well. So they tried, and they are trying, It’s incredibly stupid not to, expansion comes with profitable opportunities.

@Gadzooks! Well in that case, you’re right.

@32,
Actually what he saying is completely opposite of what should happen. “One Sony” as Kaz puts it is the only way sony would stay afloat.
Ps brand, even though one of the most successful sony brand, was treated as an outcast, with its centre not located in Sony City.
As many analysts say, in sony, left hand doesnt know what right does.This is what prevented them from launching a mp3 player first even though they own a complete music label.

#31

Hush now, adults are talking.

“@29,
“I think Nintendo owns JPN and MS owns NA and EU”
Really? For your info, ps3 sells more than any other home console worldwide now, and has undisputed leads in both japan and eu.”

I was talking about Next Gen, sorry if I didn’t make that clear enough.

Also you need to consider that JPN is not a console dominated territory Dragon. It is about Handhelds, and yeah Nintendo does currently own that market too.

And I too commented on region locks. You know it isn’t like that is a new thing. I have small shelf of JPN games that I can play on my JPN PS2. And I know a lot of people that have PSN and XBL acounts from regions other then their own.

Region Locks are really no biggie, just you folks that want an excuse to unload on Nintendo/WiiU, thought you were just handed a golden bat, only to find that most folks don’t care. I am sure that irked you guys a bit.

@36,
Sony owns japan and eu in hd consoles. Cant see ms winning eu anytime soon.
Also golden bats are costly, even more so in todays economy. I like them
I said there it may not impact most, but its an impact nonetheless.
@35,
You are an adult???
Way to dodge the argument eh? You cant even respond to a stupid comment can you? Not while you are with triss I guess. Do you know anything about japan at all?
So much for being an adult……..

I can see MS easily expanding into EU regions, it already does impressivly well in UK. Next Gen MS is going to be hard to beat. And not nessecarily because of its games line up. But they are going to be huge on the TV front. I think. IF MS does what i have a feeling they are going to do it could crack EU. I am expecting them to offer data plans similer to smart phones except cheaper usage. Meaning that if I am right, xbnxt owners in low bandwidth regions could have isp solutions. I could be totaly wrong, but I think the writting is on the wall.

@OG
I kind of agree to an extent, but marketing isn’t the biggest issue by a long way. Sony lacks the bigger games full stop. That’s not as huge an issue as it could be though.

“However none of those games have been able to compete with the top titles on other platforms(in sales). To me that speaks volumes.”

I don’t think this has ever been Sony particularly. They go for strength in breadth and depth. The only really big seller they ever had themselves was Gran Turismo. The strength of the PSOne and PS2 was sheer depth in offerings and being the biggest player. PS3 has the depth but it is not the dominant market leader the other two were.

That’s not to say they wouldn’t like or don’t try to produce a big title guaranteed to sell 10m+. They clearly do, but not achieving that isn’t down to marketing, it’s more down to the games themselves.

For me personally that’s not actually a massively bad thing. One of the things I love about Sony is the breadth of titles they produce themselves and the risks they take with them. The fact they can’t produce a FPS to match the likes of Halo, CoD and BF3 isn’t a problem for me. If they didn’t spend so much money on trying to do just this I doubt it would be a problem for them either.

@OG,
You said handhelds dominate japan, actually mobiles do, but you are right.
Still people like you are all too eager to kill vita asap. Actually thats not happening. Psp still sells good there. There were 34 games for it on tgs floor,more than vita. Next year, when psp development moves to vita completely in the earnest, you will see.
Also I dont think sony is sitting quietly. They must be watching ms and their moves. If the subs plan works, you will see sony emulating it too. Also I think in eu, sony provides better tv facilities, so I cant see the writing in the wall.

it almost sounds as if you WANT that to happen OG!

And here I thought you despised the dirty MS way…

On topic, Sony’s marketing is somewhat lacklustre.

How #39 can say they don’t have any of the BIG games, I completely don’t understand. Most of the BIG games are third party. And Sony more than hold their own when comparing first party output (with MS at least), imo.

I’m torn between hating companies who market themselves too much, and feeling sorry for Sony’s under-performing game sales due to a lack of just that.

I’d certainly hate to see a gaming landscape without them, that much I do know.

@38
Next gen for MS v Sony will be interesting. I think there are still a few surprises up the sleeves. Current assumption is 2 similar set-top boxes, MS perhaps having Kinect integration, both launching late next year. The surprises I think will come in pricing plans and standard unusual features.

If Sony just come with a better PS3 and launch at the same time or later than MS then they are going to find things very difficult without some really compelling software to back it up.

#37 Sony does not own Japan i the total units sold number, the Ds surpassed the PSP, the Wii is surpassing the PS3, and the 3DS is surpassing the Vita, its been a while since they are not the top console/handheld seller in Japan, even in weakly sales number most of the time is dominated by nintendo products, i mean the ones that came on top.

@41,
So true, marketing sucks. I despise the moronic “hype machine” and stupid “viral campaigns”.
But most people want sucky things
@43,
I said hd consoles. Also ps3 leads weekly sales worldwide about more than a year now. I was referring to that.

Nothing like a bunch of gaijin arguing over who “owns” Japan

@41
OG and I were referring to big games which rival offerings from Nintendo and MS. Sony have nothing which comes close to the consistent sales of series like Mario Kart or Halo. I’m not saying they don’t have big games, but they aren’t in the same league as the best from others sales wise.

Why oh why a cover based tps doesn’t outsell dedicated multiplayer fps and platformers.

It must be the marketing. Or what I think ‘marketing’ stands for.

Same goes for Alan Wake. It outsold all Sony titles combined.. Oh wait, it didn’t.

To tell you the truth i dont want Sony to leave gaming, as neither Microsoft or Nintendo for that matter, as a matter of fact i want SEGA to comeback in order to have four console makers, the more the merrier i suppose, but i reckon that is wishfull thinking on my part.

Having said that i think sony should put gaming as their primary asset once again, i mean that other divisions support the gaming division, instead of the gaming division supporting the other divisions, that will gave them more room to manouver next gen, and for that doing better and incide in the performance of their overall gaming strategy.

@46 – My bad. I read that all a bit too fast I think ; p

And what a treat! more wisdom from Da Man – “Their marketing is just fine, the games are shit.”
I want to like you. I feel we could become great friends. Lovers even. But shit like this makes it difficult.

@49
“Having said that i think sony should put gaming as their primary asset once again”

They did actually recently do that in a restructure. It’s one of the pillars of their new “One Sony”. Digital Imaging, Gaming, Mobile.