Sony VP talking more shit in an inteview from the 16th

[Trauma-san]

These motherfuckers are clueless.

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SCEA VP on Backwards Compatibility: "I Would Like My Car To Fly and Make Me Breakfast"
Topic: Console Games

Just got off the phone with SCEA exec VP Jack Tretton, who doesn't see PlayStation 3 backwards compatibility issues as being much of an issue at all:

I would like my car to fly and make me breakfast, but that's an unrealistic expectation. We've reported problems on only 200 of the 8000 PlayStation 1 and 2 games. I would challenge the average consumer to say that there are significant problems with any of the games in their library.

After the jump, Tretton speaks on such diverse topics as PS3 launch numbers (they're officially not going to give any), launch line issues (they're trying to keep them to a minimum), and PS1 game downloads (still coming this year).

I was taking notes in Word as I talked with Tretton on the phone, so be aware that some of these quotes have been gently stitched together from the phrases in my notes.

How many PlayStation 3 units at launch?

The honest answer is, the number changes on a daily basis. We gave the original numbers out to retailers last Friday, based on what we had in the warehouse. Goods are arriving every day and will continue to arrive. I'm not sure what the ultimate number will be. We are sticking with the target of one million units in the US by the end of the calendar year, and six million worldwide by end of the fiscal year.

How many at the big launch event at the Metreon tonight?


A significant amount. We've got a major press event. Our goal is that we don't turn anybody away.

When will supply catch up with demand?

Supply is a moving target, but demand is also a moving target. If nobody's interested, we'll catch up on the 18th. It could be as late as spring before units sit on store shelves for more than a matter of seconds.

There are stories of people getting shot with BB guns and robbed at gunpoint in line -- does this make Sony reconsider how they launch consoles?


I don't know how else to do it. We've worked very closely with retailers such that we don't bring false expectations: the minute they know their availability for the store, they address the crowd so people know if they're getting one.

We've worked closely with retailers to take care of the people in line, make sure they have food and are warm.

I'm a big fan of statistics. If there's a problem at 10 stores out of 25,000, is that considered to be a chaotic launch?


PS3 fetches $1800 on eBay -- is the retail price perhaps too low?

What we're looking to do is manage that ten-year product cycle and appeal to the 150 million people who've bought PS2 worldwide. It's about having a platform that the vast majority of consumers want to own. We've always tried to reach the ideal balance of value and price, and not take short-term advantage of consumer interest.

The PlayStation Store just went live but there are none of the promised PSone game downloads for PSP. When will we see these?


We intend to get some out before the end of the calendar year. They'll be playable first for PSP, and then for both PSP and PS3 before the end of the year.

Are you still confident that Sony will take first place in the console war?

I really am. I don't see any reason to believe that we shouldn't be. We started [in this business by selling] upwards of 100 million consoles of the original PlayStation. Here we sit, six years-plus later on PS2 and we're 30% ahead of where we were on original PlayStation at that point in its lifecycle. We attracted an extremely large and loyal fan base. Layer on the technology that's in the PlayStation 3, and we have every reason to believe we'll grow that audience yet again.

Do you have a timeframe for overtaking Xbox 360?


The minute we exceed their production and distribution [capabilities].

Do you have a response for people experiencing backwards compatibility issues and/or television upscaling problems?


I would like my car to fly and make me breakfast, but that's an unrealistic expectation. We've reported problems on only 200 of the 8000 PlayStation 1 and 2 games. I would challenge the average consumer to say that there are significant problems with any of the games in their library.

If you look at our competitors, one machine has zero backwards compatibility and one only has it with a third of their games. [Actually, the Wii is backwards compatible with the full GameCube library. - CK]

On upscaling issues: This machine looks phenomenal on the cheapest color TV you ever bought. So I don't want people to think they'll be looking at stick figures [if you don’t have a 1080p display].

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My favorite part of the interview is when he ignorantly claims that the Wii has 0 backwards compatibility.  I guess he didn't even bother to check out which system is currently whipping his ass in sales around the globe.  The wii is the most backwards compatible system in history. 

Lets talk about Sony backwards compatibility.  They made about 13 different versions of the PS2; some versions wouldn't even play some ps2 games, much less all ps1 games.  2 or 3 of the versions wouldn't play any of the games with blue bottoms, etc.  When they released the slim ps2, it wasn't compatible with Final Fantasy XI, which was released just a few months earlier.  Since they discontinued the chunky ps2, it's impossible for a ffXi player to have a system that will play it if there's breaks.

I can't think of 1 game that Nintendo ever designed themselves out of, every nintendo game plays on every system it was intended for with absolutely no issues at all. 

The Wii in particular plays *every* gamecube game.  Nintendo's also developed a perfect emulation system that theoretically could reproduce every earlier Nintendo game as well as turbographix and genesis games. 

What an ignorant fucking statement from this asshole.  I love the "I'd like my car to fly" question too.  Sony promises one thing, announces the day of launch that they lied, then talks shit about their customers.  These fucks are going to burn quicker than a Viao laptop. 

[Mr. O]

Fuck sony playstation..as of now.  How can someone who happens to represent the product don't give a shit about it?  I think playstation 3 is a failure out of all 3 systems that existed.