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Sony's Ludicrous Response to Nintendo DSi Launch

If I was Sony, and if I was trying to spin Sunday’s launch of Nintendo DSi in a way that was favorable to my company’s interests, I would probably point out the fact that the PSP has had downloadable games for the past few years, or that it has stored music and photos since it […]

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If I was Sony, and if I was trying to spin Sunday's launch of Nintendo DSi in a way that was favorable to my company's interests, I would probably point out the fact that the PSP has had downloadable games for the past few years, or that it has stored music and photos since it launched in 2004, or something else that pointed out that Nintendo is playing a bit of catch-up with DSi.

What I would not say, under any circumstances, is this:

If Nintendo is really committed to reaching a broader, more diverse audience of gamers beyond the "kids" market that they've always engaged, there isn't much new with the DSi to support that. Significant gamer demographic groups are being ignored, and there continues to be limited opportunities for games from external publishers to do well on the DSi. Compare that with the PSP platform, where we have many blockbuster franchises from our publishing partners launching this year, representing a wide variety of genres and targeting diverse demographics. Games such as Rock Band Unplugged from MTV Games, Assassin's Creed from Ubisoft, Dissidia Final Fantasy from Square Enix, and Hannah Montana from Disney demonstrate the commitment that publishers have to the PSP. From our own first-party studios, we're launching unique versions of LittleBigPlanet and MotorStorm, and we're also planning a steady stream of downloadable games -- both new titles and PSone classics -- to add to the content that PSP owners can already purchase wirelessly through PlayStation Store.

- John Koller, Director of Hardware Marketing for Sony Computer Entertainment America

PR spin is, by its nature, going to tweak the facts of the situation in such a way that they sound better for whoever's giving the comment. But this crosses the line into crazy talk.

Did I dream the wild success of Nintendogs? Brain Age? The smaller successes of games like Personal Trainer: Cooking? Yes, Nintendo has had a great deal of success with kids' games on DS. But to brand it as a kids' platform that doesn't "reach a broader, more diverse audience" is patently ridiculous -- especially in comparison to PSP, which Koller himself said in our recent interview has 40% of its install base in the 13- to 17-year-old age group.

Compare this to Nintendo's age and gender breakdowns for DS ownership. Note that more 33-year-old women own Nintendo DS than 13-year-old boys.

Now, does Nintendo also own that kids' market? Yes. And Sony is going after it. In our interview, Koller mentioned that Sony is seeing "a lot of growth" in the 12-and-under crowd, and is introducing a Hannah Montana PSP to snare the girls.

Somewhat slipperier is the notion that "similar gamer demographics are being ignored." Does the Gears of War crowd that fetishizes the hottest graphics play DS? Perhaps not, and maybe the graphics are still a selling point for PSP in that sliver of the market.

But the idea that DS' lineup is anything other than well-rounded is ridiculous. Just look at the games Sony lists. Does Rock Band on PSP reach a different demographic than Activision's two Guitar Hero games for DS? Square Enix just released, within weeks of each other, new Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games for Nintendo DS. Do you think those games are going to sell better or worse than Dissidia?

And are Assassin's Creed and Hannah Montana going to reach a different audience than, um, Assassin's Creed and Hannah Montana, both of which have been available on DS for a very long time now?

Finally, most patently false of all: "There continues to be limited opportunities for games from external publishers to do well on the DSi."

Replace "DSi" with "Wii" and maybe you've got some good spin for the next time PlayStation 3 gets called up to the front of the class. But DS? No. Wired.com doesn't have access to the full range of NPD sales data, but we do get the Top 10 games for every month across all portable platforms. These are, inevitably, all Nintendo DS titles. In October 2008, the following games:

  • SPORE CREATURES ELECTRONIC ARTS
  • LEGO BATMAN WARNER INTERACTIVE
  • CASTLEVANIA: ORDER OF ECCLESIA KONAMI DIGITAL ENT.
  • DRAWN TO LIFE: SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS ED THQ
  • SPECTROBES: BEYOND THE PORTALS DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS
  • SONIC CHRONICLES: THE DARK BROTHERHOOD SEGA OF AMERICA

outsold every PSP game. And those are just the ones we know of.

If this is representative of Sony's public statements about the PSP business, it needs a new message, and fast.

Image courtesy Sony

See Also:- Q&A: Sony's John Koller Talks PSP's Downloadable Future