PlayStation - The Future of Play is Now
Most kids in our generation are now growing up with a plethora of technology always surrounding them, but that has only risen exponentially in the last 5-10 years. When even babies born in the early 2000s (including myself) did not have access to much technology, you know there is room for extreme development on that front in the future.
Even if I did not have a flip phone until I was 10, I still had access to the most addictive piece of technology in my anecdotal experience at least, gaming consoles. I first started with my Dad’s PS2, mainly playing games such as Fifa Street and SSX with my brother, praying that the actual console would turn on. Fast forward a few years later, I had an Xbox 360, then a PS4 and now a PS5 for all my gaming needs.
The development of gaming consoles in terms of their processing power, graphic design, general game quality and overall user experience has improved on such a scale that it is sometimes hard to keep up. But Sony & PlayStation are impressive in their marketing and the scale on which they release their products is certainly superior to that of their main competitors Microsoft & Xbox. There seems to be a consensus among the public as proven by Sony and PlayStation has sold 18.87 million PS5 units in 17 months, with a 57.4% market share, compared to Microsoft & Xbox, which have sold only 13.87 million units of the Xbox Series X|S and who only have a 42.6% market share. So, what is Sony doing so successfully in comparison to Microsoft? What are their industry secrets?
Firstly, PlayStation has invested heavily in having the best exclusive games for their console that fans are only able to play on their systems, which offers a great reason for them to choose PS5 over a new Xbox. Some of these games include Marvel’s Spiderman Miles Morales, the Unchartered series, the Horizon series, Ratchet and Clank and many more. This will certainly garner a large audience as these games certainly have some cult followings of people who obsess over these games over the actual console, so will opt to play the game over any other – so the choice for which console to buy will be extremely easy. Having Marvel’s Spiderman as an exclusive is a genius move from Sony, as the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) is the highest-grossing film franchise of all time in North America, with a total worldwide box office revenue as of 2020 being over 26.6 billion USD – the franchise is sure to bring certain success for the sales of the console.
With PlayStation and Xbox needing a monthly or annual payment for their online subscriptions, some gamers and casuals see this as unnecessary money grabs from companies, but PlayStation offers something more. As part of their PS Plus membership, they offer members between 2 and 3 free games to download every month as an add-on to their online gaming experience, which enhances the user experience and makes it more favourable for them with these payments – as they have given big hitter games such as Fifa, UFC and NBA 2k as free games in the past for all of their members, it is a sure-fire incentive to make online subscribers less upset about another subscription coming out of their bank account.
PlayStation certainly does not lack opportunities for more monetary gain within its infrastructure. They also offer upgrades on certain PS Plus packages now to access more games and extra benefits. Plus, they have their online digital game rental service called PS Now, which for an extra monthly or annual payment allows these gamers to rent a choice of hundreds if not thousands of games whilst they're paying the subscription price. Some of these games are from the PS1, 2, 3 and 4 as well as 5 so offer users a sense of nostalgia on their customer journey. Making them solidify and rekindle their relationships with games in the past, helping them develop a stronger relationship and loyalty with the brand. The fact that they are giving their customers such a large variety of options makes them feel cared for, seen, valued, and appreciated in terms of their wants; making them more likely to spend extra money for these services.
Another reason why people may choose to purchase a PS5 these days, especially the disc edition, is because it is also an all-in-one entertainment device. It has every popular movie and series streaming app, plus access to YouTube and music platforms and much more. It is essentially also a TV as much as it is a gaming system, and you can also watch physical DVDs on the console, with the disc edition, so it saves the need to buy a TV, and more just buy a monitor or projector – if you do not need satellite TV, of course.
However, a more negative spin on the marketing and sales tactics of the PS5 is the lack of availability to purchase a unit. Even though they have sold over 17 million units worldwide, millions of people still without one are desperate for one. At first, it seemed a stroke of genius, as it was a trending topic leading up to Q4 and Christmas in 2020, as parents and gift buyers alike were struggling to source the product, willing to pay extortionate prices to secure it, making it a heavily discussed topic on social media, which made PlayStation 5 as a key term trend, which only boosted and improved awareness of the brand and product, therefore further increasing the demand.
However, nearly two years later, there are limited options outside of registering officially on the Sony website and extortionate reseller prices – Sony seems to now have slightly damaged its reputation because of this. It has slowly but surely crossed the line of being a clever way to increase demand and want for the product, to more of a feeling of general frustration and people not bothering anymore. The question is, was it a marketing tactic gone wrong, or did they truly under prepare for the new release and were struggling from the get-go?
Nevertheless, the quality of the product and the games and the general experience cannot be denied. Most people in the world would love a PS5, so surely that has to be deemed a success?
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