Tag: console

Sony bemused at PS4 success

Posted on August 20, 2014 by - News

PS4Even the marketing people at Sony can’t work out why its PS4 is selling so well.

Sony is cleaning Microsoft’s clock in the console wars despite the fact that the two products are pretty much the same spec with the same price.

It has sold more than 10 million PS4 consoles have been sold in the nine months since launch. It’s a bigger number than anyone anticipated, and even  the president of Sony’s Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida, doesn’t know why.

He was a bit nervous because he did not completely understand what’s happening. Sony has had marketing people look into this early success, and have found that a lot of PS4 owners did not own a PS3, or any last-gen console at all.

He said that normally when you see a great sales number, instinct tells us we should be concerned about future sales. If Sony sold this number of units at this stage in the game there would be no more consumers it can sell to in the future.

It seems that is not the case and a lot of the PS4s are being flogged to those who have never owned one of Sony’s consoles in the past.

It does not answer the question why, but according to our nephew it is because the Xbox does not have as many good games as the PS4 yet.

Consoles doomed says Doom man

Posted on July 30, 2014 by - News

doomJohn Romero, best known for his on Wolfenstein 3D, Doom and Quake says that consoles are being killed off by PCs and mobile consoles.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz   at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, Romero said that free-to-play is shaking up the industry.

He said that with a PC you have free-to-play and Steam games for five bucks,” said Romero. “The PC is decimating console, just through price. Free-to-play has killed a hundred top studios.

Romero’s games involve providing the first episode free and if play more, then you pay up.

He said that everyone was getting better at free-to-play design, and it is going to lose its stigma at some point. People will settle into the mindset that there is a fair way of doing it, and the other way is the “dirty way.”

Romero said that with this model there were some technological advantages of PC over consoles.

“With PCs if you want a faster system you can just plug in some new video cards, put faster memory in it, and you’ll always have the best machine that blows away PS4 or Xbox One,” he said.

Romero also thinks that VR headsets are unlikely to make a significant impact on the gaming world.

He said that before using Oculus, he had heard many vets in the industry saying this is not like anything they had seen before.

While he thought that it was amazing, Romero could not see a good future for VR right now.

“It encloses you and keeps you in one spot – even the Kinect and Move are devices I wouldn’t play because they just tire you out,” Romero said.

“VR is going away from the way games are being developed and pushed as they go back into multiplayer and social stuff. VR is kind of a step back, it’s a fad.”

FCS Global aims at suicide prevention

Posted on June 10, 2013 by - News

Console LogoUS IP phone systems provider ShoreTel signed a deal with Irish independent communications company FCS Global to provide hardware for its suicide prevention and support charity, Console.

Console offers suicide bereavement and prevention services and resources around Ireland and the UK. All of its free services are delivered by fully qualified and accredited counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists, to those who have been affected by suicide.

Paul Kelly, CEO and founder of Console said the charity relies heavily on the kindness and support of local communities and businesses.

Under the deal, FCS will set up ShoreTel unified communications systems to help Console to streamline operations and aid the further development of its centres and 24 hour helpline service in Ireland and the UK.

Console will be expanded throughout the UK and FCS Global to support its growth with the ShoreTel UC systems.

Using the technology new offices can be easily added by Console to the ShoreTel platform without the need for specialist technical knowledge and will ensure all the centres can continue to collaborate effectively as the charity grows.