I read somewhere last week that Sony claimed that the main reason Microsoft made it to market with their next-gen console a year earlier than the PS3, is because Microsoft isn’t a technology company.
However, I really think Sony’s obsession with making the PS3 a technological marvel is going to be a big mistake. For most users the games and online experience are what they are looking for in a console. Sony’s decision to pack the PS3 with a custom powerhouse of a chip in the Cell, Blue-ray when the format wars are still raging and 1080p when most users don’t have a HD screen yet and even if they do it’s not a pricey 1080p screen, could end up pushing more customers Microsoft’s and Nintendo’s way. Yes, these are the latest technologies and will get reviewers excited when they reel off the spec sheets, but they have no value to Joe Blogs.
The latest ‘technological’ decision by Sony is to ditch the IR port in favour of bluetooth. This means that universal remotes will not work with the PS3. I really can’t believe Sony have done this. Many mobile phone companies made this mistake a few years ago, only to be forced to reinstate IR functionality.
I wonder how long it will take Sony to regret its drive to be at the cutting edge of technology.
