Page 2 • Sony to screw the consumer again • Non-Gaming • Online Shopping • Eurogamer.net

Tommyc352 15 Nov 2005 16:20:45 1,293 posts
Seen 5 years ago
Registered 17 years ago

Not a great year for Sony

The late late late PSP release here - and how we are told we should be grateful its taken so long to get here (tho theres no real difference between the Jap and UK PSP's)

Then homebrew takes the micky out of its firmware - hence all the updates!

The DRM issue on their CD's - which Microsoft are going to nuke anyway so ive heard.

The loss's and cost cutting they are planning to take, due to poor trading results,

and now they are named and shamed in a normally reliable national newspaper about ripping off customers!

and the Xbox360 is due out shortly.

BartonFink 15 Nov 2005 16:21:57 35,268 posts
Seen 2 months ago
Registered 20 years ago

A lot of my stuff is Sony too, TV, mobile, DVD player, ahem*minidisc*ahem, headphones.

Wait till people get a load of the price of the PS3 now that will be really shocking (unless they sell it at a massive loss that is).

Not really the way to go about getting people to buy your products Sony. Specially considering how badly they are doing at the moment.

They really seem to be pinning all their hopes on Blu-Ray and the PS3. Can't see PS3 not working out for them (potentially at a huge loss) but Blu-Ray may be a different story. Might it be the last nail in the coffin for a flagging giant?

Edited by BartonFink at 16:34:14 15-11-2005

Tommyc352 15 Nov 2005 16:30:25 1,293 posts
Seen 5 years ago
Registered 17 years ago

Sounds like their putting too many eggs in the Blue ray basket - and its the consumer who will eventually decide whats the better format -

Still, I think ill buy a PS3 - which I think will be sold at a loss so they can get as many Blue ray compatible devices into as many homes as possbile.

bivith 15 Nov 2005 16:31:36 2,469 posts
Seen 3 hours ago
Registered 17 years ago

dravenclarke wrote:
basically beacuse, i know that when i buy it its not going to break 2months down the line.. its going to last for years.
and paying a little more for that is well worth it in my oppinion
*shrugs*

Hate to break it too you, but Sony stuff breaks as much as anything else.

I have a surround kit for them which died in less than a year. It would just switch itself off at random. I was on the last day of warranty, so I was able to get it repaired without hassle, but i'm considering myself fortunate for that.

StixxUK 15 Nov 2005 16:38:28 8,755 posts
Seen 2 hours ago
Registered 19 years ago

Yeah, my Sony DVD player just died. It works OK for some DVDs but not others. And it was FUCKING expensive.

Treze 15 Nov 2005 16:43:50 332 posts
Seen 4 years ago
Registered 20 years ago

boabg wrote:
Sony denies penalising internet shopping sites, arguing that it is rewarding stores that can demonstrate its products.

No....that's penalising internet shopping sites.

Fuckers.

I can agree with sony on that one...

I know a few shop owners that are not too fond of the internet because a lot of their "clients" go to the store and for an hour or so ask a lot of questions about the digital cameras, test every thing and then leave... never to be seen again.

BartonFink 15 Nov 2005 16:44:48 35,268 posts
Seen 2 months ago
Registered 20 years ago

bivith wrote:

dravenclarke wrote:
basically beacuse, i know that when i buy it its not going to break 2months down the line.. its going to last for years.
and paying a little more for that is well worth it in my oppinion
*shrugs*

Hate to break it too you, but Sony stuff breaks as much as anything else.

Yup, on minidisc player 2, PS2 number 4 (two broke), stopped buying discman after number 3.

TV and DVD player have been around for a long time though.

Khanivor 15 Nov 2005 17:07:08 44,800 posts
Seen 1 week ago
Registered 20 years ago

IF BLu-Ray is gonna be the great white hope I'd sell Sony stock pronto. Have any of the proprietary standards they have developed and promoted ever prospered? I know not all, just most, have tanked, but are there any which became the defacto standard for all related devices?

GTBurns 15 Nov 2005 17:28:22 1,772 posts
Seen 9 years ago
Registered 18 years ago

Freek wrote:

Boundy wrote:

jellyhead wrote:

GTBurns wrote:

unwashed wrote:
...drives a Honda S2000.
Good car that, mate - hate to say it but it is technically excellent. Not everyone's cup of tea granted but probably the most reliable sports car available.
But who really wants a reliable sports car!?
You watch Top Gear by any chance?

He must do or hes Richard Hammond at least or was it James May that said it?

Clarkson proclaimed it to be the best sports car ever made, they mocked him for it, now he got back at them with the survey.

I do watch Top Gear and am the proud (former) owner of a Honda S2000!

/finally feels vindicated

BartonFink 15 Nov 2005 17:31:09 35,268 posts
Seen 2 months ago
Registered 20 years ago

dravenclarke wrote:

Khanivor wrote:
IF BLu-Ray is gonna be the great white hope I'd sell Sony stock pronto. Have any of the proprietary standards they have developed and promoted ever prospered? I know not all, just most, have tanked, but are there any which became the defacto standard for all related devices?

the compact disk?

Philips and Sony did that one together.

Edited by BartonFink at 17:42:27 15-11-2005

sam_spade 15 Nov 2005 17:34:20 15,745 posts
Seen 5 hours ago
Registered 20 years ago

drumbaby wrote:

sam_spade wrote:
Did anyone see about that patent that allows a Cd/DVD/Blueray be tied to a particular unit?

Could see the end of second hand sales/swaps/lending from mates.

Total bollocks apparently.

Sony said that their CDs didn't install anything harmful on computers.

Khanivor 15 Nov 2005 17:37:13 44,800 posts
Seen 1 week ago
Registered 20 years ago

But at leat they were involved. Maybe they can break the trend with bright and shiny plastic disks.

/notice dull, dark hue of Blu-Ray

Uh-oh!

Of course, some bloke who had nothing to do with Sony invented optical disks yonks ago, but Sony, along with Philips did manage to get the CD format made into the standard.

BartonFink 15 Nov 2005 17:42:05 35,268 posts
Seen 2 months ago
Registered 20 years ago

They lost the last battle with DVD though so maybe it's their turn this time.

BartonFink 15 Nov 2005 17:47:39 35,268 posts
Seen 2 months ago
Registered 20 years ago

During the early 1990s there were two high density optical storage standards in development; one was the MultiMedia Compact Disc (MMCD), backed by Philips and Sony, and the other was the Super Density Disc (SD), supported by Toshiba, Time-Warner, Matsushita Electric, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, Pioneer, Thomson, and JVC. IBM's president, Lou Gerstner, acting as a matchmaker, led an effort to unite the two camps behind a single standard, anticipating a repeat of the costly format war between VHS and Betamax in the 1980s.

Philips and Sony abandoned their MMCD format and agreed upon Toshiba's SD format.

The same thing nearly happened this time around with a compromise format that was a mixture of HD-DVD and BluRay. Sony pulled out of that one.

As I said earlier perhaps Sony are putting all their eggs (PS3/BluRay) in the one basket this time and if it doesn't come off, oh dear. I think they are relying on the success of PS2 getting so many DVD players into homes and hoping the same thing will push BluRay into the market. Difference that time was it didn't have anything to compete against, this time though it's up against HD-DVD. The other things to remember are: If they decide to try to keep the price of PS3 competative they are going to have to absorb huge losses; If they go the other way they run the risk of being too expensive and uncompetative which is likely to damaging to their push on PS3/BluRay. We will have to wait and see how it pans out. One way or the other what they are doing is risky.

Edited by BartonFink at 18:07:33 15-11-2005

The-Old-Bill 15 Nov 2005 17:48:58 5,101 posts
Seen 11 years ago
Registered 17 years ago

sam_spade wrote:
Sony said that their CDs didn't install anything harmful on computers.

They install stuff though, and if you don't protect everything installed on your computer it can be exploited by "1337 haxxorz".

SirScratchalot 15 Nov 2005 17:50:21 7,921 posts
Seen 1 year ago
Registered 16 years ago

bivith wrote:

dravenclarke wrote:
basically beacuse, i know that when i buy it its not going to break 2months down the line.. its going to last for years.
and paying a little more for that is well worth it in my oppinion
*shrugs*

Hate to break it too you, but Sony stuff breaks as much as anything else.

I have a surround kit for them which died in less than a year. It would just switch itself off at random. I was on the last day of warranty, so I was able to get it repaired without hassle, but i'm considering myself fortunate for that.

Yeah, and heard of the PSPs? Not exactly known for their sturdiness and reliability.

sam_spade 15 Nov 2005 17:56:35 15,745 posts
Seen 5 hours ago
Registered 20 years ago

The Old Bill wrote:

sam_spade wrote:
Sony said that their CDs didn't install anything harmful on computers.
They install stuff though, and if you don't protect everything installed on your computer it can be exploited by "1337 haxxorz".

I know, that's why I'm saying that. To point out that you can't trust what Sony say.

sam_spade 15 Nov 2005 18:48:02 15,745 posts
Seen 5 hours ago
Registered 20 years ago

Looks as if News At Ten are doing a story on the move.

jozz 15 Nov 2005 20:22:39 4,871 posts
Seen 4 years ago
Registered 16 years ago

They're protecting the value of the brand from bottom line bandits.

thats the difference between consumer and shop owner [read-capitalist money snatcher]. The consumer likes to pay for things online because they are cheaper, due to the lower cost of creating an online shop. Whereas the shop owner loathes the online store because they percieve them as taking money directly from their company, merely because they charge a lower price.

I'm not entirely sure this decision by Sony would benifit anyone, least being the brick and mortar shop guy. The prices being equal certainly isn't an incentive to buy from a real store, but more convince the consumer to buy a different brand online all together. Meh...

ssuellid 15 Nov 2005 21:23:26 19,142 posts
Seen 1 day ago
Registered 20 years ago

Value Added retailers are fine - most high street retailers are fucking useless and don't deserve the right to be able to mark up the cost because of better service, demos, advice etc.

Rincewind 15 Nov 2005 21:30:17 1,399 posts
Seen 3 years ago
Registered 17 years ago

Evening all,

Personally I've considered both options - setting up a retail outlet and an online store.

In the end, I plumped for the online store...mainly due to the high capital required to get the business up and running for a bricks and mortat operation.

I admire people like koti and the hard work they put into the industry, particularly the way it is at present but at the end of the day, it's where I want to be. When I'm able to free up enough capital from my online venture, I also hope to start opening retail outlets.

Rincewind 15 Nov 2005 21:51:03 1,399 posts
Seen 3 years ago
Registered 17 years ago

k.o.t.i wrote:
Rincewind! You're back!

How you doing fella.

I'm good mate thanks - been lurking for a while whenever I've had the chance. Been difficult getting online recently.

I see Gameshop is progressing nicely - good work fella.

Rincewind 15 Nov 2005 21:56:39 1,399 posts
Seen 3 years ago
Registered 17 years ago

k.o.t.i wrote:
Give us a linky then, so I can check you out.

We're not ready yet mate - still waiting for our bloody merchant account from Barclays...

Honestly, I've been less than impressed with their apparent support for the small business.

Sony to screw the consumer again • Page 2