Kaz continues to push the "no videogame system as powerful as PlayStation 3" phrase in his latest interview at CES.
"I have heard many people say our competitors' systems are just as powerful as the PS3. That simply is not true," said Hirai. "No other next generation entertainment system pushes the envelope on advanced technology like PS3."
Oddly enough, Kaz continues to call the PS3 the "next-generation" console system although the product has already launched. It is as if he doesn't believe it's already happened - this is now the "current generation" console system and it's time for everyone to get over the next-gen hype.
When asked about the delays and shortages Kaz says:
"I don't think anyone could have foreseen the difficulties we encountered in the production of the blue laser diode for the PlayStation 3, which ultimately delayed the launch of PlayStation 3. We were asking our teams to develop millions of components for the PlayStation 3, like the Blu-ray Disc player and cell broadband engine, that had previously only been produced in the thousands," Hirai said.
He's got a point, when the #@&^ hits the fan you work with what you have. Had Sony been a smaller company with very little spotlight nobody would have cared. The difference being the amount of hype put into the PlayStation 3 product. We're sure Sony was extremely unhappy with all the challenges and barriers they hit. That is to be expected with new bleeding edge hardware. You can hope for better luck and deal with the fallout when your luck doesn't turn out.
Kaz also brought up their direct Japanese competition and pointed out reasons why Nintendo didn't have launch issues:
"A worldwide launch for any console is quite ambitious. In fact, it has never been done before. I suppose if we had simply done a mild upgrade to the PS2 and not pushed the envelope so hard, it would have been easier on ourselves. However, if we did that every time, we wouldn't be Sony."
It is hard to defend Mr. Hirai on this point simply because this "mild upgrade" has more momentum and consumer desire then his own product line. With half the hype the Nintendo Wii has more demand, launched more hardware and continues to be a rare find indeed. You'll have more luck finding a 60GB Sony PlayStation 3 in a store than a Wii Nunchuck. A mild upgrade on hardware is turning a massive upgrade in consumer demand - not a bad trade-off.
Imagine the sales figures Sony could be posting had they launched a product at half the price of a PlayStation 3. The "PlayStation" name alone would make sales but they're in it for the long haul - in four years the PS3 will probably still be bleeding edge while they hope the other consoles are dusty and obsolete.
source: ign.com
