Why Sony Needs a 'Major Nelson'

Microsoft's 'Major Nelson' and executive Peter Moore have been visible representatives of the 360 console for well over a year now. 'Grandfather of Gaming' Shigeru Miyamoto and asskicking Reggie Fils-Aime have have preached the Wii concept through good writeups and bad name jokes. Sony ... well, Sony has Ken Kutaragi, Phil Harrison, and Kaz Hirai. They say helpful things like 'we don't care', and 'disks won't matter', and (my personal favorite) 'the PS3 is a computer'. RPG Site has a compelling argument stating that Sony needs a Major Nelson to cut through this crazy executive talk, and reconnect the company with real gamers. From the article: "While it's not something that appeals to every group of people that play games - the casual market and kids, for example, the existence of these people allows the part of the market that is most opinionated - the core gamers, those who have a very clear opinion on what they want and what is good and bad - to interact with somebody who can actually bring about change. Hell, on a lesser note, it even gives the fanboys someone to worship."

I Agree

Sony does need a human face. Recent Sony press conferences and interviewed have showed so much spin I have felt dizzy after reading them. Although my post may reflect some anti-Sony bias, I sincerely hope the PS3 doesn't flop. The console market could use three players.

In response...

The PS3 has been quoted as saying, "I'm a computer! Stop all the downloadin'!"

Major Nelson?

Major Nelson? Wasn't he the astronaut that uncorked the bottle in I Dream of Jeannie?

double trouble

Have have you double-checked the article before posting to the front page of Slashdot?

That...that doesn't make any sense.

Peter Moore and Reggie Fils-Aime serve in much the same capacity as Kutaragi and Hirai. They have just as much ability to change the future of the console as anyone who speaks for either of the other companies. Having a game designer as a spokesman wouldn't necessarily help the PS3 image. It more depends on who the person is rather than what they do.

Peter Moore is good because he's enthusiastic about what he does and he's a great speaker. That enthusiasm carries to his audience. Major Nelson is great because, whatever else he may be, he feels like a real gamer, and is osmeone we can all relate to, because he's just as fanboyish as we are. Miyamoto is great because, aside from his proven history, he is really dedicated to games beyond all else. He'll comment on other things, but whenever you approach him, it's all games, all the time. Reggie is great because he's an excellent marketer. He knows how to sell things, he knows his target market, and he knows how to talk to them. Nothing else.

Sony fails not because of the position of the people who speak for it, but because of their lack of skill in speaking for their company. They just need a spokesman who A) can relate to the customer and B) can keep their foot out of their mouth, even as the ship is sinking. Nintendo had the same problem with Yamauchi, but even then Miyamoto was still a figurehead that anyone could rally around. Ever notice that a bit into the GC lifespan Yamauchi stopped speaking for the company, even before Iwata was promoted to president? There's a reason for that.

like spitting on a bonfire

I think Sony has done such a good job at ruining their image that no single person could help them. But my vote goes towards them needing a Steve Ballmer :-P

Sony...

...doesn't need Major Nelson. Sony needs Colonel Tibbets [google.com].

A Major Nelson?

I'm familiar with purple nurples, indian burns, nipple twisters, swirleys, etc., but just what is a Major Nelson, anyhow?

Uhh, not that I have anything against giving one to Sony. Feel free to give them a few swirleys or whatever until they learn their lesson.

I couldn't agree more with this

This is definately something Sony needs asap.

Major Nelson's podcast I quite enjoyed for a while around 6 months ago approximately.
It definately "works" I was thoroughly hyped for the X360 (6 months ago was launch time in Australia, where I am bear in mind)
It's also great to get MS specific news and information, he presents the podcast well and it's slick.
I ended up no longer listening to the podcast because it felt too "markety" too me and my interest in the X360 has waned due to other reasons.

Now on the Sony front, I went looking for substantial information and there just damn well isn't, MS has the web cornered for blogs / netcasts and general forum hype, the Sony fanboy (which apparently there are a heap more than MS fanboys) are very difficult to find or at least they don't congregate together around the web.

I've listened to RadiOPM from 1up, which isn't bad but it seems primarily PS2 focused and well isn't bad does not = good.
I've listened to PS3 news from "gameshout.com" which I'd recommend avoiding at all costs.
I've also listened to PS3 countdown which was half interesting but ultimately not good enough to keep my interest plus the guy who does it made a few mistakes on stuff which I already knew so I just figured these guys aren't big gamers at all (hell I'm not that big of a gamer)

So really, as TFA suggests - there is little for Sony in the way of regular news and hype, we can debate if Sony do or don't need it, based on market share and brand name alone but at least for me, a fairly skeptical gamer who buys quite carefully - I could definately do with something like this just to keep me interested.

One final point on why there isn't a good Sony alternative to MN is perhaps because Sony keep on releasing BAD news and not GOOD news, there's been a tiny bit of good news in the past 2 weeks but before that it was over 12 months of worse and worse news to the extent of "WTF are they thinking" (see this post of mine http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=195886&cid=160 51389 [slashdot.org] )

I'm sure in the long run this article will have it's fair share of posts from the "SDF" (Sony defence force) but it doesn't change the fact that Sony really aren't being PR masters this time round.

Let's not forget the other Sony greats, Like...

* Applications for the cell have to be written to a high level language or else a world wide system crash could occur. * The PS3 will take your current movies, work with other PS3s and digitally enhance them. It's not upscaling, it's digital aging, like a fine wine. * Real time weapon switching * Genji 2 is based on actual historical Japanese facts. Hit the giant enemy crab's weak spot for MASSIVE DAMAGE!" * Ridge Racer. RIIIIIIIDGE RACEEEER!! Ridge RACER!!

Full Nelson

I think what Sony is going to get instead is a Full Nelson(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_nelson [wikipedia.org]) from Nintendo and Microsoft.

Are we sure...

That Sony doesn't have such a person but they only speak in Japan? To Japanese gamers?

The Japanese seem to
Who is Xbox's Japanese leading man??? Japan is a market about as big as the U.S. right?

Major Nelson,"Your PS3 won't sell"

Ha ha

Sony needs a beating with a clue stick

Actually, what Sony really needs to is shed its content divisions and go back to just producing kick-arse hardware with none of the crippled crap that's infected their stuff since the minidisc. OR they need to sell their hardware divisions to someone who still cares about making a good product, before the brand is completely ruined.

What they don't need to do is sell a bloated peice of DRM-infected junk for A$1,000 while the higher-profile members of their organisation effectly say "we could poop in a bag and you'd still buy it".

Major Nelson eh?

So Sony needs a guy to sit around with two robots and make fun of bad movies?

Geekspeak Baffles Web Users

Why Sony Needs a 'Major ...what? [slashdot.org]'

Best Sony PS3 Quote Ever:

"The PS3 isn't designed to lean towards games." A million Sony fanboys cried out in terror and then were silenced. Right here: http://games.slashdot.org/games/05/05/25/1758219.s html?tid=233&tid=212 [slashdot.org]

Major Nelson?

Hell, I doubt if even Jeannie can help Sony out of the mess they're in now.

Major?

Forget that!

Sony needs a Full Nelson... RRRrggh!!

No, they don't need a "Major Nelson"

Sony doesn't need somebody to make the fanboys happy. Sony needed to (1) get their box into the stores in volume by Xmas (2) at a price comparable to the competition and (3) with some games that were visibly better than anything on the PS2. So far they've blown (1) and (2). We'll have to wait and see about (3).

Major?

I thought it was Admiral [wikipedia.org]?

Nelson Vs. Miyamoto

The article mentions both Major Nelson and Shigeru Miyamoto... a Sony counterpart to either man wouldn't be a bad thing, but the more valuable of the two is the latter, and the reason has little to do with PR. /I'm getting a Wii60!!!

lol

<Larry Hagman voice ON/>

Jeannie!!!!!

<Larry Hagman voice OFF/>

Sony Needs an American Spokesperson

I suspect that Sony doesn't specifically need a "Major Nelson" but rather that they need an "American Major Nelson". I think much of what Sony's talking heads say makes sense from a Japanese point of view while they just appear dumb from an American point of view. Sony says "It's not a game machine, it's an entertainment machine" and the American audience only hears "It's not a game machine".

Wrong Title

Sony doesn't need a 'Major Nelson'. What they need is a 'Full Nelson [wikipedia.org]'.

Re:Reality

Now all you're really making PS3 sound like a bargain: I'd pay $500 just for Alba to give me a blowjob.

Re:I'll Take 100+ Million Consoles Over FUD

I agree that the PS3 may eventually be as successful as the PS2 but when the PS2 launched in Japan it sold 980,000 in the first two days. How many are getting shipped to Japan for launch this time? 100,000? It sure is off to a slow start.

Re:I'll Take 100+ Million Consoles Over FUD

A) Astroturfing shouldn't be done as an AC. I know - I employ astroturfers as a job function.

B) Read my previous post [slashdot.org] on why Sony should worry about its fanbase. While completely anecdotal - it is nonetheless the truth about a growing contingent of Sony gamers.

C)Sony does need a human voice. The targeted demographic for game machines is now the 25-30 year old grouping. We have enough disposable income to make these purchases and also have the biggest interest in them. We use blogs and 3rd party information sources to evaluate our purchases. The days of big media dictating consumption are coming to an end. Second wave gamers(read:people who had PS1's during their early teens)look up to their older siblings and hip media (read:non large corporation) sources for information.

While I can understand your references to previous attempts at FUD and misinformation, this is not the case on this turn. The field is wide open. Nintendo is betting on evolving gaming with a novel, and unfulfilled, interface with a lower price. Microsoft is offering a unified online experience with next gen resources. What does Sony have to offer to differentiate itself? Final Fantasy XIII?

Let's be real here. While Sony and Nintendo haven't released product yet, making all of these discussions academic at best, there is a real reason for concern. Microsoft has a head start. Nintendo has a better price and unique functionality to overcome it technical (in the relative) shortcomings.

First party development is not significant. Almost all games are cross platform. It would be a bad business decision to do otherwise. Final Fantasy games are exclusive, but they are changing their formula with their last (next) PS2 outing- FF XII, what are the reprocussions of that move? We don't know.

There are too many variables up in the air to call out the naysayers as fools, they have legitimate arguments this time. This is an admitted Sony fanboi saying this.

From the press that I have read, and the information I have been able to gather through my own research, Sony's saving grace may be that a significant chunk of Japanese 3rd party developers don't want to give Microsoft an advantage in their national video game market.

Let's let it play out before we begin the vitriol.

Re:I'll Take 100+ Million Consoles Over FUD

I've heard of this, it's called battered fanboy syndrome. It's ok to talk now, you're in a safe place. Where did Sony touch you? Are there any bruises? Oh, I see; they used a sack full of oranges.

Re:Reality

Reality is that Sony could have Jessica Alba give blow jobs to one in every 1,000 PS3 owners and it still won't change the fact that only a small portion of the population can afford a $500 gaming system; all that would happen is that Jessica would get some pretty chapped lips and herpies.

I'm sure that a few million more people would go without food for a month to get one.

LK

Re:No, they don't.

Exactly. If sony was going to copy something from microsoft I would suggest they spend their money on buying slashdot editors like microsoft has.