LittleBigPlanet Could 'Move Consoles' For PlayStation 3

The always popular Michael Pachter offered up the opinion last week that LittleBigPlanet may be the title the PlayStation 3 needs to have breakout success. In a report pointing out failings on Microsoft and Sony's part to appeal to 'family gamers', Pachter said: "After seeing LittleBigPlanet at TGS, I believe it could be a console mover. The game is really innovative, and I think it adds a family element that is so far missing from both the Xbox 360 and the PS3. If they can accompany that game's launch with a price cut (or a lower priced SKU), I think we'll see a spike in sales." The game is really innovative, and I'm looking forward to it a bunch ... but I think I agree with the folks at Ars when they say the pricetag is still too high to appeal to family gamers.

How Sony could actually sell PS3s

[Anonymous Coward]

People might consider buying a PS3 if it came with a Wii bundled.

One small problem with that idea...

[Rimbo]

"Family gamers" don't spend $300 or more on a console.

Why?

[Kelbear]

I saw the demonstrations for Little Big Planet, and don't get me wrong, I would definitely like to get a crack at this game.

But it's not the kind of play that I'd throw down 600 bucks for. It's a seriously cool casual play game, but I mean casual play as in playing it when I don't have anything else to do. That kind of appeal doesn't make people throw down big bucks in a huge payout. It works /great/ getting a lot of people to spend a small amount of money repeatedly, but it's not the sort of thing that clears the huge mental hurdle of 600 bucks.

Can't Wait

[dracocat]

This game is obviously on my must have list of games to buy. Don't get me wrong, Heavenly Sword was great, but thats come and gone.

What Sony really needs is more good games, not one blockbuster. My co-worker compares the PS3 to a sports car. Most of the time its sitting in the garage or somewhere collecting dust. Then every once in a while a fantastic game comes out and you get to take it out for a good drag-race.

To sell more PS3s Sony needs more than a killer game once every six months.

Re:One small problem with that idea...

[kevin.fowler]

Considering how entrenched the PS2 is as a family gaming console (and how you can get it for $100), it's likely even harder to sell a "new one" for $600.

Re:Next PS3 console mover? FF 13

[ElleyKitten]

Why on earth would you believe that suddenly, and without any historical precedent to the contrary, people automatically expect video game consoles to become more affordable (as a percentage of household income) over time?

Because consoles have had similar prices each generation despite inflation. The NES was $200 at launch. The SNES was $200 at launch. The N64 and the Gamecube were $200, and the Wii was $250. The Xbox was $300 at launch, the 360 was $300 and $400. The PS1 was $300, the PS2 was $300, and the PS3 was $500 and $600 at launch. Do you see a bit of a difference? Every major console ever released has been $200 or $300, and the PS3 is twice that. Why on earth would you believe that a console could be priced high above what consoles have been priced before, even current gen consoles, and people would be fine with that?

And, I feel you are discounting the importance of the blu-ray player. Sony rightly believes that compared to past consoles, theirs offers more value. Surely, having a blu-ray player must be worth something.

Not enough. Few people have HDTVs, without which the blu-ray is pointless, and even people with HDTV are waiting and seeing which format wins before they plunk down hundreds of dollars for a new player. This isn't like PS2 with DVD at all. DVDs didn't have any competition for the most part, everyone was onboard with the evolution from VHS to DVD just like they had with cassettes to CD. DVDs also had plenty of features over VHS, in addition to graphical pluses they also killed the tedium of fast forwarding and rewinding, and they introduced "special features" that couldn't fit on VHS. Blu-ray offers graphical improvements over DVD only if you have an HDTV, and while it offers more special features we reached the limit on how many special features people care about back on DVD. People will watch a few deleted scenes, maybe a commentary, but beyond that most don't care. High definition video just doesn't have that big of a market yet, especially not until a winner is chosen between HD-DVD and BD, and Sony has been foolish to throw away this gaming generation for it.

Re:Interesting idea, but they are ignoring the Wii

[jamie(really)]

So, this is a story about LBP moving PS3's because of its family appeal and you got modded up to 4 for saying that you, who is neither married nor has kids, would rather have a PS3 than a Wii. And the only game you've wanted this generationis MGS4.

Errrr, ok. Nice modding everyone.

I've got a wife and 2 kids. We play Wario Ware, Rabbid Rabbits, and Wii Sports on the Wii, and my 4 yr old likes to play LEGO Star Wars with me on the 360. If a family doesn't already have a PS3, there is no f***ing way a single game is going to cause them to spend $499 on a console just to play it. Period. If they don't have a Wii, they'd spend their $250 on that, and if they do, why would they buy a PS3?