Sony is now calling the PS3 an incredible “transformer”. Well, I suppose that is better than admitting that it is an overpriced, miserable failure that managed to do everything that a gaming console could do to ruin itself. Lets give them the benefit of the doubt for an instance, and see what they mean.

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According to the New Zealand Press —

“We (Sony) can transform the PS3 capabilities so as to meet people’s changing entertainment needs,” he says.

According to Australian independent research group GfK, in New Zealand the PlayStation 3 has sold 9019 consoles since its launch here in March, a figure Light is “stoked” about, considering it missed the crucial 2006 Christmas period.

‘It was a challenge to launch after Christmas with a price over $1000, but the New Zealand adoption rate of PlayStation 3 proves that consumers have responded positively to its ability to evolve online, which ensures that it always remains the centre of their home entertainment,’ says Light, adding that sales were on track for Sony’s targeted figures.

9000 units? Now Sony, for a company that measures success in tens of millions of consumers, this looks like grasping at straws even to a casual observer.

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More than anything this short was to make the point that Sony still doesn’t seem to get it. The reason for their failure had nothing to do with technology, it had everything to do with failing to emulate what made their previous console wildly successful. If they want to know how to turn the PS3 around, here are a few tips they should keep in mind.

Price. Remove the Blu-Ray player. I don’t care if it takes a million dollar redesign. Before anyone is going to adopt this device and before you can do anything other than sell it at a loss, you have to reduce the price of production.

Software. Increase the amount of software available, make development tools easier to use and pump out more unique first party content. You produce a product that is a vehicle for content. If there is no content, no one will care.

Good luck Sony!

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