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PlayStation 3

By Alex Petraglia on Monday, October 16, 2006 at 1:30 AM EST  

PlayStation 3
At Digital Life, we had a chance to chat with Kim Otzman, Senior PR Manager for SCEA Corporate, to talk about the upcoming launch of the PlayStation 3 and what it means for Sony.

Primotech: We’re about a month off from the launch of the PlayStation 3 now. What are some of the last minute preparations Sony’s been working on to make sure it’s a success?

Kim Otzman: A lot of what we’re working on now is information coming out about the ad campaign. I think a lot of hardcore gamers and people who have been at tradeshows like Digital Life and E3 or who have been following these events have definitely already heard all about the PlayStation 3 and what it can offer, but as we get closer to launch I think a lot more mainstream people are going to be attracted, between the advertising campaign and retail preorders. It’s not going to only be the hardcore gamers getting excited about it, but the mainstream everywhere.

Primotech: What are the two specific markets you’re trying to capture by releasing two packages: basic and premium?

Kim Otzman: Because the PS3 is so much like a computer, basically what we wanted to do was give the consumers different options. So with wireless growing as much as it is and everyone having all these devices in the home, what we wanted to do was offer a package for someone who already had a USB reader or wireless adaptor and they would have the ability to go for a unit without those options. So it really just depends on what your tech setup is and what you have in the home.

Primotech: Backward compatibility is very much a deciding factor when consumers consider next-gen purchases. Is the PS3 still on track to support all PSOne and PS2 titles right out of the box?

Kim Otzman: Definitely, that’s still on track. You’ll be able to play your PSone games, your PS2 games on PS3, and right now we’re working on putting some of those titles online. So if you haven’t had the opportunity to buy them retail, you’ll be able to download them via the online service.

Primotech: So there will be full-game offerings online?

Kim Otzman: Absolutely, full-game downloads, episodic content, extras and accessories: say you want to get a Resistance: Fall of Man army helmet to customize your player, there will be a lot of extras like that.

Primotech: Anything else in terms of online service?

Kim Otzman: As for other online capabilities, there will be voice over IP chat, video chat, plus you’ll be able to get music, movies, trailers, demos. And again, we’ll be releasing more information on the online service along with a list of launch titles in the coming weeks.

Primotech: At last year’s Digital Life, we interviewed Peter Moore regarding the XBOX 360 when Microsoft was about a month away from its respective console launch. One of the things he said that stuck with me was that “One day, god forbid, your mom will be playing games here on the XBOX 360.” Nintendo is making a solid push to attract older adults to the Wii. Is it also in Sony’s interests or at least launch strategy to capture more elusive markets that typically aren’t considered “gamers?”

Kim Otzman: Yeah, you know I think a really good example of that is SingStar, which has been a really successful title in Europe, predominately popular with a female audience and developed by women. We also have Guitar Hero which is a really good example of a title maybe not for a hardcore gamer but someone who wants to have a more community-type or party-type game. So I think that those are two titles that are good examples on the PS2 and you’ll just see more of that with the PS3.

Primotech: Beyond great media support, like the Blu-Ray capabilities and all the other features the PlayStation 3 boasts, what can Sony promise gamers looking for next-gen experiences, not only sensory, but gameplay-wise as well?

Kim Otzman: Well with Blu-Ray, you’re basically taking games from 9GB to around 20GB, which opens up the possibility for more levels and more detail. We’re also making that move from artificial intelligence to “actual” intelligence where the game is starting to think. So what we found with the Cell [PS3 processor] is that the more you play, the harder the game is going to get. Instead of having the player get better and better at a game and get ultimately bored with it, the game is going to say “Oh, he goes this way all the time. Maybe we need to change things to throw more enemies at the player over here.” So it’s not going to be the same thing every time.

The other thing I think that’ll make a difference is the controller, which is really going to put people in the game, instead of just sitting back and watching it. With the interactivity of the controller, it’s not so much scripted, and it makes the player feel like he’s really part of the game, not just playing it.

On top of that, we’ve always said that our consoles have a ten-year life-cycle. When we came out with the PS2, a lot of people didn’t think it would last past five years and here we are six years later and its still outselling new offerings like the XBOX 360. So when we build a console we really build it to stand up against the test of time with a ten-year life-cycle in mind and we make sure the technology can really last.

Primotech: Finally, there was an interesting article in last month’s issue of Wired Magazine that talked about how vital the success of the PlayStation 3 is to Sony as a whole. Are the concerns that the PlayStation 3 can really make or break the company overblown?

Kim Otzman: [Laughs] That’s probably a question better suited for Sony corporate, but I have to say that its probably one of the most anticipated products this holiday season, so there are a lot of eyes on the product. But if you just take a look around the [Sony] booth, there are a lot of new products: there’s the new mylo, the Sony Reader; just a lot of cool electronic devices that are coming out. Obviously as you can see by the lines, there are a lot of people very interested in the PS3, but between the new VAIO’s and our push for Blu-Ray, there’s a lot of cool new technology in general. And in terms of an HD lifestyle, you’re really starting to see all that converge, between the video cameras we offer and televisions, it’s a time we’re referring to as “the perfect storm” with everything coming together. And sure enough, the PlayStation 3 is really at the center of it.

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