For the Players?

It's console season. That time every few years when the latest and greatest games consoles are released to a frenzy of passionate fans. Video games have undoubtedly gone mainstream, earlier this year GTA V was released and became the most successful entertainment release of all time. Sony have released the ps4 and Microsoft the Xbox one, two similar looking black boxes that will provide a wide range of services; from cheap and effective babysitting to hours of Red Bull fuelled fun amongst friends. 

These releases are the first to be marketed as a complete entertainment system suited not only to playing games but music, television, films and the internet. Recent tv ads for the ps4 attempt to encapsulate just that. Running at over two minutes and showing the development of the playstation along with its owner, Sony is here attempting to position the console as the focus of its owners lives. It seems unlikely that this will attract more users, most prospective owners are interested mainly in the console's performance and ability to attract developers with the best games. The Xbox one has focused more on social features and has paid a heavy price amongst gamers, losing out to the ps4 by 4 to 1 in early sales. The main factor in this has been a dearth of release titles and poor performance compared to the ps4. These social features are a nice addition, but are just that, an addition.

Although the television ad for the ps4 was a tad wishy washy and failed to directly engage with consumers a press advert was much more direct. Sony knocked off the knockers from page 3 of the Sun newspaper for the first time in forty years, becoming the first company to do so. This alone would have made a number of people take note, even if they were pissed off not to be getting their usual morning greeting. Backing up this audacious move was the superb line “Apologies to Rosie, 22, from Middlesex. Today’s page 3 is for the players”. Cheeky, direct and funny. Sony no doubt paid a fairly hefty sum, perhaps paving the way for demise of page 3, which has recently been the subject of a fierce campaign to get it banned. David Cameron has resisted the pressure to ban it, though professional Murdoch hater and future Prime Minister in waiting Ed Miliband may have other ideas.

The crucial part in the advert is the line '... for the players', whilst this is at first glance a rather crude pun it links into the notion that the ps4 is the superior gaming device. Many Sun readers will have little to no interest in video games and so this will be lost on them, although they would still probably take notice of the advert due to its positioning. However those readers who are interested and will likely have read up on both consoles, will again see confirmation that for players the ps4 is the best choice. Its clear, the ps4 is not designed for young kids or families with 2.14 children it is 'for the players'. Positioning itself as the superior device has been very effective, and this advert backed that up. The emphasis in the Xbox marketing on it's other more peripheral features has only accentuated this feeling further, with serious gamers questioning the commitment to games. This direct adver

Sony is more in tune with the current market, knowing what gamers want and and making the ps4 to suit. Their looser tv advert for the ps4 may have little appeal now but it will pave the way for where the market looks set to go. The ever Increasing integration of technology in our lives points to having one device that performs all tasks, being a tv, pc, tablet, stereo and games console. Perhaps the public is not willing to embrace this yet, but the Xbox is hedging its bets that they will soon enough. Sony has won this battle for now, but may well lose the war.