Normally, we wouldn't care who SCEA's executive VP Jack Tretton is talking to, but when he starts to bust on our beloved DS, we take notice.When a GameDaily interview turned to the subject of Nintendo, Tretton said, "I think obviously our competition ... they're appealing to the same audience that Game Boy has always appealed to. And if you look at the adoption rate of the DS over the first 17 months, not only does it trail the PSP but it also trails their other platforms ... They're potentially losing some of their core audience and they're not really expanding beyond that ...."
Wow. We're not even sure where to start. First, of course, come the sales numbers. Worldwide, the DS in no way trails the PSP. Maybe Tretton, in his role at Sony Computer Entertainment America, is only interested in the U.S., but there is a wide world of gamers out there. And the numbers, at least, don't lie -- not only does the DS consistently outsell the PSP worldwide, but people keep buying new and different versions, because one DS just isn't enough. And sure, okay. Many of the same people who buy GBAs also buy a DS or DS Lite, since the GBA often outsells the PSP as well, not to mention smashing the ten years' worth of numbers they keep touting for the original Playstation.
But what's really giggle-worthy in Tretton's remarks is his comment that Nintendo is not expanding beyond their traditional handheld market. Perhaps that's true in bizarro-Sony-world, a world in which Brain Age, Nintendogs and Electroplankton don't exist. We shudder to think of such a place, but apparently, that's what's keeping Jack Tretton warm between bong hits. And that's not all when it comes to Tretton's rich fantasy life. When James Brightman, GameDaily's interviewer, asked how Sony was trying to combat Nintendo's effort to reach into the market of older gamers, Tretton pulled some numbers out of the air. "I would tell you for a fact that there are much more people in their 50s and 60s playing PlayStation platforms in terms of console, than there are playing Nintendo platforms." Oh! Well! The scientific polling work behind those numbers is truly edifying. Gallup, take note.
But hey, at least Tretton is upbeat about the future. "We'll ultimately appeal to that vastly Earth wide audience we carved out with the original PlayStation," he said. We didn't have the heart to tell him that all those people already own a DS.
_cg_oct22_kjgfdhd_thumbnail.jpg "Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-22-2006 @ 5:02PM
truplaya said...
LMMFAO
There are no words left to say how hilarious & idiotic this guy is.
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9-22-2006 @ 5:31PM
Taltos said...
Well, he was just doing his job. To rewrite history. Similar to Giant Enemy Crabs.
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9-22-2006 @ 5:34PM
Duscrom said...
It's idioc and pathetic how funny you guys are. why the hell are all Nintendo fans so defensive. If your system is so great, how come you always have to dfend it anytime someone considers disagreeing with you?
I mean, i like the DS and all, espically my new black DS Lite, but i'm hardly a fanboy. But he's right, in the US, where he lives, as well as you and I live, the numbers are much closer to even, and considering that the DS had a 6 month head start on the PSP, that shows that the PSP isn't failing like the many challengers before it.
Oddly enough, he is right though. Nintendo has dominated the industry for some 20+ years. Many have challenged them, all have failed. But now the PSP, while nowhere near Japan's DS sales, is ACTUALLY COMPETEING! So when you have 100% of the market, and sony has gotten to 30%, he's right, nintendo has lost a percentage of their market.
So what does that mean to you? Absolutly nothing. It dosen't matter. But then i've said something contrary to "The DS is the best system in the world, and Nintendo is the greates company ever" so, some people are going to call me stupid or something. Why? That's what I want to know.
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9-22-2006 @ 5:53PM
Hame said...
This is the most cringeworthy garbage I've ever had the misfortune to read.
The only way he can avoid the issue of the DS beating the PSP (in every territory) is to bang on about the "first 17 months"! Who the hell cares about the first 17 months?!! It's the here and now that matter Jack, and in the here and now the PSP's having it's weakpoint exposed for massive damage by the DS Lite.
And as for the DS not expanding markets but the PSP is!?!?! The guy's clearly delusional, I feel sorry for him.
I don't want to resort to fanboyism, but when idiot executives like him start spouting blatant lies I have to stand up.
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9-22-2006 @ 5:54PM
Silver R. Wolfe said...
I agree with Duscrom here when it comes to how defensive you DS fanboys are when it comes to your system.
Let the sales numbers speak for themselves and just keep your mouths shut. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and in no way are yours more valid than anyone else's.
Personally, the DS is a great console, though the titles on it are too short to hold my attention too long. That's why my PSP gets most of the play time. Plain and simple. Both have good games and the PSP is doing incredibly well when you compare it to other competitors who have challenged Nintendo in the handheld market.
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9-22-2006 @ 5:55PM
CJC said...
Whoa, whoa, whoa Duscrom! Where'd THAT come from? Who's being defensive? I don't see anyone being pathetic or "idioc"...
It's great that the PSP could even carve out a little niche for itself. Against the undisputed king of handheld gaming, it's downright impressive.
"i'm hardly a fanboy" Uh... not so sure. Just calm down, okay? Damn.
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9-22-2006 @ 6:01PM
Matters said...
The PSP isn't even out selling the DS in America. Look at the latest NPD numbers: http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/psp./august-sales-show-ds-continues-to-pwn-202614.php
The DS has outsold the PSP by almost a million (800+k) units over their life times and almost double the number of units sold for this month. The DS has sold over 1.4 million games more than the PSP over their life times.
This is just in America. The PSP isn't exactly competing very well elsewhere (except maybe europe? anybody know what the numbers are there?).
In Japan as we all know it's not even freaking close. The combined sales of the DS Light and DS Phat are well over 5 million and the PSP just over a million. (1.3 or something like that)
latest hardware numbers in japan: http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=6945
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9-22-2006 @ 6:05PM
Matters said...
That's funny coming from Sony fanboys. Where do you think we learned it from? Seriously if the tables were turned you guys would be constantly throwing these numbers in our face.
So why are you guys defending Sony when they out right lie about the PSP leading the DS?
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9-22-2006 @ 6:26PM
Rabid Nintendo Fanboy said...
Why post here criticizing DS fanboys? Did you even take notice to the name of the site? It's as if you expect something different, coming to back up Sony or the PSP every time it's mentioned, but we're the ones who are too defensive. Oh well. I'm idioc and you have both systems so you must be right.
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9-22-2006 @ 6:55PM
Shaun said...
marvelously put post!
@ duscrom - i fail to see why you're so worked up, as the website is titled last time i checked "DS Fanboy". while i may not have all the complex facts regarding the extensive topics covered within this site, i feel confident in stating at some point the DS is covered. i might even venture as far as suggesting some fans of the DS may read it and post comments. i may be wrong.
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9-22-2006 @ 7:19PM
Duscrom said...
And so proves my point. I don't back up the PSP myself. True, i have both as there are things the PSP has gamewise that the DS dosen't, but beyond Daxter, Syphon Filter, Lumines, Tekken, and some RPGs, the DS is much more pleasent to carry around, better constructed and an all around better machine. I'me actually playing Mario Hoops 3-on-3 right now.
My opinion is actually more neutral. I hold no allegance to Sony, nor Nintendo. And I think the ones agreeing with me are the same. I honestly come here to this site for the best updates on the great new DS content, and DS lifestyle things, not a page long rand anytime any PSP fanboy says something. anti-DS. "Oh No HE Di'int" Articles are a norm among DS owners and people.
So he said some marketing BS, did that really call for this rant of insults sped his way? The PSP ain't selling as well as the DS, but then, the GBA/GBASP didn't sell as well as the DS either. But I'll bet you the PSP has sold more units then the Game Gear. Or even the WonderSwan. What about the oft-overlooked Neo Geo Pocket Color?
DS fanboys, Kicking the other guy while thier down isn't fun.. Play your games and enjoy it. Soon enough, the bad Nick/Disney games will be outnumbered by games worth playing. Devs will put some money into a good fighter, or driveing game, and knock the PSP out for good. Remember one thing... The reason Sony won in the console market, is by having something for everybody. DS is finally starting to catch up in RPGs, let's see some good fighters, some good sports games.. PSP get's Tekken Dark Ressurection? Well why can't the DS get Tekken: Dark Saccrifice.
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9-22-2006 @ 7:25PM
Duscrom said...
Oh, and By The Way... I did not say the PSP was outselling the DS in america, I said the numbers were closer to even, so.. #7, thank you. you helped me prove my point while trying to dispute it.
Lifetime
DS Combined: 5,869,374
PSP: 5,003,534
Difference: 865,840.
The PSP is competeing, not winning. I root for neither, just for more diverse software over either platform. I play Videogames, not the stock market, and not a game console.
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9-22-2006 @ 7:26PM
tOUCH-gEN said...
Wheres the PSP may have taken 30% of the market it does not take into account that not only has Nintendo retained the same amount of consumers buying the system but, they have expanded the market beyound the norm...thrust! They have created an even larger market for themselves. I honestly dont care, dont get me wrong I love Nintendo and to see them blossom again is fantastic news. And just to clear things up...I know that the PSP did come out months after the DS but then that came down to Sony not delivering on their promise of a worldwide launch of the PSP. As for Number crunching....I believe Nintendo is outselling Sony's PSP with the DS:lite. Fair enough, Sony may have shipped over the 20million mark but they are mostly sitting in a warehouse gathering dust. The DS:lite in the other hand cannot be made fast enough and are constantly running out of supplies of the little buggers. As for expanding the market Sony has never done this inthe gaming market, now dont let Sony fool you with there speaches! They say alot of things...hell they even said the PS3 is "4D" Seriously Sony!!! Which speaks for itself. Anyways, now I gota say my Nintendo fanboy bit....DS RULES THE WORLD, there its done and now.....PSP is a multimedia system isnt it great how it does everything by half!!!!
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9-22-2006 @ 7:52PM
Serene said...
DS _Fanboy_. Anyone who expects unbiased articles is quite foolish. :P
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9-22-2006 @ 8:07PM
tom said...
I agree about this website sometimes being too defensive, but not on this story, because Jack Tretton compleatly lied about everything he said.
One time when DS Fanboy was being way to defensive, was the story about iPod games, where they kept saying 'there is no way that these are better than DS games, i mean, it doesn't even have a touch screen!!!!!!!!'
DS Fanboy really took that as too much of a threat.
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9-22-2006 @ 8:22PM
Josh said...
Arrogance, arrogance, arrogance...But I guess this came before the PS3 price drop, right? So then this was the last piece of bad PR for Sony before the two Kutaragi things...
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9-22-2006 @ 8:47PM
Fox said...
Duscrom Duscrom Duscrom, tsk tsk;
What the nice PSP man said is wrong, why aren't lies outrageous anymore? Perhaps Sony's continuous stream of them has dulled you considerably.
"So when you have 100% of the market, and sony has gotten to 30%, he's right, nintendo has lost a percentage of their market."
Did you honestly think something that didn't have "Sony" on it wouldn't capture a little market share? It was inevitable that the DS would lose some market share with the release of any competitor. I believe if you take a look at sales though, they have actually gained very much.
"DS fanboys, Kicking the other guy while thier down isn't fuplaying
n.. Play your games and enjoy it."
People were toting before the PSP was released that it was over for Nintendo, and now it is wrong to be happy when the DS has proven to be a resounding success?
" Soon enough, the bad Nick/Disney games will be outnumbered by games worth "
When a system has some success, it is inevitable that low quality games will be released in streams. Take a look at the PSP. How many sports games do you need?
"DS is finally starting to catch up in RPGs"
I wasn't aware that it was ever behind.
"Devs will put some money into a good fighter, or driveing game,"
So your defintion of a good game is a fighter or a driving game. I see why you have a PSP.
Like I have already stated, I see no problem with being a little indignant about the false info.
With all due respect,
Fox
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9-22-2006 @ 10:12PM
Rich said...
Bleach is on the air in the US, so hopefully we'll get a Bleach DS (or the 2nd) localization. I have an import of Bleach DS and it's so great. And the new scans of the new Naruto fighter on DS looks fantastic (graphically).
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9-22-2006 @ 10:59PM
Geoff said...
Duscrom = PWNED
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9-23-2006 @ 4:41AM
Luke Cashmore said...
Cmon guys, its unfair to have attacked duscrom for such massive damage.
Im sure what he meant to say was 'LOOK! we post all of the massive psp sales on my fanboy website'. for which you will find on pspfanboy.com. oh wait. thyre not. Oh and sometimes, its a tad unfair to say that the worldwide sales figures should only be drawn from america IM FROM ENGLAND!
But if you do manage to visit pspfanboy. its nice to see that theres a psp game in the top 10!. well one anyway. ignore the 6 ds games, thats nintendo cheating with the figures or something. and who'd have believed it its RIIIIIIDGE RAAAACER?
Come over to the lite side Duscrom. No ones having fun with psp, you can stay at ours till the gaming lul has blown over.
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