Yes. that must be it.. no one bought a PS/2 to play DVD's either
I am all for the better format winning out. Heck, I could care less if its Sony, et al... or Microsoft et al. That leads their forces of HD Glory to the win.
But the nonsense about not counting PS3's as BD players is pretty stupid. AS if one would say the same for Xbox 360's w/ HD DVD add on.
Not only is the PS3 a BD player, but in many reviews it is cited as one of the best commercially available BD players. So should it be counted towards installed base of said players? Damn straight.
With the PS/2 Sony combined the now uber famous, and universally accepted DVD player with a game console. How many are willing to argue that this did nothing to help both PS/2 sales, and the advancement of the DVD format?
Christmas time has come and gone many times since the initial release of PS/2, and for those of us without "boatloads of money"; we could aquire a game console, and a dvd player... for less then the cost of both separately.
With the PS/3, yet again we can choose to purchase a game system, and a multi-format media player for less then the cost of both. In one sleek package.
I personally do not, and probably never will own a PS/3... Thats mainly because I am a PC personality through and through. Of my friends that have a PS/3, one of the largest 'turn-ons' tends to be the quality of the device, and the quality of the Blue Ray video... No RROD, or equivalent issue adds lines to their collective brow.
Furthermore, for the one that posted about how Sony products require Sony formats... Could not we reverse this 'criticism', and complain that non-sony products don't use Sony media? I mean, the memory sticks I recently purchased for my GF's PSP aren't far and away more expensive then SD. Additionally, go out and purchase some of the higher-end memory cards for higher end devices. Memory stick is not the most expensive on the landscape, but it does allow sufficient data transfer rates to meet the specs of the player / game device in question. Also, the MS's I purchased weren't Sony... they were Lexar. Does that make Lexar SD cards evil too?
We could extend this some complaint to Apple, and the plethora of their media products if we really wanted to write about exclusivity, and being left with a beta max in the living room. How about a certain bunch of non OS X capable multiple thousand dollar macs? that really must have hurt getting dumped into obscurity by the very company you supported.
BD and HD-DVD will both more then likely co-exist for a while. Manufacturing costs for both will come down, and both coalitions of the stubborn will hurt for the lack of agreement on one format.
But to sit and beat on Sony for being aggressive in bringing to market an innovation, and then utilizing its expertise in associated products to enhance the experience is kind of silly. We are after all seemingly in agreement that their products are of high quality, and usually better then the competing (in VHS case winning) format. When did that become a negative?
To say most consumers aren't aware their PS/3 can play blue ray content is silly at best, and condescending and disingenuous at worst. Not because I believe any major segment of the population that consumes these devices is tech savvy, more so because the marketing engine behind these sorts of devices don't quite let you forget it.
Count the PS3's and watch as that installed base lets parents decide to upgrade both the home theater, and grant their kidlings one more Christmas wish at the same time.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
