February 20th is going to be like a second Christmas for every gaming aficionado, tech journalist and man child in the world. And why is that you ponder? Well, Sony has invited a select group of journalists to a press ?event in New York to announce something BIG and BIG can only mean one thing-PlayStation 4. Seven years after the launch of the PS3 and the Xbox 360, it seems like Sony are not waiting for their rivals and are going to kick start the eighth generation of insanely powerful(and insanely expensive) video game home consoles.
As expected with an announcement of this magnitude, there has been no shortage of heresay, supposed ?inside reports? and ?information leaks?. The general discussion among technology and gaming press alike has also been routine-the discussion of what kind of processor chips the new console will contain, the graphical capabilities of the gaming console and, most importantly to gamers, what kind of exclusive titles will be included during the launch of the PlayStation 4(PS4).
As an avid gamer and tech enthusiast, I don?t care about any of that. Console gaming, as we once knew it, is dead.
Yes, that seems like a blasphemous statement coming from a supposed gaming enthusiast but it?s true. ?The gaming landscape has changed so much since the launch of the Playstation 3 in 2006. Gaming has become more mainstream with the introduction of smartphones and tablets which can produce ever more powerful games on the move. Consumers have the ability to connect their devices with other devices via bluetooth or wi-fi and social media means consumers can share anything at any time. Console gaming is still a billion-dollar industry but it faces fierce competition from a proliferation of smartphones and tablets.
It is for that reason that, when the PS4 is announced, I personally believe the PR and marketing campaign must position the PS4 as a home entertainment system and not just a more powerful video game console than its predecessor. Even the term ?video game console? is archaic just as the term mobile phone is now outdated. Mobile phones ceased to be just mobile phones and evolved into something more-the smartphone.? Video game consoles must do the same.
From the reported leaks I have read about the PS4, it seems like Sony is going to make the PS4 more into a home entertainment hub than a gaming console anyway. The acquisition of cloud gaming service Gaikai and Ken Hirai?s (CEO of Sony) ?One Sony? initiative plan which aims to bring homogeneity between all of its products all point to this kind of direction. Instead of just being a gaming console, my wish is that the PS4 will allow users to watch television programs, download apps from a fully developed app store and those apps can be used on other Sony devices. In addition to that, full integration with social media networks such as twitter and Facebook should come to the forefront. ?If the PS4 is to intrigue today?s tech hungry consumers then this is what it must do and I believe Sony is going to do exactly that.
But the PR and marketing campaign must adapt as well. In the past, the Playstation launches tend to focus on the beautiful graphics of the machine as well as the exclusive software titles. Now this isn?t necessarily a bad thing and it certainly attracts their core audience-dedicated gamers. The PS3 had a lot of extra features such as access to BBC iplayer, ITV player and 4oD but these features were not the main focus in terms of PR. A lot of consumers I know, who are not gamers, look at the PlayStation brand and automatically associate it with gaming. They don?t see PlayStation products as providing any other kind of entertainment experience.
If Sony wants to grab the everyday contemporary western consumer- the man or woman who are not avid gamers but watch movies on tablets, play casual games and download music from virtual stores- then it must change people?s perception of the PlayStation brand. They must market the PS4 as a home entertainment system; the consumer?s first choice for all of their home entertainment needs which ranges from listening to music and games to shopping online; and sharing content on social media platforms.
My hope is that, when Sony announces the PS4 on the 20th of February, it won?t just go after the usual gaming audience but will reveal an entertainment system that will become the center for everyone?s home entertainment needs. With the PS4, Sony must bring about the death of video game consoles and usher in a new era of a truly connected and truly social home entertainment system for the masses.
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