Sony: Jack Tretton's 1 Year Anniversary

[Kamalot]

Sony's Jack Tretton recently spoke to GameDaily in an excellent interview (http://www.gamedaily.com/games/uncharted-drakes-fortune/playstation-3/game-features/interview-jack-tretton-reflects-on-year-one-as-scea-chief/6185/71250/?biz=1) for his 1-year anniversary, where he discusses the difficulties his team has educating consumers about the PS3's advanced features and value. Jack also talks about plans to eventually offer downloadable movies like the Xbox 360, Home, and the often-discussed future-promise to download music and movies straight to the PSP. The article is full of insights on how little Sony worries about the Wii, how happy they are with the number of titles available for the PS3, and how the Playstation 3 competes with Xbox Live and Xbox Live Arcade.

Can you give us an idea when SCEA will really compete with Xbox Live and Xbox Live Arcade?

JT: We compete very effectively right now. The thing that we care most about and what is relative to our online experience is that we currently have 3 million users and they have downloaded 60 million pieces of content. In my opinion, they are the biggest ringing endorsement of our online efforts. As long as we continue to grow our install base we are on the right track for our online efforts.

Happy Anniversary Jack!

[Karmakin]

That really explains the differences between PSN and XBL. XBL pushes the community aspect, while PSN is little more than an online marketplace.

Different philosophy between the two companies.

[Podfork]

Tretton, not Trenton

I thought front-page stuff was vetted before being published?

[CapnBob]

Educating consumers? Or indoctrinating them?

[DangerousDaze]

If I had a pound for every time I'd seen Trenton on EvAv I'd have, er, FORTY POUNDS.

[mkelehan]

Xbox: Wow, 60 million content downloads. That... is... adorable.

[Kamalot]

Tretton, not Trenton

I thought front-page stuff was vetted before being published?

Thanks. I still haven't had my coffee yet. :o

[Kamalot]

That really explains the differences between PSN and XBL. XBL pushes the community aspect, while PSN is little more than an online marketplace.

Different philosophy between the two companies.

I was going to come in here and paste in the part of the article that talks about Home. Yet when I re-read it, it didn't really talk much about the social aspect.
BIZ: Social networks are all the rage with services like LinkedIn, Facebook and others. While graphical social networks have been tried before in the PC world, Home's arrival seems to be late to the game. How do you intend to get people into Home when it does arrive?

JT: PlayStation Home is an offering like nothing seen before. There has never been a 3D based community for a console system with such a rich media interface, with streaming video, and with complex environments. Given that we have our own network, that every device we sell has a built in hard drive, we have an opportunity to do things with and for the consumer like nothing that has been done before, enabling more creativity with user-generated content. As we get closer to the official launch of PlayStation Home, you'll hear more details about our marketing and consumer outreach plans.

He talks more about the media interface and streaming video, but not much about the connectivity like LinkedIn and FaceBook, as the interviewer suggests. Perhaps those aspects are just a given, but your post about the PSN being a marketplace does echo many of Jack's comments about Sony and delivering content. Very little of his interview actually discusses any features other than 'ways to get Sony content'. He even manages to get a plug in for the Sony credit card. That could just be a product of this particular interview, or could point to some larger issue.

In wild speculation, maybe that's why he and his team are having trouble educating people as to the value of the PS3 other than, "It is a way to get Sony content".

Statements like this probably don't help though, as they muddy the waters of fact:If you want to watch high definition movies, then you have a Blu-Ray movie player built in to take advantage of downloadable content and disc based content.

I have to have a Bluray player to watch downloaded HD movies?

[Devilturnip]

I have to have a Bluray player to watch downloaded HD movies?

Probably. DRM is a motherfucker.

[Johan]

I'm glad Sony is online, so that MS has at least someone in the console space nipping at their heels. Competition is good.

I'd also really like to play Uncharted and R&C!!

[TrackZero]

Statements like this probably don't help though, as they muddy the waters of fact:

I have to have a Bluray player to watch downloaded HD movies?

I think he means extras you download through your blu-ray. Which is funny, since the players weren't speced for that in the first place (while HD-DVD was).

[Inspector Fowler]

Dear Sony,

I recently read some quotes and comments about how proud you are about your download service. This is funny, because I've always thought it was total shit.

Your download service isn't easy to use. The font is small as hell. It's not very well organized either. Also, aside from me pretending to be Japanese for the GT5 Prologue demo and (back on my American account) the Uncharted demo, I haven't enjoyed much that I've downloaded.

On the subject of downloads, they take forever. And it's not my internet speed, because my computer, my wife's computer, and my 360 all download just fine, thank you. This isn't helped by the fact that playing a movie stops background downloads, while playing a game does not. And no downloading when the machine is powered down? Not cool.

Although I'm the first to criticize Microsoft (I use Open Office instead of Word, and Firefox instead of IE), at least they have responded to gamer criticism and suggestions. Perhaps the fear of losing paying subscribers makes them more responsive. I don't know. All I know is that, for the almost 1 year I've had my PS3, you haven't changed anything that I find irritating.

Home sounds cool, but (besides still being a pipe dream) it doesn't address any of my complaints (which are, in short, lack of content, slow speeds, poor ergonomics, and no background downloading). If Microsoft- the great big steamroller of a company that supposedly doesn't care about its customers- can address at least one of my needs in every single software update, why can't you?

I really bought the Playstation 3 for its potential - I knew a game would come out that I'd really want, and it would be exclusive, like GT5. But otherwise, count me unimpressed with my $600 investment, at least with the online component.

Could you please: Stop pretending there are no problems with your service and fix them?

By the way, the one thing I do like is the themes for the PS3. Although, still, the font is too goddamm small. Just because my TV does 1080i doesn't mean it's 50 inches.

Love,

Inspector Fowler.

P.S. I know that when Gran Turismo 5 comes out, I'll play it and love it, you bastards. That still doesn't make things even between us.

[bean19]

I took organizational communication this semester. This is classic bolstering. "Yeah, everything's great here and the future is bright!" He just ignores the issues and treats them as unimportant matters that will be fixed in time. . .

The PR message in short: "Yeah, someday we'll have some of the online features that the Xbox 360 has and we aren't threatened by the Wii's insane success because it is a secondary console".

They ALL do this stuff. It's a bit annoying to see Kamalot's lead graph parrot the PR as if it were reported fact instead of pointing it out as PR, but whatever. No biggie.

[Sloth]

Did anyone ask Jack how much money he had to pay out to people who found PS3's on store shelves last winter?

rootkit karma, aint it a bitch?

[Kamalot]

I took organizational communication this semester. This is classic bolstering. "Yeah, everything's great here and the future is bright!" He just ignores the issues and treats them as unimportant matters that will be fixed in time. . .

The PR message in short: "Yeah, someday we'll have some of the online features that the Xbox 360 has and we aren't threatened by the Wii's insane success because it is a secondary console".

They ALL do this stuff. It's a bit annoying to see Kamalot's lead graph parrot the PR as if it were reported fact instead of pointing it out as PR, but whatever. No biggie.
Well, if I put my personal take on the article, I'm damned to listen to everyone bitch about how biased the site is, one way or another. I'll leave the analysis up to folks like you in the thread who have more experience deciphering corporate speak than I.

I would very much like to hear more about what you learned in class about this kind of speak though. Can you elaborate?

[trfe]

Tretton's big fat head is full of so much BS that it just spews out of his mouth whenever he opens it. Home is going to be a mess, it will be a non-factor at best.

Sony always does this they talk up a new game or service so much for so long that when it finally comes out everyone is like "that's it?".

Sony is a business. No one is buying a ps3 because of the lackluster free online. Once they get a decent user base and some decent online offerings then they will charge. Right now if they tried to charge they would get their ass handed to them by people comparing them to xbox live. Right now they can say "hey, it's free!", but if they did charge, they would be judged against the standard that xbox live has set, and they can't do that currently.

[ZeroType]

Xbox: Wow, 60 million content downloads. That... is... adorable.

That made me laugh like Peter Griffin.

I wonder what XBLM numbers are monthly?

[DangerousDaze]

I would very much like to hear more about what you learned in class about this kind of speak though. Can you elaborate?

Dude, you don't need to go to school to understand how CEO's talk about their companies. Good grief.

[RMan]

Different philosophy between the two companies.
Do not confuse a lack of a feature with a lack of desire for that feature, they don't seem to have a different philosophy, just seems MS is currently further along in their implementation.

[Loganrapp]

He seems to have bounced back after John Travolta died.

[bean19]

Well, if I put my personal take on the article, I'm damned to listen to everyone bitch about how biased the site is, one way or another. I'll leave the analysis up to folks like you in the thread who have more experience deciphering corporate speak than I.

I shouldn't have jumped on you, because as I reread this, you really source the information, if not as boldly as I would have. For some reason, this didn't come off to me as if you were saying "according to Jack Tretton. . . " but instead sounded like you were saying that these beliefs were fact. My bad.

I would very much like to hear more about what you learned in class about this kind of speak though. Can you elaborate?

It was in a chapter about image repair. I've just spent a few minutes trying to come up with good online articles that go into more detail, but I haven't been able to do them. So I'll just talk about it briefly instead.

All large organizations and corporations concern themselves with their image as corporate image can cause serious problems with being able to sell your products or services. For instance, recently the maker's of Thomas the Train Engine found that toys being manufactured in China contained lead paint that is very harmful to children. Their product and sales relied on parents feeling that their toys are wholesome and child-safe. So they took several image repair strategies:

Apology - They admitted the problem and apologized for it directly.
Corrective action - They not only acknowledged the problem, but asked parents to send in the toy that contained lead paint and replaced it along with a bonus toy (the bonus toy turned out to ALSO contain lead paint which really hurt them too, but I won't go into that as it goes beyond the point).
Bolstering - When speaking to stakeholders, they focused on their long history of providing safe toys and how their company was dedicated to fixing the problem.
Blame shifting - They stated that the blame was due to manufacturers in China that ignored manufacturing regulations that their company had in place with them (and later had to apologize to their manufacturers too).

We've also seen image repair strategies employed by Microsoft with the dreaded red ring of death. They apologized, took corrective action, and employed bolstering strategies as well. Same strategy really except that Microsoft never blamed their manufacturers. Also, Microsoft took over a year with this problem existing with smaller corrective action before they completely acknowledged the problem and announced a substantive fix. This also gave the impression that they were doing so in order to combat class action suits rather than to be a responsible organization.

It's also fun to look at Microsoft's bigger image here. People were and continue to be extremely upset with Microsoft because they have a history of shipping buggy products that are often not user-friendly. Often features people do not want and that are built to drive Microsoft revenue require expert-level computer skills to disable (or at least an expert level guide). Windows Vista has millions of gamers upset because the benefits of DX10 have not proven significant except on the most monstrous of PCs that are able to perform well even after the huge performance hit that Vista entails. So even though Microsoft launched with a very good customer support service and fixed people's 360's for free for the first year and have extended that warranty to 3 years while also starting to make REAL fixes to stop people from having to constantly send in their 360. . . well, some people just still hate them. They have a terrible image, and though they are doing the right thin now and have thus stopped the continued erosion of their image with the 360 - the damage is done and will most probably take a decade of strong service and quality products to improve significantly. They should do it though. It would probably be a lot less expensive to court customers with quality merchandise than it is to bully competitors into creating an effective monopoly.

In this case, Sony is employing bolstering and denial. They deny that there is a problem (no, our game library is fine and our online features will be better. Also, we aren't competing against the Wii), and they bolster their position by focusing the interview on how the PS3 will improve over time.

And you know, this really does work. People who are less sophisticated than EvAv readers will start talking about Sony's new features instead of the PS3's poor sales, game library, and sparcity of current online features that are the major issues the interviewer is hoping to get Tretton to address.

[Adam Blue]

Yeah, this is pretty much what you should expect from a CEO. They are always like this. They can't and won't say what you want. I like how people tune in as if they're going to be truthful.

[Kamalot]

Apology - They admitted the problem and apologized for it directly.
Corrective action - They not only acknowledged the problem, but asked parents to send in the toy that contained lead paint and replaced it along with a bonus toy (the bonus toy turned out to ALSO contain lead paint which really hurt them too, but I won't go into that as it goes beyond the point).
Bolstering - When speaking to stakeholders, they focused on their long history of providing safe toys and how their company was dedicated to fixing the problem.
Blame shifting - They stated that the blame was due to manufacturers in China that ignored manufacturing regulations that their company had in place with them (and later had to apologize to their manufacturers too).

We've also seen image repair strategies employed by Microsoft with the dreaded red ring of death. They apologized, took corrective action, and employed bolstering strategies as well. Same strategy really except that Microsoft never blamed their manufacturers.

In this case, Sony is employing bolstering and denial. They deny that there is a problem (no, our game library is fine and our online features will be better. Also, we aren't competing against the Wii), and they bolster their position by focusing the interview on how the PS3 will improve over time.

And you know, this really does work. People who are less sophisticated than EvAv readers will start talking about Sony's new features instead of the PS3's poor sales, game library, and sparcity of current online features that are the major issues the interviewer is hoping to get Tretton to address.

This is completely awesome. Thanks for posting it. It breaks down the issue into several easy-to-follow steps.

Nintendo's done the same thing with the Wii straps. They admit there is a problem, and provide corrective action for it. I'm not too fond of the denial or blame-shifting tactics but in the case of the lead-paint toys I can see how their 3rd party manufacturer not following regulations would be the cause of the concern.

I look back to how Sony handled the issues with the release of the PSP. The fact that the square button was partially over the edge of the screen made is clunky and unresponsive, so much so that Sony suggested to developers that they not use the square button for primary game tasks. Yet their attitude to the public was quite different, one of complete denial calling the device beautiful and stating that you wouldn't fault an architect for placing a gate in the wrong position.

Apology
Corrective action
Bolstering
Blame shifting
Denial

Thanks again!

[RMan]

In this case, Sony is employing bolstering and denial. They deny that there is a problem (no, our game library is fine and our online features will be better. Also, we aren't competing against the Wii), and they bolster their position by focusing the interview on how the PS3 will improve over time.

And you know, this really does work. People who are less sophisticated than EvAv readers will start talking about Sony's new features instead of the PS3's poor sales, game library, and sparcity of current online features that are the major issues the interviewer is hoping to get Tretton to address.
Well, the unbiased EvAv reader ('sophisticated' or not) will realize that there is a BIG difference between a product breaking or being dangerous to something that simply didn't grow to meet some people's expectations. The question about competing with XBL or arcade was poorly phrased and perhaps you feel you know what was being asked, but from an unbiased POV his answer was fine. If the interviewer wanted a real answer to the question, he’d have asked about specific features. For me, as a consumer, he’s absolutely right, the downloadable content is the important part. Perhaps you feel nothing short of ‘we suck and can never compete with the almighty MS’ is denial, but that’s because your viewpoint is skewed.

And stop and think for a second about what you’re saying in that second paragraph. How should he have addressed these questions for the ‘sophisticated’ to accept it, does it have to prominently feature the prophecy of Sony’s doom to meet the standards of a ‘sophisticated’ reader? Seems to me if the interviewer shared your desire for Sony doom he would have asked questions focusing on Sony’s failings, rather, he asked about what Sony’s plans were.

[DangerousDaze]

Nintendo's done the same thing with the Wii straps. They admit there is a problem, and provide corrective action for it.

Nintendo don't have an untarnished record in this area. Remember how they denied that the hinges cracked on the old DS "phat"? I checked out Nintendo's Wikipedia edits and even found that they'd actually edited the DS article to remove a mention of said cracking. That's pretty piss-poor imo.

[KidCactus]

I have to have a Bluray player to watch downloaded HD movies?
Or you could NOT take it out of context, by selective quoting:

While downloadable content is of great interest to consumers, there are some issues with high definition downloads which leads to an advantage for the PS3. If you want to watch high definition movies, then you have a Blu-Ray movie player built in to take advantage of downloadable content and disc based content. In the case of PS3, every model has HDMI output and built in WiFi and this isn't the case with our competition.

[D.D.D.]

I hope he leaves soon...

[oldjadedgamer]

Or you could NOT take it out of context, by selective quoting:

Wait... something is wrong with the quote you pointed out...

While downloadable content is of great interest to consumers, there are some issues with high definition downloads which leads to an advantage for the PS3. If you want to watch high definition movies, then you have a Blu-Ray movie player built in to take advantage of downloadable content and disc based content. In the case of PS3, every model has HDMI output and built in WiFi and this isn't the case with our competition.

Since when did the 20 gig EVER have built in WIFI????

[jadkins555]

Wait... something is wrong with the quote you pointed out...

Since when did the 20 gig EVER have built in WIFI????

Nice find. I absolutely despise Tretton, and as petty as it may sound, he is part of the reason I refuse to purchase a PS3.

[BlueBomber]

Well, I'm sure he meant every model in production. Every model that Sony makes right now has built in wifi.

But yeah, I see what you mean. He should have been more specific.

[Kamalot]

Or you could NOT take it out of context, by selective quoting:

In the entire quote it does not explain how I need a Bluray player to watch downloaded HD movies. Yes, I need a hard drive to watch downloaded HD movies, but I don't need a Bluray player to watch downloaded movies. Nothing in the entire interview explains why I need a Bluray player to watch downloaded HD movies.

[TrackZero]

Nintendo don't have an untarnished record in this area. Remember how they denied that the hinges cracked on the old DS "phat"? I checked out Nintendo's Wikipedia edits and even found that they'd actually edited the DS article to remove a mention of said cracking. That's pretty piss-poor imo.

Wasn't that on the DS lites that the hinge cracked? I don't recall the "Phat" having any issues beyond some bad pixels in the first batch (nowhere near as bad as the PSP, but I know mine had some).

[TrackZero]

In the entire quote it does not explain how I need a Bluray player to watch downloaded HD movies. Yes, I need a hard drive to watch downloaded HD movies, but I don't need a Bluray player to watch downloaded movies. Nothing in the entire interview explains why I need a Bluray player to watch downloaded HD movies.

Dude, see my reply. I think he mis worded it (either accidentally or purposefully), but he was referring to the "extras" you can download in Blu-ray movies (which should have just come on the disc, IMHO....).

[oldjadedgamer]

Dude, see my reply. I think he mis worded it (either accidentally or purposefully), but he was referring to the "extras" you can download in Blu-ray movies (which should have just come on the disc, IMHO....).

Don't forget that the extras on a Blu-Ray disc have to come on a separate disc since there isn't enough room on Blu-Ray to fit it all. Spiderman 3 for instance comes on 2 Blu-Ray discs as well as 2 DVD discs.

[TrackZero]

Don't forget that the extras on a Blu-Ray disc have to come on a separate disc since there isn't enough room on Blu-Ray to fit it all. Spiderman 3 for instance comes on 2 Blu-Ray discs as well as 2 DVD discs.

Wow. I can understand that for HD-DVD, but Blu-ray is supposed to be what, 35 GB? Guess they're printing smaller sized discs to keep costs down?

[KidCactus]

Wow. I can understand that for HD-DVD, but Blu-ray is supposed to be what, 35 GB? Guess they're printing smaller sized discs to keep costs down?
oldjadedgamer is just trying to be funny I guess. Of course BD movies also have extras on the same disc as the movie itself. Just because they chose to have another disc for Spider-Man doesn't mean every BD is like that.

[bean19]

Well, the unbiased EvAv reader ('sophisticated' or not) will realize that there is a BIG difference between a product breaking or being dangerous to something that simply didn't grow to meet some people's expectations.

Yes, there is a big difference. A product that breaks a lot (Xbox 360) or a product that is unsafe (Thomas the Train Engine) both require that the company take corrective action to fix their image. This is a lot more expensive than simply fixing your image for not competing well against competitors for not having the good game library and online features of the Xbox 360, or the price-point and casual appeal of the Wii. Sony doesn't have to do nearly as much image repair, and if they improve their online features and their game library, then people will likely forget the problems much more quickly than people who had to send in their Xbox 360 (free repair or not, it is an inconvenience).

However, I wasn't saying that they were equal problems. Really, they are apples and oranges. Oddly, the Xbox 360 problems, because they are ones that the company HAS addressed and because the game library and online features are excellent, are not effecting the Xbox 360 sales as negatively as the PS3's problems. The difference is both good and bad because the Xbox 360 can, by spending a lot of money, fix their problem. The PS3 has to develop online features and a game library. . . both of these things take time.

The question about competing with XBL or arcade was poorly phrased and perhaps you feel you know what was being asked, but from an unbiased POV his answer was fine. If the interviewer wanted a real answer to the question, he’d have asked about specific features. For me, as a consumer, he’s absolutely right, the downloadable content is the important part. Perhaps you feel nothing short of ‘we suck and can never compete with the almighty MS’ is denial, but that’s because your viewpoint is skewed.

Actually, I think he did the right thing. My problem wasn't with the fact that he was using image repair PR techniques, but that I felt that Kamalot was presenting them as if we would all naturally believe the PR spin. He is absolutely correct to focus on bolstering their position and denying the PS3's problems.

Seems to me if the interviewer shared your desire for Sony doom he would have asked questions focusing on Sony’s failings, rather, he asked about what Sony’s plans were.

Wow. First, I have zero desire for Sony failing. Since before the launch of the 360, I have always maintained that I wanted a good competition, as I think that produces the best prices and offerings for we consumers. I felt, correctly, that the PS3's price-point was going to kick it out of first place, but I had no idea that the Wii would be so successful, and from what I saw at E3 2006, I was actually predicting that it would only have mediocre success because the price-point would be great, and it would appeal to casuals and people with kids as well as many gamers who would use it as a secondary system. The fact that it is THIS successful, never even occurred to me. I also didn't think that the 360 would fall so completely on it's ass in Japan. . .

Anyway, I digress, but the point I'm making is that I am very interested in watching this console war from the side lines. I like seeing why people buy systems, and I think the PS3 is already showing that it can do well if at least priced within the realm of reason. It doesn't have the online features or the game library of the Xbox 360, and all it offers for the additional price is the ability to play Blu-Ray movies. . . however, for $50 more than the Xbox 360's model that contains a hard drive, that is going to seem a pretty good deal to many people.

So, I think we'll see the PS3 GAIN market share this Christmas rather than losing more. . . the point being that my opinions on the console war have nothing to do with my opinions regarding how these organizations communicate.

[oldjadedgamer]

Wow. I can understand that for HD-DVD, but Blu-ray is supposed to be what, 35 GB? Guess they're printing smaller sized discs to keep costs down?

50 gigs. The max for Blu-Ray is 50 gigs. And yes, they are cutting corners by printing smaller discs to keep costs down.

oldjadedgamer is just trying to be funny I guess. Of course BD movies also have extras on the same disc as the movie itself. Just because they chose to have another disc for Spider-Man doesn't mean every BD is like that.

So what is the excuse for their flagship Blu-Ray movie being on 2 discs? This is a Sony Pictures disc if you remember and the one they are using to try to show off the power of Blu-Ray. Isn't one of the huge selling points of Blu-Ray that it has an insane amount of room on the disc? Doesn't this send the opposite message to consumers that even the extra room of Blu-Ray isn't enough?

Btw, other Blu-Ray movies that come on two discs include.

Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End
Superbad
Dreamgirls
Hairspray
Mission Impossible 3
Flags Of Our Fathers

And sure, not all Blu-Ray discs come on two disc, but neither do DVD.

[Xerxes]

Blu Ray sucks, moving on.

[Micasa]

Well, the unbiased EvAv reader ('sophisticated' or not) will realize that there is a BIG difference between a product breaking or being dangerous to something that simply didn't grow to meet some people's expectations. The question about competing with XBL or arcade was poorly phrased and perhaps you feel you know what was being asked, but from an unbiased POV his answer was fine. If the interviewer wanted a real answer to the question, he’d have asked about specific features. For me, as a consumer, he’s absolutely right, the downloadable content is the important part. Perhaps you feel nothing short of ‘we suck and can never compete with the almighty MS’ is denial, but that’s because your viewpoint is skewed.

And stop and think for a second about what you’re saying in that second paragraph. How should he have addressed these questions for the ‘sophisticated’ to accept it, does it have to prominently feature the prophecy of Sony’s doom to meet the standards of a ‘sophisticated’ reader? Seems to me if the interviewer shared your desire for Sony doom he would have asked questions focusing on Sony’s failings, rather, he asked about what Sony’s plans were.

Bolstering
Denial
Blame shifting

[KidCactus]

So what is the excuse for their flagship Blu-Ray movie being on 2 discs? This is a Sony Pictures disc if you remember and the one they are using to try to show off the power of Blu-Ray. Isn't one of the huge selling points of Blu-Ray that it has an insane amount of room on the disc? Doesn't this send the opposite message to consumers that even the extra room of Blu-Ray isn't enough?
I really don't see the problem. They chose to have two discs for the special edition, simple as that. But if you choose to read more into it than that, fine.

The special edition contains two discs: Disc one has the movie plus extras (commentary tracks, bloopers, easter eggs, photo galleries, music video, trailers and more). The second disc contains even more extras (easter eggs, 11 short documentaries, international TV spots, teasers, trailers and more).

If you get the non-special edition, you still get extras on one disc.

[J-Dizzle]

The answer is obvious.

They put it on 2 discs because the consumer feels they are getting a better deal for their money if you.

If you bought a movie for $15, regular edition, and a movie which was the special edition for $30, and they both came on one disk in the same case, most people would feel they were getting cheated.

If your special edition comes in a slightly bigger box, with different artwork and an extra disc, even if the content does not change, people feel that they are getting something special for their money and will fork out the extra wonga.

As for Sony and their spin... of course it's to be expected... I mean, seriously, it's his job to try to make his company and his product look good. No problem.

The problem he has with this web site is that most of us actually are in possession of the facts, and therefore don't really buy into the PR, and just want to see Sony actually produce the goods.

On a side note, I would find it extremely amusing if the PS3 went the way of the Dreamcast, and was replaced in the market by the Dreamcast 2. Now that would be an interesting irony.

[Dukefrukem]

it would be irony. but its never going to happen. so keep dreaming.

[TrackZero]

So what is the excuse for their flagship Blu-Ray movie being on 2 discs? This is a Sony Pictures disc if you remember and the one they are using to try to show off the power of Blu-Ray. Isn't one of the huge selling points of Blu-Ray that it has an insane amount of room on the disc? Doesn't this send the opposite message to consumers that even the extra room of Blu-Ray isn't enough?

It's kind of sad that just because DVD "special editions" came with more than one disc, I'm sure some marketing guy wanted to keep things that way for Blu-ray. With the "added benefit" to them of saving costs on the lower capacity discs, I'm sure some marketing people loved the idea. They just plain missed the point.

[Kamalot]

Nintendo don't have an untarnished record in this area. Remember how they denied that the hinges cracked on the old DS "phat"? I checked out Nintendo's Wikipedia edits and even found that they'd actually edited the DS article to remove a mention of said cracking. That's pretty piss-poor imo.

I'm not saying Nintento is untarnished. I'm just realizing how the previously announced steps a0pplied to Nintendo's issue with the wrist strap.

Apology
Sorry, we didn't realize people would be so excited to play Wii that they would release the remotes.

Corrective action
We are giving away free replacement straps that are improved, and packaging all new remotes with the improved straps

Bolstering
Nintendo is committed to safe fun, blah blah

Seems to me that these are the magic three steps in setting a good corporate image.

[bean19]

Kamalot - Not steps. They are image repair techniques and I didn't even list all of them. Different image problems use different techniques.

[Kamalot]

Kamalot - Not steps. They are image repair techniques and I didn't even list all of them. Different image problems use different techniques.

If you don't mind me asking, what book is being used in your course. I'd love to learn more.

[BlackPete]

Kamalot - Not steps. They are image repair techniques and I didn't even list all of them. Different image problems use different techniques.

This is what really rubs me the wrong way about how Sony as a whole functions. No matter what problem they face, they employ the exact same techniques every time. They don't really adapt to suit each problem -- which leads to several "WTF?" moments and shooting off their feet.

Sometimes I wonder if they do have a checklist of "steps" to follow and just try to force-fit the situation into their list of steps: Deny, Blame-shift, Bolster.

[oldjadedgamer]

I really don't see the problem. They chose to have two discs for the special edition, simple as that. But if you choose to read more into it than that, fine.

The special edition contains two discs: Disc one has the movie plus extras (commentary tracks, bloopers, easter eggs, photo galleries, music video, trailers and more). The second disc contains even more extras (easter eggs, 11 short documentaries, international TV spots, teasers, trailers and more).

If you get the non-special edition, you still get extras on one disc.

You are missing the point. What is the MAJOR selling point of "superior" Blu-Ray over HD-DVD? Space. All 50 gigs of space that a Blu-Ray can hold. No one can deny this is the message that is constantly crammed down consumers throats by the Blu-Ray group.

So by them releasing Blu-Ray movies on two discs, they are clearly giving the message that even the extra added space of all 50 gigs of Blu-Ray isn't enough. They are sending out a confusing message. One one hand screaming from the rooftops that Blu-Ray has a huge amount of space and a big advantage over HD-DVD yet when movies actually come out, they are sending the message that the space isn't enough on one disc and that a second disc is needed. Did Spiderman 3 really need 100 gigs or is Sony cutting corners and confusing consumers with their message?

I don't know what to tell you if you are blind to this.

[Kamalot]

You are missing the point. What is the MAJOR selling point of "superior" Blu-Ray over HD-DVD? Space. All 50 gigs of space that a Blu-Ray can hold. No one can deny this is the message that is constantly crammed down consumers throats by the Blu-Ray group.

So by them releasing Blu-Ray movies on two discs, they are clearly giving the message that even the extra added space of all 50 gigs of Blu-Ray isn't enough. They are sending out a confusing message. One one hand screaming from the rooftops that Blu-Ray has a huge amount of space and a big advantage over HD-DVD yet when movies actually come out, they are sending the message that the space isn't enough on one disc and that a second disc is needed. Did Spiderman 3 really need 100 gigs or is Sony cutting corners and confusing consumers with their message?

I don't know what to tell you if you are blind to this.

I think I get what you are saying. If it is okay to put movies on one disc and extras on a second, then why not get HD-DVD where the player is cheaper and I have to swap discs to watch the extras?

Although, 51 gig HD-DVD discs are also now formally accepted as part of the standard and play on all the players...

[bean19]

If you don't mind me asking, what book is being used in your course. I'd love to learn more.

Actually, the book we had was overwritten and not nearly as useful in learning it as the instructor who taught it. If you want a text-book, this is a very standard course offered by most colleges and the information is likely to be the same in all of them. Look up "organizational communication". . . the subject is all about how organizations communicate, so image repair is a big part of that, but certainly not everything. I couldn't find any online references (oddly, not even at wikipedia), or I'd just shoot you a link. My instructor specifically referenced a study on Delta US Air when teaching about corporate image repair.

[BlackPete]

My instructor specifically referenced a study on Delta US Air when teaching about corporate image repair.

Was Delta US Air actually successful in their image repair? Honest question as I don't live in the US so I have no clue what their reputation is like.

It seems these days it's far too easy to simply point at companies and say, "Here's how NOT to handle your image."

[bean19]

Was Delta US Air actually successful in their image repair? Honest question as I don't live in the US so I have no clue what their reputation is like.

It seems these days it's far too easy to simply point at companies and say, "Here's how NOT to handle your image."

Dammit. I wish I still had the PDF of this as it is really good. I'll summarize:

U.S. Air had a small number of crashes, but what was worse is that inspectors found that many of their planes did not meet safety standards (this is back in the late 80s/early 90s, not sure, but a long time ago).

What they did was to run a bolstering campaign that was written by different workers of US Air (pilots, flight attendants) that talked about how they were all about professionalism. . . while not directly talking about safety. They had, in a separate release (an earlier release at the time of the report), promised corrective action too.

It was an interesting one because it was moderately successful; however, if I remember they criticized it for using two techniques that don't work well together. . . just can't remember it exactly anymore. Sorry.