Today, having a product that is so good people cannot help themselves but buy it without thinking of their finances or well being became a bad thing. I’m talking about the term “impulse buy,” because today a Sony exec (see also: barking mad) said the Wii was an impulse buy.
“Wii could be considered an impulse buy more than anything else,” said David Karraker, SCEA’s senior director of corporate communication, suggesting PS3 and Wii shouldn’t be considered in the same category.”
You’re right, Mr. Karraker, they are in different categories. The Wii is a “runaway success” and the PS3 is a “doorstop.” As it stands today, “sitting on shelves unsold” is better for your bottom line than “impulse buy.” Glad to see the mail away for a degree program is still alive and kicking.
In closing, I leave you with this DS quote from Phil Harrison (with a few changes to make it more up to date):
“With the [Wii], it’s fair to say that Nintendo stepped out of the technical race and went for a feature differentiation with the [Wiimote],” Harrison says. “But I fear that it won’t have a lasting impact beyond that of a gimmick – so the long-lasting appeal of the platform is at peril as a direct result of that.”
Sony blows needs help.