Microsoft in GTA IV panic

[Bex]

Will Rockstar’s big gun decide the console war?

by: [Only registered users can see links. ] 20/03/2008

Microsoft is shithting itself. The console war has been raging hard for over two years, and it is all set to come to a head on April 29th. The day GTA IV releases. At that moment Microsoft could lose the fight… and they know it!

You’ve heard of console shifters before: games that go so supernova that their very existence is reason enough for many users to invest in an entire console. The Grand Theft Auto series is a genuine console shifter. And it also happens to be a PlayStation brand.

Yes the series has gradually become multi-format, almost begrudgingly, over the years, but the truth of the matter is that the brands PlayStation and GTA are snugly intertwined. Each game in the GTA III trilogy (the original, plus Vice City and San Andreas) debuted on the PlayStation 2 well before it saw the light of day on the competing Xbox. GTA and Sony helped each other become the biggest game series and biggest console in the world.

Here’s a telling statistic - it is estimated that San Andreas sold just under 14 million units across the two formats: 12 million of those were on the PS2. But this time it’s different; the slate is clean, right? Same day release across both formats in a new generation of gaming changes things, surely?

It’s not that simple: it’s not even a question of which is the better console as it certainly looks like the Xbox 360 version will be the superior buy. It’s because a large proportion of GTA’s fans aren’t traditional gamers. They’re casual gamers who couldn’t resist the style, flair and gameplay offered by Rockstar and added a GTA to their library of Need for Speed, SingStar and FIFA. And as such, millions of GTA fans are not up to speed on the console war thing. They don’t care which format has the best games, offers the superior online service, or has the more proficient hardware. They see GTA, and they think PlayStation.

We heard something the other day, a line of dialogue that must scare Microsoft to death. It came from the mouth of a twenty something electrician as he installed a car stereo for a mate. He said “I bought my PS3 to play GTA IV”.

That wasn’t the comment of a fanboy, or an educated decision by a gaming enthusiast who had weighed up all the pros and cons of the two systems: it was simply all he knew. There was a GTA coming out, so he went and bought a PlayStation. Microsoft is desperate to change that mentality, but what started as a broad plan has seemingly deteriorated into panic. Here’s how…
Phase 1: The first knowing nod from the ‘Soft that GTA IV was going to be a pivotal point in this generation’s console war came a long time ago, when they brokered a deal for exclusive content. 50 million dollars they paid, US that is, to provide the legions of GTA fans with a reason to buy an Xbox 360 instead of a PS3. That is a shit-load of cash! It reveals just how important Microsoft see GTA IV’s release because they’ll need to ship a lot of consoles, a lot of software and a lot of Microsoft Points to come out a winner on that one.

And they’re not going to: it was a waste of money. They spent 50 million clams on something only gamers are likely to understand or appreciate, the audience they don’t need to reach. Your casual gaming fan probably won’t even connect their console to the Net, and just as few will even have a basic understanding of the concept of DLC, or episodic content. It is certainly not something that will attract people like our mate the electrician away from his inherent loyalty to the PlayStation brand. What it is most likely to do is encourage bi-console gamers to opt for the X360 version of the game, which benefits who? Rockstar maybe, online Xbox 360 gamers looking for someone to play at two n the morning… we guess…

Clearly this wasn’t going to be enough so we have…

Phase 2: The we’ll-pay-you-to-opt-for-the-Xbox 360 option. You would have heard over the last few days that if you [Only registered users can see links. ]from selected retailers across the country, Microsoft will hand you 500 Microsoft Points. They’ll give you $8.25.

It’s an act that reeks of desperation, masquerading as a generous gesture. First they’ve said, ‘hey we’ll have episodic content so come buy our console’ and then they’ve followed it up with a ‘no seriously, we paid heaps for this you have to buy it… hell we’ll even subsidize it for you’.

Of course this route has the same problem as its predecessor. It’s talking to gamers, not to the casual market that is going to go out and buy 5 million PS3s in and around April 29. Microsoft just doesn’t get it.

For gamers, sure, thanks for the free points, but this isn’t going to help Microsoft’s cause. So on to…
Phase 3: After paying for episodic content, and then offering to pay you, Microsoft has more cash to sacrifice in waving the GTA IV flag as vigorously as possible over their console. A price-drop. Not in Oz, not yet anyway, but elsewhere, including Europe.

At least with this step, Microsoft has a fighting chance of attracting the casuals away from the PlayStation brand. In fact, since the price-drop the console has been selling quite well we are told, with reports of a 40% increase in sales. There’s nothing like an opportunity to save a bit of cash to lure those in the cheap seats.

It’s an aggressive tactic and make no mistake, the timing of this price-drop is very deliberate. Microsoft is well aware of GTA IV’s console shifting power. And to be fair, perhaps this three-pronged approach was one grand plan from the start (does Microsoft have that foresight?), but it smells more like panic. Like they’ve just realised that they’ve done little to entice the casual market to their console - Viva Piñata: Party Animals isn’t go to win you a console war - and that GTA IV could swing the balance of power in Sony’s favour overnight.

And what of Sony? By comparison, they haven’t spent a cent on episodic content, nor handed out cash. They’ve got a much better way of ensuring that the millions of casual gamers that fell in love with their brand last generation remain true to their cause. Free online for everyone, and a deal where you get one of those new-fangled HD Sony Bravia TVs with your PS3. That’s called experience. That gets you the casual audience. Add the upcoming release of mega popular gamer’s games Metal Gear Solid 4 and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue and they look to have both market’s covered: Microsoft’s Xbox 360 could very well be fu-ked.
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My thoughts:
When it's put it like that

I have to admit, i did want to play GTA IV on PS3 and that was before teh PS3 was released and I already had the 360.

Probably cuz yeah, playstation brand, but, more importantly to me, the controls. I've played San Andreas on xbox and ps2 and the controls on the xbox i just didnt like, with the clunky controller either.

But, i took a gamble and decided to sell my PS3 and get GTA on 360............hoping the controls will be fine, cuz heck the controller is better.
Luckily for me, the controls will be the same (A for accelerate not Right Trigger )

The price drop now, does make perfect sense. Im trying to convince my bro even more to get a 360 with the new price drop. Never realised it was tied in/desperation.

It does all make perfect sense .

But, i dont think they need to be in a panic really. The game may well shift console numbers, but, i dont think, it will be enough to put the PS3 in the lead.
Look at how many gamers bought the 360 just for Halo 3.
If there's people buying a console just for this game, i think, about 75% of those will choose PS3...........but thats only of those who don't own either console, who didn't rush out to buy Halo 3 .

Maybe GTA is Playstation brand traditionally, but im glad its on 360. Even without the price drop, i think the 75% would be true.
Sure its a lot, but, still, imo, not enough to put Sony ahead of the game.

360 is the way forward simple as that

[noonzascript]

i never liked playing gta games on the 360..i grew up with sony..and i think sony is the way foward..BTW im bad at gta games rofl, i only finished gta 3 lol

[QueenB]

I played the other games on Sony but, I will be playing this on 360 simply because Im not buying a PS3 to play it . When the PS3 was launched I didnt want it, then there was GTA4 and I seriously thought about buying one for that game . Then it went to 360 and I bought a 360 and Im a happy bunny . Sony lost out big time when they didnt keep GTA exclusive to them.

[Bex]

Im glad they didnt keep it exclusive

I woulda probably sold my 360 instead of PS3, but theres more games on 360 i want to play. So I happy that its coming to 360

[Momma Bear]

That is a very well thought out statement/opinion but unless you are The Ori (from an unamed website which I won't post here) I think you should give them the credit?

Originally Posted by evildead131

It's not that simple: it's not even a question of which is the better console as it certainly looks like the Xbox 360 version will be the superior buy. It's because a large proportion of GTA's fans aren't traditional gamers. They're casual gamers who couldn't resist the style, flair and gameplay offered by Rockstar and added a GTA to their library of Need for Speed, SingStar and FIFA. And as such, millions of GTA fans are not up to speed on the console war thing. They don't care which format has the best games, offers the superior online service, or has the more proficient hardware. They see GTA, and they think PlayStation.We heard something the other day, a line of dialogue that must scare Microsoft to death. It came from the mouth of a twenty something electrician as he installed a car stereo for a mate. He said "I bought my PS3 to play GTA IV".That wasn't the comment of a fanboy, or an educated decision by a gaming enthusiast who had weighed up all the pros and cons of the two systems: it was simply all he knew. There was a GTA coming out, so he went and bought a PlayStation. Microsoft is desperate to change that mentality, but what started as a broad plan has seemingly deteriorated into panic.

[mutevict1m]

I would pick to play GTA IV on the PS3 in heartbeat I just dont like the 360's controllers