In this post, I want to put you in the situation I've experienced lately, which I consider a monumental mistake in marketing, logistics, and advertising by one of the leading companies in the field of video games: SONY and its Playstation 4.
Personally, I believe it's a mistake worthy of study as an example in any marketing degree. For all these reasons, I'll give you a brief overview.
First of all, I want to say that I'm not a regular video game player. A little over a year ago, I bought a Playstation 4 to start delving into video game design, programming, and character animation. It's very complicated to try to do anything if you don't understand gameplay, dynamics, and many other things you need to know to start. What better way to learn it than by playing a bit? Even though at first I considered it a waste of time.
Well, let's get to the story...
When I saw the graphic level of Playstation 4 with the games it proposed to release on the market—Uncharted 4, The Last Guardian... and programming wonders it already had like Grand Theft Auto V—as well as its forecast to release the virtual reality glasses in less than a year, I couldn't resist.
I had an old Playstation 2 full of dust, and it was time to renew.
As soon as Uncharted 4 went on sale, I bought a bundle with everything and some games to see how all this worked. I was waiting for the VR to come out, and meanwhile, I would make my way.
I have to tell you that the experience has been very rewarding. The graphic level that consoles offer today is a far cry from the Ataris or the Segas of our days... 30 years have passed ;) The games often have an exceptional level of realism. How awesome it would be to be able to enter this world virtually and feel in this reality of colors and shapes without limits ;)... a reality like that of 80s futuristic movies.
... one year later.
It's been over a month since the Playstation VR glasses went on sale. They currently compete with Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Playstation VR is not the best at a hardware level, perhaps not in small details in the experience, but yes, it is the one with the most sales possibilities. Not only because of the price, which is almost half that of its opponents, but because of options. Surely many more experiences and gadgets will be developed for these than for its competitors reserved for a more elitist public.
So! Prepare your wallet because we're going this week to make the purchase...
This first part of the story is all rainbows and butterflies... but now the real trouble begins...
I wake up ready to make the purchase, after thinking it over for a few days. While having a coffee, I look on the Internet to compare prices, reviews, YouTube videos, and more. In the search, I see something very strange: the MOVE controllers that are sold separately are sold out.
To be able to use the Playstation VR, a camera is necessary that captures the movement of the devices' lights as well as a controller, which can be the standard Play one or the MOVE ones designed to have a better experience. I have to say that both the MOVE and the camera are inherited from the old Playstation 3; so we're talking about old technology.
I don't understand anything, hasn't SONY released a bundle? But how can that be? Well, we'll have to buy the 3 things separately! Let's go to Girona to see what's happening!
... I've been wandering around Girona for 2 hours and in no center, store, or on the Internet! is it possible to find MOVE controllers. Incredible! I go back home and get ready to investigate what's going on? :( :- (((
Most websites don't even have a delivery date for the components! What a strange thing... could it be that SONY is thinking of releasing more modern controllers?
I Google, and re-Google like crazy and I find nothing about it. At this moment, my head starts to remember logistics errors studied in marketing classes and I start to smell that this is one of those: SONY's. What do I do?
After some calls to locate, through the only chain that has them available, a center where there is stock for all of Catalonia, I find 6 units in Mataró. I make a reservation.
Upon arrival, they had all been sold, only mine was left reserved!!!
How is it possible? SONY is a big company, how can it make these mistakes?
Well, after this scavenger hunt, we got everything necessary to be able to perform the test... now... what can I tell you? :) :-)))))
Incredible!
The future in my living room!
Honestly, I wonder how it's possible for so many people to speak poorly of it? It's true that it causes Motion Sickness, and in some cases, with very fast VR experiences and depending on the person, vomiting. Expelling what you've taken that is generating this behavior is your brain's defense mechanism. It doesn't understand why you're seeing so much movement if the other sensors in the ear and body don't perceive it ;)
But this effect is normal, if you usually get dizzy... how can you not get dizzy going with a car at 300km per hour at full speed? This effect is logical, and therefore it's normal to have to get your body used to it.
Not all experiences and games cause dizziness. But it's a matter of scale; there are some that do it a lot and others not at all. It's worth doing small immersions to get your brain used to understanding that it's normal ;)
I'm telling you this after testing it for a few weeks. The experience is, as Miki would say: “BRUTAL”...
Well, we reach the reflection:
SONY with Playstation VR wanted to reach sales of over 2 million units before the end of 2016. I can tell you that if it doesn't achieve it, it's because of its marketing.
On top of all this, you have to add that to make matters worse, it released the Playstation 4 PRO. This new improved console came out practically at the same time as the VR and has generated rejection and confusion. Loyal SONY customers don't forgive it for releasing an improved version in the middle of a console's life cycle just to see games with more resolution. SONY has to take its customers' wallets into account and give them some breathing room.
Likewise, those who want to buy its virtual reality product wonder if they have to change consoles because for some reason it released them in the same timeline.
Now put yourself in the head of someone who has a Playstation 4 like me, and doesn't search the Internet to see what's going on with all this:
On the one hand, we don't have a complete bundle, on the other, there's no stock of components. Besides... an improved play has just come out, do I need it?
Oops! You know what... let's wait a little while to see how it all ends!
...and? how does it turning out?
Let's summarize... :) It's not necessary to have the MOVE to play in all Playstation VR experiences, and it's not necessary to change the console to run the VR without problems.
All this remains a monumental communication and logistics error by SONY. A mistake worthy of study:
How a good product can become a marketing failure, Playstation VR.
The question we could ask ourselves now is whether it will achieve success despite this mess on SONY's part.
Personally, I hope so. It's very much worth it! and it's a world apart to live new sensations in the world of video games, cinema, science... and I fully agree with TIME magazine in considering them one of the best inventions of 2016.