Which is why when you get right down to it, Sony's strategy is so devilishly clever this generation.
Think about how smoothly they have the order of importance down.
1.) First, they know getting the development community on board so they are not consistently detracting your hardware was essential. So they sat developers down across the industry, diligently listened to their concerns and developed the easiest console development environment to date for them, as well as the most powerful console amongst the three.
Benefit? Wipe the developer complaints off the table; get the technical buzz; win for devs, hardcore and casual gamers, marketing buzz.
2.) Second, they knew laying a foundation meant a clean, simple message that effectively pretends like the gamers are the actual most important element. It's all wool-over-the-eyes marketing lingo, because all they've essentially done is
not do something else, but they managed to turn it into a gamer's creed, a battle cry against overstepping boundaries. Even when the other company listened to our demands, it is Sony who appears to be the one who has a clear, consistent message and was "always on our side." Even though we know it's not true, the effectiveness cannot be denied. They continued the one-two with effective targeting campaigns like "For the players" and that nostalgia-laced PlayStation memories commercial.
Benefit? Word of mouth buzz, consumer confidence.
3.) Third,, they know
it is word of mouth that consistently drives the most people to the market to buy games. Who drives word of mouth in this industry? The hardcore. So, part of the burgeoning hardcore mission statement is the embrace of indie development community. What did they do? Embrace indies like never before, creating a huge wellspring of positive support from that corner, and getting a whole spectrum of potentially huge future developers under their wing for consideration.
Benefit? Future developers; potential "out-of-nowhere" buzz hits; win for small devs, hardcore gamers.
4.) Fourth, and continuing the word-of-mouth bent, now it's time to start consistently announcing projects aimed at the hardest of the hardcore. Why? Because they get us talking, and nobody spreads more word of mouth about games then hardcore gamers. By securing THE spiritual successor to the #1 hardcore darling of last console generation, if this rumour is true, they not only ensure months of positive buzz and WOM from this community, but a possible critical darling as well creating its own sort of marketing buzz.
Benefit? Gamers who love non-insulting gameplay; win for hardcore gamers, word of mouth buzz.
5.) The rest is all filling in the gaps. Cornerstone marketing agreements with huge partners like Bungie/Activision on Destiny and Ubisoft on Watch Dogs - coincidentally two major new generation franchises both now that will appeal as if in a new dawn as PlayStation centric which is nothing if not good timing for Sony - and the ability to say games on their platform play and look the best provides a critical advantage on top of the price tag. On top of the PS+ Value, they're really killing it.
Benefit? Self-explanatory.
Really, one has to be impressed by the strategy they've employed so far. It is pretty legendary, strategy-wise
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