Nintendo Switch has been an overall positive for the market, says PlayStation executive

Deleted member 249 · Sep 3, 2018

Although this is related to other companies, in 2017 the Nintendo Switch made quite an impact, especially with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Splatoon 2. What do you think about this?

Hiroyuki Oda, president: "I'd say it has had an overall positive influence on the entire games market. Gamers want to play various games of various types, so the most important thing is that these people who love games are happy. SIE will play to its strengths by providing games of various genres, including realistic, high-definition games."

This is from Sony Interactive Entertainment Asia president Hiroyuki Oda's interview with Nikkei, translated by Siliconera.

Good to see the recognition that a rising tide lifts all boats, and that Nintendo's success on the hardware and software fronts only adds to the overall strength of the industry by adding to the diversity in the kinds of games available. I also like that he clearly outlines Sony's own strengths, and mentions that Sony plans on doubling down on them, which shows me he knows the reasons behind Sony's success in the market too.

Real Hero · Sep 3, 2018

cross play then?

abrasivemurk · Sep 3, 2018

More competition=Better games

I Wanna Be The Guy · Sep 3, 2018

Real Hero said:
cross play then?

Well that didn't take long.

Cess007 · Sep 3, 2018

Yeah, lately Sony has always been clear that they see Nintendo success as a good thing for the industry; and I think we all can agree that they are right

Nolbertos · Sep 3, 2018

Surprised Sony would give Nintendo positive kudos, given there history. So how about that crossplay Sony

cw_sasuke · Sep 3, 2018

What else is he gonna say ?

Deleted member 249 · Sep 3, 2018

Cess007 said:
Yeah, lately Sony has always been clear that they see Nintendo success as a good thing for the industry

Given that Nintendo is basically single handedly propping up the Japanese market at the moment, and that Sony immensely benefits from the Japanese market being healthy, it does make sense that Sony sees Nintendo as beneficial for the industry and their own success now.

Dark Cloud · Sep 3, 2018

Kratos for Smash confirmed?

Derrick01 · Sep 3, 2018

Cess007 said:
Yeah, lately Sony has always been clear that they see Nintendo success as a good thing for the industry; and I think we all can agree that they are right

That's because they don't view them as a competitor. Not a direct one like MS at least.

Jonneh · Sep 3, 2018

Competition is always good, especially when the systems allow for completely different games

Okabe · Sep 3, 2018

Yes yes competition is good. Which means its time for Playstation all stars battle royale 2 : Electric Boogaloo

Meelow · Sep 3, 2018

Nolbertos said:
Surprised Sony would give Nintendo positive kudos, given there history. So how about that crossplay Sony

Yoshida has always been a Nintendo fan, he admits to having 2 Wii U's.

Meelow · Sep 3, 2018

Derrick01 said:
That's because they don't view them as a competitor. Not a direct one like MS at least.

Yeah they do haha.

Imitatio · Sep 3, 2018

Well, it's at least some positivity. And he's right, it should be the industry's premise to make gamers happy with their games. The success will come naturally.

Now go tell that to the ones that try to get your last penny by all necessary means.

Cess007 · Sep 3, 2018

Phantom Thief said:
Given that Nintendo is basically single handedly propping up the Japanese market at the moment, and that Sony immensely benefits from the Japanese market being healthy, it does make sense that Sony sees Nintendo as beneficial for the industry and their own success now.

Derrick01 said:
That's because they don't view them as a competitor. Not a direct one like MS at least.

Sony has said that they see Nintendo as a company that attracts new gamers, gamers that later Sony can also target.

ASaiyan · Sep 3, 2018

Nintendo consoles haven't directly competed with PlayStation since the GameCube (well, home consoles anyway, lol). When Layden said Switch and PS4 were "complementary products" he wasn't kidding. And that's not a bad thing.

TheMisterManGuy · Sep 3, 2018

Nolbertos said:
Surprised Sony would give Nintendo positive kudos, given there history. So how about that crossplay Sony

You're thinking of Jack Trenton who, when he was head of SCEA, would often spout an endless stream of PR nonsense downplaying Nintendo and making PSP or PS3 seem cooler than they actually are. At least Reggie acknowledges the others achievements. Nothing against Jack personally, But I'm glad he's no longer with Sony.

Ramako · Sep 3, 2018

Nintendo does a great job of getting children and families into gaming. Whether those kids grow up and continue to play Nintendo or switch to Sony or Microsoft, Nintendo is one of the best at getting young kids into video games. That does indeed benefit the entire industry.

Derrick01 · Sep 3, 2018

Meelow said:
Yeah they do haha.

No they don't, and neither does MS. Nintendo doesn't get the vast majority of games that sony and MS fight over for marketshare every year and therefore the audiences are completely different. It's not much different now than it was in the wii days in that regard. Nintendo's successful and the rest of the industry is continuing to move in their own direction largely without them.

Imitatio · Sep 3, 2018

ASaiyan said:
Nintendo consoles haven't directly competed with PlayStation since the GameCube (well, home consoles anyway, lol). When Layden said Switch and PS4 were "complementary products" he wasn't kidding. And that's not a bad thing.

They can be complementary, but if someone's only buying into one console, they may as well be competing products.
I don't think declaring one or the other is as easy as that. The prior might just be more true for the enthusiasts and core gamers.

Suzushiiro · Sep 3, 2018

I think it's been said many times before that Sony and MS view a strong Nintendo as good for them, since they're the brand that has always had more sway with the kids/family audience and kids starting out as Nintendo gamers are much more likely to grow up into Playstation/XBox gamers than kids who start out as phone/tablet gamers.

Deleted member 3897 · Sep 3, 2018

Real Hero said:
cross play then?

Gnorman · Sep 3, 2018

It's easy to be humble when it's not affecting your business in the slightest.

Weltall Zero · Sep 3, 2018

cw_sasuke said:
What else is he gonna say ?

There are a myriad ways he could have used PR speak to subtly downplay or dismiss Nintendo or compare Sony favorably to them; many executives would have done precisely that. Japanese companies like Sony and Nintendo and their executives tend to show a lot of respect for each other, though.

Pancakes R Us · Sep 3, 2018

Maybe I'm just being a cynic, but it's not like he could've said anything negative when faced with a question like this. The Switch and the two games mentioned are massive successes from last year and continue to be a success.

demondance · Sep 3, 2018

Nintendo gets people excited about games in waves. And a good chunk of those people likely also get the wandering eye and develop interest in the stuff people are playing elsewhere.

Singular dominance of an entire medium just isn't a good thing.

You can see how this often plays out in more niche spaces, like when D&D had little viable popular competition in the RPG space. Your product becomes more expensive and experienced by fewer and fewer people. Now D&D itself is bigger than ever, in a context where it also has more viable competitors than ever. That feedback loop is desperately needed.

Renna Hazel · Sep 3, 2018

Derrick01 said:
No they don't, and neither does MS. Nintendo doesn't get the vast majority of games that sony and MS fight over for marketshare every year and therefore the audiences are completely different. It's not much different now than it was in the wii days in that regard. Nintendo's successful and the rest of the industry is continuing to move in their own direction largely without them.

I think Sony has always treated Nintendo as a direct competitor and will continue to do so. MS seems to approach them in the way you state. I think Sony's approach is smarter, as they are competing for the same market.

milkyway · Sep 3, 2018

The Nintendo Switch has made me interested in games again, and as a result I am vaguely considering a PS4. Engaging people with video games overall is probably a positive effect on everyone and Nintendo is not as direct a competitor as Xbox.

cw_sasuke · Sep 3, 2018

Weltall Zero said:
There are a myriad ways he could have used PR speak to subtly downplay or dismiss Nintendo or compare Sony favorably to them; many executives would have done precisely that. Japanese companies like Sony and Nintendo and their executives tend to show a lot of respect for each other, though.

In this day and age ? Nah, not really every ....every bit of shade would have resulted in a big story and as you said thats not how japanese spokepersons are adressing the situation.

Also Switch will likely run the market for the next couple years in Japan, with a bunch of 3rdPartys (Sony Partners) publishing software on it and PS4....they really arent in a spot where they could shit on the system in any kind without it backfiring.

Dekuman · Sep 3, 2018

Didn't the NPD's Matt or someone mention Switch demographics are older and are actually multiplat owners in the NDP thread? If that's the case, they are very much in competition.

I can't find the original post though.

Deleted member 249 · Sep 3, 2018

Dekuman said:
Didn't the NPD's Matt or someone mention Switch demographics are older and are actually multiplat owners in the NDP thread? If that's the case, they are very much in competition.

I can't find the original post though.

He did, yes. I believe it was in the July NPD prediction thread (either that, or in the June NPD thread).

ResetEraIsTheBestEra · Sep 3, 2018

they have been saying that since the PS4 success, rising tides lift all boats so another rising tide in the industry of course is good for everyone in it. it isn't a zero sum game like some still think it is

R dott B · Sep 3, 2018

It's a refreshing console and probably my favorite this gen.

Derrick01 · Sep 3, 2018

Dekuman said:
Didn't the NPD's Matt or someone mention Switch demographics are older and are actually multiplat owners in the NDP thread? If that's the case, they are very much in competition.

I can't find the original post though.

You can't be in competition when you're not getting 90% of the games the others are. Sony didn't have to pay for red dead marketing to tell people to buy it on ps4 instead of switch, they did it to go against MS. Same with battlefield, COD, anthem next year and so on.

Deleted member 2145 · Sep 3, 2018

considering how many Switch owners have a PS4 as a complimentary system this makes sense. they're competitors, sure, but they aren't competing like they once were

Sammy Samusu · Sep 3, 2018

realistic, high-definition games

It's good that they know their strenghts.

ShadowFox08 · Sep 3, 2018

They have a niche as a hybrid console in the market. The handheld aspect especially is flying off in Japan.

I think Sony has something planned of their own. Like a sequel to Vita or a hybrid of their own...

Pariah · Sep 3, 2018

Arrogant Sony, someone has to stop them.

Deleted member 249 · Sep 3, 2018

Dekuman said:
Didn't the NPD's Matt or someone mention Switch demographics are older and are actually multiplat owners in the NDP thread? If that's the case, they are very much in competition.

I can't find the original post though.

Okay, I found the posts:

MatPiscatella said:
According to NPD's Games Acquisition Monitor, at the end of Q1 ballpark of 70% of people in the U.S. that owned a Switch also owned a PS4 and/or an Xbox One. Cross ownership across all 3 consoles is pretty high compared to prior gens. Each system is differentiated enough that a big chunk of people that are into console gaming own multiple systems.

Now arguing primary vs secondary doesnt make any sense. Each box does its own thing and each does it well.

MatPiscatella said:
True story. All this goofiness in the thread when ballpark 70% of Switch owners own a PS4, Xbox One or both.

It's important to remember that Mat did note that the Switch isn't necessarily in direct competition with the Xbox One and PS4, because it addresses very different use cases as well:

MatPiscatella said:
Why does it need to be an alternative? The Switch addresses use cases the PS4/Xone can't. It allows on the go gaming of whatever, and in the living room play of the Nintendo 1st party lineup. It's a supplemental console for many, and a primary one for people that aren't interested in the game offerings on PS4/Xone.

This hardware market isn't zero sum or either/or. Many people own multiple consoles/PC right now, Switch isn't fighting the same living room battle N64/Cube/Wii/Wii U did.

—

ShadowFox08 said:
They have a niche as a hybrid console in the market. The handheld aspect especially is flying off in Japan.

I think Sony has something planned of their own. Like a sequel to Vita or a hybrid of their own...

"Niche"? Successful in Japan? Switch is one of the fastest selling consoles of all time across the world. It's neither mostly localized to Japan, nor a "niche".

Renna Hazel · Sep 3, 2018

Derrick01 said:
You can't be in competition when you're not getting 90% of the games the others are. Sony didn't have to pay for red dead marketing to tell people to buy it on ps4 instead of switch, they did it to go against MS. Same with battlefield, COD, anthem next year and so on.

You're competing for consumer dollars. Aside from this gen and last gen, the consoles usually had vastly different libraries and they were certainly competing. Unique libraries is one of the things companies would tout as a reason to purchase their console. Consumers still have a finite amount of time and money and with many people owning multiple consoles, they're competing for where you play and spend.

Dekuman · Sep 3, 2018

Derrick01 said:
You can't be in competition when you're not getting 90% of the games the others are. Sony didn't have to pay for red dead marketing to tell people to buy it on ps4 instead of switch, they did it to go against MS. Same with battlefield, COD, anthem next year and so on.

Gamers have fixed $$$ to spend. When they are spending on Nintendo stuff, they are giving up spending elsehwere.
Even BioWare blamed Zelda (as well as other games) for ruining ME:A's launch.

Any how do you calculate the 90% stat?

Deleted member 437 · Sep 3, 2018

I think where Sony is is losing ground is in the smaller, indie titles.

The PS4 really isn't great for those types of games.

Partly Sony's fault as well, giving them less screen time at their conferences while Nintendo goes out of their way to highlight them.

I always thought a standard portable that lives off of third party indie games and cross buy Sony first party smaller games could work well.

Price it at $199, and don't expect Doom/Last of us, gow or anything on it.

But your profile, friends list, trophies, ecosystem, and CROSS BUY could work really well

Niceguydan8 · Sep 3, 2018

Derrick01 said:
You can't be in competition when you're not getting 90% of the games the others are. Sony didn't have to pay for red dead marketing to tell people to buy it on ps4 instead of switch, they did it to go against MS. Same with battlefield, COD, anthem next year and so on.

As long as there are people out there that are spending money on Nintendo products instead of spending money on Sony products and vice versa, they are competing with each other.

Your arbitrary requirements for competition dont change that.

I Wanna Be The Guy · Sep 3, 2018

ShadowFox08 said:
They have a niche as a hybrid console in the market. The handheld aspect especially is flying off in Japan.

I think Sony has something planned of their own. Like a sequel to Vita or a hybrid of their own...

I hope so. I'll cry tears of joy when Sony return with a handheld. My love for Vita knows no bounds.

Aleh · Sep 3, 2018

Derrick01 said:
You can't be in competition when you're not getting 90% of the games the others are. Sony didn't have to pay for red dead marketing to tell people to buy it on ps4 instead of switch, they did it to go against MS. Same with battlefield, COD, anthem next year and so on.

I mean, if everyone in the planet had unlimited funds you'd have a point, but in reality people have to make choices. You can go out one day with the intention of buying a new game to play, and decide to buy RDR2 on Xbox and not end up giving money to Sony, just as you can choose to buy Zelda and the outcome is the same. It's less common with enthusiasts as they buy more games than your average person, but it's also true that the majority of console sales come from the masses.

Derrick01 · Sep 3, 2018

Renna Hazel said:
You're competing for consumer dollars. Aside from this gen and last gen, the consoles usually had vastly different libraries and they were certainly competing. Unique libraries is one of the things companies would tout as a reason to purchase their console. Consumers still have a finite amount of time and money and with many people owning multiple consoles, they're competing for where you play and spend.

Dekuman said:
Gamers have fixed $$$ to spend. When they are spending on Nintendo stuff, they are giving up spending elsehwere.
Even BioWare blamed Zelda (as well as other games) for ruining ME:A's launch.

Any how do you calculate the 90% stat?

Niceguydan8 said:
As long as there are people out there that are spending money on Nintendo products instead of spending money on Sony products and vice versa, they are competing with each other.

Your arbitrary requirements for competition dont change that.

You can say this but nintendo is not affecting the sales of any 3rd party games out there. If you want RDR 2 you buy it on playstation or xbox, end of story. Same with all of these other big games, they're going to sell tens of millions of copies in total and that's with smash bros and pokemon releasing around the same time. They're not affecting anything just like always. They have their own market and everyone else participates in the other side of the market.

Andri · Sep 3, 2018

Meelow said:
Yoshida has always been a Nintendo fan, he admits to having 2 Wii U's.

Why would anybody do that ?

Deleted member 437 · Sep 3, 2018

I Wanna Be The Guy said:
I hope so. I'll cry tears of joy when Sony return with a handheld. My love for Vita knows no bounds.

I would love a handheld successor that was made with some common sense.

But knowing Sony, they'll do something stupid as usual like not include a second thumbstick for some fucking reason or some other stupid ass gimmick nobody cares about.

Renna Hazel · Sep 3, 2018

Derrick01 said:
You can say this but nintendo is not affecting the sales of any 3rd party games out there. If you want RDR 2 you buy it on playstation or xbox, end of story. Same with all of these other big games, they're going to sell tens of millions of copies in total and that's with smash bros and pokemon releasing around the same time. They're not affecting anything just like always. They have their own market and everyone else participates in the other side of the market.

I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree. I know I buy way less PS4 games due to playing on Switch instead. I'm sure I'm not the only person that has a limit to the amount of time (or money for some) to spend on games.

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