Sony's "launch" of its PlayStation 4 turned out to have a lot less than meets the eye. The event itself, held in New York, was expected to include the rollout at least of a box, and a price, and a date when you'd be able to get your hands on one.
Well, that might be what you expect, but you're not a colossal multinational which has been struggling to grow and whose console has been battling it out for second place in the current market, are you? Because if you were, you'd know that what you need is to keep the press and analysts hanging on for as long as humanly possible. Not forgetting the people watching the livestream...
First to crack was Chris Hall of Pocket-Lint:
Stop waffling
— Chris Hall (@christhall) February 21, 2013
For Gartner, consumer analyst Michael Gartenberg wasn't impressed:
Am I jaded or is this boring? No. It's boring.
— Michael Gartenberg (@Gartenberg) February 21, 2013
Brian X Chen, the New York Times's technology reporter, had deja vu:
This reminds me of the commercials played before the trailers before the movie #whereistheps4
— Brian X. Chen (@bxchen) February 21, 2013
Even underway, with Sony pointing out how incredibly detailed the screen was, there was a certain amount of lack of interest. Such as from the unrepeatable Charlie Brooker:
When am I going to look at the fibres in the chair I'm sitting on in my made up car in a computer game? Bloody hell. #PS4
— Charlie Brooker (@charltonbrooker) February 21, 2013
The recreation of a face in colossal detail left the press unimpressed:
Unfortunately, they used all the polygons for the whole console on one head, so the game is just staring at him
— Jonathan Cresswell (@JonathanEx) February 21, 2013
and the conclusion by Chris Applegate:
My entire feed is snark at the PS4 launch. This is what Twitter was made for
— Chris Applegate (@qwghlm) February 21, 2013
Stamina was needed too:
At PS4 launch, which is running so long that we might get PS5 tease by the end.
— Steven Levy (@StevenLevy) February 21, 2013
And this caustic observation from Henry Blodget (who wasn't there):
If Sony is seriously still talking [about PS4], they have nothing to say.
— Henry Blodget (@hblodget) February 21, 2013
More generally, what did we learn about gender stuff from the Times's tech writer?
Not a single woman has presented anything at #PS4 launch. Games industry still a boys club I guess. Disappointing.
— muradahmed (@muradahmed) February 21, 2013
Two hours it went on. Two hours!
THE PLAYSTATION 4 SAGA ENTERS ITS 903RD DAY.
— Peter Bright (@DrPizza) February 21, 2013
And by the end there wasn't a price and there wasn't the console itself (not even an empty box into which the guts of its might be poured).
Let's leave it to Gartenberg to sum up the feelings of those who attended:
A cynic would say Sony had a chance to impress tonight and failed. So would a realist.
— Michael Gartenberg (@Gartenberg) February 21, 2013
Which doesn't seem to leave a very large group. Chris Ziegler remarked:
I mean, if you're okay with not being shown a PS4 at a PS4 announce event and not learning about PS4 specs, I don't know what to tell you.
— Chris Ziegler (@zpower) February 21, 2013
Although for fans of Brooker and his TV output, there's this little hint (though it might not be that positive for Sony…):
Have to go work on Weekly Wipe now. Some of the PS4 launch might end up in next week's show.
— Charlie Brooker (@charltonbrooker) February 21, 2013
Wouldn't want to be in Sony's shoes for that.
