Sony Takes Bow For Technology Emmy It Didn't Win

from the hallucinated-awards dept

Wed, Jan 10th 2007 2:30pm — Karl Bode

Earlier this week Sony proudly announced that the company had won a Technology and Engineering Emmy Award for their motion sensitive SIXAXIS PS3 wireless game controller. Gamers were dumbfounded, since it's the Nintendo Wii controller that first made strides in innovative motion sensitivity, and it's debated that the SIXAXIS's less sexy motion sensitivity was included as a late development cycle rush job in response (at the cost of force-feedback). Someone decided to ask the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences what the hell was going on, and apparently Sony won no such honor. The award Sony received was actually for their dual shock analog controller, released years ago. Sony took most of today to address the award hallucination as people debated whether the company was just confused, or was intentionally misleading the public in order to re-inflate what has been a difficult launch cycle for their PS3 game system. Ultimately the company issued a brief statement that blamed the mixup on "miscommunication between the two organizations."

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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jan 2007 @ 2:51pm

Poor Sony
hahaha.... poor Sony, they just can't get a break. They just need to take a couple years off, not make anything, not do anything. Then when they come back, maybe we'll give them a chance.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jan 2007 @ 3:07pm

Re: Poor Sony
I just dissuaded someone from buying a vaio. "We're not buying sony products right now" I said, and proceded to explain what terrible stewards of the market and consumer theyve been.
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misanthropic humanist, 10 Jan 2007 @ 3:15pm

SOrrY
They disgrace themselves at every juncture.

Give me the job of Dave Karraker (interviewed in this rather wet and limp Gamasutra feature here http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20061106/sheffield_01.shtml )
and here's what I would do to rescue the company.

i) Apologise, profusely and unambiguously for spreading the rootkit. Offer real compensation for all those affected where they can prove loss. Recall every CD still in circulation by offering its retail value in exchange. I'd launch a massive PR offensive called "Sorry" (in the trademarked SOny colours and font)

ii) Pull all Sony music interests out of the RIAA/MPAA/BPI associations and remove DRM from all future products.

iii) Offer real compensation for all those affected by the "exploding battery" farce wherever they can prove loss or damage.

iv) Announce a moratorium on enforcements of all patents that do not substantially threaten the companys bottom line.

Yeah, and monkeys will fly out my ass.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jan 2007 @ 3:37pm

Re: SOrrY
Ironically, I could actually feel myself starting to like they guys if they did half of the good moves they have available to them, since theyve destroyed so much already.

Could be a winning strategy... make everyone hate you (bad press). Then let them simmer down... then make everyone love you since theyve forgotten how much they hate you (good press).

In the end youve gotten a ton of press and freshly positive response.

It takes less brains to screw up and fix it than it does to continue incrementally earning customer goodwill.
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Bori, 10 Jan 2007 @ 4:02pm

Well
I agree, big mistake on Sony's part to especially take any more time than a short transitory statement to announce this award.

I must disagree with the OP, however.

What do you define as "difficult launch cycle"?

The sold more units during the launch window than any other previously released console, including the market-controlling PS1 and PS2; and they did so at almost double the price.

Sure, it was difficult to do that; however, they are FAR from suffering. Especially with the recent (if you're going to disprove my statement, I suggest you try finding an article that includes Dec. sales statistics that agrees with your point of view) Blu-ray overtaking of HD-DVD in the format war.

At the very least they've gone as far as saying that the statement was a mistake, which, honestly as a very long-time owner of the Playstation franchise, I did not expect them to do this.

I also agree with misanthropics views on them "compensating" people in the BMG and exploding battery lawsuits incorrectly.

I have always considered Sony as top-of-the-line (or close to it) in home entertainment hardware but after the Sony-BMG rootkit fiasco, guess who's not buying anymore CDs from them? Moi. But I, unlike a lot of anonymous cowards, do realize that SCE is separate from Sony-BMG, and a SCE (aka Playstation Family) product has yet to disappoint me.

What Sony really needs right now is march to come quicker than ever; since it will feature a few new first-party games many are looking forward to, euro launch, and major PSN upates; and then once november kicks in (metal gear possible, Killzone, and a few other first-party titles in between) there will (read: should. Who knows, right?) not be much reason to keep on with the negative PR on at least the gaming branch of Sony.

I have yet to buy a Next-Gen system, and I have time to wait to see how things will really work out; but I really hope Sony can get their shit straight, and soon.
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Bori, 10 Jan 2007 @ 4:07pm

Furthermore
Remember people, competition is a great thing in the technology world. Do you want a market dominated solely by a microsoft product? Nintendo, back in the day, was just as arrogant as Sony or Microsoft are considered today, and they essentially had to sit out a whole generation after failing the last.

Be glad all three companies are here, each brings a different product with different capabilities to the table.
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PhysicsGuy, 10 Jan 2007 @ 4:17pm

personally...
aside from the rootkits and exploding batteries, i've always enjoyed sony products. my tv is great.

The sold more units during the launch window than any other previously released console, including the market-controlling PS1 and PS2; and they did so at almost double the price.

what? are you daft? maybe they sold more % of available stock (which i'd still argue)... but the wii outsold the ps3 by far...
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Bori, 10 Jan 2007 @ 4:23pm

Re: personally...
Re-read what I said. "Previously released". PS3 came out before Wii.
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Shalkar, 10 Jan 2007 @ 4:39pm

My Opinion is:
"But don't we know that they are lions led by donkeys." -- Max Hoffman

Firstly, Sony is an administration mess. Each part doesn't seem to fully understand what the other part is doing, that is to say that while each part of the Sony corporation has a head, those heads apparently don't know how to talk to each other.

Secondly, as much as I'd love to see Blu-Ray win, I just don't see it happening with price being such a huge factor. HD-DVD is cheaper. It's name isn't as "blingy" as Bly-Ray's, but when it's so much lower in price who cares?

Thirdly, I whole heartedly agree with misanthropic humanist as what he is saying makes sense. For a company to survive, they must make a quality product the target consumer wants and make sure they treat those target consumers like king. Or at least make them think they're being treated like a king! ;)

Fourthly, I don't have the exact numbers, but I think it's pretty obvious that the Wii sold the most consoles in their launch window which was followed by the Xbox 360 and then the Playstation 3. Frankly, I'm an Xbox 360 man myself. The Wii is fun and all, but even though I quite honestly think they'll do the best this generation, It's just not my thing really. The Playstation 3 definitely has potential for some really awesome games! Too bad that the few who own it will be the only ones to really know...
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Shalkar, 10 Jan 2007 @ 4:41pm

P.S.
In my opinion, anybody who would take a Sony T.V. over a Samsung is down right retarded. That's my opinion simply because no matter what size screen you buy from Samsung, it's got all of their technology in it with the one thing differing is whether one version of the same size has that stupid, (and worthless), DCR slot! lol :D
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jan 2007 @ 4:41pm

dumb
nice disclaimer... theres no point in even saying that comment if you dont count the system that beat it. Sony and its marketing department have really swayed me away from any sony purchases in the immediate future.
SCE is different but as a gamer they have yet to impress me , and the sixaxis controller really is a tacked on gimmick for them, but I have to hand it to some developers who have made a half-decent effort at using it (see Fight Night - b/t rounds) but most of the time its just unnecessary. Glad they didnt win that award because its obvious they didnt deserve it.
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PhysicsGuy, 10 Jan 2007 @ 4:43pm

Re: Re: personally...
wow, so it held that title for a whole month?!?! AMAZING... what a pointless comment on your behalf.
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PhysicsGuy, 10 Jan 2007 @ 4:47pm

Re: P.S.
anyone who has that to say about televisions watches too much television... tv is old and outdated... i mentioned my sony tv because it's a good product... also, samsung isn't god of televisions... i never knew there were tv fanboys, but oh well...
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d4nowar, 10 Jan 2007 @ 5:04pm

Bahaha.
Press release on their site is down now.
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Bori, 10 Jan 2007 @ 5:37pm

Re: Re: Re: personally...
It sold more in two months of launch than PS1, PS2, Xbox, 360, GameCube, and I'm sure older consoles.

Good enough for you? Just because they're not first doesn't mean they are last. Both the PS2 and the PSP are outselling the 360, and the DS is outselling everything; but does that mean everything else is unsuccessful?

I still enjoy my dvd players and burner. I have yet to get an HDTV to even start to enjoy an HD format. But with over 25 companies having released BD content, more movies (more importantly: more GOOD movies) being released on the format, and with around 85% of PS3 owners saying they will use the console as a primary player based on a survey sampling 10,000 people, identical cost between formats, and BDs simply being more advanced; there is no way HD-DVD (if anything) will be replacing the DVD.

Oh, also to the OP:
Sony met their sales target of 1mil and is rumored to have shipped out up to 200thousand additional units.

I'm all against many of the things they've done but from a pure console gaming point-of-view and (finally) a format-intro point of view, they've at least got something right.
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Mr Schotz, 10 Jan 2007 @ 6:12pm

is this device loaded with DRM ? If so I'll buy it...I love DRM
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Enrico Suarve, 11 Jan 2007 @ 2:07am

Re:
Mr Schotz put down the crayons and step away from the nursing station! ;0)
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Wizard Prang, 11 Jan 2007 @ 7:28am

Here's my two cents
v) Play nice - use industry standards and abandon the Sony-only ones.

vi) Return to engineering reliable, high-quality products.

Ditto for the monkeys.
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Dave, 11 Jan 2007 @ 8:18am

Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD
The discussion over which format will win is useless. Remember the Zip vs. LS-120 floppy drive discussions? iOmega was all the rage. Then the Re-Writeable CD came along.

The same will happen to DVDs. Why go to the store and rent/buy a DVD when you can download the content at home?

DVD media will be largely displaced by internet-based technologies. Then, you'll be stuck with a $1000 LaserDisc - er (sorry, wrong decade)... Blu-Ray disc player
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techguy83, 11 Jan 2007 @ 8:34am

Re: Re: Re: Re: personally...
quote: "Oh, also to the OP:
Sony met their sales target of 1mil and is rumored to have shipped out up to 200thousand additional units.

I'm all against many of the things they've done but from a pure console gaming point-of-view and (finally) a format-intro point of view, they've at least got something right."

Umm, got any sources? Because that is Sony's shipped quote, not total sold, because there are too many PS3s sitting on Gamestop/Eb Games/Rhinos Games/Wal-Mart/Frys/Traget/Best Buy/etc.. shelves for that many to have been sold before the end of the year, unless you have sources that prove me wrong, I'm going to assume your just quoting misinformation there.
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MadJo (profile), 12 Jan 2007 @ 4:36am

And they even have to share it
What's more, Sony has to share this award with Nintendo. Nintendo won it too this year, for the D-pad.

btw, it shocks me that so little news-sites decided to check this before posting that pressrelease.
It's right here on the official site for the Emmy's:
http://www.emmyonline.org/emmy/advmedia_winners_release.html
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Jan 2007 @ 10:33pm

My sony-made monkeys have always been rather shoddy
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Kod, 17 Jan 2007 @ 11:40pm

RE: Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD
Lazerdisc, wrong decade... Perhaps you meant BetaMax?

(my dad was a huge supporter of BetaMax, he still gets pissy when i mention it :P)
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Who Cares, 18 Jan 2007 @ 10:38am

Companyism
Kind of like racism but against a company. Some of the stuff they make and push out is garbage, but Sony still makes some of the best electronics around.

Their high end televisions are amazing. The PS3 is a great system, give it time.

Blu-ray is visually stunning, it really is.

Anyways, suck my balls.
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