What is Sony thinking with Qore?
When Sony announced the first original video series for the Playstation 3, the first reaction from a lot of people was “what the….” Why would anyone pay a few dollars per episode for what is essentially a video that markets Playstation 3 content? Yes, it takes you behind the scenes. But is that worth money? However, there may be a method to their madness.
From what you can read on the blog, paying for each episode also gets you extra content that can range from beta access to demos to levels to other related game content. Sony’s experience may once again be selling more than a single product (video) at a premium price, but a package of content at a reasonable price. There are a lot of people out there that would find a few dollars well worth it for the right game demo, beta access, level or other packaged content that comes with Qore.
Nevertheless, I remain skeptical, but mostly because the PR message around Qore has centered on paying several dollars an episode for what sounds like a game show. Image if G4TV became a subscriber based service. As with the Playstation 3, Sony may actually be selling a package deal that is worth far more than the price. But once again, the message that got communicated was an overpriced product that can be had for less elsewhere (there’s plenty of inside insight on the Playstation 3 out there).
As an owner, I say once again – Sony, you may have a great product, but please get the marketing and PR to focus on the great value and not just the shiny object (in this case, downloadable video).
