PlayStation 3 Year One

Sony Computer Entertainment American (SCEA) CEO Jack Tretton talks about PlayStation 3 year one:

"I don't think there's any question that there were missteps…”

“The biggest miss for us was the launch…”

It’s already been a year since the launch of PlayStation 3, and Jack Tretton was invited to discuss the occasion with MSNBC. You’ve got to give him credit for acknowledging the missteps, even if it is a bit of an understatement.

Thanks to GamePro for the inspiring picture. The site posted details of an interview with Jack back in March, see how they differ. I think back in March Sony was still hopeful PS3 would bounce into competitive sales glory at any time.

Tretton says that at launch there were one million North Americans ready to take home a PS3, but they only had some 200,000 units available. Remember the blue laser diode shortage? It robbed Sony of a successful launch in North America and forced a delay on the European launch.

Microsoft may trumpet an early victory over PS3 today, citing that Xbox 360 outsold PS3 at a rate of 2:1 in the US during the week of Thanksgiving. But Tretton maintains he’s coaching a playoff team - they’re in it for the long haul.

Tretton says he expects PS3 to enjoy a life cycle of 10 years. It might not be so difficult to believe if you consider the rate at which PS2 is still selling internationally.

Perhaps we should liken PS3 to a slow-maneuvering behemoth of technology, with staying power to outlast Wii and Xbox 360. It has everything built right in, from Bluetooth to Blu-ray and even wifi, at no additional cost.

Things might be looking up for Sony and PS3 already. Reuters reported that PS3 outsold Wii for the very first time in Japan during the month of November.

During his interview with MSNBC, Tretton took a couple of shots at Microsoft for lack of free online play and other built-in features. He says the competition talks the talk of consumer choice but charges extra for every piece you need for the full gaming experience.

He could be right – is it possible Microsoft will be pimping Xbox 720, while Sony remains confident it’ll stay in the console game with PS3?