PlayStation 4 Camera In Short Supply Thanks To Twitch


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PlayStation 4 Camera In Short Supply Thanks To Twitch
by Matt Helgeson on March 20, 2014 at 08:02 PM

ps4cam610.jpg

 

Sony hasn't manufactured enough PlayStation Cameras to satisfy consumer demand and says it's due to the popularity of the PS4's Twitch livestreaming features.

 

So far, Sony says that the attach rate of the PS Camera is around 15 percent, translating to approximately 900,000 units sold. That's impressive for an aftermarket peripheral. As a result, many game retailers are completely out of stock of the unit.

 

SCEA president of worldwide studios Shuhei Yoshida revealed to Polygon that the shortage was due to the company's underestimating how popular Twitch gameplay broadcasting would be on the console.

 

"It was a total miscalculation by our marketing guys," Yoshida said. "They came up with the initial demand in that conventional way and it was very, very low. Using the camera to broadcast yourself is much, much more fun they they thought and they didn't quite get it."

 

Yoshida went on to say that the company has ramped up PS Camera production and that new stock should be hitting store shelves soon.

 

Source: Joystiq, Polygon

 

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/03/20/playstation-4-camera-in-short-supply-thanks-to-twitch.aspx

 

 

 

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PS4 eye sales are pretty darn good for a peripheral that Sony has done little to push and offering very little content for. 

 

It does show that there is demand for a console based camera that has nothing to do with gaming directly.  Indirectly its related to gaming since people are using it for Twitch, but its an interesting piece of news anyway. These consoles have certainly expanded their reach beyond just the core of gaming.

 

I just hope that demand stays high enough to encourage Sony to invest in improvements on the software side for the camera.  Things like voice commands could be expanded.

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I bought a launch PS4 and love it.  Since I had it on day one I figured what the heck and asked for the camera for Christmas.  I would have never bought it on my own but since I got it for free as a Chistmas present what the heck.  I spent maybe 15 minutes playing in playroom with it when I first got it, another 15 minutes when the ninja update came out, and that's pretty much it. Other than that the only thing it does it face recognition sign-on which it manages to do faster then I can log in using the controller about half the time.  Even having using it for months I wouldn't recommend it to anyone and I still wouldn't have bought one if I hadn't gotten it for free.  I have no idea why it is selling so well.  I expect it will become useful at some point in the future but I really don't see it providing much value to the console RIGHT NOW.  Clearly I'm out of touch with the twitch people.

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They should offer the camera in a bundle for $10 less than they would normally be combined. Once the demand dies down of course.

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Clearly I'm out of touch with the twitch people.

 

 

Clearly :p

 

Honestly, I understand where your coming from as far as using this stuff for social things like Twitch.  I just don't have any interest doing it myself.  Same goes for about any video chat programs like Skype.  But as you said, there is obviously a pretty big group that is into it.

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This is what Microsoft should have done with Kinect - release it as an accessory and then develop compelling software to justify its existence. With an attach rate of just 15% that means that 85% of PS4 users haven't bought it, for whatever reason - if the same were true on the XB1 for the Kinect then Microsoft is forcing the majority of customers to purchase something they wouldn't have otherwise bought.

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I never had the urge to watch someone else play a game nor care to see their mug while doing it. I'd rather just play it myself. Odd bunch if you ask me.

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This is what Microsoft should have done with Kinect - release it as an accessory and then develop compelling software to justify its existence. With an attach rate of just 15% that means that 85% of PS4 users haven't bought it, for whatever reason - if the same were true on the XB1 for the Kinect then Microsoft is forcing the majority of customers to purchase something they wouldn't have otherwise bought.

 

 

MS gets screwed either way.

 

MS has invested more in Kinect than Sony has in the ps4 eye.  I think they just didn't want to take the chance that this expensive peripheral is bought a low enough rate that getting developers to use it more is tough and that even their in house software/features that they built into the X1 would go to waste. 

 

Unfortunately, MS is unable to justify it to most people online.  They expect Kinect-only games that prove Kinect is awesome, while that does not match up with the expectations MS tried to lay out running up to launch. 

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