http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2013/11/nine-things-you-should-know-about-the-playstation-4.html

In 2006, Sony released the PS3: a console that dramatically changed the way that the world gamed. It is now, 7 years later, that Sony has unveiled the PS4: a system that will radically change the way we game, again. With drastically improved graphics and an array of new capabilities, the PS4 is a truly innovative leap forward for Sony.

The “nine things you should know” included in this blog post seem to negatively portray the PS4 (I would guess that the blogger is probably an Microsoft supporter, just saying). This blogger criticizes the lack of backwards compatibility on the PS4, but what they fail to recognize, is the hardware handicaps that backwards compatibility creates. Incorporating the obsolete hardware that is used to read PS3 games is a costly and tedious task for Sony. In scrapping that old technology, Sony is able to include only the newest and most up-to-date technology in their new system, allowing them more freedom in the future.

This article also criticizes the price of the PS4, which I think is unwarranted. The PS3 costed $600 when it was originally released, the PS4 starts at $400… This price is a bargain! The blogger continues to say that it is still cheaper than the X-Box One, but it’s still too much. Having bought a PS3 when it was released at the lofty $600 price, perhaps I am biased for thinking that the $400 price tag is acceptable, but considering the vast improvements in the technology, I think the price is definitely justified.

Overall, I think the PS4 is a great new addition to the gaming console industry, and I can’t wait to get my hands one!

Tide Pods: Conquering Marketing & Ethics

As a user of tide pods, I enjoyed reading Olivia Joe’s post on the innovative little packs of detergent. Tide Pods took a product in the maturity phase of the product life cycle, laundry detergent, and marketed it as a new and innovative product successfully. While competitors were quick to mimic Tide’s new idea, Tide will always retain the first mover advantage, and the majority of the share in this sub-market in the laundry detergent industry.

As a university student living on my own, I am always looking for easier and more convenient ways of carrying out my weekly chores. These new little packs save me from lugging a big bottle of detergent, along with all of my dirty laundry, to the basement of my building where the laundry room is located. If I could offer one suggestion to Tide, I would say that marketing to students, and other people who do not have a laundry facility of there own would be a beneficial move. Vending tide pods in laundry facilities is another potential revenue-generating idea that could be beneficial to create new value for this very mature product.