I wonder if the trend of showing family involvement(?) while a member is playing a video game existed before the Wii ads? I guess that will be the new trend in game advertisement? average looking people in everyday situations talking about video games...

I still like the new American ads better, what with the intensity and excitement. But different cultures, different tastes I guess.

Whatever it takes to sell consoles, I guess.

It's a little bit of the Wii effect and a little bit of the old PS1 commercials and a lot of bad advertising rolled into one. The way the guy's speaking in the Dynasty Warriors 6 version is downright creepy.

Sony _used_ to make decent, funny but memorable commercials for the Japanese market, something that seems to have gone away during their reign on console market the last few years.

Yay! That boy can at last play Ridge Racer 7!

Shame he can't play any of the other Ridge Racers anymore.

...it's RIIIIIIDGE RAAAACER!

Hmm... I dunno but these ads aren't pretty bad. I think they're trying to target the "not-so-hardcore" market.

I dont think the first one is shockingly bad actually they are all about the same I guess. pretty good

Why do more ads involve happy families gaming?
I think kids and men need to convince "mom" or "honey" that the PS3/Xbox360/Wii is something more than just to play games, but something that even they can enjoy.
That way they won't be upset when you're playing games...again...
I'm still trying to convince my girlfriend of that (although it isnt helping much yet)

They all seem pretty similar to me. I don't know what would make the first one bad yet prevent the others from following suit.

Well, at least it wasn't over the top like some Wii ads. It's been a while since I saw the original Playstation logo.

So husbands in Japan have to ask the wife for permission for things? Or is that just on TV?

@sander_dutch: Best way to do that is addict them with a DS!
Surprised these ads don't have someone playing a PSP since they're all relaxing and doing everyday tasks. Decent looking ads. Anyone remember the "Let's see that again!" ad for F1 GP on N64? More please.

@sander_dutch: I'm fortunate to have a gf that likes to buy me games :D

Why would you put the worst of the four adverts on the front page?

These ads are similar to how the Slim PSP was advertised, and it definitely worked for that, since they are selling at twice the rate of the old system. I guess no pain involved in doing it again for its big brother.

I kind of like the first few, they are kooky, making getting a ps3 seem almost like finally being able to go to disneyland or to get a car. Like its a family decision. Funny in a wierd japanese way.

The third one made me smile. I like how the kid cheers his father on: "Tou-chan, tou-chan, tou-chan!"

Anyway, nice ads with just the right dose of zaniness thrown in the subdued, homey atmosphere.
And, most importantly, they drive the message home: "Price drop, yo-hooouu, it's time to get a PS3!"

@Miao Ji:

[www.youtube.com]

Starting with the PS2, we went into "Hollywood kick you in the face with our epic graphics" direction, now we are going back again.

Some thing is missing...
One person is playing and the rest of the family is watching them play. Sony missed an opportunity there.

@Kohath:
It's usually like that on planet Earth.
Where do you come from?

@Kohath: So husbands in Japan have to ask the wife for permission for things? Or is that just on TV?

You're new to the whole "marriage" thing, I guess.

There is no mention of removed PS2 BC. I bet sony's customer support is gonna face mass phone calls about it.

I also think that the American Ads are better. I think they went the way they did with the commercials to get the people who were on the fence, which I guess Sony thinks is a lot of people to create 4 similar ads.

@Kohath: "So husbands in Japan have to ask the wife for permission for things? Or is that just on TV?"

Traditionally in Japan, husbands hand over their paycheques to their wives, and the wives manage the family finances, giving the husbands an "allowance", as it were.

However, I think these commercials just show the more universal, non-culturally specific situation that in most marriages (unless the family is rolling in dough), you consult with your spouse before spending $400 on a non-necessary luxury item. Since it's generally men who play PS3s, that means that it ends up being the husband consulting the wife, not the wife consulting the husband.

Finally some commercials.... No more freaking Forks resembling the PS3.

Remember that Fork resembling the PS3 commercial?

Aren't you glad they are showing normal commercials now?

@Astrofox: "Why would you put the worst of the four adverts on the front page?"

Makes sense, from an editing point of view. You have space for one ad on the front page, and the rest on the next page. You have an ad breakdown with 3 in one category ("good"), 1 in another category ("bad"). The easiest, smoothest way to arrange them, then, is for the single ad to go in the single front page slot, and the multiple ads in the multiple inside slots. "Here's a bad ad. Good ads after the jump." is more easily parsed than "Here's a good ad. Two more good ads and one bad ad after the jump."

Personally, I think all the ads are roughly the same in quality, but that's neither here nor there.

@Kinburn: No, they are not selling a wii or selling the PS3 to their Grandma or grandpa!

I'm not Japanese, so I have no idea of the cultural relevance or quality of these ads.

They are a bit odd though... I'm not sure if I'm being close-minded but I can't really imagine the wife in the third ad watching the dude play the game happily for hours and hours.

@bugbread: This is what I hate about Kotaku community.

PS3 is looked at in such negativity that when some good news finally comes out and is written in a good positive manner, (by someone like BRIAN ASHCRAFT) the community responds like you. In such a negative unhappy crappy response. I mean what the hell is the meaning of what you just wrote? None of the Ad's were bad, and you never explained why the ad's were bad, why is it so bad? hence you're just trolling now.

Remind me to mention your names when the Banning Hammer comes around on Mondays.

@bugbread: Sorry if I seem like I'm picking on you, I apologize. Your not the only one, it's quite a large problem in this community, and I don't think the ban hammer is big enough to get rid of the problem.

Seems like they inspired themselves of the Atari 2600 ads for these...

@ffmusicdj: "PS3 is looked at in such negativity that when some good news finally comes out and is written in a good positive manner, (by someone like BRIAN ASHCRAFT) the community responds like you. In such a negative unhappy crappy response. I mean what the hell is the meaning of what you just wrote? None of the Ad's were bad, and you never explained why the ad's were bad, why is it so bad? hence you're just trolling now."

Huh? I don't think any of the ads are bad. Ashcraft does, and so does Astrofox, and Astrofox is asking why Ashcraft would put a bad ad (or, better stated, "an ad Ashcraft thinks is bad") on the front page and the good ones inside. I'm just explaining the potential logic behind doing that. The exact same logic would apply if there were three ads Ashcraft found bad, and one that he found good: when faced with a selection of 3 of one and 1 of another, and the ability to put only 1 on the front page, the most logical choice is to put the 1 on the front, and the 3 on the inside. That's true if we're talking "3 bad, 1 good" or "3 good, 1 bad".

That's the meaning of what I just wrote.

I never explained why the ads are bad because I don't think they're bad. Ashcraft and Astrofox do. I think they're all fine.

I'm not trolling, I'm answering Astrofox's question with what seems like an obvious answer.

What, if I can turn it around, do you find to be trolling in my comment?

These adds are lol. But it's a start!

Japanese ads make me smile =)

Pretty standard for japanese ads (also funny how they try to stuff as much stuff as possible in short ads).
There are tons of good little japanese ads.. but I guess for electronics, I still prefer western commercials.

If you forget about all the shitty PS3/PS2/PSP ad campaings from the past, of course. I'm talking about the stuff Sony made for Bravia series...

Oh, and of course: Wii ads are some of the worst ever. Are the Japanese Wii ads the same as the ones here?

Totemo NAISU!
But yeah they're really good ads in my opinion.
There's the newly rehashed American ad too if people didn't find these appealing. I think they posted it on the PS3 blogsite before... and on kotaku before as well...
..Also I guess it slipped my mind, but... I didn't know about a white PS3 O_O.

Thanks for the translation Ashcraft, I had no idea what they were saying. I scratched my head at the Gundam Musou commercial, since I didn't know what the scream at the end was, now I know :)

I'd say the ads are efficient for the Japanese market. It goes straight to the point which actually works when it comes to buying things. They also don't cost a ton to make.

@bugbread: Talking about it and deciding together is different than asking permission. I was just wondering which situation was normal for Japan.

Kohath:

I dunno, when you're discussing one person wanting to spend money on a luxury good the other person doesn't particularly care about, "talking about it and deciding together" is the same as "asking permission". The situational dynamics are "I want this. If you agree that we can get this, we can get this. If you don't agree, we can't. Therefore, please agree." So you're in a situation where you're saying "Please say Yes, so we can get this"...which is both "talking about it and deciding together" and "asking permission".

The other alternatives are intimidation ("I'm not asking you if it's ok to buy a PS3, I'm saying agree or else!") or bartering ("If you say it's ok to get a PS3, I'll do blah blah blah"). Which, to be fair, the third commercial is, in a weak way. "Takashi's doing really well in school. I bet if we bought him Ratchet and Clank, he'd do even better in school."

Wouldnt say these ads are intesting and kinda odd..

But they sorta show what im sure most people have been thinking lol
Its been to expensive for a year - now its cheap buy me one mom!! :D

stupid but true :P

Aww, that third ad's pretty cute :). Tou-chan, tou-chan, tou-chan! ^_^