This is quite a clever product from Sony, it's a good reuse of existing technology and repackaged for a different market. There's plenty of casual gamers who won't want to invest $400 into getting a PS4, but want something they can play some games on their TV and get access to streaming services, so it's great for their needs. It's great for gamers who may have to share one TV with their PS4 on, but have access to another so they can continue gaming without having to unplug and shift it.
Sony seems to be putting some really strong ideas forward at the moment, it's interesting to see.
> want something they can play some games on their TV and get access to streaming services
Roku has been around for years and everyone that wants your list already bought one (or a competitor). Other than a slightly fancier controller cannibalizing higher end sales yet not being completely compatible with the higher end, and a much larger ad budget, I'm not sure what if anything Sony brings to the table better than the numerous established competitors in exactly the same space.
Its the "memory stick" of streaming boxes.
If I was in the market, I'd probably be more likely to purchase one of those generic android PCs with HDMI out, so I have the same apps my phone and tablet have on my TV, or buy yet another Roku, which has worked well for many years for me doing the exact same tasks being claimed as "new" by the sony device.
Game Quality. That's the key difference, at least compared to its direct competitors. IMO that's a large difference, and not one that Roku and the like can compete with. It's a serious value-add, and as long as the media services are as seamless as it's competitors, it's a good choice.
Ah but its hardly the only "attach to a TV to play games" device out there. You have an extremely narrow window between "don't care / angry birds is good enough" and "Must have major title XYZ or its worthless". So you're J6P with your $700 TV and $150/month cable subscription and there's a $100 device thats not nearly as good as a mere $300 xbox, err...
Back in the industrial era there was this car called the Edsel which tried to wedge itself into a ecological niche too small for it to fit in, and it became a legend. Not a good legend BTW.
Roku has been around for years, sure, and it's available in 5 countries. Add on the fact in the UK outside of the tech followers the name 'Roku' is mostly unknown, Sony on the other hand has significantly more cachet.
What they're bringing is two things. Game quality and quantity, ranging from a classic like Final Fantasy 7 through to modern PS Vita games. There's very literally something for all the family, with some strongly recognised titles. The next thing they're bringing is not just access to Netflix, but most likely access to the Sony Entertainment library. That's a big ol' collection of entertainment that they can leverage against.
What Sony brings is brand name recognition, and most likely worldwide distribution. If they promote it well they'll sell a lot.
>Sony on the other hand has significantly more cachet.
That's a problem. Root kits. Memory sticks. MD Minidiscs. Beta video cassette recorders. Something will inevitably be "wrong" with this new Sony product; they all inevitably disappoint.
The Playstation (1/2), the Walkman, Triniton. Minidisc is unfair, I know of some people who still use them (music production purposes), they weren't a bad product they just launched at the wrong time.
They've had some hits, they've had some misses, they still have a significantly bigger presence than Roku. There's plenty of Sony Centres open in the UK just as a product outlet.
My interest in it is that there are games released on the PSP/Vita that aren't released on the PS3. I have no interest in a handheld when I have a nice couch and big TV.
Sony seems to be putting some really strong ideas forward at the moment, it's interesting to see.