HDTVUK have reported the findings of a US-based survey which suggests that a major factor in consumer negativity about the Blu-ray high definition optical disc format is a distrust of Sony, and annoyance from some gamers that they're forced to adopt Blu-ray if they get a PS3.
Cymfony, a market influence analytics company, discovered that positive discussions about HD DVD were 46% higher than Blu-ray, with over twice as many post authors stating being "impressed with HD DVD" versus "impressed with Blu-ray"
The study was independent, so not sponsored by any company with a direct interest in one of the formats. Some consumer comments that came out of the survey included:
"Sony, on the other hand, has a track record of starting format wars, and losing them too. Beta, mini-disc, umd, and atrac have all been huge flops, but they just don't seem to learn their lesson because they're too greedy." -- phishbook.com
"There are other issues too; the sheer arrogance of Sony is incredible, and puts me off wanting to support them." -- avforums.com
"What if you don't give a damn about watching movies on your game console? What if you prefer to buy a separate HD player? That's the rub. Sony forces you to buy Blu-ray. MS doesn't force you to buy HD-DVD. It's about giving the consumer options. Bargain my arse, as a consumer I prefer options." -- forums.adventuregamers.com
Jim Nail, chief strategy & marketing officer at Cymfony, commented, "While the media and manufacturers duke it out over their format choice, our research shows that consumers are turning away from Blu-ray because of Sony's reputation and heavy-handed launch strategy. Cymfony's unique capabilities for analysis of traditional and consumer generated media provide corporations with an early warning system of whether their marketing or product initiatives are gaining traction in the user community."
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