You are here: Home » News » Ex-Sony PR takes to Twitter, den...

Ex-Sony PR takes to Twitter, denounces PlayStation business and operations

Posted September 24th, 2012 at 14:56 EDT by Kyle Prahl
14 Comments

Over the weekend, we heard news that Sony Computer Entertainment America had laid off a significant portion of its public relations staff in San Diego. One of the employees affected, veteran PR man and The Tester Season 1 winner Will Powers, took to Twitter this morning to denounce the layoffs and make his thoughts heard on the company's recent business moves.

Powers' eloquent and poignant discussion began at 11:33 AM CST, when he mused that "You have to wonder what the hell PlayStation was thinking laying off more than half of their software PR team going into the holiday season." He proceeded to remark that "they're sending titles out to die" this Christmas, mentioning LittleBigPlanet Karting, Sports Champions 2, and Wonderbook as specific examples of games he believes will suffer without proper PR attention.

Powers also believes that this round of layoffs will only "exacerbate an existing problem", as much of the company's PR workload is handed off to outside agencies already. According to Powers, the operating costs of internal PR are miniscule compared to the benefits, and layoffs in that department effectively miss the point of hiring outside agencies in the first place. Indeed, Powers questioned the decision-making side of the company further, asking, "What the point of AdHoc multiplayer when no one has a Vita? . . . Sony in general is serving too many masters. Each company should operate autonomously. PlayStation shouldn't suffer b/c TVs are overpriced."

Before long, the flow of unfiltered thoughts ended with a note of optimism, as Powers professed that these things were all said out of genuine care for the PlayStation brand. It's a business he surely wants to see succeed, but it's refreshing to hear the thoughts of a Sony insider who, now jobless, no longer has to hold back and can freely speak his mind about company issues.

What do you think about Powers' thoughts? Is Sony heading in the right direction, or is PlayStation destined for trouble? Sound off in the comments below.

Via Twitter

Comments

Pandabrawler | Krimmson
- 3:37pm EDT - September 24th, 2012
- 1
A guy that won a reality show about game testing became a part of Sony's PR?
Jesus, no wonder why the PR team was terrible.
DrinkDayNnight
- 4:00pm EDT - September 24th, 2012
- 2
"LittleBigPlanet Karting, Sports Champions 2, and Wonderbook as specific examples of games he believes will suffer without proper PR attention."

*facepalm. As if any of those had a chance either way.

Sorry pal, but PR monkeys are expendable. Our company goes through PR reps without mercy. One set out, 10 more ready to take their spot.
Pandabrawler | Krimmson
- 4:09pm EDT - September 24th, 2012
- 3
Huh, doublepost. Whoops.
say_what
- 4:30pm EDT - September 24th, 2012
- 4
That's life, the guy should deal with it.
AaronSOLDIER | AaronSOLDIER
- 4:38pm EDT - September 24th, 2012
- 5
Let's be honest, those titles will flop even with the PR staff.
mikeghtmare
- 4:43pm EDT - September 24th, 2012
- 6
I disagree with most of you; I think LBP Karting and Wonderbook could do well with proper PR.
... however, Sony's PR in the past has been terrible so it's probably a good thing they scrapped the PR team and have a fresh start.
KyleOnTheRun
- 6:39pm EDT - September 24th, 2012
- 7
I personally think Sports Champions 2 will do well during the Holidays, among families and people who own a Move and are desparate for a reason to play it.

LBP Karting? Meh sales, at best. ModNation Racers fell flat early, but I don't think shoehorning the kart-racing gameplay onto a well-known franchise will do anything to encourage sales. It may even confuse the average consumer who doesn't know PlayStation as well as the PSU community does.

And I still have no idea *who* Wonderbook is for. Too little, too late - there better be serious bundle incentive to pick that one up.
AaronSOLDIER | AaronSOLDIER
- 7:20pm EDT - September 24th, 2012
- 8
I'll be buying LBP and SC2 but I still think they'll flop. When I'm enjoying them though I won't be thinking of their sales lol
Gameoholic007 | Demented007
- 7:30pm EDT - September 24th, 2012
- 9
Sports Champion 2 is a buy for me. Im not touching LBP Karting, I've played the beta and was bored to death of it.
davin_g
- 8:34pm EDT - September 24th, 2012
- 10
That is a poor way to react after losing your job. Makes you look very ungrateful for your job and trust me...everything you put out there on the internet is easily accessible by future employers. I would not hire someone that behaved that way for PR for my company. He is young and will learn...or not...but acting like that will not help you in life. My father worked 34 yrs before they laid him off...I worked over 10 yrs for a company that reorganized. Its life...you better learn you aren't entitled to a job...or a pay check..or a govt check and work hard and present yourself professionally if you want to continue in that compacity.
Kuro | xThAkIdJxYx
- 8:54pm EDT - September 24th, 2012
- 11
The only thing I see flopping is "Wonderbook"
johnodd4
- 1:41am EDT - September 25th, 2012
- 12
Actually I am sorry to say pr reps are expendable and if you didn't notice they promised you a job they didn't say you would keep it read the fine print
TheTenth666
- 6:12am EDT - September 25th, 2012
- 13
??? maybe they should stop the "PR" thing all the way, I can't think of a most useless job (maybe consulting). When a company has something to announce, just let the CEO do it, and if you want to be in contact with the possible consumers, use forums or organise an event where employees with talent in relations will do the job and earn a prime
Alpha2
- 12:37pm EDT - September 25th, 2012
- 14
LBP cart deserves to do better than modnation. MNR was a good game and was overlooked due to a flooded market, throw a few commercials on thei air during some well liked shows and it should do okay, you dont need a marketing team to tell you that. Wonderbook will do fine as long as they bank on the harry potter people wanting new content. Look the dude was a winner on The Tester, where he won a testing job, the lowest rank position possible in a game company and he was expendable as heck. ANYTIME a company lays people off the first people they get rid of are the cheapest, easiest replaceable people they can get rid of. The low man on the pole gets the boot and that includes people that WON their job rather than earned it. He may be saying what he's saying out of the perception of love for the brand but he's also saying it out of spite for the people who fired him.