Chapter 6 Consumer Decision Making

Why Buy the PlayStation 4?

     With over 5 million units sold as of today you have to ask the question is all the hype worth the money for this new gaming system. My opinion yes, I experienced the system first hand in a Best Buy in Union Square and I was fairly impressed with the quality and actual fun I was having. In about a half hour I was ready to empty out my savings and walk home a

happy camper. But I have to be honest I have my doubts with the system and I do fall into the category of the consumer so there are things I would know before I make this $399 investment.

There are 5 stages to this decision making process and they are:

1.               Problem/Need Recognition- This is in general the first stage in which the consumer recognizes that what essentially is the problem or need and hence accordingly a consumer can identify the product or kind of product which would be required by the consumer.

2.               Information Search - In information search, the consumer searches about the product which would satisfy the need which has been recognized by the consumer in the stage previous to this one.

3.               Evaluation of Alternatives - In this stage, the consumer evaluates the different alternatives which the consumer comes across, when the consumer was searching for information. Generally in the information search the consumer comes across quite a few products and thus now the consumer has to evaluate and understand which product would be properly suited for the consumer.

4.               Purchase - After the consumer has evaluated all the options and would be having the intention to buy any product, there could be now only two things which might just change the decision of the consumer buying the product that is what the other peers of the consumer think of the product and any unforeseen circumstances.

5.             Post Purchase Behavior - After the purchase the consumer might just go through post purchase dissonance in which the consumer feels that buying the other product would be better. But a company should really take care of it, taking care of post purchase dissonance doesn't only spread good words for the product but also increases the chance of frequent repurchase.

My need for the console is similar to the target market because it’s a must have after all the marketing on television and reading all the amazing reviews I have to be honest I want one and I want one bad. Also compared to its predecessor the upgrade is well worth its price tag by not only being affordable but also accessible to the ever growing gaming world.

Sony impressively met the needs of the consumers this time around by allowing the gamers to share their experience at the touch of a button. That brings you closer to the ultimate gaming experience, go ahead and score 60 with LeBron and brag about it with your very own custom made highlight reel. It’s not just the sports games that’s getting all the shine you can share any moment in any game you play which is a new feature its predecessor did not have.

 Of course there is an alternative you can

spend an extra $100 and purchase an Xbox One. Even though the Xbox One is a step up from its predecessor it has its flaws that Microsoft is continuously trying to fix with constant software updates that are cleaning up the

bugs that players are experiencing. There are other alternatives like console only exclusives which are games that are only released for either the Xbox One or the PlayStation 4, Titanfall would be an Xbox One exclusive that Microsoft is marketing to grab some sales and influence some gamers to stay loyal to their console.

Infamous: Second Son being released this month is an example of a PlayStation 4 exclusive, it’s the third game in the series and this time you have an open world Seattle to lay with and a new protagonist to control and with marketing for the game being heavy at this moment right before release

Sony has Microsoft in a head lock and won’t let go until Xbox One gives up its lunch money.

 The purchase behavior is outstanding because the console sold over 5 million units, so consumers feel that PlayStation is the way to go and with impressive sales that are

expected to continue well into the rest of this year and beyond the consumer can only hear his friends and colleagues brag and then purchase one for themselves.

 Negative post purchase behavior is rare for this system because with excellent reviews, amazing record breaking sales, and continuous aggressive and different marketing strategies the PlayStation 4 is doing just fine and honestly I want one for myself. We live in a new day and age where gaming at home is normal, girls play video games and online gaming is at its peak and the community is going to keep growing with the times and as kids get older and new generations are introduced to the 21^st century one can only imagine how far Sony can push not only the PlayStation 4 but future consoles that are released.